#darius dutiful day

[gingericywolf]

The sun is showing up on Isla Nublar after a long night. Temperatures are rising and humidity leaves the underbush in a soft mist. Another Day is starting and we get the opportunity to follow one subject of our choice.

Ben has been taken out and is currently unavaible for this operation - he would have had a too strong advantage - There may be a choice here that could bring him in the picture.

PLEASE REBLOG to reach everyone in the fandom!

Edit: wow Darius really sweeped the win in this poll! The gap is big enough I call the vote now closed and you guys have unlocked Darius Dutiful Day!

[-] - [Next]

#and it's not bumpy #jwcc #camp cretaceous #jurassic world: camp cretaceous #interactive game #polls #waiting for chaos theory #darius bowman #brooklynn jwcc #sammy gutierrez #yasmina fadoula #kenji kon #bumpy jwcc #dinosaurs #isla nublar #sadly I can only do a 1 day poll or a 1 week one #i think i will go for the longer time on the first one and maybe and then see how it goes #darius dutiful day

[whumpsoda]

I raise that anon who raised you.

Vampire keeps their thrall hypnotized so they do all the chores without making a fuss and so they don't accidentally hurt themselves bruising or spilling any of their precious blood.

Whumpee breaks out of it randomly by something silly like a sneeze and comes back to hella confusing circumstances.

WOHEO Masterlist

Love this sm. Kinda mad cause I wrote all of it and then realized I was originally gonna go in a very different direction😭

cw: hypnosis, dehumanization, vampire whumper, human whumpee

———————————————————————

Nevan smiled contentedly to himself as a pile of dust flew into the pan. The broom, brittle and old scratched against the hardwood flooring of the mansion. Satisfied, he carefully poured the dust pan’s contents into a nearby trash can.

He had almost done all of the cleaning for the abode, the only room left being one of the many dedicated for storage. Nevan always felt exceedingly proud of himself for fulfilling his sanitation duties so well, even if there wasn’t much to clean when he repeated the same tasks every single day.

Darius liked his home spotless, and Nevan was more than happy to oblige to the wills of his master. Cleaning was the one thing he was notably good at, subsequently making it his sole job in Darius’ home. Besides being a food source, of course.

Transferring to the next room to be cleaned, Nevan was giddy with the thought of receiving his promised reward. 

Cleaning was his purpose, his sole job in life, so there was really no need for a reward. Yet, Darius was so kind hearted and generous, that he always promised his thrall a reward for his work. Whether it be presenting him with another place to cleanse or an extra feeding for that week, Nevan was over the moon simply with knowing he had pleased the vampire.

Nevan studied the mess he was presented with. The storage rooms were always a bit arduous to take care of, mainly due to the overwhelming clutter that had formed over centuries. 

He began with a smaller brush, sweeping the tops of boxes and junk. Before he knew it, whatever dirt inhabited the room had unsurprisingly mixed with the air, floating into and itching at his nostrils. 

He leaned his head back, readying himself for a sneeze.

Seering pain sliced through his brain as his body forcibly doubled over, almost as if splitting his head in half. Nevan clutched his head desperately, stumbling and slipping over his feet. He pulled frantically at his hair, the agony spreading to his scalp as well.

The human dropped onto sore knees, expelling a distraught whine. He panted heavily, attempting to settle himself. 

Luckily, after an endless repetition of deep, calming breaths, the pain subsided into a faint throb. Nevan groaned, rubbing at his tear prickled eyes. Out of reach thoughts danced inside his mind, too rapid to be coherent.

Holding his head in one hand, he forced open his soggy eyes. Gazing down at his own lap, confusion began to settle in.

How did-? Why was he…? Cleaning supplies?

Clutching the short broom in his hand, he noticed what was under it. “What?” He groaned, grabbing at the fabric covering his lower body. Whatever it was, it was large, frilly, and itchy, a terrible combination.

Nevan felt around, pressing his palms to the floor and pushing himself onto wobbly legs. He clung to a tall stack of cardboard boxes, his knees buckling. He took in the room, filled to the brim with piled up rubbish. 

Particularly, Nevan’s gaze landed on a long, thin mirror several feet away. He shuddered, digesting the image of the figure reflected. 

It was him. The reflection held Nevan’s eyes, Nevan’s moles, Nevan’s nose, yet they looked so different. Like a failed clone. His hair was lengthy with a healthy shine, his face and body meticulously clean shaven, and he wore a grand, luxurious dress. 

Worrying of all, were the achining wounds in his neck. Red, oozing and sore, Nevan gaped at the sight.

It couldn’t be him. Nevan didn’t do those things. He kept his hair short and easily manageable, he never gave a second thought to body and facial hair, and he sure as hell had never been very comfortable in a dress. He began grabbing at the excessive tool covering his thighs, trying to ease the irritation on his skin.

Once again, the burning sensation returned full force, tearing apart his brain in a wave of remembrance. 

Fear settled over him, a whimper catching in his throat. He was in a vampire’s home. Caught in a web of mind-bending magic, and by some miracle had broken through. His breathing quickened, short and frantic. 

What would he do? What could he do? If he got caught, there wasn’t a chance he’d ever get the opportunity to escape again. Maybe the monster would be so angry, they’d kill him.

“Nevan? Are you almost finished with your chores?” His heart stopped. Nevan lifted a trembling hand to his mouth, pushing his back against the objects behind him. “Where are you?” They called. 

Nevan slid down the boxed, landing on his bottom. Darius was close. Too close. If he tried to leave now, he would surely be caught, but the same was ensured if he didn’t.

Footsteps picked up, the clicking sound of Darius’ heels growing closer. “There you are.” Carefully, Nevan turned his head to face the beast, meeting a wicked grin. “Are you ready for your reward? I’m especially hungry today.” They said, adjusting the collar of their jacket.

Nevan let out a whimper and a snivel, alarms blaring inside his head. The vampire paused, studying him, his smile contorting into a confused frown. “What’s wrong? What did you do? You shouldn’t look like that.” 

Darius reached their hand out, taking several steps toward the human. Instinctively, Nevan hysterically crawled in the opposite direction, knocking over a pile of random contents. 

Darius met the other man’s stare, his eyes just as wide-eyed as Nevan. Slowly, as if faced with a wild animal, he descended to the floor, resting one knee to the ground. As the human continued to make a mess, Darius reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a glistening little item between two fingers.

Nevan recognized it instantly, squealing with terror as he violently shook his head. “Please! Don’t, please, I can’t-!” Ignoring the human’s pleads, Darius lightly began ringing the tiny bell in his hand. 

The ringing, no matter how light, how delicate, held a commanding, unexplainable presence. Betrayed by his own body, Nevan was unable to cover his ears as means of blocking the noise. The sound was soft, almost musical, causing Nevan’s terrified heart to flutter against his will.

“Come here, little servant.” The vampire sang. He began to lean into the constant ringing, as well as the glossy voice of his owner. “That’s right, return back to master.” Darius beckoned him over, settling onto both knees comfortably. 

The matter of his mind was melting, replaced with the weight of the bell’s authority. Lazily, the terrified shake if his body liquefying, Nevan shifted onto his hands and knees. Mesmerized by the sound licking his ears, he clumsily crawled closer, to Darius’ satisfaction.

“Good boy, almost there. Nothing is more important than the bell, isn’t that right?” The movement of the object never ceased. 

He smiled. That was right. It was Nevan’s bell, captivating and alluring. The only thing possibly more significant was Darius.

He soon reached the vampire, resting onto his knees with glazed over eyes. Darius gently placed the bell to the floor, ending the loop of hypnotic noise. He tenderly cupped Nevan’s cheek, caressing it with his thumb.

The vampire took a moment to adjust Nevan’s body, picking up limbs and turning his face as if he was searching for something. After a moment, he let out a sigh of relief. “I would’ve been very upset if you managed to lose some of your delectable blood in all that panic. Fortunate for you, it seems you didn’t.”

Nevan would’ve been utterly distraught had he made such a mistake. What a terrible thrall he was even risking it. “Now, are you ready for your reward?” He nuzzled into his master’s comforting touch.

In no other universe could he have been more ready.

#This one didn’t really turn out as good as I had hoped :/ #whump #pet whump #brainwashing #mind control whump #whump writing #asks :) #My writing #vampire whumper #vampire whump #vampire #human whumpee #hypnosis #whumpblr #Nevan oc #Darius oc #we only have each other

[jennaray143]

Golden days Au Headcanons for Darius

- As you already know he calls Hunter “little Prince” or “kid”

- Since Hunter actually lives with him he does much more domestic stuff than Raine and Adrian (bath time, bed time routine, meals, etc.)

- Hunter being his ‘assignment’ means he’s basically a stay at home parent but he still has out of castle duties from time to time, so he often leaves Hunter with Raine or Adrian

- Hunter has nightmares sometimes and is afraid of thunder so often he’ll crawl out of bed to go to Darius’s room, Darius will let him sleep in his bed with him mainly because he’s too tired to argue with a teary eyed Hunter

- Darius is not a singer but Hunter likes it when he hums (something about his deep voice is calming) so he’ll ask Darius to him lullabies sometimes.

- He wasn’t big on physical affection at first but warmed up to it over time (hair ruffles, hugs, foreheads/bedtime kisses)

- He’s Hunter’s favorite, if the boy is with Adrian or Raine and gets scared he’ll ask for Darius and the man has to drop whatever’s he’s doing to go and pick him up

- Darius was aware that Hunter looked very much like his mentor but he didn’t pin point it to being a clone until the boy got much older and instead thought it was just cruel humorous luck.

- He bought parenting books because he didn’t want to fully depend on Adrian

- Since Darius is the king of self care you better believe these two have had spa days together, or at least to the extent that a toddler would enjoy.

- Hunter will cry is he sees Darius without abomination goop on his head, so he always has to have it on

- He works out at home and Hunter likes to help, he’ll sit on Darius’s back when he doing push ups and count to as high of a number as he knows or sit on his shoulders while he does squats or lunges (when Hunter was an infant Darius would set him in his lap while he did sit ups, it always made Hunter giggle to watch Darius lie down and sit back up again and again)

- Hunter’s crib stayed in the living room but when he got old enough for a big boy bed Darius cleaned out his walk in closet to make a room for the kid (to which Raine was very smug about)

- He’ll never admit it but he loved picking out little outfits for Hunter wear when he was a baby and it took everything in him to not post pictures on penstagram to which he failed on multiple occasions

- There’s so much more I could say about this man but I’m tired so this is it for now

#toh #the owl house #fanfic #toh fandom #toh hunter #baby hunter #fanart #emperor's coven #toh fanfic #toh fanart #dadrius #darius deamonne #raine whispers #toh covens #adrian graye #fan theory #abomination coven #ocd darius

[thesweetnessofspring]

I loved your regency!everlark fake fic! I saw that you said your regency one shot is totally different. Is there anything you can share about that fic?

Thank you so much! As for the one-shot, it originally came to me because I was seeing a lot of Regency stuff on my dash and then @peettamellarrk made a post about wanting a fic of Gale getting cucked by Peeta and my mind sort of ended up blending the two together. I had several ideas for this possible premise but the replies seemed to favor an absolutely cucked Gale. So this is not going to be a sweet wholesome proper Regency type of fic.

The premise is Captain Gale Hawthorne hires renowned artist Peeta Mellark to paint a portrait of his bride. And he'll come to regret that.

First few paragraphs under the cut:

Katniss Everdeen had no choice but to marry Captain Hawthorne.

Her father died of an unexpected illness and she, her mother, and her sister had been living off of her cousin Thom Everdeen’s temporary goodwill. He did not evict them when he moved into their former home, though Katniss knew the day would come that the three women would find themselves removed. 

Thom’s friend, Captain Gale Hawthorne, had become rich from the war and now returned, seeking a wife for his new estate. Tall, serious, dark, and handsome, he’d been the talk of the neighborhood and every eligible woman had hoped to gain his affection. However, Thom had his ear and Katniss resided in the same house during his stay and most crucially, Admiral Darius Keeper had danced thrice with Katniss at the assembly hall one evening. Not to be outdone, Captain Hawthorne proposed the next day and she could do nothing but accept. It was a good match. Advantageous for her, even, as Captain Hawthorne had reminded her during his proposal. And at twenty-four, she was unlikely to receive another offer.

They married in June and despite her mother describing what to expect of her wedding night, it still hurt as she was introduced to her wifely duties, no matter how experienced the Captain had been in preparing her. A week following the wedding, she no longer felt pain when he went inside her, but she still dreaded the evening when her husband came into her chambers. After he was done, she rolled out from under him and hoped he left. With his needs completed, he retired to his own bed.

As a wedding present and to fill his new home, Captain Hawthorne commissioned a renowned painter, Mr. Peeta Mellark, to paint a portrait of his wife. The artist was to stay with them for two weeks while working on the painting.

Captain Hawthorne had spent such time boasting of the reputation Mr. Mellark had that when Katniss saw him for the first time, she couldn’t deny her surprise. He could be no more than thirty, with blond curls and a broad frame and such genial eyes. Katniss felt strange as her husband introduced her to the artist, wishing she could reach out her hand to him, but knowing all they could do was incline their heads to one another.

#talking fanfic #regency!everlark #sneak peek

[kittiwittebane]

Emperor’s Ball AU!

Also posted on my AO3 account, Kittimoonshadow

AU where the rebels used Willow to bait Hunter from duties so they could be rebellious!

Enjoy!

_____________

TIME ZONE: BETWEEN HUNTING PALISMAN AND HOLLOW MIND.

THIRD POV: Willow

The school bell rang for the end of the day at hexside. Willow, Luz, Gus and Amity walked out of school together giggling.

“Tonight is the emperor’s ball.” Luz started. “It’s the only time that The Emperor’s chamber is unguarded by proper officials, such as the Golden Guard.”

Amity, Willow and Gus nodded.

“The only problem is, Luz, is that that is only true when he has a date to the dance.” Amity explained. “Leading a rebel mission would be useless as any other time.”

Luz thought for a moment. Then she began to speak, “Who would want to be the date for him? He probably has people all over the isles wanting to be his date to the dance, but we need to know this person and they have to be on our side so that we can make sure we aren’t caught.”

Gus looked in Willow’s direction way too quickly. Willow glared at Gus.

“No. Not happening.” she mouthed. Gus glared at her. This went on for about five minutes as Luz and Amity were brainstorming.

“What about Willow?’ Luz blurted out. This caught Willow off guard. She whipped her head around to face the duo, eyes like daggers.

“I am not going with him. I- I don’t know if i can trust him!” she stammered.

This was a complete lie. She wanted to go with him and was currently trying to get rid of this little developing crush she had, knowing it would be problematic. She wanted to but didn’t because she also hated the fact she thought he was kind.

“But Willlowwww… we need someone to do this and we know he’s got a soft spot for you out of all of the rebels. I don’t think he even knows you are one!”

Willow looked at the pleading faces of her friends. She sighed.

“O-ok.” she gave in pretty quickly. “I’ll ask him to the dance.”

Willow looked at the clock. 3:30. She grabbed her scroll and opened Penstagram.

__________________

ABOUT 2:15PM: THIRD POV: Hunter

Hunter looked at his scroll and then back at himself in the mirror over many times, deciding if he should ask Willow to the dance. She’d probably say no… but then again what if she didn’t and he got to go to the dance with her? He shook his head. Darius barged into his room unannounced and saw Hunter looking at himself in the mirror.

“So.. Little Prince, who’s getting asked to the ball?” Darius asked. But it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. That one girl he’d played flyer derby with that he liked all the Penstagram posts of.

“Uhm. Captain Willow Park would be a suitable choice for-”

“And how will Belos react when you bring a civilian to the dance. I know you are in love with her but…”

Hunter pulled an Amity. He scoffed. “I am not in love with her. Whatever that means.” Darius raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes.

“Don’t you think she’s very pretty, Little Prince?” Darius began, internally hoping he wasn’t about to get another monologue on how amazing Captain Willow Park was.

“Well yes, Captain is-”

“Nope.” Darius put his finger on the blondie’s mouth. “Shh.”

“Well, how am I going to ask her?” the golden boy stubbornly asked. Darius sighed exaggeratedly.

“In person, of course.”

Hunter blushed at the idea.

___________________

AROUND 2:45PM

Hunter nervously put on his formal suit, hoping he wouldn’t have to do his duty tonight and Willow would say yes.

“Should I bring flowers?” Hunter asked. “No, wait, she’s a plant witch. It’s stupid.”

“No, of course you should. Always do that when asking a girl to dance.” Darius informed him. “It’s common courtesy.”

Hunter nodded. He looked outside the window, staring into the direction of Bonesborough. He then looked at his Golden Guard mask, suddenly having the feeling to regret everything he was about to do.

“Um, on second thought this may not be a great idea.” he spluttered. “Why would she ever want to go to a dance with me? A-and what about her dads? They’ll hate me.”

Darius rolled his eyes and decided to just let Hunter ramble. The list of why he shouldn’t do this went on for ten minutes somehow, before the Golden boy ran out of ideas.

“How about you say why you should do it?” Darius suggested. Hunter looked at Darius as if that was the most despicable suggestion.

“Wha-what- wha is there?! She’s so-”

And then Darius endured a five minute monologue of Willow’s amazing qualities and another five minute monologue on how horrible he was compared to her.

“Oh just shut your trap, will you? Just do it. Now let’s get to Bonesborough so we can pick out some flowers.

---------------------------

AROUND 3:20

Hunter looked at the wide variety of flowers that laid before him. Many colours, kinds, breeds and shapes. Then one caught his eye. He gasped.

“What are those?” He pointed to some yellow flowers that looked a bit like roses. Darius took a thorough look at the label.

“It appears to be something called a Fangnunclawlus.” Daries huffed. “‘Meaning: happiness, joy and positive feelings.’”

(Ranunculus/Persian Buttercup)

Darius refrained himself from saying the next part. He did not want to spend five hours looking for flowers that didn’t have a love meaning.

“Perfect!” Hunter smiled. Darius caught himself admiring the boy’s happiness. He shook it off. He didn’t care about Hunter’s little girlfriend crisis! That’s Belos’s problem!

Hunter had been to Willow’s house before and knew where it was and what it looked like. He walked around to it and stopped in front of it, putting his mask on and holding his Fangnunclawlus Bouquet in both hands. He took a deep breath in.

“Darius you know I’m having second- no third- or fourth thoughts about this, how about we- Darius what are you-”

Hunter didn’t have time to speak as Darius grabbed him and dragged him to the front door, knocking on it himself.

Oh Titan.

-------------------------------

SAME TIME CORRELATION: THIRD POV: Primarily Willow and Hunter

A knock sounded at the door just as Willow went to pick up her scroll. Her dads were in the garden so she called out to them and went to open the door. She unlocked the rigid wooden door that needed to be replaced and opened it only to be greeted with the mask of no one other than the Golden Guard and Sir Darius Deamonne.

“What are you guys doing here?” she asked, stunned by their sudden visit.

“Sir Golden Guard! Sir Deamonne! How can we help you?” Gilbert asked, nearly scaring the living daylights out of his daughter. She turned to her dads and then back to the two high persons.

Darius sighed before speaking. “The Golden Guard wants to ask something.”

Hunter squeaked.

Willow’s head tilted slightly, but not before catching a glimpse of flowers behind the boy’s back.

Darius groaned. “He wants to know if…” and he pushed Hunter towards the Parks’, nearly having him topple over. He was frozen. What should he do?!

“Uh- Willow- me- uh- the ball, maybe? I don’t know this was a bad idea, I’ll just be going now!” he started before Darius grabbed him by the shoulders, turning him back to his plant girl and her parents.

“He would like to know if your daughter would go to the Emperor’s Ball with him. Have no worries on age, he is 16. And I’m pretty sure he has a-”

“YES THAT IS ALL THANK YOU DARIUS.” Hunter spoke loudly. He shoved the flowers into Willow’s chest aggressively, although of course it did not concern her in the slightest.

“I got them for you if you want them.” he stuttered. Willow was too stunned to speak. She wanted to say yes, but what about her dads?

“Well Willow?” Gilbert asked. She turned around.

“You’re going to let me?” she asked. Gilbert nodded.

“I think you will be in good hands with the emperor.”

Willow nodded. She texted her friends:

HELLO_WILLOW

Time to be rebels 👍

BADGIRLCOVEN

YESSS WILLOWWWW 😁

WITCHCHICK128

Awesome work Willow!

ILLUSIONS.GUS92

I have to give you credit Willow. I didn’t think you’d pull it off. Hunter’s a pain.

______________

Meanwhile on the other side of the screen, Willow cursed herself for what she was about to do.

PART 2 COMING SOON!

And by soon I mean after January 20 because I’m going out of the country! (No internet lmao)

#hunter toh #hunter deamonne #hunter noceda #hunter wittebane #the owl house #toh #dana terrace #huntlow #willow park #winter #winter TOH #Huntlow au #darius deamonne #toh darius #Darius TOH #dadrius #the owl house au #amity blight #amity TOH #TOH amity #Gus TOH #TOH Gus #Gus porter #Augustus porter #luz noceda #luz toh #the owl house luz #TOH Luz #hunter the owl house #gilbert and harvey

[somewhatgoodatart]

Redesign edits for my OpenMind!AU

Context

Hunter

currently training as the Golden Guard under Darius' care after his father (the previous Guard) passed away

bonded with Flapjack before he even started training

Luz

taken in by Phillip after landing in the Conformatorium when she first arrived on the Isles

quickly befriended the Collector

gets trained by both Phillip and Eda (cue antics)

Willow & Gus

they ran into Luz and Hunter seperately and had Coven Scouts show up at their door a few days later, delivering two mentorship offers from the Plant and Illusion Coven

aside from their usual lessons they usually shadow Hunter along with Luz to prepare for future Coven duties

Amity

still gets mentored by Lilith, though mostly in the workings of the Emperor's Coven

her Abomination & combat training gets handled by Darius

Phillip/Emperor Belos

takes one descendant from every Clawthorne-Wittebane generation as an apprentice, which turned into generations of Golden Guards serving him through his rise to power

anominously helped Eda get the treatment for her curse, though there's only so much he can do since he can't exactly show up on her doorstep and Gwendolyn is very stubborn

compensates his own lack of children by adopting every teenager in sight, regardless of whether or not they already have parents

handles his curse through an elixer he invented

Lilith

Head of the Emperor's Coven

shared the curse with Eda after Belos' let it slip that that's possible

still keeps trying to recruit her sister because she would love to work with her sister again, instead of against her

slightly less annoyed by Hunter, actually takes the time to nerd out with him and Luz

loves teaching Amity, basically shares custody over her with Darius (bc f her parents)

Eda

low-level criminal (since wild magic isn't outright banned)

mostly annoys Coven Scouts, her sister and Phillip

ordered to train Luz since her ending up on the Isles is mainly her fault (she quickly grows on her)

she wouldn't have to follow the order but she loves the opportunity to corrupt her many-times-great uncle's ward

#the owl house #toh fanart #toh edit #toh hunter #toh luz #luz noceda #toh gus #gus porter #toh willow #willow park #toh amity #amity blight #toh belos #phillip wittebane #toh lilith #lilith clawthorne #toh eda #edalyn clawthorne #open mind au

[jellymeduza]

1250 followers gift - take a peek at my medievalish fantasy game (part 2/?)

part 1

And we return to Dunceville to pay a visit to the royals. I'll try to give this time my characters a longer backstory as this neighbourhood is much older than Darkville. Let's start with Claudiuses.

Until recently the head of the house was king August the Mad. His wife was queen Bona.

They both died of old age - Bona died first having reached her lifetime want - to have 6 grandchildren. She achieved it pretty early as her younger son has 11 children (all out of wedlock). She never met those kids, but she ordered her servants to inform her. She was happy her bloodline is so strong, so she pretended she didn't know about Caligula's affairs. Her aspiration was family (obviously). Personality: 7/4/1/8/5, light sleeper

August the Mad surely deserved his nickname - his wife died during their golden jubilee and he still deemed it the best party ever. 🤣 He was also flirting during that party with Victoria the Elder Darius. Why not? 🤷‍♀️He outlived his wife by mere few days. His first aspiration was family and second fortune. He's maxed his logic and charisma skills, and had 5 points of condition and creativity. Personality: 5/9/3/8/0, insane

forgive me an outdated picture - I bought them a new throne with a blue sitting

August and Bona had got 3 children: Arthur, Cecylia and Caligula.

Following the death of August the Mad, Arthur became new king and shares his kingdom with his father-in-law, Konrad the Ginger. He's dutiful and noble, but a bit naive. He loves his wife dearly - she's probably the only person for whom he's willing to bent the law. He admires her for the strength of her character, independence and wit. He also cares for his sister, Cecylia Darius.

However, his got terrible realtionship with his brother - they are enemies. After Bona's death family stopped ignoring Caligula's affairs, which resulted in numerous arguments. One day Caligula tried to flirt with his sister-in-law, which Fiona didn't take lightly. Although heavily pregnant at the time, she drew a sword and started a fight with Caligula. Unfortunately, defending himself Caligula accidentally killed her and ran away in panic. Distraught, Arthur called for the wizard serving at Dariuses' court, but it was too late to help Fiona. Wizard, Eugene Magic, consulted his family and they came up with a way to bring the queen back. Fiona was brought back, but something went wrong during the rite (probably due to the blood curse) and she returned as a vampire. Wizards are afraid that reverting vampirism might also revert bringing the queen back, so they can't currently cure her. While Arthur's love hasn't faltered, his wife's condition scares him. The first days were especially difficult as she was trying to bite him all the time, not being able to sate her thirst. Luckily, smart plantman living in the rural area is growing special fruit that works as a substitute for blood. Fiona's vampirism is a strictly confidential information known only to the Claudiuses, the Dariuses and the clan of witches.

Arthur's personality: 5/3/7/3/7, good, hopeless romantic. His first aspiration is family and second is popularity. He's got condition maxed, 8 points of charisma and 5 points of logic and mechanical. His favourite colour is blue.

Fiona was born to the royal house of Darius and was married into the house of Claudius. She's daughter of Victoria the Elder and Konrad the Ginger and sister to Władysław IV. At first she was highly sceptical of her engagement to Arthur (she's got red memory). She was worried he would perceive her the way her brother does - as someone weaker and dependent, while she is certain she would make a much better ruler than Władysław IV - he only had the luck of being born a man. But eventually Arthur gained her respect (and heart) and they make a pretty happy marriage. Fiona likes reading about new inventions and sparring duels with her husband. Thanks to plasma fruit and potions that allow her to walk in the sunlight her vampirism is quite bearable. She hates Caligula with burning passion, but is friends with Cecylia Darius and the noble house of Watch.

Fiona's personality: 5/8/6/3/3, adventurous, brave, ambitious. Her first aspiration is family and second is knowledge. Her favourite colour is black. She's logical (7 points), she also has 6 points of condition and 5 points of creativity.

Arthur and Fiona have got 4 children: Julia, Agrippa, Victoria and Kunegunda. All kids are friends with their royal cousins of house Darius.

Julia (the girl in blue dress) is the eldest child. Personality: 10/10/4/4/7, brave, good, snob. Her favourite colour is blue.

Agrippa is the second child and only son. Personality: 5/8/6/3/3 (he takes after his mother), brave, good, animal lover. His favourite colour is blue.

Victoria (the girl in red dress) is the third child and as a part of peace agreement wears the colours of house Darius. She doesn't mind that as red is her favourite colour. Personality: 5/3/7/3/7, heavy sleeper, absent-minded.

Kunegunda is the fourth child and is still a baby. She was born after Fiona's revival (technically she was revived together with her mother) and she was born with red eyes. Personality: 10/1/10/3/3

Claudiuses have got a cat - Alegra. They bought her when she was a kitten. Alegra is genius, mid between lazy and hyper, mid between independant and friendly, cowardly, finicky.

Following the accident (he didn't mean to kill Fiona! It's not his fault she's hot and he saw her everyday, alright?), Caligula ran away, grew long hair and a beard to avoid being recognised. He now lives in the rural area outside the city. Even though he is not only banished, but also highly wanted (both kings want him dead for his deed), he sometimes goes to the city to have a drink in the inn or to pick up on some lady. He was his mother's favourite child, and she accepted that he didn't want to marry. He remains a single to this day.

His job at the court was to attend ceremonies and parties (his job was slacker), but he managed to slack off even in that to go on a date with a lady. Basically, he was useless as he never had any ambition to take his brother's seat - Arthur had responsibilities and Caligula could live the pleasant, carefree live of a royal younger son.

He is father of 11 children with 8 women - there was a set of triplets and a pair of twins. What can I say, he's very fertile. xD Surely he's not prejudiced - he's slept with noble women, he's slept with burgher women, he's slept with peasants. He also slept with a mermaid, two witches and a fairy. He tried to woo an elvish lady, but she clearly wasn't interested,

As soon as a lady becomes pregnant, he quits a relationship. Sometimes he ends an affair even sooner.

One day he found a basket with a baby and a note "Jocasta Samurai". The girl is dark-skinned, but Caligula is willing to believe she's his own. The problem is, he doesn't recall meeting with a woman with last name being "Samurai" and he's slept with 5 dark-skinned women at least three of them were literate.

Personality: 5/9/3/8/0, commitment issues, heavy sleeper. His aspiration is pleasure and second is romance. He's got high condition (8), he's also creative (7), charismatic (6) and quite logical (5).

Jocasta Samurai is the only child of Caligula that got to meet its father. She was abandoned by her mother, Berta Watch (5th on the relationship view above). Personality: 4/8/6/10/7.

Next up: the Dariuses!

part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6

#ts2 pictures #nh: Dunceville

[iamchaos1234]

Why not? Hunter headcanons, let's go! (TW mentions of blood, gore, death, bullying, etc)(holy shit that's a lot-)

Since he is a grimwalker that has a few affects on him. In the dark his eyes glow faintly blue, which he hates since it reminds him of Belos.

Another affect of being a grimwalker, since one of the ingredients to create one is Stonesleeper, Hunter's ears are very sensitive and ticklish. Willow loves to scratch him behind the ears, and it helps him sleep

Last grimwalker thing I'll address right now, his hair grows much faster than most. His canines are also a bit more prominent and large, causing a bit of a fanged look

He couldn't die, per se, unless the galderstone was directly damaged or all energy was drained from it too fast, such as using very powerful spells or bleeding so much it spent all its energy and had no time to recover

Hunter got hardly any sleep back as the golden guard as his only time with no duties was after hours, which was a very small time frame at night. And often times instead of sleeping he would research how to help Belos's curse, so at most he normally got 2-4 hours.

In addition, even after he ran away from the emperors coven and even in the human realm, he felt guilty for sleeping more than he used to, thinking of it as a waste of precious time.

He sleeps way better when with Willow or Luz

Hunter, after the events of Watching and Dreaming, went back to the human realm with Luz. He needed time to recover from everything, and went with Luz to help with repairs. After a couple years he returned back fully, staying with Darius. He considers himself both a Noceda and a Deamonne

He 100% got obsessed with video games in the human realm. His favorites were Zelda, especially BOTW and TOTK. He also loves animal crossing and pokemon sword. His favorite pokemon is Zacian.

Hunter hates eating in front of others. He has extreme food guilt and starves himself temporarily as a punishment to himself if he makes a mistake. This stems from the fact Belos would cut off his food if he messed up, as well as water.

When he upsets others he will often hide in the basement in a closet. Hunter feels removing himself is the best solution to most problems. Gus is the only one who really knows this, though Luz finds out later.

Panic attacks got more common after Hollow Mind, though he did have a few before then. Every time he would lock his door and curl up in a corner. He didn't want to show weakness.

After Hollow Mind he would have very strong reactions to certain triggers, and it only got worse as things continued. His eyes glowing was one of them, as well as when his hair got too long. Emperors guards also made him panic, worried they would take him back. Even Belos's name would make him start hyperventilating.

The scar across his cheek is from Belos, who got mad at him when he snapped at Belos from concern about the curse. He blamed himself fully.

The nick on his ear however, is from a particularly brutal training session. His ear was sliced almost in half, and it bled a lot but he kept fighting. He won.

Hunter has so many scars its hard to count. Some from Golden Guard training, which was vigorous and brutal. Others from taking hits for his friends in the final battles. There is one scar on his upper arm he got from tripping down a flight of stairs in the emperors palace. He isn't proud of that.

He feels guilty for letting Luz get a scar. He doesn't want anyone else to have to live with it like he does. He has a hard time not tearing up when he sees it.

Hunter went to school with Luz at her human school for the years he lived with her, saying he was a brother who had been in a boarding school before. He was very protective of Luz but ended up being a target for bullying as well.

Despite look tough to others he is very sensitive. He would sometimes come home with tears in his eyes from those bullies. Luz beat the shit out of them the very next day. Eventually they just stopped since Luz started fighting back

Hunter hates crying. He only really cries in front of Luz, but anyone else he finds it incredibly stupid and embarrassing. It's just a weakness he should hide is what he thinks. So he normally does. He had to back as the golden guard, so why not now?

Multiple times when training he almost died. One time his stomach got ripped open by a slitherbeast during the venture up the knee. That scar in particular he avoids looking at

Hunter is very strongly bonded with Luz. They act very much like true siblings, often annoying each other on purpose and wrestling, but both know when to stop and both are very comforting and protective of the other.

His connection with Vee is a bit less strong, but he did punch a bully hard enough to knock out a few teeth when they were messing with her. So that's something.

Hunter apologizes to Vee almost constantly for being one of the people to imprison her. He offers to have her punish him, which absolutely horrified her. They are chill now, and like to binge watch shows together

He 100% has a fursona which he is very proud of. Hunter would never admit it but he considers himself a furry. It's one of his ways to express himself, and Luz is very supportive of this, helping him design the fursona

At human school Hunter managed to get placed in the same grade as Luz, but he was older than everyone in the classes. He struggled a lot in math, but loved ELA and science. They took him out of class during social studies after he had a severe panic attack during class when the topic reminded him of the whole disaster with Belos

Hunter likes to draw in his free time, at first heavily picked up from Luz. But he eventually gained his own art style, which was a bit more sharp and edgy

He loves musicals and will always stay up to watch them even if everyone else already fell asleep.

Hunter likes rock music, but also enjoys most pop songs. He loves to dance along with Willow to love songs. He hates country music with a passion.

He considers Gus his closest friend. The two absolutely love having sleepovers in which they binge cosmic frontier and share about what's going on in the different dimensions.

Willow ends up asking Hunter out the day he moves back to the boiling isles. He ended up running away, feeling like he was being taunted and that it was some sort of illusion. Willow goes to find him, and he ends up accepting.

It takes him time to get used to dating Willow, but he is very affectionate. Willow loves picking him up.

As a younger kid, Belos was a bit more nice to him and would sometimes play around with him. This was purely to gain his trust, but Hunter still wonders if he ever really cared.

In his time during the human realm after everything he visits Darius like, every other day. They become very close

Hunter definitely has a sweet tooth

My hand hurts but that's all for now lol. Wanna here more headcanons for TOH? Tell me who you want next in the comments, thanks for reading!

#headcanon #toh headcanon #toh hunter #the owl house headcanon #the owl house hunter #Late night thoughts #Big ol text post lol #Hunter #Hunter noceda #hunter deamonne #hunter x willow #Hunter is siblings with Luz #luz and hunter are siblings #*poof*

[finalfroevo]

100% inspired by @anistarrose 's post

Image description: a comic of Luz Noceda and Darius Deamonne from The Owl House. In the first panel, is wearing her Azura costume, and from offscreen, Darius says:

"Luz, I told you the adults are going to handle the plans to stop the Collector-"

He cuts off as the view zooms in on his face, and suddenly asks: "Is that a first edition The Good Witch Azura book?"

Luz turns back towards him, and says: "Uh, yeah. You know this book?" and Darius strikes a pose to show off his over-the-shoulder cape, replying: "Know it? I'm inspired by it!"

Luz smiles and says: "That's great. Cus, well, Amity's been catching up with her dad, and I've been wanting to read it with someone all day," as Darius flips through the book. When he looks up, he declares: "Well, then I must put away my duties for the day, and read!" End description. [Image description also by @/anistarrose]

#thank you again #the owl house #luz noceda #darius deamonne #comic #the good witch azura #also inspired by that dnd gravity falls ep #the owl house spoilers #? #long post

[gingericywolf]

DARIUS DUTIFUL DAY- Continuation.

[There's animated discussing on what the best decision would be, unable to make a decision the crew wispers loudly their calls].

A compsognathus jumps out from the old camp debris, making Darius jump out of his thougths; his head was sligthly buzzing.

Folding the map back up he walked up to the others, who in the meantime had woken up and started making breakfast with the little food they had.

"Darius! Want to eat something?"

"No thanks, Sammy, i already grabbed a few peaches earlier."

"Have you thought of what we should do with that?" Yasmina pointed at the bending support, while also massaging her ankle. Darius rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, I was thinking of it." He felt everyone eyes on him. Waiting for his decision. For him telling them what to do. To know if they had to leave camp. He was the leader after all.

"We are going to search again between the debris here-"

"But we already took everything useful are you sure there still something to look for." Kenji interrupted. Darius bit the inside of his cheek. Was that the wrong choice?

"Let him finish maybe." Brooklynn spoke, before nudging one hand for him to continue.

"So I was saying, we should look at the debris here for maybe some more nails to put the planks together, but for stronger supports i was thinking we should look at where the zipline is."

"Sounds good. I guess we should make groups so we can do it at the same time," brooklynn suggested.

Darius agreed.

[Last poll ended with a tie, so I took some liberties in deciding where darius will go, this time shorter one day poll to decide who he will go with!]

[Prev] - [Next]

#jwcc #camp cretaceous #jurassic world: camp cretaceous #chose your own adventure #waiting for chaos theory #now that we got the trailer do you think i should speed up this a little? #to finish before chaos theory is out? #or should i keep a slower pace and see how it goes #eventually i wanted to make more of this since i have other plots #poll game #darius bowman #kenji kon #brooklynn jwcc #yasmina fadoula #sammy gutierrez #darius dutiful day

[ma1dmer]

League of Legends - Darius NSFW

noxus forever or whatever, slay

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex): He allows himself to relax, you can visibly see the tension leave his body as he rolls his shoulders and helps you clean up, the moment you are the most relaxed and close to sleep he'll press a quick kiss to your neck and go shower.

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s): Doubt Darius cares much to think about that, he knows he is a strong man with a nice body, but picking something specific, it doesn't even cross his mind he just cares that his body is in working order. If he was asked about his partner ,he'd probably say the same, how he doesn't fucking care as long as you can defend yourself, which is true, but he definitely notices some smaller things, the flex of your thighs when you ride him for example, or the way the muscles feel under his grip when he pushes your thighs over his forearms to push himself deeper.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person): Darius would never outright say it but he likes messing you up, he'll pull out midway through his orgasm to get it on your stomach or back or simply to watch it drip out of you. He'll apologise gruffly but it happens a bit too often to be an accident.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs): He spends so much time fighting, that it has definitely crossed his mind about taking you right after they've conquered a city, i also think that as different as he is to his brother, the thrill of battle still gets to him in a way. He'll eye the throne ,of a man that definitely was not worthy of wearing a crown, with disdain, and then he'll think of you, how he can't wait to get back to you, how he wishes you were with him right then and there to celebrate, how easily he could dismiss his soldiers and bend you over that throne and slide inside of you- he just really misses you.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?): He has a couple of notches under his belt, but they are definitely countable on one hand, he is so busy and he definitely needs to trust someone a lot to be able to fully allow himself the ability to relax like that with them.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual): Anything where he can simply, hold you, against him, over him, under him, just lay there and let him do the job, he'll switch between what he sees working for his partner and what works for him after they cum.

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc): He is more relaxed, but isn't ready to just laugh ,it breaks his concentration, might slap your ass and growl for you to focus, but won't chastise you if you laugh at something.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.): Darius doesn't trim or shave, he is a soldier first and foremost ,he'll keep himself as clean as possible but he won't spend any more time on something so unecessary.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…): He isn't particularly good with romance or romantic gestures, but he'll try, he'll let you lay back and give you a massage to relax after a long day and then he'll pull open your thighs and dive in.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon): Too focused on his duty to focus on his dick, starts doing it more often after you start plaguing his thoughts though, which gets him more frustrated if he is being honest, he should be focusing on war strategies not the idea of fucking you over the Grand General’s desk.

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks): Darius is probably very very vanilla, can't see him trying anything extreme or unconventional.

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do): Away from possible prying eyes, he would rather not have you in a war camp, but if that's the only spot you two have he'll order any man around his tent to fuck off and carry you over his shoulder, his intentions, and why he should not be bothered very very clear.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going): Strength, its cliche and oh so Noxian of him, but wether you are standing up for yourself verbally or slicing through an enemy with an axe ,Darius wants to see that fire behind your eyes.

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs): Sharing, it doesn't even cross his mind because the moment its known that the Hand of Noxus is pursuing you nobody dares to even think of flirting with you.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc): Doesn't have much of a preference , doesn't prefer it over being actually inside of you, but won’t complain.

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.): He starts off slower with deep strokes , but the closer to his climax he gets the rougher he gets ,the moment you cum he'll tell you to hold on and finish himself off quickly.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.): Depends heavily on his duty, if he is busy don't even think of bothering him, if he has time to spare though he'll let you know, so you can drop by and ride him until Swain asks for him or something.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.): Surprisingly not a risk taker in his sex life, if something ain't broke why fix it by adding unecessary parts.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…): You know his stamina is high, the Hand of Noxus has stamina for hours, and if his partner wants to be satisfied, who is he to not satisfy them.

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?): He does not really understand toys, but as long as you don't tell him about them he is okay with you using them when he is away, not necessarily for any pride related reasons, but because you are already such a distraction that he doesn’t want to think of you pleasing yourself on top of everything.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease): Not a tease , he doesn't see the point of it, he isn't really about playing games, but if you absolutely must test his patience, he'll give it to you, he'll growl about everything you did to fucking annoy him and ask why must you always play these games with him while pushing your head down and his cock in. If it's his cock you wanted he'll make sure to give it to you.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make): He grunts and growls through his teeth , definitely throws his head back and curses lowly with that first slide in.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice): He is definitely on the more vanilla side of things, but i can see him being easy to coax into something like primal play, pull him out to a forest and have him chase you. He'll catch you that's a guarantee but oh will he make your loss worth it.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words): You know it's big, i know it's big, god knows its big, he is built like a brick house.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?): He spends so much time on the battlefield and in war rooms that he forgets to care for himself, and especially those parts of himself. He wants to be with you, but Noxus comes first.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards): He does not fall asleep until he is sure you are comfortable , he'll wait for you to be asleep before he can relax next to you.

#darius #darius smut #darius x reader #darius imagines #league of legends x reader #league of legends smut #league of legends #darius league of legends #darius lol

[asmallpinkfan3]

Hellooo can I order a tall glass of Darius x reader with hunter as our kid?

No longer sick tho!

-peachy anon<33

One tall glass of Darius x reader with kid hunter coming right up!

You and Darius as hunters parents.

TW: slight mention of abuse,

Oh boy this kid has you and Darius’s hair stand up.

You always worry for him while he’s the golden Guard.

He pretends that he hates you taking care of him after his duty’s but he only doesn’t wanna seem weak.

You take care of his wounds from the fight he may have gotten into.

Darius is in the kitchen cooking up something for the 3 of you.

“Now hunter this is a small cut I’m gonna need you to put a a bandage on it at least one a day till it heals ok”.

You say as he looks at you like a child looking like his mom said he could get the toy that he wanted.

“Yea I know”. He’s trying to sound tough.

You smile and take him into the kitchen.

“Hey I making soup is that ok”? Darius says seeing you and the boy.

“That’s just fine love”. You say back a small smile laid on your face.

Once you were making something with hunter after his duty’s and he dropped something.

You turned around to see that he dropped a plate and he looked scared and was almost ready for you to yell at him.

“Hey be careful let me clean it up”. You said kneeling and cleaning up the glass.

He looked at you with shock.

“Your not gonna yell at me”? He asked.

You looked at him in shock and sadness.

“No why would i, you dropped something that could hurt you in accident it’s ok”. You said.

After cleaning the glass up you inspected his fingers and his shoes to make sure no glass got on him.

You and Darius had the day off once and you two waited for hunter to get off his mission.

Picking him up from the castle you two took him to yours and Darius’s house.

The three of you had a movie night.

Hunter fell asleep on you and you held him like a child, then you slowly fell asleep on Darius.

In the morning hunter rushed to get back to the castle.

You and Darius woke up with out him and freaked out for a couple minutes before finding the note he left, “I had to get back to the castle”.

You and darius sighed in relief glad that he didn’t get kidnapped or something worse.

#toh x reader #darius x reader #hunter x reader #the owl house

[tychodorian]

Urien: A Key Player in the Realm of King of Dust

Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Urien, one of the central characters in my LitRPG vampire fantasy, King of Dust.

As a Cambion, he carries the blood of both mortal and demon ancestry, a lineage that sets him apart from the world around him from the moment he draws his first breath.

But Urien's journey truly begins when he finds himself in the hallowed halls of a temple dedicated to Avrena, the Goddess of Death. Here, amidst the solemn rituals and whispered prayers, Urien learns the sacred balance between life and death, a delicate equilibrium that shapes the very fabric of existence.

Fate takes an unexpected turn when Urien crosses paths with Darius, the vampire king whose presence looms large over the land of Starkovia. Rather than viewing Darius as a threat to be vanquished, Urien sees the potential for an unlikely alliance – one that could tip the scales in their favor in the ongoing battle against the forces of darkness.

And thus, a partnership is forged, as Urien and Darius embark on a quest to rid the world of undead creatures and restore balance to the realm. Guided by Urien's unwavering devotion to his goddess and Darius's formidable strength, they navigate the treacherous landscape of Starkovia, confronting challenges and adversaries at every turn.

But make no mistake – their alliance is not without its complexities and contradictions. As they journey together, Urien finds himself torn between his duty to maintain balance and his growing friendship with the vampire king. And with each passing day, the lines between friend and foe blur, leaving Urien to grapple with the consequences of his choices.

Their journey awaits – are you ready to dive in?

If you want to read the book, it's still up on Kickstarter. We're making our way to our 5th stretch goal, and you can preorder your copy by going to my pinned post, clicking the Linktree link, and then finding the Kickstarter there. Thank you!

#trans artist #trans artwork #art #digital art #oc #original character #publishing #self publishing #writing #authors of tumblr #trans art #trans author #vampire books #lgbt books #fantasy books #litrpg #dungeons and dragons #cambion #demon #demon oc #cambion oc #tiefling #tiefling oc #character backstory

[logicalbookthief]

If you're still taking writing prompts, how about 62 or 72 with Darius and Hunter? 👀 Your choice. I think that anything of yours about those two would be a great read. But no pressure if you already have your plate full!

72. “There’s always another way.”

@thyandrawrites thank you for dadrius prompt and for giving me an excuse to write a one-shot for an AU I will probably not have the chance to write in its totality <3333

Anyway, this basically an AU where the whole Day of Unity/Collector fiasco ends tragically for everyone, but Darius wakes up back in time during the events of Eclipse Lake and thinks he may be able to prevent it, despite the massive amounts of PTSD.

Enjoy!

Darius? 

He recognizes that voice. That annoying little voice, pestering him with questions, asking for advice, or his orders. It prods his mind like sunlight peeking through the curtains, urging him awake.

Darius? Darius, wake up! 

Waking would be agony. His body remembers, even if his brain has yet to catch up. Veins of gold fracturing up his arm, his shoulder, his neck. His throat tightens, it burns, he can’t breathe, or cry out, they’re too late, it’s too late, to—

Wake up!

Darius shoots up in bed. Eyes flying open, searching for... For the boy, that’s who the voice belongs to, where is...?

Where am I?

His vision swims for another second or so before it clears. He’s alone. Alone in his room.

A room that isn’t in shambles. A castle still in-tact.

Darius yanks down his sleeve. Stares at the skin of his sigil, no longer inflamed, or fractured by scars. He inhales sharply, scrambling to his feet.

The date on the calendar isn’t correct. The date says they have weeks until the Day of Unity, the eclipse, the Collector—

His lungs seize impatiently. Choking on the breath he forgot to let out.

Flummoxed, Darius staggers back, missing the bed and landing hard on the floor. The pain is real, grounding. There’s a layer of dust beneath his fingertips, and that’s real, too; he hasn’t had the time to clean, too focused on averting the end of the world. An end that’s already come to pass.

 Am I really...?

Time travel does not exist, he reminds himself, rather deliriously, given the circumstances. How else does he explain this anomaly? Even the Collector’s nigh-infinite power can’t warp the past.

Could it be a trick, an illusion cast over his mind? For what purpose? No, the Collector was just a child too callous when handling his toys. Malicious, yes, not calculating enough for this — whatever cruelty this is.

Darius never paid much heed to the Titan’s will, even prior to the revelation it was all a ruse. If he were a Titan-fearing man, this certainly seems like some divine form of punishment. To force him to witness it all over again, fully aware of the hollow victory their initial failure spawns—all the friends he loses, sacrificed to the greater good, which turned out to be a mediocre good at best—

As far as panic attacks go, it isn’t the worst he’s experienced. Not when he’s intimate enough with death to distinguish the difference now, the what separates this fire-laced fear in his chest from the dread of knowing you and all your loved ones will die as you’re dying.

Tension settles beneath his ribcage, tugging helplessly at his heart. Ignorance is bliss, he thinks, if it means with walking into this rebellion with eyes blinded by hope. Instead of being dragged back while knowing there’s no way to stop—

There’s always another way.

He recognizes that voice, too, even if it’s distorted, as though traveling over a distance. The whisper of it eases his pulse, eases his mind out of its panic, anchoring him in a moment much further in the past.

“Well, I’m no oracle, but…” The Golden Guard surveys the room, deftly dodging a splatter of abomination as it drips from the ceiling. “I suspect you have a shift full of cleaning duty in your future.”

“I can’t get this spell right,” Darius groans, picking flecks of goop out of his hair. “I’ve followed all the instructions, done everything right, and yet—”

He gestures to the cauldron, still bubbling with sinister intent. Mocking him.

“Oof,” the Golden Guard grunts eloquently. He bends down to examine the mixture. “Any idea where you’re going wrong?”

Darius scowls. “Did you miss the part where I mentioned I’ve done everything right?”

“What I mean is,” he interjects, wryly. “Have you tried approaching it from a different angle?” 

Frowning, Darius crosses his arms. “This is the way the book says to do it,” he mutters, defensively. Even a hack like Alador can follow the instructions.

The Golden Guard chuckles. “Trust me,” he says, and, though it’s perhaps to his detriment in the long run, Darius does. “There’s always another way.”

Reminded of his mentor’s advice, Darius exhales. Dusts off his clothes. Reassess. 

The Day of Unity is weeks away. Belos is still alive, still plotting to destroy every witch in the Boiling Isles. The Day of Unity is weeks away, and Darius knows, he knows precisely what they failed to do before, and precisely what they need to do to ensure it won’t happen again.

Maybe this isn’t a cruel, cosmic joke. Maybe this is a second chance.

He checks the calendar once more. He can’t remember anything remarkable about this day in particular, though it hardly matters, when he intends to change the outcome of it all.

Coven meeting in thirty minutes.

Rushing through his routine, Darius manages to look fairly presentable, all things considered. Operating on muscle memory, he walks through the castle halls without any stumbles, as if he’s never left. It feels a bit like he’s sleepwalking.

“If this is a dream,” he grumbles to himself. “It is a very long, elaborate one.”

Surreal or no, the familiarity will work in his favor. He resolves to appear as normal as possible, since that was the folly of their last plan. Terra suspected Raine from the start and saw the betrayal coming.

Fortunately, Darius’s superior acting will be able to pass the test of scrutiny. 

He hears the pitter-patter of claws against the tile, a swoop in the air, and then there’s a weight on his shoulder, the bristle of unruly fur against his cape. Darius stiffens.

Scalpel against his throat, eyes blown wide in fear, a fear he’s rarely witnessed in his friend. Darius can’t move, can’t do anything as he’s restrained, can’t do anything as the draining spell begins, his friend collapsing in pain despite all his efforts to save—

Jumping down off his shoulder, Eberwolf tilts his head. Something wrong? 

Darius forces out a scoff. “Nothing of note,” he replies, shortly. Any lingering traces of turmoil could be blamed on irritation. “Didn’t sleep well.”

Eberwolf falls into step aside of him. It’s your bed.

“You have no room to talk. You sleep in a pile of filthy fur pelts on the floor.”

And of the two of us, who looks more rejuvenated? Eberwolf preens.

He scowls half-heartedly, too busy swelling with joy. Titan, he missed this bickering.

Meeting with the coven-heads should be a cinch, now that he’s already had this episode with Eber. He’ll be prepared to handle these emotional outbursts should they try to inconvenience him again.

Nothing prepares Darius for the sight of Raine, standing awkwardly next to Terra, waiting for everyone to arrive.

 A bard should never be as silent as this. The draining spell left all of them groggy, weak. Raine has yet to stir. Not even as Eda pleads, and sobs, and cradles their body, which is still except for the gentle rise of their chest. 

Whatever strength they needed to wake was used up to save the woman they loved. Even as the world screams, a symphony of terror and noise, Raine remains silent. Catatonic, alive in name only...

“Something the matter, Darius?” asks Terra, an ice-cold echo of Eber’s concern. Her voice snaps him back to the present, realizing he’s now the subject of her undivided curiosity, bordering on suspicion. Fuck.

“Yes,” he deadpans, pointing to Raine’s vest. Today it’s a rotted burgundy color. “That eyesore of an outfit caused a momentary lapse in composure.” 

Raine pulls a face, shooting Darius a look. Laying it on a little thick there, aren’t you? 

You’ll thank me later, songbird. “Remind me to bleach that image from my eyeballs when we’re done here.”

Terra chuckles, not bothering to hide her amusement. That was the trick with the old crone, he’s learned. Keep her entertained and she’s no trouble.

The meeting goes by without another incident. Darius stalks off on his own in search of “eye bleach” afterwards. It gives him a chance to sift through his swirling thoughts, which keep circling back to how this occurred. He removes time-portals from the equation, since it’s solely his consciousness that’s done the traveling.

Out-of-body experiences reek of oracle magic. Loathe as he is to admit, he could use Odalia’s consult on this, though the cost would be enduring her smugness. However, she was a bit too chummy with Kikimora, as he recalls... 

Darius wrinkles his nose. Decides he’d rather eat his own boot than ask her for help. 

He’s pondering so intently that he fails to look as he’s turning the corner, colliding right into someone else.

“Watch where you’re going!” 

That voice. Full of anger, and no small amount of irritation, as its owner tries to brush past the coven head.

Without a second’s hesitation, Darius catches the kid by the wrist, both of them freezing in the middle of corridor. Suddenly, he’s struggling to breathe past the smell of smoke—

—smoke paints the sky black. Flecks of gold mingled in the ash that springs from the from the pyre. 

Belos howls against his bindings, very nearly free. The youngest of the Golden Guards stands vigil.

“This curse of our family ends with you,” he vows, a flame glyph clenched in his fist. His words are grim, final.  “And with me.”

Darius realizes too late what he means. He isn’t fast enough.

The wire trips, the trap set—

Hunter glares at his lack of response. "What do you want?" he asks wearily. "And why are you staring at me like—mmph!"

His yelp is muffled against Darius's chest as he’s crushed in an embrace. The boy squirms, radiating his uncertainty. Darius holds tighter, reassured by his fluttery pulse. His hand clasps against hair that’s still blonde, not blackened by soot. Skin not blistered, or burnt, his remains distorted beyond recognition. No, Hunter is alive, and whole, and nothing could ever compel Darius to let go—

Something smears onto glove.

"Ack!" Darius gasps, shoving the boy to arm’s length. He glowers at the state of his clothes. "Gross! You're covered in sludge!"

"Well, it wouldn’t be a problem if you hadn't tried to smother me!" Hunter sputters.

"I wasn't smothering you,” he snaps. “That was a hug. Do you not understand what a hug is?"

“A what?” Hunter exclaims, answering that succinctly. “Did you hit your head recently!? Should I call the healing coven?” 

Darius pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing. His hand’s trembling, but he doubts Hettie Cutburn has anything that will treat this unique brand of head trauma.

"I was...” He fumbles to explain to Hunter, this Hunter, who has no reason trust his word, steadfastly devoted to the emperor. He hasn’t the faintest clue what sort of danger he’s in. Hasn’t an inkling of the fate that awaits him, a graveyard of golden masks and bones…

Titan, does he even have Flapjack yet? Has he met Eda’s human? Too many liabilities. So many ways this single, persistent child could compromise the mission.

If he was smart, Darius would leave him alone. Claim temporary insanity and push the kid aside, just as he’s done a hundred times before. Hunter would barely notice, accustomed to this kind of neglect. 

Besides, the sooner he defeats Belos, the sooner he saves Hunter, and everyone else. When this is over, he can apologize properly, and make up for it, and—

“Let me help,” Hunter beseeches. “I know my uncle better than anyone. And I learned plenty about my family in the human realm,” he adds, grimacing. “I know what I have to do.”

Darius’s exhaustion is bone-deep by this point. Somehow he summons the energy for a smile, threadbare as it is. “Forget it, kid.”

Hunter frowns. “After the draining spell, you’re short on able-bodied witches. I’m no witch, but after all this, you can’t seriously be underestimating me.”

“What about your friends?” Darius retorts. “Would you allow them to join such a mission?”

“They’re kids.” Hunter’s resolve hardens. “Real kids, with families, and homes. I belong here. Fighting, following orders. It’s what I know what to do, what I was made for.”

Stiltedly, Darius opens his mouth, unsure of how to broach the subject. This conversation confirms what he assumed already, that Hunter has no relatives, and nowhere to go.

You could have a home with me, he wants to say, but a shout from Eda draws his attention. It sounds urgent, more important, so Darius shelves the discussion for later. They’ll have time, he thinks, once this is over. It can wait...

“I was checking on you,” he rushes out, stunning the boy into silence. “You look a bit, um. Banged up.”

"Yeah, you would look that way too if you were traipsing around in the mines all day, searching for Titan’s blood.”

“At the Knee?” Darius knits his brow. Belos needs Titan’s blood for the portal. Why send his scouts on a such a fruitless endeavor? “Those mines have been dry for decades.”

“Wish you would’ve told me earlier,” Hunter mumbles. “Nothing left to find there except fool’s blood.”

“Fool’s blood is highly unstable,” Darius says with growing horror. He examines the boy’s face more closely, noting that he’s littered with cuts and bruises, most of it superficial.

“That’s what I said!” Hunter exclaims, throwing his arms in the air. “Try telling the idiot Owl Lady and her rat that.”

So he’s definitely met Edalyn, judging by his utter frustration. Darius huffs out a laugh, short-lived as he glimpses the nasty-looking cut on his forehead, hopefully not caused by any explosions.

He moves to tuck that errant strand of hair out of the way so he can get a better view. Hunter flinches from the touch. “Get away from me,” he says, waspily. 

Obligingly, Darius backpedals. “You look like you’re ready to collapse,” he observes, perhaps a bit hypocritically, when he’s teetering over the edge of exhaustion himself.

“Because I’m tired,” Hunter murmurs, the bags under his eyes darker than usual. Despite his admission, he says, “If you’re finished with your weird little interrogation, I have work to do.”

Good, he’s leaving of his own volition. Just let him pass—

Panic blooms in his chest. Burning, frantic and baseless. For Titan’s sake, it isn’t the kid will meet some terrible fate the moment he leaves his sight!

His feet act on their own accord, stepping in front of him and blocking his path. Hunter groans.

“Wait!” Darius halts. Tries to think of something, anything that could detain the boy without drawing suspicion. “Are- Are you hungry?”

Of the excuses he could’ve conjured, that’s a contender for the stupidest.

Hunter opens his mouth, all ready with a snide reply, but he’s interrupted by a long, rumbling growl from his stomach. He flushes, teeth clicking shut. 

That’s a yes. Darius smirks victoriously, motioning for Hunter to follow. Reluctantly, the boy complies.

                                           __________________

“Stop staring at me,” Darius snaps, though there’s no heat behind it, unless he counts the steam wafting from his cup. “Didn’t anybody ever teach you manners?”

“I’m confused,” Hunter shrugs by way of response. Darius shoves a tin bowl of cookies in his direction as a distraction.

He didn’t mention that any food in his room was whatever snacks Eberwolf hadn’t eaten from his cheat-day stash.

“You have literally never invited me to tea,” Hunter points out. “Or tolerated me for longer than ten-minute increments.”

“That is... Oddly specific.” And incredibly sad. He acted so arrogant as the Golden Guard, trying to boss around adults that he technically outranked, but who was supposed to take a child seriously? It was such an effective front that it never occurred to Darius that Hunter may be aware of how disliked he was among the coven heads.

There was a lot you didn’t consider.

Oblivious to his guilt, Hunter nods. “Your record is higher than most coven heads. Graye can only stand me for four minutes at best.”

“Maybe I should keep you around,” Darius snorts. “Save me the headache of dealing with him.”

Hunter cracks a smile. He munches on a cookie from the tin, seemingly without a care for how stale they are, quickly grabbing another. While he’s scattering crumbs all over his table, Darius sets his cup down, surreptitiously gathering the medical kit he snuck over with the kettle.

When he realizes his intent, Hunter grunts and bats his hand away. “I told you—”

“Hold still,” Darius barks. Regrets it when Hunter goes rigid, instantly obeying. Softly, he dabs at the cut with disinfectant. “Don’t be , it won’t hurt you. This looks like it smarts, though.”

“This? No,” Hunter scoffs. “I’ve had worse.”

He brandishes this fact proudly, a badge of honor. It comes across rather differently to Darius, a child who doesn’t know any better. His gaze flicks over to the scar on the boy's face and decides they both need a distraction. 

Luckily, the boy loves to talk, so Darius asks, “Was your mission a success?”

“It...” He deflates at the question, visibly wavering. “The emperor didn’t seem pleased with me.”

Rage overwhelms his senses, because he knows, he knows now what a displeased Belos means for the boy. He manages to reign in his anger. Barely.  

“Oh?” he says, faux-casually.

“I sort of. Disobeyed his orders.” Hunter winces in a way that has nothing to do with the disinfectant. “But! I got what he needed! Which is more than Kikimora can say.”

He smirks at this, although it’s bittersweet at best.

“Any other complications?” Darius fishes, applying a bandage over the cut. “You mentioned the Owl Lady.”

“She was there,” Hunter confirms. “And the youngest Blight.”

Interesting. He files away that information for later.

“We fought over the Titan’s blood, and I...” Hunter dithers for a while, sipping at his tea. His fingers twitch restlessly against the ceramic. “I did what I had to do to win. And I fulfilled my mission, so I should be happy, shouldn’t I?”

He doesn’t wait for a response.

 “Only she said some things and I... I didn’t want to fight her, really. Or resort to what I did to win. But it was the Titan’s will that Belos have that key, I did what I was supposed to do.” Hunter dares to glance at Darius, who’s listened patiently up to this point. “So why do I feel like I... Like I did something awful? That’s stupid, right? They were the ones opposing the emperor, after all.”

Being a spy is striking a delicate balance between what’s true and what’s necessary. He could tell Hunter the entire, sordid truth right here, right now ... and he would certainly be executed for treason by the next morning. He should be allowed to come to these conclusions naturally, like he is already, and on his own terms...

...though that’s not to say he couldn’t do with some prodding.

“In the coven, there’s no room for second-guessing. You use any method you have to in order to succeed. The ends justify the means and all that.”

“Exactly! You understand.” Hunter sounds relieved, his shoulders sagging with the weight of it removed.

“I’m afraid it isn’t that easy, little prince.” Darius smiles thinly, closing his eyes against the twinge of a headache. “Whatever you’re willing to do, you have to ask yourself — what is this going to cost me? What am I willing to pay?” 

Scalpels. Silence. 

Fire, everywhere.

He opens his eyes.

“Never mind the emperor for a moment,” he says, fiercely. Hunter balks, taken aback by this blasphemy. “Will you be able to live with the consequences?”

Hunter fidgets with the hem of his cloak, which has yet to be repaired. “I had to,” he whispers, though to whom, Darius isn’t sure. “It was the only way.”

“There is always another way,” Darius imparts. “That was something your predecessor taught me.”

“You knew the Golden Guard who was before me?” asks Hunter, the words skipping over each other in his excitement. Crumbs spew from the corners of his mouth. “What else did he teach you?

“Not to chew with my mouth open, for one,” Darius grumbles. He bops the crown of his head with the side of his palm, despising how it makes Hunter flinch. He’ll ensure that in his timeline, Belos dies a much slower, painful death. “Sit down. I’ll tell you anything you want about my mentor on one condition.”

Hunter nods eagerly.

“If you get hurt like this again, or at all, you’ll come to me for help.” Darius raises his eyebrows at the kid, awaiting his agreement. “Deal?”

Though he seems rather stunned by the terms, his curiosity outweighs everything else. “Deal.” 

#the owl house #toh fic #darius deamonne #hunter toh #dadrius #raine whispers #eberwolf #darius-centric fic that just gives him and hunter more trauma my beloved #he really is like 'oh thank titan I'M the one who time-traveled because I am the most composed I can compartmentalize this no problem' #then he gets one glimpse of his loved ones he thought he lost and has five consecutive mental breakdowns

[ae-neon]

Rewrite Talk + map

Solar Courts

*there is a reason a lot of things have greek influences but none of the courts are greek but it's not important. But just know all the courts have something a little ancient Greek about them but none of them are greek inspired/coded

*Also personally dislike the racial/cultural hegemony in the courts so the HLs race/culture isn't what the whole court looks like

Dawn

In Dawn, Thesan is the title of the Dawnbringer.

During the war, Dawn was ruled by Thesan Ishir but his decision to side with Hybern was so unpopular that it turned the people from the royal family.

Their political power was stripped and after an attempt to retake the throne, Ishir's son, Thesan Arjun, was "confined" to the Taj Vihaan, the lake palace. In reality, Arjun shut himself away from the world, hopefully his citizens would suffer without him performing his HL duties and performing Rites.

In the years since, the capital of Dawn, once Eos, was renamed to Lucina Pygrus. And despite their weaker magic, the people of Dawn have learnt to compensate by combining magic and technology.

The current Thesan, Rohan, didn't share his father's views and is inspired by how his people have chosen a new way of life, he does his ceremonial duties as HL but otherwise is only a figurehead.

Day

Little is known about the succession process in Day as none of the Kings or Lords have been related to each other. Nor do they rule the Day Court in the way others do.

From the outside, it seems the only duty of the Lord of Day is to be chief custodian of the Library.

During the War, Darius the Elder held the title and advised strongly against aligning with Hybern. He was written off by most as an overly religious and meek man.

Eventually, Darius was called by Amarantha and could not refuse. A year after his death, Helion was publicly celebrated as successor and Lord of Day.

To any outsider, Darius and Helion could not be any more different but the people of Day keep to their own way.

Night

The War came at the end of King Elgar's reign when the Night Court had finally won it's civil war against the Illyrians.

For this reason, Prince Aeron had no intention to fight for the humans, and in order to avoid risking Jurian heading north, exiled all humans from Night - killing those that did not leave.

Much of his reign was spent between being Amarantha's right hand and solidifying the Illyrians place in the Night Court - which made him unpopular among his nobility who saw them as a lesser species.

To keep the CoN in check, Aeron ordered his brother Keir to take charge of the navy - having Keir marry into House Veritas whose seat was the small island that sat directly opposite the Hewn City.

Later, Aeron manipulated the situation with Dusk Court in order to provoke Amarantha into sanctioning a war.

She did and wiped the ruling House of Dusk from the face of the earth. Aeron was awarded the territory and gave the Sunset Steppes to the Illyrians before taking Velaris for himself.

The increase in prestige, land and power meant his nobles could say or do nothing when Aeron fathered a half Illyrian son, Rhysand.

To solidify his rule over both territories, Aeron raised his son to govern both cities as well as had him trained in an Illyrian war camp

[I drew the map by hand then scanned it so it's clearer]

Day looks very empty but the capital is huge and the surrounding land is very lush and fertile. They make a lot of wine

Lucina Pygrus is also a huge city. But it's more spread out along the coast

Edit: also Taj Vihaan

#a grave of thorns and roses #acotar : the rewrite

[440mxs-wife]

Treasure Quest, Chapter 10: New Adventures (FIN)

Pairing: Captain Dean x Rhaya Payton (OFC) Other Characters: Benny, Sam, Jessica, and Baby John Winchester, Jack (mentioned). Lord Darius Payton, Connor (OMC's), Captain Keira, Darcy (OFC's).

Word Count: 5351

Warnings: Some Angst, Lovers' Quarrel, Misunderstanding, but there's a HAPPY ending (I promise)!🥰

Series Summary: Rhaya Payton is the daughter of the governor of Ochana. She grew up listening to her father tell her stories of pirates and treasure maps. At a gala one night, her stepmother, Carissa, announces Rhaya’s engagement to Ashton Kane, a wealthy nobleman. Only problem is, no one checked with Rhaya first. After overhearing plans made by her fiancé, Rhaya decides to go on the run and stows away on Captain Dean’s ship. What will happen when he finds her?

This Chapter: So, who is the Duke of Rosevale....?

Rhaya's troubles continue as her father has arranged a diplomatic reception for the new Duke of Rosevale. Unfortunately, meeting the duke doesn't go anywhere near as well as planned and leads to a verbal confrontation. A meeting in the courtyard later in the evening may hold the key to a resolution between them and a possible new adventure. Can their love be saved? Tune in to find out....Enjoy!

A/N: To all of you who have read, liked, reblogged, commented, or interacted with this story in any way: thank you. We have reached the end of the story for our favorite captain and governor's daughter. It has been my pleasure to bring this story to life for you, and I thank you all from the bottom of me heart. ❤️

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rhaya entered her bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind her. She slipped off her shoes and flopped backwards onto her bed, then heaved a deep sigh. As she stared at the ceiling, she reviewed a conversation she'd had with her father about some affairs of state.

Earlier in the day, her father had requested a meeting to inform her of an upcoming diplomatic function. The event was scheduled to occur in less than two weeks, and he wanted it to be a formal one. This meant she'd have to be on her best behavior, which she wasn't really keen on, considering her current emotional state.

The purpose, he'd said, was to introduce the new Duke of Rosevale to his inner circle of associates. He also planned to announce him as Ochana's newest ally and business partner. Thus the need for a more ceremonial approach, and his reason for including her in the process.

While he explained the situation, her father watched as she fought to keep her facial expression somewhat neutral. He knew of her dislike for official functions, and her feelings of sadness at her captain's prolonged absence. In the end, her sense of duty won out, and she promised her father she would conduct herself properly when she met the new Duke of Rosevale.

***

Three days before the duke's arrival, Rhaya had just returned from an appointment where the finishing touches were being placed on her gown for the gala. She was walking towards her bed to relax for a bit when there was a knock at the door. After taking a seat at the foot of the bed, she called out "Come in!", and the door opened with Darcy on the other side. She was giddy with excitement, which raised Rhaya's curiosity, though she couldn't quite muster the same level of enthusiasm.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Our guests arrived in port early, and I was sent by your father to bring you to the main hall to meet them," Darcy explained. "He said to make sure you were presentable."

"Ha! That's a laugh. Rarely am I presentable, nor do I want to be, especially not for this Duke of Rosemont or whatever his name is," Rhaya muttered.

"It's the Duke of Rosevale, and your father said you have twenty minutes to get ready," Darcy warned.

"Ugh, fine. Let's go," Rhaya begrudgingly agreed and headed for her ensuite bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, she had quickly washed up, changed out of her pants and tunic, and into a more appropriate pale pink day dress. Darcy fashioned a princess braid across the back of Rhaya's head like a crown, with the rest of her hair left untethered. Her makeup was minimal and neutral in color, except for the pink lipstick.

Upon her arrival in the main hall, she saw her father deep in conversation with a few visitors. There was one man in particular who caught her eye, dressed in dark brown pants, which were tucked into knee-high black leather boots. He was wearing a burgundy-colored, long sleeved tunic with a hem that reached to his mid-thigh. Around his middle was a black belt and a sword hanging from it. From behind, she thought the man looked a little familiar. She shrugged off the notion, figuring she'd learn his identity soon enough.

When Lord Darius spotted his daughter, he called out to her and waved her over to join them. As soon as the visitor heard the name, he stopped mid-sentence and turned around. His eyes brightened when they landed on the woman who had been occupying his every waking thought for the past three months. As she approached their circle, he couldn't help but marvel at how her beauty seemed to have only increased since the last time they'd met.

Rhaya stopped in her tracks when she saw who was speaking with her father. What is Dean doing here? No one told me he was coming back, only that we were hosting the Duke of....her thoughts trailed off. It can't be.... she silently pondered.

Lord Darius' voice interrupted her train of thought. "Ah, Rhaya, there you are. Your Grace, may I present my daughter, Rhaya Payton. Rhaya, please welcome the Duke of Rosevale, though I believe you know him better as Captain Dean Winchester," he explained.

Rhaya caught Dean's gaze and held it for a few tense seconds until finally extending her hand in his direction. "Your Grace," she murmured, giving him a slight curtsy.

Dean's lips twisted into a sly grin as he curled his fingers around hers, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. "Lady Rhaya, it is truly wonderful to see you again. May I present my brother, Samuel Winchester, his wife, Jessica, and their newborn son, John. Also with me is my advisor, Robert Singer, and two members of my crew, Master Gunner Benjamin Lafitte, and Ensign Jack Kline."

Lord Darius and his daughter nodded to each of the members of Dean's entourage as they were introduced. Glancing at the faces of everyone, she was met with genuine happiness at seeing her again. Then she remembered her feelings of the last three months that had passed with little to no word from Dean, who had promised to return. "Excuse me," she mumbled before picking up her skirts and turning to leave the room.

"Miss Payton! Miss Payt--Rhaya, wait, please!" he called.

Rhaya was about halfway to the door when she stopped in her tracks. "Wait?? Wait?!? You want me to wait??" she whirled around to face him, glaring with angry, unshed tears shimmering in her eyes. "For the past three months, I've done nothing but wait! For you!"

Lord Darius and the others exchanged somewhat shocked and awkward glances at his daughter's outburst of temper. They weren't exactly sure what to do, and they all preferred to be anywhere but there at the moment. "Rhaya, dearest--" he started.

"Papa, I'd like to speak in private with Captain Winchester, the Duke of Rosevale, or whoever he is, please," she spoke, fighting to keep her voice even. Her father nodded, and everyone filed out, leaving Rhaya and Dean alone in the room.

"Rhaya, please let me explain," Dean begged.

She held up her hand to silence him as she walked over to a nearby chair, her arms crossed over her chest. "Do you have any idea what it's been like for me, waiting for you to come back? The longer we were apart and the less I heard from you, the more doubts crept into my head. Some days, they were so loud that I couldn't ignore them, no matter how hard I tried. When you didn't return after two months, I had to concede that they were right, that I wasn't worth it and that you'd changed your mind."

"Sweetheart, I promised I would be back for you. I'm sorry that it took so long, but there was never any 'changing my mind' at any point. I'm here now, for you," he pleaded, taking a seat near her.

Rhaya sighed deeply and shook her head before continuing. "Come on, Captain, I'm not stupid. One look at you, a handsome, heroic ship's captain, off to find buried treasure. You're a true leader, strong, noble, who cares more for those around him than he does for himself. What's not to love about that? I'm sure wherever you go, women practically fall at your feet for even a chance to have something with you."

"But--"

"And then there's me. Only daughter to the governor of Ochana, who is automatically assumed to look down her nose at people. She's spoiled, entitled, unintelligent, with no discernible skills except how to spread gossip and keep up on the latest fashions. No one is falling at my feet for the opportunity to learn anything about me past those assumptions," she shook her head sadly. "Most men are only interested in courting me to get near my father. Their ambitions involve obtaining a slice of his power and influence rather than anything to do with me."

"That's not--"

"So, I hope you can see how I might interpret your delayed return as a change of heart? Realize that I don't occupy your every thought like you do mine? Or how--" she choked back a sob then continued. "How you preferred to return to someone from your past instead of explore the future with me?" she whispered.

"There is no one else, past or present--" he vehemently denied.

Rhaya stood up from her chair. "I know you didn't intend for it to work out this way between us, but maybe it's for the best. Perhaps we should call it like it is and remember the good times we had, formed through an unlikely friendship. We're just too different for this to go any further, and for that, I'm sorry. Good evening, Your Grace." She gave him a watery smile, dipped a quick curtsy, and left him staring helplessly after her.

Dean remained seated, his head in his hands, with his shoulders slumped in defeat. How did everything go so wrong, so quickly? he wondered. He was thrilled at the prospect of seeing Rhaya, to once again feast his eyes on her beauty and finally express his feelings for her. He had not expected his dealings in Alcaria to have taken so much precious time away from her. And now it seemed that such delays had cost him what he wanted most at this point in his life.

From the doorway, he heard the sound of someone clearing his throat. When he looked up, he saw a member of the house staff, offering to escort him to the dining room as soon as he was ready. The man explained that Sam and the rest would soon be shown to the table as well. Dean thanked him and motioned for the staff member to lead the way.

***

Rhaya hastened towards her room, tears threatening to fall from her lashes. As she passed the dining room, she asked a staff member to tell her father that she would not be joining him. When the staff member expressed concern, Rhaya assured her that all was well. She explained that it was only a headache that left her feeling less than herself at the moment. The young lady wished her a swift recovery and promised that the governor would be informed of her absence at dinner.

Once inside her room with the door closed firmly behind her, Rhaya's composure slipped and the tears gave way from her eyes. How did it all go so wrong, so quickly? she sobbed. She should've been overcome with joy to finally see Dean, in person. Especially after the amount of time that had passed without one word from him.

Instead, she allowed her insecurities to get the best of her. She accused him of using her for his own amusement, which she knew in her heart wasn't true. At this point, she wouldn't blame him if he decided she wasn't worth the effort after all and returned to Alcaria without another word. Especially since she'd all but insisted that whatever connection they had was likely to have run its course. Those and other thoughts only served to restart the flow of tears down her face.

As the late afternoon sun gave way to the evening twilight, Rhaya lay on her bed, her eyes fixated on the ceiling. While she wondered if there was any way to fix what was broken between her and Dean, she heard a knock at the door. A spark of hope lit inside her, when she thought for a fleeting moment if her captain was on the other side. She couldn't help the flicker of disappointment that crossed her face when her sister opened the door.

"Missed you at dinner," Keira remarked. Rhaya nodded and mumbled an apology. "Yeah, your father conveyed your regrets to everyone for you not attending, said you had a headache?" Again, a nod, but no verbal response. "Rhy, honey, what's really going on?" she asked gently.

Rhaya heaved a deep sigh before launching into an account of what happened after everyone left the main hall. She explained her feelings to Dean and why she was so upset when he didn't return when promised. "I figured I had to be making it all up in my head, that I wasn't as important to him as he is to me," she confessed. "I thought there was no way I measured up to what he deserves, especially now that he's a duke."

Keira crawled up onto the bed to sit next to her and covered her sister's hand with her own. "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but he is in love with you, Rhaya. That means he knows you and has accepted you as you are. I saw it every time he said your name or we told each other stories about you. He drove us all crazy on that treasure hunt, me in particular," she laughed.

Rhaya gave her a glimmer of a smile. "He did? How?"

"Every minute of the day, he bugged the hell out of me by asking me so many questions about you." Keira turned to her sister with a fond smile on her face. "He's the real deal, honey. Besides, he knows that if he hurts you, he has to answer to me," she declared, which caused Rhaya to laugh.

"Do you think I can fix this?" Rhaya asked with hope in her eyes.

"Hmm. I think it's possible. Might involve some groveling, but I have faith that the two of you can work it out," Keira replied with a wink.

***

After dinner, Dean went on a self-guided tour of the mansion, rather than heading straight back to his room. In the process, he found a courtyard and entered through the open double doors off the main hallway. The area felt like an oasis of calm, which was exactly what he needed after the events of a few hours ago.

In the center was a stone fountain, encircled by a ledge for sitting and listening to the bubbling water. Tendrils of jasmine vines climbed the outside walls of the mansion. The white blooms produced a heady but comforting fragrance during the evening hours. Could be useful, should sleep elude me, he thought.

Benny saw his captain leave the dining room while the rest of the group was sipping on coffee, tea, or whiskey. Jess excused herself early because it was time for John's feeding, while Sam remained behind for the after-dinner drinks and conversation. He noticed Dean was a bit withdrawn at dinner, leading him to conclude that the conversation with Rhaya didn't end well.

He watched as Dean lowered himself to sit on the ledge of the fountain, then tilted his head up toward the night sky. "Hey, there you are, Chief. Whatcha doin' out here? You're missin' drinks with Sam and the governor," he mentioned.

Dean laughed softly as he absently trailed his fingertips through the water. "Nah, not my thing. Good for Sammy, though." He heaved a deep sigh and shook his head gently. "Really made a mess of things, haven't I? I was hoping for a chance to clear things up with her, but she didn't make it to dinner. Guess she couldn't even stand to see me across from her at the table," he muttered.

"Chief, don't be so tough on yourself, and try not to read too much into it. Her father said it was a headache, so I'm sure that's all it was. Give her some time, I'll bet she changes her mind once she's had a chance to think about things," Benny replied.

"I don't think so, Benny. She all but flat-out told me that whatever was between us has run its course, that we're not meant to be together. Instead, she'd rather just remember the good times we had," he remarked.

"Is that what you want?" Benny asked.

"Of course not!" Dean blurted. "I want to be with her so badly it hurts. I'll admit, we didn't really get along at first, but once we got to know each other....she's amazing, Benny. Strong, kind, selfless, and I can't help but be captivated by her. She's tough as nails one minute, then sweet and compassionate the next."

Benny's heart went out to his friend. As upset as his captain was, he knew Rhaya was the only one for Dean. "I know you got to know her real well and you two got close, Chief.  For that reason and so many others, you can't give up. You have to fight for her, at least long enough to tell her how you feel about her," he advised.

"How can I do that if she won't even give me a chance?" he exclaimed. "You know, as smart as she is, and as beautiful as she is, she also can be so--so--" Dean buried his fingers in his hair and growled in frustration as he searched for the right word.

"Stubborn? Headstrong? Infuriating?" a voice called from the doorway. Both men looked at each other in surprise, because the comment definitely didn't come from either of them. Their focus returned to the entrance to the courtyard to see Rhaya standing there, nervously wringing her hands in front of her.

This was the opportunity that Dean needed, so Benny decided to take his leave. On his way out, he paused in the doorway, locked eyes with Rhaya and gave her a reassuring nod. "Take care of him, chérie," he murmured. His hand gently landed on her shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze before he disappeared from sight.

"Good evening, Lady Rhaya," Dean greeted with a quick bow, once he'd recovered his composure.

"Good evening, Your Grace," she replied softly. "You know, this is one of my most favorite places on these grounds. I hope you find it as relaxing as I do."

An awkward silence stretched between them as neither one knew quite what to say to the other. Dean was cautious, not wanting to blurt out something and send Rhaya scurrying away from his presence. Meanwhile, she needed answers, but didn't want to sound demanding. To do so would risk closing the door on any prospect of the two of them remaining together.

The two of them paced around the courtyard, deep in thought, only pausing briefly so as not to run into each other. Rhaya decided to take a seat on the stone ledge surrounding the fountain, with Dean following suit almost immediately after her. She kept her eyes on her hands folded neatly in her lap. At the same time, he studied her, trying desperately to find any clues as to her current state of mind.

The tension in air grew thicker with anticipation, until she broke the silence. She reached over to cover one of his hands with her own, but pulled back at the last second. "Dean, I want to apologize for being terribly unfair to you earlier. I'm sure that whatever kept you away from Ochana for so long must have been important. You're a man of your word, and you've never given me reason to doubt that. I'm so sorry for what I said to you," she confessed, still unable to meet his eyes.

"I had hoped for a warmer reception, considering the length of time we spent apart," he replied. "But I understand why you reacted in the way that you did," he hastily added, covering her hands with his own. "Sweetheart, please look at me," he murmured, reaching over to bring her face within his line of vision. "You deserve to be loved and cherished, and I'm sorry if I did anything to make you think otherwise."

Rhaya jerked her head away from his hand, instantly missing his comforting caress. "You don't have to apologize or say that," she replied with a shy smile. "I mean, I know I'm far too opinionated, I jump to conclusions, and I definitely speak without thinking first. Though, I really should work on all of that, because it leads to a lot of apol--mmpf--" Her self-deprecating ramble was cut off when a pair of plump, soft lips connected with hers.

Dean couldn't bear to hear any more disparaging comments made about the woman he loved, not even from the woman herself. So, he chose to resolve the issue in the simplest way he knew, while at the same time declaring his feelings for her.

The kiss started tentatively at first, as if he was giving her a way out, in case she wanted or needed to take it. As her mouth began to move more confidently with his, he could sense her relaxing into the kiss, so he chose to deepen it. He was rewarded when he slid his tongue along the seam of her lips, begging for entrance and gave a slight groan when she granted it. A small moan of satisfaction escaped from her as their tongues battled for dominance.

One of his hands roamed up her side, from her waist to her back, while his other hand slipped around to tangle his fingers in her hair. A slight pressure to the back of her head gently kept them connected as he devoured her lips in a near-bruising kiss. Rhaya's hands traveled up Dean's chest, until she cradled his neck with both hands. Then her fingers began to twirl themselves around the curled ends of his hair, gently tugging on them.

When the kiss finally broke, they were both panting, each trying to catch their breath from what just happened. Dean leaned his forehead against Rhaya's as he attempted to return his heartbeat to a somewhat normal rhythm. Her hands moved back down to tilt his head up so he could see her eyes and realize the depth of the love she held for him.

"I'm in love with you, Rhaya. Exactly as you are, whether you're outspoken, or whatever, I don't care," he declared. "You're a smart, compassionate, kind, and absolutely beautiful woman who lights up any room she enters. It would mean the world to me if I can call you mine," he added.

"I'm in love with you too, Dean. Exactly as you are, and whether you're a duke or a ship's captain makes no difference to me. And I am yours, as long as you don't mind a woman who knows her way around a ship better than some fancy society function," she remarked with a nervous smile.

Dean glanced lovingly into Rhaya's eyes, his fingertips gently grazing her jawline. "Nah, darlin', I wouldn't have you be any other way. I knew you were meant for me when you threw that dagger at my head, but nailed my hat to the doorframe instead. Ruined a perfectly good hat, I'll have you know," he muttered teasingly.

Rhaya burst into giggles at her memory of that moment. "Great first impression, huh?" she observed sheepishly as she snuggled closer and rested her head on his chest. "I knew that first night you caught me out on deck in my nightclothes. Out of propriety, I was headed back to my room, but you asked me to stay. I'm so glad I did, as it was my first of our many astronomy lessons."

He wrapped his arms around her and sighed deeply in satisfaction when he felt her melt against his body. "Hmm, I remember that," he smiled as he recalled that night. She looked so ethereal that night, with the moonlight giving her strawberry-blond hair a rosy glow as it cascaded down her back.

The two of them stayed locked in each other's arms, with her back leaning against his toned, muscular chest. They sat beside the fountain watching as the moon rose over the hills in the distance. One by one, the stars came into view until there were so many it appeared as though someone painted the heavens in a fine metallic dust. Their excitement grew when a meteor shower began, which sent streaks of light dashing across the inky night sky.

***

After some time had passed, Rhaya pulled herself up into a sitting position and turned to face her captain. "Dean? I have a favor to ask of you," she began nervously.

"What is it, sweetheart?" he inquired.

"Will you....that is, when you....," she stammered, then took a deep breath to calm her frustration with herself before continuing. "After the gala and you return home to Alcaria....will you please take me with you?" she asked timidly.

Half a heartbeat passed before a beaming smile broke out over Dean's face, causing the crinkles around his eyes to appear. "I would be the happiest man in the world if you would return with me to Alcaria," he replied. "I-I was going to ask you, but I wanted to wait until it was the right time. What do you think your father will say?" he wondered.

Rhaya tilted her head in thought at his question. "A long time ago, Keira asked me once to run away with her too, and together we would sail the high seas. I think he would've been supportive of me, had I decided to go then, but I couldn't leave him with Carissa and all of her scheming. She probably would've convinced him to never let me come back," she muttered.

"Fortunately, she's no longer a factor," he smirked. Rhaya matched his grin and nodded, then shifted her position to snuggle further into Dean's chest.

***

The next day, Rhaya asked to speak with her father prior to the gala about an important matter. She met with him alone for afternoon tea while Dean waited outside the doors, in case she needed his support. The longer he waited, the more anxious he grew as he continued to pace out in the hall. His mind drifted to thinking that Lord Darius would forever banish him from Ochana for the mere suggestion of taking his daughter away from her home.

When he could no longer bear to wait, Dean turned on his heel and marched towards the door to the governor's study. Before he could reach for the handle, the door flew open. Rhaya and her father walked out, with the governor pulling him into a warm embrace. "Take care of her," Lord Darius whispered before releasing him. Dean nodded in silent promise to do exactly that and more.

Over the next week, Rhaya set about the task of packing her belongings for her move to Alcaria. She decided to leave behind whatever didn't fit into her largest trunk and one of her duffle bags. Most of her dresses were left hanging in her closet, since she wouldn't have much use for the fancier ones in Alcaria. Newer, more practical garments were already being made and would be finished by the time she left Ochana. Until then, her tunics and trousers would have to suffice.

The evening before his daughter's departure, Lord Darius hosted a gathering for Dean and his crew from The Black Diamond. Keira and Darcy were among the guests, as were Connor and any other members of the house staff wishing to say their goodbyes. Many toasts were made, as were promises of future return visits to the land she'd called home for so many years.

Everyone met down at the docks the next morning for the final farewells. Rhaya promised Darcy that she would come back to Ochana whenever she was able. However, in the meantime, she suggested for her friend to consider accepting Connor's offer to allow him to court her. This brought a deep blush to Darcy's cheeks at Rhaya's advice, followed by a shy glance in the captain of the guard's direction.

The most difficult goodbye was between father and daughter. On one hand, Lord Darius was at peace with his decision for Rhaya to leave the nest and find her place in the world. He knew she had a good man at her side, one who would take the best care of her and treat her the way she deserved.

On the other hand, he would miss seeing her bright smile and loving face every day around the estate. He knew the staff would take the utmost care of him and ensure to the best of their ability that all of his needs were met. The special bond between father and daughter, though, would be impossible to replicate with anyone else. The first few days without Rhaya would be among the hardest, but he knew this was for the best.

Lord Darius gazed fondly at his daughter. In his mind, it was only a short time ago that she was nine years old, deep in her studies but aggressively avoiding her math tutor. Now he marveled at the grown woman before him, of whom he could not be more proud. He held his arms out and she ran to be engulfed in his embrace. "I love you, Papa. Thank you for this amazing opportunity. I'll--We'll come visit as often as we can. Or, maybe we can arrange to host some sort of 'diplomatic function' in Alcaria," she grinned.

He laughed at her solution to enable him to visit her more often. "I'm sure we can work something out, sweet pea. I will miss you, though," he commented fondly as he glanced over in Dean's direction. "He's a good man, Rhaya. I had a rather lengthy discussion with him after you didn't marry Ashton. When the time is right, he knows he has my blessing," he winked.

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as her cheeks blushed furiously at the implication of her father's words. "Papa!" she gently admonished. "It's much too soon for that, we're still getting to know each other."

Lord Darius shrugged. "Perhaps too soon, perhaps not. When you know, you know, just like it was for me with your mother. She'd be so proud of you," he responded with a watery smile. "I certainly am proud of you."

"Oh, Papa," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. "I love you so much," she choked out.

"I love you very much, my darling daughter," he whispered.

Not wanting to intrude, Dean kept a few paces' distance away. As father and daughter gave each other one last embrace, he approached them and stood behind Rhaya, his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry to have to do this, my love, but we really must start our journey," he explained. He turned to Lord Darius with his hand outstretched, only to be pulled into a tight but affectionate hug from the man.

"Take care of each other. And remember, you always have a home here on Ochana," Lord Darius remarked gruffly, trying to hold back his tears at Rhaya's departure.

Dean nodded and gently took hold of Rhaya's elbow to guide her towards the gangplank to board his ship. They walked together, hand-in-hand, and when they reached the top, they turned to face the group on the docks. Dean waved goodbye, while Rhaya blew a kiss to her father before also giving a wave.

Once they were on board, the gangplank was removed and the docking ropes were released. The ship left port and began its return to Alcaria with one more passenger than what they arrived with. Dean wrapped his arms around Rhaya from behind as they stood near the bow of the ship while it sailed towards open waters.

"Ready to start your adventure, my love?" he asked.

"As long as I'm with you, I know every day will be an adventure," she replied with a beaming smile. "I love you, O Captain, my Captain."

"And I love you, my darling," he murmured near her ear.

***

Some years later....

"Grandpapa, will you please tell me a story?" seven-year-old Laila pleaded. She was in her pajamas and nestled under her blankets, but there was no way she could sleep without a story.

"All right, Laila," Lord Darius chuckled. "What shall it be this time, princesses and frogs, knights and ogres, or...." he trailed off with a smirk, knowing what she really wanted to hear.

"Pirates, Grandpapa! I want to hear about Mommy and Daddy's adventures on The Black Diamond!" she clapped. She could never get enough of his stories about her parents, and they were the best. He always injected such enthusiasm in the characters as he wove his tales of their adventures. And he could never resist an opportunity to entertain his granddaughter.

"Are you comfy, sweet pea?" Lord Darius asked. Laila nodded enthusiastically, and he took that as his cue. "Very well then. Once upon a time...."

FIN

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