#shoes were from aranea
Text
Also here's the Velvette sprite on its own if you want to use her for anything. Just credit me please
#hazbin hotel#velvette hazbin hotel#not putting velvette in places#i used to make homestuck sprites on request#so i knew i had to do it when i got the request#and this really is all from either canon sprites or hand-drawn#with a mouse#i traced the pigtails though because i don't hate myself THAT much#hair came from rose with dave's bangs and the curls/other bits added in#eyes and eyebrows came from porrim but modified slightly#hearts came from the heart class symbol#shirt technically came from porrim and used the base of rose's shirt moved up to make it a crop top#lips and skull earrings came from rose just modified#pants were from john and eridan#but i drew the stripes myself#shoes were from aranea#cape was also from eridan but modified#it was surprisingly fun to put together
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
I CAN FINALLY POST HER!! MY ARANEA FOR CAPTCHAVOGUE ZINE!!!
the coord was heavily inspired by moi meme moitie, pretty much all the pieces are either unaltered from the source (ie shoes and blouse) or were tweaked to be homestucky. i loved working on this project so much. it's one of my favorite pieces i ever made and i look forward to captchavogue 2025!
45 notes
·
View notes
Text
show me - a highspecs one shot
Title: Show Me
Fandom: FFXV
Pairing: HighSpecs (Aranea Highwind x Ignis Scientia)
Rating: Mature (Timeline what timeline - Established Relationship - Suits - PWP - Explicit Sexual Content)
Word Count: ~2,935
Summary: Aranea heads to Lucis for a meeting with the King, but in reality is going for another purpose. To spend time with her lover, Ignis Scientia.
A/N: For a very, very dear friend of mine, who is celebrating a milestone birthday. They requested this pairing, and I was happy to oblige. Happy birthday , @xbittersweet-nostalgiax!! :)
---
Crossing her ankles with her knees turned to the side, the tip of Aranea’s heel dug into the grooved mat, her head turned towards the window on her right. “We’ll be landing in about five minutes, Commodore.” A voice came through the headphones she was wearing on her head, muting the sound of the helicopter she was in that was currently taking her to an appointment in Lucis. She kept her eyes on the window, the scenery of the encased city looking as beautiful and majestic as she could recall. It had been a few months since her last visit to the Lucian kingdom, and was happy to make her return. She gave a nod of her head, giving her pilot a thumb’s up before smoothing out the skirt she was wearing.
Her shoes were a pristine black patent leather, the heels sharp enough to kill if used wisely. Which she could do, of course, as she was one of the best fighters in the Niflheim army. An army that was less than to be desired, but a job was a job. She at least had the advantage of being able to conduct business here in Lucis, while the higher ups back in Niflheim allowed her to conduct her business, asking only a few questions about certain things she’d encountered. Keep up relations between the two empires, on a more inviting level, than have the two heads of state meet.
Tit for tat, and all that.
The helicopter landed on the tallest building in the city, the Citadel, where the King and his son ruled the kingdom. She waited for the pilot to open the door, and once that was taken care of, she took off her headset and set it on the chair, smoothing out her skirt once more before adjusting the blazer she wore. Business was business, and today she looked the part, rather than wear her chosen uniform in the army.
Stepping off the landing, she turned and saw that there was someone waiting for her. Someone that was making her insides burn in a way that wanted to be dealt with now, but decorum came first. She eyeballed him as quickly as he did to her, and could see the pleased look on his face. The sunlight bounced off of his glasses for a brief second, obscuring his eyes from her, which was such a pity as they were such a beautiful color.
“Commodore.” Ignis Scientia, the Prince of Lucis’ Strategist and right hand man, bowed towards her. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.” He held out his hand to her as he stood back up straight.
She offered her hand to him, and felt his secure grip. The way her fingers curled against the back of his hand, offering a shake while her eyes drank in his features. Three piece suit. Black and crisp, and as sharp as ever. A grey tie sat around his neck, drawing attention to the item as his shirt, vest and suit were all black. Her toes curled inside of her heels, her panties becoming slightly damp at how attractive he was. It was always such a pleasure to see him face to face, rather than trade rather inappropriate texts with him on her personal phone. “Ignis.” She greeted him, a half-smirk on her lips as the tips of his fingers branded the back of her hand with their own special touch. A touch she had been very much looking forward to since this meeting had been arranged.
“If you would please follow me.” He turned on his heel, and began to walk towards the door that would take them into the Citadel.
“Return tomorrow.” She told the helicopter pilot, who nodded, and left her to her wiles. The helicopter took off, blowing her ponytail a little as she walked over to where Ignis was waiting for her. He held the door open, and she went inside, her stomach beginning to roll as the anticipation began to set in.
They headed to a bank of elevators, where Ignis pushed a code onto the console. “I do apologize, but our meeting has been pushed back with the King.”
“Now you tell me.” She sighed, feigning disappointment as the elevator opened. “How much later in the day are we talking, Scientia?”
“The meeting was intended for one, and now will be closer to four.” He hit the button, the door closing, leaving them alone in the elevator.
Turning towards him, she crossed her arms across her chest, making sure that her arms were beneath them, making them look extra perky for the Strategist. She saw his eyes move down to take a look at what she was presenting to him. “What am I doing here, when it is a quarter to one? I do not have any place to kill my time, Scientia.” Her voice was clipped. Annoyed. Bothered by this information that she was going to have to wait to have a meeting with the King.
“I have a place for you.” The door opened on a familiar floor, one that Aranea had gotten to know quite well on her last visit to the Citadel. “If you would please follow me?”
“As if I have any choice in the matter.” She flicked her ponytail towards him as she stepped off the elevator, and began to walk forward, knowing exactly where Ignis was taking her.
The steady staccato of her heels clicking on the marble echoed through the otherwise silent hallway. She came to a stop in front of a door, a door that was unmarked but so were the rest of the doors in this hallway. She’d come to learn this on her last visit. Ignis tapped on the door, inputting a code into the handle, then opened the door for her yet again. She brushed her shoulder past his arm as she walked past him, and headed into the room.
As soon as the door was closed, she felt two arms slip around her waist, pulling her flush against an agile body. “How dare you come here, looking like this.” Ignis’ lips were against her ear, as his hand reached down and touched the hem of her skirt, drawing it upwards to reveal her hidden weapon. “Don’t you trust me?” He murmured into her ear.
“I trust no one.” She felt the holster around her thigh give, and heard it drop to the carpeted floor, her concealed knife now no longer a threat to anyone. Not that it would matter, as she knew that Ignis was an expert with knives himself, as he’d so willingly showed her on her last visit. She felt a shiver travel up her spine as she remembered that, a soft moan wanting to leave her mouth but she swallowed it instead.
His fingers moved up her inner thigh, getting dangerously close to her core. “Pity. I thought that we had an understanding.”
“We do.” She turned around, and wrapped her leg around his waist, pleased to feel the bulge in his pants pushing right up against her center with a well-timed thrust. “You are allowed to have sex with me.”
“I rather think it’s you that is getting to have sex with me.” Ignis tried to correct her, as her well manicured nails began to work on the buttons of his vest.
“No, I said it correctly.” She smirked, dropping her leg as she brought her red-stained lips to his ear. “You like it that way, though, don’t you, Scientia?” She left a kiss on the shell of his ear, enjoying the soft whimper that left his mouth as she pushed the panels of his vest open.
Her fingers worked on his tie, as he reached behind her to unzip her skirt. “I do.” He moaned low, his hands now pushing on her hips, trying to get the fabric off of her body.
“Now, then. Was that so difficult?” She got his tie off, and then began to unbutton his shirt. Once the buttons were undone, she pushed his suit jacket off, and then his vest. “My, this is a nice surprise.” She took a step back to admire him in just his undone shirt, his suspenders still sitting on top of his shoulders, with a pair of arm garters on both of his arms to keep his shirt in place. “For me?” She asked, reaching for the suspender, and gave it a quick snap.
The heat in Ignis’ eyes was palpable in the room. “If that is your wish, Commodore.”
“It is.” Aranea agreed, a wicked smile now on her lips as his hands finally got her skirt to go down in a proper way. “When’s the last time you undressed a woman?”
“Three months ago.” He smirked, as she undid the garters around his arms, dropping them unceremoniously down towards the floor. “When was your last visit?” He asked, as if he didn’t already know the answer.
“What a strange coincidence.” She teased, lifting her arms as he pulled the blouse she’s wearing up over her head, her jacket long gone. Her breasts were barely held in the sad excuse for a bra that she chose to wear. But, it was a matching set, and a damn good one, as she saw Ignis was now staring blatantly at her breasts. She reached for his chin, and pushed it up with one finger. “Eyes up here, Scientia.”
“Your breasts are too beautiful to be ignored.” His hands found their way to them, giving them a good squeeze before he went to take care of the hooks keeping it on her body. She felt them release, and exhaled a long sigh as she could finally breathe properly, the garment falling to the floor with the rest of their clothes. “Much better, for both you and I.” Ignis smirked, his hand returned to her breasts to palm them gently, before bringing the tips of his fingers to her nipples to give them a good, playful squeeze.
Letting out a soft moan, Aranea tilted her head back as she pushed the rest of Ignis’ clothes off of his upper body. “More, Ignis.” She moaned his name, and heard him growl low, his teeth now anchoring onto her shoulder as he bit her, claiming her as his own, if only for a few short hours.
His pants came off, the two of them now making their way towards the bed off in the corner of the room. It was meant to be a place to sleep when it was a late night at work. It wasn’t meant to be a bedroom that one lived out of. It was here for purpose and necessity only. And right now, it was a damn fine bedroom, as her back sank down onto the bed, the familiarity making her smile.
“You are gorgeous when you smile.” His compliment made her stomach flutter, as his hands went to her underwear. “I might have to mention to the King that you were late, and might push the meeting to tomorrow morning.”
She laughed, her legs now spread wide to show him that she did trust him. She trusted only him. His fingers landed on her thighs, keeping them spread for him as he dipped his head down and let his tongue part her folds with a very skilled lick. “Cancel it.” She moaned, arching her hips up to press herself against his mouth, moaning as his tongue delved into her crevices, licking her in ways that no human tongue should be able to.
“Consider it rescheduled.” He bit her thigh, making her gasp before his mouth returned to her privates, his tongue now licking her dripping pussy over and over with purposeful strokes.
Aranea felt her thighs tremble as her legs now rested over his shoulders. Ignis continued to torment her, bringing her to the brink of an orgasm, only to stop before she could fly. She kept chasing after an orgasm, moaning loud and long as his lips wrapped themselves nice and tight around her clitoris, causing stars to bloom in her vision. At long last, he brought her to the edge and let her go, his fingers now dipping into her core as he made her come.
Her hips lowered back to the bed, her face and chest flushed from the exquisite orgasm she’d just been granted by Ignis. He sat on his knees, and looked at her with a pleased smile on his face. “Would you care for more now, Aranea?” He fisted his cock, and brought it to her center, rubbing it lewdly against her wet flesh - wet because of her own juices, as well as the saliva he’d left behind on her skin.
“You know damn well that I do.” She narrowed her eyes at him, as he tossed his head back with a laugh.
“I know.” He moved, laying on top of her now, the tip of his cock trying to find its place within her body. It took a few attempts, all of which were met by pleasant laughter leaving Aranea’s mouth, as Ignis brought his head down closer to hers. “Hush.” He reprimanded her with the force of a snail.
Finally, his cock sank into her body, both of them releasing content moans at the intimate connection. She lifted both of her legs and wrapped them around his waist, pushing his cock deeper into her body, making her vaginal walls flutter around his thickness. “Missed this,” she moaned, pushing herself more onto his cock. “Missed you.” She admitted, brushing a kiss to his shoulder as he chose that moment to thrust his hips forward with a powerful thrust. It was dangerous to be vulnerable around ‘the enemy’, but Ignis was someone she trusted with her life. Clearly.
“I always miss you.” He whispered against her lips, before kissing her with a fiery need that spread throughout her body. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and let him take her for a ride.
The bed creaked as they continued, Ignis’ cock pounding into her, making her moan for him. His own deep groans were music to her ears, feeling him surrender to her in a way that she knew was for her. She felt herself getting close, and whispered into his ear his name before climaxing again. Ignis shuddered hard against her, and then groaned low as he emptied his cock inside of her, filling her with his seed as they both reached their high as one.
His lips touched her shoulder, as she relaxed and dropped her arms back down to her side. “You truly are beautiful when you come.” He murmured into her ear, before kissing her lips. “I wish you could visit more.”
“Let’s hope that I can.” She watched as Ignis got up, and pulled his phone from his suit pocket. She was about to say something else, when he held up his finger to keep her silent.
“Your Majesty - it appears the Commodore won’t be in until late this evening. Your schedule is clear for tomorrow at 9 to meet with her. Yes, Your Majesty. I will make sure she has the finest accommodations that Lucis has to offer. Yes, Your Majesty. Good afternoon to you.” Ignis hung up the phone, then returned to the bed, crawling to lay back on top of her. “Now, I do believe we have more time together.”
“Whatever shall we do with it?” Aranea asked, her wicked smile returning as she wrapped her arms back around his neck.
“I can think of a great many things we could do, Commodore.” He returned, as the tip of his cock returned to her folds, back at full hardness. “Would you care to hear them?”
She shook her head, and stared into his eyes. “Show me.”
“As the Commodore wishes.” Ignis smirked, and she felt herself getting lost in a sea of lust with the Prince’s strategist.
***
“Good morning, Commodore.” The King of Lucis greeted her, as she was escorted into the throne room by Ignis. “I trust your stay with us last night was pleasant?”
The hidden marks on her body made by the man standing beside her had made her stay very pleasant. “Yes, Your Majesty.” She smiled up at him, after bowing before him. “Now, if we may - I’d like to get to business.”
“Of course.”
At the end of the meeting, Ignis escorted her back up to the roof, where her helicopter was waiting for her. “Guess this is it, Scientia.” She smiled at him, pleased to see his tie was still somewhat crooked, after having a go at him before their meeting with the King. She knew that his cock was covered in her lipstick, and when he looked at it later, he would remember how she’d serviced that beautiful piece of flesh in somewhat of a hurry this morning. She saw there was a smudge of lipstick on the white collar of his shirt, which the King no doubt had seen as well. Ah, well.
“Return soon. Please.” He held her hands in his, as he looked at her with an adoration she could feel in her heart.
“I will try.” She brought her lips to the corner of his, and left a kiss there. “Goodbye, Ignis. Thanks for a great time.”
“Goodbye, Aranea.”
She climbed into the helicopter, and got settled. Ignis stood on the roof, looking somewhat dazed, which made her smile. She would return in due time, and would make sure to carve out an evening, or two, with the Prince’s strategist.
---
Cross-posted to AO3
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Heir Class Eludes Me.
In the spirit of making less structured posts, but which are more frequent. I thought I might put my current thoughts and speculations to this public page, so that people who want to come along on this journey with me may benefit from it instead of this sitting in my drafts.
I have been reading Homestuck again. And in short (because this isn't the time for that) my theory on Classes matches my theory on Aspects. That, like many things in Homestuck, they are terms for Literary tropes, framed in the context of appearing visually like a Video Game. The Active and Passive pairings do have some credence, but ultimately the root of what a Classpect is supposed to be getting at, is in this understanding.
As a result, i've been going over my thoughts on them, and in rereading the comic, reading and analysing things carefully to make sure that my conclusions aren't made from shaky foundations.
But I have been pretty confident in my understanding of the Heir Class.
Until Now.
I have always understood the Heir to be shorthand for "Chosen One Hero", who is helped and protected by their aspect in earlier stages, but who then grow into it and are able to take mastery of it for themselves. Growing into their own shoes as it were.
Breath being the aspect of Journey, Quest, and Plot Momentum, it makes sense that Homestuck's "Main Character" John Egbert, has the Breath aspect and is also an Heir. One of the more "Classic Heroes".
And we see Heirs of this sort a lot, in fiction and in fairytale. The King Arthur, the Luke Skywalker, The Eragon, The Avatar Aang, The Superman (as opposed to the Batman, who is more martial etc will go into later).
But because Homestuck likes to play around with the understanding of these Roles, and has a few dichotomies of "This character Carries this title and is seen as such by others but their Real title is different"
eg. Rose and Jade as the "Witch and the Seer" but swapped, and Feferi and Eridan as "The Princess and the Wizard being the Witch and the Prince"
I bring this up because whilst a good Heir is easy enough to understand, and recognise in collective Mythos. I reached Equius.
Jesus Christ.
This guy is Snobby, this guy is Rigid, this man is (in his first introduction) a "Bigger Douche Than Karkat". Controlling over Nepeta, Classist, Weird about Aradia. How the fuck is this guy in the league of Chosen One Heroes do I need to go to square One Here?
But then it hit me. Every class and aspect has the capacity for great good or great evil. Even the benevolent healer "Sylph" class (Passive MAKE) has fucking Aranea Serket in it.
Whilst "Chosen One Heroes" almost Exclusively are "good" in fiction. What would a shitty evil one look like?
Genuinely what the fuck would that look like.
Unlike John, who is earnest. And Mituna, who is also quite bubbly, friendly enough, (havent gotten up to that point yet) and made a great sacrifice to save his friends (potential follow up here considering Doc Scratch once implied for John "when he dies, it won't be as a scoundrel")
Equius is controlling, rigid. If he is an "heir" as in "future King" he definitely wields that shit about whenever he can to flaunt his superiority. Is "evil king" possibly what we're looking at here? Though Prince is usually reserved for dicky controlling nobles.
However as his story progresses, Equius is shown to actually enjoy being "bossed around". Influenced by others, as it were. Positing Aradia (Maid, Heir's counterpart in current theory system) as the secret true leader, whilst he's the On Paper leader. Contrasting the Knight/Seer duo of Karkat and Terezi on the red team.
It's fairly established that Maids start out being burdened and stifled by their aspect, have some drastic transformations, before settling back into their role but on their own terms. Maids are also said to "tidy up", Managing their aspect. Equating to both Maid as Maiden and Maid as Servant.
I wonder if, if Maids Manage their aspect as the Active conterpart to the Heir, Are Heirs managed BY their aspect?
Could this count in terms of understanding their paths and what their roles mean?
Davesprite says of John, that he is easily influenced until he's Not. But is the Not coming from him being a Hero of Breath (notably flighty and hard to pin down) and the influence being him as an Heir? or something else.
I'm not sure of Mituna yet but he is definitely used by a lot of people.
Perhaps Equius yielding, and enjoying uh. I'll call it "Being Influenced" by people, a way of separating the concepts of His Caste, and His Class?
Perhaps though if we are to understand the Blood Classes of alternia as being influenced by Scratch to make it easier for the Players by enforcing Aspect Specific Behaviour onto them, perhaps this too, is true for Classes. Rusts being servants, Ceruleans being stealy generally. Teal being about Law. Who knows.
But if this is true perhaps I should try and learn what the Indigo Blue Caste is actually about, and try to differentiate the parts significant to Void, and the parts significant to Heirs. If I do, I'll surely write about them here. Though I don't want to make a definitive Heir specific post until I'm a bit more sure of the thought process here.
Come to think of it, Post Scratch John Crocker was "a very carefree guy" for most of his life. Does this link to Breath, or Heirs. hmmmmm.
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
forgive me but something abt neige's writing + position in twst's plot actually reminds me about one of my least favorite aspects of homestuck's writing: throughout a lot of homestuck, especially the middle(?), it really feels like hussie is grabbing you by the throat and saying "doesn't feferi piss you off???? do you actually think nepeta has any possible option but to die gruesomely for tearjerker points?? aren't my mean characters so deep, and real, and interesting, and aren't all my nice characters one-dimensional trash with no growth potential at all?????" to which a lot of fans were like ummm no i like them. like fefeta was created just to mock fans for smushing together a ship of two cute girls, and while ofc all the characters got clowned on, the "nice and sweet" characters seemed to get a ton of authorial spite, if not killed then given up on, like jane and aranea respectively kinda abandoned by the plot and turned evil out of the blue. it really feels like hussie, after burning out on hate for kind & stereotypically heroic characters, just didn't know what to do with them. often times the authorial opinions break the immersion of an otherwise fantastically written story, which luckily he notices & leans into fittingly as a meme.
back to neige. neige is set up from the beginning as your enemy, the guy who could snuff out all of the main cast's onscreen hard work just by being his cute, saccharine self. he never does a thing wrong, and he's consistently nice, but you're set up to hate him. his cutesy sweetness is an actual threat to your group, and right and wrong don't matter here; it's all about who the narrative leads you to care about. vil does many bad things and you're meant to love him deeply, whereas the harveston event gives you pretty explicit permission to hate the dwarves, and by extension their whole group. the theme of villains as protagonists is really exemplified in the antagonist of book 5, and any authorial smugness is really coming toward the implied reader for being led to hate the innocent goody-two-shoes characters, not toward the characters for daring to exist.
the two mediums are obviously a lot different in structure, audience, and creative process; and to each their own, but i, for one, really admire twst's deliberate manipulation of the reader's feelings, and dislike (early-middle) homestuck's assumption that readers want to see bad things happen to nice + pure characters
#txt#im glad jade + callie got a solid amnt of grace later on i do think like. the irl author's personal growth can be fascinating#its just less my cup of tea#i think jake is actually a more careful deconstruction of the hero/villain dichotomy that people other than me have written good meta on#unfortunately i do not have any studied + well-thought-out opinions on jake bc i was too blinded by thirst for him whilst he was my fave#lmfaoooooo#anyway my teenage homestuck phase aside. the reminder that readers dont love good deeds + good people they love who the writers create#interest around
3 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hi! Can I request genderbend Mindfand with a female cobalt blood reader. It's in a universe where trolls reproduce like humans and ancestors are the troll word for "parents" (so he's the father of Vriska and Aranea).
Reader is very lady like, good mannered but is a tsudere and has a strong character, and Mindfang is, well, Mindfang.
Little Vriska and her big sister Aranea ask reader how they met, and she explains that he was a young pirate and her a lady of a aristocratic family of cobalt boold. He fell for her so hard that he tried to seduce her every time he could and that, since her parents wanted to marry her to a man she dislike, agreed to run away with him and she eventually fell for him and marry him.
Mindfang come in the room at this moment and tells the truth: Reader ran away from her engagement party, her heel broke twisting her foot, he heard her cry, found her crying in a cove near her broken high heels, they talk, she said that she wanted to live a life of adventures, he took her on his ship, she tried to seduce him but in her clumsy tsudere way, he found it so cute that he played along, she was a blushing mess, he kissed her, they got together, he proposed, she accepted, they had adult time, first Aranea, then Vriska, the end.
Reader is so flustered that she try to hit him, but he takes her princess style and kiss her, finishing her by making her a blushing, embarrassed mess in front of their daughters.
Thank!
♏️ Male!Marquise Spinneret Mindfang x indigoblood fem!Reader headcanons Dating story 🦾
You and Mindfang have been living together for a long time and raising your two children. Quite often your daughters asked you a lot of questions and one day the girls asked you about how you met their father. That question made you smile softly. You sometimes remembered this story and were happy to tell it to your daughters
You told them about how their father was in love with you and often flirted with you, trying to seduce you, but you were from an aristocratic family so you could not afford such a relationship. However, when your parents decided that it was time for you to get married, but you were against this marriage. That's why when Mindfang once again offered you to run away with him, you agreed, wanting freedom. It took you a while to fall in love with him but eventually you were together
Your story was interrupted by laughter. It was Mindfang. He had been listening to what you were telling your daughters for some time, but he could no longer hold back his laughter. Your story was very different from what he remembered, and he hastened to remind you of it. He couldn't refuse his daughters when they hurriedly started asking him to tell his version of events, despite your embarrassed expression
Mindfang told your daughters about how he met you all alone in the cove. You sat and cried. You had a twisted leg and your shoe with a broken heel was lying next to it. Then he came up to you and asked what happened to you. You told him that you dreamed of freedom and adventure. He could not deny you this desire of yours. He took you on a ship and you became part of his crew. Several times you tried to seduce him in your special aristocratic and clumsy manner. He couldn't resist playing along, embarrassing you. It is thanks to this that your relationship has become more serious, even to the point that you already had two children
When he finished his version of the story, you were very confused and tried to hit him, but he easily intercepted your hand, smiling charmingly at you. Mindfang knew perfectly well how to embarrass you and he couldn't help but make it even stronger. He leaned over and kissed you, gently hugging your waist while your daughters looked at you. When he pulled away, you were even more confused, trying to mumble something, hurriedly covering your face with your hands, which caused his soft and gentle laughter. He was sincerely glad that he found you in that cove then
#homestuck#homestuck x reader#homestuck headcanons#Marquise Spinneret Mindfang#Marquise Spinneret Mindfang x Reader
11 notes
·
View notes
Note
Cronus did something. He gave me a certain type of trauma in my Aranea tl. I do not feel like i have to explain what type
Let me rephrase that: If he was removed from the timeline nothing would change, or change for the better. If Kankri was removed, well. Someone else could fill his shoes I am sure. You. If you were removed. Shit would go fuck.
1 note
·
View note
Text
Febuwhump 2022, "Let me see" - Summary
Prompto gets hurt at school and tries to keep it a secret. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't work out.
Read below the cut
It’s the first time Prompto came home with a bloody nose and a variety of bruises all over his body. He dropped his backpack at the door, kicked off his shoes, and listened. The driveway was empty, both of the cars gone, but that didn’t mean there was no one else at home. The last thing Prompto wanted now was to run into one of his parents or worse — Aranea.
The house stayed silent though, and Prompto breathed a sigh of relief. He discarded his jacket on the bench and rushed up the stairs into the laundry room. He stripped off his blood-speckled school uniform and stuffed it into the washing machine with what was most likely too much detergent and randomly chose a program to start. With that out of the way, Prompto felt like he could breathe a little easier. Now he would only have to clean himself up and make sure no one saw the scrapes or bruises.
Grabbing a clean towel from the shelf, Prompto walked across the hall into the bathroom, where he was greeted with a reflection of himself in the mirror. He flinched, a wounded noise leaving his lip. His nose was red and swollen, dried blood covering most of the bottom half of his face. It was no wonder people had given him horrified looks when he had walked home. There were dark splotches all over his chest and a few on his shoulders, a testament to the beating he had taken.
Prompto closed his eyes with a sigh, and threw the towel into the sink. The shower wouldn’t wash away those no matter what. He kicked off his underwear with a sigh and dropped them into the laundry basket before turning on the shower and stepping under the spray. A hiss left his lips as the cold water hit his skin and caused him to shiver. He adjusted the heat, turning the water as hot as it went, and slowly relaxed as the hot water started working on his sore, battered body.
He lost track of time as he stood there and let the water run over him. He didn’t want to move. It was comfortable. Warm. Safe.
There was a knock on the bathroom door.
Prompto yelped, scrambling to turn off the water and reach for the towel. At least he had locked the door.
“Hey, Prom, you okay in there?” Nyx called out. There was a hint of worry in his voice.
“I’m fine!” Prompto squeaked. “Just fine!”
“Are you sure? I was told you skipped your last class. Are you feeling ill?”
Prompto made a face as he wrapped the towel around himself. “I’m fine! My head just hurt, but I feel okay now!”
“Okay,” Nyx responded. “Do you need a painkiller, or a snack maybe? I can whip you up a sandwich if you want.”
“No, I’m good! I’ll just, uh, rest — yeah, I’ll take a nap. You don’t need to worry.”
There was a pause before Nyx responded. “Alright, let me know if you need anything.”
“I will!” Prompto told him. A few tense moments later he finally heard footsteps retreating down the hall. His shoulders sagged, and he ran his fingers through his damp hair. Astrals. That had been close.
After waiting a little longer, he cracked the door open, peering down the hall for any signs of Nyx. There weren’t any. Prompto sighed in relief. He left the bathroom, intent on rushing into his room to make sure he wouldn’t be seen, but the moment he shoved the door shut behind him, he saw Nyx waiting on the other side of it.
An embarrassing squak burst from Prompto’s lips as he flailed and staggered back. “Dad!”
Nyx’s face was serious, arms across his chest as he eyed him from head to toe. Prompto instantly felt guilty, and crossed his own arms to hide the damage.
“It—it’s not as bad as it looks!” he exclaimed. “I promise!”
Nyx’s expression twisted into concern as he crossed the gap between them and gently tilted Prompto’s head back to inspect his nose. “Don’t lie to me, Sunshine, Noctis told me everything already.”
“I couldn’t not do anything,” Prompto mumbled, wincing as Nyx probed his nose. He pushed Nyx’s hand away. “They were going to hurt him!”
“I know, he told me everything. I’m not mad, and neither is Cor,” Nyx told him softly. “Go get some clothes on, except leave the shirt off. I’m going to get the first-aid kit, okay?”
“Dad,” Prompto whined. “I’m fine!”
Nyx sighed. “This is not up for debate, Sunshine. The other option is that we wait for Cor to get home and head to the doctor’s.”
Prompto put his head down. “Yeah, okay. I’ll meet you downstairs?”
Nyx nodded. He leaned down to press a kiss onto his forehead, to ruffle his hair before he left to go fetch the first-aid kit. Prompto licked his lips, still feeling guilty. He hadn’t meant to worry his parents. He headed into his room with a sigh.
Five minutes later he was sitting on the sofa in the living room, eyeing the first-aid kit with distrust. He wasn’t sure what Nyx meant to do with it, considering he didn’t really have any open wounds or anything. Still, he would much rather let Nyx check him than go to the hospital.
“Alright,” Nyx said as he sat on a stool in front of Prompto. “I’m going to check your nose first, just to make sure it isn’t broken. Then we’ll get you some ice on it and check those bruises, okay?”
Prompto nodded a bit hesitantly. He knew Nyx would never hurt him intentionally, but he knew this was going to hurt a bit at least. “Okay.”
Nyx gave him a reassuring smile. “Then we can get that Galahdan takeout you like, maybe even some of that good ice cream too.”
Prompto smiled. “Really?”
“Yeah, why not?” Nyx said with a shrug, his smile never fading. “Okay, let me see.”
He scooted closer on the stool, and Prompto couldn’t help but tense up in anticipation. Nyx made sure to work fast though. Prompto barely had time to even feel the pain before Nyx told him his nose wasn’t broken and handed him an instant cold pack for it. The cold felt really good, chasing away the worst of the pain and leaving his nose almost numb.
The bruises took a little longer with Nyx checking if he had any broken ribs but fortunately it didn’t look like that. Because of it, the pain wasn’t too bad then either. Only the bruise on his shoulder made him jump and whimper, but Nyx was convinced it was only muscle soreness and nothing broken. After that, the examination was over much to Prompto’s relief, and he got to put his shirt on.
“Here,” Nyx said as he handed him a few painkillers with water. “Take those.”
“Thanks.” Prompto downed them in one go before slouching against the backrest and pulling a decorative pillow into his arms. “Are we done now?”
“Not just yet,” Nyx shook his head. An uneasy feeling spread through Prompto. “I would like to know why you didn’t tell any of us about what happened.”
Prompto whined and lifted his feet onto the sofa. “It wasn’t a big deal, I didn’t want you to worry!”
Nyx frowned. “Prom, you were violently attacked, that is a big deal. It shouldn’t have happened.”
“I mean, you and Cor get hurt all the time, too, and you never complain.”
“Prom,” Nyx sighed. Prompto thought there was a sad undertone to his voice, but it was so fast he wasn’t sure. “Cor and me — our job is dangerous and injuries come with the territory. School is supposed to be safe, there should be no threat of violence there.”
“But—”
“And everytime one of us gets hurt, we get checked and treated by medical personnel. If we hadn’t found out, and you had been hurt worse, this could have ended badly,” Nyx explained, leaning forward to put a hand on Prompto’s knee. “And, yes, we don’t usually mention our injuries around you, because we don’t want to worry you.”
Nyx held up his other hand when Prompto opened his mouth.
“It’s different when we don’t tell you. You’re very mature for your age, but you’re still a child. A child shouldn’t have to bear concern over his parents. However, it is Cor and my job to worry about you. I don’t expect you to understand that now, but it’s true.”
Prompto put his head down. “I’m sorry.”
Nyx shushed him softly and moved to sit on the sofa to pull Prompto to his side with an arm over his shoulders. “It’s okay. You’re okay and that’s all that counts. Just please let us know in the future if something like this happens again.”
Prompto pressed his face against the soft fabric of Nyx’s hoodie and nodded. “What’s going to happen to the guys?”
Nyx huffed and a highly pleased smile spread across his face. “You don’t need to worry about them anymore. Cor and the King have it under control.”
“The King?” Prompto squeaked.
Nyx nodded. “I know you think me and Cor can be overprotective at times, but you have never seen what the King is capable of. You just don’t threaten his son and honorary nephew and get away with it.”
“I don’t think I would want to see those two scheming against me,” Prompto said and chewed on his lip. “That sounds terrifying.”
“Exactly.” Nyx grinned. “So you won’t have to worry about them anymore, they’ll likely get expelled at the least.”
Prompto snuggled closer to Nyx’s side. He always felt the safest like this. They were silent for some time, and Prompto’s eyes started fluttering shut. He didn’t want to fall asleep though. “Can we just order the food here?”
Nyx chuckled. “Yeah, I think we can do that. You want extra spices?”
“No, I’m not you,” Prompto made a face. “Just the normal is good. I still want ice cream, too, you promised.”
“And we’ll get that,” Nyx ruffled his hair as he sat up to reach for his phone. Prompto whined and tugged Nyx back so he could lean on him again. He made a much softer and better pillow than the stupid decorative pillow. Nyx laughed, and put his arm back around him to play with his hair. “You know, you can nap if you want.”
“No.”
“Right,” Nyx said with a badly concealed smile. “No napping then. How about a movie?”
“I get to choose?”
“You get to choose.”
Prompto grinned and left his spot for long enough to fetch the TV remote. “Do we have any popcorn?”
“Don’t push it, Sunshine,” Nyx warned him playfully. “The food will get here within an hour.”
“Fine,” Prompto muttered.
#febuwhump2022#febuwhumpday5#prompto argentum#nyx ulric#final fantasy xv#ffxv#let me see#whump#hurt/comfort#my writing#dad nyx ulric
13 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Flowers of Tenebrae
for the first day @lunoctweek , also posted on Ao3
https://archiveofourown.org/works/29720592
Enjoy!
They stopped the train to let the civilians out at Tenebrae. It was the best decision they could make, Noctis ordering the conductor to stop while Luna went through the train, healing whomever she could. And she promised each and every one of them that they would be safe in Tenebrae. They looked at her with big, hopeful eyes, and Luna felt grateful to be alive in that moment. Tenebrae would keep them safe.
When the train stopped, Tenebrae burned.
Ash fell like snow from the darkened sky, smoke billowing in thick clouds. Luna could almost see the fire burning, nestled in the heart of the castle she once called home. The civilians rushed off the train in a confused hoard, a few of them bumping into her. She didn’t move. She could hear their panicked whispers, children crying, and her home burned.
Luna closed her eyes and tried to imagine the place she’d grown up loving, the place she’d met Noct at, but no matter how tightly she squeezed her eyes and prayed to gods who didn’t seem to listen, she still smelt the smoke. It burned her lungs. Just like drowning. For a moment, her mind took her back to the shrine to Leviathan, a wall of water slamming into her as the world around her crumbled like a pastry, not being able to breathe, lungs burning.
Her legs had carried her across the bridge from the train station. Mud squelched under her shoes as she walked, the feathery petals of Sylleblossoms leaving dew drops on her pants. People walked around in an almost casual way, as if her home wasn’t burning, as if she hadn’t lied to all these people, told them they’d be safe and protected. If fate was written by the gods, she’d have to have a word with them. Curing the scourge was one thing, but endangering the lives of all these innocents…
“Luna?” Noct asked quietly. Luna flinched as he set his hand on her shoulder, then sighed. She took his hand.
“I’m okay, love, just thinking.”
“About what?”
“Blasphemous things,” she said solemnly. Noctis laughed awkwardly, as if she was joking. Maybe he was just trying to lighten the mood.
He squeezed her hand in his.
“I’m sorry. I really am. I… I’ve lost my home, too, and it hurts so much. And well, uh, I didn’t move on? But I tried to ignore it, since I had to. It sucks.”
Luna couldn’t help but give an amused chuckle, gently squeezing Noct’s hand back. Noct never was good with words, awkward at the best of times, but he was always sincere.
“I don’t know what upsets me more,” Luna mumbled, “seeing my home burn, or knowing that these people have to travel even more just to be safe.”
Noct let go of her hand, instead setting both of his hands on her shoulders. They felt warm, even through the fabric of the black jacket she wore. He looked at her with a soft expression— thats all she could think of it as. Not pitying, or sad, just soft.
“Luna, I am so, so sorry. If it makes you feel any better, though, Aranea is going to get these people out of here. She has a drop ship, and can get them somewhere safe. After that, we can start making our way to Graela, the Crystal—“
“—and I can give the Draconian a piece of my mind,” Luna interrupted. Noct made a face.
“Huh?”
She looked at Noct. Noct stepped forward, one of his hands setting itself at the small of her back. She stepped forward, letting Noct envelop her in a warm, familiar hug, the smell of the outdoors plastered to his pale skin. She buried her face in his shoulder, trying to get the smoke out of her nose. Noct gently pet her hair, occasionally tangling his fingers in the silky strands.
“Please don’t do anything stupid,” he mumbled. Luna couldn’t help but laugh.
“Maybe I am a good influence on you,” Luna said. Noct huffed.
“I’m serious, dear… why the Draconian, though?”
Luna breathed out against Noct’s shoulder.
“Bahamut is the one who wove this fate of ours, the one who planned all. I was meant to die while making the covenant with Leviathan, and yet, I survived. I’m afraid that the lives of these people are at risk because I avoided fate. When I confront the Draconian, I will tell him to leave the people alone.”
A beat of silence passed between them.
“Luna,” Noctis whispered. She felt his breath against her ear.
“I am the people’s Oracle. A healer. It is my duty to protect the innocent, no matter what the cost is. If it is my own life, then so be it.”
Noct squeezed her even tighter, and she could feel him tremble ever so slightly.
“Yes, you’re their Oracle, but you’re my Luna,” he said hoarsely, “the Luna who told me all I know about gods and stars and all that. The Luna that showed me all the secret places in Tenebrae, the Luna who sent me messages and pressed sylleblossoms in a book, the Luna who can talk to gods without flinching,” Noct’s voice wavered as he sniffled against her, “my best friend, the love of my life. My Luna. I’m not letting you sacrifice yourself.”
“Me neither,” Luna said, voice thick with tears.
“If Bahamut is going to hurt people just because we don’t do what he says,” Noct whispered intensely, “then let’s kill him.”
Luna pulled away from his arms, blinking up at him in shock. He had that determined look on his face, the one he got while fighting Leviathan, or when they were playing Kings Knight on the train. Any question of his sincerity died on her lips. When Noct got that look, he would do whatever he could to reach his goal.
“Noct—“
“—We can commune with the other gods. Tell them that we don’t want to follow Bahamut’s fate. Convince them to join us, fight with us—“
“Noct.”
“I’m being serious, Luna, I mean, Gladio, Prompto, Iggy, you and I could certainly fuck up a god—“
“Adagium could help us.”
Noct stared at her in a way that made her wonder if there was anything behind those eyes of his.
“Who?”
Luna sighed.
“Adagium. The carrier of the scourge, the accursed one. Ardyn Izunia.”
Noct froze.
“No way.”
“Yes, way,” Luna replied.
“And here I thought he was a creepy old guy!” Noctis exclaimed. Luna smiled, tilting her head a little bit.
“Well, you got that part right. He’s an immortal creepy old guy. So the next time we meet him, we must make it known we’re keen on killing the Draconian.”
“And what do we do until then?”
Luna sighed. She looked at the burning ruins of her home, then down to her feet. Even amongst the ruin, Sylleblossoms grew from the wet earth, as bright and persistent as ever. Just like they did when they were children, and somehow Luna knew that they always would be there. Even if it wasn’t quite the same, the flowers would dot the land of Tenebrae.
She crouched down, and gently plucked a sylleblossom from the earth.
“We stand by one another, my love.”
Noct gently took the flower from her hand, a small smile gracing his face. He leaned in, and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“We will, we’ll be together. No matter what.”
He said it like a promise. Luna looked over at the burning castle of Tenebrae, then back at Noct.
She kissed him as softly as she could, their lips hardly ghosting together, and thought of a perfect world where every promise would be kept, and every flower would bloom forever.
14 notes
·
View notes
Text
Book One: Gold (Prompto x Reader) Chapter XV
Their trek into the ruins began. The heels of their shoes clacked against the stone as they descended down a long stairwell. Noctis, as per usual, was in the lead. He kept from running headfirst into the ruins and possibly running into a horde of daemons. With careful footsteps, he and the others took their time descending the stairwell. Halfway down, Prompto glanced over at Aranea. "Those guys your friends or something?" He asked, referring to the two men who were by her side earlier.
"You appeared to be on good terms," Ignis commented.
"Who-Biggs and Wedge?" Aranea questioned. "They're more "subordinates" than they are "friends," but I trust 'em all the same."
"At least you have someone you trust within the ranks of the imperial army," (Y/n) stated.
"It's hard to trust anyone within the empire, even if you are on their payroll."
After a lengthy trek down the stone staircase, they finally reached the bottom. Prompto was more than ecstatic to finally step off the stairwell. "Finally... I thought it'd never end. The people here, they must have been fit." Looking around the room, he noticed the faint glow of the crystal shards hanging on the walls. "Huh? Er...who left the lights on? Maybe the owners are still home?"
"No," Noctis answered.
"We never get warm welcomes," (Y/n) added.
"I doubt we can expect one here," Aranea said.
"Indeed. Stay sharp," Ignis advised.
Checking the area, they headed to the small hallway to their right. At the end, they only found a dead end. Returning back to the previous room, they headed down the left hallway. In the adjacent room, more smaller hallways branched off in different directions. Noctis checked one of the rooms and was nearly crushed by the ceiling caving in. Luckily, (Y/n) had grabbed his jacket and yanked him backwards just before he could be buried alive under the rubble. He thanked her and the two left the room.
Next, they headed down the hallway located across the way from the room with the collapsed ceiling. "Man, all these rooms," Prompto said as he walked ahead of them and towards the next hallway.
"Hey, don't wander off," Noctis scolded the sharpshooter.
"You might end up walking into a horde of daemons or being crushed by debris almost like Noctis was," (Y/n) stated as she sprinted after him.
She tackled him out of harm's way when a small portion of the ceiling collapsed and skeleton daemons fell through the hole. They landed near the couple and were ready to pounce, but the spirit manifested fiery throwing knives and tossed them with precision. Each one hit their mark and caused the skeletons to stumble backwards. Noctis, Ignis, and Aranea disposed of the weakened daemons while (Y/n) helped Prompto off the ground. She flicked him on the forehead once he was back on his feet. "Ow!" He whined.
"Try to think before wandering off," she sighed.
Prompto rubbed his forehead with a pout. "Yes, ma'am..."
Aranea noticed their interaction with a curious glint in her eyes. "Are those two...?"
"Yeah," Noctis replied.
"Firefly and blondie. Who would've thought."
Because of the pile of debris, the group could only proceed left down the hallway. Entering another open room, they were ambushed by skeletons and a reaper. Aranea was the first to act. She swung her lance, targeting the reaper as it stalked towards them. While she dealt with the scythe-wielding daemon, the others focused on the skeletons.
Noctis performed a warp-strike on the last remaining skeleton, killing it. With all the daemons dead, they moved forward and entered the large, open central area of Steyliff Grove. The sight that greeted them caused their jaws to drop.
"Beautiful beyond words..." Ignis gaped in awe.
"That is pretty neat," Aranea said just above a whisper.
Prompto's eyes drifted towards the ceiling of the central chamber when he spotted a strange shimmering. He gasped in shock at the sight of what seemed to be a lake suspended in the air. "Look up!"
Everyone did as the blonde shouted and looked up. Their eyes widen in shock and astonishment at the shimmering water above. (Y/n) took a step closer to the railing and leaned over it to get a better view. "Is that...a lake?"
Aranea also expressed her surprise. "Whoa-If that's the water's surface..."
Prompto, who'd taken his camera out to take a few pictures, blinked in bewilderment. "Wait, what? Does this mean we're underwater?" Taking a closer look, he saw fish swimming through the water. "Whoa. There's even fish."
"The hell is this place?" Noctis muttered.
"Can we truly be submerged?" Ignis mumbled.
"It does seem harder to breathe," Prompto gasped, lowering his camera.
"I don't think that has to do with the lake," (Y/n) stated.
Noctis' azure gaze remained locked on the suspended body of water. "Like seeing a dream."
"Gladio is seriously missing out," the marksman retorted.
"Probably not his thing."
"Now, now, you can never tell," Ignis said.
"As much as I would love to admire the view for hours upon hours, we've got mythril to find," the spirit chimed in.
Aranea nodded in agreement. "Firefly's right. Let's get moving."
Walking a little ways down, they came across a balcony that overlooked the central area. When they went to check it out to see if it could help them gain their bearings, a pack of skeletons and crème brûlées ambushed them. Like the previous battles, the daemons proved to be nothing but an annoyance than a challenge. The group was able to annihilate them all without any issues.
Moving away from the balcony, they arrived at a portion of the pathway that had crumbled. As they stood at the edge and searched for a way across, Prompto couldn't help but express a strange feeling that overcame him. "Huh. Something bothers me about this spot."
"What is it?" Noctis asked, curious as to what the blonde was bothered about.
"Have we been this way?"
"I don't think so," (Y/n) answered.
"Something overlooked?" Ignis asked.
"Not a hundred percent sure..." Prompto mumbled, peering down at the level below.
After looking around, Noctis saw a narrow ledge they could cross to reach the other side. He offered to go first and didn't hesitate to cross. Prompto nervously watched the prince as memories from greyshire glacial grotto filled his mind. He swallowed nervously and tried to ask, "Can I just-?"
"It'll hold you," Noctis interrupted, already knowing what he was going to ask.
"Famous last words," Ignis remarked.
Once Noctis, Aranea, and Ignis crossed, (Y/n) nudged her boyfriend towards the ledge. "C'mon, Prom. It's your turn."
"Right..." Prompto hesitantly approached the narrow ledge. He crossed with slightly shaky legs, but made it safely across nonetheless.
(Y/n) was right behind him and also had no issues crossing. She patted the photographer's back with a minuscule smirk. "Good job, Prom." Said boy pouted with a groan before following after Noctis.
When the path abruptly ended, they backtracked a little ways and entered the stairwell. As they made their way down the steps, Aranea groaned, "Daemons. 'Til death do us part."
"Practicing your vows?" Ignis asked.
"The army swore their oaths a long time ago."
"What does the empire seek here?"
"Specimens-and we're stuck harvesting them," the ex-mercenary answered.
"Specimens?" Prompto parroted.
"Daemons."
Emerging from the stairwell, they walked to the opposite end of the current level they were on. While crossing another extended part of the pathway, more skeletons and crème brûlées manifested.
"These things are getting annoying," (Y/n) huffed, burning a single crème brûlée and exterminating it.
"Couldn't agree more, firefly," Aranea responded, slicing through a skeleton.
Following the successful battle with the daemons, they headed down the path and found another stairwell. Prompto, remembering what the ex-mercenary said earlier, asked her a question. "So what's all this about the army and daemons?"
"What do you think it is?" Aranea scoffed.
"Nice! I love guessing games!" He sarcastically remarked.
"You never were good at them," (Y/n) chimed in.
"I'll say," Noctis commented.
Aranea was slightly amused at the party's banter, but she decided to explain why the empire needs daemons as they exited the stairwell and made their way across the next level. "Turns out the empire makes weapons out of them."
""Weapons"?" The marksman reiterated.
"Yeah. I'm sure you've seen your share by now. Something not quite right with the empire lately."
"It's not just lately," Noctis remarked.
"True. Maybe it's time I left."
"Really?" Prompto inquired. "What would you do if you left the army?"
"Whatever I want. I was a mercenary once. Maybe I'll round up my men and hunt daemons for cash?" She pondered.
"That's a...heck of a plan."
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by another horde of daemons. (Y/n) clicked her tongue in annoyance, creating a large fire vortex and sending it towards the enemies before the others could summon their weapons. Her powerful spell burnt some daemons to a crisp while others were tossed over the railing and fell to their death. She lowered her hand as the flames consuming it extinguished.
Aranea was impressed by the girl's powerful spell and huffed out a chuckle. "You spirits really are a force to be reckoned with."
"Sorry, I'm still a little mad from my short chat with Callyx earlier," she confessed.
"You were being too generous with his eye. Next time, take one of the bastard's arms off."
The guardian smirked in merriment. "Maybe I will."
Continuing their trek, Ignis asked the one question that was brewing inside his head as they located a strange door. "What about the empire strikes you as "not quite right"?"
"The emperor and new high commander, for starters. Then there's that charmer of a chancellor and that asshole of a guardian he has. I really can't stand those guys," Aranea replied.
Entering the room located in the other side of the engraved door, they were greeted by a large room with branching paths. There were bridges spanning across the vast room with a lower level beneath. Noctis approached one of the bridges with caution, but was stopped when hearing Prompto ask, "Is it safe?"
"Not everything's gonna-" Noctis' voice trailed off when he took a single step forward to cross one of the bridges, but a section of it collapses. "Whoa..."
Prompto had been looking at another bridge when he heard the crumbling noise. "What?! Did something collapse?!"
"Calm down, Prom." (Y/n) approached the edge of the collapsed bridge and glanced down at the floor below. She noticed an entrance to another hallway. "Falling to the lower floor might not be a bad idea."
"Guess it couldn't hurt," Noctis replied.
Carefully, the group hopped down to the lower level. They walked through the doorway the guardian had located from the upper floor and down the lengthy hallway. As they cautiously proceeded, Prompto shattered the silence hanging over them. "You smell that?"
"Smell what?" The prince inquired.
"Treasure. The nose knows, dude."
"Now that you mention it..."
"Let's not forget our purpose here," Ignis chimed in.
"Well, aren't we technically here for a specific treasure?" (Y/n) questioned, glancing over at the tactician.
The bespectacled man thought for a few seconds and adjusted his glasses before replying. "I stand corrected."
After traveling through another room, defeating another horde of daemons, and locating a stairwell, they were back on the upper level. They gained access to the adjoining room that had almost the same convoluted layout as the previous. Now they were presented even more paths to choose from. They could either remain on the current floor or venture to the two below.
Everyone left the decision up to Noctis. He decided to test the left path. Just as they were about to cross the bridge, an iron giant suddenly manifests.
"Saw that comin'!" Prompto shrieked.
"To arms!" Aranea shouted, summoning her lance.
Before any of them could attack, the iron giant smashes its fist into the bridge. It crumbled and sent Noctis and the others to the level below. Everyone stumbles slightly from the fall but quickly recovers as the iron giant from above jumps down and more daemons spawn.
"Here comes the big one!" Prompto bellowed.
"Right on cue," Ignis remarked as his daggers were consumed by flames.
"And it's got friends!" The blonde yelled as he shot one of the crème brûlées.
"Livelier by the second. C'mon then!" Aranea leapt into action and targeted the iron giant. Noctis disappeared and reappeared randomly, performing warp-strike after warp-strike on any daemon that crossed his path. (Y/n) favored her fiery throwing knives and helped Aranea fight the iron giant. Ignis and Prompto focused on the crème brûlées.
Once defeating the pack of daemons, the stonework of the shattered bridge floats into the air and seemingly begins putting itself back together. Noctis gaped in shock at the sight. "Huh? What the-?"
"Did that bridge just repair itself?" (Y/n) asked.
"It sure looks that way," Prompto said.
Looking for a way back up, they found a stairwell leading up to the upper floor. The marksman, after traveling up and down stairs for hours now, was becoming slightly loopy. "Never too many stairs! I got a bad feeling about this." He then begins signing to himself. "Stairs they go on, forever they go on, on and on and on..."
"He's gone," Noctis muttered, listening to his best friend sink into a shallow pit of insanity.
"I think we lost him a while ago," the guardian stated.
Back in the upper level, they cross the bridge that repaired itself. From there, they traversed through a hallway and wound up in a room with reapers and crème brûlées. (Y/n), who'd been focusing on one reaper, failed to detect the second one stalking towards her from behind. She disposed of the reaper just in time to turn around and be batted away by the scythe of the other reaper. She grunted when her body slammed against the ground, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the daemon. In the blink of an eye, she transformed and pounced on the enemy.
Using her sharp fangs, she tore it from limb to limb. Her tails flared outwards as she killed the reaper. When its remains vanished, the anger from her body vanished and she relaxed. Her tails that once protruded into the air were now limply laying against the floor.
Being the only one comfortable enough to approach the fox, Prompto strolled over and placed a hand on the side of her neck. He stroked the black fur and noted how her ears twitched. "You kinda went overboard there. Everything good, (Y/n)?"
The spirit turned her head, gold-slitted eyes boring into Prompto's. She reverted back to her human form once his hand fell from her neck. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Still thinking about Callyx, huh?" Aranea asked. "Bastard must've really gotten under your skin."
The (h/c)-haired girl stared down at the floor. "You've no idea..."
Walking down another flight of stairs, the group was back in the central chamber of Steyliff Grove. They found a bridge spanning across the way, leading to the other side. As they were crossing, a pack of daemons manifested in the middle of the bridge. They blocked the group's path and they had no choice but to fight.
The quintet wasn't overwhelmed by the daemons and easily pushed them back before defeating them. Safely on the other side, they follow the walkway until they enter a circular room. From there, they proceeded down a windy hallway with small rooms attached to it. The many rooms and smaller hallways were slightly confusing to the group.
"It's a crossroads," Prompto said, glancing down the hallway before looking into the small room down another hallway.
"Which way?" Aranea asked.
"Whichever way leads to the treasure," Noctis stated, trying to decide which way to go.
"If only we knew that..." Ignis mumbled.
"Welp, guess we bumble on," the marksman responded.
"Keep the bumbling to a minimum."
"How about we stick to the main hallway then?" (Y/n) suggested.
"May as well," the prince replied.
Deciding not to venture into the small rooms, Noctis followed the girl's suggestion and stuck to the main hallway. They were forced to fight against daemons as the hallway would be blocked by metal bars whenever they walked into an ambush.
Another hour passed before the group reached the end of the prolonged corridor. They were finally at the bottom level of the central chamber. Seeing how vast and open the area was, Prompto spoke up. "Ooh, spacious. There's sooo gonna be a big nasty here."
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Aranea said.
Walking into the large chamber, they only made it a few feet forward before a quetzalcoatl noticed them. It stood on a bridge above and analyzed them for a few seconds. Once deeming them a threat, it swoops down and begins attacking. Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Aranea conjured their weapons while (Y/n) transformed.
The guardian acted quickly and dodged the quetzalcoatl's lighting attack. She leapt up into the air and landed a little ways from the beast. Using her tails, she manifested a large fireball. Tossing it, she nailed the quetzalcoatl in the side. Her attack did some damage, but not much.
The quetzalcoatl targeted the fox. It ignored the others completely as they attacked it. The beast flew up into the air and shot another lightning spell towards (Y/n). She dodged it and jumped as high as she could and sunk her fangs into its left hind leg. Using her weight, she dragged it down to the ground. The quetzalcoatl tried to shake her off, but she didn't budge. Next, it tried another lightning spell. She was unable to dodge in time and took the brunt of the attack. This forced her to unlatch her jaw from around the creature's leg and stumble backwards with a painful cry.
As she went to back away further, its tail slammed into her side and sent her flying. Her body collided against the wall before falling to the ground, causing her even more pain. She could feel the internal wounds and the external ones. Her body laid limp on the ground, the sound of her blood rushing filling her ears.
Prompto had watched the entire thing with a horrified expression. He shouted her name and lowered his pistol, running to her side with a potion in hand. Noctis, Ignis, and Aranea kept the quetzalcoatl busy while the marksman assisted the injured fox. He fell to his knees beside her, shattering the curative over her. He gently placed a hand on her side as he watched her wounds heal. When her breathing went from shallow to deep, he knew she was okay. Sighing in relief, he got to his feet just as she did. His cerulean eyes remained glued to her, his hand bunching up in her velvety fur.
(Y/n) turned her head and nudged her nose against Prompto's cheek to reassure him before reentering the battle. The boy watched her join the others, gripping his pistol tightly. He also rejoined the fray and shot a few rounds at the quetzalcoatl.
In the midst of the battle, Noctis and Ignis were struck down by the beast. Aranea, (Y/n), and Prompto covered the two while they both used phoenix downs to recover.
Aranea leapt into the air with her lance and dove towards the quetzalcoatl with the sharp tip pointed at its spine. When her attack landed, she dealt some heavy damage and caused the beast to stumble over. It fell on its side and became vulnerable.
With a combined attack from everyone, they were able to defeat the quetzalcoatl. Its body fell limp as everyone stepped away from its corpse. (Y/n) returned back to being human as Noctis wandered deeper into the central chamber. He located the mythril they'd been searching for and put it in his pocket.
Seeing the prince had claimed the mythril, Ignis adjusted his glasses. "That concludes our business here."
Prompto glanced over at the ex-mercenary. "Say, Commodore."
"Aranea," the older woman corrected him.
"You said the empire uses daemons to make "weapons"?"
"Listen-you've seen magitek troopers, right?"
"MTs..." Noctis muttered.
"They're born from daemons, in a lab," Aranea explained.
The marksman rubbed at his barcoded wrist. ""Born from daemons"..."
(Y/n) looked towards the blonde and noticed his strange behavior. Her expression remained stoic, hiding her true emotions. She wondered if he had managed to learn the truth about his existence or was simply just scratching his wrist. Her fists clenched and unclenched, worried about him. Her attention was drawn back to Aranea when she spoke, her jade eyes focused on Noctis. "Darkness is coming. If I were you, I'd watch my princely ass. Uh-"kingly" ass."
"Will do," Noctis replied.
With that, the group left Steyliff Grove.
Previous Chapter || Next Chapter || Masterlist
#ffxv#ffxv x reader#final fantasy xv#final fantasy xv x reader#prompto argentum#prompto x reader#prompto argentum x reader
16 notes
·
View notes
Text
Light in the Dark Chapter 17: Favor From A Friend
Word Count: 18.4k
Warnings: Language, Mentions of Violence
Note: {Övüsi is in these brackets.}
You’re awoken by your phone alarm and you sit up blearily and rub your face.
You fumble for it on your nightstand only it’s not there.
Holding your comforter to your chest, you glance across the room and the sound is coming from your purse that you left in the middle of the floor.
Right, you stuffed it back in your purse and forgot to charge it.
You sigh and step off the bed and drag your blue comforter with you and retrieve your phone and turn off the alarm finally. Then you notice a text message from…Hernández, she’s going to be here in thirty minutes to pick you up for work.
But it’s Friday!
You were really hoping you’d have the day off and…maybe spend it with Kandomere.
And then you notice you have another text message from your boyfriend Kandomere, “Goodnight, Querida.”
You smile to yourself.
You stuff your phone back into your purse and place the comforter back on the bed. You arch your back and raise your hands overhead, stretching your stiff muscles. Then you glance around at your hastily discarded clothing on your floor and pick up the white silk blouse with blue roses adorning it. A familiar scent catches your attention, and you pause and bury your nose in the garment.
You sigh wistfully.
It smells like Kandomere.
You inhale his scent again and the scent of his sandalwood and vanilla cologne.
How does this elf smell so good?
You lay the garment out on your bed and then find some underwear to put on before tossing the rest of your clothes from your date into the nearly full hamper.
It looks like you’ll have to do laundry again soon.
You pick out a black, pencil skirt and a dark blue button up blouse, and then you pick out some tights and heels. Next you head to the kitchen to make coffee and attempt breakfast. Once you’re ready, you text Kandomere a good morning followed by a heart emoji and slip off your shoes and curl up on the couch with your book. You trace your fingers over the gold embossed letters on the cover of the pink book, fondly remembering your date last night with Kandomere.
And then you open the book.
“Rose, Darling?” her mother calls.
“Yes, Mother?” Rose asks looking up from her book.
“Your father would like to speak with you, he’s downstairs in his office,” her mother says.
Rose furrows her brows and sets her book down and then follows her mother out of her room and down the staircase.
She opens the door to her father’s office and sees him standing in front of his desk.
She also notices a strange man dressed in a very nice suit, quietly standing nearby.
Rose glances to her father, “You wished to speak with me?”
“Yes, I did, if you could shut the door, please,” her father says.
She turns to shut the double doors behind her and then turns back around and clasps her hands together as she cautiously approaches her father.
“As you know that elven lord is attempting with increasing frequency to remove us and other human families from our positions here in this town,” he explains.
Rose nods.
“He’s even begun to drive off our business, I didn’t want to worry you and your brother, but things are becoming rather difficult for our family and if we intend to keep up our opposition then we need to join forces with one of the other families,” he continues.
“Of course, Father, if we work together then there’s no way the lord could force us out,” Rose says.
“I’m glad you agree,” her father says.
The other man steps forwards and extends a hand towards her.
Rose offers her own hand tentatively and the man kisses her knuckles and Rose attempts not to recoil in disgust.
“I am Gilbert Wynne and a future member of Parliament and I Dear Lady, would like to humbly request....” he says as he begins to kneel down.
Rose’s eyes widen and she pulls her hand out of his, “NO! No! No! No, no, Father, please you can’t!” she begs.
“It’s for the good of the family,” he says.
“HOW COULD YOU?!” Rose wails.
“It is time for you to stop living in a fantasy, Rose! Do you honestly think that elf loves you?! You have no future with him, this is your future,” her father says gesturing to the man.
“NO! No, it’s not! What’s worse is you didn’t even ask me what I wanted!” Rose cries and then she throws open the doors to his office and grabbing the front of her dress runs down the hall past her brother and out of the house. She runs into the garden and keeps running until she finds one of her favorite spots on the grounds through a latticework of plants and under an old tree. She plops down on the stone bench beneath it and buries her face in her hands and sobs.
How could her father do this?!
Try to force her to marry someone she does not love!
She continues to cry by herself for who knows how long until…
“Rose?” a voice asks.
She gasps and looks up to see…Lönathar standing in the entryway to the lattice hallway.
“Lönathar, I…”she begins wiping at her face.
She hadn’t meant for him to see her like this, she had almost forgotten he was coming to visit her again today.
But…she can’t stop crying.
“Oh, Darling,” Lönathar says sitting beside her and taking her hands in his, “What’s wrong?”
She chokes out another sob, “My father…” she manages.
“Is he sick?” Lönathar asks worried, “If so then I’ll call for a healer-“
“No,” she says wiping at her eyes again
Lönathar pulls out his handkerchief and hands it to her and she takes it and wipes her eyes.
“He’s well, he’s just…He’s Forcing Me To MARRY!” Rose sobs some more.
Lönathar stares at her mouth agape as a fresh wave of tears hit her.
“Why?! Why would he do that?” Lönathar asks forlornly.
“Because there’s this elven lord that’s trying to force my family out and many others and my father thinks that if I marry this…Gilbert,” she says in disgust, “That he’ll help us.”
Lönathar wraps his arms around her and brushes her cheek softly, “Shh, deep breaths, My Darling.”
Rose takes a few ragged breaths.
“What if I could help you keep this elven lord away?” Lönathar asks.
“And how would you do that?” Rose asks tearfully.
“Well…what if I married you instead?” Lönathar asks softly.
Rose sets her hands in her lap and stares at him in shock, “You? Why would you want to marry me?”
Lönathar wets his lips, “Because I care for you.”
Rose stares at him stunned.
But before she can ask another question Lönathar opens his mouth again.
“I don’t expect anything to change from how it is now, you would need to live in my home, with me and my family, but we can have separate bedrooms if you would like. You needn’t even consummate our marriage with me if you so choose,” Lönathar explains.
She stares at him in shock for another moment.
“You would do this for me?” she asks finally.
He nods grasping her hand in his.
“We would be able to talk every day, and I could finally meet your family,” Rose says with a small smile.
Lönathar smiles at her.
“And I could also see the pegasi you raise,” she continues.
“I did promise to take you flying,” Lönathar says.
She smiles and glances down, “You wouldn’t mind being married to a human?”
“Darling, being married to you would be so wonderful, and I love that you’re human,” Lönathar says.
Rose smiles and then stares up at him, “Ask me.”
Lönathar smiles and with her hands still in his, he stands and then gets down on one knee, “Darling, My Dearest Rose, will you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?” Lönathar asks.
Rose nods, “Yes, I will, I will marry you.”
The elf smiles, “I don’t have a proper ring to give you,” he says, “But…”
She watches as Lönathar takes off a gold ring from his right hand and slips it onto her left ring finger.
“I do have this, since you’re going to be part of the family soon, I think it’s appropriate,” Lönathar says.
The ring is far too big for her and she lifts her hand to examine it closely.
It’s a signet ring with his family’s crest, a golden pegasus in ornate riding gear.
“I love it,” she says earnestly.
He stands and takes her hands in his again and she stands with him.
He leans down and her lips meet his.
He brushes her cheek gently and she closes her eyes and leans into his touch.
She’s relieved to be marrying Lönathar instead of that strange man her father had wanted her to.
She opens her eyes, “My Father, I need to tell him I’m marrying you instead,” she says before glancing down, “He won’t like that I’m defying him.”
“Let me explain the situation to him, “Lönathar offers.
“I don’t know if he’ll give you his blessing,” Rose says uncertain.
“The only person’s blessing I need is yours,” Lönathar says cupping her cheek.
She smiles and kisses him again.
Fiancé, she has a fiancé.
She’s a little excited to be getting married, now that she knows she’s marrying Lönathar.
The two of them walk hand in hand back towards the house so that they can tell her father of their engagement.
There’s a knock at your door and you mark your spot in your book and set it down.
You put your shoes back on and head to the door and open it, “Hey, Gabriela.”
“Hey,” Hernández says, “You ready to head out?”
“Yeah,” you say grabbing your purse and heading out of your apartment.
*******
Kandomere picks up his phone and calls his sister Aranea.
“Hola, Hermano,” she greets him.
“Hola,” he greets back, “How was the flight?”
“Relatively pleasant,” Aranea says, “How has everything been with you?”
“I’ve been kept rather busy lately, but other than that I’m doing quite well,” Kandomere says and then he pauses, “…Do you remember that fashion show you invited me to months ago?”
Aranea sighs, “You mean the one that you said you had no interest in attending?”
“Yes…would you still happen to have an extra ticket?” Kandomere asks hopeful.
“Hermano, you know a show like this has been sold out for months, there’s no way even I could get you a ticket,” Aranea says.
Kandomere exhales slowly, “Alright,” he says his shoulders slumping.
“But,” Aranea says, “Maretha is no longer going because of the baby, so maybe you could ask her for her ticket? If you insist on going that is.”
“Thank you, Aranea,” Kandomere says, “I’ll see you and Cirinea at the show later.”
Then he says his goodbyes to his sister and then calls their oldest sister.
After a few moments she picks up the phone, “{Hello?}” she grumbles.
“{Oh…I’m sorry did I wake you?}” Kandomere asks.
Maretha immediately yawns, “{Only a little.}”
Kandomere feels a little guilty, it’s not terribly early but he is accustomed to rising earlier than others.
“{Who’s that, My Love?}” Tynthron asks tiredly from nearby.
“{My brother,}” Maretha answers her husband as she turns away from the phone,
“{What is it Kandomere?}” she asks turning her attention back to him.
“{Oh…um Aranea said that you weren’t going to the fashion show today and I was wondering if you still had your ticket?}” Kandomere asks.
“{I thought you didn’t want to go to the fashion show?}” Maretha asks.
“Well, I changed my mind,}” Kandomere states.
“{I think I still have it here somewhere, but I’ll have to look,}” Maretha says.
“{It is today so if you could maybe find it before noon?}” Kandomere asks.
He needs the ticket before the show starts but he doesn’t want to be rude to Maretha.
“{I’ll look for it, and if I find it then we can meet up for breakfast hm?}” Maretha asks.
“{Alright, just let me know when and where,}” Kandomere says.
They say their goodbyes and Kandomere hangs up.
He then finishes his coffee and returns to reading his book to pass the time.
Lönathar escorts his new fiancée back to the house and then he leads her to the staircase heading up to her living quarters.
He presses a kiss to his betrothed’s knuckles, “I’ll be right back, wait for me upstairs?” he asks.
She nods and grabs the edges of her dress and heads up the stairs.
Lönathar turns and sees her brother, Edwin, stride into the room.
“Where might your father be?” Lönathar questions.
Edwin tilts his head at the elf curiously and then his gaze follows his younger sister heading to her room. He then motions for Lönathar to follow and the man leads him to a set of double doors.
And from one long inhale as the elf raises and then lowers his head, he can smell without a doubt that Rose’s father Cynric resides in this room, and another strange man not related to her family.
Lönathar can also hear talking from inside the room from the two different men as they say their goodbyes and then footsteps head for the door and it opens. The man seems stunned to see an elf standing in front of him and Lönathar subtly scents fear coming from him and smiles wide at him, revealing his sharp teeth.
The man pales a little and attempts a formal greeting, but Lönathar turns from him and brushes past him.
He has no interest in talking to the man who attempted to marry his love.
The elf quiets any rage or jealousy at the now departing man, he needs to be on his best manners to give a good impression to his future father-in-law.
The-Father-in-Law in question looks up from the papers spread out on his desk, who is also momentarily surprised then equally displeased to see him.
The tall dark, man has short hair where it is not receding and is dressed in a fine dark navy suit, he sets the paper he was holding down slowly and straightens.
“Lord Lönathar, to what do I owe this untimely visit?” Cynric asks.
Lönathar dips his head respectfully, “I am here to inform you of my recent engagement, and would hope that you would be willing to attend.”
His Father-in-Law raises his eyebrows and then smiles, “Well, that is wonderful news, congratulations, my family and I will be happy to attend. Might I ask who the lucky bride to be is?”
Lönathar swallows, “Your daughter, Rose.”
The smile from his future Father-in-Law’s face drops and his brows furrow angrily, “Surely, you must be mistaken, Lord Lönathar,” he states sternly, “For my daughter is to be marrying Mr. Wynne.”
He fixes Lönathar with his dark brown eyes, imploring for this to not be the truth.
“No, I am not, Sir, for you see Rose has already accepted my proposal to her,” Lönathar explains, “And accepted my signet ring.”
His Father-in-Law inhales sharply and then rubs his forehead.
Among elves it is tradition to present a symbol of the house as acceptance of the union, and while it is not often a ring, elves have adopted the exchange of jewelry that humans favor as a status symbol in recent times.
Which means that Lönathar has proposed to her according to both their traditions.
The man blinks and then shakes his head at Lönathar, “No. I forbid it.”
“With all due respect, Sir, I am not here to ask for your permission, for the only person’s permission I require is Rose’s, and she has already given it,” Lönathar says.
“According to our ways, our Human ways, you must ask for my blessing before you are to marry my daughter, My ONLY Daughter,” Cynric says angrily, “I will not allow you to swoop down like a falcon and snatch her from me!”
“So you would rather marry her to someone she doesn’t love?” Lönathar demands. “Do you know where I found her?” he asks gesturing towards the back of the house, “Weeping in the garden all by herself.”
Rose’s father glances to the side ashamedly.
“She does not wish to marry Mr. Wynne, and you should not force her to do something that would make her deeply unhappy,” Lönathar continues.
“And You believe she would be happy with you?” his Father-in-Law questions.
Lönathar pauses.
He would hope that she would.
She seemed happy at his proposal.
But would she be happy with him for the rest of her life?
He is reminded of what Edwin had said about how she won’t live as long as him, would she be happy never seeing him age? Or would it only serve to remind her of her own mortality? She would be giving him everything and he will never be able to give her his entire life, no matter how much he wants to.
“You don’t even love my daughter,” Cynric continues.
“But I do,” Lönathar interrupts, “I love her dearly.”
“You elves think you can have whatever it is that you want! What will you do when you tire of her? When the novelty of her wears off for you?” Cynric demands, “You mean to leave her old and brokenhearted.”
“No! I would never do such a thing!” Lönathar exclaims, “I know I have scarcely known her two months, but she is everything I’ve ever dreamed of and more. There isn’t a single elven woman who could hold a candle to her, she is kind and playful and so very intelligent, I would be so thankful to have her by my side.”
His future Father-in-Law sighs heavily, “My answer is still no.”
The doors suddenly open behind him and Lönathar turns to see Edwin enter and step towards his father.
“Father, I know you don’t want him to marry Rose, but stop and think for a moment!” Edwin exclaims and then says softly, “When was the last time you’ve seen Rose so happy?”
Cynric is silent for a moment as he stares at his son and his eyes shift for a moment to the elf, before fixing his gaze downwards on the floorboards.
Lönathar glances to Rose’s brother, who he had most certainly not expected to vouch for him.
Edwin meets his gaze and then stares at his father once more, “I had my doubts at first too, but he has been nothing but respectful in his visits, it’s clear he truly cares for Rose…I have never heard her laugh as often as she does when he’s around and do you honestly think my sister is incapable of making this decision for herself? If she wants to marry him, let her marry him.”
Cynric glances between the two before sighing again, “Lönathar?”
“Yes, Sir?” Lönathar asks.
“Would you be so kind as to join us for dinner?” his future Father-in-Law asks, “Since we’re going to be family a proper introduction is needed and…a celebration is in order for my daughter and yours engagement.”
Lönathar smiles and dips his head, “I would be honored to join you.”
Cynric nods, “It seems I must inform Mr. Wynne that he will Not be marrying my daughter after all,” he says picking up a pair of reading glasses and a pen.
Lönathar continues to smile and Edwin extends a hand to him and the elf takes it and then Edwin pulls Lönathar forwards into a hug and claps him on the back.
“And, Lönathar, inform Rose about dinner,” Cynric says looking up from the paper in his hands.
“Of course,” Lönathar says and starts to turn away.
“But,” his future Father-in-Law interrupts, “Her door is to remain open, Am I Clear?”
Lönathar turns to him and nods, “Very clear, Sir.”
The elf leaves the office finally and heads up the staircase.
He pauses briefly at the top and inhales and turns his gaze in the direction of Rose’s scent and sees her door open slightly.
He approaches her door and knocks gently.
“Come in,” her soft voice calls out.
Lönathar opens the door and she sits up from where she was lying on the bed.
The elf swallows and stares back down the stairs and then opens her door further.
She stands and meets him and he takes her hands in his, “What did my father say?”
“That we are to celebrate our engagement tonight over dinner,” Lönathar says.
Rose smiles wide and throws her arms around his neck, “That’s wonderful!”
And then she kisses him, and the elf sighs into her mouth causing her to giggle.
They slowly part and catch sight of a servant passing down the hall who smiles at them both as they then make their way down the staircase.
Rose glances away shyly and Lönathar can see the adorable dimples on her cheeks.
“Perhaps we should have a little privacy?” she says as she starts to close the door.
The elf easily catches the edge of the door and holds it still and Rose stares up at him in surprise, “Your father had requested that your door remain open,” he states his face heating up.
“Oh,” Rose says awkwardly turning her face from his.
He inhales and his eyes widen, he can smell a hint of arousal coming from her.
She takes his hand in hers, “Come, sit down,” Rose says leading him back to the bed.
They both sit down on the edge and turn towards one another.
“Does he honestly think we can’t wait until our wedding night?” Rose asks glancing at her open door.
Lönathar blushes even more and can even feel his ears grow hot with embarrassment, and then he clears his throat, “Well, yes but…”
“But what?” Rose asks.
He intertwines his fingers with hers, “We don’t have to make love if you don’t want to, I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything.”
Rose pulls his hands into her lap and caresses his palms, “I don’t feel pressured, Lönathar, I feel…cared for.”
He stares at her beautiful face as she stares down at his hands, a soft smile spread across her lips. She lifts her head to meet his gaze and her warm, brown eyes meet his silver ones and he feels like that time he fell off a pegasus and had his breath stolen from him.
“Lönathar, have you ever…made love before?” Rose asks avoiding eye contact.
Lönathar swallows and refrains from looking back at the door, “I have in my youth, there was this one girl I fancied but as it so happened she didn’t fancy me,” he says, “But it was a long time ago,” he assures her.
She giggles, “Men have tried to court me over the years as well, not to worry,” she says and then pauses, “So you’re experienced then?”
“Well, yes,” Lönathar says a little awkwardly.
He can feel his blood rush and he’s afraid he’s going to embarrass himself in front of his future wife.
“We have a lot to discuss if we are to prepare for our wedding,” Lönathar says changing the subject as he shifts his legs slightly hoping she won’t see.
“Oh yes!” she says in excitement and then she glances across the room, “There’s so much to do.”
“Are there any family traditions that should be included in the ceremony?” he asks as he tries to ignore his rising desire for her.
She gasps, “That’s right! We’re going to have different traditions! Are there any important elven ones I should know about?”
“Uh, well…there is a custom of braiding flowers and strands of silver or gold into the bride’s hair, a ritual done by the matriarchal side of the elven groom’s family, it’s to symbolize continued growth and blossoming love,” he explains.
“Aw that sounds very romantic and perfect,” Rose sighs.
He smiles at her, “Is there anything you would like?”
She glances down at the signet ring he gave her on her hand, “I know elves don’t always wear rings but I’d like us to, and for us to exchange them at the wedding.”
He strokes his thumb over her left ring finger, “Is there anything you would like in particular? A certain stone perhaps?”
“I think I would prefer to just have a simple gold band, something similar to this,” Rose says turning her left hand to show him the ring.
He stares at the pegasus engraved on it and gets an idea.
“I also want my father to walk me down the aisle,” Rose continues, “And for my bouquet to have lavender in it.”
Lönathar laughs, “Of course! You can have whatever you want, Darling,” he says cupping her cheek.
He presses his lips to hers and now she sighs into his mouth.
She pulls back and he thumbs her cheek.
“Is there anything else?” she asks.
“For the ceremony I’m going to be wearing a traditional cape with my crest on it and when we are married, we are to walk back down the aisle with it draped across both of our shoulders,” Lönathar says.
“To symbolize our union?” Rose asks smiling.
He nods and she leans towards him and kisses him again.
*******
The three of you get to work and come across Montehugh in the main room.
“Ah, good you’re here, I’ve got a special assignment for you all,” Montehugh says gesturing for you all to follow him.
You follow him down the hall with Agents Hernández and McTavish into one of the offices you’ve never been in before.
It’s nice and spacious but nothing at all like Kandomere’s.
Speaking of.
“Where’s Special Agent Kandomere?” you ask.
You’re trying not to be too informal at work in regards to your new boyfriend.
Montehugh sits behind the desk that you now notice has his name etched on a plate on top of it.
“He’s not coming in until this afternoon,” Montehugh says.
“Oh,” you mutter a little disappointed.
McTavish shuts the door behind you all and you gather around Montehugh’s desk.
“Don’t worry I’m sure you’ll see your boyfriend this weekend,” Montehugh says, “Now, about your assignment.”
Montehugh pulls out a file from his desk drawer and opens it up on the desk.
He then removes some photos of the elven twins, “Helaria and Katharia are twin fashion designers here in L.A. they’re also as you’re all well aware, Brights. They’re responsible for what went down at the nightclub and at the textile mill, and today they have a very important fashion show on the rooftop of a building in the Elven District today. Now, the guest list is strictly elves, but,” Montehugh continues pulling out three badges on lanyards and pushing them across the table, “The security team is not.”
You take one of the badges that has your picture in it and a fake name.
“Now fortunately, we already had an in setup months ago, and unfortunately that is also why we need the three of you there,” Montehugh says, “Because months ago there was a request for a phoenix to be allowed on the premises for a photo shoot and a brief flight over the building itself.”
Leave it to elves to always go over the top.
“A phoenix?” you question.
You’ve never seen a phoenix before and at this point you could almost fill out a bingo card of all the magical creatures you’ve seen.
Unicorn, Dragon, and possibly soon to be Gryphon, and now a Phoenix.
“And I wonder who might have requested a magical fire bird be included in the show?” Hernández asks sarcastically, clearly already knowing the answer.
McTavish nods, “It seems those fiery sisters wanted a creature to match them.”
“Do they plan to hurt it?” you ask.
“That we don’t know,” Montehugh says looking to you and folding his hands over his abdomen, “Our presence at the show is fairly routine so I doubt they’ll suspect us.”
“At least at first,” McTavish interjects, “All of us where at the textile mill, and they’ll definitely recognize our resident Bright here after their little showdown.”
Montehugh nods again, “That is the only thing that might give us away, it’s possible they could forget you two,” he says gesturing with two fingers at Hernández and McTavish, “But you’ve made an impression, Princess,” he finishes pointing at you.
“So what am I supposed to do?” you ask, “I can’t exactly go toe to toe with these two at the moment.”
“And hopefully you won’t have to, “Montehugh says, “Our job today is to protect that phoenix, we can’t let them get away with it. I don’t care what the Boss says there’s no way the three of you are going to be able to arrest those two today.”
“Kandomere, wants us to arrest them?” you ask.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I meant the big boss,” Montehugh corrects, “Just keep that phoenix safe, and I’ll tell him you tried your best and we’ll get ‘em next time. Oh and as for you, Princess, avoid being seen by the twins, it’ll keep their guard down and you out of a fight.”
You nod in understanding.
“Once you get past security you’re to meet the handler for the phoenix and head upstairs and then don’t leave either’s side until the handler leaves and escort her down to her car, from there she will be escorted by a second team,” Montehugh explains.
“Eh, don’t worry,” Hernández says to you, “This’ll be easy and you’re good with magical creatures, right?”
You consider all your interactions with magical creatures and it’s been fairly mixed results.
“She’s right other than Helaria and Katharia, most elves won’t give you a second glance, it’ll be like you’re invisible to them,” McTavish adds.
“I’m just not very good with fire,” you say finally.
“If things go south, I’ll send in the whole cavalry if I have to,” Montehugh says, “But I’m confident in all your skills that I’m certain I won’t have to.”
You smile at Montehugh and then you’re all ushered out of his office.
*******
Kandomere opens the door to the restaurant and asks the hostess for his sister’s table. The hostess then shows him to his sister and brother-in-law’s table where they are already enjoying their meal.
Maretha looks the most like their mother and has long, blue hair that comes down in waves well past her shoulders and is wearing a purple and blue geometric print, three-quarter sleeved dress with a large purple necklace adorned with amethyst in an arc. Her husband Tynthron, is of a much darker complexion and his hair has a low fade with twists atop his head, accentuating his pointed ears and he is wearing a deep purple suit bearing a similar geometric print with a blue tie.
His sister Maretha looks up from her food and waves at him and then begins to stand.
Tynthron stands with her, assisting his heavily pregnant wife.
Maretha just shoos him away from her, “{I can stand just fine, Tynth, it’s not like my legs are broken.} Hola, Hermano, Como está?”
Kandomere smiles and hugs his oldest sister, “Yo estoy bien y tú?” he asks.
“Él bebe y yo estamos muy bien,” Maretha says returning to her chair, “{I passed ten months just the other day, I’m so excited I just wish he would get here already.}”
Kandomere takes a seat opposite his sister and brother-in-law.
“{I would prefer if he came when it was safer,}” Tynthron says.
Maretha throws her head back, “{But it’s been so long already!}”
“{Which has given us plenty of time to prepare for our son,}” Tynthron says placing a hand on his wife’s abdomen.
“{You’re right,}” Maretha says and returns to eating her food.
Kandomere chuckles as he takes in the sight of the several plates surrounding his sister.
Maretha then chews and swallows her food, “{How’s work been? You’ve been so busy I don’t think I’ve seen you once and it’s been at least two weeks since we’ve talked, I think I’ve actually seen Aranea and Cirinea more.}”
“{Well, if you’ve seen the news I‘m sure you could understand why,}” Kandomere says.
Has it really been that long?
“{Oh we have, and as I’ve said many times before I don’t envy your job, Kandomere,}” Tynthron says.
“{Honestly, sometimes neither do I, but it has to be done,}” Kandomere states.
The woman he cares for was almost taken from him.
But if it were not for his job he also never would have met her.
“{It’s not for everyone,}” Kandomere adds.
“{Anyways, enough doom and gloom,}” Maretha says in between mouthfuls of food and waving her hand. She then pulls out the fashion show ticket from her purse and begins to hand it to Kandomere, but then stops short. “{Why is it that you suddenly wanted this ticket so badly anyways?}” Maretha asks.
“{It’s work related,}” Kandomere says.
Maretha and Tynthron exchange a glance.
“{And work couldn’t have procured a ticket? Or garnered some other way in?}” Maretha questions suspiciously.
Kandomere sighs, “{Actually, no.}”
Maretha hums.
“{So it has nothing to do with your new girlfriend?}” Maretha asks.
Kandomere glares at his sister.
She baited him with the ticket.
Over the years they’ve known each other she’s mastered this technique.
And he would hope at some point he’d stop falling for it.
But Maretha is the oldest and the nicest, so of course he and his other sisters always ask her for her help, and she often gives it, but sometimes for a price.
Kandomere sighs, “{Mother told you, didn’t she?}”
“{Of course! Why wouldn’t she? She’s so thrilled that you’re dating again,}” Maretha says.
“{Maybe she is going to be there,}” Kandomere relents.
Maretha smiles, “{I knew it! You hate these sorts of things, it had to be a woman.}”
And then she hands him the ticket.
He stares down at it in his hand and smiles before tucking it safely in his inner coat pocket.
“{How long has it been since your last girlfriend?}” Tynthron asks, “{Eight? Nine years?}”
“{Eleven,}”Kandomere answers.
“{You could have been single for a year, gotten a new girlfriend and been married by now,}” Tynthron says.
A ten to fifteen year courtship is fairly standard for elves.
But he really needed that time to recover and just be himself.
“{Which is why I’m trying to make sure everything goes smoothly,}” Kandomere continues.
“{So what’s she like?}” Maretha asks.
Kandomere smiles, “{She’s wonderful. She’s smart, kind, brave and so beautiful.}”
“{Aw, sounds like love is in the air, I’m so happy for you, Hermano. How did you two meet?}” Maretha asks.
“{We met through work,}” Kandomere says growing uneasy.
“{Really? There aren’t many elves in your line of work, in fact it would almost have to be a one in a million chance you’d meet her,”} Maretha says.
“{Yes…}” Kandomere says and glances around the restaurant briefly.
“{What’s her name?}” Maretha asks finally.
Maretha is much more understanding and progressive than their mother, if anyone from his family was going to react positively to his girlfriend’s race, it was her.
Hesitantly, Kandomere tells his sister the full name of his girlfriend.
Maretha is still chewing and had been asking questions between bites and her eyes widen and she looks up at him and covers her mouth.
Tynthron is also staring at him in surprise.
Maretha then waves her hands in front of her face as she tries to swallow her food quickly and her husband grasps her shoulder in concern.
When she clears her throat, “{I’m fine,} Querido,” she says to her husband and then she turns to Kandomere, “{She sounds lovely.}”
There’s a huge smile spread across her face.
Leaving Kandomere to doubt that she’s done with her line of questioning.
“{Please, don’t tell} Mamá,” Kandomere pleads.
“{How long have you two been dating?}” Maretha asks.
“{About a week now, but we’ve known each other for roughly a month. We met on one of my cases,}” Kandomere explains.
Maretha nods, “{And don’t worry I wouldn’t dream of telling our mother before you’re ready, but You Will have to tell her eventually,}” Maretha warns.
“{I know, but I’d rather wait until my relationship has deepened first before my girlfriend meets our mother,}” Kandomere says.
“{Is that why you needed the ticket?}” Maretha asks.
“{She’s working on a case separate from me and if anything happens I’ll still be there,}” Kandomere says.
“Oh Hermano, {you’re not being overprotective again are you?}” Maretha asks.
“{I think I’m being the perfect amount of protective, my girlfriend is human…how else am I supposed to react when she’s put in danger?}” Kandomere asks.
“{You need to let her decide if she needs your help,}” Maretha reminds him.
Kandomere tries to keep quiet for a moment and then he leans forwards, “{I can’t just abandon her.}”
“{You’re not abandoning her by leaving her alone for an hour or two. I swear if I ever come across that ex of yours that put that in your head I’m going to-}” Maretha begins angrily and Tynthron sets his hand over hers.
Maretha calms and Tynthron presses a kiss to her cheek.
“{I don’t want to see her get hurt…again,}” Kandomere says quietly.
“{Again?!}” Maretha questions sadly.
“{It’s a long story, involving a dragon and a ring,}” Kandomere mutters.
Tynthron inhales, “{If she’s alright with it then that’s fine, but if she seems at all uncomfortable or upset reign it in.}”
Kandomere nods, “{We’ve discussed some boundaries already.}”
“{Good, honest communication keeps any relationship healthy,}” Tynthron continues taking Maretha’s hand.
The two smile at one another and then kiss.
Kandomere glances away from them for a moment.
“{Do you happen to have any photos of her?}” Maretha asks.
“{I do,}” Kandomere says pulling out his phone.
He shows them both the photos from their date last night.
“{She’s so adorable!}” Maretha exclaims.
Kandomere then puts his phone away and begins to stand.
“{I should be heading-}” Kandomere begins.
“{Nooo,}” Maretha whines.
“{At least join us for breakfast,}” Tynthron insists.
Kandomere looks at them both, “{Well, alright,}” he relents and he sits back down at the table and picks up the menu and chats with his family over breakfast.
*******
“So tell us about your date?” Hernández prompts.
“And let’s start with the first one,” McTavish adds turning around in her seat.
“For the first date we went to this elven restaurant called The Verdant Waters, they’re known for their wine selection but I don’t drink, anyways thankfully it’s not crowded and there’s a pianist playing Elvish love songs, and there are candles on all the tables…” you explain.
“Sounds very romantic,” McTavish says.
“It was,” you sigh, “I was a little nervous though because every elf there was staring at me from the moment I walked in with Kandomere.”
“Ah shit, they didn’t say anything to you did they?” Hernández asks, “Cause if they did they’re just jealous of you and your man...well elf.”
“No, they never got the chance because my boyfriend, Kandomere, gave them one of the meanest glares I’ve ever seen in my life. Also, he was being so sweet and telling me how much he liked me, and a lot of the elves around us left so we didn’t have any more problems after that and we must have talked until the restaurant was almost closed…” you ramble.
“Aw, reminds me of me of me and Patrick,” McTavish sighs, “Our first date lasted over four hours.”
“And at the end of the date we kissed…three times,” you say.
“So cute,” Hernández squeals, “Alright, now on to the second date.”
“I think I’ve already told you most of it,” you say, “The day after we fought the golem he came over to my apartment and brought ingredients to cook with and made dinner for us both. There was a lot of flirting by the way.”
“Of course,” Hernández says.
“Uh, then we sat in front of the tv to eat and watched the history channel, and I asked him if this was a date-“ you say.
“The history channel?” McTavish asks.
“Don’t tell me it’s some war documentary,” Hernández says shaking her head.
“No, it’s…” you say and try to stifle a laugh, “He likes to watch bad documentaries on magic and honestly they’re pretty hilarious.”
“No way? Really?!” McTavish questions.
“The Boss has got some strange tastes in trashy tv,” Hernández says, “I usually just watch telenovas with Josefina.”
“I guess he’s always got magic on the brain huh?” McTavish asks.
“Well, he is dating a Bright and if we ever get married I’ll pretty much be one of the only people to always understand him,” you say.
“You mean When you get married,” Hernández corrects.
“We haven’t even had sex yet, it’s a little early to be talking about that,” you say.
“You mentioned elven courtships last time we spoke, so I looked it up,” Hernández says, “Courtships are a Very serious thing for elves, and Kandomere is courting You.”
“What else did you read about courtships?” you ask twirling a loose strand of hair.
“I didn’t read everything because there were pages upon pages of stuff about it, but apparently he’s supposed to always bid you goodbye every time he meets you and if he communicates to you through a long distance method, for example a cell phone, he must do the same thing. Another one was he must present a letter to the Matriarch of your family listing his titles, property, qualifications of being a husband, promise to protect you, you know the drill,” Hernández explains.
“Wow, um maybe I should read that…” you mutter.
There are a lot of intricacies of elven culture you were still unfamiliar with.
And if you’re going to be dating an elf it would probably be a good idea to learn about his culture, of course you want to ask him about any specifics that might be different for him personally, since there are many variations of elven culture.
You think for a moment on what Hernández just said.
“Holy shit,” you whisper and you pull out your phone and scroll through your’s and Kandomere’s messages.
“What? What’s up?” McTavish asks looking back at you.
“Ever since we started dating he always sends me a good morning and goodnight text, sometimes with cute little blue hearts…” you say, “And he’s already talked to my mother.”
“Your Mom? When did he talk to her?” Hernández questions glancing back at you in the rear view mirror.
“It was before we started dating when I was still recovering after being released the first time, but my Mom had called my phone so many times he called her and reassured her I was okay and that he was going to take care of me,” you explain, “Also, my Mom may have convinced herself he was my boyfriend at the time and I don’t know how I’m going to explain the current situation to her.”
Or if it would be more confusing to try.
It’s funny though if Selina were still around she might demand a letter from Kandomere. She always did that whenever an elven man so much as hit on you, it was a great way to deter them.
You think that she might have liked Kandomere though.
It’s a shame she’ll never get to know him now.
Although…she technically did see him the last time you went shopping.
You smile to yourself.
“Was there…anything else?” you ask innocently.
“Hm…Oh! There’s an abstinence policy of at least half a year but more commonly it lasts a full year,” Hernández says.
“Abstinence?” you question.
“Yeah, back in the old days it’s supposed to prevent an elven lady claiming she’s carrying the child of the elf she’s currently with, when she might have been seeing someone else right before and vice versa for the elven gentleman with another elven lady turning out to be pregnant with his kid,” Hernández explains, “But nowadays we have pregnancy tests and blood tests so it’s kind of a strange tradition to keep.”
“That’s kind of fucked up to be honest, way to trust your partner right off the bat,” McTavish grumbles.
“Well, Kandomere didn’t sound like he wanted to adhere to that standard,” you say.
“Because he Likes you,” Hernández teases, “Anyway the point of the courtship is marriage.”
“I already knew he was sweet but I didn’t realize how much he was trying to impress me,” you say, “Do you want to hear about our third date now?”
“Third date?” Hernández asks.
“Yeah we went to a museum yesterday,” you say.
“Absolutely,” McTavish says.
“So there was a new art exhibit open but right before he had me meet the curator for the new exhibit, a mostly elven lady in her sixties, seventies? I would guess? And she wanted some of Aunt Selina’s things for another exhibit-“ you begin.
“Wait, mostly elf?” Hernández asks.
“Aunt Selina’s things?” McTavish questions.
“Well, it turns out she was a quarter human and her dad was a half-elf, and yes because Aunt Selina is a half-elf she wanted to make an exhibit in France about everyone in between the nine races, with a focus on half-elves,” you explain, “But Kandomere didn’t tell me he set all this up before we got there…”
“Displaying your Aunt’s things? That’s incredible!” McTavish exclaims.
“So He Didn’t Tell You?” Hernández asks.
“Wait, what?” McTavish asks clearly having missed that part.
“Yeah, I’m sure he wanted it to be a surprise but it was too far, and I had a talk with him about it,” you say.
“Boundaries are important and everyone should respect them even if they’re your boyfriend,” McTavish says.
“Especially if they’re your boyfriend,” Hernández adds, “Make sure he doesn’t repeatedly do it but also keep in mind that you two are different races, there’s bound to be cultural clash.”
“I have already noticed that he likes to take care of me, and he’s even said as much,” you say.
“Might be his way of showing you he likes you,” McTavish says, “Just be sure to articulate your needs and learn what his are.”
“I haven’t even gotten to the date part yet,” you say.
“Well, please do,” Hernández says.
“The new art exhibit turned out to be about interracial courtships, and at the end of the exhibit there was a statue of an elf and human couple from the romance novel I’ve been reading again. And Kandomere told me that he’s also reading the same book only there’s a second version from the elven man’s perspective. I didn’t realize until we started talking about it that it was written by the couple themselves and it was a true story,” you explain.
“You’re reading a romance novel together?” Hernández questions, “That’s super cute.”
“Yeah, Kandomere’s so sweet, I really, really like him, I don’t think I’ve ever met such a perfect guy,” you sigh.
“Sounds like she’s in love,” McTavish says in a singsong voice.
“No, it’s too soon for love,” you say waving your hand.
McTavish shrugs her shoulders, “You’d be surprised, when you meet the right person you can just click perfectly. I’m not saying it’s instantaneous, just that it falls into place more easily.”
“And every relationship requires work, but its just I don’t know….” Hernández says waving her hand around, “You just want to put in the work, you want to commit yourself to this other person even if it means building a house from the ground up.”
You smile at her, “I get the feeling we’re not talking about Kandomere anymore.”
“Listen, I really love Josefina okay, she’s my heart and soul okay,” Hernández says getting emotional.
“And I’m sure she’ll say yes,” you say.
“God, I hope so, I don’t know what I’d do without her,” Hernández says.
You reach the building where the fashion show is taking place and after you park, you enter one of the security entrances. The security team knew to expect you all and was waiting for you and you easily get through into one of the main halls where the attendees are filing into the building.
None of you look out of place amidst the security guards, so it’s easy to blend in.
Hernández and McTavish tell you to wait in a mock stationary position nearby and scan the crowd, while they discuss the arrival of the phoenix and his handler with the head of security.
You stare around you at all the elves that are milling about and passing by you and not a single one has looked over at you.
You’re not terribly surprised.
Afterall, you look like you work here and unless they have a problem they need you to fix for them, you might as well be invisible. So you’re just taking note of all the high fashion ensembles all the elves are dressed in and you do actually recognize some designers work. You might have subscribed to a few fashion magazines that you forwarded to Aunt Selina’s address over the years, and you hate to admit you’ve kind of always wanted to wear something that nice. But never did you think you might actually have the money to buy something like that.
But still where would you wear it?
Suddenly something catches your eye.
You quickly scan back through the crowd looking for…and there he is.
The only elf actually looking around, and anyone actually paying attention would swiftly note his strangely ever-cautious behavior.
Kandomere.
You continue to stare in surprise at the blue-haired elf.
He notices you as well and smiles and then walks towards you.
You walk away from him and around a corner and wait for your boyfriend.
When he finally rounds the corner you turn to him, “What are you doing here?!” you demand quietly.
“I had a ticket and I thought I’d come see the show,” he explains calmly.
You furrow your brows and cross your arms, “So it had nothing to do with the fact that I’m on an assignment?”
Kandomere tilts his head a little, “It might have something to do with it.”
“Kandomere, you can’t be here,” you say shaking your head.
“Why not?” he asks.
“Because this is not your-” you begin angrily and pause to take a breath, “You’re making me feel like you don’t think I can handle this on my own.”
Kandomere’s face falls and he stares at you forlornly, “Mi Amor, I never meant to make you feel like you weren’t capable.”
You glance to the side and puff out your lip in a pout, “Well, you are.”
Kandomere takes your hands in his and you turn your head to meet his gaze.
He presses his lips to your knuckles and closes his eyes for a long moment.
And when he parts from your skin finally, “My sisters tell me that I can be overprotective at times and in my desperate need to keep you safe, I’ve crossed a boundary, yet again…and I’m sorry,” he says opening his eyes.
“You won’t be able to do everything for me,” you say shaking your head, “Not that I don’t appreciate being taken care of sometimes,” you add with a small smile.
“I know I’m just particularly worried because of what you’re up against,” Kandomere says.
“I’m not alone, remember?” you ask smiling again, “I have backup.”
“I know and besides, I’m not working, I’m here to watch the show and visit with my sisters,” Kandomere says.
“Your sisters are here?” you ask surprised.
“Yes, Aranea and Cirinea,” he says.
“Do they know there are two Bright sisters possibly looking to abscond with a phoenix?” you question quietly.
“No,” Kandomere answers.
“So you didn’t warn them?” you ask.
Kandomere exhales, “Only because I know they wouldn’t listen to me, they never do when it comes to dangerous situations like these.”
“Overprotective brother and all?” you ask.
“Overprotective Little brother, so they’re guaranteed not to listen to me,” Kandomere states.
You move closer to him and he instinctively wraps his arms around your waist and you wrap yours around his shoulders.
“I love having a big, strong elf in my life,” you say tilting your head at him.
Kandomere smiles at you.
“But if I need your help I promise I’ll ask,” you continue.
He nods in understanding.
“I won’t lie, I do find it somewhat reassuring that you’re going to be nearby, not that I’m trying to encourage this behavior,” you say.
Kandomere lifts one hand to your cheek and thumbs it gently, “I’ll only help if you ask.”
“Thank you, Kandomere, that’s all I ask,” you say leaning towards him and kissing him.
And after you part you hug him tightly and enjoy the comfort of his arms.
You are a little nervous about today, but you’ve got your friends and now your boyfriend to look out for you. You do wonder if Kandomere can smell your anxiety and if so, that means he’s respecting your wishes, despite the need to protect you.
Although, you’re certain if things go wrong he’ll be the first to find you.
“Now, go find your sisters,” you say.
He brings your left hand to his lips, “Say goodbye to me before you leave?”
“Of course, My Elf,” you say softly.
And then the two of you part and you head back to meet Agents Hernández and McTavish.
You then follow them both and the security team to another entrance into the building where you’re supposed to meet the handler. And after a minute or two, a middle-aged Hispanic woman holding the most beautiful bird you’ve ever seen, is escorted inside. The woman has her salt and pepper hair tied back into a ponytail and is wearing a red, short sleeve blouse with gold flowers and dark pants with flats, and in her left-gloved hand is the roughly hawk-sized phoenix. The phoenix has red and golden feathers with a white underbelly that is also flecked with golden spots. And the red in the feathers shifts from orange to deep crimson as the bird adjusts it’s grip on the woman’s hand with the gold gleaming like finely polished metal. You can’t see the phoenix’s eyes because they are currently obscured under a leather hood that sits snugly over the bird’s head.
The phoenix cocks it’s head in your direction as the handler gets near, “Hi, you must be the Magic Task Force agents I was told about, that are going to be looking after me and Iggy today?” the handler asks.
“Yes, Ma’am, I’m Agent Hernández,” Hernández says outstretching a hand to her.
The handler takes it, “I’m Olivia, and this of course is Iggy,” she says holding up the phoenix.
McTavish introduces herself next and you follow suit, but you don’t declare yourself an agent, since it’s not a title you actually possess.
Your group then escorts her to the elevators and you’re the last to step on when suddenly the phoenix lets out a piercing shriek.
Olivia tries to soothe Iggy in Spanish but he only screeches again.
“He’s not overly fond of elevators,” Olivia says apologetically.
The creature looks in your direction despite the fact that it shouldn’t see you at all and McTavish follows his gaze.
His feathers start puffing out as he looks like he might screech again.
“Why don’t you take the next elevator? I’m sure he’s nervous because there’s so many people,” McTavish says to you.
“Yeah sure,” you say as you back up.
You stare at the phoenix who continues to look in your direction, it’s possible the phoenix can sense your magic. McTavish tells you the floor they’re headed to and then the elevator doors close. You sigh, and hit the button for another elevator nearby and are forced to wait a minute for one to travel back down to ground level. When one opens finally you step onto it and hit the button for your floor and accidentally hit the one beneath it as well and let out another sigh. You wait some more as the elevator goes up, stops briefly on the wrong floor, and then stops on the correct floor.
The doors open up to an empty hallway that goes to the left and to the right.
You glance around, which way did they go again?
You realize McTavish didn’t specify.
Listening for a moment you can hear a voice from the left hallway, you then follow the hallway past a series of closed office doors. Well, if this is the biggest problem of your day you can handle it. You round the corner and freeze, the sight of the person in front of you making your blood run cold.
“{I’m not interested in seeing your ‘little pets,’}” the elven woman continues.
She paces around in the elegant sitting room with large glass windows on the left-hand side, her eyes closed and brows pinched together and perfectly manicured nails with gold filigree hovering over her left brow. Her blonde hair is done up in a loose but stylish bun and she has red eye shadow and lipstick to match her short, form fitting dress and her similarly crimson heels clack on the tile as she pivots away from you. And you can now see a golden metal snake with it’s head at the top of her dress near her shoulders and twisting down her back supported only by golden chains that loop towards the fabric.
“{Your subordinates were late on their delivery to begin with, and by that time my younger sister and I had already done the work your product would have,}” she says.
Younger? Katharia is the younger twin you remember that much, so this must be Helaria and as you stare at her right hand with only two snake rings, you’re a little relieved that you won’t have to worry about Basilisk’s venom this time.
Unless her sister is nearby that is.
You glance down, you’re standing at the edge of the room where the carpet gives way to hard tile. Your heels will immediately give you away to her sensitive hearing if you take a single step forwards.
And if she were not in a heated conversation, she would have heard you already.
You look back up and glance around the room, there’s no one else in any of the nearby chairs meaning you’re alone with a woman who tried to kill you.
“{To Float,}” Helaria whispers.
You immediately stare at her again as her phone levitates out of her hand and remains next to her ear as she rummages through her Prada handbag and pulls out a lipstick and a compact mirror. You crouch as far down as you can manage in your heels without losing your balance while she reapplies her makeup.
“{I don’t want your excuses,}” Helaria snaps swiftly closing the compact mirror.
She then puts her makeup and the mirror away and you exhale quietly.
Your breath comes out in a cold puff of air and your eyes widen.
Helaria then pulls out a red piece of paper and creases it like a letter, “{Did I say I was finished speaking?!}” she demands, “{My family is done with you,}” she says and throws the red piece of paper into a small trash can.
You tilt your head at it, if you can get a hold of that…
“{And by the way, your accent is rather strange and one I’ve never heard before. And it’s strange that I’ve never heard it because I’ve traveled all over the world…” Helaria says.
You begin to quietly back out of the room.
You manage to make it to the bend in the hallway when…
“{That’s what I thought,}” Helaria huffs and takes her phone and hangs up, and then she stares down at the trashcan, “Charlatan.”
Her left hand bursts into flame as she stares down at the trashcan.
You exhale your frost breath and push it forwards with a gesture of your hand towards Helaria’s hand, but it’s not strong enough and dissipates before it reaches her.
But she notices something amiss and stares down at the floor beside her.
You duck behind the wall, time to go.
Walking back down the hall you try every door to find somewhere to hide as you hear her footsteps on the tiled floor behind you.
Only every door is locked except for…one.
You open it and slip into the room before quickly closing it again and stare up in shock at the blonde elven woman in front of you.
She’s sitting in a chair facing away from you while she looks at her phone.
The room seems to have been turned into a temporary changing room so there’s a large mirror in front of her. Her phone which has a cute, pink rubber case that looks like a kitten is currently obscuring her face from you, but she’s dressed in red, surely this has to be Katharia?
You stand there for a moment unsure of what to do.
You’re cornered with nowhere to go and now would be a really good time for your magic to come back.
The elven woman adjusts in her chair and her phone lowers slightly and then her body jolts before she spins around in her chair to stare at you. She’s wearing red eye shadow and lipstick as well and you still recognize her, but she is most definitely not Katharia.
“Fayleth?” you mouth silently.
The alarm in her face turns into a huge smile as she also recognizes you.
She’s about to say something when you hold a finger to your lips.
Fayleth gives you a confused look, but says nothing.
You turn back towards the door and back away slowly.
There’s a shadow that passes under the door that’s broken only by the still flickering light from Helaria’s fire.
You hear an inhale and then the doorknob starts to turn…
Fayleth pulls her headphones out of her phone and turns the music she was listening to up and starts singing.
It’s an Elvish pop song and Fayleth’s singing is well…singing.
The sound is loud and starting to hurt even your ears from being in such close proximity to her as you’re forced to cover them. The door remains firmly shut and you see the glow fade as Helaria moves away from the door.
Fayleth sings until the song is over and then pauses her playlist and listens and nods, “Who was that?” she whispers.
“Someone I really don’t want to find me,” you say quietly.
“You should tell security if they’re bothering you,” Fayleth says.
“Considering she’s a Bright that’s really more of my job actually,” you say.
“Really?” Fayleth asks, “Is she dangerous?”
“Very, do you know where the photo shoot is supposed to be happening? My backup is with the phoenix and the handler,” you say.
Fayleth lets out a laugh, “Of course! I’m the model posing with it!” she says raising her arms and you take a closer look at her outfit for the first time.
Her outfit is a gorgeous red and gold dress the pattern for which starts at her shoulders and gives her a long neckline with white and gold flecks going down her front. There’s tulle that is blended perfectly with her skintone that actually goes up to her neck and the pattern across it is made to look like feathers. Wrapping around her arms is a sort of cape almost separate from the gown itself that is transparent except for the feathers that trail all the way down to the floor. And on her left arm up to her elbow is a long, dark leather glove adorned with gold studs and affixed with protrusions at the ends of her fingers that you realize are made to look like talons. The singular glove is reminiscent of an archer or mage from a bygone era and though it is decorated for aesthetic it is no doubt intended to protect her from the phoenix himself.
“What are the chances we’d both be here today?” Fayleth asks clapping her hands together and bouncing up and down in her chair.
“Astronomical at this point,” you say.
“It’s so good to see you again,” Fayleth says standing and pulling you into a hug.
You hug her back careful of the metal bits attached to her glove.
She’s tall and slender and even without her heels she’d tower over you, she might even be taller than Kandomere which is funny to think about.
“I can’t thank you enough for saving me,” she says rocking you side to side on your feet.
“You’re welcome…but now you’re hurting me,” you breathe.
“Oh! Sorry!” Fayleth says letting go, “I forget elf strength and all.”
“How have you been?” you ask.
“There have been some ups and downs, a lot of downs actually, but! I started therapy and it turns out I have PTSD!” she exclaims holding her hands out.
“Oh, I’m sorry, has the therapy been helping?” you ask.
“It has, my psychiatrist is really helping me work through my trauma, and I’ve been working again. I had to take a short break but it feels good to be back to doing things,” Fayleth explains.
You should probably avoid telling her about Helaria then and her involvement in the nightclub, or it might trigger Fayleth.
But you’ll also need to make sure they stay separate from one another.
“That’s good, I’m glad that things are better,” you say.
“How about you? How have you been?” Fayleth asks.
“I’ve been doing good, I’ve got a new boyfriend,” you say.
“Ooh yay! Is he cute?” Fayleth asks.
“Extremely, do you remember Kandomere?” you ask.
“Nooo, but that is an Elvish name are you dating an elf?” Fayleth asks raising her brows and smiling at you.
You pull out your phone and scroll through your photos, “He is an elf,” you say and show her the pictures of the two of you together.
“Oh I do remember him! You seem so happy in that picture! I’m so glad!” Fayleth says clasping her hands together.
“He’s so great…he’s a really great guy,” you sigh.
“Sounds like you’re absolutely smitten,” Fayleth says and then lifts her head and inhales, “But I’m guessing you haven’t taken the plunge yet?”
“Did you just…you know that I know you just smelled me, right?” you ask.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I guess humans don’t really do that it’s more of an elf thing huh?” Fayleth asks awkwardly.
“We definitely don’t,” you say, “And isn’t it a little rude to smell someone anyways?”
“Depends on the context,” Fayleth says, “If you’re just trying to get a read on someone’s mood, no, but if you’re trying to intimidate someone or make fun of them by showing disgust or something then yes.”
“Ok…” you say.
“I really wasn’t trying to be rude, you just sound so in love I’m actually surprised you haven’t had sex with him yet,” Fayleth says.
“Well, we haven’t been dating that long and he wanted to wait,” you say.
“Oh! So you haven’t passed the six-month marker yet in your courtship? That makes sense,” Fayleth says.
“I don’t know that we’re going to wait six months,” you say defensively.
“That’s fine too! You’re not obligated to follow all the courtship rules as a human,” Fayleth says quickly.
“I just want to honor the ones I can if they’re important to Kandomere, and are…all elves going to be able to smell when I do finally…” you trail off.
“Oh yes, absolutely,” Fayleth answers, “But they’ll also smell you on your boyfriend and know he’s taken. Speaking of which his scent is really strong on you already.”
“I did see him last night and earlier today,” you say.
Fayleth nods, “That would do it.”
“So are you looking forward to the show?” you ask.
“Yes and no,” Fayleth says, “On the one hand I’m going to be on the runway again on the other I have to do it while holding a magic fire bird. I’m still afraid of magic, I don’t how I’m supposed to do this, my agent is a dear friend and has been super supportive but I just don’t know…”
“If it helps I have already met the phoenix and his name is Iggy,” you offer.
“Iggy?” Fayleth laughs sitting down again, “That’s a silly name for a bird.”
“I think it’s a nickname but yes,” you say, “Phoenixes are light magic so long as you’re not evil the phoenix won’t intentionally harm you.”
“This all sounded like such a good idea months ago but now? Not so much,” Fayleth says.
“I could help? I’m supposed to watch over the phoenix anyways so I’ll be there every step of the way,” you say.
“Really?” Fayleth asks looking up at you, “You would do that for me?”
“Sure, what are friends for?” you ask.
Fayleth stands again and hugs you tightly again, “Thank you so much!”
You pat her back awkwardly as you struggle to breathe.
She releases you and you take a gulp of air.
“Oh sorry!” Fayleth apologizes.
There’s a knock on the door and you both turn to stare at it.
“{Who is it?}” Fayleth calls.
“{It’s me, they’re ready for you, Sweetheart,}” a voice says.
Fayleth goes to open the door and you see a pale, elven man with short brown hair standing in the doorway in a suit. He stares at you confused and just points at you and looks to Fayleth for explanation.
“This is my agent, Authmir,” Fayleth tells you, “And Authmir this is the woman I was telling you about who saved my life.”
The man gasps and holds a hand over his chest, “Oh my god, really?” he then steps towards you and pulls you into a hug as well.
He then lets you go and you smile awkwardly.
“Miss, you are an absolute angel for saving Fayleth here, I don’t what I would do if I had lost her,” the Authmir says in an accent that’s very much not typical for L.A.
“Of course, I mean I’m sure you would have done the same,” you say.
“What on earth are you doing here?” Authmir asks switching his accent back to an L.A. one.
“Uh, working actually,” you say.
“Oh my god,” he says looking around, “Is there someone here we should be worried about?”
“She did say there was another Bright here,” Fayleth says.
“I’m mostly here for the phoenix,” you add.
“You think something is going to happen to it?” Authmir asks.
“Uh…” you mutter and glance to Fayleth who is starting to get nervous, “I’m sure everything will be fine, we’re here just in case as long as Helaria and Katharia stay-“
“Helaria and Katharia? They’re the Brights?” Authmir asks.
Shit.
“But…they’re the designers for my dress,” Fayleth says glancing down at herself.
Double shit.
“No, it can’t be…” Authmir says.
You sigh and close the door, “Fayleth, they’re part of the reason for what happened at the nightclub, they weren’t the ones who did it, but they instigated it. I didn’t know that you were their model until now, and I didn’t know you were going to be here today or I would have warned you somehow, I’m sorry.”
Fayleth is starting to breathe harder and clutches at her chest.
“Shh,” Authmir soothes grabbing her arm, “What can you see?”
“Uh…my dress,” Fayleth says starting to panic.
“What else?” Authmir insists.
“The door, the mirror, my headphones, my phone,” Fayleth says looking around.
“Feel?” Authmir asks.
“The floor, these fucking heels, my earrings, your hand,” Fayleth continues.
“Hear?” Authmir asks.
“Uh…the two of you breathing and…and,” Fayleth grabs her phone and plays her music again, “My music.”
“Alright, smell’s next, Darlin,’” Authmir says.
“This stuffy room and Rose scented perfume,” Fayleth says.
“…Is it taste? That’s kind of a weird one,” Authmir says.
Fayleth lifts her arm and licks the leather glove she’s wearing and then coughs, “Gross! Why did I do that?”
She then wipes her tongue off on her other hand.
“Better?” Authmir asks.
“Yes…thank you,” Fayleth says shakily.
You’ve never seen that method before, maybe you should see a therapist…
The agent helps her to the chair and she sits down for a moment and listens to her music, and you’re all silent for a moment as she calms down.
“Hey, I know how you feel Fayleth, I’m a little scared that they’re here too,” you say.
“Do you?! Do you know what it’s like to be turned to stone?!” Fayleth demands.
“Yes…” you answer quietly.
She stares at you for a moment and her brows furrow.
“And if it wasn’t for my boyfriend….” you say and take a breath, “But we’re both here right now and we’re going to have to face our fears a little if we want to make it through today. But I promise they’re not going to hurt you, I won’t let them.”
Fayleth blinks and then stares at her agent and friend who places a hand on her shoulder, “I never want to work with them again.”
“Consider them blacklisted,” Authmir says.
“My friends with the Magic Task Force are currently with the phoenix and his handler, their names are Hernández and McTavish,” you explain, “There’s something I need to go get but if I don’t come back in a minute I want you to go to them.”
“What do they look like?” Authmir asks.
“Hernández is a mid-thirties Latina woman and McTavish is a red-headed Dwarven woman,” you say.
The agent nods, “Alright, I just saw them.”
“Where are you going?” Fayleth asks.
You take a breath, “To face my fear.”
You exit the room and head back down the hallway quietly towards the sitting room.
When you reach the threshold you look around, you don’t see her anywhere.
Then you stare at the trashcan there’s still the red piece of paper and it’s not been burnt to a crisp. You carefully step forwards, your own heels clacking against the tile in the now silent room, as you make your way towards the trashcan and remove the piece of paper. Stuffing it into a side pocket in your purse you walk back to the hallway and then back to Fayleth’s room.
“Alright are you ready?” you ask.
Fayleth nods, “What is it that you needed?”
You hold up the red piece of paper and unfold it.
It’s a flier giving you the time and location of the next gryphon fight.
“Evidence, Helaria was trying to dispose of,” you say.
You tuck it back into the main part of your purse and escort Authmir and Fayleth back down the right side of the hallway towards the photo shoot area.
Where the photography team is waiting and…Hernández and McTavish.
“Was wondering where you went off to,” Hernández says as she approaches you.
“Yeah, I might have gotten sidetracked and ran into an old friend and one of the fashion designers,” you explain.
Hernández’s eyebrows raise and she glances to McTavish.
Fayleth is then directed on what they want for the photos by the photography team and you look over at the phoenix and Olivia. The hood has been removed from Iggy’s head and you can now see his golden eyes and then he suddenly cocks his head in your direction and locks eyes with you.
Olivia notices his attention on you and looks over at you, “Sorry, Iggy gets nervous being in buildings and elevators are the worst for him, I’m sure it’s nothing personal.”
“Oh that’s fine, he’s a very pretty phoenix by the way,” you say.
In response Iggy puffs out his feathers and stands straighter, spreading his wings before closing them slowly again.
Olivia laughs, “Iggy loves compliments and appreciates it.”
“Does he talk?” McTavish asks.
“No, but when you’ve been around for a little while you pick up a few things,” Olivia says, “Although the only phoenix prettier than Iggy is his mate, she’s gorgeous.”
Iggy lets out a few chirps.
You smile, and again the bird stares at you.
You’re not entirely sure what he makes of you.
There’s a strange feeling you’re getting from being near such a heavily magical and immortal creature, but you don’t directly sense magic.
Fayleth moves into position in front of the backdrop and then Olivia approaches her with Iggy. Olivia tells her briefly how to hold him and then transfers Iggy to Fayleth’s gloved hand.
And Iggy’s talons fit perfectly into the spaces the glove provides.
Fayleth exhales and glances to you.
You give her a thumbs up and Authmir even claps softly.
She smiles a little and then lifts her arm up, she’s an elf so the bird shouldn’t be heavy for her at all, but even still you see her arm shake unmistakably.
Iggy turns his head towards her and opens his mouth and then screeches at her.
Startling Fayleth who also screams and tries to duck away from the phoenix, causing Iggy to flap his wings and attempt to fly backwards. And the instant his wings move through the air they erupt into orange flames and swirl around his form.
“IGGY! Iggy, it’s okay!,” Olivia shouts, “Let go of the jesses, Fayleth!”
Fayleth manages to release her hold on the leather strips tied to Iggy’s feet and he flies away from her having not been tied to her glove and he returns to his handler’s glove. The flames surrounding the phoenix dissipate as he folds his wings again and Olivia speaks to him soothingly in Spanish.
More than a couple of people come forward with fire extinguishers and put out the small fires and cinders in the room. You go over to Fayleth and she’s repeating her five senses steps again under her breath.
“And that’s why we had the fire alarms disabled for this floor, people,” an elven man you presume to be in charge says.
You get Fayleth to take a few deep breaths with you as you grab her arm and Authmir joins you in guiding her away from everyone for a moment.
“Just keep breathing, Honey,” Authmir says softly in a, you now realize southern accent.
“Fayleth, the phoenix doesn’t want to hurt you, I think you just scared him,” you say.
“I scared him?!” Fayleth demands quietly.
“Look at him,” you say gesturing to Iggy who is still being soothed by Olivia.
Fayleth stares at the phoenix and tilts her head, “Huh…”
“He’s a creature of light magic, he wouldn’t hurt you intentionally,” you remind her, “And he had to be blindfolded in the elevator because he gets nervous being indoors.”
“So he’s just as scared as I am?” Fayleth asks.
“It looks like it,” you say.
Fayleth takes a few more breaths, “Alright, I’ll…try again.”
You and Authmir follow Fayleth back over to the handler and Agents Hernández and McTavish.
“Alright, no sudden movements,” Olivia says a little exasperated.
Fayleth tries to reach her hand out to the phoenix and Iggy opens his mouth to protest and she pulls her hand back, “I can’t!”
“Alright, everyone let’s all take a short break and get back to this in a few minutes,” the elf in charge says.
The crew takes the opportunity to check equipment settings and get snacks from the table provided at the far side of the room, largely ignoring your group now.
“How about we take some time to get to know Iggy? Hm? Wouldn’t that help?” Olivia asks gently.
Fayleth nods, “Yeah.”
“Iggy is short for Ignis the Latin word for fire, and he is one half of a mated pair of phoenixes that we use in our conservation talks about habitat loss. Although, my organization currently takes care of four phoenixes, one is an orphaned male fledgling that Iggy and his mate are helping to raise and the other is an adult male that is undergoing rehabilitation at another facility,” Olivia explains.
“Why aren’t they all together?” Fayleth asks.
“Because phoenix pairs fiercely guard their territory and they can’t be anywhere near each other or they’ll fight, Iggy also enjoys scratches,” Olivia says as she then scratches Iggy on the back of his head and he closes his eyes briefly.
“That’s really cute,” Fayleth says.
“See? He’s not so bad,” you say.
“I guess so,” Fayleth says.
Iggy looks around and fixes his golden eyes on McTavish below him and makes a few chirping noises at her. McTavish stares up at the bird and he spreads his wings and the tips of his feathers brush against her head and knock a few strands loose.
She blows it out of her face and pushes it back into place.
“I think he likes your hair,” Olivia says.
“I think they look like cousins,” Hernández says with a chuckle.
McTavish’s long, red hair is braided back as usual and under her jacket she’s wearing a darker shade of crimson for her blouse.
“We do not,” McTavish says grumpily folding her arms at the same time Iggy folds his wings and they both stare at Hernández.
You and Hernández bust out laughing.
You reach your arm out to McTavish and the phoenix tugs out his lead from his handler’s fingers with his beak and suddenly hops onto your arm.
Your eyes widen as you stare silently at the bird now sitting on your bare arm.
“Iggy,” Olivia scolds, “I’m sorry phoenixes can be a little ornery at times.”
Iggy continues to glance around quickly and then move up your arm.
“He’ll try to get on your shoulder, lift up your arm,” Olivia says.
You raise your arm and he stops.
God, he’s heavy.
“How old is he?” Fayleth asks.
“Over a thousand years but we suspect no older than that,” Olivia says turning her attention to Fayleth for a moment.
And in that moment it feels like time stills and stretches for far longer than it should have. The phoenix fixes you with his golden gaze and you can see flames appear in his eyes that swiftly turn to white swirling flame and dance around his pupils.
Ignis stares deep into your eyes and for the first time you can sense the magic from him, or rather the magic that IS him. A creature of fire that has taken the form of a bird long, long ago, much longer than a thousand years in fact and at least three times that, that has rebirthed himself in flames over and over again.
There are shadows of images in his eyes now in the absence of the flickering flames.
Things you can’t quite make out…
He knows what you are.
But he is not afraid, and neither are you.
You have no quarrel with one another.
Ignis has deigned himself be in the care of a human family because it is what is best, best for his kind and best for all. He understands mortals can easily fear what they do not understand and he is here to help them understand, for he is not just destruction but also rebirth, life.
You finally make out an image in his eyes of a lone phoenix being slain as he is chained under the roof of some large building unable to even glimpse upwards at the sky above, and then fire consumes him.
Ignis lifts his head and his eyes slowly return to normal.
“Come here, Iggy,” Olivia calls and holds out her gloved hand.
Ignis returns to Olivia’s hand without a fuss and she makes sure to tie him to the loop in her glove this time.
You glance around at everyone else, no one else seemed to notice anything at all about what just happened. Your eyes shift back to the ‘bird’ who is acting very birdlike and acting like he didn’t just stare into your soul.
Immortal creatures are intense.
You managed to also glean that it had been some time since Ignis had come across someone such as you, and he was very curious, if a bit surprised at first.
Ignis blinks at you and then turns his attention back to his handler, Olivia.
And something else you notice now is that Iggy is overly fond of her, she’s a friend.
A friend he is very protective of almost as if she was his…hatchling?
Iggy makes some chirping noises at her.
“How long have you been taking care of Iggy?” you ask.
“About fifteen years now,” Olivia says, “My father took care of him before me and I grew up watching him and Iggy, he passed away a few years ago.”
An orphaned hatchling.
Iggy is acting as foster parent to a human woman who has no idea.
You start to wonder what it’s going to be like when you meet the unicorn in person.
You hope that meeting is a little less intimidating than this.
Fayleth gets back in position and takes a breath.
The crew returns to take their positions and Olivia returns to her with the phoenix.
“He won’t hurt you,” you tell Fayleth.
She looks to you and nods.
She gingerly takes the phoenix from Olivia and hoists him up in her hand.
The people with the fire extinguishers wait nearby with baited breath.
Iggy holds out his wings to steady himself and there’s no fire.
Fayleth sighs in relief.
“See I knew you could do it,” Authmir says.
The next twenty minutes are without incident as the crew gets all the photos they need and then it’s time for the fashion show to start.
*******
Kandomere scans the crowd on the rooftop searching for his twin sisters.
He spots them under an awning directly opposite the catwalk, they’re in a secluded spot by themselves away from the other elves who would surely otherwise pester them for attention and guarded by their two orc bodyguards.
Both orcs have their hands calmly folded in front of them as they face away from his sisters and eye the crowd. The older orc known as Targhu, Kandomere is familiar with, but the younger orc he is not.
Kandomere smiles and approaches his sisters, Aranea and Cirinea.
It’s been a while since he’s seen them in person.
They chat on the phone every so often of course, and even over video chat, but it’s still good to see them in L.A.
“Aranea, Cirinea,” Kandomere calls out to them.
His sisters turn to him, and then the younger orc bodyguard sidesteps and blocks his path, “Sorry, they’re not signing any autographs today.”
Kandomere blinks and his brows furrow as he glares at the orc, “They’re my sisters.”
“It’s alright, Kuthor,” the older orc Targhu interjects, “He’s their little brother.”
Both orcs are dressed in similar black suits, with nice ties and cufflinks.
“I wouldn’t say little,” Kandomere scoffs.
“Eh, not from where I’m standing,” Targhu remarks.
Targhu is several inches taller than Kandomere at a little over six feet.
Kandomere snorts and shakes his head, but smiles nonetheless.
“How have you been, Kandomere?” Targhu asks.
“Besides a few recent headaches, I’m doing quite well actually,” Kandomere says.
“Yeah, I saw on the news that whole situation with The L.A. Dragon, so I bet you got your hands full on your end,” Targhu says solemnly.
“More than you know,” Kandomere states, “What about you? I see you have a new apprentice shadowing you.”
Targhu chuckles, “Yeah, got to show the new kid here the ropes,” he says patting the younger orc on the back.
Kandomere makes note of the gesture as the same one Montehugh had used.
A show of camaraderie.
The elf nods and smiles politely.
“Anyway I’m not gonna talk your pointed ears off, I’m sure your sisters are dying to talk to you,” Targhu continues.
“We’ve got quite a bit to catch up on,” Kandomere says.
Both orcs step aside and let him pass to join his sisters finally.
“Now, remember to use your senses, listening to your instincts is very important and can help you make snap decisions,” Targhu says quietly to Kuthor.
“I do,” Kuthor protests.
“No, you don’t, cause if you did you would have known from one sniff that he was family,” Targhu scolds.
Aranea steps forwards first and outstretches her arms, “{It’s so good to see you again,} Hermano,” she says hugging him.
She then releases him and Cirinea hugs him next, “{I’m glad you decided to join us afterall,}” Cirinea says pulling back, “{Although I am Curious as to why the change of heart?}”
“{Well…}” Kandomere begins.
“{Yes, don’t you hate these sort of events?}” Aranea questions.
“{I do, but I do have a few reasons for-}“ Kandomere begins again.
“{I wonder if it has anything to do with his new girlfriend,}” Cirinea says sipping her wine.
Kandomere’s mouth hangs open slightly and both twins smile.
Aranea gasps, “{I knew it! She’s here somewhere isn’t she?}”
Cirinea grabs Aranea’s elbow and glances around, “{Where is she? Can we meet her?}”
“{NO,}” Kandomere says firmly and when they both turn to him, “{She’s…working right now we shouldn’t disturb her.}”
Cirinea deflates a little, “{No, I suppose not.}”
“{Don’t worry, Cirinea,}” Aranea says taking her twin’s arm, “{I’m sure Kandomere could introduce us after the show,}” she says smiling pointedly at him.
Kandomere shakes his head, “{Why do all of you want to meet her right away?!}”
“{Because you haven’t dated anyone in Eleven years, Kandomere!}” Cirinea exclaims.
“{That’s not that long,}” Kandomere argues.
“{Even for an elf,}” Aranea says, “{It’s been a while, especially since you live in L.A. you have no excuse for not finding somebody in eleven years, there are so many elves here, I’m surprised nobody caught your eye sooner.}”
“{Have you Met the elves in L.A.? They’re a bunch of apathetic and narcissistic assholes,}” Kandomere says.
“{Oh come, on they can’t all be like your ex-girlfriend,}” Cirinea says.
Kandomere stiffens, “{I’d rather not talk about her, please.}”
Cirinea lets out a sigh and Aranea pats Kandomere’s arm.
“{Well, the good news is that our little brother has finally found someone,}” Aranea says to their sister, and then she turns to Kandomere, “{How did you two meet?}”
Kandomere’s brows raise slightly, “{Well…we met through my work.}”
Aranea’s brows furrow, “{I thought you said she works here,}” she says removing her arm from Cirinea’s to point across the crowd towards the catwalk.
“{Yes, but first we crossed paths at my work,}” Kandomere explains.
Aranea nods her head.
“{By the way…}” Cirinea begins, “{How did that first date of yours go? You know the one I got you a table for?}”
Aranea smiles and stares expectantly at Kandomere.
“{It went very well, thank you for asking,}” Kandomere says.
Cirinea lowers her glass and pouts, “{You have to give me more information than that, Hermano, I Did get you the reservation.}”
“{It’s only fair,}” Aranea says pointedly.
“{We went to dinner, and we talked and had a lovely evening and I drove her home afterwards, and thank you ever so much Cirinea for getting the reservation,}” Kandomere says.
Cirinea dips her head looking rather proud of herself.
“{Did you kiss her?}” Aranea asks.
Kandomere sips his drink.
Both of his sisters giggle at one another.
“{How many dates have you been on?}” Cirinea asks.
“{Three,}” Kandomere answers.
“{Mamá says you’re courting her is that true?}” Aranea asks.
Kandomere sighs, “{It is.}”
His mother did indeed tell everyone she knows it seems, starting with their family.
“{What’s she like?}” Cirinea asks.
“{What’s her name?}” Aranea asks.
“{She’s very kind, and funny and…incredibly beautiful and lovely…}” Kandomere trails off thinking about his girlfriend.
“{Aww,}” they both say in unison.
“{You sound so happy,}” Aranea says.
“{I am,}” Kandomere says with a smile, “{It’s been…some time since I’ve felt this way about anyone.}”
“{You didn’t answer Aranea’s question though, what is her name?}” Cirinea asks.
Kandomere hesitates for a moment.
He sisters stare at him and can no doubt sense his nervousness.
He hopes they’ll be as understanding as Maretha.
He takes a breath and tells them his girlfriend’s name.
Both of the twin’s eyes widen in surprise.
“{Oh…}” Aranea says.
Cirinea is lost in thought for a moment.
“{She has a very pretty name,}” Aranea continues.
“{And you took her to an elven restaurant?!}” Cirinea demands suddenly.
“{Well…yes,}” Kandomere begins.
“{Kandomere, the poor woman must have been so nervous, why didn’t you take her somewhere she would be more comfortable?}” Cirinea questions.
“{Because I still wanted to impress her and it’s not like it wasn’t one of the quieter restaurants in town, it was hardly full, even on a weekend,}” Kandomere explains.
Aranea puts a hand on Cirinea’s arm, “{Kandomere, was she nervous?}”
He pauses for a moment, “{Yes, but after a little reassurance she was able to relax, and besides our second date at her apartment was much more relaxed.}”
Aranea leans back a bit, “{She’s already invited you over to her apartment?}”
“{I’ve seen her apartment many times before it’s not what you’re thinking,}” Kandomere says.
“{Based on the fact that you don’t smell like her, we all know nothing happened,}” Aranea says.
“{She probably doesn’t know about the courtship rules,}” Cirinea says.
“{She knows a little bit, and I explained to her the implication,}” Kandomere says, “{But I think that I’m going to have to change some of the rules.}”
“{Because she’s a human and not an elf?}” Aranea asks smiling.
“{Do you happen to have any pictures of her?}” Cirinea asks.
“{I do,}” Kandomere says pulling out his phone.
“{Is that her?}” Aranea asks pointing to his home screen on his phone.
Kandomere smiles, “{Yes, it is,}” he says as he then pulls up his photos and selects the same photo that is now no longer obscured by his applications.
He shows them both her photo.
“{She’s so pretty,}” Cirinea says.
“{You two are so cute together,}” Aranea says.
Kandomere lowers his phone and smiles at her picture.
“{Why didn’t you tell Mamá that she was human?}” Aranea asks.
Kandomere sighs, “{You know how Mamá is.}”
“{I’m sure she’ll come around once she sees how happy you are,}” Cirinea says.
“{You should have heard her say how happy she was that I met a lovely Elven lady,}” Kandomere says bitterly.
Aranea gives him a sympathetic look.
Cirinea rests her hand on his arm, “{If Mamá is okay with me dating women, surely she’ll be alright with you dating a human.}”
“{You still date other elves though,}” Kandomere says, “{Either way I…don’t want her to know yet, it’s still far too soon for me to introduce her to our mother anyways.}”
There’s an announcement from the main stage and everyone turns their attention to the show that’s about to begin.
Kandomere’s and his sisters’ attention is drawn to the stage as well and when the announcements are finished music starts to play and the first model walks out from behind the curtains, a dark-skinned elven woman wearing a gown with a purple and blue gradient and long billowy sleeves continues down the catwalk. And Kandomere notes the black outlines on the edges of her outfit and black vertical lines going down her gown. At first it seems similar to a butterfly but then he sees the scale pattern of her makeup in a similar color to her dress covering her hands and cheeks and as she pivots to turn back down the runway, he sees her long, deep blue hair braided into a fishtail braid.
A Hippocampus was the inspiration then.
Next is a woman in a white kimono that is trimmed with white fur on the hem of her outfit and sleeves and her long white hair is half pinned, half loose as it hangs over her shoulders. Her eye shadow and lipstick are a bright red and match the red foxes and flowers that run across the bottom of her kimono. As she reaches the end of the stage she lifts her hands up and three white fox tails tied with string to her hands lift up to either side of her that were previously hidden behind her form.
Of course, fitting for a Kitsune inspired design.
She turns and leaves and is followed by a bronze-skinned woman with green hair and a crown of antlers resting on her head with two longer antlers protruding upwards. Her gown shimmers with green and blue like a peacock’s as she moves and she raises her hands as well as she reaches the end of the stage and her small cape lifts up and reveals a pair of wings. She turns and shows off the back before returning down the stage once more.
A Peryton, an excellent representation of the rare creature.
Over the course of the show more and more exquisite gowns inspired from many different magical creatures are showcased until finally the model holding the phoenix steps out onto the runway.
She has long blonde hair and is wearing a primarily red and gold dress that is absolutely stunning, and as she gets closer Kandomere squints at her, she looks familiar…
She holds the phoenix aloft in her left hand as she reaches the end of the runway.
There’s a glove cleverly disguised as part of her outfit and now that she’s closer Kandomere remembers where he last saw her.
She was at the nightclub a little while back.
Her eyes have a distant look in them as she thrusts her hand out and the phoenix leaps into the air. The crowd oohs and aahs as the phoenix’s wings erupt into yellow, orange flames and he soars over the crowd and out over the edge of the building past the elf. Once the phoenix is over open air he screeches and the flames shift to white and blue and he makes a wide arc back towards the building.
Kandomere shifts his gaze back to the elven woman and there’s fear in her eyes.
Shit.
The woman then turns her head back towards the stage and following her gaze, Kandomere spots his girlfriend briefly offering silent encouragement to the elven woman, who nods and looks back at the phoenix.
No one else saw this exchange everyone’s gaze preoccupied with the phoenix who’s flames die back down to yellow and orange as he flies back over the building again. The model outstretches her hand again and the phoenix pulls his wings back and reaches his claws out and gently alights on her gloved hand again.
The phoenix then folds his wings and the flames dissipate.
The model exhales slightly and turns away with the bird as the crowd claps.
Shortly after the show he and his sisters head downstairs and he looks over the railing of the second floor down at the main entrance below him.
“{Looking for someone?}” Cirinea asks.
Kandomere chuckles, “{Maybe.}”
There.
She’s with the model and an elven man.
Kandomere smiles.
“{I think he found her,}” Aranea says to their sister.
He points her out to them, “{She’s right there, do you see her?}”
“{She’s very fashionable,}” Aranea says.
“{It seems she likes blue too,}” Cirinea says giving Kandomere a knowing smile.
“{It’s her favorite color,}” Kandomere says.
“{What a coincidence,}” Aranea says.
“{Let’s go down and talk to her,}” Cirinea says grabbing her twin’s arm and pulling her along.
“{Oh no you don’t,}” Kandomere says pulling his sister Cirinea back by her other arm gently, “{I’m not having any of you bombard her with questions just yet.}”
“{Oh come on, Hermano, she’s right there,}” Aranea whines.
“{You do also realize the moment you step foot down there you’ll be surrounded by fans?}” Kandomere asks, hoping to dissuade his sisters.
Cirinea groans, “{Ugh, he’s right, we won’t get two steps.}”
“{Fine, but you have to bring her with you to visit us in New York,}” Aranea says.
“{If it’s any consolation you’ll probably get to see her when our nephew is born,}” Kandomere says.
“{I’ll hold you to that promise,}” Cirinea says pointing at him.
They then both hug him and say their goodbyes and Kandomere makes his way down the staircase. He heads for his girlfriend who sees him when he gets close and smiles wide at him.
He smiles in return and she says her own goodbyes and then moves to meet him.
As soon as she’s close he takes her hand in his and leads her away from all the eyes of the elves surrounding them into a quiet hallway.
Kandomere kisses her and she sighs into his mouth.
When they part she stares up at him dreamily, “Hey, Handsome.”
“Hola, Hermosa,” Kandomere says, “I’ve been thinking…it’s time for you to visit my place, it’s rude of me to not have invited you sooner. Hm? What do you think of that?” he says in a low voice.
“Your place?” she asks smiling, “Yeah sure, when did you…”
“How does tomorrow sound?” Kandomere asks.
She smiles more, “I’d love to.”
“And…” he says tucking her hair behind her ear and slowly caressing it.
His girlfriend’s eyes close and she leans into his touch and a heat grows in his abdomen. Then he leans in towards her ear, “I would like it if you would wear that delectable perfume of yours and…a nice dress,” he whispers his lips ghosting over her ear.
He pulls back and she lets out a shuddering breath, “I…yeah okay,” she manages and then she stares at him a moment before placing her hands on his chest and smoothing them across his torso.
He wraps his arms around her and suddenly she tugs on his tie and he is momentarily surprised but then he lets out a low growl.
Her hand moves to his neck, “Wear a pop of red, and…your sandalwood cologne it brings out the…you that I love so much,” she sighs.
He takes her hand and presses a kiss to it, “I’ll pick you up at seven, Mi Amor.”
They kiss again and then she helps straighten his tie before saying their goodbyes.
*******
Kandomere walks down the hall towards his office and sees his girlfriend and Agent McTavish leave Montehugh’s office. He smiles at his girlfriend and she smiles wide and glances down tucking some of her hair behind her right ear.
“Have a pleasant weekend,” he says to his girlfriend.
“You as well,” she responds.
He bumps his hand against hers as he passes and she glances back at him and smiles.
The elf then stops in front of Montehugh’s door and knocks.
“Come in,” Montehugh says.
Kandomere opens the door and both Hernández and Montehugh look up at him.
“Ulysses,” Kandomere greets, “How did everything go today?”
“Today was a success and relatively no trouble,” Montehugh says.
“Relatively?” Kandomere questions with a raised brow as he slips his hands into his pockets.
“There was a small run in with Helaria, but no fighting happened. Oh and it seems it was just her there today, her little sister was a no show,” Hernández says.
“I wonder if that might have to do with the fact that I shot her in the leg?” Kandomere asks.
“Everyone seemed to think she was out sick, so I’d bet money on it,” Hernández continues.
“Point is the phoenix and the handler are safe and we…got a little something extra,” Montehugh says now holding up a red piece of paper in a plastic evidence bag.
“What is that?” Kandomere asks stepping forwards.
Montehugh hands it to him, “A flier giving us the Date, Time, and Location of the next gryphon fight and the final one from the looks of it.”
Kandomere reads the words ‘Final Showdown presented by the BatteredWings’ typed across it in bold, black ink, “Where was this found?”
“In a trash can discarded by Helaria, and she was overheard in a phone call with their boss,” Montehugh says.
“An argument it sounded like, I guess she’s not going to be buying parts from them anymore, although I don’t have any reason to believe she’s even used what her and her sister took,” Hernández says.
Kandomere stares at her, “Remind me again which one that was and what was so interesting about it?”
He had read the report of course, but the exact wording was important.
“Well your…Consultant,” Hernández says jerking her head back towards the door, “Said the only thing the heart would be useful for is a really powerful tracking spell.”
He nods.
It would have been useful for finding the mirror they wanted but…they already had acquired it at that point…
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to use it on his girlfriend.
“Is there….any other purpose it might serve?” Kandomere asks, “Maybe they wanted to find someone?”
Surely they don’t know about the amulet?
“Mmm…the only other thing she mentioned was that if it Was used on a person it would give them one hell of a headache,” Hernández says.
“A headache?” Kandomere questions brows furrowing, “Like the kind that makes you fear your skull is going to split open?”
The day he had what felt like the worst headache of his life had also been the day Rütheron had showed up on their doorstep a headache that seemed to grow worse with the other elf’s proximity…and the smile on Rütheron’s face when Kandomere had introduced himself.
Hernández’s brows pinch together as she stares at him, “I yeah…that’s oddly specific though.”
Montehugh stares at him as well seemingly coming to a similar conclusion.
But how would he have survived if the spell was not meant for a person?
Being an elf undoubtedly helped somewhat…he remembers he saw his girlfriend later that same day.
His girlfriend who is a Bright and a healer at that.
She insisted on giving him tea.
Kandomere closes his eyes, of course, she was trained by Selina who was also a healer she would have used one of her recipes for his fever.
The elf opens his eyes again, “May I borrow this?” Kandomere asks holding up the red flier.
“Sure thing, Boss, you gonna pay a visit to our resident goblin gang member?” Montehugh asks.
Kandomere nods, “I think it’s past time I have a word with Mr. Gargef.”
He then exits Montehugh’s office and continues towards his own where he makes a phone call down to the containment facility. The goblin Gargef had no injuries our bruising from Rütheron upon examination but that does not mean Rütheron hasn’t threatened him or made himself an enemy of Gargef.
After he contacts the guards about Gargef he makes his way downstairs and out of the building.
Once inside he opens the door to the interrogation room and stares at the goblin seated on the other side of the table. He inhales subtly, lifting his head and then exhaling, glancing down as he shuts the door behind him.
The goblin is somewhat calm.
The elf then carefully strides across the room, ensuring his footsteps echo in the silent room, and then he unbuttons his suit jacket and the goblin flinches.
Barely, just enough for Kandomere to notice.
Kandomere then pulls out the chair in front of him and sits down.
“Mr. Gargef, is it?” Kandomere asks with a neutral expression and a raised brow.
The goblin’s mouth twitches slightly.
“No?” Kandomere questions.
“Garg,” the goblin corrects.
Kandomere nods, “Mr. Garg. I’m sure you’re curious as to why I’m speaking to you this evening-“
“I’m not saying anything about my case without my lawyer present,” Garg interrupts.
The elf watches him closely, “Understandable, you are well within your right to do so. However, I am not here to ask about your case, I’m here to ask about your lawyer himself.”
Garg tilts his head confused, “My lawyer?”
“Yes, Rütheron, was it?” Kandomere asks nonchalantly.
Garg nods slowly.
Kandomere breathes in.
He’s getting a bit nervous.
“I’m here to ask if the elf, Rütheron, is a good fit for you, or if you would like to select another lawyer. Afterall a lawyer works for you and should have your best interests at heart,” Kandomere says folding his hands on the table.
Garg almost imperceptibly leans back in his chair when Kandomere starts to lean forwards.
“What? You think I can’t afford him?” Garg asks.
But his attempts at feigning insult fall flat.
“I did not say that, I merely believe that you should not suffer abuse at the hands of one who is supposed to help you,” Kandomere states.
Garg blinks and glances down and to the left.
Kandomere is silent for a moment, and then he reaches into his coat pocket.
Garg immediately flinches, despite the fact that it is not the side that Kandomere’s gun is on. The elf then pulls out a red piece of paper in a plastic bag and places it on the table facing Garg.
There’s a glint of recognition in the goblin’s eyes.
“You’ll never guess where we found this,” Kandomere begins, “In a trash can discarded by one of Rütheron’s sisters.”
Garg looks up at him.
“I’m not going to bother asking you about the contents of this piece of paper, merely if you happen to know if your lawyer is also directly involved in this illegal activity,” Kandomere says.
Garg looks it over and just when Kandomere is about ready to stand and leave…
“I’ve only seen him once,” Garg says, “He was discussing the fights with our boss, and the twins were trailing behind him, I don’t have anything more than that.”
Kandomere nods, “Thank you, Mr. Garg, and I’ll have a list of new potential lawyers for you to choose from,” he says as he stands and retrieves the entry flier.
“You’re gonna protect me from him, right?” Garg asks, “He also threatened my Mom.”
Anger swells in the elf, but he makes no show of it to Garg and gives a curt nod.
“You will be completely safe in this building, it’s made with Brights in mind, I will see to it that he does not harm you again,” Kandomere says.
“But what about my Mom?” Garg asks insistently.
“Is there anyone she can stay with?” Kandomere asks.
“Um…yeah her sister, my Aunt lives about a four hour drive from here,” Garg says.
“I’ll have her notified that she needs to leave town until we have Rütheron in custody,” Kandomere states, “And I’ll be sure there are regular check ins.”
Garg nods and then scratches his scalp.
And with that, Kandomere leaves the room.
36 notes
·
View notes
Text
Okay, you know what? F*** you guys, and f*** me because I don’t want to do this, but I’m doing it anyway. Here’s:
Why The Scourge Sisters Might Be Actual Sisters
Let’s start by looking at their shoes. No, the shoes that their dream selves wear.
They’re the same colour.
Now, I know that doesn’t prove anything on its own, but the dream selves of the related humans of the same gender have the same colour shoes, too:
And none of the other trolls have shoes the same colour as those of anyone else. (All above screenshots courtesy of the MSPA wiki)
The implication is that characters who share the same shoe colour and are the same gender are somehow related, and therefore Terezi and Vriska are somehow related.
However, it is known that both Terezi and Vriska love red shoes (well, Terezi loves red everything), so this could simply be a coincidence. Though I’m not entirely convinced. I doubt Vriska’s love of red shoes would have been added as a throwaway line if it didn’t have some other meaning.
This line (from Aranea to Terezi) also warrants a mention:
What Aranea could mean by this is that the Beforan civilization is the ancestor of the Alternian one, and she is thereby an ancestor of Terezi’s entire race. But she could also mean that she is, quite literally, an ancestor of both Vriska and Terezi.
I think there are two possible ways of interpreting that sentiment. The first is that she and Latula are (somehow) the genetic ancestors of both Vriska and Terezi. The second is that she and Latula are the genetic descendants of both Vriska and Terezi. The former would imply that Vriska and Terezi are as close of a genetic equivalent to sisters as trolls can have. The latter implies that about Aranea and Latula.
It’s never made clear what the actual ectobiologic process was in creating the trolls, whether the Alpha trolls were the true ectobiologic ancestors of the Beta trolls or vice versa. Personally, I think that it’s the first option, because the Alpha kids were the ectobiologic parents of the Beta kids. But it’s not certain.
One last thought: maybe the reason why a Vrisrezi matespritship or kismessitude has never been introduced is because they’re related and so it would be incestuous. I can’t say that for sure. But it’s not impossible
In conclusion, Vriska and Terezi might, genetically speaking, be sisters, as possibly alluded to throughout the comic. As an ardent shipper of Vrisrezi <3 and an equally ardent opponent to incestuous relationships, I do not personally believe this to be true. But it could be. Hussie only knows.
Use this information how you will.
I hate this. So much.
#scourge sisters#scourgecest#I hate that I typed that with my own two paws#homestuck#theories#vriska serket#terezi pyrope#aranea serket#latula pyrope#queue#swearing#long post
29 notes
·
View notes
Text
ember - a highspecs one shot
Title: Ember
Fandom: FFXV
Pairing: HighSpecs (Ignis Scientia x Aranea Highwind)
Rating: Explicit (NSFW - BDSM - Spanking - Flogging - Edging - Subspace - Whips - Sex)
Word Count: ~3175
Summary: Ignis has a certain need, and finds it fulfilled through a very talented dominatrix.
A/N: Written for @xcrystal-dragon-angelx bday, who requested some domme!Aranea with some subspace Ignis. :) Please enjoy!
---
Ignis takes the subway to the outskirts of Insomnia, leaving work early for an appointment. He has tomorrow off, which will be very necessary as he plans on doing some activities that will require some downtime for himself. The train speeds along, taking him further away from his responsibilities, and closer to a place where he’s going to be free, in more sense than one.
Coming to the final stop, Ignis gathers his items and walks off, then heads up topside where the sun is still shining bright above his head. This part of Insomnia is much quieter than the downtown hustle and bustle he’s used to experiencing at this time of day. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and takes a look at the last text message he’d received. In the text, it instructs him on where he needs to go, and how far away it will be from this particular stop on the subway. Looking around, he finds where he needs to be heading, and goes in that direction.
He is going to a hotel, and from the looks of it, it’s not a very well maintained hotel. But that doesn’t matter to him. It can be falling apart for all he cares; as long as the rooms are clean then that’s all that matters. He checks the message and sees what room number he’s set to go to, and then heads inside the somewhat dilapidated building. Forgoing the elevator in case it decides it no longer wishes to work, he takes the stairwell up to the fourth floor, and heads down the hallway towards the room he’s looking for.
The number nine stares back at him as he looks at the door, debating on if he should knock to announce his presence, or walk in. The last time he’d met with the person waiting for him behind the door, they had told him that there was no need to be formal - the door will be unlocked for him when they have their arrangement. Ignis gives up, and puts his hand on the doorknob, then gives it a firm twist and finds that it opens with ease.
“I was wondering when you were going to be here.” A feminine voice carries towards him, as he enters the hotel room. “You know what to do, Scientia.”
Being addressed by his last name doesn’t bother him at all. He’d thought about giving an alias to this person, but seeing as he’s in the public spotlight more often than not due to the nature of his profession, he saw no point in putting up a ruse. He bends down and takes off his shoes and then unhooks his belt. His gloved fingers pop the button on his slacks and he lets them slide down to his ankles before stepping out of them. Unclasping his sock garters, he takes them off and then removes his socks afterwards. The shirt stays on his thighs are undone, and he begins to unbutton the shirt he’s wearing. All items of clothing are set down in a neat pile near the door on a chair that’s been moved from the dining area for him to use. Taking his gloves off last, he then takes his glasses off and walks further into the hotel room in only his black boxer briefs.
He sees his mistress standing next to a chair that he knows he’s going to be sitting down on soon. “How nice it is to see you again, Scientia.”
“Thank you, Mistress. It’s good to see you again.” He walks towards her, and takes in her attire for their arranged session. Mistress Aranea under these circumstances, but knowing her from the affairs between both Lucis and Niflheim as one Aranea Highwind, he takes care to speak to her in a subservient manner. It’s why he’s here in the first place - to bow to her requests, and be taken away from the mundane aspects of his own tedious life.
Aranea Highwind is a buxom beauty that wears attire to perfectly accentuate her curves. The bold black leather bodice that has her chest trapped hugs her body, and the leather pants covering her legs leave little to the imagination. Her long grey strands of hair are tied in three braids in a ponytail on the top of her head, Ignis finding himself wondering what it would look like if she wore it completely down. But those are thoughts that he shouldn’t be having, as they have an arrangement with one another.
Ignis had found Aranea through a blind service when he’d been looking for someone to share an intimate sexual experience with that required a certain type of person. He has dabbled in the BDSM community, but finds it very difficult to find the right partner that can ignore that he works for the crown. It had taken him three different partners until he’d found Aranea, and he hasn’t looked back since their first session two months prior to today.
Walking over to the chair, he puts his hands on the back of the chair, and pushes his ass outwards before bending himself in half to lower his chest towards the seat of the chair. Aranea holds up a paddle for him to see, and he gives a nod of his head, preparing himself for the blow that he knows will be following. His fingers curl into the soft wood, his head hanging down as he takes steady breaths, every single nerve in his body on fire as he waits for that first hit.
“How’ve you been, Scientia?” Aranea doesn’t hit him, but he can feel her rubbing the wood against his asscheeks. “Have you been a good boy since our last session?”
“Yes, Mistress.” He tries to not moan as he’s already so thoroughly turned on by her and by what he knows is to come to him soon. “I was a very good boy. You would be proud of me.”
“Would I?” A strong hit to his thigh has him stumbling forward, the chair knocking backwards but then he brings it back to the floor and returns to his position. His hands return to their position on the back of the chair, his skin on fire after that first hit. But Aranea doesn’t wait very long to administer another one. This time, the paddle hits him right across both cheeks, his chest hitting the chair as he releases a deep groan. “Let me be the judge of that, Scientia.”
Ignis stays with his chest on the chair, the top of his head resting against the back of the chair. “Yes, Mistress.” Another strike hits his ass again in the same spot, his knees almost buckling under the intense hit. “Thank you, Mistress.” He had forgotten before to say thank you, but makes up for it by saying it now.
“You are welcome.” The paddle touches the back of his thigh, and then she moves it to rub against his back. He groans as it hits him on his lower back, a rush of heat going up his spine as his body takes the assault. “Now, two more, and then I want you to sit down on the chair.”
“Yes, Mistress.” Ignis can feel his head beginning to swim, the endorphins spreading through him as he starts to get that initial high from their play.
“What’s our safe word, Scientia?”
“Ember.” He holds onto the chair for dear life as he waits for her to strike. It’s only when she uses a lot of force does she check in with him to make sure he remembers what to say when it’s too much for him. “Ember, Mistress.”
Her hit lands directly on his left cheek, his knee dropping down towards the floor as a moan tears out of him. She follows it up with another hard slap to his opposite cheek, his other knee buckling, forcing him down onto his knees. His chin rests against the chair, his own loud noises ignored as he struggles to fight through the intense pain. But directly on the other side he knows is salvation, and he will gladly accept this pain gifted to him by one of the best dommes he’s ever had the joy of working with.
She helps him up, and gets him situated in the chair. Aranea kneels on the ground, her tits looking magnificent, his lips puckering as if he were to suck on one. A slap to his face has him lifting his head to look up at her. “Eyes on me, Scientia. You will see them soon. But right now, we’re helping you to relax. Are you getting there?”
“T-Trying, Mistress.” He feels her fingers touch the elastic at his waist, and sees her pulling his underwear down his thighs. The chair isn’t that cold, his chest has been resting on it for most of the hits, keeping it warm. “Thank you, Mistress.”
Something warm and soft touches his cock, making him release a drawn out moan. “Be a good boy for me, and don’t come until I say so. Nod if you understand, Scientia.”
“I understand, Mistress.” Ignis leans his head back, his knees spreading apart as he lets her hand carry him away to that place he’s been dying to go. His head has been spinning, the white noise of the room helping to keep him in a calm state as he lets himself slip into subspace. He knows he’s safe; Aranea has made it very clear that she will only scene when there is trust involved, and after their previous times with each other, he has a remarkable amount of trust for her. “I’ll be good for you, Mistress.”
His words come out in a slur, his body already on the precipice of pleasure. Her hand feels like soft silk as she slides it up and down his engorged shaft. “You will, whether you want to be or not. You know I do not tolerate any insolence.” Her fingers tease and rub his sac. He moans low, his body feeling like it's sinking into the depths of water. “Breathe through this, Scientia.”
Her nails drag down hard into his thigh, and then he feels the pricks of her nails on his cock. He screams through that first hard hit of pain, but then it carries him further into his mind, his head rolling back and forth as he moans like a cat in heat. “T-Thank you, Mistress.” He moans his response as her nails drag up his torso, marking him in a way that feels euphoric.
The pain stops, but then returns as Aranea makes a tight fist around his cock. “You’re going to tell me when you’re close. If you do not, you will be very sorry.” He knows that her punishment won’t be anywhere near as pleasurable, so he heeds her warning. “Focus on my voice. Tell me when you’re close.”
“Yes, Mistress.” He moans, leaning his back against the chair, his body now feeling like it wasn’t tethered to this world. Her hands strokes his cock - up, down, twist, up, down. Over and over, until he’s a panting mess. His lower belly begins to coil tight, his brain signaling to him that he’s close. “N-Now, Mistress. I’m close now.”
Aranea stops moving her hand on his cock. “Hold it.” He groans, but nods his head. The need to come subsides, his mind still slow to process what’s happening. “Good, Scientia. Very good.”
He beams at the praise, but then his mouth drops open with another loud moan as he feels both of her hands on his body. One is stroking his cock, while the other is fondling his balls. It takes only a few minutes before he’s right back on the edge. “M-Mistress, now…” He moans, holding back the desire to come.
“You’re being so perfect for me.” She gives his balls a good squeeze, making him toss his head back. “Hold it, Ignis. I know you wish to please me, don’t you?”
“Yes, Mistress. I wish to always make you happy.” He hears himself sounding like a drunk, but he isn’t bothered by it as he knows that it’s because she’s putting him here. And he loves it. Every single second that he’s denied sends him deeper into subspace, and he revels in it. “Again, Mistress?”
“Yes, Scientia. Again.”
She brings him to the edge five more times before giving him permission to come. That orgasm takes full control over his body, as he goes numb from head to toe, ribbons of cum shooting out of his cock. She keeps her hand on his cock as she pulls him through it, decorating her chest with his spunk as he keeps coming and coming. He hasn’t had time to masturbate this past week, so he’s a little more pent up than normal.
His face is brought forward to her chest, and he immediately begins licking up the mess he’s made all over her. She tilts the chair back and pushes her mouth against his, forcing her tongue into his mouth to take what he’s got on his tongue back into her mouth. He’s already hard again, and has this intense desire to be toyed with again, the need for more from Aranea a powerful drug.
The kiss ends with the chair dropping back down onto the ground. “Go and lay on the bed.”
Getting to his knees, he crawls over to the bed, and lifts himself up onto the bed. She slaps his ass hard, his head hitting the bed with a deep moan as she strikes him over and over with the palm of her hand. It’s soon replaced by a whip, which licks his back in a way that has him getting dangerously close to another orgasm. “M-Mistress! M-May I??”
“Yes, Scientia. Go ahead and let go for me.”
Another few hard smacks to his back, and more cum pours from the tip of his cock, pooling below him on the comforter as he comes hard. The painful pleasure is undeniable, and he holds onto this feeling for as long as he can, as this is why he enjoys his time with Aranea. She manages to do things to him that no other domme has been able to do.
She pushes a finger through the cum, and brings it to his lips, wiping them off. “Lay on your back. And do not lick your lips until I tell you.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
He gets on his back and stares up at him. She has a condom in her hand, and soon he feels her pushing the prophylactic onto his cock. She gets on top of him, now without any clothes on whatsoever. She reaches for his hands, and brings them up to her tits, giving him the permission he’s been seeking. His hands knead her breasts, his fingers twisting her nipples into hard, stiff peaks, the soft moans that she releases for him tells him that what he’s doing is good for her, which makes him happy in his delirious state.
His hands drop as she lowers herself down onto his cock. Her tongue touches his lips, licking off the drying cum she’d placed there, his lips staying slack as she takes what she wants. He can feel how wet she is, even with the condom on, and keeps still as she uses him as her tool. She puts her hands on his chest and slowly rolls her hips, Ignis unable to do a thing except watch as she gets herself on his cock for the first time tonight.
The way the orgasm hits her leaves him slack jawed, his body aching to pump up into her. “Y-You may move now, Scientia.” Aranea moans, as she starts to rock herself back and forth on his cock. “You may come when you wish.”
Her hands hold onto his as he begins to bounce her hard on his cock, his mind still focused on one thing, and one thing only. Attaining the ultimate high of pleasure as he brings her right to the edge with him. As soon as she falls, he slams her down hard onto him and begins to come, shuddering hard through his release as he feels her drag her sharp nails back down his chest, giving him that one last bit of pain to increase his own pleasure.
She collapses on top of him, Ignis slowly starting to come out of his head as he feels her bosom against his chest. Aranea takes a few minutes, then climbs off of him. She takes care of the condom for him, which is good because he has zero strength to do anything right now. A soft towel touches his body, and soon he feels her hands on parts of his body that make her touches feel like little licks of lightning.
He rests his head on her chest, Aranea slowly stroking his hair. “How was that, Ignis? Was that what you needed today?”
“Yes, Aranea.” A soft moan leaves his throat as her fingers scratch gently against his scalp. “That is always what I need. That's why I keep coming back to you.”
“I’m glad you feel safe with me.” Her words surround him in warmth as he molds himself against her body. “You took tomorrow off, right?”
“I did.” He keeps himself tucked against her, her hands continuing to touch him all over, keeping him grounded in the moment. “I know tomorrow I’m going to feel bad.”
“We’ll try and make it so the drop isn’t too extreme.” Her lips touch his with a soft kiss. “I need you to be good so we can do this again soon.”
Ignis hums, and nods his head. “I would like that, very much. And perhaps, a hotel that has nicer amenities.”
“These rundown places do have their charm.” She teases, which fills him with laughter. “But yes, alright - next time, I promise we’ll have better accommodations.”
“I look forward to it.”
“As do I.”
He listens to her heart, and finds himself drifting to sleep. When he wakes up, she’s still there with him, holding him in a firm embrace. He is thankful that she’s always so good with these moments, knowing exactly what he needs to feel better. Drifting back to sleep, he stays close to her throughout the rest of the night. In the morning, he feels extremely hungover, but her touches and kisses help him find the right ground to get him home without any injury. They say goodbye to one another on the subway platform, Aranea heading back towards the gate leading to the continent, while he heads back downtown.
Once he gets home, he takes a long hot shower and then wraps himself in a blanket before laying down on his bed to ride the come down. Aranea really is good at her craft.. She helps him get to that heightened state, and makes everything feel amazing. Their arrangement is perfect, and he looks forward to when they can have another session together. Because now that he knows how good it feels, he will be seeing her again.
XxX
Cross-posted to AO3
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
You’ve Grown On Me
Summary:
Aranea stumbles upon Ignis late one night and invites him back to her drop ship. Copious amounts of fluff and hair brushing occur.
Work Text:
Aranea hardly recognized Ignis when he strode over, his light brown hair had grown so long. Unable to keep quiet she said the first thing that came to mind. “Just 'cause you can’t see yourself in the mirror doesn’t mean you get to stop styling your hair.”
Ignis paused a few steps shy of her and smirked, “I thought I heard your voice earlier. I’ve not noticed you in these parts for some time. What brings you out this way?”
“Nothing special wanted to check how things were going and get some parts for the dropship.”
The advisor hummed and tilted his head slightly, almost as if he was listening for something. Then he shook his head and smiled. “I don’t want to keep you; it was good to cross paths again.”
“Not so fast there, you got someplace to be? Why are you rushing off in such a hurry?”
“Old habits, I suppose. You’re never without a mission these days; I honestly didn’t want to disturb you.”
Sighing at how selfless Ignis was, more so since he’d lost his sight. It’d been nearly eight years since the king went away, and Ignis was still working tirelessly to keep the daemons at bay. “You’re not bothering me Ignis, come on let me buy you a drink.”
“You are too kind; however, I’ve just finished up supper and was heading back to the base to rest.”
“Even better, come with me back to the ship then, relax there and we can catch up.”
Ignis hesitated for a moment before he smiled again and nodding in agreement. “I’d like that, lead the way.”
As Aranea walked them back to the dropship all the old feelings she’d felt towards Ignis came flooding back. Trying to be romantic when the world was falling apart never made sense, life was already chaotic enough, no need to add more to the mix. Granted they’d had a few flings, but it was always temporary, duty kept pulling them apart. Maybe this time would be different. As Ignis kept step with her, it was hardly noticeable that he’d lost his sight. His cane was long gone and he carried himself confidently.
Finally, when they reached the ship on the outskirts of the town, she stopped and debated about how to navigate Ignis better. “So it’s just a single step up and then uh, well I’m not sure if you remember the layout or not.”
“It’s been quite a long time Aranea, if you don’t mind I can simply use you as a guide.”
Ignis’ hand came up and reached out to find her shoulder a moment later. His hand was warm and she smiled at the sensation. “Follow me then,” she offered. Once inside the ship, she led them towards her private quarters. The man was blind, who was he to care where they sat. When they made it to the top deck she moved Ignis’ hand and took it in her own. “I don’t want you to trip over my shit, hold on.”
After a few minutes, she’d navigated them to her bunk and gently spun Ignis around so she could push him down. Sighing heavily she plunked down next to him and stared. Ignis was still handsome, even with his scars. Unsure of how she felt about his hair, Aranea continued to drink in the sight of the man.
As if he knew, Ignis turned and very nearly looked her in the eyes, “I feel as if I’m being examined.”
“Can’t help it, I’ve not seen you in a long while and it’s just nice to look.”
“My unkempt hair doesn’t bother you?” Ignis asked with a cheeky grin.
“It’s not gross looking, I’m just not used to it so long!” Aranea huffed. “Don’t be putting words in my mouth young man.”
Ignis’ rich laughter filled her small room and sent a shiver down her spine. Astrals she wanted to kiss him so bad.
“I can’t say I care much these days about what my hair looks like, it’s finally long enough to tie up and out of my face, that’s all that matters right now.”
“Will you let me brush it at least?” Aranea tried.
“Only if you want, I do brush it myself. I hope it doesn’t look too terribly grungy,” Ignis pondered as a blush crept up his neck.
“Not grungy at all Ignis, just tussled from a day of hard work is all.”
Ignis hummed in acknowledgment and relaxed slightly. “Very well then, have at it.”
“Oh I will, but first you need to lose some layers. Remember you’re supposed to be relaxing not sitting around for an assignment.”
“And what would you have me do?” Ignis asked curiously.
“Ditch the coat, lose the shoes, and maybe if you’re feeling spunky, take off your visor.” Aranea couldn’t believe her luck when Ignis easily complied and even took off his shirt. She was definitely swooning now, Ignis Scientia was sitting on her bed in his hot ass leather cut-offs and a tank top. “May I?” she asked softly as she tapped his visor frames.
“Certainly, I trust you.”
“I know,” she replied while slipping the visor from his face. Afterward, she reached around to grab her brush, and slipped in behind Ignis, grabbing his hips. “Come on hot stuff, you gotta get closer.”
Once Ignis had resituated Aranea began to gently brush his hair. The fine brown locks were past his shoulders and soft as ever. Unable to stop from running her own hands through the strands she lost track of time as she brushed out Ignis’ tangles.
When Ignis jerked minimally, Aranea paused and waited to see if he’d say something. However, he remained silent and started to list to one side. “Ignis, you okay?”
“Hmmm, sorry, I think I almost fell asleep.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, don’t pass out yet, I’ve got one more trick up my sleeve.” Without waiting for an answer she set the brush aside and began combing her fingers through Ignis‘ hair once more. It didn’t take too long and she was able to weave a fairly decent French braid into his hair. All the while Ignis kept moaning softly. “Feel good?” she questioned as she tied off the end with an elastic.
“You have no idea,” he rasped. “I fear you’ve ruined me, I may never be able to live without this kind of treatment ever again.”
“Hardly!” Aranea scoffed. “Come on, lay down and rest while I grab us some water.”
Ignis didn’t resist her efforts as she gently guided him down on the bed. It was clear he’d had a long day. Climbing over his legs, Aranea put the brush away and changed into shorts and a t-shirt before snatching a water bottle. Turning back to the bunk she couldn’t help but smile, Ignis was already passed out and snoring softly.
Stepping over his prone form she lay down and covered them with a blanket. They’d be safe in her dropship for the night.
--
Taking a breath, Ignis noted that he wasn’t at the base. The smell was different; hints of something sweet were in the air. Then he remembered, he’d run across Aranea last night. Without thinking he rolled over and began patting the space next to him in search of another body. Aranea’s surprised yelp clued him into her exact location. Surging forward he made his best attempt at giving her a kiss. The fact that she was still trying to form words helped him zero in on his target.
When their lips properly connected after the second try, she pulled him close and wrapped her legs around his. “I – I woulda tried – this last night – but you fell asleep,” she managed.
“It’s – your own fault,” Ignis huffed out against her lips. “Spoiling me like that.”
“Cheeky bastard, shut up and keep kissing me!” Aranea demanded as she rolled him over and straddled his waist.
Laughing at her antics Ignis obeyed and continued to lavish Aranea with kisses. Needless to say, he had a late start that morning. Though for the first time, he didn’t feel such an overwhelming need to jump back into work. Perhaps they could make whatever this was work after all.
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
Wanna make a Deal?
Inspired by MrMautz’s “Wanna make a deal” animation and “Alastor’s Game” by the Living Tombstone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1BFaW4h-l8
A silhouette of a tall man with furry deer ears and antlers hummed happily as he walked down the cobblestone path to the Hazbin Hotel. There was a sway in his steps, like he was walking and dancing at the same time. The entrance awning was covered with a tattered pink circus tent, decorated with yellow eyes along the border. The ground was solid dark gray asphalt and dead gnarled trees stretched up toward the crimson sky. The building was pink, gold and reddish in color. A Titanic looking ship and a carousel were attached to the structure. The sign on the roof changed from Happy Hotel to Hazbin Hotel.
The stained glass windows in the double doors and off to the sides consisted of apples and circus tent designs. The doors burst open and the silhouette walked in from the burst of light. Large red eyes and a big yellow smile appeared on his face.
It was Alastor, the Radio Demon.
“I’ve got a game I want to show you.”
He spoke the words in a radio sing song voice, wearing his tattered red dress coat with a big black bow tie, his hair red and black. His under shirt was light red with a black upside down cross on it. He wore wine colored pants and black tap dancing shoes with red deer tracks on the soles. A monocle was under his right eye. He walked over toward Charlie and Vaggie in the lobby. Gray-skinned Vaggie wore her usual gray tank top and stripped leggings, plus her pink bow tie in her hair white. Charlie had her fluffy blonde hair and a pale face with blushes on her cheeks. She had her salmon pink suit on with a bow tie, a white undershirt, dark pants and shoes. Angel Dust, the white spider, was sitting on the couch in his pink and white striped suit and high heeled pink boots.
Charlie was disheartened. After having several new clients at the hotel including Angel Dust, Mimzy, Crymini, Baxter, Cherri Bomb, Arackniss, and Molly…Angel Dust was the first one to break his bad habits and almost achieve redemption. But the elite angels in Heaven weren’t accepting of sinners without them going through harsh punishment to prove themselves. Indeed, going to Heaven was near impossible.
And with Vox, Valentino, Velvet and the other Overlords up to no good, things weren’t looking very bright.
“If I give you advice, you’ll have to play, too.”
Charlie nodded, eager for advice on how to continue with her project. Vaggie held her wrist and shook her head, warning her not to accept anything from the Overlord. But the desperate princess looked at Alastor, wanting answers.
“I’ve been here for years bidding my time, waiting and primed, until I could find you.”
His partially shadowed face briefly moved closer to theirs, causing the young women to flinch. He smiled and held up a scroll of paper that read “contact,” on it. A small red and black feather pen appeared next to it. With magic, the paper was pushed toward Charlie. At the bottom of the page were several lines for other people to sign.
“Just sign on the line and we can be friends. I’ll be here for you until your world ends.”
Suspicious as Charlie was, his words also tugged at her heartstrings. Alastor had done a lot to help promote the hotel in the past several weeks on his radio show. Plus he was quick to defend Charlie, her friends and the hotel, against outsider intruders like Sir Pentious, Seviathan, and the snobby Helsa.
Charlie saw a vision in front of her from Alastor’s hand, showing her and Alastor dancing while demons lined up to the hotel, each one developing better habits. Vaggie was staring at Charlie with pride in her eyes. Both her parents hugged her and apologized for not believing in her idea to redeem sinners. The vision faded away, Charlie wondering why it had gone. Taking a deep breath Charlie took the pen and signed the contract, Vaggie staring in disbelief. Charlie looked slightly downcast, believing it was the only other option.
Alastor walked over to Angel Dust, the spider demon happy to see the attractive deer demon near him. From Alastor’s hand, light shone from it, creating another vision for Angel. In this one, Alastor was hugging Angel after the spider demon had been freed from Valentino’s clutches. Angel was now free to do what he wanted with Cherri Bomb and his friends. Angel even saw himself reuniting with his brother Arackniss, his sister Molly, his father Henroin and his mother Aranea. Alastor handed him a bag of money and wished him luck before blowing a kiss and giving him his number.
Angel’s eyes dilated as he, too, scribbled his name on the contact. With a smug look on his face, Alastor walked over to Vaggie, holding the paper in front of her. Vaggie growled and shook her head. Alastor shrugged, almost looking like he was about to walk away. But then he presented a vision to her before she could close her visible eye: Vaggie and Charlie sitting together on the roof of the hotel, smiling under a starry sky. Alastor and Angel were nowhere to be seen. Best of all, her father Valentino was in prison where he belonged. No more catering to men and being a prostitute like she did in her human life. The message in Alastor’s eyes was clear: sign this and I’ll leave you be.
With a reluctant sigh of defeat, Vaggie pressed the pen down and wrote her name. The contract vanished and Alastor stood in front of the girls with a look of triumph, the microphone staff in his right hand. He twirled it.
“Enjoy all your toys I will supply. You only live once…or twice.”
He then spoke in a low voice that no one else could hear: “And you’ll be mine.”
Alastor grinned and clenched his fist, as astrological symbols appeared in the swirling fiery light.
“The day you die, I’ll have my payment. Your eternal soul’s enslavement. Did you divine our dark arrangement?”
The light vanished and he turned back to his friends. “You were lovely entertainment.”
He pulled Charlie and Vaggie close to him, both of them with stunned looks on their faces.
“The dark desires you’ve been serving.”
He briefly hung upside down, pointing at them…
“You can bet that you’re deserving.”
He stood back up in front of them.
“No regret for who you’re hurting. Why it’s almost like you’re flirting.”
Alastor stood straight with a smirk on his face as he looked down at them. He was now wearing a matching red top hat. Everyone stared at him with suspicion and concern in their looks.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to alarm you,” he said. “If you ask me to stay, I would be charmed to.”
Charlie and Angel nodded their heads, while Vaggie crossed her arms. Charlie wanted him to stay at the hotel longer. She needed all the help she could get. She needed to convince her stern but protective father that her plan could still work. Lucifer had refused Charlie and her friends from going up to Heaven for good reason.
Alastor picked up a picture and looked at it. It was an old one of Charlie and Vaggie in the 666 News Room studio. It was back when Charlie was about to make her speech about the Happy Hotel. Vaggie had told her not to sing, but she did anyway. Charlie playfully poked Vaggie’s nose in the picture, while an On Air sign was in the background.
“You all have such cozy little lives. How do you survive like that?”
Alastor, being a being of chaos and having experienced past trauma, was not one to know what a normal life was…especially in Hell.
“I wish I knew,” Alastor said sarcastically as he tossed the picture behind him, hitting the moth demon in the head. Vaggie rubbed her head in frustration and pain. Charlie stared down at the lopsided picture, the cracked frame and the broken glass.
Angel came over and stared down at the mess as well. Alastor turned around to the three of them. “But you got a lovely little secret. You’re tired of feeling awful small. So you…”
Alastor roared, sending a scrambling Angel toward the couch. Angel sat on the couch where an old black rotary phone sat on a nearby table.
“…gave Mister Alastor a call, to make a deal. Because you’re hungry, for all the sights. You want to see them.”
The contract floated in front of Angel as a reminder. Alastor’s microphone staff glowed and an angry red eye appeared.
Appearing from Alastor’s hat was a floating dollar sign and a heart. Angel stood up from the couch and stared at both.
“Earthly delights, you feel you need them.”
Alastor appeared in front of Charlie and Vaggie.
“Your appetites, I’ll help you feed them.”
A large bag of money appeared, Alastor laying down on a couch in front of it, cupping his face.
“I’ll be your sweet Radio Demon.”
For a brief second, Alastor’s eyes turned into red radio dials, the surrounding areas black. Sitting on top of the couch was a little Alastor plush doll, the eyes black with red circles, wearing the same outfit. Angel gleefully picked up a pile of dollar bills from the bag and stuffed it in his shirt. Vaggie narrowed her eyes. Hell used souls, not dollars.
Charlie’s cheeks blushed at the sight of Alastor and the plushie. How cute would it be to have little Alastor in her arms. Charlie reached out for the figure, but Vaggie held her arm down with a glare.
“And once your hunger has abated, don’t forget your friend who waited. Watched as you indulged your thirst and…”
Alastor walked over in front of the trio. He then spoke in a bone-chilling whisper holding up a long finger, “Did I mention that you’re cursed?”
Realization hit Charlie like a ton of bricks, just as a horde of shadow demons and tentacles burst into the room. The floorboards broke and collapsed as a hole formed in the middle of the lobby, tentacles bursting forth like upright serpents. Angel Dust took out his guns and fired several rounds, but they were immediately knocked away by the shrieking spirits. The money in Angel’s shirt and the bag disappeared, replaced by a large dark portal with long tendrils emerging from it.
Charlie remembered how she had ordered Alastor to help her out with the hotel for as long as he desired. Alastor’s look told her he had done just that like he promised.
But now, he didn’t have that desire anymore.
Tears welled up in Charlie’s eyes at how foolish she had been. Fire raged in her eyes at his betrayal. A thick tentacle wrapped around her waist and started to pull her toward the portal. Charlie yelled out, her horns sprouting from the skin of her head. Angel latched onto the floorboards with all six arms, more tentacles gripping onto his many wrists and limbs. Angel strained as he tried to hold himself against the forceful tentacles. His mouth was full of sharp teeth, his arms trying to snatch at Alastor’s legs. The smiling Radio Demon merely shook his head and stepped out of his reach. Angel’s pink webs from his fingers flew against the wall as Alastor avoided them.
Vaggie grew moth wings with many eyes and sprouted out several more limbs that held weapons. With a roaring screech and a flap of her wings, Vaggie threw a horde of daggers and spears at him. Alastor’s shadow quickly flew in front of Alastor, taking the blows and protecting his master. Alastor snapped his fingers and more shadow monsters came to his aid. Alastor grew in size, dark antlers branching out from his head, his eyes becoming red radio dials. A prominent red x was on his forehead. All the demons were now in their full forms. Charlie blasted away several shadows with her flames, but more kept coming.
In one last effort, Vaggie aimed her spear at Alastor’s forehead, her wings briefly pushing back the shadow spirits. She used all her strength to move her arm among the tendrils, desperate to hit that mark. Angel also helped briefly held them back with more gunshots from summoned weapons. Alastor moved his microphone off to the side, but he wasn’t pointing it at Vaggie or Angel.
Vaggie, spear in hand, glanced out of the corner of her eye…and saw an unnerving sight. Charlie’s eyes were red radio dials, her smile unnaturally wide. She had been staring right at the microphone and listening to the soft jazz music that played from the speaker. She stared up at Alastor with utmost adoration. Vaggie felt sick to her stomach, her heart and gut crushed with anger and hopelessness. Alastor winked at Charlie and kissed her on top of her head. Charlie let go of the floor, letting herself be dragged backwards. Her eyes and form soon returned to normal, however. Realizing what she had done, she screamed in fear as the tentacles carried the princess into the gaping hole.
Vaggie screamed her girlfriend’s name as her spear was promptly knocked out of her hands by Alastor’s shadow. The microphone was then positioned in front of Vaggie and Angel. An ear-piercing shriek came from the staff, causing screams and convulsions from Vaggie and Angel. Vaggie squeezed her eyes shut and frantically covered her ears in desperation. Both Vaggie and Angel returned to their normal forms. The spirits and tentacles grabbed hold of Vaggie and Angel, pulling them helplessly toward the portal. The radio waves from the staff helped push them further back. Vaggie and Angel held hands for comfort and yelled out as they both fell through the dark hole, which soon closed.
The three fell separately through the darkness. The world soon filled with fire, symbols and static. Hell was already burning and swarming with Alastor’s minions who looted stores and feasted on the carcasses of demons and deer. The world spun around before two swirling portals appeared, one red, one dark pink. Alastor towered over the trio in his demon form, his antlers almost touching their faces. More astrological and voodoo symbols floated and moved around Alastor. His eyes were pure black with small red irises, the monocle by his right eye. His microphone staff was in his left hand, the staff appearing taller and more dimensional.
The world spun again. Charlie and Vaggie found themselves standing on the balcony of the hotel. Both of them trembled in fear. They glanced at the city below, getting a clear view of the cloudless blood red sky. Hovering in the sky was Hell’s moon, a dark sphere with a glowing red pentagram engraved on it.
Just then, the pentagram on the moon’s surface moved away, and was replaced with Alastor’s eyes and wide yellow smile. His monocle was red. The moon appeared to be inching closer towards them.
Charlie closed her eyes, calling upon four ancient beings to come forth. She opened her eyes, which briefly glowed in flames before returning to their normal yellow. The ground shook as footsteps approached. The stomping giant figures arrived from different directions, raising their claws in the air.
They were the four demonic Horsemen, each of them having the heads of horses with fangs and tall humanoid bodies. War had a red coat and flaming hair. Conquest was strong and had white fur and hair. Famine had a black horse head and a mane of wild black hair. The final Horseman, Plague was skeletal in appearance. All four giant Horsemen wore leather jackets and ripped jeans, their eyes glowing red. All four of them held the moon in place with their claws, but it wasn’t going to last long.
Charlie shot Vaggie a look, telling her to go and find a safe spot. But Vaggie stayed with her, refusing to leave her side. What Alastor said next after a few minutes paralyzed Charlie and Vaggie in fear.
“I shall consume…consume everything…”
More powerful radio waves spread through the air. They were so powerful that they knocked all four Horsemen backwards to the ground with violent crashes. The men vanished back to the ether before the shadows could finish them off.
A long black limb extended from the Alastor moon, picking up Charlie and Vaggie. The two females were lifted from the balcony in his palm. The two of them were soon moved right in front of his mouth. Given his cannibalistic nature, he knew they were going to taste delicious.
Alastor’s teeth chomped down hard into both of their heads and necks. All Charlie and Vaggie could feel was searing pain and an unpleasant crushing sensation. They let out sounds between screams and gags, the coughed up blood adding to the gushing red life force flowing from their craniums. Vaggie had gotten the brunt of the damage, her skin already pale and cold. More yellow teeth impaled her in the stomach, chest and upper thighs, whimpers and strained gasps of breath coming from her mouth. Her gray head severed from her neck and fell into the mouth opening, her body soon following. Charlie weakly tried to hold onto her friend’s hand, before she, too fell limp. Charlie weakly croaked out for her parents, her brain and thoughts going fuzzy. The last thing she saw before she was pushed in was Alastor’s dark maw and the outline of a long lavender tongue.
Charlie woke a few hours later on the ground, her body intact the way it was before. Vaggie and Angel helped her up, both of them unscathed. The three of them watched as Alastor danced by a telephone booth, the background flames illuminating the outlines of dead trees. He held a telephone in one hand then reappeared higher in the sky. In his left hand was his microphone staff, a light shining from the single eye. From his right hand, green fire sparked to life along with a green pentagram. He threw cards into the air as outlined eyes and grins of Exterminators leered in every direction. No doubt he was broadcasting his carnage and showing off.
Charlie almost wished that the Exterminators had invaded instead.
Alastor effortlessly slid down a randomly appearing flight of stairs in the sky. After going down some more, Alastor jumped from the stairs and onto the pentagram moon. His body lowered and morphed into a black spring as he shoved the moon toward the ground…
…Right where the trio were standing. In a panic, Vaggie pulled Charlie out of the way just as the moon crashed into the ground next to them.
The Radio Demon was going to destroy all of Hell!
Alastor’s body returned to normal and he glanced delightfully at the trio’s stunned frightened faces. Alastor laughed and held out one of his bloodstained business cards. It showed his smiling face in the lower right hand corner.
It read:
“Alastor, a.k.a. your sweet radio demon. :3
Wanna make a deal? Call me: 069 666 42.
After all the world is a stage and the stage is a world of entertainment. So just sell your soul to me and I provide all you need to fulfill your desires. You wonder why I make you this special offer?
Why does anyone do anything?
Sheer absolute boredom!
(Eternal suffering and punishment in hell guaranteed!)”
Alastor danced as giant cards appeared in the background, the flames adding to the chaotic dystopian Inferno. He snapped his fingers and the trio were transported into a neon colored bar. “Alastor’s Game” was displayed in purple and light blue neon letters attached to a brick wall. Angel Dust, Vaggie, and Charlie sat at a wooden table, Alastor arriving at the head of the table to throw chips on the table to start. A gamble of life and death.
After half an hour, the table was filled with piles of playing cards, chips with bold numbers on them and a stack of dollar bills toward the left. A few of the chips had the character’s icons on it. Off to the right were beer bottles.
As they gambled, two other figures walked into the room. One of them was the gambling cat Husk and the other was a small cleaning cyclops demon named Niffty. Husk crossed his arms with a scowl, already mad that he wasn’t included in the game. Alastor suddenly grinned and held up four aces in his hand, no doubt he had cheated. Husk was furious but found himself unable to move and pounce at the man. Niffty just stood and watched eagerly on a step stool. Husk was able to grab a nearby bottle of booze and drink several gulps before putting it down. Husk and Niffty’s eyes turned into red radio dials, rooting them in place. They had already given their souls to Alastor.
Husk stared at the winning deck in Alastor’s hand and suddenly shook with fear. He remembered Alastor saying to oblivious souls in the past, “You laid your chips on the table now. When you gamble souls, the house will always win. I’m double dealing in betrayal and I’m here to cash my payout.”
Indeed, Alastor was saying the same thing now, lounging in a tall spinning chair shaped like a throne.
Husk tried to yell in warning, but no sound came out. Images of the contracts that the trio had signed appeared in front of them. Charlie, Angel and Vaggie found themselves unable to move. Neon Exterminator grins hovered in the background. Charlie and Vaggie stood by the table on Alastor’s right side, Angel on the left side.
Alastor raised his hands and two glowing pentagrams rotated behind him. He appeared to be chanting some ancient spell. Husk’s eyes grew wide as an instant feeling of dread shook him to his core. The cat demon saw flashes of metal flying from all directions in the dark. Alastor lowered his arms, his hands crossed over each other, his fingers pointing downwards. Husk was able to move and cry out just as he heard a series of sickening squelching thuds. More unsettling was the girlish giggles from Niffty beside him as the two of them witnessed the horrific result.
Charlie, Vaggie and Angel Dust were slumped motionless onto the table, knives embedded in their backs and heads. Angel’s white furry head had been chopped clean off, the blank faced head now on the floor surrounded by blood. Several knives were lodged into Vaggie’s back, staining her clothes deep red. One knife had gotten Charlie in a fatal part of her head. Their glazed eyes and expressions were frozen in terror.
“I hope it was worth the life of sin,” Alastor finished with a dark chuckle.
Husk swore several times with audible gasps, holding in a gag reflex. Alastor moved his hands behind him and strolled along toward the exit, mentioning for Niffty and Husk to follow, no doubt going back in later to feast. Niffty eagerly scurried after him in love struck admiration for everything he did. As Husk passed by and examined the bloodstained knives, his heart stopped for a second time since he died as a human decades ago.
The knives were fatal angelic blades.
Alastor later posed and danced in front of a large wrought iron gate made of bones by the Goon Salon. He turned his head all the way around as he turned to face a crowd of terrified demons.
“You’re in my world now. Take a look around. Inside your nightmare beyond the mortal veil.”
Several horned shadow spirits with different colored triangular eyes peered at the demons before mercilessly attacking them. Alastor snapped his fingers and the “Welcome to Pentagram City” sign changed into one that read “Welcome to New Horror-leans!” Vox, Lucifer, Lilith and several Overlords were dragged into separate portals to be consumed by powerful spirits. Alastor made sure to smash and burn Vox’s TV head before sending him away. The Magne apple themed mansion quickly became a deer-themed headquarters for Alastor and those under his control.
Alastor stood by a brick wall, flames harmlessly surrounding him. His shadow turned into its beast-like wendigo form, a monstrous skeletal deer of shadow. The shadow had gigantic antlers on its head and fiery colored eyes that matched Alastor’s. The wendigo shadow raced and rampaged through town after town. Shadows stalked and spied on hiding demons, crawling through small spaces to hunt them down. The choice was simple: surrender or die. It was easy for Alastor to play music from his microphone, possessing any denizen who stared and listened too intently. The ones who were killed and tortured immediately where the primarily powerful snotty males.
No one was spared from the radio waves. Not even the imps and hellhounds could escape the Al-pocalypse.
Alastor posed back and forth at a sign that read Heaven on one side and Hell on the other. Papa Legba’s veves were drawn nearby. “You made a wrong turn at the crossroads.”
An old fashioned boxy TV showed Alastor’s neon face in orange, teal, white and black.
“Now you’re at the final episode. Eternity with me in Hell!”
Through a pentagram portal, humans from a city on Earth watched as a towering figure stomped through, carrying fire, demons and chaos with him. Alastor was in full demon form, with sharp teeth, claws, and a full head of branching antlers. He held his staff in his right hand. Voodoo imps and shadows rode on bony horses and creatures, one creature being a dragon. They carried skulls and heads on pikes. The red eyed denizen demons carried red and black banners with Alastor’s symbol: a microphone with a dialed eye in between clawed hands. Deer antlers branched out toward the bottom in an upward curve. Kalfu’s diamond-like symbols were in the design as well. The humans ran and screamed for their lives as the glowing white eyed demon roared, showing a mouth of sharp teeth. Buildings caught on fire and chaos spread everywhere.
With enough human and demon souls on his side, Alastor could go for Heaven next.
Later on, Alastor sat comfortably in a red velvet chair in a room of the Hazbin Hotel. The wallpaper was red and had the apple family crests on it. Alastor’s eyes were red radio dials. Alastor sipped coffee from an orange plaid tea cup and set it down on the table in front of him. Off to the side was a bookshelf lined with old leather bound books, vases, a white plate and a globe. On the small round table was a brown old fashioned radio, a white jug, a few white candles and a skull. A deer skull hung from the wall nearby. A picture on the wall showed a figure of Angel Dust in indigo, with the words “Addict VIP” on it. Another picture showed a furry female from Valentino’s group of clients. There was also a grandfather clock against the wall. To the right of the clock was a black grand piano.
“Pleasure to play, how I enjoyed you. Suffice to say when I play I don’t lose.”
Alastor appeared to be talking to someone nearby.
“Collecting on the debts that you accrued. It was such a gas. I really am amused.”
Just then, a black cat with large orange eyes jumped up on the table beside Alastor. Alastor leaned his face close to the feline familiar.
“Have a dark thought, I’m right beside you. A casual whisper just to guide you.”
The cat revealed a strange toothy grin. Alastor moved away. “Look over your shoulder and I gone.” The cat looked around then played with the empty tea cup, looking inside. Indeed, the animals in Hell had been spared, save for Fat Nuggets whom Alastor had for breakfast many days before.
“Remember this song…”
Alastor then stood up and waved goodbye to his audience he was talking to: floating heads in separate jars suspended in liquid on a large shelf.
They were the heads of Charlie, Vaggie, Angel Dust, Katie Killjoy, Sir Pentious, Baxter and countless others.
“And I bid you adieu!”
17 notes
·
View notes
Text
Dawn of the Future Page 192-193, Making Contact
Around the time she had grown used to pushing the motorcycle at the cal of One, two, three, they came to a place arrayed with wooden buildings. It was the temporary base called Uel. Though no one lived in Niflheim now, it seemed Hunters and Kingsglaives came here for reconnaissance and research. This was one such base for those purposes.
As they came closer to the buildings, she saw that only the doors were new, and had been fitted with fresh locks. Apparently former residences had been refitted as a base.
Now she wouldn't have to walk anymore, she thought with relief. She was grateful Sol had lent her some spare shoes, she was weary from how difficult it was to walk in an unaccustomed pair, let alone in leather shoes on bare feet.
When they stopped the motorcycle, Sol used a cardkey to unlock a building's door. From her accustomed movements, this was not her first visit here.
"Heeey! Anybody home? Well, guess not."
Sol gave a slight shrug as she turned on the lights. It was clear from the lack of lights in the windows that the base was unoccupied.
It must have been Sol trying to be considerate when she'd said on the way here that once they got to the base she'd find her comrades, Lunafreya surmised, just as when she'd said Uel was "just under our noses" when they were still quite a distance away.
"Cindy? I finally caught you!" Sol's voice rose joyfully as she took a small machine that appeared to be a communications device in hand. After long effort, she had gotten into touch with this woman named Cindy.
Before they'd begun pushing the motorcycle and while they took breaks, Sol kept trying to get into contact with her. However, each time she had muttered "The hell do you mean, I can't reach Cindy?" in consternation and shut off the device with a sigh.
Thus, Lunafreya drew the conclusion that this Cindy was not only someone with extensive knowledge of motorcycle repair, but someone Sol relied on.
"Uh-huh. Yeah, that's right. Slammed right into the road. Now she won't give me a whimper and I'm piss outta luck."*
It was as Lunafreya had expected. She followed a little distance back from Sol as she headed toward where they'd left the motorcycle. As she had promised to help, she was loath to remain behind by herself in the building at her leisure.
It was as she was thinking that she should stay back a bit further so as not to eavesdrop on the conversation that she heard it: a dog howling. She turned, thinking could it be?, and saw a black dog with a wagging tail.
"Umbra!"
She ran to him and embraced the ball of soft fur. He was warm. His bushy black tail waved enthusiastically from side to side. Upon seeing it, she thought of the one that was always by his side. The one with the white tail.
"So Pryna really is..."
In Altissia, Pryna had stayed by Lunafreya's side to the very end. That Umbra was here alone meant that Pryna was still in the same place: where she had sunk beneath the waves with Lunafreya's corpse.
*[Note: 「もう、うんともすんとも言わなくなって、参っちゃったよ。」Sol's being colloquial and slangy here, plus she was raised by Aranea, so I'm taking some liberties. My other idea was "I'm verklempt."]
37 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
j4y-th3-art1st
_ir1s__
peach-artblog
Peach-ArtBlog
medibecca
Untitled
the-black-blues
secretly a dragon
nuvemaz-blog
wow!