Tamaas (eventually Tamara)
Addressed as: Madam* (she/her)
Age: 23
Height: 5’4”
Occupation:
Main Skills: Shadowy, Watchful
Prominent Quirks: Melancholy
Closest to: The Urchins
*it's a form of address that feels strange compared to its Varchaasi equivalent, but she no longer has any claim to that title.
Backstory below the cut:
She never questioned her life, much like she never questioned her love for Mihir and her native Varchas. One rarely has to when all is well and life is easy.
She doesn’t understand why her brother did not share this contentedness. Fraternal twins, they were ever-close, sharing everything, but his interest in the Jewel-Turbaned Youth and his fanciful club was something that she simply could not get her mind around. The rest of the family paid it no mind—they’re harmless anyway. Let him have his fun.
She doesn’t know what it was that stopped her from retiring to bed that one fateful evening, a nagging in the back of her head that something was off. When she stepped back out into the yellow evening lamplight, a familiar shape slipping down the streets confirmed her intuition. Her brother made it as far as the Mirrored Gate before she clamped her hand around his wrist. Was he mirror-mad? What could he possibly be thinking? Who would want to leave the light, and to set sail on a steamer with a Tamaas captain he’d only met that morning? She’d argued with him, begging him to see sense, until they were both shouting. Deep in their quarrel, she’d barely noticed the shape in the mirror pressed up against his back until it was too late. It struck and he screamed, jerking to the side. Hand still latched around his arm, she slipped in turn, down the slope beyond the gate and both of their lives ended in an instant.
She’d later piece together what had happened from The Sympathetic Captain, most of her memories a blur, and Mihir knows, she’d had enough time on that ship to play her retelling back in her head in endless combinations. Before her brother had even met the ground, before his head had hit stone and his heart had stopped beating, he was Tamaas. As was she, not a fraction of a second later. The Captain had heard the commotion and was not far from the bottom of the cliff. She had insisted that the Captain take them both, that no one in the city would help them anymore. She had to get him to the next port where he could recover.
How his body had disappeared a day later, on a ship miles from the coast, was not one the Captain could answer, no matter how much she raged, how many objects in the cabin she smashed in her fugue. The Captain could only offer a sympathetic ear and a cup of tea.
When the ship finally docked in London she disappeared into the darkness, too ashamed of her grief to say goodbye. Her life was over, but somehow she would have to keep living, Tamaas or otherwise.
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What if Eclipse from AP was a naga? And this took place in the deep jungle of the amazon, where photographer y/n is trying to take pictures of the wildlife?
I'm vibrating at the speed of sound over this ask while also nudging my naga au
Naga Eclipse from AP would have the tail of a Green Anaconda, with an olive green scaly color dotted with black, framed by burning-like flares of orange along the length of his slithery body. He's also decorated with orange-yellow striping on either side of his long, slipper form. His upper half is scaley with a lithe deadliness to his musculature and decorated by frills surrounding his head with brighter orange-yellow colors, almost hypnotic in their gradient hues. One eye is deep emerald green, and one is midnight blue.
Lucky you—you're out on a once-in-a-lifetime expedition to explore a jungle closed off to the public, funded by Fazco, and occupied by two researchers who will be your bunkmates for the next few weeks. You're itching to take photos of the large river, including swamps, marshes and streams, and whatever wildlife is out there.
The few locals you did meet before you left to hike the rest of the way to what would be your new, isolated home warned you of a dangerous snake—a large, mythical beast. You take note of the local folklore. You understand the truth is hidden in there somewhere, and you are well aware of the dangers and diseases you could be met with in such a harsh environment, but you're determined.
It doesn't take long for you to feel eyes watching you when you first venture out by yourself. You take beautiful pictures of freshwater fish, big and beautiful, unlike any you have ever seen. Of course, you have hundreds of snapshots of the local flora, the trees, the floating meadows, the thick vines that drape each branch and hang thickly about the ground. You almost forget that you eerily don't feel alone.
But you swear something moves in the water—the ripples stop as soon as you look. The stillness is suddenly stiff, lifeless. Even the birds have stopped chirping.
You lower your camera and carefully put it away. A trickle of fear slips into your heart. You turn away from the river's edge only to be met by a low hiss and a creature, unlike anything you witnessed in your travels, spooling itself neatly out of the water, blocking your path to the base. An incredible creature with long arms and a great, serpentine tail that seems to stretch for yards and yards. You can hardly breathe in his presence—he's otherworldly with his frills and scales and fangs.
His eyes contain a mesmerizing shine as if staring into a fire as it burns or watching the ocean as it laps up against the beach, drawing your attention, demanding you don't look away. You couldn't anyway. Half-frozen, you struggle to keep from collapsing. He beckons with a sharp talon. He hisses softly for you to come closer, mouse. He wants to see you. You try to beg no without revealing how terribly you tremble. He doesn't let you go. He insists. His eyes flash with an allure. You almost step close when he murmurs that you need to be good.
But then your sense of survival kicks adrenaline into your heart, and you turn to run—
He strikes faster than your eyes can follow. Two loops of his green and orange tail surrounded you in an instant. You're dragged to the ground, your arms pinned under his mass, and the back of your head cradled by his large palm as powerful muscles squeeze you in the slightest—a gentle rebuke for thinking you could get away. You're hyper-aware of the terrifying bulk of muscles as you lie trapped in his coils. One strong twist and your eyes could pop out of your skull, and every bone protecting your heart and lungs would crumble to shards. You gasp. An urge to kick your legs and struggle erupts in your panic; a sinking feeling tells you it would only make things worse.
He coos over you, hissing and humming in an ancient song of the jungle you have no name for. When you whimper, he shushes you and strokes your cheek. He tells you how lovely you'll be. When you talk back to him, somehow finding your tongue amid your horror, you find out his name. Eclipse. He moves you more upright, resting you on his tail so you're not petrified by how vulnerable you feel lying down, but he never loosens his scaly bindings. He hovers over you. You gaze into his stunning frills of yellow-orange and wonder how a being like him came to exist. He studies you as you study him. He grins at how you shiver when he traces your collarbone with a sharp fingertip.
You remind yourself that you can still breathe. He hasn't crushed you—yet—but you don't like how wide his smile is. Sometimes, his jaw stretches a little too long as if dislocating from his skull, ready to devour you. His eyes gleam with a ravenousness as scales twist around you, holding you close enough to smell the slick green water he had been in and deep musk.
He tells you that he'll see you again very soon—away from other humans, lest you bring him a fine gift for a meal. You can only flex your fingers, silently pleading in your heart that he won't unhook his jaw and eat you alive.
Then, he unravels himself from your limbs. But before he lets you go entirely, he leans in close, his serpentine tongue flickering close to your neck and by your hair, tasting the air around you as you muster all your strength to not scream. He inhales deeply, pleased, before he murmurs, "Sweet mouse. You are mine. Say it."
You don't understand, but you echo his command, and when he taps your chin once in what might have been a loving gesture, you force your jelly legs to solidify before you run and run, all the way back to base. You slam the door to your room behind you. You touch your ribs, your arms, still caught in the heavy sensation of his loops as if he were upon you right now.
The stories are true—there is a giant snake in this jungle, and he wants you. You're afraid to discover if Eclipse's intrigue with you is only an exotic way to satisfy his hunger.
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WOE, SERVANT SUN ANGST BE UPON YE !!! The fic is also under the cut in case you can't use ao3!
Summary:
The world-eater unleashed upon their dimension has done its job with ease. Buildings are reduced to rubble in mere seconds and many are lives snuffed in an instant. Sun was among those lives.
Now, in the afterlife, Sun finally feels every emotion he had locked away for the past century and Moon—a brother he never knew he had—is there to support him every step of the way.
Warnings: Major character death (already happened), angst, loss of faith, just generally a lot of very messy emotions
Word count: 1,091
"How are you feeling?"
Moon's soft tone is nearly drowned out by the sound of something cracking and falling in the distance. The rubble around them shakes from the force, a few books fall from the shelves behind them. Moon's legs dangle freely off the edge of a broken staircase, while Sun has his own curled up to his chest. Neither of them are particularly paying attention to the destruction around them.
"I don't know," Sun mumbles, "Tired, I think. Am I supposed to be feeling some type of way?"
"I wouldn't say you're supposed to be, but people are usually sad or angry or even relieved." Moon rubs his thumb back and forth against Sun's shoulder. "You feeling any of those?"
Sun shakes his head slowly, the golden eclipse earrings on his middle rays swinging with the motion. "I don't think so."
Moon waits a long moment, staring at the other bot expectantly. A bookshelf topples over loudly across the room. Outside, the world-eater lets out a sickening scream. Sun doesn't elaborate.
Moon sighs. "I think what I'm trying to ask you here is," he gently taps Sun's forehead, earning a startled noise from the other. "what's going on in that head of yours, bud?"
Sun stares up at Moon, chewing the side of his lip as he debated on whether or not to speak his mind. If this man is truly his brother like he claims, he may already know what to expect. Sun looks away.
"Do you think He's waiting for me?" Moon's soothing motion pauses for just a moment and Sun feels the need to explain himself. "I mean, surely He must be, right? During such an important time, He's likely gathering the rest of His followers, taking them to safety, and wondering where His last saint is. I promised Him I'd be there when He needs me most, but now I'm here when He needs me most and stars I know He will be upset with me."
"Sun, I don't think he—"
"What if He thinks I ran off, Moon?" Sun interrupts Moon with a frantic edge to his voice. The servant's body starts to tremble and Moon feels it in his hand. He opens his mouth to sooth his brother, but Sun speaks first. "What if He can't find my body and He thinks I broke every promise and prayer I ever made? What if He thinks I'm a traitor? What if He thinks the last century was nothing but a lie and I'm a dissenter, just as Bloodmoon was? What if He hates me?"
Sun suddenly stands up, pacing in a circle on what little flooring remained of the library's second story. Moon rises as well, but stands in the same spot. He watches his brother quietly.
"I did so much to show I still worshiped Him! I did all of this," he motions at himself wildly, "for Him! I did all of it without Him even prompting me to! My entire life centered on Him, every single ounce of energy I ever had was used to serve Him or think about Him! He was the air that entered my vents, He was the electricity in my wires, He was the solder that held my stupid, stupid body together!
"He was everything to me, Moon!" Sun suddenly turns his attention to Moon and he sees the tears threatening to fall from Sun's eyes. The world seems to shake louder at his anguish. "And I failed Him! I failed the one person I absolutely could not afford to fail! My god, my savior, the one constant in my life! How much of a fuck-up do I have to be to manage that?!"
Sun hiccups loudly and looks away to cover his face. Moon approaches his brother at a slow pace, gently putting his hands on his arms. Sun lets out a whimper and leans into Moon, crumbling into his arms and hiding his teary face in the bot's shoulder.
"Did I do good, at least?" Sun's voice is strained, desperate. "Or did I waste my life in the most pitiful way possible?"
Moon wraps his arms around Sun's body and hugs him tightly. He hasn't been able to do this for a century. It's nice. "You did perfect, Sun. You did all you could, even with someone like Eclipse looming over you at every turn. I'm proud of you, brother. I always have been."
And just like that, Sun's fragile mask melted.
His stifled cries become full-body sobs that were already leaving Moon's shoulder wet with tears. 100 years worth of grief—of anger, of disgust, of hatred, of fear—all come out in a wail that only the dead can hear. He wept for every soul he was forced to turn away from or harm, he wept for every part of himself he maimed in an attempt to feel holier, he wept for the person he used to be, he wept for the life he never had.
He wept for every moment he felt like his lord was truly going to kill him. He wept for every moment he dreamed of a kinder god. He wept, and he wept, and he wept.
When Sun's sobs and hiccups quieted, the world seemed to have done the same. No more tumbling buildings that shook the earth. No more screeches from the world-eater. Not even the sound of wind or rubble falling. So, in such a still moment, Sun admits something. "I think I hate him."
Moon hums, rubbing a hand down Sun's back in a soothing motion. "I know."
"I feel disgusting."
"I know."
"I don't want to be his servant anymore."
"What do you want to be, then?"
Sun pauses. He gently flicks the bell at the end of Moon's hat. "I want to be your brother."
"You already are my brother," Moon says with a chuckle.
"I wasn't really before this, though. I didn't even know you were here." Sun flicks the bell again, harder this time. Moon lets out a snort. "I want to know what it's like to be your brother. I want to know something that isn't Eclipse."
Moon mutters in understanding. "You know, I'm not the only brother you have."
Sun suddenly breaks the hug to look at Moon with wide eyes. "What? What does that mean??"
Moon smiles and wraps an arm around Sun's shoulder, guiding him through the broken remains of the library. "Here, follow me. I'm sure Lunar and Bloodmoon will be thrilled to see you."
Notes:
and the universe said the darkness you fight is within you
and the universe said the light you seek is within you
and the universe said I love you because you are love
HAPPY DAY EVERYONE ^_^ i hope this fic made you drop to your knees in a waffle house parking lot! reblogs and anguished tags are always appreciated <3
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