It’s Like Not Even Funny Anymore How Bad I Need Her

Smol tony

This was for the #sixfanarts thingy since someone requested Draco braiding his hair but I decided to do a drawing for Mermay too... so, behold! Merman!Draco

YES HELLO WATCH THIS #drarryasf “ib/ac: argentistic”

A wee thing from the Drarry Hanahaki thing I am working on! I’m not sure if I’ll ever end up posting it fully but I thought it was pretty cool!

General tw for hanahaki-related shenanigans, throwing up and coughing.

He breathes and it feels like drowning, in an ocean of leaves instead of water. He swallows and it feels like dying, a thousand lacerations made from a thousand thorns, the taste of petals bitter and cloying against his tongue. He used to hate the taste of blood but now he thinks he would prefer it. Anything over the scent of perfume, sweet and dry and overpowering, chalky against his tongue.

His ribs ache with the force of his hacking. The petals that fall from his mouth are different now, stained pink and damp, overflowing from his outstretched hands where he tried to catch them all. They spill down onto the floor like water and Draco tries to suppress another shiver as it claws from underneath his chest.

When the shaking stops Draco remains hunched over, each beat of his heart a throbbing reminder of the fire in his veins. When he manages to uncurl his body from the floor another wave of pain hits him and he has to clench his teeth to prevent a moan from slipping out. His mouth tastes like blood and flowers, life and death mixed together and he supresses a laugh at the thought.

HARRY POTTER 20th Anniversary Thai Edition - cover art by ARCH APOLAR

Post-War Storm Epilogue: Reunion **spoilers for RQ4**

                                                   1 year later

The wind is chill on my skin as I step onto the runway at the edge of Archeon. It’s been a year since I was last in Norta, a year since I said goodbye to Cal. So much has changed since then.

I’ve come alone this time, leaving Farley with Clara and Kilorn with Cameron, even Davidson stayed behind in Montfort - all aware that this is a trip I need to take alone. My family are safe and happy, and as much as it pains me to leave them again I’ve known for some time that my path would lead me back here. At least this time around it’s by choice, and not as part of a cruel game.

Over the past year I’ve explored the world to the farthest reaches and back,  always keeping one eye on my former home, on Norta. The first broadcast we watched together; my family, Davidson, the Red Command and even Evangaline, huddled around to see the first glimpses of the new country. In the weeks following the battle the High Houses started to return. Silvers and reds were shown to be mixing, working together to build the new world with a fledgling government drawn from both bloods. Cal was elected temporarily as the first Premier of Norta amidst the fall-out, as the country sought to find a new equilibrium. Seeing his face, clear of pain but worn from rebuilding was a smart to my slowly healing wounds.

The next broadcast I saw came six months later. Away from Ascendant, away from my family, I watched as Cal was sworn in officially as Premier. A king no longer, but still a leader in his blood. The footage panned to Cal’s government, a collection of reds, silvers and new-bloods alike, all committed to upholding a better future. I didn’t watch the full broadcast, unwilling to see the marks of resistance still brewing amongst bitter silvers. I have to remind myself that for once, the good outweighs the bad, and with Cal at the head of government it will stay that way. Progress has been slow, but as Davidson would say, inches for miles.

I snap out of my memories, caught off guard by the light rain that has started to fall. My Montfort escorts lead the way to my transport and I find myself once again on my way to Whitefire.

***

The palace remains much the same; the marble polished and clean, free from the gore of a battle long since passed. The throne room however has been repurposed for government - the colours of House Calore have been removed, as have those of Marandus and Jacos. Much like in Ascendant, the colours that now line the walls are those of silver and red, interspersed in equal measure. A physical reminder of the unification of the bloods.

It’s here that I find him.

My breath catches as I watch him from the doorway. Cal seems much unchanged; his broad shoulders cloaked in a simple dark jacket with trousers to match, tucked into military grade boots. His hair is longer than I last saw it, long enough to start curling around his ears as it falls forward. I put a hand to my red earring, the one Cal gifted to me a lifetime ago, as the full weight of missing him crashes into me and I find it hard to breathe. In response my lightning crackles to life in my palm, and Cal’s head snaps up at the sound.

His gaze finds me immediately, smoldering bronze in surprise and trepidation. Cal straightens, seemingly searching for the right thing to say and coming up with nothing. “Hi”, I say quietly, never averting my gaze. A startled chuckle bursts from him, “Hi” he says in return.

I suddenly feel awkward. What if he didn’t wait for me? What if this year apart has changed everything? Cal steps forward as I make to step back, reading the questions in my eyes before I can voice them. “Mare”, his voice is soft and pleading, serving as a balm to my nerves. My lighting crackles once more as the heat in the room slowly rises, and I step towards him. With that one step it’s as if a spell has lifted and we rush towards eachother, desperate to close the space between us.

Cal pulls me into his embrace, his body warm and as strong as I remember. My arms lock around his neck as he lifts me, holding me so tightly it feels as though we could become one from sheer determination alone. I draw back to look at him, tracing his cheekbones with one hand before settling it along his jaw, cupping his ear softly. Cal shudders beneath me, the raw emotion roiling in his eyes as he studies my face as if memorizing it, likely checking for any new scars, ever the soldier. Cal clears his throat as he sets me back down, although doesn’t release the circle of his arms, keeping me close, safe within his cocoon of warmth.

“I’ve missed you.” Cal chokes out. “Everyday, I’ve missed you. Every storm I’ve hoped to see a streak of purple. Everywhere I turn I think I see you.” Cal’s breathing is heavy as his eyes bore into mine, afraid to look away even for a moment. “Is this real? Are you really here?” Cal swallows audibly, waiting for me to speak with bated breath.

I try to sound nonchalant and fail spectacularly, my voice wobbling when I reply, “It’s real. I’m here.” Cal’s body trembles against mine, his growing smile threatening to crack my heart wide open as I continue, my voice betraying me once more, “I’m never saying farewell to you again” I whisper, tears leaking from the corner of my eyes, tracking quickly down my cheeks. The temperature in the room spikes, my body curled in delicious heat as Cal burns. He leans towards me, tentatively kissing away the tears running down my cheeks one at a time, his lips feather light on my damp skin, before drawing back to look at me once more.

“Are you going to kiss me properly or have I got to do everything myself?” I tease half-seriously. Cal’s deep laugh shakes through my body, through my soul, stitching together all my broken pieces, filling my heart with such happiness I feel as though it might burst. “There’s my Mare” Cal chuckles, sobered once more by the sight of my smile, before drawing me flush against him and closing his mouth over mine.

***

The wounds still exist. The betrayals and deceits lie between us as they always have, but they are no longer obstacles. The path that brought us here was treacherous, fraught with sorrow and death, but it has forged us into the people we have become, and are still becoming. My physical brand remains, as real as the emotional scars left behind by Maven in both of us, but the time spent apart has allowed us to grieve and find peace in our own way.

Nothing stands between us anymore. With hearts slowly mending we have only hope for a new world and a better life for all bloods. Our choice is simple and made without hesitation; on this day, and every day from now, we will choose eachother.

———–

Phew, I hope you guys like this! This is my first attempt at writing any sort of fic, let along posting it. I finished War Storm yesterday and couldn’t bear the way it ended, so wanted to continue the epilogue with this. I needed to see Mare and Cal reunited, ok!

Anyway, I’d love to hear any thoughts on this! Is this how you saw things ending up? I need someone to fangirl with, pls and thanks.

WOULD LICK HER BACK UNTIL MY TONGUE DISINTEGRATES

being ellie’s doll(y) core ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

@clearheartgreyflowers for our joint brain rot !!

just some pep talks to myself💫

I love these 10 cute motivational posts from chibird.