Modern AU shenanigans because I had a wild dream the other night and now I have to make it about the primarchs.
Also, a personal thank you to my friend @casperpetual for helping me with a few of these cause I was STRUGGLING in some places everyone go look at the stuff he's started posting about 40k it brings me joy.
~
You're so fucked.
You weren't supposed to be here, you had no idea where to go, and you really just wanted out as soon as humanly possible.
The party had, admittedly, been fun for a very short amount of time. It was hosted by who you're pretty sure is the wealthiest man on the face of the planet, and your friend's boyfriend (the only one of you that had been invited) had snuck you guys in because he wanted her to meet some of his friends, and she'd been too scared to go alone.
Then the two of them bailed on you with only a text from her (because of course you got separated at some point, honestly that was just your luck) that said they were leaving early to do things she gave you way too many details about, and that she was sorry and loved you and wanted you to let her know that you got home okay on your own. You're not sure they even tried to find you first, they just left.
But you'd dwell on that later, first you had to focus on getting the fuck out of here.
Despite your best attempts to stay under the radar, someone had noticed you. One of the many guests had decided you were worth his attention, and wanted to see you in a more...intimate way. You'd denied him as politely as you could, but he'd only gotten angry, and now you were basically running from him.
It's in your panic to escape that you pick probably the stupidest thing in the world to do- throw yourself over a railing and pray you don't break something in the fall.
Lion
"You aren't supposed to be here."
Lion knew who everyone in this building was. He'd done background checks on everyone who RSVP'd, and you were not on his list.
So when you fell into his arms, all he could think about was the fact that he doesn't know who you are.
He just stares at you for an excruciatingly long minute, processing his apparent oversight in security, before finally setting you down
He does not fully release you, though, keeping a hand around your elbow so that you can't escape him before he gets his answers
"Who are you? Why are you here? How did you get through security?"
He's so intense, his eyes never leaving you for even a moment
You talk fast
"I'm sorry, I know I'm not supposed to be here, I swear I'll explain but please I just want to get out of here and there's some guy chasing me that definitely isn't security, and-"
As if summoned by your words, your pursuer appears, drunk and yelling profanities at you
You step closer to Lion, something in you telling you that he was safe
Your intuition is proved to be correct when he pulls you behind himself
Because despite his suspicions, he does recognize that you're afraid and potentially in danger
The man is quick to back away at the glare shot his direction, and is pushed even further back by a few of Lion's friends, who appear out of seemingly nowhere
Lion drives you home himself on the condition that you tell him everything, which you do
When he drops you off, he walks you all the way to your door, tells you to never show up to a party uninvited with untrustworthy people ever again, and leaves
How his phone number ended up in your pocket, you have no idea, but you keep it close, just in case you need a knight in stoic armor in the future
Fulgrim
"That was absolutely flawless."
He catches you with grace and somehow totally perfect hair despite how quickly he'd scrambled to reach you in time
He doesn't put you down immediately, too busy complimenting your form and how elegant you had apparently looked
It's overwhelming. He's overwhelming.
But at least he's polite, you supposed
He puts you down upon request, and barely a moment later does your pursuer appear
The look that crosses Fulgrim's face when the man's hand snatches your arm is nothing short of disgusted
"Release them immediately," He demands. "How dare you put your hands on something far more beautiful than you'll ever be."
The man tries to explain, but Fulgrim either doesn't care, or just refuses to listen, and he's eventually chased off by Julius for continuing to pester
Once he's gone, you explain everything while Fulgrim listens, nodding.
"This party was getting dull anyway."
You're escorted by him and his friends out of the massive house, put in a car, and taken home
It's not until you're safely inside your home that you find a piece of paper tucked in your jacket pocket with his name, phone number, and request to 'call me~'
Perturabo
"What the hell-"
The only reason he catches you is because you got very lucky
He is not happy at having his conversation interrupted by you, and all but drops you before you can catch your breath
You wheeze out an apology, and start to leave, but his hand grabs the back of your jacket and you're pulled back towards him
You rush out another apology, insisting that you really had to go, but he still doesn't release you, he just stares down at you, calculating
He's big, and he's intense, and he's pissed, so everything in you starts screaming that everything is about to get so much worse-
"There you are, you little-" Your pursuer appears, stopping short at the sight of Perturabo already holding onto you
The man starts to speak, but is silenced by a glare from your captor
He turns and runs with his tail between his legs and honestly you can't blame him
"Now you." Perturabo's eyes are on you again. "Explain."
He does not let you go until you tell him everything
You're not sure if he's impressed, or somehow more offended than he was before, but he calls you an idiot, and all but drags you outside
You're stuffed into a very nice car, and he tells someone to take you wherever you need to go
Before you leave, you're told very firmly that he doesn't want to see you here uninvited ever again
You don't get his phone number, but you do see him again a few weeks later at a different party (that you were invited to, thanks to your friend's boyfriend who wanted to make it up to you for leaving you behind)
"So how did you break into this one?"
You laugh
Jaghatai
"Need a ride?"
You land without major harm, though you'll definitely have a few bruises, and make it outside before he appears
You're jogging down the massive driveway, phone in hand, trying to order an uber before you're caught when the sound of a motorcycle startles you
He stops in front of you, asks his single question, and pats the spot behind him
You're not sure getting on a random bike with a random guy is smart, but you don't exactly have a better option right now
You climb on, wrapping your arms around him with barely a second to spare before he takes off
He doesn't ask where to go, he just drives
You end up back at home around sunrise, after spending the night racing through the town with a man who's name you don't get to know until he's standing in your doorway, waiting surprisingly patiently for an invitation inside
Leman
"Gotcha!"
He saw you running and slid in to catch you just in time.
He's grinning ear to ear, and reeks of alcohol, but he sets you down on your own two feet while laughing
His friends are laughing and cheering as well
You force out a laugh of your own, and Leman notices
Still smiling, he slings an arm around your shoulder and pulls you into his side
The whole lot of them are loud, but you don't feel unsafe
A drink is handed to you despite protests that you "really need to get going"
The acceptance of the drink calls for more cheering, and you think they really must just be Like That
Rowdy and easily amused, loud but in a fun way- harmless
That is, until your pursuer arrives
He's yelling, calling you names, and even dares to make a grab for you
But Leman is faster, stronger, and very sturdy despite how drunk he was, snatching him and shoving him back hard enough to knock him to the ground
He stands over the man, who was now shaking in his shoes
"You come at my friend like that again, and I'll have your fuckin' head."
As if to make his point even more clear, two very big dogs that you somehow hadn't noticed before start growling, and every single one of Leman's friends look just as dangerous as he does, eyes sharp and intense
Safe to say, the man turns tail and runs for it
Once he's out of sight, it's like a switch flips, and they go back to their merrymaking
You try to slip away, but that arm ends up around your shoulders again, cementing you in place
"Where're you runnin' off to?"
You tell him that you need to go home
He hums, thinks about it for a minute, then his drink is handed off to a friend
"Alright, let's go."
You're not sure he should be driving, so you try to refuse, saying you can just get an uber or try to call your friend
But your new guard dog shakes his head
"Just saved your ass twice, can't go lettin' ya get snatched when I'm not lookin'."
You're trying to deny him again but you end up over his shoulder and marched outside anyway before being tossed into the backseat of a car with him that you're thankful has a different, sober, driver
You don't end up actually telling him what caused all that until he's laying in your bed with you, pressing lazy kisses into bare skin while he listens to you rant
Rogal
"How did you get in?"
He catches you in sturdy arms, and with a stern expression, setting you down immediately
But he doesn't let you run off without explanation
He designed this place, he knows it's every nook and cranny and you being here is a massive security failing that he would need to look into immediately
But first, he needed to know where the weak spot was that allowed someone to sneak in uninvited and linger within the home unnoticed
You tell him a friend let you in, but that they left you here and you really just wanted to go home
He's not satisfied with your answer
He wants details
"I'll explain after-"
"No."
He's stubborn and unrelenting and you just know you're not getting out of here any time soon so long as he's got you in his grasp
So you explain the whole thing as quickly as you can
"There you are-"
Your pursuer appears before you can mention him, pausing when he recognizes your new companion
Rogal, though, is quick to put 2 and 2 together when the man's voice makes you jump and has you shifting to stand closer
He becomes a literal wall between you and the man, standing in front of you and shutting him down before he even has the chance to speak
You consider sneaking away while he isn't looking, but something tells you he'd find you before you made it to the front door, so you stay hiding behind him until the other man gives up and leaves with a huff
You are quickly escorted to the door after that, and put in an uber he paid for
You give him your number, promising to pay him back
He calls you a few days later
Konrad
"Ow."
He doesn't catch you
You fall on him
It's ungraceful, it hurts, and it sends both of you sprawling to the ground
And even though you land on top of him, you think you might still be more hurt than he is
Why did his jacket have to be so sharp??
"I knew something like this would happen."
He gripes and grumbles to himself, pushing you off of him
"This is why I don't come to these things."
You apologize about thirty times, asking him if he's okay
He glares at you in a way that makes you think he might eat you if you don't leave him alone
You start to back away, but spot your pursuer in the crowd
Why you run towards Konrad, you aren't really sure
He's mean, sharp, smells a little too much like blood, and is hands down the least princely person in the room, but he's there
So you hide behind him and just hope for the best
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"Just hide me for like five seconds then I'll leave I promise!"
He makes an unhappy noise, and you think he's going to argue with you some more, but snaps his jaw shut and seethes silently
Your pursuer passes, giving Konrad a wide berth, and missing you completely
You wait an extra few seconds before breathing out a thanks, and leaving your savior in peace
How he beats you outside, you have no idea, but he's already waiting for you when you step out the main doors
"Get in the car. I'm leaving and so are you."
You're genuinely shocked to make it home in one peace
Sanguinius
"Are you alright?"
You're breathless both from the fall and from the man who caught you
He's beautiful, and looks at you with a genuine concern
When you nod, he puts you down carefully
He brushes the hair from your face, and scans you quickly for injuries anyway
It's in that brief moment that he realizes he doesn't know who you are, which is odd because he knows everyone
He doesn't interrogate you immediately as to your identity though, choosing instead to understand the situation first
"What happened?"
There's something about a beautiful man looking at you like that, that has you just spilling your guts about everything
He listens, his eyebrows pulling together in deeper and deeper concern
He doesn't condemn you, but he does tell you that what you did was probably not the smartest thing in the world, then apologizes to you for the trouble
"No- no, I should apologize, I'm the one ruining the party, and-"
He shushes you gently, offering a handsome smile
He starts to say something, but your pursuer appears
The air goes cold
Sanguinius pulls you into his chest protectively, and his friends who had been hovering nearby are quick to move between the two of you, and the other man
The man starts trying to explain his side, clearly hoping to either gain the same sympathy from Sanguinius as you have, or convince him to cast you aside
But that handsome face has turned icy, his beautiful eyes sharper than any dagger, and his hold on you is firm
You were safe, but for some reason, there was also a distinct chill running down your spine at how quickly his mood shifted
"I think it's time you left."
There is very little emotion in his voice
The man tries to convince Sanguinius again, but your companion has no interest in anything he has to say
"Shall I escort you home?"
The warmth returns when he speaks to you, his face no longer as frightening
You nod, and he leads you away while his friends handle the rest
He's a perfect gentleman, and talks to you kindly and casually the whole ride, even walking you to your door upon arrival
"Do you...want to come inside?"
You're not sure what compels you to ask, and you're honestly surprised when he agrees
He's still in your bed with you when the sun rises, kissing away the soreness of the red marks his teeth left on your skin
Ferrus
"What's the meaning of this?"
He catches you, and it hurts
He's so solid you swear he's made of metal
But he's quick to release and steady you on your feet
He is, however, deeply unamused by your antics, and demands explanation
He's intense, and kind of scary, so you tell him everything quickly
He listens, and you think he might yell at you, but he just lets out a grunt and nods
"That was stupid of you."
Yeah, you agreed with him there
You ask him to show you the right direction so you can get out of here without making any more of a scene than you already have
He points, telling you to get out quickly, and you're more than happy to listen to him
He reappears at your side barely a moment after you leave him though and insists he's just going to take you himself because otherwise you'll just get lost
But there's something in his eyes when he says it that makes you believe he's really just worried about you
He ends up driving you home as well, grumbling the whole time
You dare to kiss him on the cheek when he drops you off, and try not to let him see you giggle at how red his face goes
Angron
"Fuck!"
You manage to stick the landing and keep moving, only to slam right into a wall of already pissed off muscle, causing him to spill his drink
You're quick to apologize and run before you can anger him even more
He yells after you, and a part of you wonders if he's going to chase you now, too
But a quick glance over your shoulder tells you that's not the case
You breathe a sigh of relief, and try to keep squeezing through the crowd, hoping and praying you're going the right direction.
Only to nearly slam into Big And Angry a second time and realize in horror that you've somehow gone in a big circle
Why did rich people have to have such big fucking houses??
"You again?!"
He is not pleased to see you, but at least this time you didn't run into him
You start to back away, more apologies falling out of you while he glares
"Look where you're fucking going-!"
His warning comes just barely too late, as you back right into your pursuer
He grabs you and you- filled with panic and exhaustion and the desire to just get out- clench your fist, and swing
You hit, and immediately regret it
Not only does it hurt like hell to punch someone in the face, but it hurts even more when they hit back
Angon does not like this
Not only is he already mad for other reasons, but he's not exactly a big fan of people who put their hands on those smaller than them
He's an asshole, not a monster
You're ripped away from your pursuer hard enough to have you on your ass, and make you a little dizzy
"If you're gonna hit someone," He grabs the man by the collar, raises his fist, and you're pretty sure the guy shits himself. "Do it right!"
The man is on the ground unconscious with almost no effort from the raging Angron
Needless to say, you both end up escorted from the building
Embarrassing, but at least they don't call the cops, so you'll take the win, you guess
He stomps off to his car while you start down the driveway towards the road
Your phone was broken in the disaster, so you'd be walking yourself to the ER to make sure you weren't broken anywhere
You make it about three houses away before a car screeches to a stop next to you
"Get the fuck in the car."
Angron glares at you through the open window, getting more impatient with every second you hesitate
He doesn't take you to the hospital- he's had enough injuries to know at a glance that you were fine- instead you end up at a Waffle House
He feeds you not because he's kind, but because he respected your fighting spirit enough to yell at you over a meal about your piss poor performance, and let you rant back about what had you in that situation in the first place
He drops you off at home and you're told that he would be back in the morning to take you to the gym because he was going to teach you better ways to hit someone and you were going to be grateful for it because he wasn't always going to be around to save your sorry ass
All in all, not the worst date you've ever been on
Roboute
"I didn't account for this."
Between both Rogal and Lion's security measures, he hadn't even considered the idea that there could be an uninvited guest
So you literally falling into his arms in the middle of a conversation has him fully rattled for nearly a whole ten seconds
But he recovers, and immediately goes into full crisis management mode
You were an intruder, so you needed dealt with, but you were also in clear and present distress, which he makes his first priority
Setting you down, he insists upon an explanation immediately
He listens, asks questions, and ensures you don't leave out a single detail
All of this would be going into a report to his father, that was to be certain
As well as several new protocols for making sure everyone at events like this were actually supposed to be there
But something in him softens ever so slightly when you offer a soft apology
He can see you're tired, and actually does believe you when you say you want to just go home and not cause more trouble
It doesn't make up for you breaking and entering, but he supposed he could let it slide this once
You'd been punished enough through being abandoned and harassed
The man who'd been after you appears, and immediately starts running his mouth
He tries to convince Roboute to hand you over, that he would deal with you in his stead
But Roboute is not a man easily fooled, and he'd already decided that your words were truer and more worth hearing, so the man is not just chased away, but promptly removed altogether for causing a scene
He then tells a member of staff to have a car pulled to the front, and walks you to the door with every intention of just putting you in and sending you on your way with a stern warning
A personal escort all the way to your home was unnecessary
He had far too much to do now for him to leave on an errand that didn't require his immediate presence
But what he intends and what happens are quite different
Because despite everything, you find new ways to surprise him- a habit he would find later that he doesn't mind quite as much as one would think
You make him laugh
The joke you tell is self-deprecating and honestly terrible, but he finds it- and you- quite funny
In the short journey to the car, you manage to charm him so much he wonders if you've taken lessons from Horus in how to get people on your side
So when he tucks you into the backseat of one of the many nice cars, he finds himself sitting at your side so he can speak to you more
Upon reaching your home, he hands you a business card and promptly asks you to reach out soon to schedule a time to "Speak more about tonight's events. Perhaps over a meal."
Mortarion
"...What are you doing?"
His question comes out quiet, and you can't tell if he's annoyed that you ruined his momentary peace, or if he just thinks you're stupid
He's not very interested in who you were or what you were doing here
He doesn't even want to be here
No one wants him here, he came because he had to and he really just wants to leave
And then comes you
He doesn't catch you, nor does he make any attempt to
He just stares down at you, having landed and immediately fallen over
You stare back
"A hand, please?"
He claps three times sarcastically, but when you start to stand on your own with a huff, he does reach down and help you to your feet
The appearance of your pursuer has you wrapping around his arm like you belong there, warm and anxious at the sight of the man you pissed off
Mortarion isn't necessarily a nice person, but he also knows an asshole when he sees one
So fine, he'll play hero this once for the cute annoying person clinging to him of all people for safety
He says nothing to the man as he approaches, he just stares him down silently, eyes sharp and intense
It's kind of scary, you think
Mortarion isn't all that muscular, but he's tall and carries with him an air of silent superiority that makes him generally unpleasant for the man to attempt to reason with
You let out a soft sigh when he finally gives up and stomps off, releasing Mortarion
You offer him thanks, and ask a bit hesitantly if he would show you the way out of this stupidly big house
This, he decides, is his perfect excuse to get the hell out of here, so he agrees and walks with you towards the nearest exit
He's surprised when you agree to get in his car with him, though, fairly certain you would deny him and find a different way home
But your phone was dead, and you really didn't want to walk, so you slide into the surprisingly clean passenger seat and give him your address
The drive is silent, with you merely thanking him again upon arrival
He doesn't know when you'd scribbled your phone number on the back of a napkin you'd apparently found, nor does he really know why you gave it to him
He calls you immediately to ask what your deal was, and you laugh.
He kind of likes it.
Magnus
"Let's perhaps not do that."
The only one to catch you before you go over the railing
He just happens to be standing nearby and sees you coming
He sees the look in your eye and is quick to step in at just the right moment before you can get hurt, chuckling a little as he does
He's concerned, yes, but also amused at the fact that you'd even considered doing something like that
He asks you what's happening, and all you manage to tell him is that you're trying to get away from someone before your pursuer arrives
Magus is quick to step between the man and you, insisting upon more information to better understand the situation
The man is faster than you at speaking up, and is quick to spin a story that Magnus nods along at as if he fully believed him
"And, tell me, how does that cause someone to try throwing themselves over a railing in a desperate attempt to escape?"
Your pursuer freezes, having not known that's what you were doing
He'd painted himself as a victim of a seductress, not as a man chasing someone because they turned him down
He stumbles over his words, and you watch slack jawed as Magnus pulls apart his story piece by piece until he finally turns tail and escapes
Then he turns to you
"Shall we go somewhere else, and you tell me the truth of it all?"
You trade him- your story for a ride home
He laughs and accepts happily
He traces constellations into your skin with his fingers while he listens to you rant about how shit your night was
Then spends the rest of it helping you forget
Horus
"Well well, who might you be?"
He's sitting on a plush leather sofa under the railing, so when you fall, it's right into his lap
He laughs in surprise, catching you before you can roll off and away
He doesn't recognize you, but that's fine- he'd find out who you were easily
He was charming, witty, and good at getting information out of unsuspecting folk who stumble into his orbit
Especially when they were as bewildered as you were
So when he asks, holding you in his lap like you deserved to be there, you find yourself answering
He makes you feel safe, makes you feel interesting, and actively listens with hums and nods and clarifying questions
Your pursuer arrives before you can finish, and he is fast to try to get into Horus' good graces
The story he spins is nothing short of ridiculous, but Horus treats it with the same seriousness as he treated yours
Horus listens with such genuine interest that you honestly start to think he believes this guy over you
But then Horus glances at you briefly, a smile forming on his face
"I think you're mistaken, my good sir. My darling has been here with me all evening."
You gape up at him, deeply confused
He looks down and squeezes you a little
"Haven't you?"
You nod, deciding it was best not to look a gift horse in the mouth
If he was going to vouch for you, you'd take it
You just hope he lets you go home after this
The man argues, but with a mere gesture from Horus, finds himself being quickly relocated elsewhere by all four of the Mournival
It's then that Horus releases you, allowing you to scramble up from his lap with red cheeks
You go back and forth between thanks and apologies, both of which he laughs off
"Why don't I take you home, hm? That way you can't get yourself into even more trouble."
You agree, because he says it like there is no better option and you believe him
He continues to talk to you on the ride, making you laugh and feel warm
It's his bed you end up tucked into
Lorgar
"Is this a sign from the divine?"
It's said in jest as you fall into his arms
He sets you down and asks if you're alright, smiling at you
You apologize, and thank him for not letting you hit the ground
"Of course. Though, I'm awfully curious as to what had you doing something that reckless in the first place."
You try to talk around it, saying that you were just in that much of a hurry, but he's surprisingly persistent
He finds about three different ways to word the question until he successfully gets the answers he wants
He may not be as strong as his brothers, but he could talk circles around someone just as easily as Horus if he truly wanted
He listens with a serene expression, nodding along with every word
"Yes, I do believe this was a sign."
He manages to make scripture out of it somehow
You avoid your pursuer by just standing with Lorgar, as the man decides rather smartly that dealing with a priest while drunk at a party is probably not in his best interest
Lorgar escorts you out of the house and waits with you while you order your uber
You're invited to see him speak at his church, and sent on your way peacefully
Vulkan
"Do you need help?"
He catches you with ease in big, warm arms
His eyes are filled with worry for your safety, and he looks you over for injuries as he sets you down
Asks, bewildered, your reason for jumping off a ledge like that
You can't lie to him, not when he's looking at you so earnestly
You explain that you were left behind by your friends, and that you had a man following you that wouldn't leave you alone
His heart aches for you
He puts a hand on your shoulder and tells you he understands, and offers to help you get home safely
As you're agreeing, your pursuer appears
Vulkan is more than happy to put himself between you and the other man
Vulkan is huge
Despite his kind face, he was quite intimidating
The man backs down almost immediately, not wanting to find out how far the giant's patience went
Vulkan walks with you with a warm hand between your shoulderblades the whole time so that he was sure you were still with him, still safe
He offers to drive you, and you accept because you're tired, and he tells you that you can nap in his back seat
He wakes you when you arrive, and chuckles when you groan
You kiss him on the cheek for carrying you to your door, and thank him for his help
You see him again at another party (see: Perturabo's section) and practically glue yourself to him, which he does not argue against- then, or any day after
Corvus
"The door's the other way."
His voice scares you so badly you nearly scream.
He tried to grab you before you launched over the railing, but the action had surprised him, so he'd just followed you
He doesn't ask who you are, or where you came from, or why you're there.
He already knows
He'd actually been following you through the party for a while, having noticed you much earlier than he'd ever admit
"Where did you even come from?!"
He just laughs at your question- it's quiet, and surprisingly nice
He apologizes for startling you, at the very least, then again insists that you weren't even going the right way if you wanted to get out the front door
You're midway through asking him for directions when your pursuer appears, not even noticing him
The man grabs your arm and starts yelling
Corvus does not like that
He doesn't care that he's being ignored, but he wasn't the kind of man to just let a person get attacked by a drunk dickhead
There are no words exchanged
Corvus simply pulls you away, and drags you into the crowd while your pursuer sputters in surprise
He hides with you in a dark hall until he's sure the man has given up
You thank him, and ask him to please tell you where the front door was
He points you the right way, and lets you go on your way
But you can't shake the feeling of extra eyes on you now
It feels like your shadow has gotten bigger. Darker. Slightly more menacing to anyone who might look at you the wrong way
He reappears when you finally make it back outside
He could follow you quietly all the way home, but he doesn't want to scare you more
Instead, he just offers a ride, and hopes you agree
Which you do, as your phone had died at some point so an uber was not an option
It's a quiet ride with very little conversation
His phone number is found tucked into your jacket pocket in neat handwriting
Alpharius Omegon
"Hello."
One of them catches you, but you're not sure which
Your appearance amuses them both
It was rare something happened they didn't expect, so now you were rather fascinating to them
You're set onto your feet, and they're immediately asking questions
First one, then the other, then both at the same time
They're a little overwhelming, and more than a little confusing
But you manage to answer their questions
When you ask them to help you get out of here so you can go home, they turn it into a kind of game
Your pursuer finds you, but it's not you
You're on the other side of the house with one of the twins while the other gets the car
But you're also actually outside already
Is he sure you were really even here at all?
You think you know which twin is which by the time they get you home, but you're not sure enough to make the claim out loud
There are two phone numbers in your pocket
Neither of them are correct
They call you
You don't remember giving them your number
Bonus!!
The Emperor/Neoth
"I don't believe we're acquainted."
You're immediately mortified
It's impossible not to recognize the owner of the house you'd technically broken into
He's old enough to be your father, yet somehow the most beautiful man you've ever seen
You stammer out apology after apology as he sets you down
His gaze on you is cool, but not cold
You're unknown to him, but that makes you just interesting enough for him to grace you with his attention
An explanation for your intrusion is demanded, but you find yourself hesitating in his overwhelming presence
You stare at the floor instead, absolutely sure he's going to call the cops on you
Or maybe worse, you don't know
You're still not sure if he's a politician, a normal CEO, or some kind of mafia boss
For all you know, he could make you disappear
But he neither has you arrested or murdered
He takes your chin and tilts your head up to look at him
He's still holding you like that when your pursuer arrives
The man starts running his mouth, but goes silent immediately when Neoth casts a glare so cold you think the room itself completely freezes over
The man stutters out apologies and backs away without Neoth having to even open his mouth
When his gaze finds you again, he's no longer made of ice and sharp edges
"Come. You have an explanation still to give."
You follow him from the noise of the party, into the quieter parts of his home
You don't sleep in your own bed that night, but that's alright
His is bigger, more comfortable, and he keeps you busy
‘Are you jealous?’ The question surprised him even as it came out of his mouth.
‘Would you care if I was?’
‘Gwenllian,’ he admonished, hurt. ‘Why would I not-’
‘No, I'm not jealous,’ she cut him off, her words clipped. ‘I'm annoyed that I have been shot at on the last night of my shore leave. I'm angry that your station has come between us, again. I'm insulted that you didn't think to tell me.’
There was a silence.
‘Are you going to return her to Dargonus?’
She sighed. ‘No, Heinrix. I'd rather keep the spy I know exists rather than have her replaced with one I do not know about.’
‘She's not a spy, Gwen. No more than Achilleas was.’
‘Are there more?’
‘That even I don't know about?’ He chuckled, bitterly. ‘I don’t doubt it. There will be people assigned to watch Calcazar from far higher up within our organisation too. We're all puppets, of a sort.’
‘Sounds like an awful way to live,’ she muttered.
‘We are all sinners and apostates in the God-Emperor's light,’ he reminded her, and she snorted.
‘Speak for yourself,’ she answered, and her hands moved to her neckline, to the aquila pendant tucked inside her dress that she had taken to wearing more and more since Commorragh. ‘Some of us are sinners and apostates to everyone around them, too.’
‘You know I don't think that of you,’ he said, the words coming in a sudden rush. ‘Your loyalty to the Throne is purer than many I've known.’
‘Feth me,’ she said in a surprised tone, meeting his gaze, ‘that's almost a compliment, Interrogator.’
‘I have never found fault in your faith,’ he stated firmly, reaching out and gently tucking an errant curl behind her ear. ‘Your methods, however-’
She slapped at his hand with a chuckle, and Heinrix let some of the tension out of his spine with a long exhale.
‘What is this woman's problem, anyway?’
Sneak peek of the next installment of His Divine Instruments !
In the distance, a high caliber shot rang out, the round glancing off the container edge, narrowly missing Argenta’s arm.
Prisca hissed over the comm. “Get DOWN Argenta!” Realizing her position was exposed, Argenta darted back to the tree line out of the sniper’s line of sight.
Abelard went next, a round boring through the chest of a rebel wielding a power maul, crumpling them to the ground. The round cleared the first guard and struck the leg of another rebel behind them, dropping that rebel as well to one knee.
Another rebel wielding a lasgun rushed to the aid of his wounded comrade, only to have his skull detonated by a round from Prisca’s rifle. The surviving rebels scattered out of range or behind cover, leaving their wounded companion behind to bleed out in the open. Off in the distance, Prisca heard another high caliber shot ring out, the gunshot sounding similar to the whistling bullet that saved her in the Janus courtyard. Another high caliber round fire in response, Imperium standard - the rebel sniper.
Prisca switched her vox line to Yrliets’. “Yrliet, what is your status?”
There was a pause and Prisca wondered if they had lost the Aeldari already. A terse voice finally came over the comms. “Elantach, the sniper is wounded but not dead. Your kin appear to have some of your large mechanical battle slaves fighting along side them.”
Prisca let out a string of curses before reactivating the comm. “Understood, keep that sniper busy, we will take care of the rest.”
“As you command Elantach.”
Prisca switched her vox line back to the main group channel. “Yrliet is still engaged with the sniper, but it looks like the rebels have at least one heavy combat servitor. We need to keep the pressure up and draw that heat this way so she can handle the sniper.”
Prisca surveyed the battlefield again, noting a ridge along their right leading to the top of a container. “Pasqal, Abelard, you are with me. We are going to hug that container on our right and see how many more we can pick off. Argenta, go topside of that container to our right and see about harassing them with more of your grenades. Heinrix, you bring up the rear and defend our rear flank."
“As you command, Lord Captain!" Prisca could hear the smile in Argenta’s voice as she got to her feet, taking another shot before she moved along the trees to distract the remaining rebels.
Backs pressed against the cool metal of the container, Prisca could feel Heinrix close beside her, the reassuring smell of his cologne making her smile. He was closer than he needed to be, should be, but Prisca found herself yearning for it all the same.
To her left she heard a voice cry out, and turned in time to see one of the marksmen on top of a container drop to their knees, convulsing and felt a cool gust of air roll up her back. Turning her head slightly, she caught Heinrix’s icy eyes. “Thank you.”
Heinrix said nothing and gave her a half smile, his eyes lost in the light of the Warp he commanded.
what doesn't kill you makes you weird about intimacy 🫡
He’s transfixed. The gentleman in him knows he ought to avert his eyes, but he indulges regardless, watching as the silk pools on the floor at her feet. She stands bare in the expanse of the room, flushed at her knees and elbows, adorned with freckles aplenty—like flecks of coal soot against storm clouds. Her pulse is insistent, and Heinrix can almost taste the eagerness of its rhythm.
He doesn’t recall ever seeing her so vulnerable—at least, not in the waking world. His dreams—they’re different—rampant under the influence of biomancy and supplemented by memories of gloved hands against synskin. But this—?
Gold sits flush against white-grey; the warmth of the sun after a rainstorm—a downpour he’s forever grateful to have been caught in. It catches him off guard—the ornate bands of gold that bracket her hips and her knees; the golden rings that adorn her nipples. Her skin is painted with scars both clean and jagged—a vast array of pink and silver.
Commorragh. She’s leaner now, too, thanks to their visit to the Dark City. What she’s lost in muscle mass, she makes up for in scars and restored augments.
Heinrix swallows down his anger; his guilt. It can wait. That isn’t the reason he’s here.
Sorry, ✨️ but I ✨️✨️ think ✨️ I'm ✨️✨️ going to have ✨️ to leave ✨️✨️ shortly ✨️ because there ✨️✨️ are ✨️sparkles✨️ coming out of my mouth *cough*✨️✨️ *cough* ✨️✨️✨️*cough*✨️✨️✨️✨️ *coughcoughcough*✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️
Thank you so much @miurgen for this amazing artwork of Heinrix and Venria at their wedding (the official one at least) 😍❤️
I first wanted a blue dress for Venria but with Heinrix also wearing blue, I thought the white would be a better contrast. And white is also part of the von Valancius coat of arms.
And Heinrix still wears red because I wanted to show that he doesn't give up everything to become just another servant of the dynasty - he is still Heinrix, has still red as his favorite colour and he is Venria's husband and partner, her equal.
The way all the 2020s have done so far have been making me categorically against every new generation of tech that comes out is insane. Like I'm from a technological boom generation, saw the first portable phones, nokias & blackberries & flipphones etc, and the first smartphones, and the first ipods & ipads & tablets in general while still having cassettes & DVD & MP3 players around so I know how all of it work, I had computer classes in high school, I did the transition between home desktop computers to laptops and back to gaming computers. But then they started to put internet in your printer & microwave, everything has ads & AI now and every update is worst than the last. I literally loved technology and they ruined it
I have no idea what I'm doing lol @lucheiah - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
blakekathryn
snowghoul
ellievsbear
tangentwithtanner
yousharknotpass
