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kelcemenow · 6 months

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As The Snow Falls - Chapter 9.

Pairing Travis Kelce x Reader

Words 2355

Warnings Strong language and SMUTTY SMUTTY SMUT SMUT (Y'all can blame @marchmaiden for this one!)

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

As you inhaled a deep breath, you folded the last few items of clothing and placed them carefully into your open suitcase. Your room was now clear, aside from your pyjamas for the evening, a set of clothes for tomorrow on the armchair and your white bikini. Your eyes glanced over the fabric as you smiled, shaking your head in disbelief at how differently the weekend had gone from what you had originally expected.

You were about to sit down onto the bed for a moment when a quiet tapping noise caught your attention. You scanned your surroundings quickly to find the source of the sound before your heard it again near your window. As you approached to investigate, you saw Travis standing outside in the snow, wearing only the Eagles trunks that Jason had loaned to him, holding a handful of small pebbles.

You giggled to yourself and opened the window, swinging the pane of glass outwards, "Travis, what are you doing? You'll freeze!"

"Well, someone was supposed to come and warm me up in the hot tub!" He said with a smile, one eyebrow raised.

"Okay, okay! Relax!" You threw him a wink, "I'll be down in a minute." You shouted, closing the window after you.

As you picked up your bikini, a familiar feeling of butterflies rushed to your stomach, your cheeks burning instantly. You breathed a sigh, wringing your hands together in an attempt to hold your composure, until a quiet tap on the window broke you from your focus.

You quickly held your middle finger towards the window and the muffled sound of Travis' loud belly laugh rang out amongst the trees.

______________________________________________________________

The sound of water bubbling grew louder as you approached the large patio style doors that led to the outdoor area. The sun was beginning to set and as you turned the corner, you noticed Travis was already in the hot tub, his back to you as he looked out towards the mountains. He raised his arm and took a sip from his drink, your eyes focus on his soaked muscles as they flexed, the coloured lights from the hot tub highlighting the contours. He hadn't noticed that you had arrived so you cleared your throat gently, stealing his attention from his apparent daydream.

As he turned his head, his eyes immediately travelled down your white bikini clad body. He blinked quickly and met your gaze again as his bottom lip quivered.

"Hi." His voice was quiet and calm.

You smiled and you squeezed your thighs together, mostly because of the cold chill that was battling against your skin. Travis noticed the goose bumps that had speckled your body and moved towards you, the disturbing the calm water around him.

"You're freezing. C'mere." He said as he held a hand out to assist you.

Your core tightened as you placed your hand in his, carefully stepping into the water. The heat warmed your skin instantly and you slowly closed your eyes as you sank down. Travis handed you a drink before placing his arm onto the edge of the hot tub, leaving it loosely draped around your shoulders. You glanced up at him as he took a few deep breaths, his chin covered in stubble, a few drop of water clinging to the hairs.

He looked at you from the corner of his eye, "What?"

You exhaled a small laugh and looked back towards the water rippling in front of you, "Nothing. This is all just crazy."

Travis' finger gently connected with your shoulder, slowly making circles into your wet skin, "Crazy good, though, right?"

You leaned back back, resting it on Travis' shoulder, "Crazy really good."

Suddenly, the sound of the jets stopped and the water lay still. You glanced across to the side of the hot tub where the controls were, setting down your drink and lifting yourself up.

"I got it." You said as you stood up, letting the water fall down your body.

Travis couldn't help himself but to gaze at you and you swore you heard him exhale a short breath. You leaned across, reaching for the correct button, inching closer as his eyes drank you in. Turning the dial for the jets, the water began bubbling again, tickling against your skin. You could feel Travis' knee pressing into your thigh and his hand grazed up towards your waist. A playful smile tugged at your lips as you looked down towards him and before you had chance to react, Travis applied a gentle pressure onto your hips, pulling you down onto his lap.

Your jaw dropped open a little as you let out a small scream, the water splashing around you. You could feel your heart racing as Travis' hands wrapped around your waist and pulled you closer to him, your pussy pressed against his crotch. A burst of excitement shot through your body as your hips tilted with his movements, allowing you to feel a prominent hardness in his trunks. He raised an eyebrow before he buried his face in your neck, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

You raised your hands, letting your fingers tickle the back of his neck, "What's so funny?" You giggled along with him.

Looking back towards you, Travis took a deep breath, "I was trying to act all cool...but I guess you make me nervous, man." He removed one hand from your waist to stroke his stubbled chin, "And I got that going on down there so my cool guy act is absolutely shot to hell now!"

You pressed a gentle kiss onto his cheek, "Hey, I don't need you to be cool." You rolled your eyes, "And I take that..." You glanced downwards, "...as a compliment."

Travis exhaled a laugh, responding with a kiss on your cheek, "A compliment?"

"Yeah!" You kissed his jaw, "It's good to know that you find me attractive enough to get you turned on."

Travis placed a kiss onto your collarbone, lingering a little longer this time, "Oh baby, I find you irresistible. It's taking all of my strength not to..." He trailed off.

You connected your lips with his, opening your mouth ever so slightly, pressing your chest into his. Travis reciprocated by holding you tightly, his hips instinctively thrusting slowly.

"Then why don't you?" You said against his lips.

Travis stared at you, his forehead pressed against yours, "Yeah?"

"I want you to fuck me." You whispered.

Travis' eyes widened a little, a shaky breath escaping his moistened lips. You lowered your head to kiss him, deeper this time, as he moved a hand to the side of your face. His thumb rubbed against your cheek tenderly as you melted into the kiss, allowing everything else to fade away. You opened one eye, glancing towards the house to make sure the coast was clear before beginning to grind your hips into Travis' lap. The excitement of possibly being caught by someone took a hold of you both and Travis' hands moved downwards towards your ass, his fingers hooking underneath the strings of your bikini. You took a hold of the sides of his face, continuing to move your hips back and forth against his growing dick, your clit throbbing at the sensation.

You broke away from the kiss to grab a breath of air and Travis took the opportunity to latch onto your neck, gentling sucking at the damp skin. You could feel his hands moving in the water to squeeze your ass so you lifted yourself slightly to allow him easier access. Travis shuffled beneath you and you looked down to see what he was doing, struggling to see through the bubbling water. Suddenly, with one quick action, Travis swiped your bikini bottoms to the side and pushed his dick inside of you, your mouth dropping open with a loud gasp.

You lowered yourself down, relaxing and allowing him to fill you entirely. Your walls clenched around him and Travis grunted with pleasure as he smiled up at you. You grasped at the back of his neck before leaning away slightly, taking a deep breath and allowing your chest to swell directly in front of his face. Travis held onto you tightly and jutted his head forwards, nuzzling into your breasts. Your hardened nipples poked against the white material and Travis smiled widely before dragging his tongue across the protruding nub. You clenched around his dick again and you tightened your thigh muscles, lifting yourself up and down slowly. Travis placed one hand onto your ass to help you out, and one arm snaked up your back, his large palm flat against your skin. You closed your eyes, fully succumbing to the intense pleasure and your head fell back, short shaky breaths leaving your mouth.

You rolled your head down to watch Travis, bottom lip between his teeth and brow furrowed as he delivered each trust painfully slower than the last, desperate to feel every inch of himself filling your pussy. Suddenly, your attention was diverted to some movement inside of the house. Your eyes drifted slightly to the left of Travis' head and through your glazed sight, you noticed someone was standing at the bottom of the staircase.

It was Jasmine.

She dropped her bags by the front door and froze at the spot as she noticed you. Her face was unchanged for a few seconds before her jaw clenched with anger. Travis hadn't noticed her, he was too busy peppering your chest with wet, lazy kisses. You held the back of his neck in place with one hand as you stared straight forward. Jasmine's chest was rising and falling quicker and quicker, a clear sign that her anger was building.

"Fuck, you're incredible." Travis growled.

You smiled at the comment and continued to ride him, still keeping eye contact with Jasmine, waiting for her next move. She almost looked like she was about to say something before bending down to grab her bag.

The muscles in your thighs began to weaken and your core ached, a sign that your orgasm wasn't far away.

"I...I'm..." You said, breathlessly.

Travis gripped you harder, "I got you, baby. I got you...I wanna watch you come."

Jasmine pursed her lips before rolled her eyes, disappearing out of the sight and presumably out of the front door. You placed both of your hands onto Travis' shoulders and pushed his back into the side of the hot tub, letting your hips angle forward so that his dick was grazing against your g-spot perfectly. Travis raised his hand, his wet fingers pushing some hair away from your blushing face, wanting to see you perfectly. He dragged his thumb across your open lips, feeling the vibrations from your moans.

You sped up your pace slightly, your breasts bouncing in and out of the water. The change in speed caused Travis' eyes to roll back into his head before he let out a loud guttural groan, his fingers digging into your soft flesh. You ground your hips into him one last time as you felt yourself come around him. Travis' body jerked a little, occasionally twitching and throbbing inside of you as his contorted expression signalled his orgasm.

You both relaxed after a few seconds, letting your breathing slow down. Looking down to Travis, you smiled at his flushed cheeks and sweat slicked brow. He took a long, deep breath before laying a gentle kiss in your lips.

"God damn, that was awesome." Travis said.

You covered your blushing face with your hands before giggling into his chest. He held onto you and lifted himself from his hot tub seat, carrying you to the other side. His dick was still pushed tightly inside of you and the sensation of the water swirling around your clit was sending waves of pleasure through your whole body.

As he placed you carefully onto one of the seats, he kissed you again, pulling his hips backwards. You readjusted your bikini bottoms as Travis fiddled with his trunks, his eyes occasionally flitting to look at you. Once he was finished, he stood up in the water, your gaze immediately moving to his dripping body. You couldn't help but notice his residual erection clearly showing through his trunks.

"Hey, hey! My eyes are up here!" Travis gestured to himself with two fingers.

You clenched your thighs together, running a hand through your damp hair, "I can't help myself. I feel like I'm drunk on you."

"Alright nah!" He laughed, holding a hand out for you.

You looked up at him through your eyelashes, your brow furrowed.

Travis smiled, "Babygirl, I am taking you back to bed and we are doing that again."

He hauled you out of your seat and lifted you into his arms, carefully jumping out of the hot tub and running inside. The cabin was very quickly filled with the sound of your shrieking laughter. As Travis darted towards the staircase, you noticed Marc and Amie emerging from one of the bedrooms.

"Who is screaming?" Marc questioned.

Travis bounded up the stairs, causing you to howl, a trail of water following you both.

Amie rolled her eyes, "You can clean this up when you've finished doing what you're doing!"

"Oh, I don't really want to know what they're doing." Marc said as he wrinkled his nose.

As you passed them both at the top of the staircase, Amie elbowed Marc playfully in his ribs before calling out to you both, "Get it, Y/N!"

Travis pulled open his bedroom door, the sound of Amie and Marc cheering muffled once you were inside. He dropped you onto his bed with a gentle thud, admiring the view before leaping on top of you.

"You're getting...the bed...wet!" You squealed between kisses that Travis was planting across your face.

He pulled away, looking deeply into your eyes, "I don't care. I'm so happy right now. This...this is all I wanted."

Your heart skipped for a moment, seeing Travis so sincere and honest with you. You felt safe and protected, worshipped and loved.

"And anyway, I'm taking that wet bikini off you now."

______________________________________________________________

Wehey! I enjoyed this chapter a lot...I wonder why! There's only one more chapter left now for this series. But don't worry, I have plenty of requests to keep me going! If you want to be added to my Taglist, just let me know!

Taglist @rd14 @dandelionwrites8 @keiva1000 @fantasywritersstuff @caelipartem @anacarangel @she-lives-in-her-dreams @kkrenae @kristencochefski1125 @countrygirl120983 @charmed2000 @nouis-bum @cixrosie @delicateearthquakellama @wordsaresimple-imnot @amylouwho9 @queenisa17 @talicat713 @luvvtrent @purecinnamonextract @savaneafricaine @caelipartem @beyxgrande @caitdaniels @ezgirl1108 @vir-tual @lightsoutstyles @macey234 @s294749w @kelcemesoftly @calirindo @livinginmyfantasies @bernelflo @secretmywritingfictionlawyer @killatravtramp @there-goes-thefighter @unicornblueberry @calirindo @tjkelce87 @kristinamae093 @kmc1989 @ajbird18 @triski73 @ctn26 @kgcaputo07 @abby-splace @bobthe-turmpetman29 @cedricbitch @jmamas92 @bellstwd @killatravsworld

#travis kelce x reader #travis kelce imagine #kelce x reader #nfl imagine #original story #travis kelce fic #travis kelce #travis kelce fluff #nfl fluff #travis kelce smut #travis kelce angst #nfl smut #nfl angst #nfl fic

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r-f-m-writes · 19 days

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A Lark In a Hollow Chapter Two

Lark stared at her hands, the cuticle on her thumb was bright red, scabbing over slowly, the curved edge of it gummy and recessed after years of relentless picking. Just her right one. Her left was the one she used to wound its twin.

Christopher Hollow’s truck was big, black, and almost as intimidating as the man himself when Lark walked toward it across the small, crowded, city parking lot.

Mrs. Poppy’s voice rose light and chipper on the air behind her, speaking to Hollow with enthusiasm while Lark came to a stop beside the truck, standing still and silent. Waiting. Her father’s voice rasped in her memory, hazy as a cloud of cigarette smoke, half as bitter.

Good girls are seen, not heard.

“- very smart, her grades are the best I’ve seen in a long while, no need to worry about tutors, just to have her enrolled in school before the end of winter break. Do try to get her outside and socializing once in a while. Lark’s a shy thing.”

Averting her eyes to the dusty cracks in pavement, Lark blinked at the white rubber toes of her worn shoes while Mr. Hollow moved past her, the heat of his body like an open log fire as he loaded her duffle bag into the bed of the truck, reaching up to fasten it to the safety screen with a length of elastic cable.

“That right?”

Christopher’s voice was rough and low, syllables rumbling out of him like the grumble of a bear who just woke from hibernation.

Lark tucked her chin toward her chest, shoulders hunching against the uncomfortable sensation of being looked at.

Mrs. Poppy saved her from having to speak.

“Wouldn’t say boo to a goose, this one. A bit of an introvert.”

The whole truck rocked when Christopher took his weight off its side, suspension squeaking slightly as dark boots stepped into Lark’s sight.

The steel caps of his boots mimicked the shape of her scuffed up sneakers.

Christopher stood near her and gave a grunt.

“‘s alright. Not much for people myself.”

Lark toed at an immature dandelion sprouting determinedly through cracks in the concrete.

Mrs. Poppy laughed, loud and bright.

“Oh, you two, peas in a pod! Come along Lark, let’s not keep Mr. Hollow waiting around.”

~R.F.M~

Christopher Hollow doesn't listen to the radio while he drives, and he drives safely, sensible and precise.

The inside of his truck is immaculately clean with dark leather seats and a grey plastic dashboard. The air smelled vaguely like dog and wood and muddy boots - but those were all scents that Lark was happy to endure for however long it would take them to get to where they were going.

He doesn't make her talk or take any offense to her silence, caution masquerading as shyness.

The girl sat still, not letting herself fidget, not letting herself become an irritation. Only Lark’s eyes moved, dark honey brown irises flicking rabbit quick over the landscape as it shrank from city, to towns, to farms, then shot up again in towering green-gray forest that enclosed all around them, swallowing the big truck in it shadows until Lark felt it must look like a shiny black beetle scurrying through dirt.

She had learned about old growth pines in school, got ninety five out of a hundred for her essay on the importance of preservation and advocacy. Gazing up at them from her passenger seat, towering and celestial like gods on earth, Lark felt she had sold them short in her paper.

The sun rose and rose and rose until it halted at its peak, then, slowly, began to regress back toward the tops of trees, casting long golden shadows over the road and the hood of the truck as it sank.

#original writing #original work #ao3 original work #ao3 writer #ao3feed #a lark in a hollow #sweet'nshort #rfmwrites #dark romance #dark writing #dark aesthetic #dead dove do not eat #dead dove fic

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aquagirl1978 · 8 months

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Little Lies - Gilbert von Obsidian x Reader

A/N: Part of the Late Summer Rendezvous hosted by @xxsycamore. This prompt was suggested to me by @gilbertvonobsidian and the idea has haunted me since.

Pairing: Gilbert von Obsidian x Reader

Prompt: Forced to share a tent while camping

Tags: NSFW; Minors - DNI

“No! Absolutely not. No way.” You stood with your arms crossed, a deep frown etched on your lips, ready to stomp your foot like an angry child.

“It’s your only option. Every other tent is filled.”

“You can share my tent,” Nokto offered, a sultry smirk gracing his handsome face as he leered at you.

“No,” Licht replied. “There’s no room in our tent.”

“But we could make room…” Nokto was immediately elbowed in the ribs by Yves who was standing next to him.

“Am I invisible to you? Do you think I would leave Licht in a tent alone with you?”

Jin shook his head, leaving his younger brothers to squabble amongst themselves. “As I was saying…” he continued. “This here is the only tent that has room in it.”

You let out a loud, exasperated sigh as two loud voices filled the air.

“Unless you want to stay with those two?” Jin motioned his thumb towards Rio and Silvio who were yapping at each other like two rambunctious dogs.

“Definitely no. I’ll take my chances with –”

The sound of a cane tapping was soft against the dirt, your body trembling at its familiar sound.

Gilbert tilted his head as he gazed at you tenderly. “The little rabbit has finally agreed to stay in my tent?”

“Not by choice,” you replied. “And there needs to be some ground rules.”

Gilbert’s eye widened, glittering in the setting sun, as he leaned on his cane. “Such as?” When you stared at him silently, he let out a soft breath. “I’m not really in the mood to get violent today.”

“Okay, then.” Your stomach was in a knot of unease as you began walking towards his tent, Gilbert following just a few paces behind.

*****

“Why does your tent have to be so far away from the others?” you asked as you navigated the narrow trail, paying careful attention to not trip over tree roots or rocks.

“No one wants to be near the villain.” Your gaze met his, and for a split second, you swore you saw a flash of sadness. But that was quickly replaced with his amicable smile. “I didn’t want to be anywhere near those yapping dogs.”

You continued to follow the path, the space between your bodies growing smaller as you approached Gilbert’s tent.

*****

“That was quite the performance you put on back there, little rabbit.”

He brushed your hair to the side, his mouth a whisper’s breath away from your neck. “Did you mean what you said earlier?” he asked, his teeth grazing your skin sending tingles down your spine.

“This is precisely what I was afraid would happen,” you replied with a soft sigh. Tilting your head slightly, you further exposed your neck, your vulnerability, to Gilbert. Your breath hitched as his teeth sank into your sweet skin, the sting of his bite a delicious pain you had grown used to, maybe even loved.

“What happened to no violence today?” Your gaze, cast down, met his rose-red eye.

“Biting is not violence.” His voice was as soft as a whisper, his breath tickling your skin as his gloved fingertip traced the outline of the fresh mark he just left. “It is a sign of my affection for you.”

“And I have a great deal of affection for you.”

Gasping loudly, your eyelids closed as Gilbert bit you again, this time on the slope of your shoulder. His teeth pieced your skin, never deep enough to cut, but enough to leave his impression on your skin.

*****

“I should punish you.” Gilbert’s face loomed over yours, his amicable smile replaced with a stern expression. “Don’t make that face,” he said, his voice softening as he cupped your cheek in his palm. “You know I don’t like liars.”

Your body writhed under his vise-like hold, his body pinning yours to the ground beneath you. His usual smile returned as he watched you, clearly enjoying playing with his prey.

“I didn’t lie,” you whispered back. “I was only doing what you’ve done so many times before - keeping a secret.”

Gilbert let out a soft groan, your words hitting their targeted destination. “That was low, little rabbit.” He pressed his mouth against your skin, your nipple stiffening as he swiped his tongue against it, your moan low as his teeth dug into your skin.

His gaze flicked up to meet yours, his tongue darting out to lick your wound. “There’s no need to hold back.” Another lick. “No one can hear you out here.”

"If we're going to do this…" you said, lifting your hand and gently removing Gilbert's eyepatch, "I want to see your face."

*****

The bedroll in the tent was surprisingly plush; you knew then that this was Gilbert's goal from the beginning. Your fingers tangled in his dark, messy locks as soft sighs slipped from your lips. His hands spread your legs wide, his fingertips tracing the marks he left earlier as his tongue teased your clit.

"Gil….ahhh…" Your body squirmed under his ministrations, his tongue torturing you as he teased your most sensitive spot.

Just a little bit more, and you were almost there. Almost.

Gilbert lifted his head, shifting his body away from where you needed him most. An embarrassing whimper left your lips as the cruel prince laughed.

“I told you I was going to punish you tonight,” he said, his erection stiff against your thigh. Your moans were soft as he entered you, getting louder as he stretched you. “Be as loud as you like,” he coaxed as he thrust deep inside you. “No one else can hear you out here. Just me. And the trees. And the moon and the stars.”

His name escaped your throat with a ragged breath as he bottomed out in you, his mouth covered yours, his hips slamming against yours in a cruel and merciless pace.

The flames inside your belly burned bright, their embers stoked by every stroke of Gilbert’s shaft hitting deep inside. Your arms clung to his shoulders, your fingers digging into his skin, leaving marks of your own on his pale skin.

When he was close, he covered your mouth with his, stealing your breath and your words as his own. Your bodies tensed and trembled as he spilled inside you, his lips kissing yours tenderly as you both came down from your high.

“Your punishment isn’t over, little rabbit.” His whisper was a seductive purr as he rested his head on your chest. “You are mine tonight.”

Tagging: @redheadkittys @alixennial @rhodolitesroseforclavis @kissmetwicekissmedeadly @chaosangel767 @queengiuliettafirstlady @queen-dahlia @ikehoe @ikemen-writer @talfollowingstuff @kpop-and-otome @kisara-16 @altairring @lucyw260 @lordsisterxotome @umi-adxhira @yarnnerdally @crypticbibliophile @tele86 @nightfoxqueen @melodiousramblings @wendolrea @aceuuuu @randonauticrap @aria-chikage @nightghoul381 @itsjudesfault @maries-gallery @xbalayage @xenokiryu

#late summer rendezvous #ikemen series #ikemen prince #ikepri #gilbert von obsidian #ikepri gilbert #ikemen gilbert #ikemen fanfic #ikepri fanfic #otome #otome games #otome fanfic

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mystic-writings · 1 year

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remember me (remember your love) | wilbur soot

PAIRING — wilbur soot x fem!reader - royal au

SUMMARY — tommy asks wilbur about the story, and he finally tells the truth

WARNINGS — angst, class divide, character death, alcohol mentions

WORD COUNT — 2,453

NOTE — inspired by the princess bride - read part one here

masterlist | navigation

Weeks had passed by the time Tommy decided to talk to Wilbur. The thoughts of the story he’d told to Michael weighed on his mind constantly, gears turning as he wracked his brain for any sort of conclusion, connection, or explanation for how his brother could make such a story up at his young age. After all, the first time he could remember hearing it, Tommy himself was only four or so.

And when it dawned on him, the idea that maybe it wasn’t just some story, Tommy’s heart sank. Because how else could Wilbur come up with such a tale? Sure, he was an expert in poetry, in weaving words so beautiful it could bring people to tears, but even Tommy knew he wouldn’t have come up with something like that.

So, just as the sun was setting and the city below the castle was turning in for the night, Tommy cautiously approached Wilbur’s office, where he knew his brother would be, likely poring over documents.

Just as he suspected, that’s exactly where Tommy found Wilbur. But instead of reading the many documents spread across his desk, Wilbur’s chair was turned to face the large glass window behind the desk, and Tommy saw a glass of whiskey resting in his hand.

“Wil? You okay?”

The man charmed his neck to get a look at his younger brother. “Come in, Tommy. Pull up a chair.”

Tommy did as he was told, sitting nervously with his back straight and his hands fidgeting in his lap, his gaze locked on Wilbur, watching intently as he sipped on his drink.

After a few moments, Wilbur sighed, “What do you want, Tommy?”

“Do you remember the story you told me when I was little?” Tommy blurted.

Wilbur’s brows creased as he looked over at his brother. “Which one? I must’ve told you hundreds.”

“The one about the prince, Wilbur. The one where the girl left him out of nowhere?” Tommy watched Wilbur’s face fall. His aura grew cold and hard, like he put up a wall around himself in the blink of an eye. Tommy softened. “It wasn’t just a story, was it, Wil?”

“Why are you bringing this up, Tommy?”

Tommy sighed, leaning on the arm of his chair closest to Wilbur. “I told it to Michael a few weeks ago, and I can’t stop thinking about it. It actually happened, didn’t it, Wilbur. It happened to you.”

The wall Wilbur seemed to put up crumbled in an instant before Tommy’s eyes. Wilbur’s eyes watered and shoulders sagged, breaths shuddering through his body. The glass almost slipped from his hand, and would’ve shattered on the floor if Tommy hadn’t taken it from him and set it on the desk behind him.

“No, Tommy. No, it’s… it’s not a story.” Wilbur managed, voice shaking and weak, like he was using all his energy to force the words from his mouth. “Her name was Y/n.”

“Was?”

Wilbur nodded once.

“Was.”

When Wilbur reappeared in the castle gardens after spending the day with you, he hadn’t expected to find his father waiting on the stone bench near the tree that concealed his escape route.

“Father,” he said, startled. “What are you doing here? I thought you had a council meeting this evening.”

“I did,” King Phil said, standing from the bench to approach his son. “It was cancelled, one of the council members fell ill. But when Maria told me she saw you come out here and not come back, I grew concerned.” His tone was sharp, and Wilbur felt bile rising up his throat. “So, I waited. And here you are. Secret tunnel, eh? I used to use it a lot when I was young.”

Wilbur was growing antsy. “Father, what’s this about? If you’d like to punish me, then get it over with, please.”

“Punish you?” Phil asked, raising a brow at his son. “No, no, I don’t want to punish you.” He approached carefully, raising a hand to brush something off his son’s shoulder. “I want to punish whoever’s been tempting you to go out for so long.”

Wilbur froze. There, by his feet. A single dandelion lay, crumpled and wilting.

“No one,” he stammered, “I swear. No one. I’ve just- I’ve just been seeing friends, that’s all.”

“Are you sure? You disappear into the woods for hours every week, just for your friends?”

Wilbur nodded instantly. “Yes, father. Just for my friends, I promise.”

After what felt like an eternity, Phil shrugged. “If you say so, son, then I believe you. I just want you to be safe, and to stay focused. I won’t be king forever, you know.”

“I know, father.”

Phil smiled one last time, turning to leave his son standing in the gardens, finally feeling like he could breathe.

After a few minutes of composing himself, Wilbur straightened his back and headed inside the castle, stopping by Tommy’s room for a little while. The toddler was wide awake despite the fact that his nanny always put him to bed just after sunset. He never went to sleep without saying goodnight to Wilbur, so he made it a point to stop at the room four doors down from his to bid his brother goodnight.

The week passed as normal, Wilbur going about his duties and spending time with his friends. He met up with you on Thursday, as per, and came back to the castle with a bright smile on his face.

From the window in his office, the office Wilbur would soon inherit, Phil watched as his eldest son wandered back into the gardens from the same tunnel, love drunk. He knew Wilbur was lying to him about where he spent his Thursdays. He had known for weeks. And tomorrow, his guard would report back with information with the girl who’d been stealing his son’s focus from where it should be. Where it needed to be.

But for now, he’d let his son continue with the thought that his father was unaware of his escapades. It wouldn’t last long, though. That was something Phil was sure of.

And, sure enough, just after Phil had reached his office, a knock echoed across the space, followed by the king’s call to enter.

“We’ve located the girl, sir.”

Phil rose from his seat with a smirk. “Good. Who is she, and how has she managed to steal my son’s attention unnoticed?”

“Y/n L/n.” He spoke. “Her mother works at the mills outside the gates. She’s been using that information as a ruse, sir. Told our guardsmen that she goes to see her for supper on Thursdays.”

Phil sighed. “Take me to her.”

In your rickety old home, one of the many packed alongside one another within the city, you were fastening your cloak around your shoulders in the hall when a knock came to the door. You barely had to move to answer it, tying the ribbon being your focus as it swung open. “Hello-”

The last person you’d ever expect to see was at the door. King Phil, accompanied by a high officer of the guard. Your cheeks grew red as your eyes went wide, and you fell into a curtsey. “Your Highness, it is an honor.”

“You are Y/n L/n, correct?”

“Yes, your Highness.” You straightened up and stepped aside. “Come in, come in.”

You watched him and his guard pass through the entrance, and could barely stop your mind from wandering. Why was he here? And what did he want with you?

“Would you like anything? A cup of tea, something to eat?” The shaking in your voice was undeniable as he looked around the hallway, peering into the kitchen, where your wicker basket sat, filled with snacks and… Wilbur’s book.

“No. I’ve just come by to talk.”

“What about?”

“I think you know what.”

Your mouth ran dry, but you feigned innocence still. It was all you could do. “I don’t believe I do, your Highness.”

He huffed, a smirk forming on his face as he turned back to you before heading toward the kitchen, where your basket lay on the counter. You followed immediately, fear gripping at your chest, your limbs, your entire body, watching helplessly as the king plucked the book from the top of the basket, peering in briefly at the food.

Flipping the book over in his hands, he never once looked at you as he spoke. “You know, my son has a book just like this one,” he turned the cover on the back, looking at something, “exactly like this one. His name is even written on the back.”

Your breathing faltered, fearful tears welling in your eyes. “Your Highness, I-I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“There are only so many things I could be talking about, girl.” He snapped the book shut and turned his seething glare to you. “Either, you stole this book, which brands you as a thief, for which I will have you hung, or my son gave this to you, marking you as the sole bearer of his affections, something he cannot afford to have.”

You remained silent as the king opened the front cover of the book, eyes grazing over the inscription you’d put under the title. He let out a short, demeaning laugh as he muttered, “Ah, I was right. You are the… woman, my son has been seeing.”

“Your Highness, I- please, I just-”

“Just what? Decided to steal my son’s focus? Plant it in his mind and yours that I and the kingdom would allow him to marry someone as lowly as the miller’s daughter? You are a foolish, foolish girl.”

“He loves me!” You hissed, feeling a sudden anger erupt within you. “He has for years. It’s surprising that it took you so long to catch on, your Highness.”

“You’re not to see him any longer, wretch!” The king shouted, slamming the book onto the counter. “So long as I live, you will never see him again, I swear it!”

“I would rather die.”

The king’s scowl turned to a smirk, his chest heaving from the shouting he’d just done. “Then so be it.”

Wilbur spent all afternoon and evening waiting for you to arrive at the meadows. It wasn’t uncommon for you not to show, whether your mother got a day off or you fell ill, but things felt different this time. Something was wrong.

By the time the sun began to set, panic had truly set in for Wilbur. He abandoned the meadow, and didn’t bother taking the path home that he normally would. Instead, he raced through the cobblestone streets, mapping out the streets of the lower parts of the city to where he remembered your house being.

It was dark inside, and the setting sun provided little light on the empty streets. He couldn’t see into the home from the kitchen window, but he was desperate to get inside. He knocked, loudly, body constricting with desperation and panic. He knew something was horribly wrong, he could feel it, he needed to get inside, no matter what.

He remembered you telling him where the house you would babysit was at, and after a few knocks on the wrong doors, he found it. As soon as the door swung open, revealing an older woman with a little boy clinging to her leg, he blurted, “Is Y/n here?”

“Y/n? No, my prince, she hasn’t been here at all today.” The woman said. “Why? Has she been into trouble?”

“Is Y/n okay?” The boy asked, wide shining eyes looking up at Wilbur.

He did his best to calm himself and present a smile to him. “I hope so. Are you Ranboo?”

The boy smiled, nodding happily. Wilbur couldn’t help but laugh, even if his mind was racing.

“She’s told me a lot about you, you know. I have a brother your age, Ranboo. I think you two would get along quite well.”

“Really?” He smiled.

“Really.”

Just as Wilbur was about to thank the woman and bid her goodnight, an ear-piercing scream ripped through the air, echoing off the houses and into the oncoming night. Quickly, he ran toward the sound, footsteps following behind him. He found himself back at your front door, this time wide open, the inside of the house lit by only a few candles. He could hear breathless sobbing coming from inside, and he knew.

You were dead.

And he knew who did it.

At some point, Wilbur wandered back home, tears dried onto his face, heart aching, bleeding, begging for relief. Begging for you.

That night, he didn’t say goodnight to Tommy. He didn’t greet his father, the maids, or the guards. He climbed the staircases to his room, footfall heavy, heart even heavier.

There, resting on his pillow, illuminated by a flickering candle someone had lit on his bedside, was his book. The book he gave to you.

Shaking hands lifted it as he sat on the edge of his mattress, flipping it over to the title page, horrified to find it splattered with blood. But there, in perfect scripture, were words he would hang onto forever. Your last words to him.

Thank you for giving me such a wonderful story, my love. I shall cherish it for the rest of my life, just as I cherish you. Remember to shine bright, and stay warm, my golden boy. I love you.

“Oh my god.” Tommy’s voice was so quiet, Wilbur wondered if he actually spoke.

Wilbur sighed, wiping his tears away. “That’s right, Tommy. Your father’s a murderer.”

“Wilbur, I…” Tommy sighed. “I don’t even know what to say. I can’t believe father would’ve done something like that. Let alone… God.”

“It’s been years, Tommy. Father’s long gone. There’s nothing to do.”

“Still, Wilbur. All this time?”

He only nodded.

Tommy fell back in his chair, eyes closed as he wondered how his father was able to do a thing like that. They shot open when Wilbur’s hand landed on his shoulder.

“Go on, Tommy. I know you were supposed to have drinks with Ranboo tonight. He’ll probably be waiting for you.”

Wilbur watched his brother nod and painted a solemn smile on his face as the pair stood. Tommy embraced Wilbur tightly, and the latter knew it was an apology - the only one that needed no words. He held onto his brother just as tight before sending him on his way, allowing himself time to grieve you once again before returning to his work.

Despite what your last wishes were, it seemed that Wilbur’s father got what he had always wanted. A dutiful king.

Forever taglist: @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @mazerunnerrose @theboldandthebootyful @miraclesoflove @queen-asteria04 @heliads

Wilbur Soot taglist: open!

taglist is in my navigation!

#wilbur soot #wilbur soot x reader #wilbur soot x you #wilbur soot x y/n #wilbur soot imagine #wilbur soot angst #mcyt fanfiction #mcyt x reader

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aphroditestempleimagines · 8 months

Text

The Obsidianite Jewel

A fem!reader x Chevalier Michel Fanfiction

Chapter 11 -> Chapters Masterlist

Words: bit short this time but trust me

Warnings: graphicness, war, wounds, death etc

Summary: It all started when your fiancé, Prince Gilbert, brought you to the palace of Rhodolite. He hoped he would find the secrets of the princes. Instead, he lost your heart to the brutal beast. However, Gilbert is not going to let your heart wander away easily.

"Status report, Sirs!", the knight stood at attention in the Main tent.

"Speak", said Chevalier, his gaze focused on the map in front of him.

"Black Banners were spotted in the north forests. Jadeian troops are said to be among them"

"How many did you count?", said Licht.

"'tis a small group, sir, not over a thousand, we could easily crash them"

"My, that would be a very bad decision indeed", Clavis smiled from the chair he had sank in, "We'd be up for a lovely surprise if we followed them".

"Still, we cannot leave the northern towns to their mercy", Licht was already grabbing his sword, "I'll go"

"No you won't", said Chevalier. He traced the river that run on the map with his index finger. Clavis was correct. No matter how much of a fool he could be, he was always quite perceptive. This was a diversion, meant to draw them away or at least split their army in two. They were lucky Benitoite had remained neutral in the war, but Jade was still a tough foe to handle on top of Obsidian. One could say they did not stand a chance, but it would not be Chevalier, nor any of his brothers.

The northern forests were not so dense near Obsidian and Rhodolite as they were in Jade. The few Jadeian soldiers inside the Obsidianite army could not make up for Jade's true strength. Unless a part of their army was somewhere else, either meant to surround them once they got to the spot or taking its time crossing a more treacherous and hard-to-anticipate path to the kingdom. If Jade hid its soldiers near its border then such an attack would be possible, and they would be caught between the army and the river.

"Destroy the bridge and light the forest on fire", he said.

It was so close to the border that most of the trees were near death anyway, sharing in Obsidian's misfortunes and draught. They should be as flammable as they could ever be.

"But what about-"

There was one village within the forest, as Clavis was probably about to say. "If the enemy is there they either already fled or died", Chevalier responded. His brothers seemed reluctant, but his knight obeyed instantly.

Gilbert's ultimate goal was not simply conquering Rhodolite but Benitoite as well. Chevalier focused his gaze on the borderline between the Kingdom of Roses and the Empire of Death. Gilbert had to find a way to draw Benitoite in a way that he would be justified to destroy them. He could not use the same trick twice so whatever he did it would have to happen during this war.

"I'll be leaving", Clavis pushed back on the wooden pole he leaned on.

"Where are you going?", asked Licht.

Chevalier rolled his eyes. It was obvious like the sun in the morning sky that Clavis was once again being a humanitarian fool.

"To do something stupid, by his account", Clavis smiled at Licht as he pointed at their older brother with his eyes.

Chevalier let out a heavy breath. So utterly predictable.

"The ridge", the white tiger murmured to himself. His finger landed on a passage, lined by high gray cliffs, next to the forests where the enemy hid. Should a fire break out, the opposing army would most likely scatter backward. The forest was framed by tall mountains on Jade's side, full of the vibrant vegetation that characterized the country. Meaning the only escape amid such panic would be through that small passage, towards the banner obsidian.

"Come", Chevalier told Licht, who only responded with a look of confusion.

The brutal beast gathered his knights for what was going to be a slaughter. His steps marched strong; he was used to the weights he himself tied around his legs with his decisions. His duty was to Rhodolite; he could not spare his mercy to those who threatened it.

They had reached the border by daybreak. Chevalier smiled to himself as his men followed him inside a secret maze of underground passages. His idiot brother used these a lot in his spare time. It did not take long until the were standing at the hilltop where the caves led. A great cloud of dark smoke loomed over the horizon. It had already begun.

They descended the hill until they stood at the foot of the small canyon. The archer had taken a different path, led by Licht, and managed to hide among the rocks of the cliffside, aiming the weapons at the passage. Then, they waited.

Waited for the wolves to run right into the hands of the sheep. They waited for their blades to paint the canyon red with the blood of those they thought as beasts.

The battle did not last long. With the fire on their tail, the enemy soldiers decided to take on the foe ahead since, unlike the blazing flames, men could be bled dry. It was a calculated slaughter, and it was over before it had begun. Chevalier was cutting down the last of the soldiers that still raised their blades against them, when Clavis appeared on his grey horse. He marched among the dead, maneuvering his way around the corpses. His steps were quick, his eyes clouded. He made his way to Chevalier. One did not have to be a genius to know he bore bad tidings.

"What", said Chevalier, his expression neutral as ever. He took a look at Clavis' face; it was whiter than a sheet.

"I....ah....", Clavis took one look of Chevalier's face. His brother's hair was dripping with the blood of those he had slain, his hands still wrapped around his dirtied blade. The beast's nature was out in plain sight, yet the man within, resting behind the tiger's tired eyes, counted the empty crimson days of war that had pushed him to the dark depths of a place he could perhaps never return; A place where the numb feeling in his body was all that held the foundations of his reason from collapsing under the pressure of his long-forgotten humanity. Everyone who looked at Chevalier would recognise that numbness, characteristic of his usual appearance. Yet one would wonder how deep into blood the prince could soak in, before even that serious demeanour crumbled. "Nothing", said Clavis, his expression lacking a smile for the first time in a long while.

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

"I'm leaving", Gilbert said as he wore his black gloves. His voice was hesitant, his gaze unsure as he looked at your form. You gazed upon his reflection in your vanity's mirror and continued brushing your hair. He approached. "You've barely said a word since you came back", he let his hand rest on your shoulder. His fingers played with the strands of your hair.

"There is nothing to say", you responded. "You have your war. You got what you wanted"

You averted your eyes. You could not stand the frostiness of his gaze even in a reflection. You felt his breath on your neck as he bowed his head. His black hair tickled your skin as he placed a small kiss on your shoulder. "Y/n-", he began but a cough stopped him. He covered his mouth with a white handkerchief. You turned and reached for him but he backed away. Soon, he was done, and he hid the small piece of fabric back into the pocket of his jacket. "Sorry", he smiled, "Something got caught in my throat". He took a deep breath. He stayed silent for a minute before turning away. "Get dressed", he said, "You should come". And with that, he walked out the door.

Looking back you still do not know why you agreed. It was so easy to follow him because you had simply lost any interest in his schemes anymore. There was no point in trying to prevent a war that was already raging in full strength.

He gave you a simple black cape as you both climbed into an inconspicuous carriage. After a few hours, you finally arrived at your destination. Gilbert gave you his hand as you emerged back into the world, but the world was too gruesome for you to even notice it.

You climbed down into a makeshift camp, where the dead outnumbered the living by a mile, and no soldier was left unscathed. Gilbert dragged his came through the blood and puss-infested mud. A few drops of rain came from the sky to bathe the uncleanable. Gilbert took your hand by himself so you would remember to follow him through the regiment of corpses. You walked and walked until you reached the edge of a cliff. You immediately noticed the forest turned charcoal, the rain putting out the last of the fires that blazed for the previous day.

"What is this?", you asked, already knowing the answer. It was the end of a battle, the remnants of Obsidian's defeat.

"This is what happens to what Chevalier touches", said Gilbert.

You scoffed. He had some nerve when he was the one who started the war, he was the one who dragged Jade into it with his lies, he was the one who...

"Are you insinuating something?", you asked coldly. Your voice came out threatening even if your eyes were drawn away, to the burnt trees stretching until the horizon.

Gilbert came closer until he was standing beside you. "He does not care about people's lives, much less this empire's....or yours". He tried to touch you but you shook him away. "I'll win this war", Gilbert said, "And I'll do so by ending him".

"Ha....", you smiled bitterly, "it was not your lips one would expect this to come out of".

"He's the real threat", Gilbert continued, "He's no better than my father"

"Forgive me for being biased, but he was not the one who poisoned me was he?", you shot a gaze at him. His expression was still as cold as the ice in a glacier. In this regard, he was like Chevalier. In that and nothing else, other than perhaps the same cruel lens they viewed the world from. Their souls were a tempest, more than the river that flew below you.

"That was not me", he said

"Do you really expect me to believe that?", you replied, "Tell me that you didn't get tired of waiting and decided to do it yourself. Why else would you arrive so conveniently after I passed out?"

"Is that the only reason you can think of?", he spat.

The rain was falling heavy from the heavens. By the time you turned to look at him you could barely see the vindictive glint in his eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Come on", he said, "Would you really blame me if I wanted to kill Chevalier? Would you really hate me so much for taking my vengence after he took everything I ever desired?"

"You're crazy"

"Am I?", he laughed. He covered his eyepatch with his hand and pulled it off of his head. He exposed his bright blue eye, shining under the gloomy sky, the tears falling from it mixing with the rain. It was only then you realized that his heart was too broken to hate. And it was too broken to love. All that was left in him was emptiness, and an unanswerable "why".

"I just showed you who he truly is and you still take his side", his smile was one of despair. His brows furrowed and he cried, "Why would I not want him to DIE?"

He stepped towards you, his cane next to his foot. The muddy cliff gave out. You had just enough time to see the shock in his eyes, an emotion you had never seen nor thought you'd ever see painted in their shine. The world was moving slowly. You reached out to him. His body was already falling downwards. Your fingers curled around the trim of his ebony jacket, but your feet could no longer support both your weights. Your eyes shot wide open as you realized what you had done. The two of you hurled downwards. Time regained its speed, the the cold water pierced your skin like needles.

The current pulled you from every direction, throwing the pair of you from one side of the river to another. Your hand was desperately grasping at Gilbert's jacket. You did not have the strength to do anything else. Suddenly his hand pulled you closer until he wrapped his arms around you. He kept your head above water, even at the cost of his own breath. That was until a wave blasted you onto a rock. He hit the hard surface with his back. His head bled as he weighed on you and you realised he had lost consciousness. You dove under the water and pulled him over your shoulders. He was heavy, but the water was just starting to calm down. You dove in and out of the water as you swam to shore, pushing him up to keep his head above the surface. You changed into pulling him once your feet hit the pebbled bottom of the river. You heaved but you managed to drag the both of you into safety.

Or so you thought.

Your clouded eyes registered the light of lanterns before you surrendered to the hands of your exhaustion.

#the obsidianite jewel #ikepri #ikemen prince #chevalier michel #gilbert von obsidian #ikepri chevalier #ikepri gilbert #ikepri gilbert von obsidian #gilbert von obsidian x reader #ikepri x reader #ikepri fanfiction #chevalier x reader

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poems-from-around-the-world · 6 months

Text

Having a Coke with You - Frank O'Hara - USA

is even more fun than going to San Sebastian, Irún, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona partly because in your orange shirt you look like a better happier St. Sebastian partly because of my love for you, partly because of your love for yoghurt partly because of the fluorescent orange tulips around the birches partly because of the secrecy our smiles take on before people and statuary it is hard to believe when I’m with you that there can be anything as still as solemn as unpleasantly definitive as statuary when right in front of it in the warm New York 4 o’clock light we are drifting back and forth between each other like a tree breathing through its spectacles

and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them I look at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world except possibly for the Polish Rider occasionally and anyway it’s in the Frick which thank heavens you haven’t gone to yet so we can go together for the first time and the fact that you move so beautifully more or less takes care of Futurism just as at home I never think of the Nude Descending a Staircase or at a rehearsal a single drawing of Leonardo or Michelangelo that used to wow me and what good does all the research of the Impressionists do them when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank or for that matter Marino Marini when he didn’t pick the rider as carefully as the horse it seems they were all cheated of some marvelous experience which is not going to go wasted on me which is why I’m telling you about it

#Having a coke with you #frank o'hara #usa #poem #poetry #poems from around the world

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river-ocean · 1 year

Note

Piarles + 21 ❤

hi anon <3 this got out of hand but i need to stop pretending my piarles ficlets won't get out of hand. so.

enjoy this uni/roommates AU for piarles + love confessions :)

Every year, the English department held their annual Valentine’s Day carnation sale. And every year, Charles and Pierre’s dorm filled with carnations with anonymous messages. Most of them were addressed to Charles, but Pierre was more than satisfied with the amount of flowers he received - especially since Charles always seemed overwhelmed by his mountain.

“I do not understand what the point of sending it anonymously is. How am I supposed to know who is in love with me if they don’t even sign it?” Charles asked each year, exasperation and bewilderment clear on his face. Pierre would be lying if he said that he didn’t find it adorable.

Pierre would also be lying if he said that he hadn’t been sending Charles a carnation each year, adding one more to the massive bouquet his roommate amassed.

It had started as a joke their first year. Pierre stopped by the table on his way to class, typed out a line from a poem he enjoyed, and went about his day.

“I look at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world”

He thought it would be funny for his roommate to receive a carnation from an anonymous suitor. Pierre would pretend to help him figure out who it was, and then eventually he’d admit to sending it as a joke.

He didn’t know that his roommate would receive so many that it was pointless to try to hunt down the sender.

He also didn’t expect that somewhere along the way, he’d start to actually develop a crush on his roommate.

Their second year, he sent another carnation, with another line from the same poem.

“the fact that you move so beautifully more or less takes care of Futurism”

Charles wasn’t much of a poetry reader. Pierre figured he wouldn’t catch on.

Their third year, he sent another carnation, another line from the poem.

“what good does all the research of the Impressionists do them when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank”

Pierre watched as his roommate read each of the carnation messages. Charles’ expression remained neutral as he read through them, and Pierre felt a slight pang of disappointment.

Their fourth and final year, Pierre decided that he needed to be brave. He was going to sign the message this year.

Their plans weren’t solidified for post graduation yet, and this could be his final chance to tell Charles how he felt. Four years of living together had given him plenty of opportunities to be honest with Charles, but he had never been brave enough to take that leap.

He typed out one last line from the poem, and below it,

“it seems they were all cheated of some marvelous experience which is not going to go wasted on me which is why I’m telling you about it

I love you

-Pierre”

The carnations and messages were always delivered on Valentine’s Day.

Pierre saw the two stacks of flowers sitting outside his dorm room when he got back from class, which meant that Charles wasn’t back yet. They had an agreement not to read any of their messages until they were both home, celebrating the holiday with their carnations and the candy that Charles’ mom sent them every year.

Pierre placed the flowers on the table, pleased that the piles were pretty equal this year.

Charles arrived home shortly after and rolled his eyes with a laugh when he saw the piles of flowers. Pierre suddenly felt nervous — the weight of his confession feeling real now that his message was on the table amongst the rest.

Pierre grew even more nervous as Charles expression remained neutral as it did every year. Had he seen Pierre’s message and ignored it? Had his flower not been delivered?

They were each down to one flower, one last anonymous message. Pierre pulled the tag off his carnation and read the message.

“Would you like to have a Coke with me?

I love you

-Charles”

He looked across the table, making silent eye contact with his roommate.

Charles was smiling, his eyes shimmering. He grabbed his backpack off the floor, unzipped the small pocket at the front, and pulled out three slips of paper. He slid them across the table to Pierre.

Pierre looked down at the papers. They had obviously been handled a lot — creased with folds and slightly tattered at the edges, like Charles had been carrying these slips with him for a while.

He picked up one of the slips and saw the message he had sent Charles a year ago. He picked up each of the other slips, and found that they were his messages from the first and second year. He looked back at Charles with wide eyes.

“I looked up the poem and I saw you had one of Frank O’Hara’s books on your bookshelf. I wasn’t sure if it was you, but I…figured it was worth a shot anyway,” Charles said softly, tentatively. “But now,” he added, sliding the final slip of paper over to Pierre with a smile.

————————————

Five years later, the officiant read Having a Coke with You by Frank O’Hara during their wedding ceremony.

#thank you logan for sharing this poem with me <3 #it is now canon piarles i don't make the rules #piarles ficlet #f1 rpf #send me all of your valentine's day prompt requests!!!!

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edwardian-masquerade · 11 months

Text

"Having a Coke with You"; Frank O’Hara

(Having a coke with you) is even more fun than going to San Sebastian, Irún, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne

or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona

partly because in your orange shirt you look like a better happier St. Sebastian

partly because of my love for you, partly because of your love for yoghurt

partly because of the fluorescent orange tulips around the birches

partly because of the secrecy our smiles take on before people and statuary

it is hard to believe when I’m with you that there can be anything as still

as solemn as unpleasantly definitive as statuary when right in front of it

in the warm New York 4 o’clock light we are drifting back and forth

between each other like a tree breathing through its spectacles

and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint

you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them I look at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world

except possibly for the Polish Rider occasionally and anyway it’s in the Frick

which thank heavens you haven’t gone to yet so we can go together for the first time

and the fact that you move so beautifully more or less takes care of Futurism

just as at home I never think of the Nude Descending a Staircase or

at a rehearsal a single drawing of Leonardo or Michelangelo that used to wow me

and what good does all the research of the Impressionists do them

when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank

or for that matter Marino Marini when he didn’t pick the rider as carefully

as the horse it seems they were all cheated of some marvelous experience

which is not going to go wasted on me which is why I’m telling you about it

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shibainu2006 · 1 year

Text

Sunsets in Georgia

Author's note: I had a lot of fun with this!

@killersweetie

@love-thanatopsis

@captain-liminal

The school day was nearing its end.

Reign sat in history class, a bored expression adorning her features.

As Trein handed out study guides and homework, she sat, deep in thought.

Everything seemed to remind her of home...

Her heart ached at the thought of her family.

Even sitting in the classroom made her remember home.

A faint voice called to her, "Prefect?"

Ace... He and Deuce looked worried.

Grim, not so much, "You spacin' out again, henchman?" He crossed his arms, swaying his tail gently as he stood on the desk staring right at her.

Reign quickly snapped out of her homesick daze, coming back to reality, "Sorry. Didn't mean to lose focus like that."

Deuce tilted his head at her, wondering if something was wrong, "You okay?" He asked, "You've been in your own little world the entire class. Usually you at least snap out of it when class is almost over."

"Ah, yes.. I guess I'm just a bit tired." She rubbed the back of her neck.

Perhaps she was tired. Exhausted even.

Reign had been sleeping just fine, though... I couldn't be that.

Something else?

This feeling was familiar, but she couldn't place her finger on it.

"If you're sure.." Deuce wouldn't worry about it if she didn't want him to.

Neither would Ace, "C'mon! We said we'd hang out after school!" The ginger spoke with excitement.

Grim nodded, "I'm gonna get a bunch of tuna while we're out!"

Reign shook her head, fiddling with the sleeve of her hoodie.

She didn't really feel like going...

"You guys go on without me. I'm far too exhausted to do anything else."

"Are ya sure?" Ace asked.

Was she alright?

"Yeah. Go ahead." Reign encouraged them.

They merely nodded, leaving the classroom without her to go and have fun.

The prefect packed her things neatly into her bag, starting to space out once more.

She sank further into her mind, thinking of how she would always be the last to leave class back in her world.

Slow, and easy going as the bell rang and teens rushed to get home.

The hallways bustled with life, and students were rowdy.

They would yell swear words and often make it harder to get to the bus by blocking the way, but Reign always got through.

By the time she tuned back into her surroundings, she found herself standing below the tree in front of Ramshackle.

The evening was quite beautiful.

Nostalgic, almost.

Reign took a good look at the sky above her, emotions washing over her mind like ocean waves.

The sky was painted in warm colors, almost like a blanket.

Clouds danced in the sky, fading into the oranges and yellows that blended together like watercolors.

The sun did not blaze with a blinding light the way it did midday.

It seemingly sank into the ground below, just as tired as she was.

Reign felt weight heavy on her chest.

The sight of it made her want to cry.

She remembered when she was small, living with her grandmother.

Summer break was nearly over, and her dear friends, who lived just down the street, had come to play.

They drew with chalk on the concrete driveway, leading up to the garage of a large house built with bricks.

Dolls were scattered around them, and two bikes were parked right at the mail box.

The cheery voices of her peers rang in her head, along with her own.

The face of a girl and her brother smiling right at her flashed in her mind.

Her name was called by an older woman.

She looked a bit like her, but her hair was gray, and she was a bit taller.

"It's time to eat, Reign!" She told her.

It was her grandmother.

A much smaller girl stood next to her.

She looked a lot like Reign, with a much rounder face.

Her little sister.

Reign stood up, waving goodbye to her friends, who had already begun to ride home.

Her grandmother picked up the chalk and dolls, taking them back inside, whilst Reign and her sister followed suit.

This... This memory...

She wanted to relive it once more...

Her chest tightened, and her eyelids suddenly felt heavy.

Her eyes stung, and she felt her nose become runny.

The thought of her own house, which she worked hard to get lingered as well.

Her home was made from wood, dark and cozy.

The sun setting right behind the spacious backyard, as Reign sat in a chair as her art desk on the porch, sketching what she saw.

The porch had all kinds of plants growing in pots, well taken care of and adding to its aesthetic.

The yard's grass was bathed in the sunlight, swaying gently in the wind.

Her heart squeezed itself in her chest.

She felt... almost melancholy remembering these things.

Reign felt something wet running down her cheeks, suddenly.

She was crying...

She missed home...

The prefect snapped out of her thoughts, once again back in reality.

Her vision was obscured by the tears in her eyes.

Oh, how she longed for that sunset...

That southern sunset that was rivaled by no other...

The sunset that only Georgia could offer.

She wanted so badly to be enveloped by the breeze...

To hear crickets chirping and see birds migrating in the distance.

That warm air... She craved it.

Reign sniffed, taking her glasses off and whiping her tears with her sleeve.

She wanted to go home...

The more she thought about it, the heavier the pressure on her chest became.

Home...

Ever since she came to Twisted Wonderland, she hadn't felt at home.

It had been anything but welcoming.

All the overblotting..

She had nearly forgotten what peace was.

Most all the activities included magic, which she didn't have.

All Reign ever did was sit on the sidelines and watch.

Unmoving...

Unbothered..

Untouched.

She only played mother to those around her.

How truly unfortunate she had become, to forget about home...

To only just now remember what she left...

Eventually, all her emotions numbed themselves, and her expression was that of emptiness.

She longed for that warmth.

That sunset.

She wanted to see it.

It would never happen, though.

Crowley didn't know how to send her home, and she certainly didn't hold it against him.

Reign walked into Ramshackle, closing the door behind her and locking it.

What an annoying day...

The end~

#disney twst #twisted wonderland #twst #disney twisted wonderland #twst wonderland #twst mc #twisted wonderland mc #ramshackle dorm #ramshackle prefect #ramshackle #grim twst #twst grim #ace trappola #deuce spade #heartslabyul #twst drabble

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bcbdrums · 7 months

Text

The Voice

First chapter: Part 1 Read on: FFn AO3

A Drakgo story. Big long multi-chap. Suspense! I hope, lol. Spoilers abound if you haven't read part 1, so here we go.

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As Drakken's tears fell he tried to think of any way to comfort Shego, and what she might be thinking.

"It's gone... I...um...you're right, let's get out of here," he said, imagining her yelling at him that they were still in danger, and that the spider would undoubtedly return.

He scooped her up in his arms and began going back the way they had come, toward the crash site of the hover-car. He positioned her head against his shoulder to try to give her some comfort through the movement. He was glad she couldn't see the tears streaming down his face.

"It, um...it paralyzed you," he said after a minute of running through the pouring rain, the orange of the sunset having turned to red as the bright orb sank further in the sky. "That's what they do. Don't worry."

He hoped she didn't know the rest.

As they passed from the thicker jungle into the more sparse trees near the cliffs where they had crashed, the rain fell in great warm sheets again, forcing Drakken to put his face down to see. He watched as the rain hit Shego's body, mixing with the blood of her wounds. The thin red streaks slid off of her body and hit the ground below, some falling on his lab coat as he ran frantically.

He wasn't sure why he was running...since there was no hope. But he didn't want her to know she was dying... The idea of her being paralyzed and in great pain that would only grow, as her body's functions gradually shut down... He couldn't add the certainty of death to the pain and fear she was already experiencing.

When he arrived at the hover-car he took stock of where he'd opened the hood trying to repair it, and never had the chance. The rain had started almost immediately, making it impossible to work, so they had turned inland.

He wondered if he should keep trying to repair it...or just flip it over and try to shelter beneath it. That would be uncomfortable... And very difficult to do without Shego's help. He decided instead to look for alternate shelter options. He could get Shego out of the rain, and then...then decide what use to make of the hover-car.

As he scanned the edge of the cliff he saw a place where the rocks rose higher in the distance. Perhaps there was a place to shelter there... He mentally debated for a moment, and then carefully set Shego down inside the hover-car.

"I...think I see a place to shelter, over that way," he pointed broadly within her line of sight. He pushed her hair out of her face as the rain plastered it down again. "I promise, I'll be right back! I know you don't like it, but...there has to be a better shelter than this. I'll be right back."

He turned and ran over the muddied ground toward where the rocks rose higher, hoping for some sort of overhang or place where the trees were more dense. He hated to leave Shego, and he was sure she was furious with him for it. But just standing in the rain wasn't an option either.

As he approached the higher rocks he held a hand over his eyes to block the rain as he looked closer. It looked like...

He stopped a moment as he stared. There was definitely an opening in the cliff face, low to the ground, as if it had been made by a burrowing animal. Except the ground beneath was solid and dry.

It might be a cave?

He started forward again and then stopped short.

Maybe it had another large spider in it. Or something worse.

He snarled as he hurried forward toward the opening and dropped down to his knees. He grabbed a small rock that was nearby and tossed it into the hole that was easily large enough for him to crawl in on hands and knees. But what was beyond, he couldn't tell. The setting sun wasn't providing enough information.

The rock he'd tossed echoed far distant, which told him that it was indeed a cave. But it didn't tell him if anything was inside.

He scowled and ran back toward the hover-car. He would have to explore with a flashlight...

As he got back and saw the rain had moved Shego's hair into her eyes again, he decided it was worth it to bring her with him. He pushed her hair back and then opened the glove compartment for a flashlight.

"I found a cave, but...I don't know if it's safe yet. But it's near some other cliffs, so there should be someplace dry," he said.

He pocketed the flashlight and carefully picked Shego up again. Her expression hadn't changed, and she'd shown no signs of movement. As an afterthought he stepped around to the trunk and grabbed the two bags of chips that were inside and dropped them on Shego's middle. And then he turned back to go to the caves.

He moved more slowly this time as the mud made his step uncertain, and he was more aware of Shego's head tending to drop backwards from where he had leaned it against his shoulder. He didn't want to hurt her any worse than she already was.

When they reached the cliff with the cave, he positioned himself so she could see the hole at the bottom.

"See? It's...it's a cave. But I have look inside to see if it's safe, first. So...ah..." He set her down to lean up against the side of the rock carefully.

He turned on the flashlight where she could see it, and then moved to the cave entrance. He shined the light over the ground and only saw dark earth and rock. After a moment of consideration, he lay down on his back and pushed his way into the cave and shone the light upward. He saw a low ceiling that wouldn't allow him to stand, but then to the left he saw a secondary tunnel where the ceiling rose higher and there was a hint of light coming through. His brow furrowed as he pushed his way into the rest of the cave and went to examine the second tunnel.

After crawling for about five feet he was able to stand up, and then turning a corner found himself in a much larger cave, about forty feet square. The ceiling rose very high, and up in one corner was a hole that was allowing the red light of the sunset inside. Rainwater was also trickling down and forming a puddle at the bottom of the cave from where it ran down against the wall.

There was another tunnel still, but Drakken didn't investigate it; he wanted to get back to Shego. He carefully made his way back out of the cave, noting the mud on his lab coat and on his knees due to the messy effort. Less than five minutes later, he was back at her side.

"The cave seems safe, and it's dry," he said, looking at her still face through the rain. He studied her eyes again and saw the fear and pain that let him know she was still aware of him.

He looked at the two bags of chips he'd left sitting next to her and first grabbed those. He went back to the cave entrance and tossed them in toward the tunnel, and then went back for Shego.

"I'm sorry, there...there isn't an easy way to do this," he said. He picked her up and held her upright in front of him and facing away. Then he lay down on his back in front of the cave entrance with Shego on his chest. He held the flashlight in his mouth as he needed both hands to hold onto Shego and keep her hair from getting pinned or snagged as he scooted on his back through the small entrance and the beginning of the tunnel, bringing them into the dark cave.

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dominimoonbeam · 2 years

Text

Into The Ground

Darlin/Huxley with a little Darlin&David because I can’t help that.

Huxley is camping alone when he rescues Darlin. The sun is up but they only have until it goes down to get out of the woods before Quinn and his friends catch up to them.

tags: survival situation, danger, injury, near death experience, Quinn is a monster, Darlin has terrible self esteem, Huxley is a amazing, angst, hurt/comfort, i totally did that thing where i threw someone off of something again...

Into The Ground

The wolf ran on three legs, one injured, body bleeding from too many cuts. It was dark and they were too far from anything even close to safety.

Quinn and his friends were gaining ground. On all four, Darlin would have been high pressed to outrun vampires for long. But they didn’t stand a chance now and they were in the middle of nowhere. They’d been following a lead on Quinn, alone, just like David told them not to fucking do. They were out of town, driving through woods. They should have seen it coming. They should have considered that Quinn might figure out they had a blood bond and that they were tracking him—that he might use it to set a trap, a trap like two psycho vamps shoving their fucking car off the road.

Darlin came up to the edge of a cliff. Nowhere to run. They looked back, across the short clearing to the tree line, just as the three shadows slipped out into moonlight, closing in.

Quinn’s teeth flashed in a grin. He had them cornered. He was going to take them alive. But how long would they stay that way? How long would they want to?

Fuck him.

Darlin went off the edge before Quinn could reach them, not missing the way he rushed and the panic that lit across his face. It would look caring to anyone who didn’t know him—who didn’t know that losing the opportunity to torture and kill them himself would be infuriating to him. It was a loss that looked like grief.

Darlin would have smiled and flipped him off as they fell if they’d been in human form. Instead, they just fell, watching his shape turn to a shadow along the ridge high above, the stars beyond and the first shades of dawn somewhere too far away to the east.

They hit the cold river and everything hurt at once. They went under and the current grabbed at them like greedy hands. Darlin was familiar with greedy hands. They were also familiar with pain, so they kicked against it even when it seemed futile. They gasped air at the surface before being dragged under again, trying to stay conscious—trying to find shore—trying not to shift back. It would be even colder in human skin.

They reached the surface again, sucking down air and fighting the instinct to howl. No one would hear them out there, no one would come even if they did, and they’d only be telling Quinn where they were and that they were alive. If they managed to get out of the river, they’re only chance would be him giving up the chase.

They realized too late that they’d stopped moving, stopped even trying to swim. They shifted human and everything got worse, the cold and pain dragging a cry from their lips. At least they were at the surface, face up to the moon and the waters not as choppy as before. But they couldn’t get to the side. They couldn’t move.

Darlin stared at the moon, their breaths coming tighter, like the cold was literally squeezing their chest. And then they sank, the water sliding over their face for the last time, vision blurring and going dark.

They didn’t hear the voice or the splashing. They didn’t even feel the big, warm hands wrapping around their arms and pulling them back to the surface.

Huxley hadn’t believed his eyes when he first saw a body floating down the river, but the shock only lasted a split second. They made the worst sound he thought he’d ever heard—like crying and dying tangled in one final breath, and it launched him straight into the water. They went under but he wasn’t far. The river was so cold, his skin burned and his teeth clicked. He caught their arm and pulled them to him, easily hoisting them out of the water and against his shoulder. He didn’t register that they were naked until he was stepped back up the bank.

“Stay with me, buddy,” Huxley said, not sure they could hear him. They were breathing though, so that was something. He started back toward where he’d made camp, the sky turning shades of pink as the sun rose. He’d been on his way to a viewpoint to watch it, but that was long forgotten now.

He’d set up camp in a clearing not too far away. He covered ground fast when they started shaking hard. “You’re okay,” he promised, even though his teeth were clicking too. “I’ve got dry clothes and a fire. You’re going to be okay.”

They whined.

He reached his camp site and gently laid them down on the grass near the smoldering little pit he’d dug for the fire. He grabbed another piece of wood and tossed it on to get the flames back up.

They whined again, kicking at the ground with one leg. “P-Put it out…” The words shook so hard in their chest that he barely registered them.

Hux pulled off his wet shirt, tossing it to the side and grabbing at his backpack. “What?”

“Fire… Out…”

He had just pulled some dry clothes from the bag when he realized what they were saying. He looked down at them again, for the first time, really. Their eyes were closed, their cheek and temple welted like they’d struck something. “What? Dude… You need to warm up.” Maybe they were delirious? Maybe— His gaze slid down their body. Open wounds bled slowly. Red crescent shapes on their shoulder and their thigh. Bite marks, and not the bite of another wolf.

“He’ll see it,” they rattled out the whisper, struggling to stay conscious.

Huxley frowned hard. Someone had done this to them. Someone had done this to another person. And that someone was a vampire.

The wolf shook, trying to kick at the fire again. They had to be so strong and so stubborn to be focused and moving at all right now.

Huxley grabbed their leg to stop the kicking as gently as possibly, careful of the bites. “Shh. It’s okay. It’s okay, dude.”

But they fought more, even trying to roll away—maybe to crawl or try to get up. Shit, they were tough.

“Wait. Wait. Can you open your eyes?”

They stilled, confused maybe? Still dragging uneven breaths.

Huxley gently braced his hands on either side of their face. “Just for a second. Open your eyes, tough stuff.”

The wolf curled their lip, flashing teeth at him and he smiled, because that was good. They definitely wouldn’t be dying on him anytime soon. And then, slowly, they pried their lids open and stared blearily back at him. Huxley smiled. Beautiful eyes. “Look at the sky, dude.” Those eyes flicked past him to the stars—only the stars were fading fast under the rise of pinks and orange. “It’s morning.” He saw them realize it and everything it meant. Their whole body relaxed, one tears escaping before they passed out.

He sighed a breath of relief, trying not to think about the vampire in the woods that might be hunting them. They were definitely afraid he was. Huxley pulled the first aid kit out and bandaged the open cuts before quickly checking them for broken bones. Their wrist was banged up and swelling, but not broken. He maneuvered them into a pair of his sweats and his hoodie. They were shaking again. He put socks on them and moved them onto the bedroll. He hadn’t brought a tent. It wasn’t supposed to rain, and he liked seeing the stars. He regretted that now.

Huxley changed his clothes too, laying out the wet stuff on the grass. The sun would be up soon. The day would lose that biting chill of night. He shivered. He didn’t have another sweatshirt. It was supposed to be just him. He put another piece of wood on the fire. The wolf was still shaking, curled on their side toward the flames. He leaned over them and touched their face—avoiding the parts that looked like they were starting to bruise. They were still so cold.

He weighed his options fast.

They obviously needed to get out of there, but the fastest and easiest way was through the woods, which were thick enough that a vamp could move around there even on the brightest day. That alone wouldn’t usually put him off, but the wolf seemed honestly terrified and considering how they looked, he could only imagine what sort of monster had managed to take them down.

The alternative hike would keep them in the daylight. He knew he could make that trek in a few hours on his own, but he wasn’t so sure about it with this wolf over his shoulder. Maybe if he could warm them up and get them on their feet?

But they were still shaking. Fuck, he was shaking too.

He’d never been more impatient for the sun to get high before.

“Dude, can you hear me?” he said, sitting down next to them. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to hold you, okay? I’m not going to hurt you or do anything messed up, I promise. But you’re really fuckin’ cold.” He waited, like maybe they would respond, but they didn’t. With a sigh he scooped them up, sleeping bag and all, and pulled them into his lap.

They flinched, hands curling into fists, but still asleep.

“Shhh, you’re okay,” he promised, wrapping his arms around them, with their back to his chest. “You’re okay.”

When Darlin woke up, their first thought was that they weren’t dead.

That was interesting.

And vaguely worrisome.

They cracked their eyes open, head aching, and stared at a mostly out fire. A fire. In a camp. Everything came back to them at once. Quinn and those other blood suckers in the woods. The cliff. The river. The stranger.

They spasmed and arms tightened around them.

Their eyes were fully open now, body tense. They registered the pain in their wrist and remembered it was messed up.

“Are you awake?” a deep voice asked from behind them, those arms loosening and hands coming away, spread open in their line of sight like a show of peace. “I’m sorry for touching you, dude. But you were freezing. I didn’t do anything—”

“Okay,” Darlin said fast, wanting to put an end to that shit right quick. They weren’t used to people apologizing to them for anything, let alone for what was probably saving their life. They also weren’t used to people doing that. They looked around. They were in a clearing, but Darlin could see the tree line. It was still so dark in there. Quinn…Quinn could be in there. He could be headed right for them. “You have to go.”

The guy, an elemental by his aura, unraveled from them, big hands bracing their shoulders for another second to make sure they could sit up on their own. “Yeah. Let’s see if you can walk. I’ve got a path out that doesn’t go through much shade. I can carry you when it gets to be too much and I think we’ll make—”

“No,” Darlin shook their head, extracting themself from what must have been his sleeping bag. They were wearing clothes too. His clothes? The pants almost fell down when they stood up. Darlin dragged a few breaths, waiting for their vision to focus and head to clear, and then they used a little magic to call in their boots and jeans—the ones they would have shifted back into if they hadn’t been completely out of it. “You go that way. You’ll make it to your car before sunset?” Their head was splitting! They stepped out of his pants and handed them back to him with a mumbled thanks before struggling into their jeans with one good hand.

They were still shivering. Stupid river.

“Yeah, I will. I mean, we will. Why wouldn’t you go with me?”

Darlin sighed. They were tired, hungry, and in pain. “Do you have a phone?” they asked, stepping into their boots. They tried to tie the laces but like the buttons on their jeans, they couldn’t seem to do it with one hand.

“I do, but it doesn’t have service over here. I should get a connection when we get up that hill over there.” He took a step closer, hesitating like maybe he thought Darlin would flinch. Why? “Do you want help with that?”

Darlin finally looked at him. Damn, he was big. They almost said no to help but having their boots tied might be the difference between life and death tonight. With a nod they stood upright and waited. “What’s your name?”

“Huxley,” he said, smiling for the first time. “I’m glad you’re feeling a little better.” He knelt in front of them and tied their boots, double knotting them with an extra tug. When he stood upright, he reached toward them again. Darlin tensed but watched him quickly button the front of their jeans before dropping his hands back to his sides. He looked serious then. “Why wouldn’t you go with me? I know this area and it’s the best way—”

“If we don’t make it by sundown…” Darlin started and then stopped, rubbing at their temple. Quinn wouldn’t have given up. “You should go. You’ll make it”

“Wouldn’t we be safer together?” he countered, digging around in that backpack of his and coming back with a bottle of water and a protein bar, holding them both out.

Darlin almost laughed. He was like a walking miracle. They took the water first, uncapping it and drinking half before giving it back in exchange for the bar. “Thanks. And no, you’d be a lot safer without me. I appreciate you pulling me out of the river. You definitely saved my life. But I’m not going to get you killed for it.” And killed bad, to boot. Quinn wouldn’t be kind. Quinn was never kind. “When you get service on your phone, can you call—”

“No,” Huxley said, face screwing up in offense. “I’m not going to leave you out here, dude. That’s dumb. You’re on your feet and we’ll make it.”

Darlin blinked. There was so much certainty in his voice that it sounded like he’d drag them to the car if it came to it.

“I don’t think you’re getting what’s going on here,” Darlin said slowly. “There are three vampires in the woods and they’re going to track me. They’re probably already closing in. You need to get distance and get gone. No offense, big guy, but you’re kind of a snack.”

The elemental blinked and then folded his arms across her chest. “Buddy, I am a fucking meal,” he countered. “But I’m not unempowered and I’m not going to leave you here to die at sundown.”

Darlin snorted. “What are you going to do? Grow them a flower and ask them to leave?”

“And what are you going to do? Punch them with that busted wrist?”

Darlin frowned.

“Just walk with me. I know the way. We’ll make it before nightfall and be out of here.”

Huxley definitely made it sound like a good choice, and like it would be that simple. They cast their gaze in the direction, a rocky uphill hike. At least it was in the daylight and not through the woods. Darlin sighed, nodding. “Fine. But if I can’t keep up, you just go ahead and I’ll keep following.”

His lips pressed but he shrugged in vague agreement.

Darlin sighed and pocketed the wrapper from their protein bar. They weren’t going to be a dick and litter. His mouth twitched in a curious smile at that before he quickly grabbed up his stuff, cramming things back into the bag.

“Tell me when your phone gets service?” Darlin asked and started walking, their whole body sore and something tight in their chest that couldn’t be good. They wanted their couch in their dark apartment behind a deadbolt. They tried not to think about how unlikely they were to ever get there again. They’d made it out of bad situations plenty of times…but nothing this bad. At the very least, they needed to figure out how to keep this very nice stranger from dying too. Wasting time here arguing, or worrying about that pain in their side, wasn’t going to help. If they could just get to his car, they might actually get out of the woods alive.

They hadn’t really believed they would since they first did the numbers, their truck crushed, their wrist busted, and three blood suckers grinning at them in the night.

But here they were, still alive, and something about this guy made them believe they really could survive.

They were so naive.

The next hour felt like ten. The pain was growing but they were trying not to let it on, or lag too far behind. They kept him talking because his voice made it easier to keep moving. Despite what Darlin had said, he wasn’t going to leave them behind if they got too slow. He matched their pace. And they couldn’t exactly make him leave either. They tried to pick up the pace, but they weren’t moving fast enough.

And then Darlin felt it, something dead in the trees to their left. They looked just in time to make out the face of someone in those deep shadows. One of Quinn’s friends. She grinned at Darlin, flashing teeth, before disappearing. Fuck. She would go get Quinn. He would be here soon. He would be waiting for sundown.

“My phone should have a connection,” Huxley said, not having noticed the vampire. Darlin wouldn’t have either if they hadn’t bitten each other not ten hours ago. He dug the device out of his pocket and held it up, coming closer to their side as they kept walking. “Yeah. See? Do you want me to call the department?”

Darlin swallowed hard, shaking their head. “Department wouldn’t get here in time,” they said, reaching out for the phone. He didn’t say anything about their shaking hand when he put his phone in it, stepping back and then a few ahead to give them the illusion of privacy.

Darlin stared at the phone in their hand for a second before resigning themself to what they had to do. They dialled. It rang. And rang. And then he answered.

Darlin stopped walking, clutching the phone and hating the rise of emotions in their chest. “David… David, it’s—”

“I know who it is! Where the fuck are you? Whose phone is this?”

Darlin dragged a breath, closing their eyes. “I messed up. I-I know I don’t have any right to ask but…” It was so hard to get out. What if he just hung up? What if he told them to fuck off? They deserved it. They hadn’t been there for the pack, so why would the pack be there for them? They shouldn’t even ask. “David, I need help.”

The quiet on the other end was short but full of tension. “Where are you?” He wasn’t yelling or annoyed anymore.

They told him the trail they were on and what road they were heading for. “There’s this elemental…”

“Did they hurt you?”

“What? No. No. They’re helping. Quinn and these two other assholes pushed my car off the road last night and we fought. I…I ended up in the river and this guy pulled me out. He was just out here camping. But I…fuck…David, I don’t think we’re going to make it to the road by sundown and Quinn knows where we are. I don’t think I can protect this elemental. Fuck, I know I can’t. They’ll kill me but they’ll definitely kill him first. I’ve told him to make a run for it on his own, but he won’t.”

David was quiet for another second. No, not quiet, he was moving. They heard keys jangling. “Okay. We’re coming.”

Darlin sighed, so relieved that he was going to help that they almost fell over, having to open their eyes again for balance. The day was so fucking bright, their head aching and their vision blurry at the edges. They forced themself to start walking again, seeing Huxley up ahead waiting. “Thanks,” Darlin mumbled into the phone.

“Darlin,” David said, voice hard and clear, demanding their full attention. “We’re coming,” he said again.

Darlin nodded even though he couldn’t see. “Thanks, David.” They hung up. They had to do it right then or they might not be able to. They passed the phone back to Huxley when they reached him. “You shouldn’t wait for me. Just go.” They knew it was futile, but they had to try. They couldn’t take this guy with them to the grave. He didn’t deserve it.

“Did you call your pack?” Huxley asked to change the topic.

Darlin felt heat rising to their face. “Yeah. They’re coming. You’ll be okay.”

Huxley frowned but Darlin wasn’t sure why.

They were more than halfway there when Darlin started to really slow down, barely dragging their feet. He hovered close, a hand against their back. “You okay? Do you want to take a break?”

Darlin shook their head stubbornly, pressing on, but a few steps later they almost tripped. He had to catch their elbow to keep them up. The looked sick, sweaty, and unfocused. And then they leaned forward and he expected them to throw up, but instead they spit dark blood on the rocks. Huxley’s heart sank. He had both hands on them, helping them down to their knees and rubbing their back as they tried to catch their breath. It took what felt like a long time before they nodded and sat back, rubbing blood from their mouth with the back of their hand.

“Can I take a look?” Huxley asked, tentatively gesturing to their sweater—his sweater really, but he hadn’t pointed it out and they still had it on.

Darlin shrugged, eyes closing.

He gently lifted the hoodie, frowning at the thick splotches of bruising up and down their right side. Was something broken inside? He wished he knew how to fix that. They needed to get them out of this place. It was already afternoon. They only had another hour or so of direct light. “Can you walk?”

Darlin sighed, opening their eyes to look up at him. They looked tired but they smiled. Something about it made Huxley’s heart beat faster. “You did really good,” they said, breath still labored and words wet with pain. “But you need to go.”

Huxley stared.

“You need to go,” Darlin said again. “You don’t owe me anything and I promise, I’m not worth dying for.”

He could tell they believed that. “It’s not about what’s owed. If things were reversed, would you leave me out here?”

Darlin frowned.

He took off his backpack and dumped it. It was nothing that couldn’t be replaced and already he made a mental note of where they were on the trail to come back and get it later. He turned around, tugging one of their arms up over his shoulder. “Climb on.” He couldn’t exactly toss them over his shoulder with the bruises on their chest.

“You can’t be serious…”

He looked back at them, smiling despite the smear of blood on their mouth that made him really scared. “You’ve never had a piggyback before?”

Darlin’s eyes went big and he knew the answer was no.

Huxley laughed and tugged them into the right position, reaching back to grab their thighs and pull them around his hips. When he stood up, they flung their arms around his neck, leaning over his back and hanging on.

“Oh shit…” they exhaled in surprise.

Huxley started walking. “At least you managed the uphill part on your own. This will be no problem.” He tried not to jostle them too bad, but he picked up his pace from the crawl they’d been making before. “So, wolves don’t give each other piggybacks?” he asked, trying to get them to talk just to know they were still conscious.

Darlin slowly relaxed as much as they could into the position, hands on his shoulders and body leaned against his back. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“You don’t know? You didn’t grow up in your pack?”

“I did. Sort of… It’s complicated.”

“Oh. Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“No, it’s fine. It’s just, not really interesting. My parents were always loners at heart. They didn’t trust the pack. But it’s a good pack. They’re good people, we just didn’t fit with them, you know? My parents left when I was a teen.”

Huxley’s heart squeezed. They left? “You didn’t go with them?”

“No. The pack is good. I probably should have gone, it would have definitely been better for everyone else but… I don’t know. Instinct.” They shrugged against his back.

Huxley thought about that. It was hard to imagine parents just leaving. His moms would never have left him behind. They didn’t even like him living in Dahlia. Too far away. Too big. Too dangerous.

It was going to be awful telling them about this whole adventure. Although, in defense of living in the city, this danger had occurred out in nature.

“Misfit,” a voice sang out from the woods and Darlin jerked on his back. They would have put their legs down if he hadn’t kept his hold on their thighs. He didn’t slow down his pace. He could guess who that voice in the shadows of the trees nearby must be. Darlin breathed faster. They shook and curled an arm around his shoulders.

“You’ve got to put me down and run,” they whispered against the back of his neck. “Please.”

Huxley had realized they were scared of this vampire before, obviously, and he could see they had reason when he pulled them out of the river—but the way their voice shook was still shocking. This wolf was tough. They were a fighter. He could tell by their words and their actions, not to mention the scars he’d glimpsed all over their body. But whoever was in the woods following them, made them sound like a kid scared out of their mind.

“Damn it, Huxley,” they exhaled hard, tired. It was the first time they’d said his name. “I deserve it, I promise. You don’t. Just go home.”

Huxley kept walking.

He saw movement in the shadowy trees far to the left, slinking alongside them now. “Well, look at you,” the vampire sing-songed. “Misfit, I didn’t think you had any luck left but look at you… surviving that car crash without a broken bone, giving me the slip, surviving the river, and now a Good Samaritan? That’s got to be a record for you. But you know how it works, don’t you? Ups come with downs.”

Huxley kept walking.

“I’m tired, Elemental,” he called, voice sharper now. “Bring me what’s mine and I’ll let you live.”

Darlin twitched on his back, thighs tensing in his hands, like they expected him to drop them.

“They’re not worth your life, Good Samaritan! Look at them. They’re a fucking chew toy. My fucking chew toy. You’re really going to throw your whole life away for them?”

“Hux…” Darlin sighed.

At least he knew where they’d gotten all those shitty ideas of not being worth saving now.

“I’m going to put teeth in you, Good Samaritan,” the voice from the woods snarled. “I’m going to drain you, trance you, and then keep you around for weeks before I finally let you die.”

Darlin jerked on his back, head lifting and a growl rolling in their chest, against his spine. He felt them shudder, like they might try to shift. Huxley wasn’t sure what that would do to the damage inside their body right now. He rubbed his thumbs against the thighs he was holding, not letting go, not stopping his pace. “Shhh… You’re okay,” he whispered, head turning toward the shoulder Darlin had their temple dropped against and away from the woods with the vampire. “We’re okay.”

The vampire laughed. “You are so far from okay, Good Samaritan. My Misfit knows it.”

He felt them breathing faster against his back. “Blood Boy is stuck in the shade and he knows it,” he said, low and close because even if the vampire could hear him, he wasn’t talking to him. He was only talking to Darlin. “You got away last night, Darlin. I won’t let him get you now.”

Darlin was so tired and the pain in their side was making it hard to breathe, hard to stay awake. Quinn’s words were far away but they still cut through their mind, promising nightmares. They needed to get away from Huxley. They needed to shift and run the other way, lead Quinn far from the elemental.

But his big hands squeezed their thighs, grounding them right there where they were against his broad back. They didn’t have the energy to push off or run. Shame and fear curled in their chest. They were going to get this guy killed. And then his thumbs stroked lines back and forth against their thighs, through denim, into muscle. He turned his head toward theirs and they opened their eyes and saw him staring back. He shushed gently and promised they were okay. Darlin shivered. No one had ever said that to them. Not ever. Not anyone.

And he meant it. They could tell. Their heart hurt more and in a different way than it ever had before. They didn’t want Quinn to touch Huxley. They didn’t want him to hurt. They would rather die a thousand times than let teeth in his skin.

“If you put me down and leave, I’ll understand. I won’t be mad. I wouldn’t blame you,” Darlin whispered against the back of his shoulder. “Please.”

Huxley’s hands squeezed their thighs, always firm but never hurting. They would have liked to have known him in a different situation—in a place that wasn’t going to be their last. “You might not blame me for abandoning you, but I would blame me. I found you, and I’m going to make sure you get home.”

Darlin shivered again. They wouldn’t be able to protect him if the sun fell over the edges of the trees before they reached the car. They couldn’t even leave him to draw Quinn away at this point. The only hope they had, was that the pack would reach them in time. But it was such a long way to go, and Darlin had never been good at hoping.

They felt like they’d only closed their eyes for a second but when they opened them again, the sun was dropping close to the treetops to the west, the shadows stretching. Huxley was jogging. He had been for a while they realized. He slowed and finally stopped. “Fuck,” he exhaled, low and catching his breath.

Darlin lifted their head to look where he had been looking. The parking lot. They’d actually made it. But the shadows had beat them to the lone car there and Quinn was sitting on the hood, waiting with a huge grin.

Huxley nodded slowly, like it was a good move in a game they were playing. He took a step back, and then another. He was staying in the light while they still had it. It was a matter of minutes now.

Darlin tapped his shoulder. “Let me down.”

He did this time, hands on them, making sure they didn’t stumble but keeping an eye always on Quinn.

Darlin was glad their legs held.

“You afraid of small spaces, tough stuff?” Huxley asked conversationally. Why didn’t he sound scared? He should definitely sound scared.

“What? No. Why?” Fuck, their mouth tasted like blood already. They wouldn’t be able to hold Quinn off, let alone the two others that had to be somewhere nearby.

They took another step back, the shadows reaching. Quinn hadn’t moved from the car, just waiting and watching.

Huxley palmed their hip to nudge them right behind him again. “You can hang on if you need to, but just don’t move.”

Darlin already had a hand in the back of his t shirt. “What? What the fuck are you—”

Quinn was in front of them suddenly, less than a yard away from Huxley, right in that long shadow of a tree. “You should have given them up when you had a chance, Good Samaritan. No one takes my toys.”

Darlin twisted their fist in the back of his shirt. Digging down into their core for the power to shift one last time. But just before they could, they felt a tremor in the ground underfoot.

Huxley sighed, looking straight back at Quinn without flinching. “Dude. You can’t hunt me in my own element.” Before Quinn could open his mouth to say anything, and just as that shadow pushed forward to close the gap between them, the ground surged up and forward in a wave that shoved Quinn back, rolling him in upturned soil and rocks. The car in the lot bounced, the alarm going off.

Darlin had both hands in the back of Huxley’s shirt now. His core was singing. They realize suddenly he hadn’t used any magic all day. Was he saving it up? Resting for this?

The long shadows of dusk swallowed them whole. Quinn screamed rage when he started to claw his way out of the ground. Before Hux could even take a step toward the parking lot, the other two vampires were out of the woods and rushing them from either side. Another earthquake and the ground slid out from underneath one, landing them hard against a tree.

The third almost reached them. Quinn was on his feet. It was impressive, but it was a losing battle. There was no way—

The ground erupted in all directions, throwing the vampires high in a burst of soil and gravel. Huxley turned and scooped an arm around Darlin’s better side, practically lifting them when he bolted off the path and into the trees.

They couldn’t run away. There was nowhere to—The ground started to open up, roots curling back. At first it was steps down into the dark and then they were just sliding down. The temperature dropped and the light snuffed out. Darlin barely had time to realize what was happening before the ground closed above them, roots and stones slithering back through the soil to settle into place above and around them.

Darlin laid against his chest, listening to their hearts beating like thunder in the dark. “No way…” They reached out tentatively, touching the cold, packed soil on all sides of them. A grave. He’d buried them. “No fucking way…”

“Don’t freak out,” Huxley said gently, his hand flat to their back.

“I’m not,” they said, voice a little too strained to be believable.

“Do you want me to stop touching you? I can make more space and—”

“No, don’t. I mean…I can’t see anything, and you if stop it’d feel like…” Their heart beat faster. Like being alone. It would feel like they were alone in the dark in the ground and they’d be thinking about all the ground and rocks above them. And Quinn up there somewhere. He’d find them. He’d dig them out if he had to, or just wait. “How long can we hide here?”

Huxley shrugged in the dark, arms still around them. “Assuming you don’t panic?” There was a hint of a smile in his voice. “Two hours, maybe.”

Darlin sighed, nodding and resting their cheek to his shoulder again. It was so still and quiet in the ground. Just his heart beating and his lungs working. They thought they probably should have been panicking—they were buried, after all—but it was so calm. As absolutely fucked up as it was, it was the first time they ever considered they might be able to die peacefully. “Thank you,” Darlin whispered.

His hand stroked gentle but firm lines up and down their spine. “For what?”

Darlin closed their eyes before the tears could get out in the dark. “For not leaving me.”

Huxley sighed, face pressing to their temple. Did he kiss them?

They stayed there, quiet and drifting between awake and asleep for at least an hour. Huxley tensed and Darlin woke up fully. Before they could ask what was wrong, they heard it. Digging. Vampire speed and strength set against the ground.

It must have cost Huxley so much energy to do everything he’d already managed. How much could he have recovered in the time they’d been underground?

They wondered briefly if they could negotiate with Quinn. Darlin had never tried that before. Words were not their form of communication—they weren’t Quinn’s either. But they suddenly knew they’d be willing to trade anything for this guy’s safety. It was impossible to imagine they’d only met him that morning.

Soil started to rain in on them, forcing their eyes closed. It was a matter of seconds now. Darlin reached up suddenly, pushing an arm through the soft ground overhead, fingertips escaping, flicking air before a hand like stone wrapped around their wrist and jerked their whole body up and out so fast that Huxley’s grip had no time to tighten down.

Darlin came up from the ground—from the grave they’d wanted to stay in. They shifted before the vampire could even rejoice in their triumph of discovering them. It wasn’t Quinn. Things inside their body broke, they felt it and tasted their own blood fresh in their throat. They opened their jaws and snapped them shut over the bloodsucker’s face, chasing that taste with another, swallowing screams and tackling them back onto the forest floor.

Quinn laughed but the sound broke off when Darlin shook, snapping that neck before letting go. They growled, blood on their teeth and dirt in their fur.

The third vampire rushed for them, fury on his lips at the death of his friend. Before he could reach them, the ground jerked him underneath, dragging him deep and keeping him.

Quinn’s eyes went wide in a flash of fear Darlin had never seen before. But then he was a blur of movement, skirting the soft soil they’d ripped up and catching Darlin from the side, dragging them away. They lost their grip on their wolf and shifted back to human along the way. They very nearly lost consciousness too. They realized suddenly that Quinn had pulled them to packed ground, to the parking lot, to a patch of concrete before letting go.

A howl cut the night, following by the echo of others.

Quinn’s attention jerked away, toward the sound. He was surprised. His plans had gone to shit. His game was turning in a way he had not expected.

Darlin laughed, sitting up on the pavement under a sky slowly filling with stars.

His attention snapped back to them with a hateful snarl and then he was on them, pinning them to the hard ground, thumb stroking their jugular almost affectionately. “You shouldn’t have made this such a mess, Misfit…”

“So, it’s my fault?” Another howl. Closer. They definitely knew where they were. The ground rumbled again. The concrete cracked under Darlin’s back. They distantly wished Huxley would pull them back down into the ground with him. “If you run now, you might get away.”

Quinn hissed, teeth long and his gaze on their throat. No. He wasn’t going to run. Darlin tried not to cry. They wouldn’t beg. Their whole body thrummed with pain. At least he wouldn’t get to Huxley. David would show up before that could happen. “If you kill me, they’ll hunt you down,” they tried, voice cold. They were suddenly grateful for the exhaustion that made their voice so flat, because it hid all of their uncertainty. Would the pack really bother to hunt him down? Probably not. But the idea might be enough to make him go. Quinn had always been a live to fight another day sort of asshole.

He grabbed the back of their hair and jerked their head and shoulders up, twisting to expose their neck. Darlin growled and grabbed at his arms, trying to pry them off. His lips touched their neck and they kicked at the ground, gasping for air, trying to calm themself with the memory of the grave—of that cold calm place in his warm arms. Teeth slid into their throat, there for a split second and then gone. All of him was gone and they were rolling on the ground, landing chest down.

They gasped for air, looking up to watch the wolf tackling Quinn. Asher. A second jumped over Darlin an instant later, lunging for the vampire before he could get a grip on Asher.

Darlin flinched when hands were on them, but instead of pulling or hitting, they were gently rolling them onto their back. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, dude,” that familiar deep voice said. “Oh shit,” he exhaled when his gaze caught on their neck. He pulled his shirt off and pressed it to the wound.

Cars were arriving, lights flashing over them. The wolves howled when Quinn died.

Huxley didn’t seem to notice any of it, all of his attention on them.

Darlin sighed, touching his arm. “It’s not that bad,” they said, but the sounds were slurred and their vision blurring at the edges. Oh shit. Maybe they were wrong.

Another figure joined Huxley and they both jerked in surprise.

“Let me see,” Stealth said, reaching for the shirt Huxley was holding.

Darlin smirked, wanting to make a joke about whether they couldn’t just wait for Marie or even a human doctor to put stitches in them rather than let Stealth do a hackjob of a healing. But the words didn’t come out. They saw the shirt when Stealth took it away. It was soaked through and glinting black in the moonlight. Shit. Quinn had gone for the kill. That shouldn’t have surprised them, shouldn’t have stung—but it did. Huxley’s big hand gently palmed their hair back from their face. “Hang on,” he pleaded.

Darlin stared at him, surprised. They actually wanted to.

Their eyes rolled back in pain when Stealth used magic to stitch their neck back together.

“I know. I know. I’m sorry,” Stealth said but didn’t waver. Darlin had never appreciated them more. They’d always been good at that—at knowing what needed to be done and doing it no matter what. Their bloody hands traveled down Darlin’s torso, swearing under their breath when they looked at their side. Another wave of pain and magic and Darlin finally blacked out.

When they woke up again, they were in a truck. More specifically, in the passenger seat, alone, outside a house. They took a couple deep breaths, trying to wake up fully. It was David’s truck. The scent was both calming and setting their nerves on fire. They never really knew where they stood with him. Generally, they just tried to stay out of his sight and hopefully off his radar. They supposed that tactic had officially gone to shit tonight.

The door popped open and Darlin sat up. One glance at David standing beside the truck in the open door and they looked away again, down. Fuck. Where to start? Apologies or thank yous? “Is the elemental, okay?”

David huffed once, affirmative.

Darlin sighed and nodded. “Thanks, for coming. He was tougher than I thought but… I didn’t mean to get him mixed up in my shit. I’m sorry—”

David growled and they stopped talking, biting into their cheek

“Let’s get something clear,” he said.

Darlin winced but waited.

“You think we only came out there to save you because of the elemental that was in danger too. And yes, we would have come out there to save him, but we would go anywhere for just you. I would go anywhere to save you, Darlin. You’re family. We love you.”

Darlin had stared up at him somewhere in that surprising string of words.

“Are you ready to go inside and tell them this whole insane story?”

Darlin blinked. “Who?” The Department? Did they need to make a statement? It wasn’t their fault, couldn’t be, but still they worried it was. But this wasn’t an office building. This looked like a house near the woods. “Where are we?”

David’s expression softened, almost looking hurt. It took him a second to find words, sighing when he did and stepping back, clearly waiting for them to get out of the truck. “It’s my house, Darlin. A bunch of the pack followed us back. They want to hear your story and they’ll probably tell you theirs about what happened when you were down. Asher already ordered food and seems to have become best friends with your elemental.”

“Not mine…” Darlin mumbled automatically but got out of the truck. Huxley was inside? David closed the truck door and then slid his hand over the back of their neck. The squeeze was light but it sent a wave of relief through their body, followed by unfamiliar comfort when he mussed up their hair and then pushed them ahead of him toward the house. There was laughter inside. A part of them wanted to stop and turn back. They wanted it too much, afraid of ruining it if they even got close. But David didn’t let them waver, nudging them right up the porch to the front door.

#redactedverse #redacted asmr #darlin/huxley #darlin&david #quinn is a monster but you should know that by now #DANGER #survival situation #darlin has problems #huxley is a fucking meal #<3 #dominimoonbeam #fanfic

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madasrabbits · 9 months

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what good does all the research of the impressionists do them when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when they sun sank

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talonslockau · 4 months

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Fire and Ice - Chapter 39

Chapter 38 || Index || Chapter 40

He careened into camp as the sun began to peek above the tree line, shining its rays down into the Thunderclan camp. In any other time, the peaceful camp would be relaxing and idyllic. But he couldn't relax after what he had just heard, not when Ravenpaw's life was at stake.

His paws slowed as he approached Bluestar's den. He'd never been inside. How would she react to him barging in? Would she even listen to what he had to say? It was important, critically so, but his tale was so outlandish that even his friends had believed he was making it up.

Perhaps Yellowfang or Spottedleaf was the better choice? Both had seen Redtail, after all, and Yellowfang in particular seemed to have some idea what was going on. Perhaps she could advocate for Ravenpaw. But would that cast even more suspicion on the oldest apprentice, given that she was a former Shadowclanner?

"Firepaw! What's wrong?" He startled out of his thoughts as Graypaw approached, round yellow eyes full of worry. "You came running in here like a jackrabbit, and your fur's all on end. Did something happen? Is it Shadowclan?"

He shook his head vigorously. "No, it's - Tigerclaw- Out in the forest-" He was panting from running so fast down the ravine, but he'd had to beat Tigerclaw back to camp. "Ravenpaw- He's-"

"Easy there, pal." Graypaw gently rested his tail on Firepaw's back. "Why don't you take a few deep breaths? You're not doing anyone any good if you pass out."

Firepaw lashed his tail angrily. He couldn't calm down, not when Tigerclaw was about to kill Ravenpaw! Just as he opened his mouth to explain, he heard a rustle in the bramble tunnel behind him, and his heart sank. He turned to see the broad-shouldered warrior muscling through the entrance, his amber eyes cold as he spied the two apprentices.

"What are you two standing around for? Surely you have work to do!" The tabby tom snapped irritably at them. At least it seemed as though he hadn't heard Firepaw earlier.

"Tigerclaw!" He jumped at Graypaw's voice next to him. "Dad was looking for you earlier. I think he's over in Spottedleaf's den right now?" The dark gray tom flicked his tail in the direction of the healer's den.

"Hmm." The warrior's eyes narrowed as he looked between the two apprentices. "Very well." With that, the dark tabby stalked off across camp, leaving them alone again.

"Did you just lie to him?" Firepaw hissed quietly to his friend in surprise. Even he had a hard time maintaining composure under the fiery gaze of the senior warrior, but Graypaw had done it effortlessly.

"Nah, Dad really was looking for him earlier. He asked Ravenpaw about it. Something's up." He shook his head. "But nevermind that, what's going on with Ravenpaw? Did something happen?"

The ginger tom blinked in surprise. Graypaw had given them the perfect distraction for another moment alone, and perhaps the Clanborn tom would have a better idea what to do. "I overheard Tigerclaw talking to Darkstripe in the forest. They were saying Ravenpaw was a traitor that needed to be killed before we went to war!" He spoke quietly and quickly, hoping no one would appear to interrupt them.

The other apprentice bristled in shock. "But how? There's no way he could kill his son in broad daylight. Bluestar would exile him!"

"He was talking about a patrol on the Shadowclan border. That's all I heard before I ran back to you." He could feel his paws quivering beneath him at the thought of such an evil scheme. "We have to do something!"

"But what? Tigerclaw-" As though summoned by his name, the dark tabby emerged from the shadowy crevice of the healer's den nearby, and Firepaw quickly shushed his friend.

He watched as the tabby tom glared at his son, who was sitting and talking with Cinderpaw across camp, before stalking over to near Graypaw and Firepaw. He nervously expected the giant warrior to approach them, but he instead sat down, looking expectantly at the leader's den. Quickflash exited the healer's den behind him and rushed past the two apprentices into Bluestar's den, evidently preoccupied with something else.

"Let's play it cool for now, see if we can get Peppermask and Dewpaw to help." Firepaw twitched an orange ear as Graypaw hissed into it, trying not to appear too overly bothered by what he was saying. "Something's obviously happening, so maybe he won't have time for whatever he's planning."

The ginger tom reluctantly nodded. What other choice did they have? "Let's go see what Cinderpaw and Ravenpaw are up to, then." He spoke loud enough for Tigerclaw to hear, but the dark tom only flicked a striped ear in his direction and didn't seem to pay them much mind, his eyes focused on the leader's den.

The two apprentices crept by him, but they had only made it halfway across camp when Bluestar yowled behind them. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

They turned to watch her ascend the Highrock. Curious warriors, elders and queens emerged from their den to see what was going on, and he could hear the other two apprentices come up behind them. "What's going on?" He heard Cinderpaw ask in her typical nosy manner.

"We're not sure." Firepaw murmured as he took a seat. He could afford to rest for at least a moment; there was no way Tigerclaw would make a move when the entire Clan was watching, after all.

"I'm sure you've all heard by now that Brokenstar refused to admit to his crimes at the Gathering." The crowd murmured softly at this; news had indeed traveled quickly, and he could see the warriors around him getting ready to fight. "We must stand strong in order to drive out this festering evil. With the code in our hearts and Starclan watching us from above, I have no doubt that Thunderclan will be victorious."

Firepaw flexed his claws in and out of the dirt below him. He felt torn listening to her speak; part of him wanted to get invested in her words, but the other part of him was afraid to forget what his current mission was. He couldn't let Ravenpaw out of his sight, not until he figured out how to save him from his father.

"Before our first attack, I will be visiting the Moonstone to speak with Starclan and gain their blessing and wisdom for the coming moon." Firepaw shifted uneasily. If Bluestar was gone, that was one less obstacle to Tigerclaw's plans. "I will be bringing with me Ravenpaw, Firepaw, Graypaw, and Tigerclaw."

He blinked in surprise as she called out the names. On one paw, there was no way that he could tell Bluestar or Ravenpaw anything when Tigerclaw was hovering over his shoulder. On the other, there was also no way for Tigerclaw or his supporters within the Clan to do anything to Ravenpaw with Bluestar watching. Perhaps this was a blessing from Starclan in disguise, giving him more time to figure out what to do.

Then he realized it was a greater boon than he had initially thought. Now he had the chance to meet Redtail on his own terms. Maybe he could finally pry answers from the lost deputy, and figure out how to stop Tigerclaw once and for all. After all, Bluestar would have to listen if the warning came from Redtail himself!

"We will leave shortly. Stay strong, Thunderclan. Starclan will see us through this." She leaped off the rock and landed lightly on the earth below. "Meeting dismissed."

The crowd dissipated as she strode towards where all the apprentices were standing. "Ravenpaw." She greeted the oldest of them by name, to which Firepaw flicked an ear in surprise. "As we are going into Shadowclan 'territory' once again, I expect this will be an excellent assessment of your warrior skills. Perhaps if you perform well, there will be a ceremony on our return. The Clan could use some good news, after all."

He could see the black tom visibly brighten as she turned away from him. While Firepaw's own excitement was tempered, he was glad to see the leader's acknowledgement of his friend. Perhaps Bluestar's display of trust would be enough to turn the Clan's opinion?

"I have already sent Quickflash to arrange your traveling herbs with Spottedleaf." Bluestar spoke to all of the three apprentices now. "Once you've taken them, Tigerclaw and I will be waiting for you at the camp entrance." With that, she turned and walked away from them.

"I wish I could go with you guys." Cinderpaw whined from next to Graypaw. "I could prove myself just as much as Ravenpaw!"

"Ravenpaw deserves this, though." Firepaw pointed out gently, giving Graypaw a knowing glance. "He's been training longer than all of us."

"I guess that's true." The dark gray molly admitted, though her tail was still swishing moodily. "I'll just have to keep the territory safe while you guys are gone. You can all travel knowing I'll claw the fur off any Shadowclanners mousebrained enough to trespass when I'm around!"

The ginger tom smirked a bit at her eternally upbeat energy. He envied the dark molly he had come to consider a friend; no matter what happened, her spirit was never dampened for long. It might grate on him sometimes, but right now, he certainly appreciated someone whose mind wasn’t so clouded with worry and fear.

"We should hurry and get our traveling herbs. Bluestar isn't going to let us dawdle for very long." Ravenpaw stood and stretched before padding off to the healer's den, the other two toms following hastily behind him.

"What are traveling herbs?" Firepaw asked his fellow apprentices curiously. "And why aren't Tigerclaw and Bluestar taking them?"

Graypaw shrugged cluelessly as they approached the rocky crevice of the healer's den. "You'd have to ask Spottedleaf or Dewpaw if you really wanted to know." He pushed through the rock, his now bulky frame almost filling the crack behind Ravenpaw. The flame-colored apprentice followed, considering whether he cared enough to ask and potentially anger Bluestar by delaying their trip.

Inside, Spottedleaf was hunched over her herb storage with Dewpaw beside her. "While the burnet and sorrel are standard, there are a few other herbs you can add as well. I usually add daisy to ease the joints, since it's so common around our territory, but it's not strictly necessary. And for an elder or otherwise weak cat, chamomile and juniper berries are ideal for additional strength and easing their breathing." She rolled a few herbs over for her apprentice to sniff. "Feverfew can be used as well, but since it's such a useful herb, I rarely use it."

Firepaw coughed gently to alert them, and the two swung around. "Ah, hello!" Dewpaw mewed, moving over to nose her brother and friends in greeting. "Spottedleaf and I were just going over your herbs now. Are you looking forward to visiting the Moonstone?"

He considered her question. "I don't really know. Do you think I might see…?" He glanced behind him, but Tigerclaw hadn't followed him.

Dewpaw hesitated, glancing at Spottedleaf sorting herbs. The calico molly didn't have her eyes on them, but it was clear by her twitching ears that she was listening to them. "I don't know what you might see." The silver apprentice murmured, turning away. "That's up for Starclan to decide."

"Yeah, but-"

"Enough chatter." Spottedleaf sat up and moved towards the three warrior apprentices, placing a leaf bundle in front of each of them. "These herbs will give you the strength needed for the journey, and dull your hunger until you return." She dipped her head and turned back to the herb pile to put away a few stray leaves. "May Starclan light your path."

Firepaw frowned, part of him wanting to protest. But when the other two dutifully bowed their heads to lap up the given herbs, he reluctantly did the same. The herbs were bitter, but no worse than the kittypet kibble he had once endured. That seemed like a lifetime ago; now he was about to travel to the Clans' most sacred site to speak with their ancestors. It was shocking how far he had come in the past few moons.

The camp was busy as the apprentices exited the healer's den. He could see that the dawn patrol along the Shadowclan border had returned; now the Riverclan patrol was leaving, including his mentor, Tinyfrost. It felt strange, after spending so much time by his mentor's side, to see him leave alone now.

Still, he padded obediently over to where Bluestar and Tigerclaw were waiting. "Are you all ready? We have a long way to travel before moonhigh." Bluestar asked as she stretched out, loosening her muscles for the coming journey.

"I guess so." Firepaw admitted, looking to the other apprentices standing at attention behind him. "Why are we traveling during the day, though? I thought you had to follow the Startrail to get to the Moonstone."

He blinked in surprise as Bluestar began purring at his words. He'd never heard such mirth from the normally stoic leader. "You've been listening to the elders' tales, haven't you?" The silver molly asked as she flicked her tail for her patrol to follow her, vanishing into the bramble tunnel.

The apprentices quickly followed, with Tigerclaw taking up the rear. "I guess so?" The ginger apprentice replied in confusion.

Her tail raised eagerly as she led them up the ravine. Once they had entered the forest, she slowed her pace slightly to allow the apprentices to group up around her. "It is true that the Startrail points to the Moonstone, but it has a physical location just like our camp. It resides within the Highstones, on the far side of Windclan." Indeed, he realized now that they were headed towards Fourtrees and Windclan's territory. He couldn't fathom how far they would have to travel; the others had made Windclan's territory sound nearly endless when he had first been introduced to the Clans.

"Do you think we'll run into Shadowclan?" Graypaw asked nervously from her other side, his tail swishing slowly. He couldn't blame his friend; the thought of such vicious warriors made him nervous, too.

"That's why I brought Tigerclaw and Ravenpaw with us." Bluestar replied, seemingly unbothered like the apprentices were. "While I have faith in your abilities, having our greatest warrior and finest apprentice can only help us against a Shadowclan patrol."

Firepaw's heart sank at her words. While it was good to hear she still believed in Ravenpaw, despite what the Clan thought, her words of praise for the shadowy tabby lurking behind them made it hard to believe she would accept any accusation made against him. He would have to get Redtail to visit her himself, to convince her that Tigerclaw was not all he seemed.

He glanced behind him to see the looming presence of the dark tabby, whose amber eyes glanced briefly at Firepaw before focusing on the path ahead. If he was bothered by what Bluestar said about his son, he didn't show it.

"To tell the truth, I always look forward to these journeys to the Moonstone, despite their dangers." He pricked his ruddy ears forward as the leader spoke again. "It is rare I get to spend time with the Clan's apprentices. Especially these days." Her blue eyes turned to him curiously. "I haven't had the chance to speak with you much since you joined. I assume you're satisfied with Clan life, since you're still here?"

He hesitated, considering her words. Part of him wanted to tell the truth; that he had considered leaving, after Tinyfrost's treatment of him and his punishment for attacking Yellowfang. But would she take that the wrong way? Would Tigerclaw mock him for kittypet weakness?

Not to mention how much of Clan life he enjoyed. As a kittypet, he had never dared to imagine being part of a family, or experienced real freedom like he did now. "I could never return to kittypet life again after Thunderclan. My heart belongs here, in the forest." He felt Graypaw nudge him at that, and looked over to see his friend beaming proudly at him. Bluestar also seemed happy with his answer, giving him a warm purr in response.

"I know there are some in the Clan that disagreed with your joining. I am not deaf to the gossip around camp, despite what some might believe." He had to doubt that, given how surprised she had been at Frostfur's treatment of Ravenpaw. "But I saw a spark in you the night that we met. I knew you had what it took to be a warrior. And now, that spark has grown into a fire that all the Clans should fear." He didn't miss the flash of emotion in her eyes as she looked away from him. "You are just as much a warrior as Graypaw and Ravenpaw here."

"Which is to say, just another lowly apprentice." The gray tom beside him nudged him hard, enough to nearly throw him off balance mid-stride. He purred loudly as Firepaw shoved him back. "You gotta wait until leaffall to get your warrior name like the rest of us."

"Eager to earn your names, hmm? I remember that passion all too well." Bluestar's voice was wistful, remembering a long-forgotten time. "What I would give to experience the Moonstone again with fresh eyes, or the awe of sitting my warrior vigil once more. You can't get those again with nine lives, unfortunately."

Firepaw chuckled appreciatively at her joke, but none of the others did, and he silenced uncomfortably. Was it not right to laugh when a molly poked fun at her own age? The silver queen didn't say anything, seemingly lost in thought, and none of the others spoke as they crossed the forest.

They made their way to Fourtrees, at the farthest edge of their territory. In the daytime, it was silent, unbothered by any of the other Clans. As they crossed through the hollow, shaded by the four great trees, he could smell the still-lingering scents of the Gathering the prior night. They were too faint to make out any distinct warriors, but he could smell Riverclan and Shadowclan alongside the familiar Thunderclan. Windclan was still missing, though he truthfully didn't know what their scent was like.

They emerged on the other side into wide open plains of grass and heather. The sun had risen over the horizon now, and exposed every corner of the dry landscape. Most notable, though, was the stench of Shadowclan that permeated the area, as though they had marked every inch of their ill-gotten territory.

"Shadowclan was here recently." Bluestar observed. "All Clans are entitled safe passage to the Moonstone under the code, but we can no longer trust Shadowclan to follow it. Stay low and keep alert." With that, she dove into the tall grass, leaving the others to quickly follow her.

He was surprised by how difficult Windclan territory was to navigate. The grass was thick, and following Bluestar was like wading through water. He could tell even Tigerclaw behind him was having trouble. How did Windclan manage to thrive here?

He didn't ask, however, keeping low and staying quiet and alert just as Bluestar had asked of him. All he heard was the rustling of the grass around him as they traveled, and eventually the lingering scent of Shadowclan was smothered by the clusters of heather around them.

He had no idea how long they had traveled before Bluestar suddenly halted, lifting her tail in a signal for others to do the same. He realized that they were on the edge of a small, rocky cliff, not unlike the side of the Thunderclan ravine. Below, a sea of tall, thin plants stretched on as far as the eye could see, in the characteristic rows that he had come to associate with Twolegs' intervention. The edges of the fields were marked by a thin sticked fence that did little to keep animals out, and a wide path of churned dirt that signified Monsters traveled down it regularly.

In the distance to his right he could see several Twoleg structures; one looked like the typical nests that were normally lived in, but the others were large and straight, with little ornamentation. Beyond that, he could see the Thunderpath, which he realized now must travel from the Twolegplace out to here and maybe beyond. "What are we doing here?" He asked Bluestar cautiously. Was this a test?

She gestured with her tail to the far horizon, past the Thunderpath. "We're not far from Highstones now. Can you see it from here?"

He squinted, trying hard to make anything out. It was after a moment that he could see that the land began to rise up, on the far side of the Thunderpath. "I- I think so."

"This route keeps us further from the Thunderpath, and the danger of the Monsters. When tensions are high with Windclan, we can't always use it, but…" Her tail drooped at the thought of the exiled Clan. "Well, we don't have to worry about that right now."

"Who's that down there?" They all looked down the slope to see a black and white cat traveling casually down the Twoleg fence line as Graypaw pointed him out. "Could it be Windclan?"

"Sadly, no. But he is still a friend." Bluestar jumped down the slope, leaving the rest of the patrol to follow her. "Good day, Barley!"

The cat stopped as she called out, and turned his bright yellow gaze on the five cats crossing the Monster tracks towards him. "Why, if it isn't Bluestar! It's good to see you." He touched his nose to hers in a warm greeting. "I hope the prey is running well in Thunderclan territory."

"It has." She purred warmly in response. "What about you? Has everything been well since last I saw you?"

"Quite well. The prey around here practically runs over my paws, begging to be eaten! That's the good thing about Twolegs; you'll always find plenty of food nearby." Firepaw looked over the loner tom; he was stout, a bit shorter than all the Thunderclan cats, but plump and evidently well fed. His long, feathery tail swept across the ground lazily as he looked over the Thunderclan patrol. "And who are these young apprentices you've brought with you? I recognize Ravenpaw there from last time." He dipped his head smoothly in a gesture of respect towards the skinny black tom.

"This is Graypaw, Pepperpaw and Cinderpaw's brother." The two toms nosed each other curiously for a moment as she spoke. "And this here is Firepaw, a particularly promising Thunderclan apprentice." He couldn't help but straighten up proudly as Bluestar spoke of him in such glowing terms. He hadn't realized she regarded him so highly!

"I don't suppose he's your apprentice, then?" Barley asked curiously, to which they both shook their heads. "A shame. He'd be privileged to have you, Bluestar." He touched his nose to Firepaw's in greeting, one which he accepted without hesitation.

"Being leader of the Clan keeps one too busy for young paws." The silver queen sighed. "He's being taught well by Tinyfrost, from what I hear. My own apprentice, back when I was still young and spry."

"Many season-cycles ago, I assume." The long-furred tom replied with a purr. "Why don't you come back to the barn with me? I can certainly spare a few mice. These days, there's too many for me to catch by myself!"

"Bluestar, surely you're not going to follow a loner into Twoleg territory!" Firepaw bristled as he heard Tigerclaw's voice behind him. "The code says we must reject-"

She waved his concerns off with her tail. "I'm well aware, Tigerclaw." She replied smoothly. "As much as I wish I could accept, Barley, I'm afraid I have to decline. We must be at the Moonstone by moonrise."

Firepaw glanced up, surprised to see how far the sun had moved since their departure. While it hadn't felt like they'd been lost in the fields of Windclan territory for that long, the sun was well past its height and close to setting.

"I understand." Barley replied, seemingly unbothered by Tigerclaw's comments. "May Starclan light your path."

"And yours." Bluestar dipped her head once more in respect before turning and leading the patrol down the Monster path towards the Thunderpath.

The ginger apprentice followed with one last curious glance at the loner. "I didn't realize loners worshipped Starclan too." He commented to the others. "Is he a former Clan cat?"

Their leader shook her head with a soft smile. "No, Starclan is not typically recognized outside the Clans. But Barley is a good friend to all the Clans that pass by his farm, and has learned some of our culture over the seasons."

Firepaw nodded. "I understand." The ground was beginning to vibrate as they approached the Thunderpath. "The Monsters are busy today."

"They often are at sunrise and sunset." The silver molly commented idly. "The crossing will be dangerous. But it is not so bad while the sun is still in the sky."

They were silent as they continued on, the land trembling beneath them the closer they got. At last they reached a hedge that separated the Twoleg territory they had passed from the Thunderpath, and crept through the roots to reach the edge. They sat for a moment, their eyes and throats stinging from the fumes as bright flashes sped past them.

"We'll go one at a time." It was Tigerclaw that spoke up beside him, his deep rumble nearly blending in with that of the Monsters'. "Ravenpaw, you first."

"No, Tigerclaw." Bluestar interrupted him before his son could slink forward. "Ravenpaw has only done this once. I will go first, so that the apprentices will understand how it is done."

They watched as Thunderclan's leader approached the edge. She waited steadily, seemingly unbothered as a particularly large monster rushed past. Then, when the roar subsided for a moment, she darted across to the other side.

"Now you, Ravenpaw." Tigerclaw hissed from beside them. "You've done this before. I'm sure you'll be fine."

Firepaw could smell Ravenpaw's fear-scent as he crept past them, even through the horrid stink of the Monsters. He couldn't blame his friend; he too was terrified at the thought of risking his life at the paws of these mighty beings. There was a lull in the rushing of the Monsters, but still Ravenpaw didn't move.

"Just go!" Tigerclaw yowled at his son, causing the tom to sprint forward. Just as he did, a Monster sped past. The two apprentices remaining gasped in horror, preparing to see Ravenpaw's body lying still on the smooth stone. Instead, when the dust settled, they could see him shivering in the middle of the Thunderpath, his body pressed flatly to the ground as his green eyes stared wide and sightless. A moment later, he regained his senses and pelted across.

"Hmm." He could feel Tigerclaw tense beside him, and he knew then that the dark tom had intended for his son to die there. He had known the Monster had been coming. But even if Graypaw had noticed, there was no way they could prove anything to Bluestar right now. "You next, Graypaw."

The young gray apprentice was lucky; he sprinted by during a long lull in the passing Monsters. Firepaw could see him on the other side, nosing Ravenpaw alongside Bluestar and making sure that their friend was safe after his ordeal.

Then it was Firepaw's turn. He went up to the edge, as the others before him had done, and looked both ways for approaching Monsters. He could see a small Monster carrying a Twoleg on its back was rapidly racing towards him. He waited, allowing it to pass before he moved.

Then it veered off the Thunderpath. It was heading straight for him! He leaped backward, claws extended, barely dodging out of the way as it sped past. From on top of the Monster, the Twoleg was screeching and waving a clumsy paw at him.

"Foxdung!" He hissed as it sped off, blood pounding in his ears. It had barely missed him by a whisker. If he hadn't been so quick, the Monster would have easily shredded him beneath the two paws.

It was then that he realized the Thunderpath was quiet again, and sprinted across to the other side. Bluestar and the apprentices were waiting for him there.

"Firepaw!" Graypaw gasped as he nearly careened into him. "I thought you were crowfood there!"

"So did I!" He panted as he sat down next to them. "I've never been so close to a Monster before, not even when I was a kittypet!"

"Are you alright? Do you need a moment to rest?" It was Bluestar, nosing him over like a healer or worried queen. "That Monster was small, but they are all equally dangerous."

He paused and glanced at the sun in the sky. It was creeping ever closer to the horizon. "I'll be fine." He replied, though his claws felt tender and frayed. He had never leaped so swiftly in his life. "Once Tigerclaw arrives, we can go."

It was shortly after that the giant tabby crossed, unharried by the Monsters. "Twolegs!" He spat as he arrived. "You were right to leave them, Firepaw."

Part of him rankled at the warrior's words, but he couldn't disagree entirely. He had never known Twolegs could be so awful. "They're not all so bad." He finally managed to reply.

Tigerclaw snorted in disbelief, but didn't get a chance to respond before Bluestar did. "Enough of that. We're almost at Highstones." She stood and bounded off into the brush, leaving the rest of them to follow her.

The brush on this side of the Thunderpath was more varied than the highland moors of Windclan. It felt slightly more like the forests of Thunderclan, though still lacking the trees above, and it was easier to follow Bluestar towards Highstones.

As they continued on, the brush gave way to rocky soil and ground where plants struggled to grow. By now, the sun had set, faintly coloring the sky before it fully disappeared and gave way to night. There was a giant pile of stones in front of them that sloped upwards, eventually ending in a craggy top.

"Welcome to Highstones." Bluestar spoke, slowing as they walked into the shadow of the rocks before them. "We will rest here for a moment and wait for the moon to rise. Since we are outside Clan territory, you are welcome to hunt if you wish."

Firepaw sniffed at the air. There were indeed prey scents here, despite the lack of cover. His mouth watered as he scented a rabbit, and he realized he hadn't eaten all day. "Are you sure it's alright?" He asked Bluestar hesitantly. They were in the shadow of Starclan's power, after all.

She nodded, seeming to understand his worry. "It is with Starclan's blessing that we hunt our prey. If they do not approve, they will make it known." Her eyes glimmered in the lowlight as she watched the apprentices take off, any sense of decorum gone.

Firepaw was the first to return, proudly dragging a hare behind him. It was just as big as him, and its blood was sweet on his tongue as he dropped it respectfully in front of his leader.

"Well done." Bluestar purred to him as he bowed down in front of her. "Tinyfrost truly has taught you well."

He grinned internally at her words. He had impressed her! He couldn't wait to tell his mentor about it when he returned; perhaps his warrior ceremony would come soon after. Still, he waited for her to take a bite before he took any for himself.

There was a long pause as he sat, unmoving, while the silver queen did the same. "You've earned the first bite, Firepaw." The molly finally spoke as he looked up puzzledly. "Here, beneath the Moonstone, we are all equals under Starclan. There is no need to observe such formalities."

He blinked in surprise. "T-Thank you, Bluestar." He purred, allowing himself to take a bite. He'd never had rabbit or hare before; it was tough, and a bit stringy, but sweet like nectar. It was wildly different from anything he'd had in the forest. Perhaps that was why Windclan was so territorial of their rabbits?

After a moment, Ravenpaw joined them with a plump shrew dangling from his jaw. "Starclan above, Firepaw! What a catch!" He gasped, looking down at his own catch despondently. "Not nearly as good as mine."

"This terrain is quite different compared to the forest. You've done well to catch anything at all." Bluestar pointed out, glancing at the tabby tom beside her. "Isn't that right, Tigerclaw?"

The large warrior grunted noncommittally. "I suppose so." He grumbled after a moment. "Don't let it get to your head." He added as he narrowed his amber eyes at his son.

"Hey, you guys did catch something!" Firepaw looked behind him to see Graypaw bounding up the slope towards them, empty-pawed. "I lost mine by the Thunderpath. I didn't want to get hit by a Monster like Firepaw and Ravenpaw nearly did."

He nodded in understanding and flicked his tail to his kill. "There's plenty on this hare if you want some." He replied as he swallowed his bite. "It's not like we can take it back to the Clan, after all."

"That's true." With that, the large gray tom tucked in next to him, his fur mixing with Firepaw's flame-colored coat. After a few bites, Bluestar and Tigerclaw joined them, the four relishing in the spoils of his kill.

They were all full soon enough, eventually stepping back and beginning to share tongues quietly as they waited for the moon to rise. It wasn't a long wait; it had been just above the horizon when Firepaw finished his hunt, and now it was about the same position the sun would be if it was mid-morning.

"It is time." Bluestar spoke at last, standing and flicking her tail for the others to do the same. "Ravenpaw and Tigerclaw will wait at the entrance for us, in case Shadowclan finds and follows our scent. You two will follow me down to the Moonstone."

Firepaw glanced nervously at Ravenpaw as she spoke. He would be alone with his father, without any witnesses. Now was the perfect time for Tigerclaw to make a move. "Be careful. Stay safe." He murmured to the black tom, hoping he would take the hint.

The oldest apprentice's white tail tip was flicking worriedly. "Of course we will." He mumbled. "Surely Shadowclan wouldn't dare to attack at the base of Starclan's power." He glanced at his father as though for assurance, though Firepaw guessed it was more to gauge the tabby's mood.

"Of course not. Don't worry, Bluestar. No Shadowclanner will harm you." With that, the patrol climbed the short distance to the base of Highstones, where a yawning gap of shadows waited for them. Tigerclaw padded forward and took a seat on one side, stoic as ever. Ravenpaw copied him on the other side, wrapping his black tail tightly over his paws.

Bluestar nodded to each of them before turning to look at the remaining apprentices. "Come now. Let us visit Starclan."

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