#dagger is much more methodical. fighting is a dance and hes very very good at it. he thinks fast and he anticipates well there is no wasted

[wraithsoutlaws]

boss battle tag team

#cyberpunk 2077 #oc: dagger #dum dum #x: perfect drug #cyberpunk photomode #old shot i never posted but i like it :3c #have. many thoughts about them as a battle couple tbqh #dagger being so quick and acrobatic and close quarters #dd having his back from a further distance. hes slower but hits much harder #dagger is much more methodical. fighting is a dance and hes very very good at it. he thinks fast and he anticipates well there is no wasted #movement #dd is a shoot at whatever moves and don't stop kind of chaotic #and they're both so effective

[saynotoshityouhate]

For Science Ch. 5

Ch. 1 // Ch. 2 // Ch. 3 // Ch. 4

Words: 1781

Tags: angst, love, neediness, bathtub sex, he’s too big but (spoiler) we make it work.

It had been three days. Three long, agonizing days since Bruce slammed the front door and ran away. Yesterday he sent a text, asking if he could come home. Seeing his name light up your screen made your heart jump, so happy to know he was safe and coming back to you. You responded with an enthusiastic yes.

He’d never left like this before - you’d never had a fight or had a moment where his emotions took over so badly. Of course you’d welcome him back, you’d never worried he would hurt you. Not anymore - not since he’d found this new happy medium between his two personas. Bruce clearly wasn’t as confident.

It was hard having him gone for those first few days of your new job at the university, and you’d wished he’d been there to laugh at some of the silly mistakes you had made. His bellowing chuckles were some of your favorite noises in the world.

Pulling up the driveway after classes were through, you saw Bruce’s car parked back in its normal place. Your stomach flipped, unsure what to expect, although you were mostly excited to see him.

You quietly opened the back door, walking into the kitchen. Taking off your heels, you heard soft, muffled classical music and smelled lavender and citrus. You smiled, heading straight to the master bath. The door was cracked open slightly, and you could see the warm glow of candles dancing across the shiny tile walls.

You knocked quietly on the door and pushed it open gently, just enough to stick your head inside. “Bruce?”

Bruce’s head was resting against the cool tile behind him, his eyes closed and his breathing regular. He must have just fallen asleep, his large frame filling most of the oversized jacuzzi tub. “Bruce?” You whispered again, awakening him from his dream. His warm eyes met yours, taking a moment to focus and register that you were really there. “Y/N, I -“ Bruce rested his hands on the side of the tub, beginning to push himself up to greet you. “No, no - stay there, you look so peaceful.” You nervously played with the hem of your untucked blouse.

“May I?” You lifted your hands to the top buttons of your blouse, pausing for Bruce’s approval. His adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he nodded, adjusting his dark glasses up the bridge of his nose. You proceeded in unbuttoning your crisp white shirt, setting it off to the side. Your back was turned to the submerged Bruce, but you knew the slight shimmy of your hips as you stepped out of your skirt and panties would excite him.

You backed yourself over to the edge of the tub, presenting your back to Bruce. He loved unclasping your bra for you. He took pride in being able to do it with just a flick of his finger, and seeing the tension leave your back and shoulders filled him with warmth. You moved the straps down your shoulders and dropped it to the floor, reveling in the ease of domestic life with Bruce - even in this uncomfortable silence.

Lowering yourself into the bubbles across from him, you sighed. The last few days had been hard on you, you were worried about Bruce, had started your new job, and had been brainstorming on ways to reverse your boyfriend’s physical predicament. You stretched your legs out in front of you, resting them against Bruce’s thighs. He took one foot in his large hand, rubbing the arch with gentle pressure. Your eyes fluttered closed at the wonderful release.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry for how I reacted.” Bruce’s eyes were cast downwards in shame. “I was so upset with myself, I didn’t want to risk anything happening…” You interrupted him. “No, I overreacted. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m just happy you’re back.” You poked him with your other foot, asking him to do the same magic there as well.

“Where did you go?” You asked timidly, not sure you really wanted to know the answer. “I just went to the tower - Tony left my room as-is…just in case.” You made a noise of acknowledgement, your fingers idly playing with the bubbles that adorned your chest.

“I never stopped thinking about you.” Bruce extended a hand, inviting you to come closer. You accepted, allowing him to pull you onto his lap. You wrapped your arms around his neck. “I was scared, Bruce.” He held your face in his hand, rubbing your cheek with his thumb. “I’m sorry. It’ll never happen again.”

You kissed him fiercely, as if you wanted him to stop talking before he gave any excuses or reasons to leave again. You couldn’t help the whimpers leaving your chest, three days was a long time for you two to be apart.

Bruce’s cock throbbed against you, eliciting a groan from the large man. “I missed you so much,” he mumbled, nipping and sucking at your neck and collar bone. Moving to straddle his waist, Bruce’s hands found your hips, helping hold you steady.

“I wanna try - I think I can do it - I wanna try.” You ground your hips against his hardening length, your breaths already ragged and uneven. You knew it would hurt, but you wanted to do this for him. You were certainly wet enough. “No, I don’t wanna hurt you, don’t-“

You had your mind made up. Your much smaller hand took Bruce’s from his waist, bringing it to your core. “Stretch me out, please. I need you.” He could never resist you. Slowly inserting one large digit, knuckle by knuckle, his eyes were trained on you, closely monitoring for any inkling of pain or discomfort. You were feeling nothing of the sort. Your head was thrown back, the stretch sending delicious shockwaves through your limbs.

“One more, please” you breathed. “Y/N, I-“ You shot him a look, like daggers from your irises. “One. More. Please.” Bruce sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. He adjusted his fingers, slowly adding a second, drawing a moan from deep inside you. “I think - I think I’m ready. Please - give it to me? Let me make you feel good. Please?”

“Baby, I’m not sure about this. Let’s just start here, you’re taking me so well, maybe next time, we gotta take it slow.” You whined, loudly, and bucked your hips down onto his two, thick fingers. The water of the tub splashed over the edge. “Don’t wan’ take it slow, Bruce. Wan’ you - your cock. Puhleeeaase, Bruce.”

“The minute anything starts to hurt, you have to tell me, okay? Promise?” You nodded your head vigorously before pulling him closer and kissing him in gratitude. Bruce slowly removed his digits, leaving you empty and clenching around nothing but the bath water.

Bruce’s eyes were dark with lust, but still maintained the warmth of his concern for you. He held your gaze as he aligned himself with your opening. Every millimeter seemed to take an hour, your breath hitching in your throat as you stretched further to accommodate him. Bruce held your hips tightly, trying to maintain control and composure as you took him so well. It had been years since he felt the velvety warmth of a woman around him.

Your fingers dug into his shoulders as he continued to move slowly and methodically. You focused on your breathing, in through your nose, out through your mouth - pushing out whines and whimpers along the way. You attempted to hide your face in the crook of his neck, but Bruce pushed you back, wanting to keep an eye on you. “You’re doing so well, my girl, look at you.”

Looking down, you expected to see that he had completely bottomed out inside you, but there was plenty more left to go. His hand held the base, not allowing you to go any further, if that was even possible. You smiled up at him, so proud of yourself, feeling so full.

Bruce’s heart swelled - and he could finally relax knowing you were okay…better than okay really. You began to rock your hips, exploring your body’s limits, feeling the push and pull of Bruce against your walls. It was worth the effort.

You established a comfortable rhythm, riding him slowly, but forcefully. The waves of now lukewarm water splashed around you, adding to the symphony of delicious noises you both were making - the feelings sending you both into nonverbal bliss. Bruce began to tense, and you weren’t far behind. The only one with a free hand, you reached down to access your clit, quickly sending shockwaves of pleasure ripping through you. You clenched down on Bruce’s girth as you climaxed, sending him over the edge with you. His guttural growl sent vibrations through your skin as he filled you up for the very first time. You collapsed into him, every muscle giving out from the pain and exertion.

Bruce held your weakened body in his arms, both of you exhausted beyond belief. The tub had turned cold and you began to shiver. Concerned, he held you tightly with one arm while he used the other to push himself out of the bath. You clung tightly to his neck as he walked you to the bedroom. Placing your down gently, he dried you off with a towel and handed you your robe to snuggle up into before returning to clean up the bathroom. Once you were dressed, you crawled back to the pillows aligned neatly on your bed and waited for Bruce to return.

Wrapped up in your fluffy robe, you nuzzled into Bruce’s chest. “Can I ask you a question?” Your fingers idly traced his chest, droplets of water still gripping the coarse hairs on his sternum. Bruce grunted in the affirmative, his eyelids were heavy the minute his head hit the pillow. “If you could, you know, switch back. Would you?”

Bruce hummed. “I mean, I’ve thought about it. Done some basic calculations, consulted with colleagues…but that was all before.”

“Before what?” You whispered, tipping your head to look up at him, his eyes still closed gently.

“Before you. Before our life together. Before I saw the way your eyes light up when I enter a room. You read about that sort of thing in books, right? But I never knew it was real. And me? Of all people? In this state?” You sat up, captivated by his words, tears welling up and blurring your vision. His eyes met yours, one hand tracing your spine, while the other held yours.

“So no. I’m not interested in changing back. I am Bruce Banner, I am the Hulk, and I love you.”

#saynotoshityouhate #for science #bruce banner angst #bruce banner x reader #bruce banner smut #professor hulk x reader #professor hulk #marvel smut #avengers fic

[mimisempai]

Missing you comes in waves and tonight I'm drowning

Summary:

After seeing Loki disappear before his eyes and confined to the TVA because of the failed mission, Mobius decides to still believe in Loki and search for him. He witnesses the discussion between Sylvie and Loki on the train

Notes:

My theories on the method used by Mobius to locate Loki is probably very far-fetched and lacks technical truth, but that's not the most important point here, so I hope you'll forgive me for my short cuts. (I miss them together!)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32162878

2008 words - Rating G

"Loki! Wait!"

Loki looked at him for a moment before stepping through the portal.

By the time they got there, it was too late Loki and the portal was gone.

"I knew he would betray us as soon as he could!" said one of the hunters right next to Mobius.

"Shut up!" shouted Mobius at him before returning to the TVA.

As he walked toward Ravonna's office, the same thoughts swirled over and over in his head.

Had Loki betrayed him! What were his plans? But worst of all, was he in danger?

He tried to think rationally.

Loki always said he was one step ahead, but Mobius knew that wasn't true. Loki was improvising. Loki was adapting. So reason told Mobius that this is what he had done.

That's when Mobius decided to do something he'd never done in his life at the TVA, he was going to bet on chaos. On the fact that Loki had chosen to follow the variant not only for his own sake but also because it was his mission.

Because Mobius could not imagine that what they had shared was nothing in the eyes of the god.

"Mobius! In my office!"

Ravonna... he was already imagining her reprimands, "I warned you" "he can't be trusted"...

As soon as he entered her office, she showed him a screen and just said, "Look!"

A scene showing the variant fighting in a hallway with the guards and Loki in the locker room retrieving his daggers then arriving at the place where the guards were eliminated.

Next scene Loki and the variant fighting, Loki trying to convince her to team up, at this point, despite the faith he has in him, Mobius could not determine if this is a way to stop her or get what he wants.

Then Rovenna arrives and the variant uses Loki as a hostage.

Mobius could not prevent a gasp.

Still on the screen, seeing that Rovenna is not persuaded, Loki grabs an object that opens a portal above them and he and the Variant disappear.

Mobius tried not to show his relief, but he saw that Rovenna was not fooled.

"So you still trust him?"

Mobius looked at her defiantly, "As long as I don't have concrete, real proof that he betrayed us, yes I’ll trust him!"

"Always the idealistic dreamer huh?"

Mobius didn't answer, Rovenna continued, "You're grounded here until I tell you otherwise. You can get out."

Once out, Mobius sat in a chair, held his head in his hands, and began to think. He was grounded, but there was nothing to stop him from trying to figure out where Loki was.

He just had to figure out how to locate him.

The difference was that now, thanks to Loki, he knew to look in the apocalypses, what he had to find now was the equivalent of that candy, something out of the ordinary, something anachronistic.

He stood up suddenly, he had found it!

He went to the office, where the screen that displayed all the nexuses was located.

"Casey! Come here!"

The younger man got up and joined him. Mobius spoke more softly, "Will you help me with a secret project?"

Casey, who had great respect for the man, nodded.

"Follow me."

They headed into the archive room. Mobius chose a table a little out of the way.

"You sit here. I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, he returned with a stack of files that he separated into two piles.

"In all these apocalypses, we need to find one where it mentions two Lokis variants and unusual magical acts."

"Got it!"

Mobius didn't know if his smoky theory would work out, but he didn't have much choice.

He couldn't help but think back to a similar scene a few days earlier, when Loki had fallen asleep. He had let his guard down in the presence of Mobius, so that meant something, didn't it?

He started to flip through the files.

"M-Mobius! I think I've got it!"

Casey was showing him a file, Lamentis-1 - 2077, a woman reports that two demons tried to attack her. One even allegedly posed as her deceased husband in order to get information.

Mobius could feel it in his bones. It was Loki and the Variant.

He was going to have to gamble on someone again.

"Casey. I need you to keep this a secret for a while longer. If Ravonna gets wind of this, I'm afraid she'll launch an assault and won't hesitate to eliminate Loki."

Casey nodded without taking time to think, "As long as you need Mobius."

Mobius was surprised that he didn't have to persuade Casey more than that.

After all, he seemed to be the good, loyal employee who never disobeyed.

Casey, seeing his reaction, added with a knowing smile, "You know, I like Loki too. He promised me he'd show me what a fish is and you know? The drink he took from me the other day, he bought me another one and apologized. A villain wouldn't take the time to do something like that right?"

Mobius's throat tightened. Casey was the first person other than himself to acknowledge that there was good in Loki.

"Thanks."

Casey nodded and returned to his desk.

Mobius headed straight for the video archive room. The advantage of being an agent of his rank was that he had unrestricted access to this section of the archives.

He searched through the shelves until he found the videos of Lamentis 1 in 2077.

He sat down in front of one of the small projectors provided for this purpose. He was going to start from the described scene that Casey had shown him.

After entering a few parameters, the screen lit up with Loki being blasted by an old woman.

The noise of the meteors that rained down around

Loki and the one who accompanied him, prevented Mobius from hearing what was being said.He pressed the fast-forward button until Loki and the girl, after some trouble to enter the train, found themselves in a box in the dining car.

He turned up the volume to hear their conversation.

He was amazed at how easily they seemed to converse, despite the jabs on both sides, and couldn't help a twinge of annoyance that he refused to recognize as jealousy.

The variant said to Loki, mockingly, "FYI, that wasn't even a plan."

"Oh, really?"

God how Mobius missed that cheeky attitude. Even when unmasked, Loki still had that irritating confidence.

The variant replied, "Plans have multiple steps. Dressing as a guard and getting on a train is just doing a thing."

She couldn't hold back a yawn.

Loki responded, "Oh, are you a bit tired? Feel free to, you know, get some rest."

One thing Mobius had realized and Casey had confirmed to him just before was that Loki cared more about others than he let on if you paid attention.

The variant grunted and replied, "I can't sleep in a place like this."

"You can't sleep on a train?"

The variant retorted, irritated, "No. I can't sleep around untrustworthy people."

Loki replied, still cheeky, "Oh, right. That's me?"

Fearing he might misinterpret what had been said, Mobius pressed rewind and let the scene play out before him.

The image of Loki nodding in agreement about not being able to sleep near people he couldn't trust was superimposed on the image of Loki sound asleep in his company.

He could not suppress the pang of his heart.

Loki trusted him, Loki considered him trustworthy.

While he was thinking, the video had continued and Loki was now talking about his mother.

Mobius had witnessed Loki's relationship with his mother and his devastation at the news of her death.

Loki's voice had become more hushed, with that hint of fragility he had whenever he spoke of her.

"She was, um... A Queen of Asgard. She was good. Purely decent."

Then the variant and Loki respectively provoked each other about the fact that they were adopted and Loki continued, "You know, when I was young, she'd do these little bits of magic for me. Like turn a flower into a frog or cast fireworks over the water. It all seemed impossible. But she told me that I'd be able to do it too because... Because I could do anything. You wanna see?"

Loki sets off tiny fireworks over his hand.

Mobius could not deny his feelings at that moment.

The sight of magic coming from Loki's hands, pure magic, was enchanting.

Loki continued, "She was the kinda person you'd want to believe in you."

Mobius could not help but whisper, "Loki, I believe in you."

For a few moments he didn't catch the conversation until it was audible again. Apparently they were talking about their love interests.

The variant asked Loki, "How about you? You're a prince. Must've been would-be-princesses or perhaps, another prince." She finished with a wink.

Loki, replied with a serious look, "A bit of both. I suspect the same as you. But, nothing ever..."

The variant finished his sentence, "real."

"Let me find you and I'll prove to you how real it is." Mobius didn't realize he was speaking aloud. He pushed fast-forward again.

The Variant had fallen asleep and Loki looked a little giddy.

Loki waved his hand and was back in his TVA agent costume.

He could wear the illusion of any outfit, and he chose this one. Why stay in these clothes?

Mobius really didn't want to be under any illusions, because how could he imagine that someone like Loki, a prince, a god, would want to claim a belonging to something like the TVA... to someone like Mobius?

Loki had started to dance and sing.

Mobius could not help but laugh. Then his laughter died down as Loki's song became more melancholic,

I stormsvarte fjell, jeg vandrer alene

Over isbreen tar jeg meg frem

I eplehagen står møyen den vene

og synger "når kommer du hjem?"

Men traner danser og fossene stanser

når hun synger, hun synger "kom hjem"

Then seeming to regain his spirits, Loki began to dance and sing happily again as if trying to prevent nostalgia from invading him.

When the music stopped, he joined the Variant and resumed his seat in front of him. Mobius managed to understand what they were saying to each other.

"What did you just sing to look so disturbed?"

Loki looked a little moved and answered him with the voice Mobius knew well, the one he used when he was serious, when he was sincere.

"It's Asgardian, it says:

In storm-black mountains, I wander alone

Over the glacier I make my way

In the apple garden stands the maiden fair and sings,

"When will you come home?"

Loki stopped, apparently moved, and the Variant simply said, "So there's a would-be-princess somewhere..."

Loki chuckled looking so sad before answering her, "I like metaphors you know, it's not a princess it's a prince, and I don't know if he's waiting for me or hoping to see me again, it's not even really my home, but..."

"But you'd like to believe that right?"

Loki nodded.

Mobius, didn't dare to believe that it was him that Loki was talking about, even though he couldn't stop the hope from rising up inside him.

The video continued, much more animated, after a wild fight, both jumped off the moving train and found themselves walking through a kind of desert towards the energy source they apparently needed to reactivate the tempad.

Mobius saw Loki suddenly stop, looking shocked. But Mobius was unable to hear what they were saying, the sound of the meteors again covering their voices.

Suddenly, Loki shouted louder, "But they don't know that!"

And they began to run.

Mobius could see that Loki was repeating something as he ran, an expression that Mobius had never seen on his face. Like he was worried. But he couldn't hear him. He zoomed in closer to try to read Loki's lips and finally succeeded.

Mobius.

_________

The whole serie here : The story of Loki and Mobius

Not beta'd I hope you enjoyed it 🥰

#lokius fic #lokius #lokius rights #time husbands #loki #mobius m mobius #loki spoilers #loki series #moki #wowki #developing relationship #POV Mobius

[nuttynutcycle]

Blades

“You’re better than the others give you credit for.” The villain’s voice was dark, considering. He stepped out of the shadows with an eyebrow raised. “I didn’t even notice you until a few blocks ago.

Aw, shit. She whipped around to face him, “And you’re more observant than I thought.” Plan B, then. A tremor slipped into her voice. “Please don’t hurt me.”

“Drop your weapons.” His eyes didn’t leave her shaking form.

She let the sword fall to the ground. The villain didn’t move. “Do you think I’m stupid? The infamous Chameleon is not known for her swordplay.”

A twitch provoked her eye, the only evidence of any feeling besides terror. That better not be a double entendre. She reached down and fiddled with her suit. Glittering blades fell from her body, clashing against the dark ground. Cold eyes followed her every move. His head tilted, arms folded. The intensity was almost distracting.

“All of them.”

“That’s everything.” She let fear shine in her eyes.

The villain snarled. He strode forward and twisted her against the wall before she could react. Bricks scraped at her face, covering the flush rising from a body pressed against hers. She felt a hand pin her arms against her back while the other frisked her for more weapons.

“What is this?” She asked, a sob escaping her throat. The villain didn’t answer. He seemed bored by her scared act. Good. “Please let me go.”

The villain paused. Warm breath brushed her ear. “I was very excited to meet you. The tales of your exploits were exceptional.” The hand slowed, and his touch became much more… sensual in nature. A shiver ran through her body.

“But this? A sobbing coward who gives up without a fight? Disappointing,” Nails dug at her sides, evoking a forced whimper. Almost… “Mediocre,” She panted, pushing against him. “Dull,” The hand slid around to her front. “Failure.” Now.

A knife jerked from its hiding place at the back of her waistband into her hand. The surprised exhale was music to her ears when she stabbed backwards into his abdomen. He staggered away from her, hands clutching his stomach. Too easy.

She stalked towards him, dropped facade leaving her cool and methodical. A grin split her face. “Was that too boring for you? Need some deadly closure? Don’t worry, I never leave a date with my partner unfinished.”

Laughter cut through the air as the villain’s head lifted to meet her stare. His eyes darkened, lit by a twisted hunger. “There you are,” he breathed. “I was wondering when you’d come out to play.”

This was a different reaction to a stabbing than she usually got. Less screaming. “Is it really a game if you lose so quickly? Sorry babe, I’d love to play, but I have a job to do.”

“Who said I’ve lost?” He quipped.

“You have under an hour before your heart stops. Less if you annoy me.”

“Then we better use that hour well.” No, she would not get distracted by his tongue darting out to wet his lips.

“I plan to.” She picked up a few of her daggers from the ground.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take this in a more pleasurable direction? My silver tongue has other uses besides flirting.”

“I don’t dance with arrogant idiots. You were pretty foolish to get that close to me.”

He shrugged. “The benefits outweighed the risks.”

A flush rose on her cheeks. Oh, she was going to enjoy his death. “Any last words before I slit your throat?”

Without warning, the villain dropped his hands from the wound with a grin. Her eyes latched onto the smooth, unblemished skin beneath. Colour drained from her face. No. That’s not possible. She could still feel the knife sliding past flesh, cutting through organs. “How?”

“Oh sunshine, you couldn’t kill me no matter how hard you try.” The villain pounced on her, stopping her defensive slashes with a snatch of her wrists. The last of her weapons fell to the ground. He leaned down, lips hovering above her own. “But I promise to enjoy your attempts.”

Heart racing, instincts roaring at her to take advantage of the situation, she felt her lips part.

Victory flashed across the villain’s face at her reaction. The indignation jolted her out of the stupor. No way was the cocky fucker going to win. She pressed her body against his, savoring the sound of his breath hitch. “And I promise to enjoy every second of your pain.”

Usually, she would never leave until a job was finished. He was an exception – to a lot of things. She twisted out of his grasp and was gone in the night.

The villain watched her run, a smile playing on his lips.

#assassin #assassin x villain #hero x villain #heroine #hero villain snippet #possessive villain #villainous crush #writing #creative writing #writing snippet #snippet #tw stabbing #flirting #other options for the title includes: #knife to meet you #sharpened attraction #blade kink #kiss or kill #Flirting 101: Stabbing #not the kind of impaling you normally want with your crush

[voyagis-infinitum]

Person I fallow is posting Treasure Planet OCs. so... Here we go.

My Treasure Planet OC 'Lucky' John Flint Captain 'Lucky' John Flint "The Man Who Dances with Death" Species: Falmahaution Age: 265 years old (about 26 in human years) Family: dozens of nieces, nephiews, cousins, aunts and uncles making up Flint Pirate Clan Immediate Family: Rudolf 'The Red' Flint (brother) Isabell 'La Syrena' Flint (Sister) 'Wild Sarah' Flint (Sister, Deceased) Nathanial Flint (Father, deceased) Elizabeth Iron Flint (mother, deceased) Cassandra 'The Gypsy' (wife) William Flint (eldest son) Nathanial  Flint II (youngest son) Jamaica Flint (Daughter) Ships Crewed: Fancy under Avery (As master at Arms) Wild Rover (As Captain) Weapons used: cutlass, Laser flintlock, laser blunderbuss, various cyborg appendages Strengths: intelegence, unique anotomy which results in Very capable fighter (Falmahautions have three lungs and two hearts among other things) strong cyborg limbs made out of specially forged steel, resourcefulness, expert marksman, master engineer (builds and races his own solar surfer) Knowlege of ancient technology (from studying Forefathers and Treasure Planet) Friends in high places, knowelege of how to extract and manipulate pure darkmatter, cunning Weaknesses: 1/3 of his lungs is collapsed, 1/2 of another is damaged, 1 heart poisoned in duel, overconfident, relies too much on luck and is therefore reckless, superstitious, damaged body which would be superior to most species, is now only just on par with humans, heavy drinker, conscious weighs heavily on him Captain Lucky John is the son of the notorious Nathanial Flint, and the rightful heir to Treasure Planet, in his youth, he sailed with his father while he collected the famed 'Loot of a Thousand Worlds'.  Due to Nathanial Flint keep Treasure Planet's power for himself, rather than share with his beurocratic Pirate Family out of spite, Nathanial Flint was disowned by his father, and took Lucky John, his siblings and his wife plundering his own using Treasure Planet.  Later, after his father was wounded in a mutiny, and he and Billy Bones fled the planet Lucky John sailed with several pirates and smugglers. The most notable of which was Captain Avery on the Fancy as Master at Arms and Marksman.  Avery was, at the time, the Pirate Lord of Madagascar in the Brethren Court.  Fallowing the Gunsway Heist Avery retired and ruled his Pirate Colony on Madagascar.  Trouble was brewing with the Powerful Flint Pirate Clan, and the Teague Pirate Clan however.  The Teagues and the Brethren Court argued that the Flints should abide by the Pirate Code though this was just the latest in a long list of grievances in their rivalry. The Flints responded that their Clan predated the Code, and had their species' longevity to prove it. Eventually, after the Flint and Teague clans erupted into open warfare with each other, and threatened to destroy the Brethren Court, and Greater Piracy as a whole, an agreement was reached.  A Member of the Flint Clan would sit on the Brethren Court and call themselves one of the 9 Pirate Lords. The Flints, would, in return, agree to adhere to the Pirates Code. Avery, remembering Lucky John fondly, passed his Piece of Eight and seat to his old ship's officer. decades later, Lucky John would be injured in a duel, and fearing Death, pass his piece of eight, and seat on the Brethren Court to the only person he trusted at the time, One of his own Fleet's officers.  None other than a young Edward Teague, later Keeper of the Pirate Code. Fallowing his recovery, The Flint Patriarch, Big Ben was livid, and disowned Nathanial Flint's Bloodline for a second time. Eventually, Lucky John took aboard his ship a young John Silver, who he nicknamed 'Long John Silver' for his tall tales of adventure.  He was like a son to him.  At the time, Billy Bones was also the ship's Helmsman, as he had been for years.  Over time, John Silver became Quartermaster on the Wild Rover.  After years of Comradery however,  Silver began pressuring the Captain to go after Treasure Planet again, knowing Lucky John Still had the map.  This eventually led to a mutiny. Silver's ruthlessness and betrayal even though he trusted him so much, as well as his two faced lies, led Lucky John to fear Silver.  Flint was marooned with his loyalists on a small island, while Billy Bones Fled the ship, entrusted with the map by Lucky John. Silver hoped a few weeks on the island would convince Lucky John to change his mind. True to his luck however, a Ship loyal to Lucky John's pirate clan, a barque happened across the island. It was fleeing a Navy patrol.  Flint returned to his stronghold to find Silver lamenting his actions, he had told the rest of Flint's crew and captains that he was dead. Lucky John subsequently took Silver to Protious I to the infamous Dead Man's Chest, a barren and notoriously tall platue which was a popular spot for pirates to maroon people and leave them to die atop of.  The same planet, was, incidentally where Silver had rescued Morph from some years before.  Lucky John's last action upon seeing Silver, was to take Silver's hand as revenge.  Silver, and a handful of others, including Turnbuckle, Hands, Onus, Birdbrain Mary, Scroop and Meltdown were those who would survive the ordeal and become part of Silver's Crew later on Occasionally he sailed with Terran Letters of Marque during wars with the Procyons. He even fought along side Captain Amelia and became friends with her and had a brief thing with her. After the wars, however, Lucky John returned to pyracy, and for that, Amelia never forgave him, and they often exchanged broadsides when the notorious space pirate and the navy captain sighted each other's ships. During the Voyage to Treasure Planet, Silver used his galleon Argentum to try and intercept Billy Bones cutter as it left Spaceport Crescentia to rendezvous with Lucky John. Billy Bones had been in hiding for years, and was unable to contact his captain.  While the Argentum and the Wilde Rover conducted a ferocious space battle, Silver Fled in a small gunboat with several members of his crew to try and fallow Billy Bones down to Montressor. The Argentum was heavily damaged and burning when Flint left her, and Silver beached her to return to later, as he infiltrated the RLS Legacy's crew.  Flint subsequently would later give chase to the RLS Legacy but would arrive too late to take the treasure and watched from orbit as Treasure Planet Exploded. During the Ironclad conflict, Lucky John acted as one of the main Smuggler Lords who helped the Procyons build their ironclads, fallowing the end of the conflict, and Jim Hawkins promotion, Lucky John would develop a fierce rivalry with Commodore Hawkins of the Terran Royal Navy. they would fight many times and the pirate would come to remark that "Young Master Hawkins is the most worthy Challenge I have had in a long time." The rest of his life and events can be read in my, (abandoned sorry,) Fanfic www.deviantart.com/edward-smee… Eventually, Lucky John became the Falmahaution Abbassador To the Terran Empire and retired to Spaceport Cresentia. He and his crew are frequent patrons of the rebuilt Benbow Inn on Montresser. Lucky John eventually got over the loss of Treasurte Planet and came to be good friends with the Hawkins, the Dopplers and John Silver, who was an old shipmate of Lucky John's.

Lucky John and ‘Ginnie’ Flint, the OC of a friend from old rps. They are half siblings. among other aspects of my world building lore, the species of Flint, which i dubbed ‘Faulmahaltions’ is a hybridized crocodile and scorpian species, and as such further interspecies breeding is made difficult, ironically, Ginnie’s creator maintains that Ginnie had a birth defect and so was put into Stasis by Nathanial Flint, and emerged centuries later, on Lucky John’s shoulder is his pet Candarian Zapwing, Skullduggery

Lucky John was bornb beneath three lucky stars which, on his homeworld denote great fortune, and luck. Lucky John, as a result is blessed with inane and almost unbeleivable luck, and has been banished from almost all gambling establishments in the Etherium. He just is that lucky.  These three fate gauging die, are a method of fortune telling used by his people, and incidentally depict the three stars Lucky John was born under.

Lucky John’s Jolly Roger is actually much more lighthearted than the pirate himself, and depicts himself dancing with Death. this is, due to the high number of times that Lucky John narrowly escaped Death due to his luck. Here he is pictured at the transom of his ship, Jolly Roger flying while weilding his cutlass, and blunderbuss, while his ship’s Long Tom sits on postion on the transom. Skullduggery perches on her master’s shoulder

Lucky John owns a number of ornate weapons he uses when pirating. A blunderbuss with a rotating series of energy cells to maximize the number of rounds without reloading, a curved dagger, and curved cutlass. After his Father’s Demise, Lucky John became a member of the crew of the famed Pirate Henry Avery, and was the ship’s Master At Arms. Avery subsequently gifted Lucky John the finest pistol aboard the Gunsway after the infamous raid.  Lucky John’s musket was perhaps the most common of his weapons in the days before his own captaincy, and his ability as a sharpshooter with his cybernetic eye was made infamous. Lucky John was also infamous for once saying “If ye have one shot, and yer pinned down, shoot somewhere random, and pray for the best.” before a brick wall collapsed on Royal Marines and enabled the pirates an escape.

Lucky John is also not just a famed pirate, but also a loving and caring father. He has three children with a gypsy wife. Their hybridization was easier due to Lucky John’s knowlege of the medical technology of Treasure Planet,  His daughter is named ‘Jamaica’ after his favorite pirate island, and his sons are Nathanial and Billy, after his father, and best freind.  Here, Lucky John sits in the cabin of his ship, showing his children a bedtime story about his Father and the legend of Treasure Planet, while his beloved wife scoops ice cream for her children.  Out the stern ligh windows are a planet and spaceport, and a pirate Barque and fast attack who serve Lucky John’s pirate clan

Lucky John’s ship the Wild Rover, named for the favorite song of Lucky John is a 30 gun pirate galleon.

Class: Galleon Designer: Lucky John Affiliation: Pirate/ Flint Pyrate clan Captain: Lucky John\ Crew: 150 space pirates of various species, and robot manufacturers. Armentment: 30 heavy laser cannons, 1 heavy long Tom projectile Cannon, 3 arm mounted grappling claws, 1 arm mounted drill, 2 arm mounted circuler saw blades Special shipboard systems: Pure Darkmatter crystal power core, cloaking device, smuggling compartments The 'Wild Rover' was built by A Falmahaultion Shipyard on Lucky John's Homeworld. He made several modifications to her systems based on things he learned studying the systems of Treasure Planet in his youth. Others, including her extremly effeciant power and engine systems, he learned from solarsurfing. Lucky John Has used the Wild Rover for 83 years, ever since he took command at the young age of 182. She has sailed under many flags since her Launch. Including the Emblem of the Falmalhaltion Empire, The Skull and Orbits, and both Terran, and Procyon Privateer Flags. Not to Mention False colors and Smugglers flags. Lucky John had used her to battle rival Pirates, His own family, Royal Light Ships, Procyon Star Runners, and Arcturian Armada Galleons, not to mention countless numbers of Richly laden merchant ships, and Rich Spaceports. Lucky John Commanded her during The Pirate Civil Wars between the Teague Clan and the Flints, which threatened to destroy the Brethren Court. He also fought several battles between Admiral Amelia, Commodore Hawkins, other Prominent Terran naval Officers, and John Silver.

Falmahaultions are native to the Planet Candaria. Their name is actually in reference to two ancestral species. a crocodilian and scorpian species who interbred, Fal’ Mah-Hault is actually a translation meaning ‘Children of Mah and Hault’ the first two who interbred. due to this hybridization it made their species difficult to hybridize further, resulting in birth defects.  unique anatomical features include:

Three lungs. one large interlocking respiratory system

Two hearts, completely separate circulatory systems, one is cold blooded, the other is warm blooded, they even each other out, and regulate the body.

an external ‘exoskeletal brace’ prominant on the hands and faces, the ‘brace’ is what remains of the scorpian ancestors exoskeleton, and serves to protect joints, as in the knuckles, and bones, as well as protect sensitive nerve endings.  in both the hands, and the face around the eyes, these nerve endings sense chemicals in their air, like a snake’s tongue.

three pairs of eyes. each vertical pair sees color in different wavelengths, and gives a great field of vision as well. ultra violet normal light etc.

Increased tolerance to poison etc. Falmahaultions also retain their scorpian poison glands, though they migrated to their talons, and fangs, and are, in most cases underdeveloped, and have to be stimulated with certain herbs to reach full maturity, and toxicity.

another interesting feature, is the split nails of the Falmahaultions. This is a cosmetic choice, rather than a genetic trait. it is one talon per finger, which certain warrior classes, or others of particular wealth and stature began splitting with knives and permitting to grew in a bifurcated look.  The practice was widely adopted by both males and females, but began with the female warrior caste.  despite the wholly cosmetic nature of the procedure, Falmahaultion doctors have noted that the remnant poison glands flow easier under such circumstances.

Sensative smell- large noses and nostrils permit Falmahaultions excellent smell

Dense muscles, their species hails from a jungle world, with aztec like architecture  and as a result, are known for their great physical strength, and survival abilities, which is only aided by additional respiratory and circulatory systems.

LUCKY JOHN’S TRAITS IN REGARD TO THE ABOVE WORLDBUILDING

Lucky John has lost one heart and one and half of another lung to a duel with a poisoned blade.  His body was unable to process the poison due to its extreme potency, and destroyed one of his hearts, one of his lungs, and caused a lung collapse in his middle lung.  This incident lowered his all around ability for athleticism and strength and as a result put him on par with most humans, and humanoid species. His luck enabled him to survive.

Lucky John lost his lower right eye in another incident and had damage caused to his nerve endings. He was forced to replace it with a cybernetic eye having all the standard features, and replace one of the nerve endings as well.  eventually, he had a special protective placed secured over the central ridge of nerves that journeyed up his face in between his eyes. he forged both from gold.

Lucky John Split his fingernails.  Both in homage to warrior caste traditions, and out of a cosmetic choice. sometimes he paints them, or lets his wife paint them.  Though traditional nail paint is made from a mix of pigments and the individuals own venom.  In the case of his lost arm, his has curved knife blades with no splits in them.

A heraldic Candarian Zapwing and the Flag of the Flint Pirate Clan. The Central Clan has hundreds of Flints, aunts, neices nephews, uncles, brothers, sisters, all under the leadership of Lucky John’s Grandfather, and Nathanial Flint’s Father, Big Ben Flint.  Who has disowned Nathanial Flint’s Bloodline multiple occasions. Each subsequent member of the clan however, has their own flagship, command fleet, and Pirate Clan under their leadership with many fleets and hideouts, giving way to a powerful pirate dynasty, and empire.  a dynsasty and Empire which Nathanial Flint outshone when he took Treasure Planet for himself to spite his greedy and powerhungry father Big Ben, thus earning his ire.

The Pride of Candaria, a stolen royal Flagship bearing Candarian symbols on her sails. the Flagship of the Flint Pirate Clan, and the ship of Big Ben himself.  The whole stern is the site of not just cabins but pirate administrative offices from which the massive pirate clan can run their empire.

For your consideration @lootofathousandsworld​ I haven’t touched these guys in so long. I miss them.

#flint #captain flint #treasure planet #OC #original character #space pirates #alien pirate #space galleon #solar galleon #original art.

[draceempressa]

Saw in Harry Potter’s Tvtrope fridge page that the 4 dorms are meant to cultivate “intended classes”, with the classes being : 

Gryffindor: Knights

Hufflepuff: Monks

Ravenclaw: Scholars

Slytherin: Noble

And with that realization  and after reading many info (from card stories, voice lines, min story , even seeing dorm uniform designs, etc, tho yes the focus on the great seven based of each dorm-not the prefect) I came to the conclusion that the intended classes of TW are as following: 

Heartslabyul: Law enforcer this dorm is the hufflepuff one of TW ha you wish , back then  in weston college arc black butler also lacks a dorm that is  equivalent to hufflepuff

Savanaclaw: Street thugs

Octavinelle: Businessmen/Inventors/mafias 

Scarabia: Advisor/ Underground mediators

Pomefiore: Entertainer/Assassin/Informants/Spies

Ignihyde: Scientists/Technician/Progammers/Hackers

Diasomnia: Knights/Military

As for the intended mottos, they are pretty much: 

Heartslabyul: Follow the rules

Savanaclaw: Follow the strong

Octavinelle: Nothing is free/spirit of commerce

Scarabia: Why do it yourself when you can make others do it? /Don’t do things directly so you get someone to blame for your shit

Pomefiore: Use underhanded/indirect method/assume other identity if you must, but make sure you do it by your own power

Ignihyde: Why bother with actual interaction when you can solve things with minimum interaction? 

Diasomnia: Stay loyal to your family and don’t shame your organization

Further explanation under read more, and yes, I am aware of the irony that Diasomnia pretty much have  same intended class with Gryffindor but with Slytherin’s values, tho for Ignihyde  and  Savanaclaw’s values and classes are pretty self explanatory I don’t have anything to explain further for those two dorms    especially savanaclaw, let’s just say Yana hates Gryffindor , if how she treats Green Lion in Black Butler didn’t make it clear, how she writes Savanaclaw will

Okay so for Heartslabyul  being law enforcers... It was said Queen of Hearts doubles as the judge in the Wonderland’s�� court, and Riddle is very strict about his rules . In addition, the collar that is inflicted by Off With Your Head resembles pillories for prisoners, and it’s law enforcers that have the right to issue them to the arrested, the thing is basically a cuff/restraint. 

Octavinelle being the merchant dorm is very blatant,  it’s even the chapter title, and their dorm uniform is totes not mafia suit, but I will still explain the inventor part. With the information from Azul’s dorm uniform card that 1: his parents own famous restauran 2: Monstro is just around for a year, put the two together and you get the implication that Azul’s parents pretty much bought the Octavinelle common room for him to change into Monstro. They pretty much invest in buying Monstro and training Azul into even better businessman even before he graduates high school. The fishies even spread the rumors of Azul granting wishes as part of their marketing, and the mafia part.... well, is also pretty self explanatory with their modus operandi. 

Scarabia being the advisor dorm, being the dorm based on Jafar is also pretty self explanatry. However, here comes the mediator part. Jamil, being  servant of a noble house that was raised in his master’s manor isn’t exactly part of the upper class, but neither is he exactly part of the lower class. And in his chapter, he try to mediates the Scarabia students or Yuu& Grim to Kalim (not with good intention, but either way he is indeed the middle man). But whatever happened after the deal  isn’t his business, impying Scarabia’s motto is why do it yourself when you got others to do it/get someone else to do it so you can blame them, the latter point is present in Savanaclaw’s arc but moreso in Scarabia as it’s Jami’s exact goal. 

Pomefiore, oh boy here comes the fun part. Pomefiore has their own dance hall,and Vil is also masterful in many forms of art including movie making, making his own clothes, cosmetics, etc. Vil is also a famous influencer on Magicam, and world class model and actor.  At first, it seems like that their intended class is indeed artisan/celebrity, and there is their manners, seemingly making their intended class the nobles as well there is implication many Pome students are rich (and have you seen anything about Pome, i bet most of NRC’s budget goes there) , but then you remember Pome students are known to do well in Potions. 

There is also the fact that the prerequisite to be prefect of Pome is to make the strongest poison, and Vil make his own food. And he is based on Grimhilde, who makes the poison apples. Connect the dots. Vil is most known for his beauty, but question is, is that all there is to him? Answer is no, he is very smart , likely would have strong magical power being one based of the Great Seven, and he even lifts bigger dumbbells than Jack. Vil is the embodiment of the silk hiding steel trope, emphasis on hiding. Hiding his true strength , letting his enemies drop their guard thinking he’s just a pretty boy is pretty much is his modus operandi, You know that trope of good looking people who use their beauty to hidden their dangerous side? That’s Vil. Those kind of people will also use their looks to interrogate people or make others do what they want, and while Vil abhor cuttig corners, he is meant to bring that trope to mind.  Pomefiore is meant for  those ppl who hides their killing intents and methods behind their own beautiful looks, manners, and even creations/performance.

He is not only a good actor, he is also highly self sufficient that he makes his own stuff by himself. An assassin/spy needs good acting skill to blend in , and ofc as an assassin /spy you can hardly trust others so you have to do things by yourself. Other than that, he’s a socmed influencer. Meaning, he gets used to looking , spreading, and maybe twisting information. Grimhilde fakes the identity of the old witch, and still goes by herself to Snow White. Vil practicing his acting and even changing his pronoun in Ghost Marriage event is a reference to this, showing Pomefiore’s “Assume fake identity or do dirty trick if you must, but do it yourself” motto.

There is also Rook, who still fits the assassination and informant motif of Pomefiore.  He is a sniper, another method famous for assassination. He has good sight and known to be a stalker, which means he know a lot of information of many. And then Pomefiore have a dagger in their logo, another common weapon for assassination. 

As for Diasomnia, their military-like design should emphasis more to their military motif/intended class. Sebek is another pronunciation of Egyptian god Sobek, which also sometimes tied to the military. Knights are often tied to dragons too, tho, most other fictions depict knigths as either dragon slayer or dragon rider, here they serve the dragon. Lilia is explicitly stated to be a knight in Silver’s  robe story, Silver also carries his magic pen like knights would their sword, and both Silver and Sebek are in horse riding clubs, knights are known to patrol on horses back in the day. They are also highly loyal to Malleus, all while Silver and Lilia consider him family. (seriously what do you mean it’s not family bond among Diasomnia as much it’s knight-lord) They are knights focused to protect their lord, with strict manners and ethics, not thugs looking out for fights. they counterattack, but do not initiate attacks. 

#twisted wonderland #heartslabyul #savanaclaw #octavinelle #scarabia #pomefiore #ignihyde #diasomnia

[highladyluck]

Wheel of Time Playlist

Mat Cauthon/Tuon Paendrag: The Soundtrack

Direct link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1LWolFwiwWQtcnQV7zceMj

30 songs, 1 hr 43 min. This is my take on the canonical arc of Mat Cauthon and Tuon Paendrag's relationship, told largely through swing music and 80s power ballads, with a few surprises here and there.

I put a lot of time and thought into this so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! There are spoilers in the playlist and track listing for Winter's Heart through A Memory of Light, since this is meant to mirror the narrative. It's organized mostly chronologically, though a few songs cover multiple books, or reference scenes placed slightly out of order, to better alternate points of view.

The order will be preserved if you have a paid Spotify account. (I know that's not ideal; I tried for several hours to get this into 8tracks through a series of increasingly convoluted methods but wasn't able to, as I don't directly own the music used.) If you can't listen to it in order, I've got the track listing under the cut so you can at least see what I was trying to do.

Track List:

1)      Royals (feat. Cory Gray) – Jake Coco, Corey Gray

“I’m no lord. I’ve more respect for myself than that.”

And we'll never be royals (royals)/

It don't run in our blood

2)      Almost There – Anika Noni Rose

Behind her veil, she was merely the High Lady Tuon, of no higher rank than many others of the Blood, but in her heart, always, she was Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag, Daughter of the Nine Moons, and she had come to reclaim what had been stolen from her ancestor.

Ain't got time for messin' around/

And it's not my style

 3)      Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man – Sammy Hagar

“I’m a gambler, not a soldier. A lover.”

I ain't good looking, but you know I ain't shy/ Ain't afraid to look a girl in the eye

 4)      Primadonna – MARINA

 “She is my wife! Your bloody Daughter of the Nine Moons is my wife!”

Would you get down on your knees for me?/

Pop that pretty question, right now baby

 5)      Been Caught Stealing – Richard Cheese

And Mat and the others galloped out into the storm, carrying with them three Aes Sedai, two of them escaped damane, and the kidnapped heir to the Seanchan Crystal Throne, while behind them a far worse storm broke over Ebou Dar.

Walk right through the door/ Hey all right!/ If I get by, it's mine/ Mine all mine!

 6)      Luck Be A Lady – Frank Sinatra

“As soon as I can figure out how to send you home safe and sound, I will. I promise.”

[...]

“So long as you keep your promises, I will neither escape nor betray you in any way, nor will I cause dissension among your followers.”

Let’s keep this party polite/

Never get out of my sight/

Stick with me baby, I'm the guy that you came in with/

Luck be a lady tonight

 7)      Holding Out For A Hero – Bonnie Tyler

“Do you remember Hawkwing’s face, Toy?”

I'm holdin' out for a hero 'til the morning light/ He's gotta be sure/ And it's gotta be soon/ And he's gotta be larger than life

 8)      Play The Game – Queen

“I’ve changed my mind, Toy,” she murmured, placing the white stone carefully on the intersection of two lines near the center of the board. “You play very well.”

All you have to do is fall in love/

Play the game, everybody play the game/

Of love

 9)      Poker Face – Lady Gaga

Despite himself, Mat began to laugh. He threw his hat down on the floor and laughed. With everything, all his efforts, he did not know this woman at all! Not a bit! He laughed until his ribs hurt.

Can't read my, can't read my/ No, he can't read my poker face

 10)   Young Dumb And In Love – Mat Kearney

Her big eyes were dark pools a man could spend a lifetime swimming in. Her rare smiles could be mysterious or mischievous, and he prized them.

I'm talking much, and you don't make a sound/

The prettiest face and those rock-a-bye baby browns/

All I've waited for's come true/

To be young and dumb and in love

11)   Zebra – The Magnetic Fields

She was still beaming. Her big eyes shone. “She’s a very fine animal, Toy. A wonderful gift. Either you have a good eye, or you were very lucky.”

“I have a good eye, Precious,” he said warily. She seemed more delighted than even the razor called for.

so there's one thing I crave/ when my days become ho-hum and blah/ I want a zebra

 12)   Steppin’ Out With My Baby – Fred Astaire

He grinned at Tuon, who gave him a slight nod. He had missed this, dice in a common room or tavern, coin on the table, wondering how long his luck would hold. And a pretty woman at his side while he gambled. He wanted to laugh with pleasure.

Steppin' out with my honey/

Can't be bad to feel so good/

Never felt quite so sunny/

And I keep on knockin' wood

 13)   Mack the Knife – Louis Armstrong

Tuon nodded approvingly. The bloody woman was dying to see him get into a knife fight!

[...]

To him, the world consisted of his two knives and the men crowding each other to get at him, and his knives sought the places where men bleed most heavily. Some of those ancient memories came from men who had not been very nice at all.

You know when that shark bites

With his teeth, babe

Scarlet billows

Start to spread

Fancy gloves, though

Wears ol' Macheath, babe

So there's never, never a trace of red

 14)   Rescue Me – Fontella Bass

“If one army is out to kill you, then they probably all are, and there are too many soldiers between here and Ebou Dar. But don’t worry; I’ll find some way to get you back safely.”

[...]

His boot slid in a patch of blood, and as he staggered, he knew he was about to die.

Abruptly Tuon was there, left hand seizing the young woman’s wrist—not the wrist of the knife hand, worse luck—twisting so the arm went stiff and the girl was forced to double over.

Come on, baby, and rescue me/ 'Cause I need you by my side

 15)   Too Close For Comfort – Eydie Gormé

He bent his head to hers. She was far from the first woman he had kissed. He knew what he was about. Surprisingly—or then again, perhaps not so surprisingly—she did not know. She was a quick pupil though. Very quick.

Be wise, be smart, behave my heart,/ Don't upset your cart/ When he’s so close.

 16)   Fever – Michael Bublé

She laid fingers against his cheek. “I thought so,” she said in that slow honey drawl. “You’re feverish. Some of your wounds must be infected.”

[...]

Mat blinked. He gave her a kiss that had to have curled her toes, and all she said was that his face was hot?

When you put your arms around me/ I get a fever that's so hard to bear/ You give me fever when you kiss me/ Fever when you hold me tight

 17)   Burning Down The House – Tom Jones, The Cardigans

Karede felt as if Hartha had kicked him again. No, not Hartha. Aldazar. What madness was this? Cauthon looked like a man watching an arrow fly towards his face, knowing he had no chance to dodge.

“Bloody Matrim Cauthon is my husband. That is the wording you used, is it not?”

This had to be a fever-dream.

Watch out you might get what you're after/

Cool babies strange but not a stranger/

I'm an ordinary guy/

Burning down the house

 18)   Love Is A Battlefield – Pat Benatar

“The next time I see Seanchan, I expect it will be on the field somewhere, Tuon.” Burn him, it would be. His life seemed to run that way no matter what he did. “You’re not my enemy, but your Empire is.”

“Nor are you my enemy, husband,” she said coolly, “but I live to serve the Empire.”

Both of us knowing/ Love is a battlefield

 19)   Empire – Alpines

Tuon straightened her back. She had not thought to become Empress for many years yet. But she would do her duty.

[...]

Fortuona was empress.

 I'm building an empire/

I'm building with my body and soul/

I'm building an empire/

So little time and so much to do

 20)   Distant Stations – Andrew Bird

Stay well, you curious man, she thought, glancing back at the balcony, northward. Do not dig yourself into trouble deeper than you can climb to freedom. You are Prince of the Ravens now. Remember to act appropriately.

Wherever it is you are.

[...]

Thom finished by making a wavy line through the center, as one did at the start of any game of Snakes and Foxes.

[...]

Mat crouched beside a fern, unseen by the dozen or so Deathwatch Guards who stood in a ring around Tuon as she went through a series of fighting stances.

 It was a triangle/ With soft, round edges/ And a split down the middle of one corner

I waited for you/ But I never told you where I was/

I waited on the steps for you/ And I hid in the bushes whenever a car pulled into the parking lot

 21)   Black Coffee – Sarah Vaughan

I should very much like to have him back. She froze; she hadn’t meant to admit so much. She found her own emotions curious, however. She had felt safe with him, ridiculous though it seemed. And she wished he were with her now.

Black coffee/ Feelin' low as the ground/ It's drivin' me crazy/ This waitin' for my baby/ To maybe come around

 22)   Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps – Cake

“Love?” Tuon sounded surprised. “Perhaps we will come to love each other, Matrim, but I have always known I would marry to serve the Empire.”

[...]

“And do you love me?” he asked, forcing the words out.

 You won't admit you love me/

And so how am I ever to know?/

You only tell me/

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps

 23)   Best of You (with Elle King) – Andy Grammar, Elle King

“When you saw me,” Mat explained, “with a dagger in hand—as if to throw at you—you didn’t call for your guards. You didn’t fear I was here to kill you. You looked over your shoulder to see what I was aiming at. That’s the most loving gesture I think a man could receive from a woman. Unless you’d like to sit on my knee for a little while…”

 'Cause the best of me loves the best of you/

And all the rest, I can see right through/

You trust in me and I'll trust you too/

'Cause the best of me, loves the best of you

 24)   Dance Me to the End of Love – Leonard Cohen

“I’m not going to sit on your knee,” Tuon said, pulling one arm out of her robe, exposing her breasts, “though I may allow you to sit on mine.”

 Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on/ Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long/ We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above/ Dance me to the end of love

 25)   Roll the Dice – Annie Vincent

Order in one hand—something known, something she could measure—chaos in the other. Chaos in the form of a one-eyed man who knew Artur Hawkwing’s face.

Had she not just told Selucia she would bet upon him?

Roll the dice (C'mon)/ Take a chance with life, just roll the dice/ This will be your time, so roll the dice/ And nothing's gonna stop you now - no, no, woah

 26)   Short Skirt/Long Jacket – Cake

She was something incredible, though. He felt a thrill each time she gave orders; she did it so naturally.

 I want a girl with a mind like a diamond/ I want a girl who knows what's best

 27)   They All Fall Down – XY Unlimited

“A last stand,” Mat said softly. “All of us, together, at a one place where the terrain favors us.”

 One by one the soldiers stumble/

See them as they stand and tumble/

You're here with me

 28)   Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off – Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

“I’ve had it with you,” Knotai said, waving a hand at her. “You and your bloody Seanchan rules just keep getting in the way.”

“Then I have had it with you as well,” she said, raising her head.

[...]

“I suppose you give me the opportunity… perhaps the mandate… to follow what my heart would choose, whether or not it is wise.” She stood. “General Galgan, gather your troops. We return to the Field of Merrilor.”

 For we know we need each other/ So we better call the calling off off/ Let's call the whole thing off!

 29)   Never Knew I Needed – Kathryn

“Well, I guess I’m off the hook, now. You have an heir.”

“I have an heir,” Tuon said, “but I am the one off that hook. Now I can kill you, if I want.”

Mat felt his grin widen. “Well, we’ll have to see what we can work out. Tell me, do you ever play dice?”

 You are the best thing I never knew I needed/ So now it's so clear, I need you here always

 30)   Twin Human Highway Flares – The Mountain Goats

All he had to do was convince Tuon to forsake her throne and run off with him.

  You turned to me and asked me if I'd always be your boy/

As we drove across the river into western Illinois/

And on the railroad bridge, half a mile of solid steel/

Wheels were spitting out sparks, scraping at the rails

#mat/tuon #mat cauthon #tuon paendrag #wheel of time #wheel of time playlist #wheel of time spoilers #I decided to only do book quotes and lyrics to justify my creative choices #but I am dying to say more about this playlist and answer questions #if I got hit by Mat's fantasy getaway car and died right now I would be happy with this as my contribution to the fandom

[thevampirediariesdiary]

SEASON 2 MUSIC MOMENTS

below the cut, you will find a list of (some of) the songs that are used prominently in season 2, with snatches of lyrics and some helpful context.  I’ve also included a few songs that are only used in the background, if I think the lyrics are interesting enough.

reblog and tell me your top 10! tag your friends to share their top 10! =)

2.01, The Return

an instrumental version of “Breakeven (Falling to Pieces)” plays during the “now I’m hurt” scene 

“The River Has Run Wild” by Mads Langer plays at the beginning of Damon’s confrontation with Katherine, “it hurts to see you burning so bright”

“Come Home” by Sara Bareilles and One Republic plays over Damon and Elena’s scene, “everything I can’t be is everything you should be, and that’s why I need you here”

2.02, Brave New World

“Animal” by Neon Trees plays during the carnival scene where Elena tells Bonnie that she’s human and needs to do human stuff or she’ll go insane: “what are you waiting for, take a bite of my heart tonight”

“All This Time” by One Republic plays during the stelena ferris wheel scene, “all this time we were waiting for each other / all this time I was waiting for you / we got all these words, can’t waste them on another / so I’m in a straight line running back to you” 

2.03, Bad Moon Rising

“Under My Bed” By Meiko plays while Caroline is stuck in her bedroom hiding from the sun while Matt knocks on her door.  “here I am with my heart on the floor and my love out the door”

“Ashes and Wine” by A Fine Frenzy plays while Caroline pushes Matt into breaking up with her, while Alaric and Jenna reconcile, and then into the scene where Elena tells Damon he’s lost her forever: “Is there a chance, a fragment of light at the end of the tunnel, a reason to fight? Is there a chance you might change your mind? Or are we ashes and wine?”

2.04, Memory Lane 

Tyrone Wells “Time of Our Lives” plays while Stefan and Elena fake fight for Caroline’s benefit, “It’s hard to walk away from the best of days, but if it has to end I’m glad you have been my friend in the time of our lives”

Sara Bareilles’ “Breathe Again” plays over Katherine’s flashbacks to telling Stefan they’ll be together again, “my burden to bear is a love I can’t carry anymore / all I have, all I need, he’s the air I would kill to breath / holds my love in his hands, now I’m searching for something / out of breath I’m hoping someday I’ll breathe again”

2.05, Kill or Be Killed 

Trent Dabbs’ “Counting Sleep” plays over the Stefan and Elena scene in her bedroom in which they plan their fake fight, “tell me everything will be alright, I’m worried about nothing”

The Naked and Famous song “Punching in a Dream” plays over their fight, “Wait, I don’t ever want to be here, like punching in a dream, breathing life into my nightmare”

“I Need To Know” by Kris Allen plays over Elena’s discussion with Damon (“Are you leaving me? Or are you leading the way? Can you hear what I’m saying? I need to know.”) that leads into Elena’s decision to let Stefan drink her blood, you and me, always: “Will you take my hand?  Feels so far away, want to see your face, are you even there?  Can you show me?  Can you make me believe?”

2.06, Plan B 

The Script’s “This=Love” plays on overlapping scenes of opposing couples, Stefan and Elena and Mason and Katherine: “This is why we do it, this is worth the pain, this is why we fall down and get back up again, this is where the heart lies, this is from above, love is this, this is love”

The Black Keys’ “Tighten Up” plays over the scene in which Jenna calls out Stefan and Elena for fake fighting, “tighten up on your reins, you are runnin’ wild”

“Wires” by Athlete plays over the scene where Elena breaks up with Stefan for real, because Jenna got hurt, continuing into the part where Damon takes the blame and Elena doesn’t hold it against him, “I see it in your eyes, you’ll be alright / running down corridors through automatic doors, got to get to you, got to see this through”

2.07, Masquerade 

Digital Daggers’ “Head over Heels” plays over the Steferine slow dance scene, “You keep your distance with a system of touch and gentle persuasion / I’m lost in admiration, could I need you this much? / oh you’re wasting my time, you’re just – just – just – wasting time”

“People Change” by Joel & Luke plays over the angsty longing glances exchanged between Caroline and Matt, “will you be there if I call? will you leave me in the rain? if I say it’s all my fault, will you still walk away?  I understand if you’re afraid, but people change”

“Brave” by Tawgs Salter plays over the final scene between Stefan and Elena when she says she needs to wake up and Stefan says he understands, and lets her go, “I think I’ll be brave, starting with you, but I’ll fall away if you want me to..I think I’ll be brave, say how I’ve wanted you” 

2.08, Rose 

Dragonette’s “We Rule the World” plays over Caroline’s conversation with Damon wherein she explains that she covered for Tyler, “we’re not the ones with the big guns, some kind of shiny secret weapons, but lets pretend that we rule the world”.  the song cuts off when Damon tells her not to be Tyler’s friend. 

While Stefan is interrogating Damon in the interests of road trip bonding, asking if he’s helping his little brother save the girl he loves or if he loves her too, “Blood” by Editors plays: “There’s nothing believable in being honest / so cover your lies up with another promise / blood runs through your veins / that’s where our similarity ends”

“In My Veins” by Andrew Belle plans when Elena receives the message that Damon and Stefan are coming for her: “all that you rely on and all that you can fake / will find you in the morning but find you in the day / oh, you’re in my veins and I cannot get you out / oh, you’re all I taste at night inside of my mouth / oh, you run away cause I am not what you found” 

“Love Song” by Cruel Black Dove plays in the car when Stefan tells Damon that he’s been drinking Elena’s blood, “I’m alright, I’m alright, can’t you see can’t you see / he’s just like me”

“Ocean Wide” by The Afters plays when Elena returns home to Bonnie and Jeremy, “If love is an ocean wide, we’ll swim in the tears we cry / they’ll see us through to the other side / we’re gonna make it” and then fades into the scene of the Salvatores at home, making their truce to protect Elena and Stefan apologizing for the past and admitting he just needed his brother. 

“I was wrong” by Sleeperstar plays during the scene of Damon’s love confession in Elena’s bedroom: “last night we fell apart, I broke to pieces / our love was in a hall, packed all in boxes / and I saw what it was that I did to you / I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong”.  

2.09, Katerina 

“Precious Stone” by Pete Yorn plays while Caroline has lunch with Stefan and asks why he’s such a good friend to her, “come on, I know you’re feeling better, I know you’re feeling in control”

“Puritan Heart” by Matt Duncan plays I think for a hot second in the coffee shop while Slater lists his many degrees,  “I almost said ‘you used to be a lot of fun’ / but so did I…oh please melt my puritan heart”.  I only mention this because it’s a travesty that this song wasn’t used in a Stefan scene. 

“Light Love” by Free Energy plays in the continuing Stefan and Caroline scene, “Light love, don’t everybody want that love? And it’s hard sometimes cause everybody’s uptight, love” 

“Amen Omen” by Ben Harper plays while Damon and Rose talk about how it might be better if Damon turns off his emotions because caring gets you dead, Elena tells Stefan that everyone is in danger because of her, and Katherine looks at the drawing of her family. “Will I see your face again? Can I find the place within to live my life without you?” 

2.10, The Sacrifice 

Our very own Kat Graham’s “I’m Only Happy When It’s Raining” plays when Matt apologizes to Tyler, Caroline and Matt fail to make up, and Caroline brags about her organizational chops as a way of offering her help to Tyler, thereby setting up a brand-new love triangle: “I’m only happy when it rains, I’m only happy when it’s complicated, and though I know you can’t appreciate it, I’m only happy when it rains”

Joel and Luke’s version of “Love’s to Blame” starts to play as Caroline tells Tyler she doesn’t want him to be alone, and continues through Matt’s awkward entrance, “Can’t be near you right now, cause I know you’re no longer mine” 

“No Way Out” by Rie Sinclair and Mike Suby plays during the Jeremy/Bonnie scene when he says he was willing to take the chance he would die to protect her, and continues during the scene on the doorstep with Damon and Elena where she says he shouldn’t question why she would try to save everyone, and through their fight in the tomb. “you’re the very thing unwinding me / no one ever will love me better than your everlasting love / I found only one way in and no way out”

2.11, By the Light of the Moon 

“Longest Night” by Howie Day plays while Caroline runs to Tyler after he changes back to a human, when Stefan gets out of the tomb and kisses Elena, into the scene where Damon tells Rose he’s happy the legend was fake and she says she’ll stay and help him save Elena, “You and I, caught in a fading light on the longest night / it’s enough just to find love, it’s the only thing to be sure of / so hard to let go of, a thousand times or more” 

2.12, The Descent 

Anberlin’s “Impossible” plays while Tyler thanks Caroline for helping him, “you’re impossible to love or leave, so impossible to win or please / I’m wearing you out, just wearing you out, but I’m wearing you down / take what you want from me, it means nothing now / take everything from me, it means nothing now / not so easy to forgive, harder to forget, take what you want” 

TV on the Radio’s “DLZ” plays over Damon’s existential crisis speech, “congratulations on the mess you made of things…you force your fire then you falsify your deeds / your methods dot the disconnect from all your creeds…your victim flies to high all to catch a bird’s eye view of / who’s next” 

2.13, Daddy Issues 

Adele’s “Don’t You Remember” plays in the Grille while Elena exhorts Damon not to be stupid and to be the better man, “but don’t you remember? don’t you remember? / the reason you loved me before / baby please remember me once more.”

“Stay” by Hurts plays while Elena accuses Damon of blowing off Andi, and he says it’s in the best interests of women everywhere, “we say goodbye in the pouring rain and I break down as you walk away / stay, stay / cause all my life I’ve felt this way but I could never find the words to say / stay, stay” 

Natasha Bedingfield’s “Strip Me” plays while Elena fights with John, “take what you want, steal my pride / build me up or cut me down to size / shut me out but I’ll just scream / I’m only one voice in a million / but you ain’t taking that from me”

“Losing Your Memory” by Ryan Starr plays while Stefan brings the girls over Caroline’s house, and then when Damon tells Andi he’s in love with a woman he can never have because she wants him to be something he’s not, and she tells him love changes us, “all the best of what we’ve done is yet to come / wake up, it’s time, little girl, wake up / just remember who I am in the morning / you’re losing your memory now.” 

2.14, Crying Wolf

“All Die Young” by Smith Westerns plays while Caroline tries to make her excuses to Matt, “I wanna grow old before I grow up, I wanna die with my chin up / and definitely maybe I will live to love”

“You Wait for Rain” by Kyler England plays while Stefan and Elena wander around her parents’ cabin, “it’s like we’ve been drifting along pretending nothing’s wrong / we play the game keep up the charade, but when the river runs dry, we’re on different sides / you wait for rain and I chase the storm, we just don’t see it the same way / you say you want change but you’re never sure, we can’t go on like this anymore”

“Family Tree” by Matthew West plays while Jeremy and Bonnie kiss, while Tyler tells Matt that Caroline was there for him more than anyone’s ever been there for him, but she loves Matt and she needs Matt and she deserves someone like Matt, and subsequently leaves town. “You’re gonna find real love, and you’re gonna hold your kids / you’ll change the course of generations / this is not your legacy, this is not your destiny / yesterday does not define you / this is not your legacy, this is not your meant to be / I can break the chains that bind you” 

2.15, The Dinner Party 

“Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People plays in the Grille while Bonnie and Jeremy awkwardly flirt and lie to Luka.  I only mention this because it’s such a weird choice.

The Airborne Toxic Event’s “Happiness is Overrated” plays while Damon finds Katherine in his shower, having successfully maneuvered him into killing Elijah and almost killed Damon himself in the process, “speaking of little Miss Katherine, I feel swell, oh well / because losing you was something I always did so well”

2.16, The House Guest 

Angel Taylor’s “Epiphany” plays during the girls’ night scene, and Caroline and Jenna discussing whether everyone deserves the truth or if sometimes protecting someone without consulting them is the right choice, “and this epiphany just hit me and now I’m finally realizing / you’re all I never needed / I’m so perfect without you…a true love is surrounding, clarity abounding / you were never my epiphany” 

s.o.stereo plays in the Grille, first “I’ll take the bullet” while Jenna and Alaric fight about his secrets, “and if we want each other / cock it and pull it / you run for cover and I’ll take the bullet”, then “Eternal Flame” with Candice Accola, “do you feel the same, or am I only dreaming? / is this burning an eternal flame? / I believe it’s meant to be, darlin’”, and finally “Hello Miss Heels”, the lyrics of which I cannot find anywhere.  

“Broken Strings” by James Morrison and Nelly Furtado plays when Bonnie tells Jeremy she has her powers back, and then while Katherine tries to crawl into bed with Damon and he rejects her, “but we’re running through the fire when there’s nothing left to save / it’s like chasing the very last train when we both know it’s too late / you can’t play on broken strings / you can’t feel anything that your heart don’t want to feel / I can’t tell you something that ain’t real” 

2.17, Know Thy Enemy 

“Give Me Strength” by Snow Patrol plays while Matt reports back to Liz, and John tells Elena why he put his faith in Isobel, “you give the strength to me, a strength I never had / I was a mess you see, I’d lost the plot so bad / you dragged me up and out, out of the darkest place/ there’s not a single doubt when I can see your faces.”

2.18, The Last Dance 

“Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)” by Patrick Stump plays while everyone prepares for the dance – Matt, who’s pretending to be compelled, Jeremy and Bonnie, who are fighting about what using her powers would do to her, “Every wound can be forgotten in the right light / oh, nostalgia, I don’t need you anymore”

“Hush” by Kula Shaker plays while Klaus!Alaric enters the dance, “well I got a silly little girl, she’s on my mind / look at her, she looks so fine / she’s the best girl that I ever had / except that she’s gonna make me feel so sad”    

Klaus dedicates “Dedicated to the One I Love” by the Mamas & the Papas to Elena: “while I’m far away from you, my baby / whisper a little prayer for me, my baby, yeah / because it’s hard for me, my baby / and the darkest hour is just before the dawn”

“Last Kiss” by Trent Dabbs plays while Jeremy and Bonnie dance, Stefan hands Elena off to Damon, Stefan cuts in on Caroline and Matt, and Damon cuts in on Jeremy and Bonnie, “I held her close, I kissed her our last kiss / I found the love that I knew I would miss / but now she’s gone, even though I hold her tight / I lost my love, my life that night / oh where oh where can my baby be? / the Lord took her away from me / she’s gone to heaven, so I gotta be good / so I can see my baby when I leave this world”

Birthday Massacre’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” plays while Stefan scolds Damon, leaving Elena and Bonnie separated from the group and vulnerable to Klaus, “trying to get away into the night / and then you put your arms around me / and we tumble to the ground and you say / I think we’re alone now / there doesn’t seem to be anyone around”

“I Wanna Be (Your Everything)” by the Manhattans plays while Jeremy gets beat up in the hallway, “I wanna be your lover and your honey / I wanna be your good luck and your money / I wanna always be by your side / I wanna be your protector and your guide”

“Dream Lover” by the Dollyrots plays while Elena looks for Stefan in the dance, “dream lover, where are you / with a love oh-so true / and a hand that I can hold / to feel you near as I grow old” 

2.19, Klaus 

“Helena Beat” by Foster the People plays while Katherine’s drinking in Alaric’s apartment and Damon and Andi drop by, “sometimes life it takes you by the hair / pulls you down before you know it / it’s gone and you’re dead again” 

“Get Some” by Lykke Li plays while Katherine dances drunkenly. “got you ‘round my finger like a lonely lover’s charm”

2.20, The Last Day 

“Not” by Cheyenne Mize plays when Tyler comes back to town to see his mother in the hospital, and when Matt kisses Caroline in the Grille, “heavy is the burden of truth / how can I say to you, I’m sorry / cause these words can’t change our mind / how can they change your heart? / I’m not the one, you think that I am”

“Wolf Pack” by The Vaccines plays when Damon admits he screwed up, and Klaus walks into the Grille to introduce himself and warn everyone off doing anything they’d regret, “I don’t even know you / you’re just someone new I don’t want to talk to / you’re wild / I don’t find you crazy at all” 

2.21, The Sun Also Rises 

Birdy’s “Skinny Love” plays after Jeremy tells Elena “I still have you,” during Jenna and John’s funeral, as John’s letter is read: “all your love was wasted / then who the hell was I? / now I’m breaking at the britches and at the end of all your lies / who will love you? / who will fight? /and who will fall far behind?”

2.22, As I Lay Dying 

Ingrid Michaelson’s “Turn to Stone” plays when Damon has a last drink and prepares to face the sunlight, “let’s take a better look beyond a story book / and learn our souls are all we own before we turn to stone / let’s go to sleep with clearer heads and hearts too big to fit our beds / and maybe we won’t feel so alone before we turn to stone / and if you wait for someone else’s hand, you’ll fall, you’ll fall”

“Speakers” by Days Difference plays while Alaric finds out that Damon’s dying, and while everyone congregates on the lawn to practice living one more day until it’s not as hard anymore, “now I’m trying and I’m dying to see you / I know I hurt you but I really didn’t mean to / got my pain on the mic, laying it all out tonight / I’ll do it again and again till I get it right” 

“I Should Go” by Levi Kreis plays during Damon and Elena’s last conversation, as he tells her he made choices that got him here, but it’s okay because he met her, and he knows she loves Stefan but he loves her and she should know that, and she tells him she likes him now, just the way he is: “all we have in common, and your company was just the thing I needed tonight / somehow I feel like I should apologize, cause I’m just a little shaken by what’s going on inside / I should go before my will gets any weaker / and my eyes begin to linger longer than they should / I should go before I lose my sense of reason / and this hours holds more meaning than it ever could / I should go, baby, I should go”

#s2 #music moments #tvd #index #yes this was a lot of work #but I like to have everything in one place

[bave-de-crapaud]

Forbidden...

Part One

A workplace romance cannot possibly go awry, can it?

Sirius x reader

Post-azkaban

Sirius Lives

Word count: 1400+

Warnings: swearing, mentions of sex

Disclaimer: all characters are assumed 18+

~I assumed based on comments from the last series who would want to be on the tag list. Let me know if you want to be taken off or added on to this one and/or future imagines xxx~

————————————————————————————————————————

Gradually. That’s how your feelings had started for Sirius. It wasn’t a whirlwind Heathcliffy, roses are red, violets are blue, storm in a tea cup kind of feeling, more a gradual hop, skip and the occasional jump type process.

If you thought very hard you could pin point the start of these feelings to a night when a very drunk woman had taken agin to you at your local pub. Accidentally bumping her as you moved towards the bar, she let some particularly foul curse words and assumptions about your personality loose. Not wanting to enrage her further you stood still, quietly pondering how to get out of the situation until a loud “HEY! If you want a fight with Y/N, you’ll have to go through me first!” Was heard from the other side of the bar.

Turning you saw Sirius standing behind you glaring daggers at the lady whose response to you was “you don’t even bother to fight back yourself, call off your dog.” Which, to her great surprise, caused yourself and Sirius to double over with laughter.

“Fucking weirdos.” She muttered angrily before storming off. And that was it. 

Sirius was officially not just your work colleague; he was now your friend. Animagus jokes aside, that had turned out to be a very enjoyable evening. He insisted, much to his date’s dismay, that you join them for a drink which ended up being four, or was it five? before the pub closed and kicked you out both stumbling into separate taxis buzzing from a brilliant night of witty banter and mirth.

Sirius was a contractor for the Auror office at the Ministry of Magic where you also worked. As one of the two a senior policy officers for the Public Relations Office, yourself and colleague, Antheia Perenna, had a fair bit to do with the Auror Office thanks to the Head of Department: Alastor ‘Madeye’ Moody. A large chunk of your day was taken up reactively delivering damage control over Moody’s often ‘over zealous’ work methods. He didn’t necessarily care about not causing a stir with his arrests, which meant you would be called down to the 2nd floor and smooth over any ruffled public feathers, something you both found yourselves doing increasingly often.

It was on such an assignment where you were introduced to Sirius. Fed up with the amount of press the Auror office was creating the Minister for Magic requested a trial with an external dark wizard catcher. Hoping that this would reduce the overtime for the Marketing and Communications Department.

“Fuck!” Was what you whispered when you shook his hand.

“Sorry, Y/N I didn’t catch that?” He said, his grey eyes twinkling. He had.

Closing your gaping mouth and trying very hard to coax your eyebrows down to their normal position, you had, literally had your breath taken away by him.

The words ‘Greek God’ swum to mind when looking at him, followed by ‘Oh wasfgdhb’ and ‘take me now!’

His dark wavy hair fell to his shoulders highlighting his chiselled cheekbones and razor sharp jaw.

He looked aristocratic until you swept your eyes over his equally gorgeous body noting tattoos peaking out of his shirt collar and down his forearms.

He stood with an easy slopping grace, as if he had graced many women, and men, with his presence and just had to wait patiently while they got their breath back.

—

That was October. Two months ago. In those two months you had had many dealings with Sirius.

He was professional, polite, and had a very dry sense of humour.

He was excellent at bringing in arrests and causing a minimum of chaos for you to smooth over.

His relationship with you had moved from acquaintance to work colleagues and since the ‘pub incident,’ to work friends.

He had started to banter with you around the office, calling you nicknames; the current being ‘Sade’ on account of you being – in his own words – “A Smooth Operator!” A complimentary nod to a recent event where Moody had left the pet Crup of his latest arrest at the crime scene; a muggle park. You managing to turn it into a positive story, Exclusive: New breed of Jack Russell terrier: double the tail – double the wag!

It was a pleasant relationship and you enjoyed going to work for the atmosphere and camaraderie you were building with the Aurors now Sirius was here.

Apart from the occasional fantasy you had about him, Sirius had changed from an object of lust to a new fond friend…that is until the night of the work Christmas Party.

—

Each office had seasons greetings drinks but the Ministry threw an annual party for its entire staff every year.

All Ministry employees looked forward to this evening. Catered, live entertainment, and a fully stocked bar it was a frivolous night, catching up with friends across all departments and cheering the year before the Christmas holidays began.

This year was no different. It had been a hard one and you allowed yourself to over indulge.

“Come dance with me, Y/N?” Antheia tugged on your arm.

“Aaaaahh no I need to sit down before I spin myself off the dance floor, why don’t you ask Sirius?” You nudged him as he sat down beside you.

“I’m taking time out as well Antheia, maybe the next one.” He handed you a drink missing Antheia poking her tongue out at you both before turning around and sashaying across the floor.

Sirius was charmed by your chat. He already knew a fair bit about you now but continued to ask about your family, what you were getting up to on weekends, your favourite food, most embarrassing experience, including many stories from your Hogwarts days. It was such an easy conversation you found yourself divulging more and more of your life to him. You also found him to be the most interesting character. Knowing a bit about his nefarious backstory you tried to avoid bringing up Azkaban however he graciously and calmly referred to his past as a shaping force in his motivations and desires now.

You were so engrossed in exchanging anecdotes you lost count of how many songs passed and the rest of your surroundings. Too soon the night was over and Sirius was offering to escort you home. An offer he had no intention to fulfil, and you knew it.

It was a classic case of ‘one too many’ bottles of butter beer and eggnog.

One minute you were saying your goodbyes and talking to Sirius outside the Ministry about his Christmas plans, or lack-there-of; the next you were pinned between the front door of Grimmauld Place and Sirius’ incredibly well formed chest while his mouth explored yours in a frenzy of passion and lust.

—

You tried not to think of that night too often.

It was lucky the Christmas holiday was upon you and you did not have to ensue any awkward post-drunk-sex-with-your-work-colleague conversation. In fact, Sirius’ contract was up with the Auror Office and he wouldn’t be working at the Ministry in the new year.

This was for the best you reasoned to yourself. You wouldn’t have to face him at work knowing he had intimate carnal knowledge of you and you him.

You wouldn’t have to explain how you scraped the whole length of your leg sneaking out his bedroom window in order to find a quiet disapparation spot out of earshot from his sleeping form.

You wouldn’t have to be reminded of how you surely embarrassed yourself with a man you actually admire. Yes, this was for the best that you wouldn’t be running into Sirius because you wouldn’t be forced to admit to yourself that you actually had a wonderful time and rated the evening as one the best nights you had spent away from your own bed.

No! That couldn’t happen. You weren’t supposed to feel this way. You screwed your eyes up and palmed your face every time that thought crossed your mind. Antheia was going to kill you. You see the reason your tryst with Sirius was eating you up so much was that Antheia, your work colleague, your friend, the one who got you the job at the Ministry in the first place had spent many a glass of wine with you waxing lyrical about Sirius’ lips, his smirk, the way he said “Good morning ladies,” and could she read into that meaning more?

She was supposed to be the one to go home with him after the Christmas party, not you.

She was in love with Sirius and had made that very clear to you on numerous occasions.

You had broken the cardinal rule of friendship. What the heck do you do now?

———

— Tag List: @evyiione @belladonnarey @virgilwrites

#sirius black #sirius #sirius imagine #sirius black imagine #siriusxreader #sirius black x reader #sirius fanfic #sirius black fanfiction #hp #harry potter universe #post azkaban #writing #sirius lives #mature #older sirius #imagine #fanfic

[wolvenpugilist]

                                     Organization of the Navori Fighting Pit

                             ____________________________________________

[BACKGROUND]

After Sett took over the former noxian Fighting Pit, he was quick to change some certain aspects. His goal was to maintain the purpose of it – to let different contestant fight each other – while significantly increasing the income.

To achieve as much, he first had to slightly alter its foundation to attract more people. For this sole purpose one of his very first changes were to cut ties with the former noxian owners entirely. With such the noxians would no longer interfere with his business; and due to this the noxian influence rapidly decreased.

With Noxians less present, the common folk of Ionia – still far more by number – found their way more easily to the Pits, harboring thoughts of fresh blood and entertainment after many years of insecurity and war.

Naturally it needed far more to appeal the bloodthirsty crowd; and it needed much more to increase his income. For this he also worked out more specific rules and different styles of entertainment the Fighting Pit could offer; each one advertised and pompously held.

[RULES OF THE PIT.]

There is no such thing as a written paper unless specifically asked, as Sett considers them common sense. Nonetheless each new contestant would receive a brief oral information about them, lest someone later complained about them not being explained.

-Contestant Rules-

1. Within the Fighting Pit the rule of honor exists. Whilst it’s perfectly allowed to mock the opponents - in fact it’s even greatly encouraged to entertain the well-paying crowd – it is not allowed to use unfair methods. For instance poisoning the opponents prior battle is forbidden, as well as other strategically planned out plots to cheat their way through. Contestants who use such methods to achieve their win are thrown out. On a corpse cart.

2. Any kind of weapon and combat style is allowed. Dig, fly, dance, throw daggers or use a whip – the potential is limitless.

3. It’s not required to kill the opponent to win a fight – but the losing party is on mercy of the winning one.

4. Complaints are to be told to a staff member. If any serious issue arise – for example some information about cheating or some serious trouble – talk with the boss himself.

5. Boss’ word is law.

6. Any personal weapon is confiscated with the entry of the Pit yet returned for the fights or when its owner leaves the Pit once again. Any possible equipment of the fallen will fall to the Boss.

7. Money won’t be paid until the contestant’s part of the bargain is fulfilled. Earn it, you receive it. Easy.

8. With exceptions no one can directly challenge the Boss.

-Crowd Rules-

1. Any personal weapon is confiscated with the entry of the Pit yet returned when its owner leaves the Pit once again.

2. With entry of the Fighting Pit a small fee is required. The fee will not be paid back, no matter the results of the fight.

3. Prior a fight each person can bet on the results of upcoming announced battles in the destined rooms. Losses won’t be refunded. Prizes can be received after the battle results were officially confirmed.

4. Whilst cheering is obviously allowed, direct interaction by physically supporting etc. is not. If such behavior is shown, the person will receive a permanent ban of the pits.

[ INTERIOR ]

The entire Navori Fighting Pit – how Sett created it – is far more pompous how it originally was. As soon as the he had the necessary income, he replaced its former quite shabby looking design. Reason for this is to give people an exclusive feeling and some sort of comfort; naturally he also hoped that such would also attract more to his opened doors.

Each room is nicely lightened and equipped with red carpets. For sake of safety – and to prevent thieves to consider this location as much – the only true valuable object near the crowd is the till for both entrance fees and bets. After learning that way too many tried to escape with his gold, he hired mercenaries to guard it. Nonetheless the till is perfectly visible for anyone, resting on a rather expensive looking table covered with red velvet and golden adornments.

The outline of the Pit itself is almost the same, although the crowd’s seats are now featuring red pillows and a luxury ambience with its adornments. The new chandeliers provide enough light to give focus on the events happening in the Pit’s mid. During certain events it will be possible to buy food and wine. 

[ TOURNAMENTS ]

ONE FOR ALL (Battle Royale)

The most common type hold in the Pit. Eight different contestant fight for their own victory; only the surviving party receives cash. Usually it’s nobodies – contestants without name or ability – but sometimes more well known fighters join. The prestige received is usually less, however.

NAVORI CHAMPIONS ( Tournament Type )

The Navori Battle can be held with different numbers of contestants. Two randomly chosen opponents fight each other until only one is left. Usually this event lasts for at least an entire day, if not several days – also since the fights are usually by far more exciting. Good cash, good entertainment with food and entertainment breaks.

WOLF’S EYE ( 1v1 )

Usually this type of battle is not held unless for a reason. For example two famous contestants who had no opportunity to fight each other can now try their luck. An immediate cash cow with a Pit filled up to the last remaining seat. Naturally they are also greatly advertised. [ THE BOSS’ CALLING CARD ]  Only those worthy might ever receive one of these rare cards. It’s a personal challenge; dare or not. 

#that's the basics #also for people who want to interact lol #★ | 🇭🇮🇸 🇹🇷🇺🇪 🇸🇪🇱��. ﹙ 🇭🇪🇦🇩🇨🇦🇳🇴🇳. ﹚

[spoopyghostgirl]

Character Sheet for my Greedfall Original Character

Will be a

ConstantinXocXVinbarr

KurtXocXVasco

Character’s full name: Ellowine Marea Della Morte

Reason or meaning of name: Named after her grandfather, Alwyn

Title: Princess of Theleme. Legate of the Theleme.

Character’s nickname: Winne, Ella, Sunflower, Princess, Snake Charmer

Reason for nickname: Winnie + Ella are short for Ellowine. Sunflower for her smiley disposition, Princess because she's a princess. Snake Charmer because she's charming.

Birth date: October 13th

Physical Appearance

Age: 22 years old

How old does he/she appear: 17 years old

Weight: 125 lbs

Height: 5'7

Body build: Slim, muscular legs and arms

Eye color: Gold

Skin tone: Fair

Distinguishing marks: Marking on the left side of her face, like vines

Predominant features: Full lips, large eyes

Hair color: White/Pale Blonde

Type of hair: Long, wavy

Hairstyle: Normally wears it braided, sometimes straight down her back, other times it sits like a crown on top of her head

Voice: She has the kind of voice that can make anyone flush. Jokes about having a "sex worker" voice.

Overall attractiveness: 10/10

Physical disabilities: None

Usual fashion of dress: Wears lots of black, since Theleme seems fond of the color. Lots of frilly dresses in her youth that are slowly replaced by frilly jackets and form fitting pants, better for fighting.

Jewelry or accessories: Ears are double pierced with opals, a ruby pendent gold necklace, and two rings, one opal, one ruby.

Personality

Good personality traits:

-Friendly

-Considerate

-Funny

Bad personality traits:

-shameless flirt

-arrogant

- short tempered

Mood character is most often in: Content

Sense of humor: Dry but is quick to laugh and make jokes

Character’s greatest joy in life: Fighting or Magic

Character’s greatest fear: Losing her family/deep water

Why?

She is royalty, it's easy to see why she'd be worried about assassination attempts.

Almost drowned as a child, hasn't recovered for the experience.

What single event would most throw this character’s life into complete turmoil?

- her older brothers death. If he died she would become heir to the throne and be expected to rule Theleme.

Character is most at ease when:

- she is dancing

- practicing magic

- reading

Most ill at ease when:

- dealing with her own family

Enraged when:

- people she likes are insulted

- people comment on her mark + compare it to the malichor

Depressed or sad when:

- her family fights

Priorities:

- learning and expanding her knowledge of magic

- expanding her familial agenda

- being happy

Life philosophy:

- Kind of a mash up of do what makes you happy and do whatever will expand your horizons

If granted one wish, it would be:

- to be free of Theleme and her familial obligations

Why?

- she's a magical prodigy and science lover. She feels held back because of how backwards her country is. Wishes her family would do more about it but her father is to her a figure head of arrogance and ignorance.

Character’s soft spot:

- Her brother

- Constantin d'Orsay

- Demetrius De Sardet

Is this soft spot obvious to others?

- She gives out nicknames to just about everyone and has a perfect political mask, so she likes to think not but... if you spend enough time with her, it becomes more and more obvious.

Greatest strength:

- Magic, short swords and daggers

Greatest vulnerability or weakness:

- Physical strength

Biggest regret:

- Finding out she was taken from her family.

Minor regret:

- Treating her mother and brother poorly after she found out she was kidnapped.

Biggest accomplishment:

- Being able to convince her father to allow her to stay in Congregation territory to learn magic from a member of the bridge alliance.

Minor accomplishment:

- Making those she cares for smile.

Past failures he/she would be embarrassed to have people know about:

- none that she can recall

Character’s darkest secret:

- Being adopted. Her father trying to force her to marry her older brother and then Constantin. Sleeping with Vasco and Kurt at the same time and neither of them knowing.

Does anyone else know?

- She confines in De Sardet and Constantin about being adopted and her fathers marriage plans.

- Siora knows shes sleeping with both Kurt and Vasco though Ellowine doesnt tell her.

Goals

Drives and motivations:

- Escaping her father's grasp and becoming her own person. Protecting those she loves

Immediate goals:

- Becoming a renowned mage

Long term goals:

- *possibly* becoming Cardinal on the island and guiding those on the island into a more progressive and better future

Past

Hometown:

Type of childhood: She is the "spare" child. She was raised to be the perfect diplomat and possible assassin and body guard.

Pets: A cat before they started killing cats thinking they spread the malichor.

First memory: Walking on a ship towards a man with gold eyes and a kind smile.

Most important childhood memory: Discovering her magical abilities

Why: It changed everything for her.

Childhood hero: Bartholomew Della Cruz, a man who broke from Theleme and became a successful Evoker and Alchemist in the Bridge Alliance.

Dream job: Unsure.

Religion: Technically, she was raised to believe in the enlightened one but she has always struggled with it, finding strength in magic, something the man seemed to be against.

Present (Game Start)

Current location: Teer Fradee, Saint Matheus

Currently living with: Within Castle with her aunt, the Cardinal. Has apartment separately that she part time lives in.

Pets: A raven she uses for sending messages

Religion: None

Occupation: Legate/Diplomat

Family

Mother: Lucille Marea Della Morte

Relationship with her: Good. Her mother is her dearest friend. Has given Ellowine the freedom to be the person she wants to be.

Father: Alexia Alwyn Della Morte

Relationship with him: Bad. Is not above using Ellowine for political gain. Had Ellowine trained as an assassin "just in case".

Brother: Nicolai Alexia Della Morte

Relationship with him: Good. They're best friends. After the reveal that they aren't actually siblings their relationship became... complicated. Ellowine quickly nipped this in the bud when it came to light that her "father" was willing to force them to wed.

Other important family members:

Grandfather: Alwyn Nicolai Della Morte

Relationship: They had a great relationship. Despite his conniving and... questionable methods, he loved Ellowine greatly and did what he could to make sure her childhood was at least enjoyable.

Favorites

Color: Red

Least favorite color: Brown

Food: Any sweet fruit, dried meats, soup

Literature: Softy for poetry and anything related to magic or history

Form of entertainment: A tie between fighting and dancing

Most prized possession: Opal ring that was her grandmothers. Her grandfather gave it to her for her 13th birthday.

Habits

Hobbies: Reading, painting, singing

Plays a musical instrument: Piano

How he/she would spend a rainy day: Reading in a library, practicing her magic, eating sweets and drinking hot drinks with her favorite people

Spending habits: Will treat herself and others because her family is very wealthy.

Smokes: Doesn't

Drinks: Likes spiced wine

What does he/she do too much of: Pick fights. Ellowine has a short temper.

What does he/she do too little of: Genuinely smile. Ellowine is a rather serious person. Her smiles are perfect, given her years of practice.

Extremely skilled at: Mage Craft, combat, dancing

Extremely unskilled at: Swimming, cooking

A picture that kind of looks like Ellowine(?)

#greedfall #greedfall oc #greedfall fanfiction #oc: ellowine marea della morte #vasco greedfall #constantin greedfall #kurt greedfall #high king vinbarr #constantin d'orsay #captain vasco #original male de sardet #Demetrious De Sardet

[kisuminight]

Rainfire

Sometimes you remember something you watched when you were a kid and then you go look it up. And then you get ideas.

This story addresses the idea that never gets covered in the Spider Riders anime that the Inner World might (and probably does) have very different diseases. And Hunter, being Earthen, has no immunity to them.

Third Person POV, centered on Igneous. Adds a couple book elements and headcannons. Notes at the end.

~~~

“Oh, and Igneous? Sparkle won’t be able to make it to your afternoon training session today. Rainfire.” The way the Prince waved away gathering concerns with a smile and half-lidded eyes was all-too indicative of his own. Even if this method of informing the other Spider Riders was mostly an excuse to dodge his paperwork again.

Still, “It’s not exactly bad news.” Everyone knew that if you didn’t catch Rainfire young, it got much worse the older you were. In fact, “The Princess is almost a little overdue, isn’t she? How’s Hotarla doing?” His manacle felt warm on his wrist; a dry, soothing heat over his pulse point, Flame’s warm regard. They hadn’t been chosen yet when Igneous himself fell ill, but they’d already been friends; Flame had been nearly as worried as Slate, more so, even.

“Hotarla’s dealing better than Uncle Hop.” The protective fury and duty-born anger faded from that name long ago. It helped that Grasshop had always been hard to hate, even immediately after he’d defected. “Part of it is how Rainfire interacts with Insectors. Apparently, it’s inverted for them.”

Oh. Igneous thought about what it might mean if Rainfire struck the young hardest, and even Flame’s reassurance couldn’t ease the sudden chill. The Princess suddenly seemed much to young. “Aqune and Potia are in Insector territory at the moment; they would come if we called.

Most Insectors trusted the pair more than the other fourteen. Understandable, given the generations-long war, ut it still rankled. Spider Riders were supposed to be heroes, after all.

“No, it’s fine. Textbook Rainfire, right down to the crystal formation. I’m just glad she didn’t come down before…” Mantid. The name still felt cold on everybody’s tongues. Irregular, the way nobody knew how to say it now, and tangled up in unprocessable emotions.

“I’ll see if I can reschedule with Corona and Hunter. If they’re determined to be battle partners, they’ll need to learn teamwork with Shadow and Venus instead of just as part of their own pair.” Not that Hunter and Shadow did particularly well off the battlefield, given the arguing (even if it had lost that edge of cruelty as time wore on). Today had been surprisingly quiet.

“Hey! I heard our names mentioned?” Corona, greeting them with her left hand leading and manacle gem shining in a subtle indicator of Venus’ presence to the observant.

“Training session, this afternoon. Hunter and Shadow, too. Do you know where they are?” Probably not in the castle.

“He and Princess Sparkle were supposed to be doing something this morning.” That didn’t sound particularly likely.

But Corona’s manacle flashed in the shadow of her wrist, and Venus projected to the group, “He pestered Shadow into helping him wake up. He was very serious about helping Sparkle and Hotarla.”

But, “The Princess is down with Rainfire. She couldn’t have met Hunter this morning,” Igneous protested.

“He wouldn’t have slept through breakfast, and he wouldn’t have missed breakfast if he was awake.” The Prince’s smile turned wry and more than a little amused. “Well, I’m sure you’ll solve this mystery; I’ve got to go check on Sparkle.” Amazing how he could make Sparkle sound like Grasshop, who’s going to panic and maybe accidentally set the room on fire.

Corona shook her head, eyes pensive and deep after they waved the Prince off. “Now I’m worried. Neither of us have heard from Shadow, either.”

Igneous curled his fingers across his manacle, and offered a quick prayer to the Oracle fro patience. “Alright. We should use their room as a starting point, just for organizational purposes.” Flame’s opinions weighted on him, unsaid as they were, and Igneous felt the smile touch his lips under his spider’s approval.

So, Hunter and Shadow’s room: located a couple floors up and three hallways over. Rather than climb six flights of stairs (and also because they were, perhaps a little, worried), “Flame, Spider Out!” The jump to get him on Flame’s back slipped away from his memories, more habit than conscious act. Igneous held out a hand to Corona, catching her as she, too, leaped aboard.

Flame waited patient as a stone, for both riders to settle in their stances before he leaped, balcony to balcony in the clear, open space King Arachna III deliberately designed into the architecture, leaving more room and load-bearing capacity for the sake of the Arachnian Kingdom’s Battle Spider allies.

Dismounting at the floor they wanted, Igneous took a minute to lean into Flame in a stoic, silent geture of trust and gratitude. “Flame, Spider In.”

“Thank you, Flame,” Corona added, her manacle glowing in a manner that suggested Venus privately asking her Rider to rely on her, next time.

At a brisk walk, Igneous and Corona set out. Three hallways over put them near the outer wall, all the doors leading into large-windowed rooms. Hunter and Shadow’s  was near the end of the hall, if not quite the corner room. Next to Magma and Brutus’ if Igneous remembered correctly, though that pair had taken off to check on the harbours, now that peace seemed to be settling over the land with the war declared at an end and the embargo on the Insectors lifted.

Unsurprisingly, the door was closed. Corona knocked lightly. “Hunter, Shadow? Are you two in there?” Not entirely expecting a response, she tried the doorknob. Locked.

“Corona?” Shadow’s voice through the wood, but thin and thread with something Igneous couldn’t quite place. “Can you come in? Please?”

Wrong. Utterly wrong, in the way that would’ve sent Igneous into a panic if they’d still been fighting, under constant threat of something that could completely corrupt the mind (Mantid had never used a mask on more than Aqune and Portia, thank the Oracle). Sent him into a panic anyway because even for Corona and Venus, Shadow never used that word, never uttered it in a way more begging than confident.

Lips pursed, Igneous motioned Corona out of the way. He didn’t ask about the lock; as good a companion as a Battle Spider could be, they mostly got through locked doors by smashing them down. Besides, Shadow hadn’t mentioned it, meaning he had enough faith that they could get around it anyway. Fortunately, Igneous trained his skill with locks enough to subvert all the ones in the Palace.

Maybe Igneous would bother the Prince less about paperwork if he’d at least fill out the forms to increase his own security.

Kneeling, he examined the lock. A standard type three, nothing too special. Corona brushed a hand across Igneous’ shoulder as he retrieved his lock picks from his boot. “We’ll go around by the window.” Slipping into an unused room, he heard her call Venus even as he managed to get the first pin to click.

Second.

Fourth.

Sixth, and Igneous nearly threw the door open in his haste. Oracle, he was worried enough to spend the rest of the day lecturing the pair, never mind afternoon training with Corona and Hunter—

Hunter.

So admittedly a lot of the angriest thoughts had focused on Hunter. They hadn’t heard his voice and he’d just remembered the windows in this room couldn’t fit a fully grown Battle Spider, as evidenced by the way Corona had to vault into the room, leaving Venus hovering outside—some of the really dark ones accused Hunter of leaving Shadow in a room he couldn’t easily exit, the sort of childish disregard some of their arguments inevitable devolved to. But it hadn’t prepared him for this.

Hunter lay in bed, face flushed nearly as red as his hair and brow sweaty. He’d kicked the blanket off so they could see the golden droplets of crystal that had formed dancing patterns across his skin, deceptively beautiful. The most dangerous were an almost-collar spiking up about his throat and a heavy scale-like pattern putting far too much pressure on his ankle for safety’s sake.

“I thought we could deal with it. It’s just Rainfire, but then I realized something was wrong and I couldn’t call for help or get out.” Too quiet. Quiet and exhausted and not like Shadow at all. Igneous didn’t know what to do, how he could make this better. You couldn’t fight disease with a lance.

“It can’t be Rainfire. He’s too old for Rainfire.” Intellectually, Igneous knew it did happen. Those were usually the fatal cases. “Why didn’t he get it until this late?”

“Earthen,” Corona breathed like a revelation and a doom curse in one. “What if they don’t have Rainfire? What if they don’t have anything we have?” Meaning Hunter might not have any vaccinations, not even for the truly deadly diseases like Corpse Script or Weblung.

It was hard to even wrap his head around it. Corpse Script? Sure, fine, that one only had a case or two per year. But Rainfire? How could anywhere not have Rainfire? The crystal sickness was practically inevitable.

“What are you talking about? It’s Rainfire, I can’t think of anything more harmless.” Well, at least Shadow was starting to sound like himself again, if with more of an edge than usual.

“The crystal sickness is different for humans,” Venus scolded gently. “Do you have anything to keep the crystal projections from blocking his airways?”

“They’re not too tough in spikes like that; I can break them off without harm.” Thrown full-on into her task, Corona pulled out a clean cloth probably meant for cleaning weapons. She wrapped it around the points of the not-collar, steadily pulling away to try and remove the crystal from Hunter’s skin.

With tired determination, Igneous let Flame anchor him in their hearthfire as he dove into the still-gowing web of the current generation of Spider Riders. There was Brade-and-Dagger, a hollow gaping hole, Lumen-and-Ebony whirling gears-inside-gears, the currently-dim sun of Sparkle-and-Hotarla, Corona-and-Venus’ deep ocean of conviction, Magma-and-Brutus’ mountain-strong determination far away, and father still the mirror-and-ice palace of, “Aqune.”

Call initiated, he brought his manacle closer to his face and tried to ignore how Hunter-and-Shadow’s riotous jungle of a presence had felt more faded and threadbare than the presence of Brade-and-Dagger who were both gh—alternately present by the grace and thoughtfulness of the Oracle.

“Igneous,” Aqune responded promptly. “Is there something wrong at the castle? Any Spider Rider issues?” Igneous liked Aqune despite their history; always professional, he couldn’t help but liken her to the training master he and Slate had shared when they first joined the Arachnian Knights. Portia, too, reminded him of Flame, though she had less of a temper.

“Not quite. How much to do know about Rainfire in humans? We’ve got a fairly serious case.” One advantage of the manacle connection—enemies couldn’t listen in, or even see the picture of light and movement that formed on the manacle’s surface. Not that Buguese was an enemy, exactly, but his entire demeanor, while honorable, left him harder to trust than Grasshop’s goofy sincerity and joy with the Princess or Portia and Aqune’s own acceptance of their actions under the mask.

“Not so much about humans, but I’m sure you’ve guessed that some of Mantid’s policies meant we’ve had serious before.” Right. Because the lack of the Oracle Sun meant more inhospitable weather and less food, on top of a lack of medicinal herbs and vaccines being a primarily human export. That sounded uncomfortably close to a breeding ground for epidemics and plagues.

Igneous leaned on Flame’s solid presence in his manacle. “No, I hadn’t guessed.” He felt an oncoming headache; at least Hunter and Shadow weren’t totally responsible for it, this time. “I—look, sorry, right now we need help with Hunter. But when you get back, I’ll help you corner the Prince for some talks on policy.” Much, much needed talks on policy.

Wait. The Prince had said something before, something about—“Grasshop. Is he going to come down with something, too?” Because that would be a great omen for their budding peace.

“No. He’s had Rainfire before, and he’s Big Four.” Because Mantid wouldn’t want to lose one of his top four generals to something preventable, right. “So, first rule of Rainfire: keep the airways clear.”

“Corona’s on that already.”

“Okay. Next, keep them hydrated. Try water flavored with fruit, thin soup, or broth. Rainfire sucks the body dry.” Listening to Aqune’s voice list all of the things he could do, ways he could help, eased something inside him, the feral, snarling thing that lived in the deepest corner of his mind and so rarely rose to something louder than a hum—and only when helpless, like that first time facing Stags with Corona and nearly watching both she and Venus die, or when Insector Commander Scarab had laid hands on both the Prince and the Princess.

“And lastly, you can crack the crystal with hammer and chisel if necessary, but always hit from the side, and never straight down, and only with a denser cloth in place from the other side to protect from possible shrapnel.”

“Thank you, Aqune. I think we’ll be able to handle it from here.” He let a wry smile creep onto his face, chasing away what he knew to be a grim, worried frown. “Why is Hunter always the troublesome one?” More background than proper attention, Igneous heard Shadow huff out an almost-laugh.

“Talent,” Aqune returned, equally dry. “We’ll be back by tomorrow, in any case. Good luck. The Oracle is with you, that a chosen bond not be cut so soon.”

“Safe travels.” The connection cut, and Igneous hopped that we only meant Aqune and Portia. Even if—when Hunter got better, Igneous didn’t trust that he wouldn’t be too frazzled not to act snippy at Buguese.

“Do we really get another case of divine intervention?” Skeptic, but hopeful, and Igneous turned with Shadow to look at Corona.

“Um, maybe?” Corona paused to press a hand to her heart, closing her eyes. “Not a big one, like with the Oracle Keys, but it feels like the standard blessing that you receive when a manacle chooses you.”

“There’s a blessing?” Shadow sounded lost and a little embarrassed.

“Yes? There are plenty of Spider-Human pairings, but the manacles are the Oracle’s blessing to the ones she favors. They’re why we can transforms, and they help speed up our healing after and during battle, just a little.” She smiled and shook her head, pinning them both with her gaze. “I forget you and Hunter don’t necessarily know these things.”

“I suppose that means you and Hunter will be sitting history lessons with the Princess and Hotarla from now on.” Igneous sighed, forcing his body to relax. They would be able to attend those lessons. They would.

“I’ll go fetch the things Aqune recommended. Will you and Flame sit with them?” Igneous bit down his protest. If he felt useless in this situation, how much more so did Corona feel?

“Go ahead.” Igneous scanned the room, looking for a chair he could move to Hunter’s bedside. He couldn’t call Flame out in such a small space; the room barely fit three humans and a Battle Spider as it was. Yet, the presence of his partner eased some of the longing. “Bring some ice if they have any in the kitchens.”

Corona stepped out the window to Venus, and together they disappeared downwards. Climbing down the side of the building always sped up movements more than taking the stairs and hallways inside—normally Igneous didn’t allow such a thing, but this was something of a minor emergency.

“Don’t worry so much,” Igneous told Shadow as he scooted the chair across the room and tried not to make it more reassurance for himself. “He’s strong. Do you honestly think he can’t deal with a little Rainfire?”

“Venus said they’re different, though.”

“A lot of things are, it seems.” Igneous reflected on the tidbits the Prince had dropped, Aqune’s frank admission of things that shouldn’t have been a surprise if he’d bothered to think, and Shadow’s own startlement. “And while the lack of knowledge about them is understandable, it is not acceptable. Tell me how Battle Spiders view Rainfire.”

There was a stilted feel to Shadow’s legs as he thought; Igneous may not be able to read Shadow’s every thought in the microcosm of body language as Hunter would eventually and had previously shown signs of, but he thought the Spider might’ve taken too much chastisement out of a simple request for more knowledge.

“Shadow, I’m angrier with myself more than anyone else. I am an Arachnian Knight and a Spider Rider. Not knowing such crucial details about our greatest allies is an inexcusable failing on my part, not yours.” No, for all that Shadow was older than Venus, he seemed much less experienced with humans than his battle partner.

Tense mandibles relaxed. “…Rainfire isn’t rare, but it’s not common, either. I’ve never heard of any Battle Spider dying from it, but the legends say that only the strongest even get it. Proof from the Oracle that they are the strongest.” Hesitating, Shadow’s voice seemed to linger over his next thought. “I had it, once.”

Ah. “It’s not your fault Hunter is sick. He most likely got it from the Princess.” Or the Princess had gotten it from him. They’d both been out in that nasty storm last week; this shouldn’t have come as a surprise at all. “Rainfire is a little different with humans. You can only catch it once, and it tends to be milder the younger you are. For all our fussing, Hunter is still thirteen and otherwise healthy. It’s safest for him to catch it now.”

Igneous just wished that they’d been prepared for it.

“We’re back,” Venus announced as she used her webbing to help Corona maneuver—had they stolen the entire pot of broth from the kitchen? “It’s vegetable, carrot, sunpeas, and vinenut.”

“I hope you left some for the Princess.” Not much of a joke, but not as bleak as he’d thought it would come out. “Did you bring any dishware, too?”

“Right here. And the hammer and chisel.” Corona lifted a package of three half-bowls and some towels with suspicious lumps, bound up with spider silk. “I’ve got some bread, too. Can you believe it’s past lunch already?” Was it? He hadn’t been monitoring the time, just the heavy oppression of Shadow’s mood and the liquid flow-freeze of Rainfire’s signature crystal.

Rising, Igneous left the chair to Corona. Taking a towel from the pack of them after a short fight with Venus’ webbing, he unwrapped the plain stone mason’s wooden-hafted hammer and iron chisel. Carefully, he eased the edge of the towel underneath the edge of the crystal formation around Hunter’s left ankle; there was still a little space to wiggle the whole thing into position, but not much. Not enough.

They needed to get this off, now.

Ankles were important parts of footwork, and without good footwork, a Spider Rider was crippled. So, mindful of Aqune’s warnings, Igneous placed the chisel at a forty-five-degree angle. The fell of cool, lifeless metal felt very different from the sunlight-and-hope of his lance. Worried, Igneous switched hands. Flame felt Igneous’ fussing and stirred in the manacle; the outpouring of gentle warmth increased, suffusing his skin, and it felt better. Not right, just better.

Picking up the hammer in his other hand, he touched the head to the chisel. Then he pulled back slightly and tried to swing as gently as he could. Metal met metal, but the chisel only chimed softly off the crystal despite the vibration ringing up his arms. Too gentle.

Igneous swung a second time, worrying that it was too hard even as a crack in the crystal opened up with a sound like an Insector machine’s cannon. Hands almost numb, he set down hammer and chisel to pry at the crack with his fingers until he could pull away whole chunks. Held up to the light, they sparkled; beautiful and potentially deadly.

Would Hunter know the tradition of keeping a piece to mark your survival? Probably not. And the Earthen boy had learned to fit in well enough that learning what he knew, and what he was clueless about could no longer be divined with a simple look at his face.

Suddenly more exhausted than he’d ever been before, Igneous accepted a miniature loaf of bread and a half bowl of the broth from Corona. He had to set it on his knees to keep his trembling hands from spilling it all over the floor. Even dipping the bread into the broth didn’t provoke his appetite, and the bite he took anyway tasted like ash on his tongue.

“So now all we have is monitoring duty.” Hurry up and wait. It grated on his need for solutions now just as much as it had when his and Slate’s training master had first thrown the phrase in his face.

“Shadow, Venus, and I can stay, if you want to go train.” Corona’s offer was genuine and well-meant, as always, but Igneous didn’t need the sharp temperature flare from his manacle to know she’d annoyed them both.

“We’ll stay.” Curt, just a little, and disappointed. But he’d curled back the jagged edge of his temper to keep from snapping at her.

“Okay,” Corona accepted, and that was that.

The light from the Oracle Sun shifted the sky’s hues as the day wore on. Hunter continued to sleep (typical, but better than awake and hallucinating), but his fever fluctuated up and down. Despite proving he had the capability to enter and leave manacle space at will, Shadow stayed out. Venus, too, perched outside the window like a friendly, soothing guardian. Corona and Igneous switched places fairly often, and occasionally paced when the tension spiraled too high. Twice more, the hammer and chisel were necessary.

Only when the oracle sun had gone deep purple and the sky a velvety black, fading to green not dissimilar form Brutus’ coloring around the city and the distant horizon-lights made by watch lanterns did something finally change.

Igneous had lit the candles and was contemplating finding a firepot to re-heat the broth and provide additional warmth when Hunter stirred. A low moan started it, followed by a shiver that turned into a full-body shudder as he struggled awake.

“Wh—Corona? Igneous?” Hunter blinked hazy green eyes at them, slowly resolving towards clarity. “Sparkle! Shadow, why didn’t you wake me—”

“He tried.” Igneous leaned against the wall and allowed his shoulders to drift downwards into something less likely to be considered confrontational.

“Huh?” His gaze drifted to the window, past Venus’ silhouette. “That’s not morning, is it? Why’s it so late?”

“Both you and Princess Sparkle caught Rainfire. You’ve been sick all day.” Corona reached out, squeezing one of his hands in her own. “We’ve been really worried. Here, let me help you.”

“Sick? Why am I covered in this stuff?” With more active participation, the crystal began crumbling away in larger sections. “Is this like an Inner World cold or something?”

“No. You only get Rainfire once in your life.” Colds were the bane of every Arachnian Knight and Spider Rider—or just anyone who wanted to do anything productive. It was hard to do anything with a stuffed up nose and only able to get three words out between coughs and sneezes.

“So like chicken pox then?” Presumably. Hunter would know Earthen diseases better than anyone else. “Can’t you get vaccinated for it? Ah, vaccines—”

“We have them. And you’re getting them. But Rainfire has always been the one big exception.” Igneous sighed, straightening up to roll his shoulders. “You should get some more sleep, hunter. Tomorrow is a free day for you, Shadow, the Princess, and Hotarla. You can reschedule your training for a later date.”

With a short, cordial nod, Igneous stepped out of the room. He closed the door behind him and leaned on the frame, bringing his left wrist up to rest the manacle on his forehead.

“What was that about?” He heard Hunter hiss, despite the closed door. “I thought we were getting along better than that!”

“Igneous always acts like that after you’ve really worried him, is all. It’s second stage after the fussing.” Corona sounded a breath away from giggling. “You should’ve seen him after my first official mission as a Spider Rider. Right, Venus?”

“Even that wasn’t as pad as this, today. He picked the lock, you know.”

“Igneous can pick locks?”

“Yes? I mean, he doesn’t normally carry them because they don’t carry through the transformation.” More soft laughter. “Usually he just uses them to get into Prince Lumen’s study to wrap a blanket around him when he falls asleep doing paperwork.”

“Huh. And Sparkle and I, we’ll be okay? I’m kina dory we missed our training session.”

“You’ll be fine with just a bit more rest.”

“Of course Rainfire can’t keep you down. You’re as tenacious as kudzu.”

“Hey, bug! I didn’t explain that reference so you could use it on me!”

As Hunter and Shadow started arguing, Igneous let a little laugh of his own escape him. Everything would be all right. His team would be alright. At true ease for the first time since this morning, Igneous left to find his own bed. After all, he and Flame would need to be well-rested if them wanted to wrangle the Prince tomorrow instead of letting him slack off to hover around Sparkle, twice as attentive as he’d denied this morning.

~~~

Notes:

Rainfire is a little like chicken pox (childhood disease, can only get it once). It causes mild paralysis when you have it, which is why Hunter wakes up when the disease runs it’s course. Like with sleep paralysis, if you wake up/open your eyes while paralyzed, you may hallucinate something nightmarish preventing you from moving.

I always found it interesting that Igneous is the only Spider Rider who has military training. Yes, Corona and Venus have training, but Igneous is specifically also an Arachnian Knight. He’d be trained to be strong and patient, even though we can see (in the episode with the play), that he does have a bit of a temper/high strung personality. I think this training would also make him accept Aqune and Portia; they were only doing their duty until they weren’t, but that is mind control and not their fault.

In the books, the Spiders were telepathic. I’m incorporating this a little bit, but less outright telepathy and more Igneous and Flame don’t talk because they know each other so well that they don’t need to talk.

All the manacle stuff is head cannon. This includes the idea that when Spiders speak from inside the manacle, they can pick and choose whether it’s just their Rider who hears them, or everyone else, too (based on a bit of information that Ebony is supposed to be surprisingly chatty with Lumen, and yet we only ever hear him speak 2-3 times at all).

I also wanted to explore how the manacles could “call” each other, and I used that to do more of the Spider Riders have a profound bond with their spiders bit. This is also where the “only another Spider Rider can hear this call,” because they didn’t really seem to be afraid of using it, even when there might be (and rightly should have been, given that they were at war) enemies/spies around.

The bit about Shadow being older than Venus but less experienced with people is because he seems experienced with the Inner World (certainly more so than Hunter), but he’s been off fighting Insectors, and probably didn’t hang out around villages much.

I wish we’d seen more Spiders than the ones who had Riders. Otherwise, how else would people have even known in the first place that a spider-human pair = Spider Rider way back in the beginning of history? So I headcannon that spider-human pairings aren’t rare, but Spider Riders are (only being eight) and that makes them special (preserving main cast importance). The bit about blessings/healing--it’s a shounen with a bunch of magical girl overtones. How else could they have survived some of the faintly ridiculous things that happened?

#my writing #fanfiction #spider riders #spider riders fanfiction #igneous #flame #hunter steele #shadow #corona #venus #lumen

[ccaleb-widogast]

How about Molly teaching Caleb a few basics with a dagger or short sword so he won't be so vulnerable in combat if you're looking for platonic prompts about them or maybe what Caleb thinks of how flashy Molly is?

I had to shake myself out of a science daze, so I picked your prompt to blast out a one-shot with. I hope it doesn’t appear too rushed! This was very much an exercise in balancing action with dialogue, and so sword lessons came off as the perfect way to do that. I hope you don’t mind! I also snuck in some comments and bits about Mollymauk’s flashiness. ;)

Final note: this isn’t proof-read yet. I’ll probably post this on Ao3, and it will be proof-read then, and any corrections also done to this original post. Thanks for your support!

(Delphinium means “big-heartedness,” “fun,” “lightness,” and “levity.” I chose it because sword practice doesn’t have to be serious.)

Delphinium

“Look, you’re going to have to be able to defend yourself up close if it comes to it.”

“How do you know I don’t already know how to wield a sword?”

There was a scoff. “You can always tell a swordsman from another regular person by the way they look at a naked blade. The way you’re looking at mine right now? It doesn’t speak of experience.”

Caleb was indeed eyeing Mollymauk’s blade a little warily. Though, to be fair, he was more wary of the unnatural properties it had, not the blade itself.

He looked up at Mollymauk, and said, “What if I have spells for close combat?”

Molly immediately waved him off. “Not useful if you’re out of juice. Might not pack a big enough punch. In general, a lot of risks to it.” He hefted his sword, and twirled it dramatically, before flashing a grin at Caleb. “A sword, though… a sword is just hacking and slashing, but with some… finesse.” He brought the blade down in a flourish and it flashed in the sunlight.

Caleb resisted the urge to roll his eyes. While he had softened up a little bit to Mollymauk, he was still of the opinion that the tiefling could be overdramatic. Caleb was never one for any kind of drama. He liked being able to blend into the background. That was also his preferred method of fighting, if he could get away with hit. He didn’t like the idea of ever being a position to need a sword, let alone have the necessity of being proficient with a blade. However, Mollymauk made a fair point. Perhaps it could prove beneficial to have a backup, in case his magic wasn’t an option.

Better than getting trapped or killed.

Grudgingly, he took the proffered sword - a simple backup weapon that Mollymauk had produced seemingly out of nowhere, and carefully arranged himself so that he was standing like Mollymauk, holding the blade like him as well; one foot forward, the blade held up in what almost looked like a guard salute.

“I don’t see why I couldn’t have just used a dagger,” he muttered.

Molly scoffed. “Daggers are dirty and easy to fumble. You’d find yourself getting it knocked out of your hand more often than not, especially if you weren’t practiced.” He slid forward and tapped his sword to Caleb’s, eyeing the man up and down. “If you’re too tense, you won’t be able to parry anything in time,” he said nonchalantly, before he swung his sword.

Caleb wasn’t quite sure what had happened, except now he was half a step back in shock, his sword had jerked awkwardly across his body in a subconscious attempt to block the swing, and Mollymauk’s sword was now hovering against his neck.

“I- uh, what?” he stuttered, not so gracefully.

Molly laughed and stepped back, falling back into the first position Caleb had attempted to copy. “You need to relax,” he said. He swayed back and forth on the balls of his feet a couple time as if in example. Caleb watched, a little mesmerized how the tiefling somehow made even this tiny movement so smooth and graceful. “Loosen up. Let yourself sway with the breeze, and be ready for an attack from any direction.”

Again, Mollymauk swung his sword, but this time he did it slowly, so that Caleb could watch the arc it traveled towards his neck. This time, Caleb rocked his weight back a little, and raised the sword to intercept. They clinked softly together. Mollymauk nodded in satisfaction and reverted back to the first position.

“This,” he said, gesturing at himself, “Is one of many ‘guard’ poses. You might consider it a default; it guards your sword arm, and allows for easy movement into parries and other guards.”

In demonstration, the tiefling shifted so that the sword was almost horizontal , held high across his body. “Guard the head,” he said. Then he moved again, so the blade crossed in front of his non-dominant side. “Guard the left side.” Again, with two hands now, the sword pointed down, centered between his legs. “Fool’s guard.” Then back up again, to the first guard.

Caleb was slightly mesmerized by the seamless movement from stance to stance. He knew Mollymauk’s feet moved slightly with each pose, and yet he could have sworn the tiefling was gliding which each shift in stance. With each turn, his robes moved in such a way that Molly briefly appeared to just flow like water, like some otherworldly being, and Caleb was entranced by the sight. He found himself wondering if Mollymauk had ever participated in ceremonial dueling. If he hadn’t, he would make a fine sight trying it out.

Caleb was shocked out of his musings by a light tap to his sword, which had dropped to rest against the ground. He flinched and focused on the red eyes across his. There was amusement in those eyes; somehow Caleb gathered that Molly was precisely aware of how graceful he was when he was wielding his swords. He coughed awkwardly, and lifted his sword back into an imitation of the first guard.

“Try it yourself, now,” is all Mollymauk said.

To start, Caleb didn’t even remember the few guard stances Molly had gone through, so distracted he had been. Molly was kind enough to go back through them slowly with Caleb, correcting the height of his blade and width of his feet at any given moment. It wasn’t particularly hard, but also not particularly riveting, either. Caleb found his mind wandering a little bit, distracted again by the flourish of Mollymauk’s robe each time he changed stances.

It didn’t take long for Molly to catch on to the distraction, and he sighed. “You know, if you’d just ask, I’ll take it off. You don’t seem to be focusing much on the sword as it is.”

Caleb looked away. “Ah, it is, well, a little distracting,” he said. “Very flashy, and all that.”

If he looked carefully, Caleb could still tell when Mollymauk rolled his eyes, as he was doing now as he shrugged out of the robe.

Caleb did find it easier to focus after this, especially because Mollymauk started running him through the guards a little faster, until he seemed confident that Caleb had them mostly memorized, or could at least successfully achieve each stance within a short time.

“Okay, now I’m going to try and hit you a couple times,” said Molly, matter-of-factly. Caleb cast a nervous look at him, but the tiefling shrugged it off. “With the flat of my blad; don’t you worry one bit. Just remember the defenses, and try to pick the one that seems best cut out for the attack.”

Then he started swinging. Caleb could tell that Mollymauk was holding himself back considerably, and swinging slowly at that, but he still had difficulty putting up parries fast enough. But, sure enough, after a couple of slip-ups and tut-tutting from Molly, he began to remember the guards and successfully catch Molly’s blade with his more often than not.

“Not bad, not bad,” said Mollymauk, stepping back as a signal of the first round done. “Nothing that’ll hold up in serious combat, but it sure is a start.”

Caleb snorted softly. “You’re a very motivational tutor,” he quipped.

Molly cocked a grin at him and held his arms out. “I’m the best teacher you could ever have.” This prompted an eye-roll from the human, but otherwise no argument. Mollymauk continued grinning and stepped back into the first guard. Following the trend, Caleb took his own stance again, holding his sword up.

But Molly shook his head. “We’re going to finish with a small lesson you can think about. Go ahead and take a couple swings at me.” He swept his free hand out nonchalantly. “Anywhere you please, in any manner you please. Consider it a prologue to tomorrow’s offensive lesson.”

Caleb frowned in some concern, but did as he was asked. His swing was far less graceful than anything Mollymauk could do, but it swung true, only to parried easily by the tiefling’s blade. Mollymauk danced back a step and took another guard - head guard, it looked. And so Caleb swept his blade down as if to slice into Molly’s belly.

Effortlessly, Mollymauk flipped his blade around in a sequence Caleb couldn’t even follow, and his own sword was knocked back again. The tiefling assumed the pose with the sword pointed down and between his legs. Caleb thought, one more, and he was done with this toying. He wondered if Mollymauk was doing this for his own entertainment at this point; it wasn’t like Caleb made a particularly challenging opponent. And so he plunged forward with the blade one last time, this time in a two-handed stab toward the abdomen that he’d seen Fjord do once.

With hardly a move it seemed, Mollymauk flicked his sword up to meet Caleb’s, glancing the blade just to his right of Molly’s torso. Instead of letting the blade fall back so Caleb could regain his footing, Mollymauk twisted again, catching Caleb’s sword at the hilt, effectively locking him into place for a split second. Caleb was frozen there just long enough to catch a wink from the tiefling, before Molly hefted upward, and sent Caleb’s sword out of his hand with the force of the parry, and sent Caleb stumbling backwards.

Caleb caught himself from falling flat on his bum, but still lay on the ground, staring blankly at his blade, which was a good six or seven feet away from him. He glanced back up at Mollymauk, who was in the process of pulling his robe back on. Molly sauntered - yes, there was no other word for that kind of a walk - over to Caleb and offered out a hand. He was grinning.

“Loosen your grip on the sword a bit,” he said as he pulled the human up. “It sounds like the opposite of what you want to do, I know. But a little looser, a little easier it is to let the blade move with the attempted disarming, while to maintaining a grip. Think about that for next time. Tomorrow, I hope?”

“Ah, sure,” said Caleb. He didn’t know what else he might say; Mollymauk didn’t seem to be giving him an actual choice.

“Good, good.” Molly squeezed Caleb on the shoulder and gave him another wink, before he turned and started walking away. “I’m going back to the inn for a drink. Hold onto that sword!”

Caleb watched him go before going to pick up the blade. He eyed it for a little while and then shrugged. Not so bad, he thought. Nott had been trying to get him to wield at least a dagger for a while, anyway. She’d be ecstatic to hear he was trying his hand at some sword basics.

That thought brought a small smile to Caleb’s lips. He sheathed the sword and began trailing behind Molly, back to the inn. A peaceful evening telling Nott of his lessons and then reading one of his books sounded like a good thing right now.

#critical role #mollymauk #mollymauk tealeaf #caleb widogast #critical role fanfiction #anon #prompt

[ninjakitty15]

Chapter 20: The Masks We Wear (Loki x OFC Pairing)

"If this doesn't work, I'm so tattling on him to Tony, house arrest be damned," I muttered as we teleported to a good spot away from the city and its people but not exactly empty of bodies. "Put way too much faith in the kid, I hate kids, what makes him so special?"

"Getting cold feet, love?" teased Loki beside me as he surveyed his surroundings to see if we were in the clear.

"I think we've had cold feet long before now, you being a Frost Giant and me not having blood circulation and all that stuff with the heart and breathing and stuff," I mused.

"You don't give up, do you?"

I snorted. "Tried that, didn't work for me, something about not staying down even when buried."

"You think Parker and I are so alike which means that if you don't have faith in him, you might as well not in me."

"He's just really strong and smart, you've got a bit more going on for you that I'd be ok placing all my bets on."

"Then trust in me to ensure our safety if things go sideways for us," he offered.

"Safety isn't exactly what I'm worried about, neither of us are that easy to kill and they don't exactly want us dead last I checked."

"Then what troubles you?"

I chewed on my bottom lip worriedly. "I don't like running, even if  I had the legs for it. I also don't like being shot at and having my lover constantly be used against me."

"I recall you saying that's not the first time something like that happened."

"It shouldn't have, it's why I always try to surround myself with powerful people, so I don't have to worry about that happening when I'm suddenly a target again. I don't like that they took something I actually kind of enjoyed from you and used it to take me down, that was our thing and they essentially ruined it and weaponized it." My hands curled into white knuckled fists, power sliding down my arms from my chest and gathering into my fingers. "Up till now they were a nuisance, a loose end that just bugged the shit out of me but still manageable. Now they're prey by making it personal and I'm gonna gut them like a fish and hang them by their small intestines while I boil their eyes and rip out their lungs...or maybe I'll just make em blood eagles, in your honor."

"Why that method for me?"

"It's a favored method of the people that first worshipped you, or rather your adoptive people I should say."

"I'd say just leave that to the ones that turned on you, seems a bit much to do that to all of them, and time consuming at that as there are a lot of Hydra agents but only a handful of bad people from your end."

"Valid point, will do."

"They took something from us and made it our weakness, so together we must take it back and make it our strength."

I nodded in agreement. "And then we make them our bitch."

"We make them kneel and then we break them."

"Crush our enemies, see them driven before you, hear the lamentation of their bitches, the three most important things in life."

"Let's show them what happens when you anger the gods, shall we?"

"Don't have to ask twice." I raised my hands to my chest and held them apart facing each other so death magic could gather between them. From between my hands, a ball of black lightning and white smoke began to form until it was about the size of a big plump award winning pumpkin then slammed it into the ground. "Cover your ears, I'm gonna make a call." I waited for Loki to do so before waking the dead in a war cry that to the human ears sounded like a cross between a death rattle, a banshee cry, and the angry shriek of the Nazgul in Lord of the Rings. "If this works, can I just wear this for Halloween, see how many people I can fool with it? None of my own costumes can even compare."

Loki chuckled and shrugged. "Let's just see how it works here for now, Halloween later."

It didn't take long for them to come to us and I was glad the Avengers didn't show up either as they would've blown the whole plan to bits before we could get started. "Ready for the fight scene," I muttered.

"Fancy meeting you here," George, the first traitor I had seen in their base building, mused.

"This is your idea of fancy? Do you even own a suit?" asked Loki. "You seem more of a fedora and sword replica kind of guy."

I smirked at this but decided it might be better if he did in fact to most of the talking if this was gonna work. "If that's the case then he forgot to address you as m'lady, so rude of him."

"They say manners maketh men, so what does that make you?" he asked George.

George glared at Loki. "It makes me really glad we figured out how to take you down thanks to your little Norse god there."

"Little? Someone's in need of glasses if they think a Frost Giant that's a full foot taller than you is little," Loki shot back. "And who really figured it out, cuz last I checked you're just a scared little boy hiding behind a bunch of agents."

He glared at the god before pulling out a fancy tech gun I could only assume was the same kind that shot me and turned me mortal temporarily. "Tell me who's scared now, eh?"

"I'd say the one holding a modified gun because he couldn't take down his intended target like a man, cowards tend to favor guns. It takes a real man to fight someone close range, armed or not," I replied smoothly.

The other agents surrounding us all had their similar fashioned guns aimed at us but made no move, most likely believing we would come quietly. Joke's on them, Loki especially knows I never come quietly, I'm a real animal then, dead or alive. George of course, being the easily offended, butthurt little boy he really was, did however make a move and fired his Loki magicked gun angrily with what he probably thought was his grrrr face but just made him look like a kid that was told he couldn't have cookies before dinner. Loki was thrown back by the energy blast emitted from the gun and landed on his side a few feet away from me while I stepped forward, a dagger in each hand and put myself between Loki and George.

"Try me, mortal," I sneered.

That was when one of the agents took aim at me and I felt something sharp and metal attach itself to my neck, for a split second my skin felt hot and burning before it went back to cold and calm again. One dagger went back up my sleeve as I reached up and yanked off a tiny metal electro disk thing that had been used on Loki not too long ago. I held it between my index finger and thumb curiously before crushing it in one hand and glaring at the agent that shot me.

"You missed," I told them dryly.

More agents and George as well surrounded Loki while only a few surrounded me. Loki however waited till they were closer to him before slowly getting to his feet and brushing himself off with an eyebrow arched in challenge.

"Was that supposed to scare me? You know I own a screampark, right? Jumpscares won't work on me."

George shot at Loki again and then fired a normal revolver gun at him right after, the bullet or whatever was being used as a bullet bounced off him as did the energy gun. Loki then lunged forward, grabbed George by the throat with one hand and broke the wrist of the hand holding the energy gun, the revolver dropping the first time he was grabbed. While he was doing that, I turned my attention to my own little group of agents that were using all kinds of different means to electrocute me, even one of those wire tazers cops use to detain without killing people, even though it can kill people if the voltage is high enough or you have one of those heart monitor things. I simply tore the wires attached to me off myself before slashing my way through the little crowd I had with the hidden daggers until I was the last one standing. I then looked over to see how Loki was doing again to find most of his agents were down and out and it was just George left standing.

"That's all you came with? Really? I'm very disappointed in you, Georgie, I thought you knew it takes an army to take down the leader of one," Loki told him.

"That should've worked, you are each other's weaknesses."

"I've got a question, I thought if I cut off enough heads, more would take it's place, isn't that their motto? Why are there no more heads?" Loki asked.

George glared at him and pulled out his ceremonial dagger with his one good hand just as I silently was walking up behind him, his attention on Loki just as I needed it to be. Green magic then enveloped Loki for a moment which caused George to freeze as he wasn't looking at who he thought he was then.

"Hiya Georgie," I murmured behind George just as magic danced along my body as well thanks to Loki and Peter's plan. George spun around just as my battle outfit changed and right as he saw what I really was, before he could use his dagger, my hand was in his chest, clutching his soul and this time I wasn't leaving it in. My entire arm shifted into a skeleton's as I pulled it out of him, he barely had time to scream in unimaginable agony before he crumbled just a shell, his soul still in my skeletal hand. Any lingering Hydra agents that somehow survived being broken or slashed between the two of us were then destroyed as I used the power of the soul in my hands to incinerate them from the inside out before scattering what was left of the soul.

Loki stared at me in a mixture of awe and something else I couldn't quite place before walking over to me. "Your arm..."

I held it up and wiggled the finger bones tauntingly. "I couldn't resist." I knelt down and shoved the bony bits into the earth, drawing power from the dead within it to help me heal and when I pulled my arm back out, it had all the needed parts of flesh, blood, muscle and tendon again. "Tis but a scratch."

"What about that whole display of power before they got here though?"

"That was me making sure I had ground coverage so they didn't have backup after we were done with them and then a little something special after that."

"Why do I get the feeling we'll see what you did on the news or be sought after by the Avengers for it?"

"Because when are my methods ever orthodox?" I retorted.

"I knew there was a reason I like you."

"Pretty sure it was the mindblowing sex, be honest, when was the last time you even got laid?"

"I don't have to answer that or to you for that matter."

"When someone openly dismisses a simple question, that usually means the answer is the obvious one you don't want to admit. No further questions, your honor, the defense rests."

"Come here." He grabbed me by my hoodie and pulled me flush against him for a kiss. "Would've done this sooner but I don't love myself that much."

I snickered at this. "If you don't love yourself, you're not fit to love others. So can we switch bodies for halloween? Seems only fair I should have more fun being in you for once when it's always been the other way around in the bedroom."

"We're not switching bodies in the bedroom," Loki stated quickly.

"No no, even I wouldn't do me."

"We'll see when the holiday draws nearer. Should we tell the spider child his plan worked?"

"Do you have a phone? Hydra stole mine."

He held out a hand and produced one with magic, even going as far as putting Peter's number in it for me out of sheer memory as Peter had offered it to us despite me telling him I didn't possess that technology currently. I then entered Peter's number and waited for it to ring and him to pick up which he did with a hesitant hello.

"Bitch, we lived," I stated smugly.

"It worked? I mean, of course it worked or I wouldn't have thought it up...it did work right?" Peter asked.

"It worked like one of Rihanna's hit singles."

"What will you do now....also did you hear there's been hordes of zombies storming random buildings?"

"Trust me, Pete, they ain't random."

"That's you doing it?"

"That's me hunting down Hydra from afar."

"How will the zombies know it's Hydra?"

"I asked the victims of the organization if they wanna get revenge on them, judging by your report their answer was yes. Remember, Avengers might have a Hulk but I have an army."

"Does that mean you won't return to the Avengers compound?"

"I'm not a team player and I don't expect others to fight my battles for me and I still have to sort out the remaining traitors but yeah I'm not going back, I'm just gonna lay low and wait for those bastards to come to me like an ant-lion. You take care, kid, don't get killed, I'm not bringing you back."

"I'll try not to, good luck, Nell."

I ended the call and looked up at Loki.

"Where shall we go now?" he mused.

"Take me down to paradise city, where the magic's strong and the girls are witches, oh won't you please take me home?" I sang.

He grinned, wrapping both arms around me as green magic swirled around us. Hydra-0, Gods-2.

#loki fanfiction #loki fanfic #avengers #peter parker #loki romance #necromancy #necromancer #zombies #hydra #nell the necromancer #loki x ofc #loki x original female character #loki x nell

[druzanrp]

Man of Shadows

Description: Kajetan meets an assassin, Loreris, in the Row. Perfect person to ask on a first date right? Well at least there is a free bath in the fountain.

Kajetan let his pace slow down his boots making little to no sound as the soft leather kissed the stone below. Eyes rising from the bloom in his fingers, they looked up.... and up.... before they fell upon the eyes of the man on horseback. Well unicorn back and one eye? He had not seen an animal like that before. "Good evening." He replied realizing if he didn't say something it was going to come across as impolite gawking.

Loreris glanced down at the person who spoke to him, gripping the few locks of his mount's mane a little tighter while he gave a polite smile. "Good evening, can I help you?" Leaning slightly closer so he could get a better look at the man starring at him. Kajetan shifted, sidestepping till he was near the wall in an attempt to avoid getting trampled by those who seemed to be to focused on a destination to care about anyone else. It only took a moment before what seemed to appear as shy left completely. The bewildered look was replaced with a huge grin. There was something between those ears and evidently he knew how to use it. "Welcome back to the city." He offered canting his head to the side. "May I ask what happened?" The words were warm as he gestured towards the bandaged area of the man's face using the flower as a pointer. Meanwhile, his other hand moved to unfasten the tie on his satchel and his right hand began to fish into the depths of soft suede. Loreris eyed the curious person before him sceptically, his gaze drifting up and down along the slender figure before meeting his eyes. "I got into a fight with Kaldorei, he got a lucky shot." Stealing a quick glance at the man's hands. "My name is Loreris Darkfire, and you might be?" Arching a brow curiously. His horse grunted and idly clopped one foot against the stone walk way.

Kajetan hummed softly moving to tuck the long stem of the flower he held behind his right ear to free up the hand. His eyes left the larger man to accompany his hands in shuffling though the contents of the bag. When the man offered his name though, he did look up at him. "Kajetan." He said offering a first name only. "I would give you a family name if I had one to give." He offered thoughtfully with a warm amused sound that was almost like a chuckle. "Pleased to meet you acquaintance." He added giving a half bow towards the man. At that point he murmured something to himself under his breath that sounded like 'swear it was here'. Eyes shinning, he looked up a moment later as his hand withdrew a small little jar that fit in his palm.

Loreris watched with mild interest, deciding to dismount he'd swing one leg over the Unicorn-like creature's rear to hit the ground with barely a sound. The soft leather of his boots uttering not once while he walked around his mount to lean against it's side. "What's in the jar?" Eying the jar curiously while he crossed his arms across his lean frame. His curiosity perked with every passing moment, giving the elf a more friendly and gentle smile.

Kajetan paused, his eyes moving up watching the man dismount. It wasn't as though he had never seen someone ride before or dismount but he couldn't help but enjoy the graceful movements of the man coming down. Skill could make it as beautiful as a dance. When the question was posed about the item, his hand reached out as if to give it to the man and answer the question. He caught himself a few moments before and his face changed as though a light had went on upstairs. "Is it a cut or burn?" He inquired with a chuckle. "This won't do much for a burn...." Voice trailing off he seemed to talk to himself trying to think if he had anything for a burn on him.

Loreris gave an amused sound that could've been taken for a chuckle, finding the newcomer to be quite interesting to him. Watching the small male's frame move with gentle fluid movement as he kept mumbling. "It's a cut, caused by a dagger." He'd respond all too casually, almost as if this was common form him. Kajetan stepped forward, clearly not even slightly intimidated by the man's size. Feet rolled him up to the tips of his toes. Pointer and middle finger extended and he lightly swatted the man across the nose offering a lecture in a scolding almost parental tone. "Well you should be more careful. You only have two eyes. Take better care of them." As the words finished, he went back to a flat footed state slipping the ornate little jar into the man's hand.

Loreris tensed as soon as the shorter man invaded his personal space and swatted him across the nose, crinkling his nose at the gesture. He'd chuckle once more, gladly accepting the ornate jar, wrapping his fingers around it tenderly. "I'll keep that noted." He was about to walk away until he stopped, looking back at man with a gentle expression. "Perhaps I could hang around a bit more? I wouldn't mind giving you some company in these dark streets if it's all fine by you." Offering the man an upturned hand out of habit for women. Kajetan smiled taking just a small step backwards after. There wasn't really time to do much more before the man had turned to continue on his way. A hand was raised to offer a wave only to fall back to his side, the lantern dangling near his elbow swaying, as the man spoke. Fel hues narrowed on the man as he pressed his lips together making the softest little smack like pop of a sound as he thought the words over. Habit nearly had him respond in the negative. He couldn't count the times he had turned down people over the years. You didn't give away for free your means of food and shelter. After a few moments his perplexed look turned back into that of a warm smile. "That... would be lovely." Hand moving forward, fingers brushed the man's hand before taking it. The words that followed were his way of trying to explain the hesitation with humor. "I can't say I have done this before... under these circumstances." Though he seemed happy for whatever the change in circumstances were.... almost giddy.

Loreris gave a respect half bow, his polite smile still remaining as he offered his arm for the smaller man to loop his arm through. "You seem tense, I hope it'll be a pleasantry to have my company." He'd look in all directions, his eye scanning for the slightest of signs of distress in the street, subtly acting off of habit and training to act as his companion's guard. "Lead the way then."

Kajetan offered a warm grin shaking his head slightly as he walked by the man's side. It did appear as though he had confused the man and he decided to remedy that. "I am simply happy. I didn't usually get the privilege of choosing who my company was based on personal interest." He offered, trying to keep the topic of conversation polite for the man as he slowly began to walk again realizing that if he wanted to look at the man this close he really had to crane his neck.

A woman approached both Loreris and Kajetan gave her a smile before she offered Loreris a piece of paper along with a sly wink. Loreris listen to the man's words carefully and thoughtfully, taking their possible meanings into consideration as he walked alongside him. "Ah, I see how it works. My current line work doesn't allow much....Company in general." Noticing one of the man's flowers were slightly off, he'd slowly ready over with his elongated fingers to adjust it back into place. Taking a few double looks. "There....Apologies for that, it's just when something is off slightly it demands my attention practically." Giving an amused grin that could also cross for cheeky before looking as he discarded the paper without even looking at it. Kajetan's smile turned into a devious little grin as he tilted his head back so he was looking into the good eye. "I think it allows for plenty. Or at least one who thinks you should only have 'eyes' for them." He offered the words with a tease. It was not a very clever joke but it didn't appear he was worried over such things. He did pause when the man moved to reorganize the flowers in his hair. Awkwardly, he moved his left hand to grasp the flower behind his right ear and did a half twist like twirl to land his feet directly in front of the man. "Now it is your turn." He added pointing towards the ground. "Though since you are competing with the giants I do declare you will have kneel."

Loreris quirked a brow, looking down at the ground then back at the smaller man's face with a vexed expression. "I typically don't kneel...For anyone." His voice held no signs of irritation nor did his body language. Giving off a more carefree feel about himself as he shrugged lightly. "Fine..." He'd sweep his cloak back, lowering himself to one knee while still looking up at the man's eyes. "Such a funny joke, I'm sure."

Kajetan chuckled softly just smiling at the man as he lowered himself. Kaj took a step to the side of the man, his movements were slow and methodical. Someone accustom to war was not someone who he wanted to trigger a reflexive response in. Slender fingers snapped the stem shorter to the flower in his hands before he slowly worked it into the high tail the man wore. It took a little work though not much and he was soon smoothing the hair around it till it looked like it belonged... well if you ignored what the man was wearing. With that he stooped just a hair, so he was at eye level with the man. One eye looked back into two before he kissed his nose letting out a warm giggle causing his breath to trail lightly over the man's skin. "Perfect," the word was followed by squinted eyes and a wrinkled nose expressing joy before a small peck to the man's nose. He was clearly enjoying himself.

Loreris eyes the smaller man carefully with his mind racing of how many ways to either kill or dispatch this man. Feeling him play with his hair was odd but a welcome feeling. "Thank you very much." He was about to stand till he received a few light pecks to the tip of his nose. Looking a bit shocked. "Um...Please explain those." Slowly standing to his full height.

Kajetan took a small step back as the other rose to his feet. That way he didn't have to crook his neck quite as far back. Standing about two feet away, he answered the question or rather posed one of his own. "What is it you would like me to explain?" He inquired holding his hand back out to the man letting him choose whether or not to take it again.

Loreris shook his head lightly, deciding it best to shrug the small gestures off. "Never mind, meaningless is all." He'd give a respectful nod, taking the man's hand in his. Not truly realizing how small this man was before him, he'd take the size comparisons of their hands into his mind. "So...Fragile..."

Lips curved up into a lovely full smile. The man had tried to shrug it off but Kaj decided to take his best guess and give it a little bit of an answer. If the man hadn't wanted to know he wouldn't have asked at all. "We come from opposite sides," He started as he held Loreris' hand as he continued to walk. "Your way of life appears to have made physical contact an oddity. Mine up till recently has made it the means of not dying."

Pondering over the meaning of the smaller man's words, he'd take the offered hand. "I see, though I'm not from the battlefronts. I work in a more...Perminent problem solving enviroment." Loreris looked away for a brief moment, his lips curling into an awkward smile as he'd no idea how to deal with this man next to him. "You seem nice, Kajetan. I appreciate the gift." He'd give a sweeping gesture to the flower held up in his hair, trying ot be civil as best he could. Lacking an understanding of typical emotions due to the emotional strain his life's work has caused him.

Realizing the man was having a hard time processing small social ques and formalities common among most well off citizens and nobility, he decided to cut to the chase and simplify things. "I grew up selling my body to eat till I learned I could sell company itself to the rich if I learned the right behaviors. Last week a Lord and Lady decided to take me on for my skills with plants. And you sell your ability to kill to the highest bidder?" He spoke plainly and he didn't seem bothered. When the man gestured towards the flower Kaj flashed him a wide grin. "You are most welcome."

Loreris stopped in his tracks, gripping the smaller man's hand slightly tighter but not painfully so, looking down with his emerald eyes in horror. He'd speak with a shaky voice. "I-I'm sorry to hear that...I personally despise the fact you had to do such things in order to survive." Looking to the ground, thousands of thoughts ran through his mind, pondering everything he'd heard so far. "To sell your body...That's just..." Loreris couldn't form words, white anger laced his thoughts but he remained calm and reserved due to the presence of the man next to him. "I'm sorry...." Was all he'd mutter, his voice filled with pain as he was very empathetic. He hadn't experienced such pains but he could understand them deeply.

Kaj noticed the man's demeanor change a bit as the grip on his hands tightened. The smile didn't leave his features as he brought the hand to his lips kissing the back of it. "It is okay. Truly. Kids starve in the street without home or shelter. I had both. I have no complaints." It was true. Given the choice he would have picked something else but he had done well for himself and he was proud of himself. "Some of the people were really good people." He offered noticing the man had not answered his question which meant either it had gotten lost when the elf heard the prior statement or he had chosen not to answer. "So your life?" He proposed gently as they walked.

Loreris shook his head to break his thoughts, giving a sheeepish smile back at the smaller male. "Forgive me...I wish you hadn't gone through such things." He'd tilt his head slgihtly, looking a bit vexed before looking back with a gentle gaze. "My life? Well...Not much to it, I was born in Sunsail Anchorage and trained as a Farstrider for years before the Scourge wars. Then I became an assassin." He'd state, keeping much of himself hidden from Kaj but giving a basic run down.

Working his hand free he spun around in a circle giving his company a view of him from all angles, head to toe before adding with a wink. "Well being this pretty means I could make a lot." His words were laced with a playful tease. "Besides making out is a lot more fun than skulking and getting stuck with a man's prick is more enjoyable than work steel." In reality his hide was not that tough but is was think enough to hike about it while comparing it to the man's work. The goal had been to get a smile to replace the man's outage. "Though I am glad to have a new way to earn a living. Alcemical and herbal concoctions means I get to pick my company now."

Loreris eyed the display up and down with admiration, liking what he saw but not in a lustful way. "Indeed you are quite lovely on the eyes." The traces of a smile ghosted over his lips, giving a faint upward tilt to his lips. "I hope it stays that way for you." He'd give a respectful nod, still tense and alert from habit. His eyes kept glancing from side to side as if on watch, he showed no signs of worry but he was ever vigilant in keeping himself aware.

Warm laughter left those full lips. He didn't need someone say so for him to know his value. Obviously, his past work had not diminished his self-esteem. He had more if it than most. While his senses to The rest of the world most be lack luster, reading people was something he did well. "Every bush isn't looking to kill you." The words were spoken with a doing warmth to them. "So you ever just allow yourself to simply be?"

Loreris liked the sound of the man's laughter, dragging his attention back to him before giving a gentle smile. "Well...I don't really know, ever since I became an assassin I've never been able to....relax?" His tone overflowed with the awkwardness he felt at such question, never having the time to relax and the lack of emotion made it hard for him to focus on anything but his work. "Sorry, I've just never really been used to just letting myself be. I'm just so used to being this." He'd gesture to himself, his expression turning neutral.

"And you worry about my job? Sounds like you received the short stick." Kaj teased offering his hand to the man again. Such an odd feeling it was spending time with someone able to speak his mind. "And I thought fighters had it bad."

"I guess I have, in a sense." He'd respond with a less joking tone, his social ques were a bit lacking when it came to jokes. His neutral expression still remaining. "Aren't I a fighter?" Tilting his head in a way that despite his eye wounds and intimidating size, he still looked some odd way cute.

He held out his hand again wiggling his fingers as he grinned up at the man. Clearly he wanted the man's hand back and was going about it the playful way. "No. You have to be fighting someone do be a fighter. If you were fighting many people I would say you were bad at your job. Isn't that the point of hiring an assassin instead of a mercenary?" He didn't seem to be judging and he didn't appear to think less of the man as he clearly still wished to hold his hand. And perhaps it was stupid of him but he didn't seem intimidated by the man who in all rights should terrify him. "I do have a proposition for you." His whole face lit with that smile.

Looking at the hand for a long moment, Loreris looked confused. Lost even. He'd not really gotten any time for any displays of intimacy with anyone, friend or lover displays, it didn't matter. Almost timidly he took the smaller man's hand, his thumb brushing along the back with a smooth stroke. "...Very...smooth..." He'd comment, more to himself than his company. Looking up, his expression finally changed, arching a brow at 'proposition'. "Really? What is it then? Noble, Guard Captain, perhaps someone more important?" His mind was instantly set to work, for it was all he's ever known since the Scourge Wars ended.

Kajetan took the hand seemingly happy to have it back. "Fragile and smooth. You are sweet but I promise I am not a porcelain doll." That warm tease was there. His own brain has already calculate how much this time was worth but the realization that he had a way to support himself now that didn't require him to only give time to paying people was joyous. He would have reached up to playfully boop the man's nose but with the height difference he realized such a thing would require letting go of the reclaimed hand. That was something he didn't want to do so he stuck good tongue out at the man instead. "No. I don't have that kind of clout. I was going to challenge you to try having fun for once. I was going to give you a week to rip my life apart till you are convinced I am not a threat." He added with a smile.

The challenge was indeed different and unexpected, leaving the assassin dumbfounded in a sense. "Excuse me? I...fail to comprehend." He'd simply respond, his brow furrowed while he looked at Kaj curiously. His thumb unknowingly to him began to rub gentle circles along the back of the smaller man's hand, shreds of proof that there was still a little bit of the man he once was inside him. Just buried deep below what he is now.

"I think you do," he said letting out a warm laugh as they left the row. Moonlight streamed down illuminating things. "I think your mind just needs a moment to process. I am willing to go out on a limb and say you don't get many requests like it. This is me asking you out on a date where you try leaving the paranoid killing machine at home. I am ordering you time to go digging into my ladder till you are convinced I am not part of an evil Forsaken group trying to stab you in the back." Perhaps his imagination had run wild or read too many books though it was pretty clear he had no idea how being an assassin worked.

Finally understood what Kaj was asking, eyes widening slightly as the bulb flicked on upstairs, a very faint rosy tint coming to his lightly tanned skin. "Oh...Well I guess I could try? I've never been asked too much, as you are correct. My life situation doesn't allow much quality time with anyone really." He'd give a small shrug, the faintest of smiles crossing his lips.

Kajetan's eyes narrowed as he became a little more serious. In spite of or perhaps because of his past the boy did value himself very highly. Unlike many he could actually put a price tag on time for nothing more than his company. "This would be the first real date I have ever been on. If you can't do better then 'guess' at your ability to even try I will save it for someone who can emphatically say they want to give it their best. I deserve that much. If I was interested in less I would let a nobel pay my fee for the privilege starting at 350 gold pieces." He wasn't the type to brag but he wanted to convey the point that a noncommittal guess was not worth giving up more coin then it took to feed a man decently for a year.

Remained expressionless, looking a bit lost at how to respond. "Forgive me if I'm not quite used to dealing with social events. I spend most of my time away from society you know." He'd try to give a genuine smile, finding the fact that he must show true emotion towards something highly unatural for himself. "I meant no offense it's just...I don't really know how to sound genuine about something. I've always had to shut down my emotions for each kill, it's been like this so much that I've just never let them go." Tilting his head a little, feeling sheepish towards the man. He liked the smaller man's spirit and attitude but felt awkward on how to approach him in any other way than buisiness.

A warm smile touched his lips once more. He might not be able to do anything like Loreris did for a living, not that he wanted to, but he knew people and he felt rather confident in his words that followed. "You could mean that but I am willing to bet half of that on the fact that you froze. You know how to sound genuine. I am sure you don't tell a client when they ask if you can complete a job 'I guess I could try.' You either give them a yes or a no. There are tons of complications that might happen that would prevent you from completing any job even the ones you say yes to. When you say yes you are believe you can and will give it your all to to make it happen though are you not?" He paused waiting for the man to answer before continuing.

Loreris thought for a long moment before slowly nodding, giving the smaller man's hand a gentle squeeze. "Yes. I will try." He'd give another nod, his smile turning more full and genuine. He wasn't sure what he was going to do or how to deal with this but he would try, confused of why he felt the urge to accept so boldly.

The look the man had, the squeeze that was given to his hand, and the nod did more than the words. He wasn't looking for some sappy declaration or the smile even though the smile was nice. Stopping mid stride, he moved in front of the man. "I know what you are and I might not know what that all entails; however, I am sure I can figure out what genuine is for you. I don't need you to dress it up. The only thing I want you to try to change is to turn off job mode and let whoever exists under it find their way out." He gave some of the guards a smile as they passed before he continued. "Is saying yes what you want?" That was his final question. "My ego is not fragile and isn't going to get bruised if you say no."

Loreris only nodded a "yes", following in graceful strides as he wore a more neutral expression once more. Learning and figuring everything out, he'd step a bit closer. Keeping a respectful distance but a little more on the intimate side.

Kajetan offered a smile as he looked up at the man. There was no real fear as he squeezed the hand that held his before he leaned in so his head rested against his arm as they walked. Jaded perhaps or it could have been he simply figured he was going to die anyway one day so he might as well live without regret. For better or worse he had chosen his first date. The smile worked it's way into a grin as the realization struck him that he had asked someone out for his first not someone asking him. It wasn't notable because it was out of the norm for him to simply take the lead but the fact that he had been asked so many times before that he had turned down due to work. Silvermoon at night had always been something he loved but this was nicer.

Loreris followed silently, acting at a shoulder to apparently literally lean on and as a guard, trying his best to socialize in any way he knew best. When the smaller man leaned against his shoulder, he looked down, arching a brow as he emitted a sound that was along the lines of a small chuckle.

The smaller elf seemed content. After making a living at being whatever someone needed it didn't take much to realize the man seemed to be more comfortable with silence than being prodded with questions. As such he let the silence linger but every so often when he felt the man's eyes on him he would look up giving him a warm smile. A gesture he hoped would put the man a little more at ease if he realized Kaj was okay with the silence and not looking for an out to alleviate boredom. Occasionally, he would return a smile or a greeting if one was given but he had ceased to give them to every passer by. The night air felt good against his face as it caused strands of his blonde hair to wisp around his face. They moved downstairs around in a spiral and pass the few that chose to train for whatever reason in the middle of the night. The sounds from their scuffles just background noise.

Loreris finally began to relax, feeling more at ease with his company as he spoke, breaking the silence. "Tell me more..." he'd ask, looking very curious.

Eyelashes fluttered just a little as he tilted his head back to look up at the man when he heard him speak. "More about what?" He asked wishing to answer correctly rather than guess.

Watched the smaller man intently, his gaze curious and learning and yet it held a hint of care towards him. He'd keep in step, squeezing the hand he held lightly. "I wish to know more about you...anything really." Loreris tilted his head, eye glowing a soft emerald glow in the moonlight.

Kajetan smiled as his gaze lowered and lids closed most of the way. "Well my parents passed half a century ago though that isn't really a unique story." The young elf was willing to wager almost everyone lost someone near and dear to fighting and war. "I ended up in Outlands with Kael'thas on Illidan's invitation. Also, hardly something remarkable. When the Prince lost his mind... I didn't really fancy living in the bloodbath so I followed a group back here that joined the Horde. Which I suppose worked for the best or probably would have died before hitting adulthood... under whatever protection was given from Lord Illidan." He thought for long moments. "I like dancing. There is few fruits I dislike. I can hold my liquor well enough I suppose but would probably be drunk under the table by most still. Plants are a passion of mine that I have found applications for beyond being pretty. I am studying magic." A smile was offered again as he tried to think of anything else relevant.

Listened calmly, his expression not changing but yet some care showed in his eye. "We all have had similar fates...I never lost my parents but they weren't the nicest of people. They broke me in." He'd look off distantly, trying to piece his thoughts together. "When I was old enough I left to become a Farstrider, was one of them for a few fifty years before my squad and I were captured by Scarlet Crusaders to be tortured and experimented on for their mages in training." His words were indeed heavy but he'd never frown nor smile, only a single tear fell as a sign he was still metaphorically 'human'.

Kaj stopped, moved in front of the man still holding his hand. Rolling to the tips of his toes fingers feathered over the man's cheek. The tear was swept up but he says nothing about it before moving to walk with him once more.

Loreris paused as she felt the soft touch, raising a hand to hold the smaller male's that touched his cheek, leaning into it's touch with a soft hum. "I...I wish I lived a better life...But my current one must be made for the better instead." He'd whisper, his voice barely a breath on the winds that only Kaj could hear, he'd open his eye to gaze at the elf.

Blinking, he gazed at the other hand that caught his second one. He didn't pull it away which left them standing instead of walking since he couldn't move to his side. That didn't seem to bother him though. A smile was given. "Live in the present and never let the past keep life from you."

Lip's turned upward into a small, caring smile, nodding softly. He'd let go of the hand pressed to his cheek so the two could keep walking. "Indeed, I'll keep that in mind." Loreris listened to the shuffling of their steps against the cobblestone streets, loosing himself in his thoughts.

A deep warm chuckle let his lips as he gave a grin towards the man next to him. "Tag!" He yelled letting the man's hand to suddenly and turned running back up the stairs laughing as he moved. Neither of them seemed to have a childhood and there was no time like the present.

Blinked a few times, a bit stunned at the childish gesture and cry as he watched the smaller male start to dash away, the hint of a smirk spreading across his full lips. Starting to walk slowly he'd build up to a full on sprint, his feet kissing the ground in soundless steps as each one thrust him forward, shadows materialized around his body before he disappeared. Reappearing just a few feet in front of the running mage with arms ready to catch him.

The young man let out a laugh as he looked over his shoulder in time to see the man appear to vanish. Turning his head back, he nearly ran into Loreris and his arms. He spoke as his form began to shimmer and fade. "I think that is cheating but....." He appeared behind the man balancing an the edged for the fountain. ".... but two can play that game."

Arched a brow before materializing again, reappearing once more sitting next to Kaj with his now ungloved hands lazily sitting in the water. "Perhaps..." He'd glance at the man's legs before sweeping an arm up to throw his legs out from under him so he fell into the water. "...You let your guard down."

Kajetan saw the glance to his legs and the arm move. At the same time having realized he has no one to impress, he made a split second choice. Rather than blink away or let the man topple him, he jumped like skipping a rope jumping backwards into the water soaking his boots and his robe to his knees. Hands gripping his robe to free his leg he kicked spraying the man with water only to slip on the slick fountain floor. Robes caught around his legs caused him to tumble, falling on his rump.

Shielded himself, actaully making a sound which sounded much like a chuckle, watching as Kaj fell on his rear into the waters. Throwing his legs over the side, he too would slide in to join the man in the fountain, not caring if his leathers became soaked. "I think I'm having fun, it's been a while but...I'm having fun." Giving a half smile towards Kaj. He was starting to come around.

While he managed to keep his head from hiting anything that was about it. He was drenched. Every bit of him from mid chest down didn't have a dry speck. Above that it was hit and miss. He have his company a half hearted splash as his hand tried to remove water from his eyes along with wet locks that were plastered to his face. "Good!" A pang of guilt hit him over getting such an expensive robe dirty but it was too late to change it so he might as well have fun.

Reached over with his bare hand slowly, brushing away a few locks of hair with the up most gentle and tender of touches one could make. Loreris then gave a halfhearted splash back, starting to chuckle a bit at how their events played out. "To think all I needed to relax and have a little fun was a bold little elf come strolling up to me." A smirk forming across his lips.

The place was nearly deserted but it didn't matter the few that were around gawking in disbelief were ignored like they didn't exist by the small elf. The moonlight caused his skin to almost glow as he tilted his head planting a kiss to those fingers as he laughed. "Mmm didn't anyone ever tell you the best things come in small packages?" The wet cloth clung to his skin and he was glad that is wasn't a cold night.

People around though few did gawk at the sight, though Loreris never cared, he was fixated on the smaller man before him, brushing the wet locks from his face. "Not really, no. Guess that means you're the first." He'd give a playful wink, every moment he spent relaxed allowed him to grow closer and closer towards his company, starting to trust him more. "You're going to be cold once we get out of here you know..." A small hint of worry laced his words.

Kaj worked at gently wringing out his hair a he let out a laugh. " Didn't think about that before you tried to knock me in here now did you?" He returned the playful wink. His actions had made it home fault but that had been the man's intention before. "I will be okay though. It isn't that cool and i am only a half hour walk out of the city."

Only smirked, standing up to stretch backwards, display his strength and lean body as the leather armor he wore grew tight on his form, glistening in the moon light. "Well then let's go dry up, I'd hate for you to get sick." His smirk growing with more playful intent.

Kajetan canted his head to the side looking the man over. As he did such one of the orchids in his hair came loose falling with a gentle plop into the water. The tumble into the water drenching his hair had loosened it allowing it to fall out. Scooped up the flower as he smiled. Gazing up at the man once more that soft chuckle left his lips. "Oh inviting yourself over are you?" he said a curious and tease to his voice. On the other hand he didn't outright say no.

Loreris smirked before stepping out of the water, offering his hand to help Kaj out. "No, more like acting as an escort home. Seems proper, no?" His smirk turning into a genuine smile, his one eye filled with a reawakening light that was long buried beneath his work.

A hand reached up taking the offered one. Water dripped from the sleeve of the robe like a faucet for several seconds. Once on his feet, he stepped over the edge, with some work practically falling into the man. The robe was heavy soaked and the cloth clung to him like an poorly fitted skin. Hands quickly set about trying to wring out the largest portion of the water adding to the pool that was gathering at his feet. Taking a step he made a little growling sound as the squishing from his boot could be heard. "Remind me not to go swimming dressed." The words seemed in good humor then and as he answered the man. He was going to make a joke about the man not being allowed to return to dispatch of him in the middle of the night but decided it wasn't very funny and might be taken the wrong way. "Mmm... I do know how to protect myself." He said instead not refusing the man yet though he was making it known he didn't want to be treated like a damsel in distress.

Loreris cantered his head back and forth, pondering the situation as he got ready to catch Kaj just in case, though disappointed when I didn't need to. "I know you, though it would be rude of me not to escort the person who asked me out back home." A softer smile spread across his lips, giving a small bow before noticing his struggle. "If you're willing...I could carry you, I wouldn't mind it at all." His expression turning back to neutral.

Kaj gave him a little glare without an ounce of heart behind it before sticking his tongue out at him. "You may carry....," the sentence trailed off as he sat down on the stone lip to the fountain taking his boots off freeing his feet from the confines that continued to make squishing noises before finishing, ".... my boots!" The devious look on his face was the same when he had taken off running for this game of tag. He truly did try to keep from letting loose a giggle but as he held the sopping wet boots towards the man he couldn't help it.

Smirked, taking the boots without a care, he'd glance around, hoping to find a mud puddle soon. "Oh well, not a loss either way." Loreris soon was left to his own mind, thinking deeply about a lot that's happen so far. The joking, smiling, chasing, and whatever else had made him realize he has missed so much in life, but he must keep his guard up.

Offering the man a smile, he let the teasing drop as he slid his hand into Loreris' free one leaning into him. He might not be willing to let the man carry him but it appeared he was willing to let the man walk him home side by side.

Loreris looked down, seeing Kaj leaning into him so casually. He hadn't a clue of what to do but he liked it, so he left it be, deciding it best not to screw it up by being too curious. He returned to his thoughts, allowing his to be lead by the smaller male out of the city hand in hand, not caring of the awkward glances.

Kajetan walked barefoot his feet lightly touching the cool stones with a trail of water following in his wake. Some icecap and one orchid is all that remained of the flowers that had been woven into his hair but he didn't seem to mind. Once upon a time he would have. The stares would have bothered him even if he hid it well. He didn't have a perfect reputation of poise and elegance that needed protected anymore. "Mmm... I must remember thank the Lord and Lady properly." He said with the smallest hint of a yawn. The guards they passed looked twice and Kaj gave them a smile and a slight bow before leaning back into Loreris.

Loreris chuckled softly, the sound deep and smooth in his chest which Kaj was so closed too, his elongated eleven canines glistening in the soft moonlight. When they passed the guard, he didn't care to look at them, only fixated on the elf leaning into him. "Are you cold?" Taking notice that the night was starting to become a little chilled. He ignored all the small whispers of them he heard as well as the glances, none of that bothered him. Not when he was busy.

Smiling he shook his head a little. "I am okay." He figured he would probably be cold by the time he got home but for now he just felt heavy as though he were carrying an additional him around in water weight. Yes an exaggeration he knew but still. As they moved out of the Exchange, he stopped and held a hand up to the brazier smiling softly at the warmth it gave off.

Loreris grumbled something incoherent to himself, pulling out a spare cloak which he wrapped tightly around the smaller man's shoulders gently; making sure everything was in place. When finished he'd giving a knowing smirk. "Shouldn't be so stubborn sometimes." He'd only laugh lightly, his smile true and now genuine. Not a hint of trying involved as it looked all pure.

Kaj gave a roll of his eyes looking up at him. "You are all wet too." For the moment he wished he had brought his satchel with him so he could brush his hair out but he figured that would wait just fine till they arrived home. He touched the cloak surprised it was not as soaked as everything else. He looked up at him. "I get the feeling you are just dying to play hero." He teased.

Loreris rolled his eyes, slightly amused as he looked at the cloak with an expressionless look. "It's part of how my parents broke me in. I'm to act respectful and much like a servant. Nothing more, nothing less." Loreris adjusted his gaze to look into Kaj' eyes, becoming lost in them for a brief moment before his clouded over with memories once more.

Closing his eyes, he tried to remember his own parents. There were memories there. It isn't as if he had been young enough to forget but life had a way of making you forget things and his parents had been something that his mind had chosen to let erase. "I don't need a servant." He said softly as he continued to walk now that he didn't feel too cold.

Loreris blinked a few times, deciding to follow though now it was a little bit behind Kaj, not understanding what to do as everything that had just happen translated to him as disappointment in him from a master. Only following in silence as he tried to wrap his mind around it.

Kajetan slowed down holding his hand out to the man offering him a smile. "You look like... I punched you." He said softly his fingers gently moving like they had earlier trying to urge him to take his hand. "That wasn't my intention."

Loreris looked to the offered hand, thinking of how fragile it looked, how he could snap this man's neck like a branch and yet he was still so bold to approach him. Loreris felt an odd warmth flow through his body, something he remembered distantly but hadn't felt in ages, he liked the feeling. With that he stretched out his hand to clasp the other, giving it a perhaps timid squeeze but still gentle and strong. "I'm...sorry..." he'd reply in a soft tone laced with confusion.

Kajetan wasn't sure what the man was confused about. He could see the look in his face but this time he simply enjoyed having the man's hand back. Rather than try to remedy the look, he decided to simply let the man come to his own conclusion over time. The squeeze war returned and he leaned his wet frame into the man. If it had been someone else he would have felt bad getting them wet; however, the man was sopping wet himself so there went any guilt.

Loreris soon gave up on trying to think it over, his expression turning back to neutral as the two walked together. He rather enjoyed feeling the elf lean against him, it felt soothing to him, to feel someone leaning on him. "I hope you won't come down with cold, that would be terrible in this lovely summer." Gesturing to the blooming flowers, budding trees, and grass. Granted Eversong never came down with snow or ice but her colors did fade a bit when the fall or winter winds came around. "I love to go for a ride in these woods when I get what little quality time I can. It's peaceful to me."

As they left the city, he gave a wave to the final guards who offered a smile towards him even if they were surprised by his disheveled appearance. The smaller elf addressed one of them by name wishing him well and a good night in an attempt to insure him that he was okay. Over the years he had gotten to know man of the city guards and none of them had ever seen him looking like a drown rat. Once out of the city he gazed at the flowers that were gestured to and seeing getting sick was not on his list of things to do he skipped to riding. "I haven't been riding in a long time."

Loreris soon gave up on trying to think it over, his expression turning back to neutral as the two walked together. He rather enjoyed feeling the elf lean against him, it felt soothing to him, to feel someone leaning on him. "I hope you won't come down with cold, that would be terrible in this lovely summer." Gesturing to the blooming flowers, budding trees, and grass. Granted Eversong never came down with snow or ice but her colors did fade a bit when the fall or winter winds came around. "I love to go for a ride in these woods when I get what little quality time I can. It's peaceful to me."

As they left the city, he gave a wave to the final guards who offered a smile towards him even if they were surprised by his disheveled appearance. The smaller elf addressed one of them by name wishing him well and a good night in an attempt to insure him that he was okay. Over the years he had gotten to know man of the city guards and none of them had ever seen him looking like a drown rat. Once out of the city he gazed at the flowers that were gestured to and seeing getting sick was not on his list of things to do he skipped to riding. "I haven't been riding in a long time."

Loreris walked in sync with each step Kaj made, acting at the moment as a pillow of some sorts and a guard. He remained relaxed but the instinctual training he received taught him to always be alert, even if he was relaxing. "You haven't? Then perhaps we could go for a ride sometime, I'd like to have some company every once in a while." His best attempt of being civil and polite, giving the smaller male a soft smile filled with a relaxed joy.

His own stride was much shorter than Loreris' would be normally but the man matched his and that made him smile. Gingerly, his fingers laced together with those belonging to the other man as he closed his eyes. The grass under his feet tickled just a little and he dug his toes into it as they walked. "That could be fun. I will need to get an appropriate outfit." He said realizing he owned nothing that really worked for riding. About half way home, he shivered as the breeze picked up running though his wet clothing.

Loreris picked up the chilling winds, not affecting him but he did notice the shivering from the smaller male. "Are you still going to be stubborn or will you let me carry you?" His tone carried a light amusement with some concern, his smile was gentle and soft, something most Sin'dorei only have if they're looking for sex but with Loreris it was genuine. "And you will need something new to wear." He'd comment on the earlier statement, giving a playful wink.

Kajetan looked him over him slowly before asking. "How would letting you carry me help?" He didn't seem worried about repercussions, which in all rights he should have been. Letting someone walk him home that he had just met, he realized it was probably a stupid choice but his ego wouldn't let him take it back so he hoped for the best instead. "I know a tailor."

Loreris arched a brow, chuckling lightly as he gestured to the light shiver. "I'm warmer than the wind and it would be harder to help you keep warm if we kept walking like this." Nodding a head to how much of Kaj's wet clothed body was exposed to the cold chill. He was nervous of making such a statement but he honestly wasn't trying to play hero or act like a knight in shinning armor. All he wanted was to make sure the elf wasn't going to get sick and stay warm.

Kaj looked over the wet man. "You are wet too." He offered pulling the man's cloak tightly around him leaning into him as they walked in all honest his feet were cold from the earth more than the rest of him due to the cloak and he was tempted to ask for his boots back but he knew that wouldn't remedy the situation much.

Loreris rolled his eyes, finding it better for Kaj to be left alone on the topic, letting go of his to wrap his arm around the smaller male gently. "Alright, though I'm not shivering and cold doesn't really effect me." He'd look ahead, his gentle smile ever prevalent.

Kajetan smiled. He walked for a bit still on his own as if to prove his point. He was being stubborn and he knew it. Most of his life people had tried treating him like a hapless doll due to appearance and he hated the judgment. Pausing, he slid the cloak off his shoulders letting to of the man's hand for a moment. WIth his freed hands he removed the wet robes from his body revealing the matching pants he wore underneath and his bare chest. Holding he wet robes out fo the man, he worked on pulling the cloak back around him offering a warm smile. "There, all better." He said with a wink.

Loreris held no lustful gaze at the sight, only chuckling as he gave the cloak back. "Trying to be seductive with me isn't going to work, granted you are quite the splendor to look at, but you're not alluring me in that way." His smile turning into a playful grin, his eye looking over the barred chest. "Very much a splendor to look at."

Kajetan blinked. That hadn't been anywhere near his mind simply getting out of the thing that was slowing his movement and making him cold. Though those words almost made him take that as a challenge. Most of his life had required he be able to win people over mind and body and someone telling him he couldn't almost... just almost made him want to try. He wasn't sure if the man was trying to bait him or not but he couldn't help the it irked him. Perhaps it was being told he couldn't or perhaps it was because the man thought he was trying. Letting out a little growl he gave the man's arm a little head butt. "How would you know? I haven't even tried."

Loreris chuckled playfully, ruffling the shorter man's hair lightly before shaping it back into proper placement. "I was jesting, you are very pleasant to look at. I like your fiery spirit. It's a little fun to jest with you." Winking with a sly smirk, keeping himself a bit allusive for the man's entertainment. "If you need help with anything, I'll try to be there to help. I rather like your company more than others, most people I've had the 'joy' of conversing with only chatted about their so called 'good' deeds and who they wanted to bed next. You are a welcome change of pace."

Kajetan blinked once more he had taken it seriously and he had been about ready to stalk off since he could now see his place in the distance. Childish perhaps but he had taken those words seriously and even if he hadn't loved everything he had done in his past he was well aware he was good at it. Turning on his foot he gave the man a half hearted shove though he was smiling again. "Ass." He replied. "Remind me to get even by finding a time to tell you that your bad at killing people." That tongue was stuck out at the man as he chose to lean into him again.

Loreris watched as he was shoved, barely moving at all but still moved a little, a small laugh escaped his lip. When Kaj leaned back into him, he'd wrap an arm around his small body gently; keeping him in an embrace while sharing his unnaturally warm body. "Oh I bet you will, though I plan on laughing the whole time." He felt content, finding the constant teasing and laughing beautiful, he'd never laughed this much in a long time.

Rolling his eyes, once more, his face finally settled into an expression of contentment. The man was warmth and that in and of itself was appealing. The laughter was an added bonus. "Over there." He said pointing to an area where a bunch of makeshift houses had been constructed. None of them where fancy and none of them looked like a place the meticulous... well less so at the moment... doll would live.

Loreris spied the area the smaller man pointed to, arching a brow before shrugging. Loreris followed without a care, seeing the content expression on Kaj' face only made him beam with delight, wanting the expression to remain. "You look good with that smile, very fitting." He'd comment in a deep voice, his tone laced with genuine joy.

Kaj smiled as they approached the area. He led him to one in the distance that appeared to have once been a gazebo that has been altered into a makeshift house. Outside is fenced. A single tree is in the fenced area with a wooden rope swing. The entire outside area is full of flower beds full of plants. The actual 'house' was a gazebo where wire had been woven between the pillars and climbing plants grew up the sides to make walls. One side had a simple gate like door on it instead of being covered with a plant wall. "We are here." He said looking up at the man and now they were here he wasn't really sure what to do.

Loreris looked around with a curious gleam in his eye, normally other Sin'dorei would hold disapproving thoughts to such establishments but for him he found it tranquil. Looking toward Kaj Loreris would just shrug. "Indeed we are, you might as well go dry off." Nodding to the makeshift door, a calm and delighted smile crossing his lips.

Kajetan thought for a few moments as his toes curled in the grass below them plucking strands. "You are wet too." he said thinking it over for a moment before rounding to the side of the hosue where a firepit was. "I can start a fire." He said as he paused before he disappeared into the little dark house for a moment. Walking out, he was carrying an ornate comb that he worked though his hair as he attempted to pull it into a high tail to get it out of the way.

Loreris watched contently, eyeing the ornate comb as he stood. "I don't mind it, some of my jobs have left me in worse conditions." He'd visibly shudder, remember a couple jobs from years back. "And what a lovely comb, reminds me of the one I gave to my sister for her adoption day." His smile turning soft and gentle. Idly he'd drop Kaj's boots near the fire to help dry them off.

Kajetan looked to the ivory comb with a vine pattern carved into it before being inlaid with gold. "That is nice you still keep in contact with her." He offered as he finished fastening his hair out of the way. He set the comb on a small wooden table along with his wet robe before he turned to look at the stack of wood near the house. After a moment of concentrating logs of wood lept up from the stack flying over to the fireplace where they fell with a thud. There was a bin of twigs nearby and Kaj moved to pick up some for kindling.

Loreris chuckled at a few memories, his smile ever growing. "Indeed...My family adopted her after she fell victim to loosing her parents in the Scourge Wars, since she couldn't remember her birth day we celebrate her adoption day." He'd chuckle a little bit more, crossing his arms across his chest, not minding the feeling of wet leather. "It's sad really, on multiple occasions I can catch her looking out the window longingly, just hoping she will see her parents and siblings again..."

Kajetan gave a small nod unsure of what to think about the man's parents now. The twigs were dropped into the pit and he crouched down and closed his eyes trying to use magic to start the fire. It was something he was still learning but he only needed a small flame to start a fire after it caught the wood. "There are a lot of orphans." Loreris nodded as he grew lost within his own thoughts, sitting down and drawing a dagger and a sharpening stone from pouch strapped to his thigh; in no time all he was sharpening the blade idly as a way to help work through his thoughts.

The process took a minute or two before sparks appeared in his palm and began to gather into a flame... a flame that he threw into the kindling watching it take to the flame. The logs were slower to start burning but as soon as the flames licked them, he rose to his feet. "You should get dry and let me fix your hair before you leave." He commented.

Loreris slowly looked up at the smaller man, blinking a few times as his eye was clouded over by his thoughts, once clear he'd nod. "I guess so." With that he'd stand up with a small groan, shedding off layers of patted leather to reveal a scar marred torso and arms, scars even reaching up to his neck. Too many for someone to count. "I've enjoyed your company, it's been a very welcome change of pace to my entire week of pompous nobles, arrogant Blood Knights, and clueless prostitutes who don't know what 'no' means." He'd respond, his voice slightly labored as he went over the few details of his week.

Kajetan blinked turning to the man actually letting out a laugh. "Suppose it is good I gave up that profession a long time ago." He teased though he went silent as his eyes fell on the man's torso that looked to be more scar than unblemished skin. Clearly he didn't know what to say. At least they had all healed. "Maybe I can look at your eye... before you go." He said softly. There was little he could do for old wounds but perhaps he could keep a fresher one from scaring quite so badly.

Loreris arched a brow, shrugging lightly he'd sit down so the smaller man wouldn't have so much trouble reaching him. "Alright...if that's your wish." He didn't mind it too much, granted he didn't like how he cheap shotted but now nothing could be done to change the fact he has the wound. Upon sitting down Loreris would lean forward, stretching out his back as his broad shoulders rolled backwards a couple times; earning a few deep resounding pops. "Oh...Just what I needed..." He'd smirk lightly, feeling much more relaxed now.

Kajetan let out a warm chuckle. "Well I am going to get cleaned up first." He offered with a warm smile. Moving away from the heat, he grabbed a bucket from a peg and moved to fill it from a large barrel next to the house. The wooden cover was removed and the bucket was filled with magic. "I will be right back. I need to get a bowl." He disappeared into the house for but a moment before returning with a large metal bowl. Loreris sat back up, falling back into his thoughts which now wandered over to Kaj and how he's been able to relax so well with the shorter man; it's rather unlike Loreris. He pondered the idea over and over, trying to figure it out but instead went back to sharpening his daggers. The sound of the sharpening stone against metal always brought him a cold sense of thrill, like that of a hunter and prey.

Kajetan set the bowl on the table offering the man a smile as he filled it with water from the bucket. Sitting down, he placed his hands on either side of it and sat there till the water started to steam. "Sit." He said pointing towards a stump that made due as a chair. With that he disappeared into the house again. When he returned he was carrying a small pile of clean washcloths, towels, and on top of them all was a basket containing jars of things that clinked and a few bars of what appeared to be soap.

Loreris was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of Kaj's voice, blinking a few times he'd then do as instructed and take his place on the stump; adjusting himself to be a bit more comfortable. Once situated he'd being looking over all the supplies, thinking it to be a bit excessive but then again he wasn't much of a medic.

Kajetan sat down on one opposite him as he set down the pile removing the basket from the top. It was settled aside and Kaj tossed a washcloth at him before picking one up himself. Tipping it into the warm water, he rung it out and picked up a bar of soap that was scented like sandalwood and cherry blossoms. He ran the damp cloth over the bar before he began to wash his face. Clearly, he was cleaning up before playing medic.

Loreris grumbled softly but caught the wash cloth with ease, he waited patiently as he really didn't mind this; he rather enjoyed it to an extent. "Thanks..." Was all he'd mumble, trying to keep his tough exterior, falling back into his own thoughts hard as he fell silent.

Kajetan smiled at him beckoning to the bowl as he cleaned himself off. "You are welcome to share." he offered before he washed more than his face. "What are you thinking about?" He asked when the other man fell silent.

Loreris blinked a few times, looking at the washcloth in his hand then the bowl; dipping the cloth into the warm water to begin clean off his face. While doing so he was extremely careful around his eye, making sure the cloth didn't touch it too much; every time it would however, he'd hiss in pain. "Nothing..." Kajetan let out a soft chuckle. "How about I do that and you tell me what you are thinking." He replied shaking his head. "Are you sure you are good at your job?" The tease was one he couldn't resist. "You are a bit clumbsy." The warm laugh was there as he rose from his spot moving around to take the wash cloth from the man's hands and he began to gently wash his face avoiding the bandages all together. "I would offer to wash your top but leather really isn't something I have tried washing."

Loreris let Kaj take the washcloth from his hands, rather grateful he did to. Hearing the teasing words made him fume, grumbling a few words before looking away. "That Kaldorei bastard got a lucky shot is all..." He'd playful extend a hand and flick the shorter man's nose. "You can't really wash leather the standard way anyways. To further explain I was just thinking about some random thought tangents."

Kajetan heard the fuming and the simple thought entered his brain. There was no analyzing as he leanded down and kissed the man and it wasn't a peck either. His head tilted to the side as he let his lips cover the ones that were protesting about his ability to do his job. A moment later he leaned back so he was a few inches from the man. The evil devilish gleam was in his face as he winked. "Got you. Now we are even." The man had chosen to tease him before about what had come down to his work and now he had returned it.

Loreris was about to say something else till silenced, hands clenching into fists as he'd restrain his more basic reactions of snapping the shorter man's neck for such a move. Though his wanted reaction was violent, he rather liked it; raising a couple fingers to gingerly touch his lips from curiosity. "Very daring..." A sly smirk spreading across his lips, a faint shade of red dusting his cheeks.

Kajetan grins letting his nose touch Loreis' before he rose back up. Using the cloth he finished washing the man's face before he sat down on the makeshift table to pick up his own cloth to wash his upper body not that he had gotten that dirty. Once finished he poured the bowl of water out into the grass repeating the process of filling and warming it. At that point he sat back down and took his hair out of the ponytail. The locks fell down around his shoulders and he began slowly combing out any tangles that had found their way into the locks due to the fall in the fountain earlier. "You any good with washing hair?" He inquired raising a brow.

Loreris busted out laughing in a fullhearted laugh, shaking his head. "No I am not, I only know how to do the basics." Still chuckling a bit, he'd be stuck on the feel of the kiss; trying to interpret what it might or might not of meant.

Kajetan dipped a couple fingers into the water splashing the man with a couple droplets. Lips curving upwards he smiled. "Well you can try to redeem your reputation." He was back to teasing. It was too much fun. "I can walk you though it. If you are decent with your hands I think you will do fine. Well and it is either that or you can sit here and wait while I spend the next half filling and taking a bath." There was no invitation to join in said bath though.

Loreris groaned at the constant teasing, flinching with a tightly shut eye as the few droplets hit him. "Oh you really like teasing me don't you?" He'd shoot back. Grumbling he'd rise up and circle over to stand with Kaj, waiting for the proper walk through. "And I'm -very- skilled with my hands, thank you very much." Flicking the smaller man's nose with equal teasing.

Kajetan gave a warm laugh smiling up at the man who towered over him. The flick made him wriggle his nose like a rabbit before he smiled reaching over to grab one of the containers in the basket. Opening it, the floral scent wafted out. Kaj liked sandalwood and the scent was mixed in with that of jasmine. "You start at the ends and work up being really careful to not tangle or pull any of the strands. He turned so his back was to the table leaning backwards till the golden tressed fell in the water. He held his head up, above the bowl, which clearly was not going to be comfortable for more than a few minutes.

Loreris listened carefully, taking in each detailed step and visualizing it inside his mind. "Alright..." He'd take notice at the uncomfortable position, placing one of his hands along the back of Kaj's neck to let him have support comfortably. "Just relax then...I'll try my best." His lips curled up into a slightly nervous smile. He'd begin with washing the ends as told, giving the small man's head a quick rinse by soaking his hair then combing it lightly with his fingers through the water.

Kajetan smiled and closed his eyes leaning on the hand offered. It was a sweet gesture even if it meant it would take longer. "I think you are the one that needs to relax cutie. You are a bundle of nerves. It is just hair."

Loreris frowned at the name for a brief moment, the name striking a nerve but it'd be replaced by a smile as quickly as it appeared. "I've always washed my own hair and rarely my sister's, but no one else's." He'd then look over to find the bottle of scented soap, sliding the hand supporting Kaj's neck a bit further so his head rested on his toned forearm. Pouring a small amount of the soap into his free hand, he'd set the bottle down to then adjust back to supporting the smaller man's neck with his hand. He remained silent, drifting back into his thoughts as usual; applying the soap at the ends and nursing it to the roots.

Kajetan didn't notice the frown with his eyes closed. "Are you okay?" He inquired lids fluttering slowly open as the man fell silent again. One of his hands moved up giving the man's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Loreris rubbed the scented soap gently into the smaller man's scalp, aware he was stronger than the other so he was much more gentle. "Yes...I'm fine..." He'd attempt to pass, his tone telling otherwise. He'd continue massaging the soap into Kaj's hair, trying to get over something that still nagged at the corner of his mind.

Kajetan turned his head slightly looking up at the man. He said nothing just waited. The expression he wore was one that spoke volumes. He wasn't buying it and he was going to wait till the man said what was on his mind.

Loreris noticed the expression, starring the other in the eyes for a long moment before giving a long sigh; his free hand falling lax in the warm water. "It's nothing...Just a few bad memories with someone I thought I could love. He doesn't matter anymore." It was clear he was still deeply hurt about it all, deciding to rinse out the soap from the smaller man's hair. In a few minutes Kaj's hair would be completely washed and silky soft. "There...all done..."

Kajetan leaned forward grabbing a towel and he was careful pat the strands between the towel till they where mostly dry. With that taken care of, he set the soaking towel aside and looked up at the man. He was trying to decide what to say. "I am not sure what to say. I just met you and this is the first time I have ever... done anything like this. I was not trying to bring up memories from the past like that. I can tone it down."

Loreris gave a light shrug, trying to play it off as if he wasn't effect; though his eye gave it all away. "You're fine...He doesn't matter anymore." He kept repeating that through his mind, hoping after enough times it'd come true.

Kajetan looked at the man in front of him before scooting the bowl to the side. With one hand on either side of the wooden table, he lifted himself up onto it. "Sit." The word was an instruction. "Do you want to talk about it?" he inquired not pushing but giving the man a chance if he wished to take it.

Loreris looked at the offered spot for a moment before taking it, sitting with his back turned from the smaller man. "Might as well." He'd let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping a bit. "Where to even begin..."

Kajetan let the teasing drop as he picked up the comb and began to let the man's hair down. Nimble fingers worked though the locks straightening it before taking the comb to it working from the bottom up untangling the locks. He smiled looking at the flower he had put in the man's hair earlier as he worked.

Loreris pondered over every detail, remembering it all so vividly. "Well...Him and I met at the pond outside the city gate, he was shy and timid but flirtatious. We were getting along pretty well and on that same day he kissed me, I had no intentions going further but after a week he tried to bed me twice. I refused both times. The day after the second attempt he wanted a 'relationship break'." He'd scoff, humming softly at his hair being combed as it helped relieve some of the stress. "It happen all too quickly, he proposed a 'relationship break' and I told him to screw off and turned my back...earlier that same day I earned this.” He'd point to his damaged eye.

Kajetan was very gentle as he worked though the man's hair never once tugging it. "I am sorry that you went though that and I am sorry if I reminded you of him. I can say I am not timid though and my bed is currently off limits." He was about to continue but thought perhaps that would be selfish turning the conversation into one about him. "You will find someone if you give people the chance. I think under all that gruff you can be sweet guy."

Loreris glanced back, his respect grew a bit more for Kaj. "The thought never crossed my mind...it's he used to call me 'cutie' all the time." He'd look back at the ground, burying the pain deep down. "And I doubt that...I'm too scarred for anyone to care for and I've given multiple people the chance. All have left."

Kajetan paused pressing his lips together. "I won't leave. We can always be friends though I won't promise we will be more." He wasn't sure if that made it better or worse so he decided to go with the truth. "If my behavior... is inappropriate in your eyes, with that in mind, let me know. For instance I can avoid using that word if it bothers you. That is simple enough."

Loreris nodded, he wasn't ready for a relationship anyways. "I'd like that..." The faint trace of a smile crossed his lips, reaching up he'd grip Kaj's hand gently; finding it to be reassuring and secure feeling before he'd let go.

Kajetan smiled leaning down to kiss the man's forehead. "Don’t' give up though. The right person is worth all the pain getting there." The words were spoke as he finished combing out the raven hair. He settled the bowl in his lap sitting with his legs folded Indian style. "Lean back." He eased the man's head backwards so it was resting comfortably on his legs with his hair in the water.

Loreris only nodded, drifting into his thoughts as he softly closed his eye. He'd lean back as told, not realizing that a bit of the bandages covering his eye came loose to reveal a little bit more of the wound...and what is was lacking.

Kajetan left the bandages for the moment as he gently washed the man's hair. He worked from the ends up spending time massaging Loreris' scalp. When he finished a hand was placed along the man's hair line to keep water from getting into his face as he use the other hand to cup water from the bowl to rinse out the strands.

Loreris kept silent, buried deep within his own mind to the point of blocking everything else out. Only making small signs of paying attention when he'd idly notice his hair being washed.

Kajetan was careful to squeeze out extra water without twisting or pulling strands before he moved to bowl to grab a towel. Slowly he patted the locks dry like he had his own. "There." He said offering a smile as he tucked the flower behind the man's ear once more.

Loreris came to, his good eye fluttering open as he gazed up at the sky. "Thank you..." He'd return the smile, leaning forward once more as he felt the familiar delicate weight of the flower behind his ear.

Kajetan shifted and stood up. "I lied. I am taking you to bed." He said with a warm laugh in his voice as he stood up and headed towards the house. "Though in my defense it simply is because there is better light inside and I don't have anywhere else to sit in there and I don't want to mess up your eye." He said with a grin as he stuck out his tongue.

Loreris arched a brow, chuckling softly as he stood to follow. "And they said I was the teasing one..."

Kajetan smirked as he opened the gate to the house. Inside the place was lit up by magical lights hanging from the ceiling. The entire place was filled with tables containing all sorts of interesting concoctions. It looked like a lab belonging to a mad scientist only... less creepy. Flowers and plants were all over the place along with books about them. In a corner of the room there was a bed, vanity, and a wardrobe. All three of them looked to have been shoved aside to make room for more tables for work. He gestured towards the bed. "Sit." he ordered with a smile.

Loreris looked around curiously, his gaze wandering up and all over the room. "Huh...Reminds me of the poison labs at the Uncrowned Lounge..." He'd mutter before sitting down on the bed as instructed, offering his best smile. "Now you get to play medic?" His tone nothing but teasing.

Kajetan looked at all his work and chuckled. "Well I don't make poisons though some of the stuff I have I suppose could be used to make them." He replied to that looking around. He moved to a bookcase against the wall and grabbed a satchel from the hook on the side of it before he came to sit down across from the man. "So tell me what happened and what I am going to see when I take those off? I would like to fix it not make it worse."

Loreris nodded slowly. "Well...I was wandering around Eversong for an early morning ride only to get ambushed by an arrogant Kaldorei bastard. We fought for a few hours till I got my killing blow for the cost of my eye." He'd gesture to the wound, giving a small smile. "It isn't going to look repairable to be honest."

Kajetan looked him over. "He actually damaged your eye?" He inquired pressing his lips together in a tight line as he thought it over.

Loreris only nodded, remaining perfectly still for Kaj to remove the bandages.

Kajetan hesitated. "Maybe... we should find a real healer.... I have enough coin." His words were spoke softly. From where he lived and how he lived he probably did have coin if he had been truthful about how much he got paid for what he had done for work.

Loreris shrugged, chuckling softly. "I already have, they've done the best they could. If you still wish to see then I have no problem with that." He'd offer a reassuring, soft smile.

Kajetan slowly leaned forward and began to very tenderly remove the bandages unsure of what else he would be able to do but he was willing to give it a shot.

Loreris sat still, taking a deep breath as he'd clear his mind; placing his trust in Kaj. Behind the bandages the smaller man would find that his entire eye was missing, leaving to look what was like a mix between a burn and cut wound. It didn't look the slightest repairable.

Kajetan looked at the empty socket and pressed his lips together firmly before blinking back what appeared to be tears.

Loreris only stared with a soft expression, offering a gentle smile as he extended his hand forward to gingerly wipe away the tears. "Now, now...tears don't look good on that lovely face." He'd say softly, trying to comfort Kaj in what little way he knew.

Kajetan let his fingers skitter lightly along the side of the man's face near the wound. He didn't say anything though as he offered a weak smile. He opened the satchel pulling items out from it. The first one looked like an ointment of sorts. It had an earthy smell as he opened the container. Reaching up he began to apply it to the damaged skin. "I... can't bring back an eye." He said softly.

Loreris smiling, flinching ever so slightly every once in a while from a light twinge of pain. "Don't fret over it, I didn't expect anyone to be able to." He'd reply. His hand brushing along the smaller man's cheekbone lightly.

The salve had a numbing sensation causing the area it touched to tingle before it slowly began to numb dulling any pain. The sadness never left his face; however, he didn't seem to be squeamish about it.

Loreris sighed in relief as the small amounts of pain dulled away, his smile turning ever softer. He'd look to Kaj with his good eye, brilliant emerald meeting sea green. "I'm fine, don't worry about it alright? I can take it." He'd give a soft chuckle, trying to bring up Kaj's mood.

Kajetan continued to place the salve on the wounded area till most of the jar was gone. With that he pulled out some bandages from the same bag before working on dressing it with the new bandages. "When it heals properly perhaps I can find you a magical replacement. I mean it wont be the same but it will give you something and will help keep debris out." It wouldn't come for free but he would talk about that another time.

Loreris chuckled before rolling his eye, giving a small sigh he'd look back at the shorter man. "I'm sure Fey will be thrilled with the knowledge of this..." With that he'd just let Kaj do his thing, knowing it was futile to argue with him.

Kajetan raised a brow. "Who is Fey?" he said hearing the new name not realizing it was a nickname.

Loreris eye widened as he mental face palmed. "Oh how stupid of me, Fey or Feyrah, is my adopted sister."

Kajetan canted his side to the side and smiled a little feeling a tad silly he had not made the simple name connection. "I am glad she will be happy." He finished the bandaging and stood up. He proceeded to strip right there without a care in the word for modesty as he draped the pants over the bed as he opened the wardrobe pulling out a beautiful white night robe that he slid on over his head turning back to the man. "Do you ever go to Outlands?" He inquired turning to look at the man.

Loreris was slightly tempted but had respect for his now friend, closing his good eye to block out and possible view. "I served a few contracts out there, yes." He'd reply, giving a nod as he kept his eye shut.

Kajetan turned around looking at the man with his closed eye and he laughed. "You meditating?" The reason behind his eye being closed.

Loreris huffed a laugh. "Are you decent?" He'd respond in a friendly manner.

Kajetan rolled his eyes letting out a laugh. "No. I am drop dead gorgeous not 'decent'." He said with a smirk trying not to laugh.

Loreris sighed, taking the risk of opening his eye once more. "Such the teasing little gardener." He'd shoot back, playfulness overflowing in his tone as he stood up to walk closer. Barely standing a foot away from the shorter man.

Kajetan gave the man a wicked grin at those words. "Nope wasn't teasing there. I am. Teasing would be if I decided to strip and not let you touch." He stuck his tongue out playfully at the man. "Though I need to get the dirt off my feet and wash my clothing." His index finger poked the man's bare chest as he smiled. At least he was back to smiling again.

Loreris pressed his hand a top Kaj's which was currently poking his chest; pressing his entire hand flat against his chest which was abnormally warm. "There's that smile." He'd give a playful wink, wanting to keep his friend happy.

Kajetan chuckled letting the man hold his hand there. rising to the tips of his toes he planted a kiss to the man's brow above the missing eye. "While you are warm and nice to touch it isn't getting the dirt and grass of my feet." He said pointing downward before grinning at the man.

Loreris let go of of the shorter man's hand, rolling his eye with a playful gleam. "Then you'd best get washed up." He'd chuckle softly, placing both hands on his hips while he watched Kaj contently.

Kajetan gave him a grin as he turned moving outside again. He fetched he used the soapy water and the damp towels that had been used for their hair to clean his feet off, realizing he had left his sandals inside. Grumbling, he opted to use the towels. Placing one under either foot of his, he grabbed the ends to hold them to his feet so he could walk back inside.

Loreris watched as the shorter man came walking in using towels as makeshift shoes, snickering a little bit. "Isn't that an entertaining sight..." He'd chime in a teasing fashion.

Kajetan simply grinned leaving them on the floor as he stepped over to the vanity slipping on the sandles that were next to it. "Mmm... well you know it is a new trend." A sly wink followed the words.

Loreris arched a brow, his playful aura still not fading. "Uh-huh...So is kissing up Garrosh's long dead ass..." He could help but snicker a bit, knowing a few orcs still do so.

Kajetan shook his head. "Is that an Orc thing?" he asked raising a brow almost pulling off deadpan. "And... since when is kissing anything a fashion statement?" he rolled his eyes and let out a laugh.

Loreris cantered his head from side to side. Pondering. "Eeeehhh I mean...I've overheard groups of orcs praising their long dead leader for his 'honorable' treatment towards the other horde races. Complete trash talk but oh well...I think I heard scream from a near by ally not too long after they left too." He'd tap a finger along his lip, eye darting back and forth as he pretended to be seriously thinking about it.

Kajetan was lost on the man's train of thoughts. His brow rose. "This has to do with towel shoes... how?" He said with a cuckle as he moved back outside to fetch the items he had left out there.

Loreris shrugged, giving a smile as he laughed full heartedly. "I don't know, my mind wanders sometimes." Clearly understating how often he gets lost within his own thoughts.

Kajetan smiled and shook his head as he gathered all the items in his arms. "You know it isn't nice to kill people because they are idiots." He teased as he walked back in and began to put things away.

Loreris held up his hands in defense, showing an 'innocent' expression. "Never said I killed them, I do contracts only....Most of the time..." His innocent expression faded away to reveal a sly grin, he knew he did wrong but just didn't care.

Kajetan turned rolling his eyes. There wasn't really any judgment there about the killing only in his next words. "You know you do stupid stuff one day you are going to wind up dead." He turned on his heal rising to the tips of his toes and swatted the man upside the head. "Then who is going to be there for your sister?"

Loreris accepted the smack upside the head with little care, giving the shorter man a neutral expression. "Her husband." He'd bluntly state, as if he didn't see a problem with him losing his life.

Kajetan narrowed his gaze at the man. His look was cold for the first time ever. "If you don't value your own life then I wouldn't trust you with mine." With that he turned his back and returned to putting items away. His breathing was a little off if the man was paying really close attention.

Loreris let out a barely audible sigh, taking soft steps which Kaj couldn't hear; he'd make a hesitant to wrap his arms around the shorter man in a warm embrace. "At times I wouldn't mind it, but most of the time I know it's not mine to give up." He'd utter softly, trying his best to comfort the other.

The arms felt nice, they really did but the pain and anger outweighed the comfort. Kajetan attempted to turn and get free of those arms.

Loreris pondered for a moment, then deciding it best not to let go; for the first time in a long while he didn't want to. "Kaj, please listen...At times I've thought it best to end myself, knowing it to be foolish and selfish. Now days the thought only crosses my mind for a split second, I've too many people I must care for to let my life go now." He'd say before finally letting the shorter man go, taking a few steps back to give him some space.

Kajetan let out a soft growl when he wasn't let go as he blinked back tears. When he was let go he turned around. "Life is precious. I don't recall anyone ever giving me a reason to live growing up. No one gave me an ounce of reason to value myself. I figured it out on my own and I did it on my own. If anything I had people degrade and devalue me for most of my life." His eyes narrowed. "I worked my whole life to find my own self worth and now that for the first time I am free to pick my own friends and perhaps even lovers. I have no time for you if find yourself expendable,” he finished the words poking the man in the chest with his pointer finger three times for emphasis.

Loreris sighed, lowering his head as he chose his words carefully. "Kaj...I'm just now learning that...When my parents broke me in, they drilled it into my head since birth that I was expendable. I never even knew what life until Feyrah came around, her magic brought a small joy to my dark shadowy corner called a heart." He'd give a weak smile, finally looking up. "Many of these scars aren't from combat...but from punishment, I carry those burdens and now accept contracts that allow me to eliminate people like my parents."

Kajetan didn't turn away again or take steps back. He stood there a foot away from the man his head tilted back to look up at the man. "Now it is your choice. Other people don't get to decide your value. You do."

Loreris looked straight into the shorter man's eyes, gazing for what seemed like hours to himself before he nodded. "Then...I choose life." His voice was still soft and gentle but burned with a newly kindled determination.

Kajetan didn't look away. When the man answered his expression softened a little as a hand moved up to touch the man's cheek.

Loreris leaned into the touch to his cheek, closing his eye briefly as his expression too softened up a bit. "I'm just now starting to set myself free..."

Kajetan gave a small nod before letting his head rest against the man's chest as his hand fell. Everything today had taken a lot of energy and his body was done. He let out a little yawn. "You... have somewhere to go?"

Loreris gently lifted a hand to run his fingers through Kaj's hair gently, letting him lean against him. "Indeed." He'd respond, knowing how tired the shorter man was just by how he was acting. "You must rest now."

Kajetan smiled softly reaching up once more to kiss him on his cheek. "I should finish cleaning things up." He said as he moved back to pick up the comb and return it to the vanity.

Loreris nodded slowly, letting the shorter man finish his sorting and putting back of things. "I'm not leaving till you're curled up in that bed and asleep." He'd chuckle softly, crossing his arms across his chest as he left no room for argument.

Kajetan rolled his eyes as he put everything away, leaving his clothing hung up to be washed later. With that he moved back to in front of the mirror and he began to comb though his long hair separating it into three parts which he braided over his left shoulder. "It is late. You don't need to stay till I am in bed."

Loreris walked up behind the shorter man, covering his eyes with a playful grin. He'd lower down a little bit before giving Kaj's cheek a light peck. "Consider that pay back for all the other times you've kissed me on the cheeks." He'd whisper in his ear softly, that same playful chuckle ringing out again. Only when vision returned, Loreris was gone; a blue rose left where he stood behind Kaj.

Chuckling, his hand rose to cover the one over his eyes a warm smile touching his lips. He didn't mind the kiss but when he went to turn to offer the man a smile he was gone. Kaj shook his head slightly picking the rose up from the floor. He twisted it around in his fingers and smiled. He finished with his hair before putting the flower to put it in a vase of water. Returning to the vanity, he used oils and lotions working them into his skin. When he finished, he moved to the bed, slid under the covers and curled up to go to sleep looking across at the rose one last time.

#Loreris #Kajetan #meeting #WoW #wyrmrest accord #wrymrest rp #rp #roleplay #first date #water fountain #blue rose #rogue

[dm-of-elemental-evil]

The Girl Thief, Chapter 2

Holmin has trained Mia in the craft of thievery and stealth for the past several years at Dal’s request, and she has proven to be a natural at it. But there are whispers of an organization looking for someone in Andoran, and Holmin has a direct confrontation with them.

The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie light over the skyline. The bells of Felwin Quarter echoed in the distance, tolling the curfew out to the city. Common folk and nobles alike made their ways to their homes and settled in for the night, content to close shop and keep their eyes on their wealth and belongings. Andoran was a town of thieves, first and foremost, and while Dalondrar was a thief of the day, Holmin and Mia were truly capers of the night. They strolled together across the rooftops, Holmin a few paces back, allowing Mia to take point.

Across the street, a masked figure lay across the edge of a chimney, lazily lifting a hand as greeting to the pair. Holmin raised his hand in response and Mia turned her head towards the man in acknowledgement. The dark purple of her kerchief wrapped over the lower half of her face blended with the shadows cast by the Tower of Fade. Holmin closed the gap between the two of them and tapped Mia’s shoulder. She paused, looking back towards him, and he made a few swift gestures.

Detour. Guard patrol. Forty paces ahead.

Mia nodded, adjusting her course slightly to the right and continued the journey to the Quon’Rath Quarter.

The city slept on, ignorant to the thieves on their rooftops. After nearly an hour of carefully picking their way across the clay shingles of the Felwin Quarter, the gated walls to Quon’Rath rose ahead of them. There was a tradesman’s workshop built flush with the brick of the walls that Mia and Holmin frequently used to reach the inside of the wealthy district.

“Same as always,” Holmin muttered. “Up you go, drop the rope. Difference this time though.”

Mia looked back, one eyebrow cocked in curiosity.

“This one is all you, Mia. I’ll keep an eye out on this side and you will be going straight for Lord Wren’s estate. If you run into anything that you can’t handle, you come back and get me. Got it?”

Mia nodded sharply, glad for the mask over her face to hide the smirk. This was her chance to prove herself, without Holmin’s assistance. They had been thieves together for almost six years, and only now was Holmin letting Mia do a job on her own. He crouched at the base of the wall and hoisted Mia’s small form over the edge, then settled in to wait.

Hours passed. Four guard patrols had passed through the gates to the Quon’Rath Quarter, Holmin’s only method of keeping track of the time. The fifth patrol did not arrive. That was Holmin’s first hint that something was amiss. Faintly, to his left, further down the wall from the gate, there were footsteps echoing across tiled rooftops. His hands went to the daggers hidden under his cloak, gripping the hilts of them and readying himself.

There was practically no warning. There was a slight thrum and Holmin ducked to avoid the crossbow quarrel that clattered against the brick. Coming out of a roll, Holmin flung one of the daggers in the direction of the shot. There was a thud of the blade meeting flesh and he grinned when he heard the body hit the cobbles twenty feet below. Two more shadowy figures were approaching from that side now, but the footsteps that Holmin heard told him that there were at least a half a dozen others climbing from other sides of the building.

I’m good, but I’m not that good.

He took the advantage, dashing towards the two that had already reached the roof. A shortsword, blackened by charcoal to mitigate the reflection of the moonlight, swung through the air from the one on the right. Holmin ducked the blow, letting it glance off of the reinforced leather mounted on his left shoulder as he savagely drove his dagger into the figure’s ribs. There was a grunt and Holmin quickly twisted the blade and pulled it out, crouching and dashing behind the falling form to avoid the blow of his comrade. The others had reached the rooftop battlefield now, and Holmin did not believe his chances to be good.

He quickly stepped over the prone body in front of him, using his free hand to grab the other’s wrist and stabbing his neck, using the force of the attack to pull the assailant to the ground. A crossbow bolt thudded into his shoulder, sending a dull throbbing pain through his arm and nearly forcing him to drop his dagger. He immediately began to run to the edge of the building, leaping across the street below and landing heavily on the roof on the other side. He rolled with the movement and immediately regretted it as his wounded shoulder scraped along the shingles.

Holmin pushed through the pain, coming to his feet and sprinting away. He had nearly reached the next street when a whirring noise reached his ears. It was too late for him to react, as the weighted chain entwined his ankles and he landed heavily on his chin. Groaning, he rolled over, struggling to free himself, but the cloaked figures had already reached him.

“You will be answering some questions for us, Holmin Taras.” The voice echoing from that hooded cowl was strange and alien, as though the speaker was underwater. “You will come with us.”

A sudden wave of exhaustion swept over Holmin, and a veil of dark blue bore him away from that rooftop.

“Mr. Taras. It would be beneficial for all of us if you would wake up now. Time is, as you might be aware, of the essence.”

Holmin stirred slowly. His fingers had lost some feeling, and he realized they had been roughly bound behind him, behind the chair on which he was seated. He twisted his wrists slightly, testing the knots and the tightness of the rope. It would be painful, but he had escaped from more difficult bonds, even at only fifteen years old.

Instead, however, he brought his gaze up to the individual staring down at him. The sneer on the elven man’s face was cruel, but the glint in his eyes belied a confident superiority. Long blonde hair, most of it pulled back to keep it from interfering, cascaded down the man’s back.

“I will ask you but once, Mr. Taras,” the man whispered softly. “Where is the heiress?”

The question brought legitimate confusion for Holmin.

“Who the hell is the heiress?”

The elf sighed. “You have been under the care of a dwarf. Certainly not going by his real name, but a confidence man and a thief nonetheless. He took someone from my mistress, and she wishes to have her property returned.”

“And what? Kill the dwarf?”

“Certainly not!” The elf looked mortified at the suggestion. “If he were willing, we would bring him into our employ. Such skills are very useful to one as influential as my mistress. But I digress.”

Holmin maintained a stoic glare throughout the conversation, despite straining against his bonds behind his back. He felt something about to give way and paused.

“And if I don’t know where this dwarf is?”

“Well, then I’ll leave you to a few of my compatriots. They could do with a little bit of practice.”

Four individuals stepped forward from around the room, each one horribly scarred and nearly unrecognizable. Black strips of cloth wound around their thighs and waists, wrapped loosely enough to afford full range of movement. Thick dark grey boots adorned each of their feet, and from the silence of their footfalls, Holmin suspected they were true thieves’ boots, with softly padded soles and bare tips for traction.

Holmin swung his gaze back up to the leader. Between strands of pale blonde hair, piercing blue eyes stared down at him. Cruelty. And hatred. And... devotion? Holmin scowled back. I never did pick up Dal’s gift for reading people. But I hope I still have a few years left to learn. “I don’t know anything about a dwarf.”

The elf sighed and made a gesture to the arranged men. “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Mr. Taras. We will find him ourselves, I suppose.” He spun on his heel, striding out of the room without so much as a glance back at where Holmin sat. If he had, he might have paused at the smirk that still graced the young half-elf’s lips. The door shut with a soft click behind him, and Holmin’s would-be killers advanced, each pulling out a knife.

Before they could react, Holmin had tugged at the ropes around his wrists and leaped from the chair. One of the blades swung to meet him, but his palm caught the assailant’s forearm as his knee rose to crush the man’s hip. There was a satisfying crack, and the man slumped to the side, temporarily losing his grip on the dagger. Holmin caught it and drove it into the thug’s neck, then quickly twisting around the quickly falling body.

The sharp pain in his abdomen told him that he hadn’t been quite quick enough, and as another knife slashed across his back, Holmin thought, not for the first time, that this might be the last day of his life. He shoved the unwelcome notion from his mind, instead focusing on the fight at hand.

Spinning around the first assailant’s cooling corpse put the other three in view. Two of their blades gleamed red in the low light, and Holmin’s eyes narrowed at them. I’ll be getting paid back for that in kind. The first of the three lunged forwards, his knife quickly closing the space between them, but Holmin was fast, and at a mere fifteen years old, he was smaller and more agile than the assassin in front of him. Holmin’s stolen dagger darted into the man’s chest, then back out and into the side of his rib cage. Dancing away, he managed to avoid the other two swipes coming from the second attacker, but the third individual took Holmin by surprise. He ducked under the man’s arm as he stabbed forward, but the assailant suddenly spun the hilt of the knife around and jabbed the blade into Holmin’s back, nearly driving it into his shoulder blade. He grunted at the blow, but then drove his own dagger through the soft flesh directly below the assassin’s chin. No sound escaped the man’s lips as he slumped to the ground, but the weight of his body dragged Holmin’s knife down with it.

The last man was advancing slowly, his mangled facial features peeling back in a grin. Holmin snarled, pulled his hand free and lunged forward, reaching for the thug’s ankles. He ducked at the last second to avoid the swipe of the blade, then grabbed one of the man’s legs and pulled it out from under him. One of the daggers had landed near him, and he quickly picked it up and plunged it into the assassin’s back three times in rapid succession. Panting, blood oozing from the various wounds on his body, Holmin stood.

Mia. Dal. They are in danger. I’ve got... a plan isn’t the right word. I’ve got an idea. He walked to the door, carefully pushing the large piece of worked iron open and peering outside. It opened to an expansive underground chamber, but it looked to be no more than another basement in the city. The size of it made him think it might be the Sky District, but he would need to be outside in order to know for sure. He smiled as he looked in the corner of the room. His belongings, piled like rubbish among the gathered equipment of an untold number of others. They’ve been busy. Fingers crossed... All of his gear seemed to be present, including, much to Holmin’s pleasure, three carefully packed vials of alchemist’s fire. Mia... Holmin’s smile was tinged with sadness. I’ll protect you. And... I’m sorry.

Holmin gathered his equipment and made his way outside. The rest of the building held minimal hints, but for a single note left on the main floor, presumably for the four men whose lives he had just ended. “Claw, return to Katheer. The dwarf will wait another day. Maintain vigil for hints to the heiress’ whereabouts.”

Holmin grinned, tossing one of the vials in his hand. I’ll see you some day, Mia. I promise. Without looking, he flung the glass-encased flame behind him, then left the city.

#The Unbranded Rebellion #Holmin Blue Taras #Mia #And I would write Mia's last name in the tags #It's finally here #enjoy