#not as horrifying in nature as the merchant but i personally would not want to fight her

[musubiki]

new npc: madam springs, master of all-natural healing practices

#the cat witchs guild #the misc adventures of mochi and lime #madam springs #art #ocs #original #tcwg #tmaomal #semi-cryptid #all purpose healer #insane capabilities and non magic #shes NOT timeskip exclusive. #shed whack people with that stick #or push one specific pressure point and they twist up like a pretzel #another dont-mess-with-this-npc character #not as horrifying in nature as the merchant but i personally would not want to fight her #has a beef with mochis grandma

[yennasun]

March 29th, 2004. The defense.

They had tried to set up a rematch with TDL after the all-out war they had (which made fight of the year) but it had fallen through quickly.

He decided to vacate the Middleweight championship to move up to light heavyweight.

Rooney thought he was running scared, but MT knew better.

You just can't scare a guy like that, you have to break him.

He'd beaten his fellow contenders until he was awarded the championship in a title eliminator.

...

But it just didn't feel the same.

He would've felt like a true champ had he wrenched it from another reigning champion, that's how it worked. Like passing the torch.

He'd used this frustration to take on all comers, clearing out each and every contender he could get to step in the arena with him, taking many by surprise by how quickly he was doing so since he'd grown a reputation of being a slow starter.

After bombing out the #4 contender, fight anchor Holman merchant pulled him aside.

"Before we start michael I just want to say, you've so far been a very dominant champion-you've given us many great fights." He nodded at MT

"However, us at arena-side are starting to belive that no one can compete with you at this weight class, do you have, maybe, any plans of jumping up to light heavyweight and perhaps getting that rematch you've been fighting for?"

MT wasn't sure what to say, as he'd never been pulled aside so suddenly. Usually his manager or trainer would tell him he'd be getting interviewed.

He decided to go with the safe option.

"Well that's not r-really my choice, but I do hope to move up and...um maybe get that rematch I've been wanting cuz I'm not really happy with the result"

"Well we can only hope, since the light heavy division is very rich with young talent. Turning our view back to the current weight class, pound for pound puncher and current welterweight champ henry shavers has been talking about moving up and coming into a title fight with you, what do you think about that?"

Who?

Obviously he didn't say this out loud because he didn't want to come off as disrespectful.

"Well...I'm not exactly informed o-on all the top guys, I just fight. But if he's as good as you're saying he is...um-then I'm hoping we can make a good fight out of it."

Merchant seemed pleased with this answer.

"Well thank you very much Mike, you're a very good fighter and I personally can't wait to see back in here." As he finished, MT was ushered out by Rooney.

Once they got back to their home PC, he was forcefully pulled aside by his creator.

"Come with me." He didn't exactly gave MT a choice as he grabbed his arm so hard he thought the bone would snap, and dragged him into his quarters with a TV set up.

"I need you to see just what you're gonna be dealing with." He pressed play and a highlight reel played.

What MT saw was the most horrifying example of one-punch knockout power he'd ever seen.

Is his jaw supposed to look like that?!

The man was gunning everyone down mercilessly.

MT didn't want to fight him, but accepted the fact that they were on a collision course rather quickly.

He throws that overhand right so naturally...I'm not sure I'll be able to eat one of those

Despite being a former welterweight, he seemed to handle the extra weight rather well, then again he was built for power, not speed. And everyone knows what happens when a power puncher puts on weight.

More weight with each punch

The TV was shut off.

"We're gonna do something different, you're gonna learn to take punches...cuz I promise you, at some point or another you're gonna get hit in the head so hard you'll feel it all the way down to your ankles."

What transpired can only be described as MT take vicious beating from creator on the regular, a part of him thought he took some kind of pleasure in this.

He realized there was a pattern to getting floored.

The first step was to get up.

The second step was to re evaluate where he was and what was going on

The third step was to slow his heart rate down and the fourth step was to clear his head and get back to work.

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

The day came, and MT wasn't nervous.

No, this went far beyond nervous. He was scared.

Rooney noticed all the telltale signs that MT was scared.

Pacing, blinking alot, mumbling to himself...

He could hear voices whispering about how totally fucked he was, he could hear everyone laughing at him, he heard boos from the crowd-it was all so overpowering!

Eventually the pacing stopped and he sat down with his hands over his ears.

Shut up shut up shut up shut up BE QUIET !!

It took some time before he was able to register the hand on his back rubbing circles.

Rooney, the damn Saint he is was there for him, he always was.

He was sure that if he wasn't, his life would have ended long ago, one way or another.

Rooney was there, and MT was eternally grateful.

Rooney didn't offer any reassuring words this time, he'd learned from experience that when mt's head started screwing with him there was almost no getting through to him.

Meanwhile, Creator just stood by like usual. An indifferent and uncaring scowl perpetually plastered on his face.

Eventually and finally, MT managed to calm himself down enough to fight.

He was led in, and this time his confidence did not return in full. Some of it came back to him so that when he finally came face to face with his opponent, he was only nervous instead of terrified.

The ref read the rules, and the fighters were introduced.

And now the main event. For the undisputed Middleweight Championship of the world.

In the red corner; weighing in at 162 pounds even, standing at 5'10 inches the champion; "marvelous" Micheal Tarvor!

The announcer waited for the crowd to quiet down

And in the blue corner; weighing in at 160 pounds even, standing at 5'9 and-a-half, the challenger; henry "the hammer" shavers!

The bell sounded for the 1st round and both fighters got off to a patient start.

Each utilizing jabs to feel the other out.

MT was winning the distance game, using his southpaw footwork and throwing his right jab from awkward angles to befuddle the challenger.

The second and 3rd went much the same way, with MT eventually establishing a rhythm and getting comfortable against his opponent.

In the 4th, shavers seemed to understand what he needed to do: defend against the jab and close to distance.

He exacted this with some success, catching MT's jab and using head movement to stifle his rhythm.

In the 5th, shavers began to let his hands fly but MT proved to have a very educated defense, mixing blocks and parrys with slips and rolls.

He was actually having a very easy time slipping and blocking just about everything he threw at MT, he had no idea why he was so scared! He had this in the bag, this was it! This wa-

...

His eyes shot open and the first thing he saw was the ref holding his finger up at him, first 3, then 4.

Oh

He was ready on his feet when he came to, and the ref counted to 8 before asking him;

"Can you continue?" MT nodded his head

"Hands up" the ref ordered

MT raised his hands defensively and the ref let the fight go.

He wasn't sure what happened, but he knew he couldn't afford to let it happen again. Hell, his ears were still ringing and he was starting to see double...no, there was a third one!

He swore he started seeing stars when he took another right hand.

The bell finally sounded for the end of the round and he went back to his corner

"What happened?" He asked

"What happened? What happened is that he timed you mike and he caught you...look at me real quick." MT looked at him and saw Rooney observing his eyes.

"Follow my finger" he put his finger out and brought it left to right, then up and down.

Rooney breathed a sigh of relief and cupped MT's cheeks in his hands

"Talk to me kid, how ya feelin'?"

"Like I just ran face first into a wall at full speed"

"That's what it looked like, it's a miracle you got up. That was a bad punch you ate."

"Was it a right or a left?"

"A hail Mary right that landed clean...thought i lost you for a second" Rooney held an ice pack on MT's forehead while he went over a game plan.

"This guy doesn't defend his body at ALL, and that's where his power cones from. Bang that drum just like you did when you had a height disadvantage and his best asset will go. Work that defense and make him miss, counter often to give him something to think about and switch stances every now and then to keep him guessing" they both heard the bell sound.

"Time to go?"

"Time to go, remember what I told you"

By the time he went out to meet his opponent, his ears had stopped ringing but he was still seeing double, his reflexes were dulled also.

Even so, he went out in a right handed stance, whipping his jab out and using it to set up his long range body punches.

Having height and reach didn't mean he couldn't snatch the body, in fact it just meant he could do it at a safer distance and he could gain more leverage with distance.

Through the sixth, he spent it mixing head shots and body shots.

When shavers would close the distance, MT would be more diligent with his defense, taking care to not get careless.

Halfway through the 7th, MT slipped shavers' jab and planted his head on shavers shoulder. From close range he landed a flurry of body punches and punctuated it with an uppercut that hit shavers flush.

As the round ended, MT saw shavers staggering over his own feet despite taking a good headshot over 30 seconds ago.

Thats when he came to a realization that might have saved the fight for him.

This guy can give but he can't take for shit!

In the 8th, they both came out on fire. They both took as good as they gave but strangely, none of shavers punches had that same sting to them.

They still hurt and they still blurred his vision and made his head spin but they didn't take him off his feet.

He'd find out years later just how not-good this was.

The 9th was all MT, landing body shots that made Henry subtly double over and his punches had nowhere near the sting they used to have. He began to follow up with headshots and had him staggering badly.

He flurried, catching shavers with more than 5 unanswered punches until shavers landed the last big punch he could throw.

It was a left hook, and it was so hard that MT didn't even feel it. From his perspective it just looked like the ground came up to him, but he wasn't out completely.

He got up at the count of 4 and picked up right where he left off, picking shavers apart at range for the rest of the round.

In the beginning of the 10th, they entered close range where MT landed a right hand on shavers exposed Jaw.

Then he landed another, and another.

Shavers was forced to take a step back and he threw his jab, but immediately caught another right hand the second his left hand left his chin.

He stumbled back and MT swung with a wild left hook that missed, but he used the momentum to lunge into a right hand, forcing him back more before throwing a final right hand for good measure.

His head hit a Boulder behind him as he went down in the direction he got hit in.

The ref counted

1

2

3

4

5

6

Only then did it look like shavers tried to get up, but it looked as through he physically couldn't

9

10

He'd done it.

He took out one of the hardest punchers in the world.

Not only that but he knocked him out, no stoppage, it was a straight-up KO.

Shavers had to be taken out of the arena in a stretcher, but for all the fanfare MT wasn't feeling too good himself.

He was very dizzy and began inexplicably stumbling over his own feet on the way out.

Rooney was there like always to congratulate him.

He didn't bother asking creator if he did well, as he was more than accustomed to his responses.

"You shouldn't be getting caught like that...but all things considered, you showed you do well under pressure. That's a trait you need to hold onto."

They made it back to the PC, and MT was greeted with a meal that was much larger than usual.

"Is for me?" He asked, hopeful that this wasn't some sick joke.

Creator nodded his head and it was all MT could do to not squeal in delight like a schoolgirl.

As he gorged himself in his well earned meal, creator spoke up.

"Get used to the bigger meals, I've made a decision. You're moving up to light heavyweight so you need to put on some more muscle...nothing a little protein and calisthenics won't help. Besides, you're still growing into your own body."

"Be ready kid, there's some real killers in that division. There's a reason both of us stayed away when we were fighting." Rooney piped up.

Over the weeks, he began to bulk up more and more, even gaining 2 inches in height. At only 16 he stood eye to eye with the 6 foot Rooney.

He stepped on the scale and came out at exactly 177 pounds and MT smiled.

As those same weeks passed, creator lost his grip on reality more and more, his training methods looked less like training and more like a lunatic taking sick pleasure in hurting someone else.

It was tame...for now.

Rooney had to do something soon, he didn't know how much longer he could stay a bystander.

---------------------------------------------------

This chapter started off as a basic idea that popped into my head, so I had to churn it out quickly before I lost focus.

One thing I've been doing to name other characters is using the names of real life boxers and ufc fighters and mixing their first and last names. For example, Henry shavers was a mix of Henry Cooper and earnie shavers (RIP)

I'm also thinking of giving the dark lord a pseudonym but I'm not sure what name I want it to be, I'm trying to keep in line with the abbreviations (TDL) so I'm thinking I'll give him 3 names (kinda like leyland james kirby). My first thought was Tiger Daniel Lewis, but I'm interested in what you think it should be.

As always thanks for reading the mess, I promise at some point I'll come up with a comprehensible timeline and plot line.

#alan becker #animation vs minecraft #avm #avm king orange #avm mt #animator vs animation #avm mango #au #ava #usfc #avm oc #ava oc

[vrishchikawrites]

Anon asks - There was another idea I had seen on @crossdressingdeath's tumblr where JC's reputation was ruined because of his behaviour and WWX's attempts to protect him from the consequences of his behaviour. The concept happens pre Qiongqi Path where JC attacks WWX to the point it injures and frightens him. A passerby sees WWX startled and asks him what's wrong but WWX dismisses it as nothing. Said bystander ends up thinking that JC had sexually assaulted him resulting in the cultivation world gossiping about JC being a rapist when really he isn't. Overall, the cultivation world gossips about the other shitty things JC had done and because he did alot of pretty bad things, he can't defend himself and resorts to victim blaming WWX. That however only has him dig a deeper hole for himself. WWX, on the other hand is left confused as to why everybody was pitying him all of a sudden when they used to hate and/or fear him. By the time the truth comes to light, the cultivation world thinks JC had deserved it anyway with it ending with JC hated just for him being himself and public opinion on WWX flipping. If you don't mind, can you make it light-hearted?

(Probably not as light-hearted as you would wish. It is a bit complicated. Be a little gentle because I wrote this twice and ended up fleshing it out much more. Is this a short prompt or a long one? who knows. writer is tired. she will sleep now.)

Everyone has personal boundaries, even people who are usually tactile and social. Boundaries exist even between family members who love and trust each other.

Wei Wuxian is a veteran fresh from war. He has survived bloody battlefields, spent days dealing with one hostile enemy after another. Even before that, he had spent his days constantly battling resentful ghosts and monsters in a place he can’t bear thinking of now. Before that, he had survived torture at the hands of the Wens. And before-

Better not to think about it.

So, when Jiang Cheng presses up against him threateningly, his face twisted and eyes furious, Wei Wuxian can’t help but flinch. He takes a step back and puts some distance between them quickly. Jiang Cheng has grown increasingly bitter and discontent in these past few months and Wei Wuxian is getting tired of dealing with it. He doesn’t want to be in such close proximity with a man seething with fury.

Unfortunately, that reaction proves to be a mistake because Jiang Cheng follows him, “What? Are you too big for us now? Turning away from me in disgust now that you’re a war hero and the best of us?” Jiang Cheng is so close, their noses almost touch and Wei Wuxian feels his hair stand on end in response.

“Jiang Cheng,” He says lowly, something unsettling stirring in his chest. He feels almost anxious. His heart is racing and the proximity makes him feel like he’s trapped, ��Back away.”

“Back away?” Jiang Cheng snarls, “Who are you to command me, Wei Wuxian? Do you know what people are saying about YunmengJiang? Do you know who-”

“Back away,” Wei Wuxian says tightly, his skin crawling, “Now.” His hard-earned instincts are sounding alarms. He feels threatened and provoked. He feels the resentful energy in him respond to the danger.

“What are you going to do? Send a few ghosts at me?” He sneers, “Try it! We’ll see how brave you are under the wrath of my Zidian.”

No. Wei Wuxian isn’t going to just stand here and let Jiang Cheng pick up Yu-furen’s habits, He’s just about to react, to give Jiang Cheng the thrashing he clearly desires when he realizes they are outside. He glances beyond his Sect Leader’s shoulder and sees a small group of three clad in bright white looking at them with wide eyes.

He bites back his angry retort and masters himself. He’s not going to squabble with Jiang Cheng in front of Lan disciples. His relationship with Lan Zhan is strained as it is.

“We’re in public,” He says, hoping that concern for his Sect’s reputation would move Jiang Cheng if concern for Wei Wuxian doesn’t.

Jiang Cheng looks over his shoulder and sneers at the Lan disciples before rolling his head, “Lans, of course.” He snarls and pushes Wei Wuxian away roughly, “I’ll deal with you later.”

Wei Wuxian takes a deep breath and watches his brother leave.

The Lan disciples are still looking at him with heartwarming concern. He waves at them with a smile and watches as they start like little ducklings and bow to him before fleeing.

Cute.

---

“We have to do something!” Lan Zhanxiao insists, “Did you see how he looked? Wei Wuxian was clearly trying to-”

“Shh! Keep your voice down!” Lan Lishan reprimands.

“Don’t say his name!” Lan Guan whispers urgently, looking around in a panic. There are already a few curious and interested eyes glancing in their direction. Wei Wuxian is a notorious name, after all. Even non-cultivators are interested in the man who had just a material impact on the war. It is hard to tell if they would’ve won without that powerful unorthodox cultivator on their side.

“We can’t just stand by and do nothing,” Lan Zhanxiao, always the righteous one, continues. He doesn’t care about the people around them, “If Wei Wuxian is hurt and we do nothing to prevent it, aren’t we culpable as well?”

“This is Wei Wuxian. Who would dare?” Lan Guan asks incredulously, “He is one of the most powerful cultivators in existence.”

“Is he?” Zhanxiao demands, “Doesn’t everyone know he’s very loyal to Jiang-zongzhu? Would he take a step against him? Even if it meant saving himself?”

“He should be building his own sect,” Lan Lishan says reluctantly, “He’s the Grandmaster of his cultivation form. It may be an unorthodox method, but it is still something new and entirely unique.” He would know. Lan Lishan is an avid student of history and cultivation theory. He knows that most cultivators with unique abilities tend to form their own sect to pass their teachings down.

He shudders at the prospect of cultivating resentful energy but Wei Wuxian has mentioned it is a technique people with absent or damaged Golden Cores can use.

The potential is almost limitless.

“See what I mean?” Lan Zhanxiao points out, “Hasn’t he been isolated from other cultivators because they fear his methods? If Jiang-zongzhu is really hurting him or…” He grimaces and lowers his voice, “That expression, Shan-ge, it reminds me of jiejie. What if Jiang-zongzhu is… doing something inappropriate?”

They all exchange alarmed glances, “You don’t think…?” Lan Guan breathes, horrified.

“He was scrambling to get away,” Lan Zhanxiao says, “And Jiang-zongzhu kept pressing-”

“We can’t talk about this here,” Lan Lishan says firmly, “Come, let’s leave.”

Unfortunately, they leave chaos behind.

---

Rumors are a powerful entity in the cultivation world. They are born in tea and wine houses, spread from one tradesman to another and spread to the far reaches of cultivation society in a matter of months.

The rumors about Jiang’ Wanyin’s treatment of a war hero are no exception to this rule. People gossip about it with their friends and neighbors, share the news with vendors while on errands, and the rumors continue to grow. With every retelling, the story changes, growing increasingly distorted and vile.

“The entire business is unpleasant,” A small clan cultivator says to one of his tradesman friends, “Jealousy really alters a man.” He speaks about old rumors then, speculations about Wei Wuxian’s parentage, Madam Yu’s wrath, and the Jiang heir’s relatively lackluster growth in comparison to his prodigious shixiong.

“Surely not,” Another cultivator scoffs, “Who would dare raise a hand against Wei Wuxian? Did he not decimate a large Wen battalion with just his flute and some music?”

“Merchants at Lotus Pier say Wei Wuxian always looks wan and tired these days. He has grown pale.” One woman whispers to her companion, “He spends more time in wine houses with ghost maidens than in the comfort of his rebuilt home.”

“It seems so improbable!” A young cultivator protests, “Why would Jiang-zongzhu provoke the sleeping dragon like this? Wei Wuxian is stable now but who knows when he will give into resentment?”

“Lan disciples saw it.”

And that’s the crux of the matter. If the rumor didn’t originate from Lan disciples, it might not have traveled so far. Lans are known for their honest and forthright nature, after all. What cause did they have to lie? And no Lan spoke carelessly, so their words must be the whole truth, without any exaggeration.

Because Lans are the source, everything they say is taken as fact. If one Lan disciple finds Jiang-zongzhu’s behavior horribly inappropriate then it must be. If another Lan is worried about Wei Wuxian’s safety, there must be a just cause.

The rumors spread and propagate, and soon almost the entirety of the cultivation world is aware of them.

---

Gossip is forbidden at Cloud Recesses. Disciples are usually discouraged from meddling in other sect business. Rumor-mongering is punished severely, with all parties involved facing the wrath of the disciple whip.

But Lans are raised to be righteous and compassionate. If someone is in trouble, a Lan must act. He must offer a helping hand and take the victim away from danger.

When the rumors reach Caiyi Town and land on the ear of one Lan Ruyao, he hesitates. He asks around, gets more information, and then rushes back to Cloud Recesses, intent on knowing it all.

Lan Ruyao seeks the three disciples that are the cause of it all and demands an explanation, his mind disturbed with worry. What he hears gives him no comfort for he cannot discard their concerns. The behavior they describe is alarming and their observations are precise, without any emotion clouding their judgment.

Lan Lishan narrates the incident in detail, describing every action with no embellishment or exaggeration. He speaks of Wei Wuxian’s retreat, of Jiang Wanyin’s insistence, the threat of whipping, and words spoken with cruelty and disrespect.

Lan Ruyao’s mind is disturbed as he retreats, absentmindedly assigning some lines to the junior disciples. They have erred by being so indiscreet but their cause is righteous. They don’t deserve severe punishment.

He meditates on the matter for an entire morning, trying to decide on a course of action.

You see, Lan Ruyao is Lan Wangji’s peer. He has known the Second Jade for many years, and while they are not close, they are of the same clan. The entire cultivation world may believe Lan Wangji hates Wei Wuxian, but Ruyao knows better. The Second Jade wouldn’t have been so insistent on bringing Wei Wuxian to Gusu if he didn’t care.

Lan Ruyao suspects both of them hold each other in some esteem. They have saved each other’s sides many times and seem to get along well when they’re not quarreling. He believes that they are friends.

It would be unwise to keep this from Lan Wangji.

Decision made, he quickly requests a private meeting with the Second Jade. The request is granted promptly and soon Lan Ruyao finds himself before his peer, readying himself for a difficult conversation.

The Second Jade listens to his piece without any interruption, his expression blank and beautiful as white jade. But his golden eyes are twin chips of flint, coldly furious.

Indeed, they are friends.

Lan Wangji summons the three junior disciples and questions them thoroughly. His demeanor becomes frostier as the interview progresses, his spiritual energy gaining a deadly edge when the juniors murmur of ‘inappropriate behavior.’

“You have my gratitude,” Lan Wangji says finally, bowing to him and nodding to the juniors, “Rest assured, I will address the matter directly.”

---

“Lan Zhan, wait!” Wei Wuxian protests as Lan Zhan drags him away by the elbow, his uncharacteristic behavior taking him by surprise, “Don’t take him so seriously, Lan Zhan! You know he’s a temperamental brat.”

Lan Zhan doesn’t say anything until they are a fair distance away from Jiang Cheng and the Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian tries to get an explanation for such unusual behavior but his companion is entirely silent, guiding him towards a crop of trees that offer some semblance of privacy.

“How long have you borne this?” Lan Zhan asks once they stop walking, his golden eyes bright and fierce, “How long have you endured without speaking a word to me or your friends?”

“All my life,” He rolls his eyes, “You know Jiang Cheng has a temper and says careless things, Lan Zhan. Don’t worry, I know how to handle him.”

“All your life?” Somehow, Lan Zhan seems stricken, “Wei Ying!”

“Aiya, Lan Zhan,” Honestly, he is moved by Lan Zhan’s concern for him. They have spent so many years just quarreling and being distrustful towards each other. The concern is a pleasant distraction from the wretched state of their relationship, “Don’t worry about it. I can deal with everything Jiang Cheng throws at me.”

“How can you be so callous about your own well-being?” Lan Zhan asks, his tone betraying his dismay, “Do you not care-” He visibly bites back those angry words and calms himself, his voice taking on a gentler note, “Did you think I would not help? That your friends wouldn’t offer you shelter or protection?”

Really, this is a bit of an overreaction, isn’t it?

“Do I really have any friends left, Lan Zhan?” He asks casually but the reaction he receives is anything but casual. Lan Zhan’s eyes widen as though he has been struck, “Aiya, please don’t look like that,” Wei Wuxian feels a stir of panic because Lan Zhan looks almost hurt, “I’m just being a brat.”

“Have a care,” Lan Zhan says, “Your dismissal of this matter doesn’t put me at ease.”

“Lan Zhan,” He sighs, “I’m used to it. You saw how we were at Cloud Recesses. Did I look unusually troubled then?”

“You’ve become… accustomed to it?” Lan Zhan asks, once again looking uncharacteristically stricken. Wei Wuxian feels a stir of concern in his stomach and reaches out, placing a hand on the Second Jade’s arm, “You’re accustomed to it.”

Not knowing what to do in response to such open emotion from Lan Zhan, he looks for something to distract him. Immediately, his mind remembers an old promise, “Let’s focus on something more pleasant. It’s about time you saw Lotus Pier in its full glory, Lan Zhan! I want to show you all of my favorite places, including all of the trees I climbed!”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan’s voice is low and pained.

Wei Wuxian’s smile softens as he tugs on the Second Jade’s arm, “Don’t think of unpleasant things, Lan Zhan. It’s a beautiful day and we haven’t seen each other in months! Let’s be happy, alright?”

Wei Wuxian feels a jolt of surprise as Lan Zhan raises a hand and covers his fingers, squeezing gently. The touch is warm and reassuring, and it sets Wei his heart racing.

Lan Zhan studies him for a long moment before dipping his head elegantly, his grip on Wei Wuxian’s fingers still firm and steady, “If Wei Ying wishes it,” He promises, “I will make it so.”

Oh.

---

It all comes to a head at the Discussion Conference. Wei Wuxian is accustomed to being the center of attention these days but the quality of that attention is different now. Instead of wary glances, he sees eyes filled with sympathy and tentative smiles of welcome.

Wei Wuxian being Wei Wuxian, ignores the nagging suspicion that lingers at the back of his mind and smiles brightly back at them.

That seems to make things worse because the looks of sympathy seem to somehow intensify. He even sees a few women blink their limpid eyes and turn away, as though disguising tears. Somewhat alarmed, he glances at Jiang Cheng and winces.

His martial brother is bristling with anger. There’s a thundercloud-like expression on his face as he meets every eye in the room with a clear challenge.

If glances towards him are filled with sympathy, those towards Jiang Cheng are filled with contempt and disapproval. Between that and Lan Zhan’s protective hovering, Wei Wuxian is at the end of his patience.

He needs answers and he needs them now before the situation can escalate somehow.

Baffled by the situation, Wei Wuxian looks around and finds the most reliable source of gossip he can find. “What is going on?” He demands as soon as he is at Nie Huiasang’s side, “Why are people glaring at Jiang Cheng like he’s a fierce corpse?”

Nie Huaisang waves his fan, his expression a strange mix of amusement and grim satisfaction. For one, his old friend doesn’t hide behind his usual prevarications. He glances around the room and seems to catch someone’s eye. Wei Wuxian follows that gaze only to blink as Lan Zhan walks sedately towards them, expression stern and disapproving, “Do you know what’s going on, Lan Zhan?”

The Second Jade remains silent, his eyes fixed on Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian sighs in frustration and glares at Nie Huaisang, “Nie-xiong, what?”

His curt tone is enough to snape Nie Huaisang out of his musings. The man smiles wryly behind his fan, “Ah, Wei-xiong,” He waves his free hand, “There has been some speculation about your relationship with-”

“Why don’t you speak up?” A loud voice asks and Wei Wuxian turns around, “Why don’t you defend Wei Wuxian, Jiang-zongzhu? You’re going to let people slander your loyal Head Disciple so boldly?”

It’s Wang Jin, the Sect Leader of Runan Wang Clan. The man’s face is twisted in rage and disgust as he stares at Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian frowns, ready to step forward and stand by Jiang Cheng in such a hostile environment.

Lan Zhan’s hand on his arm stops him.

He looks at the Second Jade questioningly but the man just shakes his head, “Wait.”

“Why should he defend him?” An annoying Jin pipes up, his voice sharp and mocking, “We know what Wei Wuxian is! He may pretend to be loyal on the surface, but he is nothing but a faithless dog-”

“Jin Zixun!” Nie Mingjue snaps, “I will not have you insult one of our men in my presence! He fought and bled on our side.”

Nie Mingjue’s words silence him and Jin Guangyao speaks up soothingly as Wei Wuxian frowns, studying the scene with keen eyes, “Let us all calm down. I’m sure Wang-zongzhu means well.” He smiles placidly, “There have been rumors, just a bit of gossip about Wei-gongzi speaking ill of Jiang-zongzhu.” Wei Wuxian tilts his head to the side, mind whirling.

He refuses to be angry. There’s something about this situation that has his instincts rattled. He needs to focus.

“The Hanguang-jin himself said they were lies. Wei Wuxian has never spoken ill of Jiang Wanyin!” Well, that’s not entirely true. He is certain he has called Jiang Cheng a temperamental brat in Lan Zhan’s presence more than once. “Jiang-zongzhu should know better than to-”

“Why does Jiang-zongzhu need to do anything for that man?” Jin Zixun demands and Wei Wuxian feels a stir of amusement. All of this drama on his account? He’s honored.

“What kind of Sect Leader is he?” Wang-zongzhu asks, fuming, “If he doesn’t even defend his own Head Disciple? Has he not brought glory to YungmengJiang? Doesn’t the Sect owe him a debt of gratitude?” Wei Wuxian winces and Jiang Cheng’s expression turns stony, “If you want to talk of rumors, why not discuss the other rumors?” Wang-zongzhu turns to Jiang Cheng with a scowl, “Is he not your brother in all but blood? Didn’t the former Jiang-zongzhu raise Wei Wuxian as his nephew? Is this how YunmengJiang treats its brightest disciple? How will you face Jiang Fengmian, Jiang-zongzhu?”

Wei Wuxian bites back a groan as Jiang Cheng’s expression darkens with fury. This is the absolute worst thing to say to his martial brother.

“Why is he so concerned about this?” Wei Wuxian asks, almost to himself.

Nie Huiasang leans in and whispers in his ear, “His sisters were… assaulted by the Wens.”

Wei Wuxian feels a shudder crawl down his spine and shakes his head. Those disgusting wretches deserved the death he inflicted on them.

He still doesn’t understand what this has to do with him.

He glances at Lan Zhan, he is looking at the scene with his usual frosty expression, giving nothing away. He looks ahead to see Jiang Cheng ready to erupt and frowns. “Lan Zhan, I need to… help, somehow.”

“Wei Ying needs to do nothing.”

He’s about to protest when Jiang Cheng finally snaps, “Glory to YunmengJiang? He has brought nothing but devastation to it!” Wei Wuxian flinches and Lan Zhan steps forward and to the side, pointedly placing himself between the two Jiang Sect cultivators, “YunmengJiang has always been glorious. My ancestors bled and fought for it! We earned our glory through centuries of cultivation and diligence! I owe him a debt? Wei Wuxian owes me the lives of my parents! He provoked the Wens to save Lan Wangji’s life and I lost my family because of it!”

“Jiang-zongzhu, perhaps-”

“Shut up!” Jiang Cheng interrupted Jin Guangyao, “How I treat my Head Disciple is none of your business.”

“It is very much our business if you’re abusing him,” Nie Mingjue says and it silences everyone.

Wei Wuxian is… dumbfounded. He feels like he’s just a mass of confusion at this point because nothing about this situation makes sense. “Abuse?” He whispers harshly to Nie Huaisang, grabbing his arm to drag him away to a quieter corner, “Nie Huaisang, what is going on? Jiang Cheng doesn’t abuse me!”

“Does he not?” It is Lan Zhan who speaks, his expression solemn, “Truly, Wei Ying? Does he not abuse you?”

“Of course, not-”

“So he didn’t threaten you with Zidian?” Nie Huaisang asks, “Or try to physically intimidate you while you were clearly trying to step away?”

Wei Wuxian frowns, “Well yes, but that is just him being angry! He does that all the time.”

“That is no comfort to us.” Lan Zhan says stiffly.

“Didn’t he push you away several times? We have accounts from people who saw you fall to the ground.” Nie Huaisang’s expression is unusually stern, “Didn’t he seek to isolate you from everyone? Didn’t he keep telling you Wangji-xiong hated you?”

“Wangji-xiong gave every impression of hating me.” Wei Wuxian firmly denies, “Let us not attribute that particular error to someone else.”

“Indeed,” Lan Zhan nods graciously, as expected. He wouldn’t be Lan Zhan if he didn’t accept his own mistakes without hesitation.

“Wei-xiong,” Nie Huaisang tucks his fan away and he sees Lan Zhan focus on that, his eyes suddenly sharp, “He has been saying the same thing since you were at Cloud Recesses. He has always dragged you away from Lan Wangji. You saved Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan’s lives. Why is he so intent on our Second Jade, hmm?”

Wei Wuxian shakes his head, “You’re making this unnecessarily complicated.” He says, “On the surface, all of these actions appear wrong but the intent behind them isn’t cruel.”

“Your love for him blinds you.” Wei Wuxian narrows his eyes sharply at his old friend, “If er-ge treated Wangji-xiong like that, you’d be furious. Just the threat of da-ge whipping would have you reaching for your flute.”

“Huaisang-”

“Did you think we wouldn’t feel the same way?”

Wei Wuxian studies him and Lan Zhan, realizing they are utterly serious. Concerned and a bit baffled, he looks at Jiang Cheng over his shoulder, only to find him nose to nose with Wang-zongzhu. “Heavens,” He breathes and steps forward, determined to intervene.

“You think what?” Jiang Cheng’s voice is full of disgust, “You… you think I have… that I’m some disgusting cutsleeve?!”

Wait, what?

“How dare you?! I would never touch a man!”

“Is that what he’s focusing on?” Nie Huaisang asks incredulously.

For once, Wei Wuxian has nothing to say.

---

It takes a few weeks for fresh rumors to make their rounds. People now know that Jiang Wanyin hasn’t behaved inappropriately with his martial brother, but that doesn’t make much difference.

The cultivation world, in general, still believes that Jiang Cheng’s behavior is abhorrent. Wei Wuxian is tempted to point out the hypocrisy of their words but knows it is futile. Once the masses make up their minds about something, few can persuade them to think otherwise. Jiang Cheng’s reputation has been tainted forever and there’s little they can do about it.

Unfortunately, this issue has also cemented the break between Wei Wuxian and his Sect Leader. There’s nothing that can repair the relationship now. He feels a pang of loss but he had already resigned himself to that when he had given away his Golden Core.

Fortunately, it seems he has some options available.

“Come to Gusu with me,” Lan Zhan says, his tone softer, his voice imploring, “Please.” This time, Wei Wuxian can’t mistake his intent. Lan Zhan’s reaction to the entire mess made one thing very clear to him.

Lan Wangji cares about him.

Isn’t that something? Never in his life did Wei Wuxian think he would be in such a position. He had always assumed Jiang Cheng would be by his side and Lan Wangji would stand against him. But everything is different now.

Wei Wuxian thinks of his childhood home, thinks of a life that has been irrevocably changed, and sinks in those memories for a brief moment. Despite what everyone thinks, there have been some good times. He doesn’t regret the course his life took when he was welcomed to the Lotus Pier by Jiang Fengmian.

He lingers, briefly, on regret,

Then, he shrugs it off and looks into the golden eyes of his future with a grin, “I’ll come to Gusu with you, Lan Zhan.”

And that’s that.

#short prompts #wei wuxian #lan wangji #mentions of abuse #anti jiang cheng #nie huaisang #too tired for tags

[ultranos]

Shujiao finding out the whole "former Fire Nation Princess & child soldier" backstory. How early into their friendship did she know? Did Azula tell her or did she find out another way? Did Azula still have lingering "I'm an unlovable monster" insecurities & expect it to ruin their relationship? Was Shujiao's first reaction to be supportive & horrified on Azula's behalf or did she need a little time to process?

lol you guys are going to get me drafting scenes way before I meant to at this rate.

Because, you know, it’s kind of A Lot when it turns out the kind of quiet and socially maladjusted ball of awkward is the kid of your childhood nightmares. It’s kind of the last thing you’d expect.

And even though Azula is getting better, she’s still Azula. Still prickly and stand-offish, still with a sharp tongue and sharper wit. She’s polite and she can be cordial, but it’s not a natural response, so people tend to stay at arms’ length. And she’ll tell herself it’s fine. That she’s only here to hone her skills and earn a living (she never expected that she’d take such fierce pride and joy in really working to earn everything she had).

And maybe things would have continued in this way, with Azula always remaining just a little apart from everyone else, had Shujiao not been a stubborn dumbass.

Shujiao can’t help but be intrigued by the newcomer. Her childhood was spent on ships and in ports around the EK and colonies, a lifestyle that left her with few friends her own age and experiences far beyond those of a farmer’s child. And everything about Azula just screams “foreigner”, of places traveled and things she’s not seen. So despite the prickliness, Shujiao keeps coming back. And eventually, Azula stops trying to keep her away.

It’s not too long after they actually become “friends” that the inevitable happens. Shujiao stops by one day and sees Azula bending blue flame in the workshop. The name “Azula” isn’t unique; there are probably hundreds of kids born in the Fire Nation named after the Fire Lord who ruled through most of the war. But Shujiao grew up in ports and grew up hearing sailors and merchants gossip. So the name might not be unique, but there is only one person named “Azula” who can bend blue flames.

Azula turns and goes white when she sees Shujiao standing in the doorway staring at her.

She doesn’t even try to stop her when she takes a few steps back from the doorway and leaves. It’s only to be expected. Azula thinks she was fooling herself if she ever thought otherwise. (After all, who would want to be around someone like her?)

So it’s safe to say she’s completely stunned when Shujiao comes back not long after with two boxes of dumplings, still steaming hot, and drops them on the nearby table. (”I know you probably haven’t eaten today, you idiot, so get over here and fix that as you tell me what the fuck.”)

#atla #modulus verse #shujiao did need a moment to process #but figured there was A Story there #and that she should hear it before making up assumptions #Anonymous #nos answers things

[marshmallow-phd]

Scarlet Moon

Genre: Scarlet Heart Ryeo!AU, Time Travel!AU, Alternate History, Royalty!AU

Pairing: OC x EXO OT9

Summary:  This isn’t Gwen’s time. She was from the modern era, with technology and electricity. But during a solar eclipse, she’s transported back into a previous life in a time and place she does not know. Now, as the foreign daughter of a merchant living in a prince’s household, she must tread carefully, watch her back, and guard her heart. But with the princes locked in a battle over the throne, the chances of her making it out alive might disappear.

Part: 1 I 2 I 3

                                        ********

The bright sun felt warm against Gwen’s skin. Chae Ryung half-heartedly chastised her about burning her face, but Gwen hardly gave a listen. It felt like it had been years since she’d simply stopped and took in the light. All she ever did was go to work, do her schoolwork, and watch dramas. She never really took much time for simply… being. After a minute or so, Chase Ryung convinced her to keep walking through the courtyard, but she still went slow, taking in everything.  

The other servants would stop in the middle of their work and glance at Gwen in a fashion they might have thought was sneaky, but was, in fact, fairly obvious. Some gave looks of concern, others, it felt like, of awe. Gwen ran her fingers through her hair, the red catching in the sunlight. She stuck out more here than she ever did back home and it made her stomach queasy. 

“So, Chae Ryung,” Gwen finally said, “what is it that I usually do during the day?”

“All day?” she echoed. She pursed her lips side to side as she thought. “Mostly you keep Lady Hae company. She’s a bit lonely as Prince Suho’s wife. You’re the closest to her station here.”

Suho. An interesting name for a prince. I remembered Papa inquiring after the pale but beautiful woman in ornate clothing. “And she’s sick?”

Chae Ryung nodded sorrowfully. After looking over her shoulder, she lowered her voice as she leaned in. “Some are worried that she doesn’t have much longer and the prince still doesn’t have an heir.”

“Is it that bad?” 

Chae Ryung nodded again. Gwen’s heart went out to the beautifully tragic woman. In the single moment she’d met the Lady of the household, Gwen could tell that she had a kind heart. The look of worry and concern was etched in her mind, not a single twitch giving away possible deception. Spending her days with Lady Hae didn’t seem like too terribly a time. Perhaps she could be another person to lean on, to help Gwen when she stumbled. Because she would certainly be stumbling every other step in this place. 

Gwen and Chae Ryung wandered around the grounds for hours, the latter filling Gwen in on what she couldn’t put together for herself. 

Apparently, this Gwen had had a tendency to be a bit rambunctious, taking liking to archery just as much as needlework. Often, she would be caught joining in the servant boys in whatever rough game they were playing that day. Not exactly a good look for the daughter of a wealthy merchant. It had to be a comical sight, the horrified looks this girl must have produced from the other women around the household as a child. But over the last few years, she’d calmed to be a bit more demure. Chae Ryung went into explaining the wide gray area Gwen was given as an outsider. Though this girl knew the rules of society, she was able to bend them ever so slightly. 

Excellent. 

Coming up on the path was a pond, round and expanding, the edges lined with tall grass and fresh flowers that gave off calming scents. A family of little ducks floated on top of the clear water. Fish in bright colors of oranges and yellows swam freely, their tails creating the slightest ripples on the surface. As they walked around the water, Chae Ryung described a beautiful gazebo that this Gwen apparently loved to hide away in when she wanted to be alone. Disappointingly, though, the gazebo was already occupied by the Prince and Lady Hae. 

Looking like a happy but conservative couple, they drank tea together and spoke softly. Prince Suho smiled at his wife as he brought the teacup to his lips, but as his eyes drifted over to the spot where Gwen stood, the smile changed. 

It deepened, almost. An uncomfortable feeling settled in Gwen’s stomach. She smiled back, though, and waved, to remain polite. She was probably reading into things or misunderstanding them. Prince Suho held back a laugh before turning back to his wife. She still didn’t fully understand the dynamics of this world and could easily misinterpret his actions. And her head still slightly throbbed, so that could be clouding her thoughts as well. 

“It’s inappropriate to stare at a married couple’s private moments,” a high voice snipped. 

Confused, Gwen turned to find an elegantly dressed girl close to her age. Or, rather, this body’s age since this Gwen was a few years younger than the body she’d left behind. 

This new girl’s face was pretty, but it was destroyed by the snobbish and self-satisfied look she wore. Chae Ryung bowed deeply, but Gwen stayed erect. Bowing was not something that came as second nature to her and she didn’t want to do it for just anyone. Not surprisingly, this defiance deepened the annoyance on the girl’s face even more. Sensing danger, Chae Ryung forced Gwen into a bow.

“Greetings, Your Highness,” Chae Ryung said with a shaky voice. She gave Gwen a pointed glance that was ignored. 

“Apparently, not only have you forgotten your memories, but the few manners you ever had as well,” her highness sniffed. “I would be happy to be your teacher. Maybe we can make you a more respectful person this time around.” 

“Perhaps we have two different definitions of respect.”

It was subtle, but the girl’s smile strained, stiffening and tightening in the corners. Gwen knew that irritated look all too well from high school. The girls of the popular crowd would often shift into this body language whenever Gwen ignored their insults or countered them with a response they weren’t expecting. It had made her extremely unpopular, but that was never important to her. All she ever cared about was getting out and graduating. It was sad that mean girls had existed back in this time as well.  

“How dare you speak to me that way,” the girl hissed. “You think because you’re a freak of nature you can do and say as you please?”

“Just because I look different from you doesn’t mean that I’m a freak of nature!” Gwen shouted. Her nails dug into her palms as she tried to reign in the urge to respond physically. That particular subject had always been a sore spot for her. She didn’t think she was ugly, per se, but she wasn’t a beauty. Society’s standards, as ever changing as they were, always felt too far out of her reach. “Pretty” was not something she ever saw in the mirror. And, unfortunately, this body held the same face. 

“What is going on here?”

Gwen stiffened at the Prince’s voice behind her. Slowly, she turned around and bowed deeply. Prince Suho had abandoned his wife at the gazebo to investigate. She hadn’t meant to ruin his date, especially since they probably didn’t get many moments like this. “I’m sorry for disturbing you, Your Highness.”

Prince Suho looked past her to the girl and then back at Gwen. “Perhaps, it’s best for you to go back inside, Lady Gwen. I don’t want you to tire yourself out and I fear it might get colder. ”

Nodding, Gwen bowed again and walked away. There was no point in arguing. Besides, she didn’t want to hang around this self-important girl, who she didn’t dare give a passing glance to and give her the satisfaction of besting her. Once out of sight, however, Gwen’s bravado deflated. 

“Who was that girl?” She bit her bottom lip in a very unladylike manner as she slouched against the outer wall of a red-painted building. 

Chae Ryung tutted nervously. “That was Princess Yeon Hwa. You’re lucky that her brother stepped in.”

That girl was Prince Suho’s sister? Gwen shuddered, feeling sorry for Suho since he had to be related to her. “Mom always said I was too spiteful. But I wasn’t being disrespectful by looking for five seconds. They just looked like a scene out of a movie.”

“A movie?”

Oh, crap. There you go again. “A novel. I meant a novel. They looked like a scene from a book.”

“Oh!” Chae Ryung nodded, though she wore an expression of confusion. “Still it would have been better to apologize and walk away.”

Gwen shrugged. “Maybe next time.” 

Looking up at the blue sky, Gwen wanted to pout. It was such a nice day. Even with these layers of clothes, she wasn’t too hot and a nice breeze played with her hair. But Prince Suho had told her to go inside. He must have figured she would cause less trouble there. He also said it might get colder. Gwen hated being cold. 

“When I have to stay inside, where do I like to go?” she asked as she looked ot her friend. 

Chae Ryung grinned from ear to ear. She seemed excited as she took hold of Gwen’s wrist and pulled her along to a building near the middle of the compound. It wasn’t a large building, with spaces barely able to be called rooms. That hardly deterred the excitement bubbling up in Gwen’s chest. 

Inside were wooden shelves, thin and easily seen through. But unlike the thick, hardbound novels Gwen was used to, the books stacked here were thinner, flimsy and held together with twine. Another servant girl shuffled up before they stepped into the room. Chae Ryung was needed elsewhere. She urged Gwen to go on ahead and stay at the library for a few hours. 

Within the shelves, she lost herself. 

Reading was always a comfort to Gwen, but she tended to lean towards adventurous fiction filled with romance and challenge. She doubted she would find such stories in the Prince’s library. If she could even read these manuscripts. 

Gwen blinked, reflecting on her presence here. Somehow, she was able to communicate with the others despite the fact that they weren’t speaking English. The real Gwen’s knowledge - at least, with speaking and reading - somehow had remained behind. As her eyes drifted over the Chinese characters written on the spines, she understood what they said. A small laugh escaped her lips. She’d always wanted to know more than one language. All it took was being transported back in time to a different body. 

From what Gwen could make out of the titles of the volumes, they were mostly science based - medical treatments and catalogs of animals and plants - along with a few recorded histories. There were no fictional stories to be found, so Gwen went for the next best thing and grabbed a book that recounted the story of how King Taejo founded Goryeo. 

The wording was a bit dry and straight forward, the author giving only the occasional flourish here and there. Still, like any written word, it absorbed her attention. To receive a recount of history from a source so close to the time that it happened was not to be taken lightly. Gwen walked through the aisles as she read, unaware that another visitor had arrived. In the middle of a sentence about a deciding battle, her pacing was stopped by a soft wall. She looked up and sucked in her breath. 

Prince Suho.

She bowed, thinking that her back would start aching from all this bending over. “I’m sorry, again, for earlier,” she whispered. It was a sincere apology. Though it wasn’t her fault, she’d egged it on and caused the Prince trouble, which in turn could cause trouble for this Gwen’s father. Both men had been kind to her since she woke up and she didn’t want to repay that kindness by being a burden. 

Instead of acknowledging her apology, Prince Suho asked, “Do you really not remember anything?”

Gwen shook her head, unable to meet his eye. She could feel his gaze seering onto her face, however. Warmth tickled at her cheeks and she hoped that it wasn’t a visible heat. The Prince was handsome, with a strong chin and kind eyes. He spoke softly.

“Do you remember why you were at the bathhouse?”

Gwen snapped her head up, confused. Why would he be asking her about a bathhouse? “The bathhouse?” She knew nothing about a bathhouse or what this Gwen would be doing there. 

He sighed. “Truly?” Did he not believe her? Did he think she was faking it to avoid getting into trouble? 

“I-” she stopped. Would she be punished for something she didn’t even do? She tried to be as sincere and honest as possible. She didn’t know what could be done to her if he didn’t believe her. “I’m sorry. I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Prince Suho didn’t look receptive to her answer, but he backtracked anyway as he looked away. “Perhaps I was merely seeing things,” he murmured to himself. Regaining eye contact, he took a step to shorten the space between them. “When I invited you and your father to stay here, I took it upon myself to look after you, knowing your foreignness would make you a target. I’m afraid I’ve neglected on that duty. It has caused Lady Hae great worry.”

Gwen took a step back, her hands behind her back. “No, I’m the one who should be sorry. I think I’m causing you more trouble than I’m worth. I promise, I’ll watch my steps from now on. The last thing I want is to be in the way. If you need anything, I’ll do it. I want to be a help, not a burden.” He nodded, the expression on his face softening slightly. Feeling the conversation was over with that last declaration, she bowed and scurried out of the library after replacing the historical text. 

With that haven now compromised, Gwen concluded the best place for her to go was back to her room until dinner. 

                                                    ********

After a few days of managing to stay out of trouble, Gwen ran into Lady Hae on one of her leg-stretching walks. She didn’t seem to be upset about the incident at the gazebo, though she was disappointed that Gwen hadn’t come to see her. Gwen stumbled through an apology, not realizing that she would be so missed. In fact, she thought she was doing everyone a favor by staying out of the way. 

Accepting the apology, Lady Hae asked if Gwen would like to learn how to make lotus lanterns for the upcoming festival. Gwen raised her eyebrows in surprise. Thinking it would be fun and distracting, she agreed and followed Lady Hae to one of the buildings with open walls that allowed a gentle breeze to keep them cool. The temperature hadn’t dropped like Prince Suho had predicted. When Gwen saw who was already at work in the building, she instantly regretted her decision to join. A groan was barely suppressed as she sat down beside Lady Hae.

“Lady Hae, I see you brought a friend,” Yeon Hwa sneered cheerfully. 

It took willpower, but Gwen managed to ignore the princess’s snide remark, instead focusing on Lady Hae’s explanation of how to put the lanterns together. The glue had a potent smell that stung at Gwen’s nose. No wonder they were in a building that allowed the air to drift in and out. It took a few poor looking lanterns for her to get the hang of it, but finally they looked worthy of being hung up for other people to see. Glancing over at Yeon Hwa’s, Gwen huffed internally. Though they were the same design, the princess’ were begrudgingly far superior.

“Lady Gwen,” Yeon Hwa called out. A faux-sweet smile stretched across her lips. “Why don’t you go take the dry lanterns and put them in the Moon building for storage until the festival?” 

Gwen returned a smile just as fake. “Of course.” 

Chae Ryung, who had joined the group soon after Gwen’s arrival, stepped forward. “I can take them, my lady.”

 “Lady Gwen is perfectly capable of carrying them herself,” Yeon Hwa snapped. The evil look gleamed in her eyes, as if she were punishing Gwen with such menial labor. 

Little did she know the request didn’t bother Gwen in the slightest. She was giving the perfect excuse to leave her presence. While making the lanterns, Gwen’s mind had wandered towards the village beyond the walls and - with everyone occupied here – sneaking out on her own should be easy enough. She wanted to see more of this world that she now resided in. 

Filling up her arms with as much as they could carry, Gwen shuffled up the hill, following the directions Chae Ryung had given to the Moon building. 

“Gwen, you’re out of your room.”

Papa walked up, a smile on his face causing the corners of his eyes to crinkle. He seemed out of place in the Goryeo fashion he donned, yet comfortable as the shiny fabric swayed around his legs. He wore the hanbok with dignity and ease. Back home, Gwen prefered less complicated clothing and was still adjusting to the multilayered dresses that needed an extra pair of hands to put on.

“Yes,” Gwen said. “I was helping Lady Hae make lanterns for the festival.” She held them up proudly for him to see.

“Those are very beautiful,” he complimented. Gwen’s smile stretched farther across her lips at the praise. “I’m happy to see that you’re getting back to your old self.”

The joy in his eyes was almost too overwhelming. Gwen thought back to her own father, with whom she was close. They seemed so much alike. Tears threatened to brim her eyes. Within the last few days, she’d grown an affection for this man. He was patient with her and caring. And, as an outsider himself, a small connection that she clung to. “I’m happy that you’re happy, Papa.”

“I have some business to oversee at the house. Please, stay out of trouble.” He gave her a kiss on the head and resumed in the direction he was headed before.

Continuing on her own way, Gwen barely reached the steps of the Moon building before a man in brown clothes ran, bowed, and took the lanterns to store them. He must have been a servant in the Prince’s household. She hadn’t seen him before but she gladly handed the lanterns over. Thankful that her task was now over, she waited and watched as the servant hung the lanterns up on a long string inside the open doors. Now it was time to explore. Taking a different path, she headed for the gate.  

This place was certainly different. Monarchies weren't as widespread in her own time, most nations having moved on to people-elected governments instead of blood-appointed kings. Though it was different, Gwen appreciated the underlining respect that drove this culture. The differences in formal and informal speech and the hierarchy of that respect ran deep within the people. The mutual heritage they all shared made her a bit jealous. She was from a place that didn’t have that. 

The sound of drums broke through her thoughts. They were deep, rhythmic, calling out to anyone who wanted to listen. Answering the call, Gwen followed them. 

In a giant dirt courtyard near the palace stood about six figures, some dressed in red, others in black. They were spaced equally apart in a square structure. Gwen hid among the archways, too fascinated to walk away like she should have. The figures danced in unison and with power – except one of the men in red, who was lacking enthusiasm and proper rhythm. The others noticed and stopped their dance, the drums fading out as well. They all stared at the one who had finished incorrectly as he flopped down to the ground. Gwen covered her mouth to soften the giggled. He was throwing a fit. A grown man by the looks of him, he was acting like a spoiled child. Among the figures was Prince Suho, who seemed exasperated at the situation.

So, those must be the other princes. 

This festival must be important, if royalty was performing. Gwen made a mental note to have Chae Ryung explain it in more detail when she went back to the compound.

A few of the princes ganged up on the one on the ground, criticizing him for still getting the moves wrong after such a long practice. Huffing, the one on the ground jumped up. He pointed a long finger and accused another brother of making a mistake as well. Gwen laughed loudly at their altercation, the noise pushing through her fingers. Prince Suho glanced up in her direction. She took off, scared to be caught. 

Once among the common people, Gwen’s mind eased. She wandered around the city, trying to ignore the whispers and stares that followed. The market was abundant with people. Men gossiped with their friends while the women picked over the vegetables and meats, inspecting for any impurities. Children played loudly and ran through the streets, uncaring if their feet were covered in mud. Different stalls caught Gwen’s attention, some selling soaps and bath grains, others selling intricate hairpins that sparkled under the sun. She made a mental note to ask Papa to come with her next time to buy a few wares. Maybe Chae Ryung could teach her how to place the pins in her hair. 

Leaving behind the market, Gwen came to a small bridge over a shallow river. The water flowed steadily, uninterrupted. She stared down at her blurry reflection, wondering how she could still look so much like herself. There was no railing to obstruct the view, so she bent down for a closer look. 

The face looking back was still round and pale, the soft jaw line giving a youthful appeal. Red hair fell natural, gentle waves that never liked to obey. Not even the multiple hairpins keeping it out of her face could tame it completely. Sea green eyes sat in hooded sockets on either side of a thin nose and average lips. Freckles dotted the bridge of her nose and apples of her large cheeks from years of sun exposure. Forced to come back to a time that wasn’t hers, the least magic could have done was improve her looks. 

The cries of the villagers reached her ears too late. Searching for the source of the hysterics, Gwen stood and turned as the villagers ducked out of sight. A mad man on a black horse galloped through the market. The rider didn’t care about others around him. He didn’t look back behind him or stop to check on those who dived out of his path. A villager with a traveling pack hanging from his shoulders scurried across the bridge to run away from the rider. In his haste, he knocked into Gwen. She lost her balance, flailing her arms worthlessly, and began to fall into the river that had served as my mirror just moments ago. She closed her eyes and braced for impact with the surly cold water. But it didn’t come.

A steadfast grip snatched her by her waist. When she opened her eyes to see who had saved her from the water, she was face to face with the rider.

#exo #exo royalty au #exo royalty!au #scarlet heart au #exo time travel au #exo fantasy au #exo fantasy!au #exo angst #exo series #exo x oc #exo x original character #exo ot9 #kim minseok #xiumin #kim junmyeon #suho #zhang yixing #lay #byun baekhyun #kim jongdae #chen #park chanyeol #d.o. #do kyungsoo #kim jongin #kai #oh sehun #Scarlet Moon

[softyoongiionly]

Portraits of a Tiger || 03

Legends of a great and equally terrifying warrior nicknamed the Tiger have been emerging from your fellow villagers for quite sometime. Stories of his skill, his stealth and his supposed wickedness have been passed around to the point where he is more prophecy than person. You have lived your life with a strong sense of conviction, rarely letting gossip influence your opinion. However, you would be lying if you said that his legacy didn’t intrigue you. When the Tiger and his infamous army arrive in your village to refuel, you come face to face with the man behind the myth.

And no amount of marketplace gossip would ever be enough to capture the true complexity of his nature.

Pairing: Merchant! Reader x Warrior! Yoongi

Genre: Adventure, Romance, Smut (later), Fluff, Angst

Word Count: 6k

Warnings: language, depictions of violence both verbal and physical however they are fairly mild, mentions of war and power dynamics, there will be smut in future parts so, (18+ only please).

A/N: They are back and realer than ever I AM ACTUALLY NOT OK RIGHT NOW PLEASE CRY WITH ME IN MY ASK BOX. OK LOVE YOUUUU!!!

@bulletproofbirdy​ my sweet and beautiful friend! I owe this all to you. Never doubt your brain because, its freaking genius. I love you.

“What did they say?” Yoongi asks, his lips resting on the back of his hand as he leans onto the wooden table.

Seokjin sighs, “They said that they have observed these groups using similar tactics. Rachel has noticed that they encircle the perimeter of the village first and slowly work their way in, Y/N agreed with her observation.”

“Usually raiders blitz their way into a territory, right? We’re obviously dealing with something else here...” Hoseok interjects, looking to his General for answers.

Yoongi’s features tense up, his hand moving to settle onto the table, “I don’t understand what invaders would want with this territory-” He seems to grow irritated, his eyes transfixed upon a map of their current region, “it’s several miles from any meaningful trade route, the port is at least 20 hours by horseback; it makes absolutely no sense.”

Before anyone else can intervene, Yoongi turns his attention to Namjoon, who sits at the other end of the table, his brows furrowed in concentration as he scribbles furiously in his journal.

“What do you think of this?” Yoongi murmurs.

Namjoon doesn’t look up, he just continues his current task as he responds, “I think it’s time I pay the Meddleways a visit...”

Immediately, tension spreads amongst the group.

Yoongi shakes his head, “I don’t think that’s necessary Namjoon, they-”

Namjoon looks up, pointing his gaze directly at Yoongi, “They are still a threat, hyung. Vengeance is a messy motive sure but, it’s extremely powerful. If they are influenced solely by their desire to harm you for what you did with their leader, they will stop at nothing until their objective is complete.”

The Meddleways were an extremist group that had a nasty habit of weaseling their way into vulnerable villages and, attempting to coax the inhabitants into joining what is essentially a cult. The Queens got wind of their practices and immediately tasked Yoongi’s fleet with understanding more of what they were capable of. Enter Namjoon, posing as a medicine man from the East port who sought after a spiritual awakening. Namjoon lived with the group for just under two weeks before he realized the true nature of the group. Their mission was simple: infiltrate the target village, strip the surrounding area of natural resources and, dismantle their leadership and, infiltrate their religious systems.

They were essentially, a very deadly gang of power-hungry miscreants whose true objective was to expand their influence and take over the Queens territory, which would inevitably lead to the fall of the royal family.

It’s no surprise that once Namjoon reported his findings, the Queens were understandably horrified and moved them all the way up Yoongi’s watchlist.

Due to the trust Namjoon had built with them, they didn’t think twice when he suggested that they accelerate their course to get to the village due to the oncoming storm. He led them right into the trap of the Tiger himself; well, the Tiger and his 22,000 men.  

Namjoon also made a carefully crafted choice to avoid revealing himself as a traitor, should any of the remaining members (those who weren’t slain or arrested) decide to regroup and continue their leader’s mission.  

“Do you really think their motive to settle the score is enough for them to endanger their own lives over? I told them that if they continued their work, they would meet the same fate as their brethren.” Yoongi’s voice is tired but he tries to remain alert for the sake of his fleet.

Namjoon nods, “I do. That is the way they operate. I don’t doubt that they reconvened after the fall of Xansa. They have likely moved on to someone else.”

Xansa.

At the sound of his name, Yoongi sighs uneasily and shakes his head as the scar along his eye ignites with the memory of its inception.

Xansa was the leader of the Meddleways: the brains, the heart and the soul.

Namjoon warned Yoongi of his cruelty after witnessing the way he treated his followers. His charisma was as deadly as his blade and his need for power dripped from his aura like coagulated blood.  

He was ruthless.

From what Namjoon could gather, he alone had hundreds of deaths upon his hands. His plan wasn’t just to expand his influence; he sought after total domination.

Yoongi fought him during their capture of the Meddleways and it’s one of the few times throughout Yoongi’s career that he genuinely thought he was going to die.  

He survived and killed Xansa in the middle of a thunderstorm, in front of all of his followers, just as the local stories have told.

Xansa left his mark on Yoongi however and ensured that he never forgot the time his life was almost ripped from him.  

“As of now, I don’t think we have enough evidence to prove this theory Namjoon but, I will consider your input and ask that you alert me of any other ideas you might have. For the time being, I don’t want anyone of you away from the fleet. If there truly is a new group of invaders on the horizon, they will look for any excuse to shed blood and prove their power. Understood?”

The six of them nod, lips tight with concentration as they listen intently to their General.

Yoongi values the opinions of his men very much and they know that they are free to speak as often as they see fit. At the end of the day however, Yoongi has the final say. He is their leader and his word is gold. They trust him enough to follow his orders without question, even if they don’t always understand his intentions.

Yoongi lets out another breath before nodding towards the exit of the tent, “Eat well tonight and turn in early. Training will get harder tomorrow as we will be teaching the recruits how to disarm their opponent. Jungkook-ah,” He turns to his younger brother, “I need you awake before dawn to assist me with the morning briefing.”

Jungkooks smiles, his head bobbing with an eager nod, “Yes hyung.”

Yoongi resists the fondness that blooms in his chest, patting a hand on back, “Very good. Namjoon- please continue exploring further theories and prepare for a possible journey to your connections when I deem it safe to do so. Hoseok, you can take the morning off but I will need you out here by midday to continue your classes. Jin hyung, I need you to enter the village and gather more information on their recent raids. The village leaders are located near the market plaza. Jimin and Taehyung, you will be with me most of the day as I will need to use you in my demonstrations.”

“Should I tell Y/N to halt her deliveries then? Since we will all be preoccupied?” Jin inquires hesitantly.

The bread supply is already depleted, and he is unhappy at the thought of going without it, particularly after a hard day’s work.

“I doubt Hyung would refuse a visit from her. Even on such a busy day...” Jimin smirks, wrapping an arm around Taehyung who chuckles warmly.

Yoongi rolls his eyes, “It makes no difference to me whether or not she does her delivery.”

Jin throws an incredulous look his way, “Yoongi. You aren’t seriously going to pretend she hasn’t caught your attention are you?”

Namjoon is scribbling in his journal again but he doesn’t miss a beat as he murmurs his input, “Hyung is worried that getting involved with a civilian will be complicated so, he is concealing his emotions for her because it’s easier that way. However, he will probably leave during our meal tonight to go see her because, he is captivated. According to the shift in his body language, he also has strong sexual urges for her as well but, fears that getting involved with her in such a way would be irresponsible as he still has time left in the Queens Army.”

He doesn’t even look up from his journal as he psychoanalyzes his hyung. His tone is cool and almost detached but his lips twitch with a smile as soon as Jimin and Taehyung begin laughing.

Yoongi is unable to help the shock that colors his features, his cheeks reddening with the heat of embarrassment as he watches the rest of his fleet begin to laugh at his expense.

“Did I miss anything?” Namjoon looks up finally, smirking across the table.

They expect Yoongi to rush out of the tent in a fit of denial but, instead he slumps back in his chair, his own smirk decorating his features as he stares at Namjoon across the table, “Just one thing...”

Namjoon’s brows raise, “Oh? Enlighten me please...”

Yoongi chuckles, moving his finger in a come hither motion to prompt the rest of his fleet to lean in eagerly.

They aren’t used to their leader sharing his emotions so, they are besides themselves at the thought of hearing more.

“That I would feel an immense amount of displeasure when being psychoanalyzed by my own solider which would then result in the punishment of the entire fleet in the form of hmm-” Yoongi places a finger on his chin in thought, “running drills for 2 hours after training tomorrow? Does that sound about right to you Namjoon?”

The group groans, Jin’s eyes widening in horror, “Namjoon-ah! Look what you’ve done!”

Namjoon however doesn’t flinch though, he just chuckles as him and Yoongi exchange conversation through shared eye contact.

“Hyung, please...” Jimin whines, reaching for Yoongi’s hand, “Don't make us do that, I hate running- it's not even in my job description.”

Yoongi just quirks a brow, a smirk still on his lips, “If you’d like me to stay out of your plans for the day, I suggest you stay out of mine. Is that something you think you all could manage?”

“Oh yes, absolutely hyung- no problem.”

“Who’s y/n? Never heard of her...”

“Hyung you are always right; that’s why we trust you, you know? You are the world’s greatest general.”

“We won't say anything, we promise.”

Yoongi chuckles, his eyes glinting with a bit of fondness, “Namjoon?”

Namjoon nods, lifting his hands to concede despite the grin still on his mouth, “Your words are divine my General.”

A phrase very often said in the fleet’s initial training with Yoongi.

It was a psychological tactic he used to build trust between him and his trainees but now, so many years later, it’s looked upon with humor.

“Good.” He stands, a look of complete satisfaction on his face, “Eat your meal and then it’s straight to bed. I better not see any empty cots when I return...”

There is quite a bit of movement in the tent as Yoongi makes his way to the exit, with the rest of his fleet (sans Namjoon) quickly abiding by his orders.  

As Yoongi pushes aside the cloth door of the tent, the light from the full moon hanging over their camp causes him to turn around.

“Yah-” He nods to Namjoon, his finger pointing through the opening of the tent, “it’s a full moon.”

Namjoon perks up, shoving his journal aside hastily and practically tripping over his own feet as he stumbles eagerly towards Yoongi.

Before Namjoon brushes past him, he looks at Yoongi with a sheepish smile and bows his head,

“Thank you hyung...”

Yoongi smirks fondly, tipping his head in return, “Send her my best.”

Namjoon’s smile broadens, nodding eagerly before rushing out towards the moon.

As cold as Namjoon may seem, he too has a lover on his mind.

Danielle.

Childhood sweetheart who became his wife as soon they were 18.

Through various aspects of Namjoon’s personal faith, he believes that the fastest way to communicate with her is through the moon. The moon has the strongest gravitational pull when it’s at its fullest so Namjoon usually spends most of those nights, speaking with her until sunrise.

He sends letters too but, the moon brings him comfort.

Just as she does.  

Yoongi chuckles at his eagerness, watching him until he finds a place near the edge of their camp to sit and begin.

Speaking of lovers on the mind...

As much as Yoongi hates to be predictable, he would be lying if he said that Namjoon’s assumptions of him had been incorrect.  

He will be going to see you tonight.  

Even though he isn’t certain of where things might be headed between the two of you, he can’t help but wish to be near you again.  

Captivated was the word Namjoon had used and as Yoongi starts on the path towards the river, he grins to himself; captivated truly was the perfect word.  

You weren’t exactly sure if Yoongi would show up at the River tonight.

It’s not like the two of you had an agreement to meet.

In fact, the last time you saw him, he was doing his nightly walk and rather than stopping to say hello to you, he merely smiled and bowed his head in your direction.

The two of you had held hands the night before so, you figured that maybe something were to happen between you but, then again, maybe he was just looking for comfort.

Or attention.

You don’t imagine he experiences the physical touch of another person unless it’s during battle, which can’t be a very pleasurable experience.  

As you slip your shoes off near the entrance of the river, your heart flutters at the association of Yoongi and pleasure in the same sentence. You know you’re likely only causing your own suffering to think of him this way but, you can’t help it.

You want him.  

You really do and with everything you have, you hope he wants you too.

The stickiness on the back of your neck pulls you out of your thinking as it reminds you of the incredibly hot day you’ve just worked through.  

Towards the end of summer, the sun decides to give an encore of what has been an already sweltering and humid season. The week before it begins to cool down, the temperature comfortable and breezy before your region is hit with one final heat wave. Today, in the marketplace you quite literally salivated over the thought of cooling down in the river that evening.  

The river is often packed during days like today but once the sun sets, everyone heads back to their homes.  

That is when you choose to come by.  

It’s quite peaceful in the evening, the heat is still present but bearable and the slight breeze that whistles through the trees provides solace on your flushed skin.  

You don’t plan on fully submerging yourself because, you aren’t entirely fond of the idea of your feet being suspended in the deep and dark waters of the river.

Instead, you opt to wear a blue linen set that you often wearing during warmer months which will allow you to wade in the water without getting your clothes wet.

The river runs cold all year round, freezing over during the winter time but the cool sensation is welcome against the tips of your toes. You step further in, letting out a deep sigh and allow yourself to shut your eyes as you wade further into the water.

The water surrounds your ankles and just as it begins to slowly surround your calves, you hear the low melody of a voice you have waited for all day.

“Y/N?” Yoongi calls gently and it makes you grin because, you can sense he is actively trying not to scare you again.

Turning around, you are met with the sight of him; hair pulled back, white linen pants and a tighter fitting black shirt. It’s the first time you're seeing his arms and immediately, you’re able to recognize the symbols of both his strength and his experience. His skin looks beautiful in the moonlight, the sinewy dips of his muscles travelling alongside the colors of his veins, various scars littering the surface of his arms.  

He truly is something else entirely.

“Thank you for warning me this time instead of sneaking up on me.” You tease, the water sloshing as you turn your back to the river.

His lips twitch, “I’ve never snuck up on you before, you just aren’t as prepared as you should be, especially for someone who likes to wander out into the forest by themselves...”

“The forest is technically that way.” You quip, pointing through the trees.

Finally, his lips crack with a grin as he shakes his head at you, “Technically it is but, danger can lurk around every corner.”

You can’t but giggle, feeling rather giddy in his presence, “You make a good point- the fluffy squirrels and chirping birds are truly vicious creatures...”

He rolls his eyes then and shakes his head once more, a light chuckle leaving his lips as he steps towards you.

But as he’s opening his mouth to speak, you drop the bit of sarcasm in your tone.

“How was your day?”

Yoongi feels a bit of warmth in his chest as he genuinely can’t remember the last time someone asked him that question.

Immediately however, he is hit with a pang of anxiety, the conversation he had with his men coming back into his mind.

Looking upon your warm expression, he fully appreciates your beauty.

The curves of your face, the sincerity in your gaze, the small smile on your lips...

He knows you’re capable of holding your own but, after hearing of a possible threat, he is infected with the need to protect you.  

“It was fine. How was your day?” He attempts to reign in the worry in his tone, feeling very confident in his ability to conceal his true emotions.

He should know better...

“What’s wrong?” You ignore his inquiry regarding your day, stepping towards him once more, unsure of how close you should get.

He chuckles and shakes his head, “Nothing. Why do you think something is wrong?

“You look troubled-” Pointing a finger towards his face, you soften your tone, “Is something bothering you?”

Yoongi feels strangely emotional at your concern, still not fully understanding your interest in his feelings.  

He doesn’t want to lie to you but, he also doesn’t want to spend his time with you talking about potential danger.

Besides, he really would like to hear about your day.

“It’s nothing. Just had a meeting with my men earlier, things got a little tense that’s all.” He assures you before extending a hand your way, “I’m off-duty now though and I’d really like to hear about your day if that’s alright...”

The sight of his hand sends butterflies down your throat and into your stomach before you interlock your fingers with his a little too eagerly.

He chuckles warmly, noticing your excitement and gently pulls you closer to him.  

Being near Yoongi feels almost familiar.

It’s comforting and slightly intoxicating as the skin of his forearm brushes along the inside of yours.

The two of you begin following the length of the river, your plans and shoes suddenly forgotten.

“My day was ok...” You begin, tilting your head, “the heat was unbearable though. I thought I was going to faint in the middle of the plaza today. Ugh and then Jane kept going on about how I needed to find a husband and start a family, ‘ You aren’t getting any younger you know? Sooner or later you’re going to end up a spinster peddling night shade for a decent meal’ “ Your face scrunches up as you imitate the very unique tone of Jane’s voice and it causes Yoongi to chuckle warmly beside you, amusement coloring his features.

“Don’t laugh!” You whine, leaning into him but, your mouth is already pulling up into a smile, “She’s relentless!”

Yoongi continues laughing, using his finger to flick a tear from the corner of his eye, “She is quite abrasive. I actually like that about her but-” He points at you, “She shouldn’t be harassing you about your marital status. I assume that you’re unmarried by choice...”

There go the butterflies again.

“Why do you assume that?”

Yoongi glances at you before returning his gaze on the path you two are on. The corner of his mouth is pulled up into a smile as he lets out a breath, “I’m mainly assuming that there have been other suitors you’ve crossed paths with. You don’t seem like the type of person to settle or the type of person who makes decisions based on the opinions of others.”

As flattered as you are by his statement, there is one particular thing that captures your attention.

“Other suitors?” You raise your brows, stealing a glance his way in time to see him fully grin.

“Yes,” He nods, tightening his features with sincerity, “other.”

You feel your stomach doing back flips, the giddiness bubbling inside you threatening to explode but instead of jumping for joy like you want to, you merely squeeze his hand and offer him a grin in return.  

The moment is over as soon as it begins as Yoongi looks down at your feet before frowning and turning back towards where the two of you had first met tonight.

“Where are your shoes? Why did you take them off?”

You giggle, “I was about to wade into the river to cool off, I don’t normally keep my shoes on while I do that.”

His frown falters a bit when you giggle but, he halts your movements none the less, “You could step on something, it’s dark out here...”

“It’s not that dark.” You insist, turning your body so you are face to face with him, “I walk through this area all the time.”

Yoongi feels his breath hitch as the proximity between the two of you lessens. He isn’t prepared for the feelings swirling inside of him or the ease of access he now has to your forehead, your cheeks, the tip of your nose, your lips...

He would love nothing more than to place his mouth on every feature.

On every inch.

He clears his throat, “Fine. We’ll walk slower then so, at least if you step on something- it won’t be so hard.”

His solution makes you laugh again but it also pleases you.

You like that he doesn’t try to force his opinion on you and that he trusts your judgement.

“Fair enough.” You concede, reluctantly turning so the walk can continue, “How was the bread today by the way? I added a bit more garlic this time...”

He nods immediately, patting his stomach, “It was delicious. This batch was completely mauled by my fleet- my little brother in particular shoved at least 10 pieces into his mouth.” He chuckles, shaking his head, “I’m convinced that boy is part animal or something, he certainly behaves like one.”

Giggling, you mimic him and shake your head as well, “Or he just really likes bread. I would probably behave like an animal if I were deprived of carbs of 6 months out of the year.”

“It’s more like 10 months out of the year.” He corrects, “We only return to the kingdom during blizzard season or if one of us is injured.”

Your eyes widen, “Really? I thought members of the Queen’s army rotate every six months. You only take a break for two months out of the year?”

Yoongi chuckles at your surprise, “Yes-” He nods, “We are considered uh- special forces. The Queens employ us full time. The fleet I oversee of the Royal Army- they rotate quite often but the seven of us operate March through December.”

Kissing your teeth, you can’t help the genuine look of concern on your face, “How long have you been doing this?”

His eyes narrow, “Hm- I think I’m going on ten years now...yeah. I joined when I was 18.” He nods in agreement with himself, “This is my last year of service.”

Your heart jumps to your throat, “Really?!” The volume of your voice climbs dangerously high and it causes Yoongi to laugh, his eyes widening.

“Does that excite you?”

“I mean-” You bite your lip, trying to figure out if his retirement is something you should celebrate, “is it something you’re looking forward to?”

He smirks, eyes glinting with amusement, “It is.”

“Then yes,” You decide, stopping the pace of your walk so you can turn towards him, “it does excite me.”

His smirk never falters, whilst his free hand moves to trace down the length of your arm, seeking the grasp of your fingers. His touch leaves a trail of fire on your flesh, your other hand eagerly intertwining with his.  

“Oh? Why does it excite you?”  

The tone of his voice lightens; it’s playful and almost a little taunting as he leans in towards your face.

“Um-” You clear your throat, stepping closer to him so that your toes are almost touching his, “Because maybe, I would get to see you more. If you were retired...”

Yoongi’s eyes soften, the back of his thumb brushing over your knuckles, “Hm. So, she’d like to see me more...”

“I really would.” You confirm, the look in his eye offering you some confidence in your next move.  

Swallowing back your nerves, you take the hand you’re currently holding and guide them to your hips.

Without a word, you place your freed hands on the ball of his shoulders, sliding them inwards towards the base of his neck. As the two of you make eye contact, you feel his grip on your hips tighten, his big hands feeling the flesh there for the first time. The movement of your fingers causes him swallow, the Adams apple bobbing in his throat whilst his tongue pokes out to wet his lips, only making them more inviting.  

The seam of your top would make it so easy for him to slip his fingers beneath it to feel your skin for real but, instead he merely flexes his fingers just enough for the tips of them to press into your body.  

In your own attempt to explore his skin, your fingertips brush the soft skin at the junction between the base of his throat and his shoulder, your palms lying flat on his collar bones.

He lets out a shaky breath, a small chuckle leaving his lips as he forces his eyes away from yours.

“You’re making this very difficult...” Yoongi murmurs.

You slow your motions on him, “I’m making what difficult?”

He’s still looking away, but his hands squeeze your hips, anchoring them in place to stop them from wandering as he wishes to.

“I’m trying to court you properly but, now you’ve gone and put my hands on you...” He smirks, his feline-like eyes darting back to yours, “you aren’t even giving me a chance here.”

His accusatory tone causes you to giggle, your fingers inching closer to brush against the hair at the nape of his neck, “Who’s to say what’s proper?”

“Societal decorum, your parents, my parents, our friends- “ He chuckles, glancing up towards the sky, “whatever god is in my head right now, shaming me for the thoughts I’m having.”

“Any god who shames you for your desires is no god of mine...and besides,” You breathe, leaning up towards his lips, “we’re the only ones who get to decide what’s proper for us.”

He sighs, his breath close enough to wisp across your mouth, the proximity intoxicating.

“I should have known the day I met you that you make your own rules...” He smirks, the need to press his lips against yours nearly unbearable. He nods to you then, raising his brows, “What do you think is proper for us in this moment? Since we’ve already disregarded decency.”  

Another giggle leaves your lips and without thinking you move the rest of the way so that your mouth lingers just in front of his own, “I think it’s proper for you to kiss me- for the first time, underneath the full moon.”

At your boldness his heavy gaze widens slightly as a sharp breath leaves his lips before pushes them onto you.

Immediately, lightening shoots through the center of your spine, exploding into your heart, your hands on his shoulders tightening significantly, his own grip on your hips following suit.

Your bodies press together as your lips tuck in and move against each other. The tip of your nose rubs unceremoniously on the bridge of his own, the kiss deepening with a mutual sigh between the two of you.  

Your chest is pushing against the linen of his shirt, your body coming to life as he begins walking you backwards towards the large willow tree standing proudly near the river. When your back presses against the rough bark, you take the opportunity to slide your nails up his neck and into his hair, careful not to ruin the state of his ponytail too much. Your touch elicits a very faint groan from him, his teeth nibbling against your bottom lip.

With the increase of your breathing, you press him closer to you, pushing your breasts into him, hoping that he will take the hint and continue touching you. His hands merely squeeze at your hips, holding you steady against his body whilst his tongue brushes your bottom lip.

He’s requesting entrance into your mouth, which you gladly grant, parting your lips and sliding your own tongue along his. The two of you play in each others mouths, it’s slow and almost messy and it causes your fingers to tighten in his hair, wishing desperately that you could run your fingers through it properly.

Yoongi’s heart feels as though it's going to give out from all the sensations he’s feeling, his resolve weakening by the second, all thoughts of decorum leaving his conscious.  

The bark of the tree is digging into your back, but you can barely feel it; your mind is too full of Yoongi. His hands begin inching up your torso, almost massaging his way up, his grasp tightening further as he resists the urge to move his hips.  

But he can already feel the blood pooling between his legs, and he knows that things are already going too far so when you slide your leg up to hitch it around his waist, he finally pulls away.  

Breathing heavily, the two of you rest your foreheads on one another, lust swirling in the air around you.

“Why did you stop?” You pout, pecking at his lips.

Yoongi chuckles into your lips, leaning away slightly to press a kiss to your nose and then your forehead and as his mouth lingers there, he responds, “I have to maintain some level of decency- I am a man of the royal family.”

Like a spoiled child, you slump back against the tree, your lips still pouted as your hands return to his shoulders, “The royal family is miles away...besides, we were just kissing.”

Yoongi’s raspy laugh makes you want to kiss him even more while the fondness in his gaze makes you want to grin like an idiot.

“Your little suggestion to kiss me was turning into something else entirely and you know that.” He accuses playfully, bringing a thumb over your cheek.

“Were you not enjoying it?” You point out, dancing your fingers over his chest and he rolls his eyes, catching your hand in his own.

“You know very well that I was enjoying it.” He smirks, glancing down between the two of you at his semi-hard length pushing against his linen pants, “I am a man of my word however and I meant what I said about courting you properly.”

The sight of his length removes all moisture from your mouth, most of it seeming to reallocate between your legs.

“But you’re-!” You almost whine, wanting nothing more than to resume your earlier encounter.

He chuckles once more, bringing your fingers to his lips, “I am.” He concedes, dragging his lips over the back of your knuckles, “your lips are lethal.”

Your focus hones in on the wet lips currently pressing kisses against your hand but, your stubborn nature wishes to press the issue further.

“Then why did you stop?”

Yoongi smirks, “Because it’s not proper to have each other now, even when I want you as bad as I do-” He kisses between the junction of your pointer and middle finger, brows raising at the sight of your pouted lips, “Why are you still pouting?”

“Because...” You sigh, licking your lips, “I already told you I didn’t care what others thought I-”

Yoongi chuckles again but this time, the sound is darker, “Y/N, when I tell you that we should wait, it isn’t because of the opinions of others it’s because...” He pauses, licking his tongue between your fingers, sending a shock wave between your thighs, “I couldn’t possibly pleasure you properly against this tree...”

You let out shaky breath, leaning into him once more, “I believe you could.”

He grins, kissing over the spot he just licked, returning your hand to his shoulder, “Oh do you now?”

“Mhm.” You hum, giggling as he pinches your hips, your fingers clasping behind his neck.

He leans over, kissing your lips gently before pulling back to secure your gaze, “Be patient my sweet girl...” His voice drops to a whisper, “...and let our fairytale develop a little longer.”

You can’t help but embrace him then, tucking your face into his neck, “I’m sorry if I’m so eager...I’ve just never felt this way before.”

He chuckles warmly, easing you away from the trees so he can rub your back, “Please don’t be sorry. This is new territory for me as well. We can navigate it together ok? My fleet has to move on in a few weeks but, it will only be a few months until I can make it back to you. After that- we'll have all the time in the world.”

Nodding, you press a kiss to his neck, tightening the embrace, not wanting to let go, “Why do you have to be such an accomplished solider General Min? Mediocrity could have really worked in your favor...”

He laughs again, the sound warming you from the inside out, “Terribly sorry mam. I had no anticipation of being captivated by a smart-mouthed apothecary during a refuel stop.”

“Oh so I’ve captivated you have I?” You tease, your fingers walking slowly across his back.

He smiles, turning his head to kiss the side of your head, “To put it very lightly yes- yes you have.”

Captivated was the word Namjoon had used and it truly was the perfect word.  

Absolutely perfect.

#yoongi #yoongi smut #yoongi fluff #yoongi fanfics #yoongi x reader #agust d #agust d fics #d-2 #king! yoongi #warrior! yoongi #daechitwa #daechitwa! yoongi #yoongi fics #yoongi fic recs #bts #bts smut #bts fics #bts angst #yoongi angst #yoongi fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #bts fluff #seokjin #hoseok #jimin #taehyung #namjoon #jungkook #min yoongi

[sonnet009]

Wilder: Jamal’s Story (Route Summary)

PROLOGUE:

MC decides to flee Ziya alone. A rotund wine merchant named Barlow offers her a timely rescue, smuggling her out in one of the wagons in his caravan. On their journey across the Shining Sands MC learns that Barlow is a wealthy and ambitious man who can afford not only a team of djinn guards but even a pleasure slave. It is this pleasure slave who warns MC that Barlow intends to ransom her back to Ziya and urges her to leave the caravan. Though afraid, MC chooses to stay rather than risk facing the desert alone. Jamal is not pleased at the prospect of continuing to share his wagon.

CHAPTER I:

The caravan stops so Barlow can take his dinner out under the stars. MC joins him and Jamal while the djinn guards keep watch. Barlow is very blatant about his sexual relationship with Jamal and Jamal for his part fawns over Barlow in return. MC has never seen anything like it. Left alone for a few moments, Jamal teases MC that she can't keep her eyes off him.

During the next day's travel the caravan is attacked by a raiding group of djinn come down from the Western Hills. The djinn guards rally around Barlow to protect him but change their minds when the leader of the wild djinn offers them a free life with the tribe. Barlow and MC are pushed onto their knees, faces in the sand, and Barlow is beheaded. MC hears Jamal's horrified gasp.

MC does not share Barlow's fate. She is restrained and brought back to the Hills with the tribe and their new recruits. She is not sure why, but feels in her heart that this is no salvation.

CHAPTER II:

While the new djinn are welcomed into the tribe, Jamal sneaks over to where MC has been tied. He probes her about her rich, important family and muses that she must have connections in Umar. Though he knew she was fleeing Ziya he doesn't seem to have the full story – he certainly doesn't know that MC is an accused murderer and therefore utterly without connections or power.

After a ritual in which each new djinn must eat a piece of a raw deer heart, the disgusted Jamal has had enough. In the dead of night he frees MC in return for her promise to take him to Umar. They catch their breath by the river but are soon discovered by one of the ex-guards whose disdain for Jamal the pleasure slave is obvious. He calls out for the rest of the tribe and MC and Jamal run.

The tribe pursues them far, all the way to the base of the mountainous Knives. With little other choice, MC and Jamal head up – away from the Hills but only into more danger.

CHAPTER III:

MC offers condolences for Barlow's death. Jamal is dismissive and MC realises that though he appeared to adore the man it was all just an act. He doesn't miss Barlow, just the security that being his personal slave offered. Jamal insists that MC is his master now, though MC insists that she is not. Jamal reveals his intention for MC to sell him to a famous pleasure house in Umar, and for that she has to be his master.

Jamal whines and gripes the whole way up the mountain path. In contrast, MC finds a fortitude within herself she never knew she had. In the night he attempts to seduce her though she rebuffs him, saying, “I told you, you don't need to do that.” The next day they stumble into the path of a mountain lion. Jamal hides behind MC while she scares it away.

They come across a hot spring and MC spends most of her time trying to avoid looking at Jamal's naked and shameless displays designed to get her attention. But when he asks her to wash his hair it is with genuine, vulnerable wanting so she does so. It is the most intimate moment MC has ever shared with anyone.

CHAPTER IV:

In the sprawling farmland on the other side of the mountains, MC and Jamal are caught in a sudden downpour. Sheltering in an old barn, they share a sweet, quiet moment that turns into an argument when she once again refuses to claim him as her slave. MC is secretly very drawn to Jamal, but fears that his affection is all a lie and that she will be taking advantage of their positions if she lets herself believe him. He accuses her of looking down on him and gives her the cold shoulder. This means that MC has missed another chance to confess that she is not the connected noblewoman he believes her to be.

As they continue on their journey in strained silence, a group of bandits appear and block their path. MC is afraid but not as afraid as Jamal. However, when one of the men grabs MC and makes lewd comments, Jamal exclaims, “Hey!” surprising no one more than himself. As the scene turns to violence, MC and Jamal learn that even a light slap from a djinn whose claws have been growing for weeks can be devastating to a human body. MC thanks Jamal for his protection while he desperately tries to get the blood out from under his nails.

They finally make it to Dijarah, a port town where MC intends to board a ship sailing for Umar. The one problem? She has no money.

CHAPTER V:

To earn money in Dijarah, an innkeeper agrees to hire MC and Jamal to work in the kitchen. Jamal is aghast at the prospect, especially when he meets the old battleaxe of a cook on whom his charms utterly fail. Jamal is terrible at every practical task put before him and, after only a few days, is utterly miserable.

MC is gentle and encouraging with Jamal, and he eventually is able to put aside his pride (a little) and improve. He finds it amusing to think of a world in which he worked here instead of as a pleasure slave. But when MC takes this question seriously he balks and insists that he would never want an unglamorous life like this. “I know what I am,” he says quietly.

As the two grow closer, Jamal tells MC the story of his life. Bred illegally and born sick, Jamal was passed under the table from master to master, role to role, failing at all of them. Finally dumped in a pleasure house as an insult, Jamal actually flourished there – able to put his natural charm and artistic talents to use. That is why he cannot even consider another life. MC asks if he would choose the same life if he were a free man. Jamal goes quiet and does not answer.

CHAPTER VI:

One day MC walks into the kitchen to see Jamal scrubbing pots with all his might then absent mindedly tidying up some things – not as part of his assigned task but just because it needs doing. MC announces herself and they compare their palm callouses and growing arm muscle. One night Jamal is asked to perform for the inn's patrons by playing the lute – he is giddy with excitement to be the centre of attention once more, though the audience is not his usual clientele. He plays and sings beautifully and MC sets off a standing ovation that nearly makes him cry.

An evening shift turns tense when a group of drunkards start causing trouble. Jamal shocks everyone by taking charge of the situation and intimidating them into leaving. Though, as soon as they are gone, his legs turn to liquid and he slides to the floor declaring how terrifying the whole thing was. The innkeeper draws him a hot bath in thanks. Jamal asks MC to wash his hair again. Though she won't join him in the tub – despite his persistence – Jamal does wash and style her hair for her in return.

Finally MC and Jamal have enough money to book passage on a ship. As they are boarding MC catches sight of Hamza in the crowded street. She drags Jamal away to avoid getting caught, though now she is less afraid of being arrested than she is being exposed to Jamal who still doesn't know that she is a fugitive. She resolves that she must tell him soon, even if it ruins the... friendship... that seems to finally be blossoming between them.

CHAPTER VII:

Hamza has also boarded so MC spends most of her time hiding in her cabin – and Jamal has no objections to passing the days relaxing on a soft bed. She tries many times to broach his misconceptions about her but is consistently thwarted by interruptions and her own cowardice. A rich passenger tries to buy some time with Jamal from MC but she staunchly refuses. Jamal is delighted by this, then confused as to why he is so delighted.

One night they lie side by side on the bed and MC asks Jamal why he is so set on being sold to this particular brothel. He explains that, not only is it a famous venue, but if they purchase him then by Umar’s laws he will no longer be a slave but an indentured servant. MC says that isn’t good enough – she wants to free him. Jamal is dismissive of such an impossible idea but MC insists that Lord Yasir, the most powerful man in Umar, could surely help them. Jamal asks why MC would be seeking Yasir’s help for herself and she prepares to finally tell him the truth when– the ship’s bell rings. They have arrived.

Hamza catches sight of MC at just the wrong moment. She drags Jamal off the ship, pushing past everyone else, and manages to lose Hamza in the moonlit streets of Umar. They come to Minerva’s Pleasure House. Inside is a whole new world to MC but Jamal is in his element. Then he goes quiet. “I don’t want you to leave me here. I want to stay with you. I want to be–”. The madam interrupts, realises exactly who MC is, and throws her and Jamal out of the place, calling MC a murderer and threatening to tell the authorities if either of them ever return.

CHAPTER VIII:

MC hurries to Yasir’s estate, a confused and suspicious Jamal with her, and fortunately finds the merchant-turned-lord to be very welcoming and willing to provide sanctuary. Jamal confronts MC and she finally admits everything. Jamal is devastated. He accuses her of using him, of dragging him through danger and hardship just for the amusement of it, of being just as rotten as Barlow and the others. “You think so little of me. You think nothing of me.” MC cannot explain her actions without admitting – to Jamal and to herself – that she has been falling in love with him. Jamal is stunned. Then he turns and leaves the manor.

He returns in the morning and apologises for leaving, kissing MC on the cheek and saying that he understands she was only doing what she had to do – she’s a survivor. He turns down MC’s attempts to make him a free man and instead asks Yasir to use his influence to place him in the pleasure house. “No more pretending,” he says in response to MC’s protestations. “I know what I am.” Yasir arranges for the madam to accept him as an indentured servant.

MC and Jamal say a fraught goodbye in the gaudy room that is to be Jamal’s from now on. Jamal kisses MC and, at his soft declaration that he has fallen in love with her too, she gives in to her passion and they come together in a tangle of flesh and emotion. After, as they lie in bed, the door is kicked down and in bursts Hamza to arrest MC. Jamal is remarkably unsurprised. “I should’ve known it was all a lie from the beginning. All those things you said about my potential. Trying to make me doubt who I am; what I am. But you know something, mistress?” There is nothing but cold resolve in his eyes. “I’m a survivor too.”

CHAPTER IX:

MC is transported back to Ziya to face her execution. She spends the journey thinking on Jamal. That night he left the manor he must have gone to Hamza to arrange the ambush. Anger and betrayal come in cycles but always give way to regret and the knowledge that she brought this on herself. MC’s execution is a public event on the steps of the shah’s palace, but the proceedings are suddenly interrupted by Jamal and Yasir’s right-hand-djinn Royo. Since MC was under Umar’s protection, Ziya’s actions in abducting her have been taken as a hostile act. Hamza takes justice into his own hands and attacks MC with his sword. Jamal tries to protect her but she pushes him away, taking the blade in her chest.

MC wakes in her old bedroom in her Aunt and Uncle’s villa. The blade missed her heart and, though badly wounded, she will live. Jamal is by her bedside. He asserts that he hasn’t forgiven her, and he’ll never forgive himself, but he wants her to know that Hamza was the one who caught and pressured him into the betrayal that night, and Jamal convinced himself that she deserved it. But he regretted it immediately and went running to Yasir for help. He confesses that he wasn’t lying when he said he’d fallen in love with her. He thinks that’s their shared fatal flaw – they’re dreamers.

When MC next wakes quite a lot of time has passed. This time it is Royo who comes to see her, informing her that the political pressure from Umar – and Yasir specifically – has worked. To avoid trouble between the two cities, Ziya has agreed not to execute MC but to exile her. Royo must return to Umar now but says that MC is welcome there once she is well enough to travel. MC asks after Jamal but Royo shakes her head. He is waiting by the carriage to leave and will not return to the villa. MC asks Royo to take something with her when she goes – a letter addressed to the madam of Minerva’s.

BITTER END:

Two years have passed since the almost-execution and MC has been travelling ever since, working tirelessly in whatever jobs she can in order to save money and send it periodically to Minerva’s to bit by bit pay off Jamal’s “debt” to the pleasure house. Finally with enough to complete the contract she returns to Umar.

When Jamal sees her in Minerva’s he covers his shock by asking if she is there to taste him once again. They go to his room and MC interrupts his cold, emotionless seduction with the last of the money he needs to truly be free. He insists at first to not want it then finally cracks open, tears spilling down his cheeks. “But where would I go?” MC says he can go with her if he likes. He doesn’t answer, conflicted, still so afraid to trust. MC backs off and says he can go wherever he wants to go; anywhere in the world. She leaves the pleasure house but lingers outside, hoping that when Jamal comes out a free man he will choose to go with her after all.

SWEET END:

Two years have passed since the almost-execution and MC has been travelling ever since, working tirelessly in whatever jobs she can in order to save money and send it periodically to Minerva’s to bit by bit pay off Jamal’s “debt” to the pleasure house. However when she journeys to Umar with the final payment she is informed by the madam that Jamal has already been freed from his contract and left months ago. MC turns to Royo for help, who informs her that Jamal had also been working hard to pay for his freedom – taking on extra chores and responsibilities at Minerva's – and that last she knew he was heading for Dijarah.

MC sets sail immediately. When she disembarks at Dijarah’s docks she is stunned to find Jamal waiting, Royo having sent word ahead. There is a tense moment of uncertainty then Jamal launches himself at her, catching her in a tight embrace. He thanks her for contributing so much to buying his freedom and says he’s never worked so hard for anything before – for the chance to live a free life. To stand before MC as an equal. To say he loves her and for it to be the simple truth. Hand-in-hand, Jamal escorts MC to his new place of employment – the inn in which they spent so much time before. He winks. “I hear they're hiring. I’ll put in a good word for you.”

#Wilder #Jamal #Route Summary

[adraveins]

Some other tentative Jordan thoughts that I’m somewhat settled on:

Backstory --

There is the briefest mention in canon that, while the kingdom of Rauatai dominates the Rauatai Gulf, there are other young nations along its coastlines. Jordan is from one of these free states. Its pending name is Haven’s Watch.

Jordan’s twin sister, Danua, is something of a pirate queen in the Rauatai Gulf, who often acts as part of an informal force of pirates, privateers, local militia, and mercenaries that all give the Rauataian navy enough grief and resistance to keep them from trying to annex the free states... for now.

The free states have also attempted to unify in the past to better stand up Rauatai’s dominance in the region. The progress on this is thoroughly stalled.

Jordan is one of five children and the youngest (by one minute). Two older sisters, one older brother. Their father is a merchant, and their mother owns an inn.

When Jordan and Danua were born, a massive hurricane struck Haven’s Watch and destroyed much of the area. Their mother narrowly survived the difficult birth, but Jordan was a moon godlike with clear storm markings, so he was generally regarded as a bad omen, particularly because his parents lost most of their life’s work. Neither his father’s business nor his mother’s inn fully recovered after that, and they were significantly more poor throughout Jordan’s childhood than they had been before.

Jordan quickly showed an aptitude for naturally powerful magic, but he struggled greatly with control. It didn’t help his social situation in the Watch that most of his natural magic seemed to fall along the same storm-related lines.

They could never afford formal schooling, but Danua eventually got him forged papers to attend a university in Rauatai. Jordan studied druidic magic there, while also acting as something of a spy and feeding information back to Danua and her crew.

Until he was caught, of course, and very nearly killed, but Danua smuggled him out of the Gulf, and Jordan traveled to the Dyrwood, to lay low there until things calmed down back home. There are SEVERAL bounties on him now.

I also want to give their family a last name but uhhh more on that later.

Game stuff --

It’s actually pretty fun to deliberately limit Jordan’s spells and efficiency, at least early on, since I’m not using spiritshift until Deadfire and the Fury sublcass, and I’m trying to rely mainly on wind/water-type spells.

You know, I’m not even that into romance most of the time, but thinking about Pillars romance stuff is also occasionally fun. Jordan is gay, and his main romance is with Aloth, but other possibilities could be Adaryc and Tekēhu. I haven’t had a Watcher who’s fit with either of them yet, considering that Kit only clicks with the chillest people alive (relatively) and Hakona is a lesbian, but I’d like to explore it. And of course, Eothas. Delighted to say that Jordan, who secretly craves attention and approval, is going to be a whole mess about that.

I haven’t reached it yet (lol), but I think I’m going to go with Iovara as the Inquisitor’s sister, just because Jordan loves his sister very much and would be appropriately horrified.

That’s about the only thing I’m sure of choice-wise at the moment. Although I think Jordan will be a little nicer to Thaos than Kit and Hakona were (as they were like Tear The Bitch Apart), because he’s a big dumb bleeding heart at his core.

His personality so far has settled on charming sometimes-clown who’s got those youthful rebel/revolutionary principles but is pretty naive about them. And again, -John Mulaney voice- I need everyone all day long to like me so much.

I haven’t yet decided on any other background or profession besides dissident. Like how Kit’s background is drifter but she’s also a scientist. I do wish the game would let you actually pick multiple backgrounds though. Like, Jordan’s the youngest of my Watchers, but these characters are all adults. They do many things.

Jordan, alone in a foreign country, separated from his beloved twin sister: 🥺

Edér, who has similar sibling feelings, picking up on that immediately: 🥺 

Jordan is like !!! when he meets Pallegina because fellow godlike! And he can be kind of annoyingly earnest, and they don’t really agree on subjects like, uh, nationalism, but they get along really well, as long as Jordan isn’t trying too hard to bond over the subject of being godlike. Both Pallegina and Edér are like, oh, I have to protect this dumbass, huh.

Jordan’s relationship with Kana is also interesting because Rauatai is out for his head, and he doesn’t exactly have warm feelings towards it, but he also spent time learning there, and so it’s complicated. They bond over academics and having a similar youthful idealism.

As for the Watcher/Awakened stuff.... Jordan’s having a miserable time with that. Kit immediately started trying to turn it to her advantage and study it, and Hakona hated it but was like I Must Be Stoic. While Jordan already struggles to control his magic, so having another thing that feels out of his control and seeing dead people everywhere is not helping.

He and Aloth bond over that quite a bit, with Aloth’s Iselmyr situation. And the second betrayal is going to HURT his FEELINGS for a minute. (Kit was like “dude, I’m a cipher, and you’re the worst liar I’ve ever met, I basically already know,” and Hakona was very mad and told Aloth to leave -- not in-game of course -- and then calmed down and immediately took it back.) Jordan’s going to be like, my crush LIED to me. (Not to mention he’s been hunted for a while and was looking over his shoulder for longer than that, so it does freak him out a bit.) But then he’ll get over it because he’s like... well, I’m wanted for espionage and forgery so I get it.

#this is all subject to change of course #oc: jordan #mine: pillars

[ladyleahcat]

Seraphine’s Lore Rework

So.. I have to say that I was really hyped for Seraphine. I followed her in social media and I really liked her design. But, after her lore and abilities were revealed, it just felt... out of place in Runeterra. Her in-game abilities don’t make sense with her natural gift. She doesn't have a grand purpose, or breaking point in her story that motivates her to be... you know, a champion. So, I tried to fix the lore. Please be kind, and let me know what you think (English is not my native language, so there may be some redaction mistakes). 

I don't have an extensive knowledge of the LoL universe, so here goes nothing! (I took the official one and changed a little bit too much... I kinda throw away the dream of unity between Zaun and Piltover. And knowing that the Brackerns communicated through MUSIC it´s a fact too rich to ignore. I did a little reseach and took some terms and ideas from Skarner’s short story).

As a child, Seraphine always loved music, especially her father’s lullabies. The songs were beautiful, but sad. He and Seraphine’s mother—two lifelong Zaunites—always dreamt of a better life in the City of Progress. But poor as they were, they did everything they could to give their only child a decent life in Zaun.

Leaning out the window of their hexcoustics workshop, where broken sound tech was made to play again, Seraphine sang along with the dark streets. The constant sound of the leaking pipework, working machinery and wispered conversation was her companion.

Over time, Seraphine realized she could sense songs too private, too personal, for any ordinary person to hear. And as she grew, so did the intensity of her gifts. She heard every person’s soul, loving or cruel—turning the streets she’d once loved into an overwhelming cacophony of conflicting desires. How could she make sense of the voices if none of them harmonized? Some days, she hid shivering in a corner, hands over her ears, unable to hear herself above the chaos and feeling her sanity slowly escape.

Seraphine’s parents couldn’t bear seeing her struggle. Even scraping together their savings, they knew it was not enough to help her. Risking their own safety, they made a deal with powerfull mechants in Zaun´s black market to purchase a shard of a rare hextech crystal. And so, they crafted a device that dampened her magical hearing. For the first time in years, there was silence.

Within that quiet, though, Seraphine heard something—someone. The crystal had a consciousness. But it was hard to hear, and harder to comprehend. Seraphine, awed, asked for guidance. But the crystal refused communication. She made her goal to achieve understanding of this rare soul, but her attempts were interrupted by tragedy.

The debt of the crystal was greater that what her parents could pay, and the mechants, tired of waiting, decided to claim the price in their own way. On the darkest of the nights, the rumbling sound of incessant knocking on the door accompanied by violent threats awoke the family. Taking their few possessions, they intended to flee, but, Seraphine´s father knew they would be followed. Giving his wife and daugther one last kiss, he ordered them to run and never look back, while he faced their attackers. They did, and in the distance the sounds of gunshots rang out. Seraphine was ten when she saw her dad for the last time.

Full of sorrow, the broken family got to Piltover with almost nothing. There were difficult days of cold and hunger until Sera´s mother could grab a job at a hextech workshop, as she refused to sell the crystal, see her child suffer, and let her late husband´s sacrifice go to waste.

Seraphine refused to sing the first months in Piltover, as it didn´t feel like home anymore, and it hurt to much to remember, while she also felt all their disgrace were her fault. One day, through her pain, she finally heard a distant voice. The lethargic soul hidden in the crystal slowly opened up to her. It told her stories and songs of the old brackern race. About how it once was big and respected, and how the greedy softskins destroyed it to gain the power of the crystal namestones hidden within their bodies. Horrified, Seraphine realized how the city that surrounded her was powered by the brackern, and so, she asked the voice why it had decided to share all that information with her. With a kind voice, it answered that she had a unique talent to hear souls and songs, and, that she could understand the pain of loss after what she had been through, just like it had lost its kin a long time ago. Then, the soul inside the crystal proposed a way to help them both.

The brackern knew Seraphine had a gift, and he could teach her to amplify it with magic. To give her voice power, potency and purpose. She could ease, enchant and thrill the crowds, gain fame and fortune, and give her mother a better life. But she could also inflict pain, make suffer and bring death to those who took her father away. The soul only wanted something in return.

There was an old ritual that brackerns knew about. The content of their namestones was to precious to get lost, and they designed a way to bring their race back if something ever went wrong. The proccess requiered to gather a great amount of brackern crystals in a hidden temple within the deserts of old Shurima. But it demanded a great price. The same amount of souls of a single different race in exchange for the awakening of each soul of the dormant one. The brackern wanted them to be human, as it seemed as a fair exchange. The enchanting dreamsong to fulfill the process had to be sung by a representative of each of both races. And she was the perfect candidate of her kin to do so.

Seraphine felt dread all over her body and refused, at first, to cooperate with the crystal; imagining the amount of people she would be required to slay. But as the weeks passed, and she and her mother keep on struggling to survive each day, Seraphine decided to agree to the plan. The brackern teached her a melody to seal their agreement, and with it, theirs souls were bounded to commitement, while allowing their magic to flow and combine. Their practice together begun. Each night, Seraphine grabbed her crystal and escaped to the superficial sewers of Zaun to rehearse. Slowly, she learned to manage the noise. Seraphine felt the crystal´s influence as it helped her understand how to resonate with a crowd, to sing with them, using her dampener less each day. Soon, she realized her full potential, and started to develop dangerous skills as well as the brackern teached her magic enchanting melodies of old. It took them years of practice. When she felt ready, Seraphine asked her mom for help to turn her dampener into an amplifier to test her full abilities.

The first time she performed in front of an audience, testing her skills, she was sixteen, and nervous beyond words. She choose a poor street of Piltover to start. With simple clothes and just her amplifier made of old recicled hextech, she started singing. And soon, a crowd gathered enchanted with her lovely voice and bewitching melodies, as she could take all of their personal songs and hopes to turn them into heart touching harmonies. The first day she collected so many coins that her mother and her were able to buy new things for the first time. With each passing day, the crowds were getting bigger, the profit was growing, allowing her little family to slowly achieve the life they always dreamt of. Still, something was missing—in the crowds, and in herself. She knew her father’s crime was still impune and with each song, his memory was painfully revived. She wanted justice.

Using her newfound richness, Seraphine located the merchants that took her father's life and (by her crystal's indication) collected a vast amount of a very special type of mineral, native from the Shadow Isles. Taking advantage of the cloak of night and her growing abilities, she descended into Zaun to make them pay. She infiltrated their place, lured the group of men and their leader with a beautiful melody and then took their lifes with one of the most complex ancient songs the brackern had teached her. Following the elaborate instructions, she absorbed the bodies and souls of the criminals into some shards of the minerals she brought with her, trapping them forever. These were the first souls she would need for the ritual. Taking advance of her accomplishment, she took all of the remaining brackern crystals keept by the band, and then, her mission started.

Although she felt guilty about her actions, she knew that, finally, she had made justice by her own hand, and had found a purpose for her gifts. The brackern's namestones had been waiting for a long time for someone that could listen their dreamsongs and help, and that was exactly was she was about to do. She was born for it. Seraphine knew there was no way she could take all of the brackern crystals in Runeterra, and that not all human souls are aware of the horrors behind the powerfull fuel of hextech, but there were enough gilty ones that she could execute.

Armed with a platform to keep her precious brackern crystals hidden and safe, and also her trapped human victims, she has become the premier star in both Piltover and Zaun. In the public eye, she uses her playful apearance and beautiful voice to enchant the crowds and win their hearts and favor, while she listens for the brackerns old voices slowly awakening inside their cores and calling out for her, singing gladly their dreamsongs. In the shadows, it´s her duty to retrieve them to safety and trap the souls of those who are greedy enough to collect them. She knows one day, she will gather enought of them to make the journey into Shurima´s desert, looking for the one called Skarner that the ancient spirits talk about and being able to, at last, fulfill her destiny.

(I know it’s not that great, but let me know your thoughts and suggestions :3 ) Disclaimer: These characters belong to Riot Games. I don’t own them, I just did this for fun.

#league of legends #seraphine #lore #skarner #riot #riot games #lol #seradotwav #I just did it for fun and the lolz #I think Sera would be cooler with a better backstory #Skarner deserves better #fan lore #please dont kill me #fangirling me

[loki-hargreeves]

Kylo Ren x Reader - He Saves You

Warnings: angst, being chased/fearing for your life, death, mild gore, fluff (I guess) Word Count: 2,5K Summary: Someone is chasing you and you’re running for your life. The only person in sight is Kylo Ren. Unknowing of his true nature, you run to him for help. Author’s Note: Please enjoy! Also, to anyone that comments and/or reblogs, I owe you my heart <3 

THIRD POV

Sand was gathering in the air, flying with the wind all over the place and making it a challenge to see far past it. A storm was coming, that was clear for Kylo who had just landed on the desert planet of Tatooine. He had one goal on his mind: to find the merchant who stole something very valuable from him. In Kylo’s eyes, the merchant was a lousy criminal who had a death wish. Who dared steal from Kylo Ren?

Not too far away from where Kylo Ren had landed was Y/N. She was tired of her life on the planet. Long ago, she was sent to Tatooine after her kidnapper had sold her to a merchant, the very same man who Kylo Ren was after. At first, Y/N had tried to escape several times. But after failing and getting punished for it, she stopped trying. Or so they thought. For what had felt like forever, she had waited patiently for the perfect opportunity to leave. Y/N had discovered a spaceship that was stranded on the outer skirts of the village, hidden safely behind a sand dune.

The sandstorm outside was only growing stronger and more dangerous. For her, it meant she could escape. Hopefully, the sand would hide her from the merchant’s sight. With her bag now full of parts she could use to fix the spaceship and valuables she could trade for money, she was ready. Y/N’s heart was pounding harder than ever as she grabbed her daggers that she had also stolen from the workshop. She covered her head with the hood of her dark cloak, and she covered her mouth and nose with a scarf. Breathing in the sand didn’t sound too tempting to her.

It was time to go.

Y/N left the workshop in a hurry and headed right towards the exit of the village. Most people were inside, sheltered from the storm. But of course, it wouldn’t be too easy. A guard noticed her, “Hey! Where do you think you’re going? You’ll die out there!” The cruel man walked up to Y/N in order to stop her.

Fear spiked Y/N’s nerves, but she was determined to leave the sand planet. She hated the sand that had crept into every creek of her mind. Even the scent of it made her sick. “I’m going to collect parts,” She lied.

The guard laughed at her, knowing that no one was stupid enough to collect parts in a storm like this. “Nice try, but don’t think I’ve forgotten about your escape attempts, young one. You’re lucky you haven’t been executed!”

That made Y/N’s blood turn into ice. Did he imply they were thinking about executing her? She was not going to stay around to find out. Before the guard could grab her, Y/N decided to run.

“Come back here!” The guard growled and quickly began to chase her through the storm. His stern voice alarmed the merchant whose workshop was nearby. The man looked outside and noticed Y/N running away.

He couldn’t let his best worker escape. Anger filled his every cell as he witnessed what was happening. The merchant grabbed a blaster and decided to join the chase, having no clue where Y/N would lead them.

She didn’t look behind her as she ran as fast as she possibly could. With each heavy step she took, her feet sank into the warm sand which slowed her down, but it slowed down the guard as well. Her vision was tunnelled. The only thing she saw was what was in front of her nose and she could only focus on running. If the guard caught her, it could be over. This time, she was afraid they would execute her if she got caught.

                                      Kylo had barely taken ten steps as he heard people nearing him. He narrowed his eyes and looked beyond the dune. Even with his mask on, the sand made it hard to see what was going on. He heard a woman. She was panting. She seemed exhausted and terrified for some reason. There were two men tailing her. Kylo sensed something familiar with the other man. It must’ve been his lucky day because the merchant he was looking for was coming right his way.

Preparing to catch the merchant, Kylo grabbed his lightsaber and turned it on. It hissed as the sand flew into the laser and burned away. He was furious and he wanted the man to be scared for his life before Kylo would eventually take his life away. It was only right for a scumbag such as him.

Y/N noticed a man in the distance. He wore a dark hood and he had a lightsaber! It had to be one. Y/N had only heard of them in tales. When she was little, her mother would tell her about the Jedi. Was the man a Jedi? Y/N wasn’t sure, but she believed he could help her. Instead of continuing to the spaceship, she now ran directly towards the man in dark. “Help! Please… they’re going to kill me!” Y/N cried loudly, hoping the man could hear her. The closer she got, the better she saw him. He was wearing a mask which made it impossible for her to see his expression. Something deep inside her told her she could trust him. Y/N wasn’t sure what it was, but she decided to trust her gut feeling.

Kylo was dumbfounded as he heard the woman. Did she have any idea who he was? Why would anyone in their right mind run to him for safety? It made him feel strange. The panic and pure terror in her voice let him know that she wasn’t joking. She truly hoped her life could be saved if she trusted him, Kylo Ren, out of all the people in the galaxy.

Perhaps it was her lucky day as well because Kylo was planning to kill at least one of the men that chased her. She’s just lucky, Kylo thought, refusing to believe he would step out of his way to save some pathetic human. It was just business, nothing else.

“Please…good sir, I will do anything! Please help me, t-they are going to kill me!” The woman stumbled in the sand right by Kylo’s feet and that’s when he noticed she was sobbing. He could only see half of her face, but it revealed a deep bruise. It became clear that she wasn’t coming from ideal living conditions. Something strange within Kylo’s guts twisted. Somehow, he felt like he knew this woman who he had never met before. There was a very familiar aura all around her existence. He ignored the odd feeling and tried to focus on his target instead.

Cursing under his breath, Kylo walked towards the two men who were now frozen on their spots. They stared at Kylo with terror written all over their faces. At least someone recognized him! - unlike that woman.

The merchant knew that Kylo Ren was after him. “Hey! Hey…Kylo Ren, let’s calm down. I’m sure we can negotiate-“The man tried to calm down the enraged man. He sounded horrified and incredibly nervous. How pathetic.

“Shut up!” Kylo growled as he closed the distance between them. Before he got too close, the merchant pointed the blaster at Kylo.

“If you take another s-step, I will shoot you!” He threatened Kylo, but his shaking voice and body made it seem like child’s play. How could anyone take such a coward seriously?

Kylo extended his arm and grabbed the blaster with the force, yanking it out of the man’s hand and throwing it far away into the distance. The sight made the guard turn around as he attempted to run away. Kylo grabbed the guard with the force and dragged him right into his palm so Kylo’s hand was wrapped tightly around the man’s neck. The guard tried to yell out in fear, but Kylo’s death grip made it so no sound left his lips. “You shouldn’t have stolen from me,” Kylo spat harshly and then dropped the man on the ground. He couldn’t breathe as a coughing fit took him by surprise.

The guard tried to get up but failed when Kylo Ren sank his crimson lightsaber deep inside his chest, surely piercing his heart. Just like that, the guard was dead, and the poor merchant was frozen in fear and shock. He could’ve tried to run to make it interesting, but it seemed like the merchant knew it would be useless.

“Sir! Please…you can have your stuff back! Uh- I’ll even gift you my finest worker…Y/N! She’s all yours. Please, don’t kill me,” The merchant seemed to have lost his dignity. Y/N? So, the woman they were ready to kill was called Y/N. It was clear that the merchant was ready to lick Kylo’s boots clean in order to survive. As fun as it would’ve been, Kylo couldn’t agree to it. If he allowed someone to steal from him and survive, what kind of message would he send to other criminals who were practically waiting in line to steal valuables from the dark side?

Y/N’s entire body was trembling from fear. She was trying to catch her breath as she sat on the sand and followed the situation closely. She saw Kylo Ren from behind and noticed how tall and broad he was. His cape made him look elegant and his right side was illuminated red because of his lightsaber. The merchant was barely visible from her view, but she sure as hell heard him. When he offered to gift her to this man, she felt sick. Once again, she felt how a man ripped her humanity away and spoke of her like she was a piece of junk. It made her angry and she wished she could’ve hurt him back somehow.

Finally, Kylo Ren raised his lightsaber and the scream to terror ringed in Y/N’s ear as the merchant realized he would face his doom. With one swing of his lightsaber, Kylo had beheaded the merchant and gotten his revenge. At the same time, he had saved that woman, Y/N, without really meaning to. Realizing he had saved someone made him feel odd. It was something he would’ve done as Ben Solo, not as Kylo Ren. The right thing to do would’ve been to kill Y/N too, but his instincts told him not to.

Kylo turned around and looked at the woman who slowly got up from the sand, brushing some of it off her cloak. Her tears had stopped streaming down her injured face. Instead, she looked at him with deep gratitude.

Kylo knew he could’ve turned around and continued his mission. He should’ve reached the merchant’s workshop by now, but here he stood, looking at the woman he just saved from certain death.

“You…you saved my life. Thank you so much,” Y/N walked closer to Kylo fearlessly. Even the sight of his red lightsaber didn’t spark worry in her.                  

He wanted her to go away, but at the same time, he didn’t. It almost felt like the force kept him from hurting her. There was certainly something about her that made her life valuable and Kylo became awfully curious. “I was going to kill them anyway.”

“But you saved me while doing so. How could I ever repay you?” Y/N wondered. The storm was getting worse and she knew she would have to hurry if she wanted to reach the spaceship safely. But she knew she couldn’t leave her saviour without hearing his wishes. She owed him that at least.

If she worked for the merchant, she might’ve known where he kept what he had stolen from Kylo. Doubting she could actually help, Kylo tested his luck anyway. “The man you worked for stole something from me.”

“What did he steal from you?” Y/N wondered. She would help him find it, no matter what. Yes, returning to the village seemed dangerous, but if she returned with him, she would feel safe.

“A map,” Kylo revealed to her with a blunt voice. Kylo believed the map would lead him closer to Luke Skywalker who had been hiding for too long. He had searched for the old Jedi master for a long time now. Several maps had led him to dead ends, but how could he not explore every clue they got? “It’s within a small metal piece with a carving on it.”

Y/N was surprised that this man had gone through so much trouble over a map. But she knew exactly the map he was talking about - or so she hoped. The merchant had bragged about it when he brought it to her, ordering Y/N to polish it. The map was inside a small information bank that needed to be plugged into something in order to view it. In fact, it was one of the valuables Y/N had taken with her. She had assumed it would be worth a lot if the merchant had praised it so much. With a small smile of relief on her face, Y/N opened her bag and tried to find it. After taking out some metal parts, she found it and she took it out. “Is this what you’re looking for?” Y/N wondered as she handed the piece to Kylo.

He couldn’t believe his luck. What were the odds that everything would fall into his hands today? Silently, Kylo grabbed the small metal piece that hid the very map he searched for and he felt relieved. He put it in his pocket where it would be safe and then he put his lightsaber safely into its place, hanging from his belt. He had expected his day to be longer on Tatooine, but he was already ready to leave.

“You should seek shelter before the sandstorm gets too bad – that is, unless you wish to be taken away by it,” Kylo warned her as he turned around and began to walk towards his spaceship, a TIE fighter.

Just like that, he was leaving. Y/N watched as he got into his ship and disappeared from her sight. As his ship beamed up into the sky, sand blasted everywhere around it and made her turn around in order to avoid it ending up in her eyes. 

She knew the odds of her ever meeting him again were slim, but oddly enough, it was what she wished. They had only met for a brief moment, but the man had done more to her than anyone else in her life. It almost felt like she knew him from before. A past life, perhaps? Y/N had no clue, but she knew she would never forget Kylo Ren. As she began to run towards the spaceship she had discovered before, she found herself wishing ever so dearly that their paths would cross again.

A/N: I hope you liked it! I got this idea from a dream I had and I couldn’t ignore it. I’m a sucker for ‘evil’ characters saving people, whether or not it’s intentional.

#Kylo Ren #Kylo Ren x reader #Kylo Ren x You #Kylo Ren x Y/N #Kylo Ren imagine #Kylo Ren fanfiction #tw gore #Adam Driver Kylo Ren #Star Wars fanfiction

[avelera]

A few fun notes I’ve picked up on the Crusades, as would be relevant to Nicky and Joe, courtesy of leaving Great Courses lectures on in the background while doing other stuff (meaning if you’re a huge fan of the history of the Crusades you definitely know more than me):

- Nicolò di Genova could have been one of several, not necessarily mutually exclusive things before embarking on the Crusade - the second son of a wealthy/noble family (it would explain how he could afford the journey and weapons/armor), a poor brigand (one reason the Pope called the Crusades was to redirect European infighting and banditry) and/or a devout Christian who was spiritually moved by Pope Urban II’s call to arms. The devout option does not necessarily preclude either of the previous two possibilities, because the Pope promised total forgiveness of ALL sins (before and during) committed in one’s life and during the Crusades, so those who may have turned to banditry out of desperation but felt guilty for their immortal souls could have also been lured by the promise of spiritual reward, not just material reward.

- I’m going to go out on a limb and say Nicky was part of the Princes’ Crusade in 1096, the official one that Pope Urban wanted and I distinguish because there was a thing called the Peasants Crusade before of people who rose to the call but were, unfortunately, all non-fighting men, peasants, kids, fanatics, etc. and it went... badly. Very badly. The “crusaders” themselves (which means “cross bearers” btw) were pretty awful and killed a lot of innocent people on their way to the Holy land, and then they were wiped out when they got to Turkey anyway, and likely Nicky would be aware of these events (or even saw the piled bodies on his way to Jerusalem, if you want to go for a dramatic scene). 

I’m guessing Nicky was with the Princes’ Crusade because he actually got to the Holy Land AND again, because he’s got armor (according to the comic flashbacks) which was pretty damn expensive. (A Watsonian rationale, the Doylist one is that Rucka was going for the image of foreign knights fighting in full plate and may not have thought out all the class and wealth implications of them having that armor). Oh, and Nicky if he traveled with the Princes’ Crusade in 1096 would have spent some time in Constantinople (November-April) while on his way there. 

- The Crusaders captured Antioch before they made it to Jerusalem. I’m not sure The Old Guard clarifies which battle he and Joe first encountered each other in, it might have been Antioch, but I’m going to say it wasn’t, for several reasons. One, because of the credits that lists 1099, the year after, when Jerusalem fell, which was the last year of the First Crusade. (The other famous crusade, the Second Third Crusade of Orlando Bloom’s “Kingdom of Heaven” fame isn’t for almost 50 years after that.) And further, while it’s possible that Nicky fought Joe in Antioch before the Crusaders even made it to Jerusalem, but the push-pin in the map is also in Jerusalem and it’s where the most famous events of the First Crusade happened (and I’m not sure Rucka would be able to resist), so just from a dramatic standpoint too I think they probably fought in Jerusalem. 

- To just couch it in a scene for a second, the Crusaders seeing Jerusalem for the first time was, by all accounts, breathtaking. It was a profoundly spiritual moment for these people who had taken up arms to fight for their God and traveled for years across strange lands and lost many of their compatriots to the fighting in Antioch as well as starvation/thirst/exhaustion/disease along the way, to reach this holiest of holy sites in the Christian canon. 

- Unfortunately, the sight of Jerusalem might be the last moment of beauty we can expect from the European Crusaders. The accounts of the sack of Jerusalem are horrifying. The Crusaders laid siege to Jerusalem for just over a month, and once inside the gates, they massacred every single person in the city, until blood flowed through the streets.

- (Side note: if Nicky didn’t arrive with the main Crusader force coming over land through Turkey, he probably arrived instead with Genoese merchants who also brought the supplies needed to make the siege engines that broke through the walls, so it is possible Nicky was with them and came by boat, in which case he may feel a different kind of guilt for the atrocities that followed.)

- Having claimed the city, the Crusaders established the Kingdom of Jerusalem which would endure just barely over a hundred years. There would be constant fighting between Seljuks and the Crusaders throughout that century, complicated alliances between the Crusaders and the Seljuk’s rivals, the Fatimid Caliphate. Basically, you’d need to be a scholar or read something by a scholar who understands this much better than me to unwind it all. 

When did Joe and Nicky meet in all of this? Is the Siege of Jerusalem the setting of their first mutual murder of one another? Or did they meet at a later battle? A lot of that is up to the writer, because based on the line about how they’d been taught to hate one another, one could take away that they’d been on either side of the conflict for a while, at least long enough to build up some animosity towards the other side, before they encountered each other. Or, one could take the line to mean that Nicky and Joe met early in the conflict, and had only the hatred they’d been taught driving them to fight. 

Certainly the clash of the Franks, as the Seljuks called them (a word that is still found as a root for “foreigner” in Arabic to this day) or the Saracens, as the Christians called them, was a moment that was not, shall we say, hampered by sympathy on either side. The men of the other army must have been foreign and terrifying to both sides, both saw the other as infidels to the true faith, both had more or less a free pass by their religion and circumstances to not even see the other side as human (but, let’s remember, the Europeans were the invaders and the atrocities they committed are too lengthy and horrifying to go into here). 

If Nicky and Joe had stayed in the Levant throughout the events of the following centuries of Crusades (perhaps together now? perhaps still on opposite sides for some time?) they could have been caught up in a rich and complicated world of the clash of civilizations between Europe and the Middle East, Christianity and Islam, met major historical figures like Richard the Lionheart and Saladin (or, An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub if we’re being accurate) the latter of which is one of the greatest examples of chivalry the world has ever known, to an extent that was hailed even by Europeans (seriously, it’s some Hollywood-level stuff, Saladin is amazing and would be the obvious hero in any historical fiction set during the Second or Third Crusade, I could see Yusuf sticking around just to serve him and Nicky even switching sides to do so, especially compared to the leadership on the European side and bastards like Raynald of Châtillon, but again, for a fun intro to these events watch “Kingdom of Heaven” with a heavy grain of salt). 

A few final notes, before this becomes its own lecture on the Crusades. With regards to homophobia, it might not have been quite as present as many modern readers would assume. And you might be surprised by who would have been more OK with it. 

- On the European side, homosexuality was a sin, sure, but pretty much all non-procreative sexual practices were a sin and it wasn’t as fiercely persecuted in the early 11th century as it would come to be later. This is not to say homosexuality was celebrated, but the punishment you’d receive was basically a civil punishment for being caught, needing to do penance for a few months to a year, not execution or torture or anything like that. 

- And let’s remember throughout history, men have had few limitations enforced on their sex lives as long as they also fulfilled their duties to their families and the Church and that going on Crusade meant all of your sins were wiped away, before, during, and after (which is probably what led to the uninhibited nature of the atrocities committed by the Crusaders and I mean seriously, even the Pope who ordered the Crusades was horrified when he heard what happened). 

So what I’m saying is, even if someone like Nicky was worried about going to Hell for having sex with men (and really, it would not be the #1 sin to be concerned about by any means in those times) he wouldn’t have to worry specifically while on Crusade. He’s in the clear at least as far as his immortal soul goes, though social censure could be another matter (assuming everyone else even cared about social censure too). Actually, it would be funny if Nicky’s generally relaxed demeanor in the modern era around murders and stuff is because as far as he’s concerned, he’s still got that Papal order saying all his sins are cleared because he joined the Crusades, lol. 

- Meanwhile, on Joe’s side, we’re still in a time period that’s called the Islamic Golden Age where social strictures are relatively relaxed compared to what they’ll be at other points in Islamic history (sweeping generalization! please take it as such!) but it’s worth noting that Abu Nuwas, one of the most famous and acclaimed Islamic poets, wrote a ton of love poetry in the 700s and a not inconsiderable portion of that love poetry was devoted to homosexual love. Meaning, yeah, Yusuf wouldn’t just be able to quote poetry at Nicolò, he could quote specifically gay poetry at Nicolò, from one of his culture’s most renowned poets. 

Similar to Europe, if my research is correct, homosexuality was pretty accepted, at least it’s not a high-priority punishable crime for men of privilege during this era the way it would be in some later eras. I don’t want to expound much more on Joe’s side because it’s definitely the one I have less knowledge of and authority to speak about but I will leave you, if you’ve made it this far, with the fact that being two men in love with each other when they met was much less of a serious issue than being two infidels (to the other’s religion) would have been, from a social standpoint.

#the old guard #tog meta #history #joe x nicky #nicky x joe #LONG post #also if someone has an authoritative biography of these guys somewhere PLEASE SEND IT TO ME #I'm making some pretty big leaps here like Joe being on the Seljuk side but that's only based on the date and location nothing biographical

[cheshiresense]

More on the Hadrian and Orion in Narutoverse AU please!!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I don’t actually have that many more ideas for this AU, none that really focuses on the two of them anyway. Like, they found each other again and it was a done deal so there’s not really anything to add to that. But let’s see…

Edit: Ugh I give up, I ran out of inspiration for this one, I just didn’t know what else to write for it, sorry.

1. Ok so first off, Minato makes Hokage and stays that way and nothing terrible happens because I say so, and because I have no patience for the disaster that was the Naruto plotline, and also because lbr no way is Hadrian letting anybody muck shit up in his new home, he’s already lost one village, he isn’t going to let Orion lose his too, plus Danzo is dead which automatically solves like eighty percent of all problems and the world is just a hundred times better without him in it.

Kushina makes it Very Clear that their child will be placed under an Uzushio shinobi. Like, it’s part of their vows. She refuses to marry Minato unless he swears it (for a love match, it also couldn’t be more perfect politically, satisfying clans and elders alike by tying the two villages together, tying an Uzushio Jinchuuriki to Konoha, a union of talent and royalty, right before the Hokage Apparent ascends to the throne). Relations between Konoha and what’s left of Uzushio is a lot better than they were after Uzu was destroyed, but there’s still some tension, some mistrust, some resentment, and it’s not like anyone other than an Uzushio-nin can teach seals properly. It doesn’t help that some Konoha-nin still turn their noses up at Kushina and her people because they’re foreign, and others sneer at her because she’s a Jinchuuriki. She refuses to let someone like that teach her child.

Minato agrees of course, and ten years later, Naruto graduates near the top of his class, bright and cheerful and so very loved. He’s the son of the Hokage but also one of the first children born to the Uzumaki Clan after they’d finally finished picking up the pieces of their lives, and he has Minato’s colouring but Kushina’s determination and creativity and vindictive sense of humour.

In this world too, Naruto gets Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura as his teammates, but he’s known Sasuke since forever - his mom and Sasuke’s mom are best friends, one of his dad’s closest advisors is Sasuke’s dad, and his uncle (technically a cousin) is married to Sasuke’s uncle, so their families are a lot closer than most other clans in their villages. It was a shock to everyone, for the Uchihas of all people to have a close relationship with the Uzumakis, but their bond has stayed strong over the years despite many people’s doubts, and as a result, Naruto and Sasuke have been attached at the hip practically since birth.

As for Sakura, she seems like a nice girl too, a quieter counterpart to her best friend Ino, and they both know she’s upset at not being on the same team as the blonde, but she also beat both their academic scores and she doesn’t fall over herself trying to suck up to either Naruto or Sasuke, so they decide very quickly that they’ve lucked out with their third.

Naruto isn’t at all surprised when their sensei arrives. His mom’s been hinting at Uncle Hadrian for weeks because she is not subtle, and Naruto is absolutely thrilled because Uncle Hadrian is an S-rank Jounin with a flee-on-sight order and one of the strongest shinobi Naruto knows (Uncle Orion is almost as good, and he supposes his dad is okay too). He’s good at everything, better at seals than even Naruto’s mom, and his idea of babysitting is always an adventure - pranking someone mean and framing Kakashi-nii for it, setting up scavanger hunts in the village with a cool prize at the end, and taking him out for ice-cream or extra ramen that Naruto has solemnly sworn to keep secret from his parents. Hadrian is the best, and Naruto just wants to be him, him and Kaa-chan because Uzumaki really are the best, and his mom and uncle are the best of the best. And because he’s a good friend, he tells Sasuke beforehand about who’ll be teaching them and even tells Sakura the day of, so none of them are anything but excited when Hadrian sweeps into the classroom.

Uncle Hadrian just smiles at them, amused, and motions for them to follow. “Come along then, my new minions. Let’s see what chaos we can inflict on the world together.”

If Naruto had looked back, he would’ve seen the utterly horrified expression painted across the other Jounin senseis’ faces.

2. Team Seven gets a two-for-one deal. Orion outright rejects all offers of sticking him into the sensei rotation. The three times Minato tries, Orion fails every team and sends the kids back to the Academy within the hour.

It’s not as if he doesn’t like kids. They’re fine. But he doesn’t want to be solely responsible for them, especially in a world that’s literally out to kill them, and he’s no good with them for extended periods of time anyway.

He doesn’t mind helping Hadrian with his team though, and Fugaku definitely approves of having his brother help keep an eye on his youngest son. So the day after he returns from a courier mission, he tracks down Hadrian in one of the training fields and possibly enjoys it more than he should when he appears in a rush of Shunshin and makes all three kiddies jump or shriek.

Hadrian rolls his eyes at him but also reels him in for a welcome home kiss. “No complications?”

Orion snorts. “Of course not. It was barely B-rank.”

They turn back to the genin. Sasuke is rolling his eyes, more than used to their mostly subtle but easy displays of affection, and Naruto grins and gives Orion a wave because he’s as good as an uncle to the brat as well. The pink one though has her hands clapped over her mouth and is peering at them with big green eyes, like she’s never seen two men kiss. Then again, Orion’s already read the files on them, and she’s from a civilian family. They can be as weird as muggles about this sort of thing. Orion hadn’t cared in his last life, and he isn’t about to start now. At least she only looks surprised and not disgusted.

“This is Orion,” Hadrian tells his new students, for Sakura’s benefit. “My husband, and Sasuke’s uncle. He doesn’t have a team of his own, so when he isn’t busy, he’ll be joining us for training and missions. You’ll be seeing him a lot, and if for whatever reason I can’t meet up with you that day, I’ll probably send him in my place. Understand?”

He gets affirmatives from everyone and an “Awesome, dattebayo, we get two senseis!” from Naruto. Orion rolls his eyes and then smirks. “Twice the number of teachers, twice the amount of training.” He’s gratified when both boys pale a few shades, and Sakura - clever girl - takes her cue from them and has the beginnings of alarm creeping into her expression. He glances at Hadrian. “What’s on the menu for today?”

After they’ve sent Team Seven off for ten laps around the village (to start with of course, the day is still young), Hadrian remarks, “You’re a terrible person, and I never know what Minato is thinking every time he tries to shove a team on you.”

Orion’s smirk only widens.

3. Shortly after they get married, Hadrian and Orion move into a house in a quiet(er) part of Uzushio territory. They like their privacy, and they’re both quiet people by nature. Orion in particular only has so much tolerance for the Uzushio’s collective rambunctiousness and explosive personalities. They still get regular visitors, but at least they also get time to themselves without needing to escape into the surrounding woods.

A decade down the road, and they suddenly have three more children underfoot than either of them ever planned. then again, Naruto was around at least five times a week practically since he was born, and Sasuke had been allowed to drop by for almost as long, accompanied by his parents or Itachi.

Sakura is the last addition to their household, timidly shuffling in one evening when she’d let slip that her parents - merchants - were out of the village and wouldn’t be back for at least another three weeks.

Hadrian had always been a bit of a bleeding heart for strays, and this one is already his, so Orion hadn’t been at all surprised when - after treating everyone to dinner at Ichiraku’s - they ended up escorting all three kids back to Uzushio. Orion sends one of his wolf summons to the Uchiha compound to inform Fugaku that Sasuke would be staying over, and Naruto whirlwinds into the main house to hug his mom before sprinting back out and shouting back that he’d be staying with his uncles that night. Sakura smiles more as the night goes on and she finds herself ushered into a spare bedroom beside the boys’. She chatters more once she got to know her teammates better, and she’s more than a little awed by how much larger the house is on the inside compared to the outside.

“Seals can do all sorts of things, and my style is more versatile than most,” Hadrian tells her, and her eyes light up in a way Orion hadn’t seen in anyone but Hadrian himself.

“Can you teach me?” Sakura asks, flushing at her own gall. “Or- Or is it a clan secret?”

But Hadrian only smiles and promises to pull some reading material for her tomorrow.

“Orion knows some but he prefers kenjutsu,” Hadrian says, and Orion grunts. He likes offing his targets quickly and efficiently with sharp pointy things, so sue him. “Sasuke isn’t interested, and Naruto is but he has his mother to teach him. I’m glad I might have a student of my own if your interest lasts.”

Judging by the way Sakura begs Hadrian for a beginners’ book on sealing right then and there, and then spends the rest of the night - until Hadrian shoos them off to bed - curled up on the sofa in one of Naruto’s spare duck pajamas with her nose between its pages, she won’t be losing interest anytime soon.

Sakura becomes a regular fixture in their lives and in their house. Orion thinks she probably hasn’t realized it yet, but after a month of crashing at their place, the guards don’t even check her at the gates anymore whenever she swings by, even when she’s on her own.

4. Minato has the ANBU for the extra dangerous missions. But he has Hadrian and Orion for the ones that guarantee almost zero chances of survival. In the aftermath of the attempted kidnapping of one Hyuuga Hinata and the subsequent demand for reparations after Hiashi kills the kidnapper, who also happens to be the head ninja of the party sent to sign a peace treaty with Konoha, Minato refuses to hand one of his own over, A sends bolder and bolder threats of war, tensions between Konoha and Kumo haven’t been this high since the Third Great Shinobi War, and the eyes of the rest of the world are focused on them as they too count their numbers and stock up on weapons and supplies.

Three weeks in, after countless failed attempts at diplomatic talks and fairer compromises, Minato summons Hadrian and Orion to his office.

“I do not want war,” He says, features grim and somber, a far cry from his usual easygoing smiles and laidback nature. “It has barely been half a decade since the last one ended. But we are not in the wrong, and I refuse to bow to Kumo’s whims. If I cede ground now, the Hyuuga will never trust me again, and it will make Konoha look weak, not to mention it sets a precedence for Kumo and even other villages to try and pull something like this again. I won’t have it.”

Hadrian hums thoughtfully from where he’s sipping tea in one of the guest chairs. Orion is lounging against the far wall, eyes narrowed, features cold.

“So you want us to go and send a message,” Hadrian surmises. “But quietly.”

“Make sure A knows who it is,” Minato agrees, and nobody who’s seen the ice in his eyes when he’s like this would doubt his capability as Hokage. “But otherwise ensure that it can’t be traced back to us. I’ll deny everything on the public front. The rest, I’ll leave to your discretion.” He smiles thinly. “Let’s see how long it takes to make the Raikage bow.”

It takes six weeks. Six weeks of a plague that sweeps through half the towns along Lightning’s border at a terrifying speed, leaving civilians and border patrols alike puking their guts up for days. Nobody dies, but it’s a miserable, panic-stricken month for all involved when all they can do is ride it out, no cure to be found.

The Raikage does not bow.

Overnight, the guards stationed at various watchtowers all across Lightning fall prey to some invisible enemy, and all are found comatose or on death’s doorstep in the morning. Half of them die within the week, and all attempts at replacing the guards are met with the same result. A chunk of Kumo’s military is crippled in seven days.

The Raikage does not bow.

People within Kumogakure begin to die. No civilians or Genin, and the school and hospital are never hit, but Chuunin and Jounin are all free game, some in their homes, others on the streets or training grounds, and their T&I building blows up one day along with every ninja inside it who hadn’t gone out for lunch. The coup de grâce is the Raikage going in for work and finding a lock of Yugito’s blonde hair, his brother’s sunglasses, and his own vambraces - the ones he’d been looking for since he woke up this morning and found them missing from his bedroom - laid out neatly on his desk. A familiar leaf symbol glows on the wall behind it just long enough for A to get a good eyeful, and then it erases itself as if it were never there, leaving the Raikage bellowing his rage and fear.

The message is clear: no one in your village is safe, not your civilians, not your shinobi, not your Jinchuuriki, not even you. The next move is yours. Choose wisely.

The Raikage bows.

“Good job,” Minato says in way of greeting once Hadrian and Orion are home again, none the worse for wear. “A sends his apologies and has even agreed to a few import and trade concessions.”

“Ooh, make him send over some people from Cloud Confectioneries,” Hadrian pipes up. “Their cakes are divine, and you can’t get them anywhere else.”

Orion rolls his eyes, nods at Minato, and then grabs his husband and Shunshins them home. It’s been a long five weeks and he wants nothing more than to sink into a hot bath with Hadrian.

5. Literally everyone knows Hadrian and Orion are a couple. They’re not particularly over-the-top in their displays of love the way Minato and Kushina can sometimes be, but their marriage was the first one between a Konoha citizen and an Uzushio citizen since Uzushio’s destruction. And it was hard to miss when the two of them went out for meals, side by side, never flaunting what they had but quietly content in each other’s company in that way older people are after spending decades together and still being perfectly in love. Orion was a second son too, with no expectations (at least not too many) for producing children, so as far as a lot of clan elders were concerned, he’d definitely married well by tying another much-needed sealmaster to Konoha, one who actually stayed in the village (or close enough) and had a repertoire of skills that outstripped even Jiraiya’s.

(Orion scoffed when he’d first heard that going around and didn’t bother telling them that if Hadrian up and decided to become a missing-nin tomorrow, he’d be packed and gone with him by morning, no questions asked.)

Over time, some people do wonder - it isn’t normal for two people to fall together so easily, so quickly, comfortable around each other the way only those who’ve known one another their whole lives should be. There’s a level of instinct there that takes time and life to create, and yet Hadrian and Orion had that, from the moment they met. So people do wonder, even if they don’t ask, mostly because what kind of question would one ask anyway?

Still, sometimes, especially in the early days, Kushina sits and watches her cousin and his new husband move around the kitchen as they cook dinner like one soul in two bodies, gracefully in tune together in a way that goes beyond their shinobi training. it’s a dance, and a beautiful one, and she secretly hopes that one day, she’ll be able to have that with Minato.

(Almost twenty years later, Sakura will do the same, more at home in her senseis’ house than her parents’, watching Hadrian laugh at a deadpan joke Orion cracks, or watching Orion let Hadrian reel him onto the makeshift dance floor of their living room when Naruto brings home his latest record of whatever ridiculous tunes he’d found on a mission and insists on inflicting it on them. She’ll watch them and think of Ino and the way they’d been circling each other for months (years, really) and wonder if they might achieve something like this one day.)

Kushina will always remember their wedding vows - “-in this life and the next, and in every life we’ll ever share-” - and it wasn’t particularly profound or intimate, but there had been a weight in them that carried some hidden meaning known only to them, and it had struck a chord in her, especially when she sees them together and once again considers the niggling suspicion at the back of her mind that whispers reincarnation.

The next date she goes on, Minato comes to pick her up, another clumsy bouquet in hand like the ridiculous romantic he is, this time of salvia and mallow and lavender. She sighs and accepts them and doesn’t tell the moron that not all girls are automatically born knowing flower language or even pay much attention to the classes back in the Academy. But she’d bought a book on it after their first date, threatened Inoichi into silence because she knew exactly who Minato was taking flower advice from, and she doesn’t say a word about the album of pressed flowers she’d started ever since Minato started giving them to her.

Hadrian finds out, because of course he does (because Kushina had failed miserably at pressing flowers even with an instruction manual, and Hadrian was the only person she knew who could teach her and wouldn’t laugh at her first, especially when she confesses how she might’ve felt just a little bit guilty for not understanding what Minato was saying with the flowers every time). Hadrian hadn’t laughed, but he’d smiled and told her of the bouquets Orion had given him when they were still courting (that’s another tick in the reincarnation category because Kushina had never once seen either of them give flowers to each other), and how Hadrian had had no idea what they meant either when he’d first received them.

“And I think flowers can just be flowers sometimes,” Hadrian says as they work on Minato’s latest slightly ragged-looking roses. They look like he’d accidentally let an Inuzuka dog chew on the stems. “They smell nice and they look nice, and Minato took the time to get them for you, and you like them. Sometimes, I think that’s enough.”

And if Hadrian can say that and Orion still looks at him like he’s everything he needs in the world, then Kushina thinks he probably knows what he’s talking about. Hadrian usually does.

(Later, on their wedding anniversary, Kushina grins when she spots Hadrian exiting Yamanaka’s Flower Shop with a bouquet of his own, and she makes sure she has a good view of him presenting it to Orion at their favourite restaurant.

The way Orion’s expression goes soft and warm, wrapped in something like wonder - Kushina immortalizes it on camera and makes a mental note to give a copy to Hadrian later.)

#headcanon meme: answered #hp series #naruto au #hadrian evans #Hadrian/Orion #orion black #minakushi #namikaze minato #uzumaki kushina #uzumaki naruto #c'est la vie #headcanon #i couldnt be bothered to make up japanese names for them #so like just pretend they have them

[be-dazzled]

Day 7: Euphoria Fairy Tail World Pairing: Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser Series: Fairy Tail

...

“Can’t believe we are having a hard time finishing these morons.” fussed Gray as he froze the ground beneath around five to six thugs.

 “Well, there are a number of them.” reasoned Lucy who just Lucy-roundkick-house a pervert hanging on her leg. It was a new trick she mastered. Well, an upgrade on her ‘Lucy-kick’.

 Behind the two young mages, a certain Fire-Dragon Slayer just jumped into the air and roared a giant fire that eliminated around fifteen faceless hooligans that were approaching, including a number of merchant stalls and private houses.

 And behind the destructive Fire Dragon Slayer was the catastrophe made from hell – Titania, the Queen of the Fairies.

It wasn’t looking good for Team Natsu. They managed to finish the job but not without a big chunk of deduction from the reward; all thanks to the destructive duo. Gray helped too. Some things just didn’t change.

 Lucy hanged her head low as she profusely apologized to the Mayor of the City of Denish. He waved her concern but still insisted on the deduction to reimburse the destroyed church bell, a few angry merchants and angrier Denish citizens.

 The mayor had one of those non-threatening smiles and a bubbly personality. His belly was round and protruding, as if he’d been left in the kitchen for far too long. His eyes were so small like just two dots put on a very large face canvass. Gray couldn’t place where he’s seen the man before until he remembered talking to him when he and Juvia went to Denish for one of their dat-er, missions. Gray visibly changed his expression as he tried to correct himself – one of their missions.

 “Here,” the likeable leader placed a tray of beverage on the coffee table before Team Natsu. “Why don’t you help yourselves with this city’s finest tea?”

 Gray almost smacked his own head at his teammate’s, he wasn’t going to name names – Natsu’s – lack of manners when the Fire Dragon Slayer grabbed the cup and downed the tea in one audible gulp. Then, asked for more.

 What an embarrassing fellow.

 Gray stared at his cup for a moment, crossing his legs, like he was some kind of an English noble man participating in a tea party. But the ice-mage was feeling a little bit strange about the hot beverage. His eyes squinted at the few green particles floated around the light brown water.

 “What’s in this?” asked he.

 The mayor quickly responded, “Denish’s best export product.”

 If it was an exported product then Gray assumed it was safe for consumption. He pushed away his apprehensions and, along with his other teammates, Erza, Lucy, Natsu, Happy and little Wendy, the six of them took a sip of Denish’s best tea.

 “This is quite tasty.” commented Lucy and asked for another pour. Her high society was showing since Lucy actually came from a rich family.

 The two boys, staying true to their nature, turned the entire tea-drinking into some kind of competition. They wanted to know who could finish the entire strawberry shortcake first but Erza Scarlet was guarding it – guarding it with her life.

 They enjoyed the hospitality so much – too much to notice sinister smile that crept up on the Mayor’s lips. Now, things would get really interesting.

 …

 Juvia was slumped on the table, pouting next to Gajeel, who was apparently reading a book about parenting.

 “When is Gray-sama coming back?” asked Juvia, not actually looking for an answer to her question.

 “Never.” But Gajeel still answered her, not taking away his focused eyes on the page.

 Juvia bolted up to scold the Iron Dragon Slayer; her hands were balled into fists at either side, smoke coming out of her ears.

 “That’s not true, Gajeel-kun!” Juvia turned red denying it. “Gray-sama told Juvia to wait for him patiently.”

 Gajeel knew he needed to take back what he said. Otherwise, Rain Woman would be wailing at him the whole day. Which would be really annoying. But getting a rise from her was helluvan entertainment. Rain Woman was so concentrated at flailing her hands at him that she didn’t notice the playful grin behind ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’.

 And if he told her she should wait for him patiently then what the hell was she complaining about every day?

 “Juvia-sama~”

 The door to the guild building busted open, spitting out the man of Juvia’s dreams. But what did he just say? Or sing for that matter?

 “Juvia-sama?!”

 Gajeel’s face was pulled into a confused and appalled expression, but mostly appalled – extremely horrified. Did Earthland decide to screw itself up and turn upside down? Because Gajeel didn’t get the memo. Juvia, on the other hand, wasn’t as bothered as he was. Little did he know, it wasn’t the first time Gray called her that.

 “Ah, there she is.” said Gray, who stopped near a dumbfounded group of Fairy Tail mages, to point at his ‘Juvia-sama’.

 He looked like he was in a daze, so over the moon, that nothing could ruin his mood. A fool’s grin plastered across his stupid-looking face.

 “There’s my Juvia-sama.”

 He made his way to the water-mage, who was feeling happy but at the same time a bit concerned with the way the ice-mage was walking up to her. He was swaying and stumbling every now and then. Gray lost his coat, shirt and eventually, his pants in the process; which was nothing new to Juvia.

 Before Gray could hurt herself trying and failing at walking, Juvia ran up to the ice-mage make to throw the widest and warmest embrace, until he beat her to it.

 “Juvin!” a cute little yelp escaped Juvia’s lips as she was enclosed in Gray’s embrace. But Gray went for it, his face buried and nestled between her generous breasts.

 “Juvia-sama’s so soft.”

 She gasped when the unabashed devil slayer snuggled comfortably against her chest.

 “You warm me up all over.”

 Juvia wanted to melt, literally, at Gray’s display of affection. But most of all she was a little bit confused. What did he mean by ‘warming him up all over’? Juvia didn’t care. Even if every pair of eyes were glued to them. Even if every jaw in that hall needed some picking up.

 But there was one common notion running inside every one’s head: finally, Gray came around.

 …

 It was Erza who explained Gray’s unusual behavior. Apparently, she only finished one cup of the mysterious tea, allowing her to Erza quickly overcome the effect of the Euphoria concoction. She didn’t even want to remember what she did under that hypnotic state. Lucy and Wendy were next to get around Euphoria’s effects. She wasn’t sure about Natsu though and the Gray Fullbuster clinging on Juvia like a cuddly koala.

 “They’re under the feeling of extreme bliss.”

 “Extreme bliss?”

 “Yes. It’s the effect of Euphoria.”

 “Euphoria?”

 At that point, everyone was just repeating what the Requip Mage said, causing her patience to thin a little bit.

 “Yes. It’s some kind of substance extracted from a plant grown in Denish.” lectured Erza. “It can be consumed directly or added as an ingredient in food or drink.” Erza continued retelling the crowd what happened. “The Mayor must have added them in our drinks. That’s why they are acting like that.” pointed Erza out, embarrassed at what her two comrades were doing.

 “Juvia-chan.” purred Gray. “Juvia-chaaaaaan.” He stretched out the suffix thinking it was cute.

 “Yes, Gray-sama?”

 For Juvia, it was. For Erza? Meh.

 It was obvious how happy Juvia was about Gray showing so much affection towards her. As a matter of fact, the man currently bear-hugging her from behind, never left her side since this morning. She never thought that, in the actual world, Gray had that side of him.

 There was a tug in her heart knowing it wasn’t going to last. Good things often didn’t. Once the effects of Euphoria wore off, Gray’s going to return to his normal self. She didn’t hate that but she would surely miss affectionate Gray-sama who wasn’t shy to show it off – to show her off.

 Gray snuggled up to her, burying her nose in that area where the neck and shoulders met.

 “Juvia-chan smells so good.” whispered Gray, full of love.

 Erza, feeling a little bit exhausted with Gray’s out-of-character cuteness, and honestly, a little bit jealous, hit the doting Gray at the back of his head, scolding him to let go of Juvia for a moment.

 The Requip Mage wasn’t met with a complaint or a violent reaction. She preferred either of the two, instead of what she was receiving from the lovesick fool.

 “Does Erza-san want some hug too?” asked Gray but he didn’t let her respond. “Come here.”

Erza froze in her place as Gray was approaching her, arms wide open, eyes round and shining like a cat’s. She wanted to either punch him or kick him in the balls but she couldn’t move a muscle. The more he was inching towards her, the more Erza felt paralyzed.

 “G-g-gray-sama could just keep holding Juvia.”

 Blue filled Erza’s vision. She wasn’t staring at the approaching Gray but of Juvia getting enfolded in Gray’s embrace. Erza visibly sighed in relief, regaining her motor skills. She repentantly realized that adorable Gray was paralyzing, just like the cute exceed Frosch.

 “Oi, Lucy. Lucyyyy.” sang the Fire Dragon Slayer, just behind Erza, snatching her full attention.

 Lucy and Juvia were treating the problem differently; one was enjoying it, seizing the day, while the other was, well…

 “When will this end?” complained the Celestial mage as she tried to fend off Natsu’s unwelcomed hugs. In the end she gave up and just let him be.

 “Well,” Erza cleared her throat after composing herself. “we already surrendered the Mayor to the Magic Council.” She threw the ice-make mage a nervous glance, more aptly prepared and on-guard for when Gray attacks with his cuteness and free hugs again. “Since, they’re not a threat,” she began, pointing at the two bold mages who kept flirting with their women. Erza could feel blood rising and she was starting to doubt her own decision. “I guess we just need to wait for the effects to wear out.”

 “Oi, flame breath! Stop staring at my honey!” The ice-make mage barked at the culprit. “She’s mine!” exclaimed he as Gray pulled Juvia in a possessive embrace. “All mine!”

 “I’m not staring at her, droopy eyes!” denied Natsu. “I have my own. See?” The Dragon-Slayer tightened his embrace around Lucy too, short of a choke. So, rather than being romantic, Lucy begged for her life.

 “Erza, help me!”

 …

 “Erm… Gray-sama should stop following Juvia.”

 “But Gray-sama’s going to miss Juvia-chan.” complained Gray as he followed her around like a teddy bear with a goofy smile plastered over his goofy face.

 Juvia twitched. Since when did Gray-sama referred to himself in third person?

 “But Juvia-chan, erm, Juvia is just going to the bathroom.”

 Gray stopped in his tracks as an idea hit him. Whether it was good or bad, that remained debatable.

 “Then, Gray-sama will wait outside the door.”

 Exasperation hang Juvia’s head low. “Gray-sama should just stop calling himself Gray-sama.” That would be weird if that would stick with Gray even if Euphoria wore out.

 “Whatever Juvia-chan would say, Gray-sama will follow.”

 “But Juvia-chan, ah no! Juvia. Juvia just told him not to call himself Gray-sama.” complained Juvia to herself.

 But this little incident did the couple some good too.

 Even after how many years that she knew Gray, Juvia was surprised to discover new things about the ice-make mage: just like how Gray loved it when Juvia gently scratch or pat his head or play with his stubborn hair. How he liked to hug Juvia from behind and brush his lips against her shoulders. How he would always say how much he loved her smell and bury his nose in that area where the neck and shoulders met. Those are things she would never hear him say or see him do in a million years. Juvia treasured those moments.

 That afternoon, when Gray walked Juvia to her dormitory, the water mage could sense that the effects of Euphoria was waning. Gray’s goofy smile became a memory and the reservation in his eyes returned. Time was up. A voice was telling Juvia, before Juvia lost this opportunity, before this day ended, Juvia should kiss Gray.

 She stopped in her tracks without saying a word, pulling Gray, who was holding her hand tightly, to a halt.

 “A-a-ano.” Juvia hesitantly released Gray’s hand to spin around and face him. “J-j-juvia… Juvia wanted to do something.”

 She peeked through her lashes to see Gray’s reaction. The goofy smile he worn since this morning was reduced into a small curve. Her stomach took a tumble and her nerves were making her rethink what she was about to do. But the voice kept growing louder. Kiss him, now. His no non-sense demeanor made her hesitate but if she wouldn’t do it now, just like what the voice said, who knew when she would be able to kiss Gray? If it would even happen. So, Juvia mustered all her courage, shut her eyes close and puckered her lips to prepare for the kiss. She rose to her balls and leaned into Gray.

 But in the end, Juvia just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t take advantage of Gray-sama’s condition. It wasn’t right. It didn’t feel right.

 “Ah,” Juvia opened her eyes to meet Gray’s confused gaze. She lowered her head, heart sinking in sadness. “Juvia couldn’t do it, after all.”

 She raised her gaze to bravely face Gray. “Gray-sama isn’t in his right mind and it would be wrong for Juv-mmm.”

 Gray stepped forward and cut Juvia’s words with a firm kiss.

 The contact initially stunned Juvia. She wondered if it was really happening. If her mind was just playing games with her. Until, she couldn’t think anymore. In the end, she chose to relish in the moment. She closed her eyes and indulged herself in the warm and soft press of Gray’s lips.

 …

 Gray was repulsed. His stomach took an ugly turn. As he listened to every tale of his drug-induced Euphoria, Gray shrunk in embarrassment.

 “At one point, you even called Juvia honey!”

 “H-h-honey?!” Gray turned to Juvia for confirmation and the water-mage nodded in response.

 At that moment, Gray felt a lot of things: he felt like living under a rock, bury himself six-feet under the ground or just hit the Fire Dragon Slayer who was taking so much pleasure from Gray getting tangled in that hot mess.

 “Don’t act so high and mighty.” It was Carla, Wendy’s Exceed, who reprimanded Natsu. “You were clinging on Lucy too.”

 “Huh? But I do that everyday.”

 “As much as I’d like to deny it, I can’t.” The Celestial Mage was resigned to her fate.

 It was true. There was nothing new about Natsu invading Lucy’s space – personal or otherwise. Carla gave up in the end and continued hovering over the group of eight. Team Natsu hit the road to their next mission, which required the participation of one water-mage.

 Gray fell behind, still processing the fact that yesterday he acted cute and, dared he say it, lovey-dovey. How could he face Juvia now with all the skinship he forced on her?

 “Gray-sama even kissed Juvia.” murmured Juvia. She didn’t even intend for anyone to hear.

 Gray let his teammates get a head start and logged behind with Juvia. She was looking down on the pavement, smiling at what seemed to be a memory. But the memory was bittersweet. Juvia was smiling but her eyes were telling another story. Gray knew why. Yesterday may have been a dream come true for Juvia. But just like dreams, she had to wake up from it. A part of Gray hated himself, for always holding back, for always finding excuses not to dive in, fall down head first.

 “I remember.”

 Juvia stopped dead in her tracks, frozen in place. Gray must have noticed that Juvia wasn’t by his side anymore.  He stopped and turned to check on her. Juvia slowly raised her gaze from the pavement and tentatively met Gray’s eyes.

 “W-what did Gray-sama say?”

 He might not be able to let himself dive in, but it was time for Gray to be brave enough to at least stand at the edge.

 “I said, I remember.”

 And maybe test the waters.

 Gray spun around and began walking, leaving a dumbfounded Juvia still rooted in her place. She called after him, asking if what she heard was true, that he remembered the kiss – the one she started but Gray finished.

 Gray didn’t heed her calls and continued on his path, a foolish smile playing on his lips. Of course, he remembered. That was one moment he couldn’t forget from that drug-induced euphoric state. Maybe, it was the only moment he could remember crystal clear. He could still feel the ghost of Juvia’s lips pressed against his – soft, warm and right. It just felt right.

 And if he was being honest, no other euphoria could compare the moment he claimed that kiss.

...

Writer’s Corner: Day 7 huh? We’re finally here. WE. ARE. FINALLY. HERE. Last time I joined Gruvia Week I wasn’t able to finish my last day entry. But here we are. I’m glad that despite the fact that the anime and the manga ended a long time ago, the fandom still tries to keep this alive. I have to admit, I was expecting a more active fandom, I don’t blame you. I’m just happy that I was able to practice writing for my first and favorite manga ship. 

I would like to thank @gruviaweek for hosting this event every year. I may just be able to join annually now that I’m about to graduate from law school and I hope that you guys will still be around by that time. More power to you!

And for my fellow Gruvians, I have a lot of stories in store for you. As I’ve said before, I thrive in AU. AU is my thing. So, even if I don’t have a good grasp of the manga or the characters, be confident that I will continue writing. Gruvia is my muse. I may be writing with different characters in mind, but they will be the couple I will imagine as I write them. Let’s keep this fandom alive.  Send me some of that lovin’. #GruviaForever

#gray x juvia #gruvia #gruvia week #gruvia week 2020 #be-dazzled #gray fullbuster #juvia lockser #euphoria

[crimsoncityhq]

The fall solstice is only days from breaking over the Crimson City. Heat is a rare commodity to the residents of Chicago, so they part with it bitterly every year at the annual End-of-Summer Festival. The season goes out with a bang and the rumble of food trucks every summer as patrons waltz their way down the Chicago art walk, indulge in all things saucy and boozy at the Chicago Bourbon and BBQ Festival, get in touch with nature at the Chicago craft beer tasting at the zoo, and shop at the Chicago flea market littered with street merchants from all over the country. Of course, the real selling point every year is the annual Chicago bar crawl, which sweeps guests through Cook County’s best bars, like The Pint, Rousseau’s, Cataleya, Wolves and Skyfall Bar. To attract more customers, each bar, restaurant, and club—even what goes on behind—will be steeply discounted for the ultimate occasion. 

And if you’re a little territorial, don’t sweat it—no metal detectors will be necessary at the End-of-Summer Festival. Who would want to ruin all this fun, anyway ?!

Part I of the End-of-Summer Festival begins at 7:15 P.M. CST and will conclude on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 at 7 P.M. CST. You may continue your non-event  threads through the event, however we ask you don’t post any starters unless they pertain to the event

Under the cut are plot slots you may claim for this event; just send your preferred slot to the main. Plots slots are a first come, first serve basis.

We’re going to allow each person to choose two plot slots for two characters max .If there are any leftovers, we’ll let members know when they can sign up for thirds. Please try to pick one pertaining to your character and plot with those that take the other spots.

You’ll notice that some of these plots are public, so feel free to have your character react to them/ notice them even if they aren’t happening directly to your character. However, if something feels like it happened privately to another character, please check in with their Mun to see if it’s okay for your character to know.

To be clear: these are not the only things that happen to your character during this plot drop and you are more than welcome to cook up your own trouble.

1. IRA EVANS talks BIRDIE MENDOZA into taking five shots in under ten minutes. Now, it’s up to IRA EVANS to lug BIRDIE MENDOZA to each location on the bar crawl. Good luck—we hear they’re sloppy.

2. [LINCOLN ROSSI ] is having trouble finding their way out of the parking garage when they find [ CHARACTER D ] drunkenly screaming at an intoxicated [ CHARACTER E ]. [ LINCOLN ROSSI ] decides to guide them back to the party before they get lost.

3. [ EDIE JAMES ] accidentally drops a ten instead of a one into the tip jar while watching a street act. They awkwardly remove the tip but later get mugged by [ CHARACTER G ] and [ CHARACTER H ] who had watched the whole thing.

4. The Pint is running a promotion that promises six months of free drinks if you can outdrink two other people. [ LAVRENTI VASILE ], [ ANTON VOLKOV ], and [ ATTICUS MERCER ] compete to win, but the competition turns into drunken chaos very quickly.

5. [ VIOLET MADDEN ]is selected to go onstage and perform a duet with [ CHARACTER M ]. They end up sharing a heated moment over the microphone and head to the nearest restroom to talk. 

6. [ AUTUMN DAWSON ] accompanies [ MARCEL WALSH] to the craft beer tasting at the zoo. [ MARCEL WALSH ] feeds the goats in the petting area before getting mowed over by it. [ AUTUMN DAWSON ] tries to ward the goat off from the sidelines while [ MARCEL WALSH ] returns to their feet to make their escape.

7. [ OAKLEY BUTLER ] is showing off their artwork at the art walk. [ LEONID 'LEO' VASILE ] buys a piece and tries to scam it a few booths down. [ OAKLEY BUTLER ] busts them after a civilian buys the piece of artwork for triple the price. The confrontation is no bueno.

8. [ DIAMOND WASHINGTON ] has been texting [ CHARACTER S ] the whole entire event thinking it was an [ CHARACTER T ]. [ CHARACTER S & CHARACTER T ] meet up at the rendezvous point and [ DIAMOND WASHINGTON ] must sort this miscommunication out.

9. TYSON KANE uses a random dating app and schedules a blind date with [CHARACTER V]. 

10. [ CHARACTER W ] ‘accidentally’ sets a booth on fire, and now owes [CHARACTER X] the money for their artwork.

11. [ NADIA JAMES ] crashes into [ MARISSA ATKINSON’s ] car when trying to park. They have an altercation in the parking garage.

12. [ JUNO SONG ] is seen drunkenly trying to serenade the penguin exhibit to Gangsta’s Paradise. [ ADELAIDE HASSAN ] records the whole entire thing for ‘information purposes’ later.

13. [ CHARACTER C1 ] accepts a small baggy containing a questionable substance from [ CHARACTER D1 ]. Later, [ CHARACTER C1] runs into [ CHARACTER D1] completely convinced they are being chased by a murderous peacock. Bougie Thankskilling, anyone?

14. [ ARMANDE IVASHKOV ] & [ CHARACTER F1 ] stand in line to get into Cataleya, while [CHARACTER G1] tries to convince them to smuggle in [ SMALL ANIMAL OF CHARACTER G1’S CHOOSING ].

15. [ EMMA BARTLETT] finds a trashbag full of cash with a note that seems to be in a binary code. [ CHARACTER I1] catches [ EMMA BARTLETT’s] silhouette & comes over to inspect.

16. ROSALIA LEON trying to escape from their date, runs right through the doors of Gentile Fille. They collide with [ CHARACTER K1] that was there for the same reason. 

17. [ CHARACTER L1 ] finds themself in a pickle when they end up with the primates. Their panicked whispers gain the attention of [ CHARACTER M1] & [ CHARACTER N1] to help them get out of the exhibit. While the primates descend upon [ CHARACTER L1], Helen Branch Primate House will never be the same. [ CHARACTER N1] stops helping because they’re too busy laughing.

18. [ CHARACTER O1] misses their date’s ass, and smacks [CHARACTER P1’s] ass instead. It causes [ CHARACTER P1] to swing a fist, but they hit [ CHARACTER Q1’s] throat instead causing them to start choking. 

19. [ KATERINA VASILE ] is mistaken for [ EMMA WATSON ] by [ CHARACTER S1] that won’t stop bugging them for an autograph.

20. [ RAFAEL GONZALEZ ] hides their weapon(s) before they go into The Pint. [ BARNABY EATON] trips over the weapons and keeps them. 

21. [ CHARACTER V1] tries to convince [ CHARACTER W1] that they saw strange lights in the sky. They start arguing if it was helicopter lights or UFO’s.

22. [ SILAS HALE ] mistakes ANAIS "ANNIE" WASHINGTON for someone else, and pulls them into a kiss in front of the crowd at Eden.

23. [ DARREN MURPHY ] grows impatient waiting for their BBQ food order, but doesn’t realize [ ASLI DEMIR ] hijacked the food truck. 

24. [CHARACTER B2] drunkenly loses a fight with a street performer. [ CALLUM JAMES ], who witnessed the scrap, helps [CHARACTER B2] to the nearest first aid kit.

25.[ JOSIE LEON] drunkenly confesses their love for One Direction, however [ EZRA WASHINGTON ] misinterprets it as a confession of love for them.  

26. [ FOREST DUNCAN ] decides the End-of-Summer Festival is missing some pyrotechnics. They shoot off fireworks in the center of a small crowd and start a fire. [ CAIOLAINN 'CALLIE' WALSH ] is the only one who stays to help them stamp it out.

27. [ ROSALIE "ROSIE" HALLIDAY ] is sitting at a booth being drawn, and [ JESSE VALENCIA ] pays the artist to mess up the self portrait. However, the artist ends up drawing them BOTH together in a romantic position. 

28. [ GWENDOLYN "GWEN" ARNOLDS ] is probably the only poor sober soul, and they use this to charge [ JACKSON MARSTON ] to be their DD. However, they both witness when [ GWENDOLYN "GWEN" ARNOLDS’s] car is towed away for parking in the wrong spot.  

29. A discounted tattoo shop sits along the art walk and is charging only $20 for a small tattoo. [ ANDREA 'ANDY'PEREZ ] says they’ll pay for it—and dinner—if [ DARCY FAUST ] lets them choose the tattoo. [ DARCY FAUST ] agrees but is horrified to find [ UP TO PLAYER DISCRETION ] permanently engraved on their skin.

30. [ OLIVIA MADDEN ] notices an odd tattoo that glows on someone’s forearm. Several straight lines? Before they can inquire about it, [ CHARACTER O2 ] tackle them mistaking them for being a thief. 

31. [ DANICA SINCLAIR ] wins a dancing contest against [ UDORN “YURI” SASIPARN ], but twists their ankle in the process. [ UDORN “YURI” SASIPARN ] agrees to help them along only if they declare them the winner.  

32. [ ANTON VOLKOV ] lost a bet with [ KONSTATIN VASILE ] and now wanders the street with a bright pink wig, fishnet stockings, & a clown mask. 

33. [ VICTOR 'VIC' VOLKOV ] strikes a conversation with [ IGOR VASILE ] over a piece of artwork.  [ VICTOR 'VIC' VOLKOV ] buys the artwork only to find out it was counterfeit from the Art Museum. [ IGOR VASILE ] ends up purchasing the real one. They start to argue which one is the real one. 

34. [ CHARLOTTE "CHARLIE" ARDEN] is running a booth at the flea market and notices [ CHARACTER W2 ] pocket something from an adjacent vendor. [ CHARLOTTE "CHARLIE" ARDEN ] promises not to squeal if [ CHARACTER W2 ] works with them at the booth for an hour.

35.  [ JESSIKA DELMONICO] & [ KELLEN WASHINGTON ] break out into a paint fight at an abandoned art booth. [ JESSIKA DELMONICO ] is splashed with a neon green paint in the face.  [ KELLEN WASHINGTON ] tries to run away, but not before [ CHARACTER X2 ] splashes their back with a brown paint. Did they shit themselves??

36. [ CHARACTER Z2 ] ducks out of the way from a flying object that crashes the window of a closed shop. The alarms start to blare, and before [ CHARACTER Z2 ] can leave the scene they see [ CHARACTER A3 ] about to launch something else. 

37. [ TALIA ARSLAN ] eats a bad hot dog from a food truck, and [ DANICA SINCLAIR ] helps them to the nearest bar for a bathroom and a cool drink. [ TALIA ARSLAN ] talks [ DANICA SINCLAIR ] into doing shots when they’re feeling better.

38. [ LEV VASILE ] takes a few healthy tokes of the joint they’ve been saving for an occasion, and [ GENEVIEVE BISSET ] asks if they’re willing to share. They both light up and head on a self-guided tour to the food trucks.

39. [ CHARACTER F3 ] and [ CHARACTER G3 ] get into an argument with [ MATHIAS ATTANO ] after they lose at a drinking game for the third time in a row. [ MATHIAS ATTANO ] has been cheating the whole time and now has to lose [ CHARACTER F3 ] and [ CHARACTER G3 ] in the crowd.

#crimson.event #drugs tw #clown tw

[typicalmidnightsoul]

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓒𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓷 𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼- Chapter 10

𝕨𝕖 𝕜𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕓𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣

Neither of us is happy but neither of us wants to leave so we keep breaking one another and calling it love. - Rupi Kaur

Chapter  1, 2, 3, 4 5, 6 7  8 9<- here

Annabeth whirled on Algeron "That's not the full story!"

Algeron growled his cool demeanor snapping,

"Your flaw has always been that your unconditional love has tendencies to blind you, so I ask you Annabeth, you have been in Nesta's head, do they deserve to know Nesta's story? Will they respect that bit of her story or will they twist it to their accord and make insults out of it. To me, they don't. I cannot tell the story to people who don't care. My words are done." He held up a hand as Annie opened her mouth once more, "Go Annabeth."

The people of the hill vanished in mists and puffs of green smoke, the nature around them bringing them back inside them

 ----------------

They had came back to a horrifying scene. Annabeth claiming she needed rest and retreating to a nearby room, while everyone else went to see Nesta.

Nesta's eyes seemed to be drenched in bleach. They were wholly black.

Clare shook her, "Nesta stop you're scaring me!"

Nesta's body convulsed one more time before going limp.

Safia held her hands over her, "She's alright."

Clare let out a sigh of relief before going back to her endless watch over Nesta.

-------------

Annabeth was in a room Cassian had directed her into. She needed answers, from the Lord himself if he’d give it to her.

She kneeled in front of nothing; hands cupped in front of her, whispering an ancient language into it.

All she saw behind her closed eyes was smoke, nothing was clear. Until Cassian came in. He did not know she was praying and lightly touched her shoulder.

She inhaled a sharp breath, the smoke clearing.

 Cassian lay on top of Nesta,

“Sweetheart what’s wrong?”

Nesta smiled at him, tears forming in her eyes,

“I’m pregnant.”

Cassian froze.

“You...you’re pregnant? With my baby?” His eyes widened.

She nodded, laughing, “Of course, you brute who else’s would it be?”

He laughed too, his eyes sparkling with pure joy.

She put a hand on his cheek, “Are you happy?”

He gave her a bewildered look,

“My mate is pregnant with my baby! Why the hell wouldn’t I be happy?!”

 Cassian moved his hand.

“Lady Annabeth, are you ok?”

Annabeth froze. Mate. They were mates.

She plastered a smile on her face, “Yes dear, of course I am.”

“Nesta’s was awake a few minutes ago; her eyes were wholly black I thought you should know.”

She let out a breath, she couldn’t tell anyone. Not with the state Nesta was in.

“I’ll talk to Vera about it; she’ll probably have a healer specified in that area.”

Cassian nodded heading out of the room.

------------------------

Nesta woke up in silence her eyes were filled with fury. Audrey came to her side,

"Nes, you should-"

"After i had my outburst at the lake in the human lands, i had a vision, you were there, was that-that really you?"

Audrey's eyes hesitated, "Nesta this is not the-"

"Answer the question please."

Audrey sighed, "Yes that was me."

Tears slipped down Nesta's face, "You were in my head, so you saw everything right?"

Audrey dropped her eyes, "Yes."

Nesta pushed her hands away, "I told you I needed you," her voice broke, "WHY DIDN'T YOU COME FOR ME?"

"I WANTED TO KILL MYSELF WHY DIDN'T YOU COME FOR ME."

Audrey sobbed, "It wasn't the right time."

"When would've been the right time? When I took my own life? When I let my powers get the better of me?"

Oliver crouched down next to her taking her hands, "We would have never let that happen."

Nesta flung his hands away, "And you?! You left me! You left me there on the lake with them!! You let my powers override, you didn't do anything except give me more grief."

Clare said from Audrey's side, "Nesta you're not in your right mind."

"YES I AM. This is the clearest I have been with myself since I was thrown out of the Cauldron."

Feyre said softly with a hint of fear in her voice, "Nesta we can talk about this after your health improves."

Nesta's eyes went to Feyre, her voice took on a different tone, one filled with pain and grief and anger,

"You and your court dragged me here, you used me to help you win the war and when i stopped listening to you to save myself from more grief YOU EXILED ME, YOU THREW ME AWAY!"

Her eyes went to Amren, "I TRUSTED YOU, and you did the same thing your court did! You told me to listen to your high lord and lady, you told me to try- like your high lord could just order me to be alright and i would be fucking fine."

She took a glass bottle and smashed it on the floor in front of Rhysand's feet, "You knew NOTHING about me! About those years we spent in poverty! Yet you came to my house and JUDGED ME, you always have and you always will, I almost died to protect your world and YOU DIDN'T GIVE A FUCK YOU HYPOCRITE!"

 "267 proposals, 267 TIMES I WAS PRESENTED TO A MALE WHO WAS MORE INTERESTED IN MY DOWRY THAN ME and who wouldn't be? Marry Nesta

Archeron and become the next Prince of Merchants, that is what was announced in the continent and in Prythian. You know what chased them away? When I said in a meeting, when I presented my opinion that slaves should not be buried alive with their masters if they died, I made a vote that tipped the weight in favour of slaves and courtesans and I was humiliated in front of the whole court, I was told that my vote didn't count, that I was inferior THAT MY VOTE WAS CONSIDERED HALF A VOTE. Not a full one because women are incomplete they are inadequate and they will not decide the future of anyone as they cannot be trusted."

Jonah sat on the edge of her bed holding her close to him, "We know Nesta, we know, please calm down your health will go worse."

"I DON'T CARE."

"I do, please Nesta I beg-"

"Nesta listen to Jonah, I know you're mad but please don't take out your anger on your health," Azriel said his voice midnight smooth.

"Oh!" Nesta replied her voice sickeningly sweet, "Now you've decided to say something, I wonder what's so special about this situation that you of all people decided to speak up now WHEN YOU DIDN'T SPEAK UP WHEN I WAS PHYSICALLY BREAKING. None of you did."

Her face went pale with fury, "EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS ROOM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BREAKING ME, FOR MY SUICIDAL THOUGHTS," She started picking up bottles and vial chucking them on the floor, glass crashing, "EVERY TIME I LET SOME ONE IN THEY REMIND ME WHY THE HELL I HAVE MY WALLS IN THE FIRST PLACE."

“You came to my house and insulted me” It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was talking to Cassian, “Your high lady was such a hero that you humiliated me for it, one question,” Nesta’s eyes swirled with the power Feyre saw that day in Hybern, “Where was Feyre when they crippled me in a cell that let in no light in the asylum? Where was she when they dragged my broken body to the lab and pushed drugs into me to thoroughly clean the Fae essence off me? Where was she when Thomas Mandray decided he wanted a prize for putting up with me, and if I didn’t give it to him, he’d take it himself? Where. Was. She?” Cassian dropped his eyes as if in shame.

Jonah held her by her shoulders, "Enough, Nesta, you were never responsible but I am not going to lose my sister for them. I refuse to.” Nesta looked at him,

“I have told you this a million times.” His voice took on an angrier tone, “They don’t deserve you.”

 The doors crashed open, Annabeth and Vera examining the mess.

They ran to her, Annabeth slowly prying Jonah off her and Vera sat beside the curled up figure, silently raging against the cruelty of the world and rested a hand on her temple, “Not another word my love,”

Annabeth touched her arm-

And they were gone.

“What the fuck?!” Luna, who had winnowed in at the end of the outburst, was the first to say.

---------------

Cassian had trudged outside, his temper getting the better of him, Luna had followed him out.

“Cassian are you ok?”

He nodded. “Do you think she’ll be ok?”

Luna nodded, “You might not see her, but she is safer with them than she is anywhere else.”

They were silent for a long moment until-

“Cassian I have been meaning to ask you,” She swallowed, “Eris told me that in the war, when you were with the Ariel legion, Nesta called out your name…to save you,”-He tried shutting out the memory-“How could you have possibly have heard her?”

He stayed silent.

“You could not have heard her with the height you were at.”

No answer.

“When someone is asked a question they usually answer, Cassian.”

“Luna this is not a conversation to be having now.”

Luna sat down walked in front of him, “I knew I wouldn’t get a straight answer from you, so I did think of a way this would be possible…” He froze, “Is Nesta daemati?”

He almost let out a sigh of relief, “I do not know.”

Luna let out a light disbelieving chuckle, “Well the how could you have-“

She froze, taking him in.

“Are you mates?” She whispered.

He growled, grabbing her arm and dragging her to a distance they wouldn’t be heard.

“Don’t tell anyone.”

Luna dragged a hand through her hair, “You’re mates?!”

“Yes, ok, but you are not allowed to tell anyone.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, “Why?! Are you embarrassed of her?!”

Cassian gave her a disbelieving look, “What?! No! She just… I don’t deserve her and she hates me, she has made that clear on many accounts. I don’t want to force a relationship on her when she has gone through so much.”

Luna’s face was lined with outrage, “That is NOT for you to decide. Nesta deserves to know.”

“And then what? You don’t know her reaction. The only form of ‘mates’ she knows is Rhys and Feyre. So what if she feels pressured to be like them?”

“Do you know Nesta? When has Nesta ever done something because she felt like she had to?”

“Please, Luna try and understand. This is not just about her, even though I know she is the one you love and will forever look out for, this is also about me. For a male to be mates with a female and then be rejected might kill them, might kill me.”

Luna went red with rage, “So if she never falls in love with you, you never tell her?”

Cassian shook his head, “I just need to figure out what to do. Before I tell her could you please no tell anyone?”

Luna considered. Then nodded, “This makes no difference, however because you two being mates isn’t a god given miracle. If Nesta says no, then it is a no. If Nesta says yes the she will say yes not because of a stupid bond but because she has genuinely fallen for you. Look, I know Nesta and even if there wasn’t a bond and you two fell in love with each other then she’d love you till the day she died. A pathetic mating bond would never have changed that.”

He nodded and Luna stood,

“Your secret is safe with me.”

She walked a few steps before turning,

“A word of advice, Cassian. If Nesta does indeed fall in love with you then respect it. The people who are loved by Nesta Archeron, as few as they are, are deeply honored because to be loved by Nesta Archeron is an honor of the highest command. Her life is the least she’ll give.  Cherish it.”

As he heard her shoes crunch away in the sand, he wondered if he’d ever be worthy to be loved like that.

------------------------------

Tags : @mis-lil-red @wannawriteyouabook @absolute-dissapointment @skychild29 @aesthetics-11

#nessian #nessian fanfic #nesta archeron #cassi #feyre archeron #luna #elain archeron #azriel #rhysand #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acosf

[ccmagma]

I think about my story and think about one word: Disbelief. Not because what has happened to me is something shocking, or worrying, no, nothing like that at all. But upon learning my heritage, what has happened over years… It sounds like something from a tale. I’ve heard the story enough times from my parents, more so my father who came from someplace far away much like other refugees. Perhaps, that’s where this story should start… I can’t say for certain how they felt exactly, experiences are, after all, unique to us. However, putting myself in their shoes… I can’t even begin to imagine what it had been like. To have no information, not knowing what was coming and the inability to prepare for it.

My father came from a planet called Earth, a funny name I thought considering the translation of it had meant literal dirt. It wasn’t the most unique of names when I realized the other planets surrounding Earth and its history with Gods and Goddesses.

Earth. It was a planet already doomed thanks to its human inhabitants. The world was crumbling around them, war was a regular term in their households, little did they know something greater was coming. It’s safe to say things did not end well for them, the residents of my home did what they could and saved what humans they could. There were a lot of casualties… Many families were separated and I am certain not many took a liking to their new life.

Emptying Earth and leaving it to ash happened over the course of years. It wasn’t until recently where portals to that planet were closed off as far as two-way travel went. It would be another dumping ground for the creatures that plagued our lands of Izavyn. That was the root of all problems and the cause for most quarrels throughout our countries and city-states. A plague, a virus, an abomination, there were many words to describe what caused the woe of so many but the term we used for those creatures was a simple one, Demons. Their creation was one out of malice but perhaps when an organization sees too much peace, it craves to shift the balance. War might not have been as common here but it wasn’t unknown.

Demons were once people, our people. Changing them back was impossible, at least it seemed that way. When one combines the magic of the land with dark practices given to them by one of The Arms, the one no one mentions for there is power in a name or prayer.

The Arms were created by The Eternal. Those lucky enough to hear her voice or perhaps catch a glimpse learned she had a name, Divi. The Eternal Divi created what we know, her power flows through all of us, and upon passing we re-join her. All life is connected to her and therefore we are all connected, to every fabric of being. The Eternal also created four to help her, to watch and guide us, The Arms. Any paintings or statues of Divi and constructed so that she appears to have four arms, though now at days older art either scratched out or have removed the fourth arm. The fourth betrayed The Eternal and have been gathering followers and temples of his own, promising a new age and have become a powerful deity in his own right. Whispers of The Ascent Mol is rare, but not unheard of.

The Arms were prayed to just as The Eternal was. Though references to them have changed over time. Sometimes I hear elders sigh out, “By the five!” and anyone within earshot is horrified. We no longer reference them as five but as four. After all, if one divine figure goes rogue and attempts to take all, for the most part, you should be against it. Naturally, that isn’t always the cause.

Izavyn had felt responsible for the havoc that came over the years. There are parts of our world that had been destroyed and rebuilt, taken over, some still fight a resistance or civil war. When those who decided to follow Mol and his trek for power over all, things changed. They gave their lives, prayers, their devotion, and in turn, it made him strong. Everything is connected, choosing to give yourself to something so powerful isn’t wise but not all men are wise. Creatures were created, the dangerous sort that can infect you with a wound and have you turned. Death by a Demon though frightening was merciful compared to the other option. They spread throughout the land, diminished populations, and where they roamed, darkness followed. The neverending night was their home, it’s where they flourished and thrived. No one dared made their way to a patch of dark land when the sun was out, the cold and dead land meant creatures that would kill. At night, everyone would stay in their homes, traveling would be banned for cargo ships and merchants. Those who wished to risk it on their own was another story… Not even our armies would venture to the darkened lands. The dark clouds in the distance were an omen, a promise of destruction to those who sought safety. The only way to destroy the patches of darkness would be to kill the hoard that inhabited it, that was not an easy feat. Upon nightfall, they roamed free, and hope at that point was lost.

There was a point the people of Izavyn thought things could turn around. The numbers of Demons were dwindling, causalities were becoming less and less. However, just as we had access to magic, as did they. There was a practice that had been used for the most heinous of prisoners. Those who did wrong beyond fixing and required justice were banished from the world. A portal would open and they would be sent somewhere desolate and free of intelligent life. What happened after would be up to them and no longer the business of our world. However, it turns out that a portal can work two ways with the right studies behind it. That’s how the numbers jumped up again and other worlds began to get involved in the strife that should have belonged to Izavyn alone.

Since then, most Kingdoms and City-States have decided to get involved, working to have the same ability the opposing side did. Wars were fought on all fronts and refugees were taken in of all races, most sent to camps to fight. We needed armies and they needed an escape… it was a dreadful exchange but I could understand the military aspect of it, it didn’t mean I agreed to it. Those who sought asylum were brought over, checked over by doctors and ailments would be removed. The world here was free of sickness that could kill, our healers and their abilities were both inspiring and wanted. Everyone who came through would be treated, and while the masses were grateful… I knew it was because our world could do more with healthy people than sickly ones. It was a double-edged sword of sorts but perhaps everything that had beauty also had an ugliness to it.

To make joining the military enticing, promises were made and kept. Majikas were crafty and their practices were difficult, so much so that only one of the many elements would be taught to them. They could summon fire at will, hold lightning in their hands, or even practice in potions and the arcana which would allow for many things, endurance, a day without needed sleep, even a change of appearance of them or others. Hallows were the most pampered of the bunch, clothes in white and ethereal looking, elegance was their calling and people were in awe of them and their ability to heal the sick or create barriers of protection without needed enchantments. We then had those in the front lines, impressive warriors who gained respect just by their sheer look alone, there were many kinds. Some with bulky armor and a grand sword, an enchanted shield that could but up a barrier. They were front-line men, giving commands to their squadron and leading the way. Others were dressed more lightly, more agile. Some with slimmer long swords, long twin daggers, bows with arrows that would appear on a whim, all enchanted weapons with their own special ability. It all looked glamourous really and those who were not from this world were given promises of a better life if they joined one of the ranks. A promise of enhanced beauty, so you would look like the most prominent version of you courtesy of a Majika, and those who joined the front-line men were given the option of a complete change and land, an enticing idea for those who liked the material things. The person would no longer have to live in the safe house and would instead be given a cozy room to call their own, a private bath included, and the promise to be able to own land or home depending on their choice of rank to follow as well as being given the status of a citizen instead of being labeled a refugee.

The refugees were put to work but they worked alongside everyone else, everyone had to pitch in one form or another. Those with a specialized trade were willing to take on apprentices and that option was one people sought after because it promised a place of their own in the home of the master tradesman. There was also an option to help in re-building, supplies run, guard duty, and many other things. That didn’t mean that there was no downtime, not at all. People were still able to enjoy time with their families or seek out help and therapy due to the drastic changes. Not all took it well and when death rates began rising within the safety of the barriers, those in higher power took action. It was a hard change, but those who remained were able to make it through and over the years the world has prospered the best it can given the circumstances. However, it seems the Demons have run out of souls to take on for their army and the focus now remains on us, the last standing in their path and our unwillingness to bow makes us targets.

Some know that time might not be kind with what looms. Some choose to just make it by, others wise to live as if tomorrow might be the end and that’s what my parents did. My mother is was born in this world, she comes from across the sea and studied as a tailor. Her studies eventually brought her to the City-State of Verrin where she ended up being the private seamstress to the council. She never did talk much of home but I understood. It was painful… Back in her home of Qisyo things were difficult. It was one of the countries where the royal family had been forced out and armies with the banners for Mol were raised. Some refugees from her country could be seen throughout Verrin but I knew of a settlement by the ocean on a cliff where her people were trying to wait out the war across the sea so they can return home. Qisyo’ko was the name of the settlement and I had only been there once…  

My father had arrived when my mother was working in a dress shop, he did not join the ranks and instead chose to live his life in the business of delivery within the city. My mother was someone he came across quite often since he would deliver goods to the shop she worked in and their relationship eventually grew and then they were married. My mother was aware of his status as a refugee and knew marriage wouldn’t secure a future for him but her eventual career opened doors and my father was able to eventually work in the library, much like he had back on Earth. It was a quiet enough life for them, and my appearance made things better for them, something they always reminded me of. I remember spending a lot of time with my father in the library, reading never-ending books, and in the evening bothering my mother beyond words since I had not seen her all day whenever work called for her.

Eventually, I did make friends of my own but there was one I ended up being the closest to. It was around the time the last of the humans from Earth made their way over. There had been a group of orphans but there was one who did not seem as sad as the others. It turned out she had already been an orphan and had been placed in home after home. The events of her world and the drastic change stressed her eyes, but she did not cry over the loss of family like the others and seemed more optimistic, hopeful almost. Her name was Morgan and she and I had a bond that could rival the closest of sisters.