w a n d e r e r

air fae - 2,467 - bartender

[xanderdrakos-blog]

@crownxofxflame

“Were you always this clumsy?” Xander found it mildly amusing, watching the fire fae do almost anything in regards to his powers. But then again, the older fae knew it was just a product of what he’d grown up with. “For someone who has been stuck in Ashbourne this long, it’s a wonder you don’t just live in the faerielands with the queen. Is there a reason?”

[xanderdrakos-blog]

@augustxknight

He hadn’t wanted to stay too long, yet here they were. He had promised to leave the bar as soon as he was off, yet the witch’s presence had his plans clearly changing. “August,” he hummed, putting an arm around the witch’s shoulders as they walked through the path leading back towards the tree he knew would take him home. “You miss me?” he crooned, turning his head to rest his lips against August’s temple. 

Instead of saying much else, he allowed his glamour to take over the path they were walking, and while it was only a small amount of distance, it was enough to create a distant image of a medieval style castle, “Take a guess at where we are.”

[xanderdrakos-blog]

valeriavcle‌:

Lake Harmony was as good a place as any for some peace and quiet and Valeria much preferred the clear water of the lake to swim in than a chlorine-saturated pool. Tonight though she’d simply been on a walk and had stopped to skip some rocks she found. The voice behind her startled her and although she didn’t recognize the man speaking he was kind enough to volunteer some information about himself.

“I never met a Pixie, no. Better question though is what did you do to get this one to hate you.” She replied after a beat. She wanted to ask about the jar of honey but was loath to admit there was something she didn’t know and trapping Pixies was definitely not one of her specialties. She was curious to see if the creature might show up. She could cross seeing a Pixie for the first time off her bucket list.

“I’m a faerie,” he murmured somewhat nonchalantly, glancing back down towards the jar of honey. He pushed it a little further down the wooden railing, furrowing his eyebrows a little more, “They just hate me ‘cause I’m prettier.” He smirked slightly, knowing he was somewhat ruining his chances to actually catch the faerie that had decided to start taking things from the bar. 

“I don’t really want to hurt it, or even trap it. I just want this bracelet she took back.” He glanced over at the stranger, “How long have you lived here?”

[xanderdrakos-blog]

charlottexcrane‌:

“Either would be an improvement,” the witch teased as she took a sip of her water, “I’m definitely not the only one. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, Xander. And don’t try to BS me into believing you have. Your tone is coming from a place of non-experiential related judgment calls.” The blonde gave him a pointed but playful look before rolling her eyes, “okay, one, I wouldn’t say if I had and two, why is that the first thing you think of. Some people can just be glad to get up in the morning, Xander, no reason necessary.”

“Old man, you really do play that one up, don’t you?” Another bout of laughter escaped the witch and she sighed to keep it together “If you haven’t thought about doing your manager in at least once, you’re probably not doing it right. And yes, that’s exactly what I’m planning,” more deadpanning despite the grin on her face. “Going to win the ring toss for sure, possibly whac-a-mole while I’m at it. If you’re not helping, you should at least come.”

“There’s always a reason. You’ve been here for a while – you gotta know no one actually gets up in this town because they want to.” Xander huffed out a breath, looking over Charlotte for a few moments, “Of course I do. With age comes...perks. All sorts of perks. Not too sure how well that’s going to pan out for me, but I’m working on it.”

He shook his head, wrinkling his nose this time, “I guess I can come. I wasn’t really excited about it. But you’re really winning me over with the ring toss.”

[xanderdrakos-blog]

prozny‌:

He frowned when the guy pinched his nose, but the information about the faerielands distracted him for a second. “You must throw some wild parties then… much more fun than the Regium’s. Might as well be a funeral.” The offense brought a smile to his lips. Fuck those guys.

“Well I’ve never been to the fae world so I wouldn’t know what height that is, but I’ll guess… must be this tall to ride short.” The thought amused him, specially given how tall Xander actually was. A miniature version. “I am the exciting thing that happens.” His vanity didn’t falter even in that state. “Something weird’s happening in town. I mean, is it just me or are things getting a little tense over here? I think it’s gonna be a bloodbath soon.” Henryk grinned again. “A regular thursday.” 

“You know, I have a feeling ours is much more lively.” He wrinkled his nose at his own joke, though he’d never step foot in a party full of vampires. It wasn’t really a good idea in his mind, and he couldn’t be bothered, either.

“You could say that,” Xander waved his hand, mostly so he could push Henryk’s up just a little bit – but clearly not that much further. “I’ve looked this way almost my whole life, you know. I think it was just one of those things where I had some subconscious desire to be tall.” He still didn’t like the idea of the whole town turning red, but somehow, he knew Henryk didn’t mind. “Guess that’d be just your kind of fun, right? I’d prefer to not be present, but this place doesn’t give me that much of a choice.”

[xanderdrakos-blog]

letemburnmoore‌:

The pleasant surprise made Dresden smile, making him all the more certain of a decision he’d been rather reluctant of initially. “Very serious.” He confirmed, leaning into the hand that made contact with his cheek. Xander’s words were like the edge of steel, ready to fight back to a world turned against them. If Dresden could go back to the days of their freedom, when things in those times were so much simpler, he would without hesitation. If there was ever a threat to their immortality and their entire world, it was now, with a looming darkness ready to snuff out their happiness. It was a grief to think of all the time wasted…but they wouldn’t give in without a fight.

“And I just want you happy.” Dresden replied, unblinking blue and brown eye glued to Xander’s as if he was the sole focus of everything he held dear. And he was. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I have my flaws, I’ll admit, but I’ll burn anything and everything to ash if it’s what you want.” He’d fight for his Queen, of course, but it was Xander that held the true power over him.

“You make me happy,” the faerie murmured, like anything louder would interrupt the moment that was happening. All too familiar eyes looked back at him, and maybe it was meant to be that he was drawn towards Dresden from the very beginning. It’d only taken a moment; a brief introduction between two fae that made Vitalis wonder why the other had filled such a hole in his heart that he didn’t know had been there for so long. “Don’t get yourself into more trouble,” he teased, more gently this time.

Leaning forward, he pressed a brief kiss against the other’s lips, holding it for a moment before he pulled himself away. “You need to rest. Does anything still hurt?” Moving to the other side of the bed, Xander climbed onto it, settling in somewhat close, but not close enough to touch just yet. He was still clearly worried, and he’d rather be safe than sorry.

[winchestnerd]

“…that doesn’t mean necessarily that everything’s going to be perfect all the time because you need to grow, and to grow you need these kind of little errors,”  (—Matthew Daddario)

[xanderdrakos-blog]

one soul abiding in two bodies || self para

The Palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylon – June, 323 B.C.

The evening was red.

The sun had hit the palace of Babylon like fire to a hill, erupting the walls in a flame color as it bounced along the different shades of paint that hued each marble. Vitalis could hear them. Deep within the walls of a palace that used to belong to King Nebuchadnezzar II, they begged Alexander not to give in to Hades. They fought – asking him to place his ring in one of their hands; asking him to decide who his heir would be. Alexander had no heirs – they were being assassinated before they could turn even ten years old. His many wives were seen as unnecessary, and there was no more life spread across the kingdom that was supposed to hold the greatest empire of all time. No, it was dying with the boy, only the age of thirty two, within the walls of the palace. 

Eight months before, Vitalis had said goodbye to his King, his best friend, the love of his life. The faerie had been wounded – a small iron knife shoved through his side like he had been made of nothing but paper. Death was easiest to fake. Healing would’ve been nothing short of a miracle from the gods, and he’d been “buried” in a tomb that Alexander had created himself. A tomb fit for a king – a king named Hephaestion. Vitalis had never been worthy of that – not even when Alexander had proclaimed him a divine hero. However, he’d seen Alexander’s grief. The king wouldn’t have had it any other way. He’d proclaimed once, to a queen who’d mistakenly bowed to Vitalis, thinking he was the Alexander the Great, “You were not mistaken…this man too is Alexander.” And those words became a promise.

The memory felt more like a burden than anything else to Vitalis. He felt like a ghost, staring ahead as he made his way through the palace, invisible to those around him. It’d taken him a while to actually master this form of glamour, and still, and at age one hundred and twenty six, it was only just manageable. The sight that greeted him would haunt him for the centuries to come. His Alexander, poisoned and bed ridden, surrounded by nobles who were pleading him to tell them what he wished to do with the greatest empire ever created. Vitalis had waited, whispering words to the servants who had finally cleared the room. All that remained was the fae and the golden haired king.

Appearing before Alexander, Vitalis felt his heartbeat quicken. He’d watched eyes land on him, one blue and one brown, and recognition slowly appear on the other’s face.

“Vitalis.”

The name felt like a victory, and Vitalis had no control as he’d hit his knees beside the bed, his fingers intertwining with Alexander’s as he tried to stop his shaking.

“Are you to lead me to the gates of Olympus, Hephaestion?”

Vitalis found words far too difficult, tears stinging his hazel eyes as he fought for some kind of affirmation. “The world never deserved you, love. Elysium would never be enough. The land of the gods will be yours,” he promised softly, the faerie’s voice easily cracking as he found most of his strength gone.

For eight months he’d been searching for something. Every faerie he’d found that was old and wise had told him he was a fool. A young fool who believed that he could have a mortal cheat death. There was nothing to save him. Xanthos would be destined to live eternity without the man he loved, nothing but a thought and a story archaeologists and historians would remember. Nothing they would ever fully appreciate because they did not live it. He’d heard whispers of witchcraft, a magic that was similar to those of the faeries, even a dark promise of immortality from their own blood, but nothing that had the power to bring back life. Not even his own healing magic could stop the poison that ran through Alexander’s body. The men that did this would pay.

“My world was with you.” Those were the last words Vitalis heard from the other, the grip going slack in his and those mismatching eyes closing.

Vitalis had felt his heart shatter that day. He was young enough to carry on, but old enough to be no stranger to the effects of grief. He’d held the ring Alexander had given him in his other hand, sliding it on his finger despite the fact that his body was trembling. He was young, and grief seemed too unfamiliar for him to handle. The faerie would never forgive or forget. The ring hadn’t left his fingers since, protected by magic that was as ancient as the gold ring itself. He would be vengeance, he would be Alexander now. Those who had done this would be struck down by the air fae who carried his grief like a sword. 

His pain was raw, and two thousand three hundred and forty years later, he’d yet to forget. Yet Xander, finding another faerie to pour his devotion into, felt that same ounce of devotion that he’d felt all those years ago. There would be no one to take the man he loved from him again, and if he had to burn the city to the ground and flee to the faerielands, then so be it.

[xanderdrakos-blog]

letemburnmoore‌:

Dresden had always been selfish, and he’d become very good at thinking for himself without consideration for anyone else. What Xander might have felt had not dawned on him until it was nearly too late, and to hear it now, was a slap to the face for the insight he lacked. It should have been clear, because he would have felt the same way only more hysterical and violent, it was just slow to register. Thinking for two would take practice, as would changing his ways.

“Then let’s go home, or at least…the portion of home we have access to.” It was a start, because he knew Xander would prefer to be in the safety of the faerielands than dancing around the devil’s playground. “I’ll come into Ashbourne for work, but we can stay where no one can get to us, and with people starting to possibly sniff in my direction for doing the Queen’s bidding…it wouldn’t be a bad idea.” The last thing he wanted was for Xander to find himself in danger because of Dresden’s actions. 

Xander wasn’t sure he was hearing Dresden correctly, and it took a few moments for the words to set in. “You’re serious?” he said slowly, like he had been waiting for this moment. If he could live in the faerielands, close enough to the queen to protect her, and always with the fae to protect Dresden, it was absolutely no choice. Xander had loved humans and their creations – but that time was long gone, now. Civilizations had risen and fallen, and now, now he was waiting for Ashbourne to finally let them have peace.

“I’d have to come in for work as well, but Dres...if you want to do this, we’re going to. There’s no other way to make sure...this fucking world is going to burn, and if the Queen has a plan, then she has an army. And that’s us.” They were bold words, sure, but Vitalis had no more shame to hide behind. Placing his hand against Dresden’s cheek, he brushed his thumb over the other’s jaw, “I just want you safe.”

[xanderdrakos-blog]

“Have you ever been outright hated by a Pixie?” Lake Harmony was quiet for once, and Xander stood on the balcony of the now closed for the evening pub. He had set out a jar of honey, open with a spoonful resting on the lid as well, on the wooden railing that was closest towards the shores of the lake. “They dislike fae, but they always come by at this time of night. They also took something of mine, and I want it back. If I could just get one to actually stay for longer than two seconds, then maybe I could make a deal. They’re smarter than everyone thinks they are.”

The item he’d lost hadn’t been terribly valuable, but it had been shiny, and he knew that’s why it’d been here one second, and gone the next. It was difficult for him to even admit that a pixie had gotten the drop on him, and now here he was, trying to offer honey to the little creature that was pulling better tricks than he had in a while. The faerie looked mildly exhausted, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at the jar of honey before glancing at the person beside him, “Have you ever met one?”

[xanderdrakos-blog]

charlottexcrane‌:

– @xanderdrakos​

“You know, maybe if you weren’t so freakin’ approachable, you wouldn’t have all these tips,” Charlotte gestured at the less than full jar beside her as Xander got her her usual: fries with mayonnaise and a glass of water. “C’mon, Xan–– what’s got you down today?” She gave him a smile, putting a dollar in the tip jar for show as she grabbed a fry. They weren’t exactly close friends and maybe he’d consider her more of an acquaintance than friend but Charlotte liked to think they were, or at the very least, on their way to being. She’d known him a few years now, as he’d only been in Ashbourne that long and while they got to talking whenever she frequented the Water Wheel Pub, neither hung out outside of the pub. 

“Are you going to the carnival?” She tipped her head to the side, dipping a fry in the mayo before taking a bite, “will you guys have a booth or to be determined?” It wasn’t anything like actual Mardi Gras–– Charlotte hadn’t gone to one but didn’t think she needed to either. Nothing in Ashbourne was like anything outside. Even though she’d lived here for over a decade, she still couldn’t help but view certain things as imposters to the real thing. But, she supposed, all Mardi Gras celebrations outside of Louisiana were imposters to the real thing, weren’t they? 

“Approachable or good looking? And you’re the only weird being I know that eats fries with mayonnaise. That’s gross. Hasn’t anyone told you that yet?” The faerie huffed out a laugh as he looked down at Charlotte’s plate of food, shaking his head after a moment. “Nothing has me down. Well – scratch that. I’m tired and grumpy, so that’s what has me down. Either way, you’re in an annoyingly good mood today. You get laid last night or what?”

He smiled a little more, shaking his head as he leaned against the other side of the bar, “If we have a booth, I’m not working it. Perks of being an old man is they don’t ask you to do things anymore. I think I scare the manager. I shouldn’t, considering everything else in this town would most likely kill him in a heartbeat before I would. Were you planning on going and getting wild or what?”

[xanderdrakos-blog]

@diabolics

“It’s been making noises.” Xander knew he probably should’ve gifted this little box to Philippe sooner rather than later. But curiosity had won out in the end, and he’d selfishly kept it for himself. “I was in China around 98 AD, stole this off a medicine man’s cart because...well, look how nice the box is,” the faerie moved towards the little box, decorated in ivory and other jewels. “It’s made out of Rowan. That’s why I wanted it. If they were going to cut down a tree, well, guess I was going to take it back.”

The air fae put his hand over it, and it stopped making those strange scratching noises that it had originally been doing. “So needless to say, I didn’t really want to open this by myself. Because if it’s something cursed, well, better you than me,” he smirked, shaking his head to show he was joking. “In all honesty, I just wanted someone to see what was inside. Because if a medicine man was carting this around, it can either be some god awful little creature, or a spirit who is probably going to be very angry they’ve been in a box for centuries.”

[xanderdrakos-blog]

augustxknight‌:

There was something obviously personal to Xander’s reaction, and it wasn’t a big stretch to see why. Xander said it clearly enough, if fate had been less kind, or perhaps more so, than Xander himself might be in Saul’s place. “Did you two have some secret exchange I don’t know about? We still don’t know where the chalice is, just because his long lost - whatever - happens to be with it, doesn’t make us any closer than where we were hours ago.” August rolled his eyes, “Stop projecting Xander, that’s not you in there. You’re smarter than that.” His words fell to a more hushed whisper, he didn’t want Saul to hear what he’d say next. “I won’t kill him, but I’m not leaving here without what we came here for.” He stepped around Xander, there was still reason, he did not need to take things to the extreme, but he was willing. Contrary to popular belief, August wasn’t heartless, he came to love Aria like the sister he’d never had. The family he’d always wanted. What was there that people wouldn’t do for love? Nothing. 

“Give me her name,” August offered, his eyes firm upon Saul. That was all the witch would need, he’d come to suspect that the fae behind the bars would know as much, but his eyes were pleading. Saul didn’t want to betray the love of his life, so August moved to appeal to that soft sensibility, hazel eyes on the faerie behind bars. “Please.” August pleaded, the sincerity, the concern, the eagerness he let into his voice was exaggerated maybe, but it was made easier because it came from a real place. “Nymphadora has my sister, if I don’t return with the chalice then it’s her life that will be forfeit - please -” The witch’s hands wrapped around the bars as he pressed his face closer, his eyes moved to the floor for a moment, coming again to Saul’s face, slower now. “She’s the only family I have left, give me the information I need and I’ll do whatever you ask.” 

August’s hands fell off the bars as Saul considered him again, this would be the fae’s last opportunity. The witch should have been expecting what would come next, but he’d been too preoccupied in his own part that he hadn’t really considered the fae’s machinations, he hadn’t expected to be disappointed after pouring his heart out. “No.” 

“Then you had your chance.” The witch had had it, the neophyte of an incantation for telepathy fell from his lips, August hadn’t tried it yet, in fact, it was something that was as of yet still only scratching at the corners of his mind. But if Xander wanted Saul to live, then the fae would live. He kept his thoughts directed on the chalice, but it was buried, long buried ‘neath years and years of imprisonment, centuries behind these bars, behind more bars, there was the rejection from his comrades, the disillusionment from a family that was never really his. There was love, hope, loss, anguish, death fear. 

August gasped, Saul a crumpled mess in his cell, still breathing. Still alive. “He was tricked into turning his lover into a banshee,” August breezed, Saul’s gaze met August’s from the fae’s place on the ground, vehement, burning with anger and hatred towards the witch. But eyes that were also somewhat - distant - glassy. He’d lost some motor skills, but he was alive, and what he’d lost would probably return over time. If not, a healer had hopes to fill in the blanks. “His shame is what keeps him here, and kept him from talking, but I know where he put her.” 

The witch’s head was throbbing, years of experiences seemed to push at him all at once, building a tension that August hadn’t been expecting. But he couldn’t stop until they were safely out of the prison grounds, out of line of sight, they were headed now towards the cemetery.  “All things considered, I’d say that went pretty well,” the witch breezed, hoping Xander wasn’t too miffed that August had to get a bit physical with Saul. It could have been a lot worse.  “I meant what I said in there, though,” glad they had just managed to break in and out of the prison without alerting the guards, “you aren’t him and that Saul guy wasn’t some great champion for the cause of love, he was a victim of it. The love of his life he was protecting? She used him and he betrayed everything because of it.” He’d seen the details of the ritual, knew how the truth had come out only after it was all too late. 

The cemetery was not far, but even if it was the pair would have crossed the distance quickly, eagerly. August needed to find a resolution for this, not stopping until he found the crypt that he’d seen in his mind’s eye. The epitaph that was carved above the heavy stone door read the following: a life that touches others goes on forever. From the outside, August could sense nothing out of the ordinary, it was just the standard activity of a graveyard. There were spirits along the peripherals of his perception, the lingering air of stillness, the aura of the nearby forest. But nothing out of the ordinary that would suggest anything untoward within the crypt. 

Still. August was familiar with such magic. 

The witch made a gesture and spoke an old incantation to open, and braced himself as the heavy sound of stone grinding against stone was what greeted the pair of them. Air sucked into the dark tomb, the creeping, sliding presence of something ominous poured towards August’s senses. There was something within. He snapped his fingers, a crackle of red energy followed with his fingertips, he whispered, “ignium” along with it as torches within the tomb came to life. “Have you ever faced a banshee before?” August asked, he had to admit, up until moments ago when he’d witnessed in his mind’s eye, a woman transform into one, he hadn’t believed them to be anything more than stories. But, apparently, that was not the case. 

Xander had been trying to get out of the situation before anything could get mildly worse. He felt immensely uncomfortable, and that was difficult to do for a fae of his age. There had been plenty of situations he’d been in, but this one was unfamiliar. The witch’s words and his tone caused Xander to tighten his fist in irritation. He didn’t think he was projecting, to say the least, but he was incredibly annoyed at the entire way Saul had attempted to create a forever with the love of his life. 

There had been a moment where Xander considered interfering, stopping August from using that spell on the fae. Despite his initial reaction, the older fae simply turned away. His gaze was fixated on the door leading into the faerie prison, the guard still unconscious on the floor. In what seemed like hours, August was reciting information that Xander almost expected. If the faerie was tricked, did he truly deserve imprisonment? Without saying much, he lifted the glamour yet again, covering himself and August until they were outside the prison. “That was a fucking mess,” he snapped, unable to agree with the young witch automatically. His irritation had only grown, and he’d tried his hardest to keep a rational mindset. He’d failed, clearly, as he stopped August, a hand against the other’s chest to stop him in his tracks, “Don’t act like you know how I feel, or how similar I am to that fae who has lost his goddamn mind from grief. I was young and foolish once, who knows what could have happened.” Though he knew in his heart that Alexander wouldn’t have done that to him. After all, Xander had been foolish enough to think that him leaving would allow the young king to thrive – and in the end, he’d been too naive to even see a murder before it happened just six months after he’d tried to get himself out of the picture.

“My life is not up for discussion.” Xander decided that a minute too late, it seemed, releasing his hold on August as they approached the cemetery. The sooner they got the chalice, the sooner Xander could go home and wallow in his own misery. 

“Banshee’s are the bane of every fae’s existence. She drank a fae’s blood and this is what happened. We have immortality, and seeing what it has done to her? Not enough know what all of this does. And now we have....her,” Xander placed his palm against the door. Saul’s mistake had been done out of love, yet this Banshee was nothing that the faerie was excited to meet. “They all deserve death,” he murmured, pulling his palm away. “I haven’t faced on in a long time. And only then I was an observer.” Their origins, however, hadn’t been as obvious. Nymphadora was wise to want the chalice back. “Let’s get this over with.”

[vrainydays]

“You’re right, I didn’t… I didn’t think of it like that”

[letemburnmoore-deactivated20190]

@xanderdrakos

[xanderdrakos-blog]

letemburnmoore‌:

Fucking fool? An argument could be made for that given the entire story, but it hadn’t exactly been the first thing he’d expected to come out of Xander’s mouth. Typically the fae was right there with him, willing to patch up the wounds and take arms against whoever caused them. This though…it was different, it was fear, and worry, and a very obvious anger Dresden had never faced before. 

The fire fae was stumped for a moment, eyes narrowing in surprise and agitation, but that became a wince when Xander pushed a ring onto an already raw finger. The abused twisted flesh that made contact with the ring instantly soothed, and Dresden lifted his hand to better inspect it. “Vee, she attacked me. I wasn’t after her, and sure as hell didn’t start anything with her.” Small attempt at defending his actions, but he knew damn well he wasn’t a victim in this, and Xander did too.

The noise swelled, Dresden ducking his head against the torrent of wind that managed to actually chill him. It got his attention, and any further argument ceased just as suddenly as the noise that filled the room. He slowly met Xander’s eyes again, each word ringing through his head and striking some part of his heart that allowed him to feel guilt. He could see the emotion, hear it in Xander’s voice as he spoke, and that bright burning flame of vengeance that had been there minutes prior burned out.

“Okay, okay…I get it.” He sighed. Dresden had always been reckless, never really imagining his life and the potential end of it would strike anyone this hard, but then again love was new to him, and he attempted fathoming the thought of their positions switched, causing his stomach to roll at imagining discovering Xander broken and bloody near the woods. “I’m sorry…” And this was sincere, because he’d never attempted to really empathize before, and decidedly hated it given how it put things in perspective. 

Dresden reached out and curled his fingers around Xander’s wrist, and while it hurt to do so given how tender his hands were, he did it regardless. He tugged the fae’s hand to his chest, needing just a moment of contact to soothe everything it was he was seeing written on Xander’s face. “When that chain wrapped around my neck, I thought I was dead…and all I could think about was you.” He’d made a promise that he would fight to stay by Xander’s side, to remain alive long enough to see the day they could fully return home. He’d almost broken that. “You’re right, I know that. I’ve spent years antagonizing humans and roaming place to place that the adjustment being contained with creatures just as powerful as us, if not stronger, hasn’t really registered appropriately.” He cocked a small smile and then brought Xander’s hand to his lips to brush a kiss against his knuckles. “I let emotion get my guard down. I was taking someone out that tried to kill me in the past when she showed up to save him. He was a fae killer, a witch seeking to harness our dust, and I shouldn’t have handled it like I did.”

“Self-defense is another thing entirely. And you and I both know you’re not the most passive participant in anything out there,” Xander kept his tone stern – well, as stern as he could be with Dresden. He narrowed his eyes at the apology, but his grip hadn’t lessened on the other’s hand, “Do you get it? Ashbourne isn’t safe.” The queen had said so herself, and if the faerielands was where she wanted them to stay, Xander was beginning to think that wasn’t the worst idea out there. It didn’t mean they couldn’t cross back into Ashbourne – it just meant that they would have a safer place to be that wasn’t ravaged by other species. 

His palm spread out over Dresden’s chest, feeling the beat of the other faerie’s heart. It was a solid reminder that he was here and he was okay. Yet that wouldn’t get rid of the image he’d had in his mind – the one of Dresden bloodied and in pain on his bed. “I already told you that losing this wasn’t an option.”

Vitalis could feel his heart clench at the other’s words, letting them sink in for a few moments. “I’d hope so. Because that just meant you knew I was going to be mad,” the amused smile was brief, and he hoped to relieve some of the anxiety that had filled his chest just hours before. While Xander played with illusions, only resorting to violence when he had to, he knew Dres preferred the opposite tactic. The desire for conflict raged through the fire that he held, and Xander didn’t want to contain – he only wanted to make sure nothing was chaotic, not when they had nowhere to hide. “Humans are one thing. They’re the easiest to destroy, the easiest to bend. Everyone else? Like I said, I can’t protect you from what I don’t have the power to.” The explanation offered made more sense than what Xander had come up with, and for a second, it offered a moment of relief. Sitting down beside the other fae, he sucked in a breath, “I’m not going to say that I wouldn’t have done the same, but next time...next time ask for help. I’m not here to...to stop you from doing what you want, but I already told you that losing you isn’t an option. So what would you have me do when shit like this happens?”

[dangerousdispositions]

xanderdrakos‌:

“Does it? Sounds like a fault in your anatomy. As a vampire with healing, you should burn off more alcohol than you’re able to consume. Unless you just down a keg non stop for ten minutes. Is that something you’ve done before?” Xander pressed, mildly unamused with the vampire. Already, his patience was waning. Wasn’t this vampire Dresden’s friend? Charming. “Yes, I am. And good. Wouldn’t want to tell Dres I had to ruin his friend, right?”

Kolya’s eyebrow inched higher, and he shot the fae a fake smile, growing quite unimpressed. “I suppose you can’t be faulted for not knowing what you’re talking about when it comes to the ins and outs of vampirism,” He drawled, trying to keep his tone from getting too condescending. “Seeing as how you aren’t one.” As a bartender, he would’ve thought the man would have known that much, at the very least. He gave a sigh, beginning to feel somewhat annoyed, and bit back a challenging reply. Really, trying to tell him- an actual vampire- how it worked when he was there telling him otherwise? Kolya had been in too much damn trouble lately, even if he wanted to knock this fellow down a peg or two he wouldn’t. Instead, he stood, tipping the bottle in his direction. “Tried to ruin,” He corrected, because he couldn’t let that one pass. What a dick. He fished out a generous amount of bills, enough to cover the cost of the bottle, and tossed them down on the bar. “Cheers.” Then he strolled out of the bar, not giving so much as a backwards look.

END

[thiskryptonite]

When in Rome

[xanderdrakos-blog]

augustxknight‌:

“You’re welcome to it, I think August Rose might suit you.” August hadn’t really thought about the question of their resemblance; truth be told, August had had a lot of questions about his mother when he’d come to Ashbourne, but did he think he and Xander were related? The distance would have been staggering, but it explained a lot of Xander’s big brotherness, he puzzled for a moment and gave up quickly on how far back they would have to go. August looked a bit closer, seeing it especially in the eyes, “we do have the same eyes.” He laughed though, “but nah, I’ve never thought we might be related. Can fae even have witch kids? Though, we could always find out.” August questioned before he offered a simple solution in the form of magic.   

He felt a shiver run up his spine as the area about them changed, the dilapidated temple echoed with the call of the patron of this place and, for a moment, August felt a little breathless. He had to remind himself that he wasn’t really here. What would he give for even a few days study under a witch of this place? A ceremonialist who might have once served at the feet of these alters. 

His eyes widened as he found himself quickly to the crumbling walls, the hieroglyphics near familiar in his eyes. The Gods of the Nile, Sobek in particular remain among some of the most revered, it is hard not to pay tribute to an entity that embodies fertility when living in an area that depends so wholly on it. Life was the spring upon which the nile had sprung, and with it flowed all the waters of the world, or however all that went in the mind of old magic. 

Sometimes the distance between the fae and the witch was tangible, never more so than now. He made his way from the wall, to Xander’s side to follow the fae’s line of sight towards the pyramids in the distance. For the vastness of the temple, it made him feel small, but in no uncertain way, there was a freedom to this degree of grandeur. All that empty space just gave him more room to fill. “Sounds like you saw a lot of it, then.” A year wasn’t very long, but August was naturally curious, though most fae were told to avoid witchcraft, and Xander would have been young then. He looked to the pyramids now, the view from the top must be… something remarkable.  “Show me?” August asked, it was a loaded question, he knew. He’d been asking the fae to do it a lot: show me the otherworld, the faerielands, show me rome, show me Eqypt, show me what its like to fly. 

“Doesn’t mean you’re my kid,” he laughed, shaking his head. Xander hadn’t put too much thought into it, and he wrinkled his nose, “All it takes is a human and a witch. But don’t think about it too much. In fact, I don’t even think I paid enough attention over the years. If anyone asks, just say you’re related to me. I think it’d be amusing,” Xander was all about tricks, anyway. Maybe it’d save a target on one of their backs one day. 

“I did. Egypt was under the Ptolemy family. Had been for decades now. And while this fell into ruin, the rest of the city continued. Greek architecture wasn’t completely noticeable, but the presence was here. Cleopatra learned Egyptian – she was the only one who did – and when she visited Memphis, she loved it. The temple to Ptah sits closer to the pyramids.” The question did not take him by surprise, and he gave a wry grin towards August. “Not afraid of heights, are you?” The glamour around them shimmered, creating more of a platform as they sat at the top of the gold tip for the pyramid to Khufu, the largest of the three. “These served as a burial place for Khufu. It’s why he built it. The chambers are empty, however. Even though they made numerous attempts to find things, there isn’t anything left.”