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2009-10-30, 03:16 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2009
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- Alaska
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2009-10-30, 03:18 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2006
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- England
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
This post may contain sarcasm.
DeviantArt
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2009-10-30, 03:23 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2008
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- Scotland
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Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
Avatar by me...yup that's how good my drawing is. As in not very good.
Crack-Pairings, Not Dead Just Moved. Someone Hasn't Been Looking In The Right Places.
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2009-10-30, 03:46 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2009
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- Alaska
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2009-10-30, 03:48 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2009
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- New York
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Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
I give Belkar about four rounds before V blasts him into a fine mist of blood and bone matter.
My webcomic!
Currently DMing:
Tales of Aequar: Runite's Rise IC
OOC Map
Playing Natalia Bolts,Jadeite Nocrius, and Soren Lowell
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2009-10-30, 03:51 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2009
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- Alaska
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2009-10-30, 03:54 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2006
- Location
- England
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
This post may contain sarcasm.
DeviantArt
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2009-10-30, 03:54 PM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2009
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Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
Evan's Spiked Tentacles of Forced Intrusion. There's a fanfiction about that happening after V found Belkar sniffing his underwear.
Formerly known as Discord here and Maladin on avatarspirit.net.
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2009-10-30, 03:59 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
- Location
- U.K
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
Nope, it was clearly Roy who messed with the shower! Of course, he meant it to get Elan and Haley, not V -- he was obviously sick of their lovey-dovey shenanigans, and thought it would serve them right for trying to shower together.
Hey, this is fun -- we should have a game where somebody puts up a picture and a bunch of other somebodies try to write stories to go with it.Last edited by esmerelder; 2009-10-30 at 04:00 PM.
Many thanks, blue silk handkerchiefs, and small inarticulate hedgehog noises to Funky Goose for the sig banner!
Even more thanks to half-halfling for the adorable avatar, which is from this comic!
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2009-10-30, 04:45 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2008
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
Well, I've been trying to get The Dark Fiddler to do challenges for a while now. We all get a piece of stimulus, and we all try to write something.
Nadir We,
Youth Born,
Blood Letters,
Axe Weilders,
Victors Still.
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2009-10-30, 05:09 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2008
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- UK
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2009-10-30, 05:38 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
- Location
- England
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
Out of the blue, here's more VxHaerta.
Spoiler
It appeared that my unintelligible enunciations had been loud enough to rouse everyone from their beds, and it was Sir Greenhilt who scrambled out of his tent first, ancestral sword held ready to fight off a non-existent foe. He stopped when he saw only us - Miss Starshine standing with an arrow nocked and I on my knees in the sand – a look of confusion crossing his dark features. Miss Starshine came forward and tried to help me up, but I shrugged off her assistance. There was nothing wrong with me, I could stand on my own.
“Vaarsuvius, what the hell-“ Sir Greenhilt started to ask, but Miss Starshine shook her head sharply and his inquiry faltered. I scowled inwardly at the way they were acting, as though I was an upset child. I was a fully grown elf, decades older than any of them, and they should acknowledge it more often.
“V, are you okay?” Fear was still etched in her face, but now the fear was for me, not for herself and I felt a sudden stab of annoyance.
“I am quite alright.” I answered curtly, brushing residual sand off of my robes and meeting her concerned gaze with a defiant glare. Miss Starshine nodded, but she evidently did not believe me.
“I think you should go back to bed, V.”
I looked around to see that everyone else was returning to their tents, except for Sir Greenhilt who stood watching our exchange expressionlessly. I complied without another word, deciding that further protest would be futile, and re-entered my tent to see Blackwing looking at me questioningly.
“What was that all about?” He asked.
I lay down on my bedroll, facing away from him. “It is not important.”
“Was that you laughing like that?”
“I said it is not important!” I snarled, twisting around to glare at the pathetic ball of feathers. He shrunk back, burrowing down into the cloak as though it would shield him from my fury. I turned away again and lay back down.
From outside I could hear voices. “I don’t know. V was just curled up on the ground, making that noise.”
“There wasn’t anything else here?”
“Not that I could see.” There was a pause, the only audible sound a rustling as Blackwing craned his scrawny neck, trying to hear what else they had to say about me.
“I’m worried, Roy. First there was that thing with the uber-magic or whatever, then running off to fight Xykon alone. Then there was the thing with the ‘familiar’. Now this.”
“You think V’s losing it?”
“I think Vaarsuvius might not be in a fit state to adventure with us anymore. Being faced with the task that’s ahead of us is hardly going to be helping matters.”
“Maybe you’re right. But I think we should wait until morning until we make any decisions.”
“I suppose. ‘Night Roy.”
“Goodnight.”
I lay there, my face flushed with anger and shame. Blackwing was silent. I was sure that he was thinking thoughts similar to the opinions my team members had expressed. As if the mangy animal had any right to think ill of its master in such a way.
“Maybe you should pull a few of his feathers out” the voice whispered on the edge of hearing. Well, maybe I should.
I emerged from the tent as soon as the sunlight could be seen through the canvass, to find that as usual I was the first to rise. After the night’s events I had once more fallen into a trance, lost in memories that surfaced, then slipped away between my fingers. I gazed across the dunes at the rising sun, the light tinted rose pink from some distant sand storm. The air was still cool, but the sun’s rays were already warm on my face and I enjoyed the feeling, knowing that once she ascended high enough to burn I would no longer be able to feel it, instead having been magically shielded from the heat.
“A red sunrise, how lovely.”
I twisted around in surprise, to see only Blackwing hopping out of the tent, stretching his wings. He saw me looking at him, and tilted his head to the side slightly. “What?” he questioned, eyeing me strangely. His voice was a coarse rasp, perfectly understandable but still animalistic and distinct.
I turned away. “Nothing.”
“Look, I’m not judging you. I know better than they do what you’ve been through recently and if you’re a bit stressed it’s perfectly understandable. I’m sure your team mates would be happy to help if you need some emotional support at the mo-“
“’Emotional support’?!” I exclaimed incredulously. “You think I have problems of the type that can be solved with a friendly conversation and a cup of tea?” I snorted humourlessly at the idea. “I care not for your misguided analysis of my mental state. There is nothing wrong with me, save that I am surrounded by people who will not respect my need for occasional solitude.”
For a moment, it seemed Blackwing would try to argue further, but he simply snapped his beak shut once with an exasperated clack and spread his wings. “I’m gonna go and fly around for a bit, see if I can see anything from higher up.” he said, rising into the air and quickly becoming just a black speck against the sky.
Finally! Some peace and quiet!
My mood suddenly having lightened considerably, I brought my spellbooks and components out of the tent and settled down on the sand to prepare spells. As soon as the rest of them awoke I wouldn’t have a moments respite while I was in their company. I resolved to enjoy it while I could.
They had, of course, all voted against my continued contribution to the quest. Even the dwarf - whom I had begun to hope was somewhat reasonable - insisted I relinquish my participation ‘fer yer own good’. Some small part of me may have realised that my behaviour the previous night had been somewhat peculiar, but it was a slight transgression compared to their own eccentric vices, and a singular one following a long history of nothing but diligent dedication to the same cause for which we all toiled. Perhaps I should have been more insistent; after all, the successfulness of their quest would decide the fate of the entire world - a world in which I currently resided. But if I must be honest, I admit I had long since tired of their company, and having to constantly refrain from showing them painfully and exactly what I felt of them was wearing my patience somewhat thin.
But calling me insane? I was laughable; I found myself grinning at the absurdity of it.
I could always scry on them and rejoin the party at a later point, assuming they did not eventually realise their mistake themselves and take the initiative in contacting me, something which I knew them to be perfectly capable of doing. If anyone were to regret this decision - I reassured myself as a packed away my spellbooks and scrolls - it would be them. I would be the one to get the last laugh, I thought, chuckling softly.
Sir Greenhilt approached me as we concluded packing the tents, giving me an odd look. “We’ll take you to the next settlement” He said. “And we’ll find someone to provide any help you need from there.” What does he think I am?
“Thank you for your concern.” I replied sourly, “But I am well able to make my own arrangements and I will be departing present company shortly.” I had prepared a Flight spell that morning for this exact purpose.
“V, we’d be happier if we left you somewhere we know you’ll be safe.”
Have they all forgotten the magnitude of the power I wield? He was looking at me with concern that would normally be reserved for an invalid, and suddenly the desire gripped me to send a Fireball directly into his face. I imagined him screaming in pain, his flesh shrivelling and cracking, peeling away from charred bone. Something of this must have shown in my expression because he hastily backed away from me. A wise decision. I turned back to the half dismantled tent and finished folding it and packing it into a neat bundle.
However, despite their faults, I had travelled with them for long enough that I would not leave without a farewell. Especially to Miss Starshine, whom - despite our recent disputes – I had counted as a friend for longer than I had any of the others. With this in mind, I walked over to where they were gathering, Blackwing perched respectably on my shoulder and my head held high. I would not allow them to pity me.
“Miss Starshine?”
She turned to face me, looking worried. “Roy said you weren’t travelling with us to the next town. Why not V?”
“Because I am obviously no longer wanted here!” I exclaimed, gesturing wildly and almost knocking my familiar off of his makeshift perch. Everyone was watching now, but they were not deserving of my attention and so I ignored them. “Goodbye, Miss Starshine. I hope we meet again once you have come to realise that our parting was ill advised.” I turned on heel and strode off, effectively silencing further conversation. As I flew off into the air, I heard her shouting something; her own goodbye perhaps, or maybe a plea for me to remain with them. I did not look back, nor did I stop to listen.
I travelled in this fashion for the rest of the day, stopping only once in the heat of the sun to refill my water supply from a small oasis, and also to allow Blackwing to rest. When not travelling on my shoulder, he had spent the journey flying alongside me, and the inhospitable environment seemed to discomfort him more than it did me. Several times he had attempted to converse with me, either through concern or boredom. Each time I had shrugged off his attention until his attempts ceased altogether. Instead, we flew on in silence but for the whistling of the wind as it rushed past heralding us to our destination.
We reached a settlement as night was beginning to fall, for which I was grateful because I had no wish to spend another night out in the desert. It was a small town, like Sandsedge a large proportion of it consisted of tents, although these were clustered around more permanent dwellings. I began looking for accommodation for the night.
It was some time later that Haerta reappeared, suddenly there as I lay in a room at an inn staring up at the cracks in the ceiling. It was a subtle shift in the air, the feeling of someone else being present; I knew it wasn’t Blackwing because I’d kicked him out of my room earlier when he once more began trying to talk to me, shutting the door against his voice. Hearta was lounging beside me on the narrow bed, and I could feel her breath on my neck.
“You returned.” I stated by way of a greeting.
At that she laughed, rolling on top of me and effectively trapping me under her warm weight.
“I never left” she said, pressing her lips to mine and I squirmed - suddenly apprehensive - raising my hands to her shoulders to push her away. But she was having none of that; she caught my wrists and pinned them up above my head, forced a thigh between my legs. And laughed: a thick syrupy sound that seemed to come from deep in her throat. As before, it was contagious, and I found myself laughing loudly too, at least until she bit my lip sharply and told me to shut up.
“You’ll attract someone’s attention, just like you did last night.” she hissed as I gingerly felt my injured lip with my tongue, the coppery taste of blood seeping into my mouth.
“You were laughing too.” I protested, and maybe the pain was clearing my mind a little because I was suddenly wondering what exactly was going on. I tried to tug my wrists free, but her grip was like an iron vice.
“They’ll hear you laughing, but they won’t hear me.” She reassured. The ever logical part of my mind tried to consider the implications of that; could it be some side effect of the Soul Splice that tied me to this damned soul? Was it my training in matters of the arcane? But my attention ultimately drifted to a different question.
“Why are you here?” I heard myself ask.
She let go of my wrists, propping herself up on one arm and wiping a trickle of blood away from my mouth with a slender finger. The finger went to her mouth and she licked the red smear off with a flick of her tongue. Her eyes were still fixed on mine.
“Because you need me, sweetie. All this travelling around with insufferably good people has impaired your ability to act in your own interests.” A hand trailed down my neck to the clasp of my cloak, unfastened it. “You’re a mess; you spent months in fruitless search for that rogue, and where did that get you? No-one has even thanked you for your efforts. I would never have tolerated that. ”
“You would never have adventured with a group such as them.” I argued, which brought about another laugh. I struggled to stay silent.
“True, maybe. But don’t be so quick to discount what a healthy sense of self-preservation can prompt you to do. Their quest is hardly unimportant. Of course, they’re no longer allowing you to help, and after it cost you so much...”
A wave of grief washed over me, and I tensed, fighting back the emotions. She was right of course; having given up my family now meant so much less because the cause for which I had left them was denied to me. I tried to reason with myself that I had furthered the goals of the Order significantly, but the fact remained that I was no longer actively participating. “I had to leave them, I –I couldn’t have stayed.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” She cooed, tugging open the collar of my robe and lowering her head to my neck. “You made a sensible decision. But you can’t sit around feeling sorry for yourself; now you’ve got a chance to take back what you lost. And you’ve got me to help you.”
The tongue drawing swirling patterns on my throat was making it had to concentrate. “You think I should try to... regain the love of my mate?” I said disbelievingly. She chuckled at that, and this time I couldn’t resist allowing a similar noise to escape me. However she made no effort to silence me.
“Something like that.” She said lifting her head momentarily to give a smile that showed a row of oddly sharp teeth.
“How-“ I began to ask, but my question turned into a moan as she writhed against me, a moan muffled by soft lips. She took the opportunity to slip her tongue into my partly open mouth. If I had had any further questions, they were quickly forgotten.
***
I was suddenly aware that I was cold, and that I was alone. I tugged at the rough blankets I lay on, pulling them up to cover my bare skin and curled up into a ball, hugging my knees to my chest and shivering. For a moment, I could hear nothing except my own breathing, and I struggled to recall where I was. But slowly my ears began to pick up sounds from the outside world, and memories surged back. Memories of anger, of despair, of warm flesh against warm flesh...
I raised my head, clenching my teeth to stop them chattering, and gazed around the small room. Just as the warmth she had provided was gone as though it had never been, so was the necromancer herself.
All I could think of was that I didn’t want to be alone, didn’t want to be lost in the silence, I needed something tangible to focus on. I opened my mouth, my throat suddenly dry and my voice cracking. “H-Hearta?”
“Shhh.” The ghostly touch of a hand brushed across my face, cool and soft and warm and real and I sunk back down onto the bed.
“Don’t leave.”
I tried to raise my head again, but my whole body felt impossibly heavy, even my eyelids drifted shut against my will.
On the edge on consciousness I heard a whisper.
“I never did.”
This post may contain sarcasm.
DeviantArt
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2009-10-30, 06:16 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
I'm trying to get myself to do this as well.
Sadly, I have this problem where any idea that I like in general, such as a contest or fanfic, always sounds stupid when I get into details, and I have to keep reworking it and reworking it. (See my Animorphs/Pokemon fanfic... been on chapter 1 for a few months now because chapter 2 sounds stupid no matter how I handle it).
I'm trying, but... yeah.
I'd be willing to take suggestions so far.
Right now, all I really have is "I Never Asked You To Love Me" and "Opposites Attract" as ideas.Last edited by The Dark Fiddler; 2009-10-30 at 06:22 PM.
It's been a bit, GitP. If you're reading this, you're either digging through old stuff, or I've posted for the first time in forever.
If you want to stay in touch, reach out to me on twitter (same username).
The best answer is always to ask your DM.
Unless you're the DM, in which case you should talk to your players.
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2009-10-30, 06:18 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2008
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
Hm. I guess it's time to update my roller. Not today though. Don't know when.
Use Twitter? Subscribe to @oots_update to always be informed of the latest OotS.
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2009-10-30, 06:22 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2008
- Location
- Land of Clocks and Stars
- Gender
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2009-10-30, 11:24 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
- Location
- Among the spiders
- Gender
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
Yep.
And, just incase I didn't mention this before, I'm ignoring the whole 'Belkar dying before the end of the year' thing. It wouldn't work with my story's timeline (I don't care what I do; V and Reddy wouldn't be sleeping together within four weeks of meeting).
And I think I'm seriously starting to toe the 'is this going by the rules or not' line. I figure that if House of Horrors has gotten away with half the things it has, then this isn't so bad. But just a warning. There's some stuff in here that people might not want to read.
Happy Halloween! :D
SpoilerThe blood was gone. The children were gone. The dragon/Inkyrius was gone. The gargoyles were gone. Nothing was left.
Except for a person who Vaarsuvius wasn’t sure was real or not.
The tunnel swayed. The only things holding the elf upright were two firm scaled hands on lightly trembling shoulders. Vaarsuvius noticed that there was new pain in a pale cheek and delicate arms, coupled with the feeling of warm liquid dripping down. Redcloak, or at least a shape shifter who was good at imitation, was kneeling on the ground, eyes staying trained on the elf’s face.
Vaarsuvius wanted to look away, a persistent feeling of shame starting to pull hard within. Whether this was a shape shifter, a hallucination, or Redcloak himself, the elf had been caught in something deeply personal and undignified. No one should ever see the effects of the mage’s nightmares and visions. No one should ever hear the screams. No one should ever witness that disgraceful weakness. It was too private.
Redcloak’s hands left the elf’s shoulders. The goblin’s face was expressionless as he gently fingered the cuts in Vaarsuvius’s face. “Cure Minor Wounds.”
The elf looked down, the slashes on pale arms and face sewing themselves up until all that was left were all but invisible scars.
A shape shifter wouldn’t know cleric spells unless it was an actual cleric. A cleric shape shifter in the depths of Girard’s dungeon would have no reason to heal Vaarsuvius.
Redcloak looked like he would say something. Vaarsuvius hated conflicting feelings, and they were coming in waves. On one hand, there was pure joy at being with the goblin again, especially without anyone around forcing them to attack each other. On the other, there was fear of being alone with him and what emotions that would bring up. There was the embarrassment of being caught in disgrace. There was relief that it was Redcloak who had done it—he had seen worse. There was warmth in the elf’s chest and stomach at being with the cleric again. There was hatred of those feelings, because even if it was only on a subconscious level, the mage knew what they were and what they meant. Along with all that—and a vicious twinge from the elf’s abdomen served as a chilling reminder—Vaarsuvius knew that this goblin had unknowingly fathered the child now growing within the mage.
Oh dear elven gods. Vaarsuvius was carrying Redcloak’s child. And he didn’t know.
Damnation.
This realization—something that Vaarsuvius should have already come to terms with—knocked the very breath from the elf’s lungs.
Redcloak stood up wordlessly, oblivious to what was going through Vaarsuvius’s head, and turned to leave.
The elf knew that the goblin should go. It was dangerous for them to talk, to even touch, when there was no one else’s presence to keep them in check. The feelings between them were too convoluted and ran too deep—dangerous territory.
Blood started dripping down the walls and Vaarsuvius shook, trying to blink away the illusion but failing. “Redcloak…”
The goblin glanced back, frowning, hiding a flash of worry in his eyes. Vaarsuvius never sounded so pathetic. Never.
The elf seemed to catch on to the distinctly weak note to the voice and scowled at the floor, clenching small fists and trying to keep violet eyes away from the blood. Red started pooling on the floor, whispers coming from the very walls themselves. “You were a fool to save me.”
Redcloak stayed expressionless, watching the elf with a face that would seem clinical and dispassionate to anyone else. If someone other than the mage’s loved ones had heard the harsh remark, Vaarsuvius would sound hard and angry. Redcloak knew better than that. He knew too much about the elf’s pride and defense mechanisms.
He walked back against both their better judgment, kneeling before his partner and tentatively putting his hands on small shoulders. He wasn’t sure if he was permitted to touch Vaarsuvius anymore, but judging by the elf’s subtle lean into his hands, he was more than welcome. “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”
The blood melted away and the whispers faded as soon as their skin met. Vaarsuvius resisted the urge to throw delicate arms around the goblin’s neck and kiss him until time itself ended. They couldn’t fall back into their old pattern. It was too dangerous. “The feeling is mutual.”
Pain tore through the elf’s abdomen angrily, clawing for attention, giving Vaarsuvius a ruthless reminder that there was something within that demanded what the elf could not give—a body structure capable of handling what was being asked of it and proper rest and sustenance. As revenge, it dealt the elf a brutal token of one thing that could not be explained away, could not be ignored, that would bind the cleric and mage together until it ceased to exist.
Vaarsuvius, to the elf’s credit, only winced slightly, stifling a cry and tightening thin lips a little. It was enough for Redcloak’s notice, though.
“Are you still hurt?” He frowned, tightening his grip lightly on the elf’s shoulder. “Cure Light Wounds.”
Pain receded for the moment, but Vaarsuvius knew well enough that it would come back if the elf continued without enough food, trance, and medical attention. People weren’t supposed to have this much cramping at the beginning of pregnancy. The backaches and the headache were normal, but the cramping was worrisome.
“…Thank you. You are still a fool.”
“Well, at least I know you’re not an illusion.” The slightest smile played over Redcloak’s lips. “Only Vaarsuvius could be healed and then insult the one who did it.”
“And only Redcloak could be insulted for his mistakes and then repeat them mere moments later.”
Redcloak’s hand twitched, an incomplete motion towards the elf’s face. “Vaarsuvius, I…” He stopped himself. “Never mind. You look like you haven’t tranced in a while.”
Vaarsuvius shrugged vaguely. “I tranced last night.” In fact, the elf was a little suspicious of the circumstances of that, but considering that there had been no nightmares, Vaarsuvius was willing to overlook the possibility of deceit on the Order’s part.
“One night doesn’t do much versus several nights prior.” Redcloak frowned at the phosphorescent walls around them. “It was nighttime when I got in here.”
“It was the afternoon when I did, and I am rather certain you came first.”
Redcloak nodded thoughtfully. “Then, if my sense of time is worth anything here, it’s night again. We should probably stay together for now—Dark One knows how this place will mess with our dreams.”
Vaarsuvius recognized the favor Redcloak was doing. He was offering a good night’s rest just as he did in the Azure City castle, and in the process, he was sparing the elf hurt pride by only mentioning how they would equally benefit from it.
The elf’s only response to this imprudent generosity was blinked thanks. “Either of us could easily kill the other in their sleep.”
“True.” Redcloak leaned on the wall comfortably, cocking his head. “But neither of us will.” The same way neither of us did last time.
Vaarsuvius hesitated, then slowly nodded, strands of purple hair falling out of the ponytail. “Very well.”
On unspoken agreement, they both sidled up together, intertwining until both had their arms around the other, one providing heat and the other providing comfort. Redcloak noted worriedly that the elf was still shaking from the vision. Vaarsuvius noted gratefully that the goblin still hadn’t asked about it. By the same unspoken agreement, their hands stayed in completely respectful and pure areas. They were willing to extend some form of the emotional and physical intimacy they had shared in Azure City, but they knew better than to engage in anything more than the limited amount they had already permitted. They knew better than to engage in any at all, but both were feeling too weak to resist for different reasons.
Vaarsuvius’s shaking tapered off and violet eyes glazed over in a trance. There weren’t any nightmares for either of them.
---
Durkon didn’t understand the mechanics of magic and illusion too well. He had only been interested in his god as a child, a teenager, and as an adult. He had never intended to become a mage, so he didn’t see why he should try to learn anything about magic. But he knew what an illusion was and he knew that he was seeing one.
That fact didn’t make his blood freeze any less.
“Get off of me! How dare you?!”
The sound of Vaarsuvius’s voice was piercingly clear, even though it was impossible that the elf was there. Durkon’s grip on his hammer tightened and he leaned against the wall, trying to calm himself down, and his eyes were fixed on the opposite wall just in front of a bend in the tunnel, shadows as clear as if they belongs to people just out of sight in the tunnel moving against the surface. One shadow was of a familiar, straight, impossibly slender body clothed in robes. The other was of some greater monster warped by Durkon’s own perceptions, only identifiable from the wicked claws on its long fingers, currently wrapped around the more slender shadow’s arms.
The owner of the slender shadow twisted and continued to shout, trying to rip out of the monster’s grasp. “Unhand me immediately!”
The monster said something in guttural goblin tongue, the shadows being forced closer and closer together. There was the sound of ripping clothes. “Get off of me. Get off of me. GET OFF OF ME!”
Durkon steeled himself. The shadows were of nothing. The sounds were just illusions. When he walked around the bend, it would be over. Vaarsuvius wasn’t being hurt again. Vaarsuvius wasn’t being hurt again. Vaarsuvius would never be hurt again as long as the Order existed.
The demands morphed into horrible screams and the shadows meshed together. Durkon couldn’t go forward. If the dungeon had the power to make shadows and sounds, it had the power to make images of people. He wouldn’t be able to handle an outright sight.
He went on his knees and prayed to Thor for strength, shaking, trying to block out the sounds. He wouldn’t be able to even walk to this illusion, let alone face it. He knew it wasn’t real. He knew that Vaarsuvius wasn’t being hurt. It was still too much. This hellish dungeon preyed on the fears of the adventurers who traveled within it. None of its visions were real. He just needed to remember that.
Durkon didn’t know how long it took for the screams to recede, turning into soft whimpers, and for the shadows fade from the walls. The nightmare was over. The cleric could continue on his way, hopefully without anymore visions having to do with his worries about Vaarsuvius. He didn’t know if he could handle going through it again.
He ignored the slight tremor his hands had developed and stood, taking pains to not notice the residual whimpers that were probably just echoes from the finished illusion. He was slow in walking around the bend.
He quickly realized that he should have been slower.
Vaarsuvius shook violently, sprawled prone on the ground, knees pulled up a little so they protected the abdominal area, purple hair loose and wild, robes ripped up and stained with blood. Even if Durkon hadn’t heard it, he would have known what had just happened.
The elf let out a pathetically feeble whimper, shaking and propping up on trembling arms. Scratches ripped down them, blood squeezing out, and veins popped out of the flesh in an unhealthy way. Vaarsuvius glanced up, eyes widening at the sight of the dwarf. “Durkon?” The mage started shaking harder. “How long have you been there?”
Durkon couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. “Vaarsuvius?”
“You sat back and let him do those things?!” The violet eyes, already somewhat off from what Durkon was used to, drained to black and the surprisingly feminine voice became double-toned and guttural. “You call yourself a healer?! You call yourself my friend?! You allow me to spiral to my own doom through self-starvation and exhaustion, get captured by that monster, allow me to begin self-destructing again, and then you simply sit back and let the monster hurt me again?!”
Durkon knew that it was an illusion.
He also knew that it was telling the truth.
Seeing the affirmation in the dwarf’s eyes, the creature that looked like Vaarsuvius roared, face turning black with a giant mouth lined with sharp teeth, and its head snapped forward, giant mouth opening to swallow the dwarf whole.
Then it was gone. Just like that. And there was nothing in the tunnel to imply that there had been anything there at all.
Durkon didn’t start moving forward again until after a long while.
---
“I know that you and I do not see eye-to-eye in most matters, especially concerning Vaarsuvius, but I think that she is your child and should be treated as such. It is your privilege to raise her. This is different. Why did you not tell her about this beforehand?”
Vaarsuvius knew that everyone expected the child to be up in bed and asleep, but the apprentice couldn’t leave. The child huddled near the entrance of the living room, ears twitching as she eavesdropped.
“‘Darius, I think you’re overreacting. She’s finding things out the natural way.”
“We are past the dark ages! She thought she was dying. She was crying, Aula! In all my years of teaching her, I have never once seen her cry. She was that terrified.”
Vaarsuvius blushed and curled into a ball of shame.
“I will never doubt that you love her, but you are doing damage by this refusal to tell her about these things.”
“Oh, she has been handling the changes in her body fine. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”
“Well, you explained about the different ways she would develop.”
“No, we didn’t.”
“What?!”
The firelight flickered, almost going out before flaring then settling. A sign that Aarindarius was extremely upset, so much that his magic was affecting the world around him without his urging.
Vaarsuvius started angling so the people within the living room could be seen.
Parent and Other Parent were sitting on the couch nonchalantly, Other Parent lying down with his head in Parent’s lap. Aarindarius was pacing in front of the fire, biting his knuckle with his eyes closed. Vaarsuvius had only seen him do that once before when he had found out that a friend of his had become evil because of his lust for power. It was what Aarindarius did to calm down.
“No wonder she has been so angry. You have left her nothing but confusion to work with.” Aarindarius spun around to face them, more agitated than Vaarsuvius had ever seen him. “You are willing to copulate in front of her and yet you won’t even warn her that she will begin menstruating?!”
“Well, making love is perfectly natural.” Other Parent smiled up at the wizard, and expression completely at odds with Aarindarius’s. “She’ll find that out too.”
“You haven’t even explained that?!”
Aarindarius bit his knuckle and closed his eyes again, face turning an odd shade of red. “She is at the age where children get curious. You need to inform her about the feelings she will get and the things that she will want to do before she makes a horrible mistake.”
“She doesn’t need to know. She’ll instinctively know when the time’s right.”
“She will be taken advantage of, Tiberius!” Aarindarius tore his knuckle from his teeth, barely noticing as he scratched up the skin and throwing his hands in the air. “Did you learn nothing from the story of the cleric’s daughter in Corellon Larethian’s temple? She was used by the budding sociopaths among our teenage children because of her lack of knowledge! Vaarsuvius will start going into the town more, if not because she wants to but because she has to at this age. She is becoming beautiful. She will be noticed by the other teenagers. She won’t know what they are doing to her!”
The fire flared dangerously again before Aarindarius caught himself. Vaarsuvius shook, curling tighter in a protective ball. The child had never seen the wizard this upset. Was she in danger? What were they talking about?
“I know you love her. I love her as well. I do not want her to be hurt, especially in such a vile manner.”
“And she won’t be.” Parent shifted, frowning at Aarindarius. “‘Darius, you’re getting worked up over nothing. The young elves here are good people. Suvie will attract them like honey, but they won’t hurt her.”
“You are as naïve as you are loving, Aula. Individuals can be trusted, but you do not know all the teenagers of Ivyleaf. There are always depraved among the pure.” Aarindarius crossed his arms. “I love Vaarsuvius. It pains me to see her afraid and upset. She has been in a perpetual state of that since her puberty began.”
“Now, ‘Darius, I think you’re exaggerating…”
“I am not. She needs something to hold on to. She needs to know what her body is doing to her before she decides that it is something to hate. Don’t you see what you are doing to her?”
“‘Darius, if you want to teach her about love and the body, we won’t stop you. We just don’t feel that it needs to be said.”
“My friends, you are fools. If you won’t teach her, then I shall. I cannot stand to see her so afraid, and I will not stand to see her exploited because of her ignorance. As long as I live, she will have no reason to cry to me again.”
The fire flickered again, the smell of thyme and rosewood, magic, strong in the air.
Vaarsuvius stood and quietly padded to bed.
Spoiler
The April Squickies Award for Best Crack Pairing Story
Thank you so much to Kaytara for the avatar! It's of Redcloak's and Vaarsuvius's love child.
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2009-10-31, 03:37 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
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- England
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
I've revised my opinion: this story isn't 'poor V', it's 'poor everyone involved'. Especially Durkon.
It's nice to see Reddy and V cuddling up together again, and with relatively little arguing. Just as long as Durkon doesn't walk into them while they're asleep.
Pain receded for the moment, but Vaarsuvius knew well enough that it would come back if the elf continued without enough food, trance, and medical attention. People weren’t supposed to have this much cramping at the beginning of pregnancy. The backaches and the headache were normal, but the cramping was worrisome.
“My friends, you are fools. If you won’t teach her, then I shall. I cannot stand to see her so afraid, and I will not stand to see her exploited because of her ignorance. As long as I live, she will have no reason to cry to me again.”This post may contain sarcasm.
DeviantArt
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2009-10-31, 04:30 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
Two wonderful updates. I've really grown to love V x Haerta, and the way you write it, Zanaril, is fascinating. I can't wait for the next update. As for your story, Water-Smurf, poor Vaarsuvius and poor Durkon, but especially poor Vaarsuvius. Her parents are woefully... unhelpful, to say the least. That must make Aarindarius' "betrayal" all the more painful. And I really hope Aarindarius' "she'll be abused!" isn't foreshadowing about her teenaged years.
And did Xykon allow Redcloak to regenerate his eye? You wrote about eyes.
Yay! I can do sexy!Formerly known as Discord here and Maladin on avatarspirit.net.
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2009-10-31, 06:14 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2006
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- England
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
This post may contain sarcasm.
DeviantArt
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2009-10-31, 06:23 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2009
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
Hmm... that baby's a bit weird...
Redcloak doesn't happen to glitter in the sun, does he?
Also, stingy Redcloak. Cure Minor Wounds and Cure Light Wounds. 1d8+6 damage healed.
Woo. I've seen level 1 characters with more HP than can be healed by that.
Granted, Redcloak isn't a good cleric, so it's not like he can convert his spells into healing spells.
And he is involved a lot with undead, where Cure spells don't help much.Last edited by The Dark Fiddler; 2009-10-31 at 06:24 AM.
It's been a bit, GitP. If you're reading this, you're either digging through old stuff, or I've posted for the first time in forever.
If you want to stay in touch, reach out to me on twitter (same username).
The best answer is always to ask your DM.
Unless you're the DM, in which case you should talk to your players.
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2009-10-31, 06:23 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
Another excellent chapter. I particularly like the trance at the end. V's parents are not good parents. No. Scratch that. They're TERRIBLE parents.
Also, I really like the subtle details, such as Darius's habit of biting his knuckles.My webcomic!
Currently DMing:
Tales of Aequar: Runite's Rise IC
OOC Map
Playing Natalia Bolts,Jadeite Nocrius, and Soren Lowell
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2009-10-31, 06:26 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2009
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- In a castle under the sea
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Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
:reads title:
50% more squick? So, we'er doing 3 people now?
Crystal X Xykon X Mr. Scruffy
Now, a fanfic!
...
Now I remember why I didn't post on the last two much.
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2009-10-31, 06:31 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
This post may contain sarcasm.
DeviantArt
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2009-10-31, 06:42 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
Ah! NO! BAD! Burn burn BURN!
My webcomic!
Currently DMing:
Tales of Aequar: Runite's Rise IC
OOC Map
Playing Natalia Bolts,Jadeite Nocrius, and Soren Lowell
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2009-10-31, 07:55 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
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- Lurkers Anonymous
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
/raises hand
Can I ask a question?
In fact, the elf was a little suspicious of the circumstances of that, but considering that there had been no nightmares, Vaarsuvius was willing to overlook the possibility of deceit on the Order’s part.
Great update, Zanaril. Haerta slowly poisoning V is a treat to read. Though...have you given up on V/Z? If you have, I'd like to try writing a little for that. Though I guess I would need a plot.
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2009-10-31, 08:01 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
It's been a bit, GitP. If you're reading this, you're either digging through old stuff, or I've posted for the first time in forever.
If you want to stay in touch, reach out to me on twitter (same username).
The best answer is always to ask your DM.
Unless you're the DM, in which case you should talk to your players.
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2009-10-31, 08:19 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2009
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Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
That's what I understood as well.
Of course, if you want to be dark, you can say that drugging an elf actually is a bad idea, since they don't see memories when drugged and that elves need to see them, or else...Formerly known as Discord here and Maladin on avatarspirit.net.
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2009-10-31, 09:29 AM (ISO 8601)
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- England
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
This post may contain sarcasm.
DeviantArt
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2009-10-31, 10:15 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Minnesota, ya?
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Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
Now I'm confused about illusions. They're just pictures, right? Can they hurt you if you respond to them? Or do they just have more power over you if you react?
I either need to stop reading The Shining until Water-Smurf is done with VxRC, or stop reading VxRC until I'm done with The Shining. I'm just confusing myself at this point.
EDIT: Happy Halloween, all!Last edited by Meg; 2009-10-31 at 10:16 AM.
...And that is how I met your father.
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2009-10-31, 10:51 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
Re: Crack Pairings 3 - 50% More Squick
It's been a bit, GitP. If you're reading this, you're either digging through old stuff, or I've posted for the first time in forever.
If you want to stay in touch, reach out to me on twitter (same username).
The best answer is always to ask your DM.
Unless you're the DM, in which case you should talk to your players.