Set Beta - Original
Fandom: Mirrors (Original)
Pairing: Nicholas/Rhiannon
Theme set: Beta
Rating: PG-R? Not sure, but nothing graphic.
Disclaimer: Lyrics in the cut belongs to Helloween - Immortal (Stars). Fits for this pairing, at least in my head.
Took me forever to finish, but there was computer/Internet/work-issues getting in the way.
Snapshots of a "relationship" - set Alpha.
[01 - Walking]
Her mother had always said that she couldn't learn to run before she could walk; crawling the last few feet into the shelter of the wall she was surprised to know how true that was.
[02 - Waltz]
Watching her concentrating completely on the blade in her hands; the motions as she twisted and forced it through an invisible enemy; the dips and spins and movements too fast for his eye to follow, he was once again reminded of the fact that she had no partner to join her in this dance.
[03 - Wishes]
She had used up many wishes in her life, but there had been none as fervent as the one that would let her find something to break the bond and set her free again.
[04 - Wonder]
He had found the wonder of Magic to be life itself, and by the look on her face as she drove her bloodied dagger repeatedly into the squirming body under her, she had found her own kind of ecstasy in the taking of a life.
[05 - Worry]
He didn't say a word as she entered the room, wiping her blade clean on the rags he had left out for her; merely pressed his lips together displeased and ignored the quizzical look she shot him - there were things she didn't need to ask and more that she didn't need to know.
[06 - Whimsy]
When she had been young, there had been princes and fairy-tales and castles in the sky; now there were the illusions of her own mind that kept her sane as she was tugged this way and that by his machinations; like a puppet on a string.
[07 - Waste/Wasteland]
The catacombs had been a wasteland but she had survived down there for almost two weeks before he had found her again; it was not a time she remembered with joy.
[08 - Whiskey and rum]
She stumbled into the room ungracefully, and he looked up from the book where he had the habit of jotting down his notes, "You're drunk," he informed her and was rewarded with a grunt and a rude gesture; rising from his chair he met her halfway through the room and stared up at her, trying to decide whether he'd drag her out and dunk her into a bucketful of ice-water or just let her sleep it off; either way, she wouldn't thank him in the morning.
[09 - War]
There had been wars during the years they had been separated; she had fought in some and passed others over; but there had never been a fiercer battle than the one she fought within herself during that particular week of spring.
[10 - Weddings]
She sometimes wondered if her siblings had ever found their mates; their perfect match, and in a way she supposed that she regretted not being able to attend their bonding ceremony but she couldn't force herself to really care.
[11 - Birthday]
"I was born in spring," he said casually, "around this time I believe," - she didn't look up from the sharpening of her sword; but later that night he found a strangely coloured rock in his blankets.
[12 - Blessing]
As she handed him the knife and turned her back on him, he realized that she had given him her own blessing.
[13 - Bias]
The Elf would always be first in his mind; his first lover - and, she suspected, his only love.
[14 - Burning]
She could feel the weight of his gaze between her shoulder blades; like an itch she could never really reach its flames burned through her skin.
[15 - Breathing]
Breathing had become something of a luxury; that short moment when the twilight met the night and she could finally close her eyes and taste it in her mind.
[16 - Breaking]
She had never thought that she'd find him on his knees like this; eyes closed and his whole body trembling from the force of Magic channelled through it - so close to breaking - and she had to turn around to keep herself from finishing it for him.
[17 - Belief]
He had stopped believing in the Mother as a Goddess a long time ago - his relationship with Her had evolved beyond that - quite unlike the creature at his feet.
[18 - Balloon]
When he was still young enough to consider recklessness as something to be proud of he had dived into one of the Lakes - with a pig's bladder filled with air to make sure that he made it to the bottom.
[19 - Balcony]
She opened the doors to the balcony; peering out as she loosened the dagger from its sheath - he watched as she sniffed the air, searching for something lost to his senses, and he was once again struck by the confidence that radiated off of her whenever she thought that he wasn't watching.
[20 - Bane]
"You'll be the bane of my existence," he grumbled as he steadied her drunken form; she bared her fangs in a quick flash of defiance before her knees gave out and they both tumbled to the ground - Nicholas swore loudly as he lay half-crushed under her.
[21 - Quiet]
They hadn't spoken for days, not since their last argument, but there were ways he could get under her skin that didn't involve words; she had long since become used to fending him off.
[22 - Quirks]
She had never expected to find all those odd knick-knacks among his clothes; clearly he had pilfered from both here and there - something that she wasn't averse to herself when the need or the opportunity arose.
[23 - Question]
"And now?" She paced back and forth with the blade in her hand; he watched her impassively and for a short moment, he wondered whether he had been wrong all those years ago.
[24 - Quarrel]
She slammed the door shut behind her and he stared after her as he felt her move down the hallway, without doubt in search of something to quench the ever present bloodthirst; his mind turned to the heated exchange of words just moments before and he smiled.
[25 - Quitting]
She knew that it was time to stop the foolish pretence of being someone she was not, but the look in his eyes promised bloody murder if she did.
[26 - Jump]
"Cats," she hissed, drawing her sword at the same time as he pulled on the magic singing in his veins; together they backed up against the tree and he wove the branches to a shield in front of them - it wouldn't hold long, but it would be enough for him to prepare a rather nasty set of traps.
[27 - Jester]
He looked from one of the painted fools to the other; twins as they were he could hardly tell them apart, but he wasn't averse to spend the night with either of them - beside him, she stirred uneasily.
[28 - Jousting]
"You must be jousting," she muttered as he waved a lazy hand in her direction, "I'm not--" - "Of course not, Precious one," he answered with a smile that did nothing to calm her.
[29 - Jewel]
"That thing is absolutely useless," she informed him smugly as he held the dagger rather awkwardly in his hands - the handle was slippery against his palm as the set of precious stones pulsed faintly in time with his magic; he only smiled.
[30 - Just]
It had come rather as a surprise to her that he could be fair when he wanted to; stepping back and letting her handle the man who had had the poor taste of trying to attack him proved that.
[31 - Smirk]
She smirked faintly as the thugs backed down and he was struck with how unguarded she let herself appear in front of him.
[32 - Sorrow]
She had never thought she'd see him mourn; but when he looked at the Tree in front of him, placing his palms on its bark and closed his eyes, she was struck with the same feeling deep in her chest and she had to look away.
[33 - Stupidity]
"You fool!" He raged, pulling her up by her hair; she grabbed his hand and twisted till he had to let go of her and she collapsed on the deck of the ship, coughing violently.
[34 - Serenade]
"Make that bloody noise go away!" She rolled over and pulled the blanket over her head as the women continued to sing outside their window as they passed by; he couldn't keep himself from smiling as she twitched.
[35 - Sarcasm]
"Really?" She inquired, one eyebrow raised, "If I hadn't know better, I could have sworn that you would--"; "Leave it, Precious," he snarled as the streak of defiance and amusement in his mind widened; she merely tilted her head to the side and the smile never left her lips.
[36 - Sordid]
"Do tell," he murmured, too close, "about that time--"; she lashed out and pinned him to the wall, her mouth so close to his ear that he could feel her harsh breathing; "Why?" she hissed, "So you can play your little games again?"
[37 - Soliloquy]
"Where is it?" She rummaged through the pack with increasing panic before she came upon the small pouch in the bottom - she hadn't had to use those herbs for a long time, but there was no way she'd find herself defenceless whenever that particular time in spring rolled in; he watched her with an expression in his eyes that she didn't want to interpret.
[38 - Sojourn]
There were short moments of complete silence; when his body and mind was so attuned to the world around them that everything washed out into whiteness; then she stirred and with her presence in his mind he could ground himself again.
[39 - Share]
"I passed by here, once, when this place had no name yet," he said as they strode downwards to the city; she tilted her head to indicate that she had heard him, "It was barely more than a few houses leaning on each other."
[40 - Solitary]
It wasn't in her blood to be a solitary creature; in her mind everyone was either part of the Tribe or they weren't; it was something that he had taken advantage of more than once.
[41 - Nowhere]
"Where have you been?" He demanded as she entered the room and dropped her packing carelessly on the floor; "Nowhere," she answered without meeting his eyes and for once, he was almost inclined to believe her.
[42 - Neutral]
"They want to stay neutral," was the first thing she said as she emerged from the tent; "There isn't enough for them in it to risk the Tribe Treaty," - "They can have the Elves for all I care - as long as they agree," he snarled.
[43 - Nuance]
Even before she had chosen her mate, she had been rather adept at reading his mood; years ago, her survival had depended on being able to gauge his reactions to what she said or did - she knew she hadn't been as clear-minded back then as she was now but she was still relieved that she had the bond to confirm her suspicions.
[44 - Near]
Despite the fact that there were several feet separating them she could still feel him under her skin; moving like a million little flashes of pain that tore at her when she least expected it.
[45 - Natural]
She had never thought that there would be something natural about his smile as it was when he watched his Elven lover come out to greet them; it only served to fuel her own fury over having him chose someone else over her.
[46 - Horizon]
The sun was creeping above the edge of the trees and she could feel her powers drain away from her again; one look at him proved that he felt the same and she wasn't sure if she could take comfort in that or not.
[47 - Valiant]
They exchanged looks; he tilted his head slightly and the smile told her all she needed to know - not even an army could stop him now.
[48 - Virtuous]
There had never been anything virtuous with the armies she had chosen; all she had wanted was a place to hide and forget and by his side, she could do neither.
[49 - Victory]
He had expected no less as she stepped up to his side, her hand gripping the dagger at her belt so hard that her knuckles whitened as they waited for the last of the fools to die - and his victory was complete.
[50 - Defeat]
He had been there when she finally admitted defeat; when the struggles grew quieter up till the point when they stopped - and he waited for her to come to him.
Pairing: Nicholas/Rhiannon
Theme set: Beta
Rating: PG-R? Not sure, but nothing graphic.
Disclaimer: Lyrics in the cut belongs to Helloween - Immortal (Stars). Fits for this pairing, at least in my head.
Took me forever to finish, but there was computer/Internet/work-issues getting in the way.
Snapshots of a "relationship" - set Alpha.
[01 - Walking]
Her mother had always said that she couldn't learn to run before she could walk; crawling the last few feet into the shelter of the wall she was surprised to know how true that was.
[02 - Waltz]
Watching her concentrating completely on the blade in her hands; the motions as she twisted and forced it through an invisible enemy; the dips and spins and movements too fast for his eye to follow, he was once again reminded of the fact that she had no partner to join her in this dance.
[03 - Wishes]
She had used up many wishes in her life, but there had been none as fervent as the one that would let her find something to break the bond and set her free again.
[04 - Wonder]
He had found the wonder of Magic to be life itself, and by the look on her face as she drove her bloodied dagger repeatedly into the squirming body under her, she had found her own kind of ecstasy in the taking of a life.
[05 - Worry]
He didn't say a word as she entered the room, wiping her blade clean on the rags he had left out for her; merely pressed his lips together displeased and ignored the quizzical look she shot him - there were things she didn't need to ask and more that she didn't need to know.
[06 - Whimsy]
When she had been young, there had been princes and fairy-tales and castles in the sky; now there were the illusions of her own mind that kept her sane as she was tugged this way and that by his machinations; like a puppet on a string.
[07 - Waste/Wasteland]
The catacombs had been a wasteland but she had survived down there for almost two weeks before he had found her again; it was not a time she remembered with joy.
[08 - Whiskey and rum]
She stumbled into the room ungracefully, and he looked up from the book where he had the habit of jotting down his notes, "You're drunk," he informed her and was rewarded with a grunt and a rude gesture; rising from his chair he met her halfway through the room and stared up at her, trying to decide whether he'd drag her out and dunk her into a bucketful of ice-water or just let her sleep it off; either way, she wouldn't thank him in the morning.
[09 - War]
There had been wars during the years they had been separated; she had fought in some and passed others over; but there had never been a fiercer battle than the one she fought within herself during that particular week of spring.
[10 - Weddings]
She sometimes wondered if her siblings had ever found their mates; their perfect match, and in a way she supposed that she regretted not being able to attend their bonding ceremony but she couldn't force herself to really care.
[11 - Birthday]
"I was born in spring," he said casually, "around this time I believe," - she didn't look up from the sharpening of her sword; but later that night he found a strangely coloured rock in his blankets.
[12 - Blessing]
As she handed him the knife and turned her back on him, he realized that she had given him her own blessing.
[13 - Bias]
The Elf would always be first in his mind; his first lover - and, she suspected, his only love.
[14 - Burning]
She could feel the weight of his gaze between her shoulder blades; like an itch she could never really reach its flames burned through her skin.
[15 - Breathing]
Breathing had become something of a luxury; that short moment when the twilight met the night and she could finally close her eyes and taste it in her mind.
[16 - Breaking]
She had never thought that she'd find him on his knees like this; eyes closed and his whole body trembling from the force of Magic channelled through it - so close to breaking - and she had to turn around to keep herself from finishing it for him.
[17 - Belief]
He had stopped believing in the Mother as a Goddess a long time ago - his relationship with Her had evolved beyond that - quite unlike the creature at his feet.
[18 - Balloon]
When he was still young enough to consider recklessness as something to be proud of he had dived into one of the Lakes - with a pig's bladder filled with air to make sure that he made it to the bottom.
[19 - Balcony]
She opened the doors to the balcony; peering out as she loosened the dagger from its sheath - he watched as she sniffed the air, searching for something lost to his senses, and he was once again struck by the confidence that radiated off of her whenever she thought that he wasn't watching.
[20 - Bane]
"You'll be the bane of my existence," he grumbled as he steadied her drunken form; she bared her fangs in a quick flash of defiance before her knees gave out and they both tumbled to the ground - Nicholas swore loudly as he lay half-crushed under her.
[21 - Quiet]
They hadn't spoken for days, not since their last argument, but there were ways he could get under her skin that didn't involve words; she had long since become used to fending him off.
[22 - Quirks]
She had never expected to find all those odd knick-knacks among his clothes; clearly he had pilfered from both here and there - something that she wasn't averse to herself when the need or the opportunity arose.
[23 - Question]
"And now?" She paced back and forth with the blade in her hand; he watched her impassively and for a short moment, he wondered whether he had been wrong all those years ago.
[24 - Quarrel]
She slammed the door shut behind her and he stared after her as he felt her move down the hallway, without doubt in search of something to quench the ever present bloodthirst; his mind turned to the heated exchange of words just moments before and he smiled.
[25 - Quitting]
She knew that it was time to stop the foolish pretence of being someone she was not, but the look in his eyes promised bloody murder if she did.
[26 - Jump]
"Cats," she hissed, drawing her sword at the same time as he pulled on the magic singing in his veins; together they backed up against the tree and he wove the branches to a shield in front of them - it wouldn't hold long, but it would be enough for him to prepare a rather nasty set of traps.
[27 - Jester]
He looked from one of the painted fools to the other; twins as they were he could hardly tell them apart, but he wasn't averse to spend the night with either of them - beside him, she stirred uneasily.
[28 - Jousting]
"You must be jousting," she muttered as he waved a lazy hand in her direction, "I'm not--" - "Of course not, Precious one," he answered with a smile that did nothing to calm her.
[29 - Jewel]
"That thing is absolutely useless," she informed him smugly as he held the dagger rather awkwardly in his hands - the handle was slippery against his palm as the set of precious stones pulsed faintly in time with his magic; he only smiled.
[30 - Just]
It had come rather as a surprise to her that he could be fair when he wanted to; stepping back and letting her handle the man who had had the poor taste of trying to attack him proved that.
[31 - Smirk]
She smirked faintly as the thugs backed down and he was struck with how unguarded she let herself appear in front of him.
[32 - Sorrow]
She had never thought she'd see him mourn; but when he looked at the Tree in front of him, placing his palms on its bark and closed his eyes, she was struck with the same feeling deep in her chest and she had to look away.
[33 - Stupidity]
"You fool!" He raged, pulling her up by her hair; she grabbed his hand and twisted till he had to let go of her and she collapsed on the deck of the ship, coughing violently.
[34 - Serenade]
"Make that bloody noise go away!" She rolled over and pulled the blanket over her head as the women continued to sing outside their window as they passed by; he couldn't keep himself from smiling as she twitched.
[35 - Sarcasm]
"Really?" She inquired, one eyebrow raised, "If I hadn't know better, I could have sworn that you would--"; "Leave it, Precious," he snarled as the streak of defiance and amusement in his mind widened; she merely tilted her head to the side and the smile never left her lips.
[36 - Sordid]
"Do tell," he murmured, too close, "about that time--"; she lashed out and pinned him to the wall, her mouth so close to his ear that he could feel her harsh breathing; "Why?" she hissed, "So you can play your little games again?"
[37 - Soliloquy]
"Where is it?" She rummaged through the pack with increasing panic before she came upon the small pouch in the bottom - she hadn't had to use those herbs for a long time, but there was no way she'd find herself defenceless whenever that particular time in spring rolled in; he watched her with an expression in his eyes that she didn't want to interpret.
[38 - Sojourn]
There were short moments of complete silence; when his body and mind was so attuned to the world around them that everything washed out into whiteness; then she stirred and with her presence in his mind he could ground himself again.
[39 - Share]
"I passed by here, once, when this place had no name yet," he said as they strode downwards to the city; she tilted her head to indicate that she had heard him, "It was barely more than a few houses leaning on each other."
[40 - Solitary]
It wasn't in her blood to be a solitary creature; in her mind everyone was either part of the Tribe or they weren't; it was something that he had taken advantage of more than once.
[41 - Nowhere]
"Where have you been?" He demanded as she entered the room and dropped her packing carelessly on the floor; "Nowhere," she answered without meeting his eyes and for once, he was almost inclined to believe her.
[42 - Neutral]
"They want to stay neutral," was the first thing she said as she emerged from the tent; "There isn't enough for them in it to risk the Tribe Treaty," - "They can have the Elves for all I care - as long as they agree," he snarled.
[43 - Nuance]
Even before she had chosen her mate, she had been rather adept at reading his mood; years ago, her survival had depended on being able to gauge his reactions to what she said or did - she knew she hadn't been as clear-minded back then as she was now but she was still relieved that she had the bond to confirm her suspicions.
[44 - Near]
Despite the fact that there were several feet separating them she could still feel him under her skin; moving like a million little flashes of pain that tore at her when she least expected it.
[45 - Natural]
She had never thought that there would be something natural about his smile as it was when he watched his Elven lover come out to greet them; it only served to fuel her own fury over having him chose someone else over her.
[46 - Horizon]
The sun was creeping above the edge of the trees and she could feel her powers drain away from her again; one look at him proved that he felt the same and she wasn't sure if she could take comfort in that or not.
[47 - Valiant]
They exchanged looks; he tilted his head slightly and the smile told her all she needed to know - not even an army could stop him now.
[48 - Virtuous]
There had never been anything virtuous with the armies she had chosen; all she had wanted was a place to hide and forget and by his side, she could do neither.
[49 - Victory]
He had expected no less as she stepped up to his side, her hand gripping the dagger at her belt so hard that her knuckles whitened as they waited for the last of the fools to die - and his victory was complete.
[50 - Defeat]
He had been there when she finally admitted defeat; when the struggles grew quieter up till the point when they stopped - and he waited for her to come to him.