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Post by NightshadeVII on Aug 29, 2023 2:22:44 GMT -6
This moment of solitude, however brief, was like a blessing, a small mercy. His breath shuddered in the empty, thrashed apartment. His thoughts were racing and roaring, churning like a stormy ocean. He felt restless, unbearably so. Just as the thought of running away made itself known, the creature returned, devouring the last of the dove, droplets of blood landing on the living room carpet. Aberdeen groaned quietly at the sight. That would take an eternity to wash out.
Then, the creature shifted again, to a cat this time- a much more manageable form really. In the back of his mind, he considered kicking her like this, but considering how quickly and effortlessly she could change her shape, it would only lead to him getting mangled a second time. And some experiences just weren’t worth repeating. The nøkk grimaced, finally relenting and following behind the sleek black cat into the mist outside.
The mist had swallowed the dawn, leaving everything in an almost dreamlike haze. It was like watching the world through a fogged up window. In the distance, he could head music that was so dreadfully familiar it made his skin crawl. To distract himself, he turned his gaze back to the fae creature guiding him, and decided to ask a question that had plagued him.
“Tell me”, Aberdeen began, tilting his head, “do you know whose face you took yesterday at my lake? Or were you just given instructions.”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Aug 29, 2023 16:28:47 GMT -6
Siofra padded ahead of Aberdeen, tail held straight and ears pricked. Her pace was swift, not the usual languid stroll of a cat. They made good progress, winding through the suburbs, obscured by the mist.
She glanced around as he spoke, a flat feline stare of disapproval. But there were no humans to see her talk, and so she did.
“I can…sense who you love, or have loved.” Came the voice, hushed. “She was pretty. The face that stood out.“
That was as much explanation as she seemed willing to divulge, and she bounded a few steps ahead, pouncing on a leaf as it skittered across the pavement.
Aberdeens dragging footsteps made the walk pass slowly, but with every minute passed they drew closer to the forest. The mist pressed in like a tangible weight, and by the time the trees began to loom out of the fog, the cats fur was littered with droplets of water.
She shook like a dog, turning to groom the damp spots from her fur.
“Your kind has the form of the horse, yes?” She said between licks. “Turn. So we do not have to walk all day.”
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Post by NightshadeVII on Aug 30, 2023 0:23:32 GMT -6
In the mist, the nøkk’s wounds healed faster than they normally would. He wasn’t sure if it was a gesture of good will or a reminder of his ties to it. Another reminder of his inability to escape.
Aberdeen averted his eyes as the fae creature revealed why she had taken that form. His jaw clenched tightly and he crossed his arms over his chest- an outwardly defensive gesture masking a need to hold himself together. It didn’t surprise him that the choice had been based on little more than convenience and the usual vanity. Venom built in his throat, trapped behind his teeth. He wanted to hurt her, spit curses at her for being so callous with the face of someone so good, someone he had never wanted to involve in this mess. It wasn’t right. Of all people, Dagmar should be left out of this. The only person who had ever… And now she was little more than a tool, a mask to be discarded when she no longer served. He sighed, trying to calm himself. His anger and hurt wouldn’t help him, as past experiences had proved.
Instead, to occupy his seething mind, he turned his attention back to the cat in front of him, puzzled by her mostly. Though clearly fae of some kind and working with his court, she didn’t have the connection to the realm that someone truly bound to it would have. Why had she been the one sent to fetch him? He had expected Eike- his old mentor would have been the obvious choice- but someone he didn’t know? Someone he had no connection to? It was little more than a wasted opportunity. The thought of an outsider working for the court didn’t sit right with him, it implied change that could in no way be good. Or perhaps it was a sign of desperation. He wondered if the difference would be relevant to him, if he should even care.
Ahead, the forest loomed shrouded in mist, like a pathetic mimicry of the realm awaiting them. The closer they got, the more he could feel it knawing at his mind, sinking it’s claws in deep. It remembered him, welcomed him back like a parent would a child that had run away from home.
He scoffed as the fae creature demanded he turn into a horse, as if she hadn’t already made enough demands of him. Of course, she didn’t need to know that he couldn’t do what she suggested, even if he had wanted to, so instead, he chose to play it off as vanity. Which wasn’t entirely false either.
“No”, the nøkk replied flatly, eyes cold as he looked at the black cat, “I’m not going to return to my court in the form of a horse. Let’s just keep walking if you’re so busy.”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Aug 30, 2023 20:08:20 GMT -6
Mid-lick, the cat paused. Her burning gaze was incredulous as she stared, unblinking, as if she had heard him wrong and was waiting for the fae to correct himself.
“Do you want to be dragged into the court crying and begging like you just were?” She said flatly, her tone clipped. “Turn. Stócach bastaird.”
The cat stood with an angry flick of its tail. Changing forms for her was as easy as shrugging on a jacket. That much was evident as, for the fourth time that day, she turned to another animal in the span of a few heartbeats.
The now-horse snorted out a breath, nostrils flared, stamping a hoof against the loam of the forest floor. It was a wild, dangerous looking beast, and as she drew her lips back from her teeth, Aberdeen would see she had the fangs of a carnivore. Somehow, this form was more terrifying than that of the cougar - perhaps its sheer size, or the shock of sharp teeth.
“Turn, now. You test my patience.”
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Post by NightshadeVII on Aug 31, 2023 1:36:46 GMT -6
“Angeber”, the nøkk scoffed under his breath as the creature changed it’s shape again. Though the creature’s shapes were many, none truly served as a good disguise. They all had the same sleek black coat and sharp teeth, they all carried the same scars. She would be recognized anywhere. But perhaps her usefulness didn’t come through fitting in, but rather in the form of utility- that one wrecked tool in the box that still always got the job done. Though the horse shape she now took was arguably terrifying, something out of a child’s nightmare, the nøkk looked entirely unfazed, his eyes devoid of fear. Still, Aberdeen was not the bigger person and a frown tugged at his lips as he watched the creature’s blatant display of power, his own bound painfully within his chest. How different things would have been, were he not cursed.
“Gott im Himmel… Are you deaf?” Aberdeen hissed, walking past her without second glance, “I’m not changing my shape just to appease the court. If they want me so badly, they can wait for me.” Turquoise eyes scanned the mist, ignoring the intangible shapes in the distance. Normally, the realm would have opened itself for him already, allowed him home no matter where he was, but now it had closed itself off, curled up like a hurt, defensive animal. What did that make him?
The nøkk sighed, placing his hands on his hips and looking back at the creature. “Lille ven… so I test your patience? Oh, I feel so sorry for you”, he spoke, words dripping insincerity, “you really drew the short straw”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Sept 1, 2023 19:39:59 GMT -6
The horse stood still as Abby sauntered past, her ears slowly pinning back. Her stance was tense, irritated, and she tossed her head with a derisive snort as he swore in his native language. She pawed angrily at the ground with a sharp hoof, watching the grass split and soil part.
The creature was not a patient one. Speaking so much had been exhausting. Hunger clawed at her stomach. The one she’d been sent to collect was haughty, stubborn, uncooperative, yet as weak and pathetic as a kitten when hurt. It seemed to be the only method that would make him listen.
She stared at Aberdeen when he turned to face her, radiating malice. She was done with talking, with trying to convince him.
She lunged, lips pulled back from her fangs. A vicious bite was aimed at his shoulder as she barrelled forwards, and she seemed intent to either trample them beneath her hooves or to drag him by her teeth.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Sept 3, 2023 23:29:16 GMT -6
The nøkk felt a brief flash of satisfaction, realizing he’d annoyed the creature, watching her stomp her hooves angrily against the ground. She wasn’t as… passive aggressive as he fae he was used to dealing with, much more direct, and had the physical strength to back it up, as annoying as it was. But if nothing else he knew he could get under her skin.
Unsurprisingly, satisfaction was quickly replaced by regret when the creature lunged, teeth bared in threat. Instinctively, the nøkk stumbled away, but he was exhausted, defeated and plainly just weaker than the fae creature right now. Jaws snapped shut around his shoulder and he bit back a noise of pain. Tears clouded his vision for the second time that day and he blinked them away furiously. If he had ever forgotten his dislike for his kind, these few short hours had served as the most unappreciated reminder.
“Alright, alright- you’ve made your point-!”, Aberdeen hissed through grit teeth as the horse began to drag him off. With his free hand, he pushed against the horse’s muzzle as if trying to get her to let go, even if it meant pulling her teeth from his flesh.
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Post by qhostqrowls on Sept 5, 2023 19:24:36 GMT -6
Aberdeen’s words fell on deaf ears. Her charge turned to a gallop, branches and undergrowth snatching at his clothes as the forest flew by. She ignored the way her legs knocked against his body, the awkward angle she had to hold her head at to drag him. Her breath was hot against his skin, her fangs like a vice in his shoulder.
She stopped as suddenly as she had started, and dropped him to the ground.
“Turn.” She snarled, stomping a hoof dangerously close to his head.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Sept 7, 2023 3:05:10 GMT -6
The nøkk yelped, trying to dig his feet into the ground to stop the horse- all that earned him was a hoof to the shin. Frustration boiled beneath his skin, he was supposed to be better than this.
Instinctively, he tried to push away from the horse, away from the stomping hooves, wincing as his shoulder protested the movement. “Of all the obstinate, pigheaded- urgh”, his curses fell away, as he realized he had nothing else to say, no other biting retorts. He had nothing left but the pathetic truth.
Turquoise eyes fixed the fae creature with a withering glare, refusing to flinch as her hoof stomped down beside his head. “I can’t” the nøkk finally relented, the words barely whispered, yet they felt like glass in his mouth, “I can’t. There. Satisfied?”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Sept 7, 2023 3:29:43 GMT -6
“Gan úsáid!”
Dirt sprayed across Aberdeens face as she stomped away, turning in an angry circle. Again she pawed, clearly thinking the situation over. It would take hours at this pace. And as much as she would have liked to drag him there, that wouldn’t work for the distance.
“Get on.” She said shortly, turning so her side faced him. She glanced back at him without moving her head, a side-eyed stare. She looked like she wanted to bite him again, and her tail flicked as she waited. It was this or be dragged.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Sept 8, 2023 1:51:17 GMT -6
For a moment, Aberdeen simply started at her as if she had grown another head. Or perhaps lost the one she already had, after all, she was clearly out of her mind.
“You’re joking.” The words were flat, a statement and not a question. There was no way this creature that had just nearly torn him to shreds was now suggesting this. As if she hadn’t humiliated him enough. The silence stretched, like a string about to snap and reluctance radiated from the nøkk.
“For helvede, of course you’re not joking”, he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. So his choice was to either get dragged back to the court, mangled, or effectively participate in his own defeat. Both would be humiliating, as intended, he’d never live it down. At least some things never changed, he thought dryly, almost chuckling to himself at the notion. If he had known this some 800 years ago…
“Fine”, the nøkk finally relented. He got up slowly, exhaustion beginning to set in now that he wasn’t actively being mauled, dragged or otherwise tormented. His whole body ached and a headache pushed against his brow. As Aberdeen approached, he didn’t take his eyes off the fae creature, trying to get a read on her, ready to step back if she changed her mind. He didn’t trust her in the slightest and there was no sense in hiding it. He winced as he swung himself up on the horse’s back, the movement more clumsy and uncoordinated than he would have liked.
“Don’t drop me.”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Sept 9, 2023 0:53:56 GMT -6
Aberdeens mistrust was mirrored by the mare, who stood very still as he neared. Her skin shivered where he touched her, like she was flicking off a fly. Her inky pelt was sleek and hot beneath his fingers, and he could feel the powerful muscle of her shoulders and neck as he heaved himself up.
The fae shifted her stance, turning in a half circle as he adjusted. She was a large horse, and her long, coarse mane would have to suffice in place of a bridle for the ride.
“Don’t fall off.” She replied, starting at a slow walk. Her stride soon lengthened into a gallop, and even though she was unused to a rider, she ran as wild and fast as she always did.
The wind whipped past Aberdeens face. Her breath came in snorts, yet she slipped through the undergrowth as deftly as if she was still a feline. The mist returned slowly, obscuring the path ahead, and yet Siofra never faltered or slowed. She knew exactly where she was going.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Sept 12, 2023 2:52:31 GMT -6
As the mist around them grew thicker, the world fell away and it became harder to breathe. The grey clung to them like greedy hands. In this oblivion, figures lingered in the periphery, never truly visible, voices of the past called out, beckoning you closer, wanting nothing more than for you to simply step off the path, away from safety. They promised the world if you listened. Lies, all of it. Aberdeen felt fingers prod at the base of his skull, digging into the soft skin by his spine. He knew that if he turned to look, he would find nothing.
Finally, the mare came to a halt, and just as she was about to shake Aberdeen off, he jumped down himself. The movement was less graceful than he would have liked, his wounds protesting. To the nøkk’s surprise, the realm was slow to recognize him, the mist parting almost reluctantly, like a scared animal, slowly letting down its defense. It recognized him, remembered the hurt he had inflicted, and was relieved to have him return. He was just one more piece falling into place. Dark, twisting trees stretched out infinitely all around, reaching so far up into darkness that it was impossible to see where they ended. The realm was illuminated softly, by some unknown source, the light dancing across the many delicate decorations. A meticulously crafted lie.
Aberdeen’s heart sank when an awfully familiar figure came to greet them. Eike Heddel looked no different from when they had parted 200 years ago, if anything, he looked more insufferable. He moved with the same unearned confidence, taking up the room as if he himself was royalty. To Aberdeen’s surprise, the blond was dressed in casual, modern clothes, clearly having made an effort to look effortless.
“Ah, hellere sent end aldrig, Ask-“, Eike grinned, flashing sharp teeth. Stormy blue eyes studied the dark-haired nøkk, noting his torn clothes and mending wounds. The blonde tilted his head, feigning naivety, “I trust your journey here was a pleasant one?”
Aberdeen said nothing, his expression cold and carefully crafted as he stared his kin down like he wished for him to keel over on the spot. Clearly, there was no love lost between the two. For the moment, Siofra was forgotten, an easily glossed-over part of this unwanted reunion.
“Don’t look at me like that. You know I hate it when you give me the cold shoulder. I really had thought we’d moved past that”, Eike pouted as he spoke, clearly unsatisfied, “No matter. Valka wants to see you.”
Aberdeen’s heart sank and there was a flash of utter panic in his eyes that he quickly tried to stifle. The blonde noticed, of course, that sharp grin returning, smug in the knowledge that he could still get under his former apprentice’s skin with ease. Without warning, Eike grabbed Aberdeen by the shoulder, fingers purposefully digging into a wound, drawing out a pained gasp. The dark haired nøkk cursed his mentor under his breath, but didn’t try to resist, following along quietly. It was a stark contrast to how fiercely he had fought against the shapeshifting fae when she had come to collect him. The blonde nøkk looked over his shoulder, smiled at Siofra and waved her over. “You too. Come along now.”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Sept 12, 2023 18:17:58 GMT -6
Siofra did not so much twitch an ear in the direction of the voices, or turn her head towards the shadowed figures. This court was a sly, deceitful one. They enjoyed their tricks and illusions, and she knew better than to chase after the blurred figures or to snap at the phantom brush of fingers along her flank.
The horse stood silent, a dark shadow looming behind Aberdeen and Eike. She snorted when addressed, trotting after the pair like an oversized guard dog. Aberdeen could feel her hot breath above his head as she followed close behind. Her ears were pricked, expression bright, each step more eager than the last.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Sept 21, 2023 3:08:26 GMT -6
As they entered the realm’s heart, Eike shifted his grip from Aberdeen’s shoulder to the back of his neck, an unspoken warning. The area itself was large, a structure somewhere between a grand, lofty throne room and an open clearing in a forest. The walls made from tree trunks and roots woven together artistically, with only the smallest gaps that ran with water or mist- when looking at them in the periphery, the realms illusory nature took over, making it seem as if strange figures were trying to emerge from the walls. Or perhaps that was a threat to Aberdeen specifically. There was music and whispers in the air, a pleasant ambiance, both coming from seemingly nowhere at all. The whole court was gathered it seemed, most appearing as translucent, water-colour shapes in the mist, but the weight of their eyes on the Nøkk was unmistakable. Some of the silhouettes seemed vaguely familiar in all their featurelessness, in the way they moved or the outline of their figure. All remained impassive. Aberdeen straightened his back- as much as he could with Eike’s hand on the back of his neck- and kept his gaze straight ahead, resisting the urge to search the crowd- he’d only be disappointed.
The queen of the court was without the king. Valka lounged casually, elegantly in a throne woven from tree roots. Mist danced over her olive skin and her black hair spilled over her shoulders. With high cheekbones, well-shaped lips and a straight nose, the elven queen was exactly as regal as one would expect, a picture of grace. Her eyes were a deep, dark blue, almost black and the false wisps of light in the room reflected in them like ghosts. She looked exactly the same as always, still wearing the same intricate, sleek dresses that made her look more like a fleeting dream than a person. Today the dress was an ashen grey, flowing with every slight movement, framing her form and accentuating the jewelry she wore. Delicate chains and precious stones. Aberdeen noted the woman by Valka’s side. Tall, pale, long black hair with a startling streak of white, beautiful for sure and definitely not human. Judging by the way Valka’s fingers danced across her jaw, whoever she was, she had clearly caught the elven queen’s attention. A new plaything, great…
“I’m sorry, did I interrupt something?”, the black-haired nøkk mused, “if this is a bad time, I can always come back later.”
The room fell silent in an instant. It felt like a physical blow. Aberdeen knew what he was doing, of course, and he knew that it was out of line- disrespectful and recklessly provoking as usual. But since they had been so determined to bring him back, he would make sure they suffered the consequences. “I should’ve known…” the blonde nøkk sighed, just as he kicked the back of the other’s knees, forcing Aberdeen to the ground.
The elven queen whispered something to her companion, before putting some distance between them, their moment so thoroughly interrupted by the return of the court’s bastard son. Finally, Valka’s eyes landed on Aberdeen, cold pieces of midnight sky. Had he cared more about her opinion, that look would have been enough to make him wither on the spot. “You look awful, Aberdeen”, she began, rising from her seat, “this is no way for you to return home, is it?”
Despite himself, Aberdeen couldn’t help but chuckle, biting back several sarcastic retorts. There was so many things he wanted to say to her, most of which would result in a swift death or other unpleasantries. Eike’s grip on the back of his neck tightened in warning. “It’s good to see you too, Valka”, the nøkk mustered a smile, sweet and poison-laced, “how’s the husband? He wasn’t looking too good last time I saw him, poor thing.”
To think that such innocent words were enough to get under Valka’s skin. Even if she was outwardly composed, as any queen should be, the air in the realm grew thick and suffocating, the walls drew nearer and the shadows twisted- a beast ready to strike. In an instant, Valka disappeared from sight, like morning dew under the sun, only to step out of the mist, materializing from thin air, directly in front of the nøkk. “Have you learned nothing?”, Valka spoke softly, as if talking to a misbehaving child, “After all these years, you still make the same mistakes, don’t you?” Slowly she knelt down across from Aberdeen.
The nøkk frowned. All these years away from the court had almost made him forget how they loved to hear themselves talk, droning on and on instead of just speaking their mind. They all knew why he was here, and the stage was set for a court-appropriate public punishment, so why were they dragging it out? “Well, it seems so do you, considering I’m still alive”, Aberdeen retorted almost instinctively, regretting it not a moment later.
Without a word, Valka pressed two ringed fingers into the hollow between his collarbones. To those not in the know, the gesture might’ve seemed harmless, benign even, but Aberdeen stilled instantly, his breath hitching in his throat. “Do not mistake my patience for goodwill”, Valka’s words were cold, carrying an air of threat and promise, “your transgressions are not forgotten, both I and the realm remember it well.”
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