I’m tired of white women making jokes that all Samira Mohan does is eat sleep work. She ain’t Black but she’s a WOC. And probably knows that you can’t get too close or share too much at work because of racism. Like people will weapons your life against you when you aren’t white.
Author’s Notes | I'm truly trying to overcome my fear of writing POC characters. So, as you described a half-African character, I decided to go with a WOC character, solving some heterochromia the blue eye you wanted, but keeping a black eye and features that are natural to people of color. I didn't want to turn her into a blue-eyed or European character and I hope you can forgive me for changing that trait in your request, ok?
I really want to win this block and I hope I'm doing it right. If you see something wrong, please call me!
Universe | Vikings
Pairing | Ivar x WOC OC
Info | Requested by @sincerelysinister for 5CW, posted for HTGI Event | Villimaður means Savage in Icelandic, such as Beinlaust is Boneless and Miskunnarlaust is the word for Ruthless. Her true name means “Return of Happiness” according to THIS source.
Words | 2245
⁑ Warnings: I may be wrong with the use of some words, my usual insecurity while writing POC characters. If you see something wrong, please tell me ok?
Although his main nickname was Beinlaust, he used to be called Miskunnarlaust. The boneless, the ruthless... Both would define him well.
So when his servants warned him that Villimaður was docking on their lands, he thought he would receive someone who fit the sobriquet.
The bodyguard who entered his salon facing White Hair with fierceness in the eye he had left on his face almost caught his attention until a hiss of her delicate lips was enough to erase the ferocity from his face.
Ivar's eyebrows almost met in the middle of his wrinkled forehead. That tiny woman?
The little woman... Ivar smiled.
If anyone was The Savage among all those men entering his hall, it was that tiny woman standing like a statue carved out of chunks of dark wood his brothers had shown him from their trips to uncharted lands. She was exuding authority...
Her dark hair was curly, growing like a natural crown for a natural queen. And she looked him in the eye, unafraid, as if the heterochromia of her eyes wasn't enough to impress anyone looking at the orbs on her face: one of them, icy blue, like the surface of a frozen fjord; the other, dark black, like the depths of the unknown waters.
Even the air around the two of them grew heavier as his eyes met hers. Ivar couldn't quite explain the feeling of that second in time, but it was like a shiver. A cold shiver running through the small strands of hair on the back of his neck, bristling them with excitement.
If there had ever been a female of his kind, she was standing in front of him now. Two predators of the same type. He could see death and wildness dancing in her uneven eyes.
And it got him fascinated.
The entire intent of that meeting was changed in Ivar's mind. At first, his previous interest was to meet the brute who was crossing the lands near his border. To intimidate him, maybe even kill the bastard before he could find interest in breaking the line and encroaching on his lands.
But now?
Now, he couldn't say he wouldn't gladly open the doors of Kattegat for her to enter.
"You're taller than I thought a boneless man could be," she spat out her surprise, making him laugh.
"I could tell you're smaller than the savage I was hoping to see, but that wouldn't do justice to the size of your presence," Ivar replied, rising from his throne to walk towards her.
His braces and crutch catching her eye.
"Made of metal, my own creation. Boneless, as you can see," he joked about her shameless way of staring at his spindly legs.
"The fame of your stories doesn't lie about your mind, Ruthless," she replied, ignoring his preoccupation with the illness. "But what is the real reason for your invitation? I hardly doubt you called me out of interest in knowing my figure or showing me your brilliancy."
He laughed again, this time pulling away from her, clearly expecting the woman to follow his slow pace.
"You're right," his voice echoed as he walked towards a second room where a table was set for a feast. "My true intentions weren't the best. But I expected to receive something completely different from what the gods led to my hall today."
He took his place at the head of the table, offering her the place beside him.
The place a queen should be occupying...
She sat up with doubt in her eyes. A part of her mind was already catching the ideas floating in Ivar's. She had seen desire and fascination in the eyes of many men before.
Several of them were decapitated by their own blades.
"I expected a rival," confessed Ivar. "Not a possible ally."
Of course, she heard about his fame. Whoever in the world had never heard of Ivar the Boneless either lived in unknown lands - beyond the reach of men - or was born deaf.
He was a man of many achievements. But he was never said as a man of many women.
The fate of his only wife might be reason enough to drive the suitors away, but she had always understood that fateful episode as nothing more than fair punishment: if she were the betrayed wife, it wouldn't be too different.
However, the idea of replacing the strangled woman he'd left behind until now wasn't even close to her plans. At least not just for his beauty.
Ivar was a handsome man - prettier than the stories ever told about his looks. But a little casual sex could resolve that craving and ease the fire he'd been able to ignite between her legs. And that was it.
Marriage was something else.
Something she was sure would end up between the proposals for that said allegiance.
"We know each other's fame. I know your name merely because of your ancestry. Too early to say we couldn't be rivals after all," she put in, causing Ivar's smile to take on a slightly mischievous tone.
"That's why I said ‘possible’."
She smiled, sniffing closer to the cup poured for her, ensuring the mead was pure before tasting it. Good mead, sweet, full-bodied. She was sure it was his best mead served on that table.
It was true: he was much richer than she was. His lands were far better, and though she was like a queen to her people, her men were no more than nuisance flies to his armies. His fleet was far from anything she could muster. But her success with far less than he could offer was proof enough of her talent as a leader.
Enough to get his eyes interested in her.
Perhaps, this could be an opportunity.
"So tell me, Villmaður," he said, calling her by her nickname.
Causing a smile to form at the corner of her mouth at the sound of that word in his voice.
"What are your men doing on the borders of my lands?" he asked, making her smile.
After all, he was a king.
Kings would be kings, she thought, looking at him.
"What do you do in English lands, Miskunnarlaust?" she asked, calling him by names too, almost as a way to bring smiles to his lips. "We are raiding. I inherited my father's lands and men after he was taken by the gods, but our lands are not enough to keep my people. You have far more resources, king. The lands beyond the sea are accessible to your hands, Odin's grandson. The children of men attack where their swords can reach.” she scoffed.
Reminding Ivar of the old-fashioned myths about his father and his own deity further abandoned in his mind along with the memory of the late Freydis and her useless faith
"I hear you're a growing force of nature. One that ended up causing my lands to expand a little more due to desperate earls begging for protection from your blades. I had additions eager to pay the highest taxes to keep your swords away from their lands. I could make good use of a force like this,” he said from behind his cup, looking at her with veiled desire.
She knew he wasn't talking about her men or her power only. There was more in the dark bottom of his blue eyes. He liked her.
And she liked the idea of a powerful man like him wanting her so much.
"I could make the lands beyond the sea accessible to your swords, child of men," he said, almost sounding arrogant just to fit in with her little joke.
"Gods never help men at no cost," she said, looking up at him with that fierce glare that was making Ivar all the more excited.
She was fearless like him, fierce like him, intense like him... And gorgeous.
Gods, that dark-skinned woman was absolutely stunning!
And he wanted her...
What strong children would they produce together?
Now he knew he could do it. He knew he could go all the way and please a woman... How good would he feel pleasing a woman like her?
"You're right," he said, looking at her. "But I'm not god, woman. I fell for this pantomime once, but never again. I'm a man," he spoke in a serious tone. "One who cannot deny his desire for what he sees."
Straight, like an arrow in the eye.
She couldn't deny a smile for such a direct display of interest. But Ivar continued and she kept silent, wanting to hear his proposal.
"You changed my mind as soon as your footsteps crossed my hall. And I believe it wouldn't be such a high cost to stay by my side for the facilities I can offer your people, would it?"
He was negotiating. Clearly, an unbelieving man when it comes to love or any sentimental matter, she thought.
"You would make my men rich and my people well fed. In return, I will bear your children. It feels like a marriage to me. And where I come from, marriages are made for love," she said, looking him in the eye. "I barely know you, Boneless."
He chuckled.
A giggle she was starting to find charming.
"A common mistake," he said of her concept, surprising her. "Confusing love... With passion," he continued. “Unless your people are used to marrying couples who have lived a lifetime together before deciding they should be husband and wife, your people marry out of passion, not love. I got married out of passion once…” he spoke.
So safe...
Surprising her with such acknowledgement of a matter she thought a man like him would be completely inexperienced with.
"Oh, she was fire," he continued, picking at the ribs in his plate, almost ignoring the surprise in her eyes. “She could make me smile and brought nothing but joy to my days. Anything else. But what her betrayal took from me was so much more than her presence was able to build in my life. Because of her, I've lost everything. Passion fades, my dear. Fire dies. And what's left but ashes after a great fire?"
His wisdom was something unexpected.
She couldn't deny that this attracted her more than anything in that hall since she'd arrived.
"Ashes, Villimaður, from where I had to rebuild myself as the man I am now. Love, if it exists for men and not just for the gods, is something to be built. Achieved. And before that, there is friendship, companionship ... Loyalty. And the convenience, of course."
Bitter words that not all people would want to hear on the subject.
But what truth was not bitter to be heard?
"And I think we can start with that," he offered. "I can see the convenience of my proposal for your people and interests. And I'm sure you can see my intentions beyond the words I've said."
"You want me," she put in, directly. "I can see it in your eyes."
Stopping the bullshit and getting a smile on his lips.
"You are more than a beautiful woman," he completed, looking at her. “You are a strong and intelligent commander. A natural leader... You've gone far with nothing. What can you do with my resources? What lands could you conquer? Where can your name grow alongside mine? You see, my dear, I'm a curious man just like my father was before me. And you provoke this curiosity, Villimaður. " he said.
"Ayodele," she said, drawing his attention. "My name is Ayodele, King Ivar. And I have no intention of selling my presence as payment for the welfare of my people." she started.
Giving Ivar the bad feeling that maybe this wouldn't turn out as well as he wanted.
She was a natural wonder. He didn't want to have to be the one to destroy it.
"However…" She continued, drinking from her cup, drawing Ivar's attention to what could be a counterproposal of his interest. “What you said is true. Love is something deeper. And desire is something shared between us, king. So I will stay. And you offer me your best hospitality. And we'll see if our desire will not turn to ashes after this fire is extinguished, and our minds calm down again."
Ivar smiled.
Rational and balanced. Fierce and beautiful.
Unless she didn't want him, she would be the perfect queen beside him.
"Sounds like a good deal to me, Ayodele," he said, raising his cup. "You stay for this season. I guarantee your men will be well received and accommodated. And for you, a place with my best accommodations."
Or an open path to his own chambers, if that was of her will. Something he was almost sure of with the glints he could see in her eyes.
"At the end of this season, let's get back to this matter and decide the fate of our world. Because something tells me that if you agree to become my wife, Miðgarður will tremble under our strength. Skål!" he toasted.
Ayodele lifted her cup, touching his.
"Aweh," she said, drinking from her cup.
Only then, being followed by her men who didn't touch the feast until she seemed to agree with the local king.
Her power was attractive, Ivar could not deny it. But there was so much more in this woman that he wanted to find out.
He could only wait to see what the season would bring them both.
Summary: Answering A LOT of the questions about why what happened on the night that Erik left. Not much on what’s happening with Erik and Y/N joining forward
Pairing: Erik Stevens x Black!Reader
Words: 3.5k
Warnings: ANGST, slight torture, swearing
A/N: Hey guys long time no see lol but here is the long awaited continuation of the story. Thank you to everyone who has supported this story throughout! I hope you enjoy it
~
Holding you in his arms had always been one of the greatest feelings in the world to Erik, a close second to burying himself deep inside of your body. Touch had always been the strongest love language in your relationship, in part because Erik was used to talking around his emotions that he rarely knew how to put what he was feeling into words.
He held you tight through the night and didn’t sleep once, he was sure that if he did he would wake up and realize that you being there was just another dream. He’d lost track of the number of times he’d dreamed that you were lying there beside him. The night he left, he had almost run back as soon as he was out the door, but he couldn’t do it, not until you were safe.
You still weren’t though and he knew it, there were so many loose ends left to tie up but he couldn’t stand to be apart from you any longer. He had thought about running again but he knew that this was an opportunity he wouldn’t get a chance to repeat if he fucked it up this time.
-Three months ago-
“Damn it!” Erik roared as he slammed his car door shut, Y/N was pregnant, he was putting her in danger he was putting their baby in danger too. He had planned to stop, to leave this life behind, or at least tell her before things got too far. Before he got in too deep.
But being with Y/N was too good to jeopardize and every day he was sinking deeper and deeper in love with her and now, he’d gone too far. He’d messed up and gotten sloppy.
She always knew something was up and for the most part he was able to keep that side of his life hidden from her, if she knew the truth he doubted that she would stay, so he kept up the lie - well not a lie but not the full truth either.
This was the closest she had come to seeing this side of his life and the way she reacted told him everything he needed. He’d been selfish and reckless and he loved her too much to put her in danger, he had to disappear for her safety and their baby’s. It would kill him to be away from her to miss this part of her life but he knew that this was punishment for grasping at what he was never meant to have, a normal life.
No family. No attachment. That was how things were supposed to be, that was how it had always been before her. But she was the family he’d been missing his whole life. He had been determined to make it work with her if it was the last thing he did. But now he was five years in and there was a baby on the way.
Erik had been driving around aimlessly when he found himself in a familiar neighborhood, his childhood home was right up the street, looming tall over the basketball courts he’d spent countless nights playing on until it was time to go in for dinner. He let his mind wander to thoughts of Y/N cooking for their little family, the image of her as a mother was always a thought that had made his heart swell and ache with equal measure
He wasn’t proud of himself but he did the math to see if there was any chance to end the pregnancy. But the thought of that made him sick. The thought of anything happening to either of them made his stomach turn violently. He had to pull over to the side of the road, his door was barely open before he was emptying his stomach onto the pavement.
When he finally pulled himself together he just sat for a moment. The radio was playing dully in the background as he let his mind swim. Was he really about to do this? The next few hours would change his life, and hers forever. When he looked at the time, 3:15, he let himself and his thoughts linger for a moment.
A dangerous moment. If he went back now he could still slip back in without Y/N being any wiser. He could figure something out, he knew he would die to protect her. She knew it too but his rational mind had to speak up to stop him from making a terrible mistake. What would happen to them if he did die, he felt all of Y/N’s feards and immediately hated himself for putting her through that.
He knew the damage had been done when he pulled up to her apartment after a job gone bad. They had been separated for a bit because Erik was still moving back and forth and Y/N had needed her space after her dad passed, things were supposed to be getting better, they were working things out and now he had put the nail in the coffin of their relationship.
Before he could spiral further down the rabbit hole of his thoughts his phone buzzed with a familiar number.
“Hey checking to make sure you’re not some John Doe lying in the morgue somewhere,” The smooth female voice said on the other end of the line.
“I’m fine,” Erik told her, trying to control his voice, vulnerability was as lethal as any gunshot in his line of work and he couldn’t afford it even with his closest confidants. The only person he’d allowed himself to be vulnerable with had been Y/N and look where that had gotten him.
“Okay so now that all of that is out of the way,” she paused, taking a measured breath. “What in the hell were you thinking! You could’ve gotten yourself killed and you almost compromised the mission. You can’t be reckless like that Stevens! What we do is too damn dangerous and I can’t afford to break someone else in if you croak because you’re out here taking stupid risks that don’t need to be taken.” She said loudly, her anger was evident but buried beneath it was something else, maybe concern though she'd never admit to it.
“Are you done, Roberts?” Erik asked, frankly he’d been yelled at enough for one night and if he could avoid it anymore he would.
“Not even close,” she scoffed even though she did move on from the topic. “Where are you right now? The client wants a debrief and I’m not hanging my ass on the line to explain to him that you compromised his mission.”
“At this hour?” He groaned, throwing his head back against the headrest of his seat.
“Yes I mean unless you have something else that’s more important that requires your attention?”
Erik hesitated, every fiber of his being was begging him to go back to Y/N right now and fix this. Apologize for scaring her. Promise her that he would change. Anything to fix this so he could stay.
“No. I’m on my way.” He said ending the call and driving off. As he drove down the road and out of the city to the rich neighborhoods beyond where his client was living in a mansion in the California hills. Every mile he put behind him was another mile he was putting between himself and Y/N.
But that’s the way it had to be, if the people he worked with had any idea that she even existed then she would be in immediate danger, especially after tonight. If they found out about the baby they’d kill it just to make a point, they didn’t tolerate mistakes and Erik never makes them, until now.
Erik was painfully aware of that fact when he pulled down the long winding drive. He noticed that Roberts’s car was also there along with one he didn’t recognize. It made him uneasy and that was a feeling that Erik was feeling all too much today.
When he entered the house it was quiet for the most part he could hear voices floating through the hall so he followed them. Something in him told him to turn back and go find Y/N, he pushed it down again and again. If he went back, if he put her in danger that would be the most selfish thing he’d ever do and he would do it a thousand times if he could ensure her safety but he couldn’t not right now. Not after tonight.
If he ever wanted to go back to her he would need to handle this right now.
“Stevens! How's it hanging big guy!” Said a booming voice as he stepped into the low lit living room. The expansive space had huge floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the expansive forest that stretched out beyond the expansive backyard. Erik didn’t miss the plastic wrap spread out on the patio with a chair in the middle of it.
Three people were gathered around the large fireplace that sat opposite the large windows. Erik recognized Roberts, still in her black tack gear, she’d shed her jacket wearing only her white beater and dog chains on her torso no - she was keeping her head down and wouldn’t look him in the eye. He crossed the room to join her on the long white leather couch but stopped short when one of the other men spoke up.
“Don’t sit down, this won’t take long.” Said the client, a greying man dressed in a sharp suit despite the late hour of the night. The way he said it sent a chill down Erik’s spine — they were going to kill him.
His jaw ticked ever so slightly as his eyes scanned to the final man in the room — he hadn’t said anything, nor did he even acknowledge that Erik had stepped into the room. Even though he was reclined back into a white leather chair to match the two couches, Erik could tell he was a big man, maybe even bigger then Erik himself was.
The third man sat pensively swirling the ice in his glass of dark liquor and staring into the fire crackling away in the fireplace. He had a strong jaw and a shaved head, he too was wearing an equally sharp suit though he was styled more casually than the older man — his top buttons were undone revealing his heavy gold chain and a white beater.
“If that’s the case we don’t need to drag this shit out. If you’re about it, be about it.” Erik snapped, flicking his eyes back to the older white man. Erik didn’t know his name, he never needed to, all he needed was for the transactions of the money to go through. Erik figured the man was a crooked politician considering the money he was willing to pay out and the targets that he would give Erik and Roberts every now and then.
“I know you don’t know me but I believe that everyone has a right to a fair trial.” He said standing and buttoning his jacket. “Don’t you agree, darling?” The client said flicking his eyes from Erik to where Roberts was sitting on the couch.
She kept her head down still refusing to look Erik in the eye.
“Darling, huh? Figures. So what, are you her daddy or her Daddy?” Erik sneered a look of disgust settling over his features as he looked at Roberts.
“Erik!” Roberts shouted standing from the couch. Her eyes were glassy in the low light.
“No sit down, dear,” The client said, Erik scoffed when she listened rolling his eyes. He couldn’t believe her, this was messier than he had anticipated.
Everything in his body was yelling at him to run. He couldn’t though, the cold realization froze him in place, its icy embrace doing little to soothe his nerves that were already on edge. He heard the ice clink loudly in the silent man’s glass beyond the roaring of the blood racing through his ears.
“I don’t appreciate you talking about my daughter like that. Ivan!” He called out, the large man immediately moved and crossed the room quickly getting up in Erik’s face, the client side stepped to let him take the few short steps to sit on the arm of the white leather couch. Erik didn’t stand down, Ivan looked impressed.
But all trace of it melted as quickly as it had appeared, his left fist flew across Eriks jaw, sending him down to his knee. Erik spat out blood onto the white carpet — it looked expensive, part of him hoped it was. The thought that it looked like one of the throw blankets in Y/N’s living room tickled the back of his mind as his thoughts swam from the force of the blow.
The next series of blows, a combination of a knee to his jaw and then a rather large foot sending him reeling back onto the marble floor, dazed Erik even further. The world felt so far away that he could barely hear the commotion of it all over the ringing in his ears.
“Hey, hey, take it outside will you? Your sister set that shit up for a reason!” The client roared at Ivan. Erik felt dizzy as he felt Ivan take a firm hold of his dreads and pull him towards the large windows looking out over the backyard. Erik roared and twisted disoriented and was still trying to fight against the bigger man.
The cool night air gave Erik a moment of piercing clarity. He looked out over the backyard and again a faint memory of Y/N playing with kids in a backyard at one of her family bbqs. If things had been different Erik thinks that he would have bought her a big house with a backyard just like this one. Distantly he can feel his arms and legs being restrained with duct tape and then subsequent blows landing to his torso and face.
Despite the pain he could see this vision so vividly, was this what dying was like? Was this the peace people talked about finding in death? Erik couldn’t deny the thought of Y/N with their child filled him with warmth and comfort. If only he believed he was the type of person who would be fortunate enough to find peace in death. Erik was almost certain if there was a hell that is where he was headed — more than likely his brain was giving him these memories to help him process the trauma that his body was enduring.
“Take it easy on the face we still need to know what happened?” Erik heard the client’s voice echo in his ears. “Oh I bet you can take quite the beating can’t you champ?” He condescends. It was true but the way the client seemed to delight in the prospects of Erik’s pain tolerance.
“Go to hell.” Erik wheezed letting his head lull to the side.
“I will probably, but not before I send you there first.” He said gripping Erik’s slack jaw and squeezing despite Erik’s squirming from the pain. “What happened out there?”
“The job got done.” Was all Erik said quietly, he heard the client and Ivan scoff at his answer.
“The job was to kill one man. You risked the job and my baby girl's life in the process. Now part of the reason I’m being so nice to you right now is because of your track record with us. Do you know why I always request you for my jobs — you don’t mess up. So I’m going to ask again what the hell happened out there Stevens?” He shouted in Erik’s face, he flinched from the sudden loud noise before deflating into the support of the chair when the client stepped away.
Ivan stepped in front of Erik again delivering more hard blows to his face and torso. Erik took them all silently, a hard grimace every now and again the only indication that he was in any pain at all.
“The job got done.” Erik repeated again in the same flat tone. Erik could tell that his lack of responsiveness was starting to strike a nerve with the client. It gave him a sick sense of joy, if he was going to die at least he wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of watching them break.
“Erik that was more than just getting the job done, you beat that guy to death with your bare hands.” He heard Roberts say suddenly appearing out of thin air, when had she joined them on the patio? “Please just tell them.” She begs.
“Maybe he still needs some loosening up,” Erik heard Ivan say, before he had time to process the words a deafening gunshot sounded next to his ear. Erik didn’t have the energy to fully react, that is until the burning barrel of the gun was pressed hard against Erik’s chest, faintly he could hear his skin burn under the metal.
“The job got done.” Was all he said still.
“Who’s Y/N?” Roberts asked scrolling through Erik’s phone, when had she taken that from his pocket? For the first time Erik let a look of terror settle across his features. By the time he was able to reign in his emotions it was too late he’d given away too much already.
“Some girl I hit up to take the edge off.” Erik sighed hoping they’d buy it.
“See I wanna believe that,” Roberts said crouching down in front of Erik showing him his phone. The image on the bright screen made him wince, it was one he’d taken of Y/N while she was asleep lying against his chest. “But that doesn’t look like taking the edge off to me now does it?”
Erik lunged at her then he felt the barrel of Ivan’s gun press to the back of his head, slowly he sank back into his chair there was a sick smirk on Robert’s face, it matched the client’s from earlier. Erik was kicking himself for not seeing it earlier.
“Maybe we’ll pay her a visit, she’s a looker ain’t she Ivan.” The client sneered, right now Erik felt like he might be sick.
“Is she why you left?” Robert’s asked. “I tried to figure it out why you would just up and vanish. Oh Erik have you been breaking rule number one?” She condescends, rule number one; no attachments, attachments make you vulnerable. Just like Erik now was.
The longer this scene passes on the more Erik could see the resemblance between the woman he thought would have his back and their crooked client. He supposed the apple didn’t fall far from it’s poison tree.
“You know what I think?” Robert’s mused circling Erik’s chair. “I think we’re not the only ones who know about your special little friend. She’ll be dead by morning,” she stated simply, handing the phone to Ivan. “Backtrack his location. He was there tonight. Kill her, burn down the place and make it look like an accident.” She ordered and Ivan nodded before going back through the house.
A renewed energy took over Erik and he blacked out from the rage that was coursing through his veins. He had put Y/N in danger and she was closer to it than he could’ve ever known. Erik guessed he had been sloppier than he’d thought and now because of him she and his baby would be dead by morning.
His baby. An unfamiliar feeling settled in Erik’s chest, a primal need to protect his own. He wasn’t sure exactly how it all happened, the major details were a blur. But with Ivan gone and even in Erik’s bruised and battered state he broke free of his restraints retrieving his emergency gun he kept hidden on him at all time. Two quick shots dispatched both the client and Roberts, then taking her advice he set the house ablaze to make it look like an accident.
Erik would spend the rest of the night hunting down Ivan until he killed him too. The sun was already painting the sky in pinks and blues when he dumped Ivan’s weighted body off of the pier.
Erik knew he couldn’t stay, he had to make sure that Y/N was safe even if it meant he couldn't be with you. So instead of heading back into the city he navigated his car towards the airport. He still owned the condo the two of you had shared in New York and he had some contacts there that could help him find out just how many people knew about Y/N. He’d kill every single one of them if they meant to do you harm, he was willing to go to hell and back to make sure that you were safe again.
Yo, everyone needs to watch “The Forty Year Old Version” that just came out on Netflix. It’s one of the few movies I think depicts an ACTUAL New York Romance. Also it’s fuckin HILARIOUS and shows what black story telling could be when we’re allowed to be the humanized, quirky lead on screen.
Ophelia picked the flowers from her handmaiden’s box and helped tuck them in the thick, black braids her hair was twisted into, just so she had something to do with her hands.
The petals were rubbery against her fingers. They were plucked from the Whisper Peach bushes in the orchard. Ophelia had watched the maids rifle through leaves to hunt for flowers unstained by black spots and not already half-devoured by hungry insects a day before the wedding. If the flowers had been left alone, they would have yielded sweet fruit. That was typical of Ophelia, to wear stolen opportunities as a garland around her head and not think twice.
I drew her! The above is my OC, Thoko! She’s the MCs love interest, you can read their story here: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/34542/the-morgulon
