He's A Sea Of Darkness, Parting The Waves Of Unknowing Dancers. A Wolf Among Sheep, Donned In An Obsidian

he's a sea of darkness, parting the waves of unknowing dancers. a wolf among sheep, donned in an obsidian raven mask. any tattoos that would show through his suit have been completely concealed, after what felt like hours of morrigan tediously applying makeup. not without complaint, however — she spent the whole time letting him know what a terrible idea this was. perhaps she was right. to show up here was a death wish: surrounded by everyone that would kill him on the spot without second thought, had they known.

but as soon as he finds feyre, all of those concerns are a distant memory. the rest of the room disappears, the orchestra goes quiet, and there is only her. it takes all of his restraint to not take her in his arms, to indulge in this moment and treasure every inch of her flesh with his lips: each kiss a symbol of just how much she has entangled herself in his soul, and how desperately it aches in her absence. a night sky without any stars. yet there are eyes everywhere, and while he had a plan in motion to cause a distraction, he knew it wouldn't be enough to deter all of tamlin's men. “ what, you don't wish to see me? ” a hand raises to clutch his chest in mock hurt, lips curling into an innocent smile. “ oh, dear. i suppose he didn't have time to tell you ... tamlin left in quite the hurry. he may not return for a while. ” words are spoken with such casual ease, but his expression says the opposite. bright eyed and lovestruck, he takes in every freckle, the way her cheeks flush. he can feel his chest ache, his jaw tightening as his voice lowers. “ leave with me. ”

@rhysie : "Do you think me handsome?"

just harmless enough if anyone else were to overhear, the words were a whispered breath against my ear — a gentle purr, that still sent a chill down my spine. a perfect melody i’d been longing to hear for weeks. my chin tilting up and eyes widening, just slightly beneath the mask, were the only indication that i had been startled — i didn’t dare turn around too quickly and risk alerting anyone of his presence. there were too many eyes on us at any given time. it took everything in me not to fall to my knees just at the sound of his voice, to throw my arms around him and to sob — to beg him to carry me out of this lion’s den and take me home. but i couldn’t. not yet, not now, not here.

the orchestra raged on as dancers swerved around us, a beautiful swirl of vibrant colors and extravagant masks that did well to conceal the infectious hideousness that lurked beneath. any relief and longing that swept through me was quickly overwhelmed by terror. the debilitating fear of knowing what they would do if they found him here. mixed with the knee buckling realization that he still thought i was worth the risk… “ i think you’re very bold. ” my voice softened, a hushed murmur behind a folded fan, “ you can’t be here. ”

DPR Ian ⤷ Do or Die (ft. DPR Ian) | DPR Artic, 2024, MV Requested by @voxmortuus

i hate to do this cause im not here n it feels selfish even tho this is obvi more serious 😭 but as u know i recently moved, and i’m $300 short for the upcoming rent. ive asked available family for what they could spare so i promise asking here was my last resort!! any bit helps, thank u. msg for my paypal. my venmo is @/melodytrait, my cashapp is $melodytrait.

omg was planning to be here but i had to replace my flooring. again 💔

SET YOURSELF ON FIRE SENTENCE STARTERS  —   lyrics pulled from the 2004 album by stars. feel free to make alterations.

god, that was strange to see you again.

yes, i think we’ve met before.

all of that time you thought i was sad, i was trying to remember your name.

i chose to feel it and you couldn’t choose.

live through this and you won’t look back.

there’s one thing i want to say, so i’ll be brave.

you were what i wanted.

i’m not sorry i met you.

i’m not sorry it’s over.

your face is all that hasn’t changed.

all i want is one more chance.

all i want is one more chance to show you you were right for me.

you were right for me.

i had six too many drinks last night.

i always wanted you.

you said you didn’t understand me.

let’s leave them all behind.

they hated us with everything they had, and we hated them in kind.

how could you do it?

yes, i am a ghost.

i loved you the most.

did i build you a prison?

please don’t let me go.

you can’t walk away from me.

i know a place where it’s warm and it’s dry, dear.

let me take you there.

don’t pretend that you don’t feel the pull.

i am trying to say what i want to say without having to say “i love you.”

i love you and it’s impossible to say.

take me like that, ruin it all.

please, my love, please.

i’ll kill who you hate.

take off that dress, you won’t freeze.

the end should be a good one.

outside, it was pouring and we were drunk as shit.

there is nothing like bare mattresses underneath the stairs.

i’ve got to ask you one more thing.

keep doing that forever.

i know, i feel the same way as you.

everyday, it’s changed since then.

in every way, i’ve changed since then.

what gives you the right to fuck with our lives?

keep watching your back.

tomorrow, it’s you and me.

we are here to save your life.

it terrifies you, but it’s real.

if i don’t come back, then i won’t look behind me.

all of the things that i thought were so easy just got harder and harder each day.

stay alive.

i dreamed i was dying.

i can’t live forever.

i’m alive.

their worlds have been flipped upside down in the matter of seconds. the agonizing days that followed were no help: with no way of knowing when feyre would return home, or if she was even safe — both of his brothers remaining with the healers, cassian's wings still torn to shreds. elain and nesta's lives that they once knew, being ripped from them. that night ... rhysand had never felt so helpless, with azriel's blood pooling at their feet, cassian unable to even stand, feyre being their only way to salvation. for once, he was paralyzed, drowning in the dread of his worst fears coming to fruition.

and for nesta to be forced into all of this, taken to the other side of the wall that she held in such low regard, held captive in a life she had no desire for. he's known once what that feels like, to be trapped, to say goodbye to everything you once knew. perhaps there was some sort of hope, that maybe they could find common ground. it was a desperate attempt at keeping peace, extending an offer of some support, even if he knew the odds of her taking to him kindly weren't in his favor.

however, the crashing of porcelain and vitriol directed toward him cause that hope to fizzle out quickly. star-kissed wind readies to absorb any fragments that never quite make it, and rhysand stands unmoving. the light in his eyes is distant, a flicker of simmering rage that he blinks away, only for the sake of his mate. if he hadn't seen first hand how she treated feyre, the memories he's walked through, ( A COTTAGE IN THE WOODS : an older sister, eager to let the youngest take on the pressure of providing for everyone else, without lifting a finger. baring her teeth as she barks insults, looking down at her with pure resentment. ) and maybe if she weren't still behaving in that exact same manor, even now ... with feyre sacrificing the freedom she had just gained, all for her sake. his patience wouldn't be wearing so thin.

yet rhysand swallows all of that down, and instead waits it out as nesta goes through the motions. fingers pluck lint from the dark sleeve of his tunic, any softness on his face that might have once resembled sympathy, dwindles down to indifference akin to boredom. he doesn't even so much as glance towards the spoon, as it barely reaches his chest before clinking to the ground. there's only a flicker of amusement that lights up his features, for only a second, as her destruction backfires onto her. a rabid animal, indeed.

" whilst i admire the theatrics ... " a click of his tongue and with a graceful flick of the wrist, celestial darkness ripples across the room, swallowing the wreckage in one fell swoop. a disapproving look is shot her way, and rhysand merely shrugs. " i'm not here for you, though i know that may come as a shock. i came to see how elain is faring. " violet eyes once over the now spotless room, as shadows start to dissipate. " but i'm sure having to listen to this outburst of yours will prove to be very helpful in aiding her recovery. "

@rhysie — “  this didn’t have to happen.  ”

"do not speak to me about things which didn't have to happen!" nesta spat the words with all the venom she had been quite graciously biting back for too long. with them she launched the cup of tea that elain had once again ignored before wordlessly disappearing for the evening. it joined the shattered plate of food on the floor, but the mess of it seemed meagre in such a grand space. the venom had been blazing in her veins, tangling with the changes in her blood, and threatening to BURN THROUGH tissue and bone for weeks now. she could no longer stand the sensation of it scolding her throat while she forced herself to stay quiet.

it was all nesta could do to keep herself from spending every moment of her life, now dauntingly l o n g, screaming at the top of her lungs.

thus far it had been nothing but a series of events which "didn't have to happen". which should not have happened. each of them floated through her thoughts like a play with no ending, and she could feel her sanity slipping away from her along with any hope for normalcy.

she wondered if her sister was experiencing the same retelling of the worst moments of her life. if she'd withdrawn into herself because the re-enactments in her mind were far too loud for her to immerse herself in anything else; be that food, or nature, or conversation. elain was the sole reason she was able to maintain a sense of calm. she had hoped that by seeming serene, she may be able to coax her gentlest sister back. and with her return she may be able to relax for a few moments; to stop grinding her teeth with every breath. at the very least if her sister was okay she would be able to release just a little fragment of her FEAR. but as far as she could tell elain was only getting worse, and the chances of seeing feyre again seemed less promising with each passing day. being around her youngest sister, their salvation, was rarely a pleasant experience. she was certain it was even less so for feyre, but she found herself craving her presence. she couldn't help but think she was the missing piece in their puzzle; that if elain were to see her alive and well she would return to herself.

one thing was for certain, nesta's own presence was no help at all. sometimes she wondered if she was making things worse. her blood seemed to ROAR in agreement. afterall, when had she ever improved a dire situation? if feyre was a provider, elain a nurturer, then her own gift was destruction. a gift she suspected was exacerbated by the cursed cauldron. in that moment she she decided she would embrace it, cause carnage until finally the high lord took some kind of action. whether he got her sister back, or released her to the streets of velaris, she didn't care.

her blood sang as she reached for the cutlery and launched it across the lavish makeshift prison piece by piece. but nesta's aim was never very good - the best she could manage was to get a spoon to collide with his chest. it was laughable really, but she only felt like crying. a sound of frustration, gutteral and desperate, escaped her lips instead and as she grasped the now empty table and tossed it to one side she realised she was the FERAL CREATURE she'd always accused the youngest archeron of being. worst still, she wasn't even skilled at it. as the heavy table clattered to the ground, it crushed her toes.

pain coursed through her, but it was not entirely unpleasant, and without an ounce of the necessary care she pushed it away from her. nesta forced her features into a mask before finally glancing up at rhysand's violet eyes. it always struck her that he looked amused somehow; a never-ending sense of smugness surrounded him. nesta's nostrils flared, teeth once again clenching close, and she growled: "get out!"

she didn't have the right to demand that, or anything in his home, but her entitled nature was all she had left to cling to - so she would. her gaze became steely as she stared at him, daring him to do something; anything.