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#fighting over whose clan has more of a right to the throne
huntress-therion · 2 years
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In Another Life: Chapter 1
Summary: (AU) Aloy grows up among the Sky Clan instead of the Nora and is raised alongside a boy whose life will be inextricably bound with hers.
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Chapter 1: Lost & Found
Read it on AO3
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Kotallo does not speak. 
It worries the elders, especially those in his squad. 
“A warrior’s grief,” they say, as though he's been afflicted by some kind of disease. Even if he could speak, he wouldn’t have been able to describe the raw pain of losing his parents. The depth of it; the agony. The fact that he would bear this open wound for the rest of his days. “Trade your tears for spears,” the elders tell him. “To fall in battle is a matter of great pride. Live to draw blood another day so that you may honor your parents’ sacrifice."
Kotallo understands, but he cannot see the wisdom in this. He cannot feel pride or joy or honor in their end, nor his own survival. He cannot feel much of anything at all. He follows his orders and training by rote, but there is no zeal or eagerness behind his actions. This is especially worrisome for his squad. That he would tarnish his parents’ name and legacy - and thus, the Sky Clan’s name and legacy - by becoming a soldier unworthy of the Ten. 
But Kotallo does not care about the Ten. He does not care about their deeds. He does not even care that such thoughts are blasphemy of the highest order. Much blood was shed in the name of the Ten. Where were they when his father’s skull was cleaved in half by a Lowlander’s sword? Where were they when his mother’s spine was run through by the point of another’s spear? 
It is as though some vital part of him has turned to stone or ice, unmovable and implacable, like the walls that surround his home. His fury is a cold one. Rather than burning away to ash, it numbs him from the inside out. At night, he wonders about other children like him. How many more would there be when all is said and done. 
“Loss is inevitable,” the elders tell him. “This is truer for a Tenakth. You must learn how to walk alongside Death. Let it become your ally, instead of your enemy.”
Kotallo wants to say this is so. But he cannot lend his voice to a truth he does not believe, so he stays silent. 
“Have you heard about Hekkaro?” 
Who has not heard about Hekarro? The bloodthirsty Lowland commander who cut a swathe through armies of every ilk. As a youth, he set his sights on the Grove, hoping to build a throne upon the bones of the slain. Over the years, corpse after corpse fell in his wake and conquest upon conquest was etched upon his skin. Of all the warriors the Tenakth had ever birthed, it is Hekarro who inspires the most fear and the most reverence. 
Then one night, a strange light filled the sky. 
Kotallo had seen it himself from the upper ramparts of the Bulwark. Though there was no wind or rain, a cloud of darkness suddenly appeared on the horizon. Then a force struck the earth, right above the Grove. As though the Ten had loosed an arrow from the heavens. The tremors could be felt all the way to the coast. Afterward, Hekarro sent word to all the clans that he would not claim the Grove in the name of the Lowland. Instead, he called himself their Chief and bid them all to lay down their arms. 
“It is time we banded together,” his messengers said. “And fight as one against the machines.” 
Whispers of a new ritual - the Kulrut - travel from outpost to outpost. Those who survived the challenge would be named ‘Marshal’ and carry out Hekarro’s law. Kotallo does not know what to make of it. He cannot imagine forsaking one’s clan to serve the tribe as a whole. The thought of it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth and he vows never to answer Kulrut’s call should another one take place. The Bulwark would always be his home. Here, his parents were laid to rest and one day, when his life was done, he would lay beside them once more.
It is too much change in a short amount of time. But Hekarro, as Kotallo understands it, can be very persuasive when he needs to be.
“He was inspired by a Vision,” the scouts say. “The spirits of Ten themselves appeared before him and gave leave to bring about a new era for the Tenakth.” 
Many are still skeptical. Their new commander, Tekkoteh, is one of his loudest detractors. 
“Our new ‘Chief’ proclaims that he was blessed by a Vision from the Ten,” he says. “But no one besides him has ever seen it.” 
Kotallo understands his commander’s doubts. Then again, what would Hekarro have to gain by telling such a lie? Whatever he saw had turned him away from his ambitions for power. Now all he sought was peace, which ran counter to many of their traditions and their history. 
What would peace look like for the Tenakth? Kotallo is too young to imagine such a thing. Perhaps one day there would be no more children like him, ravaged and orphaned by the wages of war. One could only hope, Kotallo supposes. One could only wait and watch to see what happens next.
An entire season passes, and Kotallo still hasn’t uttered a word. 
The other children berate him for this. “Do you know what they’ll do to you if you don’t start talking?” Kotallo doesn't imagine anything pleasant. Many soldiers are sent to their deaths for lesser ailments, his people believing it to be more of a mercy than an act of brutality. 
Even so, Kotallo cannot bring himself to care. 
Then one day, their chaplain, Gerrah, rushes into their stronghold. 
“I found her at the border,” she says urgently. “Cradled in the arms of a dying Nora.” 
“A Nora?” says one of the guards. “What would an outlander from the Savage East be doing all the way out here?” 
The East? Kotallo has heard rumors of the many tribes beyond their territory. The Nora, he remembers, were said to never leave their lands, which they deemed sacred to their goddess. This particular Nora must have been desperate to make such a perilous journey this far West.
Gerrah shakes her head. “That is not important. Quick - she’ll need warmth and milk. Her lips are nearly white and she does not cry…” 
In all the commotion, Kotallo sees that Gerrah is holding a baby, with a strange blue mark upon its forehead. A Nora marking, he would later learn.
They put the babe in the children’s barracks, next to Kotallo’s pallet since none of the other children wished to share his dour company. The babe is a girl and has the barest hint of red hair - an unusual color, one he's never seen before. Unlike most infants her age, she does not cry, nor does she whimper. Instead she is…uncanny and highly aware. Sometimes, he catches her looking at him as though she were asking a question. There is sorrow in her eyes, and a pain that mirrors his. ‘I know loss too,’ her expression seems to say. Though he knows that to be impossible. 
His squad comes by to check on the babe throughout the night and it is decided that they would raise her as one of their own. Gerrah had gone back to retrieve the body of the Nora who held the child in his arms, but was puzzled to find that it was no longer there...curious. They tracked him all the way to Sheerside and back, but there was no trace of him to be found.
“She could be a curse,” says one of the other children. “Or an omen of things to come. Think about it. Hekkaro sees a Vision and then the next day a baby shows up out of nowhere?” 
“She could also be a blessing,” chides one of the squad captains. “A child arriving as a herald of new things to come. A better destiny for our people.” 
“What's the babe’s name?” asks another. 
“Gerrah says when the Nora breathed his last breath, he called this babe ‘Aloy.’” 
Aloy. Kotallo tests the sound of it with this tongue. It is an…odd name, to be sure. In a way, it reminds him of metal, of plate and steel and wire. Nothing like the drumbeat syllables that marked a Tenakth. Yet it seems fitting: a strange name for a strange girl. A mystery within a mystery.
For the next several days, the other children are spurred by a new mission: to make Aloy laugh.
They try all manner of jests and grotesque expressions, but Aloy remains sullen in her crib. The sight of it makes Kotallo smirk on occasion. She is the most unamused and unimpressed babe the clan has ever seen.
“It doesn’t seem very natural,” say the elders. 
“Give her time,” encourages Gerrah. “She has been through much and she hasn’t even lived through her first battle season.” 
Another several days pass and Kotallo returns from his drills. Tired and aching, he does not notice the extra plinth his squad had placed on the floor to finish their repairs. So Kotallo unwittingly trips over it, planting face-first into his pallet. 
Then Aloy laughs. 
It is a light, musical sound. Like a spring rain while the sun still shone. 
Kotallo scowls at her. “It's not funny.” 
They are the first few words he's uttered in a while, and his voice cracks a little from disuse. 
Aloy disagrees, giggling again, clapping her chubby hands over the crib. Someone exchanged her Nora clothing for hides dyed in Sky Clan colors. Red-violet and light blue and white. The Nora marking has begun to fade from her forehead and in its place is Sky Clan paint. 
Kotallo dusts himself off, thankful that Aloy is his only witness. She claps and points again, as though beseeching him to fall over again for her amusement. He shakes his head and looms over her in his best, most intimidating pose. 
“You’re going to be a lot of trouble. I can tell.” 
Aloy blows a bubble from her mouth in answer. 
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Thanks for reading <3
A/N: I'll be pretty flexible with the timeline here. Also as far as age difference goes, I'm placing Kotallo to be six years older than Aloy in this fic. So he's six when this fic starts.
Other Kotaloy fics:
Captivated
This Tenderness
In Another Life Chapter 2, 3
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love-toxin · 2 years
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kinktober day 9 - Link.
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warnings: hypnosis, yiga clan leader link, noncon, kidnapping, oral, petplay, cock worship, gn reader.
word count: 1.2k
There's no use fighting it, not when there's a hundred of them and only one of little old you. The boss may have been defeated, true, but there's still someone who will ascend to the throne of the Yiga and take over the crown of the fallen king.
And you have royally pissed him off. 
He gestures towards you with a flick of his fingers, and his followers know the command. Link has never been one for words and yet he says so much without parting his lips, though the yiga are so eager they bark the command themselves.
"Strip them!"
It's cute, the way you try and push them off, kick them, punch them--they're a lot more spry than you and they can manage just fine, however. Your clothes may as well be held together with string for all the protection they provide you, and the backpack full of goods that you intended on selling in Gerudo Town falls into the hands of some of the other yiga who start rifling through it eagerly, much to your dismay if your lunges at them and cursing is anything to go by. 
What do you have to hide, little one? What could you be carrying in that bag of yours? 
The few of them erupt into chatter, and the nearest member raises the treasure aloft for everyone to see. But Link is the only one who recognizes it, and it's pleasing to know that the bandana covering the lower half of his face masks the grin that he can't help flashing at such a precious item. More precious than that pitiful helm the Gerudos treasure, and certainly moreso than any of the other rubbish that spills from your bag as his yiga tear into the contents. The one whose hand clasped around it first hurries forward to hand it off to their leader, and he turns the little gem in his hands so it catches the light of the torches lining the room. Clear and bright, it shines a rainbow-like diamond over your body as he aims it towards you, and only the first half of a string of curses spews from your filthy mouth before you suddenly trail off and go quiet. The ray of light shines right between your eyes while they white out and eventually disappears, the crack of the gem shattering and turning to dust in Link's hands echoing in the growing stillness of the room. 
Perfect. You really couldn't have made it any easier. 
His gloved finger juts out towards the door, and the yiga stumble over themselves to disappear from the room and leave only you and the remnants of your belongings behind. It's not like he really needs them anymore--he's got what he wants, and you're not getting away from him in the state you're in. Ever.
With just a gesture you already crawl towards him on your hands and knees, climbing the steps like a dog to reach the feet of your master. A dog….more like a puppy, actually. A snap echoes in the room, and you obey his wordless command and bark for his creeping delight. So cute. It's probably fine, now--he undoes the straps holding his mask up and places it off to the side, his teeth glittering like pearls as he looks down on his new pet. His legs spread wide open before you, and keeping his head aloft by propping it up on his hand, he pats his inner thigh and motions for you to come closer. 
"Good pet..."
His fingers weave through your hair once you get close enough, and your curious hands already paw at his groin while he uses the other to slip underneath the waist of his tight uniform. But it takes only a moment with his deft movements to get them off, and once his cock springs to life in front of your face, already stiff and dribbling with precum in anticipation, you no longer need any encouragement. The sparkle in your puppy-dog eyes say all that needs to be said. 
"Lick."
The command barely makes it's way out of his mouth before you do just that--you descend on his cock like it's a feast, licking at the underside and dragging your cheek along it as you service him, before getting a little bolder and lapping at his balls like you're trying to clean them for him, even sucking one into your mouth so suddenly that he digs his nails into your scalp and bucks his hips off the throne out of instinct. But before long your tongue is circling round the tip again and he allows himself a quiet moan, his eyes piercing straight through you as you slowly work your lips around him and start taking him into your mouth. It's a gradual process but he's in no hurry, no--he's drinking up every second of his cock buried within your soft, warm heat, your tight throat desperately trying to allow him through but to no avail. Yet. All it'll take is a few more weeks of him facefucking you and he's sure your body will adapt, your skin won't bruise as easily and you'll be able to take him choking you and leaving handprints on your ass, if not desire it altogether. He can already imagine the whining and tugging on his pants as you try to get him to bend you over his throne before meetings or training sessions, and it just makes his smile grow wider at all the things he'll train you to do even better than sucking his fat cock, which you're already pretty exceptional at. He knows he could cum at any moment, he just hasn't decided where he wants to blow his first load yet. 
"Suck, puppy. Harder."
He flicks your forehead just to hear you squeak around the mouthful of dick you've got, your behind wiggling like you've got a tail wagging you back and forth. But you obey and you do it so well, it's unbelievable he's gone this long without having his cock cleaned--but upon watching you drool all over it as you bob your head up and down on his shaft, it's clear now that he doesn't need to seek it out any longer. You fulfill that duty perfectly. 
He doesn't even bother telling you he's cumming, because he doesn't want you to prepare. The shock on your face when he holds your head down and ejaculates down the back of your throat is so sweet, and your expression melting into pleasure as you swallow his seed down so much more so. And like a good puppy, you don't break away as soon as his grip loosens--you happily lick up the cum and sweat and spit off of his cock, shining it clean until he has to keep you at bay by the hair lest you tease him into another rock-hard erection. Not that he wouldn't enjoy it, but he's got other things to attend to as he tugs his leggings back up and pats his lap, motioning with his head for you to sit. Climbing atop his lap is nothing but pure bliss for you, snuggling into your master's embrace and nipping playfully at his neck as he puts his mask back on...and how much cuter you look when you've got not a thought in your head, save for when your master will call on your services again to give him that release he so rightfully deserves. 
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A Thousand Year Love ~ Ryomen Sukuna x Kitsune!Reader
Okay, I wrote the Reader's name as "Kitsune", but that's mostly because I envisioned a nine tailed fox without an actual name, that everyone would just call her "Fox" as if she wasn't anyone worth naming, despite her rank.
This is a little fic which explored Sukuna's supposed backstory, 1000 years prior to he action of Jujutsu Kaisen - Idk if it's accurate, I didn't yet read the manga, I still have 6 more episodes from the anime, but I had this idea and I couldn't stop myself from writing about it.
Most of it builds up the bond that very slowly grows between Sukuna and Kitsune, then snaps during a scene somewhere around episode 4 of the anime, when Sukuna takes over Yuji's body, and Yuji can't switch for a while, but with enough altercations that it's not exactly the same as in the said episode.
Hope you enjoy this <3
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"What are we doing here...?" Kitsune asked her parents in a voice that was barely audible as she looked left and right at the huge estate's gardens.
Estate? Rather said, palace, since this place was grandiose - Most likely, even more so than the Emperor's own Palace, the girl thought to herself. Everywhere she looked, cherry, plum and pear trees were in blossom, even though it wasn't their time. Statues and little shrines, along with various small pools with flowers, lanterns and lotuses were scattered as much as her vision would allow her to see. Looking up at the estate, she realised just how small she was in comparison to the intimidating and imposing energies radiating all over the place.
"You are going to meet someone very important, dear." her mother spoke, yet her voice wasn't as gentle as usual, rather, it sounded stiff, on the edge...Almost afraid, maybe? It was foreign for young Kitsune, as she has been confined in her little palace her whole life under the pretext of keeping her safe. But it did exactly the opposite, she believed, considering she itched to explore and go on adventures with each second passing. "Who is it?" she asked as soon as they stepped inside the palace...But it was so dark, save for the red, malicious light from the lanterns and candles lit in just the perfect places so it would guide them to the room they had to go to. "...You will find out soon." her father snapped at her, and she could only frown, her fluffy ears flicking as her tails wrapped protectively around herself. She knew something was wrong, and she had half a mind to believe she was brought there as a sacrifice for some War Deity that would allegedly save them from this era of war...Or something along the lines.
After a longer walk than expected, they found themselves in front of two large, red doors, and without any kind of reticence, Kitsune effortlessly slammed the doors open and saw a dimly lit room with a few stairs and a throne where a man with short, kinda spiky pink hair, garbed in a loose, white kimono was smugly sprawled over that royally embellished chair, while tons of gorgeous women dressed in the most luxurious kimonos, their hair done up with intricate headpieces and flowers that would put any living being to shame...
But what is this about? Kitsune was more confused than anything, and she could only step inside the room, slowly and carefully, before turning to look at her parents, who had a pitiful look in their eyes.
"What is going on?" Kitsune demanded an answer, her voice agitated, her body ready to go into a fight or flight mode, her eyes darting rapidly between her parents and the man on the throne whose name she wasn't interested in finding out. "Well, darling...You see...You had to find you a husband. You are old enough to be married, and you can't stay with us forever. You need to have a family and children. You are the princess of the Fox clan, there is nobody more beautiful than you -..." her mother tried to reason, but the young girl wasn't stupid. She understood what was going on. "No. No. If you want to speak - Then speak the truth. Don't lie to me. This guy is strong, isn't he? Some kind of demonic thing that everyone is afraid off. You are giving me away to this guy...To be his...Thousandth concubine in his harem or something, just because you're too weak to take care of our kin. That's the truth, isn't it? Go on, admit it. Stop trying to sugar coat the situation." her nine tails opened from around her in a large, undulating fan, making her aggression obvious, as fire began to immolate the tips of her fur. "SHUT UP, IMPERTINENT, UNRULY CHILD!" her mother slapped her face, not wanting their benefactor to hear his future concubine speaking so foul of him. "You are a woman, and the princess, nonetheless, and your role is to continue our kin and obey your family and husband. Do not speak unless you are allowed to!" but before her mother could grab her face, Kitsune's tail slapped her hand away, and she stepped back. "I am nobody's toy. I will not obey anyone's orders. Not yours, and not his. I will not be just another concubine for some disgusting, good for nothing lecher with no redeeming quality." the girl snarled at them, ready to make her escape out of there, if needed. "If your sister was alive, she would have sacrificed herself for the greater good of this family! You are nothing more than a selfish brat!" it was her father's time to accuse her, which made her ears perk up, while her tails completely deflated. "Yes, of course, how could I forget. It was me who should have died, not my perfect elder sister. Sorry, but you should curse the Gods, not me for that. But, since it seems that my life is meaningless to you, then I will make you a favour! I will end it myself! I'm sure you'll be happy without me, won't you? Ahh...But how will you save our war-ridden? Too bad I won't be alive to witness your demise, huh?" with a dark chuckle, Kitsune's hand went inside her kimono, taking the small kodachi sword and unsheathing it, hearing only the gasps and shrieks of fright from the harem girls. Kitsune could only guess that these girls were all high-born and unfamiliar to the horrible things happening outside of these walls. "What the hell are you doing, you idiotic child?! Cease this madness at once!" her mother shrieked at her, lounging towards her, trying to stop herself from impaling that blade through her body, and yet...
The second the girl launched her hand down to stab herself...She got stopped. The whole place became instantly silent, save for the sound of a blade bouncing down as it fell on the wooden floor. "Enough." a dark, annoyed voice resounded through the place as Kitsune's wrists were grasped by the man's...Front hands? While her body was immobilized in an embrace by his other two arms. "I was promised a beautiful princess as a concubine, and you failed to do as you promised. Leave, before I get bored and kill you." he threatened the two adult fox people who scurried away in a hurry, leaving behind their only daughter without a second thought. "You, however...Will remain here." he chuckled in her ear, but Kitsune wasn't one to be messed with. Her answer came in the form of lighting up her tails on fire an wrapping them around the man, who hissed and unhanded her, allowing her enough time to go into a corner and get in a fleeing stance. "Why did you stop me? I have no intention of being one of your whores. You should have let me end it right there." she scoffed at the man, who dismissed the bottom pair of arms and laughed. It was almost a psychopathic laugh, she thought, and it made the hair on the back of her neck stand up - Unsure if it was from fright or disgust. "You amuse me, little vixen. Very much, you amuse me. Having a little fox wag her tails around this place, all fired up, would give some sense of fun, wouldn't you say?" his voice was grating her, and she only wanted to sock him in the jaw. "Keep on dreaming. I'm not your toy, and I'm not here for anyone's entertainment. You have enough girls in this place to amuse you. I'll be going now, and even if you chain me, you can't stop me from achieving my freedom." Kitsune growled at him, slamming open the sliding door that would lead into the balcony, from where she could jump the hell away from there. "You proved you value your life even less than your parents do, so chaining you would do nothing. I have never seen a woman as fiery as you. All the ones I have are the same. Meek, soft...Afraid. Boring. They all like the same things, and hate the same things." he groaned pitifully, evidently bored out of his mind. "They hate you, don't they? You want women, but you don't bother treating them right. Can you get even more typically terrible? Pitiful and disgusting, that's what you are. You just want to break people for your entertainment. You are nothing more than a selfish megalomaniac. No wonder you are in need of entertaining, you are thoroughly boring." Kitsune's degrading words, however, didn't seem to phase the man at all - In fact - It made him laugh. Never, in this life, has he heard anything this degrading before - Everyone tried their best to appeal to his benevolent and merciful side - To at least spare their lives. He was stronger than anyone alive, so nobody dared speak up in front of him. It was obvious she had no idea who he was - All the better - He thought. "Ryomen Sukuna, missy, but you can call me your Emperor." that confident laugh was enough to drive Kitsune up the wall with anger as she stomped to his side and actually punched his jaw. It was annoying - The height difference - As he towered over her entirely, but at least she managed to reach where needed, little miss firecracker. "Piss off." the fox girl growled in anger at him...And yet...He only...Laughed. And he cupped her face, getting his own so close to hers that they could feel each other's breaths. "You. Are. Mine." his grin was so wide and sociopathic that he might as well have had his face split in two. "I will never be yours. I will never be anyone's. I'm not an object. I will not obey anyone. The second you leave me out of your sight, I will flee, and you will never see me again. And if I can't, I will find a way to kill myself. I have nothing to live for, but everything to die for." Kitsune bared her elongated canines at him, and gosh, was she enticing. "And if I get rid of the harem?" he asked, not bothering with everything she talked before. "You'll be a heartless jerk who'll destroy
the lives of so many women." she refuted just as quickly. "And if I don't fuck anyone but you?" he threw that, wanting to fluster her, but the fire in her eyes only ignited even higher. "As usual, you can only think with the wrong head, can't you? There's nothing to you but your stupid little prick. How pathetic. And you call yourself a man. Go die in the war or something." she grabbed him by the loose neck line of his kimono, only to hear him laughing condescendingly. "But darling, that just couldn't possibly happen. I am simply too strong to get killed. Everybody fears my power, why else do you think your parents were so willing to give you away? They were weak, just like you said, and every weakling needs the help of Ryomen Sukuna, Japan's own God of War." this statement made the girl's gorgeous eyes widen in shock...Only to start laughing, almost hysterically. "Oh, bow down to the self proclaimed God of War! Can you believe that! Your majesty, tone down your arrogance, it's gonna get yourself killed! I knew it, you're absolutely useless! All you can do is bark, no bite, little puppy! The only thing intimidating about you is your height, other than that, you are just a generic man who thinks he's all to powerful. How ridiculous." the fox girl couldn't stop her degrading laughing, which confused the man for a while, only to smirk and pick her up bridal style, carrying her out of that room, not letting her get out of his grasp, no matter how much she tried to wiggle or burn him. "I won't let you go until you acknowledge my infinite strength, cute, little fox. But don't think that just because I favour you, I will let you get away with all the shit you called me." his voice sounded darker, more ominously, but it didn't seem to intimidate the girl. "Not in a million years. Not even in your sweetest dreams. You're pathetic and I'll never acknowledge you as anything else but a disgusting, lecherous pig!" she yelled at his face, to which he responded by letting her roughly fall on a soft futon, then crouching by her side and gripping her face just as her mother did before. "Say that again when you'll end up screaming my name as if your life depends on it." he laughed at her before leaving her new room, which she won't leave for a while.
This annoying girl, Sukuna was intrigued by her, but at the same time, he was very tempted into strangling her or snapping her neck - Despite all that fire she lets out, he was curious if she'd end up groveling in self-pity, begging him for mercy, going back on her previous misguided and foolish courage. Wasn't it bad enough that she had no idea who HE was? He also had to endure such disrespect - And even worse - Enjoy it? That little fox bitch was ready to commit seppuku in front of everyone just to prove a point, what the hell else could be more entertaining? All the women he's had were given away by their families as tributes, and none said a word. He was a jerk to them, he fucked them, he mistreated them - Sukuna didn't give a fuck about any woman, man, child, animal...Or any living being in the world, except for himself. All were beneath him - Unworthy, weak, frail -...
And yet, they still lie to his face, trembling as they say all the fake, sweet nothings - "I love you, My Lord" the women would say, their voice shaky, jumping in fright as he'd touch them. He was a rough man, he never knew gentleness, nor mercy, no love - Through all the words spewed by the firey woman, the part where she declared he had no idea how to treat women properly - Yes, it was true, but did he care? Of course not.
Humans were all puppets with whom he could play as much as he wanted - All instruments for his entertaining in this terribly boring world, he would manipulate everyone like dolls on his strings, and when they've exhausted their means of entertaining him, the string will be cut, and the puppets will fall in an abyss of infernal fire.
For the first two weeks, Sukuna and Kitsune were literally acting like a cat chasing a mouse - And each time, the cat would surprise the mouse just as she was about to survive - He was giving her hope of success, only to pick her up by one of her many tails, or embrace her from behind, pick her up, trip her, show up from behind a tree, play with her hair as he came up from a tree behind her, and sometimes, even going as far as to mock her by pointing her the way out of the place.
But very soon, she gave up, and decided to starve herself to death by not leaving her assigned room, ignoring him entirely whenever she'd get visited by him - But that ended in the worst way possible - With her fainting and unable to wake up, and Sukuna freaking out because he didn't want his little toy to die before she got boring.
He laid next to her on the futon, holding her in his eyes, brushing her hair out of her face, playing with her vivid red hair - She truly looked like a fox in Sukuna's eyes, and he almost felt his heart warm up as he felt up the soft fur on her tails, waiting for his cursed energy to heal her up. After some time, he noticed the little red ball of fur getting smaller and smaller as she cuddled into his chest, resembling a defenseless kit searching for warmth, love and safety from its mother. She was so much smaller than him - So frail, so thin, so soft...So cute? - What was it that he was feeling? Calmness? Protectiveness?
He was furious at her for neglecting her health just so she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of toying with her - But that was also endearing, in its own, messed up way? She would go to such dramatic extremes to prove him wrong...It seemed that no matter what she did, it would still make him enjoy her company.
Whenever he'd fuck one of his harem girls, he wouldn't stay over, not even for a kiss - Hell, he didn't even know most of their names - Why should he? They were all the same to him - But he felt such a strong sense of protectiveness over he - He didn't want to strangle her to death anymore - Maybe just a bit of fun, some teasing, some startling - His hand around her supple neck as she looks up at him with her sparkling eyes, calling out his name - Sukuna, Sukuna - Pleading softly, but desperately to him for her sweet release - Sukuna, Sukuna - And he will be merciful, for once, and give her what she wants.
Just as he was caught in his own, sick fantasy, he felt the girl move and grumble, turning on her back, her small hands flying to rub her eyes awake - And he rolled over her, a playful, teasing smirk on his face as he waited for her to realise the position they were in - And yet, she was still out of it, for her eyes were half-lidded and gleaming, she was still weak from her lack of self-care, and she could only look up at him, dazed..."Sukuna...?" she mumbled in a whispery tone - What is she doing to him?! How dare she entice him so much? He wasn't supposed to be attracted to her in any way, so why...?!
"Relax, sweet-cheeks. I'm here." he spoke in a low voice, not wanting to alert her...Wait, what - "...Thanks." muttering that, she let out a soft sigh as she closed her eyes again, the corners of her mouth slightly turned upright as she allowed herself to fall back asleep and rest, not caring too much that she felt a slight pressure on both of her hands, in the form of the demon man pressing his own hands to hers, intertwining their fingers together as he towered over her, watching her chest rise and fall rhythmically as she breathed, her kissable, pink lips just a tiny bit parted. He couldn't stop himself - She was too irresistible, and he was much too insatiable - And he leaned down, pressing his own lips over hers - Gently - Very gently in fact, almost as if afraid of breaking a porcelain doll, as if afraid to crush a snowdrop he just picked from a glade, one just just barely managed to get out from under the remaining, melting snow of early spring. "You'll be the death of me, cutie." he found himself saying as he licked his lips, taking in the sweetness of the kiss.
Since then on, despite not being exactly friendly with the man, the fox girl didn't hate him that much anymore. It even got well enough for them to eat in the same room, or play shogi - The girl beating him at it more often than not, which left mixed feelings in his heart - And then he showed her the musical instruments that the concubines would sometimes use whenever he'd want a banquet and more sinful indulgences. He didn't ask her to play for him, though. He realised that the more he tried to push the girl, the less likely she'll actually do anything he wants.
Even more, the more time they spent together, the more his concubines would get neglected - So much that he was completely drawn to this fox girl and all the other women were completely wiped from his head. - And he started gifting her a bunch of beautiful kimonos, only to find them in front of his room's door, rejected. She didn't want anything from him, nor did she want his favour, so she continued wearing her simple clothes.
Until...
Until one night - It was a special night, really - For the moon was full, and big, and gleaming with such a beautiful silver light that neither of them saw in the many years they've been alive. And Kitsune dressed in one of her festival yukatas and went to the lotus pond, surrounded by a few wisteria trees, as the mirror of the water reflected the celestial orb like sparkling zircons. The fox gingerly jumped in the middle of the sheen, walking on it like a spirit, only her feminine silhouette being seen, as her long hair was gently blown by the warm spring wind and her tails were dancing around her in perfect sync. As her feet moved to the sound of the melody she played on a vertical flute she was given by the owner of the place, Sukuna found himself unable to move from his place on the palace balcony, his sight fixated on the woman's form as she alternated playing the instrument and dancing with ribbon-fans.
Her moves were fluid and mystifying like those of a priestess leading a will'o'wisp to rest into kakuriyo, the land of the dead - what was he supposed to do now? He was confused and mesmerised. He's seen his fair share of beautiful women playing instruments and dancing for him - Hundreds of them, in fact - But none could match the effect this nine tailed fox girl had on him.
This continued days on end, but he never admitted to her that he was stalking her every night, nor that he was completely enchanted and under her spell, at the point of no return.
"I'm going to war tomorrow." he told her one evening as he poured himself some sake. "...Good for you. Finally, more entertaining for the most powerful man on Earth...Or something. Bring me a souvenir when you return, I guess." the girl merely shrugged her shoulders as she took the tea pot and poured herself some tea, not bothering with any reaction. "You're not worried for me, are you? What if I die tomorrow? Will you weep for me?" he leaned forward, taking her chin between his fingers. " 'Course not. You're the one who keeps boasting about how you're the most powerful man on Earth and The God of War or something. Besides - If you die, I will just steal all your money and get the hell out of this place, so I can finally see the world through my very eyes, not through inked letters on paper. I want to be free and fly. Life here is boring. I've had enough years of being home stuck, don't you think?" she snapped at him as she snatched the now empty sake up and poured herself some alcohol. "And what if I promise to take you out to see the world when I return?" he smirked at her, watching her ears perk up a bit at the proposition. "...I don't believe you." she looked away before she could reveal any real emotion in her eyes. "I promise. But you also have to promise to relax around me. You're always on the edge, even if you've been here for a whole year. I saw you play in the winter, jump to collect autumn leaves taken by the wind, pick up fruit after climbing up the trees, and make flower crowns in spring. I saw you get buried completely in snow, only one of your tails being seen, I saw you make fruit wine in autumn, send paper lanterns into the sky and bathe in the lotus ponds. We're not strangers anymore, and I've never hurt you even once. So, do we have a deal?" his hunter-like eyes carefully watched her every reaction, noticing how her bottom lip quivered ever so slightly, before biting into it softly - She was nervous, that much was obvious - And Sukuna was now a pro at reading her behaviour. "...I'll try. But if you go back on your promise...I promise you, you won't wake up the next morning." she scoffed, threatening him, but it only ended up making him laugh. "The little kitten has claws, how adorable. That's fair, I'll let you have that." the man chuckled at her, petting her hair just between her ears, making her close her eyes and blush just a tiny bit. He was finally able to reach her - Not by much, but even this much was enough for him...For now.
For a whole month, Kitsune was all alone in the palace - Or so she felt, despite the numerous harem girls and the servants - All who had to obey her every order - But she refused any of that. If she wanted to eat, she would make food for herself. If she wanted to drink, she'd get some herself. If she wanted to bathe, she would prepare the bath herself - Just as she's always done. However, all this time, she was never in need of company. She couldn't handle people, nor their fakeness and many other useless emotions that would only make them vulnerable and susceptible of being used and taken for granted.
She's been through that numerous times while living with her family, and she wasn't about to let that happen again.
Thankfully, Kitsune never felt lonely, nor bored - However, she realised that she actually enjoyed Sukuna's annoying presence, and somehow, she found herself awaiting his coming back sooner.
"Master came back, vacation's over. Take care, everyone...I heard he's been injured. Can you believe it? Never thought demons can bleed." the many rumours circulated around the palace, but the fox girl only snapped at the gossipers, glaring at them to shut up. But she didn't go to greet him, like everyone else did. Instead, she waited until night to go to his room, and she found him on the ground, calmly drinking some sake.
"Ah, look at this, a little fox found its way in my humble abode. What ever could you be doing here, I wonder?" he chuckled teasingly, as she only looked down at him, giving him a slight head tilt, yet no expression on her blank face. "Are you wounded?" she muttered in a low voice, almost half-wanting not to have been heard...But she was. "Ha! So you heard those rumours too, haven't you? How ridiculous! Me? Ryomen Sukuna, the God of War, getting injured? Preposterous!" his bark-like laugh echoed through the place, but it didn't move the girl in any way. Instead, slowly crouched next to him, snatching down the already loose kimono top from his torso, letting it fall down to his chest, as her delicate fingers traced his chest, arm and back, analysing each and every fresh wound and scar alike. "I thought you could heal. Cursed energy magic or something. What you did to me when I passed out. Stupid liar. All you know how to do is to boast to everyone, but you can't even admit that you are still capable of making mistakes sometimes." her voice was obviously pissed off, but not enough to sock him in the jaw again. "Anti-regeneration magic. I didn't know something like that existed. Gimme a break." he scoffed, looking away in mild embarrassment. "Lucky you. Now don't move, or you'll really piss me off." she sneered at him as she made blue fire light up her palms and focused on healing him. It was then that she realised how good it felt to feel someone's bare skin, to feel his muscles, sore from fighting so much. He was finally beginning to look more like a man - A warrior - Not like some obnoxious, bratty, entitled casa nova. "I didn't know you could heal people. It tickles." he smirked slightly, turning his head to watch her focused face. "You don't know many things about me, Sukuna. Don't even bother trying, you'll never be able to, anyway." she scowled at him, but this time, it wasn't as aggressive as usual. "I've always loved a challenge, sugar." he chuckled boastfully, only for her to frown and look at him. "Is that all I am for you? A challenge?" she asked in a softer voice, sounding almost disappointed. "Not anymore. You've always been an enigma for me. You were fun, that's why I kept you around. If you weren't, I'd have killed you. I have no regrets about killing anyone, reason or not. But you got under my skin. I don't want to unveil the enigma behind you anymore. I just want to know you." carefully, his hands found their way on her hips, just before pulling her on his lap, only for her to stiffen up completely, her hands quickly taken off of his skin, as she quickly snapped her head away from him, her face covered by the long hair that resembled the blood he spilled on the battlefield. "Aww, are you shy, cutie~?" his seductive voice was back again, one of his hands reaching up to cup her face - But she couldn't bring herself to speak - Instead, she just gulped and jumped away from him, taking a few deep breaths before getting out of the room, and climbing up to the roof, hugging her legs to her chest, leaning her chin on her knees, her bottom lip bitten into to the point of drawing blood.
What the hell was she thinking, letting herself getting touched like that? By someone like Sukuna, nonetheless, who, if given the chance, would have his way with her, then toss her aside like he did with all the other women in his enormous harem. Her heart was beating so hard, so fast against her chest. It was a foreign feeling that scared her so much that for a long while, she couldn't help but avoid him once again, going out of her way to only leave her room when she was sure he wasn't there. It didn't always work out as she wished, but she still tried nonetheless, as succeeded for most of the time.
"Are you scared of me?" Sukuna asked the girl one night, when he found her softly shedding tears up on the roof. "...No." she offered a monotone answer. "Then why are you avoiding me again? Do you hate me?" he asked again, only for her to hang her head and hug herself. "I realised that I shouldn't be alive. All my life I've known only two emotions - Hatred and Rage - All of them masked by a facade of complete neutrality, passiveness and uncaring. But, now...I can feel my heart beating. And it hurts. I was so ready to throw away my life, and I knew I would have no regrets. I lived for nothing. I have no memories of anything good happening in my life. I thought that...I thought that maybe...I would be able to feel, staying here, with you. I wanted to feel something good, for once. What was that called...Happiness? Love? I wanted to feel those too. I guess it's too much to ask from this cruel life. The second you touched me, I started panicking and I got scared. I was afraid. Not of you, but of the idea of possibly getting hurt. I don't know how to feel, and I don't think I'll ever be able to be a proper being...But maybe...Someday...I will be able to look up at the same sky, at this very same moon, and the very same stars...And smile...And my chest won't be hurting anymore. And I won't be afraid anymore. Maybe, in the next life...Or the one after that...I will be lucky. Maybe times will change, and people won't be so cruel anymore. I'm sorry, Sukuna. I didn't end up being who and what you thought I'd be. I will forever be a disappointment to everyone I meet." she wasn't sure if her words were directed to anyone at all, or if she just found the courage to speak for the first time in her life - To acknowledge the existence of feelings altogether - But Sukuna understood her. Except for the thrill of the kill and fleeting quenched lust, he didn't feel any relief. Just like her, anger and hatred, for the entirety of his life. How different and similar the two of them really were, he realised, as he went to hug her from behind, resting his chin on top of her head. "You have never disappointed me, Kitsune. You cannot disappoint me. I understand what you're feeling. It's a cruel world, and we are much crueler to everyone around us, including ourselves. If you ever think you have it in your heart to accept me, I will be waiting. Forever, if needed. And if not, I will be awaiting in the next life. Or in the next one. I won't give up on you." and saying that, he planted a kiss on her temple before leaving her alone to watch the same silver moon they've been looking up at for so long. "...Thank you." she spoke to herself after who knows how long.
And she smiled.
Every day passing, she would look at the pink haired warrior, and every day, she'd want to throw herself in his arms, but every time, she'd start shaking, and she'd turn around and leave the place. This whole ordeal continued for well over three months, until one day, the palace was attacked with burning arrows, and the whole place was lit aflame.
In the mayhem in cause, the fox girl made sure to gather all the civilians in the huge estate and lead them to safety, and by the time she was done, she rushed to search for Sukuna, the person the enemies wanted to bring down, once and for all. However, by the time she found him, the whole place was ablaze, the once blooming garden was now turned into ashes, and the Demon God of War was heavily bleeding, slouched and leaning his back against a wall.
Opposite of him, many meters away, a menacing looking enemy who had spears in his hands was ready to throw them at him...And Sukuna merely smirked, defeated, and closed his eyes, awaiting for the impact of his ultimate death.
"Sukuna...Keep your eyes closed." Kitsune's low, shaking voice called out to him, but instead of doing as he was told, his eyes snapped open, only to widen in terror seeing the girl he grew to love, impaled by numerous spears, acting as a shield for him. "K...Kitsu...Ne...?!" he managed to usher after getting over his shock. "I told you...To keep you eyes closed...Idiot." she shook her head as she curled her fingers on the wall, taking a few deep breaths, despite her legs shaking. "Idiot. Idiot. You are such an idiot." "No...You...You were supposed to run away...I told you to run away...I told you...To...Live..." his voice was desperate, trembling, not believing what he was seeing before his very eyes. "Not without you...We were supposed to...Go...together...And be happy...And look at the moon...And stars...Together..." but as she said that, she heard the air getting split by yet another set of spears that go through her tails and torso, making her lose strength and fall over the man she was shielding. With her last strength, she punched back the spears out of her body and crawled on his lap, cradling his body, wrapping it up protectively with her tails, holding tightly onto him. "I never learnt how to fight...I never had anything to protect...Until I found you. I have no regrets dying, if you live. Close your eyes, Sukuna. I...I love you." and just before all strength left her body, she cupped his face and stole a weak kiss.
She was happy. She finally found her courage to act as she wished - With her heart, not with her fears. She was finally able to expel all the bad things possessing her. She died, and yet, she was finally smiling. She regretted nothing.
She was really happy.
"...Look there, Kitsune. Look at the moon. And the stars. And we are together. In this life. And the next one...And the one after...I will find you. And I will protect you. Don't be afraid anymore...Nothing will hurt you again. Until then...Sleep well, my Princess...Wait for me...Very soon."
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"Don't worry, Yuji! We will find all the victims of this place and rescue them! You'll see!" the cheerful nine-tailed girl wagged her fluff left and right as she dragged her best friend to the ominous place, as their other two team mates followed soon after, both having different reactions, as usual.
As her shikigami fox and Megumi's white wolf were assigned to make sure no cursed spirit would sneak up on them, they tried to make heads or tails of the distorted reality inside the place - They knew they may be dealing with a Special-Grade monster, but to have power of such magnitude seemed...Unreal...And unsettling.
"Guys, calm down. This is the Innate Domain...Cursed energy made this foul play...But I've never seen anything like...This. We have to move fast, and not split up, or we'll get picked one by one." Kitsune gritted her teeth, feeling the fur on her tails stand up. "Where's the door?!" Megumi yelled, turning around, only for everyone to gasp, realising the way they got through completely disappeared. "Th-The door's gone?!" Yuji blinked, incredulous at what he was witnessing. "How?! We just came in through here, didn't we?!" Nobara freaked out, only to make a short, brain dead dance with Yuji. "Calm down. The dog remembers the scent of the entrance." saying that, the two fawned over the two canines as they let them lead the way, only to find three mangled corpses, one of them having a name tag - It was the name of the child of the desperate woman outside of the place, pleading to the police to rescue him.
However, a fight erupted between the two boys who couldn't decide whether they should run away or rescue the corpses, as closure for the woman outside, at least, and while Nobara yelled at them, trying to make them stop...She...Disappeared?! Through a makeshift hole in the floor that wasn't there before.
"B-But...Megumi's demon dog and my fox should have been able to sense the curse...!" Kitsune then quickly turned around, only to gasp, noticing the bloody corpses of the said shikigami protruding from the walls. "NO! CYNDER!" she whimpered, hating to see her lovely companion in such a state. "ITADORI! KITSUNE! WE HAVE TO RUN! WE'LL LOOK FOR KUJISAKI AND -" but before he could finish speaking, Kitsune's whimper, that grew louder, along with the presence of the demon she was pointing at, staring straight at her...Made both boys stop in their tracks, wide eyed and shocked...And very much afraid.
The trio was sweating bullets, trying to move, trying to get the hell away from there - But Yuji moved first, taking out his knife, slashing at the Special-Grade....Only for his hand to go flying far away...From the impact.
"Megumi, run away! Go find Nobara, I'll stay here and create a diversion! Give us a signal when you're out of here! Yuji can get Sukuna and save us!" the fox girl yelled at her brunet friend desperately as she pushed him away, but a mouth on Yuji's cheek, speaking very derogatory, pointed out he doesn't give a fuck about Yuji's body, and that he won't die, even if his vessel does. "Nope~! Even if parts of me inside you die, I've still got 18 other fragments of my soul! Still, irritatingly enough, I don't have control of this body, so go away and switch, if you want! But once you do...I'll kill that brat before the cursed spirit can! Then, I'll go for that woman. She's a lively one. I'll have fuck with her. And then...I'll claim this cute fox girl that you care so much for!" Sukuna kept talking, and it was creating a state of panic in Yuji's heart. "Don't listen to him, Yuji! I know you won't let him take over you completely! You can't hurt us!" Kitsune yelled at her friend, trying to snap him out of the trance Sukuna put him in. "No, no, no, darling, you're wrong. If he's too focused on me, his friends WILL die~!" the demon kept laughing at his vessel, until the Special Grade unleashed a full blast of pure, cursed energy. "Yuji, look out!" she jumped at him, getting him out of the blast's range. "Stop listening to him, and take care of yourself! This isn't Jujutsu, this is pure cursed energy! We have to buy Megumi and Nobara enough time to get the hell out of here! Look at this jerk, he's having fun. I'm sure we can figure something out." the fox girl gritted her teeth in anger, but before either of them could try to attack or dodge - In the blink of an eye, really - She felt herself getting picked up and slammed on the wall before her by yet another blast of cursed energy - Followed by another, that flew her on the bridge in the next room, rendering her barely conscious. "KITSUNE! KITSUNEEEE!" she heard her pink haired friend's desperate wail as he tried to shake her awake. "...Sukuna...?" she asked, her shaking hands trying to rub away the tiredness from her eyes, as she looked up at him with gleaming, half-lidded eyes.
Before he could answer, shocked that she would call him by his demon's name, and even more, his own demon shocked, hearing her say something like that, she managed to cling onto the boy enough to get herself back on her feet, turning towards the attacker, her big, fluffy tails opening like a protective fan for the boy, as she created a blast of blue spirit fire to try to counter the cursed energy blast from the enemy. It made her growl from the pain, but her mind was blank - She had no regrets - No matter what life she was living, she will only get stronger and stronger, until she succeeds and protects the ones dear to her.
But not in this lifetime.
She wasn't strong enough yet. She was nowhere near her mentor, Satoru, in power. She had no way to compete with him, nor could she protect her friends when needed.
How pathethic.
It was her last thought before the cursed energy took over her, burning away some of her skin and creating even more damage after getting slammed and breaking yet another wall. With the last bit of consciousness she was able to hold onto, she saw her pink haired friend still alive and well - By some standards, at least - And she could merely smile and fight back the darkness threatening to take over.
But...Something happened, for the boy now seemed fearless - And he even taunted with the special-grade...And then he healed his own arm, before going to her, looking down at her, shaking his head. The markings on his face...This wasn't Yuji. This was...
"Idiot." a much darker, more masculine voice came from the body of the teenage vessel as he crouched down to the girl. "You never change, no matter what life you reincarnate into, do you? But that's the charm about you, stupid fox. You never really lose your memories of the past, do you?" he gently caressed her face, feeling his heart beating a bit faster as he noticed she was smiling and leaning into his touch. "You said you'll find me...So what is there to fear?" she mused weakly, before she got picked up bridal style, allowing her to cuddle into his chest, finally allowed to rest at ease. "Let's teach this weakling a lesson and get the hell out of here. The moon is up." Sukuna chuckled as he walked up to the demon, effortlessly punching in the head, slamming it into the bridge, only to smash his foot into its head, breaking the bridge altogether. As they fell, the monster grabbed his leg, but the fox-fire burn on his hand was enough to get his to shriek in pain and let go, as Sukuna jumped on one of the falling rubbles, taunting and laughing condescendingly, as he ripped apart the monster limb from limb before impaling it into a wall, as soon as they reached the watery ground. "Honestly, I'm jealous. I could never get to your power with jujutsu alone. Satoru said this thing is 80% born talent. How disheartening." she grumbled, feeling better already. "There's nothing cursed in your heart, sugar. Let the killing to me. I promised I'll protect you, I'm not going back on my word. I'm not going to see you die again." he threw her up a bit to get a better hold on her. "Hang onto me, foxy. Let's show this sucker how we do things." seeing his infamous smirk on his face, she threw her arms around his neck, holding on tightly, seeing as he did a hand seal, calling out his Malevolent Shrine...And they were back home, dressed the same as they were so long ago...A thousand years ago...And the monster got split in 5 slices, before Sukuna dug out another one of his soul-fingers, and he started grinning even laughing even darker, realising that Yuji couldn't switch bodies again, which made villain jump out of the facility, right on top of it. "I guess...No matter what life we live, the sky is going to be forever beautiful." Kitsune sighed as soon as he let her down, but she didn't let go of him. Not this time. Fears won't take over her life anymore. "And yours is even more eternal than the moon's or the stars." he cupped her face, taking in her beauty for the first time in over a thousand years. "It's been to long. I made you wait far too long. I hope you didn't miss me too much." one of his hands found its fingers raking through her hair, and she closed her eyes a bit, taking in the warm, loving feeling that completely took over her. "I'll forgive you. You did take your bloody time...But at least you're here now. And you're not going anywhere. I won't let you." her hands slid down to the neck of his blouse, pulling him to her level, which only made him smirk smugly. "Good. That was my intention." his charming, dark voice spoke, making her heart beating faster, and feeling the hair on the back of her neck and the fluff on her tails stand up from excitement. "Won't it be weird? Being Yuji's body...?" she asked shyly, as he only chuckled, pulling the same Malevolent Shrine trick, so they finally looked as they did when they first met. "Better, sweet cheeks?" he pulled her flushed to his body, as she got on her tippy toes to get closer to his face. "Spectacular."
As the fox girl couldn't stop touching his face, raking her fingers through his hair, feeling his body closer to hers as her whole body felt hotter than ever before - It was just a kiss - His lips so sweet against her own, his arms, so strong, holding her, feeling her, loving her.
It was only them, under the gentle light of the silver moon, guarding them, as the stars softly twinkled, embellishing gold into the dark sky - Just like this love light up the darkness in their hearts.
Her tails wrapped around him instinctively, as they pulled apart, and looked each other in the eyes for the first time since they've known each other. Her eyes were sparkling with happiness, her lips were curled into a kitten-like smile, and she was glowing - It made Sukuna's heart have a pleasant arrhythmia as he saw in front of his very eyes a sight that he's been dreaming about for over a millennium - The woman that captured his heart - Happy, in his own arms, safe, and very kissable.
This feeling and image were worth waiting a thousand years.
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canary3d-obsessed · 3 years
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Restless Rewatch: The Untamed, Episode 24 part two
(Masterpost) (Pinboard)
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Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!
Arguing
After enjoying a tense  afternoon with Lan Xichen, Wei Wuxian comes home to enjoy a tense evening with Jiang Cheng. He pauses in the doorway as he takes in Jiang Cheng’s mood and decides which metaphorical mask he will put on to interact with his shidi. As someone who grew up with explosive people, I find this routine very familiar. 
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Wei Wuxian is always carefully playing a role as he interacts with the people in his life. Clearly he has read the classic sociology text The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life and is using it as a how-to guide. We see him do this same calculation over and over, in which he reacts internally to a situation, comes to a decision about what persona to inhabit, and then dons that persona. It’s a typical abuse survival tactic and...it is exhausting. 
This is why I think his leaving to be alone for a while in Episode 50 is a good thing. Being alone isn’t better than being with someone else, usually, but for Wei Wuxian, who is (by Episode 50) assured of love but not sure where he belongs in his own life, being by himself for a while is going to be the best thing for him. He can learn how to just be a person, instead of constantly trying to mold himself to fit everyone around him. 
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For the current tense situation, Jiang Cheng is polishing his sword, which, incidentally, is slang (in English, not necessarily in Chinese) for masturbating. Which makes their conversation about how frequently it needs doing kind of a hoot. “One time a month should do,” per Wei Wuxian. 
Jiang Cheng yells at Wei Wuxian--fairly, really--for being drunk all the time and not working on clan tasks. Then he responds to a hug attempt by shoving Wei Wuxian and knocking him down. JC asks WW if he’s too drunk to manage his spiritual power. Now, we know that he doesn’t have any spiritual power to manage, and that’s the main point of this interaction. But it also shows us something else about their dynamic. 
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This was just a quick hit, and when it takes WWX out, JC asks why he isn’t responding with spiritual power.  Which means that apparently *every* time Jiang Cheng gives Wei Wuxian a shove or a shoulder check, or strikes him--like he’s been doing constantly since Episode 3--he’s putting spiritual power behind it. That’s...really harsh. 
Jiang Cheng wants Wei Wuxian to fight back, and Wei Wuxian can’t; this is a big part of why their relationship breaks down. Casual blows loaded with spiritual power are part of their vocabulary, and Wei Wuxian can’t speak that language any more, even for basic defense. He’s literally not safe having simple interactions with Jiang Cheng now, because he’s secretly disabled, and Jiang Cheng is casually injuring him whenever he gets too close. 
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(more after the cut!)
This time Wei Wuxian has had enough, and raises Chenqing to Jiang Cheng, who immediately backs off. Jiang Cheng has seen that thing in action, not just on the battlefield, but in a small room full of whatever remained of Wen Chao when they were done with him. He takes this as a serious threat, and backs off, disturbed and puzzled and hurt.
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Jiang Cheng thinks the change in Wei Wuxian is coming from apathy, not from disability, and so he misunderstands it over and over.  Think of a friend saying “whatever, I’m sick of arguing with you, do what you want.”  Jiang Cheng is very ready to feel rejected, and not at all ready to look at Wei Wuxian’s behavior and try to actually understand it. 
Crying Over You
Wei Wuxian bails and goes to see Jiang Yanli in the ancestral hall, where she is polishing a name plaque. I turned the gamma way up to see whose it is and...I dunno. This character might be 江 (Jiang), I guess?
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Jiang Yanli is the only one of the trio who knows how to mourn properly, in that she is taking some time to sit and be sad. Mourning the dead--both ritually and just in the emotional sense--is as important a part of reclaiming Lotus Pier as the training of disciples and having good times on the lake.
She asks him about his fight with Jiang Cheng and he says he’s used to fighting with him. Jiang Yanli asks him if he’s tired of living there, and Wei Wuxian deflects and deflects, saying “it’s my home, where else would I go?” and that if Jiang Fengmian hadn’t adopted him he would still be begging in the streets. He says “no matter what happens, I won’t leave Lotus Pier,” which is not an answer to her question.
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It’s also not true. Like so many of his promises, it’s an expression of his wishes, with no space for the surprises real life is made of. He promises her that he won’t be reckless again, and asks her not to be mad at him. She says she can’t be mad at him, and then they share a flashback about Jiang Fengmian finding him on the street. This is a story, not a memory; Wei Wuxian can’t remember but he remembers her telling him about it. Jiang Yanli wasn’t there, in the moment. So this is her telling the story as it was told to her, probably by Jiang Fengmian. 
Flashback Time
In the flashback, picky salad-hating Wei Ying is out on the street, looking for food in a cartload of pretty okay scraps. I mean, yeah, skip the tomatoes, but most of the greens look fine.  
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He’s found and fed by Jiang Fengmian, who recognizes him and decides to take him in. 
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Within a couple of episodes, we will see Wei Wuxian paying this favor forward, saving someone he finds starving on the street. Just like Jiang Fengmian, he's going to upset and disrupt his family in order to help someone for whom he feels a deep connection.
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During this flashback we get a look at Jiang Fengmian’s sword, and it is a beauty. 
What is Love
As the flashback ends, Wei Wuxian is smiling, hearing Jiang Yanli tell this touching story of starvation and orphanhood. She tells him he was born with a smiling face, and that he never minds much about sorrowful things; no matter how bad the situation is, he is always happy. Way to reinforce that metaphorical mask he’s wearing over his deep, deep despair, sis!
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They talk a bit about Jiang Cheng’s bad temper.  Then Jiang Yanli says now that her parents are gone, they three are the closest in the world, and he responds by putting his head down on her knee and theatrically saying he’s hungry. But he’s crying for real, and so is she.
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Then he decides to ask her why people fall in love, basically, and claims that he does not have anyone in his heart. He says there’s no need to like a person that much, that it’s like “haltering your own neck,” according to Netflix. Let’s have a look at that figurative language for a second, and what’s missing from the Neflix translation. 
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What he says is (as near as my qhanzi.com skills can make out) “這不就是自己給自己脖子上套犁拴韁吗” which Google tells me means "Isn't this just putting a plow on my neck with a rein?" The part of the image that’s missing from Netflix subs is the plow, and the hard labor and animal servitude involved in pulling a plow. This isn’t a pro-romance image.
He’s clearly thinking about Lan Wangji when he lies about having no-one in his heart, but right now the yoke that he wants to escape has nothing to do with Lan Wangji. The person he’s harnessed to in a team, the person who he labors with, the person he wants to escape, is Jiang Cheng.  What’s chafing his neck is the promise he made, to stay and serve as one half of a pair, when he can no longer pull his weight. 
Busted
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Speaking of Jiang Cheng, he is hanging around outside the shrine, listening to the conversation. Wei Wuxian busts him, pointing out not that eavesdropping is bad, but that it’s bad for grownups. Jiang Cheng points out that he’s the master of Lotus Pier so he’s allowed to go anywhere he wants.
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(I love how he looks framed by this giant lotus behind him)
We Wuxian has another of those moments where he assesses the best approach to Jiang Cheng before responding. 
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Then he picks a fake fight with him about soup.  Yanli comes out and tells them both to grow up, saying that JC is losing his demeanor as clan leader. He jokingly fixes his already-perfect robe ad they all have a chuckle.
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Then Jiang Cheng reminds Wei Wuxian of his promise for the millionth time, and Jiang Yanli goes to make soup for the millionth time. As soon as the boys see that she’s gone, the smiles drop right off of their faces. They’re both performing their typical relationship dynamic for Jiang Yanli.
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Being Reasonable
The brothers repair to the main hall, and stand behind the lotus throne looking out of this complicated wall/doorway thingy, while they talk about Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan. 
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Jiang Cheng is being mature and sensible here, trying to give Jiang Yanli what she wants and also explaining very, very basic political stuff to Wei Wuxian, who is too caught up in his hate boner for JZX to want to think about the bigger picture. He also thinks that Jin Guangyao is a nicer person, but Jiang Cheng says that nice doesn’t matter.  
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Wei Wuxian is getting a full head of steam going about what a jerk JZX is, when Jiang Cheng makes him actually stop and think, by pointing out that it’s not for them to forgive or not forgive Jin Zixuan’s past behavior; it’s up to Yanli.
Wei Wuxian sees the reasoning in this, and starts to say he can’t understand why Yanli chose to like this person, but then he stops himself and goes through a rapid series of thoughtful, uncomfortable expressions. 
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Perhaps he’s realizing that he himself has chosen to like an infamously stuck-up, fancy cultivator, albeit one with no soup-related character deficits.
Library Time
The stuck-up cultivator in question is currently in the Cloud Recesses library, where he has snuck into the forbidden books room, against his uncle’s express command, for the purpose of helping Wei Wuxian. The forbidden books room is an entire basement floor of the library; it probably has more books than the not-forbidden part of the library, since the main floor needs space for the restrooms, circulation desk, and copy machines.
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(Did OP photoshop the Wangxian-in-the-Library porn picture onto Lan Wangjis’ book? She did.)
A couple of other Lans come along and see the main door unlocked. The lock is a big fish that probably uses magic for locking; it definitely doesn’t use a key. One of them steps in the doorway, glances back and forth without walking through, and does not check the secret door to the forbidden vault. Gosh, how did Su She and/or Jin Guangyao  ever manage to steal secrets from this highly secure location, wow.
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Lan Wangji hears the Lan disciple on guard duty say “don’t tell Hanguang Jun about this!’ and has a series of microexpressions that might indicate some kind of feeling about simultaneously being a rule breaker and a rule enforcer.  
Boat Time
We end with an idyllic scene on the lake in Lotus pier, where a new batch of disciples is harvesting lotuses and learning the opposite of boat safety. 
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Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian are having a good time, and seem utterly carefree; both of them are good at living in the moment, or faking it. 
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Wei Wuxian thinks, in voiceover, that it seems that it’s not so hard to go back to the old days. Uh...ok.
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Except he’s hiding a massive secret and these replacement kids are not the same juniors he used to hang out with, and he can’t actually teach them cultivation, since he has no socially-acceptable magic power, and everything is about to go to shit in the next episode. But you gotta take your joy where you can, I guess. 
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Note: There are a lot of questionable effects in The Untamed, but there are also beautiful scenes like this one, which looks like a Maxfield Parrish painting. Compare with the BTS below and you can see what a good job the VFX team did in bringing this lake to life. 
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kiribakuhappiness · 3 years
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👖 Are you a planner, plantser, or pantser? Is it consistent?
Ahh, this question is always so interesting!
First I just want to define the terms above - in case some people aren't aware of their meaning!
Planner: Relatively self-explanatory, a planner is someone who plans out their entire story from start to finish before they even think about writing it. Character backstories, settings, relationship connections, timelines, order of events and their significance, important symbolic details, everything is entirely fleshed out before that pen hits that paper or before those fingertips start tapping away at that keyboard!
Pros: - No need to stop writing for every new plot point/chapter - Generally very well fleshed out characters and scenes. - Plenty of room for constructing well thought-out foreshadowing.
Cons: - Takes a lot of time and effort before the writing process can even begin. - Generally very difficult to tweak details later on, as it creates a domino effect regarding the remainder of the preemptive planning.
Panster: Coined from the term "by the seat of one's pants," a panster is someone who gets a vague idea for a story and takes off running with it. No direction or planned events needed, just their juicy inspiration and a blank document! Pansters are also usually known for writing scenes out of order.
Pros: - Lots of creative freedom. - No feeling of being weighed down by a predetermined path/plot. - Great technique when writing a story that will contain a lot of plot twists.
Cons: - So. Much. Editing. - Will generally end up doing everything that a Planner would do, just later on in the game. - Character motivations + plot structures can suffer by becoming cloudy and unclear/unexplained.
Planster: Probably the easiest to identify/define after learning about the other two, but a planster is someone who is a healthy mix of both! Most writers are plansters, as the range is much more varied and so, by default, contains the medium average. Plansters will get a new story idea, make a few notes or plan out a few important scenes/details, and then use that like a vague roadmap for their stories similar to the dodgy early-2000's Google Maps Directions.
Pros: - A healthy amount of creative freedom when coming up with new scenes and characters. - Easier to make midcourse adjustments in regard to plot devices, foreshadowing, etc.
Cons: - Writer's block can set in when struggling to connect one vague predetermined plot point to the next.
As for my answer, I am very much a Planster, leaning more towards Panster! Usually when I come up with a new story idea, it's a very vague concept, but a concept nonetheless.
So, take Why Is Everything So Weird With the Lights Off? as an example!
When I started that fic, my only notes going into it were these (copy + pasted from my notes app):
Bakugou appears at Kirishima's door; he's been drinking (third year, reasonable age to engage in such activity). Kirishima's first time seeing Bakugou drunk. Bakugou has come to confess his feelings - Kirishima can't imagine why Bakugou would think that midnight on a school night is a good time to strike up a conversation, but what kind of friend would he be if he turned him away? Kirishima's chivalry to be a good friend battles internally with his desire to be with Bakugou as the night progresses. Bakugou is uncharacteristically touchy and honest about his wants to hang out with Kirishima (internally, he's frustrated that he keeps fucking up his attempts to confess, and so tries to stay later and later to get it right). "'M not fuckin' comfortable," he [Bakugou] says [from the makeshift bed on the floor], louder and firmer, as if that will change anything. From beginning - no attraction/romance detected between them. As story progresses - lines start to cross and blur and Kirishima's buried feelings for Bakugou become more apparent to the reader. (Their relationship has started to subtly change, as all relationships tend to do.)
As you can see, there's very little in-depth details here. I don't really go into long-winded explanations and I don't really focus on anything regarding the setting or plot points. Of course, the type of notes I take and the amount of attention to details I give vary drastically regarding the project, but the entire idea is at least glossed over so I don't forget it, and I always try my best to be firm when considering Character Motive (ie; Bakugou drunkenly arrives with the one and only goal to finally confess his feelings to Kirishima), the rest of the fic and all of its minor details come as a result from these motives.
I'll give another example where I went into A LOT more detail, again, copy + pasted from my notes app! Disclaimer: major spoilers for unwritten chapters regarding Fighting Tooth and Claw to Get Back to You.
[Upon UA Katsuki + Fantasy Katsuki meeting for the first time]
"It is fucking winter?"
"Yeah. It's fuckin' winter."
[Right before they switch back] - UA Katsuki experiences a darkness where he finally meets Barbarian Bakugou face-to-face. They approach each other, movements mirrored, and it's UA Katsuki who raises a hand out towards him first, which Barbarian Bakugou hesitates to accept (he is resentful and ashamed of UA Katsuki and believes him to be ignorant and immature). But UA Katsuki needs to know what happened right before the switch, he needs to unlock that memory, and Barbarian Bakugou is reluctantly curious about his unwavering determination, so they clasp their hands together in a strong grip and are thrust into a new place - sunny and filled with green grass. The barbarian clan is there, Dragon Eijirou included, as they prepare to train for several moons straight before migrating away for the winter. Barbarian Bakugou and Dragon Eijirou leave to go train on their own, unbeknownst to them that Eri is following. They banter for a bit and kiss before bakugou wraps an intimidating hand around his neck and jaw. "Are you going to fight me or not?" Dragon Eijirou grins at that, still giving him a sultry, distracted look despite the fingers clasped threateningly around his neck. "What do I get if I win?" He teases. Barbarian Bakugou smirks before he gives Dragon Eijirou's head a light shove in the opposite direction, who steps out of his space again just as easily as he had entered it. "Off, you dumb lizard," Barbarian Bakugou grumbled, still looking amused before he reached over and pulled the glinting, golden sword (All Might) from its holster on his hip and brandished it towards Eijirou, whose red eyes glisten with a new kind of want as he stared at it - the dragon part of him yearning to collect such a valuable treasure. "You would look good as a King, Katsuki," he tells him. Katsuki's smirk grows wider. "And you as a dragon, if you'd ever hurry the fuck up." He gave the sword a vague sway through the space between them and Eijirou's eyes flash dangerously. "Come and take it from me. I know you want to," Katsuki goaded. Eijirou turns into a dragon and they fight.
[Choice made when Imperial soldiers attack during their training session (mentioned at beginning of story by Sero)] - All Might (sword) is falling off the cliff's edge, while Dragon Eijirou is about to get shot by a piercing arrow. Barbarian Bakugou chooses to try and save Dragon Eijirou (abandoning the sword and his future Kingdom), who calls out "NO" even as a dragon who shouldn't be able to speak (he doesn't want Bakugou to lose his throne just for him), which causes Barbarian Bakugou to stop abruptly in shock. The arrow is shot and pierces Dragon Eijirou's underbelly. He lets out a loud roar before he plummets down into the forest out of sight (leading to his capture). Barbarian Bakugou sees red, reaching down to grab the nearest abandoned steel sword (one shown at beginning of story that UA Kirishima shatters) that he then uses to swing down and slice into the shoulder of the soldier that had shot Dragon Eijirou. More soldiers descend into the valley. Katsuki hears a scream and turns to see Eri lying on the ground, terrified as a soldier holds up a crossbow at her. "TO THE END OF ALL DRAGONS!" The man yelled (revealing that Eri, in the fantasy timeline, is also a dragon, and explains her fondness for Barbarian Bakugou when she joins their group and observes how he treats Dragon Eijirou with kindness instead of prejudiced fear). Barbarian Bakugou's feet move without thinking as he lunges in front of Eri, just as her fingertips reach out and graze along his shoulder before everything goes black.
When UA Katsuki awakes again, he is in the hospital on campus, and Kirishima is sleeping in the chair beside him.
[fantasy setting, after the switch back. Barbarian Bakugou - despite still being offered the throne for Musutafu - declines. Izuku and Todoroki are preparing to go back to the kingdom with the news of the vanquish of the Imperial Army, gazing out at Bakugou's barbarian clan as he absently moves about the crowd, barking orders and preparing his clan for travel. Dragon Eijirou joins them to watch as well.] "I am surprised to learn of Kacchan's abandonment of the throne. I thought there was nothing in this world that could replace his desire to be King," Izuku mused out loud to him. "He would have made a great leader."
Dragon Eijirou grinned from beside him. "You're wrong, Izuku," he states simply. "He already is a great leader."
Because of the complexity of the story, with all its many plot twists and such a large cast of important characters, my notes are far more in depth here than they are for my other fic - however, these notes wouldn't necessarily be structured enough to be considered a Planner-mindset, as there is still plenty of room for added details, dialogue, etc.
Phew! What a fucking post :,D a big ole chonker - I hope you enjoyed reading at least, if you've made it this far! 🧡
Fanfic Ask Game - send me a question! ☺️
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datninjalyfe · 2 years
Text
Excerpt from Kingdoms at War, A History.
By D.N. Lyfe, Organized by Izuku Midoriya
Part 1: The Descendants of the Lantern King
Long ago, the world seemed much larger: the population of people was broken into small, fragmented clans, each one with their own sets of rules and laws, but each engrained with their own culture, enriched with different music, foods, values and arts.  And for the most part, things were peaceful during this time.
Until something remarkable happened: on the highest peak of the highest mountain, in the highest tower of the highest castle, an extraordinary baby, newly born, was said to have glowed like a lantern in the night.  The people in the mountains worshipped this baby, as no one to this point had seen abilities such as this.  He was worshipped like a God among his people and when he reached adulthood, he began a new age, a period known as the Age of Abilities.  He traveled the world and became an exceptional warrior, one that lit the way for his people.  The more he traveled, the more people came to love him. 
But he was just a man, as any other: brittle to critique and weak to temptation.  Throughout his worldly travels, from those who could carry children, they bore his offspring, and his offspring were extraordinary.  Known as the Descendants of the Lantern King, the resources of the land often played a part in the abilities obtained—for example, in the Stormy Isles of the Southwest lives the ever-growing tempestuous soldiers, ruled over by the Kaminari Family with a thunderous, iron fist.  A Kaminari child was the first of his descendants and he was a fearsome leader who was said to be able to harness the storms through body and mind.  In the Northwestern region was the Aizawa Clan, an already ancient family whose Descendants of the Lantern King obtained the power of silence.  Their lands were dreary and dark, with a wet, marshy sort of smell.  The lifeless, barren trees surrounded the clan, but they were content where they were, unbothered by the outside world of their small swamp. 
When the Lantern King died, the Industrial Soldiers, led by Mercutio Kaminari, traveled North to face the Aizawa Clan, but they had truly met their match: the abilities the Kaminari Family had inherited were erased entirely.  Disoriented, their army was overtaken in the foreign swamps of the North.  And the Kaminari Family has since pledged their allegiance to the Aizawa Family.
But more of the Lantern King’s Descendants emerged.  And more of these families began to fight amongst themselves, bringing with them a variety of powers that was completely new the world. These battles left tens-of-thousands dead.  And the Age of Abilities turned into the Age of the Dark Wars and these wars lasted for generations.  Still, the Aizawa Family prevailed and the clans combined into Kingdoms. 
And the world seemed to grow smaller. 
The ancient Aizawa Family, still maintaining their power of silence, was able to expand their Kingdom, harnessing a vast number of other Lantern King Descendants.  The generous Aizawa family allowed them to be Lords and Ladies in their own right, to rule over their own lands, as long as they abided by laws of the Aizawa Throne.  This history lasted for almost 500 years until Talia's Rebellion. 
There were few families who ignored the laws of the throne, and the Lady Talia Shigaraki was one of them.  Her abilities far exceeded that of the Aizawa Family.  Entire villages and soon other Descendants of the Lantern King assembling numbers that grew exponentially behind her cause.  One-by-one, she coaxed a revolt on the Thone of Aizawa, rallying Lords and Ladies to betray their beloved King.  At last, the armies collided and a great, bloody battle erupted between the two.  The Aizawa Queen, a strong woman by the name of Eri—third daughter—fought hard for her family name, but when she saw the mighty power of Talia, and to her family’s demise, she surrendered almost immediately.
Queen Eri was brought before Talia as a captive.  According to The Heiress to the Aizawa Throne, Eri’s power, one that had been hidden from the world, came to light around this time.  She had the power of rewrite, erasing what has previously happened and making anew.  An intimidating ability, even one that made shook Talia as Eri had used this ability on one of Eri's trusted Lords who betrayed her to Talia's cause.  Once Eri was brought before Talia, is said that she rewrote this story multiple times, only to continuously not get the outcome she wanted.  At last, the two had an understanding and the two strongest Kingdoms the world has ever seen was made: The Kingdom of Eri and the Kingdom of Talia. 
Queen Eri’s ability was never seen again, as she never bore children herself and when she died, her brother became King.  But upon his deathbed, he told his Kingdom the truth about her birth: She wasn’t a silencer and, after taking pity on the child left at his doorstep, his father took her in as his own to help harness her power.  He and his younger brother fought relentlessly and their father thought war would break out if left in charge to one of his sons.  But the brothers were loving and caring towards the new addition to family, and gave the family purpose once more.  The Kingdom of Eri was ruled by the Aizawa Family, and the Kingdom of Talia by the Shigarakis.
The two Kingdoms have since always fought—and for another almost 500 years, the Kingdoms have always been at war.  But within these Kingdoms, though at war with one another, are accustomed to insurrections themselves:
Within Talia, Queen Nana’s child was not pledged to the throne.  A great responsibility and in amidst a great war, Nana didn’t think her son could handle such a responsibility.  She instead gave the crown to a Young Lord with much promise of being a better leader than her own son.  When she died, the family of Shigaraki fought hard for their rightful place, but the All-Mighty Lord Toshinori, with the army rallied behind him, the Shigaraki family escaped from Talia and hasn’t been seen since.  King Toshinori and his wife, Inko, have only one child: Prince Izuku Midoriya. 
Within Eri, around the same time that King Toshinori took the throne, most of the Aizawa Family was killed by an elite Erian Commander, the Lady Mitsuki.  The sudden betrayal of her country had her bound hand and foot by the royalty in the court, forcing her imprisonment.  But she wasn’t detained for long: she was the commander of the largest section of the army and they threatened a battle if Mitsuki was killed.  But she had failed to kill the entirety of the ancient family, and one still lived: the Heir to the Throne, Shota Aizawa. 
But when it came to light that he too had betrayed his country, pledging his loyalty to Talia, the court erupted into chaos, everyone claiming their own right to the Erian Throne.  This lasted for several days, but when blood started to shed and the infighting became too much, Lord Masaru Bakugou stepped forward, advocating for the Lady Mitsuki: “Our war is with Talia, not ourselves!” he proclaimed.  A quiet soul, when he spoke, the Lordship listened and saw reason.  With the threat of the army turning on them with a bloody battle amongst their own abilities, and their own heir to the throne gone, they reluctantly agreed and freed Mitsuki from her imprisonment.  She married Masaru and became known as the Dark Queen. 
The Usurper renamed Eri New Eri marking a new age of a new monarchy.  She has one son as well: Prince Katsuki Bakugou, who’s abilities surely mark him as a Descendant of the Lantern King.  Only 20 years after she took the throne, she and her husband were burned alive in battle, but her son, ferociously ate through the flames and has since been known as the Dragon King, and rules over New Eri.
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fatefulfaerie · 3 years
Text
Coming Home After Being Away (I’ll Be Home)
Day Seven of the 12 days of Christmas prompts orchestrated by @zelink-prompts
Incarnation: Breath of the Wild 2 a couple years post-caves
It was easy for Link and Zelda to drift off into a sound sleep when enraptured in each other’s arms. They cooed peacefully where they lay, Link’s fingers entangled in Zelda’s shoulder-length blonde hair and his other arm secure around her waist.
Zelda had turned over in her sleep so that her pillow was Link’s warm chest, a habit so common that Link subconsciously wrapped his arms around her. The rising and falling of Link’s chest was a reassurance that, after all these years of being reunited, still relaxed her.
Link was breathing. Link was alive. Link wasn’t passed out in Blatchery Plains with no discernible sign of life. Link, her love, was right here and he was alive.
And thus the couple slept soundly, even as an intruder crept into the house like a dark shadow, careful to make no creak as the mysterious figure snuck up to the loft.
In the larger bed was, of course, Link and Zelda, yet the dark, sinister figure instead focused on the two tiny cribs by the window, the small bundles of life that slept just as soundly as their parents.
With a slither, a vicious sickle was unsheathed from it’s hilt, glimmering in the moonlight. The masked figure showed no mercy as he prepared to cut the newborn’s life short, and consequently move on to his twin sister.
The baby on the right stirred and, somehow sensing the threat to his life, awoke with screaming cries.
Link woke immediately, his eyelids peeling apart with reluctance before he sat up slowly. Yet as soon as he saw the Yiga hovering over his son’s crib, Link’s eyes widened and his heart lurched with panic.
“Hey!” He exclaimed as he lunged towards the Yiga, grabbing the sword by the bed. “Get away from my son!”
The clang of the sword meeting the vicious sickle woke Zelda, and yet she stirred much more gradually.
“Link,” she asked, half-asleep as Link battled the Yiga, crossing blades as Link forced the Yiga foot soldier downstairs and away from laying a hand on his children. 
Zelda opened her eyes slowly, realizing Link’s warmth was in the blankets she clutched and yet he was nowhere to be found, Zelda only seeing her own hand glide along the soft covers.
“Link?” She asked again with a creased brow, sitting up slowly and finally hearing the clamor of weaponry downstairs.
“Link!” She exclaimed as she hurried downstairs, her flowy white nightgown drifting smoothly and elegantly as she did. Link afforded a quick glance at Zelda as she neared the bottom of the stairs.
“Stay back!” He exclaimed, pushing back the Yiga before attempting a horizontal slice, but the Yiga disappeared in a puff of red smoke. Link looked around himself desperately for a reappearance when he heard the window of the loft completely shatter.
Both Link and Zelda were alerted by the troubling noise, rushing up the stairs to see no Yiga Clan member in sight and yet their daughter was nowhere to be found either.
Zelda was on the verge of a panic attack, her chest heaving as she nearly crashed into the desk behind her.
Link in contrast was on the verge of tears, fisting the hilt of his sword until it turned white. He soon realized he didn’t even have the time for his anger.
He quickly strapped on the sheath to his sword, securing the buckle and ties with fingers that moved so fast that they were messing up, but Link didn’t care to do it neatly.
Link picked up his infant son quickly and approached Zelda, whose gaze was a million miles away with panic.
“Zelda,” Link insisted. “Zelda, look at me. We don’t have time for this.”
He placed their son in her arms, Zelda not quite over her shock but holding him securely. Link placed a hand on her cheek.
“Take Elyjah and run as fast as you can to Fort Hateno,” Link said. “The soldiers there will protect you as you head to Kakariko. You will be safer there.”
Link gave her a quick peck on the lips as she nodded.
“I’ll get her back,” he said. “I promise.”
And before Zelda knew it, Link was a cloud of dust, darting out of their Hateno home in pursuit of the Yiga Clan member who meant to harm his daughter for her blood, that shared the blood of the hero and the blood of the goddess incarnate, and would surely reanimate Calamity Ganon with twice the speed.
Or worse, the Yiga Clan meant to avenge their former Master Kohga by killing the daughter of his “murderer”.
——————————————————————————————————
Link kept up his frantic run across the width of Hyrule, constantly on the Yiga’s tail at such a distance that the Yiga had only time to run with the infant. By this point, the Yiga Clan knew that crossing blades with Hyrule’s hero meant that they would likely never cross blades with anyone ever again. Over the years, they made innumerable attempts to assassinate Zelda, who carried the blood of the royal family of the former kingdom of Hyrule, or Link, who not only killed Master Kohga but, as increasing evidence suggested, was to marry Zelda and father children who also carried the blood of the royal family. Those attempts, however, failed again and again, Link being too great of a swordsman for the Yiga Clan to get anywhere near either them.
Tired of losing men and frankly at a loss, the Yiga Clan stopped. However, once spies confirmed that the former princess was indeed pregnant with twins, the Yiga Clan decided to wait until they were born. Once that occurred, and once Link and Zelda felt safe enough to let their guard down, the Yiga Clan would assassinate the infants. Only three weeks old, their lives were already in danger. 
And thus Link chased the Yiga who held his daughter all the way to their hideout in Gerudo Desert. He only got to the first circular room before he was surrounded by Yiga archers, arrows drawn and ready to release.
The Yiga foot soldier handed the bundle to a blademaster who stood across the room from Link. Link quelled the jolt of fear in his heart that came from seeing his daughter held by them and instead clenched his fingers tighter around the hilt of his sword.
He moved his arm in order to ready his sword for an attack, but he only heard the creak of bending arrows. 
Link took the auditory sign of threat seriously, sheathing his sword against his better judgement of his capabilities. Taking on all these Yiga was a type of chaos that would be messy, and thus too risky when his daughter was in the same room. Although Hyrule’s hero could take them on any day, creating a massacre and fighting with a sword in one hand and baby in the other arm was probably not the best idea. Link thought perhaps that was not this day, nor any day to come.
“Wait,” Link said as they were about to harm his daughter right in front of him, holding out his hands palm first. The Yiga turned their attention to him. “Hold on,” Link pleaded, as slowly and calmly as he could. “Please. Let’s just talk this out. I’ll give you anything for her safety. I’ll even give you my life.”
“We’re listening.”
“Kill me,” Link implored desparately. “Right here. Right now. I won’t put up a fight. You just have to promise to return her safely to my wife in Kakariko Village.”
“You would trust us to do that?” The blademaster asked, slightly surprised.
“You are still people,” Link reasoned, his arms lowering to hang by his sides. “I don’t see why you couldn’t be reasoned with.” Link gave a nervous chuckle. “I’m honestly depending on it.”
“Enough of this!” Another Yiga said, stepping forward. “Hylians don’t care about us! It’s a trick! He killed our Master and so many others. He saved Hyrule. I bet he’s leading us right into an ambush.”
“It’s not a trick,” Link said with shakes of his head. “It was only ever out of self-defense that I hurt your clan. Perhaps I shouldn’t have gone so far, but please let my wife and children live on. Zelda has already abdicated the throne. The kingdom of Hyrule is no more. Whatever grudge there is between us can be settled with my death at your hands.”
There was a silence that paused the conversation, a tentative silence that Link feared more and more. The chances were very slim that Link would get out of this, and yet he feared more for the tiny bundle in the enemy’s arms.
“You know not of the grudge you wish to settle,” the Yiga Blademaster said. “And yet you would give up your life to settle it. All to save your offspring.”
Link’s brow furrowed. Was this about more than just Master Kohga?
But Link was even more surprised at the Yiga’s first instance of mercy, the Blademaser walking forward slowly and gently returning the baby to Link’s arms. Link breathed a shaky sigh of relief feeling the warmth and yet did not understand the gesture. He looked up at the Blademaster.
“We know you could have taken us even with our archers at the ready,” the Blademaster said. “It is obvious you hold no ill will towards us. You only want your offspring safe and to live on past what was once the kingdom of Hyrule. Is this correct?”
Link nodded, slightly afraid of this odd behavior. 
“Then go and live,” the Blademaster said, Link’s lips parted. “We will not threaten your family any longer.”
But Link didn’t move, although in the back of his mind he thought he perhaps should have, should have gotten out before they changed their mind. The Blademaster had already turned around to head back into the hub of the Yiga Clan hideout.
“I don’t understand,” Link said, the Blademaster stopping in his tracks. “After all these years, you show me mercy in return for mine, but…how does that so suddenly erase your bloodlust? And how can your grudge have nothing to do with me if…if you tried to kill Zelda and I for years?”
“We assumed you were like your ancestors,” the Blademaster answered. “That you would villianize us and see us as a threat. You swore fealty to the kingdom that ruined us. That was enough for us to seek you out. We had to protect ourselves.”
“My ancestors?” Link asked. “What are you talking about?”
Another silence fell and Link started to regret asking the question. Had he pushed too far? Would they be angered?
“There is a tale among Hyruleans,” the Blademaster started. “Of when Sheikah technology was successful in defending the kingdom from Calamity Ganon. I gather you know it well. How did the story end?”
“The princess and the hero sealed away Calamity Ganon,” Link answered. “Because of the protection of the Divine Beasts and the Guardians. The calamity didn’t return for ten thousand years.”
The Blademaster gave a small laugh.
“Easy to write a happy ending when you are the victor,” he said. “But it seems Hyrule was too cowardly to truly detail what happened in the end.”
“Was Calamity Ganon not sealed?” Link asked.
“Calamity Ganon was sealed,” the Blademaster said. “Just as you described. Because of that, Hyrule saw a great era of prosperity. Sheikah technology was blooming and the Sheikah were very proud of their usefulness.”
“One day,” he continued. “Divine Beast Vah Naboris misfired. Because it was aimed at the castle, it devastated a portion of it, and killed the Queen. The King was furious and blamed the Sheikah. He banned all Sheikah technology, ordered everything to be buried and forgotten. The Sheikah were to make do in a small village to the east, in fact, soldiers forced them there. If any Sheikah refused these orders, they were imprisoned, some even put to death. And the Hylians, your ancestors, simply let it happen. Some Sheikah, knowing these dangers and angry against the royal family for their misplaced blame and their foolishness, disbanded completely, flocking to Gerudo Desert. You see, hero, the Yiga Clan are the descendants of those Sheikah, with every generation growing to hate the royal family more and more. For ten thousand years we have been festering, threatening each new member of the Royal Family.”
The Blademaster turned around to face Link.
“It’s easy to find someone new to blame,” the Blademaster said. “It took me until now to realize that we are just like that King and that you just want to move on. I think it’s time we do too.”
The Blademaster walked forward and as he did, he took of his red and white mask, Link’s eyebrows showing his surprise.
The man was likely in his late forties, his eyes sunken with fatigue, shadowed by the mask strapped to him his entire life. Link saw the rest of the Yiga do the same, as if on his command, even the younger ones looking incredibly tired, dulled red eyes and, upon removing their hoods, heads completely shaven.
“To moving on,” Link said offering his hand forward, his baby safe in the nook of his other elbow.
“To moving on,” the Blademaster repeated, shaking Link’s hand.
——————————————————————————————————
“What’s his name again?” Paya asked, smiling down at the little baby boy.
“Elyjah,” Zelda answered, and yet she didn’t look away from the hill leading down to the Dueling Peaks stable. Paya often tried to convince her to come in for a break, but Zelda had insisted on being ready for the very moment Link arrived ever since she did.
Paya looked up from the baby she held, concern etching upon her face at the way Zelda looked desperately at the road that lead outside the village.
“He’s going to be okay,” Paya assured her. “They’ll both be back safe and sound.”
Zelda shook her head as she looked over to Paya.
“I should have gone with him,” Zelda said. “I don’t know how much longer I can—”
Zelda’s voice broke as she began to cry, her hand going to her mouth and her eyelids clasping. Paya immediately embraced her with her free arm.
“There there,” Paya said. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Why is he taking so long?” Zelda blubbered. “It’s been days. What if he’s hurt? What if…”
Her words trailed away as she sobbed into Paya’s shoulder more, the Sheikah giving a small smile.
“It’s okay,” she said in a soothing voice. “You can just cry. That’s all you have to do right now. Just stay right here with me and cry.”
And yet the baby boy took the advice instead, starting to wail himself. Zelda’s crying turned into a chuckle as she withdrew, taking her son into her own arms and soothing him with a soft finger on his cheek and tears rolling down hers. Zelda gently bobbed him until he quieted down.
“He’s hungry again,” Zelda said, looking to exterior of Kakariko once more. “Wendie must be starving.”
Paya inhaled to assure Zelda that Link could likely purchase milk on the road, but Zelda interrupted her.
“I’ll feed him inside,” Zelda said as she headed back into Kakariko, Paya nodding before following Zelda’s stride.
“He has your eyes,” Paya said. “Green, as bright as yours.”
“Yes,” Zelda said looking down with a proud smile and a slight laugh. “Wendie got Link’s blue eyes. It really has been quite the miracle. I never thought it would come to this.”
“Come to what?”
Zelda lifted her gaze to Paya.
“Let’s just say that when I was sixteen, I didn’t like my knight attendant very much. If you told me back then that we would end up married with children in a small house in Hateno, I wouldn’t have believed it. I—“
Zelda was suddenly distracted by a skirmish they were approaching in the middle of Kakariko. Upon seeing Link’s horse, she took no hesitation running forward.
Link did the same once he saw her, them surging into a deep and desperate exchange of their lips.
“I’m so glad you are okay,” Zelda whispered as she withdrew. “You were taking so long that…”
Zelda’s gaze moved downward, crying tears of joy seeing her daughter Wendie sleeping in Link’s arms.
“Oh goddesses she’s okay.”
“Of course she is,” Link said with a smile. “If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s rescuing princesses.”
Zelda laughed.
“Link, she’s not a princess. We talked about this.”
“True,” Link said in replied. “But she’ll always be my princess.”
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a-blue-secret · 3 years
Text
CHAPTER XVIII
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BACK TO MASTERLIST
Chapter XVII | Chapter XVIII | Chapter XIX
GENRES: royal au; fantasy au; magic au; friends-to-enemies-to-lovers; king!beomgyu, vizier!taehyun
PAIRING: taegyu
WARNINGS: swearing, slight homophobia and transphobia
WORD COUNT: 5.3k+
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AN: So! If you thought that the last chapter was a rollercoaster ride, then you'd better sit down for this one. I spent ages on this chapter, and I have to say I'm really happy with how it turned out. Enjoy!
SUMMARY: Best friends turned enemies, Kang Taehyun has managed to trick Choi Beomgyu into his service, and to rule for a year and a day, until his youngest brother would be old enough to take the throne. Choi Beomgyu has no intention of being obedient however, and tries to thwart Taehyun’s orders at every turn. With a growing amount of distrust and lies within the court, will Taehyun manage to keep the kingdom of Gojongja from falling apart?
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"Stop being such a fucking coward," Taehyun whispered, voice shaking. With either anger or unbearable sadness, neither were sure.
Beomgyu closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, there was a look of resignation within them. He raised his sword. "Brains before beauty," he said, and Taehyun did not hesitate.
.・゜-: ✧ :-
Taehyun lunged and thrust out his sword with such force that Beomgyu had to whirl out of the way at the last minute.
Surprised at the vicious attack, Beomgyu gave a startled laugh. “You hate me that much, huh?”
Taehyun didn’t answer, and advanced upon Beomgyu, slashing his sword ferociously. Beomgyu staggered back, deflecting Taehyun’s attacks with his sword.
“Why are you doing this, Taehyun? Do you really hate me?”
Taehyun gritted his teeth. Truth be told, he had no idea now. He thought he did, because what else could this intense emotion inside him be?
He could see Beomgyu open his mouth again, probably to tell Taehyun to stop, but he didn’t want to hear Beomgyu at that moment, so he spoke first.
“Of course I hate you, idiot! Why else would I betray you so much?” He punctuated the statement with a fierce lunge, as if to prove he really did hate Beomgyu. He didn’t know who he was proving it to, and he didn’t even know if it was working.
Beomgyu couldn’t answer, too busy fending off Taehyun’s attacks. Taehyun suspected that Beomgyu wasn’t really trying. As the son of a swordmaster, Beomgyu’s skills ought to have rivalled that of the former prince’s, but his play was infuriatingly ordinary. It was almost like he wasn’t trying… as if he didn’t want to hurt Taehyun. For some reason, the thought made Taehyun angrier, and he attacked Beomgyu harder and faster. But the King just calmly flicked off Taehyun’s sword with his own, spinning out of the way in an almost relaxed manner. His face, however, was anything but relaxed. Distress, hurt, panic, and anger warred across his facial expressions, as if he had no idea what sort of emotion he should be feeling right now.
“Is there anything else you lied to me about?”
Beomgyu caught Taehyun off-guard by suddenly asking a question, and the vizier almost tripped. Beomgyu stepped away quickly, lowering his sword. Taehyun thought he saw Beomgyu offer a hand out of the corner of his eye, but when he straightened, Beomgyu was just standing still, waiting for Taehyun to come at him again. Taehyun narrowed his eyes and lunged.
“Yeah, there is. You remember the sister, right? The sister whose life I swore upon when I came to you with the contract, before the Crown Handing. I lied to you about her. She was my sister: my real blood sister from the Jeo clan. The Jeo clan has no surname branches, right? She and I were the last of the Jeo clan. Said sister died when she was born, just two years after me. I’m the last of the Jeo clan.”
Beomgyu sucked in a breath, almost forgetting to block Taehyun’s attack. The sword came down and slashed a long cut in Beomgyu’s coat but he didn’t even register it, staring at Taehyun in sadness and disappointment. “So you really did lie to me about something else. Wow. I… I should have known.”
Beomgyu’s disappointed tone made Taehyun feel even worse, and gritted his teeth, coming down even harder on Beomgyu.
“What can I say? I really do hate you.”
“You know it’s better to talk things out rather than fight, don’t you? Taehyun, don’t do this.”
“Don’t do this?” Taehyun scoffed, never taking his eyes off Beomgyu’s sword. “This is long overdue, Beomgyu. This hate I have for you: it’s mutual, isn’t it? Don’t deny it. Surely you must hold hate over me.” He advanced on Beomgyu, almost pushing him into a corner of the room.
“It’s not mutual,” Beomgyu insisted. “It really isn’t. Believe me, I know my feelings, and this emotion I have for you is not hate. And why does it have to be talked about like this? Taehyun, please. Why can’t we just sit down and talk normally?” Beomgyu ducked under Taehyun’s arm, freeing himself from becoming trapped.
“Stop being a coward, Beomgyu,” Taehyun hissed, once again going after Beomgyu. His sword came crashing down on Beomgyu’s, and Beomgyu struggled to prevent Taehyun’s sword from touching him. “You’re always running away. You know that, right? You’re such a coward, always running away to avoid things. You’re always running away from things even remotely related to me. You ran away from court, you ran away from your duties. You’re running away right now. When will you stop running away and just face me ?”
At that, something in Beomgyu snapped. He stopped trying to back away from Taehyun, and threw off Taehyun’s sword with sudden strength, this time advancing on the vizier.
“Me, running away from you? Are you being fucking serious right now? Taehyun, I’ve never run away from you. Never!”
Taehyun was taken aback by how quickly Beomgyu’s mood had switched, scrambling to deflect Beomgyu’s blows.
“You were always the one running away from me, Taehyun. I asked you to face me, but you’re the one who avoided it. You avoided me in the first place, you know that right?”
Taehyun scoffed. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t play dumb,” Beomgyu snapped, sword just silver blur in the lights. “When I came out to you, you avoided me. Hell, even before that! When Jieon revealed himself as gender fluid, you avoided me!”
“Well what was I supposed to do?” Taehyun yelled back, slashing his sword with even more vigour. “I had a reputation to protect, you know!”
“Your reputation was more important than your best friend and his brother? Seriously?” Beomgyu said. “Wow, I never thought you’d sink that low!”
Taehyun made a noise of indignation, swinging his sword at Beomgyu. The other deflected his attacks easily, and Taehyun struggled to defend himself.
“Why shouldn’t I worry about my reputation?” Taehyun fired back. “I was the prince, Beomgyu. In this homophobic Kingdom, being seen with you two wouldn’t be beneficial to me at all.”
“You could have at least helped, Taehyun!”
“Helped what? What are you talking about?”
Beomgyu stepped back, and Taehyun stopped too. He stared at the vizier in disbelief.
“What are you talking about?” Taehyun repeated.
At that, Beomgyu flared up. Taehyun genuinely had no idea?
Taehyun, tired of waiting for Beomgyu, attacked again, but didn’t get far before Beomgyu’s sword started to swing harder and faster. There was a look of pure heartbroken rage on his face.
“Jieon died, Taehyun! He took his own life.”
At those words, Taehyun stumbled. “What? I– I thought he just ran away.”
Beomgyu scoffed, angrily brushing away a tear. “You’re so ignorant. Didn’t you notice that I was wearing black for a whole month? Oh– that’s right. You were too busy avoiding me.” Beomgyu lunged, anger fuelling his movements. “Jieon was all I had! When Mother ran away when I was five, and Father was too busy with his Lord duties, Jieon was the one who looked after me. You could have stopped the bullies, Taehyun! You could have stopped them from taunting him, pushing him to kill himself! But you didn’t. You did nothing to stop them, Taehyun! Nothing!”
“Well I didn’t know, did I?” Taehyun shot back, sword slashing furiously to block Beomgyu’s attacks. “How can I do something if I don’t know what it is?”
“‘Tranny’, ‘fake man’, taunting him and calling him ‘it’... They dehumanised him so many times, not even caring when he informed them that he felt like a ‘she’ or a ‘they’ or a ‘he’ at that time! Do you know how hard that must be, Taehyun? To see people just not care?”
“So then why are you calling him ‘he’?” Taehyun retorted.
“Because he was a ‘he’ when he died!” Beomgyu snapped, tears and sword glistening in the light. “I still see his face, that look of helplessness… I felt so fucking useless in that moment. I couldn’t stop him, no matter how hard I begged. No matter how hard I cried and begged him to stay, he still jumped.” His watery glare honed in on Taehyun again. “But you could have stopped them! You could have done something, and yet you did nothing! And don’t give me that ‘I didn’t know’ bullshit, because this was huge back in court. You knew, Taehyun! But you did nothing!”
“At least I didn’t join in!” Taehyun defended himself, both with his voice and sword. “Unlike all those others!”
“But you didn’t stop them, Taehyun!” Beomgyu yelled, tears choking his words. “Because you did nothing, it makes you as bad as them!”
Taehyun stood there, stunned. He didn’t even notice Beomgyu’s sword coming at him until the last minute, and he spun away quickly. The sword impaled itself in the stone wall, vibrating slightly from the force which Beomgyu had used. Judging by how deep it was lodged into the stone, Beomgyu had added his wind strength to drive the sword harder. Taehyun stared at the sword in shock.
Beomgyu was sitting on the floor, sobbing hysterically.
“I never hated you, Taehyun. It sounds like I hate you, but I don’t. Not you. I may have hated what you did, but I could never hate you. Never you. To me, you would always be the kind, loving Kang Taehyun, the Taehyun I knew since he could barely walk. Because I knew who you truly were, I couldn’t hate you.”
Taehyun’s sword clattered to the floor. Beomgyu didn’t even look up at him, face still covered by his hands.
“Though I may have gotten mad for what you’d done, I could never hate you. I tried to, I swear I did: I tried to hate you when you rejected me for being homosexual; I tried when you betrayed me and landed me here, and I’ve tried several times these past months. But I just can’t,” Beomgyu sobbed, now hiccuping because of the force of his tears. “I could never hate you, no matter how hard I tried. It drove me fucking insane, Taehyun. Do you want to know why I could never hate you? How, despite everything that happened, I never hated you?”
“No,” Taehyun said. “I don’t.” I do. I want to know why you could never hate me, the person who betrayed you over and over again.
Beomgyu ignored Taehyun, and continued talking. “Forget what I said about ‘loved’, past tense,” he said through tears. “I still do. I fucking love you, Kang Taehyun!” he screamed, suddenly becoming hysterical. Taehyun took a step back, wide-eyed, as Beomgyu scrunched his fists into his hair, still sobbing.
For a few minutes, he wasn’t able to form proper words, his tears choking all coherent sentences he could make. He cried and hiccuped, his hands doing little to wipe the tears that kept pouring down his cheeks. Some part of Taehyun told him to go help Beomgyu, but all he could do was stand there, hands swinging uselessly by his sides, as Beomgyu rubbed at his own eyes. Eventually, it seemed his eyes grew tired of constantly watering, as his tears began to die down, until he was just giving the odd hiccup.
“I love you so much,” he whispered, wetness still glistening on his cheeks. “You could hurt me a thousand times, but I’d never be able to hurt you, not even once. I can’t. You can roll your eyes and sigh and push me away like an annoying child, but I’ll still come back like an obedient puppy. Even if you scream and glare and tell me you hate me, I can’t hate you. Because the Taehyun I know could never truly hate me, either. The Taehyun who smiled and laughed and who I spent my most precious moments with. The Taehyun who called himself the moon to my sun, who lit up my darkest nights. The Taehyun I fell in love with long ago, who I still believe is inside you. Call me stupid, call me an idiot. But I can never hate you when I knew what kind of person you truly were.” He wiped at his cheeks, looking sad and tired and so heartbroken it made Taehyun’s heart hurt.
“Then why?” Taehyun whispered. “Why did you say you hate me?”
“It was easier than explaining how I truly felt,” Beomgyu said. He looked up at Taehyun, eyes bloodshot and teary, but still bright and beautiful. “I love you, Taehyun. It may sound abrupt, but I really do. I’ve loved you for so long, I can’t remember what not loving you feels like.” He gave a tired, watery smile, all the anger and fury drained out of him. “You probably don’t feel the same. I knew you didn’t anyway, the moment you walked out on me, three years ago. It’s okay. But I just want you to know that it was never hate I felt for you. It was love.” Slowly, he stood up and reached out his hand. Taehyun flinched, thinking Beomgyu was trying to reach for him, but Beomgyu’s sword just flew out of where it had been impaled in the wall, back to Beomgyu’s hands. He placed the sword by Taehyun’s feet, and stepped back: a traditional sign of surrender. A sign used when a soldier recognised a more skilled, more powerful opponent that he could never be able to maim. Normally, it would be used when a soldier couldn’t hurt them; here, Beomgyu used it to show that he wouldn’t hurt him.
After placing his sword at Taehyun’s feet, he straightened, and stepped back again. The action was sad and defeated, and it made Taehyun’s heart clench uncomfortably.
“Ah, right. I came here to apologise, didn’t I? Well then, here is my last apology: I apologise for being here in your life, Taehyun. I apologise for all the pain and frustration I’ve caused you. I never intended to be someone that you hate, and I apologise for that.” Taehyun didn’t say anything, so Beomgyu hesitantly bowed again. “I’ll… I’ll get going now.”
Despite those words, he stayed where he was for a few more seconds, as if hoping for Taehyun to say something. The hope was evident on his face, too. But when Taehyun just stared blankly at him, he sighed – a small, barely-there sigh. But Taehyun heard it. And yet again, his heart clenched. Still, he didn’t move. He only stood there and watched as Beomgyu slowly trudged away, footsteps loud and echoing in the large gymnasium.
Something in him stirred: a desperate, intense emotion that persisted within him. With every step Beomgyu took, it felt as if he were stamping all over Taehyun’s heart. As he watched Beomgyu gradually move further away, he felt a strange urge to call out to him, to prevent him from leaving. It was strange in the fact that he’d never felt something as intense as this before, and it only came when he was around Beomgyu. He gave a gasp suddenly, as he realised. He finally realised, after all this time, what the intense feeling was. And it wasn’t hate.
“I don’t hate you.”
Beomgyu paused. Slowly, he looked back, and there was a small, sad smile on his face. “There’s no need to pity me, Taehyun. I know that what you feel for me is far away from love. It’s alright. I’ve learnt to live with it.”
“I don’t hate you,” Taehyun repeated. “I don’t hate you.” Finally, he began to move, walking towards Beomgyu. “I don’t. Just like you, I pretend I do, because it’s easier than admitting what it actually is. And what it actually is… is something other than hate.”
Beomgyu was already shaking his head before Taehyun could finish. “No, Taehyun, don’t. Please don’t give me hope. Hope is a flimsy, foolish thing. I have been misled by hope one too many times, and I will not be led astray again.” Beomgyu retreated again, but Taehyun reached out a hand and grasped his wrist, holding him in place.
“Please, just listen,” Taehyun begged. “Listen, and believe me. Even though I didn’t know it myself until just seconds ago, I’m sure that my feelings are correct. Surer than anything.”
The other didn’t say anything.
“Please.”
Beomgyu closed his eyes and looked down, inhaling a shaky breath. But he didn’t remove his arm from Taehyun’s grip. “Go on then,” he said in a small voice. “Since it looks like you really want to. Give me hope.”
Taehyun breathed a sigh of relief, his body relaxing. But he still gripped onto Beomgyu’s wrist tight, as if it were his lifeline.
“You were right,” he said. “I was always avoiding you. Always trying to stay away from you, to stay away from the feelings I felt. Because when you were around, all I could focus on was you.”
The hand which Taehyun didn’t have a grip on was curled at Beomgyu’s side. He clenched his fist, head still bowed and eyes squeezed shut, as if he didn’t want to look up at Taehyun.
“That day… I walked away from you because it made me realise that I might feel… that way about you as well. The– the thought scared me, because it was so different, so sudden, that I didn’t know what to do. So I freaked out, and walked away.” Taehyun sighed. “I know, I know. It was an asshole move. I know that now, and I’m really, really sorry.” He gave a weak smile. “You’re right, you know. I’m the coward. I was the one who avoided you because I didn’t know how to handle my feelings. Because I was so scared, I convinced myself I was repulsed and hated you, to explain away the intense feeling I felt. I ran away from my feelings. I ran away from you. And I’m sorry. I really am. You’re not the coward here, Beomgyu. The coward here is me.”
Taehyun bit his lip, hesitating.
“I really am just the moon, Beomgyu. Timid. Pale. Relying on you to be able to live. I only come out in the darkness, while you’re going to sleep, because that’s when I feel most confident. Because I’m just a scared, shy moon who relies on their bright, happy sun to be able to feel some warmth.
“When– when I lost you, when you left court, you have no idea how cold I felt. When you left, I realised what a huge mistake it had been to let you go. But I was prideful: I didn’t want to admit my mistake. And so I let you go, even though it hurt me to do so.
“When you were gone, I felt more confident about myself, since your light wasn’t with me. Your bright, beautiful light which shone even on sunny days. My life had been plunged into darkness, and in that time, I was the brightest light. There was no sun with its light guiding the way. It was just me, on my own. In that darkness, I slowly forgot how bright your light was, convincing myself I didn’t need you. That I was bright enough to shine. I told myself I didn’t need you, didn’t have to need you anymore. I tried to convince myself that I didn’t want you. Until… until I did. But when you came back into my life, it wasn’t with the tirelessly optimistic brightness you normally had. Your light had dimmed, and saddened, and that just made me feel even worse. Because I did that to you. I turned my back on you, and I hurt you.”
Slowly, gingerly, he slid his hand down Beomgyu’s wrist, loosely intertwining their hands together. Beomgyu offered no resistance, and even gripped Taehyun’s hand tighter. But still, he didn’t look at Taehyun.
“When I realised that, it made me feel even worse. I was meant to be your moon, the rock always by your side, but I abandoned you, because I was too scared to own up for my own feelings. And because I don’t want to see your light die further, I’m doing it now. I don’t hate you, Beomgyu. No matter how many times I tried to convince myself, it never fully worked, even though I tried to believe it did. Because for as long as your light shone, so did mine, and I could never hate you for being there, helping me live. I truly don’t hate you.
“I know you have no reason to believe me, but please,” Taehyun begged, voice wavering with the amount of emotion he felt, “please, believe me. I don’t hate you. Far from it. It may seem like I’m only saying it, but I mean it too. When… when I thought I was going to lose you just now, that’s what did it for me. It’s what made me realise that I really do care for you, Beomgyu. I couldn’t lose my light again, because of yet another stupid mistake of mine. I know I’ve lied and betrayed you so many times, but I’d never lie about this. I care about you more than you thought. I care about you more than I thought. I really do.”
Beomgyu squeezed Taehyun’s hand tighter, fingernails digging into the vizier’s skin. Taehyun’s hands were damp with sweat, but still he clung to Beomgyu desperately, begging the other to believe him.
There was a tense, desperate silence between them. Beomgyu didn’t respond, and Taehyun didn’t add anything further to his confession. He couldn’t– it felt like his throat had shrivelled up, and his tongue had forgotten how to form words.
Beomgyu took several slow, shaky breaths, before finally lifting his head to look at Taehyun.
“Taehyun, please, don’t do this to my poor heart,” he whispered, voice cracking desperately. “You can’t do this to me. I’m weak for you. I’ll believe every word that comes out of your mouth so please, please don't lie.”
“I’m not lying,” Taehyun said, holding Beomgyu’s hand impossibly tight. “I really am not. Truly. No, Beomgyu, please.”
Beomgyu was messily trying to extricate himself from Taehyun’s grip, but the vizier kept on clinging to his fingers, not wanting to let him go.
“I can’t,” Beomgyu said, voice quivering. “I– I can’t do it, Taehyun. I love you, a lot, far too much to risk believing you. I’m content with loving you alone, and not getting the love returned. I never would have imagined this, so please, don’t lie. Please.”
Still, Taehyun tried to hold onto Beomgyu. “I’m not lying, I’m not, truly. No– please, Beomgyu, no, no…”
With several tugs, Beomgyu managed to extract himself, stepping away. When Beomgyu finally pulled away, Taehyun let out a small sob. He didn’t even notice, but tears had begun to form in his eyes. His eyes were bright with desperation, brimming with liquid. Now, a single droplet fell down his cheek, and he didn’t even bother to wipe it away.
Tears had formed in Taehyun’s eyes countless times before, but it was today, the first day in years, that he let them fall.
Beomgyu watched in shock as the tear trailed down Taehyun’s cheek. His face crumpled briefly, distraught at the fact that Taehyun was crying because of him. Still, he took another firm step back. And, with some difficulty, another. But the raw pain in Taehyun’s eyes made him stop, his own eyes beginning to water again. Beomgyu wanted to believe Taehyun. He wanted to believe him more than anything. But he also didn’t want to get hurt. Because that’s all that Taehyun had done in years – hurt Beomgyu again and again.
“Beomgyu, please, I can’t lose you, not again–”
“If you’re my moon, then it’s best to stay away, right?” Beomgyu said desperately, not wanting to hear Taehyun’s broken voice. “As the sun, stay with me too long and I’ll only hurt you. I’m too fiery, brash, immature: I could hurt you–”
“But you never have,” Taehyun said softly, the tears in his eyes making them shine like stars. “You’ve never hurt me, only showed me the truth. I was the one who hurt you with lies, and betrayal. You never hurt me, Beomgyu.”
Tears were now slowly tracing their way down Beomgyu’s cheeks again. “You just said it yourself,” he said. “You’ve only ever hurt me.”
“I know, and I’m so, so sorry,” Taehyun whispered, reaching out to hesitantly wipe away the tears from Beomgyu’s face. His hand lingered on Beomgyu’s cheek, reluctant to move away.
“How do I know you won’t hurt me again? How do I know you aren’t lying to me right now?”
Taehyun hesitated, and Beomgyu removed his hand from his cheek.
“I don’t, do I?” he said rhetorically. “Then I can’t. I can’t become a fool for you again.” He stepped away, quicker than he’d done before, before he could be persuaded yet again to stay.
He strode away almost desperately, looking like a man fleeing from temptation. Which, it could be supposed that he was. He was pulling open one of the huge, gymnasium double doors. He was leaving. One more millisecond and he would be out the door, and would never be the same way around Taehyun again. He wouldn’t be able to so much as look at the other anymore. Their relationship – their twenty four year relationship as friends-but-something-more – shattered, just like that.
But Taehyun was already at the doors, slamming them shut, a hand over Beomgyu’s on the doorknob to prevent him from leaving, pushing Beomgyu against the door.
Beomgyu’s eyes were wide, lips already parted to try and say something.
But before he could even get a word out – before he could even begin to form a syllable – something soft and warm pressed itself against his mouth, and all his protests withered like flowers in his throat.
After all, who was he to complain when the love of his life was there, right in front of him, kissing him in the gentlest way imaginable?
His eyelids fluttered shut, transfixed by the sensation of Taehyun’s mouth on his own. The hand covering his came up to rest on his cheek, pulling Beomgyu even closer towards Taehyun.
He was melting. There was no other way to describe it. Beomgyu was melting under Taehyun’s touch.
Taehyun was the only thing taking up all of his senses– his intoxicating, slightly sweaty, Taehyun-like scent, his feather-light touch, his comforting, familiar presence: fuck, Taehyun was even the only thing he could taste in that moment. His soft, plush lips, pressed ever so gently against his own, making Beomgyu’s insides melt from the softness.
Ever so slowly, in a sweet, unhurried manner, he began to kiss Taehyun back, adoring the fact that Taehyun was here, right here, kissing him in the gentlest way possible, his touch as sweet as honey. It was like Taehyun was the flower and Beomgyu was the honey bee: he was completely taken by Taehyun, and couldn’t get him close enough.
Eventually, in an almost reluctant manner, Taehyun pulled away, still holding Beomgyu’s face in his hands. He licked his pinkened lips nervously, staring up at Beomgyu.
“I don’t want you to ever think I’m going to hurt you,” he said softly. “Because… I like you. A lot. I– I don’t know if this feeling is love, but if it isn’t, then it’s pretty damn close. I would never intentionally hurt you. Not again. Not anymore. Not now, now that I know how I feel for you.”
Beomgyu was silent for a tense minute, and Taehyun grew more anxious. Perhaps Beomgyu didn’t believe him? Perhaps he thought Taehyun was lying?
Taehyun opened his mouth to add onto what he had just said. “You might not believe me, but it’s true. Even if you don’t believe me, could you think about it? Give me a chance? I know I haven’t been that forthcoming with you, and I’ve hurt you so many times, but everything I just said… I really did mean every word.” Beomgyu just stared at him. The tears were building up in Taehyun’s eyes again. “Please, Beomgyu, could you believe me? Please. Hell, the longer I think about it, the more it seems to be true. Beomgyu, I l–”
Beomgyu took Taehyun’s face into his hands and pulled him into another kiss. And, though it was muffled by Beomgyu’s lips, Taehyun gave a soft gasp, letting out a surprised oh.
This kiss was more desperate, more determined than before. Beomgyu’s lips moved against Taehyun’s almost feverishly, as if he couldn’t get enough of him. His touch was firmer, more sure of itself. Taehyun staggered back, surprised by the force of the kiss. One of Beomgyu’s hands came down to Taehyun’s back, guiding him to one of the pillars by the door.
This kiss was passionate, full of raw emotions. Taehyun’s hand weakly rested on Beomgyu’s waist, overwhelmed by the fervor with which Beomgyu kissed him.
Though he hadn’t said a word, Beomgyu’s message was clear.
I believe you, and I love you. I love you, so so much. I love you.
Those three words echoed in Taehyun’s brain as they kissed, over and over again. It was all that filled his mind as Beomgyu’s lips moved against his, soft and yet passionate and oh so wonderful.
He loves me. Beomgyu loves me.
Suddenly, he began to cry.
During their first kiss, Taehyun had been too overcome with fear, anxiousness, and desperateness to make Beomgyu stay that he hadn’t fully registered what was happening. But now, feeling Beomgyu of his own accord pull him in, attaching their lips together… the thought that someone loved him enough to do that was overwhelming in itself, but to hear it loud and clear, the ‘I love you’ evident in Beomgyu’s actions: it was all too much for Taehyun to take. For someone who’d bottled up his emotions and detached himself from his feelings for years, building up this facade of a curt, cold, unapproachable person– this obvious display of love made him break down into tears.
He was crying: harder now, so hard that Beomgyu pulled away, fearing he’d done something wrong.
“Taehyun? I– I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to–”
Taehyun grabbed onto Beomgyu’s wrists to stop him from moving away, sinking to the ground. He held Beomgyu’s hands, pressing his lips against his knuckles. “I love you,” he managed to whisper through sobs. “I love you, I love you, I love you…”
Understanding the situation, Beomgyu’s face melted into a gentle smile, coming to crouch down next to Taehyun. “It’s alright, it’s alright… I love you too.” Taehyun began to sob harder, and Beomgyu pulled him against his chest, letting the younger cry into his shoulder.
He pressed a soft, loving kiss onto Taehyun’s hair, wrapping his arms more tightly around his shaking shoulders. Taehyun continued to cry, pressed securely against Beomgyu’s chest, still whispering ‘I love you’s repeatedly.
The afternoon sunlight continued to stream in through the gymnasium windows, before darkening to the richer, warmer evening light. The pink sunlight reflected off their swords, lying discarded in one corner. The light slowly faded, before disappearing altogether, a navy sky studded with small lights replacing the orange and pink canvas. And still, the two of them stayed there, in each other’s embrace, exchanging words of confession and soft, shy kisses under the gentle, serene light of the moon.
And for the first time, the first time in many years, they were happy. Together.
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blarrghe · 3 years
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ooo could you do “Can we make cake? I like cake.”
@midnightprelude also sent me this prompt, approximately a year ago now lol, and I've been dwelling on it for sooo long. Anyway I just woke up and decided to fill this very cute prompt with some Lavellan Fam and I think there’s a sequel brewing. ft. @serphena ‘s Theo and Kiara! -- Taren used to be good with kids. He used to spend his weekend mornings teaching the children of the clan traditional dances, he used to light up holiday nights with bursts of magic whisps that made them ooh and ahh, he used to tell the littlest ones, the scared ones whose parents were away, or just gone, the same old stories that had been told to him, when he'd needed them. In his heart of hearts, he always wanted kids. A family. A home. He never really talked about that. He still never really talks about that.
There are five kids at Skyhold. Five is nothing compared to the number of scampering, laughing, rambunctious children he used to sometimes be put in charge of supervising as a First, back when Keeper Deshanna thought he’d needed practice at responsible. He isn’t in charge of supervising any of the children in the fortress. He’s had more than enough practice at responsible. But they’re well taken care of, the children of this strange new clan. The baker’s daughter has her mother still, the merchant’s three children come and go, and Kiara... Kiara is just like her father, independent. And when she isn’t being independent, she’s stuck to the legs of Theo, and when Theo is away, Cassandra. He tries not to be offended by the fact that his brother’s daughter doesn’t seem to like him very much. If he were her, he wouldn’t either.
It’s a good thing, really, that there are other people to supervise the children. The Inquisitor has enough on his plate without having to worry about things like mediating fights over building blocks or soothing nightmares, and in this chaotic world with it’s green, gaping sky filled with literal demons, there have been a lot of nightmares. Now, he is the story parents tell their children when the bad dreams come at night: the Inquisitor will fix it. He has a magic hand and he’ll heal the whole sky, patch it right up.
He tries not to hear the stories, but his brother’s daughter looks at him like he’s one part mythic hero, one part imminent threat to everything she has ever loved.
She’s no stranger to danger, even though she’s barely five. Theo told him about how they used to live, running from place to place, threat to threat. Even with the gaping green hole in the sky, this is better. Skyhold feels safe. Sometimes, Skyhold feels like the only safe place in the world.
Which is why she doesn’t like Taren very much. Because every so often, when the gaping green hole is being particularly nasty, spitting out its demons and smaller tears of awful and green into the world, Taren sends her papa away. Really, Theo volunteers to go. Taren never asked for his help, he just showed up and offered it. He’s always been the kind of person who could never just stand by, they have that in common. And by the looks of things so will Kiara, one day, but right now she just misses her papa, and worries about the demons she knows are out there, and looks at Taren like he’s responsible.
And he can’t blame her. He is.
Which makes being put in charge of supervising her while both Cassandra and Theo are away exceedingly difficult. He volunteered to do it, of course. Promised Theo it would be fine, fun, even. Reminded him of how good he has always been with kids, told him he’d be grateful for the opportunity to get to know his little niece. And now she’s huffing at his every suggestion, and running away from him when he offers her dinner at the end of the long days, and hiding in her room with a doll Krem made her while refusing bedtime stories at night. Krem, who is a great, scary mercenary from a band of great, scary mercenaries, who lives in the tavern making lewd jokes and telling gory stories with Bull, is better loved by Skyhold’s children, by his own brother’s child, than he is.
Of course, he understands it. If he was a child, he’d like Krem better too. Krem makes little nug dolls with wings on them, and it’s hard to compete with that.
Still, it’s not just a jealousy thing. It’s not just a want of family or a desire to see enthusiastic appreciation for his skills at story-telling and whisp-making again. It’s not even just that he’s missed so much of his brother’s life, that he found out about Kiara when she was already four years old, and that Theo’s story about that life they had on the run sank into his heart cold. Those are all good reasons to feel a sense of determination about this, to want to prove that he is a fun, funny, warm and welcoming uncle. To want to be there for her even when her papa can’t be. To want to be considered as family. But it’s more than just love, he’ll love his brother’s child even if she does nothing but throw tantrums and slam doors the entire time Theo is away. What he really wants, selfishly, is a break.
He still knows how to make colourful whisps, but it’s been years since anyone’s needed his magic to do anything other than hurt. He still knows all the old stories, but it’s been years since anyone wanted to talk about Elvhenan as anything other than a puzzle to solve. He still knows the traditional dances, but the only dancing he’s done in years took him in stiff steps over marble floors, analyzing the threats hidden behind glittering masks, until finally, at the end of the night, someone tried to kill him. He’s just tired. He just wants to have some fun. 
So he decides, after four days of enduring a five-year-old’s brooding, that today they will have fun, whether Kiara wants to or not. They clearly both need it.
“Hey Kiara Kiddo,” he calls out to her where she’s picking dandelions from the courtyard green. She looks up at him with a sour expression, but she doesn’t get up or abandon the chain of flowers she’s connecting, which is a promising start. He sits next to her on the grass.
“Why do you always call me Kiara Kiddo?” she asks, stubborn, huffy, eyes narrowing to a squint. She doesn’t have Theo’s distinctive eye colours -- one blue, one green -- hers come from someone neither of them have ever met, and they’re deep and endlessly brown, but they squint just like her father’s. Taren leans back in the grass, and squints back at her.
“Because you’re a kiddo,” he says, “and it starts with the same letter.”
“I’m not a kiddo!” she huffs, “I’m a knight! Like Cassandra!”
Taren stifles a chuckle. Yesterday, she proved her skill with a practice sword by hitting him with it when he tried to tell her it was bedtime, which wasn’t very knightly, but her sword skills are rather good for a five year old, and now he has a bruise on his knee.
“Ok,” he says, “I’m sorry, Knight Kiara. That starts with the same letter too.”
Kiara considers this for a moment. “No it doesn’t.” she determines, “Knight starts with ‘nnnn’.”
“There’s a ‘K’ there first, you just don’t say it aloud.” Taren explains, “do you want help with your crown, Knight Kiara?”
“No.” she says, as she returns her attention to the linkage of yellow flowers, “why are there so many letters you don’t say?”
“What do you mean?”
“Laugh has a ‘guh’ at the end you don’t say, and know has a ‘K’ before the ‘nnn’ too.” she says, squinting down at her chain, “and Uncle Dori says that lots of big words sound smaller once you learn them.” Dorian is teaching Kiara to read. Dorian, who is probably the last person anyone would ever expect to even go near a child, never mind being the one to tell one stories, has earned himself a nickname and several flower crowns. Taren is head-over-heels in love with Dorian, though neither of them has said as much, and seeing him with a flower crown on his head about stopped his heart, the first time. But that doesn’t keep the jealousy from rising in his throat right now, when Dorian gets to be “Uncle” and he’s still spending his days feeling like he’s more title than person. More title than person to everyone, not just to Kiara, but not getting to be anyone’s uncle, that’s where it stings the most.
But if Kiara wants to be a knight, then he can be the all-important Inquisitor.
“He’s right about that,” Taren agrees, “do you want to go find a story about knights? I can help you read it.”
“No.” says Kiara.
“Or you could teach me sword fighting,” he suggests. Kiara simply shakes her head.
Taren is determined. He has an arsenal of kid-friendly activities at the ready to suggest. Colouring and stories and games and imaginative adventures they could go on around Skyhold, since he holds all the keys. She could sit up in his throne or they could visit Leliana’s birds, they could steal Cullen’s chess board or borrow Solas’ paints. He suggests a few of these things, and Kiara continues to say no, and squint at the grass.
Taren sighs. “Well I don’t know, Knight Kiara, what should we do?”
“Nothing.” she says.
Taren frowns. “That doesn’t sound like much fun,” he picks a few dandelions of his own, and fiddles with their stems, “I told your papa that me and you would have lots of fun while he’s gone,” he tries, “what are we going to tell him when he comes back?”
Kiara looks at him, fire in her warm brown eyes. “I don’t want to play with you until papa comes back. I just want papa to come back.”
“I know, kiddo.”
Her frown deepens, her eyes blaze.
“Sorry, knight,” Taren sighs again, “he’ll come back soon.” he promises.
“Why did you make him go?”
“I --” Taren pauses. His defence is not what Kiara wants to hear, not what she needs to hear. She’s already asked that question of him a hundred times, and she knows what his answer is. She asked Theo the same question a hundred times before he left, too, and Theo’s answer was the same. “I miss him too.” he says instead, “I’m worried about him too.”
“Then why don’t you make him come back.” it doesn’t sound anything like a question.
“I can’t,” he says, and it’s an honest answer, then he smiles, “no one can ever make your papa do anything, and no one will be able to stop him coming back to you.” that’s true too, mostly. Kiara is silent, she picks at the petals of one of her flowers.
“Do you want to see where he went?” Taren offers. She’s seen the maps before, Theo outlined the whole route and showed her the maps he’d be taking with him, and she’s gone over all the place names so many times that now she can recite them from memory, but sometimes it helps. “We can go look at the big map in the war room,” Taren offers, knowing she’s always been curious about what goes on in there, “or we can climb to the tallest tower of the castle and look out, if we face the right way and look really hard, we might see their fires.” That’s less true. Some scout fires can be seen from Skyhold’s peaks at night, but none of those are where Theo is. 
Kiara considers, then she shakes her head.
“We could write him a letter,” Taren offers next, “and take it to Leliana’s birds.” That helps too. He knew it would, so he suggested it to Dorian, and now they do that almost every day. Kiara gives him a startled look, like she’s surprised that he knows about the power of writing an absent parent letters, but then she shakes her head again.
The stem of one of Kiara’s flowers snaps when she tries to tie it, and she drops the whole thing with a disappointed groan. Taren picks it up. “Here,” he says, delicately taking the thing from the ground and waving a hand over its broken end until the stem grows out. He magics them together, pulls on the fade until it the stem is long and sturdy and then gives it reinforcing vines of magically grown plant matter to bind it, tying the whole thing together, “all better, see?” It’s an easy thing to do, sprouting a bit of green. Easier than calling on the spirits of the dead to fight after they fall, or summoning a rift he still doesn’t really understand to isolate his enemies, much easier than flinging bolts of electricity or even putting up a barrier. Kiara’s eyes go wide while she watches him.
“Do you have green magic because of your green hand?” she asks, for the moment more curious than she is upset with him, which is something.
“No,” he answers, “well I do, but not that kind of green magic. That’s a trick our Keeper taught me, when me and your papa were both young.”
“Papa can’t do magic.” Kiara frowns, “you have two kinds but all papa has is a bow.”
“Your papa doesn’t need magic,” Taren says, but Kiara looks unconvinced, “we learned together, you know, your papa with his bow while I was learning magic, and every time we fought he’d win.”
“Why did you fight?”
“Just for fun, just for practice. Like you and Cass.” he says, “we used to have fun together all the time, me and your papa.”
Kiara looks at him, her big brown eyes taking in his face, on which he’s projected an honest, if somewhat sad, smile. Then her eyes travel down to the flower chain, to the hand he waved over it and then to the hand he didn’t, that glows green.
“Papa won?“
“Always.” Taren says, “I don’t think even The Iron Bull could beat him.”
Kiara nods seriously.
“Did your papa ever tell you about when he was little?”
Kiara shrugs, “papa didn’t have a mama either, and he didn’t even have a papa, but you took care of him. That’s why I have to listen to you while he’s gone.” she recites, not like she knows it, but like she’s been told. Taren frowns.
“We had each other,” he says, “we had the whole clan, like a big, big family, but...” he pauses. He doesn’t want to make her sadder than she already is, “I didn’t have a mama or a papa either, so we took care of each other.”
“Were you sad?” her eyes travel back down to the ground, and she picks up the crown again, admiring the mended flower stem; it’s seamless. 
“Sometimes,” Taren shrugs, “we both were, sometimes.”
“Did you help papa when he was sad?”
“Of course.”
“How?”
Taren thinks. Stories, games, helping to get them into mischief some days and to keep Theo out of trouble on others.
“Once, we got some cake from a merchant, and ate so much we got sick.” he suggests, “and I did this, and told him stories,” Taren waves his hand, the ordinary one, up into the air, and colourful whisps begin to dance about. Kiara watches a blue one flit around her flower crown, and a corner of her lip almost makes it up to a smile.
“Can we make cake?” she asks, “I like cake.”
“Good idea, Knight Kiara,” Taren smiles, “but I bet to make a cake we’ll need supplies. Are you ready for your first quest?”
Kiara smiles a little more, and nods. “Here,” she says, offering the flower crown she’s just finished out to him, “if I am the knight then you have to be the princess.”
“Got it,” Taren agrees, and places the crown on his head.
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annamaggs16 · 4 years
Text
Idek where to begin with desecting 7x08.
I’ve always been interested in how the Grounder Culture began and how it became what we saw in season 1 within 97 years and now we somewhat know. Although I’m very curious as to why we’ve never heard tales. It’s no coincidence that we’ve been shown all Madi, Jordan, and Hope were told stories of The Hundred but yet no Grounder ever knew their origin?? No stories about how Tree Crew are environmentalist forming together to survive on the ground? No stories about HOW Nightblood happened? No stories about the Clan leaders? Does Gaia know about Callie being the first Fleimkepa?
It makes sense as to why Becca is referred to as Pramheda because to Callie she was the first Commander with the Flame. She lead Callie to do the right thing to save the human race with Nightblood. And so I was kinda right that Cadogan wants the Flame because his family is on there and I still do believe he’s trying to bring her back.
So what I wanna know is what happened to Callie and August that made them put the Flame in Callie and how does Cadogan know? Reese? Does Reese meet up with them and challenges Callie for the Flame—challenging her to be Heda? Which this starts the conclaves? Because I’m going to get really mad if Trikru vs Azgeda rivalry is built on sibling rivalry.
We know that children are considered precious to Grounders, at least those not a freikdreina. Freikdreina happens due to radiation mutation, sort of like the complete opposite of Nightblood. I’m guessing Nightblood is recessive—a blood alteration that doesn’t lie in the genome rather just affects the bone marrow hence how they became so sparse from 2k+ Nightbloods. Sanctum had this same problem and that’s why Josephine wanted to pair people based on their blood genetics to produce more Nightbloods.
I’m really hoping we’ll get an explanation as to why there are 12 clans (already kinda figured it was because of Second Dawn relation) but maybe there was a different purpose to begin with them. Was Floukru always peaceful people by the lake? Or were they a ranking title to describe people? Sangedakru? Was this a job description or based on location? It’s odd how all the Clan names are descriptors of land: Ice Nation, Boat People, Broad Leaf, Tree Crew, Shallow Valley, Desert People, etc. Was this because of an expedition mission—to go and venture to see how much of Earth is habitable? If so, how did we get over to Egypt? Are Grounders overseas the same or different?
Descendants? How does that work? What we know is that royal descent is remembered as everyone knew Roan was the grandson of King Theo. Given 97 years, either Theo was the first King of Azgeda or the son of who built Azgeda. Maybe he’s related to Reese or Tristan. I can see it being possible that Callie kills Reese in the First Conclave for Hedaship and Tristin thus creates Azgeda whose only mission has ever seemed to be to get their asses on Heda’s throne and the Flame in their head. Which would explain why Azgeda was always fought against and everyone feared them having the Flame because they didn’t know why it was important to them. But you’d think being a descendant of the people who created your Kru would be something to brag about. Why is Azgeda the only Kru with a royalty system and all others have a chain of military power all following under the Heda? Why is it that the Hedaship isn’t a family deal? Why are kids collected from their families at young ages and raised to fight until one remains? What made Callie do this?
To find out Trig was created by a kid with a blend of English and Latin explains a lot. It explains why the passphrase for the Flame was “seeker higher things” aka acende supremis. We thought it was because of Becca, but really it was because of Callie who changed it from the original passphrase. It’s likely she did that because Reese read Becca’s book and new the passphrase to take the Flame. Cadogan mentioned that the language was a little bit different, so it did go through changes in those few 3-4 generations. It’s still possible that Trig was created for a language against enemies. Callie most likely taught August and those they trusted to be able to communicate when first establishing Grounder Culture. Other Grounders just picked it up as a coded language to understand them (like what Josephine did). We know Mt. Weather at some point tries to go to the ground so maybe some sort of war happens because they need Nightblood alteration but Callie and Co ran out of alterations. Maybe that’s why President Wallace and Cage were so hellbent on using Grounder blood to experiment with radiation exposure until they found a potential cure. They just never found a Nightblood.
It’s so bizarre that no-one knew about Skaikru. Callie was obsessed with Becca and she knew about Polaris being the 13th Station—the Ark was formed shortly after the Apocalypse 1—so how is it that Callie or any other astromy/space geek didn’t know about space colonies and astronauts? Understandable how Eligius Corp was forgotten as that was a private organization and the coverage ended when Becca went to space to engenieer Nightblood but like??what?? How do you not tell your children these bizarre stories about people exploring space and how the Apocalypse created Grounders (likely that no-one knew about Deciples and the Spaceball as Callie believed they were still in the bunker and Grounders kept away from Polis for awhile). Everyone in existence seems to know about Becca but not about anyone who actually created the culture(s).
It’s so iconic that Grounders were literally created as a rebellious act of a teenage girl against her cultist father because she wasn’t allowed to hang out with her childhood idol. The biggest “FU” in the galaxy. Callie is an icon and I refuse to believe there aren’t stories about her and August like there are stories about Clarke and Bellamy.
Also, what happened to Callie’s mother?? Did she live and find Callie?
Another also, Lexa’s back tattoo...it’s got 7??Circles for the other kids in her Conclave. Maybe it’s a coincidence that they’re circles like the anomaly and planets. But we never could read that weird scripture with her tattoo and it’s not traditional for Grounders to write their language so maybe it’s the code Becca figured out and like Octavia, Lexa’s back was the only place big enough to tattoo everything together: the symbolic circles, ring, and the scripture. Which then gives another point to Clarke as the Key because she’d be the only one to have actually gotten a good look at the code.
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hysterialevi · 3 years
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Eitr | Chapter 12
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Fanfic summary: In an alternate universe where the Raven Clan is wiped out, Sigurd ends up being rescued by the son of a Saxon ealdorman, and is tasked with being the boy’s new bodyguard. Upon meeting the boy’s father however, Sigurd soon realizes that the ealdorman is responsible for his clan’s destruction, and secretly plans for revenge while hiding behind the guise of a Norse pagan turned Christian.
Point of view: third-person
Pairing: Sigurd Styrbjornson x Male OC
This story is also on AO3 | Previous chapter
LATER THAT DAY
FORANGAL CASTLE, SIGURD’S CHAMBERS
Sigurd gazed down at his hands, staring blankly into the distance as his mind tore itself apart with guilt.
His clothes were still stained with numerous splatters of Gjuki’s blood, and even though Aegenwulf finally decided to spare his life, Sigurd remained trapped in a pit of remorse, suddenly feeling an urgent desire to return home.
...What had he done? What had the Saxons turned him into? Was his mind even his own anymore? What would Eivor think about all this?
Only a handful of weeks had drifted by ever since Sigurd first washed up on Agenbury’s shore, and yet, the man felt as if a lifetime separated him from the past. He hardly recognized himself anymore after everything that had occurred, and considering how things were unfolding so far, part of him wished Edlynne had left him at the river.
He didn’t deserve to be here, or in Valhalla. Backstabbers such as himself belonged in the darkest depths of Helheim, and Sigurd had no idea how he was going to face his brother once all this was over. 
He wanted nothing more than to reunite with the fragments that remained of his family, but in light of recent events, Sigurd was now beginning to question his true motives, and how much survival really meant to him.
It would’ve been a dream come true to see Eivor’s face again, that much was true, but what would it matter if Sigurd didn’t even return as the same man? His brother was fighting to bring back the sibling he grew up with back in Fornburg, and yet, Sigurd felt as if he had become a total stranger.
There was barely anything left of the person he once was, and with Algar’s influence constantly digging deeper into the ealdorman’s mind, Sigurd didn’t even want to think about what he’d have to do to survive in the future.
Things were bad enough as it was. Any worse, and all Hell would break loose.
“Sigurd.”
Snapping out of his thoughts, the viking suddenly realized he wasn’t alone in his chambers and spotted Edric standing in front of him, trying to get his attention.
His brow was furrowed deeply in frustration, and judging by the weary look he wore on his face, Sigurd assumed he had just walked away from some sort of argument. Probably with Aegenwulf himself.
Sigurd glanced up at the man, still somewhat lost in shock. “...Edric? What are you doing here?”
The Saxon frowned in sympathy. “I apologize for intruding like this, but there’s something important you need to know. A decision was made after you left the throne room. Before I tell you about it, though... I wanted to see how you were doing first. That trial was just...” Edric sighed in disgust, “...well, you know.”
He took a seat next to the Norseman, bowing his head low in exhaustion.
“God, what an absolute mess. I knew my father had changed, but I never realized just how unhinged he was. What on earth was he thinking? Forcing two men to fight like a pair of animals. Jesus... if the Danes didn’t hate us before, they certainly will now.”
Edric turned to Sigurd, switching to a gentler tone. “I’m so sorry, Sigurd. If I had known what my father intended, I would’ve stepped in sooner. I would’ve tried to speak with him. I would’ve--”
“--You’re not to blame.” The viking replied, his voice cold with anger. “You did everything you could.”
The other man let out a breath. “Maybe. I just wish it would’ve been enough. I mean, I’m glad to see you alive, but... my God. That poor man. What was his name. Gjuki? What the hell did they do to him?”
“I feared he had already been killed,” Sigurd admitted. “But now, I’m starting to think that would’ve been a better fate.”
“No one deserves what he went through,” Edric agreed. “I still can’t believe my father would allow all this. He used to be so kind, and compassionate. He was always a firm man, but he never indulged in such cruelty. What’s happened to him?”
It didn’t take long for Sigurd to provide an answer. “Your father is no more than a pawn for Algar to use. You wish to eradicate the corruption in Wedenscire? You must get rid of him first.”
Edric picked up on his tone. “Why? Have you learned something?”
The viking nodded. “Before Gjuki drew his last breath, he revealed to me what he found in Algar’s crypt. Apparently, the man is part of the Order of the Ancients. His alias among them is The Colossus.”
Edric displayed a puzzled look. “The Order of the Ancients? I’ve never heard of them. Have you?”
“Yes, actually. Though, my knowledge on them is far from abundant. Before my clan was attacked, my brother pursued some of their members who were operating in Lunden. I also know there are many others spread across England and Norway. They worship a god whose name I’ve never heard, and their motives remain a mystery to me. I have no idea why they would be interested in your father, or how Gareth is connected to all this.”
The nobleman slid a hand down his face. “Christ Almighty. What has my family gotten itself into? I’m not familiar with this organization, Sigurd, but I’ll do whatever I can to learn more about them. If they’re as widespread as you say, there must be something we can find. Something that can put Algar down for good.”
“Just... tread carefully.” Sigurd warned. “Gjuki was on the same path as you before Algar captured him. I don’t want you to share his fate. There’s also the fact that he’ll likely be even more protective of his secrets now that someone has infiltrated his crypt.”
“Of course. I’ll be as discreet as possible.”
The viking decided to switch topics. “Well, enough about that. I’d rather not spare another thought on that bacraut after everything that’s happened. You mentioned you had something else you wanted to discuss?”
Edric sighed. “Right. You’re not going to like it. It’s... Bishop Hundwerth.”
Sigurd leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “What has he done now?”
“He insists that you convert to Christianity. I told him it wasn’t necessary, but I’m afraid Lady Moira’s voice overpowered mine. My father’s decided that you’re to be baptized tomorrow morning, and recognized as a man of God.”
“But I already proved my loyalty,” the other man argued, his tone sharp with bitterness. “Wasn’t that the whole point of pitting me against my own friend? Or was that simply for their entertainment?”
Edric shared Sigurd’s annoyance. “That’s not how the bishop sees it. In his eyes, the only thing you proved is that you’re willing to murder one of your own if it means saving yourself. You may have given your word that you won’t betray us again, but for Hundwerth, the word of a pagan holds little merit. He’d rather trust the promise of a Christian.”
The Norseman rose from his bed, pacing around the room. “So it’s not enough that they torture my people and force me to slay them? Now I must also abandon my gods?”
The Saxon bowed his head in shame. “I’m sorry, Sigurd. The unfairness of this situation isn’t lost on me, but I’m afraid there’s not much else I can do. My words seem to fall on deaf ears nowadays.”
“...It’s not your fault. You’ve already done more than enough for me.” Sigurd placed his hands on his hips, gazing out the window. “I suppose there’s no use in fighting it now. I’ve seen the kind of punishment that awaits me if I resist. I do not wish to leave my gods behind, but...” his voice softened with heartache, “...if this is the cost of survival, then... I’ll do it. I need to get back home alive. I need to see my brother again.”
Edric’s head jerked up in confusion. “Your brother? I thought he was dead.”
“So did I, but Gjuki informed me of his survival not too long ago. He was the only thing keeping us in touch. Now that he’s gone, I’m at a loss as to how I’ll contact my brother again should the need arise.”
The young man stood up from the bed and stepped behind Sigurd, resting an affectionate hand on his arm.
“...We will get through this, Sigurd.” He whispered reassuringly. “I know it can be easy to forget, but you’re not alone in these walls. You have Edlynne, Joseph, Raedan... and me. We’re here for you.” 
The viking held onto Edric’s hand and turned around to face him, finding a sense of solace in his words.
“Thank you, Edric. These are dire times, but your kindness won’t be forgotten in the days to come.” Sigurd pulled the young man close, pecking a kiss on his forehead. “I’m glad I have you at my side.”
Edric smiled in his embrace, resting his head on the man’s chest. “As am I.” 
Falling into silence, the two of them simply stood there for a moment and savored each other’s company, attempting to cling onto any shred of comfort they could find. The entire castle had descended into disarray after Aegenwulf’s unpopular decision to spare Sigurd, and with Bishop Hundwerth preparing for the upcoming baptism, it seemed like peace in Forangal was naught but a distant memory.
There was arguing, debating, contempt, scorn -- and seeing as how Gjuki’s head was now displayed on a pike, Edric imagined that the war with the Danes would only erupt. 
It was Hell on earth inside Forangal’s walls, but with Sigurd there to protect him from any threats, Edric was able to feel some sense of security. It meant nothing to him that the man was a Dane, or a pagan rather than a Christian. He knew Sigurd to be good at heart, and frankly, despite what he expected, he trusted him more than his own father these days. 
He only prayed that the tides of fate would be merciful in the near future. If he were to lose Sigurd to the chaos that was beginning to unravel, Edric didn’t know how he would proceed. That man was the only one willing to help him look into Gareth’s death, and if his instincts were correct, then Algar was at the center of it all.
He would need all the help he could get in order to take that beast down, and if that meant they had to fight for just a little longer, then Edric was willing to endure it. He just didn’t know where to start.
~~~~~~~~~~
TWO DAYS LATER
ELMENHAM, EAST ANGLIA
Galloping towards the longhouse at full speed, Broder frantically stormed his way back to Eivor as rain heavily poured down from the clouds above, shrouding everything in a bleak darkness.
He had been running for his life ever since Algar cornered Gjuki at the crypt, and with the majority of their group now lying dead in the mud, Broder had no intentions of returning to Wedenscire until Eivor himself marched for the gates of Forangal.
He hated the idea of leaving Sigurd behind to deal with his troubles alone, but considering how erratic the ealdorman had become recently, Broder was no longer willing to risk it. Not on his own, at least.
He saw for himself what the Saxons did to Gjuki, and how they treated his corpse. He may have been eager to help Eivor reunite with his brother, but Broder had his own siblings to look out for, and the last thing he wanted was to end up being a mounted head for some Saxon nobleman.
He just hoped he wasn’t too late.
Yanking on the reins of his horse, Broder came to a screeching halt as the animal’s hooves went dragging through the mud, causing the steed to let out a panicked neigh. His body was aching terribly with fatigue thanks to the long journey, but even then, the viking refused to take a break. His mind had been trapped in a perpetual state of alarm ever since Gjuki’s death, and he was adamant to get the news back to Eivor.
Rushing to the entrance of the longhouse, Broder trudged through the storm and practically bashed the doors open, ignoring the curious stares he received from scattered civilians. 
Even though the rain had washed away most of the blood staining his armor, he still remained quite a sight to behold and traipsed through Elmenham’s fields like a walking corpse rising from its grave.
Once inside, Broder spotted Eivor conversing with Oswald and Valdis as the three of them discussed the war, clearly devising some sort of plan. Their voices were nearly inaudible underneath the relentless howls of the wind, but in spite of the interference, their heads still jolted in Broder’s direction upon his obtrusive entrance, causing them to let out a unanimous gasp.
“Brother!” Valdis greeted with relief. “You’ve returned.” Her expression instantly dimmed. “...Are you well? You look awful.”
The man jogged up to them, doing his best not to collapse on the spot. 
“Eivor...!” Broder exclaimed, somewhat out of breath. “There you are. I... I...”
“Easy, drengr,” Eivor said in a calming tone. “Slow down. Tell me what’s going on.”
Broder took a moment to get his bearings, finally recovering from the treacherous ride home.
“...Gjuki’s dead, Eivor.”
Valdis’ eyes widened in horror. “What? What do you mean he’s dead? What happened?”
Broder decided to spare them the details. “We were searching a hidden crypt in Wedenscire, not too far away from Forangal. We thought there might’ve been clues inside, and there were, but...”
Eivor urged him on. “But what?”
The other man shook his head in regret. “It was the ealdorman’s housecarl. An argr snake called Algar. He captured Gjuki and slaughtered the rest of our men. I was the only one who managed to escape.”
Oswald caught onto his last words. “Wait, he captured Gjuki? So he didn’t kill him immediately?”
“No,” Broder confirmed. “Algar took him to the dungeons.”
An alarming thought struck Eivor’s mind. “Wait, what about Sigurd? Where is he now? Is he alright?”
A dour look spread across Broder’s face. “He’s alive, but... Gods. It was madness, Eivor. When Algar took Gjuki in, it didn’t take him long to realize that he was working with Sigurd, so the ealdorman held a trial. They were willing to spare your brother’s life in spite of his crimes, but he had to do something in exchange. He had to kill Gjuki.”
Eivor froze at the news. 
“...Sigurd... killed him?”
“Yes. He did not wish to, but the Saxons left him no choice. It was either him or Gjuki. He chose to comply in the end.” Broder turned to his sister. “...I tried everything I could to save him, Valdis. I did. But it wasn’t enough. I’m sorry.”
The woman crossed her arms, trying to hide her pain. “I--” she choked up, “--oh, Gjuki...”
Broder hesitated to get the last part of his report out. He hated to constantly be the bearer of bad news, but he knew it was necessary.
“...There is one more thing, Eivor. While we were in the crypt, we learned that Algar was part of the Order. There were a series of letters between him and some of the other members in their organization, but he’s burned them all now.”
Oswald paused. “A member of the Order? In Wedenscire? Are you certain?”
“Indeed. They call him The Colossus.”
Eivor mindlessly clenched his fist in response to the report and brought his attention to the king, unable to conceal the fire raging in his eyes.
“Oswald, we must march on Forangal now. We have enough allies.”
The Saxon hesitated. “You’ve rallied a decent army, Eivor, but I’m still not certain if it’ll be sufficient. Forangal is a hefty fortress armed with many defenses. If we’re not careful, it could result in total obliteration.”
“We don’t have time to forge anymore alliances!” The viking argued. “Sigurd needs us. Now. Those Saxons have already butchered Gjuki, and they have the Order among them. It won’t be much longer until my brother is the one on their chopping block. We need to get him out of there as soon as possible.”
Oswald remained unswayed. “I understand your urgency, Eivor, but we must approach this realistically. Not many people walk away from Forangal with their lives, and for good reason. We only have one chance to do this right. Better to wait a little longer and ensure we’re prepared, rather than march straight to our deaths.”
The king turned to Broder. “You were there, Broder. What’s your opinion on the situation in Wedenscire? Can Sigurd afford to wait?”
The man furrowed his brow in uncertainty. “I... I don’t know, my lord. It’s difficult to say. He’s managed to survive thus far, but his captives have become unpredictable recently. Relentless. They’ve even forced Sigurd to convert to Christianity.”
That took Oswald by surprise. “What? When did this happen?”
“Just after Gjuki died. I overheard the nobles in the castle speaking of a baptism before I left. One of them was against the conversion, but the rest decided to go through with it.”
Eivor’s expression flattened with frustration. “You see? We must go now. Before they try anything else. I’m done cowering in the shadows.”
“But what if--”
“--Eivor’s right.” Valdis jumped in. “Those people are animals, Oswald. You’ve seen for yourself what they did to the Raven Clan; what they did to Randvi. If there’s any chance we can save Sigurd from the same fate, we need to take it. We’ve idled for long enough.”
Oswald was at a loss for words. “...I really don’t know how this is going to work, you all. We have enough forces to put up a decent fight, but... assaulting Forangal Castle? That’s a completely different story.”
Broder offered his own thoughts. “Do not be so quick to dismiss the unlikely, my lord. It happens more often than you think. Those are Gjuki’s words. Not mine.”
“Have faith in our strength, husband.” Valdis continued. “We are warriors. Drengir. Children of Odin. We were born and bred for this sort of thing. We will not fall so easily to these Saxons. Let us go.”
Oswald fell silent at his friends’ arguments and sighed in defeat, conflicted on what to do next.
On one hand, he sympathized with Eivor’s eagerness to storm Forangal’s gates, but on the other, he honestly didn’t know if their soldiers could survive such an endeavor. Their army was just large enough that the plan could’ve succeeded with the help of a miracle, but despite his youth, Oswald was world-weary enough to know that battles typically didn’t favor the disadvantaged.
Anything could’ve gone wrong during this assault. Aegenwulf could’ve had more forces than they anticipated, an ambush could’ve stopped them along the way, or -- worst case scenario -- Sigurd could’ve already been dead. There was an abundance of unknowns lurking around the corner, and with so many risks obscuring the path ahead, Oswald wasn’t sure if war was the answer. At least, not for now.
Still, he feared what could’ve happened to Sigurd if they waited too long. Based on Broder’s report, it sounded like the man was going through hell at the moment. If there was any opportunity for them to rescue him from Aegenwulf’s clutches, Oswald felt complied to seize it. 
Eivor did the same for him when he was taken prisoner at Burgh Castle, so it only seemed right to return the favor.
“...Alright, you three.” Oswald finally agreed. “We’ll march on Forangal Castle as soon as we are able. Eivor, summon your allies. Tell them to meet us here. When they’ve arrived, we’ll begin making our way to Wedenscire. In the meantime, the rest of us will focus on the assault. My troops are yours to command as well.”
The viking gave him a firm nod. “Thank you, Oswald. I won’t fail you.”
“I have confidence in your abilities. I just hope that it’ll be enough. As for the rest of you...” 
Oswald linked his hands together behind his back. “Get some rest. And prepare as much as you can. We don’t know what sort of resistance we’ll face in Wedenscire, but I think it’s safe to assume that our forces will be stretched thin. Do everything in your ability to ensure you are ready for this assault, and keep your guard up. We have evidence that the Order of the Ancients is involved now, so Lord only knows what Algar will have up his sleeve.”
Broder stepped in. “I’ll join the assault too.”
“No,” Oswald refused. “you need to rest. You’ve been through enough.”
“With all due respect, your Majesty, Gjuki is dead because of my incompetence. Out of honor, I cannot simply sit by and watch while your people risk their lives for a mistake I made. I’m still here because of that man. This is the least I can do for him.”
The king decided to grant him permission. “...Very well, then. I expect to see you at Forangal. As for you two, spread word of the assault to our soldiers. I want them to be prepared as well.”
Eivor nodded. “As you wish.”
“Good. Then let’s get to work. Sigurd’s life depends on our efficiency, and there’s no telling what will happen once Aegenwulf realizes who’s behind the assault. From what I understand, the man is growing more and more unstable by the day. Brace yourselves for anything... and may your gods watch over you all.”
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st-just · 3 years
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Notable Provinces and Clients of the Sublime Esheri Commonwealth
Because I always do these in sets of three, right?
Central: Enlightened Esher, the Clockwork Republic itself, the seat of Reason’s reign. The beating heart of the Commonwealth, where vizers and imperial committees meet under their cool and distant stars, working selflessly and ceaselessly to drown the world in formulae and ink. Sitting on a narrow straight joining two continents, it is well served by trade networks, grand canals and aqueducts stretching inland to sustain the largest concentrated population the world has ever seen. Its suburbs and hinterlands are vast enough to have subsumed cities that were once distant, and are as close to perfectly ordered as human effort has yet achieved, the roads wide and level, the soil fertile, the weather and climate decided and prepared for well in advance.
The Sympona: Properly speaking an archaic name for a region that no longer officially exists, Sympona roughly refers to the region of old imperial conquests, from whose populations the Janissary Corps was originally conscripted. Governed thoroughly and well by the Commonwealth since its creation, its cities are by now nearly as Enlightened as the central heartland – the only real remnants of their old culture the language that loan words were plucked from to fill all the gaps in universal standard, and the exact particulars of sanctioned local festivals. Rational governance of the countryside remains an issue in certain wild reaches – most dangerously where small gods and parasitic spirits survive in hiding, manipulating peasant superstition to coerce obeisance and sacrifice from them.
Old Esher: The eastern reaches of the old Empire, and the original homeland of the Esheri people themselves. Central authority was enforced after the Revolution only after a rather brutal military campaign and a few rather unpopular compromises. To this day, prominent families and clans have sustained themselves from the old aristocracy, and dominant the local governorship and offices. The administrative Committee of the South-East has a reputation for being lured into complacency or corruption by the old lines, and on multiple occasions the Public Safety and the Secretariat have felt the need to dispatch their own agents to monitor or intervene directly.
The Maahiri: The first great triumph of the Commonwealth in foreign affairs was spreading their Enlightenment to one of the old empire’s eternal rivals. The Maahiri shahs were relied on their slave-soldiers as much as the old empire had, though they had by the end grown into a complacent and corrupt aristocracy of their own, feuding with powerful noble clans and the ‘Knives of Paradise’, a powerful deiphage cult in intrigues that left the shahs themselves puppets with a remarkably short life expectancy. Inciting a civil war that broke the rickety edifice of state apart was, when properly undertaken, simplicity itself. After that it was simply a matter of measuring the pace of digestion. While by now largely integrated, some local resistance does remain – most notable descendants or copycats of the Knives.
The Kingdom: A rather desolate land even before its century of troubles, this rugged and hilly region of the old Mishaari lands was the last to be pacified, and has been the source of several particularly blood rebellions in the generations since – the mildly tasteless joke being that, like everything else in the Commonwealth, the revolts come like clockwork on a strict 20-year schedule. The colloquial name comes form the most infamous of the rebellions. The King in White was a particularly potent sorceror whole voluntarily allowed their soul to be consumed and replaced by a Reaper. Even the better part of a century later, scars and ruins are everywhere and obvious, and the native population remains semi-nomadic and in most cases only barely short of open defiance to the central administrators.
The Adylet Protectorate: The so-called ‘Ashen Steppe’ was for a great period the hard border to the Commonwealth’s influence, a permanent state of low-level warfare with the nomadic tribes who raided into settled lands and a trickle of trade caravans bringing goods from the far coast the only notable things to emerge from it. That changed five years ago. A masterful and brutal coup involving the defection of two royals and the simultaneous destruction of the nomad’s three foremost cults has left the Grand Marshall a loyal and devoted ally of the Commonwealth, and the Committee on Unsettled Peoples has been only too happy to provide all the help she requires – both material and scientific – in centralizing power around her new permanent capital and beginning to civilize the region.
Stedry: This mountainous region is, theoretically, much of the direct Illyric frontier with the Commonwealth. It has, for the past few decades, been the site of an increasingly blatant proxy war between the two great powers. The voivodes and bans who rule the various mountains fortresses and valleys owe only loosest allegiance to the Throne, and have historically been as likely to fight an imperial army as rally behind it. This has made turning them without actually starting a war much easier than it would otherwise have been – a matter of providing refuge and deniable amounts of funding and support to forward-thinking claimants, stirring up sympathetic rebellions among the peasantry and artisans, and in a few cases outright orchestrating the overthrow of lords – an angry mob murdering a regent and installing a reasonable man as his replacement in one case, a de facto military coup in another. Maps still show the Stedry as Illyric vassals, generally, but in practice by now trade, education and governance are increasingly carried out on the lines the Committee of General Enlightenment’s ever-present and ever-helpful advisers suggest.
The Aluic Republic: The Commonwealth’s main presence in the Outer World can be uncharitably described as a scientific expedition gone wildly out of hand. The need for safe harbours and resupply on zoological and cartographic surveys naturally lead to seeking friends among native states – something which only became more important as the outer continents were increasingly claimed and exploited under unfriendly flags. Contact with the feuding Aluic city-states solved both problems neatly. Being seemingly the only peoples in the outer continents to have independently developed an alphabet and study of mathematics, they were clearly the foremost champions of civilization available. The sacrificial religion and traditions of sacral kingship were both somewhat disagreeable, but something of a long term problem. As is inevitably the case, a subset of the cities were more than happy to take the aid of flattering strangers against their much despised rivals, and the unification wars progressed quite smoothly. Formally speaking, the Republic is a federation of equal members. In practice, it is an empire with power distributed more or less evenly between the three leading cities (two of the founders and one whose leadership picked an excellent time to switch sides) and the Commonwealth’s ambassador.
The Kingdom of Thuraya: Formerly what was probably the grandest and more powerful of the Soya Principalities, the recent coup has thrown it quite dramatically into the Commonwealth’s orbit. Following several rather humiliating defeats against the Free Cities – first in attempting to assert firm authority over their coastal ports and waters, and then being forced to grant traders free trade and navigation throughout the kingdom – thee scholar-gentry were thrown into turmoil, with increasingly violent anti-foreign movements rising in prominence. Of course, when some of the more pragmatic local governors determined they would need aid to triumph, the Commonwealth was more than happy to discretely provide what they needed. The civil war was swift, if brutal, and the king was safely removed from the grip of his ‘evil advisers’ – having been kept in a comfortable sort of imprisonment in the palace since. The new government still rules in his name, and his seal on the rapid centrilizing and modernizing reforms being undertaken is most likely all that has kept the response to scattered revolts instead of a full-on counterrevolution.
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jackoshadows · 4 years
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One of the reasons for why I love Jon Snow in the books is because I find him to be the character who adheres closest to values I find admirable. IMO, Character traits like being broad-minded, intelligent and loyal tend to be more attractive in a character rather than than say good looks or good manners. Jon is selfless and honorable - to a certain extent. He can be pragmatic and bend the rules if necessary.
Jon Snow stands out as the only leader/main character in the series whose central narrative theme is about unifying people against a common threat. This is underscored by GRRM sending him off to the wall at the start of the books and Jeor Mormont telling Jon Snow:
When dead men coming hunting in the night, do you think it matters who sits on the Iron Throne -  Jon Snow, AGoT
With this in mind, we see Jon continually grow as a character from book one to book five gradually killing the boy to let the man be born.
When we first see him at the wall, he’s a bit of a privileged brat and offended by the other recruits. But after Donal Nye sets him straight, he uses his education and knowledge to help the other kids in the NW. Jon grew up otherizing the Wildlings and saw them as people to be kept on the other side of the wall. He then spends a lot of time with them and comes to see them as  human beings same as him and the rest of Westeros.  He wants his childhood desire of being Lord of Winterfell, but understands that he swore an oath to the NW and his job is to defend the realm.
There are two quotes that embody Jon Snow best in the books:
‘You know nothing, Jon Snow’ – First used by Ygritte to educate Jon Snow on his ignorance about Wildlings and then later used by Lord Commander Jon Snow to remind himself that he still has a lot to learn even as a leader of men. A take on Socrates ‘I know that I know nothing’ – a humble acknowledgment that even the best leaders are not experts but human beings who can mistakes.
‘We look up at the same stars and see such different things’  - Jon is able to understand that two people can see the same thing and have such different opinions and that their opinions are colored by their upbringing and situation. As someone who has to unite people against a common threat, this is an important understanding that Jon has earned – this could be why he is a damn good negotiator in the books, earning praise from even Stannis. 
Jon is able to acknowledge these important little lessons because he is at heart a fundamentally good person. We see this in how he treats characters who are disadvantaged and mistreated by Westeros society.  These are not big moments but small character relationships that highlight how Jon Snow often stands out in thinking differently to a majority of Westeros.
Jon Snow as a child comforting Arya when she comes crying to him about being a possible bastard because of her looks. Imagine how much this would have hurt? But he loves Arya enough to put aside his own hurt feelings to reassure her.
Once he gets to know Tyrion personally and differentiates him from the rest of the Lannisters, Jon is quickly able to see past appearances and Westerosi prejudices and considers Tyrion a friend:
He ran back to the common hall , where he found Tyrion Lannister just finishing his meal. He grabbed the little man under the arms, hoisted him up in the air, and spun him around in a circle. “Bran is going to live!” he whooped. - Jon, AGoT
Asks Tyrion to comfort and help Bran in whatever way possible. This is in contrast to Robb’s immediate dislike and distrust of Tyrion. Jon judges a person based on their actions.
“Thank you, my lord of Lannister.” He pulled off his glove and offered his bare hand. “Friend.”
Tyrion found himself oddly touched. “Most of my kin are bastards,” he said with a wry smile, “but you’re the first I’ve had to friend.” - Tyrion, AGoT
Realizes how Sam Tarly is ill equipped to fight, figures out what Sam is best suited to do, talks to Maester Aemon about it and arranges for Sam to work for the Maester instead.
Appoints Satin Flowers, a former male prostitute from OldTown as his steward despite opposition from his bigoted department heads. And he does this, because once again, he judges based on a person’s actions and skills, rather than on the labels society places on them
“My Lord, the boy’s a whore...a...dare I say... a painted catamite from the brothels of Old Town”
“What he was in Oldtown is none of our concern. He’s quick to learn and very clever. The other recruits started out despising him, but he won them over and made friends of them all. He’s fearless in a fight and can even read and write after a fashion. He should be capable of fetching me my meals and saddling my horse, don’t you think?”
“Most like,” said Bowen Marsh, stony-faced, “but the men do not like it. Traditionally the lord commander’s squires are lads of good birth being groomed for command. Does my lord believe the men of the Night’s Watch would ever follow a whore into battle?”
Jon’s temper flashed. “They have followed worse. The Old Bear left a few cautionary notes about certain of the men, for his successor. We have a cook at the Shadow Tower who was fond of raping septas. He burned a seven-pointed star into his flesh for every one he claimed. His left arm is stars from wrist to elbow, and stars mark his calves as well. At Eastwatch we have a man who set his father’s house afire and barred the door. His entire family burned to death, all nine. Whatever Satin may have done in Oldtown, he is our brother now, and he will be my squire.”
Jon appoints Leathers of the Freefolk as his Master-at-arms once again, against objections from the likes of Cellador and Bowen
Bowen: Is it true that you mean to replace Emmett with this savage Leathers as our master-at-arms? That is an office most oft reserved for knights, or rangers at the least.
Jon: Leathers is savage. I can attest to that. I've tried him in the practice yard. He's as dangerous with a stone axe as most knights are with castle-forged steel. I grant you, he is not as patient as I'd like, and some of the boys are terrified of him ... but that's not all for the bad. One day they'll find themselves in a real fight, and a certain familiarity with terror will serve them well
The Freefolk women: Jon sees them as capable and equal in all ways to the men. He sends Val off all alone to find Tormund. He garrisons Long Barrow fully with Spearwives, entrusting them to defend that castle and the wall.
And we find that Jon is hungry for knowledge, and in his spare time he learns the Old Tongue from Leathers so that he can communicate with the giant Wun-Wun. He is always reading the books Maester Aemon left him, conducting science experiments on wights and even thinks of building a green house on the Gift to grow food. Once again, Jon acknowledges the importance of learning that he picked up from characters like Aemon, Sam and Tyrion.
I have a realistic grasp of my own strengths and weaknesses. My mind is my weapon. My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer, and I have my mind.. and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.” Tyrion tapped the leather cover of the book. “That’s why I read so much, Jon Snow.”  - Tyrion, AGoT
There’s a reason for why Jon’s so good at what he does. Look at the people from whom he learns – Ned Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Jeor Mormont, Donal Noye, Qhorin Half-hand, Maester Aemon, Samwell Tarly, Mance Raydar, Stannis Baratheon etc. Every one of these men gives him a tidbit of information that he ends up using in the books.
Jon is very astute and has a deep understanding of the way the North and people in general work:
"The free folk despise kneelers," he had warned Stannis. "Let them keep their pride, and they will love you better." Soon or late, however, Tormund Giantsbane would assault the Wall again, and when that hour came Jon wondered whose side Stannis's new-made subjects would choose. You can give them land and mercy, but the free folk choose their own kings. - Jon, ADwD
Early on he advises Stannis to go with the Umbers instead of the Karstarks. Later we see his advice hold true as the Karstarks betray Stannis while Mors Crowfood allies with him. He also advises Stannis to approach Manderly – a decision that once again works out right. He explains to Stannis in clear detail how to approach the mountain clans for help
 “And they will fight for me, you believe?”
“If you ask them.”
“Why should I beg for what is owed me?”
“Ask, I said, not beg.” Jon pulled back his hand. “It is no good sending messages. Your Grace will need to go to them yourself. Eat their bread and salt, drink their ale, listen to their pipers, praise the beauty of their daughters and the courage of their sons, and you’ll have their swords. The clans have not seen a king since Torrhen Stark bent his knee. Your coming does them honor. Command them to fight for you, and they will look at one another and say, ‘Who is this man? He is no king of mine.’ ”
In a way, it makes sense that Jon tries to see the humanity of people, tries to teach them, weeds out talent and designates based on merit and skillset – he works with the lowest of the lowest. He’s the military head of a group of outlaws, murderers, rapists, bigots, smallfolk with no education or access to education. He has to be able to see beyond labels to get this ragtag bunch ready to face an apocalyptic threat.
Contrast this Jon Snow to Jaime Lannister in AFfC who hangs some outlaws in the Riverlands and then proudly calls himself ‘Goldenhand the Just’ for meting out ‘justice’, failing to even acknowledge that those hungry outlaws were created by his war – a war that started because of his incestuous adultery.
To conclude, Jon Snow ending an 8000 year old feud between the north and the freefolk, bringing them over to this side of the wall, including them in the realms of men, making real alliances between old Northern houses and the freefolk epitomizes what Jon Snow stands for as a character in the books.
There’s a reason for why GRRM describes Jon Snow thus:
Jon Snow is the truest character--I like his sense of realism and the way he copes with his bastardy.
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fyeahwildfire · 4 years
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Spirit Bound
Chapter 4
Summary: Scorpion demands a match with Sub-Zero to get his revenge on his family and clan. How will you save Sub-Zero’s life?
Pairing: Mortal Kombat x reader; Bucky x reader (later)
Warning: swearing, angst
A/N: Italics= thoughts
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You, Lui Kang, Raiden, Jax, Sonya, and Johnny were surrounded by other participants. You stood between Raiden and Liu Kang. 
Raiden looks over to the side and notices one of the guards standing beside Cyrax. He gets another vision, one of Kung Lao fighting against Baraka. He leaves you and Lui Kang as he goes over to Kung Lao. Uh oh.
“Kombatants! The next match will now begin!” Shang Tsung sat atop his throne, looking high and mighty.
A burst of fire suddenly erupts before your eyes, standing inside the fire is none other than Scorpion. You look at him with awe as the crowd claps. That’s fucking awesome. He looks like a total badass. 
Johnny and Lui Kang look at each other, their both wondering who is going to be facing him.
“Scorpion! Specter of the Netherrealm. Resurrected by the sorcerer Quan Chi! Who among you is worthy of this challenge?”
“Where is the Lin Kuei Sub-Zero? He killed my family and clan. I will have his head.” Scorpion looked among the competitors.
Aw shit. Damn it. Bi-Han stay the fuck away. You thought as you internally panic. You can’t lose your half-brother. You haven’t even gotten the chance to speak with him. 
You narrow your eyes at Scorpion. He will not touch your brother. Not if you have anything to say.
“I accept the challenge.” Kung Lao steps forward and throws down the spear.
“Kung Lao.” Lui Kang says his voice laced with disbelief.
“Never mind the Lin Kuei. Now you face a Shaolin.” Kung Lao runs his two fingers across his razor-sharp hat and assumes a fighting stance.
“You will regret your impulsiveness.” Scorpion gets into his fight stance as well.
“So how good of a fighter is your friend?” You whispered to Lui Kang.
“Uh, he could use more training.” Lui Kang was worried for his friend’s well-being.
“So, he’s gonna get his Shaolin ass kicked.” Johnny said bluntly.
You and your new friends watch as Kung Lao and Scorpion fight. You cringe the moment you hear the crack of bones.
“Oh that’s gotta hurt.” You watch in shock as the powers of Scorpion prove too much for Kung Lao.
The fight between Scorpion and Kung Lao continues for a good 13 minutes, however the former soon beats Kung Lao into unconsciousness. “You are not yet a warrior.”
Without thinking, you run over to Kung Lao and place his head in your lap. Lui Kang follows behind you and kneels beside his good friend.
“Listen when your elders speak! You could not win this fight.” Raiden stands on the other side of Kung Lao.
“Perhaps, you should lecture him after...you know when he’s not fucked up.” You narrow your eyes towards Raiden.
How could he say such things to a person, who clearly wanted to prove himself worthy? No matter what anyone says, you thought Kung Lao was brave to face Scorpion and for that he earned your respect.
Scorpion is staring directly at you. He sees how you comfort the man who he defeated. How you scolded Raiden for berating Kung Lao. It was impressive that you would say such things to Lord Raiden not many would.
You sense eyes on you and look up to see Scorpion taking you in. You want to glare at him and tell him to stay the fuck away from Kung Lao and Bi-Han, but you can’t. 
Scorpion had lost his family and clan, he believed your brother Bi-Han was responsible. You understood his pain, more than anyone else here, but you needed to find out the truth. For both their sakes.
You and Lui Kang help Kung Lao to his feet and drag him away. 
“I have defeated the challenger, Shang Tsung! I demand Sub-Zero!”
You have been keeping a close eye on Raiden’s visions. He had another vision only this time it was Scorpion holding the decapitated head of Bi-Han. You gasp as you feared that would be the fate of your brother. No. You have to try. Something. Anything to save Bi-Han.
But first you have to help Kung Lao. You and Lui Kang walk past Scorpion, to find a place where Raiden can heal Kung Lao’s wounds. You place him next to Johnny and watch the fight between Nightwolf and Scorpion. It was an impressive battle but Scorpion ended up taking the win.
“The spirits have forsaken you, Shaman.” Scorpion sees Nightwolf slowly rise back onto his feet.
“An impressive start?” Shang Tsung nods his head respectively.
“You waste my time, sorcerer!” Scorpion raises his fiery fist up in the air.
“Restraint, Scorpion.” A tall, well-built man with red eyes spoke. He was completely devoid of any hair. No hair on his head, face, and chest. He also had a strange symbol on his forehead. You also spotted an authentic amulet on his belt.
Scorpion huffs out a grunt and diffuses the fire in his hands. You raise your brow, finding it strange that the man had such a hold on Scorpion. Your attention is brought back to Kung Lao as he is all healed up.
“Are you alright, Kung Lao?”
Kung Lao registers the sound of your sweet voice. His breath hitches as his eyes meet yours. He’s flirted with many women in the past, but you, you weren’t just any women. You were the type of women who made men want to marry. Your beauty could not rival another’s. In his eyes, you were a Queen.
“Yes, Lady Y/N. I am alright.” He smiles warmly. “Lui Kang and Raiden have already explained your situation to me. It’s an honor to meet you.”
You smile, “Same. Not many would challenge a man such as Scorpion and for that you have my respect.”
Kung Lao eyes widen with shock and happiness. No one has said such words to him. His closest friends and mentors had constantly compared him to the “chosen one” Lui Kang. Even Lui Kang himself, but you, you respected him even though he was defeated.
“You respect him for losing.” Lui Kang asked curiously, it did not make any sense.
“For Bravery. Many would coward upon seeing a man like Scorpion, but Kung Lao didn’t.” You smile and turn to watch the interaction between Scorpion and Shang Tsung.
You are aware of the two Shaolin’s looking at you. However, your smile turns upside down the moment you hear your brother’s name.
“You will fight Sub-Zero soon enough.” Shang Tsung stands up from his throne and takes his leave, with Quan Chi following.
The two Shaolin’s are concerned with your sudden change in demeanor.
Scorpion lowers his head and ponders recent events. You and Raiden approach Scorpion with determination to save your brother Bi-Han.
“Scorpion, I understand your desire for revenge. But Nightwolf is right. There are other ways in which you may find peace.”
“Sub-Zero deserves death.” Scorpion replies back to Raiden.
“No, he doesn’t.” You fold your arms underneath your breasts.
“Defeat Sub-Zero if you must, but do not kill him. I fear his death will give rise to a more treacherous foe.”
Ignoring Raiden’s words Scorpion says, “I will have my revenge.”
“You know what?” You unfold your arms, to clench both of your fists.
You hear Raiden’s telepathic thoughts warning you not to anger this man before both of you. For your sake and Bi-Han’s.
You take long, slow steady breaths. “Spare Sub-Zero’s life, please. Do not kill him. Raiden can request that the Elder Gods return the Shirai Ryu to the realm of mortals.”
Scorpion looked between both you and Raiden for a moment, his eyes lingered on you a bit longer until he nodded.
You sigh with relief, oh sweet sweet Suzan. I’m so scared at the thought of losing Bi-Han, I can’t even swear right now.
You immediately realize Raiden had already walked off to meet with Lui Kang and Kung Lao. The two Shaolin’s await your return to their side. They all but beg you to stay away from Scorpion, but you can’t at least not now. You had to get to the bottom of what happened to the Shirai Ryu and Lin Kuei.
You flash him a nervous smile. He doesn’t smile back. He watches you for a moment longer, but then he turns his back.
“You know I get it. I understand how you feel.”
Scorpion stops but doesn’t turn. You walk up to him and hear the thoughts of Lui Kang and Kung Lao telling you to get away and run.
“You know Nightwolf is right about many things.” You sigh sadly, you don’t exactly like bringing up your past, but if this was a way to get Scorpion on Earthrealms side then you would do what you have to. Not just for Bi-han, but for Kuai Liang, Tony, and Earthrealm. “You are not the only one whose people have been victimized. Would you care to join me for a stroll, away from prying ears?”
Scorpion nods and walks with you, you tell him all about how your family’s bloodline had been hunted down, all because they desired the Soultaker sword. How your mother was wronged. How she was killed by the Red Dragon clan.
“Do you no longer cling to the past?” Scorpion had listened intently, he hated how the Red Dragon clan took your mother away from you. You were just a child.
“No. I still find myself wishing the outcomes were different. What more could I have done to save her?” You have to suppress the tears from coming down. “Honestly, a part of me does want retribution. Not for honor or justice, but…for revenge. To see them suffer. To watch there empire burn.” You stay quiet for a moment, until you speak again. “But then I realize. If I do seek revenge…what would that get me? My mother won’t come back. I will only end up losing myself…my soul.”
Scorpion wanted to scoff, but he didn’t. The more he spoke with you, he realized you and he were from different worlds, yet you both shared similar pain. He once lived with a clan of assassins and you lived a somewhat-normal lifestyle outside of Mortal Kombat. Now, you both were thrown into the battles of Mortal Kombat, to reveal Earthrealms fate.
“Is that why you asked me not to kill Sub-Zero? For my soul?”
“Part of it.” You smile sadly.
Scorpion raises his brow, “Part?”
“Sub-Zero is my half–brother.” You look into his eyes, seeing shock and anger.
“Half-brother?”
“Yes, he and I share the same mother. His father left my mother and took her sons away so they could join the Lin Kuei.” You explained, hoping to diffuse his anger.
“So you told me all of this just to save Sub-Zero. He murdered my family, my soulmate and clan…”
“We don’t know that. You’ve only heard one side of the story. Quan Chi could be lying to you.” I ball my hands into fists. “Let me talk to Sub-Zero and I promise you I will find out who killed your family.”
Scorpion’s eyes widen, he had just met you and yet you were willing to help him find the true killer of his family and clan. Why? What could you possibly gain from this aside from saving Bi-Han? Could Quan Chi be lying? Would you lie to him?
“I give you my word Scorpion. I will find out who killed your family. I may not have been able to save my mother, but I…”
“And If Quan Chi is right?”
“Then you’ll have to kill me, because I will not let you harm my brother. And if you do, you ruin any chances of having your clan restored.”
Scorpion nods, as his anger diffused as he remembers the agreement with Raiden. “How will you find out…?”
“I’m telepathic.” You smirk. “Just don’t tell Quan Chi. Don’t need that asshole to ruin any of my plans.”
“Very well. You have my word I will not tell Quan Chi and… I will spare your brother’s life.”
“Thank you.” You bow respectively. “You know how incredibly lucky you are? You have an actual chance to have the Shirai Ryu return to the living. Wow. Fuck, I wish I had that option.”
“For your mother.” Scorpion walked with you as you both headed back to Shang Tsung’s throne room.
You nod, “Yea. For my father and stepmother too.”
“Did the Red Dragons…”
“Oh! No, they died in a car crash.” You look down to the ground.
“I’m sorry for your losses.”
You shrug, “Why you didn’t kill them. It’s life. It happens. Now all I have left is Tony, Sub-Zero, and my other half-brother I have yet to meet.”
Scorpion looks at you carefully, you had lost so much and yet that loss didn’t make you into a vengeful woman. In fact, it made you kind, caring, brave, and strong. All you truly desired was to save the last living members of your family and for that Scorpion vowed to protect you.
His took notice of the tattoo on your forearm, “What of your soulmate?”
“What?”
He nudges his head towards your forearm. 
“Oh. This. I have yet to meet him. I don’t know if I want to, to be honest. My life has been rather complicated and to involve him...” You shake your head. “...Its best if I avoid him all together.”
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Several kombatants are standing around discussing things with one another. You and Scorpion walk into the throne room together, both of you see Cyrax and Sektor huddled together.
“I understand there are benefits to the Grand Master’s plan…” Cyrax speaks with Sektor. “…but his plan goes against Lin Kuei principles.”
“We are Lin Kuei, Cyrax. We will obey the Grand Master’s commands.”
You roll your eyes upon hearing two Lin Kuei members. You huff a grunt and from the corner of your eyes, you see Scorpion looking at you. “What?”
“You do not like the Lin Kuei either?”
“What? What makes you think that?”
Scorpion shrugs, “Perhaps it’s the way you tense upon seeing them.”
“I do not tense.” You scoff playfully.
“You’re tense right now.”
You relax your shoulders and glare your eyes at Scorpion. “I’m starting to regret befriending you. Woah! Hey, where are you going?” You follow behind Scorpion as he makes his way over to Cyrax and Sektor.
“It means giving up our free will…our souls. It will turn us into…” Cyrax is interrupted by Sektor, who points out Scorpion’s presence with you in tow.
“Scorpion.” Sektor voice is laced with disgust.
“Your inferior clan is dead. Soon you will join them.” Cyrax holds his head up and threatens Scorpion.
“Excuse me, wannabe ninja…” You stand beside Scorpion and send a deathly glare at the two Lin Kuei members. “…if you don’t have anything nice to say than keep that fucking mouth of yours shut.”
The three men are surprised to hear you say such a thing. Sektor glares at you while Cyrax finds it humorous. He laughs and holds your chin with his two fingers. “How cute. Didn’t know Scorpion found a replacement?”
“Do your best to keep your bitch on a leash, Scorpion.” Sektor told Scorpion.
Bitch! He called you Bitch! You cracked your knuckles. “Oh. It’s about to get real!”
Before you can pounce and hit the bastard, Scorpion beat you to it. He grabbed Cyrax’s wrist and removed his hand from you. “You will keep your filthy mouth shut and keep your blood soaked hands off, Y/N!”
Cyrax pushes Scorpion backwards to which he immediately goes into a fighting stance.
“A challenge! Scorpion versus Cyrax and Sektor!” Shang Tsung announces with Quan Chi standing beside him.
“Your obsession with Sub-Zero ends here.” Cyrax goes into a fighting stance.
Before you could stand beside Scorpion and offer aid, Kung Lao grabs ahold of your hand and pulls you to stand next to him, Raiden, and Liu Kang. The three of you watch as both Sektor and Cyrax are defeated despite being formidable warriors.
“I will have my revenge, but I will not kill Sub-Zero.” Scorpion looks over to you and Raiden. Both you and Raiden smile and nod.
“Will not? Or cannot?” Sub-Zero walks into the throne room.
You groan mentally, Come on. Seriously!
“You.” Scorpion seethes as he stalks towards Sub-Zero.
While everyone watches the intense interaction between Scorpion and Sub-Zero, you had read Scorpions thoughts. 
Oh hell! I need to stop him before he does something he might regret. You thought.
“The Shirai Ryu are dead. You will suffer as they did.” Scorpion seethes.
“To hell with your clan.” Sub-Zero insults back.
“No…to hell with you!” Scorpion goes up in flames and grabs ahold of Bi-han, teleporting him somewhere else.
You try to find a way to get to Bi-han when you heard Quan Chi’s thoughts, he wanted to antagonize Scorpion and see him kill Sub-Zero. You quickly sneak past the other kombatants and just as he is about to teleport you grab ahold of his belt undetected.
You are teleported to a place that looked like hell. You look over Quan Chi’s shoulder to see Bi-han beaten into submission.
“I have avenged my family and clan.” Scorpion speaks over Bi-Han’s unconscious body.
“This is your retribution?” Quan Chi walks closer to Scorpion and doesn’t realize you behind him. “Scorpion. Kill him.”
“I…I will not. He has been beaten.” Scorpion looks at Bi-Han and can’t find it in himself to kill him. Not after his conversation with you.
“Have you forgotten?” Quan Chi shows Scorpion a vision of an entire village up in flames. The Shirai Ryu clansmen are cut down by a hail of arrows. Others are decapitated and murdered by the Lin Kuei clansmen. Among the horseback riders is Sub-Zero.
You stepped closer seeing all that had transpired, this was the reason why the Lin Kuei and Scorpion were at odds. But, it made no sense as you delve into the minds of Bi-Han and Quan chi you were able to realize the truth.
Bi-Han regains consciousness and sees the vision’s before him.
“Your clan. Your family.” Quan Chi showed Scorpion another vision, Scorpion’s wife/soulmate and infant child huddled in the corner of their home. The baby’s wail of terror breaks your heart and sends a chill up your spine.
The door opens to reveal your brother Sub-Zero with his sword in hand. He’s unmoved by Scorpion’s wife’s tears as he brings down his blade. Blood is splattered against the walls along with the petals of a rose worn in his wife’s hair.
“NOOO!” Scorpion yells with pure rage as the vision fades.
Bi-Han badly injured is up on his feet, holding his hand up in mercy. “That is not me!”
Consumed with rage, Scorpion rips off his mask and reveals his skull enveloped in flames.
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You knew then that nothing would be able to stop Scorpions rage, but you had to try and defend your brother, even if it were from Scorpion himself. You didn’t care about the consequences. All that mattered was Bi-Han’s safety.
You step out from behind Scorpion and Quan Chi, you then quickly rush over to stand in front of Bi-Han. Perhaps, you could try and reason with Scorpion. Only a fool would think to do such a thing.
Seeing you standing before Sub-Zero, Scorpion looks down at you. He can remember the conversation he had with you, but his rage had all but consumed him. He took a step forward, only for you to raise your glowing green hands.
“Move aside.” He growled.
“No. I told you before if it came to this, you would have to kill me too. I will not let you kill him.”
“He killed my clan! My wife! My son! He deserves death.”
“If Scorpion truly wishes to avenge his family and clan, then he must kill Sub-Zero.” Quan Chi looks at you. “Who are you to deny him that?”
You narrow your eyes at Quan Chi, “Someone who knows the truth, you liar. When all you have done is use Scorpion’s wrath to your advantage.” You look over to Scorpion. “Remember the promise you made to me and Raiden. You kill Bi-Han and that promise goes away.”
Scorpion takes a moment to think it over. You take careful slow steps towards him.
“Please Hanzo. Don’t kill him. I told you I would find the truth and I have….”
Scorpion looks up and you can see the flames in his eyes dimming.
“Truth? What truth?” Quan Chi spoke from beside Scorpion. “Enough of this! Kill the girl and Sub-Zero, so we can be on our way.”
“I gave you my word. I stand by that.”
Hanzo nods and places his mask back on. You sigh with relief as you don’t have to fight against Scorpion.
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Back in the throne room of Shang Tsung…
All the kombatants stand and talk amongst each other as they have no idea if either Sub-Zero or Scorpion will come back alive. Kung Lao and Lui Kang were both worried for your well-being, they had no time to stop you from teleporting away with Quan Chi.
Scorpion reappears in the throne room, he steps aside to reveal you supporting Sub-Zero.
You look up to see Raiden giving you a nod of approval. “Alright Bi-Han, let’s get you to my room so we can patch you up. I don’t think this place has an infirmary.”
Lui Kang and Kung Lao both ranted about how dangerous and careless that is was for you to sneak past them and teleport away with Quan Chi. They followed you out the room and continued their ranting. Raiden just shook his head, his two students were completely smitten with you and concerned for your well-being.
Sub-Zero listened to the never-ending rants of Lui Kang and Kung Lao. If he wasn’t struggling to walk, he would have kicked both of their asses, just to get them to shut up. He looked down at you and could nearly see a vein pop in your forehead.
Once you reached your bedroom chambers, you immediately closed the doors behind you. You could not hear another word from Lui Kang and Kung Lao.
Behind closed doors of your room, you placed Sub-Zero down on the bed and began tending to his wounds. The look on your face, resemble to that of his mother.
“A little advice, do not insult Scorpions family or clan. In fact, just stay away from Scorpion.” You moved around your room to grab all the necessities you need to bandage Bi-Han. “Fuck, if I not been there you would have died.” You mumbled the last part to yourself.
Bi-Han winces as he struggles to sit up from your bed. “I thank you….” He didn’t exactly know who you were or why you decided to save him.
“My name is Y/n.” You return to the bedside with your equipment in hand.
“Thank you, Y/n. I don’t understand how you were able to teleport to us? But…”
“I didn’t teleport to you. I snuck up behind Quan Chi and grabbed onto his belt.” You wring the soaked rag in your hands and begin to wipe all the blood of his chest.
“So you have mastered stealth. Impressive.” He grunts when you cleaned around his wound. He grabs ahold of your wrist to temporarily stop you from bandaging him. “Why did you interfere? Why did you save me?”
You narrow your eyes, “What you wanted to die?”
“It would have restored my honor and...”
You glared at Bi-Han, “Honor? There is no honor in dying because you lost a match. You are a fucking idiot to think so. Clearly you did not get our mother’s intelligence.” 
You rose from your position and paced around the room as you continued to rant angrily. “Not many get a choice whether they live or die and you want to die. Be fucking grateful that you are alive…”
Sub-Zero watched as you ranted and paced around the room. Despite your age, you were clearly wiser than most your age. But then he caught onto one bit of information that you ranted angrily about. What did you mean by “our mother.” It was then he pieced it together. This whole time he wondered why you looked so familiar. Why you looked so much like his mother.
“You are my sister aren’t you?”
You stopped mid-ranting and looked into his eyes. You looked like his mother, but your eyes were not hers.
“Yes.” Your shoulders become less tense. After a moment of silence, you speak again. “Our mother would not want this life for you. To easily throw your life away when all she tried to do was give us a life of normalcy.”
You move to sit on the bed, your back facing Bi-Han and your eyes casted downwards. You scoff to yourself. “Who am I to talk? When I’m forced to do the same. If only she can see me now. She would be ashamed…her sacrifice would have been for nothing. She…”
“Sacrifice?” Bi-Han leaned forward despite the pain he was enduring. “What do you mean? Our mother is alive…isn’t she?”
When he receives no response from you, he places his hand on your shoulder. “How?”
“The Red Dragon clan killed her. They… wanted the soultaker sword.” You rise from your position and move to the door. “I’ll get Raiden to come and heal you. It was nice meeting you Bi-Han.”
Before Bi-Han could respond you had left out the door. He could see you concealing all the pain underneath. How just the slightest mention of your mother changed your demeanor. He realized then you had witnessed her death.
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kattegat-kittycat · 4 years
Text
Fates Entwined, part VII: This Is Where We Fall Apart
After your former clan was brutally murdered, you agree to an arranged marriage with Ivar to keep your social status. You may not always see eye to eye and sometimes even find yourself on different sides of one war or the other, but somehow you can never escape each other no matter how much you try to forget, deny and run. Somehow you always end up in each other’s faces. Sometimes quite literally.
A/N:  First of all, thank you guys for your support. I started writing this thing thinking it would be just something to entertain myself, posted on this sideblog because I thought, well, maybe somebody else finds some distraction and joy in this, but now my pretty intoverted self is overwhelmed by the feedback I got from some of you. So, thanks! Also, sorry if I forgot to tag someone or something, this is all so new to me and I get overwhelmed and it just...I get kind of fuzzy over it and forget things.
Concerning the story, this is where it gets dark. Well, you probably figured as much, because this is where Ivar canonically gets dark and starts spiralling out of control. I don’t know how the series ends yet, but I have an end for Ivar and the reader in mind. So, I try not to change too much about the series’ plot, but if I need to break from canon in the end, then I will probably do just that. Or not. Depending how it all works out. But I kind of already have parts of the ending written out and yeah, let’s see what gives.
The song I linked to this chapter is one of my favourite songs right now and I listened to it a lot while I wrote the upcoming chapters, because I love how the beginning is rather calm, but sounds freaking menancing, which is just such an Ivar-kinda-mood. Also, I could see how someone might be fed up with Ivar’s one-track-minded and self-destructive hunger to prove himself. So, yeah, sorry for that. :D
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
You bring your issues, I bring the tissues
You bring your bad news, I bring the booze
You’re so self-destructive, I’m not in the mood
I’m saying fuck this, I’ve died enough for you
This is where we fall apart
This is where I’m giving up
Blind Channel – Died Enough For You
When I woke up the next morning, Ivar had already gone. I sat up and looked around the room, smiling as I remembered last night. Then I frowned. There were things I still had to tell him, things that weren’t important last night, but he should know. As I got dressed, I heard someone at the entrance to the house.
“Y/N?” I heard Astrid’s voice coming from the door.
I fixed my dress and stepped out from behind the curtain. “Astrid. What brings you here?” I smiled at her, but she made me feel uncomfortable. Astrid didn’t like me, mostly because she didn’t know if I was loyal to Lagertha. It was interesting to see how protective she was over her, but it was also unsettling.
“Lagertha wants to see you. Right away.” She looked around the parts of the house she could see, as I already walked out into town, then she followed me.
“It must be great to have your husband back, I hope you enjoyed your reunion.” She then said to break the silence.
I smiled. “Yes, it is wonderful to have him back. But it also presents me with a challenge, because he is very unsettled by the whole situation.”
Astrid snorted. “Yeah, you could say that.” We had reached the door to the Great Hall and I entered, whereas Astrid remained outside. When my eyes got used to the half-darkness, I saw Lagertha sitting in front of the throne.
She looked up to me and smiled sadly. “It still feels weird to sit there. I still expect him to come back. It still feels like this is not my place.”
I frowned. “Oh, but the people think it is and that is most important. As long as your people support you, you have nothing to fear.”
“Not even your husband, who swore to kill me yesterday?” Her face turned serious.
It was no surprise that Ivar had threatened her, rather how fast he had done it. “Looks like he didn’t waste any time.” I quipped lightly.
“I told him, what I told you. That I did not wish to kill him. And it is true. I could use a brilliant mind like his.”
I looked at the floor and nodded my head. “So, you probably want me to talk to him. Get him to forget what you did?”
Lagertha gave a laugh. “Oh, I would, but I know now what you were talking about. He has a strength of will that knows no equal. Come here, sit with me.” She patted the ground to her side. I followed her instruction and felt a little like a dog.
“But why…what…?” Why did she call for me if not to get my husband to accept her?
Her hand found my thigh. “Be careful, Y/N. Your husband is not to be trifled with. Be careful how you tell him about our military bond. Take good care of him, maybe you can get him to calm down. But know when you are fighting a losing fight. I will not pit you against him, but I will fight him, if I have to, after all, he threatened my life.” her eyes held an enormous intensity when they met mine.
“Tell me, Lagertha, do you fear my husband?” I asked directly.
Her eyes darted from my face to the door and back, and I almost expected to be reprimanded. Then she gave a little, humorless laugh. “He is so young and so inexperienced, it is almost ridiculous, but he is unpredictable. And nothing is as dangerous as an unpredictable, angry young man. So, yes. Yes, I do fear him. But fear is no weakness; fear keeps you from underestimating people. But, Y/N, do you fear Ivar?”
I looked at the ground then back at her. Did I fear my husband? I shook my head, before I answered her. “No. No, I do not. I know he will not harm me.” He couldn’t. And he knew that he could not without consequences.
Lagertha smiled again. “Then I don’t know if you are brave or foolish. Or in love.”
My cheeks reddened and I looked at my hands. Then I looked up to Lagertha. Gave a slight nod.
She stroked my shoulder. “That is nothing to be ashamed of. Not in the least. It is a luxury many of us do not have.”
Then she stood and took a decisive breath. “Well, time to work on Kattegat’s future. There are some fortifications to be build that won’t build themselves.” And with that, she started to the door. I stayed behind for a short moment and looked at the throne. All of this drama, for a wooden chair. I shook my head and turned around, only to find Ivar linger in the doorway.
He smiled at me, but I could see that it was just a front. His thoughts were racing behind his eyes and one of them was what I was doing here.
“Ivar, good morning!” I smiled at him, my cheeks flushed.
He shook his head and smiled. “And how is that? How is this morning any good?” How was everything he said a challenge? I rolled my eyes.
“I heard you threatened to kill Lagertha, but she decided not to punish that.” I answered and I knew that was the wrong answer, but I needed him to tell me what bothered him. And making him exploed was usually the right way to know exactly where his head was at.
“She did not decide not to punish me, she cowardly rejected my challenge. But what is it to you?” His face was controlled, but his lips twitched into a snarl, as he drew closer to me. I was still sitting in front of the throne when he closed up to me.
“I owe her a debt. She gave me the military support I needed to reclaim Ripa, but I had to swear loyalty to her.”
Ivar gave a short humorless snort and cocked his head to the left. “So whose side are you going to choose when I have to kill her?” He put his finger beneath my chin and foced me to look him in the eyes. I coldly returned his stare.
“Well, how about you just turn your back on this forsaken town and come with me to Ripa? What is there left for you in Kattegat?”
“I need to avenge my mother and my father. I cannot leave this town before I have done both. This is my legacy, this is the path I need to follow. What would there be for me in Ripa?”
I looked at him and felt my eyes soften. “Me, we could rule together, we would have our own estate and you could be at its head. We could… we could be happy.” I hated how small my voice sounded at the end, how much I felt like begging him to come with me.
He dropped his hand and chuckled darkly. “Do you know what some of the last words were, some of the last words my father had for me?” Ivar didn’t wait for me to prompt him: “He told me that the whole world would know and fear me, if I used my anger wisely, that the future of our people rests in my hands. I told him that I did not want to be angry all the time, that maybe I wanted to be happy. Do you know, what he told me?”
I shook my head, worried. Ivar got closer, until I could feel his breath on my face. “He told me that happiness, happiness is nothing.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Well, then good luck with your anger and your revenge.” I got up quickly and walked away, knowing that he was not coming after me and that I had lost this battle. He hadn’t told me what was on his mind, but instead I had played my cards too early. The question was, what was left here in Kattegat for me?
When I stepped out into the open, I looked at the horizon and could see a storm brewing. I thought about turning back and giving Ivar a heads up, but then again, why bother? He did what he wanted, he had proven that much. And right now was not the right moment to feel pity with him. Still, my feet stilled and I turned around. As I reached the doors to the hall, I could see him sitting in front of the throne, knife in his hands. No, this was not the right moment to interrupt him, but I knew now to be more concerned about his actions. This was why Aslaug had chosen me. To save him from himself.
I let my feet guide me and found myself at the jetties, where Margarete helped the fishermen unload their catch of the day. Without much ado, I grabbed one of the baskets filled with fish and helped her carry it to the kitchen. She smiled at me when we had carried all the fish over and sat down.
“Who would have thought that an earl helps a simple slave with her daily tasks?” she grinned.
“You seem to be in a better mood. What happened?” I asked her and tried to look happy.
“Ubbe found me and asked me if he could keep seeing me.” Her smile was radiant and she hugged me suddenly, before she realised that that was not appropriate. Then again, neither was the fact that I helped her, so I just laughed.
“So, he isn’t angry that Lagertha used you?” I asked when I had caught my breath again.
“No, he knows I had no choice in the matter.”
I smiled at her, but I felt hollow. She noticed it right away.
“Something is not right with you, what did Ivar do this time?” she shuddered as she mentioned his name.
“He swore to kill Lagertha and then I asked him to leave Kattegat behind and come with me to Ripa, but he refused.”
A worried look crossed Margarete’s face. “You will never get Ivar out of Kattegat. He dreamt of ruling this place since he was a small boy. And now that he got his taste of battle, I fear he is like a feral dog that has tasted blood for the first time.”
“Oh Margarete, how I wish that I could tell you you are wrong, but I’m afraid that you might be more correct than I want to believe.”
She smiled at me. “But you know things about your husband he does not want to be known. You can still smaller his chances at becoming king. Maybe he will come with you, if he sees that there is nothing left here for him.”
“Be careful, Margarete. Don’t do anything rash. If Ivar decides to harm you, I cannot save you.”
She gave a nod. “I know. But I don’t want you to leave.”
I smiled sadly. “Well, I won’t as long as there is hope for my husband.”
*
I heard Ragnar’s voice as clear in Ivar’s mind as I saw the vision he had. Once again, his father was about to take my husband away from me on a quest that seemed hopeless. What was it with these Lothbroks? Did they not know when to surrender? When would it ever be enough?
Ivar did not come home that night. I didn’t know where he was, but I did not go out and look for him. This was a fight I could not win, I could not challenge the ghost of his dead father that told him to make a name for himself. Deeply frustrated, I didn’t fall asleep until the morning, which was also when I realised that Björn’s forces would probably return from the Mediterranean and with them, some of Ripa’s best warriors. Warriors that still did not know about the change of allegiance in Ripa. I had to go back, if only for a short time, to get my affairs in order. So, come morning, I got on my armour and packed my belongings, saddled my horse and went looking for Lagertha.
I found her on her way to help with the fortifications and she raised her eyebrows in wonder.
“Are you leaving for a battle I know nothing about?” she quipped, in a better mood than I had anticipated after learning the fate of her husband.
“No, that is… I hope not. Ragnar…I am sure the message of his death reached you as well as his sons.”
She gave a nod, smiling sadly. “Yes, but what does that have to do with you wearing your armour?”
“Björn and Hvitserk will probably return from the Mediterranean, to avenge their father. And with them, they will bring some of Ripa’s best warriors, who still know nothing about me being their earl now. And…”
Lagertha gave an appreciative smile. “You are an intelligent leader to think ahead to events like these. Ride to Ripa, prepare the town for their arrival and get them to swear you loyalty before you have to smoke out a rebellion. But ride through Hedeby and take Ragnheiđur with you. She knows how to handle situations like these. She is good in a crisis.” Lagertha smiled.
“And Hedeby? Who will take care of Hedeby?” I asked, confused.
“I will have Torvi and Astrid take care of it while the two of you are away. Once your warriors are settled, you send Ragnheiđur back and once you want to see your husband again, you will return to Kattegat.”
“What?”
“Ivar would never leave Kattegat now. Otherwise I would have asked you to take him and leave for Ripa a while ago. But we will manage. His anger will wear him out, one day. Just make sure you are safe, you are always free to return.” She inclined her head to me and I took a half bow, before she turned away to go upon her work.
*
On my way back to the house to fetch my bags, I finally ran into Ivar. The readied horse and my packed bags had piqued his interest and stoked his anger. When he saw me, he already half raced toward me. I always forgot how quick he was on his hands.
“You are not leaving!” he roared as he approached me.
I sidestepped him then went to grab my bags. He did not expect me to just not react in any way to his anger and sat there on the ground watching me slightly dumbfounded. Then he crawled after me.
“I have business to attend in my earldom. I know, it is of no interest of you, so I will spare you the details.” As the words left my mouth, I realised just how angry I was at his stubbornness. Bags in hand, I made my way to my horse and started tying the bags to the saddle. When Ivar reached the horse, he made to tear down the bag I had just tied to my horses back, but I only swatted at his hand, impatiently.
“Stop that, you are not a child. Use words, maybe that helps.” I didn’t even look at him, but continued my preparations.
“So you are leaving, now, when I need your support more than ever?” he asked in that innocent, manipulative sing-song voice of his.
I was about to lose my patience, so I drew in a long breath, closed my eyes, then looked at him. “I will not support your suicidal quest to sail to England, declare war on Aelle, and avenge your father, if that is what you are talking about.”
He tutted and drew himself up into a standing position, taking the wall of the house as support.
“Declare war on Aelle, no, my love, you are thinking way too small. We are going to raise the greatest army this world has ever seen and declare war on the world.”
“You and which army?” I asked impatiently.
His eyes sparkled with excitement. “We talked it through last night, Ubbe, Sigurd and I. We will raise an army...”
“Do you even hear yourself talk? Ivar, your father just died in a foreign country because no one was willing to follow him there, how are you going to raise an army?” I almost laughed in his face, but I was desperate for him to see how little chance of success this plan of his held. Could he not see that?
He bared his teeth in frustration. “The name Lothbrok still means something to our people. We will gather the greatest army England and the world has ever seen and you will be by my side!”
I frowned at him. “You want me to ride into battle with you?”
“What? No! You will stay in Kattegat while me and my brothers are going to bring war to the world. But you will be here, when I return with the tales of our great battles and successes.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Ivar, I have more pressing things to tend to. If my warriors want to support your cause, I will not keep them from following you, but I will not support you in this mad quest.”
He looked at me angrily then frowned. Suddenly, he looked very young and helpless.
“Are you… are you really leaving?” Only then did it seem to hit him and his face suddenly fell. He had never considered that I might actually leave, he had thought this a game of power.
“As I said, I have pressing matters that need addressing back in Ripa. I have responsibilities, I cannot shirk.” I looked to the ground as I said these words. I knew it was the worst possible moment for me to leave, but once Björn was here, it would be too late.
He took a step toward me, as close as the arm that supported him against the wall would let him. Then he tumbled forward. I caught him and he steadied himself against me. He was so close, but right now there were walls between us neither of us could break.
“Y/N”, he whispered, “Please don’t go. Don’t leave me alone with my thoughts.”
“Ivar, I have to go.” I pressed.
He softly touched my cheek. “Do you think there is happiness waiting for you in Ripa, when your husband is still here?” he asked, once again trying to manipulate me.
I shook my head, fighting tears. “I don’t”, I said through the lump in my throat, as I stared straight into his eyes: “But someone told me that happiness…happiness means nothing.”
His eyes widened at that, as I carefully led him toward the wall so he could support himself again.
“That was not what I meant…” he said quietly, but I already sat on the back of my horse.
“I think that was exactly what you meant. Goodbye, Ivar, may the Gods keep you in their favour while I am away.”
And with that I rode off, Ivar letting himself drop to the ground and trying to crawl after me for a moment. I could hear his frustrated howl, as I turned the corner and rode into the direction of Hedeby.
@youbloodymadgenius @xnnskwjeheb2j
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darkacademicx · 4 years
Text
A List of Show Recs, While You’re Stuck at Home
This is a huge and continuously updating list.  The first 2 categories are ‘definitely DA’ and ‘Probably DA’, but beyond that all of the shows are sorted by category.  Enjoy!
Definitely DA:
The Living and the Dead - The plot revolves around Nathan Appleby and his wife, Charlotte Appleby whose farm is believed to be at the centre of numerous supernatural occurrences. Set in Victorian times and has ghosts and an excellent aesthetic.  Available on Amazon Prime. 5/5
A Series of Unfortunate Events - This series follows the tragic tale of three orphans -- Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire -- who are investigating their parents' mysterious death. The siblings are saddled with an evil guardian named Count Olaf , who will do whatever it takes to get his hands on the Baudelaires' inheritance. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny must outsmart Olaf at every turn, foiling devious plans and disguises. The series is based on the series of books by Lemony Snicket.  Available on Netflix. 
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - A dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror and the occult. In the reimagined origin story, Sabrina Spellman wrestles to reconcile her dual nature -- half-witch, half-mortal -- while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family -- including aunts Hilda and Zelda -- and the daylight world humans inhabit.  Available on Netflix. 5/5
Downton Abbey - This historical drama follows the lives of the Crawley family and their servants in the family's Edwardian country house. The programme begins with the 1912 sinking of the Titanic, which leaves Downton Abbey's future in jeopardy, as Lord Grantham's presumptive heir -- his cousin James -- and his son, Patrick, die aboard the ship, leaving him without a male offspring to take over the throne upon his death. As a result, Lord Grantham must search for a new heir. As the programme progresses through the decade, other historical events happen leading up to Lord Grantham declaring in 1914 that Britain is at war with Germany, marking the beginning of World War I, which becomes a major plot on the programme.  Available on Amazon Prime.
Gran Hotel - Set in Spain in the early 20th century, Julio arrives at a luxury hotel to meet his sister, head chambermaid Cristina only to discover she has disappeared. Julio makes it his mission to find her and infiltrates the hotel under the guise of a footman.  This show is in Spanish but available with English Subtitles. 5/5
Penny Dreadful - An exploration of the origin stories of classical literature characters in this psychological thriller that takes place in the dark corners of Victorian London. Sir Malcolm is an explorer who has lost his daughter to the city's creatures, and he will do whatever is needed to get her back and to right past wrongs. His accomplice, seductive clairvoyant Vanessa Ives, recruits charming American Ethan Chandler to help locate Sir Malcolm's daughter and slay some monsters. Available on Netflix and Hulu. 
The Umbrella Academy - On one day in 1989, 43 infants are inexplicably born to random, unconnected women who showed no signs of pregnancy the day before. Seven are adopted by billionaire industrialist Sir Reginald Hargreeves, who creates the Umbrella Academy and prepares his "children" to save the world. In their teenage years, though, the family fractures and the team disbands. Fast forward to the present time, when the six surviving members of the clan reunite upon the news of Hargreeves' passing. They work together to solve a mystery surrounding their father's death, but divergent personalities and abilities again pull the estranged family apart, and a global apocalypse is another imminent threat. 
Sherlock - Dr. John Watson is a war vet just home from Afghanistan. He meets the brilliant but eccentric Holmes when the latter, who serves as a consultant to Scotland Yard, advertises for a flatmate. Almost as soon as Watson moves into the Baker Street flat, they are embroiled in mysteries, and Sherlock's nemesis, Moriarty, appears to have a hand in the crimes.  Available on Netflix. 5/5
Stranger Things - In 1980s Indiana, a group of young friends witness supernatural forces and secret government exploits. As they search for answers, the children unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries. Available on Netflix. 5/5
Twilight Zone - It's a strange mix of horror, science-fiction, drama, comedy and superstition. Serling introduced each episode, and many of the black and white episodes concluded with a surprise ending. Available on Netflix and Hulu. 5/5.
Outlander - After serving as a British Army nurse in World War II, Claire Randall is enjoying a second honeymoon in Scotland with husband Frank, an MI6 officer looking forward to a new career as an Oxford historian. Suddenly, Claire is transported to 1743 and into a mysterious world where her freedom and life are threatened. To survive, she marries Jamie Fraser, a strapping Scots warrior with a complicated past and a disarming sense of humour. A passionate relationship ensues, and Claire is caught between two vastly different men in two inharmonious lives. Available on Netflix and Hulu.
Probably DA:
The Magicians - Quentin Coldwater, a grad student at Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, has been fascinated by the magical fantasy world since he was young. But as he has gotten older, Quentin and his 20-something friends have discovered that the magical world they read about as children is not only real, but it poses dangers to humanity. While studying at the secret upstate New York school, the friends struggle to cope with the aftermath of a catastrophe that befalls the institution. Available on Netflix, Hulu, and the Syfy website. 5/5
Merlin - This action-packed fantasy-drama revisits the saga of King Arthur and his wizard, Merlin, by focusing on the two characters when they were ambitious young men struggling to understand their destinies. In this telling, Prince Arthur is known to be the heir to the throne (no sword from the stone here). And he is acquainted with all those who will one day form the legend of Camelot, including Lancelot, Guinevere, and Morgana. Merlin is also forced to deal with King Uther's Great Purge, which bans all use of magic. Available on Netflix. 5/5
The Order - When Belgrave University student Jack Morton joins a fabled secret society, the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose, he is thrust into a world of magic, monsters and intrigue. Out to avenge his mother's death, he uncovers dark family secrets and lands in an underground battle being waged between werewolves and practitioners of dark magic. Assisting Jack in the fight is Alyssa, a tour guide at Belgrave and fellow member of the Order, which is led by Jack's estranged father.  Available on Netflix. 4/5.
Legion - David Haller is a troubled young man who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a child. Shuffled from one psychiatric institution to the next, in his early 30s, David met and fell in love with a beautiful and troubled fellow patient named Syd. After a startling encounter with her, he was forced to confront the shocking possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees may actually be real. Syd led David to Melanie Bird, a demanding but nurturing therapist who heads a team of specialists -- Ptonomy, Kerry, and Cary -- each of whom possesses a unique and extraordinary gift. Together, they helped David to recognize and harness his hidden abilities and unlock a deeply suppressed truth -- he had been haunted his entire life by a malicious parasite of unimaginable power.  Available on Hulu. 4/5.
Comedy:
Derry Girls - Following Erin and her friends as they grow up in a world of armed police in armoured Land Rovers and British Army check points in 1990s Northern Ireland and attempt to navigate the highs and lows of being teenagers. Available on Netflix. 5/5
Detective/military:
Broadchurch - When the corpse of an 11-year-old British boy, Danny Latimer, is found bloodied and dirty on an idyllic beach, a small Dorset community becomes the focus of a police investigation and media madness. Out-of-town Detective Inspector Alec Hardy gets the point position over Detective Sgt. Ellie Miller -- who feels the job should have been hers. Slowly, more members of the community of Broadchurch are drawn into the investigation. While dealing with so much unwelcome attention, Danny's family tries to cope with its grief. When a suspect is named and charged, the ensuing trial sees the defendant promising to expose more of the townspeople's secrets.  Available on Netflix. 5/5.
Haven - FBI Agent Audrey Parker arrives in Haven, Maine, on what she believes is a routine assignment. But the longer she stays, the more curious she becomes -- about the townspeople, who seem to be beset by a range of supernatural afflictions; about the town itself, which contains many secrets; and about her own surprising connection to this strange place.  Available on Netflix and Tubi.  4/5.
A Very Secret Service - At the height of the Cold War in 1960, André Merlaux joins the French Secret Service and contends with enemies both foreign and bureaucratic.  In French with English Subtitles.  Available on Netflix. 5/5.
Criminal Minds - An elite squad of FBI profilers analyzes the country's most-twisted criminal minds, anticipating the perpetrators' next moves before they can strike again. Each member of the "mind hunter" team brings his or her expertise to pinpoint predators' motivations and identify emotional triggers to stop them. The core group includes an official profiler who is highly skilled at getting into the minds of criminals, a quirky genius, the former media liaison who manages to adeptly balance family life and the job, and a computer wizard.  Available on Netflix and CBS.  5/5
Eureka - In the years since World War II, the U.S. government has been relocating the world's geniuses (and their families) to the Pacific Northwest town of Eureka. Daily life there shifts between amazing innovation and total chaos. U.S. Marshal Jack Carter learns this first-hand when his car breaks down in Eureka, stranding him among the town's eccentric citizens. When they unleash a scientific creation still unknown to the outside world, it's up to Carter to restore order. Subsequently, he's let in on one of America's best-kept secrets.  Available on Amazon Prime.  5/5.
Our Girl - Taking destiny into their own hands, British Army female medics of 2 Sections are dispatched on different missions, where they encounter the heartbreak and realities of life on the battlefield.  5/5.
Political:
The Crown - This lavish, Netflix-original drama chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940s to modern times. The series begins with an inside look at the early reign of the queen, who ascended the throne at age 25 after the death of her father, King George VI. As the decades pass, personal intrigues, romances, and political rivalries are revealed that played a big role in events that shaped the later years of the 20th century.  Available on Netflix. 4/5.
Victoria - The monarch's life is chronicled as the story begins with the death of King William IV in 1837, her accession to the throne at the tender age of 18 and her relationships with the influential forces around her. With the advice of the prime minister Lord Melbourne and the support of her husband Prince Albert the young queen flourishes and establishes herself in her newfound role. Available on Amazon Prime. 4/5.
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