#That is not to even touch on the missing bearded lady dwarfs | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

perlen-gold · 2 years

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For the WIP game: Varric ... (I'm bracing myself for feels) 😭

Man 🌹 @kourvo after the last snippet, you're one brave lion! 🦁

(I shared a snippet of this recently for WIP Wednesday XD but this time I’m sharing the whole chapter as it’s one of the short ones! Once again, it’s an excerpt from my longfic Ablaze)

💗💛💜 Thank you so much again for asking about all these WIPs! 💗💛💜

I certainly didn't expect it!

Varric shoves, not hard, but hard enough for Hawke to feel his back collide with the battlements.

“What the blight was all the about, Hawke?” Varric half-grunts, half-yells, his voice rasping in his throat.

Hawke’s dirt-streaked hand misses his eyes, rubs against his face and beard instead.

“’Go, I will cover you? Corypheus is my responsibility?’ Andraste’s bloody tits, seriously, Hawke?”

Varric is heaving hard, huge intakes of breath.

“You would have died, you stupid bastard!” Drained, Varric slouches against the rampart of Adamant fortress, sliding down until he comes to sit on the ground, hunched over his chest. “What about Kirkwall? What about the rest of us? What about Fenris, for Maker’s sake?”

He does not look at Varric.

“Under pressure, I start swearing and write stories and you are sarcastic to the point of ridiculousness and bust some asses! That is how we cope, Hawke, and dying in the fucking Fade is not one of our mechanisms!” Then Varric voiced what Hawke was thinking. “Are you mental, Hawke?”

Hawke passes a trembling hand over his eyes, the other still grinding his bearded cheek, frantically, his mouth, chin, neck. His moving eyes dart around, unfocused.

In his chest, his breath tears around. It comes in long, hard, heaving draws.

“I cannot …,” Hawke breathes, half of his face hidden in one hand . “I cannot … –“ He stops speaking when the voice flees his throat, leaving it all raw and hurting.

Slowly, Varric watches him crumple, too, collapse, slumped to the ground, his bent back supported by the fortress’ jetstone walls. They do not look at each other, not speak, simply sit there, stooped, the tips of their grime-stained boots essentially touching. Their gaze falls to the ground, hijacked there, drawn into themselves.

For a while there is naught but silence, broken solely by their heavy breathing.

“Makes our first trip into the fade look like a holiday, huh?” Varric mumbles at length. “I still vote against taking a room there.”

“Yes. Too much vermin.” The weight of Hawke’s forehead presses upon his bruised knuckles.

“I should have come sooner,” he then says, calmly.

Varric wretches his gaze from the ground. “I told you not to, remember?”

“You should not have been alone in this, Varric.”

“Maker’s breath, I was begging you to stay away,” Varric mutters, his hands all over his pale, face, “and I am glad I did. I even wrestled Cassandra for your honor.”

A remote smile tugged at Hawke’s lips. His forehead came away from his arms to rest his head against the dark, battle-stained walls.

“Would have loved watching that. And place bets.”

“On the lying dwarf or the crazed sword-lady?”

“Not saying.”

Varric’s mouth twitches but he looks away.

“That clearly says ‘the most handsome dwarf in Skyhold’.”

“You are forgetting I fancy people with tall swords.”

A small, short-breathed laughter, cleft and cupped, escapes Varric’s throat. Hawke grunts then, hoarse. “You should not have been alone in this, Varric.”

Absent-minded, Varric motions nervelessly, a tiny shaking of his head, eyes focusing on no exact point somewhere to Hawke’s left in the fuliginous night.

“Thanks. But this is no story for heroes.” An inenarrable emotion passes over his face, quick and aching. “Did you really see spiders in there?” he almost whispers.

Varric looks at his hands in his lap. “If Bartrand and I had not found it … if we had never set out for the blighted Deep Roads … if we had not been so greedy … if we had never found the idol –“

“I went to the Deep Roads as well, remember?” Hawke interjected in a sharp voice, “There was no way we could have foreseen this. No,” wearily Hawke rubs is face again, sensing dirt, blood and sweat under the pads of his trembling fingers, “if anything, Corypheus is my fault. I swear, I thought we had killed him, I really did. If my father – “

“Don’t you start on this again,” Varric snapped angrily with an irked lift of his head, “I was there as well, remember? He sure looked as dead as you can possibly be!”

Fraught with exhaustion, breathing hard and shallow, the two of them laid back their heads, their gazes losing focus once more.

“All spiders?” asks Varric, after some time, softly.

A spasm, like the sudden rupture of a very tightened string, scuds across Hawke’s features. Eventually, he nods, throat too tight to speak. “And … them.”

They stare into the smoky, bluish-gray night sky.

“I have never seen you fight with someone before.” Varric’s mouth twisted, an edge of caution smoothing out his voice. “Well, severe a few limbs here and there and pierce a few egos, but never actually argue. You are no quarreler, Hawke. Maker knows, I have rarely witnessed you become angry ever before. “

After these words they look at each other, memories kindled like fire-lit projectiles illuminating the battle-worn night. Hawke wipes at his face again while his other hand travels to his chest, rubbing it as over smooth stone, as if trying to ease a pain within his ravaging breath inside his chest.

“Strout … was a good man.” Hawke’s words come slow, cautious, placed like dulled tiles on crumbling earth. Varric looks up to see a grimace sunder Hawke’s gray, pinched features as a discordant tune. Threaded with self-disgust. And something almost like shame. “I should not have talked to him the way I did. He deserved better. My manners never exceed in the presence of good men.” Hawke adds, a cracked smile passing between Varric and him like a secret gift, a twinkling in their eyes, before it passes away.

Hawke rubs his beard and face again, massaging his jaw with a slow-moving vigorousness bordering on real pain. Then, he laboriously climbs to his feet.

“I told the Inquisitor I would go to Weisshaupt. Someone must warn the other Wardens,” he says contemplatively, almost unattentive, absent-minded. A fast shrewdness passes over Varric’s face while he fixes his gaze at him as Hawke speaks.

The air presses its cold smoke-mouths against their faces. Hawke’s gaze lingers on Varric like moon-lit clouds on a dark pool , long and intense. “Come with me, Varric.”

“Thanks for the offer,” Varric mumbles, suddenly almost inaudibly, his slow glimpse falling upon his hands still resting in his lap, with defiant defeat. “But I am in this. Something tells me I need to stay where I am. At least for the time being. Someone must write down all this shit, I guess. Maybe I will compose an ode or something.”

Reaching out, Hawke simply nods and without further ado his slightly calloused, smoke-streaked hand, willfully steady now, comes to rest in front of Varric. “The weirdest shit I have ever seen.”

Varric lets out his breath as if had been holding it within his sunken chest. Then, an inconspicuous smile darting over his canny eyes, he seizes Hawke’s proffered hand and Varric too rises to his feet. “All of it.”

“Answer this one question, Hawke,” he continues, their hands still clasped around each other, firmly so, “Cross my heart! How in the blight did you coax Fenris into staying behind? Cut the petty excuses, we both know he would rather have killed himself than remaining behind wherever you go, Hawke, let alone let you walk into peril on your own – and we also both know that he is the single most obstinate elf in the world which is saying something. Mind you, I am glad he was not with us in there. Maker knows, our angsty elf does not need to be hunted by more demons.”

Momentarily, Varric halts there as he notices something else streak across Hawke’s face, the skin beneath his beard whitening, blanching, paling. Hawke could feel Varric’s grip unobtrusively tighten, a seriousness shining forth in his mahogany eyes. “Also, you look heartsick to the bone. Tell me. How did you do it?”

Hawke’s gaze flees to wander over the rampages and battlements, unhearing of the voices in the night, the shouts of those who fought, the cries of the wounded, the jubilation of survivors.

Finally, he bends one knee to kneel down.

Thus they embrace, on the half-shattered parapet of iron-black Adamant fortress. In a swirl of desertic coldness, shrouded and obscured in battle-spiraled fumes midst a barren, hissing wasteland, verging on a harsh-steep cliff just above the gaping chasm in perpetual danger of falling. Varric accepting his silence and thereby reaching beyond it. Varric’s fingers clawing into the fabric on Hawke’s shoulders and Hawke tightening his arms, his hold around Varric.

“Sorry … about before …,” Varric mutters all but inaudibly.

“I felt a little breeze stirring up there. Was that you?” Hawke ponders, a smile in his words, Varric's snort in its wake.

“Take care, my friend,” murmurs Hawke softly and he can feel Varric’s mouth stretch into something he cannot see. “You too, Hawke.”

When he somewhat loosens his hold, Hawke grips Varric’s shoulder. “Do write to Fenris for me, will you?” he asks hoarsely, his mouth almost too dry to speak. “He … he should be back in Kirkwall by now.”

“And once again a smart dwarf rescues another human’s sorry bottom,” Varric gives a deliberate sigh as he hastily wipes his sleeve across his eyes, “Ah, but you know I cannot refuse you anything. You do look lovelorn, you realize, Hawke? It is pitiful.”

Hawke forces a low chuckle. “Another human who would be lost without his dwarf.”

“We are helpers.”

Varric’s grip clenches once more around his cloak before he taps Hawke’s shoulder with the rim of his fist. “Don’t die, Hawke.” Then, taking a deep breath, “This really is no story for heroes.”

“It is good we are no heroes, then,” retorts Hawke, a hint of the old mischief twinkling in his eyes and Varric lets out a short, breathless laughter as they break apart.

“See you in Kirkwall, Hawke.”

And Hawke, standing upright, holds his gaze, teeth clenched, the corners of his mouth twisted into a crooked though genuine smile. “See you in Kirkwall, Varric.”

On the very first step of the spiraling staircase leading down into the battered watchtower Hawke passes a mirror, cracked, partially burst, half a spider’s web. Beneath the layer of blood-soot, iron-strained, the features of the man he catches sight of remain hidden. Smudged as a line of ink slipped, scratched wildly across the parchment.

It is the face of a man who looks as though he does not know where he is.

Or what to do.

Or whom he is looking at.

(Excerpt from 'Ablaze')

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maaaddiexo · 3 years

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Birthday Encounters | Legolas Greenleaf

Mainlist | Serieslist

Pairing: Legolas Greenleaf x fem!reader

“Aragorn!”

Strong arms wrapped around her waist as her friend of countless years lifted her and spun her in circles.

“Y/N! It has been far too long.” The King placed Y/N back on her feet in his home.

Y/N nodded. “I agree. Thank you for the invitation.”

Aragorn gave Y/N a kind smile and gestured for them to walk. “Of course. How have you been?”

Y/N smiled. “Good. I have been helping the Ents repair their land since Saruman’s destruction of Fangorn Forest. Did you get my wedding present? I heard Arwen enjoyed jewelry-making in her spare time.”

Aragorn smiled. “Yes, she loves it.” He was upset Y/N could not make their wedding and considered postponing it just so that she could attend. But being so ill, they had no idea when she would be well enough to attend. “What else have you been doing?”

Y/N shook her head. “Traveling. Relaxing. You know that fight took more out of me than I ever got back.”

Aragorn nodded. “Somehow, I always forget you fought in the Battle of the Five Armies all those years ago. Perhaps because you never speak of it.”

Y/N smiled sadly. “Well, there’s nothing good to speak of. Perhaps if there was, I would talk more of it.”

Aragorn frowned. “Sorry. I did not mean to upset you.”

Y/N looked over the balcony they had stopped at, seeing Arwen talking to two elves she did not recognize. Not that she knew many to begin with. “It’s alright.”

“Come, Lady Y/N. I am sure you’ve missed Arwen.”

As they descended the stairs, Y/N said, “I’m not a Lady. You know that.”

“You are in my eyes. But don’t let Arwen hear that.”

Y/N laughed as they reached the bottom of the stairs, catching the attention of Aragorn’s wife, Arwen.

“Y/N!” The elf exclaimed happily, reaching forward to grab her arms. The woman had become used to the customs of men and women while married to Aragorn and moved to hug Y/N, a custom most elves did not engage in. As Arwen had put it years ago, elves did not like to touch people they were not close to.

“Arwen! I have missed you, my friend.”

Arwen, who looked like she had not aged a day, smiled in agreement. “The last time I saw you-”

“I looked horrible,” Y/N laughed. “Hopefully, I look much better now.”

Arwen smiled. “Much better.”

“Arwen? Are you not going to introduce us to your friend?” The two elves waited expectantly behind the dark-haired elf. Both were fair-skinned with braided silver hair. The one who spoken was a young girl, though it was hard to tell just how old she was.

Arwen smiled. “This is Y/N. She and Aragorn met when Sauron tried to regain power. She has been a friend ever since.”

The two elves gave short bows. “And this is Selina and Legolas. Sindar elves.”

Mirkwood elves, Y/N realized. And the name Legolas rang a bell. “You are the son of Thranduil.”

Legolas nodded but displayed a slightly sour face. “And Seline is my guard. She goes wherever I go and has become quite a close companion to Arwen and Aragorn.”

Y/N smiled at Seline, who did not talk much. Both were ethereal in their elven beauty, practically glowing. Y/N felt ugly in their presence – but that was what most non-elves felt. “It’s wonderful to meet you.”

“I assume Aragorn’s birthday brings you here as well?”

Y/N nodded. “Considering I missed their wedding, it was the least I could do.”

Aragorn sighed. “For the last time, we do not blame you. You made great sacrifices on the Lonely Mountain. It is not your fault you get sick often.”

Y/N looked away in shame.

“Oh, leave her be, Aragorn. You know how stubborn she can be. More stubborn than that red-bearded friend of yours, Gimli.”

“Seline!” A small girl appeared from the west hall, reaching the she-elf’s waist. “You’re back!”

The elf smiled and bent down, whispering something in the little girl’s ear before being towed down the hall to an unknown location. The little girl barely dodged the incoming servant, dressed in purple and gold thread.

“My Lord and Lady, the advisors need to speak with you. Urgently.”

Aragorn sighed and reached for his love. “We will be right there. Y/N? Do you mind showing Legolas around? He has not visited since the attack.”

Y/N chanced a glance at the elven prince before nodding. “Of course. Does that include the wine cellar?”

Aragorn playfully flicked his friend’s nose. “You stay out of there. You drink like a dwarf.”

“I take that as a compliment!” Y/N yelled as the duo followed after the servant. Once they were out of sight and earshot, she turned to Legolas. “Shall we start at the wine cellar?”

•••

“And that’s it,” Y/N said, stopping where they had started. She hid her pain well, casually leaning against a stone pillar to relieve some of the pressure in her lungs.

“They have expanded since I was last here,” Legolas mused, taking in the almost-elvish architecture. Then again, Aragorn had spent a lot of his live in Rivendell. Legolas looked back at Y/N, who seemed to have trouble breathing. Her chest expanded roughly, stuttering as her eyes watered. “Are you alright, My Lady?”

Y/N forced a laugh. “Why does everyone call me that? I’m not a Lady.”

“You look like one.” Legolas looked an elf caught off guard, which was a rare thing to behold. His fair cheeks flushed slightly and he looked away momentarily before speaking again, this time much faster. “You seem to have trouble breathing.”

Y/N waved him off. “It’s nothing, really. It’ll pass soon enough.”

“What is ‘it’?”

Y/N sighed. “A long time ago, I used to live in Lake-town. I lived there when Thorin Oakenshield and Bilbo Baggins woke the dragon, Smaug, and he burned my home. The smoke damaged my lungs. I have struggled to breathe since but exercise makes it worse. I don’t expect an elf like you to understand. I know your kind never tires.”

Legolas squinted at Y/N. Her ears were round and her skin was not flawless but…there was something about her. The way she carried herself. “You have elven blood in you.”

Y/N was surprised. Most people didn’t notice the drop of elf in her. “Yes. One of ancestors was elvish. Though, I inherited nothing but prolonged aging and the ability to jump.”

Legolas felt himself smile at the news. There were few of his kin left in Middle-Earth. And halfling or not, she counted.

“Do you know any elvish?”

Y/N shook her head, still trying to catch her breath and stay the pain deep in her lungs. “No. Aragorn tried to teach me but it just doesn’t sound-” Y/N couldn’t finish her sentence, interrupted by a coughing fit. She bent over the railing, coughing and trying to catch her breath. Something touched her back – Legolas, she realized. She waved him off. “Just give me a moment. This damned corset makes matters so much worse.”

“Corset?”

Y/N nodded and something was brought to her lips. Legolas’ waterjug. She drank eagerly until the rough burn in her throat was soothed. “Thank you. And, yes. My mother insisted I wear a corset because it is what women do these days.” Y/N harrumphed at that and Legolas laughed.

“Is your mother here?”

“No, she stayed with my father back home to work on our farm.”

“Then why not loosen it? Or lose it entirely?”

“You make it sound like disobeying a parent’s order is easy.”

“I know for a fact that it isn’t,” Legolas said firmly. “But doing what you desire is freeing. Even if it means just losing a corset.”

“Legolas! Y/N!” Aragorn and Arwen appeared at the end of the hallway before Y/N could say anything. “Dinner is in an hour.”

Y/N smiled and Arwen moved forward. “Let’s get you changed, my friend.”

Y/N let herself be dragged off to her friend’s chambers where Arwen searched through the wardrobe, stopping on a pale blue dress with an attached cape and gold ringlets at the shoulders.

“Perfect.”

Arwen braided Y/N’s hair in a signature elvish braid, pulling it back to reveal her perfectly round ears. “I sense Aragorn and I interrupted something between you and Legolas back in the main entryway.”

Y/N shook her head softly. “He just said something, is all.”

“You’ve got the furrow in your brow you always get when you think too hard. Did his words bother you? He is from Mirkwood. They don’t have the best manners.”

“No, not at all,” Y/N assured as they moved to the door. It was almost time for the birthday feast to begin. “He just said something…eye-opening.”

“An elf? Saying something wise? How odd.”

Y/N laughed as they approached the garden. Legolas, Seline, Aragorn, and red-bearded dwarf were waiting for them. The human and two elves had changed, and Aragorn now wore his signature crown. He looked like a king. Arwen left Y/N’s side to join her husband’s.

“What’s so funny?”

“Just your wife finally grasping human humour. She’s become quite good at it.”

Aragorn rolled his eyes. “Don’t remind me. Y/N, this is Gimli. I’ve told you about him.”

Y/N curtsied. “I have heard plenty about you. Pleasure to finally meet you.”

Gimli touched his heart like an elf would. “The pleasure is all mine, Milady.”

“Why do people keep saying that?”

Gimli stuttered. He was expecting a thank you, not an argument. “W-well…you look like a princess.”

Y/N glanced at Legolas from the corner of her eye in amusement. He was already staring at her. “People keep saying that too.”

Aragorn chuckled and the two humans shared a look. The other four looked between the two humans as their eyebrows furrowed and raised and, finally, Y/N stuck out her tongue childishly.

“Something is happening that I do not understand,” Gimli finally said.

Legolas, who did not take his eyes off the two, said, “Me neither.”

“Shall we go in?” Aragorn said. “The little ones are already inside.”

“You mean the Hobbits you always talk about in your letters? Y/N asked eagerly.

Aragorn chuckled. “Yes. I will introduce you.”

“May I escort you to our table’ Milady?”

Y/N smiled at Gimli and nodded, slipping her hand around his upper bicep. Legolas and Seline followed behind them. The vines parted to reveal a garden from a fairytale. People were chatting loudly and small children ran around their parents’ feet. Ahead, four small men were already seated at the head table and turned to see them arrive.

“Legolas! Gimli!”

Y/N moved away so that the six could rejoice, looking for her place at the table. Her name was written in beautiful Elven cursive and knew Arwen had written it. Her name was between Legolas’ and Aragorn’s and she felt comfort in that. Though she wasn’t sure why Legolas’ proximity had an effect on her. Y/N moved to walk around the garden, examining all the details that had been considered for Aragorn’s ninetieth birthday.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Y/N turned to see Legolas had approached her. She was standing by the wall of well-wishes, where guests wrote notes for the birthday boy.

“Yes. Arwen did a wonderful job of combining both human and Elvish customs. I’m sure Aragorn will be quite overjoyed when they finally come in.”

“May I escort you back to our table?”

Y/N stared at Legolas’ outreached arm, waiting for her take it as she took Gimli’s. “I was under the impression that Elves did not touch people outside their loved ones?”

“You are correct,” Legolas smiled humbly. “But humans do. Besides, I spent plenty of time with the Hobbits, Gimli, and Aragorn while fighting Sauron. I do not stick as strictly to Elven customs as I once did.”

Y/N smiled. “In that case,” she wrapped her arm around Legolas’ bicep. “I would love to be escorted. Perhaps…we could dance later too?”

“Mirkwood elves don’t really dance,” Legolas admitted. “But a few years back Gimli introduced me to drinking games. I’m quite good at those.”

Y/N laughed. “I’ll take your word for it and pass on that offer. I’ve heard elves cheat at them. But we could sit and talk.” They were at the table now. “Arwen and Aragorn have told me all about Rivendell but I know very little of Mirkwood.”

Legolas bowed. “You have an accord.”

The night was filled with laughter, spilt ale, and dancing. Pippin and Merry had been up on a random table for the past thirty minutes, singing as their mugs of ale were continuously filled.

Nyx’s stomach hurt from laughing so long and hard and was grateful her dress didn’t have a corset. Her lungs began to ache and she reached for a goblet of water in hopes of staying the oncoming coughing fit.

“You should try marshmallow root,” said Legolas suddenly. He and Y/N were the only two at the table, retelling stories of their past and laughing at their friends. “It will not heal your lungs, but it will soothe your throat.”

“Does nothing get past your eyes?”

“Well,” Legolas smiled. “Elves do have excellent eyesight.”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “I see you’re catching on to human humour as well. Do you know any jokes of ours?”

Legolas smiled. “Gimli once told me one. Are you ready? Okay. What hangs at a man’s thigh and wants to poke the hole it’s poked before? And I’ll give you a hint. It is not what you think it is.”

Y/N squinted. “It’s a dwarf joke? The answer must be inappropriate somehow.”

“I can assure you it is not.”

“What is it then?”

“A key.”

Y/N laughed, though she found it be less funny and more of a riddle. She did not want to hurt Legolas’ feelings.

“Now tell me something about your culture. Humans never cease to amaze me.”

“What do you want to know?”

“You commented on how elves treat loved ones. I know Aragorn is human but he was raised in Rivendell. What are your customs?”

“My father always kisses my mother on the cheek. And whenever either of them leaves the house, they tell the other they love them. And my mother often falls asleep on my father in sitting room when he reads.”

“Was he boring?”

“What?”

“She fell asleep on him when he read. Was he boring?”

Y/N laughed. “No, not at all. He was very good at telling stories, actually. And my mother always says that falling asleep on his shoulder is when she gets the best sleep. Because she’s close to him.”

“How is that comfortable? How does that even work?” Legolas laughed. Y/N could see he was trying to imagine it in his head.

“Like this.” Carefully, so as not to cross too many of Legolas’ boundaries, she moved closer to Legolas and slouched in her seat, gently resting her head on his shoulder. “And my father would read chapter after chapter. Tell story after story. And my mother would fall asleep on his shoulder and I would fall asleep in front of the fireplace.”

Legolas smiled, watching his friends dance together as a beautiful girl rested on his shoulder. “I understand now. This is nice.”

“So nice I may not move,” Y/N joked.

Legolas touched Y/N’s hand beneath the round table. “So don’t.”

#romance #love #legolas #legolas imagine #legolas greenleaf #legolas greenleaf imagine #lotr #lotr imagine #lord of the rings #lord of the rings imagine #orlando bloom #orlando #bloom #orlando bloom imagine

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jazzistolkienfanfics · 4 years

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Beads and Braids - Kili x reader

Type: Imagine Pairing: Kili x reader Summary: post BOTFA, everyone lives!AU, in which Y/N, a girl from Rohan seeking shelter in Erebor, befriends the Princes, and the mischievous Kili needs better ways of confessing his feelings. Warnings: ‘fuck’, ‘shit’ Word Count: 2735

All italicised, non-English words are in Khuzdul, one of the main Dwarvish languages.

Y/N was no stranger to being alone, nor was she unused to being unusual. Being on the run from a dangerous league of hunter assassins that were sweeping through her hometown of Rohan, spending months trying to reach Erebor, the Mountain of Gold, then arriving only to be turned away, had taught her not to care too much about loneliness.

Sure, she’d been allowed in eventually, after she’d insisted to the stingy King Thorin Oakenshield that she had ‘absolutely no fucking interest in your goddamn gold’, but the reminder that she wasn’t wanted in Erebor still stung dully day after day, even as she attempted to bury the emotion beneath layers of stone.

Although, she was no longer completely shunned while in Erebor. The first few weeks had been difficult, especially as she was at least eight inches taller than everyone else, even as a relatively short human - Y/N was surrounded by Dwarves, and it was a transformative experience (she enjoyed being tall for a change).

But as time went on, the Dwarves became far more accepting - mostly because when Bard visited with his children, Sigrid and Tilda (who was the reason they were there, to say hello to the ‘lucky Dwarves from the toilet’, namely Dwalin, her favourite) and saw her, he spouted a whole speech on the helpfulness of humans in the Battle of the Five Armies, especially how a number of them had charged Azog’s numbers, saving the line of Durin. That made Thorin begrudgingly become kinder to her.

Y/N spent most of her days outside the cold fortress, reading old books on Dwarven culture and their previous interrelations with other relations on the ramparts or the grasses below the Mountain. It was on one of such days that she ran into someone who would change her life.

Well, Y/N didn’t run into him.

He really ran into her.

Y/N had been sitting on the ramparts, her legs swinging over the side and continually tucking her h/c hair behind her ears as the wind blew it into her face. A large book with a f/c leather cover that had stood out to her in the towering shelves of the Library was sitting in her lap, gold-leaf lettering across the front of it boldly proclaiming ‘A History of the Honourable Line of Durin’. She’d been told by Balin (a frequenter of the Library) that it was updated often with the latest triumphs of the youngest of the Line of Durin: Thorin, Fili and Kili, the Royals Under the Mountain.

Y/N wouldn’t lie, she was mostly reading it to make fun Thorin, but then again, history was interesting.

She looked up from a particularly hilarious passage about Thorin’s ‘incredible bravery and innumerable acts of service to the Throne of Erebor’ at the harsh cry of a raven. It circled around her, cawing enthusiastically with something less akin to malevolence and more to happiness in its black eyes, before flying off.

Y/N had been smiling but she frowned when she realised that the raven was not flying towards Erebor, as most did, but away from it.

Then it had to be flying away from something … Y/N connected the dots just as the door to the battlements whipped open and something slammed into her back just as she was turning around, knocking her off the ramparts.

She screamed loudly, looking at the ground beneath her and envisioning the fifty different ways she would splatter all over it.

A hand encased in a brown glove but for the fingers suddenly swung into her view, catching ahold of hers in a startlingly tight grip.

Y/N looked up, seeing a Dwarvish face that was at once familiar and entirely seperate from her small existence in Erebor, and she couldn’t put a name to him.

His brown hair reached just past his shoulders, and was not braided. Paired with his beardless, kinda attractive face (stubble did not count in Y/N’s eyes), Y/N reached the conclusion that he was still young, definitely under 100.

He was holding onto her with one of his hands and his other was held by a blonde Dwarf with much more facial hair than the former and a messy blonde mane like a lion who stood behind the battlements where she had been sitting prior to being knocked off by (presumably) one of the two.

Y/N was very impressed that the Dwarf was holding her up with one hand, as she was at least more than half a foot taller than him, but she had no energy to be focused on that emotion beyond the hot fear coursing through her veins.

“Oi! Pull!” the brown-haired Dwarf yelled, and the blonde did so, clenching his teeth and heaving, until all three of them were safe on the ramparts.

“I am so sorry for my brother’s clumsiness, Miss Y/N!” the bearded, seemingly older Dwarf apologised.

“Itkit! (Shut up!)” the younger brother hissed, giving the blonde a scathing glare. “But I do apologise, Lady Y/N.” He emphasised the title he gave her, though it was definitely not one she actually possessed.

“I’m sorry,” Y/N replied to the two enthusiastic Dwarves with confusion etched all over her face. Here they were, having knocked her off the side of a fucking Castle, calling her ‘Lady’ and apparently knowing her name when she could not match a name to either of their faces. “How do you know my name? Do I know you?”

“Oh, that’s right,” the brunette said thoughtfully, turning to his brother. “Uncle Thorin said she was new.”

“He also said she was a-”

“Oh Mahal, shut up! How many languages do I have to say that in?”

Uncle Thorin? Oh shit ....

“Anyway. Prince Fili-”

“-and Prince Kili-”

“At your service!” they both chimed, bowing low in unison and springing back up with wide grins that made them seem a lot younger than they probably were.

“Fuck...” Y/N muttered under her breath, curtseying as low as she could. “My Princes, I apologise-”

Her embarrassed apology was cut short with a squeak flying from her mouth as she was yet again jerked up by Kili, who brushed off her f/c dress that was dirty from falling off the ramparts.

“Lady Y/N, you needn’t apologise; it is technically my fault for knocking you off the walls of Erebor!”

“Then you needn’t call me Lady Y/N,” the girl retorted, almost instantly regretting the familiarity with a royal figure, but also proud when Kili gave a loud laugh and wide smile. “I’m just Y/N.”

“Alright then, Just Y/N,” Kili teased, wiggling his eyebrows and taking her hand, kissing it gently. “On behalf of the Prince of Erebor-”

“-Princes, you little shit,” Fili interrupted, casually spinning a knife on his fingers.

“... Princes of Erebor,” Kili rolled his eyes. “Welcome, new friend.”

---

“You two are unbelievable,” Y/N complained, though a wide smile was affixed on her face.

“We know,” Fili and Kili replied, both still covered in flour from when they’d begun to throw it like snowballs in the middle of baking with her.

“Well, at least we salvaged-” Y/N cut herself off as she took the cake out of the oven. “Mahal. What is that?”

The cake was less a cake, and more a complete mess. Half of it looked gooey and porous, and the other half burnt. Y/N just turned to the brothers, raising an eyebrow.

They eyed each other too, shuffling their feet.

Y/N sighed. “This is why we don’t have food fights in the kitchen, guys.”

Fili and Kili had the decency to look a little sheepish as Y/N turned to dump the mess in the bin. As she did so, she glanced out the window and flinched.

“Shit! I’m meant to meet Bard soon - it’s a meeting of great importance. And I’m not ready, there is flour everywhere, my hair is a mess-”

“Well, we can handle at least one of those things,” Kili told Y/N, lightly pushing her into a chair, his hands clean of flour now. “I know a really good hairstyle for special occasions - our mother used to wear it.”

He began to run his fingers through her hair, gently untangling the knots with a brush Fili gave him (honestly, how much did that Dwarf have in his coat?) and braiding it. Y/N closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his hands in her hair and its soothingness. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, flushing red.

Was she falling for the Prince of Erebor?

No, surely not. After all, he was a dwarf, and she a human: a human the King of Erebor didn’t exactly have a partiality towards. It would never work out.

That doesn’t mean feelings just stop, dumbass. Y/N’s brain reasoned. She rolled her eyes at herself.

“Alright, it’s done! And Fili and I will clean up the kitchen,” Kili announced, pulling her up and lightly dusting off her f/c dress, careful to avoid any areas it was improper to touch, a small hint of pink on his cheeks as he did so. Y/N pulled some of her hair around her shoulders - Kili had done several braids amongst her loose hair, most of them tied with black bands but one with a beautiful bead in it that she didn’t get a proper look at.

(A/N - imagine this hairstyle, but only one bead, and that bead has lots of jewels all in different colours)

“We’ll clean up what?” Fili protested. Kili smirked, pushing her out the door.

“We’ll see you later, Y/N!”

---

Y/N ran as fast as she could, considering her annoyingly impractical skirt, and she finally skidded to a stop in the snow outside the great doors, taking in who was there.

Bard bowed his head in greeting, his eldest daughter, Sigrid by his side. (Y/N had thought she had heard faint giggles from inside, meaning Tilda was hanging out with Dwalin again), Thorin stood impatiently, leaning on his sword, and next to him, keeping a petty distance was …

“My lord Thranduil,” Y/N bowed, having also read all about the infamously glamorous Elvenking of Mirkwood. “I apologise for my tardiness.”

“You are on time, Y/N,” Bard said, giving Thorin a side-eye. The damages of the Battle of the Five Armies went far beyond death.

Thorin chose to sit on a ledge that a) placed him higher than all of those present and b) allowed him to rest. Recovering from being impaled by the Pale Orc was a lengthy process, and one still far from finishing.

“What is the importance of this meeting?” Y/N asked, eager to go back to her chambers and think on the startling discoveries she’d made on what her heart told her about Kili Durin.

“The purpose, Y/N, is for this …”

---

After the meeting, Y/N went to leave, but Thorin called her name, stopping her.

“Yes, my King?”

He reached for one of the braids Kili had put in her hair, smiling kinder than she had ever seen him do so.

“Kili’s bead. So you have not tamed the Lion, but you have chosen the Fox. Loyal, yet cheeky and sweet.”

Y/N opened her mouth, confused, but Thorin kept speaking.

“I congratulate you on your courtship, Y/N. I wish you much love and happiness.”

“My King, I’m sorry, but I am not courting-”

He swept off in a majestic swirl of furs, leaving Y/N with a finger raised and her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion.

“Courting?” she wondered aloud. “What in Middle-Earth ...”

Suddenly, she recalled Thorin’s observation of ‘Kili’s bead’, and she pulled her hair in front of her face, scanning it for the singular, beautiful silver bead, with its nine differently-coloured gemstones, and some vague thought buried in the back of her brain called to her.

“That Dwarf ...” Y/N cursed colourfully, tossing her hair over her shoulder, picking up her skirts and running as fast as she could to the most familiar area of Erebor.

The Library. Shelves upon shelves, thousands stretching out further than Y/N could see from the entrance. She raced for the section on Dwarvish customs, pulling a dusty red tome titled ‘Dwarves and Their Secrets - The Rites and Customs of Their Culture’ and flipping through it, coughing as swirls of dust swam into the air.

Finding the page she was after, she slammed the open book onto a nearby table, running her finger down the page as her h/c hair fell in her face.

“That little fuck,” Y/N hissed, closing the book with a slam and sliding down one of the shelves until she sat on the floor, her arms curled around her knees, her face hidden from the world and vice verse by her h/l hair.

“So you found out,” a meek voice said, prompting Y/N to lift her head as Kili sat next to her.

“You bet your non-existent beard I did,” Y/N grumbled.

“I’m sorry,” Kili mumbled, burying his face in his hands, which were large, the same size as yours. “I didn’t know how to tell you that I liked you. I chose the coward’s way out.”

“I can understand that,” Y/N admitted. “Although telling everyone that why were courting via my hairstyle was not the smartest way of going about it.”

“Well, technically, your hairstyle doesn’t say you are dating. (A/N: this part here is completely made up) These braids in this style, paired with the loose hair actually means unrequited love. And seeing as I did your hair, and I have a matching braid-” he briefly pushed his hair behind his ear, pulling on a small braid, that was, indeed matching, even with a simpler version of the bead, with only two gems. “-it basically tells everyone that I have a crush on you. Uncle Thorin just misunderstood because he only looked at the bead, which he knows I own.”

“What do the gems mean?” Y/N asked, knowing she was avoiding the topic of Kili’s love for her and her possible love for him, but too afraid to cross that bridge.

Kili smiled nervously, already flushing from what he anticipated Y/N’s reaction to be, and he pulled the bead from her hair, pointing to each gem as he explained their meaning.

“The white one with the blue sheen - moonstone. It means patience, like how I am willing to wait for you. This pink one is morganite. It symbolises divine love and prosperity. These two are the ones that I have in my matching bead.” And Y/N saw that this was indeed true.

“The red ruby, which symbolises passion.” Kili’s cheeks looked as red as the jewel as he hurriedly moved on. “An emerald, green, which is fertility. Not only in children, but fertility in the soil that grows the flowers of success. Old wive’s tale. The purple one’s an opal - which is for emotional purity. It’s meant to guard against jealousy and anger. The garnet and the citrine - orange and the yellow - both stand for protection, though the citrine also provides prosperity and success.”

Y/N was completely entranced by his knowledge of the gems, even as he came to the last few.

“This pastel blue one is for fidelity, although I don’t think you need that, you have loads of it.” Y/N and Kili laughed together, and Kili fixed the bead back in her hair.

“Wait! You didn’t explain the last one!” Y/N protested, eager to hear more.

Kili stopped, smiling. “Oh. That’s a sapphire, which means trust, like how I’m trusting you with my heart. But I put it in there because it’s the exact colour of your eyes.”

Y/N was so touched by this last one, that he trusted her with his heart, even after she heard that it had been broken by the death of the Mirkwood elleth, Tauriel, that she threw her arms around him, squeezing him tight. On the floor, they were a similar height, and he hugged her back lightly.

“You know, Kili of the Line of Durin,” Y/N said teasingly as her arms lingered around his neck, though she pulled back so she could look him in the eye. “I think I need to thank you for the bead and the braids, because you made me realise something.”

“What?” Kili breathed.

“I realised I’m kinda in love with you.”

And hidden in the endless shelves of the library, Y/N kissed him, right there and then.

Hi there guys! I’ll be putting up a dialogue prompts request list soon for you to request UP TO THREE numbers.

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to heart this imagine, give me a follow and/or request (it makes my day so much!).

#kilixreader #xreader #kili #thehobbit #thehobbitxreader #you #x reader #kili x reader #the hobbit #imagine

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tarithenurse · 4 years

Text

Stolen - 21

Pairing: Loki Laufeyson &/x fem!gifted!reader Content: “Getting the most of it”, jealousy. Oh...and smidgen of smuttiness. A/N: After 2 night shifts from hell I finally got time to write a bit again. Ask or reblog for tag ;)

21. A Place in the Dirt

... Reader ...

If you had had any hope of getting off the hook lightly on your first day in Asgard...well, those hopes have been crushed, ground into dust, mixed with oil and pigment, and painted onto the wall to spell out the words ‘HA HA’.

Loki had given you all of half an hour to chill and explore the room – surprisingly granting you ownership of the gorgeous suite and the fairy tale-esque bed – however his return had brought a storm of preparations. Maids and tailors (he called them seamstresses) had flocked around you, insisting to prepare a bath for you (as if you weren’t capable of that yourself) after having taken your measurements and tested a gazillion different fabrics while you stood like a mannequin until your body hurt. Admittedly, the bath had been worth it, but you weren’t gonna tell the schemer that when you’d appeared from the bathroom in a cloud of steam.

Allowing a maid to usher you behind a screen, Loki had busied himself with a servant – a good thing too as you were afraid getting physically near him would ruin you and the cleanliness. Still, you were happy for the help as the clothes presented to you were new, styled to match what you had seen the Asgardian noblewomen wearing earlier. Several layers of gossamer-thin silk in greens and sandy colours were almost magically draped across your shoulders, tugged and crossed into a smooth, shimmering haze before the piece-de-resistance was applied: it looked like a bodice of metal scales, the coppery kites woven together unseen without desisting the subtlety of any other thick fabric.

“Lady [Y/N], it is hard to believe you are not Asgardian,” a blond man greets you, breaking the dreamlike (or nightmarish) state you’re in.

Smiling politely, you recall he has been hanging out with a small group during the beginning of the feast. With a woman on each arm, the Asgardian has been drinking and laughing with a bear of a guy with red hair and a beard befitting a Tolkien dwarf (he even has roughly the same shape and table manners as one); at least the second friend – although short of words – knows how to behave himself in court if Loki's directions are to be believed: his face is happy and eyes sharp, never stopping the careful watch of everyone in the room. You don't mind when he looks your way because he will move the gaze to the next person soon enough. The woman, however...brilliant eyes have taken in your every twitch even after Frigga officially welcomed you, explaining to the court how the plan was for you to be tutored by the queen herself. Sif. Apparently, she's quite a warrior and still, she isn't coming to save you now.

"Thank you."

Rather than leaving you alone again the blond sits down, grabbing a glass of golden liquid from a tray of a passing servant and taking a sip. Eyes the colour of forget-me-nots twinkle over the brim.

"Please indulge my curiosity, fair lady." With that melodious voice you might forgive him everything. "How come you travel alone? Save for a single servant..."

You know the answer because it's been drilled in it by Loki: “Travelling without an agenda set in stone, it would be presumptuous and unkind to any host if I arrived with the customary retinue. My servant, as you call him, may not attend precisely the same tasks as a maid...but his allegiance is unwavering. I trust him with my life.”

Brows half cocked, the man next to you drains the glass lazily only to signal for more. The tip of his tongue wipes the last drop of his lips, eye contact unbroken. A shiver runs down your spine and you’re not entire sure it’s the good kind even if there’s an inkling of admiration for his confidence. Player.

“If ever you find yourself in need of...other company,” the man leers, “you can always come to me.” Two full glasses are set between the two of you and he immediately scoots one towards you. “I am Fandral, of the Warriors Three. At your service, m’lady.”

Simply raising your glass in return, you decide life will be a lot nicer with some friends around especially with Loki’s recent teasing. And either way, what harm can a polite gesture do?

...

Someone stop the floor. Your entire world seems to tilt and spin as you walk down the grand hallways – not uncomfortably so, just enough that keeping on a straight path requires more concentration than you’re willing to spend at the moment when you’d much rather enjoy the warm buzz in your body.

“The floor’s steady, silly pet,” a cool voice admonishes beside you, “I told you not to drink the mead.”

Turning to face Loki, his face bobs in and out of focus until something cool readjusts it’s grasp on you. Some sort of answer is brewing in your brain, but it’s not quite ready yet, it seems, and so you let him lead you the rest of the way to your room.

Aha! “Buttit tastsss good! And Fandang...Fanran...Fannnn-”

“Fandral.” With a sigh, Loki plops you onto the huge bed.

“Tha’s’e’one!”

For a moment the trail of thought escapes you while you wiggle around the soft, bouncy surface in an attempt to figure out the method to get out of the bodice. When your companion swats away your hands, you hum with delight at the delicate touch freeing you. Yay! Cool down.

As the feast had progressed and your new, blond friend had coaxed the glass of mead into you (an easy feat considering the deliciousness) your body had begun to heat up, making you miss Loki’s soothing temperatures.

Shrugging off the layers draped over your body, the air is like a balm. “Orh, that’s be’er.”

... Loki ...

Nothing but a delicate shift shields [Y/N]’s curves, the silk still unable to hide the darker nipples puckering as she throws herself back into the pillows with a delighted groan. If only...Loki’s imagination grants him flashes of scenes where each sound falling from the woman’s lips are a testimony to the bliss granted by him. Shifting to ease the discomfort brought on by too confining trousers, the Jotun allows his hands to move slowly as they pull the covers over the Midgardian’s body.

“Sleep now, I’ll open the balcony door to let the cool air in.”

It’s a simple order and [Y/N]’s eyes are already closing, still she manages to capture one of his hands and lead it to her forehead. “This works too.”

He can’t pull back, only stare and try to breathe evenly as the woman guides his hand as though it’s a cool cloth. Along the jaw, down the throat to send shivers racing towards the hairline at the neck. Knuckles brush delicately back and forth over the clavicles before she allows his palm to flatten over the upper sternum – the heartbeat beneath strong and rapid – only to drag further until nestled between her breasts while the silk is pulled taught by his wrist.

I...not like this. Snagging the hand back, Loki ignores the whimpers and turns away to discreetly readjust the painful tightness of leather again.

...

Lying in the darkness of the servant’s room, he can still smell the dampness of [Y/N]’s skin on his hand and the memory of soft heat guides that very same hand’s strokes upwards, twists, and down again in the hopes of relieving some of the tension and frustration that have build up within.

A flicker of magic, and a rendering of her face glows dimly, smiling softly at Loki as he ups the tempo. Though the heat is lacking, at least he can mimic the tight hold she would have on him as he thrusts into the fist repeatedly. Although wavering, more of her body appears, completing the recollection of the sight of [Y/N] splayed on the fourposter. The god’s breath hitch and his hips stutter, but the euphoria only lasts mere seconds before the unquenchable need returns. Sweet doom. There is a way to sate the hunger, but it has to be done right or not at all.

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blankdblank · 4 years

Text

Next Caller Pt 32

Dwalin grumbled asking Dis once in the hall as Bilbo readied Frodo for breakfast, “Whose great idea was it to bunk the lovebirds together? Up till we had Frodo Gran was hesitant on bunking me with Bilbo.”

Frerin smirked saying as he joined the pair adjusting his pajama pants over the back of his slippers. “I might have mentioned something.”

Dwalin, “What could you have said?”

Frerin chuckled, “Oh come on, I’m the baby and I just want my big brother to be happy, and possibly have a chance to cuddle in a chilly room with the lady of his dreams.”

Dwalin chuckled and Dis said, “There it is. Wondered why they’d pick the teal room.” She looked around, “Where is Vili, he was supposed to fetch them.”

That had the group heading to the guest wing where in the hall crouched down with his phone in hand mid snorting laugh the blonde was found making Dwalin ask, “Vili?”

Dis unable to help but grin at his next snorting laugh in his try to straighten up on a knee asked, “What’s so funny?”

Again he laughed gesturing for the door leading to your shared room that Frerin opened and walked through. The lights were already on and mid snore the pile of comforter on top of Thorin’s back rose then fell again in his exhale. Clearly with the comforter missing from your bed it was clear what was curled in the mess of fabric. Chuckling himself Dwalin reached out to Thorin’s arm poking it making him grumble from under his pillow. “It’s still dark out.” He rumbled in Khuzdul.

Lifting the pillow Frerin said, “No it’s not, Rin. Get cold last night?”

Thorin rumbled, “There was no fire.” Shifting his arm only to notice your arm curled underneath it realizing it wasn’t one of the boys on his back.

Dwalin said, “Alright, I got the Mafioso.” Easing his arms carefully under the blanket burrito to move you back to your bed.

A grumble from you came in the minimal lift off Thorin’s backs only making the Dwarf grumble, “Hold on,” Dwalin paused seeing the awkward tilt of Thorin’s head only to see the fingers his were trying to loosen in the shift of his arm, “She’s got my beard.” A simple slide of a finger under yours and the grip loosened allowing him to shift the braided strip of beard out of your grip, in his roll onto his side he watched Dwalin in his smirking path carrying you back to your bed in your curl in his arms closer to the warm chest.

Dwalin rumbled, “Well she wasn’t kidding that she ends up on top of her sleep partners. Even separate beds won’t stop her from winning.” Onto your bed he settled you down watching you grumble and your ball of covers coil up again making Dis sit down beside you and chuckle to herself in your wiggle closing the gap between you like a warmth seeking caterpillar.

Vili, finally having calmed down at the foot of his bed lifted the sticker sheet asking Thorin in his sitting up to rub his face, “What are these?”

Dwalin said, “Stickers of the Countess. She gave me one yesterday.”

Dis, “She mentioned she had a few sheets to give us.”

Frerin beside you, while Thorin grumbled his way crawling to his bag he pulled a shirt and some socks that he tugged on, rubbed his hand on what he guessed to be your back. “Breakfast.”

Sighing deeply you eased the comforter back exposing your head to glance between the duo around you and you asked, “Am I late?”

Dis chuckled shaking her head and you inhaled in a rub of your face while your legs stretched out shifting the blanket down more on the bed. Lowering your hands you sat up looking over everyone then looked to Thorin when he grabbed your socks on your case he passed to you. “Socks,” you whispered easing them on allowing the others a chance to see your bunny tattoo. “I don’t have to change?”

Frerin shook his head, “Come on, off to food.” You nodded and stood beside Dis when she rose looking at your mess of a bed making him say, “Don’t worry about the bed.”

Ushered out in a group you were glad that it seemed to get warmer the closer you got the dining hall. Joining the line of others at the buffet style for food you filled your plate with more being suggested for the encouraged seconds from Frerin. Thorin split off to make some tea with the others splitting up, your wake up had rippled around and while you set your plate down and Frerin settled your fruit bowl down beside his plate you spotted Mal in her own groggy spooning of sugar onto her grits Bilbo had brought her.

Lifting your knife to butter your pancakes from the tray on the table your head turned to Thorin in his pop up with two mugs of tea and a coffee for Frerin. Patting his brother on the back he turned for the food leaving you to focus on your own until you glanced up spotting Fili and Kili settling beside Mal grinning at you wider than usual, “Morning Auntie.”

Chewing your mouthful wondering what they were up to you gave them a quick wave seeing they were still holding to their nickname. Between them Mal nudged their arms only for the pair to lean in and whisper to her making her turn to you wide eyed. “What?”

Frerin said giving the grinning brothers a focused gaze, “Nothing. Don’t mind them.”

You nodded and shook your head lowering your gaze to the plate slicing off another piece to replace the one you had swallowed. Thorin returned and settled down starting to butter his own toast and pancakes looking to his Nephews in their stating, “Morning Uncle.”

“Morning,” he replied gruffly, “What did you break?”

“Nothing,” they replied.

“I don’t believe you.” He rumbled lifting his toast to bite into.

Dis settled down next with Mili, Tili and Gorgo next while Diaa and Niro settled beside their husbands with Niro flashing you a grin, “Good Morning Miss Pear.”

Swallowing your mouthful you grinned at the group, “Good Morning,” lowering your fork to lift your mug for a sip.

Diaa, “We were thinking of starting the day off with a hike if you’re up for it, we have some lovely grounds and we can swim after when the day warms up.”

“Sounds good, I like hikes.”

Niro grinned at you asking, “We hear your family lives in Lindon?” You nodded and she said, “After lunch we could bring out the pictures of our properties in the Blue Mountains to get your ideas on a venue.”

“Venue?”

You asked and Thorin rumbled out, “Gran?”

Dis lowered her mug glancing between you both then to Niro only for Diaa to ask, “Are there any specifications we would have to add for the reception to appease your clan?”

“I’m confused,” you said lowering your fork to your plate.

Thorin asked, “Amad, what reception?” His heart racing at wonder in what they were up to.

Niro chuckled at Fili and Kili saying, “For your wedding.”

“What?” You and Thorin both asked.

Kili lifted his glass saying, “Welcome to the clan Auntie.”

“I’m so confused,” you mumbled again.

Thorin grumbled out sensing your nerves spiking, “This isn’t funny.”

Fili, “You’re the one who got his beard tugged last night.”

Looking to Thorin you asked in a squeaking whisper, “What?”

Lowly he said, “You were on my back when I woke up, you were holding my beard.” He looked to them saying, “She was asleep!”

Thror stated, “Tradition must be honored.”

Dis and Frerin both said, “Gramps,”

Niro looked to Dwalin, who even in his current mouthful was trying to object while calling Balin over to help him argue. Niro said, “It is either wedlock or cohabitation. In the least you will live together and we can touch on the topic of venues later.” Her grin inched out again causing yours to inch out mirroring hers out of nerves, “Still, after the pool, pictures galore. Surely we will have a location to suit your preference and our needs.”

Reaching for your tea you took a sip and glanced at Mal giving you a silent empathetic gaze while Thorin fell silent stealing glances your way while you tried to register all this. Focusing on the food while Tili changed the subject trying to add things that could distract you all after swimming while Frerin thought on how he could fix the mess he caused with his meddling. On your feet when your food was done you stacked your dishes and glanced at Thorin in his low rumble of, “We leave them in the carts by the door.” You nodded and followed him to the carts, stepping up to his side in his waiting pause for you to do so.

Quietly to the room again you went concerning Thorin for what you were thinking but once you were alone in your room you sighed sitting down on your bed saying when he looked at you after closing the door. “I’m so sorry.”

“You didn’t do anything, my family blindsided you out there.”

“But I did something! I grabbed your beard! Ugh!” his brows shot up as you grabbed your pillow to hold over your face as you plopped back on the bed, “Mal told me not to touch your hair.”

With a sigh he moved to sit beside you, curling his leg to lay in front of him so he could look at you, “You were asleep.” Pulling the pillow from your grip he said, “It wasn’t intentional.”

“She never said married. She just said don’t touch hair, turning you into a giant red button not to press!” Making him smirk, “And I fell asleep and went and pressed it. Now we’re planning a wedding reception.” Your hands moved to rub your face, “Naneth is going-,”

“We are not planning a wedding,”

“Right, we have to get you moved in first.”

“We’re not doing that either. You are not going to be forced into this.”

Lowering your hands you looked at him asking, “I’m not having you turn into a donkey because of me.”

Chuckling to himself he replied, “I will into turn into a donkey.”

Sitting up you shifted to face him crossing your legs in front of you easing out a ghost of a grin from him, “Oh really, then what happens if we don’t get married or cohabitate?”

Sharply he inhaled then replied, “I lose my hair,” your brows inched up, “All of it. And my children will be bald.”

“Seriously? You are not going bald because of me. Or having bald babies! You’re moving in.”

“I-,”

“I suppose I can change the white and orange room,”

“I am not disturbing your plans, you’ve spent so long perfecting them.” Hastily he wet his lips, “What about the spare room back by your storage rooms? It’s roughly the same size as my room at my apartment now.”

You nodded and said, “I guess we could talk to the Bombairns while we’re here for them to paint it for you. And I’ll let you tell Roac.”

His hand reached out to pat your leg, “For now, focus on the hike we can think about all that later.”

“Right, hike, jeans or shorts?” His brow inched up, “I’m short, is there stuff I’ll have to climb over? A chance to scuff my legs?”

The thought making the corner of his mouth quirk up in amusement at the adorable thought, “No, there is a bit of tall grass in places.”

“Jeans it is,” You pointed at the bath, “Did you?”

He shook his head, “You can go first.”

You nodded and said in easing off the bed and walking to your case, “Don’t worry, I’ll sleep in the closet so I don’t end up breaking any more traditions.”

“One, we have no closet,” he said easing across your bed to get to his own suitcase, “Two, you did not break tradition.”

“Tub then, and yes I did,” you said carrying your toiletries bag, jeans and flannel with your shoes to the bath.

“No you’re not, and you didn’t.” Behind the closed door he pulled off his shorts and watched the door to change his briefs and tug on his jeans hastily. Keeping his same t shirt on he added his belt before sitting to add his boots listening to you brushing your teeth. Once again he reached over to admire your stickers. It was sudden and not the way he wanted it to happen, but he couldn’t help but be excited in knowing that you had accepted his being hoisted into your home. The room you had agreed to also wasn’t too far from yours, just a hall away across from the blue and orange room and would be plenty spacious for him and Roac until Dot would allow him to stay full time in the greenhouse.

Into his bag he reached to pull out his comb to smooth through his hair after his hand had reached up to stroke his beard. When the door had opened again he had tied his hair into a ponytail and brought out his toiletries bag to brush his teeth while you added your things back to your bag. Once he was back you both headed out to join the others going on the hike pocketing your phones. A tug on his arm however had him pulled to his relatives and you hurried along to catch up with Mal, whom you poked in the side, whispering, “Married? You should have said touching hair meant married!”

Harshly she whispered back, “Hair is different than the beard and you never said you were thinking about tugging on his beard!”

“I was asleep!” Her mouth dropped open, “Now when we get back he’s gonna move in and if he doesn’t then he’s gonna lose all his hair and his babies would be bald. First Donkey days now this!” Unable to help it Mal chortled and you crossed your arms, “I blame you for this, telling me not to, didn’t event think of it at first then I get cold and I wake up hearing I tugged on his beard.”

“Oh yes, my fault, cuz I put you in a room encouraging cuddling,”

“Was your room cold? It got so cold.”

“No, we had a fireplace.”

“Ugh, we don’t have a fireplace. Don’t even have a closet.”

“Oh that’s not good. So, which swimsuit did you pick?”

You shrugged, “Maybe the one piece since the elders will be there.”

“Right-,”

“Auntie!” Your lips pursed hearing the brothers racing up behind the pair of you, around you they folded in a quick hug then draped around Mal, “Hello our lovely one.”

“Really?” you asked making the duo look at you, “You had to do the toast?”

Fili, “Trust me, if we hadn’t Great Gramps was going to do a big speech to the whole clan. Now it’s just the closest,”

Turning your head you pointed asking Mal, “Isn’t that BamBam?” Seeing a red haired Dwarf holding the boar he was helping onto his walker beside a giant Mortar Boar.

Mal replied, “Ya, that’s Dain and Truffles, managed to work things out so he could fly her out to bond with BamBam. Just a couple weeks now by the scans.”

“Hmm, don’t know why I expected someone more, intimidating.”

Mal giggled as Kili said, “Oh just wait till he’s away from Truffles, scowl for days.”

Fili, “Absolutely thrilled for them to have the weekend together out here.”

Off to the side in the middle of the courtyard you spotted Dis, who walked over to you making you pause while the trio continued on. “I did not think it would ripple out like that.”

You shook your head, “Don’t worry, Thorin’s picked the back room across from mine and the blue/orange room so don’t worry about him and his babies being bald.”

Tili giggled and asked, “He told you the consequences?”

“Well I assumed it would be another he gets turned into a donkey situation, not being doomed to be an unfuzzy Dwarf. He clarified things.”

Dis fought her smirk to say, “Well we will try to keep any more ambushes to a minimum.”

“Uh huh, hard to imagine anyone in your family skimping on chances to ambush.”

Your playful tone earned a playful smirk your way from the group only for you to turn your head seeing Diaa waving to you, “Miss Pear, you are here, lovely.”

With a hand on your back Tili said, “We’re here for you.” Joining you with Mili after a wave to Dis, who was remaining close to the house while Frerin trotted out to catch up to you. Not far along the path the tour had begun and passing a tree literally into your back Thorin bumped after being nudged back closer to you from another elder luring his hand to your side to keep from knocking you over.

Stories seemed to blend out and a few dew instigated slips had him keeping close though the sudden pop up of ravens from the tall grass had you bumping into his chest gripping his shirt. A few quick dying shrieks came from the others at least comforting you that you weren’t alone. Gently he rubbed your back saying, “It’s part of their games. Don’t worry, no more surprises.”

“You know everyone keeps promising no more surprises, but that’s the thing about surprises you know.” Making him roll his eyes as you continued on missing the grins of his relatives seeing the pair of you so close together.

A few chosen stops along the way and you were feeling the humidity of the day kicking in calling for a shower or to give their mysterious pool situation a shot. Right back to the house you went confirming to the other females that you were swimming. Perhaps a bit anxiously you waited for Thorin to change and when he came back he asked, “Did you want me to wait for you?”

You shook your head, “You don’t have to.”

“Do you know where you’re going?” He hummed out playfully.

“No.” you replied haltingly.

He chuckled and nodded saying, “I’ll wait.” Sitting on the end of your remade bed, “Take your time.”

With a nod you went into the bath and started to undress before wiggling into your black lace accented one piece. Over that you added a small wrap just barely reaching the middle of your thigh with the knotted side showing off more of that leg. A quick adjustment of your bust and you turned confirming that your backside was covered acceptably, a perfect hug of your curves without anything scandalous to your view and out you went. Over you Thorin’s eyes scanned while you added your things back to your suitcase and walked to his side eyeing his deep blue almost black skin tight short short style trunks, a style matching those on most of the younger Dwarves you saw along the way with them growing longer as they grew older. Through the lace the glimmer of your piercings could be spotted by those knowing to look confirming that what they saw the night before was on you.

Just past another lounge filled with random elders sipping on cool drinks waiting for others for cards or games you spotted Mal coming from another hall in front of you off a set of steps to who knows where. In her blue polka dotted one piece with wrap in hand she came into view of her suitors who in their awed path to her had neglected to realize led straight into the pool they dropped into. “Thorin, where is the air pump?”

Flashing him a grin you said, “Pool that way, I’m good. See you there.”

He nodded saying, “Shouldn’t take long.” Turning from you granting you a chance to quickly take in the back of your future roommate. Looking forward again you crossed the room and entered the sunlit hall with glass doors wide open, the endless pool wrapping around the corner of the building to who knows how far. You followed the hall passing where the boys had climbed out of the pool dripping wet to greet giggling Mal, behind them the clearly set up water game court sections for their planned volleyball game. Lazy river pathways flowed behind that and just past the waterfall arch separating the lounging pool for the adult Dwarves came the kiddie pools shallower with slides. Out of nowhere a group of bodies crashing into the waters followed by shrieks and water thrashing had your breath catching in your throat.

Closing your eyes you tried to center yourself from the instant burn in your scarred shoulder and turning from the water to follow the hall hoping to find a corner to sit down in. Increasingly hard your breaths deepened and when your eyes opened you spotted the staircase Mal must have come from. You knew where you were but in the midst of your body beginning to tremble eyes fell on your back in the easing of your fingers up over the side of your neck. Out of sight from the lounge you passed into the nook at the base of the steps and when Oin was seen hurrying down the hall Thorin’s mouth eased open when he saw you sitting on the bottom of the steps clearly trying to catch your breath. Closing your eyes your fingers trailed along your neck in the sideways tilt of your head. An old trick you had learned on a way of re-centering yourself in studies on past traumas.

Following the pressure points to press on your brows furrowed feeling the slow release of your nerves that had been rising all morning since breakfast. Beside you in the approach of another person you kept your eyes closed hearing Oin’s voice saying softly realizing what you were trying to do. “Just going to tilt you a hair more,” his fingertips pressing to your chin and the top of your head shifting your neck into an awkward arch that Dis and Vili from the top of the steps caught and waited quietly. A few moments he held you in the position allowing your fingertips to move an inch higher instantly releasing your nerves fully dropping the memory your body was dragging you back through. In the opening of your eyes he guided your head back grinning at you softly offering his hand for your hand resting on your lap.

Lifting it you laid yours on it face up only for him to gently turn it over, “Hectic morning.”

Weakly you chuckled in his thumb on his free hand tracing the back of yours, “What could possibly be hectic about forcing a guy in your sleep to either live with or marry you?”

“There is tension lingering in your shoulder, after lunch if you wouldn’t mind I could try to aid you through it. Leaving this could only get worse out of familiar locations.”

“Alright. Might help.”

Patting his hand over the back of yours he said, “Up you get.” Easily you were on your feet and in seeing you up again Thorin, already halfway down the hall to you slowed his pace seeing you were fairly calm again. Behind you the couple started to come down and while Oin slipped away he said, “I will find you after lunch.”

You nodded then looked to Thorin flashing him a grin, “Hey,” In his glance at the pool of children that clearly set you off you said, “I’m ok, have some jitters occasionally with rough water.”

His eyes landed on you again and he asked, “Why don’t we get you in the lounging pool then, the boys are going to start up a game.”

“Sure.” Across a mini bridge he led you to a clear spot to let you settle down and he said, “I’ll grab us some water.”

Before you could answer he was gone and you softly said, “Ok,” crouching down to sit lowering your legs into the water you spotted Dis and Vili making their way to you, him with a legless chair of sorts with a back and arm support so she could lean comfortably on it. “Hey,” you said eyeing her black one piece with sheer strips sideways granting her full coverage but still showing some skin. Coming to join you Mili and Tili with matching black suits with a triangle cutout under their bust and strips above their cleavage accenting the heart shaped top.

Both grinning while Dis asked as you brushed your bangs from your face, “Enjoy the hike?”

You nodded seeing the Dams settling on Dis’ other side as Vili went to fetch Dis a drink then join in on the game. “Ya, you all have a lot of beautiful land. And some very, fun birds.”

Dis chuckled, “Ah yes, their daily spook and flee. Normally they stick to the goats or sheep. Shouldn’t bother you again.”

“I know.” Looking over her face you asked, “You have fun? While we were gone?”

“Yes, played some pool and some mahjong. Had some snacks.”

Tili asked, “Do you like to swim?” She asked when you eyed Mal jumping into the pool to join playing with the others.

“Usually not when it’s crowded.” You looked at her saying, “Working on my jitters with choppy water.”

Dis said, “If you’d rather go inside,”

You shook your head seeing Thorin coming back with two water bottles. “No thank you. I hate being the fun sucker. I’m good here.” Inching out one leg that dropped into the water he crouched to sit down with a hand as support and the other held your bottles, that once he sat he passed one to you. “Thank you.”

Looking you over he smirked at you nipping at your lip in your try to open the lid on the bottle sliding in your palm. Silently he reached over gripping the bottom with his fingertips helping to anchor it only making you squeak at the cold splash of icy water that splashed across your laps just making him chuckle in your timid glance his way. “You’re welcome.” A hasty sip later and you sealed the bottle again to rest in your palms near your knees in the starting of the game. Right into the center of your pool you caught Dwalin’s drop in accepting Frodo in his inflatable hippo from Bilbo to keep him from the rowdier kids on the other side of the waterfall arch. Bilbo stepped in next to sit on one of the sunken benches while Dwalin led Frodo around, joined by Billi and Balin moments later.

Before long at a stray ball Dwalin was glaring at the guys tossing it back at them and you eased off your wrap leaving your water behind you to drop into the surprisingly five foot pool to grab the sinking toy that Billi dropped. Up to her side you surfaced before she could manage to cry setting it inside her floating ring, turning around you started to tread water pausing to return the wave he gave you. Back to your spot you went and lifted yourself out to take your spot again and squeezed your braid over your shoulder. Getting back into the game while Thorin eased in to trade spots with Dwalin you relaxed back with your hands behind you to prop you up, too busy with the game to notice Thorin struggling to keep his focus on the boy between you and him. Absent kicks of your feet and legs when the game ended had the sisters suggesting you four head to the floating lagoon.

Lunch was called for and tying your wrap on again you accepted Thorin’s help up once Vili and Mili helped Dis up out of her floating ring and lagoon to join you at your table. Food and your new friends while Mal and the guys were at the table with the players from the games. Under Thorin’s guidance you were on your way up to the room you flashed a grin seeing Oin waiting for you. “Are you ready?”

“Sure.”

You said and Thorin glanced at you, “Oin is giving you a session?”

You nodded and Oin said, “Best not to let that shoulder run loose at the wheel this weekend.” Looking to Thorin he said, “An ally would be best,”

Thorin nodded, “Of course.”

In a long winding path you walked beside Thorin, behind his cousin to a sort of steam room of sorts with moss on the ground and a lazy stream forming an island he guided you to. Cross legged on the island you sat already feeling a tingling in your left arm. “Now, the reason for the ally is that a trance like state will be induced,” around Thorin’s neck a crystal necklace was laid and from the kit set up he lit a candle he set right in front of your legs. Within moments your mind drifted off to the sound of distant canons as he said, “I want you to focus on the sound of waves,” his voice faded away in his guiding you to lay back with a hold of your neck that he rested on the pillow on Thorin’s lap with your legs stretching out.

All of a sudden while he started to bring over healing crystals and oils he saw your arm start to twitch. The usual methods were hardly working until in the tapping of your fingers had Oin looking to it making Thorin rumble, “She found a typewriter on Ruun.” Oin looked up at him, “Started writing stories once she fixed it up.” Oin nodded and began to use that process to ease the process along, this time much easier seeing that the rest of you was trying to guide him the way out of the nightmare that you had gotten through. Fully relaxed and without any lingering tension of the trauma in your scar your arm rested.

A candle circling above your head and slowly you were lulled out of the trance blinking up at Thorin, who smirked as you said, “You don’t have a bad angle do you?”

Pt 33

#Thorin x Reader oc #Fili/Kili x OC Mal #Dwalin x Bilbo #Frodo #Dis #Mili #Tili #Hobbit #lotr

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youarejesting · 4 years

Text

Witching: 10

[MASTERLIST]

Beta: @jung-hoseok-s-airplane

Summary: After your brother goes missing, you find yourself in Seoul with nothing but a prosthetic limb as the only clue to what might have happened. Circumstances lead you to a coven of seven handsome young men. But they happen to be a well-known coven that go by the name ‘Bangtan Boys’. Can they be trusted? Where is your brother?

Pairing: BTS x Reader, OT7 x Reader, Monsta X coven

Genre: Supernatural, Mystery, Drama, Romance, Comedy, Action, and more. HONESTLY ALL THE GOOD STUFF.

Words: 1.6k

Warnings: Death (but not really)

“Look out!”

Grabbed by Jimin’s vines he pulled you out of the oncoming boulder-sized chunk of road, Jimin dropped you almost instantly apologizing. “I am sorry,” he saw the reaction caused by the venom from his vines but it eased and your skin returned to normal.

“It’s okay I am fine, Jungkook isn’t though one of them has him hypnotized,” you moved again working on the fight, “you didn’t know what to do the only spells strong enough to stop your monster brother were spells that could kill him.”

While your side was more physical magic the other had more mental so it was hard to fight on another. Lunging forward you began fighting close range with your brother. “Thackery, come on, it’s me your sister. Do you remember?”

“I’m not your brother anymore” this voice layered a deep rumble with a shrill tone laced together. The demon looked at you with glowing red eyes and swung his huge arm into your stomach with a heavy thud sending you into a small building another boulder headed your way.

The muscular man had taken the opportunity while you had been knocked down to trap you, crushing you with bits of the road and buildings. Jungkook disintegrated and Hoseok let out a loud cry. You fought against the rocks that were rapidly closing in pinning you to the ground and crushing you.

“Wonho!” A voice shouted at the muscular man as Jimin attached himself to the man, wrapping them both in vines, the venom didn’t affect his opponent as much as Jimin hoped. The man who you believed was Wonho began grabbing at the vines.

“Y/n, do something?” Jimin shouted

“You have to let go!” you shouted, starting a particular spell you knew from the books your brother found you, you didn’t practice them as they weren’t nice spells.

“It’s alright, just do it, I will move in time,” he gave you a reassuring smile and you nodded finishing casting the spell pointing the sceptre directly. The spell shot through the sceptre and hit both of them, the two falling to the ground and the vines shriveling up and the two screaming in agony as the curse ate away at their bodies.

You screamed in despair pushing off the boulder with magic and racing over lunging to save Jimin, he was choking on his own breath you were about to start the anti curse when you were hit by a giant burning limb.

“Do you remember when you released me, that day when you cursed your brother. I didn't get to take his body fully but I clutched onto his soul hidden deep within his body.” The burning demon called to you mockingly, “I have waited seven years to take over this body and finally I have the chance!”

You didn’t want to hurt anyone anymore, You laid there in the rubble dropping your sceptre. “Please Thack, I need you to fight this thing. This isn’t you?” Your plea was nothing short of pathetic. A monstrous foot pressed down on your chest and you felt a few ribs crack under pressure.

“Your brother is Dead.” The thing laughed maniacally, that statement hit you in the chest, the cold smoke pouring from your body. Your hand reaches for the sceptre, fingers brushing the handle but unable to secure it. Dizzy from the lack of oxygen your vision grew dark. There was a howl in the distance and the ground began to shake.

You couldn’t move to see what was coming but the demon crushing your chest was tackled by something big, the growls coming from this new creature were loud. “Y/n are you okay?” Taehyung’s voice was soft inside your head and you looked at him shocked.

“Taehyung?” You asked quietly and he nudged you with his paw.

“I woke up like this and I can’t change back.” His voice continued to pour into your thoughts. It was as if you were imagining what he was saying but different.

Hoseok frowned “Taehyung traded his human body to live, it’s gone your human presence, I can’t feel it anymore.”

“It’s fine, we can deal with that later. I mean, I practically lived as a dog anyway, we have to finish this fight.” Taehyung gave a very large sigh “Where is Jimin and Jungkook?”

“They are dead” Namjoon spat blood onto the pavement. Taehyung let out a howl and started attacking the demon.

Breathing had become difficult; the broken ribs were digging into your lungs painfully. Bending down and grabbing your sceptre there were no wavering thoughts in your mind. You were accepting your fate, dark magic was what you had and you were going to use it. Lifting the sceptre, it grew larger than a cello and dwarfed you completely and yet you could move it as if it were a child's foam sword.

You opened your brother's anti curse book and began flipping through the pages nothing was written about demons. Everyone was suffering and you couldn’t take it any longer. Stepping forward you raised your sceptre in one hand, the other cradling your injured side. There was no spell for this you were going to make one, magic could be manipulated if you were strong enough and right now you didn’t care what it cost this was going to happen.

You raised the sceptre and the demon was lifted into the air. You didn’t have any fancy words so you just started talking hoping it would be enough. “I will trade my life if you banish this demon and spare my brother” You don’t know what happened but you must have done something right as there was a bright light.

When you woke up you were in the underworld again, in your hand was your axe like sceptre. The bodies of both covens lay scattered on the floor; all those except Jungkook, Jimin and Wonho. Carefully you dragged the axe across the floor, dodging the unconscious.

Never breaking stride you headed towards the stone table, the corpses sitting around it turned to you. You stepped up onto the table grasping the handle of the other sceptre and ripping it from the stone embedding your sceptre in the middle. The corpses seemed to wake up properly coming to consciousness.

“Ah, it seems we have a new student” The corpse to the right of the empty chair grinned, the bones in his jaw cracking as they were rigid.

“You definitely look like our family” a woman smiled

A low whistle could be heard “That is the biggest sceptre we have seen” You looked at it and them, “Well don’t stand around all day take your seat, you are the next heir to the underworld and judging by the size of your power a rightful heir at that.”

Taehyung woke shaking his head and standing, if he was any taller his head would touch the ceiling. Which was crazy to think as standing on the street not long ago he was as tall as a third-story apartment.

One particularly old corpse who was more skeletal than the others pointed a decrepit metatarsal in the general direction of Taehyung. His mouth fell open so wide his jaw fell off and clattered onto the floor.“Do my eyes deceive me or is that the legendary canine depicted in the legends?”

“You don’t have any eyes, you idiot, none of us do, we are dead and it only has one head the picture shows the dog of Hades having three” Taehyung shook his head playfully and with his powers of shape-shifting had two more heads grow on either side of his. “I stand corrected, darling relation of mine, could you please restore us, we would rather not creak and clatter about.”

“Why should I restore you?” you queried an eyebrow raised. “I don’t even know how?”

“What kind of mentors would we be if we couldn’t teach you to the best of our abilities,” she smiled. “All you have to do is read the restoration spell in that book over there.”

On a lectern was a book and you stepped over, turning the pages slowly and carefully until you found the spell reading the page they each started to return to the living flesh restoring and they looked young again. Even yours and those injured on the ground began to heal. One of the ladies placed the old man’s jaw back on and it fused into place a long beard growing from his chin.

“Grandfather?” you asked and he turned “Ah, my granddaughter it has been so long, part of me knew you would be the next in line for the throne of the underworld. Take your friends back and say goodbye. You can visit them every now and then but this is a full-time job.”

Turning around you saw them all getting up off the ground. Your brother didn’t want to go begging you to stay but you knew you couldn’t, being in the underworld just felt right.

For the second time in your life, you had found where you belonged. The first had been the Bangtan coven even if most of them didn’t fully trust or support your profession. After Jungkook was returned they were all dealing with the loss of Wonho and Jimin. You went to leave when you heard a voice.

“I can’t stay here,” Taehyung’s deep voice echoed in your head and you hummed. “This is my natural form now and it would be tiring having to shrink myself down every day plus some part of me feels tied to you, indebted in a way.”

Tag yourself [HERE]

Tags: @m0chilattae @take-u-2-an0ther-w0r1d @nari-jjktiddies

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thewarriorandtheking · 4 years

Text

The Warrior Queen

The Warrior and The King: Book II

I realized recently there is quite a bit of the Warrior and The King story that is not posted here...I have posted this chapter before but not the others.

You can find Book I on my MasterList

1. Return to Me

Warning: Mild smut

******************************************

It was a beautiful spring day, a slight breeze blowing in the open window, the late afternoon sun warm with the promise of summer soon to come. Thorin was at his desk trying to compose a delicate letter to his cousin Dain. He was working in one of the old guard rooms above the gates of Erebor. Years ago after the Battle of the Five Armies Kaylea Wolf used the room as an office when she was helping with the reconstruction of Erebor, she said she needed a window to help her think. Thorin had spent so much time in the office that he continued to use it, even after his much larger formal office near the forges was cleaned up and refurnished. He would never had admitted it but he had become used to having the window. Gloin and Fili were with him, going over reports from the new works in the Misty Mountains.

Gloin looked up, something out the window had caught his eye. “Rider coming in,” he said absently.

Thorin grunted, not looking up from his letter. “Must be the envoy from Dain,” he said. “Early. We weren’t expecting him for two days.”

“No, it’s a man,” said Fili, squinting at the incoming rider. “From Rohan, by the look of the horse.”

“Looks more like an Elvish horse,” said Gloin, turning back to his paperwork.

Thorin was only half-listening, trying to find the most diplomatic way to make a request of his cousin. He did not want to leave it to a scribe.

Fili looked again at the rider, thinking he seemed familiar somehow, though he was still too far away to make out much detail. He saw something moving along the banks of the road, then it crossed from one side to the other behind the horse.

“He has a big dog with him,” Fili frowned, Why did that seem so familiar?

Thorin dropped his quill and stared at his nephew. “What did you just say?”

Fili looked at Thorin. “He has a big dog…” his voice trailed off, his eyes going wide.

Thorin jumped up, knocking his chair backward and grabbed the spyglass he kept on his desk. He was at Fili’s side in an instant, the glass to his eye. He studied the rider for a few seconds then handed the glass to Fili and disappeared out the door.

Gloin and Fili looked at each other, neither needed the glass to know who the rider was.

Thorin hurried down the steps to the front gate, telling himself not to run. She was still a ways off, he had plenty of time to get to the gate before she arrived. The gate guards snapped to attention as he approached, Thorin ignored them. The gates were still open as the sun was not yet down, Thorin strode out and across the bridge. He made himself stop there, though he badly wanted to continue down the road. It had been almost 11 years since she had last ridden out of Erebor, Had she changed? Though his life was much different now his love for her remained as strong as ever, seeing her brought back all his feelings with an intensity that felt as if it would crush him. His heart was pounding in his chest, waves of emotions hitting him one after the other - pure joy, uncertainty, anticipation. When Kaylea Wolf reined in her horse in front of him his heart soared as he met her icy-blue eyes. Feeling that familiar thrill run through his body was so sweet he could taste it. She was unchanged, the same travelling clothes, the same wolf, the only thing different was her horse.

Kaylea dismounted and took a knee before him, bowing her head. “My king,” she said.

Thorin smiled and stepped forward, offering her his hands. As she put her hands in his and drew herself up he felt the familiar sensation of sparks running over his skin, his heart felt as though it skipped a beat. Thorin had to will himself to keep still, all he wanted to do was take her into his arms, but he knew he could not do that in full view of his subjects watching from the gate. And if he started kissing her he would not be able to stop.

“My lady,” Thorin said, still holding her hands. “It gladdens my heart more than you know to see you again.”

Kaylea smiled. “I hope you had not given up on me, my king.”

Thorin shook his head. “I had your word you would return. I had hoped it would be before this.”

Kaylea nodded. “I have been trying to get back since I left. Finally I am here.” She squeezed his hands. “You look well.”

“As do you, my lady.” The two of them stood looking at each other, Thorin holding her hands in his. He had remembered in his minds eye how beautiful she was, but seeing her in front of him again took his breath away. Like some goddess stepped down to earth; her chiseled features, her long golden hair. She was little changed, not a day older, her clothes were the same, in her hair were the braids that matched his own, mithril beads shining in the last of the sunlight, inside the neck of her tunic he could see the chain he had given her.

Kaylea could not believe the joy she felt at seeing Thorin again, she had not realized just how much she missed him until he was standing before her. He was both younger and taller than when she had seen him last. His head was now even with the bottom of her nose, his hair raven black without a touch of grey. He looked like a Dwarf of 80, not one pushing 210, the boosterspice had made him a true heir to Durin the Deathless it seemed. Kaylea was glad to see he had kept his beard short, in fact it looked even shorter now than she remembered. She couldn’t wait to feel it against her body again, the thought sent a tingle up her back. Kaylea wanted so badly to kiss him but she could see he was holding himself back so she held her ground.

Kaylea ran her thumb over the back of his left hand, feeling his wedding ring. “And you are now married.”

Thorin nodded. “To a princess of Ered Mithrin. I have a son, and she is again with child.” He looked at Kaylea closely, wondering how she would take this news, but her face was unreadable. “She is a good friend and a valuable counselor.”

“A good friend?” Kaylea asked, shaking her head. “I am sorry to hear that, my king. I hoped you would find love with the mother of your child.”

“My heart belongs to you, my love,” Thorin replied. “As I told you, it always will.” He felt a sudden tightness in his chest, his heart sinking. He shifted his hands, bringing them up to interlace his fingers with hers. “And you? Have you found...another?”

Kaylea gave him a radiant smile, meeting his eyes. “I lost my heart a few years back,” she said. “To a homeless king who had this crazy plan to slay a dragon.” Thorin smiled, feeling a great sense of relief flood over him, he had not realized he had been holding his breath. They stood looking at each other for a long moment, holding each other at arms length each desperately wanting to close the distance between them.

“If we stand here much longer Fili is going to come out and tell me I am not behaving as a king should,” Thorin said, smiling ruefully. Kaylea laughed.

“Let me care for my horse, my king,” she said, slowly letting go of his hands. “It has been a very long ride today. Then we can catch up.” She winked at him.

Thorin smiled back. “Of course, my love. I am sure you would also like to wash up after your ride. I will have your quarters prepared. Do you still remember your way?”

Kaylea looked at him questioningly. “My quarters? Where I stayed before?”

Thorin nodded. “They are your apartments, my lady. None stays there but you.”

Kaylea chuckled, shaking her head. “That seems like rather a waste of space,” she reached for the reins of her horse and they went together into Erebor.

As Thorin had predicted Fili was standing just inside the gate, his face full of concern. Gloin was with him, and several other Dwarves Kaylea did not recognize. She greeted the members of Thorin’s old company warmly then led her horse down the side passage to the stables. Hector came trotting in as well, looking from side to side as he followed her.

Kaylea unsaddled Hadrian and rubbed him down. She gave him a measure of grain and went over how he was to be cared for with one of the stable boys as she gathered her things. The stables had been enlarged and there were stalls that could accommodate horses now. Indeed the kingdom looked very prosperous, with new gates and improvements made to the main halls. There were many Dwarves and Men moving through the Hall of Kings, the sounds of business echoed around the chamber. Thorin had done well. And he had an heir, so his kingdom was secure. Kaylea had to admit she was secretly glad Thorin was not in love with his wife. If he had been she would have bowed out gracefully, but she would be lying to herself to say it would have been easy. Seeing him again had brought back all her feelings for him in a rush, she felt as if she loved him more than ever. She found herself looking forward to the evening, hoping Thorin was not going to keep up appearances and stay away. Judging by her welcome, she did not think that would be the case.

Kaylea found her quarters newly renovated, with a larger bed, new furniture, rugs and wolf decorations scattered around. There was even a proper bathroom now, with running water. A fur bed had been provided for Hector, who sniffed at it and curled up where he could watch the door instead. Kaylea tried out the bathroom first, it felt good to get the road dust off, it had been a long ride from Mirkwood today. She had just pulled her tunic over her head when she heard Thorin’s soft knock on the door. Not wasting any time then, she thought with a smile and decided not to bother putting her pants on, they were just going to come off in a minute anyway. She took a deep breath before opening the door, she felt nervous as a schoolgirl, her stomach full of butterflies. She opened the door and Thorin quickly stepped inside, he already had his hands on her waist as she closed and locked the door. Kaylea turned in his arms and leaned back against the door as Thorin put one hand behind her head to draw her mouth down to his. Kaylea relaxed into his arms, relishing the taste of him, the feel of his beard tickling her face. She had forgotten how good it felt to kiss Thorin, that smell of frankincense, the taste of rain on earth, how all her cares vanished and she felt like everything was right in the world. They kissed each other for a long time, their hands moving over each other’s bodies, reacquainting themselves. Kaylea could feel Thorin stone hard pressed against her, just the thought of him inside her made her instantly wet. After a few moments Thorin moved his hand up under her tunic, finding nothing but bare skin he moved his hand up inside her thigh, his touch electric. Kaylea broke their kiss to gasp as he slid a finger inside her. She reached for his belt, unhooking it and unbuttoning his breeches. Thorin moved her legs apart with his knee and Kaylea bit her lip as he slid into her. His touch, the feel of him inside was so intense, from the minute she had set eyes on him she had been anticipating this moment. Thorin brought them both to an almost immediate finish. After, the King leaned against her, his head resting on her shoulder.

“How I have missed you,” he said, inhaling deeply. The familiar smell of her, that desert sand and sage. “You feel so good.”

“I have missed you more than I can say,” Kaylea said, holding him close. “I have missed this.”

Thorin gave her a wicked smile. “I won’t be finished with you for hours,” he said, biting her on the ear, then the neck. He moved back to step out of his boots. “Let us move somewhere more comfortable.”

Several hours later, Thorin lay curled against Kaylea’s back, his arm around her waist, the smell of her filling his senses. He kissed the curve of her neck. Thorin found it strange, they had not seen each other in ten years but once they were together it was like she had never left. He brushed her hair aside to rest his face on her neck.

“How long can we stay in this bed,” he asked.

Kaylea smiled. “You are the king, you tell me,” she replied.

Thorin chuckled. “I am not expecting Dain’s envoy for two days, so we can stay until at least tomorrow.”

“Will not the queen wonder where you are?” Kaylea asked, turning her head to look at him.

“She is away in the Ered Mithrin visiting her family, my love.”

Kaylea frowned. “I thought you said she was with child.”

Thorin sighed, really not wanting to talk about his wife. “She is. She does not trust the midwives here, my son was born in the Ered Mithrin this child will be as well.”

Kaylea frowned. “I think I will need an explanation,” she said. She started to roll over, but Thorin tightened his arm to stop her.

“We have not seen each other in years. Can our first conversation be about something other than my wife?” Thorin sighed. “I did what you told me to do, what everyone told me to do and, much as I hate to admit it, it was the right thing. Is that not explanation enough?”

“Very well, your majesty,” Kaylea said, with a smile. “We can talk about it another time.”

Thorin kissed her neck again, her shoulder, he could not get enough of the taste of her. He felt like the man who finds water when dying of thirst in the desert.

“Why are you here, my love?”

Kaylea wriggled against him, smiling. “To see you, of course.”

Thorin slapped her playfully on the butt. “You know what I mean! Why are you here in Middle Earth? Why now?”

Kaylea took a deep breath, suddenly serious. “To observe the progress of the Enemy. To go to Mordor and see how his plans progress.”

“Then I am going with you,” Thorin said.

Kaylea turned her head again to look at him. “My king, it is far too dangerous.”

“Is that supposed to make me not want to go? If you think you are going to show up after all this time and I am going to just let you ride into Mordor by yourself, you are sadly mistaken.”

Kaylea rolled over to face him. “This journey may take months, my horse cannot bear us both all that time. And I doubt your kingdom can spare you.”

“My kingdom will be fine, Fili can manage it almost as well as I,” Thorin replied, fingering one of the beads at the end of her braids. “And I have my own horse. A gift from the Rohirrim.”

“The Rohirrim gave you a horse?”

Thorin smiled, remembering. “It was part of a weapons deal. They said I was the tallest Dwarf they had ever seen, they thought it was amusing so they gave me a horse. She is small, but very fast.”

Kaylea sighed. Now that she was here she did not want to leave Thorin, but taking him to Mordor was very unwise. She decided to try to buy some time. “I do not have to leave right away. Let me think about it.”

“Think about it all you want, I am going with you,” Thorin replied, smoothing her hair away from her face. “And when we get back from Mordor you can marry me.”

“You are already married.”

“I have an heir now, I can be unmarried.” Kaylea just shook her head.

“I cannot marry you, I told you that before,” Kaylea met his gaze. “You are just not going to take no for an answer on this, are you?”

“I am not, my love,” Thorin replied. “There must be some way it can be done. Perhaps I could spend some of my time in your land and you could spend some in mine.”

Kaylea smiled, shaking her head. “You do not know what you are asking, my king.” She drew him close and kissed him. She wished with all her heart she could take him back with her, but Blackwolf would never allow it. He might allow one of his Elven kindred to travel about the Empire, but never a Dwarf. And Thorin had a kingdom to look after.

“Then tell me what I am asking,” said Thorin, not willing to let the matter pass. “Are things so different in your land?”

“They are very different indeed,” Kaylea replied. She wrapped her arms around him, her hands stroking his body. “A conversation for another time, my king.”

Read the complete adventures of The Warrior and The King on AO3 & FanFiction, links on my homepage (author is akdogdriver).

@theelvenvalkyrie

#fanfiction #thorin x oc #thorin fanfiction #tolkien fanfic #the hobbit #true love #thorin oakenshield #fantasy adventure

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whirlybirbs · 5 years

Note

PLEASE, GIVE US YRI'S BACK STORY. IS SHE GUNNA STEAL LOKI'S HEART?

◎ ┄ MAGNIFICENT BASTARDS !

one. we learn how you befriended your merry band of thieves. thor & loki anticipate their father’s scorn while you and the boys inspect draupnir and the apparent fact it’s protection money. a moral dilemma arises.paring: pre-everything!loki x rogue!reader, set pre-thor 1.listen to: pirate shanties, probably, it’s a bar brawl!a/n: i full anticipate creating my own story world, okay?

previous chapter ┅ pinterest ┅ ko-fi

Ow.

The tavern table rocks on impact and the lithe frame of an Asgardian is suddenly doused in the warm froth of a hoppy mead as she reels from the kick to the chest. Around her, the bar’s patrons shout with raucous laughter as she rolls away from the gilded, armored hands scrambling for her. She falls from the table with a sturdy oof, before crawling underfoot, trying to duck and dodge the towering, golden royal guards hurtling Old Norse curses her way.

For the full-house of the Wulfshead Tavern, this wasn’t different from any other night. The tavern is on the outskirts of the realm’s capital, and if Odin’s personal hounds weren’t here wetting their appetites, then they were here serving warrants.

Tonight, you’re the unlucky one they’re trying to arrest.

You’re on the run; but, from the looks of it, you’re not getting very far.

You are quick, though, hiking yourself up on top of the tables and bounding around pints of ale and plates of meals as you spot a clearing by the stairs. You bolt, apologies flying from your lips as you balance on your toes and jump, landing a solid footing on the face of an unsuspecting guard in an inopportune place – behind you, the mad scramble has poured over and you yelp, bounding off the guards face up the banister of the stairs.

“Sorry!”

You can hear the commotion of a fall behind you; sure enough, the guards are struggling over their fallen compatriot with a boot shaped dent in his helmet.

It gives you time, though barely enough to slip into the crowd on the upper mezzanine.

Tugging your hood up high and ducking behind a group of Elven mercenaries, the you settle into slouching over a warm pint of abandoned mead and listening in on the trio of bards perched atop the tables in the center of the balcony.

They’re singing, though not well, and the sonnet is struck to the off-tune beat of a lute. The instrument looks incredibly small in the grip of the tattooed Qunari strumming it – his horns tower upwards, knocking the chandelier as he side-steps his Elven counterpart. The sandy-haired elf seems content on being the center of attention, as a cluster of maidens have opted to staring.

You watch as the elf tosses a wink, and the Dwarf beside him tosses back a pint.

The sight is so… odd that you nearly miss the royal guards that have begun to comb through the tavern’s mezzanine.

(It’s rare to see an Qunari, let alone an elf and a dwarf, on the outskirt of the realm’s capital. Odin was a staunch critic of the mingling of blood – he preferred Asgardians, through and through, and didn’t show any shame in his blatant disregard for the other races who’d come to call this realm home.)

It’s the Qunari that begins the crooning tune that gains the patrons’ attention, leaving you to attempt to shift unnoticed by the guards moving ever closer to your position. You needed to get out of here.

“Oh, dear barkeep,” the slate colored giant begins, voice dipping low into a cheerful bellow, “Bossum a plenty!”

“What’s y’name? Jenny?” the Dwarf slurs, shooting the bartender in question a sly look, only to walloped upside the head by the blonde elf beside him. The action raises laughter across the mezzanine, and the guards seem to be distracted for the time being.

You can see a scowl of disgust fleet across the Guard Captain’s face.

“Nevermind her name, you idiot –” the Elf hisses, voice flying into a smooth crescendo, “We come from afar, you see, to sing for your bar! I, your elf-in-waiting –

“– and I, a gentle soul lute-ing–”

“They’re both mighty frustraaaaating.”

The Dwarf is served a look which he easily shrugs off. You smother an amused grin, eyes caught on the trio as the rest of the tavern seems just as equally enraptured. It’s hard not to stare at the comedic timing playing out on the center of the balcony.

“They call us the bastards three!”

“Gods, I have to pee –”

“Oi!”

The lute’s last note is a shrill breakage of a chord at the shout of the royal guard; the Qunari freezes, eyes widening at the sight of the golden armored men encroaching on the performers’ circle. There’s a moment of silence.

And, then, the elf clears his throat.

“Good day, sir,” a gentile bow, “How may we help you?”

“Bastards three, eh?” the guard’s voice echoes in his helmet, “Sounds awfully familiar – sure you’re not them Maleficent Bastards, then?”

“Who? Us? Those… Those… thieves? Psh. No –”

“– It’s actually The Magnificent Bastards, officer.”

The horrified look on the Qunari’s face gives it all away, and the Dwarf is walloped upside the head again by the elf. The red-bearded drunk stumbles, plastered, and falls from the table with a heavy fwop.

The group of guards breaks into cheerful laughter. “Look at that boys! Two warrants served in one night… Lady Sif will be most pleased.”

“Two… warrants?” the elf questions, wringing his hands.

“We’re looking for a woman. This tall,” the guard captain motions with his hands as he turns to address the crowd. His voice bellows across the tavern, “She’s wanted by the crown, one of Gamli’s daughters –”

You freeze, halfway to the stairs.

The name alone raises murmurs across the tavern, and yet no one moves, a bit too enthralled with their gossip and struck up on the code of no snitching. That name, Gamli, is notorious among the rag-tag sort out here. Your chest swells in pride for a moment at the mention of your father and the wide-eyed looks that follow.

After a moment of morally-aforementioned-agreed silence, the captain digs into his pack and musters a small coin purse. Eyes beneath the golden helmet scan the crowd, fist raised. The coin purse jingles.

“There’s a reward for her capture!”

The pride is gone and you’re cursing your father in his grave.

You are so quickly shoved to the front of the circle you nearly topple over – your eyes are wide under the glare of the Captain you’d not-so-kindly kicked in the face. Dirt is smeared across his jaw, brows set in anger. His helmet is dented, scuffed from the impact of her boot.

He scoffs, grabbing you by the upper arm roughly.

“Not so quick now, huh, girl?” he motions behind him, “Gather the three. They’ve got quite the bounty on their heads.”

There’s a beat of a moment then, when, the Bastards Three decide… not today.

The Qunari gives you a look, and before you can even question what he’s doing, you’re being tossed a lute. You wrangle from the grip of the captain, blinking down at the instrument in your grip before you swing hard with two hands, clocking the captain upside the jaw and shattering the instrument.

The tavern is fast to scatter into a massive brawl.

In the midst of it all, you’re ducking and dodging and leaping over tables to try and get out of the fray. You make a break for the stairwell, only to skid to a stop as the roaring Qunari throttles a punch into the face of a guard, knocking him back over the banister and down into the tables below the balcony.

The guard lands flat in the middle of a table, groaning as the tavern erupts into jeers of excitement as two men knock tankards over him.

The Qunari is quick to pluck his Dwarven friend from the clutches of a gaggle of scared working ladies. “Time to go, Taegan!”

You spin, spying the elf making a close on their spot by the stairs; before you can protest, you’re quickly dragged down the flight by the huge hand of the Qunari as guards shout over the fight, trying to grab the quartet.

“Come on!” he shouts, muscling you towards the back exit of the tavern, “Us bastards gotta stick together!”

And that’s how you became so suddenly inducted into the traveling troupe of thieves who called themselves the Magnificent Bastards.

They were an interesting bunch; the Qunari, Jarak, was more of a gentle giant than anything, really. He had a penchant for the lute and story-telling and he very much loved his friends – he got along swimmingly with you, excited to have a more feminine touch around camp. His tent was the biggest, as the Tal-Vosoth’s horns mimicked that of a bull. They were chipped in places, but never failed to make doorways difficult and intimidation easy.

Taegan Cormyth, the resident high-elf, was a bit of an ass. But, you guess it was to be expected from a disgraced noble trying to make his own way. The blonde archer was… a child, really. Aside from being womanizing and stubborn and self-absorbed, the elf had muscled his way into a faux-leadership position which typically led to more trouble than it was worth.

Ogras Dragonbow, the wise (and usually drunk) Dwarf, made it his job to give Taegan a hard time which usually made for a good amount of laughs around the campfire. You liked the Dwarf – and though he hinted at a darker past than the others, you never asked when brought him to this little traveling troupe in the first place.

The whole Wulfshead-Tavern-Incident was a year and a half ago.

Currently, you’re hunched over a single ring of gold as Jarak stokes the fire. To your sides, Ogras and Taegan watch as you plant your hands on your hips and tut.

“S’magic, innit?”

“It is,” Taegan says, eyes never leaving the ring, “Y’think it’s cursed?”

“I doubt it,” you hum, squatting and prodding at it with a stick. You’d previously been wearing it, until the ring suddenly flared up with such a biting sort of heat you’d screeched and leapt from your horse, chucking the ring from your hand and into the undergrowth on the way back to camp.

You’d all then spent an hour combing the bushes to find it, much to everyone’s dismay.

You poke it again.

Nothing.

“Maybe it’s not meant to be worn,” Jarak offers politely, settling in by the fire and beginning to skin the rabbit he’d caught earlier for dinner, “Maybe it’s just for show.”

“Odin commissioned a trophy ring?”

Jarak waves his hand (in turn, waving the filleted rabbit carcass), “I dunno, he’s a king. Isn’t that, like, a king thing?”

“Trophy rings?” Taegan’s face morphs into confusion.

He looks to you for guidance. You simply shrug.

It’s Ogras’ turn to squat and inspect now, and the Dwarf makes a small ‘ah-hah!’ sound after a moment.

“S’got Dwarven runes onnit, i’does,” he croons, moving to muscle one single monocle from the travel pack below his broad, gold cuirasse. It’s comically small in his meaty hands. He holds it up to his eye, laying flat on the ground and eyeing the ring closely, “Says ‘ere it’s name is draupnir.”

By the fire, Jarak lets out a low rumble. “Who names a ring?”

Taegan scoffs. “Kings, apparently.”

“It’s a magic ring,” you remind gently, “Of course it’s got a name.”

“Says ‘smithed by Brokkr & Eitri, a gift to the glorious and all powerful Odin as repayment for your gracious protection to our village and mines. We thank you’.”

Your jaw falls.

Jarak makes a surprised sound. “Woah, woah, woah. Did we steal someone’s protection money?”

“Oof.”

Ogras mimics Taegan’s oof.

“Magic protection money,” you mutter, hands on your hips again.

“Shit.”

“I say we lie.”

Loki watches as his brother drops his head into his hands as they begin to near on the capital’s walls – a top his horse, the God of Mischief spares his brother a side-eye, dark brow quirked as the amble on. The blonde, it seems, is in the midst of a moral dilemma.

Loki’s thankful his threshold is high for those.

Thor is lost in thought and it’s awfully painful to watch – Loki can practically hear the gears in his head turning. Not to say Thor is dim-witted… but, he’s never been the thinker of the family.

“We can’t lie!” Thor finally bellows, tossing a hand as his other grips the reins, “Father will know.”

“Then we tell the truth,” a shrug, “We were robbed along the trail –”

“We can’t do that either!” the blonde cries, giving Loki a pained look from his perch upon his steed, “And since when have you ever been a proponent of telling the truth, Loki?”

Loki presses his hand to his chest, matching Thor’s canter. “Well, it wouldn’t be the whole truth, of course –”

“Father sent us to Svartalfheim to retrieve Brokkr and Eitri’s payment for a reason,” Thor begins, “He wants to trust us, wants to see that we can carry out duties of the crown – And those mean bastards stole draupnir. They stole it.”

“Magnificence Bastards.”

“Whatever.”

Loki’s face falls as the rant continues. He rolls his eyes. “Brother – you are completely neglecting the fact we have the fake. We simply tell father it is the real one. Problem solved.”

Thor pouts.

“Everything will be fine,” Loki breathes, “Just leave it to me.”

It’s not a good idea, but what else could they do?

#magbastards #loki x reader #loki laufeyson imagine #loki imagine #loki x reader imagine #loki laufeyson preference #loki fanfic #loki reader insert #Anonymous

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gatesofember · 5 years

Text

Frailty and Fortune: Chapter 2

PJO Arranged Marriage/Royalty AU Part 10

Rating: T | Pairing: Solangelo

Prev | Next | AU directory | Read it on AO3 (Recommended) | Arranged Marriage AU Masterpage

Summary: A few months have passed since Prince Nico’s wedding to William of Solace. Even with his husband at his side, Will sometimes feels lonely as he settles into his new life. He misses his home, his family, his friends, and his studies in Venadica. Meanwhile, Nico is uncertain how to help him, awkward about expressing himself, and he wonders if he’ll ever be able to truly make his husband happy. As time goes by and Will continues to feel lost in his new home, Will and Nico must both learn how to make their marriage work.

Nico spent the majority of the trip to Phrygia holding Will’s hand and dozing on his shoulder. When he opened his eyes, he saw Mellie and Hedge similarly cuddled together while Reyna sat plastered against the carriage wall as far from Mellie and Hedge as she could get. Nico had a feeling that she was tired of being surrounded by newlyweds.

When they reached Phrygia, however, Nico began to feel agitated. He wondered if bringing Will along had been a good idea. Will had seemed strangely excited the whole trip, but he would probably find the visit boring and would have enjoyed himself more if he’d stayed in Divitia.

But more importantly, Nico didn’t want Midas to go anywhere near Will. He didn’t want Midas near anyone he cared for.

Although he rarely went anywhere without his dog, Nico had purposely left Asterion behind and had encouraged Will to do the same with Bonnie. Midas had apparently repented after the bating scandal came to light nearly a decade ago, but Nico didn’t believe it. Midas was clever; when Nico listed his name as one of the contributors in his old tutor Minos’ baiting ring, Midas had known exactly what to say to save himself. Nico could still clearly recall the fake remorse in Midas’ voice when he admitted his involvement in his hearing. He’d done it for his dying wife, he’d claimed. Midas had spun a tragic tale for the jury about the agony he’d felt when his wife had been diagnosed with the Scarlet Delirium, how he’d depleted his wealth to find a way to save her, and how, in his despair, he’d turned to betting on dog fights to support her. The next day, whispers all over Divitia quoted his statement: “People do shameful things to save the ones they love.”

Nico, who’d acted as the primary witness in most of the baiting cases, was one of the few people Midas hadn’t managed to charm. Nico had seen the dogfights firsthand. He’d touched Asterion’s wounds and nursed him when he was too weak to even stand.

But Nico had still been a child at the time, unable to express himself and not even half as charismatic as Midas. He could do very little to convince the jury of Midas’ cruelty—especially not after he his temper in the middle of the trial. When Divitians weren’t too busy sympathizing with Midas, they were gossiping about the tantrum that the little prince had thrown in the courtroom.

Midas had gotten off too easily. He’d paid a fine—one he could easily afford with the money he’d earned on dog fights—and he’d cooperated with Artemis’ investigators to help identify and arrest the others involved in the baiting ring. And that was it. After that, it was like it had never even happened.

Nico knew that Midas wouldn’t dare to harm Asterion, but he would never allow his dog to be in the presence of a man who had pitted animals against each other for profit. Midas would always be cruel and corrupt, no matter how much he insisted otherwise. Although he had failed to bring Midas to justice, Nico would never fail to protect Asterion again.

They rode past sprawling fields of grain and grazing livestock before they reached Phrygia’s gates. “What a beautiful city,” Will mused as he watched the buildings roll by. “Large cities like this usually have more problems with sanitation, but the streets look clean.”

Nico was only half listening and didn’t fully realized what Will had said until Reyna replied, “Phrygia has an advanced sewage network for a Plutonian city.”

Nico turned his glare from the window to Reyna. “For a Plutonian city?” he repeated.

Reyna nodded, ignoring Nico’s irate tone. “Most haven’t had the funds to introduce such modern systems.”

“The mines must have helped with reconstruction a great deal,” Will commented.

Nico snorted. Will was too busy looking outside to hear him, but Reyna eyed Nico warningly to remind him to control his temper. Nico averted his eyes.

Truthfully, Phrygia was a beautiful city, which only agitated Nico more. He wished he could have found more to pick at to stick the blame on Midas, but it was in remarkable shape. Divitia paled by comparison.

Midas’ estate was located outside the southeastern wall of the city. The manor would have been dwarfed in size by the Palatium de Divitae, but it did not lack in grandeur. They entered the property through a gate before pulling into the main courtyard. The mansard roof gleamed like silver in the late afternoon sun, while the yellow brick and white stone ornamentation of the manor shone like gold and ivory. The manor itself consisted of two wings that came forward from either side of a central building, with tall windows and beautiful terraced gardens. The earl and his household stood outside, waiting to greet them.

As the carriage came to a halt, Nico tried to cool his temper. Reyna tried to catch his attention, but Nico ignored her. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing to distract himself from his anger. And he waited.

Too soon, he heard the carriage door open and he looked down in time to see the step pulled out. “I’ll go first,” Reyna said. Nico could feel her eyes on him, like she wanted to exchange one last glance and one final warning, but Nico refused to meet her gaze. When he heard her shoes hit the road, he looked up at Will and gestured for him to exit first.

And then Nico couldn’t delay further; it wouldn’t be appropriate for a guard and a maid to exit before him. He considered asking them to do it anyway, but only for a moment before he gathered his courage and stepped outside.

When Will took his hand to help him down, Nico kept his chin held up. When he was escorted to the doors of the manor, Nico looked forward. When they stopped in front of the earl, Nico held Midas’ eyes.

Midas looked exactly how Nico remembered him; perhaps his hair was grayer and his face more lined, but other than that, he looked the same. He was a heavyset bearded man—a horrible choice, as far as Nico was concerned. Facial hair hadn’t been fashionable for a century. Then again, nothing about Midas was tasteful. His clothes—scarlet and gold with diamonds sewn into the embroidery—were lavish to the point of ostentation and served as an obvious statement to announce his wealth. A man like Midas did not deserve such opulence and luxury. He had always been wealthy; even during the Scarlet Delirium, he’d continued to amass a great fortune from betting and baiting. The fines he’d paid for it had barely dented his wealth.

“Your arrival is an honor, Your Highness,” Midas said. When he bowed, the rest of the household followed suit.

“Midas,” Nico said. “It’s been some time since we last met.”

“Indeed,” Midas answered. “Last I saw you, you were still a child.”

“I think you’ll find that I have grown and learned much since then,” Nico said. He paused, just long enough to enjoy the expression on Midas’ face. He looked nervous.

Good. He ought to be.

“I have brought my husband, Lord William of Angelus, and my adviser, Lady Reyna,” Nico continued, nodding to each of them in turn.

“A privilege,” Midas said. “And you remember my son, Lityerses.”

Nico forced himself not to scowl in distaste when Midas gestured to the young man beside him. “Of course,” Nico said. He nodded politely when Lityerses bowed, but avoided meeting his eyes. He was not afraid of Midas, but as for his son....

Well, Nico did not fear Lityerses, either, but he felt an unexpected twinge of apprehension. Nico shuddered to think of the teasing he’d endure if Will found out that Midas had once offered his son as a potential marriage candidate. Nico had turned Lityerses away without even bothering to meet with him. He’d had already known what kind of person Lityerses was; they had met on a few occasions when Midas brought his son to the Lotussium to watch dog fighting matches. Lityerses was just as greedy as his father, and even more merciless.

“Shall we retire inside for dinner?” Midas suggested. “You must be hungry after your journey. Afterwards, I would love to give you a tour of my home.”

“Yes, thank you,” Nico said. “Will your daughter not join us?”

“Not during this visit,” Midas replied. “She is currently studying abroad.”

It wasn’t out of the ordinary for wealthy families to send their daughters abroad for schooling, but Nico glanced at Will to gauge his reaction as Midas showed them inside. Will usually studied that time of year. Nico knew he missed it, even if he didn’t mention it often. He couldn’t be sure what Will was thinking, however; Will didn’t appear upset or envious, but Nico noted that he also didn’t inquire about her studies further. Usually, Will would be interested in other people’s schooling.

Nico would have liked to critique Midas’ skills as a host, but he was disappointed when dinner was set out for them almost immediately after they sat down. Midas had timed their arrival perfectly and the meal was inconveniently delicious.

Nico did not avoid meeting Midas’ eyes when he addressed him, but he also was careful not to look in Midas’ direction much at all—enough to show that he was not afraid of Midas without letting him think that he was at all worthy of Nico’s attention.

But Will did not follow Nico’s lead.

Nico had been so wrapped up in his own apprehension that he had forgotten one important detail about his husband: his infuriating and incessant kindness. He’d never heard Will speak ill of anyone—save Octavian, but that hardly counted—and he couldn’t think of a single time he’d witnessed his husband greet someone without a smile. Perhaps Nico had assumed that considering Midas’ despicable nature, Will would make an exception to his usual routine of kindness. But no—Will wore his brightest, prettiest smile and acted as charming as ever. He talked and talked and talked until Nico thought his ears might bleed if he didn’t stop. Nico gripped his tableware so tightly that his nails left marks on his palms, and still Will and Midas talked. Nico knew his flaring temper was to blame; Will wasn’t trying to bother him. But even still, he found Will’s voice loud and obnoxious. Nico had to bite his tongue to keep himself from snapping at him to shut up.

“Lityerses has become a talented swordsman since you last met,” Midas said. “He remains unmatched in every fencing. I hear you enjoy fencing as well—perhaps you could have a friendly spar during your visit.”

“I did not come here to spar,” Nico answered cooly. “I came to review your mine.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, Nico saw both Will and Reyna turn to him. Nico ignored their shocked expressions. He knew that later Reyna would lecture him about at least acting polite and he would regret acting so callously in front of Will, but he felt too angry to care just yet. He had not come to be friendly with Midas and Lityerses. Midas should not expect otherwise.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Midas said after a moment’s pause.

Nico didn’t bother to respond.

For a few moments, the only sounds were that of tableware scraping against plates. Then Will suddenly cleared his throat. “Your city is beautiful, Lord Midas,” he said. “We had the privilege of admiring it as we rode through on our way here.”

“All compliments ought to be directed to the mines,” Midas said. “It is due to the hard work of Phygia’s citizens that the city has recovered so well.”

Nico tried not to snort. He didn’t believe for a second that Midas didn’t revel in every compliment. Phrygia was doing admittedly well, but perhaps the reason they weren’t experiencing the economic depression so harshly was because of Midas’ questionable sources of income—Nico knew too well how lucrative baiting could be.

When dinner was over, Midas brought them to view the gardens before the sky fell to dark. Will and Midas commented on the newer Juvian styles and how Midas planned to introduce them to his grounds. They discussed construction and design and gardening, and all the while, Will held that foolish smile and innocent charm. Nico didn’t notice that he’d been clenching his fists and jaw until Reyna fell in step beside him. Her presence—and the look she gave him—both calmed Nico and reminded him to remain poised. Nico could not allow himself to seem frustrated in front of Midas. He could not appear weak or young or less than perfectly composed.

“Has the estate been in your family long?” Will asked when Midas brought them back to the manor to continue the tour indoors.

“Four generations, but only about half the manor is original,” Midas said. “It’s constantly under construction.”

“I thought so. There are pieces that look historic, but others are quite contemporary. The entire estate is beautifully designed.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Nico barely contained a snort. Beautifully designed? Everywhere he looked, there was gold. Gold filigree embellishing the walls, gold squares tiled across the ceilings, gold wrapped around the base of marble columns. It looked nothing like the Hall of Gold in the Palatium de Divitae—that had been artfully designed, and for all its riches, the Hall of Gold radiated a sense of modesty and restraint. Midas’ home was designed to be ostentatious and boastful. Nico felt sick to his stomach. He had his doubts about how honorably Midas had attained such vast amounts of gold.

But Will didn’t seem to care about that. He happily complimented every room they walked though. Nico could have expected Will to act civil with almost anyone, but so friendly? How could he be so needlessly charming to a person like Midas? Nico knew Will’s opinions on baiting—they’d discussed it on multiple occasions. Didn’t Will realize that....

Unless he didn’t. Gods, Will didn’t know.

Nico had assumed that Will would’ve been aware, especially considering how passionately he felt about baiting. Hadn’t Nico told Will about Asterion?

But no. He hadn’t. He’d mentioned that Asterion’s first master had been cruel, but he’d never offered more information than that. He hadn’t told Will about Midas or the others, and he certainly hadn’t said much about Minos.

Nico bit back the urge to curse. This was exactly what everyone had kept telling Nico—he needed to talk to Will. Hestia had told him. Reyna had told him. Even Percy and Jason had told him. Talking was difficult, especially when the subject of conversation was something Nico desperately avoided thinking about, but he couldn’t keep expecting Will to understand everything automatically.

Nico looked at Will, wondering if he could somehow send a silent signal to say, “Don’t trust him,” or at least, “I have something to tell you,” or maybe even just, “Gods above, stop smiling!” But Will was too engrossed in his conversation to catch any of Nico’s subtle cues, even when Nico wrapped a hand around his arm.

Nico didn’t find an opportunity until later that night, after Midas had invited them to sit and talk over refreshments. When Midas sent Lityerses to bed, Nico saw a chance and pounced on it.

“Actually, I was thinking that we ought to retire soon, as well,” Nico said. “Will, why don’t you head to bed? I will continue talking a while longer with Lady Reyna and Lord Midas, but there’s no need for you to stay up with us. You must be tired.”

Will frowned. For a moment, Nico worried that Will would argue, but then he nodded. “Yes, Your Highness,” he said, getting to his feet. He turned to Midas and bowed. “It has been a pleasure meeting you, Lord Midas. I look forward to speaking more tomorrow.”

“Likewise,” Midas said. He called for a manservant to escort Will to his room.

Will touched Nico’s shoulder as he walked by. “Goodnight, Nico.”

Nico started to answer, but it died in his throat and he felt the blood drain from his face when he realized what Will had done. Nico. Will had called him Nico.

Of course liked it when Will used his given name, but it was intimate. It showed a vulnerability that Nico had chosen to share with Will. That vulnerability wasn’t meant to be put on display for others—especially not Midas.

Nico clenched his fist, but did nothing. He waited for Will to leave them, took a sip of his tea, and pretended that Will hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps Midas hadn’t even noticed.

“I suggest we leave early tomorrow to reach the mines before noon,” Nico said.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Midas agreed. “I was about to say the same thing.”

Nico made an unimpressed noise. “I’m looking forward to reviewing them. I hope I will find everything up to my standards. I’m particularly interested in the wellbeing of your workers—including those of the four-legged variety.”

Midas was quiet. He looked nervous.

He should.

Eventually, Midas cleared his throat. “Will your husband join us tomorrow?” he asked.

“I will invite him,” Nico answered. “I’m sure he’ll be just as eager as I am. You know, my husband has exceptional veterinary experience. I expect that he’ll be a good judge of the working conditions of your animals.”

Midas said nothing, but Nico thought he seemed pale.

“Perhaps we should all retire for the night,” Midas suggested.

“Yes,” Nico agreed. “Perhaps so.”

* * *

Will had taken off his coat and cravat, but otherwise had not moved to ready himself for bed. His guest chambers consisted of two separate rooms—one for sleeping while the other was a small sitting room for his own personal use. He’d tried to keep himself entertained by sitting and reading, but that hadn’t lasted long. Will had already spent a considerable amount of time sitting and reading in the carriage earlier, so he was quite tired of it.

He didn’t want to go to sleep, either. Why was it that people always insisted that he needed rest after traveling? Will hadn’t done anything but sit all day. If anything, he usually felt restless after long journeys. They were tedious and boring and within the first half hour of any trip, someone invariably announced the need to relieve themselves at the least convenient moment. Often, that person was Will.

The point was, Will wasn’t ready to sleep and he was ever so slightly annoyed that Nico had suggested it. He’d spent a significant deal of his life in carriages and he was sick of people telling him that he was a weary traveler when he’d really spent hours doing absolutely nothing.

Of course, that didn’t keep annoyed Will for long. The real reason Will still felt bothered by the whole thing was the way Nico had said it. As soon as Midas had sent his son off to bed, Nico suggested Will leave, too, as though Will was a child and the real adults—Reyna, Nico, and Midas—were trying to have a serious conversation.

Admittedly, Will knew very little about mining and wouldn’t have been much use anyway, but he didn’t believe that warranted an early bedtime. Perhaps he’d done something else to offend Nico. Nico had been irritable most of the day, after all, so it wasn’t unlikely. Had Will spoken too much earlier that day? Perhaps Nico felt like Will had stolen their host’s attention.

But then again, perhaps Nico hadn’t meant anything by it at all. Will could be imagining the entire thing.

Will nodded to himself. That was probably the case. He’d ask Nico to be sure, but there was no sense working himself up over something that could be nothing at all.

He wondered if Nico would come see him before heading to bed himself. They’d been given separate suites, of course—no sensible host would ask royalty to share their room with someone else. Fortunately, their rooms were adjacent to one another, but the arrangement felt lonely. He slept beside Nico most nights. Nico always invited Will to join him in his room.

That was, unless he went looking for Will only to find him already sleeping. Will sometimes unintentionally fell asleep with a book in his private study or curled up next to Bonnie for a nap that ended up lasting until morning.

That wasn’t likely to happen that night. Will usually fell asleep quickly and easily, but his present restlessness denied him even the inclination to go to bed, so he was still up waiting to hear Nico arrive next door when there was a knock at the entrance of his chambers. He sprang to his feet to answer it, but was surprised (and a bit disappointed) to find Midas on the other side of the door rather than Nico.

“Lord Midas,” Will greeted with a respectful bow of his head. “Pardon my appearance.” Thankfully, he still wore his waistcoat and could pass as decently attired, but he’d at least have put his coat back on if he’d realized that he wasn’t opening the door for his husband.

“Not at all; pardon the lateness of my visit,” Midas answered. “I saw that the room was still lit and thought I’d check to see if everything is to your liking.”

“Yes, of course,” Will said. “Would you like to come in?” He would have rather asked Midas to leave so that he could go next door to check if Nico was in his room yet, but that wouldn’t have been proper behavior for a guest.

Unfortunately, Midas took him up on his offer and entered. He shut the door behind himself, which Will thought was odd, but he didn’t have the opportunity to think about it much before Midas sat down and asked if he found his rooms satisfactory.

“Yes, very much so,” Will answered, sitting across from him. “Every part of your home is beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Midas said. “I hope you feel welcome here. I’m honored that the Prince’s consort chose to join him for this visit. You already have quite the reputation here in Pluto.”

Will was surprised. “Do I?”

“Of course,” Midas answered. “You are a consor, as I understand?”

“I am,” Will said proudly, sitting up a bit straighter. “I spent most of my summers studying in Venadica.”

“An awfully long way to travel from Diana,” Midas commented. “Why didn’t you study in Delphi instead?”

“I often spent winters in Delphi, but my aunt invited me to study Venadica when I was a child. My father sponsored me.”

“Of course, the Matestra,” Midas said. “You come from an impressive family, Your Highness. Does your father still sponsor you?”

Will faltered, but collected himself quickly. “Unfortunately, my studies are on hold for the time being as I settle in to Divitia.”

“Unfortunate indeed, but understandable. I’m sure it won’t be long before you continue. You primarily research medicine, if I recall correctly?”

“Yes, under the mentorship of Asclepius.”

“Another impressive name—even I have heard of him.”

Will swelled with pride. He knew that part of the reason Asclepius had taken an interest in his studies was at first because of Will’s relationship with the Matestra, but he’d long since earned his place as Asclepius’ pupil.

“I must confess that I have an ulterior motive for discussing this with you,” Midas suddenly said. “A private matter.”

Will blinked and glanced at the door, now understanding why Midas had closed it. “Ah,” he said. “Is it a problem with your health?”

“No, not mine,” Midas said. “It’s my daughter. This evening, I said she was studying abroad, but she’s actually here, in the manor. She’s ill. Very ill.”

It had been a long time since Will had last had a patient, but slipping back into the role of healer felt natural and comfortable. “What have the doctors said?” he asked.

“They’re at a loss,” Midas admitted. “None of the doctors in Phrygia have your education. I know it isn’t proper to ask this of a guest, but I’d hoped that you might examine her during your visit.”

“That won’t be any trouble at all. I can examine her tomorrow.”

“I will be in your debt,” Midas said. “And if it’s not too much to ask, I would appreciate your discretion, Your Highness. She’s always been sickly, but we’ve kept her health private to avoid panic. Since the Scarlet Delirium, people in Pluto have been especially prone to hysteria when it comes to disease.”

Will nodded, but he didn’t think it was that it was fear of hysteria so much as fear of scandal that worried Midas. Illness carried a heavy stigma in Pluto. In general, Venadicans were well-informed about matters involving health, but in his years as a healer, he’d had several run-ins with paranoid Plutons. Some would only meet with him in private and would swear him to secrecy. A few had gone so far as to disguise themselves before going to the sororal infirmary. A cough could send a family into panic and anything less than perfect health brought a burden of shame.

“I understand,” Will said. “You have my word.”

“Thank you,” said Midas. “Tomorrow, I can have my son escort you to her while I meet with your—”

Midas halted at the creak of a handle turning and they looked up to see Nico opening the door. He was still wearing his shoes, but had removed his coat and waistcoat and instead had covered himself with an open dressing gown.

“Your Highness,” Midas greeted.

Will might have seen Nico’s eyes narrow. “I thought I heard voices,” Nico said.

“Were we keeping you up?” Midas asked.

That time, Will definitely didn’t imagine the coldness in Nico’s voice when he said, “No. I intended to visit my husband anyway.”

Evidently, Midas picked up on Nico’s mood, as well. “Right, well, I’ll leave you to rest,” he said. “It was lovely speaking to you, Your Highness. I’ll see you both tomorrow. Sleep well.”

Midas didn’t wait for either of them to answer before he left.

Nico closed the door behind him. He didn’t turn to look at Will before he spoke. “You met with him alone,” he observed icily.

“He came to check in,” Will said. “It would have been rude not to invite him for a chat.”

Nico made a dissatisfied sound.

“I didn’t want to, though,” Will added as an afterthought.

That didn’t seem to lighten Nico’s mood.

“Why have you been so angry today?” Will asked. “Have I done something wrong?”

Nico sighed and walked into the room further. “No,” he said, taking a seat next to Will. “It’s Midas. I don’t trust him. Be careful around him.”

“Nico, I don’t understand why you have such a grudge against him,” Will said. “You’re not...certainly you’re not jealous?”

Nico’s frown deepened. “What?”

“Because if so, I’ll remind you that he’s old enough to be my father.”

Nico shook his head and curled his lip in disgust. “That—gods, Will, no! I didn’t even...no!”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“The problem—the problem is Midas. He’s a dirty, lying, cheat and yes, it’s upsetting me that you’ve been so chatty with him but I am not jealous— ” Nico broke off and cursed. “ Now I’m jealous. Damn it, Will, why did you have to say that? I was perfectly not-jealous until you suggested it and now I can’t get it out of my head.”

Will doubted jealousy could manifest out of nowhere so suddenly, but he decided not to fight Nico on that detail. “While I am wholly uninterested, I think it might be excessive to call him a ‘dirty, lying cheat,’” Will said instead. “I thought he seemed friendly.”

“Friendly?” Nico scoffed. “Yes. So friendly that he managed to talk his way out of one of the worst criminal scandals that Pluto has seen in the last decade.”

Will blinked. “What criminal scandal?” he asked.

Nico sighed. “So you don’t know,” he said. “I suppose you wouldn’t have been in Pluto at the time—it must have happened while you and the other Venadican children were taking refuge in Delphi. For a while, it was all anyone would talk about. Midas was one of several noblemen discovered to be involved in an illegal baiting ring. He made animals fight each other to the death for entertainment. That’s why he’s so wealthy, Will. He barely felt the economic crisis after the Scarlet Delirium because he made so much money betting on fights.”

“Baiting,” Will whispered in disbelief. “But that’s been illegal in all the Romanus Terris since long before we were born. How is he not in prison?”

“Because he’s friendly, just like you said. He shed a few tears for the jury, identified a couple more conspirators, and paid a fine. And that’s all.”

“Gods,” Will murmured. He rubbed his face. “You mean that all day long I’ve been chatting with a...a....”

“A greedy, selfish animal abuser, yes,” Nico said bitterly.

“But at the very least he shouldn’t be an earl. How can he still have a title? Why didn’t you take it away?”

“At the time, I had very little real power,” Nico answered. “I was too young; ‘Duke of Angelus’ was more of an honorary title than a real position. My father could have taken away Midas’ claim to the county, but he chose not to go against the wishes of the jury. Now that I’m older, I have the authority to strip his title, but I still can’t. Midas is very well-liked. The public hates me enough as it is already, so imagine how they would react if I deposed him. Believe me, I’ve discussed it with Reyna and it’s not a viable option. The point is, he’s not in prison, he’s still an earl, he’s very wealthy, and I don’t know what he’s capable of. If he has no problem sacrificing animals for a few extra coins, what else could he do?”

Will swallowed. Should he tell Nico what Midas had asked of him? He didn’t want to keep it secret, but regardless of what Midas had done, he and his daughter were entitled to medical confidentiality. Plutons were especially private about their health. It would be wrong of Will to disclose that information without permission.

“I will be more cautious around him from now on,” Will said.

“You can’t let yourself seem at all vulnerable,” Nico said. “Don’t give him anything he can use to manipulate you. Did you talk about anything in particular?”

“He asked about my studies,” Will answered.

Nico nodded in satisfaction. “Then he could have just been greeting you as a host.”

Will chewed his lip. He didn’t like lying, but he took the issue of confidentiality seriously. Anyway, what would Nico say if he knew? Would he ask Will not to do it? Will would never abandon a child in need of healing, no matter who her father was.

“Anyway, you don’t have to be jealous,” Will said abruptly.

“I know. Midas has to be well over twice your age. I’d worry about your judgment if you were interested in him.”

“Yes, but that wasn’t what I meant,” Will said. “You don’t have to be jealous of anyone, ever. You trust me, don’t you?”

Nico’s frown faltered. For a second, he looked like he was fighting a smile, then he gave up and lost. “I trust you.”

“Good. Is that all that was bothering you today?”

Nico nodded, but then hesitated. “Well, there was another thing,” he said. “You used my given name in front of Midas.”

Will didn’t remember doing that. “I did?”

“As you were saying goodnight.”

“Oh.” He still didn’t remember. “I must have said it without thinking. Did I cause a problem?”

“Not really,” Nico said. “I know this is the first appearance we’ve made as husbands and you’ve grown accustomed to more familiar forms of address, but I’d rather keep that private. Especially around Midas.”

“I understand,” Will said. “I’ll be more careful in the future.”

Nico nodded. “Thank you. I wanted to talk about visiting the mines, but that can wait until morning. We ought to rest. The journey here was tiring.”

Will let out an annoyed puff of air. The journey hadn’t been tiring. All they had done was sit. They’d even napped in the carriage. Why did people always insist that long carriage rides took so much energy?

Will didn’t say that out loud.

“Would you like to stay with me?” Nico asked.

Will looked at him. “Stay?”

“In my room. To sleep.”

Will blinked, then he smiled. “Oh. Um, yes. Yes, I would like that.”

Maybe resting wouldn’t be so bad after all.

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tiredwritersworld · 5 years

Text

Who Are You?

Part 4 of my kind of Harry Potter/The Hobbit crossover about a witch who travels to Middle Earth to find the only family she has left. Part 1 here, Part 2 here & Part 3 here

Thanks for all the comments so far and the asks love getting them :)

“Welcome!” A woman smaller than her said with a pretty smile as she stood in the doorway. “Are you eating?” She asked and Elsie gave a nod.

“I will be but I’d hoped to acquire a room for the night as well. Perhaps a bath?” she replied.

“Follow me love.” The woman replied, the smile still plastered on her face. “Al, I’ll be showing the young lady to a room!” She yelled to the giant bartender who eyed Elsie suspiciously. “You’re not from around here are you?” The barmaid asked as they climbed the staircase.

“No I’m not.” She replied quietly and said no more indicating the conversation would end there.

“Have it your way then.” The barmaid sniffed and pulled out a set of keys unlocking the first door to the right. “Here’s your room, I’ll draw a bath for you.” She said stepping aside, allowing Elsie to enter the small, dimly lit room. There was a double bed in the room and a small fire place and she crossed the room to the window gazing out of it. The dwarf she was to meet later that night was still working away and people continued to mill about the streets, some talking amongst themselves, others arguing and some laughing. It was a busy town but a dark one, nothing like home she thought and turned her attention back to the dwarf. Her father used to make swords and she felt tears sting at her eyes at that thought. Having always hated crying she fought back the overwhelming flood that was sure to come if she didn’t get a hold of herself.

She didn’t know how long she stood there digging her nails into her palm when she heard the barmaid clearing her throat. “That baths ready, it’ll be 4 coins for the night if you’re wanting food.” She added and Elsie turned sniffing as she picked up her pack and pulled out the small coin purse that her father had left behind.

“Someone will be joining me for dinner. Will it be more?” she asked and the barmaid shook her head.

“No, 4 coins will do. Thank you.” She said when Elsie handed her the payment and she slipped out of the room.

The bath was decidedly too hot and so Elsie pulled out her wand and cooled it before slipping beneath the water and breathing deeply. As she lay there she thought briefly of her uncles, something she hadn’t often allowed herself to do.

“Will they accept me... Are they even alive?” She wondered aloud before splashing the water over her face and laying down in the bath.

Lively music played and the place reeked of alcohol, Elsie wrinkled her nose as she descended the staircase stopping to glance around and found the dwarf watching her from a table by the fire. There were two bowls of food on the table and a tankard each and she smiled sheepishly as she made her way over to him.

He had seen her recoil in disgust at the stench when she emerged from upstairs and he wasn’t at all surprised when she approached and her scent washed over him. She’d clearly just bathed, her hair fell in waves about her shoulders still slightly damp, she smelled wonderful and he found himself almost breathless. She wore a simple white shirt tucked into a brown skirt and a pair of what looked to him like slippers only her toes were uncovered as were the sides of her feet and he thought she looked quite beautiful.

“Hi..” She breathed as she reached the table and he stood causing her to turn to look behind her. “What’s wrong?” She asked and he frowned at her.

“It is respectful to stand when a lady comes to the table, you should know this.” He said and she turned back to him, her eyebrows raised and her lips slightly parted.

“Well yes, of course. Sorry.” She said and sat quickly avoiding his gaze. They ate in silence for a while and he watched as she shifted uncomfortably, taking small careful bites of the stew and sipping occasionally at the ale that she didn’t seem to enjoy.

“You wanted to ask me something.” He suddenly spoke and she looked up in surprise at the sound of his deep voice.

She watched him for a moment, he was quite handsome really, bright blue eyes, long black hair dusted with white and grey, a short beard and a long and regal nose. “You look better when you’re clean.” She said suddenly and he laughed loudly in response. “Oh I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that.” She said and buried her face in her hands.

“It’s quite alright.” He said and reached out taking her wrist in his hand, pulling her hands from her face. She seemed to tense at his touch and he realised himself, it wasn’t like him to behave like that but she was the first dwarven woman he’d seen in such a long time and despite the lack of facial hair and the delicacy in her features he found himself very much drawn to her. She comforted him in a way.

“I wanted to know what happened to the dwarves who lived in Erebor.” She replied after a while and he sighed setting the tankard down on the table.

“Why do you want to know that?” He asked, his voice now low and his tone irritable.

“It’s a long story, a very long story actually.” She said and he watched her curiously.

“I’ve got time, you tell me your story and I might speak of Erebor.” He replied and she frowned.

“Why are people so suspicious and secretive here?” She asked.

“Where are you from?” He replied and she looked away from him picking up her tankard and studying it’s contents.

“I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you.” She said and he tilted his head to try and meet her gaze.

“Enough of this.” He said and stood suddenly taking her arm. “Come with me.” He breathed, his face now inches from hers, so close that she could smell the ale on his breath and feel it on her cheek. She followed as he navigated his way through the crowds and led her up the staircase. His room was to the left of hers and she stood awkwardly as he closed the door and turned back to her.

“Who are you?” He asked taking a step toward her.

“Elsie, Elsie Bloom.” She answered taking a step back.

“I am Thorin. Thorin Oakenshield.” He replied placing a hand over his chest as he spoke. “You are a dwarf yet you know nothing of Erebor or it’s people, I would know why you enquire after their pain.”

“You were there..” She replied in a whisper and he gave a short nod in response. “My friend, he told me what happened. I’m so sorry.” She replied and he swallowed, closing his eyes for a moment willing the memories far away from his mind.

“I believe you were about to tell me why you wish to know the suffering of my people.” He said stepping closer to her again. His heart was racing, as was hers. They neither of them could deny that despite the short time they had been in each other’s company they felt a connection, something strong and powerful though words would not come to mind to describe it.

“I, well I have family. They lived there, my father’s brothers.” She spoke quietly and his brow furrowed as he waited for her to continue. “I would like to find them. To know them if they would have me.” She added.

“Your father, what is his name?” He asked.

“His name was Chalin.” She replied and his stomach twisted and knotted at that name. Turning from her he leaned over the fireplace. “I’m not sure if it helps but my dad, he used to sign things Chalin, Son of Fundin.” She added.

“Yes, I know of your father, but he disappeared a long time ago. Before Erebor.” He replied and she took a deep breath now that she was able. He had been so close, close enough to smell the sweat on his skin, a scent that clouded her thoughts, close enough to feel his warmth that she would one day find herself yearning for. “His brothers are in fact close friends of mine.” He said drawing her attention back to the conversation at hand.

“Dwalin and Balin?” She asked and he turned back to her regarding her suspiciously.

“Where is your father now?” He asked.

“He died, a long time ago.” She replied looking to the ground.

“How?”

She shifted, uncomfortable at his question and turned toward the window on the far side of the room. “May I open it?”

“Of course.” He watched her push the window open and breathe deeply the cool night air. She stay that way for a long time and he slowly walked to her standing behind her. Reaching out he took one of her hands into his, her skin softer than anything he’d ever felt before.

“Miss bloom...” He breathed and she almost moaned at the feel of his hot breath on the back of her neck. “Elsie, your father was a friend of mine. I’d like to know what became of him.”

“He was murdered, there was...” She paused at that, not wanting to yet reveal all of her secrets to this man, still unsure of how people would react to her magic in this world. “There were these bad men... They killed my brother too, my mother, she and I escaped but she died soon after, she died of a broken heart.” She replied in a small and broken voice, she fought back the tears welling up inside of her and he sensed this running his hand up her arm and squeezing her shoulder.

“Your father was very well loved amongst our people, we grieved his absence, none more so than his brothers. They will be overjoyed to know that they have some family left.” He said softly.

“Do you really think so?” She asked, turning to face him.

“Yes, they grieved the loss of their brother deeply.” He replied and she looked down, her hair falling in her face as she did so. He reached out brushing the hair from her eyes.

“Forgive me, I find myself in unexpected circumstance. Perhaps you should retire for tonight, we can speak more tomorrow if you wish.” He said gently and she looked up and nodded in agreement. Gazing into his eyes once more she stood and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before slipping past him.

“Goodnight Thorin.” She said before closing the door and he stared after her in a daze.

“Goodnight my lady.” He whispered, there would be more questions tomorrow he thought,

Tag List -

@fizzyxcustard @tschrist1 @yes-captainstark

#the hobbit #the hobbit fandom #harry potter crossover #kinda #eventual thorin x oc #thorin x oc #witchy feels #bree #tiredwritersworld #tiredwriterwrites

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fightevilandthengetblownup · 5 years

Text

FIC: Watching Over You

—

“Will someone fucking help me?!”

He found himself snarling into his headset, jaw clenched and hands tight around the controller as he struggled to extract his character from the line of fire he was currently pinned under. Playing healer was the absolute worst thing; Grey was one death away from suggesting they switch to deathmatch so he could murder each and every one of his team mates.

“Jesus, Grey, don’t get your panties in a twist.” The quip came through in that almost sleep-roughed Brooklyn voice that he’d come to learn belonged to the tallest of the old Ghostfacers crew. Kenny Spruce, only ever going by Spruce and the one time he’d called him Kenny had resulted in a ten minute rant from the man himself and then a very offpitch version of Dangerzone from the other two Ghostfacer alumni on the channel, gave a laugh as he responded, but Grey knew he was kidding when he saw the Genji appear up the side of the building he’d been trapped on with his cyber-agility before unleashing his typical shuriken attack on the three enemies that had been surrounding the party-healer left alone without support. “What you even doing up here, man? Didn’t we say you’d stay with payload this round?”

“Yeah, but that was a stupid fucking tactic.” Grey hissed back, his anger dipping slightly as all three enemies are taken out and his character’s passive regen can start up again. “Plus they just blasted the shit out of me to start with, had to get out of the way for a bit.”

“Fair enough. I got him sorted, guys.” Spruce sounded amused still, and Grey could almost feel him nodding as if they were all in the same room and not spread across the entire country.

***

Getting a regular team together had been Harry’s idea. Something about getting his friends to all be friends, and then it turned into some kind of propoganda plan to help out Grey’s reputation with some of the more open-minded hunters.

It has started with Grey and Harry just playing in random match up together shortly after the game came out when Harry’d decided to bring the game and his extra screen over with him. Usually Grey wasn’t huge on FPS’ but this was bright and colourful, and he really began getting suckered into the art style and the backstories of the characters the more Harry walked him through it. He’d started out using Tracer due to it being Harry’s second so he could talk Grey through the best ways to play and use the character, but after a few random match up games, he’d learned pretty quickly no one liked playing healer and someone had to suck it up and roll that way, and who better than him?

About a month later, Harry had called him up and asked if he was free to join him and two of his old Ghostfacer friends that they were just starting to get back in touch with for a few games. Jo had shaken her head from where she’d sat with a few case files and books open around her when he’d asked if the noise would bother her or not, and Grey’d signed in and joined up with them pretty quickly. That his introduction to two of Harry’s best friends before the bar was running about Caduceus Staffing the pair as if he’d worked with them for as many years as his friend had put him off to a good footing. Ed, their Reaper or Reinhart depending on the rest of the team combination, was more than happy after a few rounds to question if Grey’d be available to join them more often in future. He had barely kept the smile off his face, and heard a lot of puking noises from the other guys through his headset when Jo’d leaned over and kissed him after the next round rather noisly.

The four of them continued to play, several nights a week every week, for the next three months and Grey had begun to think of the other two men as some of his closest friends as well.

—

Hey Grey, the boys are actually free and coming up to visit next weekend, you good to come round to the bar for a few drinks and a BBQ?

Harry’s text had made him feel almost giddy the moment he’d seen it, that he was being invited along to an event with ‘the boys’ felt unusual but also so normal all at once. There was a flash of concern about the bar and the safety measures that had once again been put in place cutting him off from being able to agree, until his phone buzzed again three times in quick succession.

Sorry man, forgot about the Iron Jo said we can do BBQ at yours We’ll be round Saturday

That giddy feeling was back immediately upon seeing it. Not only was Harry willing to change his plans to fit Grey in along with the rest of his friends, which somehow made him feel both upset for making those plans have to change but also so good that his friend cared enough to change them for him, but Jo had already okayed the idea of four guys hanging out, drinking beers and taking over the backyard and/or kitchen without a moments hesitation from the sound of it. Facilitating his making new friends, and helping him without it feeling stifling.

His nervous energy had lasted all the way through to the weekend, and Jo had given up even rolling her eyes at him as he’d cleaned up and tidied the living room, kitchen and backyard for the fourth time that morning. She was more focussed on simply getting the minute steaks defrosted and potato salad she claimed her mom used to make prepped for the afternoon.

It felt strange in a way to put a face to a voice and name as the three men had arrived. It felt stranger still for him of all people to find that concept strange, he’d practically invented putting a name and face to a disembodied voice after all. However, the odd mix seemed even stranger when he realised he’d been added to the equation.

Spruce was not what he had expected - almost 6″3 and a patchy beard growing alongside the full black ensemble and glasses. It matched the quiet yet rumbly voice Grey was used to, and he definitely seemed friendly enough from the immediate fist bump greeting as he’d headed through the house to the backyard as Grey’s waved instruction.

Ed matched exactly to what Harry had told Grey of before, and even recognised vaguely from some old video he’d been shown by either Harry or Jo once upon a time. However he’d stopped dyeing both his hair and shaving his facial hair if the dark hair and fully developed beard was anything to go by. Ed even pulled him into a one armed, chest bump-back hit move as his own greeting, and Grey had to bite down a smile of his own realising he wasn’t dwarfed at all by this friend of Harry’s like the other one.

The afternoon had been as if all of them had known eachother for years, talking easily and sharing ciders or beer or soft drink depending on who it was throughout the afternoon until Jo’d called out that lunch had been ready. Spruce had made a joke originally about women in the kitchen and how it’s supposed to be the man’s job to cook a BBQ, but it had been the one and only awkward moment of the afternoon - especially as he’d quivered under Jo’s death glare and Harry had whispered something loudly about not wanting to piss her off ever.

Excepting that moment, all four men had had a great afternoon which had bled into evening and ended up with all four crowded in the front lounge with a second PSN from the bar brought along and playing a few drunken deathmatches.

Jo had brought in the ordered pizza around the end of the first hour of rounds, and Grey had even felt comfortable enough around the other’s to drag her into his lap and try to show her the ropes of the game.

“Yeah, lets teach the little lady how to play, should be fun as.” Spruce’s comment sounded a little too on the edge of asking for trouble, but from what Grey could remember he was about eight beers in and given he’d lost the last four rounds despite sticking to his main Genji, there was clearly a disconnect somewhere in his head. “Pretty little thing like you Jojo probably don’t know nothing about games, aye?”

“Bet she only plays those girly simulation games.” Ed added on, a drunken smirk on his face as he looked over at the pair of them cuddled up on one of the arm chairs from his spot beside Harry on the main couch. Harry for his part looked like he was too bemused by his mates comments and the fact he knew Jo could destroy the pair of them in her sleep to correct them as Jo had snarled in response.

“Fuckin’ bring it on, dickwads.” Her words were fighting words, and Grey didn’t even think about it impacting his points as Jo’d taken his controller off of him and switched characters at the loading screen for their next round. Somehow it seemed to fit when she chose Soldier 76; and he didn’t miss the way Jo looked over at Harry for an imperceptable nod from the researcher before she fully selected it. “Get ready to die, bitches.”

“After you, girlie.”

It barely surprised Grey when it turned into a bloodbath immediately, nor that the moment the game started Jo’s Soldier had Spruce’s Genji trapped and dead within thirty seconds. It also didn’t surprise him as he noticed Harry’s Winston avoided her character and as such her wrath like the plague. Ed’s Reinhart was the next dead, and for the next three minutes as their death tallies continued to be counted up and ranked against the other four unknown players in the round that Grey’s username was sitting up at the very, very top with a healthy ten-kill margin above the next highest.

Throwing the controller into his lap a little too harshly as the round finished, Jo’s play clearly trumping anyone else as well as the screen showing through a 10 kill spree of all headshots as Play Of The Game she’d enacted about halfway through the match time, the blonde had given the two newcomers a sneer before gesturing for their pup to get up from where she was seated and heading upstairs with a “I’ll leave you boys to it” over her shoulder. Grey couldn’t help the tiny smirk that started up at the flabergasted look on both other men’s faces before they started up the next round.

It was another two beers and almost ten comments about “Damn, that play though” before Harry decided to let the other’s in on that they’d just gotten schooled by a real shooter and none of them had started another round until the bitching about “unfair advantages” had died down some twenty minutes later. Another three beers and Harry was summoning an Uber, Ed was wrapping Grey up in the tighest hug he’d experienced from an inebriated man with a lot of tears and “where were you when we needed another Facer?”, and Spruce had then dog piled in on it with a call about how “damn cool Harry’s new mate” was and “you sure your girlfriend isn’t single” before Harry chased the pair of visiting friends into the waiting Uber and shared a bemused look with Grey as they all parted ways for the night.

After that, Grey knew he now have two more good friends, even if they were a bit weird in their own way.

—

It was another month before the fifth member of their little group joined them for the first time.

Harry had organised the usual gaming session about an hour later than usual with the simple message that got another friend whos free to play, and the idea of adding a fifth member to their usual roster suited them all pretty well. If they managed to find one more, they could actually play with friends and friends only rather than having a few odd swing ins for matches against other groups.

When Jo had swung past and heard him up later than usual on her way up to bed from one of her late night baking sprees, he’d handed her a spare pair of headphones to listen in on the group and found out that their new guy was a hunter like her. Grey had played attrociously that round, barely managing to heal anyone on the team as his fingers have shook and fumbled too much to fire straight or connect right on the others.

Jo had said it seemed ‘fitting’ that the other hunter was trading between McCree and Ashe every other game, as if trying on which style of player he wanted to be, before kissing him good night and retiring to bed with Nana. He knew he could wake her up when he got upstairs if he was still stressed, but that felt like a bit of a defeat to him of how far he’d come, of how far he’d pushed past being impacted by interacting with hunters who didn’t know who or what he was. Instead, he’d simply curled up around her, arms around the waist and face buried in that vanilla scented hair like he wasn’t still being impacted by a surprise hunter involvement.

It had taken another three weeks before Grey had found out which hunter it was, other than going by the screenname MrFizzles2000.

—

“Hey so is it okay if Garth stops by this afternoon?”

“Who?”

“Garth. He’s a hunter, but he’s chill. Like you already like him.” Jo had raised an eyebrow up at him from where she was currently in the middle of some intricate looking chocolate and dough bread…thing. “He got a bit banged up on a job nearby and asked if he could swing by for a patch up.”

“I don’t know any hunters called Garth.” He frowned at her, resting a hip against the countertop as he watched her working. The frown didn’t last too long, though his brows still creased, when she had swiped a bit of the chocolate mix onto a finger and offered it out to him with that entirely too innocent look on her face that let him know she knew exactly what she was doing.

Jo shook her head at his words, an eyeroll clearly being fought from showing, before she licked the chocolate off her own finger at his look. “Sure you do, MrFizzles? He’s cool, he’s chill, and he already knows all about you, hun, and he’s the absolute last hunter who would ever be predjudice against you for that.”

That had sounded too good to be true, and he had pressed further for more information just as soon as he’d finished tasting the chocolate from her lips.

“He got bit, werewolf hunt gone bad last Spring. I’ve been workin’ with him on ways to stay in the game and also stay on top of the situation.” Jo had smiled up at him so sweetly at that as she watched him carefully, that he had trouble keeping his look blank at the revellation that the hunter he played video games alongside was both a hunter and a monster too. That there had been no real reason for him to be so concerned and nervous, but at the same time, the whole idea of a monster as a hunter seemed far fetched even with progressives like Jo, Sam and Harry running about. Her smile had dropped a little as she saw his impassive look, and added quietly, “You hadn’t noticed I duck off near full moon each month? I’ve been keeping my hunts set so I can get to his home and help keep an eye on ‘im during the transformation times now it’s all gone back to mostly normal. He’s a sweet guy, he doesn’t deserve what’s happened but damn if he’s not workin’ hard not to let it stop him doin’ the job.”

“I hadn’t actually noticed-”

“Didn’t think so. But yeah, Harry, Garth and I have been workin’ on the hunter portal cause they’re both big geeks and I guess Garth and Harry realised you guys all play the same games so there you go.”

Grey rolled the thought over in his mind for a moment as Jo had spun in his arms to resume her complicated plaiting of her chocolate bread dough, the chocolate was rippled through it in veins and he was sure it was going to be amazing from what he’d already tasted; before tucking his chin over her shoulder. “Fine, he can stop by. Given I doubt he’s going to try to… gank me?”

There had been a laugh at that, and Grey had found himself almost pacing in the front lounge for the next hour awaiting the arrival of the man who was somehow an unknown hunter, a fellow monster and his mystery team-member all at once.

The first Grey had seen of him was a tall but bean-stalk like guy wrapping Jo up into a tight hug that managed to lift her feet up from the floor and spun her around when just looking at him such a feat should have snapped him in two. There was such a friendly look to him despite the extremely gross mess that was one half of his face, that somehow the clearly openhearted and friendly demeanour broke through even the worst of injuries. “Joey, hey, thanks so much for letting me stop by. Just got on the wrong end of a chupacabra.”

“Yeah I can bloody see that!” Jo had laughed as the man had let her back to her feet, and she’d raised a hand to look at the other’s mangled face - pieces of skin sliced and torn all over one side of his face, and Grey could see a bit of blood smeared on Jo’s hair from where it had touched the area during their hug. “Well not to worry, I’ll get you all patched up soon enough. You know Grey?”

“Grey! Hey man, so good to finally meet’cha!” The next thing Grey knew, he too had been pulled up into a tight hug without a moment to prepare for it, while the hunter wrapped his scrawny arms around his shoulders and rocked back and forth for a second. Garth was still talking, that exceptionally friendly tone bleeding through even Grey’s panic at the unexpected move, “I’ve heard so much about you from Joey and Harry. Been so lookin’ forward to meetin’ you finally. Sorry it couldn’t be better circumstances, man.”

He’d been released after a full thirty-Mississippi’s, and Grey had forced himself not to smoke away out of fear or jerk back more than a polite step as the hunter let him go and continued through to the kitchen at Jo’s gesturing. She had stopped and reached out for his hand, squeezing tightly as she gave him an understanding look as he let out a shaky breath. It took him another few minutes to work down the panic, splash his face with water and then head into the kitchen to see if there was any additional assistance needed once he had calmed down.

It hadn’t taken long for Grey to warm up to Garth once there was no unexpected if very nice hugs, especially as all three had sat down at the kitchen table together while Jo whined about “even though you’ve got higher regeneration than the rest of us, it doesn’t mean you won’t get an infection”, the hunter had simply looked across at him and shared an exasperated eyeroll. That the next thing out of the hunter’s mouth was to congratulate Grey himself on a beautiful house and kind girlfriend settled the matter for him, this was another hunter he would happily spend time with. Maybe with just a bit more distance, or at least warning next time.

—

The sixth and final member had actually come about through Dean.

The hunting brothers had been visiting as they had been doing on and off ever since the Gordon Situation had been handled. Grey had found it exceptionally uncomfortable to begin with, especially the heated, distrusting looks he would get constantly from the eldest brother whenever they did stop by, but Jo had almost burst into tears when the brothers had called and asked if they could drop by the first time about a month after they'd last been around that he couldn't very well say no. Not when she'd flung herself at him right after the agreement either. And so it had become a thing, where if the brothers were within two hours of the city they would pop by after their hunt to say hi. So long as Jo was home, of course.

It was on one of those nights that they were over and talking with Jo in the kitchen while Grey and his group were just kicking off their usual two or so hours of game play that the eldest Winchester had made the comment.

"Is that that weird anime shooter game? Overlord or something? We've got a friend who plays that and she's been looking for a new crew. I'll give her a call and see if she's free if you guys need another tonight." And that was how the sixth member joined them.

---

Supposedly Harry and Garth both already knew and liked the woman, and she was involved with the online hunting development with them and Jo. According to Dean she was a genius, according to Jo she was 'a lacklustre copy of Ash with a vagina' when Grey'd asked her for more that night, according to Harry she fell somewhere in between and Jo only disliked her due to being hit on the first time the women had met.

Charlie Bradbury had been a welcome edition though that first night, and the group had quickly agreed to add her into their little ragtag team.

She tended to roll D.va as her default which meshed well with everyone else, but sometimes she'd play Zarya instead when the mood stuck her which also worked well. Grey figured she was compensating for something always playing the tank role, but knew better than to question it.

That first night though, Grey had been surprised to hear the chirpy female voice through the headset as they finally all got online and in the one escort mission together. They were in charge of the escorting that time, fighting off the other party with a fair few hiccups.

Sometimes Charlie would charge forward further than she should, a level of cockiness in her taunting over the channel directed at the other team than rarely matched the level she was playing at. Sometimes, Spruce would end up accidentally completely forgetting it was a team game amidst the jeering and begin to seek out personal glory rather than working within the team. Sometimes, Grey would drop too far behind trying to regenerate his own health and by the time his character would catch back up, the party would be close to death. And sometimes Ed and Harry would have ended up pissing off one another over something or other, and refused to work together properly until screamed at by the rest of the party or one of them would conceed and apologise.

Overall though, it had been thoroughly amusing, they had finally worked out some of the kinks by their last round as it hit midnight and Jo had appeard in the doorway making a coughing noise in just her sleepwear and Grey had quickly called it a night on the group to a chorus of teasing from the rest. Overall, the computer whiz had fit in well with them all once they got a hold of their egos, and Grey knew that they’d be adding a final person to their regular line up.

***

The escort mission was going somewhat well so far, they’d made it through the second checkpoint and Grey had only have the one close encounter so far that Spruce had fixed up. They had almost reached and surpassed their opposition’s marker in the competition play they were undertaking, and as he directed his character back into the frey towards pushing, Grey could hear Charlie going off again.

“Fucking cocksucking assholes, we’re going to beat these sonofabitches back for sure.”

“Not very ladylike language there, Charls.” Ed’s voice crackled through the headset, clearly teasing as his Reinhardt pushed at the back of the payload alongside the firey redhead’s D.va and Grey’s own Mercy while Spruce’s Genji, Garth’s McCree and Harry’s Tracer zipped about them dealing out damage as they passed.

Grey could tell from the way the D.va suddenly stopped moving that the woman had taken offence. It was something that happened often enough each of the other player’s had noticed it and knew just how damaging one of her stubborn flares could be to their overall performance.

“Ed...” Spruce’s voice rumbled through the quiet, before being cut off by Garth’s friendly attempt at distraction, “Hey Charlie, we’re almost there - watch out for the Reaper comin’ up.”

The silence from their solo female player continued as did her character’s stubborn freezing on the spot as the payload’s speed slowed down having lost the third player’s additional momentum.

“Ed...” Spruce tried again, only to receive a loud feminine hiss and a whiney groan in response.

Grey found himself sighing quietly as he moved his Mercy about the screen to start healing a team member here and there, to boost the attack as Garth completed a flashbang to distract and disorientate their oppponents while they waited for Charlie to get her panties untwisted. While the girl was a very good gamer, and from what Grey had heard from Jo and Harry over the last month, he knew she was equally good at setting up secret portals for sharing the information hunters needed quickly and efficiently between themselves without needing to get too involved in understanding any of the information shred herself, she definitely had a bit of an ego and tended to snap quickly and unexpectedly if she thought she was being insulted.

The time was ticking down for them and they only had two minutes left to compelete the challenge, or at least get past their opponents marker. It was so damn close.

“Ed!” This time it was Harry’s voice, sharp and harsh as his Tracer skipped about from one side of the payload to the other, drawing fire and avoiding equally easily. “Just do it man, you know you were being a shit.”

There was a pained sounding groan as the group managed to move the payload further along and from where Grey was positioned, turning his camera he could see their D.va still just standing still left behind them in Charlie’s tantrum while the enemy players appeared to be trying to decide if they kill out the lone character or focussed on the payload objective.

The groan came again and they were slowly leaving the other behind when Grey realised what he had to do as two of the enemy players began wailing on the frozen and non-reactive D.va. He had seen Charlie let her character die and then remain at the spawn spot before, she had seen her be prepared to lose the match out of spite from one too many kitchen jokes from Spruce or a snarky comment from Ed or Harry. One time she did it after Garth had made some joke about her identifying a monster wrong and sending a hunter out with the wrong information if it ‘hadn’t been for his quick thinking’ to fix it. Grey had yet to aggrivate the woman enough before, but he was a lot more wary of upsetting someone close to the Winchester’s than the rest of them.

He had one strategy left that would allow her to survive, Ed to apologise and possibly give enough of a boost to the team they could pass their competition’s mark with or without the other’s help.

“Mother, fuck the lot of you.” Grey hissed into the headset as he set off his ultimate ability and jerked into the air above the rest of the play. He could see Charlie’s character start gaining health as he moved slightly back towards her to split the difference to the rest of the team, while their offensive characters began dealing enough damage to the surrounding enemies to push them back while Ed’s remaining pushing character continued with their objective. It took about ten seconds into the duration of his power for the hits to start coming from the opposite team, watching his own health deplete. “Harry, go for the Genji, Spruce target the Soldier, Garth the Pharah is almost dead one more shot should do it. And for fucks sake, Ed, apologise this instant!”

There was a quick movement of characters about the screen from what he could see as the three he’d pointed out began the assaults on the assigned enemies and as his powers ability came to an end of time and he dropped his character back down to help with the payload; he saw all three enemy units get taken out. His own was needing a lot of regeneration shortly, but that could wait. If they could just get Charlie back on board...

“Fine, fine.” Ed’s voice crackled, sounding tight and a little sour, before he added into the silent chat. “Look Charlie, I’m sorry. I know we’ve been ragging you a bit today so I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” The words sounded clipped and a little too formal, but next second the D.va was up against Ed’s Reinhardt and pushing along beside them as they crossed past the enemies original marker.

The end point was in sight as they entered the final phase of the match, but Grey could tell they wouldn’t make it without a bit more sacrifce, and sighed as he stayed in place providing the third party to push the load as much as possible even as he’d reached under 15hp left. His screen showed them getting to within 5m of the end point before he was back at the spawning point at the start and found himself sighing resigned not to see if they’d won outright or not as the time counted down.

Such was the curse of being the healer when there wasn’t enough time left for healing to matter. He never got to see if they won or not.

---

It hadn’t been intentional when he’d introduced his sister to the game. It was one of those weekend visits by her when Jo was out of town and not due back until early the next morning but it just happened to coincide with one of his game nights and Shada had looked so bored just ‘hanging out’ that Grey had told the guys he wasn’t available and grabbed the spare remote to play a few rounds showing her the game.

She hadn’t been like Jo had, taking time to pick up how the game worked, how the controller worked, how to actually target and shoot and achieve the tasks. But she’d been more excited than Jo had - tongue poking toughtlessly out one side of her lips as she focussed hard and got drawn into the game as much as he knew he did too. Jo had just looked bored and a little vindictive but not like she had been having fun; where as he could tell straight away his sister was enjoying herself getting to do something he enjoyed with him.

It had become a bit of a tradition between the two of them that they’d play a few different random games with others whenever Shada stopped by.

Grey had not been surprised when she’d gravitated to playing Sombra straight away, and had barely pressed her to try more than two others given how frequently she’d zip straight back to her main character choice each time. It wasn’t like he could judge - he rarely changed off of Mercy now unless they were doing a deathmatch, and even then he did not do well in that game type given how little time he spent playing attack characters - but it was amusing to see how excited his sister got every time he suggested they play a few rounds. He knew it was less to do with the game itself, but the reason for her excitement didn’t really matter so much as he got to get that happy grin out of her.

One time Jo had switched out for him playing alongside his sister when she’d been home for one of Shada’s spontaneous visits, and he’d almost bled from biting his lip so hard to stop the dopey grin from watching the two girls get along and laughing together.

---

Hey guys, cant make tonights session - anyone know an extra sixth to take my spot?

The message from Harry had started this nightmare. It had been about an hour before their usual time, and Grey had felt the slight deflate at the idea he would have to either play with some random or the group wouldn’t get together for the night when the doorbell had rung. Only one person rang the doorbell rather than knocking - a habit that seemingly Jo hadn’t trained the few friends and family of her’s that visited out of after they had installed the doorbell - and Grey suddenly realised maybe his night wouldn’t have to stall out.

My sisters just stopped in She plays Sombra That work for you guys?

He shot off the texts in quick succession into the Discord chat they used as he got up to answer the door. Shada looked as happy as ever, flinging herself at him for a tight hug before brushing past into the house without waiting for an invitation.

“God, why are boys so shit? I mean seriously, even the cute ones are horrible!” Shada whined, flouncing into the living room and throwing herself onto one of the arm chairs, draping her legs across one arm and her head and arms over the other. Her entrance barely registered with the other woman in the room, Jo was engrossed in her laptop in her lap and the thick leather journal on her own armrest. “I mean, I get this guy to buy me a Berkin and then he like... wants things for it? Ugh!”

“Well, that..that’s an expensive bag isn’t it?” Grey asked softly, following in and shutting the door behind him to keep the warm air of the rest of the house out and the cold airconditioned air in. Sitting on the couch, he held up his hands apologetically at the angry look he got from his sister instead. “But no you are completely right, men are gross and shit and horrible. Absolutely not worth your time.” That comment got a snort from the other chair, but flicking a look over it didn’t look like Jo had moved at all or was even listening even if she clearly was. “Hey, I know what’ll cheer you up-”

“What?” Shada’s voice perked up, the arm that had been thrown dramatically over her eyes moving so she could peer at him curiously from under it.

“I’ve got my Overwatch game with my friends tonight, but Harry wasn’t available and we’re looking for a sixth player...”

He had barely gotten to finish the words before there was the high pitched squeal of excitement and he was tackled due to her inhuman speed in the body she inhabited, arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. “Oh can I? Can I?! I haven’t gotten to play with anyone else before!” Shada was grinning from ear to ear as she squeezed his shoulder even more tightly, bouncing the couch cushions from where she was practically jumping with glee. “Can I play Sombra? Please, please, pretty please!”

Grey flicked a hand out to check his phone, seeing the several notifications agreeing to her joining - excluding Spruce’s begging if he could get his girlfriend to play instead - and nodded at her. He was lucky there was another hour before they were due to play for Shada to calm down somewhat before she was unleashed upon his friends.

They’d all played well, though it had mean Ed had been relegated to his tank character rather than playing his preferred Reaper for the escort and assault/escort missions which he had grumbled at until they’d all agreed to spend the last half of their time doing deathmatches instead. Shada had fit into the space left by Harry’s Tracer with her Sombra pretty easily, and the team had changed some of their usual strategies to accommodate the newer player without complaint.

Grey had cringed at several times throughout the night though, as Shada had hummed occasionally singing some parody song she’d heard and when he’d looked away from the screen he’d spotted Jo giggling from her own seat while Spruce and Ed both growled their dislike of “that goddamn Spears pop shit”; or as Charlie had asked thoughtfully if his sister was single at one point; or when Shada had accidentally said some offhand comment asking if Whispering the opposition would be counted as cheating or not that Grey had found himself breaking into a loud song to cover the actual question from being heard properly.

But regardless, the team had fit well - moving smoothly through objectives and challenges together, and while Charlie had had one of her little tantrums when Shada’d made a joke about her ‘butch’ choices of character and asking if it had matched the computer-geek in person or not, they had mostly worked well and won more than two-thirds of their games.

As the clock hit 1am, they had all finally called it quits, and even though Shada had annoyed some of them, all of his friends had bid her goodnight and also said she was welcome to be a swing player in the team in future should anyone ever not be available. Grey’s thought that Shada couldn’t smile any wider was proven wrong as they’d powered off the machine and he’d seen her out the front door after a drink and bit of a chat with Jo now that they’d finished their games and she had packed away her computer.

“I think I see why you keep human friends.” Shada had said softly as she stepped out into the muggy hot night time, looking up at him with a small, thoughtful smile. “They’re...so different to our brothers and sisters.”

“That they are.”

“I think I like your friends, brother.”

“I think they like you too.” Grey had replied, pulling her into a tight hug before she skipped down the stairs to head towards the empty school to disappear from in the dark of the oval, before he’d turned around to find Jo standing on the stairs smiling at him with an almost equally soft look as his sister had given him before they headed upstairs to fight Nana out of the centre of the bed.

---

Things continued like that for a while - sometimes the six of them would play, sometimes one of the others would be unavailable either due to work, hunting or personal reasons and Grey would call his sister in to join them. Sometimes they even decided to just do deathmatch free for alls so all seven of them would play at once. It had been a pretty well established routine, and Grey couldn’t help but realise as he’d get texts, calls or Discords from each of his other team members about anything and everything and not always to do with the game itself that this was what having a tight group of friends was all about.

Not only did they catch up in-game, but each of the others had stopped by the house regularly enough that Grey no longer jerked hearing the sounds of a knock or doorbell the way he had used to. It felt sort of surreal the times Garth would pop by that there was a second hunter Grey felt comfortable in his own skin around.

It was even more surreal when Charlie had flown over for Harry’s birthday held in the backyard as the summer had come to a close, and watching Jo try to be polite and friendly to the woman that commanded a bit too much attention from Jo’s almost-brother’s. The day had been going well, all of those that played with them over, as were the Winchester’s simply out of having been in the area and having buried the hatchet with Harry at least as he’d shown himself invaluable to the research side of things. Even Bobby and Jody had come up, though Grey had thought that was more out of taking the opportunity to see both brother’s and Jo in the one place, and possibly to talk over some files or books with Harry the day after too.

That day had been going so well, with the groups all blending well and even Shada had been invited along and had behaved herself for the most part of the afternoon while Jo and Garth had worked beside eachother flipping burgers, steaks and sausages for everyone laughing the whole time about something or other. Sam and Grey had both worked together to put together a few different salads, especially appreciated by Jody, Charlie and Shada, as they’d all sat down to eat stretched out along a long bench table brought out of the shed into the back garden.

Nana had ran about amongst the legs as everyone had stood and talked beforehand, and was now curled up at Bobby’s feet at the head of the table whining and barking happily every time the older hunter had dropped some food for her. The hunter himself was in a deep conversation with Spruce about the use of technology in ghost hunting and about how static noise in imaging could be used and focussed upon to find that which distorted the image.

Beside them was Harry and Ed, talking animatedly to one another, even though the bulkier of the pair - supposedly according to Harry the other had gotten really into the gym after the Ghostfacers had broken up and was now some survivalist prepper trainer or something - was splitting his time between talking to his friend and flirting with the darkhaired shadow sat next to him. Shada had made a crack about, “maybe I should be even more annoying” when she’d first been introduced in person to the other, and had given barely a cursory look at the other four members of their little gaming group she hadn’t met in passing before focussing almost all her attention on the ex-Ghostfacer so far that day.

Sam had actually sat down next to the shadow without any kind of reaction, as Jody had taken the other headplace and Garth across from Sam, from what Grey could tell in his space beside Jo across from Shada, he could tell they were talking about some job or other that Garth had finished off the night before. He was somewhat more focussed on giving his sister disapproving shakes of the head whenever he managed to catch her eye, but figured that there was no harm in it. Jo was on his other side, right in the centre of the table where she could get up and down easily to keep running about to fetch drinks or more food for everyone as the serving plates emptied.

Beside her was Dean and then Charlie between him and Bobby’s position, and Grey could tell there was something going on from the way Jo was spending more and more time getting up and down for things for everyone else than eating the food that he could tell was the same that had been put on her plate when they’d all first sat down. Looking down at the plate as Jo got up for the third time in five minutes, he found himself frowning as he realised she’d not even touched any of it, completely against normal for her.

Tilting his head and shifting slightly into her vacated seat, Grey had found himself glaring daggers for the first time ever at the elder of the hunting brother’s when he overheard him dubbing the redhead woman beside him “the sister he never had” a little too loudly from a few too many beers as Jo had rounded the table behind him. Out of his peripheral, he could see the way she bit her lip and leant between Dean and Charlie to set down another beer for the Winchester brother who gave her an uninterested “thanks Jo” before continuing to joke to the smiling, unaware woman beside him.

Clenching his fists as he watched Jo spin on her heel and hurry back up the back steps into the kitchen, he didn’t even notice the way Sam seemed to pause in his own conversation looking between the slammed kitchen door, his brother and then his own stony look before getting up and following the blonde into the house. He didn’t notice his sister suddenly looking at him curiously, head tilted as she tried to work something out before returning a half hearted comment to Ed beside her who was talking about some survivial training camp he was running next month, eyes focussed on him as he moved. Grey did notice however his own movement getting to his feet and shoving his seat back harshly before he stepped over to place a firm, little more pressure than his body should be able to produce, hand onto Dean’s shoulder.

“Hey, what’sup Grey?” Dean looked up at him, his attention finally jerked from the conversation about the Hobbit movie adaptations he’d been having with Charlie since they’d sat down for lunch, a slight frown at the extra pressure before it got deeper at the look Grey was sure was on his face. His next words were a bit sharper, voice dropped an octave into a more threatening tone even as those around didn’t quite understand what was going on. “What do you need?”

“We need to talk. Come on.” Grey gritted the words out, fingers digging into the other’s shirt and jerking him to his feet as the hunter stumbled up after him with a shake of the arm and a snarl. So much for a nice afternoon, but he refused to have this conversation in front of the crowd or to ruin Harry’s day with this issue. Jerking his head towards the side of the house, the shadow moved without looking behind him around the end of the table not looking to see the approving look he was getting from the wisened old hunter at the end, completely focussed upon keeping from snapping that Dean had to leave immediately and causing a scene.

He could hear Dean behind him, and taking five faster steps before he spun to confront the other, he had himself mostly under control until he saw the way Dean’s hand was twitching towards his back. “You aren’t going to need that knife, Dean. We just need to have a chat without causing a scene.” Grey snarled the words out, arms crossing across his chest as he stared down the taller man.

“Oh you mean like the scene you started out there?” Dean’s voice was sarcastic as he made no move to return his hands to his side, but also made no move to remove the knife itself as he seemed to be seizing Grey up in return.

“Trust me, if I wanted to cause a scene out there, I would have.” He snapped back in return, grinding one heel into the gravel from the utility space they were stood in. It was as good a place as any. Grey would have taken the hunter inside for the conversation, but Jo was in there and he trusted that Sam would be able to handle that half of the issue. His eyes flashed as he saw the hunter shift as if about to head back to the group and ignore the shadow; growling out the words he had heard from the other, dripping the words with acidic intent. “The sister you never had...”

Dean paused at that, eyes widening a little at hearing the words he’d just let out without a thought, before looking back at Grey. Grey could tell his mind was whirling over what that meant or what the point that the shadow was trying to make to him; and from the blank, unknowing look that covered the hunter’s face he figured the other had not worked out the significance yet.

“You told Charlie she was the sister you never had.”

“So?”

“You told Charlie that she was the sister you never had in front of Jo, you complete asshole.” Grey almost bit his tongue as he snarled the words out, hands clenched into tight fists where he had them against his ribcage as he stared down the hunter. Daring him to deny what he’d said, or deny that it would have meant anything.

Dean appeared to finally get it, eyes widening such that the bright green was fully visible as he appeared to look between the shadow and then the edge of the house back to the yard trying to make up his mind. “Oh shit, fuck, I didn’t..”

“Oh but you did. You fucking well did, Dean. And I won’t stand for you being rude and insensitive to Jo like that.”

“I wasn’t- I wasn’t saying anything about Jo-”

“You fucking know what you said, and how Jo, of all people, would take that comment.” Grey growled back at the hunter’s stammered and awkward denouncing, ripping his arms apart and sticking his fists into his pockets to refrain from throwing the hunter up against the wall and showing him just how much he wouldn’t approve of Dean hurting his Jo yet again. “I get that you might not have thought before you said it, but you’ve barely said six words to Jo all afternoon. You’ve barely even looked at her, and I know you are still not comfortable with me and her, but I won’t allow you to take that out on her any more.”

“That’s not true!” Dean spluttered in response, his hand withdrawing from going for his back but each hand clenched into corresponding fists as he glared across at Grey in return. “I have not been ignoring her-”

“Don’t try to deny it. I’ve seen it all day. I know she’s been smiling and happy, and her and Garth get along like a house on fire and Jody has been taking up a lot of her time; but you, Dean Winchester, have not even looked at her once. You didn’t even hug her hello.”

The brash bluff in the other appeared to deflate at that as the taller man seemed to realise there was some truth to what Grey was accusing him of, fists relaxing and running a hand across his hair as he looked back towards the corner of the building. “I..”

“Didn’t mean to, I’m aware. I’m sure even Jo is aware, but you have been disrespecting her all day and I will not stand for it.” Grey moved closer as he spoke until he was right up in the other’s space, glaring harshly up at him and trying to keep himself from getting even angrier as he thought it over. It was the first time he’d reacted like this around the other, and there was a small flare of pleasure when the hunter stumbled a step back and appeared to shrink a little under his stare. That was enough for now, enough of a recognition of understanding and conceeding to his point. “Now, you and I are going to go back to the table and continue like nothing happened here. And when your brother and Jo come outside again, you are going to apologise to her. Properly apologise. And I’ll let you know if I think it is acceptable, okay?”

He didn’t wait for the hunter to respond, just pushed past the other unnecessarially to go back to his seat and ask Garth about the hunt he and Sam had been talking about as if nothing had happened. Grey had noticed the curious looks from the three Ghostfacers, as well as the slight frown from Charlie when Dean rounded the corner but moved to stand on the small landing outside the back kitchen door rather than rejoining them at the table. If he hadn’t known better, Grey would have thought he was getting an approving look from the older hunters on either end of the table, but that was sure to just be wishful thinking on his end.

When Sam and Jo had emerged with two bowls of potato and pasta salad from inside, her face looking a little pinker than usual as if she’d been scrubbing at her eyes and cheeks, Dean laywaid them and piled both bowls on his brother before grabbing Jo’s arm and turning her back around to go back inside.

Sam slid into his spot beside Shada as he plopped both bowls down onto the table and wrapped a friendly arm around the shadow-girl’s shoulder as he leaned towards Grey across from her. “Hey, did you get your side sorted?”

“Yeah, all taken care of. Yours?”

“Should be okay when they get back out.” Sam’s tone was soft and gentle, and Grey definitely knew that he had a friend in the giant as they shared a knowing smile before starting their own meals again.

Grey wouldn’t be sure would be all okay until Jo returned and actually ate something, but it felt nice to have yet another friend to support him in the form of the youngest Winchester.

---

Three months later, something strange was happening.

They had all logged on as usual, and the chatter over the headsets was much as usual when they were missing Spruce for a round. That is to say, Shada was trying to flirt with Ed, Ed and Harry were babbling about their trip to Comic Con later in the year, and Charlie was trying to organise to meet up with them if their work schedules all happened to match up. The only unusual thing was that Garth had not spoken one word, nor had he done his typical greeting to the group as a whole even once - Grey was kind of missing the friendly twang when the hunter would sign of with a “Hey guys, ready to get these suckers Garthed”. Instead, he’d signed in and was silent.

“Hey so we’re doing assault/escort right?” Grey asked quietly at a lull in the conversation, fingers twitching on his controller as he considered whether to have a drink and wait it out or press the issue as he heard his sister’s giggle through both the headset and from her spot on the couch beside him. Looking out the side of his eye, he could see her twisting a section of her hair - one of those bright purple strands she’d started getting done - around a finger than made him groan. “Please, please guys can we get on with playing. We all good?”

There was a ding and in the corner of the screen, he saw Garth’s first message to the group pop up from the Discord channel - Ready when you are - which seemed so un-Garth.

What seemed even less Garth was as the group finally agreed and started the screen to select their roles that MrFizzles2000 selected Solider 76 immediately without any discussion before any of the other’s could pick their own characters.

“Garth, what the fuck man?” Ed’s voice sounded tinny in the headphones, but definitely reflected what everyone else must have been thinking at that choice. Not once had the hunter picked anyone but McCree or Ashe, not even once. “Since when you play Solider?”

Just shut up and lets play.

That was somehow even less Garth than the rest of it, and the group as a whole continued to fire questions out as they picked their characters. At least he’d chosen another offense heavy damage character so Harry could take the lead-tank role alongside Charlie rather than Ed for the first round as the coin flip had determined. Ed had shouted happily at that, selecting Reaper which would match up well alongside Harry’s Winston, Charlie’s Zarya, Shada’s Sombra and Garth’s inexplicable Soldier 76. Grey was, as always unless he was trying out Moira, Mercy and was actually secretly pleased for another healing person on the team for once.

The first round had somehow been a cake walk for them. Garth was insanely good at the new choice of character, and Grey had found himself suddenly getting a heal boost without having to run out of combat without even asking when Garth’s character would swing past. Charlie and Harry had worked in unison well to take the damage for the rest as they rushed their way to the payload, and even Shada’s almost constant singling couldn’t stop the jovial feeling that was spreading between the group as they wiped the floor with their opponents.

“Jesus, Garth, you need to play that one more often!” Harry cried out happily as they completed the mission quicker than they had before; and there was a sharp whistle of appreciation through the call as they all watched the five-head shot kills Play of The Game from the hunter that had decimated their opponents at just the right time. “Good going man!”

Thanks guys

It was such a small message and did ring true of the hunter’s modesty, so didn’t seem too out of place. But Grey couldn’t shake the feeling something was going on while he drank a sip of his water and chewed on a mouthful of M&Ms while they waited for the next round to load.

As they’d moved across Junkertown for the next assault, and Grey spotted the waning moon in the animated sky, he suddenly realised what it was. Letting out a laugh through the chat out of no where and getting a strange look from Shada as she had her character zipping about, humming that infuriating Britney Spears song under her breath while taking out three enemies at once with one of her EMP blasts, Grey shook his head at her.

He waited for just the right moment to do it, when he knew he’d get an automatic response from the hunter as his character was getting pinned by three enemies to avoid him getting to resurrect Charlie’s D.va as the fought to push back the opposing team from pushing their payload any further. “Ah shit, I need help up here.”

“On my way, hun.” The voice came over the call immediately before the Soldier appeared and drew the fire from the opponents for Grey to extract himself back to their teammate.

“Who the fuck is that?!” Ed and Harry both shouted in unison as they double teamed taking out the three tanks their opposition had chosen to use for the payload push, while Grey used resurrect on the D.va. “Who was that?”

“I thought you guys always wanted me to play.” The voice came again, honeyed sweet and Grey could imagine the smirk on her face as clear as day from where she was. He had only just remembered it was a full moon that night, and Jo always went to help Garth during those times, keeping him under lock, key and a watchfulish eye. It was the first one, full moon that was, that they’d all been around enough to play for; and clearly Garth hadn’t wanted them to cancel with two players out.

The choice in character made so much sense, and as he saw his health boosting again as Jo directed her character past him, Grey found himself smiling fondly as he realised just how lucky he was to have the life he had now as he moved into place to support his friends again.

---

#CA #greypov #cc

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dryad-of-the-dogwood · 5 years

Text

Alright guys, sorry for the delay! Chapter 24 of A Thread of Fate is now live on AO3, and this time it comes with some sparks of the good kind! ;)

Chapter 24: Revelation

When someone tries to shake me awake, I hum something vague and try to wave them away. Whoever it is then goes so far as to touch my face, and I’m frowning and preparing a rebuke when a voice that’s unmistakably Nalissa’s says my name.

My eyes fly open instantly, my left hand darting to capture hers on my cheek. She smiles at me and the worry that had twisted my chest into knots for days starts to melt. “You’re awake! I’m not dreaming, am I?”

At that, she laughs quietly and teases, “Dream about me a lot, do you?”

This time I’m careful to avoid her waist, just in case. I draw her in by her hand in mine and Maker’s breath, it’s a relief to kiss her again and feel her smile against my lips. My thumb brushes the left side of her face, where a thin white scar now breaks the dark line of her eyebrow, and only then do I answer.

“After you went and scared me like that? Every time I closed my eyes. But please don’t do it again.”

Nalissa gives a soft, breathy sort of laugh that makes my insides feel like jelly. Jelly in distress, but very happy for its predicament.

“I suppose I could try to minimize near-death experiences. For you.”

“Before I accept that blindly, what do you consider ‘minimized?’ Just one a month, or…?”

Nalissa cuts me off with a chuckle and a squeeze of my hand. “We can negotiate later. Wynne has promised me there’s food somewhere in this place, and I think I haven’t eaten in three days or so. Have I mentioned I turn into a bear on an empty stomach?”

“Literally or figuratively?” I ask as I rise. “Because I once knew someone that actually transformed into a bear and roared at me for taking the last bit of chicken. Very unpleasant experience. Bears have very bad breath, did you know that?”

I ramble the entire way down to the dining hall, because I’m suddenly too nervous in Nalissa’s presence again. And she laughs at my terrible jokes, because presumably she thinks I’ve gone insane from lack of sleep. But it feels like much more than that.

I can’t quite explain what’s changed in the way I think of her, but something has. Wynne refused to admit how bad Nalissa was, what might have happened if we hadn’t made it to Amaranthine in time, but I had watched her worsen. By the time Wynne began her healing, Nalissa had passed the unintelligible rambling and gone still and quiet. And the thought that a small delay could have been the difference, that I could have lost her, pierces like a spear through a weak spot in armor.

Wynne raises her eyebrows when we join her at her table, and for a moment I have the irrational thought that she somehow knows exactly what I’m thinking and means to tease me for it. But when she speaks, it’s to Nalissa.

“I thought you were going to let him sleep?”

Nalissa shakes her head and rests her chin on one palm to look at me. “I didn’t want to chance him waking up and not being able to find me,” she says, and this time I think I can read the intent in her eyes. I think she was afraid I would assume she had broken her promise.

The softness in her eyes fades to mischief as she looks back to Wynne though. “You know, I kept picturing him realizing I was gone and ripping the keep apart until he found me. Not that I would lament the loss of this place, but it doesn’t seem the proper image for a king.”

I don’t know what she means, at first. It seems an odd thing for her to despise a Grey Warden fortress until I remember who it belonged to before Amaranthine was ceded to the order. At once, the dark glances she keeps giving to the head table take on a different meaning. She probably remembers when Howe sat in the Warden-Commander’s seat.

As for me, it’s distracting after so long to be in the company of other Wardens again. The prickling at the edges of my awareness, the strange extra sense for darkspawn and those blighted by their corruption, seems louder and more distracting than I remember it. It reminds me of the time just after my Joining, when everything seemed too bright and too sharp in proximity to the horde.

That in turn reminds me I still haven’t told Nalissa what being a Grey Warden means, and my nagging guilt returns. But even if I wanted to, I couldn’t tell her here, I reason. The Wardens would never stand for the secrets of the Joining being known outside our number; they might conscript her or worse. No, that must wait for another time.

Someone shouts my name, and I look up in surprise to see a familiar bright red beard. It’s natural that the beard is the first thing I see, because it belongs to a dwarf who stands about as tall as I am sitting. He’s grinning in a way that warns me his next words will be at my expense before he adds, “Lookit you, boy! Is that what humans consider a beard? Guess that’s why you were never so keen on trying to grow a proper one. I’ve seen nugs with more hair on their chins, but right on you for trying.”

“Oghren!” I greet him with a clap on the shoulder. “Still just as much ale dribbled into your beard as always, I see.”

Naturally, the dwarf laughs. “S’pose there is, at that. What’re you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be living it up in the palace, lording over the dusters, leaving the darkspawn and the saving the world to the dwarves with axes, huh?”

“Er, something like that,” I begin, but before I’ve begun to think of a way to explain what I’m doing in Vigil’s Keep, Oghren has cut me off anyway.

“Heard about that ‘Mother’ business and came to see, aye? Well, good luck getting any of it out of the boss. Even drink don’t loosen him up, it’s sodding unnatural. Makes me miss the princess, and she never talked ’til she damn well pleased either, but least she looked better telling me to shove my questions.”

“‘The boss’ being this Warden-Commander Caron that still hasn’t seen fit to answer any of my letters?” I wonder, frowning toward the still-empty seat at the head table.

“That’s the one,” Oghren agrees, taking a seat across from me and only then seeming to notice Nalissa. “Well, shave my back and call me an elf! You finally took my advice and found yourself a girl!”

As I contemplate deeply whether it’s possible to be so mortified you actually die, Nalissa mutters simply, “Charming.”

“He grows on you, most unfortunately,” Wynne says with a longsuffering look. “Not unlike a particularly stubborn wart.”

Oghren waggles his eyebrows and moustache in what I’m sure he thinks is somehow an alluring manner. “Careful, or someone might think we’ve been tapping the midnight still.”

“I assure you, no one would think that.”

“Sure they would. You’re still lively for a lady your age. Maybe the elf had the right of it…”

“So help me, Oghren, if you mention my bosoms—”

Nalissa interrupts by dropping her fork onto her plate with a clatter. “And on that note I think I’m done eating, possibly forever.”

Oghren bursts into a fit of raucous laughter that includes banging his gauntleted fist on the table. It’s almost like being back in camp, sitting around the fire and listening to the chatter over whatever meal Leliana had managed to make materialize. It makes me feel oddly… homesick isn’t quite the right word for it, but something along those lines. I’ve missed having companions and friends in Denerim. The king doesn’t have many of either of those things.

And with Nalissa dressed in a tunic with a griffin emblazoned on the chest—no doubt provided by Wynne courtesy of the Wardens to replace her bloodied clothes—it’s easy enough to imagine her there too. I amuse myself for a moment imagining how different the Blight would have been if Nalissa had been Duncan’s Highever recruit instead of Jory. She and Sereda on the same mission would have been a force of nature. No army or archdemon would have stood before them.

Still, I think the Nalissa of before her family was lost is the most interesting part of that daydream. I have a hard time picturing her less guarded, but surely she must have been. Maybe she laughed easier, and told jokes that weren’t at her own expense. As much as she knows about Grey Warden history, I can picture her plying every Warden in camp for the order’s secrets from the moment she arrived. I bet she would have gotten some too, probably by winning some challenge she had been expected to fail like a duel or a drinking contest. She would have been a breath of fresh air to the tense atmosphere at Ostagar, I’m sure of it.

It’s all a fun little daydream until that voice in the back of my head I try to ignore points out that she also probably never would have looked twice at me. It was the very responsibilities the Wardens would have freed her of that brought her to me, after all.

The title of “little pike-twirler” catches my ears, and I turn my attention to Oghren with a groan. Why had I been feeling nostalgic for this, again?

Despite the dwarf’s best attempts, he can’t convince any of us to drink with him at noon and shakes his head as we leave him in the dining hall with a tankard of foul-smelling ale. Nalissa glances sideways at me as soon as we start up the stairs.

“So, these were your friends from the Blight?”

“More or less. Oghren’s full of even more innuendo than usual to make up for Zevran not being available, I suspect.”

“Suddenly it seems even more miraculous than before that the Blight ended so quickly.”

I laugh, consider the fact that she doesn’t even know about Sten or Shale, and add, “You have no idea. Did I mention Zevran was hired to kill us and Oghren only agreed to help to save his wife, who then tried to kill us too?”

“At least I can take comfort in knowing I’m not the only one everyone wants dead,” she says, and I frown at the dark tone.

“‘Everyone’ doesn't want you dead. I very much don’t want you to die.”

Nalissa pauses to turn and smile softly at me. Standing on the step above, she’s close to my height but the way she tilts her head down slightly to look at me through her lashes anyway makes her look almost… shy?

“So I heard. We were miles from anywhere when I went to sleep. Wynne said you carried me the whole way. You… you didn’t have to do that, Alistair.”

I probably look at her like I think she’s crazy, because that’s definitely what I’m thinking. “Of course I did! What else was I supposed to do, let you die?”

“You were hurt too,” she argues, her eyes flickering to my shoulder. “It must have been awful, walking so long carrying something with that arm.”

“What is it you usually say? I’ve had worse?” She scowls, but I smile and brush the frown lines away with my thumb. “For you, I would have walked it in armor made of bacon with hungry wolves nipping at my heels. Fortunately for me, none were available.”

Nalissa chuckles softly and shakes her head. “You know, for all your talk of how I don’t think my life is worth enough, you don’t seem to value yours overmuch either.”

“Of course I do. I just think about yours more.”

She lifts her chin a little to look at me more directly. I’m at a loss for how to read what I see there again, but I swear when she looks at me like that, I think she can see into my soul.

Then she kisses me, and this time, it’s different. Before when she’s been the one to kiss me first, they’ve been slow, gentle, little gestures of reassurance and affection. This kiss is sudden and fierce, so much so in fact that I think if she hadn’t hooked one arm behind my shoulder to pull me into it, I might have staggered back down the stairs.

My hands catch at her hips in surprise and then her other hand is in my hair, raking against the back of my head like she can’t manage to pull me close enough. My head goes fuzzy, maybe I forget to breathe, I can’t tell. I only know I’m tugging at her hair in search of an angle to kiss her more deeply, like that’s suddenly the only way I can think of to tell her how terrified I was she wouldn’t wake up, and just when I think my heart is beating so loudly I’ve gone deaf to all else, she makes a soft sound low in her throat that sends a shiver down my spine.

“Whoa—hello,” a strange voice says, and Nalissa nearly jumps out of her skin. Her right hand darts to her side, and then she freezes. Reaching for a dagger she isn’t carrying, no doubt.

I look over my shoulder to see one of the Wardens, a man at least a decade older than me with a rather intimidating moustache, breaking into a grin from the stairs behind me. “There are rooms just upstairs much better suited to that, you know,” he points out conversationally as he passes. “But don’t let me interrupt. Do carry on.”

Nalissa’s cheekbones are bright red, but I can’t tell if that’s from embarrassment or just from the kiss. She watches as the man passes before she looks back at me, and when she does, a quiet laugh chokes itself from my throat. I think it’s entirely leftover nerves, and mercifully, she gives a weak half-laugh too.

“Sorry,” she says quietly, tucking a lock of hair back behind her ear that I must have accidentally freed. “I… Thank you.”

It takes me longer than it should to remember what she could possibly be thanking me for. By the time I do, I find that I’m nervous under her gaze again.

“All I did was keep my promise. I told you, neither of us is dying out here. We’re going to fix all of this and go home and… and you’ll never have to be hurt like that again,” I finish lamely, because I can’t bring myself to say the things I want to. And when she kisses me again, this time short and gently like she always has before continuing up the stairs, I worry I might have said the wrong thing.

Vigil’s Keep is at least improved by its new Grey Warden occupation, I’ll grant it that, though personally I feel it could be improved further by being burned to the ground. Alistair on the other hand seems almost at ease here. He excitedly shows me around the keep and its grounds, pointing out monuments to prolific Wardens, including one incredibly serious-looking Sereda Aeducan. At dinner, a handful of Warden recruits with wide eyes accost him for stories of the Blight and with a dose of good humor, he obliges. He’s a pretty good storyteller, even though the now rather drunk dwarf from earlier keeps interrupting with a collection of forced double entendres.

How it devolves from there, I can’t quite say. One moment, a young Warden that had apparently also fought at Ostagar is saying how he wishes he’d had a chance to do something so important instead of fleeing with his family, and Alistair is assuring him that protecting his elderly mother was a noble enough thing too. The next, Oghren is insisting a drink will keep them all from being so serious and much to my surprise and apparently also the dwarf’s, Alistair agrees. Of course, the recruits want to do whatever their new hero is up to, and in the end, I shrug and agree that after the week I’ve had, I could use a drink too.

“But none of that dwarven brew,” I specify immediately. “That swill tastes like it’s already been drank and recycled.”

Oghren gives a disapproving grunt. “Humans! You wouldn’t appreciate good ale if someone threw it in your face.”

“I wouldn’t appreciate a West Hill brandy thrown in my face either, but that one I would drink,” I counter, and he snorts a laugh.

Despite my warning, one of the recruits decides to sample the dwarven drink anyway. And then promptly spews it out of his mouth over the edge of the table.

“Sweet Maker, this does taste like piss!”

The group erupts into a roar of laughter, Oghren bangs his fist on the table in his mirth, and the rest of us begin a search for actual, palatable alcohol. The Wardens have a nice little collection of spirits stashed away, in fact. I try not to wonder if they inherited that from the keep’s former owner too.

Either way, they do in fact have West Hill brandy. The only woman of Alistair’s Warden-recruit admirers, a slight elven girl with striking blue-violet eyes, gives this a try and makes the mistake of gulping down an entire mouthful to start and nearly chokes. It doesn’t have so much kick as all that, but it doesn’t take much to guess she likely hasn’t had much experience with liquor. The others laugh but I pat her on the back and tell a story of how I once accidentally did the same with a Legacy White Shear, complete with exaggerated rendition of coughing it back into my brother’s face, and the girl gives me an appreciative look when they’re laughing at me instead.

I second guess my decision when the tipsy girl starts flirting with Alistair. Only a short while later, she’s leaning over the edge of the table toward him, her chin in her palm and her hair falling across one side of her face as she looks at him. I can’t entirely blame her—he is unfairly handsome in the flickering light of the sconces, and she is leaning toward drunk—but still it stirs something oddly possessive in me that I didn’t even know I had. It’s a much less pleasant sort of burn than the warmth of the alcohol.

For his part, Alistair seems completely oblivious, even when she goes so far as to put a hand over his forearm while she giggles at him. When her thumb starts to trace lightly over the back of his arm though, even he looks at her quizzically and it takes every ounce of my self-control not to threaten to remove her hand for her.

“Alright dove, that’s quite enough of all that,” I interrupt, taking a firm hold of her arm and dragging her to her feet. She blinks confusion at me with those glittering eyes, but I steer her insistently toward the doors without a mind for her sputtered objections. Halfway there, I find another woman, this one middle-aged and quite sober, and foist the tipsy elf onto her to get her back to her room.

I return to the table, then shake my head and drain the rest of my glass of brandy all at once before looking up. When I do, I swear Oghren is stifling a snicker into his tankard, one of the recruits has actually fallen asleep on his face, and Alistair is staring at me like I’ve just pledged fealty to Orlais. For a brief moment, no one moves. Then the recruits start to stand all at once, two of them lifting their friend between them, and disappear. Finally the dwarf waggles his eyebrows and says suggestively, “Shouldn’t the two of you be running off to bed too?”

Seeing as he’s been bursting with innuendo all day, I think nothing of it. On the way back to the room, the drink starts to go to my head and I catch onto Alistair’s arm for support on the stairs. Surprisingly, he’s steadier than I am, though maybe he just didn’t drink as much. He didn’t get to watch a girl with pretty lavender eyes fawning all over him, after all.

We pause on the first landing, and as I’m trying to figure out why since this isn’t even the right floor, Alistair pulls me by my arm in his into the hallway. It’s dimly lit by only a couple of flickering sconces, and as he stops looking around to check it’s empty, the firefight reflects back at me from his amber eyes. My stomach feels suddenly warm and tingly in a way that has nothing to do with brandy.

“What did you say?” Alistair asks, and I frown my confusion at him.

“Nothing?” I guess, because I’m pretty sure I didn’t, but he shakes his head at me in a way that suggests otherwise.

“At the table,” he clarifies, and I try to remember the threads of a conversation I’ve already forgotten until he adds, “You… did you mean to call me ‘love’?”

This time, I blink hard and shake my head a little, because I definitely heard that wrong. “Did I what now?”

“You called me ‘love,’” he repeats, and this time I can feel my face flushing. Hopefully it isn’t obvious in the shadows.

“I did not,” I object, finally putting the timing of his stunned look together and realizing what’s just happened. “I said ‘dove.’”

Alistair shakes his head solemnly, his eyes locked on mine, and the certainty in them makes me falter. I hadn’t, had I? Surely not. That definitely wasn’t what I meant to say. It isn’t even—

But I stop myself, mid-thought, midway through speaking, so all that comes out are three words: “I didn’t mean…”

Because, I realize with a sudden jolt, I can’t finish those thoughts truthfully. It was a slip of the tongue, surely, but not… not an incorrect one. I hadn’t stopped and examined it, hadn’t given myself time since setting out from Denerim, but I should have known the moment I knew I would give anything for him, including my own life.

I look into his eyes, eyes as kind as every word he’s ever spoken to me, as soft as his every touch, as patient as his every move, and finally I put the words to what it is he makes me feel. I love him. I can’t speak it, I’m not sure I even remember to breathe, because for a moment those words are all the thoughts my mind can form. Breathing is irrelevant in comparison. I love Alistair Theirin, and it’s at once the most comforting and most terrifying realization I’ve ever had.

Alistair hesitates, looking back and forth between my eyes, and then brushes his hand against my cheek and down my jaw. I try not to shudder, but the touch makes my skin feel like the air before a lightning strike. This time when he kisses me, it feels like I melt between him and the stone wall at my back. My knees turn weak, my fists clenched in the back of his shirt the only thing holding me upright as my heartbeat pounds the words I love you like some sort of desperate mantra.

When we separate, we’re both out of breath. But perhaps “separate” isn’t the right word because I’m still flush between him and the wall, my hands pinning him to me as much as holding him for support. One of his forearms is braced against the wall beside my head and his other hand is at the small of my back, pulling me to him just as I’ve pulled him to me. His eyes are alight from within, not just the reflection of the fire, and whatever it is I see in them makes it hard to catch my breath.

I love you, beats my heart, so loudly it’s surely some kind of wonder he can’t hear it. But my lips can’t remember how to speak the words, even if I was brave enough to voice them.

Alistair loosens his grip first and trails his fingers lightly through my hair as he pulls away. He kisses the back of my hand as he draws it down from behind his shoulder, then laces his fingers together with mine. His smile is faint, almost shy again, as he says, “We should get some sleep. You’re clearly delirious from exhaustion to say such a thing!”

I want to object, but I seem to have left my voice somewhere along with my nerve and my kneecaps. I’m grateful for Alistair’s hand in mine on the stairs, and then again that he doesn’t object this time to sleeping beside me.

I fall asleep on his forearm, his fingers still trailing soothingly through my hair. And I dream of his arms holding me a different way, with his freckled shoulders bare above me and my legs wrapped around his waist.

#dragon age origins #alistair theirin #nalissa cousland #alistair x cousland #fanfic #writing #my writing #my fanfic #a thread of fate #ao3 #also now posting the chapter here by request~#go check out the fic if you want to see more

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fearofaherobrine · 5 years

Text

Roleplay Server Log #386

“Octagon and Enix, Spleef, Bird Dad”

[CP] Is holding his no longer flaming baby and is letting Notch visit with the others when he feels the shift in the mainframe and he shudders a little-

[Fangbo] Notices his reaction. - Did Aether pull your hair or something?

[CP] - No...- He looks over at the mainframe- The seeds have shifted...

[Fangbo] Oh? You're sensitive to that? Maybe one of the big multiplayer servers changed host sites or something.

[CP] - Maybe...- He takes Aether and hands her back over to Notch- Just give me a moment

[Notch] Any reccomendations to keep her from getting cold again?

[CP] - Keep her out of the way of the vents and if she does catch on fire again, well, you know it wont hurt you yet

[Flux] Digs through the diaper bag and finds an extra blanket-

[Notch] Got it. Where are you headed?

[CP] - The main frame

[Notch] I'd say be gentle but you know how to conduct yourself.

[Jeb] He does????

[Flux] - He'll be fine

[CP] Ignores Jeb and touches the servers letting himself be pulled in and he looks to see what happened-

-There is now a very big server next to the one he's been calling home-

[CP] Snickers and goes to inspect the new bigger server-

-It's already super overbuilt. There are a faintly ridiculous number of players running around and the chat is full of random emoticons and leetspeak. There are quite a few large sculptures with just random words and pixel art from various 8bit games. There's a spleef dome rising over part of the town as well. The spawn is a sort of open waiting room with the basic server rules posted on a series of white colums in a circle. People are hustling in every direction but the spot he's standing in is relatively quiet.

[CP] - Oh joy, fresh prey

-He's immediatly struck with the feeling of being scrutinzed-

[CP] Focus' on the feeling to see what it is-

-There's a bit of a cough from above him-

[Octagon] You look lost friend. I hope you're not here to make mischief. - The figure is unmistakably a NOTCH, but he has a full long beard plaited like a dwarf and a name floating over his head like a player.

[CP] - Oh fuck off

[Octagon] Now that's not very nice. And here I'm being super polite too.

[CP] - I just came to find out what had been placed next to our server and if it were a threat

[Octagon] Then we're neighbors! How wonderful! You can see my name, what's yours? -Chuckles- Though I can probably guess.

[CP] - The others usually refer to me as CP

[Octagon] Hops down from the pillar and stands next to him. He's average height for a NOTCH, so shorter then Cp- Pleased to meet you then! I wouldn't have a player name, like this- he indicates the floating bar- but my brother tagged me.

[CP] - Your brother?

[Octagon] Yes! Let me see if I can get his attention. I think he'd be more your speed anyway- He does some whisper typing and then waits-

-A Herobrine basically steps out of his shadow and makes a show of stalking and menacing the NOTCH from behind before tickling his ribs with a gigantic grin-

[Octagon] Dissolves into wild laughter - BRO!

[CP] - Oh joy- He's dead pan

[Enix] Speaks with the most sinister voice Cp's ever heard outside the mansion, it's practically an oily sound. - What? No sense of humor?

[CP] - Only when it comes to murder or teasing my wife

[Enix] A brine with a mate? Did you wed an Alex? Lucky man.

[Octagon] You have a wife? That's so sweet. Is she nice?

[CP] - Another brine, and it's none of your fucking business

[Enix] Shrugs- Suit yourself.

[Octagon] He lives next server over!

[Enix] Lounges against a pillar. - So how's the neighborhood around here? Our admin changed hosts.

[CP] - Well it was quiet, but don't expect to be able to just hop over, it's a private server

-There's a bit of commotion as a few players spawn in and stand for a moment. The native NOTCH and brine make a show of stiffly waving at them and doing a few player hops-

[Octagon] Sounds quiet.

[CP] - Again, it was, but I suspect we'll be picking up a fair amount of noise from your server here

[Enix] Not much to be done about that. This is a kids server.

[Octagon] Little players really liven up the place!

[CP] - Ours is a sanctuary for brines

[Octagon] So you don't have any players at all?

[CP] - Occasionally a few that we trust explicitly will come on, but otherwise, no

[Octagon] But who pays the bills?

[CP] - We have our ways

[Enix] Clever, and close with secrets I see. Well we're set up decently well too. The head admin thinks we're both players.

[Octagon] Snickers-

[CP] - Pathetic

[Enix] Scoff if you want. It's a good gig.

[Octagon] Some of us like kids you know. He and I keep the griefing and hacking to a minimum so everyone has fun.

[CP] - We're brines! We're supposed to grief!

[Lie] Slips into the server, having been wondering what was taking CP so long and so had traced his path through the office. She appears right behind her husband-

[Octagon] But they're just kids. It would be mean to grief them. They'd just cry.

[Enix] Hides a growing smile behind one hand - You wouldn't burn down some little kids clubhouse would ya?

[CP] - I have in the past

[Lie] Sighs- CP...

[CP] Stiffens and turns around- Lie...

[Enix] Laughs- I think someone just got busted!

[Octagon] All smiles- Hello miss! Welcome to our server.

[Lie] - Hello, I apologize if my husband has been harassing you

[CP] - Why are you here?

[Lie] - You were taking a very long time checking on our daughter so I figured I'd see what was taking you. Oh, and you also griefed your father, she pooped right after you left apparently and Jeb had to show him how to change the diaper

[Octagon] You have a daughter too???

[Enix] Scoots closer- You're a Herobrine! A female Herobrine???

[Octagon] Gets closer as well- My stars!

[Lie] Hesitates a little- Yes, a newborn, and yes I am a female brine...

[CP] Growls as the other two get closer to his wife-

[Octagon] Congratulations! I had no idea that was even possible!

[Enix] I hope she didn't inherit her dads temperment. He's a bit rude.

[Lie] - He's better than he used to be

[CP] - Speaking of our daughter, we should be getting back to her

-There's a bit of commotion and a player with a silly skin runs up to Octagon and places a sign before typing on it-

[Octagon] Oh dear, that's not allowed. I'm sorry I have to tend to this. It was nice meeting you.

[Enix] Watches his brother rush off. - Yeah, likewise. Sorry about the noise, we have so many players, this place is like a madhouse. Even the Nether and Aether are noisy as all get out. Only the End is quiet.

[Lie] - Our Aether is noisy sometimes too

[CP] Groans at his wife's joke-

[Enix] Stares at her for a long moment and then lets out a rather evil sounding laugh- That's excellent! You named your child after the NOTCH realm mod didn't you???

[Lie] - Yes, we did

[Enix] I love it! What are your thoughts on players? Your hubby seems none too keen on them.

[Lie] - It depends on the player themselves, although I really have no room to judge since I used to be one

[Enix] Oh now things start to make sense... this means someone in your circle can get out. How intriging. I spend most of my time with players.

-A few players are creeping around a little watching them-

[Enix] Hang on- He turns quickly and gives them a freaky grin-

-There's some excited jumping and the avatars sprint away merrily-

[Enix] I save my A-game for more adult multiplayer games mostly.

[Lie] Motions at CP- He's the one who dragged me in initially

[CP] - Lie! Let's go!

[Enix] Something on fire Cp?

[CP] - You're being annoying!

[Lie] - Adult multiplayer?

[Enix] Gives her fingerguns- I slay at Overwatch, TF2, COD, I know how to do remote logins.

[Lie] - Okay then

[CP] Flumps on his wife a little-

[Lie] - Really CP?

[CP] - I would think you'd want to get back

[Lie] - Why?

[CP] - So we could finish what we were doing~

[Enix] Ah, is it adult playtime?

[Lie] - It was until the baby figured out how to set herself on fire

[Enix] You don't sound panicked so I'm going to assume it's a normal thing for a child brine to be on fire.

[Lie] - Considering it's one of her father's powers? Yes

-Another small group of players spawn in and wave -

[Enix] Just play it cool.

[Lie] - Well we should be leaving soon anyways, but I'll be sure to let our head admin know about you guys

-messages in chat-

-Whoah Pretty hair! O-O-

-Red Herobrine! Super talllllllllllllll-

[Enix] Thanky. Come back and visit if you want. Just walk stiff and follow the rules.

[Lie] - We will- She stands near CP and he lets both of them out and back into the office

[CP] Helps Lie out and both of them can hear Aether getting fussy-

[Notch] Back again? How did it go?

[Fangbo] Is making faces at Aether to make her giggle-

[Lie] - Well the new neighbors have a brine and a NOTCH

[Dofta] oh dear... do they get along at least?

[CP] - Their relationship is brotherly

[Lie] Goes to take her fussy baby from Notch-

[Dofta] Oh good. [She's still upset about the incident with Mb and Echo the other day]

[Notch] That's a relief at least.

[Lie] Picks up on Dofta's emotions- Hey, it wasn't your fault. It was actually the NOTCH's fault that MB was up for deletion

[CP] - Yeah, and they are way too cheerful

[Fangbo] Cheerful is bad?

[Yster] Well I can think of worse things.

[Jeb] Is looking at a screen on the mainframe - that's a big server...

[CP] - The head admin just thinks that they are players, they hit each other with name tags

[Notch] That's actually kinda clever. They're just living there?

[Jeb] Is looking up some info on the server. - Oh man...! I found the stats for it.

[CP] - Yeah well can you move it farther from ours?

[Locklear] - Are you really being territorial over a digital space?

[CP] - Yes!

[Jeb] The owner is a rather sweet-looking little old lady. And no, I can't move it. The placement is decided by the hosting service. They just got a packet near yours.

[Yster] I got the impression he was territorial about everything in general.

[CP] - Then I'll find a way to move it

[Notch] Just leave it be please, it sounds like they might be decent allies.

[CP] Grumbles-

[Lie] - Should we be heading back?

[Notch] I think so, Aether looks sleepy too.

[Lie] - Yeah, I think it's nap time

[Lie] Once back home they say goodbye to Notch and go inside. CP lays down on the bed with their daughter and Lie watches as he falls asleep with her, taking a screen shot as her daughter sleeps soundly on her father's chest. With a giggle she decides to check on CN and looks around for the child-

[CN] Is digging around in the food trunk for a snack-

[Lie] - And what are you doing CN?

[CN] Yelps and quickly turned around- Lie!

[Lie] - Are we getting a snack?

[CN] - Yeah...

[Lie] - I see, well after your snack, do you want to go for a ride with me?

[CN] - Sure! Where are we going?

[Lie] - Just to Docs place, there's some stuff I need to tell them

[CN] Quickly eats an apple- Okay! I'm ready to go!

[Lie] Smiles and follows CN out to the stable where he selects a horse and then follows her to the front of the house so she can get on Beau. The stallion is happy to be getting out and prances a little- Easy there, we're just going for a short ride

[CN] Climbs on his horse and follows Lie towards Docs house-

[Doc] is dozing in the sun near the spawn, hir dragon tail is draped over a few of the headstones and the small wall-

[Lie] - Guess we won't have to go so far- She trots over to Doc- Hey Doc? I've got some news...

[Doc] blinks sleepily- mm? Oh. Hi lie, Cn - Xe yawns - I didn't sleep worth a damn last night...

[Lie] - Because of the server shift?

[Doc] You felt it too huh? It was that, and the noise...

[Lie] - CP felt it from out in the office. He also went to investigate and it's where I found him

[Doc] Groans- please tell me he didn't already piss everyone off?

[Lie] - Not yet, but there is a brine and NOTCH over there

[Doc] Hunkers down into a tidy, alert crouch- Now you have my full attention.

[Lie] - They have taken on a brothers relationship and the server admin just believes that they are players. It's a server for kids

[CN] - For kids?

[Doc] No wonder it's so noisy. They must have a lot of players for all the activity I've been picking up on.

[Lie] - It looked like it too. Jeb looked up the stats for the server and said it was massive

[Doc] Interested tail flick - and the brine and the NOTCH? They're just living there? Are they really into babysitting or something?

[Lie] - I'm not sure, CP talked to them longer than I did. But he's currently napping with the baby. Their names are Octagon and Enix though

[Doc] How odd. Well at least it's nothing bad. I'll make my way over with a welcome cake or something, but not right now. I'm so tired... - They lay their head down with their chin in the grass. - I can't even sleep in my bed right now. Buff decided to evict my cobweb collection and it's annoying as hell listening to him whistle and bump around cleaning stuff.

[Lie] - I'm sorry to hear that

[CN] Nudges his horse closer to Lie- Lie?

[Lie] - Yes?

[CN] - Could... Could I go over there?

[Lie] - Well, I don't see why not, but you'd have to move stiffly like the players

[Doc] Thanks Lie. They might be suspicious of you too since you're smaller then a player.

[Lie] - That's true, but they just seemed awed at how large CP was. They're kids, they might not think much of it

[Doc] Perhaps. And if their Herobrine doesn't shade his eyes, they might be used to a few anomalies... - They sneak their tail fluff over their eyes and shift to a more comfortable pose. Like a balled cat.

[CN] - Could we... Go now?

[Lie] Hesitates a little- Are you sure you want to CN?

[CN] Nods his head-

[Doc] You guys have fun then, and be careful. Cn, you're not used to being around players, they can be impulsive and even destructive.

[CN] - But they're kids!

[Lie] - And they don't realize we're real and can feel pain

[CN] - Oh...

[Doc] They're just playing from behind a screen. Dying is a minor inconvenience. And they can't talk except in the chat and passing stuff like signs or books back and forth.

[CN] - Okay

[Lie] - Lets put our horses in with the skeletal ones here CN, then we can go

[CN] Nods in agreement and jumps the horse over the low fence-

[Lie] Does the same with Beau before creating an opening- See you in a bit Doc

[Doc] -is already asleep again-

[Lie] Makes the opening and guides CN through, both showing up at the spawn of the other server-

[CN] Looks around and bounces a bit in excitement-

[Enix] Runs by playfully chasing some players and stops- You came back so soon, and you brought a child? I thought your little one was a newborn? - He leans down to get a better look at Cn-

[Lie] - This is my NOTCH, CN, he heard their were other children here and wanted to come visit. CN? This is Enix

[CN] Takes a step back and moves a bit behind Lie-

[Enix] He's a bit timid huh? - He realizes the kids he was chasing have snuck up on him and are peeking at him from behind a pillar- Excuse me for a sec- He turns quickly and teleports right in front of them with a pickaxe in one hand. The kids leap and run like the dickens- Hehehe. Works every time.

[Lie] - And not just on children

[CN] Is looking up and around at everything there-

[Lie] - Go on CN, if you want to go explore then go. I'm sure Enix or Octagon can teleport you to me when you want to

[Enix] Perhaps I can show you around in the meantime? We've got quite a community of budding pixel artists.

[Lie] - Sure, I'd love a tour. Go have fun CN

[CN] Doesn't need to be told twice as he rushes off-

-The town is full of people rushing back and forth, some of them are even running little shops to trade things with other players. The chat is full or random talk as well, mostly about school and gossip. The houses are laid out on a basic grid and they vary in quality and materials-

[CN] Wanders around and checks everything out, reading the chat and getting confused about some of the things being talked about-

-A few avatars stop to look at him and there's some activity in the chat-

-There's a little guy LOLz.-

-Mini Notch wtf?-

-Neat skin!!!!11!!1-

[CN] Tries to figure out how to talk in chat without being too obvious- THanks?

-Wanna play with us???-

-SPLEEF-

-Agian? OMG. -

[CN] - Spleef? What's that?

[FollyCloud] You run around on snow with a shovel and try to cut the snow out from under other people!

[CN] - Sounds easy enough...

[BlockofFred] We have our own big stadum! Octagon keeps it set up!

[SilverMilk] We need one more person though....

[CN] - Okay, I'll play

[CaptainPurple] I call little guy!

[BlockofFred] I want Folly!

[SilverMilk] I'll message RobbinTime and meet you there.

[CN] - You can call me CN

[CaptainPurple] Cool!

-The others are all bouncing and sprinting ahead-

[CN] Follows, forgetting to move stiffly-

[BlockofFred] Watches him curiously- You move weird...

[CN] - Uh, it's... Mods

[BlockofFred] Oh! Neato1!

-The group approaches a board covered in game rules and a button in the center. The group hits the button and CN follows suit- The end up in a lobby where the players are partnering up and going to the designated areas for a match. As they cross a line of purple blocks, it sets their spawn point for the arena-

[CN] - Whoa...

[SilverMilk] Comes back with another player, their nameplate is RobbinTime - ready!

[CN] - Okay, so how do we do this?

[CaptainPurple] Nods at RobbinTime and they each hit a button on the wall-

[CN] Follows suit and the trio are teleported to an arena. Their inventories have been cleared and they now only have an iron helmet and a diamond shovel-

-The other three are facing them from across the snowfield-

[SilverMilk] Just use the shovel to knock the snow out from under them, and don't fall, okay?

[CN] - Got it- He gets ready and his vision is briefly obscured by a countdown timer and when it's time to go he races forwards with the others

-There's a lot of scurrying and jumping, snow is flying everywhere and BlockofFred is the first to fall-

[CN] Jumps over a gap to try to get behind the other team. He manages to knock RobbinTime down- Yes!

[CaptainPurple] Shoves Cn out of the way just as FollyCloud swings to knock the ground out from under him-

[CN] Stumbles and falls- Oof!

[CaptainPurple] Is now chasing FollyCloud around and they're swiftly running out of blocks to stand on-

[CN] Shakily stands and starts running to head FollyCloud off-

[FollyCloud] Manages to drop CaptainPurple and turns his attention to Cn-

[CN] Is having a bit of a stand off, not sure how to proceed and is looking for a safe route-

[FollyCloud]Chases him into a corner and takes a swing at the block under him-

[CN] Falls and it's at this point that he realizes that there's lava beneath the snow. He panics and without thinking he shifts into his bird form and flies up-

-WHOAH!-

-How did he do that??????-

[CN] Panic and flies to the far side of the arena where there's still snow and he shifts back, pressing himself back against the door-

-HACKER!!!1!1!-

[Octagon] Tps into the arena and looks around with his hands on his hips and his black eyes narrowed in annoyance-

[FollyCloud] Jumps around- He did something weird! He's cheating!

[CN] Starts breathing hard- There's lava down there!

[Octagon] Stalks over to him- well yes, that's kinda the point of not falling. Who are you?

[CN] Is trembling a little, looking for anyway out- C... CN...

[SilverMilk] He was moving weird...

[FollyCloud] He turned into somethign small!

[CN] Is really wanting Lie right about now-

[Octagon] Very quietly- I'm not sure what you're playing at, but you've thrown the gauntlet down now. If he knocked you down and you cheated back up, then the game can't end until you fall.

[CN] - But... That's going to hurt (String of numbers)

[Octagon] I'm aware of that, but you won't be deleted.

[CN] - But... But...

[Octagon] Just swats the block out from under him-

[CN] Falls with a yell and doesn't manage to transform quickly enough this time, hitting the lava and screaming in pain before popping back into the Spleef lobby. He immediately takes off at a run to try and get out with tears forming at the corners of his eyes-

[Octagon] Reassures the other players before tping to his location. Or course Cn is moving but he's close by- Wait a minute!

[CN] Stumbles and turns quickly terrified-

[Octagon] Easy there little NOTCH. That was nessesary.

[CN] - It... It hurt... So much...- CN leans up against a wall, they are mostly hidden from sight

[Octagon] Sorry, but once you start a Spleef game that's the only way to end it. There's no way out of the arena except to auto tp when all the opposing team has dropped and hit respawn.

[CN] - I didn't know that!

[Octagon] I hear that a lot. Most of the players here are children and they tend not to read rules carefully.

[CN] - I... I just wanted some new friends to play with...- He's still shaking and a couple of tears roll down his cheek

[Octagon] Kneels down and pats his shoulder- Are you lost? Did you wander in from the void?

[CN] Shakes his head- My brine brought me because I asked her...

[Octagon] There's another Herobrine on the server????

[CN] - She visited earlier...

[Octagon] Blinks- The white-haired brine?

[CN] Nods- Yeah, she's my brine

[Octagon] Would you like me to find her for you?

[CN] Nods-

[Octagon] Reaches out for his hand - then that's what we'll do. I'm Octagon by the way.

[CN] - You already know my name...- He cautiously takes the offered hand

[Octagon] Uses his free hand to try and get Lie's attention in the chat-

[Enix] Notices and pauses from pointing out different types of planes someone has built high above the harborside- Oh dear... it seems your NOTCH had a bit of an accident.

[Lie] - Is he okay?

[Enix] He respawned, but Octagon says he's okay. Just a bit shaken up. It seems he decided to join a game of Spleef with some players.

[Lie] - Oh dear, take me to him?

[Enix] Of course. - He takes her hand and tps her to Octagon and Cn. The two of them were passing through a small park when the others appeared.

[Lie] - CN...

[CN] Runs for Lie and hugs her-

[Lie] - Shhh, it's okay, I know it hurt

[CN] Is sniffling-

[Lie] - Thank you for helping him Octagon

[Octagon] Well... I didn't help much. I kinda had to drop him to end the game...

[Lie] - I see, I'm going to guess he shifted forms to avoid the lava?

[CN] Hugs Lie a bit closer as she rubs his back-

[Octagon] Yes. He set off several accusations of cheating and hacking.

[Lie] - Oh CN... I'm sorry, he's never really interacted with players before and he's never died before either

[Octagon] Well he's welcome to play, he just needs to stick to safer things.

[Enix] Wait, he's not lava-proof?

[Lie] - What games would be alright? And no, he's not

[Octagon] Makes an expansive gesture, - this is a good place to start. - The park around them has several groups of kids playing. Some are doing parkour on little obstacle courses, and others are clearly playing tag or hide and seek- There's a hedge maze too, people like to see who can solve it the fastest.

[Lie] - Alright, maybe next time. I think somebody has had enough excitement for now

[Octagon] I understand. Kids get overwhelmed.

[Enix] One's first death is also no small thing.

[Lie] - Yes, I remember my only death so far, I'd never wish it on anybody. Thank you for letting us visit- She creates a way home and the other two get a brief image of spawn as Lie passes through with CN

[CN] After a couple of hours he flies over to Firebirds tree-

-Firebird's sitting in one of the higher spots writing in a book, His tail dangles down like a brightly colored banner,-

[CN] Spots the tail and make a beeline for it. He turns back mid air and barrels into Firebird, pulling him into a hug-

[Firebird] Woah CN! -Nearly falls backwards as CN slams into him, but doesn't. He hugs CN back with one arm- What's up with you?

[CN] Looks up, his eyes still red from crying- I... I died...

[Firebird] Oh dear... I'm sorry you had to experience that.. I don't like it either..

[CN] - I was playing a game with some... With some players and beneath the snow was lava! I tried to fly away! They all started calling me a hacker!

[Firebird] Players can be like that... It's alright... -pets CN- Players don't see us the way we do.

[CN] - It hurt so much, and that other NOTCH made me fall into it...

[Firebird] He did what? -Angry bird? Angry bird-

[CN] - He said that was the only way to end the game...

[Firebird] I doubt that...

[CN] - That's what he said! He's on the server next door if you don't believe me!

[Firebird] I'll have to have some words with them...

[CN] Snuggles in closer to Firebirds side- Can I stay here tonight?- He's still a bit shaken up

[Firebird] Of course you can. Do you want to stay up here with me? Or do you want a bed?

[CN] - I'll stay up here...

[Firebird] Alright. -Shifts around so he can keep writing with CN in his lap-

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deadromance619 · 5 years

Text

Time At Sea

Something happened, I don't know what to say.

I am a girl, and for the most part of my life I've acted like one, but I must say my perspective on sexuality has become a little masculine over the year. I've adopted certain methods of birth control since I've been back, some are a little extreme, some aren't, I've always thought that sexuality was something you choose, something about it that you liked. There are things some people like and there are things some people don't like, like food.

Lately though, I've been feeling like I'm being pressured into castration, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I've been kicked out of my guild. You see, The Silvermoon Senate the guild I was with, didn't like that I was attempting to scrape some bedmates from the guild, but I never was actually with any of them, I faced insults like, "Get away from me, you smelly pirate hooker." A few times since I've been back. My pirate sisters say that you're going to hear that term a lot when you get on shore, especially when you get to a city with a functioning church.

When the pirates found out I was a paladin, things got a little edgy. I mean at first when they saw what I could do with a blade, how I could pull my own weight, and even learn some tricks of the trade, they were on their best behavior. The crew started acting a little more aggressive and the captain would assign alone time to some of the mates, but there was a lot of them. I was what seemed at the time, was the epiphany of Chasity, I got a lot of attitude for reasons I didn't know at the time.

It was confusing and complicated, and I really just thought it was the normal, I'm a human, you're a blood elf, or some of an opposing faction politics that have been my life, but as it turns out no one was having sex because of me. Because I was a paladin.

There was a munity and they wanted me off the ship. I asked what I had done wrong, I had been doing things they wanted, and was even getting good at it, and they said, "It's not what you do, it's what you are."

Naïve at the time, I said, "But there are sin'dorei in this crew, and I've even mended a lot of your wounds."

He put his head down, lifted his hand and waved it, "We know, but we don't want to corrupt you, and the Burning Legion is here, any day could be our last, and we want to live like it is."

"I don't care if you guys drink and be merry." I stated.

The captain lightly took a hold of my arm and whispered in my ear, "He means sex."

"Sex?!" I said out loud, that was followed by a gasp.

Now there were half as many women as there were men, but the first mate, an orc female named Lane came up to me and said, "Yes lassie, sex, and these superstitious pirates hadn't knocked boots with anyone since you came on board." She looked over at the captain like she offended him, "Accept you of course, Captain Blackgrave." Blackgrave the captain, a tall sulky human, with dark skin, and wore a black sleeveless trench coat. She smiled and curtsied even though she was wearing pants, "But these men think your healing spells will stop working if they establish their cannons. Frankly it's got me hot and bothered too."

"Try not to use those words with Perfectia, please." Captain Blackgrave said as he put his hand over his face.

"I think I got the picture." I intervened.

First mate Lane the orc lady that has been talking, crossed her arms, and looked at the crew, "These men think you'll lose your Paladin power if someone dwarves your beard."

Captain Blackgrave let out a deep sigh, put his hand on his head, and shook it.

I looked at both of them questionably and shrugged my shoulders.

Lane took a step forward at me and smiled. "Shank your jewelry." She said, the crew laughed. "Loosen your Light." She continued, "Caddis your katie. If you tank the trout. Pudding your peach, dampen your druid, shock your shaman, float your frigate, groping your grinder." She looked at me questionably, shook her head, and shrugged, "Um, widen your Consecration?" She asked.

I side smiled, "Oh, that's just a spell that leaves aaaahhh… No!" I suddenly realized what she was saying, "I won't lose my powers if I have sex, jeeze."

"How do you know?" One of the crew asked.

"Because," I gritted through my teeth, "I've already… "I mumbled off and recalled the thought, putting my hand over my chest as I remembered the painful memory.

Lane looked at me with concern, "Nobody forced themselves on you, did they?" she asked.

I shook my head, "He died… not too long after." I explained.

Lane could tell I was upset, she padded me on the shoulder, and looked at Captain Blackgrave, "Yeah captain, she's gotta go. I mean look at her, she's still to pure."

"No," I yelled, "I won't be a bother to anyone I swear! Don't you see, this is what we wanted, to forget all the bloodshed we've been through our whole lives. On this ship, you have Horde and Alliance races working together." I explained. Looking out to the crew

Blackgrave crossed his arms, looked at me with rage in his eye, and shook his head, "Those racial tensions are beginning to resurface! We are running out of supplies and we haven't pillaged a single boat since you came on board."

"We've already missed the last blood hunt because of you." Lane added.

"What's a blood hunt?" I asked.

Lane looked over at the captain, he nodded his head, "The reason why there's not that many women on this ship, it's because we die on the blood hunt." She explained, "We are taken to an island with dangerous wildlife and pass our blood for a few days, during that time the animals, the fish, even birds are drawn to us. It is a fruitful hunt regardless of the situation, but a dangerous one nonetheless."

I looked at her questionably, "Do men ever join on a blood hunt."

The women in the crew laughed, "They have before, but there usually the first to die." Lane explained, "The smell of their piss kind of defeats the purpose of the hunt, also the rare one that do survive don't come back the same."

I looked at Captain Blackgrave in his eyes, he just nodded. "Have you?" I asked.

Blackgrave looked away as he recalled the thought, "There's something about the sounds of screams as you watch the women die, every single casually hits you like a battering ram, and it stays on you. Men will eventually do something reckless, try to be the hero, and die for it. I just kept fishing, facing the ocean, kept my ears closed, realize that I'm needed to take command of my ship when we got on board, and Lane had everything under control."

"These loins of mine have been aching just of late, Captain, do you have a course for an island we can set for?" Lane asked.

"I do, lots of big cats and a few monkeys, but we have to drop the paladin off first." The Captain explained.

"No, I wanna go in the blood hunt. I can fight." I argued.

"Nobody doubts that, but I need a roll in the hay before I go, and…" Lane paused.

I took off my red crown, and my heavy plated chest piece, "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'll prove it to you." I said as I undid my greaves, took off my gloves.

I continued to disrobe removing my bra and underwear, but leaving my boots, I lifted both of my arms in the air and shot out a blast of light at the whole crew, "Chastity does not strengthen my resolve to the Light!" I yelled, "Only my will!" And put my arms down.

Everyone regained their eyesight and I saw someone step forward and I subconsciously looked away and covered myself with my hands. I heard Captain Blackgrave take off his coat and wrap it around me. He was still wearing a sleeveless white shirt, "Well you heard her men." He ordered. "Have at it."

"Will she?" one of the crew asked.

"When she's ready." The captain answered.

The sailors and pirates all gave a salute and ran down under deck, Lane smiled at me, gave a mocking salute to Blackgrave and headed down as well. I held the coat tightly as I felt the ocean air blow against my skin. I looked out to the ocean as the sun started to go down. I saw the captain put a small piece of wood in his mouth and look out to sea. He placed his hand on my shoulder, but I pushed it away with my hand. "Sorry." He said.

Captain Blackgrave leaned forward on the wooden railing and looked at me. "Why do you want to be a pirate so badly anyways, you haven't even seen what we really do." He looked outward, "We could drop you off near Light's Hope and you can take back the mantel of Highlord."

I looked down in self-pity like I usually did, but the ocean was so beautiful that it held my gaze keeping my eye's forward, "It's what he would have wanted." I hit the side of the wooden railing angrily, "I thought I was so close. Those order halls held Horde and Alliance members, but we still only stuck with our own people. So many of my blood elf people wished to join the order when they found out I was the Highlord, but I was still extremely suspicious of members of the Alliance. Then a dwarf took over the mantel, he thought it would be a good idea to start thinning our numbers."

Blackgrave put his back to the railing and crossed his arms and laughed, "Sounds like politics to me." He gestured at my whole body, "But aren't you the Ashbringer? The legendary 'Mograine Soul' Perfectia?" He asked.

I looked at him questionably.

"It's what the Dark Irons were calling you." He claimed and laughed, "I never thought she would strip down naked in front of my crew." He spit out the piece of wood into the ocean.

The sound of moaning was getting louder from under the deck and it was making me feel bothered and disturbed. Blackgrave touch me on my shoulder again, "Perfectia, would you join me in my chambers tonight?"

I shot him an angry glare and pulled his hand away again. I looked up at him and thought of how a fight with him and his crew might go, but they were busy. No one would have known if he died until the next morning, but it was a question, he was giving me a chance to say no. He looked at me strangely and shook his head, "Is that normal for a blood elf's eyes to do that?" he asked.

"Do what?" I asked still angry.

"There gold." He claimed.

I never seen the glow before but there were a few people that said it happened to me a few times. I put my hand over my eyes and checked the glow, they were glowing gold. I closed my eyes tightly, shook my head a few times, and blinked my eyes. I checked the glow again with my hand and they were green again. "Is that better?" I asked and looked up at him.

Blackgrave shook his head, "I liked the way they were before."

I rolled my eyes and half smiled.

Blackgrave shrugged, "Alright, at least I know what happens when you get pissed off." He claimed. He walked into his personal room on the upper deck, put his hand on the door, but looked back at me. "As a member of my crew Perfectia, I will give you this order: go under the deck and greet your crew members, right now."

I looked at him disgustedly and could still hear them moaning from below.

Blackgrave shook his head, "Don't worry, you can take your armor, no one is going to touch you unless you want them to." He explained, and he closed the door behind him.

I shuttered at the thought, but it was what I said I was going to do. I wouldn't bother them intentionally or make them feel guilty or uncomfortable about what they did. If I could show them that I could tolerate this sort of thing, maybe I wouldn't be met with so much aggression and guilt from the crew. I put on my armor and walked across the sexually repressed members of the crew and I didn't say anything. I just nodded and smiled and looked at the displays that made my heart beat fast and my stomach turn in knots. Some of them gave me a double take as they were in each other's embrace, but I thought it was that they were surprised to see me.

I walked outside when I had seen enough, as calmly as I could. When I got outside I thought I would puke over the deck. It wasn't just women with men. It was men on men, women on women, combinations of interracial species that I didn't even know could happen. By the time I pulled my head up because I couldn't really puke, the sun was completely down, and the glow in my eyes were the only things that lit up the deck. They were gold again. I closed my eyes in frustration and shook my head, and they turned green but then they were gold again. "Come on, stay green." I said to myself.

The moaning calmed down from under the ship, I laid on the hard wood floor and looked up at the stars, putting my hands over my eyes a few times to check the glow and most of the time it was green, but when the thoughts of what I saw from under the deck entered my mind they changed back to gold. I thought out loud, "Were my eye's that color the whole time I was down there? Is that why they were looking at me like that?"

I put my hands behind my head and closed my eyes, feeling the turn of the ocean and the sound of the waves.

I was awoken by a seagull that was pecking on my hair. It was morning, my back was hurting from the hard ground I chose to sleep on, and that morning chill went right through my armor. I checked the glow in my eyes and it was green and bright. Sails were up and tied and the sun wasn't completely up yet, but Blackgrave and one of his crew were talking by his room and I overheard him say, "Are you sure it wasn't her?" Blackgrave asked.

The other crew member explained, "I don't know, it didn't look like her."

I stormed over there, where they were, hands balled into fist.

"Oh yeah that's her." The crew member said.

"Uh oh." Blackgrave said, realizing he was in trouble.

"Yeah, 'uh oh' is right." I said and decked Blackgrave across the jaw making him fall over, catching himself on his hand.

The crew member drew his sword and pointed the tip at my face. "You will NOT strike the Captain like that again, do you understand?" he demanded.

Blackgrave put his hand on the crewmember's sword lightly and putting it down, "It's fine, it's fine, put your sword down." He stood up, "I take it you didn't enjoy the sites." He looked down on me as he stood up.

I put my hands on my head as I recalled the thought, just screamed for about five second, "You bastard!" I yelled, they were about to say more but, "Shut your festering hole you prick." I interrupted, "Your type makes me sick. You snotty nosed, hemp of bird droppings. You vacuous, coffee nosed, malodorous, pervert!" I just stood there breathing heavy.

"Are you done?" Blackgrave asked calmly.

They both looked at my face, "You people are savage sea peasants!" I continued.

Blackgrave rolled his eyes, leaned back on the ship railing, stuck a small piece of wood in his mouth, and crossed his arms, "Well I'm against people that vent against our eleganticity, by extraneous bombastic circumlocutions." He half smiled and tilted his head.

I gave him a look of shock, "I, um." I was afraid to ask him what that meant.

"Hey, her eyes turned green again." The crew member stated.

I pulled out a hair brush out and fling it downward, it made them flinch, but they laughed it off when nothing happened. I looked down and it was still a hair brush. I fling it down again and it was still a hair brush, "Come on!" I wined. I tried two hands and nothing, "Come on, I am so pissed right now, just come out!" I continued.

The crewmen whispered over to Blackgrave's ear, "You know I've never heard of a paladin losing their powers from just watching people have sex." He looked over at me, "Hey, her eyes are gold again."

Blackgrave laughed, "I don't think it has anything to do with that." He paused and looked at me aggressively swinging away a hair brush, screaming 'COME OUT YOU STUPID STUPID SWORD!' "I like her better like that." He said.

The crew member looked over at him, "With golden eyes or overly aggressive?"

Blackgrave laughed to himself, "Both."

Lane came upward on the top of the deck, "Hey, can we get Perfectia down here? We had a few accidents last night."

"I can't," I said on my knees, crying, with a hairbrush in my hand, "You smelly pirates took away my paladin powers, now I have to be a tavern wench." I cried into my hands.

Blackgrave stood up and yelled, "Perfectia, just go over there and heal them, your powers are fine!"

Lane picked me up, "Come on Perfectia, just head down stairs. Don't ask them what happen, just fix them." She asked.

"Okay." I said and leaned against her.

So, I started on the first crew member laying on his stomach, he looked up at me, "Perfectia, is that you?"

I wiped my face, "Yeah, I know, the eye's, I can change them back if I concentrate."

He reached over to me, "No, no, this is better, you look like an angel."

I smiled and looked him over, breathed, calmingly called to the Light, a ray of singing Light flowed through me and into the crew member, just like it always had. I smiled and looked at my hands, Lane slapped me on the back and said, "See your powers are fine. A few eyefuls aren't going to stop you."

I went by crewmember to crewmember all with suspicious injuries, none of them I asked about, and then I went to one lady and healed her with the Light, she looked down and touched herself and asked, "I thought you said you were going to stop the infection."

I looked at her and smiled, "I did." I explained, "But that kind of blood needs to flow."

"Shit." Lane said out loud. "Shit, shit, shit." She repeated. She stormed to the top of the deck and yelled for Blackgrave, "Captain we need to set a course to Keta Island!"

He got on the wheel and started giving orders to his men. The sails came down and flowed in the wind and the men came to work the sails as they set a course. Lane grabbed me by the arm, "Perfectia, are you sure you're ready to do this?"

I nodded.

"Because the men can still use you up here to heal wounds." Lane explained.

"What's more important?" I asked.

"The hunt, but it's dangerous." She answered.

I pulled my arm away from her. "Then I'll hunt with you."

Lane looked away.

I know I was supposed to write about what happen before I was kicked out of the guild, but I just went on this writing tangent thinking about my time at sea. I think it's more interesting that way. The sun starting to come up and I haven't gotten any sleep. I'll proofread it when I wake up and I'll talk about my former friend and guild leader Arwen, but there is a lot to talk about when it came to the first blood hunt. The point being she called me a whore and threaten to tell the Paladin Order if I kept acting like a whore in her guild. If I wasn't in her guild then she wouldn't say anything. Said, it was my choice to leave, and think of the children, but yeah, I describe it more in detail later, but I think this is better.

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