𝒮𝐻𝒶𝒹𝑜𝓌𝓈 𝐼𝓃 𝒞𝒶𝓃𝓋𝒶𝓈

To listen closely is to know that every choice, every whisper, returns to us

[k-wame]

OLIVER QUICK & FELIX CATTON ↳ a stubborn husband and his fed up wife ↳ Saltburn (2023) dir. Emerald Fennell

[withinshad0w]

Lucian regarded Nick with a faint, knowing smile, the kind that shimmered in the dim light with an unsettling clarity, as though his gaze could pierce through every shadow the other bore. There was nothing he couldn't read in him, no flicker of doubt or hidden scar that escaped his notice. To Lucian, the man standing before him was laid bare. a soul bruised by unanswered questions, haunted by whispers that longed for answers. It thrilled him.

A low, rich chuckle rumbled from Lucian’s chest, a sound edged with a sort of delighted mockery. Brow arched, voice dripping with a smooth, taunting cadence “Expecting you?”

“ Let's just say I've met enough men running from their own darkness to know the look. Yours… it’s particularly heavy, isn’t it?” His words lingered, sinking into the silence like a stone into deep waters.

Stance remained unyielding, head tilted, gaze sharp and unbroken. He remained unyielding as the other closed the distance “You seem confident," a sly admiration slipping through his tone. “But confidence is a fragile thing, a delicate mask that shatters with the slightest misstep.” Lucian took a small stepped forward, closing the gap between them, letting his presence become a quiet, pressing force.

He leaned in, voice lowering to a whisper that lingered warm against Nick’s ear “So, Nick… what brings you to the edge of your own darkness tonight? Are you seeking answers, or simply curious to see just how deep the darkness goes? curiosity killed the cat.. you know. ”

[plummoons]

All his life Nick had lived behind a mask. From a young age, a tougher exterior kept him safe from the abuse his father inflicted. A child is meant to explore the world without fear. See it for all the wonder it has to behold but that innocence was stolen from Nick. The reality world was harsh. There was no dream he could hide in to protect him. No mother's embrace to shelter him from all that could harm him. It was Nick who had to be the protector. In the most formative years of his life, he learned that monsters weren't just in the outside world. They were also within.

The military offered no escape either. If anything, it allowed him to further crawl into this persona he had created to keep him safe. Where Nick began and the mask ended was a fine line, easily blurred together. The alias he once carried was his new identity. Nicholas Bishop was a buried man metaphorically. Unfortunately for Nick, he soon became a buried man physically. His death and rebirth had happened many times. One might have considered death to be his long-standing friend. She was always there in the background, biding her time for when it was appropriate to strike. Her most recent endeavor led him here, where he was once again Nicholas Bishop. There was no mask he could hide behind anymore. For the first time in his life, he was laid bare for all to see.

Nick knew there was no way to hide from the man standing before him. He felt completely exposed, as if every inch of him was laid bare. Lucian's tone chilled Nick to the bone. He wasn’t one to play games, nor did he appreciate being mocked. "I am." his overconfidence often leads him into tricky situations. “Who says I’m runnin' from owt?” his tone was colored with defiance. His second line of defense behind his giant stature. It wasn't often he came face to face with someone - quite literally. "M'used to carryin' heavy things. Nowt I can't handle."

It took a lot for Nick to crumble under pressure. They were in a duel of wits now. He was too calculated to let Lucian see his mask fall. There was truth in the other's words. One misstep and a whole facade could crumble. Nick could never afford to let that happen. There was always too much at stake. He remained unmoving as the darkness inched close, bright blue eyes watching him like a wolf eyeing its prey. He wasn't going to give Lucian any satisfaction.

"I came looking for answers. If you're not going to give 'em to me straight I'll find someone else. I'm not here for your flowery words or games." A smirk danced across his lips, head pulling back so he could look Lucian dead in the eyes. "I'd consider myself a dog rather than a curious cat."

[withinshad0w]

He let the silence linger, letting Nick's words settle like falling ash. There was power in stillness, in letting his opponent's defenses build higher before striking at the foundation. The faintest smirk played at his lips, as if entertained by the wolf-like stare fixed upon him. “A dog, you say?” Lucian finally murmured, his voice low, velvet-soft but edged with a dangerous undercurrent. “Loyal, unyielding, protective. ah. yes, I see it. But dogs… they are also creatures of habit, aren’t they? Tethered by instinct. Chained, even when there is no leash. You’ve bound yourself to an identity so heavy that you can’t even see how much it weighs you down.”

Lucian pulled away movements deliberate and unhurried. The moonlight caught the sharp lines of his face as he tilted his head, studying Nick as if he were a rare, wild creature caught in the throes of self-preservation. “And yet here you are,” he continued, voice dipping lower, “Seeking answers but bristling at every question I don’t ask. Tell me, Nicholas, do you even know what you truly want? Or are you simply clinging to this mask of strength because the alternative. being bare, being vulnerable. is too much for you to stomach?”

Gaze darkened as he closed the distance between them once more, the space narrowing until the air itself felt charged. His presence loomed, not as a physical threat but as something far more unsettling—something intangible yet inescapable. “You came for answers,” he said, voice laced with something between mockery and pity. “But answers come with a cost. Are you prepared to pay it, or are you just another dog sniffing at shadows, chasing ghosts you can’t catch?”

He leaned in slightly, tone darkening, laced with a challenge, as he reached into his pocket pulling out an unlit cigarette “Because if you want truth from me, Nicholas, you’ll need to prove you can hold it. And truth, unlike the masks you’ve worn all your life, is unrelenting. It will strip you bare until there’s nothing left to hide behind. So, tell me,” Lucian breathed, the faintest smirk curling his lips as his gaze bored into Nick’s,

“are you truly ready for what you’ve come to find, or are you already running?” He now held a lit cigarette loosely between his fingers, the casual act somehow laced with menace, the faintest smirk played at his lips ,entertained by the game set into motion.

[hollowthorne]

There was nothing quite like the crunching of leaves in the fall. When Miguel decided to move and restart their lives with his daughter, he knew he wanted it to be somewhere that experienced Fall. The sunny beaches had never called to him before and they didn't seem fit to his life now. His daughter seemed to be thriving in this town even it was very different form their native New York. He could agree that there was a sense of comfort in a small town that wasn't loud and bustling but there were nights he couldn't sleep because it was far too quiet. He often sat on his porch and listened to the crickets and little creatures of the night and wondered where he fit in anymore.

There were odd things about the town that he very decidedly didn't look into. He remained skeptical for the most part. He couldn't quite shake a lifetime of beliefs yet. But even so he knew his daughter needed him to figure this out so he was walking home with a bag full of books on the supernatural that he planned to read at the local coffee shop. He had the day off and time to kill so might as well observe the town's residents that were often at the very popular shop. He quickly scanned the area to find a corner seat which was thankfully empty. He placed his bag on the table when he noticed someone standing close by. Perhaps he'd stolen someone's table? He quickly turned with an apologetic smile. "Excuse me, were you sitting here?"

[withinshad0w]

Night had melted into morning, carrying with it the soft symphony of chirping birds and the steady hum of autumn filling the brisk air. Augustus strolled alone through the quiet town, hands tucked into the pockets of his dark blue wool coat, gaze distant, following no particular path.

The town, dressed in early signs of the upcoming holiday season, felt surreal to him, almost dreamlike. Decorative snow globes hung from each streetlamp, shimmering faintly in the morning light, as if marking his way through a world he could only observe from a distance. He’d thought the coffee shop might bring him some peace, a quiet corner to sketch out ideas for a new painting he’d been struggling to complete.

As his name was called from the counter, he rose, nodding briefly in thanks as he took his coffee in his hand. When he returned to his table, though, he paused, heart skipping a few beats...a familiar face sat there, waiting. Miguel. The man he’d been quietly avoiding, his calls left unanswered, not out of anger but out of a strange, aching reluctance to let anyone near the depths he carried.

He managed a faint smile, “Hey... stranger,” he murmured, voice soft as he slipped back into the seat opposite Miguel. The words felt tentative, yet warm, as though speaking into the fragile thread that still held them together. "You look good.."

[hollowthorne]

In the midst of the changing course of his life, he'd managed to make new acquaintances in the new town. Miguel wasn't the most social person but he wasn't terrible at it. He did lack the need for meaningful connections and had never made one outside of his immediate family and his daughter. He sought out physical touch, like most humans, and while it was very easy for him to find it didn't mean he needed it often. He preferred to not have a constant revolving door of people in his life. He could recall only handful of times he'd even given these nightly adventures his name. He was particularly careful about bringing people around his daughter. He was a dragon guarding his treasure with his little girl and he would be dead before he brought any sort of danger around her.

Then there was Augustus. They had met by chance and while Miguel had been immediately intrigued by the man even if he seemed rather awkward. He had to admit that he was attracted to the man and for once, he'd like to get to know him. However, he was the wall of his own home and therefore, he wasn't exactly ready to let him in further than someone he'd like to see from time to time. It felt like Augustus felt the same since he wasn't exactly searching for him in return. It was all new and fragile and Miguel was willing to safely follow the thread before he thought about tugging it close. "There you are." Miguel offered a soft smile as he took his seat. Something about the other man inspired him to be gentle. "Thank you. I'd say you look good yourself. Here for the good coffee?"

[withinshad0w]

Augustus hadn't expected to see Miguel this morning..not here. not now.. yet, as the man approached with a soft smile that seemed to quiet the din of his restless thoughts, the air around them seemed to shift with it. Fingers rested on the edge of his sketchbook, the pencil forgotten mid-gesture as crimson gaze lifted to meet Miguel's. There was an ease to the man's presence, a warmth that Augustus couldn’t ignore, though it unsettled him in ways he wasn’t ready to name.

He resisted the urge to pull his sketchbook closer, to shield the rough lines of his latest project from curious eyes . The truth was, Miguel’s gentle attentiveness. his willingness to sit here at all...stirred something uncomfortably close to hope. a feeling Augustus wasn’t sure he deserved at all.

Miguel’s compliment, casual and kind, caught him off guard, causing a soft chuckle to escape him as he leaned back slightly in his chair. “Good coffee, yeah,” he replied, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk “And maybe a bit of clarity”

He glanced down at his sketchbook, tracing the lines of his incomplete work with light fingertips. The edges of his wings shifted slightly in his coat, like a shadow stirring behind him, before settling once more. “And you?” he asked, tone quieter now, edged with curiosity, as he picked his gaze once more. “Do you often come here for... the good coffee?" or were you just hoping to run into me?

[wldflcwr]

ii. come into my garden.

Seraphina stood at the edge of the field, the hem of her dark, silken dress brushing the tops of the wildflowers as a cool breeze stirred them around her ankles. Night had fallen, and the air carried a faint sweetness from the bloom of wild violets and night-blooming jasmine that clung to her. She raised a slender hand, fingers trailing over the petals of a nearby flower, almost as if she were coaxing it to bloom further under the pale light of the crescent moon.

A faint glow emanated from her skin, a soft radiance that was neither quite light nor shadow, something caught in-between. She’d always been something between two worlds, someone who couldn’t quite fit neatly into the lines drawn by fate. The delicate lines of her face were shadowed, lips painted a dark, ripe berry hue, giving her an otherworldly allure that seemed both inviting and dangerous.

Her gaze drifted up, violet eyes flashing with a hint of defiance, almost daring anyone to cross into her domain. But tonight felt different. There was an unusual chill in the air, a murmur of something approaching.

"Are you lost?" she asked softly, though her voice carried like the whisper of wind through branches, soft but inescapable. Her eyes lingered on the shadows, her presence an invitation as much as a warning.

[withinshad0w]

Lucian watched her from the edges of shadow, where the world softened and blurred, the darkness bending beneath her quiet, inescapable pull. The field, wreathed in a twilight haze, felt like sacred ground as she moved among the wildflowers, gaze settling on her, drawn by the glow that radiated faintly from her.

Her question floated on the breeze, soft yet edged, like silk pulled taut. There was a quiet dare hidden within it, and Lucian let a faint smile rise at the corners of his lips as he stepped forward.

“Lost?..Mmm..Perhaps,” he murmured, voice low yet rich as midnight. “Though sometimes the path off the map is where one is truly meant to wander.” His gaze held hers, violet eyes meeting his with a challenge and a defiance one he couldn’t help but savor. “And if I am lost, I wonder..." lips curled into a grin "are you the light that will guide me back, or the siren calling me deeper?”

"Or maybe," he added, "we’re both lost, drawn together by something older than the light or the darkness...doubt that though."

[chewbacca]

JACOB ELORDI as Felix SALTBURN (2023) dir. Emerald Fennell

[withinshad0w]

Lucian stood by the window, watching the world outside as raindrops tapped steadily against the glass, their soft rhythm filling the silence. It had been a while since he had been on this side of town, he wasn't quite sure what had drawn him here this night. Like a moth drawn to flame, he stood there, waiting.

Flickering city lights cast long shadows across his figure, highlighting the sharp angles of his face and the intense gaze that seemed to pierce through the night itself.He turned slightly, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips, eyes reflecting a strange blend of amusement and curiosity. The faint scent of aged whiskey hung in the air, his glass resting on the table nearby, untouched for the moment. Lucian’s gaze drifted to the door, as if sensing the presence of someone nearby.

"Ah," he murmured, voice low and smooth, “so you finally decided to show up.” His tone was laced with a tease, but there was something more—an invitation. A slight til of his head, gesturing for the newcomer to enter, a glint in his eyes like the beginning of a dare.

“Well now, don’t be shy ” he continued, folding his hands behind his back. “After all, you came this far. I’d hate for you to turn back before right before things start getting interesting.”

[plummoons]

Darkness was an old friend of Nick's. It was always there looming above him, waiting for the chance to make itself known again. Where others may have left, his dear darkness always ushered him into her warmth. Like a warm familiar blanket. However, there was no sense of security. Only impending doom. He danced around it for many years. Fearing if he succumbed to its wishes he would be no better than the man he hated most. His bloodline was tainted. Dare he say he was cursed on his worst days. Nicholas Bishop was no innocent man. Far from it with the blood that stained his fingertips. The crimson was now traded for pitch black. For as long as Nick could remember, he had done his best to outrun his friend. Now, it was hard to untangle himself. she had made a home for herself deep within his chest. The light could creep in, snuff out, and blur in the empty cavity. Darkness had become his new home.

His days in the SAS left him with many monikers. A story to scare others while they ventured off on their missions. Most were inhuman. Foreshadowing what he would eventually become. He was often compared to an apparatus. A ghostly figure that found you before you could find it. The shadows are where he was most comfortable. Since forced retirement, that sentiment hasn't changed.

Some might say Nick had a terrible habit of staring at people-stalking. He preferred to call it getting intel. It was better to get the upper hand on any potential enemies first rather than the other way around. It was a depressing outlook to deem strangers he didn't know enemies before even getting to know them but it also made life safer for Nick. Weed out the bad ones and perhaps he might land on something worth holding onto.

He wasn't searching for like creatures. Nick didn't crave community. There was no desire for everlasting friendships or being known. The new part of him did seek knowledge. If he was to be a creature of the in-between of living and death he needed to know what that meant for him now. Nick had heard whispers of who could potentially shed light on these inquiries. He took it upon himself to find them for answers he hadn't realized he had.

"Expecting me were you?" He replied as he stepped from the shadows. Nick wasn't used to being detected so easily. It unnerved him. That didn't stop him from taking confident strides to meet the man halfway. He had to keep some healthy distance. The latter part of his statement pricked his ears. Interesting. Was that a threat? "What about me gives you that impression? I'm here, aren't I? I'm not leaving so soon."

[withinshad0w]

Lucian regarded Nick with a faint, knowing smile, the kind that shimmered in the dim light with an unsettling clarity. There was nothing he couldn't read in him, no flicker of doubt or hidden scar that escaped his notice. To Lucian, the man standing before him was laid bare. a soul bruised, haunted by whispers that longed for answers. It thrilled him.

A low, rich chuckle rumbled from Lucian’s chest, a sound edged with a sort of delighted mockery. Brow arched, voice dripping with a smooth, taunting cadence “Expecting you?”

“Let's just say I've met enough men running from their own darkness to know the look. Yours… it’s particularly heavy, isn’t it?” words lingered, sinking into the silence like a stone thrown into deep waters.

Stance remained unyielding, head tilted, gaze sharp and unbroken. He remained unyielding as the other closed the distance “You seem confident," a sly admiration slipping through his tone. “But confidence is a fragile thing, a delicate mask that shatters with the slightest misstep.” Lucian took a small stepped forward, closing the gap between them, letting his presence become a quiet, pressing force.

He leaned in, voice lowering to a whisper that lingered warm against Nick’s ear “So, Nick… what brings you to the edge of your own darkness tonight? Are you seeking answers, or simply curious to see just how deep the darkness goes? curiosity killed the cat.. you know. ”

[hollowthorne]

There was nothing quite like the crunching of leaves in the fall. When Miguel decided to move and restart their lives with his daughter, he knew he wanted it to be somewhere that experienced Fall. The sunny beaches had never called to him before and they didn't seem fit to his life now. His daughter seemed to be thriving in this town even it was very different form their native New York. He could agree that there was a sense of comfort in a small town that wasn't loud and bustling but there were nights he couldn't sleep because it was far too quiet. He often sat on his porch and listened to the crickets and little creatures of the night and wondered where he fit in anymore.

There were odd things about the town that he very decidedly didn't look into. He remained skeptical for the most part. He couldn't quite shake a lifetime of beliefs yet. But even so he knew his daughter needed him to figure this out so he was walking home with a bag full of books on the supernatural that he planned to read at the local coffee shop. He had the day off and time to kill so might as well observe the town's residents that were often at the very popular shop. He quickly scanned the area to find a corner seat which was thankfully empty. He placed his bag on the table when he noticed someone standing close by. Perhaps he'd stolen someone's table? He quickly turned with an apologetic smile. "Excuse me, were you sitting here?"

[withinshad0w]

Night had melted into morning, carrying with it the soft symphony of chirping birds and the steady hum of autumn filling the brisk air. Augustus strolled alone through the quiet town, hands tucked into the pockets of his dark blue wool coat, gaze distant, following no particular path.

The town, dressed in early signs of the upcoming holiday season, felt surreal to him, almost dreamlike. Decorative snow globes hung from each streetlamp, shimmering faintly in the morning light, as if marking his way through a world he could only observe from a distance. He’d thought the coffee shop might bring him some peace, a quiet corner to sketch out ideas for a new painting he’d been struggling to complete.

As his name was called from the counter, he rose, nodding briefly in thanks as he took his coffee in his hand. When he returned to his table, though, he paused, heart skipping a few beats...a familiar face sat there, waiting. Miguel. The man he’d been quietly avoiding, his calls left unanswered, not out of anger but out of a strange, aching reluctance to let anyone near the depths he carried.

He managed a faint smile, “Hey... stranger,” he murmured, voice soft as he slipped back into the seat opposite Miguel. The words felt tentative, yet warm, as though speaking into the fragile thread that still held them together. "You look good.."

[withinshad0w]

Dark wings were folded tightly against his shoulder, their feathery shadows melding with the dimness around him, as though they, too, were a part of the night itself. Eyes, a haunting shade of red beneath the muted glow of the streetlamp, held a quiet sorrow as he stared up at the statue, expression unreadable, yet weary.

In the late hours, the small town lay cloaked in a melancholy silence, each building softened by the waning light of the moon. Augustus found himself standing before an old, forgotten statue, hidden in the far corner of a quiet park, its marble face worn smooth by time. Here, in the presence of something just as overlooked as he, something in him stilled. A faint wind stirred the leaves around him, their gentle rustling like a lullaby from a memory he couldn't quite place.

"Hello, old friend," he murmured into the stillness, voice barely more than a breath as he lifted his hand, letting his fingertips brush over the statue’s cold, weathered stone as if it might hold some hidden wisdom, as if it, too, knew what it meant to endure and be left behind.

A faint echo of footsteps stirred the silence, each step drawing closer, breaking the solitude that had cloaked him. Augustus turned slightly, his fingers drifting away from the rusted stone, his red-tinged gaze settling on the shadow approaching.

"Are you lost?" he asked softly, voice barely a whisper, lingering in the air like a question.

[withinshad0w]

𝖆𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 - the darkness [Bio]

[withinshad0w]

𝖆𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 - the sorrow [Bio]

[withinshad0w]

Lucian stood by the window, watching the world outside as raindrops tapped steadily against the glass, their soft rhythm filling the silence. It had been a while since he had been on this side of town, he wasn't quite sure what had drawn him here this night. Like a moth drawn to flame, he stood there, waiting.

Flickering city lights cast long shadows across his figure, highlighting the sharp angles of his face and the intense gaze that seemed to pierce through the night itself.He turned slightly, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips, eyes reflecting a strange blend of amusement and curiosity. The faint scent of aged whiskey hung in the air, his glass resting on the table nearby, untouched for the moment. Lucian’s gaze drifted to the door, as if sensing the presence of someone nearby.

"Ah," he murmured, voice low and smooth, “so you finally decided to show up.” His tone was laced with a tease, but there was something more—an invitation. A slight til of his head, gesturing for the newcomer to enter, a glint in his eyes like the beginning of a dare.

“Well now, don’t be shy ” he continued, folding his hands behind his back. “After all, you came this far. I’d hate for you to turn back before right before things start getting interesting.”

[billyboyblue]

Jacob Elordi || 📸 Jack Bridgland for British GQ

[oscpia81]

JACOB ELORDI Saltburn - Behind The Scenes

[justjensenanddean]

Jensen Ackles | Entertainment Weekly, May 23, 2022

[justjensenanddean]

Jensen Ackles as Russell Shaw Tracker (2024) | 2.02 – “Ontological Shock”