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annikin-annotates · 8 months

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Lady of the Lake

Hi y’all! I’m so glad to be writing this for my dear kindred spirit for her 1,000 followers celebration! I hope you all enjoy the One Shot I’ve created using Hozier's Butchered Tongues as my base. Congratulations my dear @arcielee, you deserve all the love you receive, I hope this lives up to your expectations!.

Let me know if you would like to be added to my taglists!

Happy reading.

Pairing: Aemond x Siren!Reader

Word Count: 3,069 (Nice)

Warnings; Blood, mentions of death, thoughts of ripping Aemond limb from limb. Minors DNI 18+

Chosen lyrics; They are buried without scalp in the shattered bedrock of our home.

The lake had been covered in misty fog, its eerie tendrils dancing just above the surface of the water, if one looked close enough they could see water sprites at work. Humans believed that magic was gone from the world, but if they only looked a little closer they would see that it was still here, barely; like the final embers on a candle wick.

She lived beneath the surface of a pond, a safe haven under the ever changing waters of the stream that flows into it. It was always quiet in her small pond, the blue gills and catfish her only company. Though she would not say that it was entirely awful, it may be secluded and quiet but it was always safe, and being safe meant staying alive.

Trees twisted and wrapped their way around one another, strangling one another for a chance at seeing the sun, oh how she longed for the sun’s warmth. The dense dark green thickets surrounding the edge of the lake, pointed thorns dipping into the water, another reminder of the cage she had put herself in.

She slipped below the surface once more, sinking to the mossy floor, her head resting on a mossy rock, staring up at the underside of the lily pads. She spent the rest of her day hunting catfish and playing with the small water spiders that skimmed across the surface of the water.

She spent her night curled up in a patch of Hydrilla, its green tips making a space in the water. She stared up into the inky expanse and wondered what it was like above the surface. She wondered if perhaps one day, she too could walk amongst them. She had walked on land before, some centuries ago when she was only a girl.

Back when humans knew and respected the creatures that dwell out of sight, the rulers of nature. For a time they had lived in peace, silently walking amongst them, helping when needed, fighting in wars that were not ours, and aiding the sick with cures and magic long forgotten by mankind.

Somewhere along the path, we had become a threat, a danger to humans, they began to push them back into the woods and lakes, away from civilisations. Her mother was forced from her job as a maid in a keep not far from where she dwelled, it was not long after that, they began to cull them. All her family were snuffed out within a night, now all of them laid at the bottom of the God’s Eye.

All except her.

She shook the thoughts from her head, she couldn’t bear to think about it any more. She reached a webbed hand toward the starry sky, the rippled surface obscuring the true beauty of it. Her arm came to rest by her side, disturbing the sediment as she sighed, an air pocket travelling all the way to the surface.

Shimmering sunlight awoke her from her slumber, she sat up and stretched her arms and leant forward to stretch her back, the dorsal fin waying with the current. Perhaps today she would sun herself on the boulder in her lake, enjoy the sound of birdsong and they trickling water. The warmth of the flat rock warmed her cold flesh, her tail swishing in the clear water beneath her.

The sun had just begun to beam down into her pond, refracting different colours like light onto a thousand precious gems. She spent time braiding her hair down the length of her back, small river flowers delicately weaved into it. She hummed the melody of a song her mother used to sing to her when she was young, the same one she would use to lure men to their watery graves.

The sound of approaching hooves sent her beneath the water again, resurfacing in the safety of the water reeds. Directly across from her was a lithe man knelt by the running water of the stream, drinking handfuls of water. He was marvellous to look at, his deep green clothes and gold trimmed armour and his hair that looked like spun silver fluttering in the gentle wind.

A familiar primal feeling came over her, it was stronger than she had ever felt before: have him, have him, devour him, feast upon his bones, it chanted. It frightened her, but she followed the feeling, diving below the water once more only to look at him from between the reeds. She could see all the features of his face now, a strong chin and pronounced nose and eyes that glittered like amethysts in the sun. He was handsome, but she could taste the sadness permeating from him, the wish to be anywhere other than where he was, she empathised with him.

‘Come and find me,’ she whispered, edging him closer and closer to the water ‘Let me free you from your burdens,’ she cooed, watching him fall deeper and deeper under her spell.

He was within her grasp, she surfaced from beneath the water, scaled chest glimmering in the sunlight, a webbed hand extended for him to take. Their fingers ghosted one another, his hands were soft and warm while hers were cold and slippery, ‘Come to me, my sweet,’ she hummed melodically. She could practically feel her teeth sinking into his flesh, tearing him limb from limb, the thought sent her milky eyes rolling back into her head.

A woman with long dark hair grasped his shoulder, pulling him from her carefully laid trance, “You mustn’t venture too close to the water, my Prince,” she said firmly. By the time he had flicked his eyes towards the other woman and back to the water, she was gone.

“Why?” she heard him ask, standing from the waters edge, his eyes hadn’t yet left the spot where he saw her.

“Dark creatures lurk below the surface of these waters,” the woman replied, though the conversation had become less clear the further they ventured from the water.

The woman in the water haunted him for days after returning to Harrenhal, the word she spoke to him ringing in his ears, ‘Let me free you from your burdens,’ she had said. She was slowly consuming him, mind, body and soul, and he had no desire to break free from her hold. He would never forget the feeling of being lured by her, both horrifying and euphoric.

He saw flashes of her everywhere, peeking around corners, the melody of birdsong and in his dark haired lover. He saw her in the pursuit of his own high, chasing her from the recesses of his mind, Alys’ face slowly morphing into the face he saw below the water. Aemond could almost feel her talons ghosting along his skin, leaving rippling heat in its wake.

The feeling of fangs pressing against the column of his throat sent him into a frenzy of thrusts, his large hands guiding the body above him. The melodic song he had heard from her, guiding him like a boat through a tempest, had driven him over the edge. ‘Aemond,’ Alys moaned, though he heard only the melodic voice of the woman in the water.

He didn’t dare look up at her, instead he slipped from beneath her, choosing to stand at the windowsill, looking over the God’s Eye, wondering about her. Slender fingers and soft lips trailed over his shoulder and down his arm, and yet it did not stoke the fire that burned deep within him as it usually did.

“It’s her, isn’t it?” Alys asked her nose softly nudging the nape of his neck, her hands never leaving him.

Aemond thought for a moment, “Yes,” he replied, a cold edge to his voice.

Alys pulled away from him, recoiling from the coldness of the response “I see,” she said, clearing her throat. “I shall leave you be, my Prince,” she continued, making her way to where her clothes lay. She dressed silently and left through the servants corridor, to remain unseen.

—

Muffled dragon cries woke her abruptly from her slumber, she broke the surface of the water, a panicked gasp tearing from her as she looked helplessly at the sky. She looked around her, as flickering embers and ash fell from the sky, she couldn’t stay here. Today would be the day where she would face her fears and leave the safety of her pond.

She heaved herself up through the bramble that surrounded her pond, thorns pricking and scratching her tender skin, half blind from the sun. Her legs wobbled as she took a few steps before breaking out into a stumbling run, similar to that of a newborn foal. She cried out in pain as she began to run, nothing good could come from two dragons warring above, she needed to clear out of the pond, she could return when it was safe.

The pain in her legs and feet was extraordinary, each log she cleared felt as though she was stepping on shards of glass when she landed. It was so loud, the overlapping shouts of soldiers, the clanking of armour and screeching of metal on metal, it was cacophonous; it reeked of self assured destruction. Every bone inside her wanted to turn around and leap back into the safety of her pond, but now wasn’t the time for hiding, it was the time for running.

She veered deeper into the forest, but something made her stop to look up at the sky, to the dragons wrapping themselves around one another. She turned away once more, determined to find some other body of water to bide her time, when an ear piercing screech sent her to a screeching halt. Her breath heaved in her chest, her lungs working overtime ‘He needs you,’ a pleading voice whispered.

It was enough to send her careening towards the waters of the God’s Eye.

The larger of the dragons was falling towards the lake, its throat had been ripped open, flames escaping the wound. If its rider was to stand any chance of living she would need to rescue him, humans didn’t live long once they entered her domain. She threw herself head first into its frigid waters, disappearing into its depths untraced. Her eyes only needed a minute to adjust to her surroundings once more, the world around her becoming a little clearer, and it would be any moment before that scaled beast would hit the water.

The crash was unimaginable, sediment and rocks flew past her as she braced herself by a sunken boulder, she could hear the sound of the heart drumming in his chest. It was now a race to find him before The Stranger did, she at the very least could follow his heart beat. She had no idea why she was putting herself in danger for a human who was supposed to be her next meal, she was designed to consume them - not save them.

She dove deeper and deeper into the lake, the sunlight filtering away, total blackness enveloping her. Though she could not see very well above the water in the sunlight, she could see perfectly in the dark. She did not dare look at the bedrock of the lake, in fear of discovering corpses she did not wish to see. She could see the roiling bubbles ascending to the surface and the immense heat emanating from directly beneath her, she wasted no time in diving again.

She very quickly discovered the corpse of the beast, resting peacefully in the bedrock, her rider still saddled. She stopped directly in front of him, watching his hands shake as he struggled with the chains. Malicious thoughts slithered into her head; she could feast for ages on both dragon and rider, she would have no need to think about the surface for a long time. It would be so easy, all she had to do was wait for him to drown.

No. He didn’t deserve this, at the very least she could unbind him and send him to the surface, what happened to him beyond that was not her problem. Against her better judgement, she rushed him, shoving his hands away from the ropes around his waist and ripping them away with her nails. He struggled and thrashed in her grip, using all his might to get away from her.

‘Stop struggling! I’m trying to help you!’ She hissed. He ceased his struggling immediately, having become sluggish and slow, the lack of oxygen finally taking its toll on him, leaving him weak and defenceless. Everything in her screamed at her to devour him, to gut him like a fish and swallow him whole.

A helpless groan left her as she threw his arm around her broad shoulders, heaving him up towards the rippling light of the surface. They wouldn’t be looking for his body yet, but she didn’t have long before they would be descending upon them, she’d be damned if she would die for a human. With one final forceful push of her tail, she was able to push his lithe body halfway up on to a secluded bank, her heartbeat thundering in her chest.

He wasn’t breathing. Gods, he wasn’t breathing!

With the last of her strength she threw herself up onto the bank, kneeling beside him; his heartbeat was there, but faint, she needed to work quickly if he was to survive the day. His body felt as though it was made of lead as she dragged him away from the water, the further away they were from the water, the less temptation there was.

He had taken water into his lungs, which meant she needed to get it out as soon as possible. She opened his mouth, placing her own on his, pulling the water from his lungs mouthful after mouthful, spitting it onto the lush grass. He had other wounds, cuts and scrapes but it was nothing she couldn’t use her magic to heal. With a final mouthful of water, air rushed into his lungs, sending him bolt upright coughing and hacking.

The movement sent her toppling over into the grass, where he descended upon her, blade against her throat. Her slender taloned fingers spread out across his face, daring to take his other eye.

“I saved your life, and this is how you repay me? By slitting my throat?” she asked, half daring him to do it, maybe then she would get some peace. His face seemed to shift in that moment, furrowed brows relaxed his clenched jaw loosening.

“You are right, I am sorry,” He replied, taking the blade from her throat.

The woman in front of him was full of contradictions, she was both dark and light, sharp edges and softness, terrifying and beautiful. She had almost lured him to his death one day and then saved him the very next. She held no fear in her eyes, even as he had held the blade to her throat, her beautiful, supple throat, he shook the thoughts from his head.

“Stop looking at me like you wish to swallow me whole, and let me heal you,” she bit at him, a gentle push sending him into the plush grass. She struggled with taking his chest plate, the leather straps far too finicky for her liking she took a sharp talon to the supple leather, slicing into it.

“No, leave me here,” he told her, trying to force her hands away.

“You will die if I don’t tend to your wounds!” she said through gritted teeth, pulling the chest plate away and straddling him, pinning his arms underneath her legs. Her hand hovered over the gaping wound in his shoulder, a calming blue light emanating from her palm. She watched the wound pull the deep red ichor back into his body, skin stitching itself shut, leaving no trace that there was ever a wound there.

I’d like to see his witch heal him in such a manner.

—

They took shelter in a cave deep in the woods outside Harrenhal, out of the sight of prying eyes and away from hands that would do them harm. In the time they had spent in the cave, she had learnt that the Prince's name was Aemond and that he was not one for conversation.

“I wish I could leave all of this behind,” Aemond whispered, his voice laced with pain and exhaustion. She sat cross legged across from him, a pleasant prickling feeling crawling up her legs from sitting in one place.

She tilted her head to the side slightly “Why can’t you?” she asked, her brows furrowed.

“I have a duty to my family, it's a matter of honour,” was the silver haired Prince's response, his jaw twitching as his arms came to rest across his broad chest. The dim embers illuminating the way his lip twitched upward as she leant forward, to press him further.

“Your family would rather send you to die than allow you to leave?” She responded, her voice laced with disbelief, she shook her head. It slowly became clear to her about what happened just hours ago, when he demanded she leave him to die. He had wanted that fate, he would have preferred death to failure.

Aemond pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice taking on an edge “It is about honour, as I said,” his response did not invite any further conversation between them. And for a while there was nothing but the crackle of logs on a fire and the sound of their breaths.

“Run away with me, it's not safe for either of us here. We can board a ship tonight and be gone by morning,” she offered, they could board a ship for Essos or Yi-Ti and never be found again. She would forsake the waters of her home for him, if it meant that he could live the life he desired.

“No,” was Aemond's immediate response, face contorting into a scowl. She was beginning to break down the barrier of duty and honour he had surrounded himself with, for without those virtues, what would he become?

She stood from her perch on a boulder, allowing the silk shoulder cape Aemond had given her to cover herself to slip away. Exposing the mounds and valleys of her body, the scales on her legs and cheekbones catching the firelight. “Come, My Darling. Please just give me your hand,” she cooed into his ear, running her delicate fingers over his shoulder and up the column of his throat, stopping to stroke his jaw.

And so he did.

Thank you to my darling @sylasthegrim for beta reading this! And creating the wonderful header/moodboard!

Please reblog my work if you enjoy it! it helps keep fan fiction alive <3

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lesbianrumi · 1 year

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leander, pagan symbolism, and other notes.

ok so people have already brought up that leander is covered in or surrounded by a lot of symbolism. but there’s way more where that came from. idk if someone has compiled all of them in one place but i’m doing it here bc i’m feeling crazy at the moment

first, let’s get the obvious ones out of the way

there’s the ouroboros on his earring and in his charm

it’s a pagan symbol and also symbolizes alchemy. the ouroboros features a serpent eating its own tail and “symbolizes the eternal nature of the universe and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The symbol is closely associated with that of infinity, and the two are typically combined” (source)

we can see that it’s combined with the infinity symbol on the charm, which of course has to do with eternity

then there’s the triple moon/triple goddess on his belt buckle, yet another pagan symbol (credit to this post for this insight!)

here’s some info on the triple moon: “The first crescent, the waxing moon, symbolizes new life, rejuvenation, and new beginnings. The middle circle represents the full moon when magic is at its most powerful. Finally, the second crescent moon represents the moon during its waning period. This time of the moon phase is a time that is regarded as the best to send things away, remove them from your life, or finish things.” (source)

there are also white lilies featured in leander’s CG, on his charm and pin, and in the game trailer

surprise! it’s also a pagan symbol!

supposedly, “pagans used white lilies as decorations on May Day. Part of the festivities include young women dancing around the May Pole with ribbons with lilies in their hair. In this setting lilies represent renewed life, health and fertility.” (source)

but wait, there’s more!

like the earth symbol on the chain attached to his lapel pin

another pagan symbol that “is also sometimes used to symbolize Mother Earth. The element of earth is associated with the colors of brown and green, abundance, prosperity, and fertility.” (source) apparently it’s the ultimate symbol of the divine feminine

finally, green is practically leander’s official colour. it’s the colour of his eyes, his magic, and is featured heavily all over his sprite and official art. interestingly, it’s also the colour of the cloaks that his bloodhounds wear

you guessed it - the colour green is tied to paganism

it symbolizes “youth and fertility, evil and envy” and is connected to the season of spring as well as to nature (source). in the bible, green “means immortality, resurrection, growth, prosperity, and restoration” as well as fertility (source)

now onto some things that i might just be reading into lmao

like the gold points on leander’s trench coat, as well as the tiny inverted triangle between his clavicles, which is also featured in one of initial sketches for his earring. this could be the water symbol

again, it’s pagan. and is “believed to have a strong feminine connection, and so it is associated with all aspects of the goddess. The inverted triangle used to symbolize water is felt by some to symbolize the womb and is befitting with this element's feminine association.” (source)

the same source mentions that water is a “healing and purifying element that is connected to the West. Water can be used in rituals involving love and other emotions, and flowing water in nature, such as a river, or the sea, can be incorporated into magical workings that focus on carrying away negativity or other unwanted aspects of your life.”

i included it because it mentions the goddess, the womb (so possibly fertility), and femininity, which you’ve probably noticed by now is a recurring meaning for the other symbols on him

flowing water also brings lowtown to mind, since it’s described as being eroded by some sort of flood

next i’ll bring up leander’s dagger earring again, focusing not on the ouroboros but the dagger itself

in the demo, the mc notes that the earring is “dagger shaped.” but what if it’s not a dagger at all? what if it’s the ankh?

this could be a stretch, but note the hoop at the top of the dagger

the ankh is an “ancient Egyptian hieroglyph means life or living. Over time the ankh has come to symbolize eternal life and immortality to people from many walks of life. In ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the gods were always seen carrying an ankh, making it a symbol of divinity.” (source)

another reach, but i was looking at pagan symbols that might be a match for the diamond that shows up on leander’s lapel pin and his belt buckle, and came across the unicursal hexagram

this is the weakest link imo, especially because this isn’t a pagan symbol, but i thought i’d add it anyway since it seemed neat

the unicursal hexagram is a “six-pointed star is drawn unicursally, meaning that it is drawn in one continuous line. The hexagram represents the divine and heavenly forces of the universe. In Aleister Crowley's occult order Thelema, a five-petaled flower is placed in the middle to represent the pentacle and the five classical elements.” (source)

some other insights that i wanted to bring up here, though they have less to do with symbolism and are more concrete/tied to the game specifically

first up, as mentioned earlier, green might as well be leander’s official colour... so what about the red items on him? what significance do they have?

there’s this glowing red object attached to his belt, which i can’t help but think looks like an inverted version of the largest spire in eridia. you know, the spire that’s confirmed to be the senobium

also note how the windows in eridia all seem to glow with a similar red light in this CG...

there’s also a (faintly glowing?) red gem on his dagger earring, which looks to be diamond-shaped

what does it mean? what does it all mean?

your guess is as good as mine! but given all the allusions to the divine feminine, the (triple) goddess, fertility, etc. i can’t help think that leander might be in league with some kind of goddess or female deity. we already know that gods exist in some form or another, since ais is connected to a god and kuras is an angel, so the idea isn’t completely off base

did this goddess save leander’s life in the past, hence the constant motifs of renewed life, rebirth/resurrection, immortality, and so forth? maybe the scar that covers a good portion of his body had been enough to kill leander, or just nearly, until she intervened somehow

is he working with her to potentially overthrow the senobium, which we know he dislikes? are leander’s bloodhounds in on this? is the fact that leander’s magic is so powerful due to some kind of pact he has with the goddess?

obviously, i have no clue. i’m just throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks msfjskfjhfd

#touchstarved game #leander touchstarved #touchstarved leander #touchstarved #leander #m.txt

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howtradgic · 5 months

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marauders as non popular drinks except they get more and more unhinged

Peter Pettigrew: Dandelion honey tea

James Potter: Pink lemonade in a solo cup

Pandora Rosier: Strawberry milk in a batman tumblr cup

Lily Evans: Strawberry flavored energy water

Regulus: Sparkling grape juice in a wine glass

Mary Macdonald: lemon milkshakes

Dorcas meadows’s: Sprite made out of pine needles

Remus Lupin: Mint hot chocolate with ice

Sirius Black: 2% milk in a wine glass

Marlene Mckinnon: Fear

Evan Rosier: NyQuil

Barty Crouch Jr: Bleach

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alexanderlightweight · 10 months

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Hi! Have you done a first meeting for the kelpie!au? Would love to see Magnus' first reaction to Alec and realizing he accidentally acquired a partner but definitely wants to keep him

i have!!! here you go i hope you enjoy it

<3 lumine

—

Magnus isn’t sure what has his magic so on edge. So vibrantly agitated that it’s almost impatient in the way it begs his attention but then stalls, as if unsure what to do or where to go.

It’s strange but it’s hardly dangerous, so Magnus ignores it and focuses on finishing his chores.

There’s a dead seelie that requires discreet disposal.

Magnus isn’t normally one to use the same place too often, but something about the particular lake he portals to has always beckoned to him. Between the fact that the lake is hidden in a naturally made rift and using some rather clever warding magic, the lake has remained undisturbed for decades.

Magnus feels content and welcome in the wild and natural beauty of the very well hidden lake, a feeling that is rare and so all the more valuable.

It’s all the more strange that it's one of the only places that Magnus can consistently dispose of annoyances without worrying about evidence.

Because Magnus has tested it, nothing that he ever gets rid of resurfaces, as if the tranquil lake holds an abyss beneath her waters.

It feels right, to throw the bodies into the stillness of the giant lake and use magic to drag them quickly to the bottom. Magnus isn’t sure what consumes the bodies, but he knows it’s efficient and that the sprites and fauna thrives off of both the bodies and his magic.

It’s a slow day and his list of necessary things is done, so Magnus summons himself a blanket, takes off his shoes and socks, and dips his toes into the cool, blue shallows.

Magnus takes a moment and just breathes in the wild magic of the air and the scent of shadow lilies that bob in the shallows.

There are little fish that chase the glints of sunlight through the shallows. A few braver ones nibbling shyly at his toes.

It tickles unexpectedly and Magnus can’t help his reflexive jerk. It scares away the fish and Magnus’ toes catch on a sharp rock with a sting and a little bloom of pink before the water washes it away.

Magnus heals it without a thought and as the fish return, he lets himself relax back into the warm sun. It takes several minutes for his spine to tense and his instincts flare with alarm and Magnus knows someone is watching him.

There is a very focused presence on him. Magnus’ instincts can feel the intensity and weight of his watcher to his bones.

He opens his eyes slowly, preparing magic and blinks.

There is a very gorgeous, naked fae in front of him. He’s covered in small scars and what might be runes and his long hair is in a tangled braid, twined with vine and bone.

He’s so utterly perfect and he’s glaring at Magnus.

An enticing pout sits on the downturned curve of his mouth as he wades closer. Each step bares more of him as water sluices off his muscles and Magnus leans back on his elbows, enjoying the view.

“It’s been over four decades.” Magnus is told calmly but grumpily. “I appreciate you valuing me so much. But I am tired of waiting. Consider me wooed.”

The man is in front of Magnus by the time he’s finished speaking and he drops a small bag before he climbs —naked and dripping wet— right into Magnus’ lap and sits down like it’s his due.

Like he belongs there.

Magnus finds that he does not mind.

Any of this.

Magnus’ mind is working quickly to piece together an idea of what happened. But he has to be careful as he tests his theory. There’s no safe way to make a mistake with a fae and the one in his lap will be gone if Magnus gets it wrong.

“And did you enjoy it, my wooing you?” Magnus asks and he puts a proprietary hand on the man’s ass, pulling him closer. Muscles tense under his grip and Magnus clenches his fingers hungrily.

It earns him a pleased hum of agreement and damp fingers petting down Magnus’ silk sleeves, tracing the way the silk hugs Magnus biceps.

“Do I get to know my lovely boy’s name?” Magnus asks, still slow and careful as he figures out just what is his to take.

“Alec. Alexander, for you.” Is murmured against his cheek like a confession, like it’s a gift. As if that part of him now belongs to Magnus and Magnus feels the shiver of power in his words.

Cool lips brush his jaw and Magnus is hanging onto his control by a thread.

—Ragnor had better be bloody thrilled than his stupid little lectures on ‘self-restraint’ and ‘no sex with fae until you know what the cost is’ have been drilled into Magnus’ instincts—

“I’m Magnus, darling.” Magnus pets Alexander’s flank with his free hand and chuckles when his muscles jump at the touch. “Sensitive, aren’t you?” He asks and then reminds himself not to be distracted. He’s still not sure exactly how this misunderstanding happened.

“I owe you a gift for taking so long when you’ve been so patient. What should I get you, hmm? Tell me.”

It’s better to be as direct with fae as possible. Magnus needs to keep his wits as much as he can until this thing between them is settled.

Alexander pauses from where he’s been clumsily trying to rip off Magnus’ clothes. And Magnus really needs to figure out if this is a sexy thing, or a ‘you owe me your heart literally’ kind of thing.

Quickly.

“You’ve been wooing me for decades.” Alexander says, voice puzzled and his gaze continually slides from meetings Magnus own; to looking hungrily at Magnus torso.

“Why would I need more gifts when you’re finally here? You’ve fed me for years and you finally let me taste your blood!” Alexander gives a huff of outrage, face dark as he tugs harder on Magnus’ vest —grumbling at how complicated the whale bone pearl buttons that Magnus loves are.

“I don’t want an apology gift! I want to know how you’re going to finally bond with me when you have all of this on?” Alexander complains as he finally gives up on the buttons. It's so sincere and endearing that Magnus has to fight back laughter.

He succeeds only because this is not a laughing matter.

And because Alexander will not take his frustrations over a slow courtship being laughed at well. It’s easier than it should be to refocus and it’s only because the thought of fucking Alexander steals away his breath.

“Oh, this is for you. Luck and protection, the others are for later, this was the first.” Alexander says now that his hands are avoiding Magnus' abused buttons.

And Magnus finds that he would sacrifice every single tailored waistcoat in his extensive wardrobe to get those hands back on him.

Instead Alexander reaches up to his braid and unhooks a small pendant.

It’s a bone carved with runes and it’s not newly carved. It’s several decades old and the magic it’s steeped in is Magnus’ magic. It literally projects a bloodthirsty aura but when Magnus holds it, all he can feel is the protective energy it pushes into him, a flip of fate lingering in the bone.

It takes a moment and then Magnus understands.

Magnus killed with magic, disposed of the bodies here with magic and Alexander accepted what he thought were courtship offerings before harvesting and devouring those kills.

Which means that Magnus accidentally started one of oldest and primal unseelie courtship rituals.

Specifically with the implied intentions of exclusivity, as well as presenting himself as the dominant suitor as a provider and caretaker for Alexander.

As the bigger predator.

As the greater threat.

And Alexander wants Magnus.

Wants everything that Magnus has accidentally asked for and he is actively irritated that Magnus has made him wait so long.

But he has waited. Waited willingly for decades while Magnus unknowingly wasted time where he could have had this patient, good boy always in his lap.

Years Magnus shouldn’t have had to suffer being alone and thinking no one would ever want everything he has to give.

Years where he didn’t believe anyone could want him. Let alone want him enough to wait.

Years being too much, when for Alexander he’s enough.

Years where everything Magnus has ever craved and been denied, was waiting for him.

Longing for him.

So even though Magnus can still break the ritual he doesn’t want to.

Instead he smiles.

Alexander wants to submit to Magnus and who is Magnus to deny him that pleasure when he, himself wants Alexander to submit,

Magnus will never let Alexander find out that their courtship was an accident. He’s going to bind Alexander to him, as if it was his purpose all along, and then Magnus is going to keep him.

#lumine writes #writing wednesday #writing wednesdays #undertow #undertow vs #shadowhunters #malec #alec lightwood #magnus bane

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