like beasts

multimuse for thedoomhq. penned by art.

[morcfcrarum]

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘

anna greyrooke || 32 || fauna || queen of arella ( x )

aoife ó corra || 31 || fauna || brothel owner ( x )

audrhildr svanhild || 21 || beast folk || warrior-in-training ( x )

eir kjellsdóttir || 29 || fauna || thief/robin hood ( x )

miłosław gomółka || 34 || water strider || former bard ( x )

[morcfcrarum]

@maledictiis​ ; aoife + mara , the brothel

“mara, darling,” aoife starts as she practically bursts into the room.  she know she likely looks a mess- hair flying everywhere, cheeks flushed, and breathless- but also knows her love wouldn’t mind.  young ragnar has been running her absolutely ragged today.

the fauna takes a moment to catch her breath, giving the other woman a sheepish smile.  “you haven’t happened to see our little dragonet, have you?  he wanted to spend the morning with sera, but she’s in a meeting at the moment, and she knows that he’s not allowed in meetings, and he’s run off to hide somewhere.  i can hear him giggling, but heavens help me, he may have actually found a place i can’t find him.”  another sheepish smile.  “i’m sorry for bothering you when you’re busy.”  maybe the other woman would forgive her more easily if she used her trademark doe eyes.  those usually work.

[morcfcrarum]

                          don’t adventures ever have an end? i suppose not. someone else always has to carry on the story.

✧･ﾟ: * ( cis woman / she/her / emilia clarke ) — welcome, [ AOIFE Ó CORRA ] of [ ETILLE ]. when the doom hit, you were [ BLESSED ] to be a [ FAUNA ]. now that the doom is over, you are [ THIRTY ONE ] and working as a [ BROTHEL OWNER ]. rumors have been whispered around court that you are [ SWEET ] and [ EASILY UPSET ].

TW: EMOTIONAL ABUSE

she had what some would call a fairytale childhood.  not necessarily a good fairytale childhood, but one nonetheless.  aoife was her father’s girl, doted on and wanting for nothing.  she never knew her mother- she’d died shortly after aoife was born- but her father insisted that all they needed was each other to survive in the world.  she had a comfortable life growing up, learning how to paint and sing from her father.  they’d spend hours waiting for the sun to set so they could paint the etille landscape under the right lighting.

then her father met a woman from arella, and fell in love.

he married the woman just over a year ago, and uprooted the ó corra family from the idyllic etille countryside to arella.  aoife’s step-mother hated her.  accused her of stealing even the smallest amount of attention from her father.  accused her of stealing coin.  anything to drive a wedge between the original two ó corras.  and it worked.  

the final blow to the relationship between her and her father came with the doom.  aoife’s body changed, shrinking to the tiny stature of a fauna, and her step-mother struck.  she found herself looking for a new home two and a half months after the explosion at the castle.  a new home and a new job.

she stepped into the brothel after talking with some kind people at the inn she’d been staying at, hearing that it was an easy way to make money.

five years later...

the birth of her son is easy, despite the fact ragnar had given her a son almost too big for her to carry.  young ragnar is just like his father, in a way that both brings heartache and soothes it.  she tells him stories of his father, making sure he knows the hero that had challenged the undead general with breath of fire and sharpened claws.  she no longer works in the brothel, but remains there with her soon-wife, mara, making sure that her little family and the family of the brothel are both taken care of.

currently...

her life is simple and quiet, her focus remaining on the care of her lover, her son, and the workers she and mara employ.  mara has taught her how to be a bit more firm- especially helpful when young ragnar gets himself into trouble, as six-year-olds are wont to do- but she still holds the youthful innocence that set her out on the journey to ireyne.  she’s taken to motherhood easily, both of her son and the entire brothel, and can oft be found chasing after the young boy or comforting any number of her employees.  there are times where the grief of losing ragnar still weighs heavy on her heart, but they no longer leave her cocooned in bed as they once did.  some of her paintings hang around the brothel, and she’s made a little bit of a name for herself as a painter, earning a bit of money on the side of owning the brothel with mara.

[morcfcrarum]

maledictiis​:

“WOULD YOU LIKE HELP?” he asked out of the kindness of his heart, a hulking, gentle giant. then again, how could one help being giant with the queen?

“I AM STEN. STEN LUND. I’M A HUNTER. OFTEN TRAVELING. OFTEN WANDERING. THOUGH, I AM CHOOSING TO STAY IN ARELLA FOR THE TIME BEING.” he reaches for the loaves of bread, and he begins to hand out to the people surrounding the queen. 

“YOU’VE… A BEAUTY ABOUT YOU. COULD KNOCK A MAN OFF HIS FEET. IF I MAY BE SO BOLD.”

“oh!  help would be lovely, thank you,” she replies, handing over some loaves for him to hand out with her.  there’s something about him that reminds her of faust, when they first met, and anna smiles to herself.  maybe the two should meet...after she cures her husband of what haunts him.

“pleasure to meet you, mr lund,” she hums, curtsying slightly before blushing at his next comment.  “i- thank you.  you can’t tell anyone i told you this, but i think i almost did knock my husband off his feet when we met,” she teases, grinning up at him.  ah yes, the infamous moment he’d whacked his head against the beam of her shop.  she’s never going to let him live it down.

[morcfcrarum]

maledictiis​:

he gently taps her chin and kisses the top of her head. “DON’T APOLOGIZE. I CAN GET MORE BRANDY, DEAR.”

as his hands unbraid her hair, he picks dirty and larger pieces out of her hair. “I WAS. FOR A WHILE. I GOT OVER IT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY LEFT, AND I WAS SITTING HERE ALONE, WISHING YOU AND GWYN WERE HERE. IF I WERE A STRONGER MAN, I WOULD NOT BE ON THE BRINK OF TEARS,” he whispers. his voice wavers now, uncertain and soft. “IF I WERE STRONGER, I WOULD BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE FEAR THAT GRIPPED ME.”

he reaches to still her hands and turns her face towards his. his eyes are misty as he kisses her forehead. “I AM HAPPY YOU AND GWYN ARE HOME.”

she’s not sure what words she can put to the feeling that overtakes her when he kisses the top of her head.  her mother...well, her mother had never been particularly gentle.  even less so if she’d broken or spilled something fancy, on the very rare occasions her mother had given her anything.  you have to learn how to deal without nice things, she’d been told.  nothing nice lasts for very long.  

and even as his voice wavers with uncertainty, audr struggles to believe him.  the care grigor is giving her, the worry, the gentle touch of his hands as he stills hers and the (dare she say it?) fatherly kiss to her forehead, all of it, it’s- it’s so foreign, and yet her heart aches for it.  is this what it is to have a father?

his misty eyes make her own burn so painfully, unable to speak for fear of bursting into sobs.  it doesn’t matter- the sobs overtake her, full of fear and pain and anguish and aching, aching for the love of a father her mother had told her she would never have.  “i’m sorry-” she all but wails, launching herself into him to hug him tightly.  maybe if she held on tight enough, this dream would never end.

[vcritascurat-deactivated2022060]

CLOSED STARTER for AUDR ( @morcfcrarum​ )

“careful, young ragnar, a white wolf approaches.” the bodyguard to the brothel smirks before taking a bit of his breakfast  -  scraps of chicken and bread  -  as he gestures to the young woman.

“they’re getting some well needed rest before the next round of hungry souls flood us, so i’m afraid you have the company of myself and the little warrior.”

[morcfcrarum]

“a white wolf?  are there other white wolves around town, then?” audr teases, giving the man’s younger companion a brief nod as she settles in across the table from the pair.  she still wasn’t sure exactly how to greet the child- she’d seen oggy ruffle his hair, but wasn’t that a bit too familiar for her to try?

she leans forward, resting her elbows on the table and lets out a dramatic sigh.  “i guess i’ll have to survive with that alone.  at least it’s not just you, or else i’d fall over of boredom.”

[maledictiis]

STARTER for @morcfcrarum​ ( anna ) from STEN

“THE PEOPLE SEEM TO LOVE YOU,” sten said to the woman. he had heard mumblings that she was the queen, and she was unlike any queen he knew of. he had only been in arella for a few days, and seeing her hand out food and alms to the poor was a nice sight to see.

“SO WHY DO YOU SEEM SO TERRIBLY SAD?”

[morcfcrarum]

anna turns to the man speaking, blinking up at him.  usually she’d be quick with a response to him, but his question has taken her by surprise.  it’d been rough since faust’s return from the battle, since he’d changed, but she’s determined to not let anyone see her falter.  the people need her to be strong.  faust needs her to be strong.  

“i suppose i’m sad because no matter how much i do to try and help my people, there’s still so much they need,” she finally replies, bending to press one of lucia’s loaves into a beggar’s hands with a sweet smile.  “i wish i could be multiplied, so i could help them all.”  the queen looks up at him, a soft smile on her lips.  “i don’t believe i’ve met you before, sir...?”

[morcfcrarum]

eridanuus​:

“acorns are best shared with friends- eat it!” she insisted, pushing the bowl even further towards him. “it is warm and tasty and full of good nutrients.” she’d overheard the inn keeper claiming their stew was full of nutrients and even though she wasn’t a hundred percent sure what it meant, she was certain her stew was full of it. “and you are not broken- i see all your limbs and they move and you breathe. so not broken. maybe too skinny, but…” she made an exaggerated expression as she nodded to the bowl. “ah- i am tove!”

the woman may be a bit odd, but there is something endearing about her.  “perhaps not physically broken, but broken in other ways,” miłosz replies, letting the bowl rest in his lap.  “i really do appreciate the offer, but- did you say friends?”  he blinks up at her, twirling the spoon in his hand as it rests in the stew.  “now you and munin really are being too kind to me,” he adds, finally taking a small bite.  it tastes...well, it tastes.  he’s not sure what it tastes like, but there’s a flavor there.  “where are you from, tove?  and i- i am miłosz.”

[morcfcrarum]

maledictiis​:

he watches her as she takes the glass. her sip is bigger than he expected her to take, and when she coughs it up, he pats her back and drinks his own with his other hand. he tries not to laugh too hard, but he does, still.

“WHAT A WASTE OF GOOD BRANDY.” he reaches up to run his fingers through her hair, sitting his brandy down to begin and unbraid the white gold locks. “LET’S TAKE THESE OUT. THEY’LL MAT IF WE’RE NOT CAREFUL.” it’ll help when she bathes too. “I ALWAYS WISHED I’D HAD A DAUGHTER TOO. WHEN YEVA, MY EX WIFE, TOLD ME SHE WAS WITH CHILD, I LEARNED HOW TO BRAID HAIR JUST IN CASE THEY WERE A GIRL. STILL CAME IN HANDY SINCE GWYN HAS ALWAYS LIKED HIS HAIR LONG.” he snorts.

“STILL, IT’S GOOD TO KNOW MY SKILLS CAN BE PUT TO USE NOW.”

her cheeks flush in embarrassment at the good-natured teasing, but the joking is making her feel a little more human.  a little more herself.  his hand is warm as he pats her back, and she finds herself swaying a little towards him again.

“sorry,” she mumbles, even as she takes another sip.  smaller this time, of course.  it went down easier that way.  

his hands are gentle as he begins to unbraid her hair, and she can’t help but close her eyes and sink into it.  “i thought you’d be mad at me,” she blurts out, eyes still closed.  “for going.”  she has a hangnail on her thumb, and focuses on fiddling with that instead of opening her eyes to look up at him.  

[morcfcrarum]

maledictiis​:

“TIME. YOU’LL SEE IT FOR SOME TIME, BUT EVENTUALLY, THE VISIONS WILL LESSEN. YOU’LL BE ABLE TO SLEEP SOON. FOR NOW, I’LL WATCH OVER YOU. ME AND GWYN. I PROMISE.”

he lets her cling, instinct to protect her making him angry about the war gain. it was senseless, this fighting. someone ought to do something about it. 

then again, he was in the business of dealing war. would he give up his wealth to protect those he cared for?

yes. yes, he would. 

“I’M HERE FOR YOU. NO MATTER WHAT. COME. BRANDY AND A BATH.” he calls one of the servants he’d hired while they had been away to make a bath. she responds quickly, and he smiles before guiding her to his study where he pours them both a big glass of alcohol. it’s stout, but it’ll help.

“HERE. DRINK THIS. SLOWLY AT FIRST AND THEN ALL AT ONCE”

her lips tremble at the thought of seeing for however long, eyes burning.  the only thing that comforts her is the idea that he and gwyn- and surely even llyr, lucia, the sad bard...with them she is safe.  safe.  safe.  she’s so tired.  

she follows his guidance to the study, taking the glass and looking up at him a little nervously.  a quick sniff makes her eyes water, but surely grigor wouldn’t poison her?  slowly, and then all at once.  audr raises the glass to her lips, closing her eyes before taking a big sip.

less than a quarter of the sip makes it down her throat, warming her belly as she coughs and chokes on the remainder.   she makes a mess of it as the burn of the alcohol startles her enough to spit most of it out, hurriedly wiping at the drips trailing down her chin.  “that’s- that’s brandy?” she coughs.

[morcfcrarum]

maledictiis​:

he had already hugged gwyn when he’d returned, the affection genuine between the father and son. now, it was for her. audr. the girl who’d grown on him like a tumor. the way she rasps out her words makes him want to weep for the girl. he’d sworn he’d be cold upon her return. and yet.

“YOU ARE,” he replies. “YOU SURVIVED. YOU CAME BACK, AND YOU ARE SAFE NOW.” he kisses the top of her head, affectionate with the girl that had become like a daughter to him. “LET US GET YOU A NICE BATH RUNNING. I WILL MAKE YOU TEA. OR A BRANDY MIGHT BE THE BETTER OPTION.” best to start her drinking now. war was no child’s matter.

“i am?” she repeats, words feeling like she had to reach deep into her core and drag them free with clawed, desperate hands.  she closes her eyes when he kisses the top of her head.  there’s a flash of bone and blood and war and death.  her breath catches, and she opens her eyes again.  

is this what war truly is?  her breath shudders in her chest at the thought, and she sags into him, suddenly bone-weary.  “how do you- how do you stop seeing it?” she asks, finally truly looking up at him.  “i see it whenever- i- whenever i close my eyes,” she mumbles, clinging to him.

[maledictiis]

STARTER for @morcfcrarum​ ( audr ) from GRIGOR

grigor is apprehensive, looking at the girl as she returns from the fight. she looks rough. worse for wear. he hates how much of a soft spot he has for her. she is like a daughter.

“COME HERE, GIRL,” he says, but it is grigor who goes to her and pulls her into a hug. “I AM GLAD YOU ARE ALIVE.”

[morcfcrarum]

audr had stayed silent as she’d followed the ozerin boys home from the battle, eyes hazy and unfocused as she moves like an automaton.  she doesn’t look at her hands.  she doesn’t look down at herself.  it feels like the blood from the fight, whether hers or not, had sunk deep into her skin, staining her to the bone.  was she injured?  she doesn’t know.

she doesn’t quite comprehend the first words grigor says, looking up at him with those hazy, distant eyes as he draws closer.  his arms encircle her, pulling her tight against him, and it feels like his grip slams her back to herself.  she’s suddenly aware of the way her clothes feel heavy on her body, the way the buckles and buttons of grigor’s clothes dig into her as he holds her close, the deep ache in her chest like she’s starved of air.  her knees threaten to buckle as he speaks again, her hands coming up to grip his shoulders in an attempt to keep standing.  her eyes burn.  she doesn’t know why.  “i am?” she rasps out, voice hoarse and thin.  why does she sound like that?  again, she doesn’t know.

[morcfcrarum]

dogsowar​:

the opening of the tent captures magnus’ attention and he cocks a brow, looking up through long eyelashes at the man who enters. he had a vague idea of what to expect seeing as he’s met many bards and merry men in his time, but for some reason this one seems different. blithering and awkward, an innocent charm about him which is unlike the usual cocky demeanour he was expecting. it’s probably for the best, if they were both as egotistical as one another the tent would not be large enough to fit their heads.

magnus chuckles at the way the bard blushes, sitting up to swing his legs over the side of the cot. “i would not have asked you to join me if i wanted you to leave, would i?” he asks, bemused. “they say your name is milosz. so tell me milosz,” he stands to approach the bard, large hands running through his messy curls. “do you always come so readily on demand?” oh how he loves to make the weak ones squirm.

damn him, miłosz can’t tear his eyes away from magnus’ broad, well-muscled chest as the man moves.  before he realizes, the other man is standing, moving towards him, and it’s a struggle to keep from scrambling in the most ungainly way to keep space between them.  he shouldn’t be reacting like this, damn it- he’s a bard.  he’s expected to be smooth.  suave.  “well, n- no, but i-” he stammers, closing his mouth and looking up at magnus with what some had called his doe eyes.

his blush spreads rapidly to the tips of his ears and down his neck- surely magnus hadn’t meant that when he’d asked the question?  was he flirting with miłosz?  “i- i am miłosz, yes.  or, ah, or miłosław, but m- miłosz is easier for some people to say,” he stammers, eyes tracking the path magnus’ hand takes through his luscious curls.  is he being obvious?  probably.  “i- ah- well- i-” he’s squirming, so if he wasn’t obvious before, well...he certainly is now.  “depends what you mean by come?”  it wasn’t supposed to be a question, but the nerves pitch the end of the sentence up like one anyways.

[morcfcrarum]

eridanuus​:

          “i mean- not really? i don’t know you.” she shrugged and held out the bowl. “and i’m not sick, i just ate a rock when i was a kid and now my voice is just scratchy.” she still had the milk teeth that had fallen out hanging from the leather thong around her neck to prove it. “and its good soup! its got acorns that munin brought me,” she gave the crow in question a little scratch under the chin. “and mushrooms that i found behind that tavern, and these little herbs that i gathered while traveling- and some mushed up beetles that are really good protein. i even added some of my rock salt. figured since im in the big city, i can find salt more easy.” she clicked her tongue, pride coloring every word. “some of my best work.”

she almost convinces him to take the bowl, but then she talks about adding mushed up beetles, and he can’t help the wrinkling of his nose.  no matter how distraught he may be, miłosz is first and foremost a bard, used to certain levels of...well, civilised food.  “ah, well, i appreciate the thought, but surely munin brought the acorns for you to eat, not some broken bard you feel sorry for,” he demurs, giving her a soft smile.  there’s a hint of genuineness to it, even through all the other emotions wracking him.  “it’s a pleasure to meet you, munin and...?”

[morcfcrarum]

maledictiis​:

he stayed in her arms, the darkness he’d felt earlier tingling under his skin. he looked into her eyes as she cupped his cheeks. fear gripped him. it gripped him tight.

“WE’LL SORT THIS. OR… OR I’LL SORT THIS,” he breathed, fully aware of what he meant. he knew if he could not control himself, he would have to find a way to stop whatever darkness gripped him.

his fear is written clear in his eyes as he looks at her, prompting her to pull him close and press her forehead to his.  she may not be a clara, but she still tries to push as much love into him as possible.  “you won’t have to even think about sorting it,” she murmurs, kissing him again and again.  and again.  “banish that thought from your mind, my love.”

[morcfcrarum]

maledictiis​:

he leans into her touch, wrapping his arms around her as he can. he squeezes her tightly, tears streaming down his cheeks as he tried to comprehend what had happened. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS. SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG, ANNA.”

he wasn’t sure what was wrong, but he was sure if whatever it was had harmed anna, it was no good. “IT STARTED AFTER I KILLED THE HILAKI GENERAL. I THINK IT’S… I THINK SOMETHING’S IN ME.” 

he wasn’t sure how else to say it, but he looked up at her and cupped her cheeks. “I AM SO SORRY. I HURT YOU, AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FORGIVE ME ANY TIME SOON.”

anna clings to him just as tightly, breath shaking in her chest.  “we’ll figure this out, darling, i promise,” she breathes as he cups her cheeks.  “surely there is something in the records about this- this thing in you, and we’ll take care of it.”  her words are cheery, but she’s terrified.  “we’ll sort this.”

[morcfcrarum]

maledictiis​:

he does not let up, his face going red from the effort to kill her. whatever has control of faustus will not let go. her nails dig into his skin, but he ignores the pain, shouting as his rage and anger darkened the room. 

as the vines wrapped around his body, the parts that touched him turned black from faust’s own dark magic. he released her throat, ripping the vines off of his body, but they only multiplied and wrapped around him until his eyes began to clear. anna’s magic began to brighten the tone of his pale skin. 

he went limp in the vines, and he sank to his knees. “GODS, WHAT HAVE I DONE?” he whispers, hands trembling as he looks up at anna who stands against the wall, bruised and appearing frightened of him. gods, he had hurt her. his body had hurt her. it had been his hands hurting her.

“ANNA, GODS. GODS FORGIVE ME, I— I DON’T KNOW WHAT CAME OVER ME. IT WAS LIKE… IT WAS LIKE I WAS COVERED IN A CLOUD OF DARKNESS.”

she can’t tell if its his magic darkening the room or if her vision is fading as he yells, still cutting off her air.  for a brief moment that feels far too long, his magic clashes with her, almost overwhelming her as her connection to the vines burns and sparks with pain.  she cannot scream, not with his hand gripping her throat, so all she can do is continue to use the vines to pull at him.

anna barely gets a breath in before he’s tearing at the vines, and she has to sever her connection with them after a while, knees threatening to buckle as she fights to remember he’s not tearing her apart.  the sudden absence of pain echoes through her body and makes her stomach churn, but through her tears she can see her husband fall to his knees.  through her gasps for air she can hear him begging for forgiveness.  and even though he’d just hurt her so deeply, she can’t help but fall to her knees in front of him and fall into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as she sobs.  “you scared me,” she cries, hiding her face in his neck.  he’d always been her rock.  her husband.  reaching to him was a habit now, ingrained in her too deeply to break free from.