TW FOR BLOOD AND GORE i've never actually dabbled much in gore but theres mentions of flesh and bones and stuff so you've been warned. Nothing horribly graphic but ive been told I have a weird standard for graphic so 🤷
Work: 5Manor/Aspects and Everlongs
Pairing: Morgan/Layton
Setting the scene: caught out by a demonic everlong transformation when away from the manor Morgan can only sit helpless in the confines of his consciousness as the beast takes over, while Layton tries to protect him from the locals.
(Character context: Morgan is an 'everlong', a human fed the blood of a cursed being. The curse wears him down over time and forces him to change into a 'demonic form', or it can be triggered by other cursed or demonic beings, and he has limited control over himself in this form)
Ripping the hell hounds apart was so easy when the everlong was in control. Morgan could feel their flesh tearing between his talons, tendons snapping and bones crunching, and a low maniacal laugh that wasn't his rippling up from deep within his chest. The metallic taste of blood was sharp on his tongue but despite how much he wanted to spit it out the everlong wouldn't let him, taking bite after gleeful bite of hell hound remains until both were nothing more than a few loose ends in the snow at his feet.
Then Layton's voice cut through the haze of euphoria, and while the beast still wanted to eat Morgan fought its will and turned his demonic body back towards where he'd last seen her. She was shouting frantically at something or someone, and when he finally spotted her a few feet back from where she was she was crawling backwards, back towards him and away from the two farmers pointing shotguns at her. No amount of begging them to leave for their own safety turned them away, and for the first time in centuries Morgan could pull himself free.
It was like prying himself out of ice, but once he was partway free he could fight more and more against the everlong curse, out of the haze of feral rage and bloodlust. The cold of the snow cut sharply through his feet as he forced himself forward, the wind biting deep to the bone as every step forward was a step back to his usual form, until all the noises and urges were quiet and he was standing over Layton and staring wildly at these two men.
One farmer turned and fled the moment Morgan turned around but this other farmer turned to stone, his face as white as the snow behind him while his mouth hung agape. Wrapping a bloody hand around the barrel of the shotgun Morgan pulled it free from the old man's grasp with one short, sharp tug, and with only a strangled gasp he was charging away across the field after his friend, leaving them alone in the field once again.
Standing bollock-naked in a murky pool of blood and muddy snow the cold and wet him like a cannonball, the first proper deep breath he took stinging all the way down his windpipe and into his lungs. His insides were still tangled from the revelation-- it was hard to tell if he'd even fully changed back, chest heaving and head thumping as he tried to even everything out. It would take a while to recover, as always, but those bastard men were gone now and that was all the mattered.
Turning to look at Layton he found her still sat on the ground, staring up at him in a daze. As she stumbled to her feet he expected hesitance considering the state he was in, but she wasted no time in approaching as she pulled off her coat and wrapped it around his shoulders, pulling it tight across his front and asking breathlessly if he was alright. Despite knowing how filthy he was and not wanting to ruin her clothes he didn't quite have the comprehension to stop her, staring down into her flushed face and being stricken by the look of awe in her eyes.
A deep pull of hunger took hold of him again, burning down to his frozen fingertips and urging him to reach out and take hold. Layton was already close but he pulled her closer still and caught her in a desperate kiss, muffling a surprised gasp as it passed her lips and soon getting wrapped up in the warmth of her arms around his shoulders and neck, melting into the relief of her touch.
"You're not hurt, are you?" she eventually asked, breathless words against his lips, and he shook his head in response. She replied in kind when he managed to ask the same in a mumble, and let his head come to rest against her shoulder with a shaky sigh of relief. He only moved again when she suggested heading back to the B&B, feeling her rummage in the right pocket of her jacket for the stone or travel, before the field around them faded to the warmth of their room.
And cut. This was a scene I wrote a while back and they just bone down back at the b&b. WOO! \o/
I'm sick atm so have this excerpt from-- surprise surprise-- The Runaway Princess. Read it on ao3 here.
Kane has had enough of people asking him about his plans for marriage and children, and Awen anticipates that this doesn't bode well for her.
Grumbling about never wanting to attend another dinner party again in her life Awen nearly tore the fabric of her dress when it refused to yield, only to have her hands batted away as someone else unfastened it for her. From across the room there was a scandalised chirp from Alister as Kane tugged at buttons and strings, questioning her thought process at sending the maid away before getting changed, and once the dress and the bodice underneath were finally loose she uttered a sigh of relief and thanked him. "I've had enough of people. I just want to go to bed," she told him, but two steps towards her bedroom door she heard Kane mumble a dismal 'wait'.
When she turned back she found him stone-faced, arms stiff at his sides. A terrible foreboading if she'd ever seen one, but she stayed with a cautious 'yes?' regardless, sharing a bemused look with Alister leaning against the back of the other armchair.
For a moment it looked like Kane was about to be sick, but holding his breath for a brief moment stopped that and she realised he was just being over-dramatic. "If you pretend to be my fiance people will stop throwing their daughters at me so… do that. Please." His voice was stiffer than the rest of him and that 'please' was doing a lot of heavy lifting, as reluctant as it sounded.
She rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. "And spend every waking moment escorted about like a fragile little doll whenever we're meeting someone important? No thank you," she huffed, but when she went to leave again he hurried past her to cut her off, hunching down with his hands clenched to his chest in pleading.
"Just say you're tired! Go to your room! You don't have to hang around," he sputtered after a few aborted suggestions, but she scoffed at that too.
"Fragile and sickly? You clearly have no idea how these people treat women at the best of times."
"Fine-- I'll tell them you have to stay with me."
"But then she's more likely to be recognised," Alister quickly interjected, and Kane ran his hands down his face with an exasperated moan.
"Can't you put that hiding spell on a dress or something?"
"I don't have a dress," she pointed out, reminding him that what she was wearing now was on loan from Lady Farthing. "Look, does this help you in the long run? is it worth all this hassle with a fake engagement just to keep them from asking about marriage?" she asked with a sigh, and was startled by his very firm 'yes' in response.
"I can't guarantee anything but I'll try and and stop them from taking you out of the conversation, but only if you stop them talking about kids and marriage. Deal?"
"It's not that easy. You understand that right?" She couldn't help being cautious. Tonight brought up enough awful memories of stuffy dinners and 'lessons in manners' and she wasn't eager to go through any more, but now that she'd shown a sliver of possibility Kane was grabbing hold with both hands.
"I don't think you understand how much I don't want that conversation," came his beleagured response, before he held out a hand to shake. It was the first offer of physical contact they'd had since they'd met and she couldn't help her hesitation, until he made a self-depreciating joke about being wary of making deals with the fair folk, and she quickly apologised and took hold. Why did she hesitate?
I technically already did a kiss to the hand 🫣 BUT I have options. Always have options.
Work: Base9 (working title)
Pairing: James/Aeron
Finding shelter in an old house Aeron goes to secure the perimeter, only to get told off when he comes back inside.
(Character context: Aeron is a fish person, but had his gills and such fucked around with by an asshole 'scientist' who was jigsaw-ing parts from different races of people to see what he could do. Aeron lost his gills and adjoining breathing organs, and was 'given' a gland from another species that allows him to use healing magic. Sucks being a fish person who can't breathe underwater. He can talk but his voice is very weak and it hurts, so he signs instead. James is a basic bitch human.)
Compared to outside the warmth in the old house was euphoric, and when Aeron closed the door behind himself he collapsed against it with a shivering groan. They were in a snowfield in a snowstorm up in the hills, but he could never get over that creeping suspicion that someone was stalking the path behind him, persistant in their hunt but biding their time. There was never anyone there, but the fear was hard to shake.
The moment he was back inside James was knelt at his side, wrapping the blanket he had around the both of them as soon as he could. "Why were you out there for so long? Are you trying to lose toes?" he scolded, before shivering violently when Aeron brought cold hands to his neck.
'You didn't have to wait' Aeron retorted once James managed to fight him off, smiling like an idiot. 'But thank you'.
"Yeah, well... who knows what's out there," he grumbled in response, and rubbed his own hand against Aeron's face soon afterwards in retaliation, announcing he was hungry and tired and ready for bed.
But when he moved to get to his feet Aeron caught his hands and kept him still. 'You love me, don't you?' he asked, and laughed at the wide-eyed shock on James' face, like he'd just been caught doing something questionable but not quite illegal. He floundered through a few attempts at defending himself without outright denying it until Aeron signed it again, and added 'tell me you love me', making James go all the more red in the face.
Opening and closing his mouth with every word he tried to say he eventually gave up with a frustrated sigh, sitting back on his heels and pulling half the blanket with him in the process, folding his arms childishly before unfolding them not two seconds later to furiously sign back. "What do you expect, being all nice and charming and pretty? Running off after every pathetic twat who has no sense of self preservation and making them care for themselves, because you care! And if you care then they have to care because they can't hurt you, not when you're making sure they stay alive."
Every sentence saw his hands slowing a little, until his head was hung and shoulders slumped, staring miserably at the ground between them. "You always look so worried. And happy, and annoyed and angry and... I don't think anyone's cared so much about me before."
Aeron was still smiling hopelessly at him, and signed once more, with a little more emphasis: 'say it'.
He grumbled and huffed, still a little pink in the face, but eventually made space for himself in front of Aeron and sat down, leaning back and pulling his arms around himself with the blanket. "Of course I love you. And I'm making it your problem now."
"That's the opposite of a problem," he replied now that James was close enough to hear him, but as he gladly buried his face in the side of James' neck he was forced upright again when James shook his head.
"Oh no you don't." Pushing the blanket out of the way James pulled Aeron's hands up into view. "You say it too."
Chuckling at James' insistence Aeron nodded, and allowed their hands to move together as he slowly and carefully signed 'I love you', before pulling him closer to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. That had James grinning like an idiot, and he happily sank into another warm embrace against his chest.
I think this is like me second oldest OC pairing. Aeron my beloved you deserve to be happy. James youre an asshole but you make Aeron happy so you can stay.
Short and sweet today because I had a rough night and crashed out this evening. Poe, my ginger cat, is on my lap keeping me warm and feeling loved, so have a little scene of my two classic idiots at a wedding.
Day 4: Wedding
Work: The No Headphones Rule Sucks (post story)
Pairing: Claudia/Lloyd
Lovely day for a wedding!
~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~
Heron View Lodge was picturesque, nestled amongst the trees on top of the hill, looking out over the Avon estuary and the sandy shores that lined it. What a lovely day in late April, the sky clear, a light breeze teasing through the branches around them, lending the wonderful scent of trimmed branches and freshly cut grass to the party. It was just warm enough to be outside without clamouring for shade, and considering how many people were attending this wedding that was a huge saving grace.
Sitting together amongst the flower beds with a cold drink each Claudia and Lloyd watched the crowd of guests milling about in front of them, socialising and enjoying the music on the outdoor dance floor. The ceremony was beautiful, as expected, but after walking all the way through the building and back again in the most sparkly and painful shoes she owned Claudia was happy to be sitting down, wiggling her bare toes under the table to try and ease the stiletto ache.
More than once Lloyd offered to toss down some ice cubes with a mischievous snigger, and it took the threat of shoving one down the front of his shirt to get him to stop. "Like-- cracking shoes, love, but I dont think it was worth it," he soon said, giving her cocktail a stir before picking it up to take a sip.
"What are you talking about? I got like five compliments!"
"You can barely walk."
"Yeah, but five compliments, Lloyd!" She was going to be riding that high for days, grinning like an idiot when he tutted and shook his head, but the look on her face had him laughing again soon enough.
This was his cousin Gabriella's wedding. Claudia had only met her once before, when Lloyd graduated university, but she'd always seemed nice. Claudia was so bad at talking to people but she came up to them both after the ceremony and thanked them for being there, giving them both a tight hug like she'd known them for years. Well, she did know Lloyd obviously, but Claudia wasn't expecting such a warm welcome and it was a nice moment.
Now, Claudia and Lloyd had been together two years by this point, known each other for just under four, and it still caught her by surprise when Lloyd asked if she'd wear stilettos to their wedding. He was teasing her about being desperate to be tall and how he'd be pulling up a seat for her every twenty minutes, but the moment she heard him say 'our wedding' she short circuited, only thankful he'd pinched her drink as she probably would've been mid-sip when he said that and would've been chocking by this point.
"You... you're thinking that far ahead?" She hadn't meant to sound so meek but it'd genuinely caught her off-guard, in the best way possible.
Tipping his head forward a little he peered at her over his sunglasses, eyebrows raised in surprise like he only just realised what he'd said himself, before he sat up a little straighter with an embarrassed grin. "Maybe. It's crossed my mind," he replied sweetly, only to burst into full sniggers when she asked him not to propose at a wedding. "Ok, not that far ahead! But... yeah. Maybe not the wedding itself but definitely being married. I mean you're my best friend and I love you: why wouldn't I want to think about it?"
Her cheeks went pink and she couldn't stop herself from smiling, trying to hide her bashfulness behind her drink when she finally took it back from him. Of all the things to say; of all the days to say it! It was impossible to tell if it was the alcohol or simply her delight at hearing him say that but she'd gone giddy throughout, and reached out to take his hand in hers.
A gentle kiss to his knuckles had him going a little red in the face too, and the dopey smile he showed her when she mumbled 'I love you too' against his skin was absolutely the highlight of the whole day.
~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~
These dumbasses are my OGs and I love them to bits.
Cant find a prompt challenge for March so im making my own. I have a nice grid version in the works but I want to add some things to it so for now here's the list I have made for myself.
Confident vs Nervous
Warm vs Cold
Practice vs Neglect
Beach vs Countryside
Give vs Take
Laugh vs Cry
Sun vs Rain
Praise vs Criticism
Night vs Day
Pride vs Shame
Mountain vs Valley
Learn vs Forget
Technology vs Nature
Explain vs Distort
Boss vs Pawn
Earth vs Space
Sealed vs Broken
Cat vs Dog
Relax vs Stress
Taste vs Smell
Approve vs Deny
Hit vs Miss
Win vs Lose
Sight vs Sound
Flow vs Still
Peace vs Chaos
Heal vs Harm
Touch vs Talk
Affect vs Effect
Envy vs Jealousy
Love vs Hate
I know people love doing prompt lists and challenges and such, and since I made this for myself I thought why not share it? For anyone else who likes prompt lists.
Might change some up or add some swaps.
Theyre numbered for convenience but you can do whichever whenever, use both words or just one. I'm not the boss of you, I just like having something to refer to when im feeling uninspired or at a loss.
Thanku @stormyrainyday I keep meaning to post things but I keep getting distracted (been playing a lot of magic the gathering recently 🫣)
Here's a part from The Runaway Princess because im doing a push to finish one full draft by the end of this year and this is the closest I have.
At least she could take out her frustration at having to wear these awful dresses all day on anyone who asked her stupid or innapropriate questions.
They quickly learned not to ask anything about heirs when, after Awen's constant deflections back to current matters went ignored, she asked why she had to discuss her sex life at the dinner table. There were a number of red faces and disapproving frowns, particularly an embarrassed one from Alister sitting alongside her, but she knew she was in the clear when Kane had to disguise his snort of laughter as a sneeze at her other side.
Geraldine and lady Havenport nipped any other comments in the bud by asking their guests to be respectful of Kane and Awen's privacy, and from then on questions were much more palatable.
I know @tinknevertalks writes but im sorry I dont remember who else amongst my mutuals write. Please feel free to post something, and let me know if you'd like to be tagged in these things too.
🐉Dragon: What is one thing your character would protect at all costs?
🥳
Im going to answer for Kane from The Runaway Princess.
He will do anything to protect his family, including making himself known and rubbing elbows with people he absolutely loathes. He's travelled all over his country to get support for independence and now he's going to the country they're trying to be independent from, and he hates being away from home but it has to be done.
And it's very confusing for him to meet Awen, the runaway princess herself, because on the one hand he fucking hates her family and the way they've treated his country. He still struggles to separate her from her family, even though the Princess has been 'dead' for nearly ten years, but they get on so well and he hates hating her for that. Over time she becomes part of his family as well, along with Alister, so he'll do anything in his power to make sure they're both alright.
But he's also a gremlin bastard man so shows of sincere gratitude are difficult and no one ever believes him.
