#(relationships; kuai liang)

[fsfghgee]

I feel sorry for people who look down on Sektor for loving Bi-Han

and maliciously mock their relationship.

It seems like some people have never loved anyone or received love from anyone in their lives...

Bi-Han loves her and she loves him back. It's something natural in a relationship. Especially in a relationship based on trust, understanding, support, care, respect and mutual admiration like theirs. Her attachment to Bi-Han and the need she feels to protect him above all else is completely understandable. It's not easy to find a true soulmate like Sektor found in Bi-Han. And even though most of the characters seem to have recently found out about Bi-Han's relationship with Sektor, that is not the case for Bi-Han's former allies, respectively Shao, Reiko, Liu Kang and Kuai Liang.

"Do not doubt Sektor's longing for Sub-Zero's safe return."

~~ Liu Kang.

Shao knowing her as Bi-Han's woman since he was Sub-Zero (and freed him from prison, supported him in battles in OutWorld in exchange for him supporting the Lin Kuei in Earthrealm), Reiko questioning if she shares Bi-Han's power too and not just his bed, Liu Kang who is like a second father to Bi-Han and has seen them all grow up also knows of the love between Sektor and Bi-Han, Smoke having had Sektor as one of his masters, Kuai Liang knowing the influence Sektor has over Bi-Han….

Pretty much confirms that Sektor and Bi-Han have been in a relationship for years. It's not something that started after the confrontation with Titan Havik.

They have been partners for a long time.

Sektor advised that we avoid detection by building our army using science, not sorcery. We've invested much time in this endeavor, and we are beginning to see results. Once again proving the depths of Sektor's genius.

If Sektor were trapped in another realm, Bi-Han would go after her like she went after him. And it goes without saying when he literally threatens anyone who threatens her or their relationship…

When Sektor says that Reiko could die from disrespect, she is certainly saying that because Bi-Han does not tolerate disrespect towards her:

If Sektor had her life threatened as Bi-Han's life is constantly threatened, he would also defend her as she defends him…

This is called love.

Despite Sektor's strong personality and appreciation for control and subjugation of those she considers inferior to her, she finds pleasure in pleasing Bi-Han because he is the only man she considers worthy of sharing her life with.

When she tells Rain that she prefers bold and dominant men, besides the fact that she probably enjoys being submissive in bed, it could also just be personality traits that attract her more because these are the most predominant traits in Bi-Han, who is the love of her life. She wouldn't be with anyone other than Bi-Han and if asked about her taste in men, she would simply describe someone like Bi-Han. And even though Sek seems more experienced than him, the way she's been a tech nerd and focused on her work since a young age. And Bi-Han literally doesn't care about anything other than the Lin Kuei, his vision for the Lin Kuei, the people of his clan and Sektor (who is his kidred spirit/soulmate and also born Lin Kuei)…

They may have even lost their virginity together.

I dunno, but they really give off a demisexual vibe to me, honestly… "Demisexuality: People who identify as demisexual only feel sexual attraction to someone after they've formed a strong emotional bond with them"

Sektor is not dumb nor does she follow Bi-Han blindly. They both share the same goals for the clan and she believes in his vision for the Lin Kuei, just like 99% of the clan does:

The love she feels for Bi-Han was earned by him.

....

[katabay]

there's a million MK1 related things I want to draw, but to break the ice, a quick painting of smoke :)

[cienie-isengardu]

The "who corrupted Lin Kuei" debate: a summary

[lament4piligrim]

Frozen heart knows no pain

Part 1

Chapter 1

Bi Han knelt in front of his father, biting his tongue until it bled, not daring to oppose a single word he said. 'You are the heir to this great clan. You should understand better than anyone how important this alliance is to us. Cut this thread and everything we've ever held dear will disappear.'' Of course, Bi Han understood. But he didn't understand why he should commit his life to a woman he had no feelings for. There were enough noble families in their clan that were devoted to Lin Kuei with all their hearts - marrying one of them off to the daughter of a friendly clan was quite possible. Why him? He hadn't even seen this woman's face!

So many thoughts were running through his head that it was about to explode. His father would be happy that this unworthy son would die here with his head bowed in shame. Clenching his hands into fists, scratching his palms, Bi Han nodded in agreement. The Grandmaster wouldn't accept any other answer anyway.

Kuai Liang and Tomas stood outside the door, humbly waiting for their brother. They hoped that their brother would be able to persuade their father not to be so rash, and that he would in turn be sympathetic to his son's choice. After all, there was nothing wrong with Bi Han falling in love with a simple village girl; besides, Mingzhu was a Lin Kuei warrior with potential.

But from Bi Han's slumped and irritable look, they realised that the attempt had failed.

"Don't be upset, Bi Han. Maybe we can try to convince father?" Kuai Liang offered enthusiastically, patting his older brother on the back.

However, Bi Han ignored him and silently retired to his quarters.

How naive they are…

Their father had easily fooled his brothers. He showered them with love and care and let them do whatever they wanted, thus creating the false image of a father they needed. If Bi Han had told them that they had given their hearts to a hypocrite, neither Kuai Liang nor Thomas would have believed it. They would simply conclude that Bi Han was just overheated and not thinking clearly, or that he was simply exaggerating.

Bi Han closed himself in his room without lighting the candles, walked to his bed and heavily collapsed face down on the soft pillows. He was too irritated and tired for any further training. Little did he need to injure someone else out of a fit of rage.

Unsure of how much time had passed, Bi Han heard a knock on his door. The first time, he ignored it. The second time, he ignored it… For the third time, the visitor had no more patience and raised his voice:

"Bi Han? It's me. Are you there?"

Mingzhu.

How would he face her? How would he say he had to agree to this mayhem?

"I'm coming in."

It looked like Bi Han had lain in his chambers for a very long time, since Mingzhu was in her casual clothes that she wore after training. She had a smile lighting up her face that made it seem as if she had never known adversity. The fresh fragrance of the oils on her skin pleasantly hit his nose. Bi Han slowly turned his head towards her, admiring her.

He didn't want to hurt her.

"Bi Han, I… understand. You couldn't resist Grandmaster," Mingzhu had a guilty look on her face.

Why did she feel guilty? It's not her fault at all that he's being tried to marry an unknown person! She shouldn't have to carry that burden on her.

"If I am a nuisance…"

"No."

Bi Han stood up abruptly and approached Mingzhu.

"Don't dare," he gently took her face with his palms and showered her with light kisses, "Let that old man do what he wants. But there's no way I'm giving up on you. As soon as I become Grandmaster, I will break this marriage."

"Bi Han…"

"I won't give up on you. If only you don't refuse, if only you don't want me to be a part of your life anymore, I will never accept this marriage. I don't care what anyone else thinks."

"I won't give up on you, Bi Han."

Cryomancer felt relieved. As long as they have each other, they can overcome this together. His brothers understand him and will accept any choice he makes. Mingzhu is by his side and won't give up on him, even if she has to be as a lover in everyone else's eyes. The rumours will be disgusting, but it will be his father's fault for dragging him into his games. Bi Han will be able to protect Mingzhu from evil looks and cruel sneers. All they have to do is wait until the power is in his hands. Then he can make things right.

Evenings in Harbin had never been warm. For those who once chose a life of luxury in a developed infrastructure, that did not seem to be a problem. But others who followed tradition faithfully, continuing to live as clans among the deserts, mountains and forests, coped with the cold in all sorts of ways. There were times when there was a catastrophic lack of resources for heating, and some clan warriors had to work tirelessly in the nearest towns to earn good money for firewood and coals.

As it happened, this year's winter was even harsher and more ruthless. Everyone in the small village felt its power, not risking to go outside.

Only one person was too insensitive to this weather. She didn't feel the frost that cut through her skin with sharp blades. Her heart and soul had long ago been covered with a thick layer of unbreakable ice.

Xuehua watched the woods from the balcony of her chambers, trying to digest what had happened in the past few days. As a result, they had decided to marry her off. So that she wouldn't feel "hurt" by her younger sister's gross misdemeanour. Both of them would marry worthy young men, but Xuehua would bring great benefits to their clan.

She had never experienced such an insult before. And for some reason, everyone in the clan supported her mother's decision, not caring that the victim should have gone into seclusion, come to her senses and find peace in her soul, rather than going into the arms of a strange man. And worse for the Lin Kuei Grandmaster's son.

Indeed, fate favours her.

It seemed that no one was going to stand up for her. Just hearing that a favourable candidate was coming from Lin Kuei, everyone seemed to lose their heads at the future gains. Her mother glowed with pride that her eldest daughter would be the future mistress of such an esteemed and powerful clan; some only encouraged and supported her enthusiasm. The younger sister might have opposed it, thinking it was too cruel to her. But under the pressure of the adults, she chose to remain silent, holding her fiancé's hand tightly.

'It's too late, sweetheart. There's no need to fake play. You got what you wanted,' Xuehua thought bitterly, clenching her icy hands on the railing.

"You haven't left your room in a while, jiejie. I was worried," the girl behind heard her younger brother's voice.

"It's not necessary,"

"Grandmaster was here. They have discussed things,"

"Of course they did," Xuehua snorted.

Sure enough, they had already decided everything, ignoring her existence. Mother is probably already jumping with joy.

"Maybe it's best for you, A-Hua? Away from A-Lu? It won't make you feel any better that she's staying here with that jerk. She intends to move your lab as well…"

"If she goes in there, she can't expect any good from me."

"Jiejie, I will do my best to make sure she is punished later," my brother took her cold hands in his palms, "Though I'm against mother's decision, but I think you'll do better in Lin Kuei. A-Lu gave them all sweet talk, now they're eager to get you out of here as soon as possible. Maybe they'll treat you better there. Think about it."

Brother's words didn't make it any easier. It was unlikely that she would be treated better in Lin Kuei. After all, this was a warrior clan that recognised power. And she was just a healer, albeit the best one currently living in all the clans.

Well, if there's nowhere else for her to go, she'll try to find her niche there. Maybe there'll be someone she'll feel comfortable with.

Maybe she should try to give herself and her future husband a chance.

P.S. Xuěhuā - "Snowflake", Míngzhū - "Pearl"

In the art below Xuehua's appearance close to my imagination. Art is from Pinterest, user @xichdiemcotich

[deelazycat]

It's them..

Kuai Liang used Tomas' name for one of his gear after he's gone, too..

His response when someone brings up Tomas in a conversation:

Subsmoke is real 💙🤍

[mikka-minns]

Kenshi, about hanzo's kunai: whats that?

Kuai: a promise

What the writters probably meant : scorpion and sub zero had some kind of deal and as we will see, the kunai is a tool for summoning scorpion

What it sounded like : "i miss my husband, kenshi. I miss him a lot. Now eat the soup."

And you cant tell me kenshi didnt think of that either. Like-?!

[ntaras]

yeah i think frost views kuai liang kind of like her mom. what about it

[mlmscorpion]

i know people have made similar posts regarding this but i hope to god everyone will act normal about mk1 subzero and scorpion being literal brothers.

[mikka-minns]

Yoo!

science

[monstergoat]

A drawing of what I think the relationship between these three was like during their childhood-adolescence, how Kuai Liang and Thomas became closer and how he got his scar on his eyebrow

Hope you like it!!

[cienie-isengardu]

Mother no-nonsense and tough as nails

If Tomas, according to Kuai Liang, does not speak about his biological mother and sister

Scorpion: You never speak of your mother and sister. Smoke: Their ghosts no longer haunt me, Kuai Liang.

and Tomas refers to Kuai Liang & Bi-Han's mother as his own

Smoke: If Mother were alive -- Sub-Zero: She would applaud my actions.

So when Tomas admits Li Mei reminds him of his mother

Li Mei: I remind you of your mother? Smoke: No-nonsense and tough as nails, just like her.

did Smoke refer to his biological mother or the adoptive one?

[roolette]

How Mk1 Men Fuck You

CW: NSFW, gn!reader

Bi-Han is just mean about it, frankly. Teasing you, never exactly hitting the spot you need him to, close enough to feel it, but not enough to really do much. And don't bother begging with him. He'll just roll his eyes and scoff, wiping the tears from your eyes with his thumb and not doing anything to give you release.

"I've barely touched you... how are you that desperate already? Honestly, it's ridiculous. You'll get what you want, just be quiet."

When he finally fucks you, it's at a relentless pace, holding your hips in place as he thrusts into you. He's stopped the teasing now, and is wholly focused on making you fall apart in his arms.

Tomas just wants to make you happy. He begs to taste you, to let him touch you where he wants to. He whines at the slightest touch from you, and you both know that you're the only one who can elicit these reactions from him. He could spend forever between your thighs, seriously, he'd die happy there. He'll run his hands up and down your thighs while he gives you head, he has to be touching you.

"Ahh... you look so... like this, I mean- don't tease me! I'll come up with a good description, just... let me have this."

PLEASE hold his jaw and make him look at you while you ride him. Remind him that he's yours, and he'll practically melt. He'll likely be the more vocal out of the two of you, babbling about how good you feel.

Kuai Liang is possessive in bed, but how can you blame him? It's the place where you're his, completely. And maybe this is just me being insane over that skin where his hair is up, but but he likes when you pull his hair while he fucks into you. You can also run your nails along his back, and good luck to anyone who comments on it. He's yours, and you're his, and he wants sex with you to be a reminder of that. He likes being able to look at you while he fucks you, especially those lovely expressions you make.

"No, don't look away. Keep your eyes on me. I don't want to miss a second of this."

You didn't initially expect him to be so open with his feelings in bed, but he likes to be vulnerable with you. He feels safe with you, and he doesn't have to be anyone but yours.

When it comes to fast and hard, it's Johnny Cage. Sex with him is always so energetic, and you have to wonder where that energy comes from. Admittedly, it took some time in the relationship for him to be intimate or slow with you, but you got there. Even then, he just likes sex to be fun. He'll crack jokes, tease you, or randomly bite you when you're least expecting it. He'll thrust up into you while you ride him, just to be a dick and throw you off balance. Have I mentioned he's a brat? Because he's a brat.

"So. You come here often? Well, you're about to, and- hey, ow! I'm supposed to be on camera, you know."

When he's intimate and slow, though, he really is. He'll whisper praises in your ear, words so genuine that it makes you blush more than the things he's doing to you. Everything he's too afraid to say sometimes, it all falls apart when you're in his arms.

I'm SICK and TIRED of people saying that Raiden doesn't know anything about sex, etc. He is loving, tender, and occasionally giggly. He sees sex as another way to be near you and show you how much he loves you. He'll kiss you all over while he's inside you, and he loves to praise you. He likes to fuck you with you in his lap and your legs wrapped around his waist. It's perfect, really. He can go deep inside you and look at you at the same time.

"You look so perfect like this. I'll move, love, I promise, just let me watch you for a moment."

He can make you cum fast, but he chooses not to. He likes to draw out your pleasure. Less to tease, and more to make it last as long as possible. He wants to fall apart with you.

Kenshi is going to make you cum on his fingers before he even thinks about fucking you. He's infuriatingly good at it, too. He'll leave you gasping and moaning just from his fingers, and he can't help but smile smugly about it, which only makes it more frustrating. You can beg him to fuck you, but it won't work. That's happening when he decides to, and not a moment sooner. So you may as well get used to cumming on his fingers.

"You're seriously still begging? C'mon, you know it's not going to work. Still, it's nice hearing you like this."

When he finally fucks you, it's slow and rough, going as deep as possible with each stroke. He'll wrap his arms around you while he does, face pressed against your shoulders, muttering praises and teasing words against your skin.

[pyrodolls]

what if the mk1 men were down bad for you…

upon seeing you walk into the room, johnny cage flexes his muscles ever so slightly and suddenly he’s telling the funniest story in the world to whoever he was already speaking to. he wants to catch your eye and gain your attention so badly. for you, he would make himself look like a fool. only as long as you look his way and give him even a slightest bit of attention, he’s satisfied.

when kuai liang notices you nearby, his entire body feels as if it’s on fire and he immediately worries about his appearance. does he look good? is his hair neatly tied up? he would make an attempt to approach you as soon as he got the chance, and try to strike up a conversation with you. if he didn’t at least say “hi,” he would feel like a fool for missing a great opportunity to engage in a conversation with you.

bi-han pretends he isn’t staring at you every time you’re in a room together. he is the grandmaster of the lin kuei, he must not engage in a romantic relationship. but he can’t help but feel his dark, cold heart light on fire at the sight of you. he yearns to go up to you and say something every time he sees you, but he holds back and settles for just admiring your looks from afar.

tomas vrbada is not afraid of showing his affection towards you. he believes that everyone should make the most of their limited lives, so he is very open about his advances towards you. the problem is, he’s a bit awkward and his efforts come across as more anxious than flirtacious. he would give himself a small pep talk before he talks to you, and he would be full of confidence and hope that the interaction would go well. but he would end up stammering or messing up his words when he speaks to you, and then he would just give up and run away. (he went to johnny for some advice after his mess-up, and it still didn’t work.)

zeffeero doesn’t think of himself as someone deserving of love. when he sees you close by, his heart beats fast and his face feels as if it’s on fire. he knows he has feelings for you, but he resists the urge to make a move. he could if he wanted to. but he doesn’t think he deserves to be joyful and in love after everything he’s done. he just hopes that someday you’ll be happy with someone that deserves you. he desperately wishes it could be him, but the last thing he wants is your sanity or reputation ruined in a relationship with him.

it’s very obvious that syzoth has feelings for you. his tail would sway from side to side, and his eyes would brighten as soon as they fell on you. he listens intently every time you open your mouth, and he never interrupts you when you are speaking. but he doesn’t exactly understand how humans court each other, so he would express his feelings in his own endearing way. for example, he gives you little gifts, similar to offerings. but they’d usually be shiny objects he thought was pretty and it reminded him of you.

raiden is so kind and humble, that he leads you to think his affection is strictly platonic. he’s been staring at you all day? oh, you probably just have something on your face and he’s too nice to let you know. he gave you a gift? he’s so generous, he probably does that with all his friends. no matter what he does to try to hint at his feelings for you, you would assume you weren’t special and he probably does it with everyone else he is acquainted with. he could even confess his love to you and you would just be confused on whether he meant it platonically or romantically.

[mikka-minns]

When my two hyperfixations have a thing in common

Bi han: *is a jerk*

Kuai: *something about their father and how he didnt die for this(+reasonable emotions ig?)*

Siblings: *exist(most likely act very sus*

Utena: *biggest smile ever* OMG YOU TWO ARE SO LUCKY! I DONT HAVE A FAMILY, MY PARENTS ARE DEAD! THEY DIED TRAGICALY AND I WANTED TO DIE CUZ I DIDNT SEE A POINT IN LIFE AND THEN SOME MAN CAME AND SHOWED ME HOW HE BASICALY DOES NOTHING TO STOP THE ETERNAL TORTURE HIS LITTLE SISTER IS EXPIRIANCING! AND NOW IM HERE! LMAO 😃😃😃😃

(maybe a bit exegarated, but its a joke... Mostly)

[ntaras]

ik i’ve said before but it kind of (not kind of it really does) agitates me how people talk about mk12 kuai liang because it really does show that people want nothing but to baby him. like, people don’t really anything interesting to say about him besides he’s a good guy. yes he is a good guy. but is he not more? i get mk12’s story does write to be THE good guy to be bi-han’s foil, but i keep on thinking about how kuai liang was going to kill bi-han but no one really cares about discussing that as a part of kuai liang’s character in this story.

i’ve also said before that kuai liang and scorpion clash as characters and fit together well as separate characters, not as one character, but scorpion kuai liang could have been a somewhat good character and i do think that scene of him almost bashing bi-han’s head in with his chains shows potential in something interesting. kuai liang’s story is a struggle against the old lin kuei, but couldn’t it also be a struggle against himself? couldn’t it be a proper clashing of his self-control and the urge to act on only emotions?

seeing kuai liang keep a hold on himself until the reveal of their father’s death is (well not is but could’ve been) a fascinating flaw of his character. i think we should’ve actually seen a build up of his frustration towards bi-han growing over the course of the story, but keeping a cool head until he finally snapped.

but there really isn’t talk about that scene. there isn’t any care about his negative traits. there isn’t any care about him besides the want to just call him traumatized.

[hey-michael-young-history]

Oz, Part 2

TW for past abuse, abusive relationships, Bi-Han being a teenage dick. January 2nd, 2022 3:40am

Kuai Liang stayed quiet through dinner. He hadn’t spoken since Bi-Han told him to stop accepting gifts. Bi-Han was yelling at him and threatening him more and more often. He couldn’t exactly ask him to stop. The only time he remembered successfully asking Bi-Han to stop was ten years. He had been crying. For their mother. For warmth. For the sting of his face, where his father had just smacked him. Bi-Han yelled. 

Father had yelled right before he had hit him, so Kuai Liang promised to stop crying if Bi-Han stopped yelling. His brother hugged him for a long time and let him sleep with him. 

He stopped being so forgiving as they grew older. Kuai Liang did manage to stop crying and was trying not to while he was in heat. But Bi-Han never stopped yelling. 

He usually sat with Bi-Han’s friends at meals but rarely spoke to them. Sektor didn’t like him and ignored him completely. Cyrax used to talk to him. Kuai Liang wasn’t sure what he had done to offend him, but Cyrax didn’t say much beyond “hello” anymore.  Smoke still spoke to him but his pheromones always intensified when they spoke and his scent made him light headed and dizzy. Sometimes it seemed like he noticed Smoke’s pheromones right before his heat cycle started up again.

He didn’t touch his food until Bi-Han demanded that he eat. He wished that Bi-Han wouldn’t be so aggressive in front of other people. 

Every so often, he’d reach under the table and touch the container Oz gave him. He thought about Oz’s curly hair under his face and quickly redirected his thoughts before he lost control of his pheromones in a common area. He was told during training that that would lead to an automatic meal restriction punishment. And when it came to punishment, sometimes it was just the offender punished, sometimes it was everyone within a certain radius. He didn’t need Bi-Han any more upset.

Fortunately, Smoke didn’t show up at meal call. Bi-Han and his friends ignored Kuai Liang. The cryomancers went back to their room and Bi-Han went to bed.

“Good night, Bi-Han.”

“Go to fucking sleep.”

He got into his blankets and pulled them over his head. It was dark but he had gotten pretty good at reading without light. He pulled Oz’s gift out and examined it. 

It was a little glass jar that read “peanut butter”.

He opened it and was surprised by how strong it smelled.  He turned it upside down but the contents didn’t come out. So he touched it, then curiously swirled his finger around. It was thick and stuck to his finger, getting under his nail and coating his skin. 

It was food. I heard you like sweet things - but we don’t want to rot your teeth out. Try this instead.

He took in the rich scent and licked it. 

God.

It tasted as strong as it smelled, a savory earthiness that was so smooth. He stuck his finger in his mouth and sucked the rest of the peanut butter off.

It was so tasty. He kept dipping his finger in the jar and eating it. So tasty. He couldn’t contain his pheromones and could feel himself relaxing. It was just Bi-Han here. He would be okay. 

He thought so. 

His blankets were ripped away right as he stuck his finger back in his mouth and Bi-Han was standing over him. Ice was beginning to materialize on his arms and it was making Kuai Liang’s ice react. He clenched his teeth as he felt ice solidifying on his scalp. 

“Are you purring and humming? Why are you making so much goddamn noise over here? I-” He narrowed his eyes and sniffed at him. “Is that food? Are you eating something?”

Kuai Liang didn’t move. Ice was covering the jar and once Bi-Han spotted it, he ripped it out of his brother’s hand, leaving his palm bright red. 

As he tried to ice his tender skin, Bi-Han inspected the jar. “An Alpha gave you this.”

“Yes.”

“Do you even know what it is? Where it came from? It could make you sick.”

“It didn’t, I like it. Try some.”

Bi-Han threw the jar against the wall, shattering it and splattering the little peanut left. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I eat anything from any one of these fucking animals. I told you. Don’t accept anymore gifts.”

“I don’t understand, Bi-Han. You complain when I ask for extra food and they bring it to me without my even asking.”

“They’re not doing this to be nice, you dumbass. They’re going to want something from you in exchange,” Bi-Han snapped. 

“What else can they take from me?” Kuai Liang asked quietly. 

“You know how I make you hide when you’re in heat? You’re supposed to go to the elders. Do you know why?”

Kuai Liang didn’t answer. He had known why since his very first heat. His brother wasn’t always there when they were triggered. 

Bi-Han rolled his eyes. “Fine. Whatever. Be the good little slut the Lin Kuei wants you to be.”

Slut. He had been called a lot of things but that one hurt the worst. Hearing it from his brother, the last person left who cared about him, twisted his stomach. Be the good little slut the Lin Kuei wants you to be. The sentence burrowed into his brain and he couldn’t stop hearing it. 

“What’s wrong? You like taking their gifts, you like the attention, but you don’t want to be labeled as a whore?”

Yes, he’ll make a fine breeding whore. We haven’t had a stable cryomancer breeder in centuries. Excellent work, Vortex. 

Look at you. Crying while your body is begging for it. You’re a good little slut, aren’t you?

“Seriously,  are you about to cry? You’re a sensitive slut-”

“STOP IT!” He screamed. Ice spikes burst from his arms and his back. The temperature in the room fell and frost appeared on their belongings. 

He squeezed his eyes shut and dug his fingers into his scalp. Why was Bi-Han saying this? Calling him that? 

… everyone knew. Omegas were only good for one thing. And that one thing made him untouchable, disgusting. It was the last thing his father had told him before he stopped acknowledging him. And now Bi-Han was saying it. 

They disagreed about the gifts the Alphas were giving him, sure.  Bi-Han had been a little more stressed, ever since he got his code name. He yelled and they fought sometimes but he never looked down on him like this. 

Or maybe he was. He was like all of the other Alphas in the Lin Kuei. All Alphas were the same.

“Please stop,” he begged. “Not you, big brother, please.”

Arms were tugging at his, but he could feel the ice shards coming through his scalp. This was why the grandmaster wouldn’t send him on missions. He couldn’t even control the ice he was born with. He had no discipline over his pheromones. And everyone thought he was only good for one thing. 

“… breathe…”

Bi-Han’s hands were on his shoulders. He was using his ice to calm his brother’s.  Kuai Liang had asked his trainer about this technique, after the first time Bi-Han had used it. Only skilled cryomancers could do that and it was supposed to take decades to learn. Their great grandfather had apparently developed it and their father was the only cryomancer left who could use it, after their grandfather died. Bi-Han didn’t tell anyone about it and made Kuai Liang promise to keep it a secret when he asked why. 

Bi-Han pulled him close and pressed their foreheads together. “I don’t think that about you. You are my little brother, Tundra. I was simply trying to make you aware of how dangerous it is to entertain so many Alphas.”

They were sending Bi-Han away more and more. Tundra was getting older, his body maturing and sending out signals he didn’t even seem aware of. The other day, someone was pestering him and Bi-Han had to fuck him up for it. The Alpha claimed that Tundra had been pelting him with pheromones being for impregnation. He couldn’t even bring himself to ask.

He had already suspected that Tundra had been… used. The fact that someone touching him had triggered his powers to fully activate so early was proof enough.  He tried to explain that to their father, who, in turn, explained that if he killed another Alpha, even in self defense, the Lin Kuei would lock him away and forcibly breed him until his body gave out.

“I know that I may seem cruel, little brother. But listen to me. Do not engage with any Alphas outside of your instructors, the elders, Smoke, or Cyrax. Do you understand?”

Kuai Liang barely nodded before pulling away and retreating to his blankets. 

——

“Hey.”

Kuai Liang buried his face further into his knees. 

It was yard time, but he was alone. Bi-Han was on a mission and Smoke and Cyrax were on some other duty. He suspected that this was purposeful. 

He was back out in the yard but this time, he was in the center. 

In a cage.

Releasing pheromones. 

They had done something to him. Injected him with something that made his heart beat faster and his lungs heavy. He struggled to breathe and immediately, he was suffocated by his own smells. 

It almost felt like heat. 

They had pushed this cage out and the Alphas surrounded him immediately. The same Alphas who talked to him and gave him gifts were now yelling at him and bombarding him with their own pheromones.

It was too much. He was overwhelmed, but there was nowhere to go.  He couldn’t escape any of it.

“Can you hear me?”

It was Oz. He recognized the soft voice through the raucous chorus and slowly, his voice became the only one. 

“It’s okay. Go ahead and take a breath.”

Kuai Liang’s fingers curled into his arms. He just needed to exhale. 

“It’s okay. It’s just us. Look.”

Bi-Han had told him not to engage with any Alphas. But Oz made him feel warm. Through his own ice, his frigid body, and Arctika’s unforgiving freeze, there was Oz, making him feel warm. 

Slowly, he lifted his head. He opened his eyes and looked around. 

The Alphas who were at the bars of the cage,  trying to get in, were now doing their assigned trainings and ignoring the cage. 

Except Oz.

He had his arms around a couple of bars with his face pressed between.  When Kuai Liang looked at him, his dark brown eyes lit up. 

“Hey, ice boy.”