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everparanoid · 6 months

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kisses in the rain w/ genshin men

various genshin men x gn!reader

a/n: I listened to Mitski's "Strawberry Blond" for Alhaitham's one especially. Also a lot of Hozier and "Northern Downpour" by P!ATD, but that's just normal for me so...anyways enjoy <3

cw: suggestive undertones, tooth-rotting fluff

characters: Diluc, Neuvillette, Wriothesley, Ayato, Alhaitham, Itto

Diluc

“Although I don’t require one, you are welcome to use one if necessary.”

Diluc, typically reserved and private, has a rare soft spot for kisses in the rain. It’s during these moments of downpour that he allows his guard to drop, revealing a more tender side of himself. Imagine accompanying him on one of his hunting trips, camping out under the vast, open sky. The sudden patter of rain against the canvas of your tent lures you outside, where you find him sitting in the rain, seemingly at peace with the world. He sits there, unbothered by the rain soaking his clothes, his gaze lost in the rhythm of the falling droplets.

You join him, sitting beside him, sharing in this quiet moment. The world around you fades into a soft blur, leaving just the two of you and the gentle symphony of the rain. The kiss that follows is soft, tender, a delicate dance of rain-kissed lips. It starts as a gentle brush, a whisper of a touch that gradually deepens. Lips moving against lips; breath meeting and intermingling. His thumb gently traces the path of a raindrop on your cheek, his eyes closing for once outside the sanctuary of his home. In the solitude of the rain, when the world has retreated to seek shelter, it’s just the two of you. He holds you close, his heart echoing the rhythm of the rain. Each droplet, each kiss, is a silent prayer - a hope that the purity of the rain might cleanse the tainted spirits of the world, and perhaps, even his own. In these moments, under the veil of the rain, he allows himself to be vulnerable, to be tender, to simply be with you.

“If only rain could purify the tainted spirits of this earth.”

Neuvillette

“Ah, my apologies. This heavy rain must be quite an inconvenience for you.”

Neuvillette, much like Diluc, is a man of a more reserved and aloof nature, but unlike Diluc is neither here nor there about kisses in the rain. His solitude finds companionship in the rain, his contemplative frown mirroring the melancholy of the downpour. As the people of Fontaine seek refuge from the sudden shower, you spot him standing alone, his gaze lost in the vast expanse of open water. At first, he doesn’t notice your approach, so engrossed is he in his thoughts. But as your hand gently brushes his shoulder, he turns to face you. For the first time, you see the depth of sorrow in his eyes, a silent testament to the trials he has judged and the human emotions he has yet to understand.

It’s you who initiates the kiss in the rain after he apologises for the rain bothering you. His response is hesitant, unsure. As he, despite his years is still unfamiliar with human customs. But when you smile tenderly at him, whispering, “Hydro dragon, hydro dragon, don’t cry,” something shifts. He kisses you again, this time with more certainty as if he’s found his anchor in the storm. The kisses remain comforting, a gentle balm to soothe the wounds of the soul. Out here in the rain, he allows himself a rare moment of vulnerability. A soft smile graces his lips as he relaxes into the kiss, his hands gently pulling you closer, cradling your back as if you were a delicate flower that might wilt under the weight of the world. With each tender kiss, the rain seems to abate, but the kiss doesn’t. It’s as if time itself has paused, allowing you both to find solace in each other amidst the chaos of the world. When the sun comes out Neuvillette steps back, and composing himself looks up to the sky.

“It’s over…”

Wriothesley

“Oh, it’s raining? That’s alright. A real problem would be if we could feel water dripping on our heads in the fortress of Meropide.”

Wriothesley is a man of preparation, so kisses in the rain are less common occurrences with him. On the rare occasions when he ventures out into the overworld, he carries an umbrella, a testament to his meticulous nature. However, one day when it rains, the sweetness of your shared kisses truly blossoms. Wriothesley, ever observant, notices you standing alone in the rain whilst waiting for him to arrive for your date. He stops, his gaze softening as he offers you shelter under his umbrella. You accept, and together, you walk in comfortable silence, the melodic patter of the rain on the umbrella the only sound accompanying your shared solitude. As you walk, he glances at you, his eyes reflecting the soft glow of the rain-soaked surroundings. At that moment, he leans in, laying a gentle kiss on your lips.

The world seems to stand still, the only movement being the falling raindrops, creating a symphony around you. The kiss, sweet and lingering, tastes like the rain, a perfect blend of the unexpected and the familiar. As you are still in public, Wriothesley is less likely to take it any further than a sheltered kiss, however, when you part he will smirk and tease you with the promise of more when you are behind closed doors. It’s safe to say you skipped the set plans for the date and made quick work of getting behind the promised closed doors. From then on, every time the sky darkens and the first drops of rain touch the ground, you find yourself yearning for those sweet, rain-kissed moments.

Ayato

Ayato, a man known for his cunning charm, finds a unique kind of romance in the rain. He relishes the thrill of a stolen kiss during a downpour, all while seeking temporary shelter under a Sakura blossom tree. The first time this happens, it’s an unplanned kiss, sparked by Ayato’s admiration for how the rain delicately adorns your lashes and moistens your lips. This unexpected moment occurs during a leisurely walk, a rare break for Ayato from his responsibilities with the Shuumatsuban, the Kamisato Clan, and the Yashiro Commission.

He pulls you close, intentionally seeking the sensation of your lips against his, fully aware that one of his associates is about to arrive. He cherishes how you cling to him, momentarily forgetting the respectful distance usually maintained when outside of his private quarters. He delights in hearing your composure break as he gently nibbles on your lips, drawing gasps from you.

When a throat clears in the distance and one of his associates makes their presence known, he suppresses a chuckle at the flustered expression that crosses your face when the intensifying kiss is interrupted by the timely arrival of an umbrella. What you don’t know is that each subsequent rain-kissed moment has been meticulously planned by Ayato. He intentionally invites you for walks on days he knows it will rain, because for him each rain-soaked kiss becomes a cherished memory, a testament to his affection, as beautiful and fleeting as the rain itself.

“Let’s take shelter for the time being. Don’t worry, one of my people will be here with umbrellas momentarily.”

Alhaitham

“Going out on a rainy day is the worst.”

Alhaitham isn’t one for kisses in the rain. He prefers the comfort of dry, warm places where he can indulge in his books in peace and tranquillity. However, since he met you, tranquillity has become a rare commodity. If he hasn’t distanced himself from you yet, it’s because he has grown to appreciate your whimsical bursts of chaos, which make the shared moments of peace even more precious. If you were to share a kiss with Alhaitham in the rain, it would either be because a sudden downpour interrupted a sunny day in Sumeru, or because you coaxed him out of the safety of a shelter at a festival that he attended merely for the food and to see you smile.

As you spin and clap your hands, lost in the rhythm of the dance, your clothes soaked and a bright smile on your face, the downpour only enhances the beauty of the festival of flowers. You notice Alhaitham leaning against a sheltered pillar, his arms folded, his focus locked on you. With a grin, you approach him with the grace of a fairy, taking his hands and pulling him into the rain despite his protests. He won’t dance, of course, but he’ll stand there, watching you dance around him, desire evident in his eyes, his hair soaked to his face. As you come to a stop before him, the world seems to fade away, your eyes flickering between his lips and his eyes. The music merges with the sound of the downpour as you step closer till your lips meet his. Alhaitham warms ever so slightly, and he reciprocates the kiss. It’s not a dramatic kiss; there’s no touching or holding, the only point of contact is where your lips meet. As you pull away and spin off into the dancing crowds, you leave him yearning for more, his desire as palpable as the raindrops on his skin.

Itto

Itto, the ever-charismatic and headstrong Arataki gang leader, is known for his refusal to carry an umbrella, even when the skies threaten rain. You’ve always chalked this up to his stubbornness and his relentless pursuit of maintaining his ‘cool’ persona. Or perhaps, he simply doesn’t own an umbrella. On the other hand, you’re always prepared for the whims of the weather, armed with an umbrella when the forecast predicts rain. On one such rainy day, you find Itto, as expected, braving the rain without any cover. Seeing him soaked, you can’t help but want to share your umbrella with him. At first, he denies your offer but when it looks like the rain won’t be letting up he nearly snatches your umbrella from you trying to huddle under your small shelter.

Shocked, you try to tell him to calm down when a gust of wind sweeps in, snapping the umbrella in half, and leaving both of you exposed to the rain. You stare at the broken umbrella in disbelief, while Itto bursts into laughter. His laughter is infectious, and soon, you’re both laughing heartily, the rain forgotten. Once the laughter subsides, Itto looks at you, his eyes softening. He leans in, capturing your lips in a passionate kiss. The rain only adds to the intensity of the kiss. Soaked to the skin, neither of you cares about the rain anymore. After all, it’s not every day you get to share a kiss in the rain with Itto. And though Itto may never carry an umbrella, you find that you don’t mind at all.

“True men don’t carry umbrellas, pff… Wow, it’s really picking up now, my word. Oh, come on, get yours out already! Come on, move quickly!”

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lovelyyandereaddictionpoint · 17 days

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If you are doing requests can you do a platonic yandere diasomnia x Malleus’s adopted sister. Here’s my idea so the reader is a dragon fae like malleus and one day Lilia and silver was walking in the forest and came across the readers egg and brought it back to the palace and malleus who has already hatched and become immediately attached so his grandmother takes in the reader. Thank you for reading and have a good day/night.

Thanks for Asking! 🖤🖤🖤🖤

A Little Egg | Yandere Platonic Diasomnia

It’s nice if it’s a forest

But even better if it’s some other place across the world

That has a small group of researchers just curious about what you could be

Even though things are calming down now

He and Maleficent are certain that this egg belongs in their care

Of course this is made purely out of grief on both their ends

Your little egg reminds them of Malleus so much

And even across a magic mirror he’s just so so so interested in you

So by any means necessary their nabbing your little egg

Already malnourished because of the severe lack of magical prowess from the human who found you (You’re honestly just a small egg)

It isn’t long before you do hatch

Revealing yourself to be an anomaly

Your not a dragon fae

But your not another kind of fae either

In their expert opinion your in a class of your own (Read as: They have no idea what you are)

Rivaling Malleus’ power as you both get older

Not as recognized as your adopted brother you’re a lot freer and you’re just naturally friendlier

Which makes for an interesting time when SIlver and Sebek dedicate themselves to protecting you both

Having to split off when Malleus is learning

Or there all on the hunt when you both just run off to goof around

You’ll probably be allowed to go into Night Raven maybe along with Sebek as a first year

Where keeping you safe doesn’t get any easier

Only now does Malleus truly begin to realize what Lilia and Sebek go through when they freak out about where you’ve gone

He too is gritting his teeth when he thinks of you trying to run off to another dorm to hang out with your human/mermaid/beastman friends

Malleus doesn’t feel great trying to contain you

He actually struggles to despite your gap in age

You’re a pretty even match

But he won’t admit it

It’ll hurt your brother’s pride if you do

So he’ll do his best to convince you to stay near him or at least close by

And when you don’t obey he’ll have to get creative

Like making a necklace that he can hear you from

Or forcing you to help him befriend your friends so he can come by whenever you happen to be around

#yandere x reader #yandere x you #lovelyyandereaddictionpoint #yanderexrea #yandere twisted wonderland #yandere twst #yandere twst x reader #yandere platonic x reader #yandere platonic #yandere platonic diasomnia #yandere platonic malleus draconia #yandere platonic liliia vanrouge #yandere platonic sebek zigvolt #yandere platonic silver #yanderes x child reader

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jmdbjk · 2 months

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White Bear Artillery Brigade.

I'm not here to share anything earth shattering or reveal new information. I'm just going to elaborate on what I know and how I see it. Feel free to form your own opinions.

Ok so, from everything I know, this is how I'm understanding it (long ramble)...

Republic of Korea (ROK) Armed Forces is one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world. At any given time, it consists of about 600,000 active duty soldiers and approximately 3 million reservists.

Soldiers are automatically transferred to the Reserve Forces upon discharge from their initial active duty service and serve four years in the Mobilization Reserve followed by four years as a Homeland Reservist. No one ever talks about this. They are not "free" following their active duty service. They are still considered reservists.

Jimin and Jungkook are in the White Bear Artillery Brigade of the 5th Infantry Division of the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA).

ROKA itself, the Army, is the largest of the military branches. The other ROK military branches are ROK Navy and ROK Air Force. The ROK Marines are part of their Navy forces.

It might be difficult to fathom the scope and size of ROKA. Here is an outline of the structure. You will need to scroll down a ways to see where the 5th Infantry Division falls. It is under Army Ground Operations and then under V Corps (Corps 5).

The White Bear Brigade consists of the: 195th, 196th, 205th and 988th Field Artillery Battalions. The 196th is also called YELLOW DRAGON.

I do not know which Field Artillery Battalion Jimin and Jungkook are assigned to.

Each of these Field Artillery Battalions are scattered in different locations but tied to the 5th Infantry Division. The 5th Infantry Division's top general controls these Field Artillery Battalions.

And the term "field" only means they are not located at the training base where Jin is.

It means they are out in the "field" in another remote, secluded strategic location, away from the main base, where if necessary, they and their artillery, can be deployed efficiently and rapidly should this action be required.

They don't see Jin any more. He is at a separate location.

The front line between South Korea and North Korea is lined with hills and low-lying mountains, they will be nestled up in there somewhere.

"Field" does not mean they are living in the middle of a farm field in tents, cooking food over campfires. It means they are at a base somewhere in the hills and mountains. This base will hold lots of other soldiers, though not as many soldiers as there are at the original training base where Jin is because that's sort of a hub where they deploy the newly trained soldiers from.

Simple terms: Jimin and Jungkook are out there in the middle of nowhere near the front lines at a base where they take care of weaponry like tanks and the ammo for tanks in case they have to quickly respond to an attack. Heaven forbid.

Anyway. How many ways can I explain that? Obvs a bunch.

Military jobs.

There are probably dozens of jobs that an Army base like theirs requires.

Cooking food to feed all the soldiers is one of those jobs. Cleaning the kitchen after cooking is part of that job. There were rumors since January that Jungkook was a kitchen worker. Those in the K-military call it Kitchen Police. And then JK just said he is cooking rice and cleaning up to the ceiling so that pretty much confirms he is indeed a Kitchen Police.

In the context of him being enlisted in the military and him coming to tell us he is doing good in the military, he is telling us he cooks rice and cleans up afterward.

He didn't mean he sometimes randomly cooks rice in his room. Nor did he mean he made himself a snack. It doesn't mean he also has a second job of cleaning. Everything he does will be associated with the Kitchen Police.

Their days are very regimented and structured. He will be one soldier on a team of soldiers tasked with creating enough food 3 times a day to feed the entire base. It is a full time job.

The rumor for Jimin is that he might be in a role that involves maintenance. Maintenance of what? We don't know. But what we know about Jimin is that he was on the robotics team in school, he has leadership skills, and he made a bunch of LEGO kits and a miniature house model in front of us during several weverse lives. Is he putting together computers? Is he reassembling machinery? We don't know.

The Companion Enlistment Program.

The buddy system was created in 2003 in order to foster better outcomes and psychologically stronger soldiers. It allows those who choose to enlist under this program to be with someone who they can gain this support from throughout their enlistment. That's the whole point. To be together during their enlistment.

The age range is dynamic. Every year this range progresses one year.

For 2023, the age range for this program were those born between Jan. 1, 1995 and Dec. 31, 2005. For 2024, the age range will be those born between Jan. 1, 1996 and Dec. 31, 2006. And so on.

The reason is because only Korean men between the ages of 18-28 are conscripted. 2023 was the last year Jimin was eligible for this program.

The criteria is very specific when choosing this type of enlistment. You can't "game" the system by enlisting in this program for reasons other than the ones the military has set for this type of enlistment. It's the military... they are masters at the "game." Strategy, out-thinking the enemy, creative warfare... that's their gig.

The barracks where Jimin and Jungkook sleep will be the same. The bathroom where they wash up will be the same. The cafeteria where they eat will be the same. Their recreational facilities will be the same.

It's the same base, same facilities. They may not be in each other's faces while they perform their jobs every day, but they see each other EVERY DAY. They sleep together EVERY NIGHT.

Delulu time.

Every time I say that I go "hammer time" and think of MC Hammer and the song starts in my head...anyway... I'm a dork.

I can imagine Jungkook's day starts a little earlier than Jimin's because the kitchen will need to be ready to serve breakfast for the rest of the soldiers.

There might be other teams/groups who also begin their day earlier than others. Perhaps they all gather and do some sort of brief, early morning drills or general chores before heading off to their respective posts/jobs for the day. I don't know, just guessing.

The kitchen team would do things like take in supplies, store the supplies correctly according to regulations, place orders for more supplies, gather the ingredients to make that day's menus, prepare the foods according to specified recipes, serve the food, maintain and clean the serving area, maintain and clean the cooking appliances, cookware, cooking utensils, clean the food trays and eating utensils, clean the kitchen from floor to ceiling, plan and prepare for the next day's menus, doing any preliminary prep like thawing frozen food, etc.

Menus are not decided on a whim. The Army will have set daily menus and have contracts within the country's food industry to provide ingredients and supplies in bulk.

I used to think it was slightly odd to obsess over the food they were being served in the military. But now I'm keenly interested. Is there a jikook food tray account on X?

As I don't really know the details of Jimin's job, I can only guess that he reports to his job, carries out his duties just like Jungkook and just like all their fellow soldiers. His duties may be similar in that he inventories supplies, orders new supplies/parts. Or he might be training for a specific skill like polishing glass for gun scopes or something. I just made that up to use as an example.

Of course, duty on base would be vastly different from combat if they were to actually be activated to fight. I don't want to think about that.

Perhaps during the course of their week, they all attend classes or lectures or informational meetings or whatever. I don't know. That's just a guess. But somehow, information would need to be shared and continuing training would need to occur.

At the end of the day, they'd head back to their own barracks and enjoy their evening of free time. They'd get their phones for a short period of time. From what I understand, depending on their location, their wireless signal may not be reliable or strong.

Maybe they work out. If so, they do it together. They are accustomed to doing that so there's every reason to think they'd also work out together while enlisted.

They can decompress in the company of each other, relaxing, being themselves in the comfort of familiarity. They can talk about things that they accomplished, things they learned or situations they got embarrassed about.

They can make jokes with each other, poke fun at each other, commiserate, empathize, laugh, express frustration or joy with each other.

If they have enough moments of privacy, they can vent about assholes they had to deal with or they can hype the nice people they interacted with during their day.

Or they can just relax in the company of each other in silence and nothing else.

You know... all the things you do with the person you are most comfortable with... the person they wanted next to them sharing the ups and downs of this period of their lives. It works out wonderfully for them.

Then lights out and go to sleep and do it all over again the next day.

Anyway. I send up my thoughts every day that they are safe, healthy, eating well, and that their bodies and minds are strong. I am thankful they have each other. It is day 97 into their service. 451 days remaining. FIGHTING!

#i know more about the korean military than i do about my local school system #jimin #jungkook #jikook #minkook #kookmin #bts military service #i've said it before - washing rice is a chore #someone please start a kookmin food tray account on X

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blues824 · 10 months

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Hi there! I hope you don't mind if you have time to write my request about Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian with nb! or fem! reader as malleus?

What’s up, Anon? I put reader as having horns, but no other description is used.

Ciel Phantomhive

Her Royal Majesty had requested that he host you in the Phantomhive house. He didn’t want to let the Queen down, so he had his staff prepare for your arrival. By ‘his staff’, I mean Sebastian because there is no way that Mey-Rin, Bard, and Finny would be able to accomplish the tasks given to them.

Then you arrived. The most noticeable thing about you was your horns, but Ciel was not intimidated. He had a demon for a butler, after all. He showed you to the room where you would be staying, and you had a surprisingly friendly and polite demeanor. He left you to go get settled in, and went straight to his renowned butler to ask about you and your background.

The things he learned about you were pretty shocking, like how you were a dragon fae from a land called ‘Twisted Wonderland’. It sounded like something he would read about in a novel, not see in real-life. He wanted to get to know you personally, though, so he went to your room and invited you to a game of chess in his study.

Imagine his surprise when you managed to beat him at a board game that he thought he was invincible at. Your cunning mind really intrigued him, so he proposed that he take you around London as your prize. You agreed, and were very excited to see the city that you hadn’t had much of a chance to explore yet. You asked if there were any abandoned buildings or gargoyles, and he said there might be a few.

The excitement on your face as he led you around the streets of the city made him want you to stay so that he could continue bringing wonder to you. The look of happiness on your face when he brought you to an ice cream vendor to try some of the cold treat was one that he wished he could see forever.

Sebastian Michaelis

The young master had informed him that you would be staying at the Phantomhive Manor and he received orders to get the Manor ready. Sebastian, being Sebastian, wanted to make sure that everything was in pristine condition because there was no way that a member of a far away royal family would be housed in anything less than perfection, so he told each of the staff members to not touch anything.

When you arrived, he was standing right beside Ciel and greeted you by bowing and welcoming you to the Manor. Ciel told him to get your things to your room as he showed you around, and that’s when Sebastian noticed your horns. He knew that you weren’t a demon, as a demon typically doesn’t show any horns, so you must have been some other creature.

Well, as he finally led you to where you would be staying, he asked what sort of being you were. You really didn’t want to tell him, but you could feel the magic within him. He was sort of like you, so you felt as though he wouldn’t be scared of you. You told him that you were a dragon fae from a realm called Twisted Wonderland, and that you were the Crowned Heir to one of the many lands within said realm, Briar Valley. It was all very intriguing to the demon butler, as he had never been.

During your stay, it was rather unfortunate that he had so many chores to do when you wanted to talk to him. So, you offered to help him. He at first refused, saying that it would be very improper for a member of visiting royalty to do chores, but you told him that it would give you a normal person’s experience, something necessary for when you are crowned the reigning monarch. He smiled at the loophole, before handing you the rag that he was using to dust the library.

It allowed you both to get to know each other, but he never revealed what he was. You just knew that he wasn’t a human, and that no harm would come to you in his presence; not just because you are the most powerful mage in this world, but also because you are under the protection of Queen Victoria, who already sees you as another one of her children.

#kuroshitsuji x reader #kuroshitsuji #black butler #black butler x reader #ciel x reader #black butler ciel #ciel #ciel phantomhive x reader #ciel phantomhive #sebastian michaelis x reader #sebastian x reader #black butler sebastian #sebastian #sebastian michaelis

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ganondoodle · 27 days

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no but, im kinda mad at how well that villain rauru idea is working, even together with most of the work i already did do for the first rewrite, like the thing with the shiekah using ganondorfs strong spirit to power their tech STILL WORKS, its just not the focus anymore, and its not just ganondorfs spirit, but raurus as well, rauru did this to contain gan bc rauru couldnt defeat him at that point- and he planned to return to rebuild his dreamland fantasy kingdom of light later

gan tried to break free from it using whatever means he had (miasma/malice- clamgan) taking over the guardians etc in botw (still out of revenge for being used as a power source by the ancient shiekah but not ONLY) being a way to bring attention to it, maybe to find out where the stones were held, to rebuild himself outside of his prison by any means necessary bc he knew if they both woke up fully rauru would begin his plan- it doesnt have to be that gan is goody two shoes good guy tm now, but he resistet rauru back then and is gonna do it again- and if he loses whatever was left of his body, yet his spirit remains, why wouldnt he team up with link and zelda- he cant do much as a spirit anymore but like thats gonna stop him from from fighting agaisnt his enemy

it would mean you arent one and doen in each region, but the mid point of the game flisp it around so much you have a reason to return to them again, i know backtracking isnt seen as something good all the time but ..... this would be so cool right?? and the yiga being at first an enemy and you get your fight against koga, but then after the turn you have them as allies??? and you get a cool fight against gan at the mid point too!! it can be a full fight at the end of which the reveal happens when zelda tries to intervene since she was with gan the whole time and knew what was going on and bc she has the stone still with her and then both gan and zelda are in the same room rauru goes for it since with zelda there who link trusts telling him the truth raurus gonna lose his tool (link) now anyway

the abilities i have to brainstorm again- but it could be that you get similar ones from rauru at first like i had in my first rewrite (like the hookshot or the energy infusion) like in a more sonau magicky way and after the turn point purah zelda with the help of gan rebuild it in shiekah tech, so you dont lose those abilities forever (just for that mid point reveal rauru fight you cant win) but get them back in a different way, maybe even upgradable now

the only thing that it gets fully rid of is the sages thing (they stil give you abilities in some way but not through the stones), the dragon stuff (which is a little sad but it would also keep the dragons from being something anyone can just be turned into- keeping their mystery alive) and the whole time travel stuff (GOOD i hate time travel)

POLL TIME

#ganondoodles talks #zelda #ganondoodles rewrites totk #like i alot of the first one #but most things i can literally keep #and villain rauru is honestly something so different for once #like idk it seems like im not the only one REALLY into this idea #i havent gotten this many comments on some doodles on twitter in ages #like #im genuinely so excited about this #a bit of work that was wasted but #man this is so neat isnt it???#this is making my brain go brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr so much i can ignore the headache and swollen eyes i got bc of yesterday #ldkgnvdjklgnkdl

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sugarcoatednightshade · 25 days

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I haven’t thought of Lily Orchard in years, but she just made a video on dungeon meshi and I wanted to hear what she had to say. I couldn’t even finish it.

It’s clear she hates anime as a genre and is pissed about having to review something she didn’t want to watch, and that anger permeates the whole* review. On top of that, it’s so fucking disingenuous to review a show that’s not even halfway over and then claim it’s thematically disjointed - like 1. Of course it’ll seem that way if you’ve only seen the first quarter of a piece of work, we’re still in the setting up stage, these themes haven’t had time to fully commingle and resolve and 2. Even considering that, dungeon meshi does actually know what it is/where it’s going, and at this point it’s fairly obvious how all the themes/mixed genera’s are gonna fit together.**

*to be fair, I haven’t seen the entire review, so maybe she calms down partway through. I don’t make a habit of watching things I know will upset me, and watching someone make bad faith criticism of something I like would literally ruin my week

Post chapter 65 spoilers below:

**Granted, cookings prominence in the show, while cute*** on its own, didn’t really seem plot relevant to me until around chapter 65 when it was revealed that in order to save falin they would have to eat her dragon half. Y’all, I went fucking feral over that reveal.

***cute meaning: it’s used mostly for worldbuilding at first. That’s really cool if you’re into it, and an integral part of the story ryoko kui is telling, but not technically necessary in every story. There are plenty of storys who spend needless time expositing about the world instead of focusing on the interesting bits, and if you’re only a quarter of the way into DM, I can see how you might think that this is one of those cases.

But obviously, as time passes, the worldbuilding aspects become more important, because the entire show is about worldbuilding. Or more accurately, it’s a deconstruction of the fantasy genera. It spends time setting up familiar tropes and then examines how those tropes would actually play out in a realistic world, setting up and then questioning our expectations for the world in a really nuanced way.

My favorite example of this is how dungeon meshi treats dark/ancient magic.

1. The words ‘dark magic’ and ‘dark elf’ have negative but vague connotations in traditional fantasy. “The thing is bad because it is bad.” It’s a fact we’re primed to believe, but shallow and easy to question

2. We learn that marcille uses dark magic, but that she’s using it for good. “Actually dark magic is forbidden because the people in power were afraid of The Plebs and want to restrict the populaces access to knowledge” is also a common fantasy trope.

3. As we learn more about dungeons and how they intertwine with dark magic, we learn that it does truly have the power to end the world. Not by itself, but because the dimension it pulls power from is populated by beings who would use that bridge of power to enter our world and cause havoc. Holy shit, we think, black magic is actually dangerous and was banned for a reason. Naming it ‘black’ was part of a smear campaign intended to save the public by dissuading them from using it

4. And then we learn that the so called catastrophe scenario has never happened, no demon has ever escaped a dungeon and successfully ended the world. Is this because of the work of the Canaries and ppl like them, or are demons perhaps not as much of a threat as they are made out to be?

And it’s great because there is no one correct answer. We learn things through the characters, whose perspectives are limited and realistic and based on their own life experience. Nobody knows the whole story, and neither do we.

#dungeon meshi #dungeon meshi spoilers #lily orchard #I’m on chapter 70 btw #and I haven’t read the art book #so my perspective here is also limited #dungeon meshi analysis

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theresattrpgforthat · 2 months

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It would be awesome if you could recommend some solo ttrpgs! I've been getting into them a lot lately and want to know more of what's out there. Especially journalling ones, as I enjoy creative writing. So far I've looked into (and will probably buy soon) Firelights, Apawthecaria, and Fox Curio's Floating Bookshop.

Also, I love this blog a ton. Already there have been some awesome games I've learned about from you, including the one you're currently working on. Excited to give it a try sometime! Keep being amazing 💜.

Theme: Solo Journalling Games

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm certainly excited to run Protect the Child for folks, play-testing it so far has been really fun!

As for your ask, solo games and journalling go hand in hand. These next few games are just a sampling of what I've added recently to my Solo Games folder on Itch.

Cats Know Things, by Mushroom Witch Games.

CATS KNOW THINGS is a light-hearted game meant to tell a humorous story of intrigue, all while pretending to be a very nosy cat.

But you are no ordinary cat.

You are a very special feline who, through some magic you cannot explain, can communicate with your human, an individual who wishes to make their mark in society by any means necessary. The two of you decide to start a society page, (a very fancy type of tabloid newspaper dedicated to a particular location) revealing the glitz, glamour, and inner turmoil of the town’s most notable individuals.

Use a d6 and a d10 to generate numbers, and sneak into places to listen into secret or private conversations. Then bring this news to your human companion, so that they may relay this gossip in the local society page. You need to find 6-8 scintillating stories before the week is up, so that your human has enough to print.

If you want a game full of scandal and cute furry little rumour-mongers, this might be the game for you!

Lingering, by Meghan Cross.

The last thing you remember, you were dying.

Now, breath fills your lungs once more and your eyes open, slowly shifting side to side as you attempt to regain your bearings. You are alive. But you are…changed. Your human form is gone, and in its place is one that is different, foreign, animal…

In Lingering, you play as a person who has died, only to find yourself alive again in an animal form, unable to move on to your eternal rest until you settle business left unsettled from your life.

Throughout the course of a game, you will make several attempts to communicate with a chosen human, hoping to convey a message to them so they can assist you and help you move on once and for all.

This game uses a deck of cards and some guiding adjectives to determine how your attempts at communication will go. Over eight rounds, you’ll flip cards while guessing as to whether each card will be higher or lower than the previous one, and a successful guess means a successful interaction. The details of those attempts are what you’ll be journalling, and Lingering provides a number of questions that you might try to answer with each attempt.

This game takes place over eight rounds, so it’s excellent if you want a short, contained game. It also has a two-player option if you want to try this game out with a loved one.

Dragon Dowser, by HatchlingDM.

Dragon Dowser is a solo journaling RPG using the Carta SRD by Peach Garden Games. You play a mysterious character known as a 'Dowser'. Your aim is to locate abandoned dragon eggs and return them to your Sanctuary. If you succeed before expending your resources, the hatchling you rescue will be reared to change the kingdom forever!

This is a lovingly crafted game that uses card suits to represent four different kinds of ways your character will be tested, as they interact with different cultures, explore new landscapes, and dea with various conflicts, both human and nature-made.

You’ll travel across a grid of cards that provide you with journaling prompts as you travel. You’ll expend resources to overcome obstacles, looking for a dragon egg, represented by an Ace! Once you return this egg to a sanctuary, you’ll journal about your experience of raising the hatchling. Based on the games you’ve mentioned so far, I think Dragon Dowser is right up your alley.

EDEN, by blasez-faire.

You are Judaiah Clark, the Head Botanical Researcher at the Southern Sector of Eden. You are here for exactly 10 days, and were a last minute choice after the sudden disappearance of ■■■■■■ ■■■■■, the last person to hold this position. You are not here for work. Investigate.

EDEN is a single-page game that takes place over the course of 10 in-game days, with two questions that you will have to answer in your journal for every day. You are expected to write up a report with detailed notes, so much of the extrapolation taken from each pair of questions is going to come from your own imagination. To help with this you might want to come up with names for other characters, draw a map of the Southern Sector, or go into detail about the plants that this research station grows.

One thing is for sure - this is going to be a horror story. If you like games that give you a lot of room to stretch your creative wings, and you also like writing terrible endings for your characters, you might like this game.

Black Mountain Numbers Station, by Simon de Vet.

You wake one morning to the sound of a voice on the radio reading a series of numbers. On impulse, you jot them down. These numbers will become your life.

Black Mountain Numbers Station is a one-page, solo-journaling game about a mysterious broadcast, and about finding patterns in randomness. Using a unique dice mechanic to prompt you to describe your journey, you will tell a short story of obsession, frustration, and discovery.

This game is uses a 6x6 grid with boxes that you’ll need to fill when you roll a pair of dice. You’ll trigger evens when you roll doubles or find a certain pattern on the grid as you fill it, and in both of these cases, you’ll write special journal entries. The game ends when you fill your Frustration track, which symbolizes listening for too long without learning anything new. What exactly you learn, however, is up to you.

Bound, by K Ramstack.

Bound is a single player setting agnostic game about the connection between two people as they travel to a destination through the destruction of the world on a journey they will most likely not complete.

You will create two characters, their relationship to one another, the destruction that haunts them, and the motive for them to move forward.

During the game, you will be asked to write scenes in first person, switching perspectives between characters, and using their personality traits and subjective conceptualizations of each other to answer prompts.

Bound has a single and two-player version, and uses two decks of playing cards, one for each character. Each card will relate to a prompt on the prompt table, but only the highest ranked prompt will be answered. Each prompt will ask a question about the relationship, and how it changes.

If you want a deeply emotional game with a beautiful layout and lovely art, this is the game for you.

The Narrator Paradox, by psychound.

The Narrator Paradox is a one page solo-narrating game where you try to tell a story … if your protagonist will let you. In it, you determine the five acts of your story based on an oracle, then make rolls for your plot beats to see if you can wrangle your protagonist into the prescribed narrative. If you can't, they defy you and take the story into their own hands. Wrestle the story into shape against a rebellious hero, or lose them forever and have to finish the story without them in it.

Using the Major Arcana of a tarot deck, two six-sided dice and a coin, The Narrator Paradox has a number of different ways that you’ll try to keep your story on track. However, with so much randomness, your protagonist is sure to have a mind of their own. This feels very much in tune with how many writers talk about their characters as if those characters have their own desires, so if you’ve ever related to that you might enjoy this game.

Also Check Out...

My Solo Games tag! I use this tag for every recommendation post specifically for solo games.

#tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #game recommendations #dnd #asks #indie ttrpg #solo games

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chiqelatasblog · 4 months

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CHAPTER SIX : …What is essential is invisible to the eye.

-> Ao3 link is here.

-> Chapter Five link is here.

Pairing : Sub-Zero / Bi-Han x Reader

Summary : In the midst of unexpected sparring sessions and shared personal moments, the icy veneer of Bi-Han’s demeanor gradually thaws, revealing glimpses of his true self, particularly when he witnesses your struggle to cope with haunting nightmares.

Author’s Note : This chapter is one I’ve eagerly anticipated writing since before outlining the plot and establishing the story basics. I’m so proud of the outcome and excited to share it with you. I hope you find as much pleasure in reading it. Please keep in mind that English is not my native language, so if you happen to notice any mistakes, I welcome your feedback. Happy reading!

Bi-Han took his usual seat at the dinner table, and as the day unfolded, Kuai Liang shared rumors about the Black Dragon mercenaries entering the country during his return from the city.

While familiar with the dangerous reputation of the Black Dragon, Bi-Han didn’t consider them a significant threat to the clan, likely here to buy weapons or engage in business dealings. He saw no reason to engage unless they breached their borders.

Bi-Han noticed everyone at the table but you, yet he chose not to inquire about your absence, instead focusing on filling his plate with food at his usual pace. The breakfast proceeded quietly, with only the occasional clink of utensils breaking the stillness. However, the persistent absence of your presence piqued Bi-Han’s curiosity. Throughout your month here, you had typically been the first to arrive, and the empty chair disrupted the usual routine.

‘’I wonder if something has happened?’’ When Tomas voiced the question echoing in Bi-Han’s mind, he found himself responding. “She’ll be here in a moment.’’

‘’Maybe we should send someone to take a look at her. She was never late normally.’’ Tomas suggested, prompting Bi-Han to pause his breakfast, examining his brother’s concerned expression.

Despite crediting Tomas’ words, Bi-Han perceived no valid reason for concern. Guards were assigned to protect you, and he would have known if anything happened. Yet, a peculiar emotional response lingered, leaving Bi-Han feeling somewhat foolish for harboring such sentiments.

“Everyone can be late from time to time, Tomas. Relax.’’ Kuai Liang responded in place of Bi-Han, known for his moderate and understanding approach in communication.

In matters requiring transmission, messages often went through Kuai Liang before reaching Bi-Han. Echoes of your words from the previous night lingered in Bi-Han’s mind. The title of grandmaster had heightened the avoidance of direct communication with him, a consequence of his intimidating demeanor. It was a necessary stance to maintain authority and order within the clan. Bi-Han, who embraced his role with a certain pride, favored the imposing aura that came with his position. Unfazed by the solitude his demeanor brought, he remains aware of the consequences of his actions, however, he relishes the control and respect his grandmaster status affords him

‘’If you say so.’’ Tomas responded quietly. Bi-Han observed his brother and began to understand the source of his worry. Being the only other person present during the poisoning incident, Tomas likely felt responsible for not preventing it.

The sliding doors suddenly opened, and you rushed in, offering greetings with a slight bow. ‘’Sorry, I fell asleep,’’ you apologized in a voice that could be described as soft and even cheerful. Bi-Han’s brows furrowed slightly, sensing an abnormality in your tone but unable to pinpoint it.

As you settled into your chair, Bi-Han gazed you in silence. Your hair was carefully pulled back, revealing your face. Adorned in a dark blue turtleneck sweater, the usual choice to conceal the scar on your throat, he couldn’t help but notice the change in your complexion. Normally boasting a healthy glow, your skin now appeared dull, as if you had encountered a ghost. Pale and colorless, your face revealed the aftermath of a restless night. Dark circles under your eyes betrayed the struggle of a recurring nightmare. Suppressing the growl that threatened to escape his throat, Bi-Han discerned the truth – anyone observing your face could easily tell that you were lying.

‘‘Are you all right?’’ Cyrax inquired. "You appear a bit under the weather."

‘’I’m not exactly a morning person,’’ you replied with the same cheerful tone, beginning to irk Bi-Han. ‘’But other than that, I’m great. I’m just a little hungry. I’ll wake up after I’ve eaten something.’’

Your face, pretending to be cheerful with a forced sweetness in your voice, looked contradictory. Bi-Han, unable to comprehend why this contradiction bothered him, chose to push the thoughts aside. Understanding you and the feelings you stirred within him remained a complete mystery.

With a polite gesture signaling the end of the conversation, you reached for a dish with your chopsticks. Without questioning his own movement, Bi-Han pushed the plate toward you with the tip of his hand. A subtle smile of thanks crossed your lips, and you managed to secure one of the steamed buns. Bi-Han noticed your hand trembling, a detail likely overlooked by most, but at this proximity, he easily discerned your struggle with the chopsticks.

His brows furrowed further. In the month you’d been here, this was the first time Bi-Han witnessed you so visibly shaken and jittery. Despite your weakened state during the recovery process after being poisoned, you consistently avoided showing it, maintaining a strong posture and a resolute face. While he had glimpsed your nightmares during your unconscious state, not visiting again made it challenging to gauge if this internal struggle persisted. Yet, you adeptly hid it from everyone, especially him, despite his keen eye for details. As he observed you, a forgotten memory resurfaced.

He couldn’t be more than six years old, in his father’s study. His father’s tense demeanor hung in the air. Pacing the room in the midst of a strained alliance, his father focused more on maintaining order than taking risks, even though they were strong.

His mother knocked on the door, and upon entering gracefully, she held a tray adorned with a ceramic teapot and a steaming cup of chamomile tea. The sweet, pleasant aroma filled the room as his mother softly left the tray on the desk, offering him a small smile and an affectionate pat on the head.

Curious about the tea, his father sniffed the cup. “What’s this?” Bringing it closer to his nose, he inquired, “Herbal tea?”

‘’Actually chamomile tea, my dear.’‘ His mother’s soft voice filled the room as she approached her husband, leaving a small, loving kiss on his cheek. ‘‘I hope it will calm your nerves a little.’’

Bi-Han blinked, dismissing the resurfaced memory, and signaled one of the helpers to approach. Silently, she inquired, ‘’Do you have a request, master?’’

‘‘Bring chamomile tea to my wife,’’ Bi-Han spoke, the words meant only for her ears.

‘’Of course.’’ The woman left promptly to fulfill his request, leaving Bi-Han’s gaze fixed on you once again. However, you showed no interest in the untouched steamed bun on your plate. Poking it occasionally with your chopsticks, you attempted to engage in Tomas and Cyrax’s conversation. Yet, the forced smile on your face betrayed your inner turmoil.

Bi-Han noticed the transformation in your expression, especially when he brought you a book from his mother’s library. The initial confusion gave way to a warm and sincere look, creating a sweet warmth in his heart that contrasted with his icy powers. Since your arrival, you had never displayed hostility, even after being poisoned. While your behavior remained moderate, maintaining a certain distance, the persistent smile on your face had become a habitual aspect. Only last week did Bi-Han discern subtle differences, your eyes, slightly dimmed yet shining with sincere happiness, your lips curled in a smile illuminating your face, and a faint warmth coloring your cheeks.

Normally, your reflexive defense mechanism was apparent whenever he approached—a reasonable reaction considering his challenging personality. Trusting someone like you, especially someone unknown, posed difficulties. Hence, his conduct toward you remained distant, cold, and often judgmental.

After your nightmares and a few conversations, Bi-Han’s reserved attitude towards you slowly shifted. Though trust was still elusive, his growing interest was undeniable. Your fearless demeanor and clever, witty responses intrigued him, setting you apart from the typical noblewoman profile.

As the woman approached with the tea Bi-Han had requested, an unexpected incident unfolded. Behind your back, she stated, “Your tea, ma’am.” When she bent down to place it in front of you, you abruptly snapped out of your reverie, accidentally knocking over the tea. Panic ensued as the woman attempted to dry you with a napkin, but you leaped to your feet in fright. The chair emitted a painful squeal on the floor, capturing the full attention of everyone at the table.

Your chest heaved rapidly, muttering something like ‘’There’s no harm,’’ avoiding eye contact with anyone. Bi-Han silently observed as your skin underwent subtle color changes, resembling an impending faint. However, you surprised him by straightened your posture and said, ‘’I’m sorry, please excuse me.’’ With those words, you swiftly left the room.

Cyrax, breaking the silence, questioned. ‘’What the hell just happened?’’

Tomas and Kuai Liang turned their gazes toward Bi-Han. ‘’Do you have any idea, brother?’’ Kuai Liang said.

‘’No, but I will find out.’’ Bi-Han concluded, leaving the room to pursue you. Without needing to contemplate your destination, he discovered you at the end of the corridor on the veranda leading to the garden, your back turned to him. Treading softly to avoid startling you, he signaled the guards to give you space. As you turned around upon hearing footsteps, you locked eyes with Bi-Han.

‘’I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause a scene.’’ Your voice, now exhausted and weak, contrasted sharply with the panic just moments ago. Bi-Han couldn’t help but wonder about the nightmare that had rattled you so profoundly. Was it connected to memories of the wound on your throat, or an entirely different ordeal?

Having formed a few ideas about you, Bi-Han knew that under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t reveal such vulnerability. You typically held yourself with unwavering posture and grace. Your current demeanor, akin to attempting to ward off a shark from sensing blood, intrigued him. It deviated from the routine reactions he was accustomed to.

‘’Show me your hand.’’ Bi-Han commanded, his tone firm but laced with a touch of concern.

‘’I’m all right.’’ You swiftly responded, taking a step back, as if physical distance could provide solace. ‘’The water just spilled a little.’’

‘‘I know your hand is burning, (y/n). Don’t make me repeat myself.’’ Bi-Han insisted, his cold eyes reflecting a rare moment of empathy.

Realizing you had lost this silent battle, you reluctantly extended your hand toward him. Bi-Han closed the distance, surprised by the unexpected gentleness he displayed, even to himself. Your hand, resting in his large one, seemed delicate and vulnerable. He was certain that if he attempted to fully enclose it with his fingers, it might vanish or worse, break

Examining your scalded skin, now a furious red, it was evident to anyone that you were in pain. However, you displayed no reaction, as if a steaming tea had merely been a minor inconvenience. Bi-Han found your stoicism peculiar, the pain should have acted as a potent stimulus, overshadowing the effects of your nightmare

‘’How did all this happen?’’

Bi-Han inquired as he felt the calluses under your fingers. Without giving you a chance to pull your hand away, he grasped your wrist and turned the back of your hand to inspect the large and small calluses that adorned your fingertips and palm, along with scars that lingered, slightly lighter than your skin color.

‘’I told you that I trained with my brothers for a while.’’ You replied in a low voice, attempting to pull your hand away.

‘’These are not calluses that form in a short amount of time.’’ Bi-Han remarked, tightening his grip just enough to keep you from escaping.

‘’I was a hardworking student.’’ You retorted in a clear voice, signaling an end to further questions.

Bi-Han turned your hand again and placed his other hand on it, applying minimal pressure to offer a cooling effect. Though capable of more, he refrained from intensifying it, as it could exacerbate the scald rather than provide relief.

‘’Why are you helping me?’’ You questioned in confusion. ‘’I could have handled it myself.’’

‘’It’s faster this way.’’ Bi-Han responded casually, his gaze focused on your hand. ‘‘What just happened?’’

Your hand tensed for a moment at the question, but you quickly regained composure, merely shrugging your delicate shoulders.

‘’I just—I fell asleep. When I sleep too much, it takes me a little longer to wake up and get myself ready.’’

‘’Don’t lie to me, (y/n).’’ Bi-Han’s voice, though less harsh than he intended, startled you as you attempted to break free. Yet, he held his grip firm. ‘‘Did you have a nightmare about your scar?’’

‘’I don’t want to talk about this.’’

“Talking will lighten the burden you are carrying.”

“Why is it so important for you to know?’’

When you softly posed the question your gaze shifted to your hands, positioned at the center, instead of meeting his eyes. In that moment, Bi-Han sensed an impulse to cup your chin, raising it gently to meet his gaze properly. The courage to hold his gaze, the subtle tilt of your head, the lift of your chin—Bi-Han had committed your routine to memory, becoming accustomed to its nuances. He didn’t appreciate your attempt to evade him now. Despite his instincts he resisted, opting to respond to your inquiry.

“I’m trying to get to know you,” Bi-Han replied.

“Every time feels like an interrogation, your approach isn’t quite right.” you remarked.

“Then show me the right way.” Bi-Han said, attempting to keep his deep voice light. Your surprise at his response was evident.

“You’re serious.”

“Yes.” As the warmth in your hand gradually dissipated, Bi-Han’s fingers delicately traced over your skin, a ghostly touch. The dialogue from a few days ago replayed in his mind. ‘If you want to exchange information, you should also reveal something about yourself.’ He added, “Although it is the color of our clan, I actually don’t like the color blue.”

“What?” Bewilderment filled your gaze as you stared at him, unable to make sense of this unexpected revelation. Bi-Han continued in a casual tone without breaking his mood.

“It reminds me of monotony. Our lives are predictable, as if doomed in an order. You can only move within the boundaries of this repeating endless circle.”

“Those words of yours seem more like your feelings about what you shared a night ago about your father and the way he runs the clan. You’ve associated the color of your clan with his rule, am I right?” Your kind voice conveyed understanding. “Still, when you look around, you hear echoes of the past, and it bothers you. You don’t want to suffer the same fate as him.”

Unexpectedly, you delved directly into the underlying source of his words, surprising him with an understanding he hadn’t anticipated. Despite his initial hostility, your kindness and intelligence took him by surprise. Rather than perceiving your presence as a constant thorn, you approached him with an understanding that gradually melted the icy reserve he usually maintained.

Your gaze remained distant, yet a fragile warmth emanated from it, delicate and fleeting, as if teetering on the edge of disappearance.

“That’s true,” Bi-Han affirmed, his voice carrying a sharp edge. “Monotony hinders development and the realization of potential. My clan deserves more than being condemned to such a cycle.”

Convinced that your hand was fully healed, he released his grip. As you raised your hand briefly, examining it at eye level, Bi-Han observed you for a few seconds. The angry red hue had receded, your skin now restored to a healthy color, as if untouched by boiling water. Though the pain had subsided, you still felt the need to test it with your other hand. Your expression, impressed by his work, flattered Bi-Han.

“You’re too fierce to be confined, grandmaster,” you remarked, turning your gaze back to him. “As I said before, I don’t think you’ll share the same fate as your father.”

Bi-Han shifted the subject, crossing his arms before attempting the audacious act of touching you again.

“It’s your turn.”

You only blinked back at him. “I don’t understand.”

“I’ve shared something about myself with you. Now it’s your turn to do the same.”

With an unexpected outpouring of laughter from your lips, you politely covered your mouth.Though he disliked you hiding your smile, your voice was as warm, soft, and friendly as the spring sun. Bi-Han felt a pleasant surprise, causing this reaction himself for the first time. He yearned to hear more of your genuine laughter.

‘’Fair enough. Let me answer your previous question then. My nightmares often revolve around my past, not an easy topic for me to discuss, especially with people I don’t trust or have never met.’’

‘’An understandable reason,’’ Bi-Han acknowledged. ‘’Walk with me.’’

You took your place next to him without question, keeping up with his pace. In one of the indoor training areas that Bi-Han led you to, the distance between you narrowed, almost to the point where your arms could touch. Perhaps, you could feel the cool air spreading over him.

‘’I grew up with my four brothers. My older brother is about five years my senior, and the middle brother, my junior by a year. The others are a few years younger than me.’’

‘’So you’re the only daughter?’’

“Yes.’’

‘’You must have held a special place.’’

Another smile graced your lips, but this time it bore a bitter edge.

‘’That depends on how you interpret the situation.’’ Your eyes fixed on the horizon, reflecting memories. ‘‘In terms of physical strength and endurance, men and women are not considered equal in our clan. Women don’t receive martial arts training, partake in missions, or engage even in minor political negotiations. The system is completely different from here.’’

‘’Nonsense. While there may be a difference in physical strength between men and women, it doesn’t justify treating you like a decoy. My mother never engaged in missions, my father feared for her safety. However, she was skilled in self-defense and combat. This basic knowledge is crucial, especially in a clan setting.’’

‘’I agree with what you’re saying. I wish everyone saw the bigger picture like you do.’’ You responded with a tight smile. As both of you arrived at the indoor training ground, he opened the door and you entered first.

While Bi-Han followed like a looming shadow, he pondered the origin of the marks on your hands. ‘’How could you train with your brothers when such a mentality prevails?’’ he voiced his thoughts.

‘’My father’s mindset has changed.’’

“Stereotyped thoughts do not change easily, something must have happened to shift his mindset.”

As you strolled through the sparsely populated area, with only a few people around, your gaze shifted to the ground beneath your feet instead of focusing forward.

“What caused his change of heart was when I faced an assassination attempt. Though his views about the clan order remained steadfast, his strict perspective towards me softened to some extent. Who would have thought such an incident could play a role in a positive outcome, right?” You spoke in a half-smiling, half-dull voice. Upon reaching the middle of the area, Bi-Han halted. Without delay, you also paused to face him, and continued your words in a lower tone, “I think sometimes bad things have to happen in life so that good things can come out.”

Your words brought his father’s advice to mind. ‘Never forget this Bi-Han, either we win or we learn in any case. Learn to view the events in your life, both past and future, from this perspective.’

“Why did we come here?” With your question, Bi-Han snapped out of his thoughts. He didn’t appreciate that you closed the subject, wanting to know more about you. However, he also understood your lack of trust, realizing you were hesitant to divulge more about your past. Pressing forward could risk pushing you back into your shell. This delicate progress was too fragile to jeopardize, so he allowed you the freedom and space you sought.

On one hand, he gained little more insight into the environment you grew up in. Uncertain about how much of it was influenced by your clan, the scars and nightmares he witnessed hinted at a challenging childhood.

‘‘’I want to see your skills.’’ As Bi-Han stood in front of you, forming a semicircle, the widening of your eyes revealed your understanding of his implication. ’’Spar with me.’’

“Why? The training I have received is nothing compared to yours, there’s nothing remarkable to see.” you said in a timid voice. Bi-Han, indifferent to your words, took a fighting stance. Your face turned pale when you noticed this, and Bi-Han couldn’t understand why you felt so uncomfortable while gently biting your lower lip and tugging. His presence, perhaps more dominant and frightening than he thought, made you nervous, or there was a completely different reason that he failed to guess and see.

‘’I’ve seen the state of your hands, there’s no need to pretend. Show me what you can do, and perhaps I’ll reconsider the level of protection you require.”

In a hopeful voice, you asked, “Really?” Your eyes, moments ago desperate, transformed into precious jewels, sparking with anticipation. After the question, your gaze scanned the area. “Do we have to do this in public?’’

“There are only a few people, no need to worry about them. Focus on me and your movements.”

“You’re not going to use your powers, are you?”

A grunt similar to a chuckle poured from Bi-Han’s lips.

“My goal is not to beat you. I just want to see and test your skills, I don’t need my powers for this.”

“All right, let’s do this then.”

After looking around with worried eyes for the last time, you closed your eyes. Taking a deep breath and reopening them, your gaze had changed in an instant. Sharpened by determination, your expression showed complete focus on the task at hand, devoid of previous emotions. Slightly opening your legs, one behind and the other in front, you assumed a fighting position with open hands and a slight backward tilt of the upper body.

Bi-Han wasted no time, making the first move. Swinging his right arm, you instantly blocked him with a swift parry, your body flowing seamlessly into a defensive stance. When he swung his left arm, you matched his speed, hitting his arm with a well-timed block and countering with a hard kick to his torso. With a muffled sound resembling a growl, Bi-Han closed the distance, standing close enough to challenge your defense.

Throwing his arm for a punch, he also aimed a kick. A few seconds after preventing his fist from reaching your face, you blocked his kick with your knee. Bi-Han raised the same leg toward your face, but you skillfully avoided it with a slight recoil of your upper body. When Bi-Han raised his kick again, you parried it with your arm, swiftly directing a fist to his face with your other hand. Though he avoided the move by turning his head, your chain of punches hit him in the chest, causing him to stumble backward.

When you both assumed your fighting positions again, this time, you took the initiative. Charging towards him, you launched into a flying kick and Bi-Han collided with one of the hall’s rafters from the blow to his stomach. A hoarse sound escaped his lips as agile fists aimed at his exposed body were met with a counter kick. You gracefully swept from under the incoming kick, almost like a dance. To halt the brutal continuous punches, Bi-Han seized your arms and delivered a hard kick to your midsection without giving you time to react.

A little moan left your lips as you were thrown a few meters away. Falling on all fours like a cat, you rotated your body on one hand before getting up. With only the support from the ground, Bi-Han instinctively pulled his head back as you attempted a head kick, feeling the wind pass in front of his face.

As the two of you engaged in a high-speed exchange of punches and kicks, Bi-Han felt his blood, once ice-cold in his veins, begin to boil. Someone training in fighting since the day he opened his eyes, he couldn’t recall the last time he had fought with so much pleasure. The practices and workouts he did, whether alone or with his siblings, were always perfection-based, relentless, and result-oriented. The future of the clan hinged primarily on them, ensuring that he and his brothers, as perfect warriors, could protect the future of their clan.

Here it was different, Bi-Han wondered about your abilities and potential, not attacking you with all his might, but not making things easier either. His movements were fast and brutal, enough to challenge most top-level students he trained.

Not anticipating that you would fare so well and keep up with him, Bi-Han was genuinely surprised by the grace, determination, and lithe fighting style you displayed. From the first moment he saw you, he recognized you were not a fragile woman, but the surprise you presented exceeded his predictions, and he found it more pleasing than he had hoped.

In the clan, Bi-Han had always valued power, and while he acknowledged the appeal of a powerful woman as a wife, he found this matter burdensome and did not actively seek it. Now, as you stood before him, turning physical differences to your advantage, it would be a humorous lie to say he wasn’t impressed.

Knowing you weren’t equal in physical strength, your fighting style favored Wing Chun principles. Focused on self-defense rather than attack, you targeted joints with precision. Your impeccable hand and foot coordination revealed extensive combat training.

“Are you tired, grandmaster?” You teased. A drop of sweat gliding from your temple to your chin, and Bi-Han clenched his fist, resisting the urge to wipe it away. He replied with a half-smile.

“Self-confidence shown without winning is dangerous.”

“Win?” The smile on your face widened. “I thought this was just a test.”

“And you haven’t passed the test yet.”

Raising an eyebrow, you said, “Is that so?” Then you jumped forward, raising your knee to kick his abdomen. Bi-Han blocked your move with his elbow, and immediately threw his other hand at you. You stopped him by grabbing his wrist, doing the same with the other hand, and threw a kick, rising with support from the two arms you held.

Bi-Han staggered but maintained his balance, crossing his leg between your two legs as if to trip you. Seizing this opportunity, before you could react, he wrapped his other leg around your left leg, hooking it and causing you to fall to the ground. With your back meeting the floor, a groan escaped, indicating the pain and the breath leaving your lungs.

In a shocking display of speed, you recovered in the blink of an eye, turning around on your back. You grabbed Bi-Han from both sides of the waist with your strong legs, then tightly held his ankles with your hands, knocking him down with pressure from both sides. Although the mats on the floor spared him much pain, his vision fluctuated momentarily. When he opened his eyes again, you were sitting on his waist as if on a horse, a clenched fist inches away from his face.

“Yield.” you gasped. Your hair scattered, fine tufts escaping from the ponytail, reaching your sweat-soaked forehead and flushed cheeks. Your eyes sparkled with the joy and pride of successfully bringing him down. In that moment, Bi-Han felt like he saw the real you behind the mask—natural, beautiful, radiating positive energy to his core.

Bi-Han, with his combative nature and the refusal to give up, supported you with his legs and pushed you forward to disrupt your structure. As you placed your hands on both sides of his head to maintain balance, Bi-Han anticipated your move. He easily rolled you sideways, then grabbed both of your arms, pinning you down and looking down at you.

‘’You can’t get out of this lock, yield.” His voice, though retaining its usual harshness, carried a tone of amusement. Instead of yielding immediately, you tried different escape forms, but under his steel-like grip, you remained as motionless. The heat radiating from your body due to the intense sparring, coupled with your unique natural scent, almost sweet despite a hint of sweat, didn’t escape Bi-Han’s awareness. He also enjoyed seeing you like this, pinned under his weight, appearing genuinely carefree and joyful for once.

Finally, you took a deep breath and conceded in an unhappy voice, “Fine. I yield.”

Bi-Han couldn’t suppress a small sound resembling laughter in response to your childish reaction. As he got up, he admitted, ‘‘You surpassed my expectations.’’ His honest voice carried a touch of acknowledgment. ‘’I may have been unjust in underestimating you.’’ When he extended his hand to help you up, your surprised eyes revealed the disappearance of the earlier childish unhappiness.

‘’Is this an apology?’’

‘’Don’t be so full of hope.’’

You rolled your eyes at his response, a soft chuckle escaping your lips as you curiously asked while standing and holding onto the hand he offered. ‘‘Does this mean I won’t have guards anymore?’’

‘’I said I might reduce their number. I’ll think about it later.’’

“But you just said-‘’

‘’I know what I’m saying. But the person who tried to kill you is still out there somewhere. Ensuring your safety is first and foremost one of my duties.’’

“You’ve seen that I can protect myself. I don’t need three guards at once.’’ Bi-Han sighed in response to your unwavering stance, signaling that you wouldn’t easily drop the matter. He crossed his arms over his chest.

‘’I’ll arrange something.’’ His answer brought a smile back to your face, and Bi-Han felt an odd desire to consistently witness this expression of yours. Your smile was bright, like sunlight piercing through dark clouds, comforting him. ‘‘Do you feel better?’’

Your smile softened into a genuine, grateful expression.

‘‘Yes, thanks to you.’’

‘’(Y/n)!’’

Despite your parted lips, seemingly ready to say something more, Tomas’ voice interrupted. As you both turned toward him, realizing the hall’s attention, Bi-Han observed your cheeks reddening and your uneasiness becoming evident. The area was full of people, as everyone was curious about the sparring.Though understandable to dislike the spotlight, you should have been proud rather than embarrassed, you fought exceptionally well.

‘‘It was an amazing fight! How did you learn to move like that? Everyone watched with bated breath.’’

‘’Thank you,’’ you said shyly, your cheeks now crimson. Bi-Han wondered if you might have a heart attack right there. ‘’I trained with my brothers for a while.’’

‘’Let’s spar together sometime. I’d like you to teach me a few moves.’’

‘‘I would very much like to-‘’

‘’No.’’ Bi-Han interrupted. Both of you shared a puzzled expression, and for a moment, he wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t understand why he felt the need to intervene, he just didn’t like the idea of you working alone with Tomas. The words escaped his lips impulsively. Dismissing the absurd thoughts, he quickly composed himself, cleared his throat and continued in his usual cold, emotionless voice.

‘’We have new members whose training requires your attention, it’s unacceptable for you to slack off.’’

‘’Slack off? We don’t train from morning to night. Come on, I’m sure my training with (y/n) for a few hours a week won’t create any vital changes in the clan.’’ Tomas responded. A smile settled on his young face, as if he understood a truth behind the lie Bi-Han just told. Instead of giving in, Bi-Han responded with furrowed brows and an assertive voice.

“Tell the others then, to practice alternately with (y/n).’’

‘‘There is no need for that at all.’’ You said in a panicked and somewhat embarrassed voice. ‘’Enough people are already tasked to look after me by sacrificing their time, more people don’t need to be a part of it.’’

‘’It would be good for you to see different fighting styles.’’

‘’Our grandmaster is right.’’ Tomas said, joining him. ‘’Ah, but I just remember now. I have to go to the Fire Temple this week with Kuai Liang to report to Lord Liu Kang. Sektor has already gone to America for a mission, Cyrax is taking care of both his and Sektor’s group’s training in his absence. In this case, you’re the best option right now, brother.’’

Although Tomas finished his sentence with an innocent smile, Bi-Han could almost hear his quiet laughter ringing in his ears.

You little shit.

“There’s really no need for that at all-‘’

‘’Be here at the same time in the morning.’’ Said Bi-Han interrupting you once again. After he made the last point, he couldn’t stand to see the stupid smile on Tomas’s face anymore, so he turned on his heels and left the hall to start his routine work.

***

After signing the last document, Bi-Han felt the weariness in his bones. He rubbed his eyes, took a deep breath and finally rose from the chair where he’d been stationed for hours. His movements were initially slow, working out the stiffness in his muscles, and then he cracked his neck, stirring his body into action.

Having dealt with the remaining paperwork in the study after dinner, he glanced at the clock and realized midnight had arrived. Despite his aversion to paperwork, Bi-Han’s method was to let it accumulate before facing it head-on and completing the task, leaving the desk only when it was done.

A sigh of relief escaped him as he finally left the room, quickening his pace towards the bedroom. The weight of the day pressed on him, and the paperwork had been an additional burden. As he navigated the corridors and reached the floor where his room was located, his eyes were instinctively drawn to the end of the corridor. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight of you standing there.

Changing his direction, he walked toward you and your two guards, engaged in a quiet conversation. The echo of footsteps on the hushed hardwood floor signaled his approaching, as clansmen bowed their heads as a sign of respect and greeted him with a unified, ‘‘Goodnight, Master.’’

Bi-Han’s gaze lingered on you for a moment before he finally spoke, “Is there a problem?”

‘‘We were chatting,’’ you replied in a low voice. Bi-Han’s frown deepened, and he couldn’t discern your gaze as you spoke with your head tilted. His intuition told him something wasn’t right—perhaps another haunting nightmare or sleepless night troubled you. A nagging feeling insisted the former was more likely. ‘’They were telling me about the festival held in Fengjian village every spring.’’

There was a subtle unease in your tone, reminiscent of your timid demeanor from earlier. Setting aside the persistent pain from hours of frowning over paperwork, Bi-Han shifted his attention to the clan members flanking you. Recognizing their shared look of concern, he silently signaled for them to withdraw. Their departure revealed you, tensed like a bow, still avoiding eye contact. Yet, the subtle cues you emitted spoke volumes.

“Lift up your head (y/n), bowing does not suit you.’’ he commanded, his words prompting a sharp intake of breath from you. The internal struggle was evident as your fists clenched. Slowly, you raised your head, and Bi-Han’s gaze was drawn to your eyes. Dark circles, more pronounced than earlier, surrounded the undersides, and your eyes reflected a redness, a telltale sign of recent tears.

This situation was even more distressing than the morning encounter. It seemed you had lingered in your room to gather yourself before joining for breakfast, here now the impact of whatever nightmare haunted you was vivid, rendering you seemingly fragile and diminished. The shoulders, once confidently held upright, now slouched, emanating signals of desperation and a desire for isolation from the world.

Bi-Han felt his blood start to flow angrily in his veins as he looked at you. He didn’t know exactly what and why he was angry, but for some reason, the fact that you had become like this triggered the anger inside him that was ready to shine. It didn’t feel right to see you like this, especially after he started getting to know you. It was as if he was looking at someone completely different.

As he pondered what he could do, he realized the source of his anger at that moment. This was not a problem that he could solve by resorting to brute force when he got angry. If nightmares had tangible forms, Bi-Han would have obliterated them, turning them into ice masses down to the last atom. However, he had to rely on communication skills now, an area where he had always been incompetent. Kuai Liang was the diplomat, Bi-Han was the one with an easily angered nature.

On the one hand, he didn’t know why he wanted to help you. This was just a marriage made on paper, established for the sake of a permanent alliance, serving no purpose beyond that. Although he knew all this, it bothered him to see you like this. Maybe if he had witnessed this a month ago, he might not have been affected. Yet now, with each passing day revealing how different you are from what he thought, Bi-Han couldn’t stand idly by while this situation happened.

‘’Your men… they’re good people. They agreed to chat with me because I couldn’t sleep, I had never participated in the festivals held in Fengjian before. According to what they say, it hosts a very pleasant atmosphere.’’ You said in a weak voice that showed that you were uncomfortable with the prolonged silence. ‘‘Are you angry with me for chatting with them?’’

‘’Of course not. This is your home too, you can talk to anyone you want.’’

‘’But I can’t get in anywhere I want to, can I?’’

Bi-Han changed the subject instead of answering the question, ‘’Come with me, I have something I want to show you.” He said. You were intrigued by a bit of curiosity that broke your timid expression. Bi-Han could feel your gaze focused on his neck as he silently crossed the corridors. He asked carefully.

‘’Do you have nightmares all the time?’’

After one heartbeat, then the second, followed by shaky breaths you answered the question.

‘’Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Lately…I—I’ve been seeing it a little too often lately.’’

Bi-Han was aware that he was walking on a sensitive topic, the only problem was that he didn’t know what the right words were. He was hesitant about how he should approach you.

‘‘A month ago you were at your home, now you’ve been married to a man you’ve known as an enemy all your life, and you’re trying to get used to this place you’ve never known. All these are factors that put pressure on a person, the stress you feel may be triggering nightmares.’’

You chuckled a little, but your voice didn’t carry any warmth. It was dull and carried the kind of wetness that would worry Bi-Han.

‘’Although the issues are different, I have always been raised under pressure throughout my life. I think I can’t cope with stress as easily as I used to anymore, I feel crushed under it.’’ You took deep breaths several times to maintain your calm, trying not to shed tears with great force, your gaze was turned to the corridor stretching out in front of you. ‘’Sometimes I don’t want to sleep, even the thought of it feels terrifying.’’

In response to your confession, Bi-Han felt a strong need to calm you down. Although you tried to keep your emotions under control calmly, your battle to keep your tears from flowing was obvious. Bi-Han had never had such a hard time trying to find the right words. Kuai Liang had warned him many times because of his rude attitude, since he usually expressed what was going through his mind the way he was, but he himself had made no effort to change it.

During his struggle with himself, both of you arrived at the door of the room where he had already wanted to bring you. ‘‘I have never come to this side of the temple before.’’ You said. ‘’Why did we come here?’’

‘’This is my mother’s library.’’

Bi-Han opened the sliding door and slid to the side so that you could go in first. You looked at him first and then at the room with big red rimmed, and quite innocent-looking eyes.

‘‘I thought I was forbidden to enter here.’’

Bi-Han let out a little grunt.

‘’Get inside before I change my mind.’’

When you went inside without repeating what he said, Bi-Han lit the lamp standing on the work table, allowing you to see inside more clearly. Her mother’s study was a small place, not too big; two of the four walls were filled with full-length bookcases. In the middle of the room, there was a polished desk made of cherry wood and a chair with the same material as the desk. On the other side of the table, there was an old leather sofa for two, in dark coffee shades. A blanket with yellow-orange stripes that her mother had knitted when she was pregnant with Kuai Liang was laid out on the sofa.

When her mother was pregnant, Bi-Han remembered her most often in this room, lying on the double sofa, reading a book or knitting. Sometimes, when the winter was quite harsh and the snow was thick enough to exceed his height, Bi-Han also remembered that he used to read books with his mother in this room. Although he is not affected by the cold, his mother always tries to cover him with a blanket. Bi-Han often tries to stop her while she is trying to make sure that he is tightly wrapped, but ultimately, at the end of the day, he had no choice but to let her do what she wanted.

It felt different to see you in this room now. The soft, warm glow from the lamp added a cozy touch as your fingers gently explored the books. The room carried the scent of old books and polished wood.

‘’Have you read all this? There must be more than a thousand books on this side alone.’’

“I didn’t have time to read them all, but my mother did.’’ Said Bi-Han, leaning one shoulder on the bookshelf from where he was standing, he watched you walk around the room and look around with interest. “My father always brought her a lot of books from everywhere he could because he knew that she liked to read. She had so many books in a short time that he finally reserved this room for her to use as she wished. Although my mother was very pleased with this, my old man regretted his decision after a while.’’

“Why?’’

“My mother cherished this room, especially during her pregnancy. She found solace among the books. That’s why my father visited often, eager to catch a glimpse of her.’’

You laughed a little.

‘’It seems that your father was very fond of your mother.’’

‘’More than enough. Theirs was also a forced marriage. They wed as two strangers, completely unaware of each other, yet my father was the first to fall in love with my mother. He, too, was a cryomancer, unaffected by the cold like me. However, my mother somehow forgot this detail – quite impossible to overlook. Being fond of knitting, she crafted a scarf for him, consisting the colors of our clan. It was the first gift my father ever received, and you can imagine his surprise. Despite his bemused reaction, my mother loved recounting this tale to us. It was her favourite memory about him.’’

‘’What a sweet gesture,’’ you said in a soft, kind voice. ‘’They have a chance that not everyone has. My parents also met the same way, but unfortunately, they were not as lucky as yours.’’

The smile on your face fell, and Bi-Han caught the haunted expression as you averted your gaze from him and turned to the books in front of you.

‘’What do you mean—‘’

‘’Oh! I don’t believe this! This book is also here?’’ You interrupted his speech with your voice, which suddenly rose with happiness. When you excitedly pulled the book from the shelf, Bi-Han turned his gaze to the book in your hand to see which book you were talking about. The book you were holding was ‘The Little Prince,’ with its cover worn out from reading it over and over, and its pages starting to turn yellow. It was one of the books that his mother loved to read, it had not left her bedside for a long time. ‘‘I couldn’t finish this.’’

‘’That’s a very short book to not finish.’’

“My father did not like us to read such books, he believed that they cut us off from reality. So I would try to read it without getting caught, but that was unlikely. My middle brother caught me secretly reading under the duvet one day, and as he told my father, he destroyed the book by burning it.’’

Bi-Han was starting to hate this man more and more.

‘’A big reaction for a harmless book.’’

‘‘It is so.’’ You said it in a sad voice. When you caressed the cover carefully with your fingers, as if you were afraid of harming it, Bi-Han felt that strange, painful ache in his chest again.

‘’You asked me why I brought you here. Sometimes there are times when I have nightmares too, I come here when I can’t sleep after waking up. It’s good for me to read something that will distract my mind, and I thought it might be good for you too.’’

This time, tears welled up uncontrollably, a few tracing down your cheeks as Bi-Han finished speaking. He grappled with what went wrong, clueless on how to cease the flow of emotion. Tension laced his voice as he questioned, “Why are you crying?”

‘’Thank you.’’ Your response caught him off guard. Swiftly wiping away the tears, your cheeks flushed with embarrassment, yet a rekindled smile brought solace to Bi-Han. ‘’I didn’t expect you to be so kind. I realize I may have been a bit too prejudiced against you, feeling a bit confused now.’’

‘’You had the materials to feed your prejudices, you’re not so wrong about that.’’ Said Bi-Han with a grunt. “Sit down on the sofa, you’ll read more comfortably.’’

You did what he said, quickly sat down on the sofa, and when you opened the first pages of the book to read, a silence fell on the room. Bi-Han heard you sigh as he started wandering around the room rummaging through the books.

‘’What’s the matter?’’

‘’I know it’s going to sound ridiculous, but my mind… It is so loud, the words I’m reading don’t make any sense. I can’t focus even though it’s a children’s book.’’ As the weight of insomnia was getting heavier and heavier on you, your tired gaze looked at him as if asking for help. ‘’Will you read to me?’’

Bi-Han instantly turned against you.

‘’My voice isn’t up to it.’’

‘’I can’t calm my mind. Please, Bi-Han.’’

Your silent plea managed to break the resistance within Bi-Han. As he settled at the other end of the seat, you graciously handed over the book. Leaning back comfortably, he spread his legs and turned the yellowed first page.

Despite the weariness that clung to his eyes from hours of paperwork, a sense of duty toward you lingered, especially considering your unrestful state since the poisoning. If the simple act of reading could offer a balm to your restlessness, Bi-Han was more than willing to provide it.

As he continued to immerse himself in the narrative, you shifted your position to face him, pulling your knees together and wrapping your arms around them. By the thirtieth page, a gentle, sleep-induced of your mumble filled the room.

‘’By the way, you are wrong about your voice. It has a deep timbre that draws people in.’’ Suppressing a yawn with your hand, you continued. ‘‘At first, I admit, it sounded intimading. And right now I’m thinking the exact opposite… Isn’t it weird? My thoughts can’t stay the same when it comes to you. You’ve thrown me a curve a few times these days.’’

Bi-Han, curious, marked the spot he was reading with his finger.

‘’So how are you feeling right now?’’

Resisting sleep, your head leaned against the seat, eyelids half-lowered. You answered innocently, as if afraid the response might be overheard.

‘‘It’s peaceful.’’ Your eyes closed momentarily as you covered another yawn. Speaking became more of a challenge. ‘’I haven’t had this feeling for a long time.’’

Your seemingly harmless confession halted Bi-Han in his tracks, casting an unexpected shadow over the room. What kind of hell had you emerged from, and what haunted stories did those eyes hold? The weight of your words seemed to materialize, settling in the air like an unspoken presence. As the silence stretched, your eyes fluttered open, revealing a weariness that begged understanding. In the soft, exhausted tone that followed, you queried.

“Is there a problem? Aren’t you going to continue?”

Bi-Han redirected his focus to the book, letting the words flow as time passed. The air carried the soothing rhythm of your breath, the golden light weaving a tranquil atmosphere. In the midst of the book, you mumbled a sentence in unison.

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

“I didn’t understand that phrase when I was a little girl. How meaningful that sounds now, doesn’t it?” you added.

Bi-Han could barely understand what you were trying to say as you were struggling to speak. Your eyes closed completely now, a serene, small smile gracing your face. With each rhythmic breath, it was evident sleep was about to claim you.

Carefully, Bi-Han covered you with the blanket that was laid across the armrest of the sofa. A sweet sigh escaped you as you cocooned yourself, succumbing to the embrace of sleep. Bi-Han observed you for a while, long eyelashes casting delicate shadows on your cheeks. The relaxed expression of slumber made you appear younger, innocent, and achingly vulnerable, awakening a primal sense of protection in him.

Feeling the weight of exhaustion and the calm ambiance of the room, Bi-Han decided to position himself nearby, ready to wake you up if nightmares haunted your dreams again. Easing down on the opposite end of the sofa, he listened to your soft breaths, his own eyes growing heavier with weariness.

As the warmth of sleep began to wrap around him, Bi-Han muttered.

“What the hell are you doing to me, woman?”

. . . . . . . . . . . .

(Y/N)’s brother: Use your body and seduce him already!

(Y/N): I’m just gonna spar with him and show that we can be equals.

(Y/N)’s brother: That’s not the plan!

(Bi-Han attempting to conceal his awe): Damn, she can kick ass.

For the second part;

(Y/N)’s brother: The fuck are you doing?

(Y/N): …Listening him reading to The Little Prince?

(Y/N)’s brother: Wtf.

(Meanwhile Tomas): I ship them, now kiss.

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summerf0x · 1 month

Text

I think the real reason why Artic’s death is so horrifying isn’t because of the gore. It’s because it represents Darkstalker finally becoming the monster he was prophecized to be.

The entire book you know how it’s going to end. Darkstalker will be sealed beneath a mountain, Clearsight will flee the continent, and Fathom leaves the public eye with Indigo. The build up is an entirely different story. All three of them want the future to be different, one where they stay together and avoid the grim fate that awaits them, and for a few brief periods all over the story you think they will. Clearsight says that she had almost entirely written out the scroll as a possibility because of how few timelines it appeared in.

Fathom manages to gradually reign in Darkstalker to the point where the thought of him enchanting the goblet was shocking. And yet, Darkstalker continues down the dark path. He doesn’t trap Indigo just because he loathes her (although that definitely contributed to it). He traps her because it’s a stepping stone to getting Fathom more willing to use his animus powers, weather that be voluntarily or not. He gives Clearsight the earrings not because he dislikes her power. He gives it to her because it’s only a temporary thing to make sure she’s happier and he check all her work anyway, so nothing bad would happen!

Darkstalker has convinced himself that every action he does is the right one. It’s all to move them towards the best possible future, where everyone’s happy in the end. At least… he says that. Some part of Darkstalker still knows these are wrong. That’s why he wrote them in the invisible ink. That’s why he never fully enchanted, Clearsight or Fathom to change. Little, justifiable nudges that he could write off as a necessary evil. It doesn't matter how they get to the big, happy ending. Just that they get there in the first place. Everyone will be happy then, so when he reveals what he did they'll be mad for a bit but will ultimately accept that it all worked out in the end.

It's this philosophy that helps Darkstalker continue. He's not a monster because he never changes them directly, only with something small and disposeable like an object. He is so terrifed of being that bloodstained dragon in the future he refuses to do it directly, maintaining plausable deniability the entire time. It creates a buffer between them, and as long as it stands he considers himself blameless.

Even when everyone else is against him for surviving Quickdeath’s attack, he doesn’t focus on the fact that they are horrified that he enchanted himself to be invulnerable and instead says that the problem is resolved and is shocked that they aren’t relieved and going on as normal.

When he enchants Arctic, he still doesn’t lay a hand on him. Not his claws. He is not bloody. Not yet. He flies Arctic to the center of the Nightwing kingdom and creates a mock trial out of his father’s death. He kills him as a show of power, yes, but convinced himself it’s justifiable. He waits for the crowd’s reaction before doing it.

Arctic’s death isn’t even that descriptive. The book says that it was “messy” but there aren’t pages and pages of vivid gore. It’s a short paragraph and while it is the culmination of Darkstalker’s decent into power-driven madness the violence is so very small in a book filled with it. There’s no return from here. Clearsight says it herself, when everything is done. She can’t return to the Nightwings after being seen on that stage with Darkstalker. This is what finally gets Fathom to give up on any attempts to bring him back to the friendly, charming version of the Darkstalker he knew.

There’s no return for Darkstalker, either. In his mind, he’s won. He’s “triumphed” over Arctic after all this time. He’s finally killed someone. No. He’s finally made someone kill themselves. Like some sort of horrible gotcha to the universe, there is no blood on his claws. No blemishes on his body. Even when killing his father, he remains blameless in his mind. He would have remained blameless when killing anyone else.

#the only reason why clearsight called him a jerk was because they couldn’t put bitch ass motherfucker in a childrens book #wof #wings of fire #darkstalker wof #clearsight wof #wof analysis #fathom wof #arctic wof

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sourcherryandsprinkles · 5 months

Note

Since today is percy's birthday, can you write something for Xavier's birthday?

This is a bit late considering Percy's birthday was in...October, but since it's Xavier's birthday it doesn't really matter

my taglists are here + you can send requests here at any time

—

‘’Was the blindfold really necessary?’’ Xavier asked, his voice tinged with curiosity as he let you lead him through the dimly lit corridors of the academy.

‘’Yes.’’

The second you tied the blindfold, the birthday boy knew you had planned a surprise and lied about it. He wasn’t mad though. Your surprises were always…surprising.

‘’If I didn’t know you well enough, I would think you’re going to murder me,’’ he said with a soft chuckle, the sound echoing through the empty corridor.

‘’If I were to murder you, I would not be holding your hand. Only a fool would leave fingerprints on their victim’s body.’’

Guiding him forward, you soon came to a halt as you reached a staircase.

‘’Careful, there’s stairs. Thirty-five of them, to be precise,’’ you cautioned.

‘’Stairs?’’ Xavier repeated, his eyes widening behind the black blindfold. ‘’Now I’m having doubts on the whole murder thing…’’

You raised your hands to your lips and kissed the back of his gently. ‘’Hush hush, you know I would never harm you on purpose.’’

Once the death trap was over, you pushed a heavy door and a gust of wind hit you straight in the face, making you shiver. You forgot how cold November nights were in Vermont.

‘’Last I remember, students are not allowed on the rooftop,’’ Xavier pointed out as you removed his blindfold, revealing the view of the forest from above.

You pulled out a hair pin and Xavier shook his head with a smile, once again impressed.

‘’Of course you know how to pick a lock…’’

‘’Tonight is a full moon,’’ you stated.

Xavier cocked an eyebrow. ‘’Ohh, is it?’’ He lifted his eyes at the sky, seeing the bright moon. ‘’That’s pretty.’’

Simple things are often better than grandiose gestures. Which was why you decided to go for something small and intimate — sharing a cupcake on the rooftop under a full moon — instead of a surprise party. You were together and nothing else mattered.

Xavier dipped his finger in the frosting and, while your attention was on the sky, he smeared it on your cheek.

‘’Xavier!’’ you gasped, turning your attention to him.

He was smiling like a mischievous child, not even bothering to deny that he did it. Keeping the childish game going, you wiped some frosting from your cheek and smeared it on his nose, which made the both of you laugh as you tried to dodge his frosting coated finger again.

—

Wednesday taglist: @partyfly @hoodforcalum @achoo---uu @not-leaprvt @xaviersgf @dragon-chica @wrldofsage @eddiemunsonsluvrrr @capriaura @officialsaturn @kelloggs-world @whosljt @ajpanda181 @belovedrey @emerycrt @elizabitchsshit @lilithlikestoread @est-liber @moonisu @dessxoxsworld @bellblake121890 @kaldurahms-lover @nephilimsss @sweetheartlizzie07 @watermelon-18 @snixx2088 @555stargirl555 @robinscardigan @chumchum19 @lilttblog @aphex2winn @heizenka @mystargirl-interlude @hwrtsiren @babygirljay20 @strangersomeone @charlottelaffin @iheartmaddyperez @starless-starkov @ali-r3n @ell0ra-br3kk3r

@rhaenyraswife @teaganthemorningstar @oliviah-25 @spenglerslime @wetwilliam02 @yellowcupcakes @haileyismoo @wrldofsage @manofworm @supersanelyromantic @toylewestinnyc @meme-queen-1999 @rottenstyx @mxxny-lupin @idli-dosa @silenzju @sweeterheartxamerica @renaissancewhxre @jordierama @lilppsblog @harrystylesfp @katsuki420 @ravenssh1t @kenzi-woycehoski @katsukis1wife @momoewn @hawkegfs @mommyruuetrue @lucassinclairsgf @starrrslove @marissapearle @sshesang @scarxvodka @illf4iry @leoluvsur-pappy @wenvierismycomfort @pedrosprincess @luvvtxinityy @targaryenmoony @icarly23 @red1culous @kattybug @slytherinambitious @tommysaxes @adaydreamaway08 @lynbubble @pumkinnroses @under-seasoned-pasta

#xavier thorpe x reader #xavier thorpe #xavier thorpe imagine #netflix wednesday #wednesday imagine #wednesday

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felassan · 9 months

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BioWare Blog post: An Update on the State of BioWare

by BioWare - August 23, 2023

"Hello again, Today, rather than discuss one of our upcoming projects, I’d like to share an update about the studio itself and outline our vision for BioWare’s future. In order to meet the needs of our upcoming projects, continue to hold ourselves to the highest standard of quality, and ensure BioWare can continue to thrive in an industry that’s rapidly evolving, we must shift towards a more agile and more focused studio. It will allow our developers to iterate quickly, unlock more creativity, and form a clear vision of what we’re building before development ramps up. To achieve this, we find ourselves in a position where change is not only necessary, but unavoidable. As difficult as this is to say, rethinking our approach to development inevitably means reorganizing our team to match the studio’s changing needs. As part of this transition, we are eliminating approximately 50 roles at BioWare. That is deeply painful and humbling to write. We are doing everything we can to ensure the process is handled with empathy, respect, and clear communication. With that last point in mind, I want to take a moment to explain how we got here, what we’re doing to support our colleagues, and what this means for BioWare’s current and future games. WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW After much consideration and careful planning, we have built a long-term vision that will preserve the health of the studio and better enable us to do what we do best: create exceptional story-driven single-player experiences filled with vast worlds and rich characters. This vision balances the current needs of the studio—namely, ensuring Dragon Age™: Dreadwolf is an outstanding game—with its future, including the success of the next Mass Effect™. We’ve chosen to act now in part to provide our impacted colleagues with as many internal opportunities as possible. These changes coincide with a significant number of roles that are currently open across EA’s other studios. Impacted employees will be provided with professional resources and assistance as they apply for these positions. While it’s unlikely that everyone will find a new role within the company, we are committed to supporting our staff as they navigate this change. Our sincere hope is that they can continue their exemplary work at studios who stand to benefit immensely from their talents. IMMEDIATE IMPACT If you’re wondering how all of this will impact development of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, let me be clear that our dedication to the game has never wavered. Our commitment remains steadfast, and we all are working to make this game worthy of the Dragon Age name. We are confident that we’ll have the time needed to ensure Dreadwolf reaches its full potential. I can also tell you that every member of our team, even those departing BioWare, deserves credit for crafting a spectacular experience. These are our colleagues and friends, and we would not be here without them. I am so proud of all the work our team has done. WHAT COMES NEXT While this is an extremely difficult day for everyone at BioWare, we are making changes now to build a brighter future. We’re excited for all of you to see what we’ve been building with Dreadwolf. A core veteran team led by Mike Gamble continues their pre-production work on the next Mass Effect. Our commitment to quality continues to be our North Star. As cliche as this sounds, there truly is never a good time to enact changes like this, but we trust that we have the right leaders and team in place with vision, passion, and proven track records to deliver world-class Dragon Age and Mass Effect experiences that our fans will love. For now, I want to thank everyone at BioWare—past and present—for making the studio what it is. I also want to thank our community for your continued support. We’re eager to reveal more about Dreadwolf, and we look forward to discovering what else the future holds. Gary McKay General Manager, BioWare"

[source]

#dragon age: dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #bioware #mass effect #next mass effect #video games #long post #longpost

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the-six-that-thrive-if · 5 months

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WARDEN!!

There's a knock on his office door that calls his attention, as gloved fingers flip through pages of subject files, writing notes on each page. His helmet is placed aside on the corner of his desk facing outward, while a glass of cold black coffee sits untouched. "Come in." His voice is neutral, not bothering to look up as the door slides open, revealing you, dressed in your pajamas. He glances up at you as you enter the room, looking around it before setting your gaze on the Warden, whose pen still writes, creating soft scratching sounds as he does.

"Happy Birthday."

His pen pauses, and he glances at you, staring at you for a moment, before returning to the files. "Thank you." There's an invisible softness in his words, "but if you stayed awake to say it. You should rest. Today is going to be a busy day for you." That's right, it's New Year's Eve. And everyone is going to be vying for your attention and the Warden will be busy running around the facility, completing various last-minute tasks for this and the new year.

"It's your birthday. I still wanted to say it." The Warden's icy blue eyes study your face for a moment, taking in your smooth skin. Drawing his eyes across your features before letting out a sigh, a gust of frosted air leaving him as his shoulders drop. "Come here." He instructs, rising from his chair silently. You move around his organized desk, as he pulls open heavy black curtains, revealing the sea of thick white as it gently snows.

"On my birthday—when I was born—Revived is a better word. It was like this. Snowing. I was in the middle of a forest with thick dead trees with nothing but moonlight. I was naked, and I was cold." You look at him, as he reminisces, staring out the blanket at the snow. "In truth—I had not chosen my birthday. The Dragon is the one who gave it to me." He speaks with a slight eye roll.

"Though, when she first informed me of it—I could not understand her."

Your eyes widen at this, looking out of the large window. The idea of Warden being vulnerable, lost, and confused seems so foreign in your mind. He is so well put together, it's a weird thought. "What else was it like?" His gaze flickers to you before drawing away.

"A lot of who I am—was inspired by someone else." There's a gentleness in his tone. "The way I speak. The reason I cover my face. My birthday. These are all things that The Dragon taught me, annoyingly enough," Warden rolls his eyes, "—though she has since changed. Change does not come easy for the void." He looks at you, searching your face for something... or someone. He leans closer.

"Why do you stare at me like that?" You speak almost breathlessly.

"You are..." the Warden speaks softly, slowly reaching out to you, "a welcomed change." He drops his hand and leans away, using his knuckle to tap the glass, purposely drawing your attention back outside. "The void is crying—tears of reminiscing." He motions to the snow that flutters from the sky.

"Does that mean you're crying?"

"Crying is necessary. Though I, myself, may not be the most emotional—I will not shame others for showing what I cannot."

"You are far nicer than you seem." You glance behind him, to his desk, staring at the subject files. The personal notes were things he had noticed about them. You step from the window, looking over the several, all the notes were of things to help them.

"I am a Warden. Not a tyrant. To be cold or aloof does not equate to being unkind." He turns from the window and stands behind you, looking over your shoulders. "A warden protects. A guardian." He closes the space, resting his gloved hands on either side of you, closing the space. "Do you enjoy that?" You ask as you turn around, your and his face impossibly close.

"I do." He makes eye contact, closing the space.

LET HIM KISS YOU

CHECK OUT THE FULL STORY [TBA]

CHECK OUT THE INTERACTIVE STORY [TBA]

#t.m.basement.warden #interactive fiction #interactive fic #interactive fiction twine #twine interactive fiction #interactive fiction demos #itchio interactive fic #dating sim #horror interactive fic #dating sim characters #t.m.basement.sneak.peek #t.m.basement.stories #twine if

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cookiesaddict · 10 months

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Somehow, my gut tells me Aaravos and Leola are connected in some way?

Leola was an unicorn who gifted humans primal stones, together with the knowledge of Ancient Draconic, the language of the dragons, and the runes necessary to cast spells.

Aaron did reveal that what we thought was baby Aaravos, was in fact actually Leola. This suggests that Leola was an Startouch elf, and not an unicorn.

This confuses me a lot.. Did the writers changed it? Perhaps Leola was an unicorn, but can shape-shift into a Startouch elf? Or vice versa?

A while back, Aaron mention that there was an important someone in Aaravos’ life. And how everything that he is doing; past, present and future stems from that relationship. This seems to me that this relationship that Aaravos had with that person was rather a positive one.

This person had a big influence on Aaravos’ life, and I’m inclined to believe that Leola was that important someone to Aaravos.

Think about it, both Leola and Aaravos were benefactors for humanity. There must be a reason why Aaravos rebelled against the other stars, and Xadia for their treatment against humanity. I think Leola’s positive views towards humanity might have influenced Aaravos views towards humanity as well.

I think something happened to Leola later down the line, and it hurt Aaravos deeply. So deeply, that he probably went to extreme lengths for humanity in Leola’s name such as giving them dark magic. So extreme, that his love for Leola and humanity caused him to be were he is today… In prison.

If that’s the case, and i’m right. Then I have no doubt that Aaravos’ current plans, whatever it is, still involves Leola as well. Remember, Aaravos motivations comes from the relationship he had with someone important to him.

I wonder though what Leola’s last wish was. Did they wish something regarding humanity? Maybe the last wish was to create Aaravos, the star they are holding?

#the dragon prince #tdp #the dragon prince aaravos #tdp aaravos #aaravos #tdp speculation #tdp theory #the dragon prince spoilers #tdp season 5 #tdp s5 speculation #tdp s5 spoilers #tdp s5 #tdp season five #the dragon prince s5 #the dragon prince season 5 #tdp spoilers

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blackcatsnstrawberries · 7 months

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Iron Flame Thoughts! (Spoilers)

I finally finished Iron Flame (IF) and I definetly have some thoughts about it. I've seperated my thoughts into Liked, Disliked, Predictions BELOW THE BREAK LINE so people don't have to see spoilers. Also it's not in any particular order, just how it popped into my head.

Liked:

Tarin and Andarna's bickering. Her sassiness with his grumpiness was just the bees knees of adorable.

Cat, this may surprise some people but I really liked her development as she and Violet got to know each other

Gryphon Riders in general were a nice addition, I want to know more about their school/lifestyle/countr(ies)

Violets development was really good. It was great to see her know her own strength more and stand up for herself/dragons/loved ones. Huge contrast from Fourth Wing (FW)

The relationship between Violet, Mira and Brennan. Loved the way Mira punched B when she saw him but ultimately loved having her brother back. Can't wait to see more

Mamma Sorrengail's sacrifice for her kids/everyone. Heartbreaking but only way she could redeem herself

Dain's return to the "good" side. It was great development to have him see the error of his ways, say no to Varrish (which is huge for him) and then prove himself again during the hike with the Riders and then again in the final battle.

Aaric/Cam, I love me a rogue Prince so this hit all the right spots (more on him later)

Andarna being a seventh dragon. Excellent. Amazing. Can't f*cking wait to know more

The reveal of Xaden's second signet. Shook, but obviously bb knew how to control it

The relationship between the main four in Iron Squad (Vi, Rhi, Ridoc and Sawyer.) I love a good platonic friendship (more than romance stories) because I think having found family in your friends is just friggin beautiful

Sawyer and Jesinina (I know that's spelled wrong)

Varrish, bare with me I hated him but props to RY for writing and awful character. I clapped when he died.

The battle at the end

HALLUCINATION LIAM!!!

Disliked:

XADEN AND VIOLETS CONSTANT BICKERING. It gave miscommunication trope over and over.

Xaden and Violet fighting and then being like you are my gravity, I love you so f*cking much etc. This seemed very Twilight-y (and toxic TBH)

Xaden with holding everything from Violet because she wasn't asking the right questions. Frustrating.

Having Vi tortured/injured over and over again (and I say this as a whump fan) I think she does it to show Violet's strength/resilience, but it's not necessary we know she's strong.

Markham being an asshole =(

Jack Barelow coming back- I understand why I just don't like him and wanted him to stay dead

Honestly, don't like Xaden turning Venin. Obvs as of right now we don't know why she made that choice, but I don't like it.

What I think will Happen Next

Next book Xaden is going to be fighting his Venin nature for the whole book but will ultimately choose to leave at the end- fourth book he will be barely there and fifth he will either come back still fighting his Venin self OR be full Venin.

Navarre/Basgiath/Aretia will fall to the Venin

Aaric/Cam will ultimately become important because I think the King will die and Aaric will have to step up as next in line.

Andarna will be the most badass dragon in the world

I do think Violet and Xaden will be endgame IF he lives. Here are my thoughts on that:

1) Violet and the others will find a cure for the venin and save Xaden

2) Xaden will become a full Venin but when it comes time to kill Violet he will unalive himself instead (Ben Solo redemption arc) in a moment of regaining his former self. I don't want this to happen at all.

I think Xaden's mom is the Queen/Lord of the Venin, which is why they want him so badly.

This is everything that came to mind, I am sure I will find other things that fit into these lists. Let me know what you thought, or we can compare lists!

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lovelyladyabsinthewrites · 1 year

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Dragon Pt.2

Pairing(s): Daenerys Targaryen x Assassin!Reader, implied Daario x Daenerys Targaryen

Warnings: gore, blood, rampage, slight fluff, killing

Words:5535

Summary: Daenerys is good on her promise to make you more than a bloodthirsty assassin. She truly molds you into a dragon.

Part 1

Requested by many of you but in particular @alexkolax since they gave me the prompt 😊😊

In a short amount of time, your life had changed considerably. You were now considered one of Daenerys Targaryen’s most trusted member of her small court. Drogon may have been considered Daenerys’ ‘winged shadow’ but you were her actual shadow personified. She made sure to keep you close to her at all times not just for protection but also her genuine fondness of your company.

Growing to know the Silver Queen who was once your bounty, you’d admit you felt the same fondness.

No one would deny the utter beauty of Daenerys, but it was her authentic warmth that initially broke through your mountain high walls you built around yourself. They’d been a necessary growing up with four brothers. You built those walls so that nothing may break them down. Reinforced with your blood and nightmares.

As a child you had never known such kindness in a person. The people you saw on a daily basis were always less than kind and had ulterior motives up their sleeves.

Your own father murdered your mother after your birth. She was seen as defected since she gave birth to a girl. Up until then, she’d gifted your father with strong, healthy boys that were more than willing to carry on their father’s brutality.

He should have killed you right then and there. Despite all of your father’s flaws, he never killed children. Orphan them, yes, but he wouldn’t outright murder them like he had so many others. So he was stuck with you and subjected you to the same training all your other brothers had undergone prior to your existence.

Under their strict tutelage, you learned how to walk before crawling; such was the fury of their instructions that you aimed to do everything perfectly the first time to not receive their retribution. You couldn’t afford to mess up. Throughout your childhood, you aimed to prove to your family that you were just as good as them. And in all honesty, you were. You were the one to receive the best jobs; customers asked for you specifically.

Rage often fueled their actions, ultimately making them blind to reason. Such was the folly of men. You however were level headed. Anger was an inherited trait in you that you were always able to keep at bay until you needed it. You had full control of it and coexisted with it.

Happily you used the violence that festered in your soul to protect her, any means necessary.

You yourself had located the heart of the Sons of the Harpy swarm that was like a plague in Meereen. You’d earned the respect of the older men in her service that day when you slew the handful that had been surrounding you, Daenerys and Missandei. There had been doubt in you whether or not you could hold them off. They were coming from all sides and angles, relentless attempts to try and harm either of them resulted in a loss of a life or limbs.

Drogon was the true savior of the day. Dany took her rightful place atop of Drogon’s back, but not before she pulled you up with her.

Due to your occupation, you didn’t tend to feel the sensation of fear. It was trained out of you by your eldest brother Nakillos.

Being on top of an actual dragon?

You had never known a fear of heights until Drogon took off into the sky

Dany. . . Well you had Dany to thank for saving you. She revealed that she wasn’t just tenderness and warmth, but a force to be reckoned with. When the Dothraki horde accosted the two of you, you knew that you couldn’t slay all of them and get you and Dany to safety. She held your hand though and reassured you that everything would be alright.

She took things under control from then on. And what could you say? You admired the authority that shadowed her sweet features and she truly spoke like someone who had royal blood coarsing through them.

Not once did you regret leaving your old life behind to vow your fealty to Daenerys.

For the first time in your life you actually felt worthy of something. The deadly skills you had in your itinerary could be used for a proper cause instead of mindless hunger for more victims and gold. A monster that would never be satisfied. You cared not for your own happiness or that of anyone else.

Dare you even entertain the prospect that Dany brought so much light and meaning into your life. She had you feeling sorry for your past self that she didn’t know true joy until Daenerys Targaryen offered you her bloody hand.

When thee slave masters threatened to take Meereen from her control, you were right next to Grey Worm in a prompt execution.

First you happily forced them to watch their fleets be burned by her three children. Then you retrieve the specially made dagger Dany had gifted you and dragged it across Yezzan zo Qaggaz's throat. You may have been a little too happy about eliminating her enemies. The hot blood that splashed from their necks and onto your skin livened your own blood. Never had a kill been so delicious.

This was in tribute to your Silver Goddess.

Out of habit you presented the heads of the Slave Masters to her. Her face beamed with approval and delight at your morbid gifts. Even Grey Worm had turned his face away when you started severing head from necks. It was dirty work and not a pretty sight, but something inside of you made you do it. After presenting her with the head of the man who had hired you to kill her, you unconsciously made it a habit of giving her the heads of her enemies.

You promise her to do the same of her enemies in Westeros which had her cupping your cheek in the greatest show of adoration that had you weak kneed. You could tell she wanted to do more than just hold your face, but this was all she allowed herself. Other times when she was proud of you, Daenerys would toy with the Targaryen sigil that was chained around your neck. You never took it off.

The time for Westeros was coming. All she needed was a proper fleet of ships to carry her and the rest of her loyalists. It would be the first time her Dothraki horde had ever been on the water. They remained outside of the city for now along with Daario Naharis and his band of Second Sons.

The relationship between Dany and Daario was an unspoken one but you understood the truth of Daario's longing looks as you had taken his place by Dany's side. While he may have pleasure to offer her, she still preferred you as her personal sworn sword. Maybe it helped that you were also a woman. Either way it made you feel smug that you were superior to both Daario and Jorah in that manner. She didn't even trust Tyrion Lannister as much as she trusted your opinions.

Her council was in the middle of discussing how to build up their fleet and the options that lay in front of her.

You stand by her cushioned seat. Her council room was one of comfortable familiarity with plush chairs and couches. Wine was offered by those who willingly serve her.

Next to her sat Missandei who may as well have been the Westerosi version of a lady in waiting. You liked the former slave girl. She was kind like her queen and incredibly intuitive. Possessing great knowledge of diplomacy and the workings of Essos, Missandei was a great asset to Daenerys.

Across from the three of you were the men: Daario, Grey Worm, Tyrion, and Westeros' own master of whispers: Varys.

When first encountering the dwarf and eunuch, you had nearly killed both on the spot once you learned of their origins. To you, their presence was a threat to your queen and one you would quickly eliminate. They proved themselves to Daenerys and that was enough for you.

Talk of politics always bored you to tears as you stood there, form rigid and still as you took your job very seriously.

The way Tyrion and Varys droned on though about funds and potential allies made your mind drift and your eyes fell on the large window that looked out to the city. Such boredom brought you back to when you and your brothers were called upon your father to report your monthly body count and profit.

Garros, your father and the head of your clan of assassins, hated to give you praise and would spend the rest of the conference scolding your brothers. Why was a woman doing better than them?

Outside you watch the flight of her dragons as they lazily drift through the sky above the great city of Meereen. Since being released from their prison, Rhaegal and Viserion had grown in size but didn't make the mistake like their brother Drogon of eating the flock that belonged to the city. They took their hunting party far away from the city, following their large brother as he showed them better hunting grounds.

Drogon, while still unpredictable, became more docile toward Daenerys. A new bond had been established since she had officially ridden him .

A touch to your arm jolts you back into attention.

Dany only laughs at your abrupt alertness. They men were standing to leave, giving pleasantries to one another and a nod toward you. You stiffly nod back to them and watch them leave.

"Seems like I wasn't the only one bored from their talk." Missandei chuckles and pours a glass of wine for you, your signal that it was okay to relax with them now.

Gratefully you take it from her tan hands and take a sip while sitting between them. That's where they liked you. Since saving Missandei, you had gained her absolute trust. She would even call you 'my friend' when addressing you now. You'd never had a friend before. It was nice.

"I've never been able to follow political discussions." you sigh and let both of them lean against your shoulders. When the men were gone, all three of you were able to be yourselves. You knew it was hard being a woman with immense power. You couldn't let your guard down as any sign of weakness would be taken as an opportunity for those of the opposite gender. Daenerys constantly had to put up a strong front in order to maintain her power.

Dany nods in agreement, the side of her temple presses against your shoulder as she really gets comfortable next to you. Your stomach always flutters when she does such things like that. "Yes, it's not making me look forward to ruling the Seven Kingdoms."

"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." You say, a phrase you'd once heard your father say to Nakillos.

Her hand finds your's and gives it a squeeze. She looks up at you from under her long, dark eyelashes. "The crown is not so much a burden, not with the two of you with me."

You and Missandei smile for the both of you were all to happy to serve her.

Missandei gets up and puts her glass on the table. "Well, I must get going."

"Yes, can't keep Grey Worm waiting." Dany teases her causing the poor girl to duck her head in a blush. You giggle, actually giggle, at the obviousness of her affection for the Unsullied commander.

Flustered, she leaves without confirming Daenerys' words to be true.

Still gazing from where Missandei had fled, you smile and shake your head. "I'm happy for her."

Dany's hand hadn't left your's. Instead, her small fingers weave between your own and you feel your own blush creeping up your neck. Every touch from her was scalding. In a good way. "Me too."

Defenses lowering, you close your eyes and concentrate on the gentle rhythm of Dany’s breathing. Everything she did was mesmerizing to you and damnit if you were intoxicated on the way she makes you feel.

These moments were rare where it was just the two of you. Only once when everyone left could you allow yourself to be vulnerable. You allowed yourself these small, insignificant little moments.

At least you tried telling yourself they were insignificant. Always coming up with realistic excuses to avoid the truth that you struggled to face head on.

You like how her hands fit perfectly into your own.

You like the soft, content sighs she lets out every now and then.

You even like how drowsy you got as comfort warms you.

How had you lived for so long without this feeling? It was downright nourishing to every cell in your body.

“Will you stay with me tonight?”

Her question has your eyes popping open immediately and a quiet sort of panic seizes you. It wasn’t the first time she’d asked you to stay in her room for the night. Whether it was for comfort or. . . Something else. . . You always ran. You were a coward in that respect. Unable to face what you really desired and fighting the truth of your situation.

Again she looks up at you with those heartbreakingly beautiful eyes of hers. How could anyone be as gorgeous as she was? You didn’t even envy her beauty. Your own beauty had never mattered. You didn’t care what you looked like.

“Your Grace-“

She lifts her head from your shoulder with a scowl that knits her brows together. You hate when that expression is aimed toward you.. The last thing you wished was to displease her. “I told you, you don’t have to do that when it’s just the two of us.” Her hand leaves your’s and it goes up to the three-headed dragon pendant that had its home on your collarbone.

Since she released you, you’re on your feet and taking a step away from the couch. Pressing your lips in a straight line, you take her in. A storm of emotions plays out on her round face. “Dany,” you say softly and watch her become a puddle from you using her nickname “I don’t think that would be proper. I can go get Daari-“

You don’t finish as she stands. “Never mind. You’re dismissed.” She hastily says while turning her back to you. Her meticulous braids having held up all through her tenuous day. You’d spotted the red tips of her ears when she’d turned away from you. You hate yourself for doing that to her.

But her affections were misplaced, you were unworthy of her love.

For that’s how you both felt. You knew. You knew you were hopelessly in love with her. And Daenerys, for some odd reason, returned it tenfold. She showed you in every way possible. Daario was an infrequent guest in her bed now, had been for weeks now. Only on the nights when you turned down her offer did you spy Daario the following morning leaving her room.

Being the ever obedient servant, bow and practically leap at the opportunity to run to the door.

What a coward you were.

You stay on the other side for a while, back pressed against the council room.

You hated yourself as your cheeks burn along with your eyes. You wanted to cry, how pathetic was that? You hadn’t cried since you were a baby.

Highly sensitive ears pickup the approaching echo of footsteps. Hastily, you rub your eyes with your arm and look up to find Daario offering you a sympathetic gaze.

He inclines his head toward where he came from. “Let’s grab a drink, you and I. Yeah?”

Arrogant prick he may be, but you had to admit that you actually liked the Tyroshi. He had a charm to him, you’d give him that.

You nod. “Okay.”

“Oh just give into it already!” Daario slaps you on thee back enthusiastically once you were three drinks down. “You’re a pretty girl, she’s gorgeous, the two of you would have plenty of fun! And of course you can add me into the mix every so often.”

You snort out a laugh and shake your head. “You make it sound so easy. I’m a creature that is not used to things like love and sex. I’m not even used to physical contact but with her, she can do whatever she wants to me.”

He rolls his eyes. “Except fuck you apparently.”

Your face burns again and you know it’s not just from the drinks he poured down your throat. “I’m. . . I’m not pretty.”

“Yes you are. In a scary way. It’s sexy!”

The anxious feeling that was growing in your burst when he said that. You laugh exuberantly and Daario follows suit.

Then came back his more compassionate side that humbled him. “I only know a fraction of your past and what you’ve suffered.” When you shoot him a dubious look, Daario explains “Oh come now, even I know of you and your family. I’ve even met one of your brothers. Real twat he was.”

“You’ll have to be more specific. They’re all twats.” You comment making him chuckle in agreement.

“Comparing you from how you were when you first came here. . . I know you’re capable of love. I would have called you a monster back then. Before I got to see a peek of the real you.” You wouldn’t have considered Daario as astute as he was.

Maybe you could even consider him a friend like Missandei.

You ignore the smile that wanted freedom to be expressed on your lips. Instead you bring another drink to your lips.

“You sell yourself short. Enjoy in the pleasure our queen can give you. If it’s me you’re really worried about, don’t worry; what you and Dany have is more than lust.”

Now you were the one to roll your eyes at his ridiculousness. It was an endearing ridiculousness though. But if he could see the devotion you and Dany showed for one another, then everyone else could too. Tyrion, Varys, Missandei and maybe even Grey Worm.

“Love is the death of duty.” You murmur, eyes going dark from your turmoil. “She is my weakness. I can’t have weaknesses. You understand, right?”

Daario sighs not out of exasperation but out of melancholy. “Oh (y/n). They really did a number on you, didn’t they? No, love is what makes you stronger. It’s the fuel you reach for when you have nothing else left in the world. It’s a powerful weapon if you know how to wield it.”

You thought about what he told you long into the night until you went to bed. Your sleep was always dreamless. Preferred over having to endure more grief during unconsciousness.

Due to drinking so much the previous night, you slept far longer than you normally did. You woke up to Missandei shaking you.

Her eyes are wild, desperate even with tears unshed in her brown eyes. “She’s missing. Dany is missing.”

Your mind went blank for a moment. Her words float around in your brain before fully understanding what was going on.

Then you merely saw red. “Show me.” You knew there had to be a last known location. Security for Daenerys was of utmost importance to all of her council. It was impossible for her to go missing out of the blue.

You didn’t bother to change out of the clothes you wore the previous day. Missandei led you to her private chambers where the rest of her small council was congregated.

On her pillows was the bloody head of a lamb. Poor thing’s tongue was sticking out from the corner of its mouth. Dark eyes still open and staring blindly.

Your blood ran cold.

This was not a random abduction. It was deliberate. You knew exactly who did this.

The head of a lamb was your eldest brother’s signature. What a narcissistic dick.

You couldn’t breathe, merely staring wide eyed at it. No one had ever seen your face in such a state. It confirmed Tyrion’s worry. Powerful enemies had their queen.

Only Daario caught your gaze and really understood. He nods as you slip out the door. Missandei moves to go after you but Daario holds her back and whispers in her ear.

Furrowing her brows, Missandei watches helplessly as you make the long way ought of the pyramid and into the city. To get the answers you want, you had to go to the harbor. That’s where all rumors blossomed. Where you would get the most information.

A demon had overcome you and was now in control of your body. The only thing on your mind was finding the culprits that took your queen from under your nose. You blame yourself for not taking up her offer. Your brother would have never been able to take her if you were present.

It had to be Nakillos. If he wasn’t still in the city then he was close. You had to be quick and follow his scent.

The harbor master, while initially denying anyone with the description you gave, gave in once you showed him the savagery of your interrogation process. He only had two fingers left on his right hand before he finally caved in and told you all of what he knew. Nakillos and two other men had indeed been through the harbor.

You followed all hints. Anyone who refused to give you the information you craved was tortured until they submit to your will. You didn’t know what the members of Dany’s small council was doing, but you didn’t waste anytime in your rampage. You knew how the unsavory underworld of Essos worked. Knew all the ins and outs of even Meereen. How else could you possibly have found the nest that belonged to Sons of the Harpy.

A blood lust like this hadn’t risen in you since slaying the slave masters.

You went on a rampage as you scoured Meereen for Dany. Driven by pure rage.

By the end of the day, you’d found where your brother was staying as well several of his lackeys. You’d learned that your father had died a few months ago leaving Nakillos as sole heir to his empire which he took great advantage of.

He’d always resented you as he had been the one to bear the brunt of your father’s resentment since he was the eldest. Your father was not easy on him when you brought back better reports than him. And when you step into his makeshift lair, you see that he hasn’t changed one bit.

His face was the spitting image of your father, if not a bit younger than you last remember.

Gagged and in chains was Daenerys he glared daggers at him, unaware of the affiliation you had with this scum of the earth. They had taken over an entire building for this confrontation.

When she spots you, her lavender eyes glimmer with hope.

Nakillos leans forward with a terrible smirk. “Happy for you to finally join us.” His eyes scanned your body, drinking in the red stains on not just your clothes but also the skin of your arms. You hadn’t bothered to clean yourself up.

“I believe you have something of mine, brother.” Your words are clipped revealing the level of your patience which was none.

Dany’s eyes widen, shooting toward Nakillos whose grin only broadens.

He stands up, towering at almost seven feet. Anyone else would be scared, intimidated even. Never you though. Each step he takes toward you is a heavy thud.

“You’ve grown soft, (y/n).” He comments with a tilt of his chin. “It was quite easy to find news about you and your whereabouts. Not to mention that you’re now in league with the Targaryen cunt.”

You internally bristle at that snide remark but keep your features a void canvas. It pissed your brothers off the most when you didn’t react to their taunts.

That hadn’t changed either. His lip pulls up in a snarl.

His weapons are strung to not just his back but his hips as well. All assassins had a great arsenal of weapons no matter what the occasion.

His men seemed to close in on you so you were now stuck in a circle with your brother. Daenerys muffles words that were covered by the strip of fabric that wrapped around her head and blocked her mouth.

“You’re a fool to come here all by yourself.” Nakillos spits out while reaching behind his back to retrieve a blade from the sheath across his shoulder blades. “I’ll do what our father could never do: end you.”

In a monotone voice, you reply “You can try. Like you have so many times before.” Your own blade easily slipped from your sleeve to your hand. You too had quite the instruments hung off of your belt; some already stained with a crimson substance.

He’d been a bastard to you all your life. You would not mourn killing him.

On light feet, you sped forward; catching him off guard. Nakillos raises his arm, sword coming up to his defense. But your other hand though also wield a blade that he hadn’t seen until the last second.

You were able to slice a large chunk of his thigh and side before he slides away and begins his own onslaught.

Nakillos always favored in throwing his weight around. He did it with your three other brothers and yourself.

All of them lacked the speed and dexterity you had.

You lean way too back in an attempt to avoid the tip of his blade. Forced to complete a flip to guarantee your survival, you’re quick to block another blow from his sword. While you were confident in your own skills, Nakillos wasn’t your father’s heir for no reason.

Each of his offensive moves screamed of Garros. Like you were fighting your father instead of your brother.

He sliced at your shins then tried to slice your belly open in an upward strike with his right hand. Garros had trained all his children to use both hands with equal efficiency. It was one of the best ways to fight.

Even though it meant getting your ankle cut, you swiftly kick him in the face. Ignoring the searing pain that shot through your system. You clench your back molars to the point that they may crack under the pressure.

Nakillos is sent spiraling to the ground but he doesn’t so much as flinch. Blood trickles from his nose that he ignores to dodge you.

It was clear the both of you were equal in hand to hand combat.

You knew you had the upper hand though. Because you were fighting for her. For your Silver Goddess.

You let that quiet anger in you out of it’s cage. It stretched it’s legs before making your vision and thoughts go black.

You fed it with the blood of your brother.

Remembering every single time he was cruel to you. How he smashed your head into the ground and broke your arm when you were ten and one. Nakillos reveled in smacking you around. He even went so far as to have you train an entire day with glass in your boots.

Not realizing you were screaming until the fog in your brain cleared, you saw the damage you did already. His arms were cut up and there was a deep gash to his side that he held onto. The hand around his wound was already dripping with red.

Your own knuckles were covered in cuts varying from deep to superficial. That was the only area on your body he’d been able to scratch.

It made him furious. He let out a roar and charged. You wait until the last minute to fall off to the side and trip him with your foot.

When he fell face first into the floor, you leapt atop of his back and tried to stab deep into his spine. Nakillos however had enough strength and speed to flip himself over from underneath you.

He headbutts you right in the face.

Stars fill your vision as you tumble back. Your head was warm as you force yourself to regain your composure. In that time, Nakillos takes a swing at you that makes a large gash from shoulder to shoulder.

You feel the back of your head bounce off of the ground. At least your vision cleared for you to watch Nakillos sinks one knee on either side of your body.

He’s laughing a bit hysterically at your dazed eyes. “Did you really think it would end with me?” Nakillos smacks you across the face with the back of his hand as you struggle under him. “Even if you kill me, the others will come after you and your silver haired bitch.”

“Then I will do to them what I will do to you: I’ll kill them and present their heads to my queen on a gold platter.” You spit blood right into his eye and stab your blade into his cheek.

He howls, a horrible noise as he flings himself from you. His hands trembling to his face. The handle of your knife stuck straight out.

You didn’t waste time. Ripping a metal wire garrote from your belt, you swiftly loop it around his neck as you dance behind him. He gags before a horrible wet noise rakes from his throat. You tighten your grip and pull.

Nakillos kicks and fights against the sharp wire that was cutting into his neck. His fingers desperately dug at his muscular neck.

The others didn’t move, only watched in horror. They weren’t allowed to move due to Garros’ stupid code. One did not interrupt a fight. No matter who was winning or losing.

You grit your teeth as you viciously jerk back. It cut into arteries and veins alike producing a spray of blood to spring forth. His body is still jerking until you give the garrote one last twist.

Then all movement stopped.

Letting his body fall to the ground, you take a moment to finally get a proper breath. When you open your eyes back up they find Dany’s. Her face surprised you.

Instead of being in horror like everyone else, her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were flushed. Daenerys was breathing laboriously. Her pupils were blown out from the scene.

You take up your blade once more and get to the messy task of cutting into Nakillos’ neck; severing skin, muscle, bone and tendon. They left you to your macabre work although you didn’t miss the low murmurs.

Forced to switch out blades three times, you finally were able to lodge his head free. His skin was slippery from the red loss of his life.

You go to Dany who is smiling at you.

“Sorry I don’t have a gold plate for this one, but I hope you’ll accept it.” you get down on your knees and offer it up to her.

Her eyes were starting to fill with tears as she smiles happily down at you. Dany’s fingers brush against your stick ones when she moves to take the head from you. She tosses it aside and with both of her bloody hands on either side of your face, she kisses you.

You don’t fight back. Not this time. Daario was right. Why were you fighting? Because of fear? That was stupid.

Her lips were deliciously soft despite their hungry claim on your mouth.

Someone off in the distance clears their throat and you turn around in annoyance.

“You’ve killed your brother.”

“Clearly.” You scoff.

“Do you know what that means?” Another intervenes.

The first man takes back the conversation. “By right you are now leader of Garros’ clan. You defeated the eldest fair and square. All his money and land belong to you as well as his men.”

You wave them all off. “Split it amongst yourselves and my other brothers. I don’t care.” Quick hands already had Dany’s gag off and her bounds cut. “Just as long as none of you step foot in Meereen again.” Flicking up deadly eyes, they nod and don’t fight you as you leave to go back home.

There was arguing in the council room when you and Daenerys returned. Both of you had been quite the sight walking through the streets.

Daario was off to the side, watching them all with a bored expression before he noticed you and Dany. His eyes widen at the both of you drenched in blood but he smiled.

“We’re wasting time-“

“Where is (y/)?!”

“Are the Harpies resurfacing again?!”

Daenerys clears her throat loudly and everyone turns around. “Hello, sorry for the trouble but as you can see I am fine.”

Tyrion gawks. “The. . . The blood. . .”

“Not mine.” She’s all smiles as she brings you to her side. “But (y/n) and I will be requiring a bath. Together.” Daenerys looks at you with hopeful eyes.

This time you don’t say no.

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