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velidewrites · 1 year

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The Holiday

When two sisters with a terrible taste in men (or is it?) decide to swap houses for the holidays, they don't expect to fall in love.

But guess what?

They do.

Pairings: Elucien, Feysand, background Jassa

Word Count: 8.5k

Warnings: A bit of spice ;)

Notes: This was written for my FAVOURITE @vulpes-fennec for the @acotargiftexchange! I hope you enjoy this fic inspired by the iconic movie "The Holiday" (my god was Jude Law hot in this one). Thank you so much to the amazing mods for organising this event. Merry Christmas everyone!

Read on AO3

Elain Archeron adored Christmas. The bright, golden lights shimmering from every corner of New York City, the sound of song and laughter on the streets, the scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls filling her small bakery as she pulled them out of the oven.

Truly, there was nothing quite like it.

She wished her sisters were with her, though. Yes, they each had their own lives now, yet Elain couldn’t help but miss the old days—when there wasn’t a thing in life they had to worry about but the continuous presence of Feyre’s bright paint on her and Nesta’s clothes, paint that had somehow managed to find its way onto the fabric despite their younger sister’s adamant protests and rather theatric displays of shock and confusion.

Elain sighed. This Christmas would mark two years since she had last seen Feyre. There would be the wedding in spring, of course—but April was months away, and Elain had nearly gone insane last year when Nesta cancelled last minute and Feyre made it clear she was not coming. It had been a miserable holiday, and Elain shuddered at the prospect of ever having to spend it in solitude again. New York, while certainly beautiful at Christmastime, had a cruel way of sometimes making her feel lonelier than ever.

She supposed she had Greysen, now. As for Nesta…

Her phone vibrated in the small pocket of her apron, and Elain wiped the cinnamon off her hands, the fragrant streaks of the spice staining the cream white fabric.

Are you busy? Nesta’s name appeared above the message.

I’m about to open the shop, Elain typed her reply. I was just thinking about you. How come you’re awake? It was nearing six in the morning in Los Angeles, and while Nesta had always been an early bird, getting up before the sunrise seemed almost too dreadful to accept.

Working on a case, or, more specifically, this dickhead of a prosecutor. If he thinks I’m going to let my client go for the shit deal, he’s got another thing coming.

Elain smiled. I almost feel bad for the poor guy.

Well, you shouldn’t, Nesta answered. Anyway. Got a minute?

Sparing a quick glance at the clock hanging above the large coffee menu, Elain asked. What’s up?

It was unlikely for Nesta to devote so much of her time to a conversation, let alone a text exchange, and frankly, Elain was getting worried.

The reply arrived in an instant. Feyre left her fiancé last night.

Elain’s eyes widened, and without thinking, she dialled Nesta’s number.

“You know I hate talking over the phone,” her sister said in a manner of greeting.

“Well, you hate texting too, and there are way too many questions in my head for my fingers to catch up anyway, so deal with it,” Elain said. “What happened? How do you even know?”

A brief pause. “She texted me for legal advice. Apparently, the asshole wants to keep the house.”

Elain’s brows furrowed. “Didn’t Feyre buy it under her name?”

Nesta sighed. “Don’t even get me started.”

Neither of them had ever had the chance to meet Tamlin, and from what she was hearing, Elain decided it had perhaps been for the best. “Do you know why she left him?”

“I don’t,” Nesta said. “Feyre didn’t tell me. She only asked me this one thing and when I asked her more questions, she just left me on read.”

Elain chewed on her bottom lip, mulling over the words before she spoke again. “Maybe I should call her. Or text, at the very least.”

Another sigh. “I don’t know, Elain. She seemed like she could use some privacy.”

“Surely we can’t leave her to deal with this alone?”

“I don’t know,” Nesta repeated, papers rustling in the background. Elain winced at the sound, the unpleasant pitch scratching at her ear. “I need to get back to work now, Elain. Let me know what you decide do,” her sister added, and then the call was over.

Elain suppressed the urge to scoff, though her focus was quickly reoriented to the time again as she spotted a noticeable queue gathering outside. Whatever she decided to do, she would deal with it later. First—work.

With a smile on her face, Elain opened the door.

***

Elain had been dating Greysen for six months, though she felt as though they’d been together at least five years. Only a short walk away, he was always there to offer his company, in whatever way she’d need him. Greysen was so…familiar.

This year would mark their first Christmas together, and though Elain had no expectations, it was only natural for her to have hopes.

She wouldn’t mind a proposal. A proposal meant stability in her hectic world, a source of comfort in a trying time. If Greysen asked, she would say yes. She would. Happily.

With that thought in mind, Elain placed her keys on the counter, her other hand grabbing the carefully wrapped cinnamon rolls she’d put aside earlier this morning.

“Will you be able to close up tonight?” she asked Nuala. “I have to drop these off at the office.”

The office. She liked that world. It made her feel as though she was part of Greysen’s world—his other world, one that did not revolve around her. If she was being honest, she knew very little about her boyfriend’s professional life—he worked in investments, he’d told her as much, though he’d also added the “details would bore her.” And so, Elain remained blissfully oblivious.

At the very least, paying him a surprise visit would mean she got to see him in a suit. Greysen looked good in suits.

“Sure,” Nuala’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “Are we still on for Saturday?”

Elain nodded. “Of course. I’m so excited to meet your sister”

Nuala smiled tentatively. She hadn’t been working at Elain’s bakery for too long, though in that time, the two of them had managed to build a close bond. Elain enjoyed her company, quiet and with an aura of peace. Nuala blended in perfectly with Elain’s little corner of the world. “She can’t wait, either,” the woman said.

“I still can’t believe you have a twin.” Elain shook her head. “Does it make it any easier?”

The corner of Nuala’s mouth twitched. “Twins or not, sisters are always a pain.”

Elain sighed. “Tell me about it.”

“I’ll see you Saturday.”

***

Greysen’s office was only ten minutes away.

Their pastry drop-off had an unspoken routine—the concierge would let Elain in, she’d then take the elevator to the fifteenth floor to be greeted by the secretary. From then, depending on whether Greysen was in a meeting or not, Elain would either leave the food at the reception or deliver it personally—with a little extra treat that was hardly appropriate for a serious office. She didn’t care. She’d shaved her legs last night and she wouldn’t let her new lotion go to waste.

Silence greeted her as she entered the office, the distant ringing of the phone breaking it occasionally with a high-pitched, irritating beep.

It was unusual for it to be this empty, but Greysen was definitely out there somewhere—he’d sent her a text earlier in the morning, after all, wishing her a great day and not to wait for him with dinner. He’d be working late again and there was no need for Elain to hang around her apartment with a cold meal.

A few cinnamon rolls would make a nice gesture, though. Greysen would know she was thinking about him and his wellbeing without imposing her presence on him too much. And so, Elain circled around the reception and walked straight into her boyfriend’s office.

She did not expect to find him half naked with the secretary bent over his desk.

For a moment, Elain said nothing, the pastries crushed on the floor somewhere by her feet.

Their eyes met, and Greysen open his mouth.

“We’re done,” Elain told him, proud to have kept her voice steady enough not to reveal the slight tremble of her jaw. She tore her eyes away from the sight and turned on her feet.

“Elain!” Greysen’s voice called behind her.

She did not grace him with an answer. In a few short steps, she walked out of the room, shutting the door with a loud bang.

And then, she was gone.

***

Elain had gotten so used to staying at Greysen’s apartment that her own home felt like a stranger’s. Too dark and too empty, the space only accompanied by the sound of sirens that had usually accompanied the New York City landscape.

She set the cinnamon rolls on the counter, promising herself not to look at them until the next morning. She would deal with them—with him—later. Right now, Feyre needed her—or at least, she hoped she did. Elain could not bear spending the evening on the couch by herself, with nothing better to do but dwell in the events of the day.

Pulling her phone out of her purse, Elain sat at the small desk in the corner and typed in her sister’s name.

Hey. I know it’s late, but I want you to know I’m here if you need someone to talk to.

It was nearing midnight in London, though Elain had a feeling Feyre wouldn’t be sleeping. Breakup or not, she had always been more nocturnal, opting to paint under the pale moonlight. Her painting of the night sky over New York still hung over Elain’s dresser.

Her phone beeped a minute later. I’m awake.

Elain held her breath, staring at the notification until the screen turned blurry. What, exactly, do you say to someone who was just about to be married?

I heard what happened.

Pathetic.

The phone beeped again. Nesta?

She’s worried about you, Elain replied. We both are.

She could practically feel Feyre’s loud sigh, as if her sister was standing right beside her. I hate men.

Elain almost laughed. I’m right there with you.

Feyre’s message came only a few seconds later. Did something happen?

Elain fought the urge to bang her head against the table. She cursed herself for being so selfish—Feyre’s situation was much worse than her own, and yet, Elain somehow managed to direct the topic to herself. It’s nothing. Really.

Like Feyre would ever buy that.

Sure enough, her sister’s name appeared on the screen, the loud buzzing of the phone on her desk breaking the dreadful silence. Elain closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath before answering.

“It’s really nothing, Feyre.”

“I don’t care,” Feyre’s voice, a tinge distorted by the static, came through the speaker. “If it’s two men we’re shit-talking tonight, so be it. It might make me feel better, actually.”

“Alright,” Elain said, then grimaced as her own voice echoed through the call. “God, your service must be terrible.”

“I live in the middle of nowhere, Elain,” Feyre said. “I’m standing on a dining room chair just to try and catch some signal.”

Elain chuckled. “How is it there?”

She knew Feyre had moved to the outskirts of London, thought that was about the extent of her knowledge. The only thing Feyre would ever send her—apart from the one singular photo of the Big Ben from when she’d taken a trip to the city—was the stuffed deer head hanging above her fireplace with the caption: “Gross.” Tamlin, it seemed, was a hunter—a hobby Feyre had not been particularly fond of.

“I feel like I’m going insane,” Feyre finally said. “It’s too…quiet.”

Elain sighed. “That sounds like a dream.”

She imagined a stone cottage, just on the outskirts of London, and in front of it, a small rose orchard, glistening under a thick layer of snow. The thought was so overwhelmingly serene that for a brief moment, Elain could almost feel the warmth of Feyre’s home hugging her skin.

“Well, it isn’t,” Feyre said. “I miss New York, you know. Everything seemed so simple there.”

If only that, Elain thought bitterly.

“You should come, you know,” Elain said. “It would be nice to spend Christmas with you. It’s been too long.”

For a moment, neither of them said anything. “I take it Greysen is out of the picture,” Feyre finally guessed.

Elain’s jaw clenched. “It’s probably for the best.”

She flinched as her phone buzzed again, displaying Greysen’s name, a small heart emoji still next to it. She’d delete it later. “Speak of the devil. He’s calling me right now.”

“Do not answer,” Feyre instructed. “I made that mistake already, and believe me, whatever they have to say, it won’t change a thing.”

Elain ran her hand through the long waves of her hair. “I hate it here.”

Her sister huffed a laugh. “I know how you feel. I…I wish I could get away sometimes. If only for a bit.”

The thought came so suddenly Elain might have swayed off her chair. “We could switch,” she said absently, her mind running through the logistics of the idea.

“What?”

“We could switch places,” Elain repeated. It felt as though someone had turned on the light in her brain. “Think about it. You move into my place, and I move into yours. It’s brilliant.”

Feyre’s tone indicated she thought the exact opposite. “Elain, I can’t just move out of England.”

“It would only be for Christmas. We could both get the escape we need, and you’d have the chance to see the city again.”

“Elain, I can’t,” Feyre insisted. “I have an exhibition on New Year’s Eve, its this big name London gallery. It has to go perfectly. I have to work.”

“Exhibition?” It wasn’t that Feyre was not talented—she was, truly— but the last Elain had heard of Feyre’s work, she’d still been struggling to find an audience.

“Someone—an anonymous patron, I think—has found my art online and arranged the exhibit. All expenses paid. I have to work,” she repeated.

Elain was growing more desperate with each second. “You could work here,” she pleaded. “I have enough space for you to work on your art and enjoy the city in the meantime. We’d switch back before New Year’s Eve.”

Feyre did not sound fully convinced. “I don’t know…”

“Please, Feyre. For both our sake’s.”

Elain held her breath as she waited for an answer.

“Alright,” Feyre agreed.

Elain squealed, and Feyre laughed in the background. “God, I hate it when you make that sound,” her sister said.

“Thank you, Feyre. You won’t regret this.”

“I’ll call you in the morning to discuss the details. I feel like I need to sleep after this, and my legs are getting sore from standing on the chair.”

Elain laughed again, and the two said their goodbyes. Releasing a long breath of relief, Elain opened her contacts and searched for another name.

Nuala, please don’t hate me, she typed onto her screen. But I’m going to have to reschedule.

***

The moment she stepped out of the cab, Elain decided to take back every single word she cursed London Heathrow with.

Yes, the airport had been busy—an understatement, really—but she’d go through pushing through the crowds for two hours straight all over again if it meant not having to walk a mile in the cold snow. In heels.

What dark, sadistic forced had prompted her to wear heels for a ten hour journey, she’d never know. Well, she did know, actually. She had just started reading a book about an airport meet cute and thought, well, if it happened to her, who says it won’t happen to me?

It didn’t.

Just like Feyre had said, her sister truly did live in the middle of nowhere. The driver stopped at what seemed like the middle of a forest, the path in front of them too narrow for the car to fit in. Elain had almost cried when he told her to walk the rest of the way on foot, cocking his head to the side with an apologetic “sorry, love.”

The good news was that she was almost there and Feyre had a fireplace. She’d curl up in front of it, finish her book, and then go straight into bed to fight off her jet lag. There were four days left until Christmas Day—she had time to figure everything else out.

A few extremely wet steps later, Elain reached her destination.

Rosebud Cottage was a dream come true.

It looked as though it had been pulled straight out of Elain’s memory—the snow-clad orchard out front, the cobblestone pathway leading up to the red front door. Feyre, it seemed, had hung up a wreath to greet her, and Elain smiled at the thoughtful gesture. Doing her best not to slip on the icy stones, Elain pulled the keys from underneath the doormat, taking a mental note to school her sister on burglars and responsibility—though, she supposed, no one would actually bother to go this far for a robbery, no matter how many riches the house contained within.

Having fought with the door lock for about a minute (why do British people do everything the other way around?), Elain finally walked in.

The journey had been worth it.

Though it wasn’t much bigger than her own studio apartment, the house radiated warmth.

A fluffy couch gathered around the old English fireplace with two armchairs of red velvet on each side, making up a cozy living room that connected to the small kitchen. With cabinets of a light green and wooden countertops, it called out Elain’s name louder than any kitchen she’d ever stepped into. Abandoning her suitcase by the door, she moved to explore the pantry, her tiredness long forgotten in favour of the inviting prospect of baking fresh bread in such a beautiful space.

How disappointing it was to find art supplies there instead.

It was then that she truly began noticing Feyre’s presence in the house. The kitchen cabinets, immaculate at first sight, had paint splattered on them in the most peculiar places. The bookcase, standing proudly in the back, full of art history books and manuals. The violet handprint on the balustrade, surely from when Feyre had decided to take a break from painting upstairs and had clearly forgotten to wash her hands.

Her gaze moved back to the fireplace, and Elain’s brows furrowed. She reached for her phone, opening the conversation between her and her sister. The last text was from Feyre, announcing her arrival at Elain’s place about two hours ago.

Where’s the deer? Elain asked.

The reply came almost immediately. I buried it.

Elain laughed.

***

Feyre Archeron was finally home.

She wasn’t usually the crying type, though upon seeing the New York City skyline, she had to admit her chest had swelled a little bit. It had been too long.

Unpacking took her ages, and by the time she was finally done, it was already late and dark outside. She quickly did the math, and, by London standards, it was already way past midnight for her—one last bag to go, Feyre promised herself, and she would go to bed.

A grimace twisted her features as she realised she’d have to wake up early in the morning to open up Elain’s bakery—the only favour Elain had asked her of, really, so she couldn’t be as bitter about it as she perhaps would have wanted. Her sister’s friend, Nuala, would arrive an hour later to take over. Then, Feyre would be free to explore.

Her face lit up at the realisation that the last bag contained her art supplies—along with the newest brushes that had managed to arrive the day before she was due to leave for New York. She made way to set up her painting station by the window, hoping to get some daylight the next day, short as it was during winter. Setting the bag down carefully, she looked out the window and up to the stars.

Feyre’s breath caught in her chest.

She picked up a brush and began painting.

***

The bakery had only been open for five minutes when the small bell at the door announced the arrival of a customer.

In the back, hands covered in four she’d accidentally spilled, Feyre quickly wiped it off on her jeans, immediately cursing herself for her foolishness. She had most definitely left white handprints on her ass.

“Just a minute!” she shouted, wiping her hands frantically on her (also black) shirt this time before realising she was absolutely making it worse.

With a sigh, she ran a hand through her hair, the powder falling into the strands and onto the floor.

“Shit!,” she swore, finally managing to grab hold of a kitchen towel, hanging—of course—on the wall right beside her.

“You alright there?” a rich voice, definitely British and definitely male, reached her from the front of the shop.

Opting not to look at the small mirror in the corner, Feyre gave up on any attempts to sort herself out, and made her way out.

“Sorry, I…” she began before her gaze finally met his.

Standing before her was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen.

Tall and wearing an all-black suit—who wore suits at eight thirty in the morning?—he had an air of confidence around him, hands resting nonchalantly in his pockets. A briefcase hung over a broad, muscular chest, and Feyre had never hated shirts more than in that exact moment. The man was ridiculously good-looking—but his eyes…

His eyes had captivated her.

So deeply blue they seemed almost violet, shining with curiosity as they measured her in full.

“What happened back there?” he asked, and damn him, he had a nice voice.

Forcing on a shred of composure, Feyre crossed her arms. “Running a bakery isn’t as easy as you’d think, you know.”

The corner of his mouth ticked up. “I’m sure. Except I know this isn’t your bakery, and Elain isn’t here."

Feyre’s brows knotted. “You know Elain?”

“You could say I’m somewhat of a regular.”

“Oh?”

“I always stop here for a coffee before work,” he explained.

“Right. Let me guess, all black, no sugar?” Feyre guessed.

He smirked. “Only if you insist.”

If it came from anyone else, she might have rolled her eyes. But this man…it was unfair, really. “Takeaway?” she asked instead.

“Yes. Large, please,” he added. “I’ve got a long day ahead.”

Feyre got started on the coffee, though her gaze remained locked on the sight before her. “And what is it that you do?”

Why the hell would she even ask?

The man smiled broadly now, a self-satisfied smirk that told her he thoroughly enjoyed her personal questions. “Investments.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That could mean anything.”

“Perhaps I could tell you more,” he said. “Over a cup of coffee.”

Placing a lid on top, Feyre handed him the cup. “Here. Is that cup good enough?”

His smile turned feline. “Clever,” he praised.

“I’m Feyre,” she said before she could stop herself.

His fingers brushed her own as he took the coffee from her hand. “Rhysand."

***

Elain spent her second day in England completely and utterly bored.

She’d woken up to sixteen missed calls from Greysen, and immediately decided she needed to distract herself. It turned out there weren’t many distractions in the small village Feyre lived in.

She’d gone to the supermarket around lunchtime, having finished her book right after breakfast. Baking supplies, mostly—she had to entertain herself somehow. And so, she’d spent the rest of the afternoon with her hands full in dough, making a point not to use cinnamon in any of her inventions.

Hours later, it was nearing midnight, the house smelled like bread, and Elain had no idea what to do.

Why am I even here?

It was a stupid idea to come. What did she think she would get here? Peace and quiet? It had only been a day, and she already had enough of that. Silence, as it turned out, did not do anything for a raging mind.

Greysen had left her a couple of voicemails, but Elain hadn’t listened to any of them. Time, she decided. She needed time to process this.

Still, it would have been nice to have someone to process it with.

Maybe she didn’t belong here. Maybe the life she’d had in New York was the best the world had to offer her. Maybe escaping hadn’t been the right option. Maybe…maybe Greysen deserved a second chance.

Elain unlocked her phone and entered Greysen’s number.

A loud bang on the door almost knocked it out her hands.

Wrapping the blanket tighter around her, Elain got up from the couch and made her way to open the door.

She was greeted with the sight of a very drunk man.

Bright, russet eyes narrowed on her a bit absently. “You’re not Feyre,” he noted.

Elain lifted a brow. “A keen observation.” The man snorted. “Who are you?” she asked.

The man leaned over in a mocking bow. “Apologies, my lady. My name is Lucien.”

Despite herself, the corners of Elain’s mouth twitched. “That tells me nothing, you know.”

He sighed in resignation. “It hurts that she never mentioned me, you know.”

“An honest mistake, I’m sure.”

“We’re friends. She moved in here shortly after I did.”

Elain angled her head. “I see.”

The man looked at her expectantly. “And you are…?”

“Oh, sorry,” she straightened a little bit. “I’m Elain. Feyre’s older sister.”

His face lit up straight away. “Of course you are. You look similar, you know. Well, under certain angles…”

A laugh escaped her this time, and Elain asked. “Why are you here, Lucien?”

Lucien leaned on the doorframe with another deep sigh. “I’m so sorry, Elain, Feyre told me she was going back to New York for a bit, but it completely slipped my mind. She lets me crash on the couch here every now and then.”

“Oh,” Elain said before the realisation hit her. “Oh. Well, I…”

“No, no, it’s all good. It’s my bad, honestly,” Lucien explained. “I’ll be on my way.”

“No, wait, I…” Elain hesitated. She couldn’t leave him out in the cold, could she? There was no doubt in her mind that Lucien was not in the right state to walk home by himself. “I suppose you could stay. I don’t mind, really.”

Lucien waved a hand. “I don’t want to be an imposition,” he insisted, swaying on his feet a little.

Elain laughed again. “Just come in.”

Lucien offered her a lazy smile. “How could I say no to a lady like this?”

And damn him, Elain blushed.

***

Lucien passed out on the couch the second he stepped over the doorway, and Elain had decided it was best to just leave him there.

Now, in the morning, she made her way back down as she heard a noise coming from the kitchen—a clear sign her unexpected guest was awake and searching for a hangover cure.

The first thing she noticed was a flash of long, red hair. And then, Lucien turned to face her. “Good morning,” he greeted, a tentative smile playing on his handsome features.

Shit. She did not remember him looking this good last night.

“Hi,” she said, straightening the sleeves of her sweater. Of course now that he was sober, she had to wear one of her uglier, Christmas themed ones that she just so happened to also sleep in. Great first impression, really.

“I made you some tea,” Lucien said, sliding a steaming cup towards her. “Milk?”

“Oh,” Elain reached out in surprise. “Thank you. For the tea, I mean. No milk, please.”

Lucien chuckled, the sound deep and honeyed. “I suppose you haven’t been in England long enough.”

Elain’s gaze narrowed. “Alright. I’ll have a little bit.”

“That’s more like it,” Lucien grinned. “Listen, I’m so sorry about last night. Again, thank you for letting me stay here.”

“It’s no problem,” Elain said. “But I should warn you, I’m leaving the day after tomorrow and Feyre’s not getting back until a few days later, so the house will stay locked until she’s back.”

Lucien’s brows furrowed. “Christmas Day? Feyre said you’d be leaving after that.”

“Yes, well…” Elain sighed. “This place isn’t what I thought it would be. Actually, that’s not fair. I just…don’t think I belong here.”

Lucien sipped his own tea, considering. “How’s that?”

“It’s too, uh…” Lonely. “Quiet.”

He smiled at that. “If you’re looking for chaos, you’ve come to the right place.” He set the cup down on the counter. “A couple of my friends and I are meeting up at the local pub tonight. It’s sort of a tradition we do before Christmas Eve. You’re welcome to join us, and I promise I’ll go to my own house afterwards.”

Elain laughed. Something about this man was so…different. Despite having just met her, Lucien seemed so at ease—so comfortable in her presence. As if he actually enjoyed it.

Her suitcase was already half packed—maybe she deserved a small sendoff. At least she wouldn’t spend the last few nights of her trip blankly staring into the fireplace. And so, Elain smiled at him again. “I’ll think about it.”

***

As promised, Rhysand showed up the next morning.

Feyre didn’t have to open the bakery this time—though, as she told Nuala, she didn’t mind doing it again. And so, at 8:30 a.m. sharp and flour-free, Feyre was ready to find out more about this mysterious stranger.

Rhysand, it seemed, adored teasing her as much as he adored the personal questions. She’d made the mistake of telling him she was an artist, getting herself trapped in a promise of one day drawing a portrait of the prick himself.

“You need to see the Met before you leave,” Rhys, as he insisted on being called, told her. “I’d be more than happy to show you, if you’re not too busy.”

Feyre could only laugh. “I’m a New Yorker and an artist. I’ve been to the Met,” she said, making a point to sound terribly offended. “And that wasn’t as smooth as you think it was, you know.”

Rhys placed a dramatic hand over his chest. “You wound me.”

Her eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch. “Is this how you get women to go out with you, Rhysand? By inflicting pity?”

Impressed, his violet eyes twinkled. “Cruel thing.”

Choosing to ignore the heat rising through her at his words, Feyre shrugged. “You just seem like the type.”

Rhys’s lips twitched. “The type?”

“You know the one. Always with a compliment at hand, calling every woman he meets darling or…something.”

“I didn’t know you were so eager for a nickname, Feyre,” Rhys purred.

“Oh, shut up,” she rolled her eyes, though a smile played in the corner of her mouth.

“I still do think you should see the Met,” he continued. “After all, it has been a while since you last visited, has it not? I’d bet your knowledge has grown somewhat rusty. And I’m not just talking about the Met.”

“Okay, now I’m officially offended,” Feyre crossed her arms. “You’re British and you think you think you know New York better than me?”

Those eyes sparkled again. “I’ll tell you what, Feyre darling,” Rhys began, and Feyre’s stomach fluttered at the name. Once again, she chose to ignore it. “I’ll make you a bargain: we find out who knows the city best—if I win, I get to take you out on a date.”

Feyre’s eyes narrowed. “And if I win?”

“Remember that portrait you promised?” Feyre nodded. “Well,” Rhysand winked, “I do nudes too.”

***

Jurian and Vassa were probably the funniest people Elan had ever met.

They had met at university and had remained together ever since. Elain had never seen two people share such strong bond—in the six months she’d dated him, Elain had never laughed with Greysen as much as Vassa had with Jurian in one night. And aside from all their teasing and jokes, Elain didn’t miss the way Jurian’s arm wrapped around his girlfriend, the way her head rested lightly on his shoulder when Elain and Lucien had gone up to the bar to order more drinks.

“They look really good together,” Elain sighed.

“They do,” Lucien agreed. “Though I must admit, I do not particularly enjoy the third wheeling.” Elain laughed, and Lucien answered with a smile of his own. “What I mean is—it’s nice to have you here.”

“I am having a lot of fun,” Elain admitted.

“Do you…” he hesitated, his russet eyes searching for hers. Elain angled her head, questioning, and Lucien cleared his throat. “If you don’t have any plans tomorrow, I’d love to show you more of this place. Maybe you’ll like it enough to come visit us again.”

Elain smiled. “I’d like that very much.”

***

Lucien had taken her to the gardens.

Elain had never seen anything more beautiful—who would have thought there would be a small castle in a hidden place like this. The gardens were nothing short of spectacular, with the greenhouses hosting plants of all kinds and bright, exotic colours she had never even seen on pictures.

“Feyre mentioned you like to garden,” Lucien explained, a pleased smile lighting up his features at every small gasp escaping her. “I thought this would be a great place for you to see.”

“It’s breathtaking,” Elain sighed, leaning over a particularly vibrant flower.

Quiet fell for a brief moment before Lucien spoke again. “It is.”

Turning back to him, Elain offered a small smile. “I’d like to see more, if we can.”

With a nod, Lucien extended a gloved hand. “Of course.”

Elain took it, and they walked out to the glistening snow.

***

It had only taken them minutes to get into a snowball fight, and only after both their hair was practically wet, Elain had finally decided it was time for a glass of wine.

The restaurant inside the castle had been lovely—cozy and candlelit, with the sound of Christmas carols coming faintly through the speakers. Once they had dried off, their body warmth stimulated by the rich, red liquid, the conversation could finally begin.

“I never thought Christmas Eve could look like this,” Elain mused.

Lucien’s brows rose in question. “Good or bad?”

“Definitely good.”

He smiled at that. “How do you usually spend Christmas Eve?”

Elain’s face fell a bit. “Well, the past few years have been somewhat chaotic. My sisters had all moved all over the world, and I…stayed. I was meant to spend this year with my, I guess ex-boyfriend now.”

“Oh.”

“We broke up just over a week ago,” Elain explained. “He…ah…I caught him with his secretary.”

Something flashed in Lucien’s eyes, and for a moment, Elain wondered if he would say anything—if there was anything he could say, really.

“I wish I could say I was sorry,” he began, and Elain’s brows shot up in surprise. “But any man that was lucky enough to have you and didn’t appreciate it was never really worth it in the first place.”

Elain swallowed hard. “No?”

“No,” Lucien agreed. “He never deserved your light. Your kindness. Your beauty.” Their gazes met, hot an fiery and unyielding. “He never deserved you.”

***

This time, they stumbled into Elain’s cottage together, clothes falling on the living room floor one by one until there was not a layer of fabric left.

Damn him, Lucien was even more magnificent than she imagined. With his strong arms, a broad, sculpted chest, and brown skin gleaming in firelight, he looked like a god materialised right in front of her. If her cheeks had not been already flushed, she might have gone more red than the couch he’d laid her on.

She could feel the race of his heart against her body, her own chest rising and falling with heavy breaths as he lowered himself further.

Elain’s eyes widened. Greysen had never…

“Lucien,” Elain breathed, and he stilled immediately, his stare meeting her own. “You don’t have to…”

Lucien laughed quietly, the sound dark and smooth against her skin. “Have to?” he asked. “Elain, if I don’t get to taste you right now, I’m going to go insane.”

The words ran the core between her thighs molten, and Elain allowed herself one last coherent thought before nodding her permission.

Lucien wasted no time.

Before she knew it, his tongue reduced her to a whimpering mess, desire twisting in her stomach as he licked and sucked with an abandon that only told her he enjoyed it as much as she did. Elain chased that feeling, rocking her hips into his face, so close she was certain she’d explode any second.

A gasp tore from her lips as Lucien’s fingers grazed her entrance, then slid in with ease the moment his mouth closed over her clit.

Release slammed into her without warning, her whole body trembling at the white-hot pleasure shooting down every nerve. It felt so good.

His pace slowed down as he coaxed her through the orgasm, his hands laying heavily on her hips now, and Elain released a trembling breath.

Lucien’s mouth made its way up her stomach, leaving soft, wet kissed on what seemed like every inch of her skin, and Elain moaned his name again, her voice straining with pleasure.

His breath was hot on her neck as Lucien placed one final kiss below the shell of her ear. “Ready for more?”

***

Feyre, of course, had lost the bet. Embarrassing, really, but if she was being completely honest with herself, she did not mind at all.

Rhys, it seemed, had not made any plans on Christmas Eve, and so the two of them had scheduled their date for the evening.

She’d expected a grand gesture from Rhys, something in the manner of a lavish candlelit dinner, maybe at the Plaza. He seemed like the type.

Instead, she’d arrived at the rooftop of Rhysand’s building to find nothing but a fluffy blanket, two candles, and a basket with what she suspected were carefully selected snacks.

“What’s this?” Feyre asked quietly, taking a step closer.

Rhys turned to her then, looking even better somehow, with a shirt of black satin loose and unbuttoned under his coat and dark hair ruffled by the wintry breeze. His gaze landed on her, and in what felt like hours, he took her all in. “A picnic,” he finally said, those violet eyes meeting hers at last. “You look beautiful.”

Feyre smiled. “I’ve never been on a rooftop picnic before,” she said. “I would’ve thought of Central Park first,” she added, teasing.

Rhys sighed theatrically, extending out a hand. “See, you even suggesting that only tells me I am a fair winner of our bargain.”

Feyre took his hand, and they both made themselves comfortable. “I’ll bet you secretly wish you lost, though. You did seem very excited about the nude portraits.”

Rhysand hummed appreciatively. “Quite right. I’ll tell you what—if it makes you happier, Feyre darling, I’d be more than happy to offer up my body for artistic research.”

Feyre shook her head, laughing once more. “You’re unbelievable.”

At that, his grin faded into a gentle smile, and slowly, he reached out to tuck a loose lock of hair behind her ear. “So are you,” Rhys said quietly.

The air suddenly became tight between their bodies, and Feyre looked out to the city skyline. “So, why the rooftop?” she asked again.

His eyes never left her for a second. “Another thing about New York, Feyre darling,” Rhys said. “It looks most beautiful at night.”

Feyre turned to him at that, something warm spreading through her body and tingling at her eyes. She let herself drown in those pools of violet, leaning in closer until their eyes closed and she felt the soft brush of his mouth on hers.

She didn’t remember how they ended up in his bed, their legs tangled between the sheets. She only remembered the stars shining above them, and feeling the happiest she’d ever been.

***

Elain’s phone buzzed in the middle of the night, and she was too soon ripped from her sleep to look at the caller ID before answering.

“Hello?”

“Elain?”

She shot up the bed in an instant. “Greysen.”

“Elain, I’ve been trying to reach you for over a week. Please, talk to me.”

“I…” she shot a quick glance at Lucien, his naked form peaceful beside her. “Give me a minute.”

Hands trembling, she slid into her robe, and quietly made her way downstairs. Somehow, in their nightly activities, her and Lucien had eventually found their way to her bed.

Propping down on the arm of the couch, Elain took a deep breath. “What do you want, Greysen?”

“Elain,” his voice sounded at the end of the line. “I was an idiot. I am begging you to forgive me.”

“I’m afraid it is too late for apologies, Greysen.”

“I know you’re in England. Please come back to me,” he pleaded. “I miss you. I need you. We need each other.”

“I…”

“We belong together, Elain, and you know it.”

Another, deep breath.

Somewhere upstairs was a man who, in only three days, had treated her better than Greysen ever had in the entire time they’d known each other. Who had made her feel whole again. A man who had shown her what true affection felt like.

And so, Elain said her final goodbye. “I’m not sure that we do, Greysen.”

Then, she hung up the phone.

Back in the bedroom, Lucien stirred, a strand of red hair falling over his face. Elain smiled, gently pulling it away to tuck behind his ear. Something sparkled in her chest, a feeling she’d never felt but wanted to hold on to forever.

And then, the realisation had kicked in.

Elain had caught feelings for Lucien. Lucien, who, in those three days, had managed to capture her heart forever. Lucien, who, after tomorrow, she’d probably never see again.

Elain would not let her heart break again. Not like this.

And so, she began packing.

***

When she came downstairs in the morning, Lucien was already in the kitchen, a cup of tea and a plate full of chocolate biscuits waiting for her on the counter.

The sight brought tears to her eyes.

“Elain?” Lucien asked, stepping in closer and taking her into his arms. “What’s wrong?

“I have to go,” she whispered. “I have to go, Lucien.”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “Go where?”

Elain shook her head. “I need to make it for my flight.”

Lucien stepped back, something like panic flashing through his eyes. “Elain…”

“I can’t stay here,” she denied him before he got the chance to say anything.

“A few more days,” Lucien pleaded. “Leave before New Year’s, like you originally planned to do.”

“I can’t stay here, Lucien” she repeated. “My heart won’t handle it if I stay.”

“Elain,” he begged.

She took his face into her hands, pressing a light kiss to his lips. “Merry Christmas,” she told him.

Then, she left.

***

Rhys had already been awake by the time Feyre opened her eyes.

His thumb brushed her cheek, and she sighed in delight before reality came crashing in. “I have to go now, Rhys.”

“What’s the rush?” he asked, his voice roughened by sleep. The sound sent her heart fluttering all over again.

“I have to pack,” she explained. “My flight back to London is tomorrow.”

“Stay,” Rhys only said.

Feyre chuckled. “I wish I could, but I need to do the final touch-ups on one of my paintings as well. I need it to dry off before I leave.”

“You could stay longer,” Rhys protested. “The exhibition isn’t until New Year’s Eve.”

“I know that, but…” she frowned, mulling over his words.

And then again.

And again.

Only then did Feyre realise she’d never told him about the exhibition.

He must have realised that, too, from the way his eyes widened and mouth opened with an empty explanation that would mean nothing to her.

“It was you,” Feyre accused.

“Feyre darling…”

“Do not call me that,” she ordered, and Rhysand fell silent. “You arranged for the exhibit, did you not?”

Silence.

“Rhysand,” she warned.

He sighed. “I did. But, Feyre…”

“I was shocked,” she began, “when I received that invitation from the gallery. Such a short notice, too, and so unusual. The day after my engagement fell apart. Did you know?”

“Yes.”

Silver began burning her eyes, but she continued. “You knew I was an artist from Elain, didn’t you? Did she tell you how miserable I was? How I spent two years in a foreign country trying to build a career and getting nowhere? Did my sister ask you to make me your little charity case?”

“Allow me to explain…”

“You knew who I was from the moment you met me,” she whispered. “And you said nothing.” She swallowed hard. “I don’t want to see you again.”

And with that, Feyre was gone.

***

This time, Elain actually did cry in the cab, though it had nothing to do with wearing heels in the snow.

The flight wasn’t for another few hours, and Elain decided if she was going to have her heart broken anyway, she might as well stop at the local bakery and treat herself.

Asking the driver to wait outside, Elain entered what seemed like the only shop opened on Christmas Day.

“Merry Christmas!” a lady greeted her at the register. “What can I get you?”

Elain sighed. “Anything for a broken heart?”

The lady smiled knowingly. “Not a cure, I’m afraid, but these freshly baked cinnamon rolls do make life a little sweeter.”

Elain went completely still. “What did you say?”

The woman raised her brows, confused. “Cinnamon rolls?”

Her heart thudded in her chest.

What the hell am I doing?

“I’m so sorry, I have to go,” Elain turned practically running out of the shop. “Merry Christmas!”

The cap sprinted through the streets until it reached the very familiar forest. “Sorry, love,” the driver began, “I’m afraid…”

“That’s okay,” Elain laughed. “I’ll run.”

And she did. Her socks were wet in an instant, but Elain did not care one bit as she finally reached the red front door.

She banged on it loudly until she was greeted by Lucien, his handsome face the perfect picture of shock.

Elain threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in until their lips collided in a kiss hot enough to warm the coldest winter. He hugged her tightly, whispering her name into her neck and running his fingers through her hair until he’d made sure she truly was real and standing before him.

Elain pulled away just enough to meet his eyes. “I’ll stay here,” she said at the same time Lucien declared “I’ll move to New York,” and they both broke out in laughter, Lucien bringing her closer for another kiss.

“We’ll figure it out,” Elain whispered.

Lucien nodded fiercely. “As long as we’re together.”

***

New Year’s Eve

The exhibition was going perfectly, but Feyre wasn’t happy at all.

There was one person missing—and she hated how much she missed him.

Her sister, at least, seemed to be enjoying herself. Lucien did, too—and she couldn’t be happier for either of them. Still, looking at that one painting of the New York City skyline…Feyre wanted nothing more but to go back. Even if it was simply to yell at him.

A light tap on the shoulder brought her back into reality. “Feyre,” Elain told her. “There’s someone here that wants to speak with you.”

If she had to deal with another critic tonight, she would have probably broken into tears. “Show me,” she asked her sister anyway.

Elain nodded, leading her to an empty hallway just a few meters away.

“Hello, Feyre darling.”

Feyre froze in her steps. “What are you doing here?” she asked, barely noting Elain quietly removing herself from the conversation.

“I only ask for a moment. Please,” Rhysand said, his violet eyes shining with a silent plea. “You can hate me forever, but allow me to explain.”

I could never hate you.

“Alright,” Feyre agreed, and Rhys released a breath.

“I knew who you were,” he began. “Elain loves talking about you, you and your other sister. I had been coming to the bakery for months now, and I knew you paint. It was one of the first things she told me about you.” He smiled. “She told me about the dresser you painted when you were kids. She told me you painted the night sky on yours.”

Feyre held her breath, her gaze remaining fixed on his face, the slight tremble of his jaw.

“You asked me what I invest in. Art,” he told her. “I buy and collect art. I have been for a while. And when Elain showed me your paintings, I…they took my breath away. I had never met you, but it felt as though your art told me enough. Like it spoke to my very soul, understood me.” He swallowed hard. “I knew we would probably never meet, but fell in love with your craft, Feyre, and all I wanted was to share it with the rest of the world. I didn’t do it for Elain, not even for you. Your talent needs to be seen. The way I feel seen through you.

“When Elain told me about the swap, I knew I had to see you—at least once, if only to tell you how incredible you are. I should have told you—I know I should have—but I fell for you so deeply I wanted you to see me—not as your anonymous patron, or even as Elain’s friend—but as me, the same way your art does. You have captivated me, my darling Feyre, and I am yours forever—if you’ll have me.”

The whole world felt as though it swept away from her feet, and Feyre could only utter one word.

“Rhysand,” she breathed, her lips finding his own.

Soft and gentle, their kiss caressed her heart and soul, their arms wrapped tight around each other and not letting go. In the background, fireworks exploded and people cheered, celebrating new love and beginnings.

For only a moment, Rhys pulled back and inch. “Happy New Year, Feyre darling.”

She laughed, and with tears of happiness like stars in her eyes, Feyre kissed him again.

#acotargiftexchange2022 #elucien fic #feysand fic #elucien #pro elucien #feysand #pro feysand #elain x lucien #feyre x rhysand #acotar fic #my writing #acotar #a court of thorns and roses

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thornstocutyouwith · 7 months

Text

Name: Elijah Christopher Sparrow Meaning of Name: Elijah: Jehovah is my god. Christopher: Bearer of Christ. Sparrow: Small bird in the finch family. Nickname(s): Eli, Topher, Chris, Age: 27 Birthday: April 16 Species/Nationality: Human (Astrological Being), Polish Accent: Yes Language spoken: English, Common,

Powers:

Venus Physiology:

Love Manipulation

Supernatural Beauty

Sexual Inducement

Monetary Manipulation

Empathy

Light Manipulation

Earth Mimicry

Magma Mimicry

Magma Manipulation

Electricity Manipulation

Heat Generation

Miasma Emission

Acid Generation

Acid Manipulation

Constellation Physiology:

Cygnus:

Air Manipulation

Flight

Water Manipulation

Waterfowl Physiology

Four Symbols Physiology

Seiryu: Azure Dragon of the East Physiology:

Ambient Energy Manipulation

Asian Dragon Physiology/Transcendent Dragon Physiology

Directional Lordship - East

Spring Manipulation

Transcendent Element Manipulation

Air Manipulation

Wu Xing Manipulation (Wood Element)

Wood Manipulation

Zodiac Physiology:

Aries:

Ram

Fire

Mars

Gold/Iron

Diamond

Wool Manipulation

Monkey:

Metal,

Monkey

Fox/Snake:

Vulpes Physiology

Snake Physiology(Mak)

Weaknesses/Illness/Allergies: Normal mortal weaknesses, Severe head trauma, Lung damage, and other body trauma, PTSD, Schizoaffective Disorder, Pet: Iguana (, ), Pig (, ), Mongoose (, ), Bees (??, ??), Parrot (, ), Frog (, ), Dog (, ), Otter (, ), Occupation: Journalist, Delivery Boy (Former),

Faceclaim: Dave Franco

Description: Somewhat messy, slightly curly light brown hair, brown eyes. His eyes do however tend to change different colors based on his mood, at times. Not in the quirky way, like when people say their eyes change when they get angry or when it’s about to rain. But in the actual mood ring, from brown to deep blue or red kind of way. Slightly tanned skin. Has 5 tattoos. Burn scars and small cut scars.

Outfit/Accessories/Jewelry: Likes warm colors and playful looking clothing. Has 3 accessories. Also has a stuffed long neck dinosaur based on an old popular children’s movie that he has named “MonKee”.

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 172

Body Build: Athletic/Toned

Backstory:

Elijah was born into a wealthy family to two decent parents. He is an only child. For the most part, especially in the beginning of his life, his childhood would be a happy one. Though this would not last very long. As when he was a few years old he would be outside playing with his stuffed animal MonKee. This day a storm had begun to brew, leaving his mother to call out to him across the yard from the house. Though Elijah would not hear her the first few times she called out to him to come inside. Soon she would step down from off the steps attached to the porch and move closer to her son.

Then Elijah would hear her and stand up. Though as he had started to move toward his mother he noticed something, flaming, coming down from the sky in the distance behind her, at a distance from their home. Then a loud explosion, the ground shaking as the formation, a plane slammed into the ground. It became increasingly clear in a matter of seconds that a storm was not something that any of them needed to worry about. As he was pushed back onto the ground, things, such as glass and metal and other things came raining down from the sky. In the chaos something had struck him in the head, blood began to pour down from the wound. Though all he could try and do is try and find his mother, or the house, somewhere or someone safe.

Hot glass and steel had hit him and left cuts and burns along his skin before he could curl up to try and protect himself from all that was happening. As he does this he comes to black out. Though when he did wake up again, it had still not been over. Crawling away with his stuffed long neck toy, he stops, hurt still, holding the toy closer to him, and soon enough once more he passes out. Both his parents would also be injured in this incident, but fortunately they would live. His father would have very serious injuries while his mother more minor ones. Elijah would wake up some days later in a hospital bet, his mother greeting him happily. Though when he asks about his father she tells him he’s still asleep.

After this he would need to take several days to run more tests and to see what entirely was going on with him. It would be found out that he was suffering from a traumatic brain injury, and that he was having memory issues because of this. Or, in some cases, he would have violent outbursts when remembering something. Though overall, with some medications and therapy he was thought to be good enough to go. They would plan for him to have a release from the hospital about a week after this. Elijah could not wait to get life back to normal again. That was what he wanted the entire stay, for things to just be normal once more. Though it became apparent that with his fathers injuries his mother could not give him the attention he would need at the moment. With that, his mother was convinced by her sister to take him in with her family for a little while.

This however would be a terrible, miscalculated decision in the long run. As his aunt and uncle were often very abusive toward him. Especially his aunt who would take the abuse for minor infractions way too far. This would leave Elijah more traumatized in the long run. Eventually he would be returned home, and some would say changed greatly from the experience all together. Though once he was returned home he would still do well in school and for the most part manage to get by. However, in his teenage years he started to become more volatile and easily irritated all together. This would ultimately end with him having a psychotic break after an argument with his parents about his grade and recent rebellious behavior.

During this night Elijah’s psychotic break would take an ultimately horrific turn. He would in his warped state of mind, angry, go on to slay both of his parents in a moment of poor decisions. Then, set his family home on fire before fleeing the scene of the crime. This of course would make him the prime suspect in the murders of his own parents. But the young teenager had been too afraid of being caught and sentenced to prison for the rest of his life, once he had come down from his state of mind, and immaturely decided to flee instead of turn himself in, in the panic that came after. This makes him an outcast. And for the next thirteen years he would live his life on the run, in space.

(Work In Progress)

Personality:

Suave, Observant, Solid, Conscientious, Planful, Farsighted, Solemn, Noncommittal, Earthy, Opportunistic, Neglectful, Rigid, Forgetful, Tense, Calculating, Frightening, Superstitious,

Quirks/Savvies/Other: Cracks Knuckles, Talks to a person in mirrors that no one else can see, Is a Terrible Listener, Can fall asleep anywhere, Believes in pegasi, Stutters when anxious, Tugs his ears sometimes, Prone to eating alone, Obsessed with pigs, Prone to slouching a lot, Chatterbox, Believes in dragons, Smokes, Knows Heimlich and can’t weight to try it out, Extremely fast walker, Laughing for no reason, Believes in the paranormal, Skills: Stargazing, Tracking, Actuating, Systems Management, Sculpting, Embroidery, Horseback Riding, Influence, Electronics Operation, Analyzing The Past, Stealth, Map-Making, Trivia, Navigation, Intuition, Hobbies: Playing Drums, Building Sets, Fruit Carving, Netball, Cardistry, Reviewing Things, Marbles, Ghost Hunting, Martial Arts, Jogging, Robot Combat, Cheese Making, Puzzles, Water Polo, Creating Music,

Likes: Jumping in puddles, Candles, Nail Art, Lunar Eclipses, Painting, Orange Is The New Black, Archeology, Wind Chimes, Animals, Shounen Manga, Tumblr, The Setting Sun, Superhero Movies, Making Doll Houses, Drawing Fantart, Plants, Spunky Time Travelers, Puzzle Games, Gothic Literature, Flashing Lights, Writing, Foggy Weather, Books/Manga/Comics, Singing, Drawing, Coloring Books, Cartoons/Anime, Children’s Toys, Juice Boxes, Backpacks, MonKee, Monkeys, Exploring, Lemons, Rabbits, Candy, Musical Instruments,

Dislikes: Clouds, Hot & Wet Weather, Stand-up Comedy, Coffee Mugs, Receiving Gifts, Canopy Beds, Figurines, Jewellry, Fantasy Books, Forests, Flowercrowns, Bungee Jumping, The Woods, Harry Potter Books, Skateboard Moves, Cat People, Medieval Music, Old Computer Games, Romance Novels, Ghosts, Fire, Loud Noises, Being Sick, Blood, Corpses, Abuse, Cleaning, Bugs, Thunderstorms, Cats, People bugging him,

Fears: None.

Personality Tests:

Other: Aries,

Parent(s):

-> Father:

-> Mother:

Sibling(s):

Other Relatives: Damion Coldblood-Sparrow, Milo Sparrow, Leon Sparrow,

Starters

Chat’s

Para’s

Face

Stuff

Information

Asks

All

Alternate Universes

#Bios #ElijahBio #Old Muse

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zoologytopics · 1 year

Text

Arctic Fox

The Arctic Fox goes by many common names: Arctic fox, white fox, polar fox, and snow fox. Their scientific name Vulpes lagopus means "fox hare-foot," referring to their insulated feet which resemble a rabbit’s.

They are found throughout Eurasia, North America, Greenland and Iceland. They live in the arctic and alpine tundras. They make dens in a low mound or in a ple of rocks at the base of a cliff. The dens have 4-8 entrances with a system of tunnels that cover as mich as 30 square meters. Some dens have been occupied for decades by the same fox family.

The Arctic Fox mates from April to JUly, with the first litter being born in April to June and the second born in July to August. They have a average gestation of 49-57 days. The number of pups born in a litter varies with food availability, typically 5-8 pups, however as many as 25 pups have been born in a litter. They are weaned at 2-4 weeks old, and at this age they also emerge from the den. They reach maturity at 10 months old. When prey is abundant and life is good, older offspring tend to remain with their parents’ for a following year or two to help with the next batch of kits.

Foxes live in family groups typically consisting of the mating pair, the litter and then likely one or two older kits helping raise the newest litter.

The Arctic Fox is a opportunistic feeder eating a wide variety of prey;insects, berries, carrion, and small mammals. Typically, their diet mainly consists of marine mammals, invertebrates, sea birds, fish and seals. For foxes that live mainly inland, they typically eat mostly lemmings. They also will store away food during summer where food is readily available. When prey is incredibly scarce, they are known to follow polar bears in hopes of getting some scraps. They are preyed on by polar bears, wolverines, red foxes and golden eagles. Not to mention, humans are regularly hunting them for their fur.

The Arctic Fox weighs 3-8 kg, though it varies based on the time of the year and their sex, and measures 75-110 cm long. They can cover over 96.3 miles in a single day and reach speeds of 50 km per hour.

During winter, their coats transform into their iconic, thick white coating. However, once summer arrives and the snow melts, they begin shedding their white coat and replacing it with a shorter and thinner fur with a wide variety of colors, ranging from dark and light grey, charcoal brown to bluish brown. The Arctic Fox has two color morphs known as the Blue Fox and the white morph. The Blue Fox retains a blue, brown or gray coat year-round. They reside in coastal regions, where their coat helps them to blend in with rocks. Their white morph obtains a brown coat during summer, and a white coat in winter, this helps them blend in and hide away from predators. Under their fur, they have dark skin, similar to their good old friend the polar bear, which helps them absorbe and retain heat which helps them greatly in Arctic.

Arctic Foxes have developed a unique way of retrieving lemmings and other rodents from their burrows. With their excellent hearing, they will pinpoint the prey’s location underfoot before then jumping several feet in their air and then diving nose first into the snow with the hopes of catching the rodent. Unfortunately, it takes quite a few tries to succeed in their attempts.

Adult Arctic Foxes’ survival rate depends greatly on their region, the availability of food, and finally the amount of predators in the area. On average, however, they live to about 3-4 years old in the wild.

The species split off from what we know as our pet dogs around 12 million years ago.

In 2018, a young female left her territory in Spitsbergen, Norway and traveled over 3,500 km across the Arctic to Ellesmere Island in north Nunavut, Canada. She completed this journey in about 76 days, travelling about 155 km daily. She currently holds the record for the fastest movement rate for this species, and likely the longest distance traveled in such a short time. Unfortunately, her fate is unknown, however tracking data has aided in researchers understanding how important sea ice is to aiding in arctic foxes in search of food and new territory.

Despite being recognized by the IUCN as Least Concern, they are endangered in northern Europe with fewer than 200 adults remaining in Norway, Sweden and Finland combined. They are also endangered on Medny Island. Despite it being illegal, they are hunted for their coveted fur.

Sources: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Vulpes_lagopus/, https://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/wildlife/Arctic_animals/arctic_fox.php, https://www.thoughtco.com/arctic-fox-facts-4171585

#arctic fox #fox #species profile #zoology

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yourtrustyvault13canteen · 2 years

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Some of my Fallout player characters aren’t me (or, no more me than any of my OCs) but some are. My Courier is 99% me, but I realised she and I have very different opinions of some characters!

There’s the ones like Benny, Vulpes and the Think Tank who I think are super cool but she kills. But, though I can totally understand sparing them, it’s kind of par for the course that you kill the cool villains, right?

There’s also the ones she just intensely hates even though it’s pretty unfair because they weren’t actually trying to get her murdered:

Emily Ortal

In my Courier’s eyes this is more or less the woman who signed her death warrant. When Emily approaches her for help with the bug, she says some very spiteful things about Benny that Arcade feels compelled to apologise for. But she probably would have physically attacked her if not for the securitrons, so she thinks she was being pretty forgiving!

But I think Emily is super cool, even though her story about why she’s still on the Strip potentially months later (but also, immediately as you leave the Lucky 38) makes no sense. I just chalk it up to typical Followers spy stuff. I love that she’s a programmer and some kind of robotics expert too. I bet she is friends with and works closely with April Martimer :)

I wish Emily existed before her quest, or returned to the Old Mormon Fort at least sometimes, or anything! (Same with April, really - and Ezekiel.)

Manny Vargas

My Courier has some of the reasons to hate Manny I do, such as the way he talks about Carla, the way he’s been a bad friend to Boone and doesn’t even seem aware of it (so it’s not even like, because Bitter Springs already fractured their relationship), his apparent attitude towards ghouls

But she has the big one I don’t, which is that he threw a little slumber party for the people who executed and buried her!

I can’t help but like Manny though. Maybe I relate too much to his feelings for his straight best friend, or maybe it’s just the whole red beret, Dinky thing which is so cool!

I find the Novac guard situation after you recruit Boone pretty confusing, especially because Andy isn’t fit to take over any of Manny’s shift at that point. Though Manny doesn’t move to the night shift in game, I think it makes sense that he would, and whoever else they can find is on the easier day shift. But the whole 2 12 hour shifts thing makes no sense at all, especially because Manny is surprised he never got to hang out with Boone in Novac?? There must have been more guards, and I wish we could meet them!

#fallout new vegas #emily ortal #manny vargas #the courier #in my fic she ends up friends with manny eventually but not until after she decks him with her horrible cyborg strength #so maybe emily gets off lightly in comparison!#(oh... also in my fic boone isn't straight. (though he himself is the last to realise lmao) manny just isn't his type)#fnv #manny #courier

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starlyhtarch · 4 years

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carriageofaerietails replied to your post: the fox has a quest for you. do you: ⮞ approach. ⮞...

approach OTL

you have decided to APPROACH the fox. he looks up at you through bright rusty brown eyes. he makes no attempt to flee as you near, which only serves to embolden your endeavor.

you’re not quite the heroic looking type, so he eyes you a little doubtfully, though, and his voice wavers as he says, “OH, THANK GOODNESS, I’VE BEEN WAITING AGES FOR SOMEONE LIKE YOURSELF TO COME BY, LADY DEAR.”

do you:

⮞ hail him as you would any other fine gentleman under duress and wait for him to tell you what’s wrong. ⮞ try to pet. ⮞ immediately ask what’s going on. ⮞ express SHOCK because FOXES CAN TALK???

#carriageofaerietails #🦊 interaction.#april vulpes day .

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living-in-the-pokemon-world · 2 years

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Laur’s Field Notes: Vulpix (#037) & Ninetales (#038) - Alolan

Scientific Name: Vulpes novemcauda alola

Species: Fox Pokémon

Average Wild Lifespan: 50 to 65 years

Habitat

Members of the Alolan Vulpix line make their home on snowy mountains, and are almost exclusively found on/around Alola’s Mount Lanakila.

Diet

Alolan Vulpix and Ninetales are omnivorous, capable of surviving off of both plant and meat-based diets. However, due to the lack of vegetation on Mount Lanakila, most Alolan Vulpix/Ninetales’ diets are almost entirely meat-based, with smaller rodent Pokémon such as the Yungoos and Alolan Rattata line members making up the bulk of their diets.

Social Behaviours & Reproduction

Members of the Alolan Vulpix line typically form closely-knit social groups, called skulks. Skulks usually consist of a monogamously mated pair and their subadult offspring though, when prey is scarce, it is not uncommon to see Alolan Ninetales and independent Alolan Vulpix living solitarily.

Alolan Vulpix and Ninetales are seasonal breeders, with their breeding season taking place in April and May. The average gestation period for the species is approximately 50 days, after which the female (or vixen) will give birth to anywhere from 1 to 25 pups, though 5 to 8 is considered average.

When litters are born to a monogamous pair, both parents will provide equal care to their offspring. Pups will remain with their parent(s) until they are about a year old, at which point they will leave their natal den to live on their own, though they will often remain within their parents’ territory, and individuals who have not found mates may even return to their natal den to help care for their parents’ subsequent litters.

Variants

In addition to the Standard and Shiny variants, Alolan Vulpix and Ninetales may also exhibit a third, rarer variant. This variant, which is known as the “Blue” variant, causes an Alolan Vulpix or Ninetales’ fur to darken significantly, going from the usual almost-white blue (Standard) or lilac (Shiny) shades to charcoal-blue or brown shades.

#posting this a few hours early because I won’t be home #happy holidays everyone❤️#pokemon headcanons #pokemon ask blog #pokemon askblog #pokemon #field notes #vulpix #ninetales #pokemon variants #pokemon variations

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pyreo · 3 years

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Voice actors tend to play lots of roles, I know, but I still didn’t actually clock the amount of overlap in gw2 actors with fallout new vegas?? (Click the linked names to see the ones who did VA booth interivews)

Jocelyn Blue (Eir, Glint) was Dr Dala

Cam Clarke does background NPCs and he was Dr Mobius

Jim Ward (Tybalt Leftpaw) was Dr Klein

Keith Szarabajka did background NPCs and he was Joshua Graham

Yuri Lowenthal is ubiquitous in both. He’s GW2′s Lord Faren and most tengu NPCs, and Fallout’s Nolan McNamara, Oliver Swanick, Antony, TONS of minor NPCs

Steven Blum (Rytlock) apparently turns up in a single holotape (??)

Debra Wilson (Jormag) was a handful of minor NPCs

Courtenay Taylor (Almorra Soulkeeper, Ellen Kiel) was Gloria van Graff

Cindy Robinson did some various NPCs in both

April Stewart (human female player) was a bunch of named minor NCR ladies

Sam Riegel (Braham) was Chris Haversam, the guy who thinks he’s a ghoul, and various real ghouls

Robin Atkin Downes (Gamarien - you’ll have heard him if you’ve ever done the Jungle Wurm boss) was Deputy Beagle and the Mr Gutsys

Jason Spisak (Shadows Agent Kito) was Vulpes Inculta, in a way that’s ridiculously obvious

Fred Tatasciore (Mad King Thorn, Kralkatorrik, Ogden Stonehealer) was Tabitha and Rhonda

Mitch Lewis (Riannoc) was Legate Lanius

Kirsten Potter did background NPCs and she was Colonel Moore

Ron Yuan (original male charr player) was a large array of NPCs

Liam O’Brien (Tiachren, Smodur the Unflinching, Myrun the new enby norn) was Pacer, James Garrett, and a LOT of NCR soldiers

Felicia Day (Zojja) was Veronica

I knew there were lots of voices I recognised but once I started looking there just kept being more!

#gw2 #fallout

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vulpesmellifera · 4 years

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February Killed Me

At the end of January, a number of RL circumstances impeded my time set aside for writing. A family member died (at the age of 98 and peacefully in his sleep), something changed at my SO’s job that left me as a single parent for a week, my daughter had pink eye and had to be taken out of daycare, followed by a week-long head cold that also kept her from daycare, followed by an ear infection that also kept her from daycare. I spent parts of this time working at home, and coming into my office when I could. Simultaneously, things blew up at my work that kept me from completing parts of my job and led to many stressful discussions around the office. I had to travel to Maine to see family somewhere in there as well.

In other words, it’s been a mess.

I wrote Written in Skin in January, with the exception of parts of the fourth chapter. So I was able to post the first three chapters for #MystradeSoulmatesWeek. I’m rewriting the fourth chapter when I can. I was able to do a read-through of Taking Flight to try and catch any plot holes or forgotten threads. That was the most enjoyable part of my month. This past week I got down to brass tacks and started polishing up the first few chapters in anticipation of handing them to my betas.

I know life happens and things don’t always go the way we plan them. I’m just super bummed. I had planned on posting all of Written in Skin in February. I planned to finish Magnetic North (Johnlock canon-divergence). I have The Killing Principle (Johnlock AU) 60% outlined and had thought I’d finish the outline in February. Into the Gloaming (another Johnlock AU) has been hanging around in my head, so I thought I’d outline that one, too. That way, in March I could have Magnetic North and Taking Flight in beta, while writing Into the Gloaming and The Killing Principle. I planned to finish Into the Gloaming in April or May, and The Killing Principle sometime in the summer. It’s gonna be a long one.

I built a brick wall of plans, and like the Kool-Aid man, life busted it down.

Now I’m having a hard time getting back into the swing of writing. I need to just shake off the malaise and get it together. Do 1,000 words per day Monday-Friday like I used to. May is #MystradeIsMagic month, and I have A Song for a Siren, which has been simmering on a backburner, all ready to finish writing. Magnetic North is half-written. I need to finish outlining The Killing Principle so I can start it by the end of March. I’ll move everything in my timeline forward. It’s okay. I lost a month. I didn’t lose everything. Bonus, I managed to stay on track for Taking Flight, and I have a tentative post date of April 3rd.

Now if Written in Skin could just finish itself for me.

But. but but but but. In all my complaining about my stresses, I’ve had some very kind people say comforting things, AND @copgirl1964 commissioned camillo to create the following:

Isn’t it glorious? It’s from an off-screen scene in my fic Hand Me Your Armour. Camillo does amazing work, and I am forever grateful to copgirl1964 for brightening up a stressful time by surprising me with this.

Anyway, that’s where I’m at this WIP Wednesday. All in all, it isn’t terrible, just frustrating, and something wonderful came out of it anyway.

Cheers,

Vulpes

#WIP Wednesday #a personal note

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falloutconfessions · 4 years

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“The only reason I did a Legion playthrough is because of Vulpes’ companion quest. I was not disappointed.(But I still couldn’t finish as Legion, I’m just not evil enough.)”

Happy April Fools Day from Fallout Confessions!

#fallout confessions #I have more screens from this shoot too #because I can never take JUST ONE #April Fools Day confessions

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kessielrg · 4 years

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[Daybreak Academy][KH AU] Hospital Beds

Summary: In which Skuld fades in and out of consciousness in the aftermath of her overdose (chapter 37 of Daybreak Academy). [oneshot][spoilers for @daybreak-academy-fanfic, obviously]

Rating: K+

Word count: 2,220 words

Skuld had only passed out on one other occasion in her life. It was the 2011 Departure County Regional Lux Pageant: Junior Division. It was the last major competition before going to state, so -of course- it was a very big deal. The whole situation could have been avoided if she, or her parents, had been paying enough attention that day. Ultimately, it was ruled that Skuld had been dehydrated and the incident was never brought up again.

But that was when something in Skuld changed. Her parents all but glossing it over and working on the next pageant nearly made her pop a blood vessel. After that incident, Skuld refused to attend any more pageants so long as she had a body to live in. No more lights, no more angry moms when their kid didn't win a crown, no more stage cues from hosts that didn't even pretend to care; none of it. Skuld was done.

When she received her letter of acceptance from Daybreak Academy, Skuld gave her parents an ultimatum: if she went to Daybreak, then she wouldn't attend any more pageants. It had to be one or the other. Of course her parents let her go to Daybreak- having a prestigious school listed as your alma mater looked far better on a resume than how many useless gold crowns you've won. For that, she was thankful her parents had some sort of common sense.

They say, when your brain realizes that it's about to die, your whole life flashes before your eyes. When Skuld could feel her whole body shut down on her, the rest of her life up until then didn't even matter. Back then (and right now) her only thought was 'what if no one finds me?' That thought was infinitely more terrifying when she was in her own private dorm and not about to be shuffled on stage in front of a crowded audience.

Skuld had no idea how long she had been out. Her mind took what seemed to be years before realizing that she was in a hospital room. A slow glance toward the window indicated that it was sometime during the day. Wasn't it after sunset when she passed out? The memories were fuzzy at best, and a good part of it still seemed fragmented as she tried to piece together what had actually happened.

But thinking took up too much brain power that she didn't quite have back yet. What with the 'hard reboot' and all of waking up without intentionally making your body shut down. She didn't even bother to know if her parents were even aware she was in the hospital right now. She had listed Headmaster Ava as her emergency contact for so long, she had memorized that number far better than her own parents'. Skuld let out a soft sigh as she let her body succumb back into a black abyss of nothing. Maybe she'll feel a bit better later on.

Hopefully.

. . .

“I should have known the moment she came to callbacks alone.”

Skuld knew the voice but couldn't bring herself to open her eyes to be sure. It took a lot more effort than she had to even give the slightest of peeks. Her glimpse was short, but it confirmed her suspicions. In the hospital room with her was Ms. April. With Ms. April was Headmaster Aced, awkwardly trying to navigate the hospital room with a small vase of get well soon flowers in his hands.

“You never would have guessed too.” Aced calmly noted, setting the vase of flowers on the bedside table. “Everything was kept on track, she dropped off notes about what needed attention then she'd send another note saying she found a solution...”

“That's not the point, Aced.” Ms. April snapped. “She's still child. There was no reason for her to have such a heavy workload without any of us noticing. I should have noticed. Ava- Ava should have noticed!”

“Ava?” Aced repeated. A quick look of confusion crossing his features. “What does Ava have to do with this? Gula is the Leopardus headmaster.”

“That stupid student council she started!” April declared. “Don't tell me you're not aware of it!”

“Of course I was aware, all of us knew...”

“And did any of you know that the five students she cherry-picked had trouble adjusting?” the short teacher snapped back. “Skuld wasn't the only one. And the fact that you don't even know that-!”

“It's not like any of them were from my house.” Aced argued. “I'm not the one who would have noticed even if I could!”

A dark silence immediately filled the room the moment he said those words. Ms. April was fuming.

“April...” the youngest of the two tried to say in a timid voice. “I...”

But Ms. April wasn't going to listen to him. Instead, she turned on her heel and immediately headed toward the door. Fear was quick to reach Aced's features as he went after her.

“April!” he even feebly tried to call. “April I didn't mean…! April!”

Skuld could hear the door shut when they both left. The tense air still lingered in the room, and it made her feel incredibly awful in its aftermath.

No, Skuld dully thought, Don't leave. It wasn't anyone's fault.

But she could feel herself drift off again. In seeing no use of fighting it, Skuld relaxed her body and went back to sleep.

. . .

Third time's the charm, as they say, and this time around Skuld felt much better. Or better enough that she could actually maneuver her body to reach for the call button. It still took a lot of effort, though, and she immediately flopped back down on the hospital bed in exhaustion.

“Skuld?”

Skuld blinked as she looked to who had said her name. To the right of the bed was Ava and Gula. They looked like they had placed another small vase of flowers by her bed and were completely surprised to see her awake. The teen tried to give them a smile of acknowledgment, but it came out as a momentary twitch instead.

“We should get the nurse.” Ava gently whispered to Gula, placing a hand on his elbow.

“I did.” Skuld slurred as she gestured to the call button- it was an attempt to pick it up and show it to the Vulpes headmaster, but it was a futile effort at best.

“How you doing kiddo?” Gula then asked, casually sitting at the end of Skuld's bed as if it weren't a big deal. He even gave her foot a playful pat before adding, “Enjoy your nap?”

“Gula!” Ava admonished before giving him a whack on the shoulder.

Gula only shrugged while giving a playful laugh. “Honest question.” he casually proclaimed. Skuld looked between the two of them like she had never seen them before. Maybe a part of her thought she didn't.

“My head is… numb?” she admitted in a slow drawl. “Still so tired...”

“Do you remember what happened?” Gula asked. His smiling face diminishing quite a bit to something more serious. Skuld raised an eyebrow before looking down at her hands. That was an idea she hadn't really considered until now. Her face scrunched as she tried to recollect her memories.

“I sent an email...” came the slow answer. “I got up and things were… wrong. Someone was at my door? Anna? Nora…?”

“Anora.” Gula corrected her. His tone was a bit darker than before now too. “Anora had come to your dorm just as you fainted. She called the ambulance for you.”

“Right… Anora...”

A small silence fell between the three of them as Skuld tried to further recollect her memories. She knew who Anora was, right? Skuld reclined a bit and in a brief flash when she closed her eyes, she could see a pink haired girl who very seldom talked and was currently the object of attention from…

“Ephemer.” Skuld wondered out loud as she looked back at Ava and Gula. “Is he with you?”

“Ephemer will be coming by later.” Ava told her. “He needed a little more time to… to process what had happened.”

“Idiot thinks its his fault.” Skuld huffed. She noticed her mental flub a moment too late, but didn't bother to correct herself. Gula laughed at it, though.

“Nice to know your sense of humor is still in tact.” he teasingly mused. It earned him another hard smack on the shoulder and Ava saying his name in a very disapproving manner. This time, Skuld did manage to smile, but it was still half formed and looked rather lopsided. Still, the attempt had been made, and only seeing it out of the corner of their eye made both Gula and Ava relax a bit more.

The soft moment was only interrupted by the nurse finally coming into the room. Ava and Gula excused themselves not long after, allowing the nurse to have more room to do her work. After some time the nurse called in the doctor for further tests. The doctor assigned to Skuld's case arrived about ten minutes after that. Not that Skuld was complaining when she saw him- he was super cute.

“How are you feeling, Miss Niyati?” the doctor asked her as he looked up from his clipboard of notes on her condition. He hit her with a million watt smile that nearly made Skuld's blood pressure spike.

Despite this, she gave him the automatic reply of “Dead.” without any thought put into it. The doctor laughed at this.

“Well, these charts say otherwise.” he humored her. “But that's just a sign you're still living, isn't it? Do you feel any pain, or a bit woozy?”

Skuld gave a small half shrug at first. “I think I have a delay. Words don't sound… good.”

The doctor once more gave her a kind smile before assuring her that such things were natural after an unexpected nap time. He went on to explain a lot more about how she had gotten there. Apparently she had taken too much acetaminophen and her body had shut down before any major damage could be done. The doctor told her that she was lucky to have gotten to the hospital as quickly as she did. Who knows how long she would have been out -let alone if she could even be woken- had her friend (Anora?) not contacted first responders right away.

It took some more time for them to run through some basic response tests before the doctor decided that she was good for now.

“I'll have a nurse come by so we can get your body weight before we do an MRI. With all luck Miss Niyati, you'll be out of here in no time.”

“Good.” Skuld replied with a small sigh. She was starting to feel a lot like herself again, and the idea of being in a hospital any longer than she needed to was starting to bug her.

“By the way,” the doctor said, almost as if he had forgotten something important. “Your friend, the one that came with you, she's still sitting outside. Would you like me to tell her that she can come in and sit with you?”

Skuld paused for a moment, looking up at the doctor like she had no idea what he was saying. But then it hit her; it must have been Anora. Right? Gula had said that Anora had called the ambulance, but he didn't say if she had come to the hospital as well. Ephemer had yet to show up, so maybe she was keeping watch for him?

The young woman carefully shook her head at the doctor. “She's waiting for someone.” she told him. He gave her an affirmative nod in agreement.

“Well, if that's all,” he said to her, “Then I'll be on my way. Remember, I'll have a nurse coming by for you later so be on the look out and try not to go to sleep again. Alright?”

At Skuld's agreeing nod, the doctor gave her one last brilliant smile before making his leave. Once the door closed, Skuld let out a long sigh as she relaxed against the hospital bed. Her head lulled over to the side so she could look at the small assortment of get well soon cards and flowers her bedside table had accumulated. When the nurse had helped her, Skuld had convinced them to read a few cards to her. They were all nice gestures- some of them were littered with apologizes about the school play.

But that was a subject for a different time.

Skuld's thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door to her hospital room open and close. She looked up to see Ephemer and Anora. Ephemer looked like a wreck- his eyes were bloodshot from crying, his clothes were put on rather haphazardly, and his hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in weeks. Anora, standing a little behind him, was nothing more than a shrinking wallflower that didn't want to get in the way between the old friends. Seeing them was almost a relief.

Skuld tried to give them her best smile before fondly remarking, “There you are. I was wondering how long it was gonna take for you to show up.”

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daybreak-academy-fanfic · 4 years

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Daybreak Academy: Chapter 47

Cabin Fever Sets In Early

Summary: In which Brain makes his opinions on Anora abundantly clear. Word Count: 1,922 First | Previous | Next ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆

None of the kids looked like they wanted to be up at this unholy hour. But, for once, neither did the adults. Of the twelve of them, Ventus and Ava were still in their pajamas. Gula, Brain, Skuld and Strelitzia were dressed in clothes more suited for traveling, like sweatpants and loose t-shirts. Anora, Aced, and Ephemer made the attempt to wear actual clothes, but still looked like they had just gotten out of bed. This left only Lauriam, Ira, and Invi looking like they were ready for the day as usual. And then there was Shelby, who happily trotted beside Ava despite the risk of being stepped on.

In fact, Ira almost did step on Shelby as the Unicornis headmaster was trying to carry someone's luggage into the bus. Suffice to say, he was not amused.

“Ava,” he impatiently demanded the next time he saw her, “You have to put that thing in a cage before we leave.”

“But Shelby's fine.” she pouted. Ira rubbed his temple in frustration. It was way too early to be having arguments like this, let alone when he was the one set to drive.

“He hissed at Aced earlier.” he informed her, bitterly, in an attempt to get her to see his way. It didn't work in the slightest.

“So?” the Vulpes headmaster immediately questioned. “I'd hiss at Aced too if he was being rude to me!”

“He started it!” Aced shouted from somewhere behind the bus. “Stupid thing was trying to trip me!”

To further prove the point, Shelby -who was casually standing by Ava's ankles until then- hissed at the remark. Ira didn't even bother hiding his unnerved eye roll while Ava gave a bemused giggle.

“Can't believe I ever dated that...” Ira grumbled under his breath, but stopped himself from finishing. Instead, he then started to shout, loud enough to be heard from the dorms; “Alright! Everyone on the bus! We're losing daylight now!”

There was a small chorus of groans from the kids, too exhausted to be truly responsive to anything yet that morning. But they all started to make their way onto the bus regardless. Anora was second in line, and she sheepishly shuffled her way to one of the middle rows. Behind her, Ventus was quick to find a spot near the front.

“Hey Ven,” Ephemer mused as he passed the younger boy, “You have a brother, don't you? Why didn't you ask him to come along on the trip?”

For a moment, the youngest of the group looked like Ephemer had verbally assaulted him.

“Vanitas doesn't… like other people. Very much.” he quietly said, trying to avoid Ephemer's gaze.

“Ah, maybe next time!” the older boy smiled. Ven still didn't look at him. Giving a small shrug to the younger's reluctance, Ephemer moved on back to where Anora was sitting.

“Mind if I sit with you?” he asked. Anora looked up at him, raised a suspicious eyebrow, but nodded in agreement. Ephemer sure was more relaxed this morning than he had been for the past few weeks.

“Speaking of bringing along guests,” Gula mused from the back row, directing his attention to Aced, who was sitting two rows in front of him, “Why didn't you invite Ms. April, Aced?”

The Ursus headmaster immediately flinched before turning his body around to face Gula. “W-why would I do that?” he stuttered.

“Oh, I don't know.” the cheeky headmaster mused. “You two had gotten pretty close recently, so I was curious.”

Aced looked Gula over with a critical eye- trying to figure out what game the youngest headmaster was playing at. “If you must know, April and Anastasia are going to visit April's parents.” Aced then told him in a very certain tone.

“And you didn't join them?”

“W-well I did ask, if she wanted me to join them.” Aced stammered. “But, but she insisted that it was still too early in our relationship for me to meet her parents.”

“Oh really? How interesting...”

“How is that interesting?!”

“Oh, never mind...” Gula teasingly hummed as he got himself more comfortable. If it was meant to comfort Aced, it sure as fire didn't work.

“Are we all here?” Ira then questioned, making use of the bus's intercom system. It was Invi who did the head count and gave him a nod.

“Looks like it.” she agreed.

“Then let's get this show on the road.” Ira decided, turning on the bus's engine and smoothly guiding it out of Daybreak Drive.

Ventus had gone back to sleep the moment the bus started moving. He laid out on the bus's bench seat with a pillow at his head and his jacket as a makeshift blanket. His soft snoring could be heard if you got close enough, but no one wanted to disturb him. He was soon followed by Strelitzia, who had propped a pillow against the cold window, drifting off to sleep with the motion of the bus. Lauriam happened to look over at his sister and smiled. He then went through their suitcases to find a blanket for her. As Lauriam placed the blanket over his sister, she shifted a bit but did not stir, causing him to grin even more. He made himself a bit more comfortable before also going to sleep.

Skuld and Brain had decided to sit next to each other, both making idle chit-chat over the notes and questions they had at the last Dandelion meeting. Ephemer had pulled out one of his textbooks, Anora was curious enough to read over his shoulder, to which he did not stop her. Ava was lightly fussing over Shelby as she tried to keep the turtle on the bus's bench seat when all he wanted to do was explore. Invi looked like she had gone back to sleep, with her back against the bus window and her eyes closed, but she would occasionally mumble something to herself -something that sounded a lot like names of the teachers still at Daybreak during the summer- that made it clear that she was still trying to keep mental track of school security.

But it was still way too early in the morning to be awake. Anora gave up the battle eleven minutes after the bus left school grounds. She let out a long yawn as she laid her head down on Ephemer's shoulder. The girl was asleep before she even realized what she had done. Ephemer was quick to realize it, though, and did nothing to move her. Instead, he moved a bit to make it a bit easier for her before he laid his head on top of hers. A calm smile crossed his lips as he continued to read through his textbook. There was nothing more in this world that made you forget your worries than a long bus ride, and someone who made you feel happy resting on your shoulder.

. . .

Anora did not sleep for very long- waking up just an hour after she had gone to sleep. There was much more light outside than what there had been when they had first started. Ira was still driving the bus, and as she looked around, she found that only Brain and Invi were still awake. Brain looked to be playing some card game by himself and Invi had her back to the bus window, with one leg crossed on the bench and the other dangling off, while reading a rather steamy looking novella. Skuld had moved places, though, sitting in the bench behind Brain with her legs pulled up to her as she leaned her side onto the back of the bus bench.

Gula had moved places too, taking the spot next to Ava. He had gone to sleep with his head in Ava's lap. Ava herself was also asleep now, her head resting against the bus's window. Her fingers were intertwined in Gula's hair, as if she had been gently stroking him before drifting off. Shelby, much to the turtle's annoyance, had been placed in his cage.

“Anora.” Brain's voice suddenly spoke up, surprising the girl for a moment. She looked up to see him standing in the aisle, a set of playing cards in his hands.

“Wanna play War with me?” Brain asked, playfully shuffling the cards. “Promise to go easy on you.”

There wasn't much thought put into it when she nodded her head. What else did they have to do? So Anora carefully started to get up, made sure not to wake Ephemer in doing do, before going over to the bus bench that Brain had been sitting in earlier.

“It's really simple- my grandfather taught it to me when I was three.” Brain then went on. “Aces are high and the suits don't matter. We both pick a card from our stack, whoever has the highest card takes both. If we happen to draw the same card, then we pick out three cards at random, flip them over, and whoever has the highest total numerical count wins all eight cards. Still with me so far?”

Anora nodded, watching with a still groggy interest as Brain gave her ten cards to start with. The two played their game in relative silence after. Anora couldn't tell who was winning, her brain too sluggish from waking to even really care too know, but at some point she did start to notice that Brain kept staring at her. After they had been playing for ten minutes, she had to stop.

“Hmm? What's wrong?” the older boy casually questioned. “You were winning.”

Anora shook her head. Her face scrunched into an expression of conflict before quietly telling him, “You're staring at me.”

Brain raised an eyebrow. “Was I?” He then gave a callous raise and lower of his shoulder before saying, “Really didn't meant to, honestly. You're very… different. But at the same time, you don't stand out in the slightest. You're almost a walking contradiction.”

At this, Anora raised an eyebrow of confusion. Brain felt the need to explain himself further.

“Everyone here is either a headmaster or a Dandelion. Or related to one, in the case of Lauriam's sister. But you? You're no one. You shouldn't be here.”

A cold chill ran down Anora's spine. Brain looked up at her and took note of her paling expression. He leaned in close to Anora- his face held such a dark expression that Anora felt goosebumps growing on her arms.

“So, whose pants are you trying to get into?” he asked her. His voice was low and dark, while also not trying to raise suspicion from Ira or Invi. “Mine, Ephemer's, or Lauriam's? And if it's Ven's, then I'm sorry to say that I think the back exit on this bus is not locked properly. You should go check.”

Anora gaped at him in shock. He studied her, as if sizing Anora up, before coming to a certain conclusion.

“You are fascinating.” he decided in an expressionless tone. He sat up a bit straighter, bringing his focus back to the game. “So, is it my turn now, or yours? I lost track.”

Anora only looked at him. She eventually said, “Yours, I think.” before Brain gave a small nod and continued on like nothing had happened. But Anora had been put on edge. What on earth gave Brain that idea? Anora shuddered as a small breeze came in through the bus window; she didn't know, and she didn't want to know.

Too bad their summer only got weirder from there.

#daybreak academy #chapter 47 #kingdom hearts fanfiction #Ira #Ava #Ventus #Ephemer #Anora #Brain #Summer 2020 #Season 1

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