#ciciwrites

i believe in magic (i believe in sin)

#aoicred #ciciwrites

But any serenity he might have gleaned is soon destroyed by force of Aoi's playful exhale. She's barely even begun to open her mouth when he feels the muscles in his temple being to throb. "Did you?" She has the gall to sound airy, flirty even, with him as she tilts her head coquettishly. She even leans closer, almost as if she wants to share a secret with him. He curses himself even as he echoes the movement despite his better judgement. "Should I have you check my pulse?" Aoi giggles as if there could be no greater comedy than such a thought and in response Thancred feels his already frayed patience snap. "This isn't a joke," he growls through his bared teeth. Emerald eyes only grow brighter as they excitedly skitter across his face, eagerly soaking up his misery the same way she did her wine. "I know what I saw."

"I'm sure you do," she agrees easily with her hands raised is a gesture designed to placate and yet it only succeeds in fanning the flames of his steadily rising anger. "But do you comprehend it?" She chides with a click of her poisonous tongue, even throwing in a wag of her finger for good measure, and for a moment he finds himself transported back to the Studium-suddenly a decade younger with his shoulders bowed beneath the weight of baggage he's long since deceived himself into believing he's outgrown as one of his many lecturers dresses him down in front of his peers. A reminder which soon has him kissing his teeth as the glare he has aimed the Au Ra only grows sharper.

Resentment soon courses through his veins but whether it's aimed at her cruelty or his stupidity he can't be sure. Believing that she would answer his plight with anything but a callous disregard for his suffering was nothing more than foolish hope dreamed up by a deluded mind. For somehow he'd allowed himself to forget that the sole reason he even sat across from her this night was because it was her selfish hand that had reached for his neck, greedily clasping it as she pulled him from the grave. Rendering him nothing more than her victim, at the mercy of her ever changing moods, for the rest of the life she had so graciously bestowed upon him.

My windscreen cracked this morning (lmao) but I managed to write 800 words yesterday im proud of so riding that high for while #ciciwrites

She looks ghoulish. Face sweaty, her chest split open and her lips spread wide with an obscene grin. Terrifying enough to give any normal man nightmares and yet Thancred already knows that when his head hits the pillows his dreams will be the same as ever. Him and her engaged in a lethal dance, a ring of fire that flinches whenever Aoi gets to close to it encircling them. The only thing he can hope for is that he'll wake at the moment the wickedly sharp talons adorning the glove worn by his hand shred her throat. The way her laughter had gurgled even as she struggled to hold her flesh together is easily exorcised by the rising of the sun after all.

But no god has ever answered his prayers and he's well aware that fact won't change now. And so the dream will continue on to its hideous end. Of him prone beneath her, the blood of her wound dripping onto his face and yet in spite of that the expression across hers will be the softest he's ever seen it. You're back, aren't you? Her astonished relief all but saturates her words, a stark contrast to the cold way she looks at him now. He still can't be sure he didn't hallucinate that moment. Spends his entire day poking and prodding the memory for inconsistencies all while avoiding the woman staring in it as if she's the plague. Well aware that if their paths manage to cross he'll beg her until his throat his hoarse to her such sweetness from her again.

Love writing him being haunted by her #ciciwrites

"I killed you." The words are barely audible over the clink of his bottle hitting the table and yet Thancred knows they reach Aoi's horns all the same. And yet what sounds painfully loud is the sheer number of sleepless, guilt filled nights encased within his gravelly intoned declaration. It's enough to have him biting back a wince as revulsion at exposing such mortifying weakness roils in his gut. His body tenses as he waits for mocking laughter to fill the air. Shoulders climbing higher when the silence continues to reign heavy between them, eyes remaining fixated on the wood grain before him even as the urge to look at the Au Ra rises in his chest. Then, almost as if in defiance of his earlier words, she draws in a great, heaving breath before playfully exhaling it in a long, drawn out sigh. "Did you?"

The sight he's greeted with only fans the flames of his steadily rising fury. Her lazy smirk is half concealed by the bottle at her lips, the only part of her that moves is her eyes. The once striking green now sickening to him as they roam across his face, soaking up his misery in the same way she does her wine. "I know what I saw," he growls out. "But do you understand it?" Aoi chides with a click of her poisonous tongue and for moment he's back in the Studium being stripped down by his lecturers. It's a feeling that soon has him kissing his teeth as he continues to glare at her. He can't be sure if the resentment coursing through his veins is aimed at her cruelty or his stupidity. For foolishly allowing himself to believe that she'd be sympathetic to his plight. Forgetting that the sole reason he even sat across from her this night was because it was her selfish hand that had reached for his neck, greedily clasping it as she pulled him from the grave.

WIP wed-ursday

There’s something very special about ARR aoicred #ciciwrites

And yet when she leans forward he can't help but to find himself entranced by the slow, languid way she smiles. "Do you want to see it again?" The answer was no, he didn't just want to see it. He needed to be the one causingit. Until the nightmares of her hands holding a shredded throat, of the way her laughter had gurgled because of it, are replaced by the knowledge that it was all meaningless. As many times as it takes he'll force her down onto the mattress and run the blade across her skin, until the sight of her closed eyes and stretched out arms don't inspire revulsion at the inherent trust such a pose implies. What does it say about them that her laughter has never sounded fonder than it does now? That his desire has never been more honest than when he's running a knife across her stomach?

Until the guilt washes away #ciciwrites

He distantly registers a cruel hand gripping his hair and forcing his face upwards until his vision is full of vivid green eyes and black hair whose red ends might as well be brilliant flames to his addled mind. He attempts to lift his arm, eager to tangle his fingers in those wavy locks even if they do end up scorching him, but his muscles still refuse to obey his commands. He makes a disgruntled noise in the back of his throat which prompts the woman holding him upright to ask,"what did you do to him?" The Elder's nasally voice once more fills the air. "We underestimated his strength and were forced to sedate him." "You'd have me eat drugged meat?" The woman before him asks, turning his face to and fro as she does so. Eyes carefully inspecting every inch of his face, even forcing him to open his mouth so she can look at his teeth. Rationally he should be offended, instead he whines as if he's the one who upset her.

"Did I hurt your feelings?" She croons softly and instead of answering he sways dangerously closer to her, desperate to hear more of her musical voice. In his current state it's impossible to tell if the smile he thinks he sees is true or simply the result of his double vision. He's too busy watching the way blood red lips form the words to actually answer her. He probably would have spent the whole night doing so if he wasn't pulled out of reverie by a finger prodding the fresh bruise on his cheek. His hiss is answered by a girlish giggle, "they really messed you up didn't they?" She leans closer and soon the desire to plant his face in her neck, to soak up the alluring scent of jasmine straight from the source, fills him. "Should I kill them for you?" Are the words all but purred directly against his ear. He should be disgusted by the way delight drips off her words. But the only thing that fills him is the fervent desire to keep her close.

She could have asked him anything, is the argument he knows he'll end up making to himself, and he would have nodded. And so he does, sealing the fate of everyone in the clearing as he does so. "Close your eyes," sharp pain shoots through his forehead at just how discordant she sounds. Where before there was birdsong there is now only the maddening dissonance of a thousand voices all layered atop each other, worming their way into his mind until he has no choice but to obey. Already he knows that the weight pulling his eyelids down won't be dispelled until she wills it. The last sensation he registers before the night erupts into a cacophony of blood curdling screams and the sickening sound of bones snapping is that of velvety soft lips brushing across his forehead. He doesn't bother to ponder just what it says about him that he chooses to focus on that instead of the chaos.

I just really like this AU #ciciwrites

Aoi's laughter is pure derision not that he cares, for it means the maddening sound of her nail scraping the rim of her goblet has stopped. It's almost enough to have him breathe a sigh of relief but the coldness of her next words soon has it dying in his throat. "You see a boarded up castle deep in the woods and you would glean choice from it? Perhaps you hit your head harder than any of us realised." Without his knowledge he's shifted the knife in his hand so that it's pointed at her, a sight which only provokes a sickening grin from Aoi. "I see rusted shackles in the snow and a village eager to put whatever poor soul who crosses their path within them," he growls out. "All in a bid to save themselves from a bloodthirsty lord." She settles back in her chair with a languid chuckle. "Surely you didn't expect me to pass eternity in boredom?"

Took a detour to the vampire AU #ciciwrites

"You'd have me turn my back on an entire city just to satiate your greed?" She clicks her tongue in disapproval but her face shows nothing but delight at such a thought. Thancred snorts as he traces the tip of his blade along her ribs. "Has all your time in this city fooled you into thinking yourself possessed with nobility, dove?" He shakes his head as if he's never heard something more ludicrous. In warning her nails drags across the small of his back but her tone is still cheerful when she replies, "rest assured, it was suffering your nightly outbursts that convinced me of a such a thing." She laughs but it soon turns into a hiss when he lets the blade bite into her skin. The only shame he feels is at the way Aoi pats his hip. It's the same fondness a master would show their loyal hound and it only makes him want to ruin the all too willing canvas below him even more.

The wheels are slowly turning #ciciwrites

CW: knife play

"Do not presume that the sickening sympathy your companions have towards you has managed to successfully worm its way to me." Her smile doesn't change, it's still the same bright eyed one she used to give him. A sickening juxtaposition to the malice dripping off of her words. "I have no need nor use for a crippled dog far too concerned with chewing its own leg off than it is hunting hares." She plants a hand next to his knee as leans down, her expression a mockery of friendly concern. "I am sure there are plenty of women across this realm who have convinced themselves they adore you, why don't you go bother them for now on." It's a mandate, not a suggestion. And traitorously he feels himself wanting to obey it even as the flames of his resentment are being fanned higher and higher with every words that escapes her barbed tongue.

You won’t believe what he did to provoke this #ciciwrites

Aoi doesn't hear him, too lost in chasing the pleasure that his hands bring. Her hips bucking for the one as she stands on her tip toes to force the other one even deeper into her back, desperate for him to reach as far as her heart. The result of her silence is both of them coming to a stop and where before gasps and whines filled the air there's only an aggravated snarl. In response Thancred only sweetly props his chin against the curve of her shoulder, trailing kisses along the scales littered there. "Did your masters neglect to teach you the dangers of provocation?" she growls while struggling uselessly under his heavy weight. "Answer my question," he demands lazily, casually stepping on her tail when he senses it getting ready to strike.

I didn’t make a kinktober card but trust me when I say I’m about to hit bingo

Flagged for mild nsfw and mild dead dove if you squint #ciciwrites

"Then stay." The words are just as much a shock to him as they are to her. "We can find another path through this storm." "Don't you think I would have found it by now if it existed?" And for the first time since he met her he sees just how old she is writ clearly across her face. Centuries of pain, weariness and grief showcasing just how long she has struggled to even reach this point in time. Then he blinks and she's as young as she's ever been. A cruel and unneeded reminder as to why they're even in this situation to begin with.

we’d rather be six feet under than be lonely

An 8.4k #wolcred fic

By the time the consequences of their actions catch up to them it’s already far to late to change their fate

#aoicred #ciciwrites

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/72209421

That night Thancred ghosts his hand over her ribs, too tentative to press against her bones when they already look like they're trying to break through her skin. A part of her wants to snap at him, to see if then he'll finally press down hard enough to bruise her in the way she so desperately wants, another part of her is all too aware that he'll just smile that sad, shallow smile that haunts his face as he shuffles away and she's already tired of seeing it. "Do you resent me now for all of this?" The words are so quiet that she wonders if he even meant for her to her them or perhaps to even utter them at all. Again she wants to lash out, wants to tell him just how miserable her days are here. How sometimes even the bottle isn't enough to help her through them. Wants to curse him for forcing her to be around the ghosts of family whose faces she can barely remember anymore.

But following ever so quickly on the heels of that cruel impulse is fear and the worry that if she does he'll never come back, that he'll leave her alone in these woods and their taunting silence. So she chooses her words carefully, from the heart all the same but its ones she knows that will keep him coming back to her. "Only when your gone." His breath stutters and hysterical laughter threatens to bubble in her throat when she realises she derives no pleasure from provoking such a reaction. His hand curves itself around her hip as he presses his lips tighter against the back of her head, his silent plea to stay all the louder. She almost finds herself agreeing, but as the last of her resolve attempts to crumble away its Aisling's face that flashes in her mind. So instead she says nothing, pulls his hand up to her chest and pretends she isn't all to incredibly aware of the way his chest shudders at her back as she pretends to sleep.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder (maybe) #ciciwrites

The horrific reality of falling for an immortal that became too famous against her will #ciciwrites

"They're arguing," she says softly, almost as if she's afraid of being heard. Thancred frowns as he follows the Xaela's gaze. "Who is?" "Ume and Rei," she cuts herself off sharply. "Aoi." It's still a struggle for the young woman to call her mistress by her given name and not the fake she'd used in the all the years they'd known each other. As he always does when the slip occurs Thancred pretends not to notice it and attempts to lighten the mood. "How much danger do you think I'll be in if I walk up there?" Homura huffs softly but his words finally manage to pry her gaze from the ceiling as instead red eyes meet his own as she offers him a small smile. "It's more dangerous for us all if you don't, kind sir." She winks while making a shooing gesture with her hands. "She's been on the warpath these last few days so by all means feel free to calm the dragon with your presence, I'll even give you a gift."

"Not necessary," Thancred chuckles while patting her shoulder on his way past. But he's barely cleared the top step when Ume's voice, sounding remarkably different as irritation coats her words, reaches his ears. "You're being ridiculous. We only have so much time before questions start being asked." "Is this what you do now?" Aoi's voice is deceptively airy but the subtle chill in her voice is sharp enough to send a shiver down his spine. "Tell me things I already know?" "Do you though?" Ume snaps and Thancred finds himself pausing just a few steps away from Aoi's office at just how desperate the normally compared Viera sounds. "What plans have you put in place? Or are you too busy-" "Your lack of faith is insulting." The hairs on Thancred's nape stand up in response to Aoi's declaration and his breath catches painfully in his chest as he fights the urge to shrink back into the shadows in a bid to negate drawing her attention.

"Surely you have better things to waste your time on." Ume doesn't argue against the clear dismissal, instead her agitation is made clear in just how heavy her steps are and in the way she barely offers Thancred a shallow bow once she passes him. "If your done skulking in the shadows you can come in now." He releases the breath he didn't realise he was holding when warmth once more enters Aoi's voice as she calls out to him. "Am I intruding?" He asks carefully while stepping into the room and leaning a hip against Aoi's desk. "Of course not," Aoi says casually while inspecting her nails. "Unlike others yours is a welcomed presence." She doesn't pitch her words any louder but judging by the way a door slams loudly on the floor below them they're heard all the same. "Did you need something?" "What were you two arguing about?"

Aoi looks up at him with a gentle smile and sweetly croons, "my how your face changed in all the years we've been together." He manages to keep a confused frown from unfurling across his lips but he doesn't bother to hide his raised brows. "I didn't come all the way here for you to point out how old I am, dove." Aoi ignores him as she rests her chin on the back of her hand. "Has mine changed at all?" Realisation sits heavy in his gut as his eyes trace over features he's long since memorised in the years he's known the Au Ra, Ume's words echoing in his mind as he goes so. We only have so much time before people start asking questions. Swallowing around suddenly dry throat he finally manages to respond. "Perhaps not." Aoi laughs lightly, "that's what we were arguing about. She loves to worry even if none of this is new to us." "And what do you intend to do." Aoi looks at him oddly, pity crumpling her features in way he so rarely sees. "What I always do."

Sometimes I think about the sheer amount of times Aoi has probably had to fake her death over the years about how she’ll have to do that fairly soon post canon once it becomes clear that she’s not aging and I get emotional. Probably my next big project, unedited snippets upon you ✌️ #ciciwrites

"A few of the surrounding settlements are being terrorised by wild animals, help me deal with them?" When Aoi finally deigns to look at him it's with both her brows raised quizzically and yet she stays quiet for so long that even the servants begin to cringe and tense at the slowly growing tension between them. Thancred simply waits, however, he's long since become accustomed to the games Aoi likes to play. His patience is eventually rewarded by Aoi airily asking, "are you a baby?" Cutlery clatters to the ground in the room just beyond them, a sharp sound quickly followed by a whispered reprimand but neither of them pay it any mind. In response to Aoi's jab Thancred only pointedly looks at the empty table in front her. "I've clearly interrupted you. I'll have to be more courteous towards your busy schedule in the future."

Day 24: undertone

The only thing colder than Ishagard might be Aoi

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

Gratitude has him raining kisses across her stomach and hip bones. Resentment has him biting at her thighs until her blood stains his mouth. Foolishness has him desperately hoping that Aoi's loud whines coupled with her hands eagerly clawing at his shoulders are signs of her adoration for him.

Day 23: parched

The vast majority of Thancred’s nights are reserved for Aoi

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

Thancred had only been searching the floor of his closet for half a minute when he hears a low, appreciative whistle sound from behind him. Straightening up immediately he turns and is met with the sight of Aoi leaning against his door jamb, emerald eyes that were clearly trained on his ass just a second ago instead trail up to his face as she smirks at him. "You know my mother is married right? Pants that tight are sadly wasted on her." "That so?" He asks with a smirk while crossing his arms across his chest. "I've heard her daughter's pretty cute. Maybe I'll try my luck with her instead."

Day 22: fluster

Thancred has been invited to the annual Tameharu Christmas party

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

"You could have done worse." Thancred swallows uncomfortably as he recalls how the first sight to greet his eyes upon regaining his body had been of Aoi straddling his waist, face calm as she held her dagger at this throat. Back in control? She had asked with a voice far too measured considering just how long the fight with Lahabrea had lasted. For a brief dizzying moment Thancred had thought of saying no, curious and halfway desperate to see just how quickly her blade would descend and become an end to his torture. Instead he had nodded but even now he wonders how truthful such an answer was. Was it his body again? Or was this the calm before it was once more unceremoniously stolen from him? The thought has his skin squirming and he almost opens his mouth to tell Aoi she made a mistake, that there was no saving him and that her dagger would be better used on him than on a fruit only to be cut off by the woman herself. "Is that regret I hear in your voice?"

Day 21: crunch

Aoi pays a visit to Thancred as he recovers from his ordeal

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

"I don't believe we did. After all, you refused to tell me what you want." He drops his head back down, carefully watching Aoi from the corner of his eye. Aoi sighs as if he's asked her to push a boulder up a mountain. "I already told you there's no real reason for us to leave if we don't have to." "That's an assessment not an opinion, darling." Almost immediately the once pleasant grip around his ankle becomes vice like. The tip of her tail beating an aggressive rhythm against his calf. "I think," she all but hisses the word out, "that there's plenty of opportu-" "But an opinion isn't the same as honesty now is it, dove?" This time Aoi can't prevent agitation from blooming across her face as she bares her teeth in a half hearted snarl. It's only upon seeing her stony facade break so totally that Thancred decides to soften his approach. "I don't think I've ever seen you struggle with voicing what you want. There's no need for you start now."

Day 20: free day

Aoi’s never been reluctant to share what she wants and Thancred isn’t about to let that change

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

As always Aoi's barb finds its mark with deadly accuracy. For days now Ala Mhigo had been celebrating its hard won liberation, a future that he knows Minfilia had dreamed of witnessing with her own eyes. That he's here to see it instead of her is a bitter pill he's still currently struggling to swallow. Having it thrown so openly in his face has his fingers twitching, whether to wrap them around Aoi's neck or to force hers around his he can't be sure. The war in his heart must show on his face because Aoi leans back with a barked out laugh. "There it is," she softly croons, a triumphant smirk painted across her lips. "It must gall you. Not good enough to save her. Not worthy enough to have a hand in liberating her home. But don't look so despondent," faux sympathy practically drips off of her words. "Living in shadows suits you and whose is more glorious than mine?" Despite the height difference between them it still feels like she's looking down on him as she chuckles.

Day 19: battle of wills

Long simmering tension finally reaches its boiling point

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

Are you scared of me now? She had asked him only a few short days after saving him from the Ascian's possession. Her words had caused the image of her bloodstained face stretched wide with a frenzied smile to sharpen within his mind, forced him to remember just how steady her hands had been while holding a sword to his neck. Curiosity at his avoidance of her was all that coloured her tone and Thancred had tried his best not to be bitter about that. Are you scared of me now? It's the same question asked a decade later, an untold number of heartaches lingering in the years and distance between them. The fight with Titania had changed her. Pure white sits starkly at the roots of her dark hair and the green of her left eye is slowly being consumed by a sickly gold. This time she sounded breathless, scared that they wouldn't even have a chance to repair what Thancred had so selfishly broken between them in the Dravanian Forelands.

Day 18: self-control

Thancred can count on one hand the number of times he’s seen Aoi sleep

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

"Well you, my dear, look positively radiant at all times of the day. Though I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that." "I'll never say no to being flattered," she laughs softly as she leans ever so slightly further into his space. "What brings you to the city?" "Perhaps I've become adept at tracking you down." He tugs playfully at an errant strand of her hair. "I'm sure you'd love nothing more than for that to be true," Aoi counters easily. "And you wouldn't?" As soon as the words leave his lips he regrets them. His tone is far too earnest, betraying just how desperate he is to hear her answer.

more than just somebody i was destined to meet

A 4.5k #wolcred fic

When Thancred first encounters Aoi it’s by chance. All the meetings after that, however, are purposeful.

#aoicred #ciciwrites

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/66312274

He's never been immune to Aoi's beauty, he's lost count of the sheer anoint of times she's managed to render him speechless by virtue of simply smiling at him or better yet with her teasing voice. But tonight, as she snakes her way around the busy tables, inadvertently drawing everyone's eye as she does, he discovers that Aoi Tameharu may very well be lethal to his health. He was prepared for the way his heart rate would skyrocket if she decided to wear red, was perhaps even in truth eager for her to do so, and he's even managed, so far, to keep his sanity in tact once he spied the black lace bra she decided to wear over the top of her dress. The way the enticing splay of ivory scales lining her thigh seems to practically shimmer from where they lay exposed by the daringly high slit of her dress has his nails digging into his thighs but his undoing is something much more dastardly.

Day 17: destruct

A glint of gold proves to be Thancred’s undoing

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

"I would consider us to be close." Aoi's words are underscored by the sounds of her three daughters playing in the house she shares with Thancred and accompanied by her sitting at a table that the man himself had crafted one summer with her hands cradled around a floral tea cup that the Hyur had lost count of how many times she'd had him repair over the years. Standing across from her, sipping from slightly misshapen, garishly decorated mug that had been a cherished gift from the moment he had received it, he offers her a sardonic smile. "That's lovely to hear, dove."

Day 16: bond

Thancred manages to stay one step ahead of Aoi

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

Seated on the counter next to him Aoi idly swings her leg as she occasionally brings an apple slice up to her lips. "She's upset with you." Thancred frowns while scrubbing with more aggression than is strictly necessary at the plate in his hands. "Over what?" Aoi shrugs while glancing over at him from the corner of her eye. "I didn't ask. You know me, I hate to pry into other people's business." Thancred freezes as the words wash over him and slowly turns his head towards Aoi. "Since when?" He asks in pure disbelief. Aoi hums as she pretends to think about her answer. "Probably around the time you first sneaked into my room at the Waking Sands to read my journal and I realised just how intrusive it is." Aoi's smile is all teeth and Thancred unwillingly finds himself snorting in amusement.

Day 15: doppelgänger

It’s easy to forget sometimes just how much like her mother Aisling truly is

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

The only real measurement of time she has is Thancred's agitated steps as he relentlessly paces up and down the length of her room. A constant tattoo that only ceases when his feet bring him to the all too thin door separating them. As the pauses grow longer and longer Aoi becomes increasingly aware of how dangerously short her time is becoming. Despite knowing this the Au Ra can't find the strength nor the resolve to stop obsessively scrubbing at her already painfully raw skin. It's not enough that her nerves are crying out to her for relief, for whenever she allows the foolish belief that she's cleansed every inch of herself to bloom the parts of herself that she's somehow managed to miss burn brightly. Cruelly mocking her for even daring to think that she'd managed to rid herself of Zenos' taint so easily.

Day 14: scour

No matter how hard Aoi scrubs she can't erase the feeling of Zenos beneath her skin

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

Thancred's face scrunches up. "You woke me up at," he lifts his head just high enough so that he can blink sleepily at the clock, "1 a.m. for that?" "Yes." There's no remorse in her tone. "So do you want to come?" "If I say no, are you going to just keep asking me?" "Yes."

Day 13: results

A visit to her mother’s house has unintended consequences for Aoi

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

Thancred grabs her hand before she can fully pull it away, kissing her palm before trailing his lips up her wrist. "I wanted to see you," tiredly nuzzling his cheek against her pulse he smirks lazily when he feels the light shiver that wracks through Aoi in response to his words. Leaning his head back against her stomach he looks up at her with an earnest expression even as the words that leave his lips are laced with teasing and adoration in equal measure. "Didn't you miss me as well, dove?" "Always," she whispers huskily as she bends down enough to press a kiss against his forehead, giggling when Thancred greedily pushes himself against her touch. "But I think," she says as she playfully pokes at his cheek, "That you shouldn't start things you're too sleepy to finish." Despite the words that leave Aoi's lips her eyebrows in lift in clear challenge and Thancred feels an all too familiar fire begins to spark in his gut.

Day 12: accolade

Thancred was always planning to visit Aoi that night but the promise of a reward only makes him more determined

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

Aoi keeps her eyes focused on her work, face carefully blank. "I told you not to follow me." "You did," he says casually while tilting his head to try and catch her gaze. Over the soft snick of scissors being opened Aoi mulishly asserts, "That makes all of this your fault." "It does." With a soft growl Aoi slams her hands down on either side of his hips and with a glare hisses up at him. "Stop agreeing with me." Thancred can't help it when he feels his lips pulling upwards in an all too familiar, if not slightly rusty, roguish smile. "Whatever you want, dove." He just barely manages to suppress a chuckle when he sees how fast Aoi's upper lip pulls back in a snarl.

Day 11: snuff

Aoi’s struggles to contain the light roiling within her reaches a breaking point

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites

It's always the same. An image of Thancred's back as he struggles to make his way to Meteion, her hand desperately reaching out, a ragged cry of his name wrung free from her throat, before she collapses. Then it's those damned words ringing in her mind as she's forced to walk in that blasted place once more. He cried out from it. A single word. "Survive". It's at that point she normally jolts awake. Eyes rapidly searching in the dark until she finds the man himself, hale and healthy, slumbering peacefully beside her. Only once she's absolutely certain that his chest is rising and falling does she feel the fist constricting her heart begin to loosen.

Day 10: coward

In the wake of everything she endured in Ultima Thule Aoi’s nightmares are getting worse

🔗: archiveofourown.org/works/702163...

#ciciwrites