Hannibal Rising (2007)

Hannibal Rising (2007)

this better do numbers bc I made myself holler with it

His shoulders will eventually put me in a coma but it’s okay

Spider Lilies and the Sun (Alec x Reader)

A Twilight fanfiction

Author's note: Check out my blog. I take requests <3

Carefully, you tried to draw the spider lilies that were lying on the wooden table in front of you. Your pencil drew a line here and there, deepening the shadows or adding a new leaf. It was difficult for you to capture the lightning appropriately on the thick parchment that you studied for a moment, drawing your head back to create some distance. To some extent you were satisfied with what you have produced so far. You have never been especially good at drawing, but somehow you have a hand for illustrating the beauty of flowers just enough to distinguish yourself from a beginner. But if you would ever reach the skills of a professional artist was hard to say… Only time could tell. 

While you drew, you listened to the conversation between Heidi, Chelsea, and Corin. The three vampires were sitting on the sofas that were situated in the middle of the drawing room of the Volturi’s castle. Soft sunlight shone through the windows, and you had opened one in the corner you had isolated yourself in. The temperate late summer breeze smelled wonderful, tickling your nostrils and helping you relax. 

“Have you heard that the coven in France tried to trick the Kings?” asked Heidi in her enticing voice, playing with her dark hair as her legs were swung over the armrest of the armchair that she was lounging in. Her short skirt had hiked up dangerously, but Heidi knew how to be classy without coming off as cheap. Her legs were pressed together, revealing nothing inappropriate. 

Chelsea nodded vigorously, not looking up from the book she was reading. “Of course, we have heard,” she remarked. Her tone was stoic and cold, but she didn’t mean it. You had learned that she was generally nice and didn’t have any mean intentions. But that was all. You would never expect a selfless act from her. Not from any of the vampires living in Volterra. “The French coven was the reason why Aro sent the twins, Demetri, and Felix to investigate. After all, the coven’s leader claimed that they have created a newborn with extraordinary abilities. The rumor spread like wildfire and eventually reached us, the Volturi. How could it not?”

Corin snorted and shook her head in disbelief. “Turned out the coven leader boasted a little too much.” 

“Right,” chimed in Heidi, chuckling. “Apparently, they wanted to bargain with the Kings and offer the newborn for a price. But said newborn didn’t possess any special abilities at all. When Demetri and Felix called to inform the Kings, they mentioned that Alec was absolutely livid.” With a knowing grin, she looked at you and caught your eye. Quickly you looked back down at your sheet, acting like that strange and yet familiar name hadn’t caught your attention. Heidi’s voice sounded insinuating when she added, “We all know that lately he has no room for unnecessary distractions that could lead him astray from the castle.” 

Heat rose to your cheeks, and you couldn’t say why. Only that Alec, even just the mention of his name, induced you with extreme nervousness. And a giddiness that you had tried to suppress by distracting yourself and drinking lots of water to drown the butterflies in your stomach. Alec. He was mesmerizing, absolutely enchanting. And also the reason why you, as a human, found yourself among vampire royalty. One day you decided to take a walk and breathe fresh air. While you were walking through the forest, looking defeated at your feet because the pressure that came with your studies really got to you that day, a pair of polished, expensive shoes came into view. Surprised, you looked up, staring into the beautiful red eyes of a young man who towered over you. Considering his insatiable stare, you probably should have been afraid, but you weren’t. There was something oddly calming about the way he gazed at you and how the wheels in his head seemed to turn before they finally clicked, and his hungry stare was replaced with a deep softness. Then, black mist enveloped you, and after many hours of traveling, you found yourself in Volterra. 

You had been living with the vampires for a little over three months and found it hard to adjust to your new life. You hadn’t been told why Alec brought you to Volterra, but the Kings had informed you that one day when the time was ripe, you would become one of them. You had no clue when the time would be ripe, but for now, that was unimportant. 

You were glad that everyone realized that you needed a lot of space and time alone. You had your own room and designated corners – like the one in the drawing room – that were solely reserved for you. Whenever you decided to take refuge in these places, everyone knew you wanted to be left alone. Fortunately, everyone was patient with you and answered your questions whenever you had any. The vampires learned to respect your boundaries, or rather, they had known how to do that all along since they were territorial beings. In turn, you learned to respect their limits and expectations. For example, you had to stay in your chamber when they fed in the throne room or when trials were being held. During these times, the vampires were especially busy, and no one could keep an eye on you to make sure you were not becoming a snack for the lower guard. 

As for Alec... you got along fine. There were moments when he seemed like he wanted to open up to you, but then he would withdraw suddenly, sitting down somewhere and watching you with a wistful expression while you read or drew. He kept you at arms-length: close enough but not too close. He didn’t want to give you away either. If anything, he was strangely possessive, and at the same time, aloof. He would be attentive one day, and the next he would pretend like you didn’t exist. It drove you insane. 

Well, at the beginning it did… After some frustrating nights, when you couldn’t sleep because of his behavior, you decided it was not worth spending the energy you needed on overthinking. You would just do you, stick to yourself, and be nice to Alec when he approached you. But you would refuse to seek him out. Your pride and self-respect put you first in this confusing connection with the vampire. You had never been in love, always waiting for the right one. Of course, you met men and thought that they might be your forever person only to end up disappointed because it turned out they were only being nice to you for sexual fun. Something you never gave them. Now, Alec was a classy guy. He was the type to court respectfully, and if he wanted some fun, he would be straightforward. Nonetheless, his intentions were anything but clear to you. So, you sought stability in yourself; if he had something to say, he could always do it, but you wouldn’t run after him.   

Honestly, you were glad when you heard that he would go on a mission to France. His name was playing on repeat in your head like a prayer whether he was present or not, and you did need some time to yourself to get that foolish heart of yours, which sometimes beat like you were love-struck, in check again. And so far, it had worked wondrously. In the past few days, you had barely thought about him at all. 

“So,” began Corin, resuming the conversation about the French coven, “what happened to the coven? Did Alec act on his anger? Lately, he has been inclined to do so. His emotions are running high. Higher than usual.”

Heidi giggled excitedly. “Well, luckily, Felix and Demetri could talk him out of it. The coven got away with a warning. The twins, the giant, and the tracker should return today.” 

Your throat constricted. You didn’t know if you really wanted to see Alec. Hopefully, he would just ignore you. But your hopes were crushed. Two hours later the door to the drawing room opened, and Alec came inside. The girls stopped talking abruptly, looking between you and the elite guard. Alec’s posture was imposing, and with one narrowed glance and a barely noticeable tilt of his head, he commanded them to leave. Sighing and voicing their discontent, Heidi, Corin, and Chelsea left. The thud of the door when it closed sounded too foreboding. You focused on your drawing - you had begun with another one, not quite satisfied with your first try.  

You hoped that Alec would just sit on the sofa, but unfortunately, he drew up a chair opposite you, and you focused on the movement of your pencil, not looking up. 

His voice was deep and warm when it rang out. “How have you been? Are you well?”

“I’m good,” you replied stubbornly, making it clear that you didn’t want to talk to him. But Alec did not defer. He picked up your first drawing. That was when you gazed up anxiously at him. You didn’t want him to see your art. Why? Because in a way, you depended on his validation. What if he didn’t think of your drawing as good enough? Then you would suck it up and live with it. You wouldn’t let it affect your motivation for your artistic nature though. 

The corners of Alec’s mouth were raised slightly when he saw your anxious expression, knowing he got to you. But if he hadn’t been sitting so close to you, you would have thought he was wearing his typical inscrutable expression. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs, holding your crafted spider lily up with one hand while he examined it, and gripping the armrest with his other hand. He wasn’t wearing gloves. That was unusual… The hand on the armrest glittered as it caught the sunlight. It was the only body part of his that was exposed to the sun. He didn’t like to shine in the sunlight. When you first saw how his skin reacted to the sun, he became angry. Not with you. But with the sun, you think. You were taking a stroll through the garden together, and when you reached up to touch his cheek as it began to glow, he pushed you away and told you to leave. That hurt. 

“Hmmm…” Alec hummed, nodding. “You are improving. You have a talent for drawing.” With care, he placed the paper down on the desk. 

Your body betrayed you when your heart rate picked up and your cheeks flushed pink. You were beyond happy. Somehow you managed to suppress the reply – “Do you really think so?” – that was beginning to form. You bit your tongue hard.

“How was France?” you asked instead. 

“I have been there many times. It was worthwhile. As always.”

“Good to hear.” 

“I would like to visit it with you someday. I have been there so often that it has become a little… boring and stale. But I feel like your presence would make the atmosphere special again.” 

Suspiciously, you narrowed your eyes. Here we go again with the ambiguous meanings… “What do you mean? Alec, sorry, but you have not been exactly welcoming towards me. One moment you are hot, and the other you are cold and don’t let me in. I still don’t know why you brought me to this shit hole in which I’m supposed to spend eternity. You owe me a lot of explanations.”

His eyes studied you. He contemplated long, his red orbs wandering down to your collarbone and noting how well your cropped cardigan and your high-waisted jeans fitted you. Your body was bliss to him. Your personality meant salvation. He had to come forward. He knew he was being unfair, and how could he be unjust to someone he loved? 

Without warning, he pushed back his chair, creating a scraping sound, and stood up. He walked towards you, grabbing the backrest of your stool and turning it around. You were now looking up at him, and your heart stuttered as he lowered his torso, placing his hands on the armrests, caging you. His brown, thick locks fell in front of his forehead, and his red orbs bored holes into the core of your soul. You nervously played with your hands in your lap, biting your lips. 

“Don’t do that,” he spoke softly, his breath fanning your face. 

“What?”

“Biting your lip. You always do it when you are nervous or stressed. You have been doing it while I was gone.” He used his thumb to smooth your lips. You swallowed hard at the skin contact. “I can see little wounds.” Was that why he decided to not wear gloves? Had he been planning to initiate physical contact?

You pushed his hand away. “What do you want?”

“Fine,” he grunted, straightening himself up. “I will be blunt about it.” 

“Naturally.” 

“You are my mate,” he admitted. Carefully, he studied your reserved features. But you felt anything but reserved. You were elated. Finally, you found the love you had always wished for. You had envied the connection Afton and Chelsea shared, how they gazed at each other with unprecedented adoration. Often, you had watched them interacting, wondering when you could not only be loved like Afton loved Chelsea but when you could finally look as ardently at someone the way Chelsea stared at Afton. You wanted to love, too. Not just be loved. What you and Alec could have… maybe that would rival their connection and put them to shame. 

“What do you think?” Alec asked, testing the waters. 

“Only that it all makes sense now. My palpitating heart when you are near or how I can’t get your name out of my head.” Contemplatively, you looked up at Alec. “That’s why you brought me to Volterra. When we met in the forest, you sensed that I was your mate.”

“I did.” 

You stood up, bringing your hands to his cheeks. He brought your foreheads together, and you enjoyed the coldness of his touch. On a warm summer day, there was no one you wanted to bury yourself in more passionately than Alec. 

“You fear this connection as much as I do,” you whispered. “That’s why you are sometimes so aloof. You are afraid of getting hurt. So am I. And honestly, in your presence, I find it hard to think straight. It is like my emotions don’t belong to me but to you.” 

“Yes. They spiral out of control, and only you, as my counterpart, can reach them. Tame them.” 

“Then I will cherish them and hold them close. You have nothing to fear, Alec.” 

Tentatively Alec closed the gap between the two of you, tasting your lips in a reassuring kiss. It seemed that you had nothing to fear either.  

Hannibal Rising aesthetic

“ Mischa, we take comfort in knowing there is no God. That you are not enslaved in Heaven, made to kiss God’s ass forever. What you have is better than Paradise. You have blessed oblivion. I miss you every day.” ― Thomas Harris.Hannibal Rising 

Mark with SEVENTEEN Jun at MAMA 2019

cr. overthemoon