V

if you feel like falling,

[violetvines]

𐙚 never been less empty,

welcome to @darlingletters writing blog!

• you may send requests, but ultimately, i decide whether i want to write them or not (usually i do 🫶)

• i write for any fandoms in my masterlist!

masterlist:

powerless

the inheritance games

all i feel is free now 𐙚

[violetvines]

hey can you write a fic of Grayson smoking as a way to cope with stress and he’s hiding it from everyone except Nash walks in and finds out

hi omg I LOVE THIS ONE, thank you for the req!

going up in smoke 🚬

summary: what happens when grayson hawthorne starts to crash out and lose control in worse ways?

characters: grayson hawthorne, nash hawthorne

warnings: mentions of smoking (yes, this is a warning because i do not condone smoking – take care of your lungs people! you only have one matching set and they slay 🫁)

Grayson Hawthorne knew what it was like to be in control.

Grayson Hawthorne knew the kind of man he was raised to be.

Grayson Hawthorne was calculated, thoughtful, and precise.

Grayson Hawthorne was a mediator of problems, not the source of them.

But now? He felt like half of who he used to be.

If he really were who he said he was, who he portrayed himself to be to the rest of the world, the formidable Hawthorne grandson who was supposed to be the heir of the great Tobias Hawthorne...

...why was he hiding out in the wine cellar with a half-filled glass of whiskey in front of him, the strongest he could find, instead of upstairs, trying to come to terms with their latest discovery? With his latest discovery.

The folder. The names. What he'd done to those people. The lies. The inheritance.

He swirled the glass, just like how his thoughts were swirling inside of him. Jameson would kill him for touching his favourite bottle and nearly emptying it, but that just showed how out of it he was at this moment. He didn't care. He wasn't taking calculated risks– all were purely uncalculated.

He didn't think he could take it anymore.

How much could one person take? He was raised to be able to take the weight of anything, no matter how heavy, no matter how hard. Then why was this so hard?

Because he wasn't as honourable as you once thought he was.

Because he lied.

Because he took away everything he promised you.

Because you had to sit there, as they read the will, with all eyes on you, expecting to hear your name, but the name of another was uttered.

Because you had to continue sitting there, under the weight of their gazes silently questioning, "I thought it was supposed to be you?"

Because it didn't matter.

Because you never mattered enough for him to keep his promise to you.

He didn't realise he was crushing the empty glass so hard in his hand until he released his grip on it. Grayson reached for the bottle to pour more, but it was exactly like how he felt– empty.

He pushed away from the table with frustration. He had tried taking a swim earlier and pushed himself to complete ten laps without stopping, and even that hadn't helped.

Even the one thing he had always used as his coping mechanism did not help.

So what could?

Grayson Hawthorne was on the rooftop.

He had something in his hand, something he had sworn to refrain from ever since he was a boy.

The lighter somehow felt heavy in his hand, and he nearly barked out a laugh. "How can something as simple as this be so difficult for you?" He asked himself.

The pack of cigarettes was in his suit pocket. He'd purchased them just to get a sense of control. He was so used to putting out the fires around him, so why couldn't he be the one setting the fires for once?

He was done. Done acting like the person his grandfather had moulded him to become.

When was the last time he had ever done anything for himself?

When was the last time he'd been his own person?

He didn't think twice as he took out a cigarette and lit it.

He brought it up to his lips and... paused.

"If you do this, there's no going back." That voice in his head said. "If you do this, you break a promise you made to yourself."

"Are you really ready to make this choice?"

Grayson didn't know the answer to that. All his life, he had made choice after choice with logic and reasoning and insight. But half of those choices had not been his.

Without thinking twice, he placed the cigarette into his mouth and inhaled deeply.

And then he spluttered, his body racking with coughs.

How did this even work? It burned.

He nearly laughed again. Was this how it was like to go insane?

He was about to relight another cigarette and try again when the door leading to the rooftop opened.

Shit. If that was Jameson... he'd probably figured out who stole his stock of whiskey and On Spake and Taeb Nwod would ensue.

Grayson didn't have the energy for either of those things.

And if that was Xander, or Nash...

He didn't have the time to think what Nash would do because it was Nash who appeared on the rooftop. It was dark, and he was sure his older brother hadn't seen a thing yet, so he let the cigarette fall and used his shoe to conceal it.

"Why am I hiding like a criminal?" He thought.

"Because you don't want to worry them." That voice replied.

"Gray?" Nash called out.

"Nash." Grayson replied in greeting.

"What are you doing out here?"

Deflect.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Nash was next to him now. He took off his cowboy hat. "I come up here every other night to see things from a different perspective."

"You?" He tilted his head to face Grayson, but he was looking at the skyline.

"I... needed some fresh air. A better view." He internally kicked himself for faltering. Under no circumstances could Nash Hawthorne know what he had been up to.

I'm in control. I'm in control. I'm in control.

Nash said nothing. They stood there for a while, side by side, listening to the crickets chirping. The two eldest Hawthorne brothers. One who had been able to make the choice to leave, and one who chose to stay behind.

Grayson didn't know how much time passed, but he did feel the weight of the lighter and pack of cigarettes in his pocket.

"So, little brother." Nash began.

"When were you going to tell me?"

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about." Grayson replied.

"I invoke On Spake under the conditions that it will not be followed by Taeb Nwod. Deal or no deal?"

He thought about it. Nash was giving him a choice. He never had many choices growing up. Not choices with outcomes he actually wanted. He didn't want to fight. But he didn't want to yield either.

"No need," he finally replied, "I'll listen to what you have to say."

Nash's eyebrows shot up. "You sure about that? You'll have to take the deal if you interrupt me, Gray."

Grayson was good at avoiding things he wanted to avoid. He was good at avoiding suspicion. This was like a normal banter between two brothers who had each other's best intentions at heart. Not some sort of interrogation between a brother who could somehow tell when things were falling apart and one who could somehow not admit it.

"When have I never been sure about anything?"

Nash met his statement with a very direct blow. Very like Nash.

"Like just now, when you tried to light that cigarette."

Grayson filtered his thoughts, finding the next best course of action. He knew. He knew he'd snuck up to the rooftop to smoke a cigarette. Nash had watched it happen.

He was ready with a reply when Nash held a single finger up. "You said you were sure you wouldn't interrupt."

There was a silent "checkmate" in Nash's eyes. As far as Grayson could remember, his older brother hadn't been fond of chess, but this was the most perfect checkmate he had ever played.

Still, he didn't relax his stance. His leather shoe still concealed the cigarette. He hadn't inched his fingers to the pocket concealing the lighter. He was still searching for a way to escape this. A solution.

(okay i know this is an unfinished fic but i started this in january of last year and i feel like i want to post this before i log out for an indefinite period of time. also, the last few dialogues were fire so i'm just going to post it unfinished.)

[darlingletters]

officially logging out of this account and @violetvines for the unforeseen future. if i never return, consider this an abandoned page online that people can still access. thank you for everything! to all my moots, i love you all. if you want to find me, my last "active" blog will be @strcwbevvy and as my final few words, i want to end on a very hopeful and whimsical note: i am sending whoever reads this so much love and i hope we live happy happy lives filled with joy and laughter. love always! - vivi

[violetvines]

my fics will remain as a remnant of the good times i had on this blog. thank you for reading them and enjoying them as much as i did writing them! <3

[violetvines]

hi @balladofareader thank u for the spam on my powerless fics 🤭

[violetvines]

I'M BACK HERE TOOO AAAAAA 😭🫶🫶🫶

[violetvines]

thinking of posting my fics on ao3 👀

[violetvines]

blenny's (part 2)

tags: @caramelmiacchiato @kaisdarling @arias-archive @runnningoutofink @callums-spellbook @kittlover @honeyfbh

read part 1 here!

Kai

I glance over at Paedyn, who doesn't seem to notice that anything is amiss.

"What?" She asks me, noticing the sudden turning of my head in her direction.

I clear my throat. Take on the Hyper's ability to confirm who I believe to be inside the bakery. With super vision, I see a head of red curls that I know belongs to Lenny.

But I don't see lilac hair anywhere. Until she pokes her head out of a door to yell something to him. She goes over to him, nearly whacking him with the rolling pin in her hand.

My sharp intake of breath is not missed by my ever observant Pae. She immediately stops walking, just as Kit asks, "What's wrong, Daddy?"

I sigh. "Kit, can you go pick out a shiny rock for Daddy from over there?" I point to the mound of rocks that sit nearby.

She cocks her head, a habit she picked up from me. "Okay!" She dashes off once I crouch to lower her to the ground.

"Kai, what's wrong?" Paedyn repeats Kit's question.

"I'm surprised you haven't already guessed," I say slyly, attempting to play with her so that the news doesn't have as big an effect on her that I know it already will.

She narrows her eyes at me. "Malakai Azer." I really can't help the smile that she might wipe off my face after I tell her what I'm about to. "What. Are. You–"

"Talking about." I finish. I point to the large sign sitting about fifty yards before us.

"Blenny's." I say. "It's pretty obvious that Lenny's name is there."

"But the B is for..." She trails off.

"Blair." I confirm.

"Daddy, I found a shiny rock for you!" My little Kit comes running to me, sure enough, with a shiny rock in her hand. "Can I get a sticky bun later?"

I look at Paedyn. And she grins. "Yes, darling. We're headed to the best bakery in Tando."

"Does that mean they have the best sticky buns?"

"Oh, they better, for my little girl."

Paedyn holds Kit's hand and leads her forward.

"Pae..."

"I'm fine." She tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear. "I've put it behind me. Adena wouldn't want me to destroy the life they've built here."

"I'm okay, really." She reassures while squeezing my hand. And because I know her, I believe her.

Paedyn

We're almost there when Kit sprints forward in a sudden burst of energy.

"Kit!" I call. She's already jumping to grab the door handle when, to her surprise, the door opens. And standing there, with a look of awe on his face, is a friend I haven't seen since the day I granted his wish to leave Ilya.

Kai and I pick up our pace just as Lenny crouches to meet Kit's eyes. "Hello, little one..."

I watch as the realisation hits him. She must remind him of a dear friend.

"Is that your Mommy?" He points to me, our gazes locking.

I smile. "And my Daddy!" Kit points to her father standing beside me.

"Do you have sticky buns?" She immediately asks. Kai chuckles, and Lenny stands up to brush his hands on the apron he's wearing.

"Oh, yes, we most definitely do! Only the best in Tando," he tells her, gesturing for us to come in, then he lowers his voice to a whisper. "I'd go so far to say that our sticky buns are even better than the ones in Ilya."

"Easy, Lenny," Kai interjects. "You're not the only one with a Hyper ability."

He sputters. "Well, okay, maybe not better, but–"

I laugh. "He's messing with you, Len."

He turns his attention away from Kit, and when he looks at me, his gaze is glossy. "Lenny, are you cryi–"

"Cockroach! I've missed you," he bounds towards me, and in a few strides, I'm crushed against him in a giant bear hug. The kind of hug that only people like Lenny can give.

"C'mon, Mischief, let's see what goodies they sell here," Kai deliberately raises his voice and turns to give us a wink.

Lenny guides me to a rickety table with wooden chairs. "Now, before you use that against me..." He eyes the dagger strapped to my thigh.

"Are you saying you won't accept my love language?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

He chuckles. "I've really missed you, P. And I can't believe you're actually here, with Kai and..." He trails off, excitement sparkling in his eyes.

"Her name is Kit," I say softly.

Lenny's eyes widen in realisation. I nod.

"It's an honor to have the king and queen of Ilya in our quaint little bakery... with their princess." He smiles at that, remembering the nickname he used to call me.

"The honor is ours," I reply, a grin on my face.

"Where's Blair?" I ask, and the way he sputters is comical.

"She, uh–"

Before he can say anything else, the door at the far end of the bakery, the one I assume leads to the adjoining cottage that I had seen from outside, rattles. In the next second, it bursts open.

Kai and Kit who are near the door jump. Kai immediately conjures a purple forcefield around them but finds that it is unneeded. Because what zooms out of the door is small in size, and it is hard to tell what it is other than the red and purple streak of color that paints it.

Blair appears at the door. She looks furious, but when she sees Kai right outside it, she freezes. Her gaze slowly travels further down the room to meet mine.

The bundle of red and purple is now floating in the air, and Blair places it behind her. And I realise that it's not a bundle at all, but a child.

"Benny," Blair whispers. "Get back inside."

"I don't want to!" The child whines. She takes a deep breath and locks eyes with Lenny, who looks so conflicted, it's painful for me to see.

Benny peeks out from behind Blair and sees Kit doing the same from behind Kai.

"Did you bring me a friend?" He asks his mother. She swallows, eyeing all of us in the room.

I take it upon myself to answer. "Yes."

Blair's gaze shoots up to meet mine once again, fear mingled with defiance. "You're not going to–"

"I'm not the same Paedyn that I was, Blair. I'm not here for revenge."

Lenny steps in. "How about Kai and I bring the children out to get to know each other," he gestures frantically at Kai, "and we leave the girls to do the talking?"

Kai doesn't move. He just looks at me, a silent question in his gaze.

Will you be okay?

I nod firmly.

Blair glares at Lenny. "I'll be right outside," he tells her, "and I trust Paedyn." He looks at me with confidence. And I don't plan on letting him down.

They file out of the room, but not before Kit comes up to me and whispers in my ear. "Mommy, tell the nice lady that I love her hair!" The door shuts.

Blair and I stare at each other. She is standing, while I am sitting. The silence drags on as we each are taken back to our history. So much pain. So much hostility.

She huffs out a breath.

"I'm sorry."

We both stare at each other again, as the words leave our lips at the same time.

As much as I am curious to know when Blair Archer was ever capable of apologising, I continue. "I'm sorry that it had to be this way." I eye the permanent burns that mar her face. "But I'm not sorry that I did what I had to do in the moment, because I only did it for her."

"For Adena." She says softly.

"For Adena." I confirm. "And I want the past to stay in the past. So, I assure you, Blair, I am not here to fight. Not anymore."

"I'm... sorry that I killed her." She winces. "I really thought she was a criminal. It was only when I saw how broken you were... that I realised that... she was more than that."

I nod slowly. She knows that I can't accept her apology, and I know that she can't accept mine, but that doesn't mean that we have to keep being enemies. I hold out my hand. "Truce?"

She takes it in her own. "Truce."

"By the way, my daughter told me to tell you that she loves your hair." I smirk.

She smiles, and this one is different than the sharp ones I'm used to seeing. This one is genuine.

"That calls for sticky buns."

———————

Now, every year, we make a trip to Tando. We share sticky buns around a rickety wooden table and exchange stories of Kit and Benny's childhoods. We toast and we laugh and we joke.

Instead of hostility in the air, there is warmth. Whenever I look at Blair, I see something that could've been but is not. And that is okay for the both of us, because we are not the same people we were, and we understand that.

[violetvines]

blenny's (part 1)

summary: kai, paedyn and kit go to tando's most famous bakery. the owners of the bakery are none other than blair and lenny... and let's just say that things get interesting.

tags: @caramelmiacchiato @kaisdarling @arias-archive @runnningoutofink @callums-spellbook @kittlover @honeyfbh

read part 2 here!

Paedyn

My little girl isn't so little anymore.

I watch as her gray head bobs among the corn stalks. It is easier to track her movements now, compared to five years ago.

Kit is turning eight this year. We are back in Tando, as Kai and I need to discuss and renew our initial agreement with the Tandan rulers.

Trading our resources with each other has proven to be a success, since the food supply in Ilya has been steadily rising ever since our last visit. Tando also benefits from this agreement, as we have repurposed some of our own land for the growth of rare crops that can only grow in Ilya's forgiving soil.

"Daddy! Mommy! Look!" Kit stops abruptly and points to something on the ground.

Kai and I look up from where we stand, our fingers interlaced. He smirks. "Coming, Mischief."

He turns to me and whispers, "It's a good thing that she hasn't lost her curiosity as the years have passed."

"And here I am wondering when exactly you'll lose your cockiness, cocky bastard."

"I'm wondering when you'll remember to add the my before that endearing nickname, my pretty Pae."

I roll my eyes. We're next to Kit now. "What is it, darling?" I ask her.

Kai gives my hand a squeeze as he hears my nickname for her fall from my lips. The nickname I have for her is the one he has for me. The only difference is that I manage not to make it sound cocky.

"It's a cat-pillar!" My hand smacks Kai in the stomach as he tries and fails to stifle a laugh. I shoot him a dirty look which he meets with a flash of his dimples.

She bends down to get a closer look. "Yes, it's a caterpillar," I say, enunciating the word carefully.

"Ca-ter-pi-llar." She repeats slowly. I can't help but smile as she strokes the insect gently.

"Let's help it get back on a leaf," Kai tells her. She picks up the caterpillar and places it on a nearby leaf.

"There," she whispers, "you're safe now."

In this moment, I see a glimpse of Adena in my daughter. I silently cherish the memory of her as Kai picks Kit up and carries her in his arms. Someone's stomach growls.

I look over at Kai, as he looks at Kit, as Kit looks at me.

"It wasn't me!" We all say at the same time, and we burst out laughing.

"You sure, Mischief?" Kai eyes our little girl, and she giggles under his scrutiny. He puts his ear to her stomach, and right at that moment, another growl sounds.

"Looks like someone is hungry," I conclude, tickling Kit's tummy. "What do you want to have?"

"Bread!" She answers immediately.

Lenny

I'm kneading dough when a sharp sensation has me pulling away from the task at hand.

"Ow! What–"

Blair is still grabbing my arm with her fingernails when I whirl on her.

"Geez, careful with the claws, sweetheart, or I might mistake you for–"

"Gingersnap," she cuts in (as usual), "I need to get out of here. Now."

"What are you talking–"

She finally lets go of me to grab my chin and tilt my head to the direction of the window. The flash of silver hair in the sun is unmistakable.

"Is that... Paedyn?" I whisper in awe, watching the queen of Ilya walk towards our bakery. "I can't believe it! And she's with Kai and..." I trail off. Before I can speculate on the identity of the third figure approaching us, Blair guides my gaze back to her face.

"Yes, what a touching reunion." I watch her cold brown eyes harden. My sixth sense tingles.

"You're... afraid." I say slowly. I sweep flour off my hands and grab hers. "She won't hurt you while I'm here, sweetheart."

"Well, she did." Blair swallows. "But this time, it's not only me that she could hurt." She gestures to the adjoining door that leads to our cottage beyond.

"She could hurt him."

"Blair, no. She wouldn't. Paedyn is not a monster. Besides, didn't you tell me that she was the one who let you go the last time she saw you around?"

"That's different, gingersnap. That was when I was cowering in the shadows, looking like I was living by a thread. What will she do now that she sees that I'm pursuing my dreams, that I have a family?"

It's my turn to swallow now.

"What will she do once she remembers that Adena didn't get to do what I'm doing now?"

I'm silent. Blair waits for three seconds before slipping out of my grasp and grabbing me by the shoulders.

"Lenny, this is serious. I'm not going to–" I clamp a hand over her mouth, very aware that she will most likely make me pay for it later.

"Shhh. I'm trying to tune into their conversation."

Blair's eyes widen, but she doesn't say anything.

Kai

Kit is heavier in my arms than she was five years ago. I stop myself from thinking about the day I will no longer be able to lift her, the day that she might push me away when I kiss her nose or count her freckles or the inevitable day that she will leave me.

Instead, I ground myself in this moment. Her head resting on my chest, and Paedyn's hand resting in the crook of my elbow.

We are walking toward what is known as the best bakery in Tando, though Paedyn raised her eyebrows upon knowing that it was the only bakery in Tando that served freshly baked goods each day.

When we are close enough to read the sign, there is a faint tugging in my stomach, a calling of my power that is answered by another's.

I read the sign as I feel two distinctly familiar powers under my skin.

Blenny's.

Hyper.

Tele.

[violetvines]

I'M DONE WITH THE FIRST FIC

will post soon!

[violetvines]

chapter 67 was paedyn's pov. so i now present to you, kai's pov. from page 525 onwards (bc i didn't really want to go through the whole crazed admissions thing again 😭)

fearless chapter 67 – kai's pov

🍓 tw: you may feel heartbroken and the urge to cry (i mean i hope so because that would mean i did this correctly)

🫐 tags: @caramelmiacchiato @kaisdarling @runnningoutofink @arias-archive @reyreadersblog @callums-spellbook

fearless spoilers!!!

My hand shoots out reflexively, grabbing the fire stoker by the fireplace just as Kitt strikes. My arm trembles under the weight of his attack, forced on defense.

I'm not going to hurt you, Kitt. I want to help you.

I try to communicate this to him across the threads of our brotherly bond.

He answers with an order. "Get out of my way, Kai."

"Not until you calm down." I flip the stoker in my sweaty palm, holding it casually at my side. "I will fight you all night if I need to."

The hurt that flashes across Kitt's face echoes the one in my heart. "You'll never stop choosing her until she's gone."

I don't bother to question what he's saying any longer. His admissions from minutes ago, about the Plague, about Ilya, about his marriage to Paedyn, has told me that he is not thinking straight, and so, he doesn't mean anything he says.

Not at all.

This isn't Kitt.

I block his attempt to shove me aside, refusing to let him hurt Paedyn. Refusing to let him hurt himself.

I counter the blow from his sword again, carefully avoiding his chest. I raise an eyebrow at him, hoping that the familiar action snaps my brother out of his crazed trance.

"I meant what I said when I said I would fight you all night." My words are drowned out by Paedyn's interjection.

"Stop this, both of you!"

Paedyn knows that this is not her fight, which is exactly why she hasn't done anything. She likely blames herself for this fight in the first place, so she chooses to stay out of it.

Another strike from Kitt's sword that I block. "I'm not choosing between either of you!" I shout.

"You already have!" My brother is panting now, and he points to the air beside me. "She told me!"

I turn my head slightly. There is no one there. Kitt must be seeing things.

"You're sick, Kitt. Let me help you." I murmur softly, as though I am speaking to a wild animal.

"Sick?" Kitt laughs, the sound eerily unfamiliar. This is not the same laugh from the boy that is my brother. The boy who I'd spar with in the dirty training ring with powers and fists, the boy who I would share sweets with during a thunderstorm, the boy who I dared to shove a playing die up his nose. This is not the brother I know.

"Greatness is not a sickness, Brother. And once she is gone, you will see that."

This time, his strike is laced with much more strength. I struggle to stay on defense.

And then, an idea pops into my head. One that might just work.

If Kitt is forgetting the prince he was because of the king he has to be, then it is time I remind him.

I should have done this earlier. I should have done more.

Clearly, I had not been paying much attention to him ever since I'd got back from the mission he'd sent me on.

I was too quick to feel relief at the brother that I got back, too glad to know that he wasn't lost to the king he is now, that I didn't realise just how broken he had become.

And so, I begin our dance, the one that we both know by heart.

The study fades away as I imagine that we are out in the beating sun, mud staining our skin and dirt catching beneath our fingernails. I can almost feel a ball of fire nearly singe my hair off. But this is not that kind of fight.

This is a sword fight, a sacred ritual shared between two brothers.

Our weapons move back and forth, weaving a pattern that is doused in such familiarity, I hope that it can be the fuel to the fire that is Kitt Azer, the kind and charming prince of Ilya.

Not the king that is pressured to be the greatest.

Not the son of Edric Azer, a tyrant who didn't know how to love.

Kitt Azer. My brother, despite the relation not being rooted in blood.

Memories fly by as we continue our dance. I don't need to give it my unwavering attention, because this is a movement that has been ingrained into my brain since the day I was able to call Kitt "Brother".

I remember how he broke a leg trying to soften my fall from the rooftop, because of a stupid flying Elite theory I was trying to put to the test. He walked with a limp for a while because of my stupidity, but he never blamed me for it. He was always there.

He lunges. I parry.

I remember how I broke an arm climbing Ava's willow tree, because I was too stubborn to admit that Kitt was right when he said that A was a faster climber than I could ever be. He took me to Eli before Father had the chance to inquire about my injury, even though he was late for a lesson and that got him a good scolding.

I strike. He blocks.

I remember how we used to take a dip in the fountains and topple statues in the garden. Those statues were ugly, anyway, and we wanted to save some space for our own one day.

At that memory, I smile at him, and he smiles back. I almost think that these thoughts are being broadcasted into his head and my smile widens at that.

It's working. It has to work.

I remember how we used to play pranks on Gail and the cooks, and how we once swapped the sugar with the salt. The sticky buns came out... less than satisfactory to say the least. We still pretended that they were delicious to trick everyone else into eating them.

I watch as he is poised to block the next thrust of my weapon.

I remember how—

The world stops spinning in the split second that I advance.

With the shock of what I've just done, I collide with something behind me. I barely acknowledge that it is Paedyn.

With the sickening sound of flesh tearing ringing in my ears, a shout escapes my lips.

That smile is still on his face.

It is still on his face despite the iron stoker that I planted into his chest.

No.

This is not happening.

It was supposed to work.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

He was supposed to dodge.

"No! You were supposed to dodge, Kitt!" I run to him, my voice choked.

I think I'm shaking. I think I'm forgetting how to breathe.

Kitt's gaze travels down to meet my crude weapon protruding out of his chest. My vision is blurring. This is not real, it can't be real.

"I... forgot."

If it's not real, then why is the front of his tunic drenched in blood?

Why are tears already leaking from my eyes?

Why is he paling by the second?

I catch him before he can hit the floor. We always promised we would do that for each other.

We promised.

[sleepdeprivedcinnamonbun]

I'M GONNA FRICKIN CRY AND THE RADIO ON MY BUS IS PLAYING MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE THIS IS NOT OK READ THE ROOM HONESTLY I'M NOT OKKKKK

[violetvines]

I'M SO SORRY 😭😭😭😭

[sleepdeprivedcinnamonbun]

Are you kidding this completed me just the radio had bad timing lol

[violetvines]

is it bad that i'm wanting to laugh picturing you reading this to the song 😭😭😭

though i'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[violetvines]

chapter 67 was paedyn's pov. so i now present to you, kai's pov. from page 525 onwards (bc i didn't really want to go through the whole crazed admissions thing again 😭)

fearless chapter 67 – kai's pov

🍓 tw: you may feel heartbroken and the urge to cry (i mean i hope so because that would mean i did this correctly)

🫐 tags: @caramelmiacchiato @kaisdarling @runnningoutofink @arias-archive @reyreadersblog @callums-spellbook

fearless spoilers!!!

My hand shoots out reflexively, grabbing the fire stoker by the fireplace just as Kitt strikes. My arm trembles under the weight of his attack, forced on defense.

I'm not going to hurt you, Kitt. I want to help you.

I try to communicate this to him across the threads of our brotherly bond.

He answers with an order. "Get out of my way, Kai."

"Not until you calm down." I flip the stoker in my sweaty palm, holding it casually at my side. "I will fight you all night if I need to."

The hurt that flashes across Kitt's face echoes the one in my heart. "You'll never stop choosing her until she's gone."

I don't bother to question what he's saying any longer. His admissions from minutes ago, about the Plague, about Ilya, about his marriage to Paedyn, has told me that he is not thinking straight, and so, he doesn't mean anything he says.

Not at all.

This isn't Kitt.

I block his attempt to shove me aside, refusing to let him hurt Paedyn. Refusing to let him hurt himself.

I counter the blow from his sword again, carefully avoiding his chest. I raise an eyebrow at him, hoping that the familiar action snaps my brother out of his crazed trance.

"I meant what I said when I said I would fight you all night." My words are drowned out by Paedyn's interjection.

"Stop this, both of you!"

Paedyn knows that this is not her fight, which is exactly why she hasn't done anything. She likely blames herself for this fight in the first place, so she chooses to stay out of it.

Another strike from Kitt's sword that I block. "I'm not choosing between either of you!" I shout.

"You already have!" My brother is panting now, and he points to the air beside me. "She told me!"

I turn my head slightly. There is no one there. Kitt must be seeing things.

"You're sick, Kitt. Let me help you." I murmur softly, as though I am speaking to a wild animal.

"Sick?" Kitt laughs, the sound eerily unfamiliar. This is not the same laugh from the boy that is my brother. The boy who I'd spar with in the dirty training ring with powers and fists, the boy who I would share sweets with during a thunderstorm, the boy who I dared to shove a playing die up his nose. This is not the brother I know.

"Greatness is not a sickness, Brother. And once she is gone, you will see that."

This time, his strike is laced with much more strength. I struggle to stay on defense.

And then, an idea pops into my head. One that might just work.

If Kitt is forgetting the prince he was because of the king he has to be, then it is time I remind him.

I should have done this earlier. I should have done more.

Clearly, I had not been paying much attention to him ever since I'd got back from the mission he'd sent me on.

I was too quick to feel relief at the brother that I got back, too glad to know that he wasn't lost to the king he is now, that I didn't realise just how broken he had become.

And so, I begin our dance, the one that we both know by heart.

The study fades away as I imagine that we are out in the beating sun, mud staining our skin and dirt catching beneath our fingernails. I can almost feel a ball of fire nearly singe my hair off. But this is not that kind of fight.

This is a sword fight, a sacred ritual shared between two brothers.

Our weapons move back and forth, weaving a pattern that is doused in such familiarity, I hope that it can be the fuel to the fire that is Kitt Azer, the kind and charming prince of Ilya.

Not the king that is pressured to be the greatest.

Not the son of Edric Azer, a tyrant who didn't know how to love.

Kitt Azer. My brother, despite the relation not being rooted in blood.

Memories fly by as we continue our dance. I don't need to give it my unwavering attention, because this is a movement that has been ingrained into my brain since the day I was able to call Kitt "Brother".

I remember how he broke a leg trying to soften my fall from the rooftop, because of a stupid flying Elite theory I was trying to put to the test. He walked with a limp for a while because of my stupidity, but he never blamed me for it. He was always there.

He lunges. I parry.

I remember how I broke an arm climbing Ava's willow tree, because I was too stubborn to admit that Kitt was right when he said that A was a faster climber than I could ever be. He took me to Eli before Father had the chance to inquire about my injury, even though he was late for a lesson and that got him a good scolding.

I strike. He blocks.

I remember how we used to take a dip in the fountains and topple statues in the garden. Those statues were ugly, anyway, and we wanted to save some space for our own one day.

At that memory, I smile at him, and he smiles back. I almost think that these thoughts are being broadcasted into his head and my smile widens at that.

It's working. It has to work.

I remember how we used to play pranks on Gail and the cooks, and how we once swapped the sugar with the salt. The sticky buns came out... less than satisfactory to say the least. We still pretended that they were delicious to trick everyone else into eating them.

I watch as he is poised to block the next thrust of my weapon.

I remember how—

The world stops spinning in the split second that I advance.

With the shock of what I've just done, I collide with something behind me. I barely acknowledge that it is Paedyn.

With the sickening sound of flesh tearing ringing in my ears, a shout escapes my lips.

That smile is still on his face.

It is still on his face despite the iron stoker that I planted into his chest.

No.

This is not happening.

It was supposed to work.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

He was supposed to dodge.

"No! You were supposed to dodge, Kitt!" I run to him, my voice choked.

I think I'm shaking. I think I'm forgetting how to breathe.

Kitt's gaze travels down to meet my crude weapon protruding out of his chest. My vision is blurring. This is not real, it can't be real.

"I... forgot."

If it's not real, then why is the front of his tunic drenched in blood?

Why are tears already leaking from my eyes?

Why is he paling by the second?

I catch him before he can hit the floor. We always promised we would do that for each other.

We promised.

[sleepdeprivedcinnamonbun]

I'M GONNA FRICKIN CRY AND THE RADIO ON MY BUS IS PLAYING MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE THIS IS NOT OK READ THE ROOM HONESTLY I'M NOT OKKKKK

[violetvines]

I'M SO SORRY 😭😭😭😭

[violetvines]

sneak peek of fic 2

We are walking toward what is known as the best bakery in Tando, though Paedyn raised her eyebrows upon knowing that it was the only bakery in Tando that served freshly baked goods each day.

When we are close enough to read the sign, there is a faint tugging in my stomach, a calling of my power that is answered by another's.

I read the sign as I feel two distinctly familiar powers under my skin.

Blenny's.

Hyper.

Tele.

[violetvines]

paedyn, lenny and kai pov in my next fic 🤭

[violetvines]

i can't stop gushing writing kai and paedyn's dialogue 🤭🤭🤭

[violetvines]

hi i have four powerless universe fic ideas that i have yet to start writing

choose a number to help me decide which one i should write first

1

2

3

4

Voting ended onNov 25, 2025

tags @caramelmiacchiato @kaisdarling @arias-archive @runnningoutofink @reyreadersblog @callums-spellbook @kittlover

[violetvines]

okay so i'll write and post 2 and 3 first 🙂‍↕️

thank u for voting!

fic 2 title is 👀... blenny's

fic 3 title is 👀... lemon tarts & butterscotch

[violetvines]

spoilers for powerless!!!

OKAY this is not an actual theory for fearless (or maybe it is idk anymore) but i just want to talk about the covers of each of the books and what they have represented:

powerless - the cover's main focus is paedyn's dagger which she used to kill the king which was obviously the most major part of the plot and the elements surrounding it are forget-me-nots (if i'm not mistaken)

reckless - the cover's main focus is an arrowhead which we know was the one that wounded kai and the ones used to kill the bandits, and a little detail i noticed was that there's a willow tree in the centre of it, and the elements surrounding it are red poppies (which are obvious bc of the scene before they reached ilya)

and i think it's important to take note that all the scenes involving the flowers always happened before something major happened that would change things forever:

kai gifted pae that forget-me-not before things went down in the final trial

and they spent time in the poppy field before going back to the palace and having that bomb dropped on them (not an actual bomb but iykyk)

so for fearless, the main focus of the cover is a crown (very obvious what it alludes to) – but there are also bloodied pink roses surrounding it... i wonder what is the significance of those pink roses

not to mention there's blood dripping from the crown too

[violetvines]

yeah so uh. the rose bouquet calum brought to paedyn's room was truly the last thing he ever did... and it was truly the beginning of the end 😭 after that everything went to shit

[violetvines]

hi i have four powerless universe fic ideas that i have yet to start writing

choose a number to help me decide which one i should write first

1

2

3

4

Voting ended onNov 25, 2025

tags @caramelmiacchiato @kaisdarling @arias-archive @runnningoutofink @reyreadersblog @callums-spellbook @kittlover