⭐️ #☆ spring storm || asks {All asks will have reblogs off unless I draw something for them!}
💿 #☆ verdant bloom || gifts from mutuals, or gifts FOR mutuals
🍀 #☆ eternal florescence || aesthetic images
🌐 weird self-shipper who is extremely (not) normal for their f/os. totally normal woman enjoyer (plus some masc characters that i lovingly hit with the woman beam). nice to meet u :-)
🌐 i'm okay w/ non self-shippers interacting (though i may be a little hesitant/avoidant about it but that's a me problem xd)
🌐 if you reblog using queues, I have a habit of self-reblogging my art then deleting my previous reblog in order to not inflate the notes, so please queue from the original post just incase! ♡
🌐 i also don't mind if you spam like, it feels nice being seen :-) if i ever change my mind i can always come back here and edit this to say otherwise anyways, so dont feel bad about liking 'too many' posts! ^^
🌐 DNI IF YOU'RE A PYR/RHA, BIT/TER/GIG/GLE, GO/OB OR BAS/SIE DOUBLE PLEASE ( sorry non-sharer skill issue )
happy Juneteenth to my fellow black selfshippers especially my fellow black American selfshippers!! 😘your happiness and indulgence is always so valuable and important, I wish for that joy to be present in your life everyday. You mean the world and your loves will always make sure of that!!! 🧡❤️💛🤎
I haven't been posting much but I am still very much drawing things
I'll post eventuallyyyyyyy i just need to finish this one thing I'm drawing. it's hard with a pinched nerve tho 😔
On an unrelated note im feeling very familial right now. Grabbing Go/ur/dy and spinning around with him joyous and whimsical style. My baby brother my baby......... can it be October already </3
An edit / rewrite of a piece I'd done for a ship prompt last year! The context / placement in the ship timeline's been changed, now having happened early on in their relationship. The first half is something that was part of the original draft's version, however when I first posted it on tumblr, it'd been removed. But it's back now! :D ( Caelina gets to be violent as a treat <3 )
Please check the CWs in the tags before reading!
Word Count: 4,293
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“..You fools just never learn, do you?”
Through gritted teeth and clenched fists, Caelina digs the heel of her boot into the center of her fallen opponent. Wiping blood from her nose with the side of one hand, she glares down at the man with a look of icy rage.
“Ghh–... fiends… you won’t get away with this..!”
Angered eyes stare silently at the man as he shouts up at her. Only for a moment, before words can finally be formulated between the waves of intense, stifling ire.
“Oh, how you wound me. Fiends… and for what? Defending yourself from your hunters? Tch. ..Because you lot are just holy little angels all around, hm?”
She gestures to the litter of bodies around them. With a sneer, she twists her foot further in– her fingers twitching at the sight of his squirming. Caelina knows it’s wrong, being so slow and meticulous in the harm she brings. It makes her sick. And yet, a whisper deep within tells her to keep going.
They deserve it, anyhow.
Rage drowns out almost all mercy– yet, there’s enough sense to hold back, for now. Her words, however, do not cease.
“..Never instigating anything, right? You’re just.. striking down the supposed ‘evil’, yes?” As she spoke, the man’s eyes briefly darted from side to side in search of his weapon: the blade too far out of reach. He goes to say something, and an impulsive thought hits the woman. She gives in immediately; digs her foot in even further. Any words in mind shred down into a mere choke.
“Don’t– Answer that. You already have enough gall, trying to pretend yourself strong from such a position.”
There’s a pause of silence. The man’s pained noises dwindle down as the pressure eases only somewhat. He sucks in a trembling breath.
“..You… A-And you cannot simply- hhgh– play innocent..!! Not after what that filth has done, and how you’ve- aided her!”
Caelina raises a brow when he continues speaking despite her statements, following his eyes as they look towards Pyrrha. There the woman in question lay, curled up in a ball; the witch’s world in shambles. Caelina stared at the woman, watched her visibly shaking but otherwise unmoving form from her place in the dirt, several feet away. Her eyes trail down to the blood. Wrath flickers within her at the sight. And with that wrath, her mind shoots back to those minutes ago, when this all began.
Pyrrha’s cries ring in her ears; and the sudden, stealthily executed assault flashed to the forefront.
— The clang of weapons and hurried steel footsteps had risen from the calm quiet, catching Caelina’s attention. The duo were resting mere moments before, drained after spending their days fighting through a number of malfested littering the path they’d ventured.
The exhaustion had them slow to react, sluggish. Caelina herself had barely turned when she’d felt the sting of a blade slashing directly into her side. There was no time to react, no time to even think before there was another hit. Then, another; and she’d found herself on the floor feet away, bleeding. The moment she’d fully processed what this was– a multi-man ambush, she couldn’t stop herself from panicking.
Being attacked one at a time was one thing; having the time to react and defend yourself– but the severity and danger of this kind of offense… it was not lost on her. The way in which weariness already pulled at them, the dreadful timing of it all, coupled with the numbers stacked against them… it was dire.
Caelina had clutched her face and scrambled to her feet as quickly as she could muster, eyes shooting past the men standing in her way, landing directly on Pyrrha’s form. Her, and the others who stood above her as she tried to get away from them. She’d been caught off guard in her own fatigue, too, her sword astray and the woman left with just her shield to defend herself with. So there she’d scrambled, trying to reach her means of protection through the danger blocking her way. With the numbers they’d held, however, it was for naught. The blood was clear, visible between bodies as they closed in.
She could see Pyrrha’s face, could see how her expression twisted in a mix of emotions hard to read. Despite malfestation bringing a new sense of supposed strength to the woman, however, Caelina knew better than to fall for such a thing. Pyrrha had always been frightened, always been plagued with anxiety and dread like no other. This time was no different, even under the façade brought on by her ailment.
“No–! Stay away..! Stay back, o-or—”
Rage tore at the witch when the malfested’s words were cut short, when the response to her cries was a kick to the abdomen. That, and more violence which melted in the crowd, that had stopped her fully in her tracks; left her unable to do anything but curl up and hold her shield over her head. Blood dripped from Caelina’s face, a stinging pain throbbing against her temples as teeth gritted and fists clenched. Pyrrha’s terrified voice repeated in the enraged’s mind when she barrelled through the soldiers before her. Looped incessantly as she held no punches, pulling every dirty trick she could think of to get them off of the other as fast as possible. It tore away at her mind, echoing on as she did everything in her power to get those vile men away from them both. Everything to incapacitate them, and prevent what she thought would be an untimely demise.
Whatever it took. —
Her expression darkens, especially so from the man’s insult towards the woman. He was lucky he wasn’t one of the ones who’d directly laid hands on Pyrrha; but if he’d wished to dig his own grave, she wouldn’t stop him. He noticed the change in her features and practically spat at her.
“..A malfested– a-and a witch. You know g-good and well… to protect such evil is a confession of it… in itself..! The both of you cannot be allowed to live!”
She scoffs. “..Right. Protect those wronged by the powerful, and you’re evil– but the little sheep mindlessly killing for his favourite pig at the top of his command is so much more righteous.”
“Gh- sh-sheep?! How dare you..?! Th– GHHAH—”
He sputters, then screams, a sickening crack breaking his words and echoing through the trees as the pressure in Caelina’s stance spikes abruptly. Her foot can’t go any further in, even if she so desperately wishes it would.
“How dare I..? How dare you? I know what has passed. Bore witness to plenty with my own eyes, too. I’ve heard of how you’d thrown the poor woman into a glorified cage, tried to execute her with only a bit of hearsay and masterful guesswork at your side…” There’s a thick layer of sarcasm lining her tone. “I’ve witnessed your little hunts. Been hunted myself. Hah. Just slaughter her, like many other women before, and you’re a hero..! And… if you’re wrong, then… who cares, right? Just so long as someone convenient takes the blame.”
The sarcasm drops, flicking away like a light being snuffed. The memory of something else takes its place in her mind; something she’s barely able to keep under wraps as she speaks.
“..Hmph– It’s no wonder she’s malfested now, given how relentless you men are.”
She leans forward, resting an elbow on her knee and narrowing her eyes at him. There’s a moment of pause as she observes him, before she averts her eyes.
“Though… I suppose in some way, it’s better for you. Force the accused off the deepest end, and you’re simply… proven right all along. Intriguing, is it not? ..I can’t help but wonder, though.” Her gaze slowly returns to him. “Did you notice how the killing only stops and goes depending on whether you stay away..? How it only gets worse the further you push?”
The man takes deep, shaky breaths as she goes on and on. There seems to be a moment where he actually thinks it over. Her words… they weren’t just an observation, but an offering, too. Or.. perhaps, a warning..? The moment she trails off, his thoughts are cut through by another surge of pain– as Caelina rips her foot out from practically inside his abdomen. His eyes squeeze shut, the man barely biting back a cry, instead making a muffled noise through gritted teeth. She steps aside, crouching down by him. She tilts her head, her once angry gaze returning to a cold and empty state.
“..What do you think..?”
There, the final question lies. One chance to leave with something intact. One answer to live.
“...”
“Ghk… hhf..– It’s.. too late to run away..! I-It won’t be us… but- someone will stop you!” He hisses through his teeth. “It won’t be long… o-once they realize there’s a witch… a-and act accordingly…”
And yet, with everything on the line, he chooses wrong.
“...”
“Is that so?”
Caelina’s expression saddens, somewhat, as she takes in his decision. The disappointment is clear in her voice. Her brows furrow, and she pushes herself up to her feet. The man’s eyes trail to his side as a swarm of dark magic begins to form around one of the woman’s feet.
“I don’t think I will ever understand. Truly… why do you all keep.. making me do this..?”
“Wha… th-the hell are you–”
“Stupid. You’re all just… so, so stupid. So blind, so incapable of letting go while you still can.” Her fingers twitch. “Listen here, and understand with what little time you have left. That woman you so desperately want murdered, the one you’ve hurt so much– who all of you have already harmed far enough…” She stares him down with a wide, hollow gaze, failing to note how her eyes burned, how something welled in the corners and threatened to fall. “..She is my life, now. I’ve had nothing for years, and thanks to her..? I finally have..” She averts her eyes just briefly. “..Something. I have her- malfestation be damned.” The words come through a clenched jaw, through gritted teeth and clenched fists and rising tension. It tears its way through a boiling fury, finally beginning to truly spill over. Her eyes slowly trail back, a stare darker than night boring into his very core.
“So for you to try and take that away… to so gleefully try and end that life–”
His expression shifts to one of horror as Caelina’s foot, coated in a dark, magical armor of sorts, raises up; aimed directly over his skull.
“–Means you’ve just forfeit yours.”
Death calls to her. The witch answers with glee, cutting off the beginnings of his screams with no mercy left to spare.
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The woods were dark and quiet, the sun’s light muffled under an overcast sky. It stifled further through the greenery above. The air reeked of the scent of blood and gore, the sickening smell carrying through the wind as it moved its path.
It was that vile malodor that pulled Pyrrha back towards consciousness once more. She winced, face contorting in disgust as the world pieced back together at an agonizing pace. There was a moment where pain shot through her. Its forceful hand ripped away any haze, and brought the memories of what happened before right back to her.
The instant a recollection of the attack they’d faced flashed back to her, Pyrrha’s eyes quickly began to open. Her breath quickened– she needed to get up, needed to fight! She jolted as the image of soldiers ambushing them flickered in her mind, attempting to push herself up as fast as she could. A frightened noise ripped from her throat as she felt a pair of arms squeeze around her torso, holding her back. She immediately moved to try and fight it, but…
“Ah! Pyrrha– hey, hey..! It’s okay- ow– it's me..!” The beginnings of her thrashing halted at the sound of Caelina’s voice. Pyrrha’s heart beat out of her chest, her panicked breathing trying to slow. There were no sounds of violence, no shouting men… nothing. “Shhh, shh~shh… there, there. It’s alright.” Caelina’s quiet voice entered her ears, coming out somewhat hoarse. It was strained and uncomfortable, despite its otherwise soothing tone.
“Caelina..?”
The woman in question gave a short hum in response, Pyrrha blinking a few times as she processed what was going on. She could feel that she was in Caelina’s lap, could feel her arms wrapped protectively around her abdomen. Looking down, her eyes landed on her own body. There were bandages around the few lacerations she’d received. The rest of the wounds, all blunt, were left exposed– though, she was sure the other woman wasn’t happy about that fact. Caelina’s cloak lay wrapped around her upper-body, surely to protect her from the cold. Though the radiating heat from her malfestation made the cold less of a threat than usual, she did not fail to understand the kindness of the act. Reaching her still-human hand up, she lightly touches the fabric that enveloped her. She peeks over at Caelina. There’s blood smeared on her face, starting from her nose and trailing over.
“You.. wrapped my injuries.”
“..Mmh… mhm.” There’s a long pause. Caelina was hesitant with her speaking– more than what was usual. “..Are… you alright..?”
Pyrrha takes a moment, gaze returning downward. Her hands lower, too, and gently move over herself. She winces a little when her fingers brush against her covered wounds, but surely it could be worse. Worse has already happened, before. Her voice comes out sounding audibly pained, but not by a lot.
“It.. hurts, but… yes, I’m okay. What.. happened..? ..Are they gone..?” She places her hand over one of Caelina’s arms as she speaks, looking back up at her. “..Mmh. They’re taken care of.” Pyrrha doesn’t miss how her voice strains– how her tone holds a vague darkness to it. Yes, certainly. ‘Taken care of’– she knows what that means. Fiery red eyes trail down to the other’s hands, frowning at the sight of bruising knuckles and bloody fingers, some of which were beginning to swell at the tips and around her nails. It’s just proof of what Caelina had to do.
..But, it still hurt to see.
“Oh, no…”
Pyrrha’s expression saddens as she shuffles in the other woman’s hold, reaching down and gingerly taking one of her hands into her own gloved one. Caelina sucks in a hiss of breath, wincing– but letting Pyrrha do as she pleased. She held the battered hand as carefully as she could, brows furrowing.
“You’re hurt..!” She looks over it as she mutters the obvious exclamation. “..I… I’m thankful you took care of me, but… what about you?” Pyrrha very cautiously let go of Caelina’s hand, setting it back down and moving to turn in her lap. “..Are you okay..?! Are… Are your wounds taken care of?”
She can feel Caelina noticeably tense up when she starts to move, chalking it up to discomfort. Getting on her knees, she shuffles and is about to look around at their surroundings– and that’s when Caelina stops her. There’s a halt in movement when Caelina’s hand shoots up, hovering nearby before tenderly pressing against the side of her head and blocking her view to her left.
“W-Wait, don’t–...”
“What..?”
“..You… don’t want to look over there. T.. Trust me.”
She thinks the suggestion over, eyes lowered. Her hand, which defaulted to resting against Caelina’s chest, could feel how it rose and fell with each shaky breath. ..The bodies of their attackers… they must have been there. That was the only thing she could think of as to why she would've stopped her. Though by now, Pyrrha had seen so many dead bodies that such a sight was growing mundane… something in Caelina’s voice was still off. A thought that perhaps she’d ought to heed that advice enters her mind– so, she nods, muttering an ‘okay’. Pyrrha’s eyes stay glued downward, listening to the other’s breathing. Her lips tighten, expression displeased at the heavy, uneven sound.
‘..She must have pushed herself so much.’
Caelina watched the smaller woman stare in a mutual silence, assuming correctly that she was lost in thought– perhaps in worry. Right hand lowering from Pyrrha’s head, the brunette raised her left and squeezed Pyrrha's other shoulder as the woman had been thinking. It was done as tenderly as she could muster. In an attempt at comforting her, her hand massaged her skin from over her clothes, occasionally pausing– but continuing despite how much it hurt the appendage to do so. Pyrrha’s shoulders just barely relaxed at the gesture, and her eyes closed once more. Eventually, Caelina stopped, resting her hand there and looking off to her side.
Her eyes landed on those damned soldiers, on their bloodied corpses and the lingering gore which came with it. The results of her own actions. Her gaze fixed itself upon the worst of the worst, beginning to burn just thinking back to what happened. A part of her more sensible was disgusted at what had transpired. She knows what she’d done was beyond what was necessary. She’d let her emotions get the better of her, let anger rule. And yet, that disappointment was nothing in comparison to the worry for Pyrrha’s well-being stabbing at her heart.
It slowly began to overtake her other thoughts. It reminded her of something she’d done everything to bury. She looks away, and yet… it’s too late to push them back down.
Pyrrha’s own eyes opened back up when she heard the tiniest sniffle from above her. Looking upward, her eyes widened when they landed on Caelina’s face. Golden, glossy eyes were locked far off in the stretching forest. Tears began to stream down her face, and with just that, Pyrrha felt a pit form inside her chest. It was jarring– Caelina rarely cried. She’d become more emotive as time had passed, yes… but this was a far jump from what was usual.
Pyrrha had gasped at the sight, expression shifting to one of intense worry in an instant. The sound got Caelina’s attention, head turning to look at her, attempting to gauge what was wrong. She was completely unaware that she’d begun to weep. There was no chance to speak, to question– as Pyrrha’s gloved hand immediately reached up to her. Her face was cupped gently in the one, with the sharp claws of the other hovering close; hesitant yet wishing to hold her, still. Caelina’s face began to burn red as a blush flared onto her features.
“Wh- P-Pyrrha..? What…” When she spoke, her voice cracked– and with that sensation, came a beat of silence. A pause, before she realized what was happening. The colder sensation trailing down from her eyes as tears fell, the wind blowing against them both- against it, caught her attention. It could only be one thing. She'd known as such, but… was she, really..? She blinked quickly, taking in the feeling of burning eyes, of her throat growing sore.
“W-Wait, am.. am I..? Ah…”
Her gaze shot downward, to the side– anywhere other than Pyrrha’s face, burning now in embarrassment. The hand that was once on Pyrrha’s shoulder rose up, lightly touching under one of her eyes. Surely enough, those trembling fingertips came back wet. She let out a small, shaky breath.
“..I-I.. didn’t realize I… ugh…”
Trailing off, her face scrunched up in a mix of confusion and frustration. Pyrrha’s thumb stretched up in response, wiping a few tears away with a sad look. Caelina let her do so, expression lost. Sucking in an unsteady breath, her gaze eventually returns to Pyrrha. Her worried expression stabs right through her, and a look of guilt forms.
“..I.. I’m sorry, I– don’t mean to worry you… I–” Her voice breaks, and she mutters out another apology. “S-Sorry…”
“Please, don’t. ..It’s okay.” Pyrrha pauses for a moment. “..Really. If you need to cry, it’s okay…” She lowers her hand, gently rubbing it against the back of her neck. As she does, only one thing enters Caelina’s mind. She watches as Pyrrha tries to comfort her as the realization strikes her heart. “..I’d never stop you. I… hm… it’s okay. You’re okay. I promise– ah!”
And it’s then when Caelina lunges forward, wrapping her arms around Pyrrha and burying her head into her shoulder. Pyrrha lets out a small noise at the move, sitting wide-eyed. Her expression freezes, then promptly softens, when she hears a distinctly distressed noise and a number of sobs come from the other woman– albeit muffled. She wraps her arms around Caelina, tightening the hold once she knows her arms aren’t around her wounds, and her mutations aren’t jabbing her. Caelina rose her head just slightly from that crevice, snivelling.
“Oh, God, I-I–” Her words are cut off, a breath involuntarily being sucked in in the silence's place. “..I–... I almost lost you, there, d-didn’t I..? You.. almost died.”
When she says those words, Pyrrha’s expression drops. She was right– they'd both nearly been taken out, hadn't they? If Caelina hadn't managed to get out of that, and save her in the process, then… what would have happened, then? Her own eyes tear up as she listens to Caelina take in one trembling breath after another. They burn hearing her cry. Absorbing Caelina’s pain was agonizing, and a sense of guilt stabbed into her over it.
‘She’s in so much pain, because of me…’
The thought wants to continue, but it’s cut off as Caelina continues to speak.
“..They were going to kill you. I…– thought you were– that you were going to die.” She pauses her words for just a second, trying to breathe. This level of vulnerability was, admittedly, humiliating, but she couldn’t stop at this point. The adrenaline from killing those soldiers who had tried to hurt them had faded fully, replaced with a delayed fear, guilt, and intense, overwhelming anxiety. “I just– d-don’t get it. I– they– ..G-God…”
Pyrrha’s arms squeeze a bit tighter around her, just for a moment. She doesn’t know what to do. She wanted the other’s pain to stop, for it to go away. As Caelina cried into her shoulder, she thought it over. Something does enter her mind after a moment– and so, she carefully pulls away from the hug. The woman lets out a small whine, perhaps one that came involuntarily– but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t something Pyrrha would hold against her, in such a moment of weakness.
“..Caelina..?” She gingerly raises her hands once more. “..Look at me, Caelina…” She held Caelina’s face again, softly pushing it up from its downward position. “..Please, look at me.”
She does, and Pyrrha can feel a few tears fall down her own face.
“..It’s going to be alright. I… I’m okay, because… because you saved me.”
She watches her, face beginning to burn at the thought of doing what came to mind. It was awkward to her– such an action not having been done for a single soul since him. But… she pushed past it, slowly leaning forward. She wanted to do this. Propping herself up with her knees and being brave despite her embarrassment, she presses her lips right against Caelina’s crying face in a gentle kiss. When she does, the other woman pauses, looking at her with wide eyes.
“..I’m still here.” There’s a pause of anxiety, trying to read Caelina’s reaction. Her heart swells when she sees how her face warmed– how her fright seemed to visibly melt a little. She places another one, trailing downward from below her eyes, to her still tear-coated cheek. “W-We… we won’t lose each other.” She can hear Caelina make the tiniest little noise at it, a shyer one she’d never heard before, and it spurs her onward into placing yet another. “We can’t.”
Caelina sniffles. The malfested can feel the other’s face burn hot against her lips.
“I know you’re afraid of.. losing me. I am, too. But… we’re going to protect each other, okay..?”
She places one last kiss closer to her chin. Caelina lets out a small hum in response, nodding. As she does, that sentiment repeats in Pyrrha’s mind. She wants to protect the human as she's done for her in her past. She wants that more than anything. They sit in silence for a moment– and then, she pulls away a little, still holding Caelina’s face. The claws of her mutated hand rest so lightly against her skin, terrified of making an accidental cut in such a delicate moment. Clothed fingers brush against the other side of her cheek gently, and soon, they lower to the sides of her neck. There’s a pause– and Caelina’s eyes flick down to Pyrrha’s lips.
“I… y-you’re.. right. We’ll be okay.” She averts her eyes. “Hah, I don’t understand what, mmh… came over me, anyhow.” There’s another beat of silence. “..Sorry.”
“D-Don’t be.”
Caelina looks back up at Pyrrha. A warm smile has formed, of which calms the witch, just a little more. She gives a small smile, back. Relief washes over Pyrrha at the sight. Her fears, her pain… even if it was harder to see through her colder exterior, she could see how Caelina was like her, too.
Even if she couldn’t always do so, she wanted to try and hold up to those words of hers– not knowing that through this, she was already doing so, shielding her heart so kindly. Pyrrha closes her eyes, gently leaning forward and resting her forehead against Caelina’s. Caelina closes her eyes, too, relaxing at the touch.
f/o that sleepily murmurs "you're so pretty" when you try to wake them up with a kiss, and ends up pulling you back into bed with them and kissing you all over
selfshipping isn't enough I need to know what she smells like when when I hug her close and my face is against her neck or shoulder, I need to know how warm she feels
tonight sure is a night! my brain is going 500 miles a minute and i need to ramble or i'll explode im gonna do that. time to use my blog like a diary!!!
siiiiiiiiiiiiigh... so much yearning in my heart...... i miss pyr/rha so much man. i love her so much, i wanna see her in a game again, im a greedy little fool and want more canon content of her. but i dont think that'd ever happen. not only are we probably never gonna get a so/ul ca/li/bur 7, 5 was bad enough for the series that she probably wouldn't even appear if we did get 7.
maybe if we ever got something akin to lo/st sw/or/ds without the horrific cash-grabby bits and she was there i'd be satisfied too, but there probably won't ever be another game in the series at all. on one hand, that thought makes me really sad. but on the other, there's a part of me that doesn't want another appearance because then that'd mean more people might start romantically selfshipping with her.
ik thats like, a hella selfish reasoning. like, hot damn cell you weirdo, that's ULTRA selfish. i can admit i am a selfish competitive perhaps even possessive person. but i cant help but think wistfully of the idea only to immediately recoil and go 'lord no thats a terrible idea' bc the mere thought of anyone else getting near pyr/rha like that bc of a new game bringing her to peoples attention is just. guh. eugh. ew. ew ew ew yucky ew. ( dont get it wrong, im not saying that the hypothetical doubles themselves are yucky i just mean the CONCEPT. the situation itself??? idk how to explain it just. yeah. )
like. to me the best thing i can compare something like that happening to is like going out arm in arm with her and people just start walking up and flirting out of nowhere and trying to convince her they're cooler and to ditch the fat loser she's got her arm around like EXCUSE MEEEEE who are you whats going on 😭 ??? ( <- edit i just realized saying this immediately after the other thing comes off as contradictory but ykw its my blog i get to be a little hypocritical here. )
i dunnooooo do any other non-sharers get like that with f/os from sources that don't get updated anymore?? like, you want new content of them so bad and are yearning to hell and back but then the idea of that causing more people to ship with them pisses you off bc it feels like you're being swarmed by homewreckers???? i want people to like pyr/rha, i want people to love her ( platonically or familially or both )!! I want her to have friends and people that adore her but if it ever got romantic i think i'd turn into a living bomb and explode. im not sure, maybe im just a huge freak but if i am then so be it!
anyways that aside AAAAAAAAAAAAGH i wanna hold her and give her 5 million kisses and make her feel loved and adored and protected right NOW because she deserves that!!!!!!!!!! im gonna go do that. happy almost 4am everybody
f/o who calls you such sweet petnames.. "my boy/girl, my everything." f/o who talks about you so fondly to others.. f/o who loves how they make you so flustered by just sliding their hand in yours.. f/o who softens visibly just when you enter a room.. f/o who can immediately tell when you've had a bad day and greets you with a hug..
An edit / rewrite of a piece I'd done for a ship prompt last year! The context / placement in the ship timeline's been changed, now having happened early on in their relationship. The first half is something that was part of the original draft's version, however when I first posted it on tumblr, it'd been removed. But it's back now! :D ( Caelina gets to be violent as a treat <3 )
Please check the CWs in the tags before reading!
Word Count: 4,293
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“..You fools just never learn, do you?”
Through gritted teeth and clenched fists, Caelina digs the heel of her boot into the center of her fallen opponent. Wiping blood from her nose with the side of one hand, she glares down at the man with a look of icy rage.
“Ghh–... fiends… you won’t get away with this..!”
Angered eyes stare silently at the man as he shouts up at her. Only for a moment, before words can finally be formulated between the waves of intense, stifling ire.
“Oh, how you wound me. Fiends… and for what? Defending yourself from your hunters? Tch. ..Because you lot are just holy little angels all around, hm?”
She gestures to the litter of bodies around them. With a sneer, she twists her foot further in– her fingers twitching at the sight of his squirming. Caelina knows it’s wrong, being so slow and meticulous in the harm she brings. It makes her sick. And yet, a whisper deep within tells her to keep going.
They deserve it, anyhow.
Rage drowns out almost all mercy– yet, there’s enough sense to hold back, for now. Her words, however, do not cease.
“..Never instigating anything, right? You’re just.. striking down the supposed ‘evil’, yes?” As she spoke, the man’s eyes briefly darted from side to side in search of his weapon: the blade too far out of reach. He goes to say something, and an impulsive thought hits the woman. She gives in immediately; digs her foot in even further. Any words in mind shred down into a mere choke.
“Don’t– Answer that. You already have enough gall, trying to pretend yourself strong from such a position.”
There’s a pause of silence. The man’s pained noises dwindle down as the pressure eases only somewhat. He sucks in a trembling breath.
“..You… A-And you cannot simply- hhgh– play innocent..!! Not after what that filth has done, and how you’ve- aided her!”
Caelina raises a brow when he continues speaking despite her statements, following his eyes as they look towards Pyrrha. There the woman in question lay, curled up in a ball; the witch’s world in shambles. Caelina stared at the woman, watched her visibly shaking but otherwise unmoving form from her place in the dirt, several feet away. Her eyes trail down to the blood. Wrath flickers within her at the sight. And with that wrath, her mind shoots back to those minutes ago, when this all began.
Pyrrha’s cries ring in her ears; and the sudden, stealthily executed assault flashed to the forefront.
— The clang of weapons and hurried steel footsteps had risen from the calm quiet, catching Caelina’s attention. The duo were resting mere moments before, drained after spending their days fighting through a number of malfested littering the path they’d ventured.
The exhaustion had them slow to react, sluggish. Caelina herself had barely turned when she’d felt the sting of a blade slashing directly into her side. There was no time to react, no time to even think before there was another hit. Then, another; and she’d found herself on the floor feet away, bleeding. The moment she’d fully processed what this was– a multi-man ambush, she couldn’t stop herself from panicking.
Being attacked one at a time was one thing; having the time to react and defend yourself– but the severity and danger of this kind of offense… it was not lost on her. The way in which weariness already pulled at them, the dreadful timing of it all, coupled with the numbers stacked against them… it was dire.
Caelina had clutched her face and scrambled to her feet as quickly as she could muster, eyes shooting past the men standing in her way, landing directly on Pyrrha’s form. Her, and the others who stood above her as she tried to get away from them. She’d been caught off guard in her own fatigue, too, her sword astray and the woman left with just her shield to defend herself with. So there she’d scrambled, trying to reach her means of protection through the danger blocking her way. With the numbers they’d held, however, it was for naught. The blood was clear, visible between bodies as they closed in.
She could see Pyrrha’s face, could see how her expression twisted in a mix of emotions hard to read. Despite malfestation bringing a new sense of supposed strength to the woman, however, Caelina knew better than to fall for such a thing. Pyrrha had always been frightened, always been plagued with anxiety and dread like no other. This time was no different, even under the façade brought on by her ailment.
“No–! Stay away..! Stay back, o-or—”
Rage tore at the witch when the malfested’s words were cut short, when the response to her cries was a kick to the abdomen. That, and more violence which melted in the crowd, that had stopped her fully in her tracks; left her unable to do anything but curl up and hold her shield over her head. Blood dripped from Caelina’s face, a stinging pain throbbing against her temples as teeth gritted and fists clenched. Pyrrha’s terrified voice repeated in the enraged’s mind when she barrelled through the soldiers before her. Looped incessantly as she held no punches, pulling every dirty trick she could think of to get them off of the other as fast as possible. It tore away at her mind, echoing on as she did everything in her power to get those vile men away from them both. Everything to incapacitate them, and prevent what she thought would be an untimely demise.
Whatever it took. —
Her expression darkens, especially so from the man’s insult towards the woman. He was lucky he wasn’t one of the ones who’d directly laid hands on Pyrrha; but if he’d wished to dig his own grave, she wouldn’t stop him. He noticed the change in her features and practically spat at her.
“..A malfested– a-and a witch. You know g-good and well… to protect such evil is a confession of it… in itself..! The both of you cannot be allowed to live!”
She scoffs. “..Right. Protect those wronged by the powerful, and you’re evil– but the little sheep mindlessly killing for his favourite pig at the top of his command is so much more righteous.”
“Gh- sh-sheep?! How dare you..?! Th– GHHAH—”
He sputters, then screams, a sickening crack breaking his words and echoing through the trees as the pressure in Caelina’s stance spikes abruptly. Her foot can’t go any further in, even if she so desperately wishes it would.
“How dare I..? How dare you? I know what has passed. Bore witness to plenty with my own eyes, too. I’ve heard of how you’d thrown the poor woman into a glorified cage, tried to execute her with only a bit of hearsay and masterful guesswork at your side…” There’s a thick layer of sarcasm lining her tone. “I’ve witnessed your little hunts. Been hunted myself. Hah. Just slaughter her, like many other women before, and you’re a hero..! And… if you’re wrong, then… who cares, right? Just so long as someone convenient takes the blame.”
The sarcasm drops, flicking away like a light being snuffed. The memory of something else takes its place in her mind; something she’s barely able to keep under wraps as she speaks.
“..Hmph– It’s no wonder she’s malfested now, given how relentless you men are.”
She leans forward, resting an elbow on her knee and narrowing her eyes at him. There’s a moment of pause as she observes him, before she averts her eyes.
“Though… I suppose in some way, it’s better for you. Force the accused off the deepest end, and you’re simply… proven right all along. Intriguing, is it not? ..I can’t help but wonder, though.” Her gaze slowly returns to him. “Did you notice how the killing only stops and goes depending on whether you stay away..? How it only gets worse the further you push?”
The man takes deep, shaky breaths as she goes on and on. There seems to be a moment where he actually thinks it over. Her words… they weren’t just an observation, but an offering, too. Or.. perhaps, a warning..? The moment she trails off, his thoughts are cut through by another surge of pain– as Caelina rips her foot out from practically inside his abdomen. His eyes squeeze shut, the man barely biting back a cry, instead making a muffled noise through gritted teeth. She steps aside, crouching down by him. She tilts her head, her once angry gaze returning to a cold and empty state.
“..What do you think..?”
There, the final question lies. One chance to leave with something intact. One answer to live.
“...”
“Ghk… hhf..– It’s.. too late to run away..! I-It won’t be us… but- someone will stop you!” He hisses through his teeth. “It won’t be long… o-once they realize there’s a witch… a-and act accordingly…”
And yet, with everything on the line, he chooses wrong.
“...”
“Is that so?”
Caelina’s expression saddens, somewhat, as she takes in his decision. The disappointment is clear in her voice. Her brows furrow, and she pushes herself up to her feet. The man’s eyes trail to his side as a swarm of dark magic begins to form around one of the woman’s feet.
“I don’t think I will ever understand. Truly… why do you all keep.. making me do this..?”
“Wha… th-the hell are you–”
“Stupid. You’re all just… so, so stupid. So blind, so incapable of letting go while you still can.” Her fingers twitch. “Listen here, and understand with what little time you have left. That woman you so desperately want murdered, the one you’ve hurt so much– who all of you have already harmed far enough…” She stares him down with a wide, hollow gaze, failing to note how her eyes burned, how something welled in the corners and threatened to fall. “..She is my life, now. I’ve had nothing for years, and thanks to her..? I finally have..” She averts her eyes just briefly. “..Something. I have her- malfestation be damned.” The words come through a clenched jaw, through gritted teeth and clenched fists and rising tension. It tears its way through a boiling fury, finally beginning to truly spill over. Her eyes slowly trail back, a stare darker than night boring into his very core.
“So for you to try and take that away… to so gleefully try and end that life–”
His expression shifts to one of horror as Caelina’s foot, coated in a dark, magical armor of sorts, raises up; aimed directly over his skull.
“–Means you’ve just forfeit yours.”
Death calls to her. The witch answers with glee, cutting off the beginnings of his screams with no mercy left to spare.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The woods were dark and quiet, the sun’s light muffled under an overcast sky. It stifled further through the greenery above. The air reeked of the scent of blood and gore, the sickening smell carrying through the wind as it moved its path.
It was that vile malodor that pulled Pyrrha back towards consciousness once more. She winced, face contorting in disgust as the world pieced back together at an agonizing pace. There was a moment where pain shot through her. Its forceful hand ripped away any haze, and brought the memories of what happened before right back to her.
The instant a recollection of the attack they’d faced flashed back to her, Pyrrha’s eyes quickly began to open. Her breath quickened– she needed to get up, needed to fight! She jolted as the image of soldiers ambushing them flickered in her mind, attempting to push herself up as fast as she could. A frightened noise ripped from her throat as she felt a pair of arms squeeze around her torso, holding her back. She immediately moved to try and fight it, but…
“Ah! Pyrrha– hey, hey..! It’s okay- ow– it's me..!” The beginnings of her thrashing halted at the sound of Caelina’s voice. Pyrrha’s heart beat out of her chest, her panicked breathing trying to slow. There were no sounds of violence, no shouting men… nothing. “Shhh, shh~shh… there, there. It’s alright.” Caelina’s quiet voice entered her ears, coming out somewhat hoarse. It was strained and uncomfortable, despite its otherwise soothing tone.
“Caelina..?”
The woman in question gave a short hum in response, Pyrrha blinking a few times as she processed what was going on. She could feel that she was in Caelina’s lap, could feel her arms wrapped protectively around her abdomen. Looking down, her eyes landed on her own body. There were bandages around the few lacerations she’d received. The rest of the wounds, all blunt, were left exposed– though, she was sure the other woman wasn’t happy about that fact. Caelina’s cloak lay wrapped around her upper-body, surely to protect her from the cold. Though the radiating heat from her malfestation made the cold less of a threat than usual, she did not fail to understand the kindness of the act. Reaching her still-human hand up, she lightly touches the fabric that enveloped her. She peeks over at Caelina. There’s blood smeared on her face, starting from her nose and trailing over.
“You.. wrapped my injuries.”
“..Mmh… mhm.” There’s a long pause. Caelina was hesitant with her speaking– more than what was usual. “..Are… you alright..?”
Pyrrha takes a moment, gaze returning downward. Her hands lower, too, and gently move over herself. She winces a little when her fingers brush against her covered wounds, but surely it could be worse. Worse has already happened, before. Her voice comes out sounding audibly pained, but not by a lot.
“It.. hurts, but… yes, I’m okay. What.. happened..? ..Are they gone..?” She places her hand over one of Caelina’s arms as she speaks, looking back up at her. “..Mmh. They’re taken care of.” Pyrrha doesn’t miss how her voice strains– how her tone holds a vague darkness to it. Yes, certainly. ‘Taken care of’– she knows what that means. Fiery red eyes trail down to the other’s hands, frowning at the sight of bruising knuckles and bloody fingers, some of which were beginning to swell at the tips and around her nails. It’s just proof of what Caelina had to do.
..But, it still hurt to see.
“Oh, no…”
Pyrrha’s expression saddens as she shuffles in the other woman’s hold, reaching down and gingerly taking one of her hands into her own gloved one. Caelina sucks in a hiss of breath, wincing– but letting Pyrrha do as she pleased. She held the battered hand as carefully as she could, brows furrowing.
“You’re hurt..!” She looks over it as she mutters the obvious exclamation. “..I… I’m thankful you took care of me, but… what about you?” Pyrrha very cautiously let go of Caelina’s hand, setting it back down and moving to turn in her lap. “..Are you okay..?! Are… Are your wounds taken care of?”
She can feel Caelina noticeably tense up when she starts to move, chalking it up to discomfort. Getting on her knees, she shuffles and is about to look around at their surroundings– and that’s when Caelina stops her. There’s a halt in movement when Caelina’s hand shoots up, hovering nearby before tenderly pressing against the side of her head and blocking her view to her left.
“W-Wait, don’t–...”
“What..?”
“..You… don’t want to look over there. T.. Trust me.”
She thinks the suggestion over, eyes lowered. Her hand, which defaulted to resting against Caelina’s chest, could feel how it rose and fell with each shaky breath. ..The bodies of their attackers… they must have been there. That was the only thing she could think of as to why she would've stopped her. Though by now, Pyrrha had seen so many dead bodies that such a sight was growing mundane… something in Caelina’s voice was still off. A thought that perhaps she’d ought to heed that advice enters her mind– so, she nods, muttering an ‘okay’. Pyrrha’s eyes stay glued downward, listening to the other’s breathing. Her lips tighten, expression displeased at the heavy, uneven sound.
‘..She must have pushed herself so much.’
Caelina watched the smaller woman stare in a mutual silence, assuming correctly that she was lost in thought– perhaps in worry. Right hand lowering from Pyrrha’s head, the brunette raised her left and squeezed Pyrrha's other shoulder as the woman had been thinking. It was done as tenderly as she could muster. In an attempt at comforting her, her hand massaged her skin from over her clothes, occasionally pausing– but continuing despite how much it hurt the appendage to do so. Pyrrha’s shoulders just barely relaxed at the gesture, and her eyes closed once more. Eventually, Caelina stopped, resting her hand there and looking off to her side.
Her eyes landed on those damned soldiers, on their bloodied corpses and the lingering gore which came with it. The results of her own actions. Her gaze fixed itself upon the worst of the worst, beginning to burn just thinking back to what happened. A part of her more sensible was disgusted at what had transpired. She knows what she’d done was beyond what was necessary. She’d let her emotions get the better of her, let anger rule. And yet, that disappointment was nothing in comparison to the worry for Pyrrha’s well-being stabbing at her heart.
It slowly began to overtake her other thoughts. It reminded her of something she’d done everything to bury. She looks away, and yet… it’s too late to push them back down.
Pyrrha’s own eyes opened back up when she heard the tiniest sniffle from above her. Looking upward, her eyes widened when they landed on Caelina’s face. Golden, glossy eyes were locked far off in the stretching forest. Tears began to stream down her face, and with just that, Pyrrha felt a pit form inside her chest. It was jarring– Caelina rarely cried. She’d become more emotive as time had passed, yes… but this was a far jump from what was usual.
Pyrrha had gasped at the sight, expression shifting to one of intense worry in an instant. The sound got Caelina’s attention, head turning to look at her, attempting to gauge what was wrong. She was completely unaware that she’d begun to weep. There was no chance to speak, to question– as Pyrrha’s gloved hand immediately reached up to her. Her face was cupped gently in the one, with the sharp claws of the other hovering close; hesitant yet wishing to hold her, still. Caelina’s face began to burn red as a blush flared onto her features.
“Wh- P-Pyrrha..? What…” When she spoke, her voice cracked– and with that sensation, came a beat of silence. A pause, before she realized what was happening. The colder sensation trailing down from her eyes as tears fell, the wind blowing against them both- against it, caught her attention. It could only be one thing. She'd known as such, but… was she, really..? She blinked quickly, taking in the feeling of burning eyes, of her throat growing sore.
“W-Wait, am.. am I..? Ah…”
Her gaze shot downward, to the side– anywhere other than Pyrrha’s face, burning now in embarrassment. The hand that was once on Pyrrha’s shoulder rose up, lightly touching under one of her eyes. Surely enough, those trembling fingertips came back wet. She let out a small, shaky breath.
“..I-I.. didn’t realize I… ugh…”
Trailing off, her face scrunched up in a mix of confusion and frustration. Pyrrha’s thumb stretched up in response, wiping a few tears away with a sad look. Caelina let her do so, expression lost. Sucking in an unsteady breath, her gaze eventually returns to Pyrrha. Her worried expression stabs right through her, and a look of guilt forms.
“..I.. I’m sorry, I– don’t mean to worry you… I–” Her voice breaks, and she mutters out another apology. “S-Sorry…”
“Please, don’t. ..It’s okay.” Pyrrha pauses for a moment. “..Really. If you need to cry, it’s okay…” She lowers her hand, gently rubbing it against the back of her neck. As she does, only one thing enters Caelina’s mind. She watches as Pyrrha tries to comfort her as the realization strikes her heart. “..I’d never stop you. I… hm… it’s okay. You’re okay. I promise– ah!”
And it’s then when Caelina lunges forward, wrapping her arms around Pyrrha and burying her head into her shoulder. Pyrrha lets out a small noise at the move, sitting wide-eyed. Her expression freezes, then promptly softens, when she hears a distinctly distressed noise and a number of sobs come from the other woman– albeit muffled. She wraps her arms around Caelina, tightening the hold once she knows her arms aren’t around her wounds, and her mutations aren’t jabbing her. Caelina rose her head just slightly from that crevice, snivelling.
“Oh, God, I-I–” Her words are cut off, a breath involuntarily being sucked in in the silence's place. “..I–... I almost lost you, there, d-didn’t I..? You.. almost died.”
When she says those words, Pyrrha’s expression drops. She was right– they'd both nearly been taken out, hadn't they? If Caelina hadn't managed to get out of that, and save her in the process, then… what would have happened, then? Her own eyes tear up as she listens to Caelina take in one trembling breath after another. They burn hearing her cry. Absorbing Caelina’s pain was agonizing, and a sense of guilt stabbed into her over it.
‘She’s in so much pain, because of me…’
The thought wants to continue, but it’s cut off as Caelina continues to speak.
“..They were going to kill you. I…– thought you were– that you were going to die.” She pauses her words for just a second, trying to breathe. This level of vulnerability was, admittedly, humiliating, but she couldn’t stop at this point. The adrenaline from killing those soldiers who had tried to hurt them had faded fully, replaced with a delayed fear, guilt, and intense, overwhelming anxiety. “I just– d-don’t get it. I– they– ..G-God…”
Pyrrha’s arms squeeze a bit tighter around her, just for a moment. She doesn’t know what to do. She wanted the other’s pain to stop, for it to go away. As Caelina cried into her shoulder, she thought it over. Something does enter her mind after a moment– and so, she carefully pulls away from the hug. The woman lets out a small whine, perhaps one that came involuntarily– but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t something Pyrrha would hold against her, in such a moment of weakness.
“..Caelina..?” She gingerly raises her hands once more. “..Look at me, Caelina…” She held Caelina’s face again, softly pushing it up from its downward position. “..Please, look at me.”
She does, and Pyrrha can feel a few tears fall down her own face.
“..It’s going to be alright. I… I’m okay, because… because you saved me.”
She watches her, face beginning to burn at the thought of doing what came to mind. It was awkward to her– such an action not having been done for a single soul since him. But… she pushed past it, slowly leaning forward. She wanted to do this. Propping herself up with her knees and being brave despite her embarrassment, she presses her lips right against Caelina’s crying face in a gentle kiss. When she does, the other woman pauses, looking at her with wide eyes.
“..I’m still here.” There’s a pause of anxiety, trying to read Caelina’s reaction. Her heart swells when she sees how her face warmed– how her fright seemed to visibly melt a little. She places another one, trailing downward from below her eyes, to her still tear-coated cheek. “W-We… we won’t lose each other.” She can hear Caelina make the tiniest little noise at it, a shyer one she’d never heard before, and it spurs her onward into placing yet another. “We can’t.”
Caelina sniffles. The malfested can feel the other’s face burn hot against her lips.
“I know you’re afraid of.. losing me. I am, too. But… we’re going to protect each other, okay..?”
She places one last kiss closer to her chin. Caelina lets out a small hum in response, nodding. As she does, that sentiment repeats in Pyrrha’s mind. She wants to protect the human as she's done for her in her past. She wants that more than anything. They sit in silence for a moment– and then, she pulls away a little, still holding Caelina’s face. The claws of her mutated hand rest so lightly against her skin, terrified of making an accidental cut in such a delicate moment. Clothed fingers brush against the other side of her cheek gently, and soon, they lower to the sides of her neck. There’s a pause– and Caelina’s eyes flick down to Pyrrha’s lips.
“I… y-you’re.. right. We’ll be okay.” She averts her eyes. “Hah, I don’t understand what, mmh… came over me, anyhow.” There’s another beat of silence. “..Sorry.”
“D-Don’t be.”
Caelina looks back up at Pyrrha. A warm smile has formed, of which calms the witch, just a little more. She gives a small smile, back. Relief washes over Pyrrha at the sight. Her fears, her pain… even if it was harder to see through her colder exterior, she could see how Caelina was like her, too.
Even if she couldn’t always do so, she wanted to try and hold up to those words of hers– not knowing that through this, she was already doing so, shielding her heart so kindly. Pyrrha closes her eyes, gently leaning forward and resting her forehead against Caelina’s. Caelina closes her eyes, too, relaxing at the touch.
ok so like. do yall remember those writing prompt asks i did last year w/ pyrrlina. bc like. i maaaaaaaay have heavily edited / partly rewritten one of them w/ different context/timing and managed to wedge it into their actual canon relationship timeline and am really REALLY proud of it. what if i posted it :-)
With pyrrhas malfested limb comes a lot of painful flareups...of course caelina holds her through them but sometimes she cant help getting emotional herself......... she hates seeing her flower upset!
if you are affected by unreality content/has or is prone to psychosis I would suggest blocking the 17776 tag today because tomorrow people are going to be posting a lot of shit that might cause problems
God I'm a sucker for characters who are so utterly loyal to someone that they're completely unhinged. Characters who have no moral compass except their overwhelming devotion to whoever they've chosen to listen to. That's the good shit
