#Sure he himself said he wasn't a powerful healer but he was still a healer

[jj-ma26]

I mean from what we see of his backstory in the anime there's absolutely no way he went and learnt dragon slaying magic from a dragon

The only magic he knew before attaining trauma and pure unadulterated rage was healing

So we know he knew how to use magic already, healing at that, which seems to be hella rare given how people react to healing magic [such as Wendy's healing for one] and the fact the only other healing magic we see that I can recall is Wendy and Sherry. Who are both sky slayers, dragon and God respectively. Which is fuck off rare...

So rare form of magic which is probably pure ethereon that used to heal and I can totally see him learning the art of Fuck Around and Find Out to great personal success

He's powered by rage, trauma, and ethereon - he can bullshit his own dragon slaying magic, especially one that let's him eat /all/ magic. What's the point of making your life goal Kill All Dragons if one or more entire sub classes of dragons have an elemental advantage on you? He was a doctor with a unique magic - there's no way he's an idiot in regards to magic.

Also he was a doctor for dragons, he'd have a good idea of their anatomy if not a full picture. He'd know where to hit to make them hurt and to kill them easier

Zeref: Spent a good majority of his life studying magic in a magic college Acnologia: Bullshitted his way into creating the most powerful version of Dragonslayer magic

[izzabela]

Ok, here me out! We both love Tomas (sweet cinnamon roll) I was thinking about what would happen if Tomas and the female reader get into an argument and it caused them to distance each other for a bit and it causing the reader to go on a mission for Liu Kang and while the reader is gone longer than planned Tomas starts to worry and lose his patience and decides to go after her?

I'm Sorry - Tomas x fem!reader

in which you and Tomas get into an argument before your mission, and Tomas is a bit antsy to apologize

a/n: Tomas would def be the little brother who always apologizes, whether his fault or not

ship[s]: tomas x fem!reader

warning(s): little angst? pre-kanon story (see what i did there)

get yo ass up, white boy

=====================

The air between you and Tomas could light an explosion if one was not careful.

Though you were not present, away on another mission by Liu Kang, it was clear that the remnants of that strife still followed the European assassin.

He gave harsher punishments to the initiates under his care, prolonged training hours, and he even punished his own losses with starvation and excessive workouts.

It worried his brothers, though it was not evident on their faces. Watching their youngest do this to himself was something that... terrified them to say the least. Ironic, since they were formidable ninjas.

It would all resolve itself, though, since you would be coming back today. Though, the memory of that fight laid in everyone's head.

*********

"Do you not realize how insane you're being right now?" Tomas howled at you as you sat on your shared bed, head turned and arms crossed.

Tomas roughly shut the door of your guys' bedroom, but his brothers were in hot pursuit to make sure nothing would go wrong once you had woken up from the healers.

Their mistake.

"Insane is not finishing the job," you spat back, turning your head. "Was I to come back empty-handed? Disappoint my grandmaster, our lord, our mission?!"

It was a rough mission, but you got some valuable info on a threat against Earthrealm thanks to your superior skills. Though, those very same skills did not protect you from the serious bodily harm you endured. Cut up and battered, you returned home like an abused animal.

"Not when you return home looking as you are now," Tomas pointed out, "You've been blinded to finishing the job, to the point of neglecting your own health!"

You scoffed, "Says you! You can go get healed without a word from me. But when I have to go get it done, it's like I've committed treason!"

From the outside, Kuai Liang and Bi Han gave a point to you for that one. However, Tomas was more experienced, and you had only recently been getting sent on more dangerous and high-stakes missions. Tomas had been doing this for years.

"If you had trained more, you would not be in this position," Tomas sighed. "Perhaps it was my fault for putting your name in too early."

You jaw dropped at this.

"Don't you dare pull this on me, Tomas," you said low as you get out of bed. Sure, your legs and wounds ached, but the adrenaline of your anger was fueling you to heights unknown.

"I'll have you know-"

"Mind your place," Tomas commanded, voice dripping with authority.

Tomas may be a brother to Kuai Liang and Bi Han, a technical inheritor to his clan, but he never felt like it. He often humbled himself by refraining from using any sort of authoritative tone, especially since he began dating you. Yes, he may be kind to his friends, his brothers, you, but he was still second-in-command along side Kuai Liang.

Of course there were times he needed to use his voice- but now wasn't the smartest time.

When Tomas realized what he had done, it was within a blink of an eye that a mean left-hook took him in, and a deadly powerful palm push sent him flying through the door. Tank the elder gods Kuai Liang and Bi Han remained on the side.

"Do not even bother coming back in here," you hissed, water swirling in your eyes as you turned around to go to sleep.

*********

That was but a week ago, now Liu Kang, Kuai Liang, Bi Han, and Tomas wait at the fire temple for you to come through the portal after your mission.

While his brother's remained calm and still-faced, Tomas was a little more antsy and nervous. You had left during your fight, and without proper apologies being made (not saying you did anything wrong). Tomas wanted to fix it immediately, and that would begin as soon as you came through the portal.

Right... now!

As the fires that lit the portal up continued to crackle and burn, any sign of your presence was not found. Liu Kang, focusing all his energy into finding you, could not sense you either.

Strange, since you were very punctual for any of your missions. It was a trademark that earned you the nickname "Dead-line" from the other ninjas.

"She is late," Kuai Liang points the obvious out.

"She must have had a run-in with something, perhaps we should-" Tomas is cut off by Bi Han.

"Under no circumstances will you do such a thing, Tomas. She is capable of this, so she is capable of coming home."

Liu Kang agrees, "I will keep the portal open and watch for her. While punctual is a great aspect, not everyone is immune to a little tardiness."

The brothers bow before heading out, Bi Han and Kuai Liang walking a little behind to watch Tomas. How did they know he was nervous? Well, he walked right in front of them, forgetting the order in which they travelled. And his eyes were also downcast, like clouds blocking the sun.

As well-trained as he is, emotions were naturally human. So, naturally, Tomas couldn't hide these feelings no matter his skills and experience.

"Tomas, all will be well," Kuai Liang tries to soothe his anxiety. He turns around, nodding to his words, but his face looks as if he is not accepting it.

"You will see to it you keep yourself in check," Bi Han scolds, "All will be well, carry on as per usual."

Tomas rolls his eyes as Bi Han strides forward. Kuai Liang just puts a hand on his shoulder and offers a kind smile.

"He means well, let us carry on for her," Kuai says, patting his shoulder before walking to follow his elder brother.

Perhaps tomorrow Tomas thinks.

~~~~~~~~~~

Except tomorrow you don't come, nor the day next, nor the day after.

You were tardy by three days, and as much as Tomas buried himself in training, missions, and some paperwork, he couldn't shake the feeling off that something was wrong- horribly wrong.

So, after dinner with his brothers, he waited until everyone was asleep before sneaking out of the palace to the Fire Temple. Mask and attire on, he calls on a portal to be opened to the temple.

Walking through, he is greeted by Liu Kang and some monks on guard. He bows, and Liu Kang does so to reciprocate, though is skeptical on the smoke ninja's unprecedented appearance.

"Tomas, this is unexpected," Liu Kang notes as he sizes him up.

"Lord Liu Kang, please permit me to go (y/n)," he says, bowing again to further his desperation in finding you. Liu Kang chuckles, telling him to raise his head.

"You love her very deeply, that much is evident," Liu Kang said, pulling out a chi-director from his pocket.

Tomas stares at the device, back at Lord Liu Kang, and then back at the device. He takes the glowing blue compass and bows deeply, revering him in respect before fire pops and cracks, and the portal opens. Tomas runs through the portal and allows the compass to guide him.

As he takes his surroundings in, Tomas realizes he's in the hinterlands of Outworld, and a cold part of Outworld at that. Of course, he was trained to deal with such weather, but being out for this far for this long, you may be on the brink of your doom.

The compass glows in Tomas's hands, and the hand inside spins like a twister gone rogue. Finally, it focuses on a direction southeast, and Tomas trudges in the growing snow of the region.

After following the compass, he was led to a cave in the side of a mountain. Inside, he saw the faint glow of a fire and heard low breathing from within.

As he rounds the inside, he finds you tending to a gash on your shoulder. You have plants with healing qualities by your side and a cloth loosely pulled over the bleeding. Plus your magic was working over the open wound.

"Who goes- Tomas?" your hands were in defensive positions, but they went back to your wound at him in your sight.

"My darling," he sighs, running to your side as he tries to stop the bleeding.

You wince at the force in which he pressed a ripped cloth into your shoulder, but welcome it as your magic was dulling the pain.

"Fancy seeing you here," you say with a sarcastic tone.

"Dear, please," Tomas lightly scolds you, in which you silently allow him to treat you.

It's quiet between both of you, and the only thing to fill the void of quiet was howling of the wind outside.

Tomas begins to stretch the cloth out in little strings, to make a makeshift bandage for your wound. He's staring at your back, and your head is turned to the side as he tends to the horrid wound.

"Usually you aren't this late," he tries to lighten the mood, but it's clear you're not up to the jokes.

Once Tomas wraps your wound perfectly, he moves around to face you, but your head remains away.

Instead of speaking, Tomas wraps you in the warmest, gentlest hug, and your eyes are shining with tears are you inhale his natural musk.

"Thank the elder gods you're alright."

Your shoulders rack in his chest as you cry and wrap a singular arm around him.

"I'm so sorry," you sob as tears begin flow, "I'm so sorry for being so mean, sorry for being so brash, you're rig-."

Tomas shushes you, one hand rubbing your head and the other your back in up and down motions. You cry harder at his tenderness- why wasn't he angry? Why was he so nice?

You literally chucked him out of the bedroom, and he remains kind to you?

"I don't care about that anymore," he whispers. "The minute you didn't come through the portal that day, everything else fell away."

Oh, that's right.

If it weren't for a rogue blade from the enemy, you'd have gotten home earlier.

You wince as the adrenaline begins to wear off, and the pain in your shoulder finally begins to settle in.

Tomas notices, and he chuckles as he sets you down against the wall softly.

"At least you won't be chucking me through doors anytime soon," he laughs as he begins to clean the wound up a bit.

You flinch at the pain, but push through so Tomas can make sure it doesn't get infected.

"I'm sorry, dear," you begin again. "Truly, I'm so sorry for doing that to you all those weeks ago."

Tomas shakes his head as he rubs some healing plants on the wound, "I want to apologize. Using my tone against you like that, especially after such an experience. It was uncalled for, dishonorable for a man."

He wraps the wound up again, holds a hand out to you, and picks you up after you take it.

"Let's get you home, dear," Tomas says as he sweeps you off your feet.

In his arms, you finally collapse and give your eyes a rest from the crying.

The real talk can happen later, you just need Tomas for now.

=====================

no yap notes

see y'all in the next fic!

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

I'll give you wings so you can fly

requested: Can you please write a story where reader is temporary blind and Azriel takes care of her?

warnings: blood, injuries, loss of vision, trauma, scars, mention of potential rape.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Azriel saved you. In the midst of absolute madness. A pool of blood. He heard a heartbeat. Faint and slow but still trying to claw its way out of this chaos. He moved the same way he moved the night he saved Gwyn. He had a mission: to rescue a drowning soul. Cassian was scanning the room himself. The sanctuary was supposed to be a safe space. Was supposed to. That wasn't the case. And now more than the first time, Azriel was mad. Both at Rhys for not ensuring the safety of the priestesses and equally as much at himself for not seeing it through quicker and for not stopping it before it was set in motion.

Azriel's boots were soaked in blood, but then again, most of his body was, so he didn't pay it much attention. "There's nothing on this side," Cassian said, voice echoing in the now-completely silent room. "Check the back room. I'll finish up here," Azriel said firmly before continuing his journey to the said heartbeat. The male dreaded the moment he was going to find a lifeless body and would have to hold it till the last beat of the heart. Azriel had lost count of the times he had waved a soul goodbye. Had been that last straw someone clung to in their dying minutes. It weighed on the spymaster's shoulders, but then again, if that was all he could offer at that moment and if it was in some way enough, he was okay with it.

Azriel pushed aside broken furniture pieces until his eyes landed on you. You were drenched in blood, making it hard for Azriel to make out your features. "I've got you," the spymaster said as he kneeled and carefully pulled your hand from beneath the fallen table. "It's going to be okay," he mumbled, even if Azriel wasn't sure if it was going to be okay. Considering the heavily bleeding gash on your left side where his eyes landed next and the cut that ran across your forehead. The gash looked deep. Someone must have tried to kill you with a blow to the head but, surprisingly, failed.

Azriel pressed his hands down on the wound for a moment while his mind wondered. Watching your eyes twitching, your ripped clothes barely covering your skin. "Th-ey... tri-ed," you croaked out. Hardly were they words, let alone understandable ones, but Azriel nodded his head. "I know... but it is all okay. They will not hurt you now," the shadow singer said softly, ripping the side of his shirt off and wrapping it tightly around your middle, trying to slow down the bleeding even a little bit more.

You started muttering words under your breath. Azriel couldn't make any of them out. He knew he had to wait for Cassian to return, but every moment you spent here drew you closer and closer to your death bed. So without any more hesitation, the spymaster scooped you up in his arms before he winnowed away. Leaving Rhys to get Cassian back home. 

There were no more survivors. You were the only one who had escaped the invasion of the sanctuary. Madja nearly fell to her knees when Azriel kicked the door to her clinic open. Death. They could both smell death lingering. Peaking through the corner and reaching for your soul. To claim it. To take you under and away from this world.

"Should I get Rhys for the pain?", Azriel questioned as he pressed both of his palms to your wound. Madja only shook her head as she mixed up different salves in a hurry, "Too late for that, she doesn't feel anything." Those words made Azriel's stomach twist. It couldn't be too late to save you yet. He couldn't have failed yet again.

Hours. Azriel had been there for hours. Watched Madja drains her energy almost to the last drops as she tried to heal you. Let the healer channel her power through Azriel when her legs started to give out. The spymaster was worried. More than ever before, and not just for you. Madja had been like a second mother to all of them. Even if they bickered back, they loved her and the way she would pinch their cheeks while greeting them.

With a supportive hand, Azriel watched the light from Madja's hands seeping through your skin, till the healer's body slumped in the Illyrian's hands. "Can't do anything else", she muttered, bracing herself on Azriel, "Now it's all up to her if she survives it". Azriel nodded, guiding the healer to the back room, where he draped the blanket over her drained body as tiredness took over her. The spymaster was back on the table you laid on in less than a heartbeat. The bleeding had stopped, and your heartbeat sounded much more steady. Azriel reached for the herbal water, dipping a cloth into it before gently rubbing it into your blood-tinged skin, washing away the last traces of tonight.

You looked so innocent. Your face screamed young purity to him. And now Azriel was left wondering if the males who invaded the sanctuary had raped you the way they had done with the other females. But there weren't many forceful bruises on your skin. Besides the gash on your side and the cut on your hand, the rest of your body seemed somewhat unharmed. Yet he couldn't be sure until you told him so yourself.

Azriel didn't sleep that night. He both couldn't and feared to. So he pulled a chair closer to where you were lying and sat down. Eyes never leaving you. The way your chest rose and fell. He felt the need to be the first one you were going to see once you woke up. He had to be the one. The one to reassure you that you were safe. The one to tell you that you had nothing to fear. But that didn't come for weeks. Madja comforted Azriel that it was mostly the cause of the concussion. That you were stable and most definitely would wake up sometime soon. That he didn't have to come by multiple times a day to see you. But Azriel still did it. Not sure if it was more for his own sake or your own. But he did.

He was having a conversation with the healer one afternoon. As she once again tried to convince the male that only time and patience were going to show the final result. Then a scream ripped through the clinic, and Azriel was in panic mode straight away. Given that he had only heard you mumble a few words before, he was surprised that his mind instantly recognized your scream. He ripped the door open in a hurry when he saw you on the floor. Weak arms trying to hold up your still-trembling body. You must have tried to stand up and miscalculated the strength you had. He walked towards you, but when your head frantically moved from side to side and your eyes didn't seem to fall on him, Azriel stopped. Madja pushed past him, falling to her knees before you and making you jump in the process.

"I can't... I can't see..", you cried out, fingers moving to run over the valleys of your eyes. "It must be the concoction," Madja said, carefully tilting your head upwards. Moving a finger from side to side. Asking you questions about the amount of light you manage to see, shadows.

"Azriel, do you mind helping her up?", your breathing instantly picked up at the mention of the male name. "Azriel is the one who saved you, dear; he will not harm you," the healer reassured you, turning to Azriel once more. To say that he was worried about approaching you was an understatement. He was terrified. He didn't want to harm you.

"I will touch your hand, and if you feel like it, you can hold onto it." Azriel's voice was soft and familiar. You heard it the night of the invasion. Lulling you out of the share panic. You had heard it all of those weeks that you had been lying unconscious. It circled in your brain every day. The touch was soft and gentle. You flinched slightly but almost immediately wrapped your fingers over a much larger palm. You felt what seemed like scars all over it, but at that moment, you didn't care much for it. Your other hand blindly searched for the man's forearm as you inched closer to him.

"Easy there, love," Azriel warned you carefully, "You have twenty-two stitches on your left side." Even if you had spent weeks lying unconscious, Azriel was still scared that the wound would come undone. You moved an inch away, but Azriel carefully wrapped his arm over your lower back, helping you to stand up. You braced one of your hands on his chest for support. Your legs felt like jelly, but you stubbornly tried to hold yourself up. Yet that didn't last long as your body sagged down, only to be caught by Azriel in an instant. "Lay down," the male said, picking you up in his arms once more. "My eyes," you muttered, "Trust me; I'll do everything to make sure you see again."

Rhys offered you a place in the library among the other priestesses, but Azriel denied it. Locking you up in darkness was not a way for you to heal. You listened as the two argued until strong hands embraced your shoulders. In the beginning, Azriel's touches made you shiver. The male was silent. So his touch always carried something unknown with it. Now, before he touched you, he would rub his fingers together gently, alerting you. You didn't talk much, but you had the impression that he had taken it upon himself to keep you safe even though he didn't have to.

Azriel guided you through the door. The warmth and comforting smell of the place hit your senses. You made out different shadows that you assumed were pieces of furniture as you extended your hands forward. "Where are we?", you asked, running your fingers over what appeared to be the edge of a plush sofa. "My mother's house. Stay here for a minute," the male said as he walked past you, and your heart skipped a beat. For what you had learned and what your brain had put together, Azriel was closed off. Personal and professional never mixed. And you were on the professional side. You were the only one who survived. Only you could give him the answers he wanted. Even if he wasn't pushing, you had a feeling that all of this was just so you would get familiar with him, and when his patience ran out, he'd end up getting what he needed. You heard another muffled voice before the door cracked open again, letting more light into the room. A figure approached you, and you instantly moved to back away.

"Oh, sweetie, I...", a lady's voice rang out, making you frown slightly, "She really can't see". At this point, you weren't even sure if any of this was directed toward you. "Mom, let's not rub it in her face more", Azriel's voice almost seemed concerned, but you tried to not let it get to you. Without facial expressions, it was hard to distinguish between different tones at times. "I apologize... I...", the lady carefully took hold of your hands squeezing them, "I haven't seen many people and... Stay as long as you want. Are you hungry? She must be hungry." Azriel let out a sigh as his mother rushed out of the room.

"Let me guide you to your room," the shadow singer said, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as you walked. It felt calming. His touch always seemed to pull you out of the river of fear. "It has big windows, and you can just walk straight to the garden from it", the spymaster rambled on. Your fingers ran across the walls. Your silence was painful to him. He wished you would talk more. Azriel felt like he was talking so much. Well, more than he was used to, but it was mostly met with shrugs and a sentence here and there if he was lucky. Madja had stopped him on his way out the day he was bringing you up to the house of wind. "She needs care and to feel safe. Her brain might be blocking her vision. Fear can be crippling." And Azriel knew what she meant. He felt the level of fear that seemed to make him freeze. Just Azriel couldn't bring himself to speak in moments like this. His voice would disappear, and all he could do was stand there. Most took that as him trying to appear threatening while, in reality, he was nothing but mortified.

"Sorry for my mom, she's", Azriel found himself explaining until he felt your hand on his shoulder. "I'm the one who took over her home," "You didn't take over anything. I wanted you to come here, and so did she." You wondered if he warned her ahead of time that he would be bringing a freak. You moved your hand away from him, rubbing your palms together, and Azriel instantly felt the lack of your warmth on his skin. You were thinking. Hard. You seemed to do that when emotions ran high.

"You are safe here. I'll be here with you," standing up, the spymaster reached for you, and you let him take hold of your hands, "I think we can go have a picnic outside; the weather is beautiful today," "Why are you doing this?" Azriel was glad you couldn't see the way his face crinkled in confusion. He hated when people could read it easily. "What do you mean, why am I doing this?" the male questioned, the sad expression on your face breaking his heart. "If you want me to tell you what happened, you can just ask; you don't have to go all this way," you said, moving your arms around and gesturing to the room you stood in. Azriel let out a sigh. "I'm doing this because I can imagine how frightened you are, and I genuinely want to help."

You know that you should just bite your tongue and not push your luck, but it slips out, "It has something to do with your hands, doesn't it?" And now more than ever, even you know what a loud silence means. You hit near home, if not straight at it. Azriel cleared his throat, "My father kept me locked up in a basement for years. I couldn't fly; I could barely move. My brothers put my hands into flames," his last words died down as the memories filled Azriel's mind. You step closer to him, fingers inching behind him until you're met with an unfamiliar texture. Sliding your fingers carefully across the curve of what you assumed was a wing. Azriel hissed, you instantly draw your hand back, holding it closer to your chest.

"No, no, you can touch. They are just... sensitive", the spymaster says, studying your face. The way you bite your lip as your fingers once again reach out for his wings. "I bet your hands are beautiful," you murmur. "Scars like that tell the story of a survivor. I bet you inspire many people. Can you fly?" Your words pierce straight through Azriel's heart. Beautiful? Inspiring? Those weren't the words he was used to hearing in the same sentence as his hands. And the words seemed honest. Like you genuinely meant them. Azriel fluttered his wings carefully so as not to knock anything down in the room. A smile crept onto your face. "A fly around and then the picnic?" Azriel asks, and even before he finishes, you were already nodding your head.

You laughed quietly to yourself as you listened to yet another story Azriel was telling you about his brothers. It had been over a week, and you had started to feel more and more like yourself. Azriel barely left the house, and if he did, his mother was always there keeping you company and baking you sweet treats. Azriel was nothing but attentive. He managed to keep you safe while still giving you enough freedom so you wouldn't feel trapped.

You shared a bed. Only because you kept having nightmares, and after you tripped and fell during your first night here as you tried to find Azriel, he insisted that you two would stay together. You didn't fight that choice because, in all honesty, you needed to feel someone else's presence. Only managing to slip into slumber once Azriel would bring you closer to your chest. Your arms looped around his muscles as you clung to his hand. Azriel's face nestled in the crook of your neck. It felt like peace.

"I'm telling you, he nearly froze off his balls", you let out another bell laugh. The stories from the annual snowball fight never failed to put a smile on your face. "Did he tap out?", you asked, still giggling as you tried to find a slice of bread. Azrie instantly inched forward, took a piece, and dipped it in honey before gently tapping your hand as he handed you the piece. "It's Cassian, of course no", "Well, then he had blue balls quite literally", now it was Azriel who chuckled at your words as he kept a napkin under the piece he handed you so the honey wouldn't drip onto your dress. 

It felt easy. Whatever was slowly sparking between the two of you felt easy. Natural even. Even if at times, Azriel tried to deny it, seeing you sitting in his mother's living room as she told you stories about Azriel's childhood felt right. Not to mention that he was now addicted to the feeling of you in his arms at night. The only way he found a peaceful oasis was with you.

The wind carried a light sound of music. There must have been some celebration in the main part of the city. The melody was light but still audible, and you instantly turned your face toward it. Azriel took his time studying your features. The color had returned to your face. The little freckles started to appear the more time you spent in the sun. The gash had scabbed, and now all that was left was a light pink scar that ran across your forehead and down the left side of your face.

"Come up", Azriel pulled at your hands softly, and you instantly frowned, not wanting to go just yet. As if reading your mind, Azriel added, "Dance with me." You let out a light chuckle. "Dance? Azriel, I'm blind", but the spymaster only pressed you closer to him, "Step onto my feet", you looked up, the silhouette of his face in the form of a dark shadow inching over you, "Come on, you won't regret it. I have some moves, believe me." You shook your head quickly as you felt his other hand slip down the small of your back. Letting out a surprised chuckle, as the spymaster spun you around and around. Even Azriel couldn't hold himself from laughing as you happily squealed in his embrace. Both of you unable to remember a time when you were so happy.

You stumbled back home late at night. Still, laughing as Azriel occasionally twirled you around? You had flowers all over your hair. Work of Azriel himself. The bottom of your dress was covered in dirt, and Azriel had ripped his pants, but neither of you cared, shushing one another as you made your way into the house. Azriel eyed his mother's sleeping frame on the sofa, a piece she was still knitting in her hands. He hadn't had a chance to ask her what she was making, but the piece seemed rather tiny. Best to be a glove for Azriel but not a piece of clothing that would fit a grownup.

You let out a giggle from behind him. Trying to find the knob of the door. Azriel moves to help you; that had almost become his second nature. Reaching for the back of the dresser, you carefully start looking for the ribbon to undo your corset. Azriel moves closer to you, carefully leaving a kiss on your shoulder before guiding your hand toward the fabric. "You learned to read my mind", you muttered, making Azriel hum in response, "I just can tell what you need". You turned in the spymaster's embrace so you could face him. You wished you could see him. Even if you traced your fingers over his face countless times. You wished you could see him and know if your imagination was even remotely close to how he looked. 

"Well, then, what do I want now?", you inched closer to him. His warm breath hitting your skin, making you shiver. "Can I show inside of tell?", Azriel muttered under his breath, pushing a strand of hair behind your ear. You eagerly nodded your head as the anticipation started to slowly eat at you. Azriel cupped your cheek softly before leaning in, and his soft lips met yours. A breath got knocked out of your lungs at the sheer amount of fireworks that seemed to explode all inside you. You held onto his torso, scrunching up the material of the shirt he was wearing. The kiss was slow. No trace of rush. Just pure affection and care all poured into it. This male had dragged you out of death. Giving you wings and allowing you to fly again.

You woke up the next morning due to the sharp rays of sunlight hitting your eyes. You blinked a couple of times. Then a couple more and immediately jumped to sit up. Azriel instantly followed suit, hands moving to rub your shoulders as he was about to comfort you over a nightmare. You turned to him in an instant, as if only now realizing that he was also there. Hand coming up to cover your mouth as you let out a quiet sob. Azriel frowned, inching closer to you. 

"Love, what's going on?" Azriel's voice was still raspy. You reached your hand to rest on his cheek, and the movement seemed a little too effortless. "I can see you," you muttered, your bottom lip quivering slightly. Azriel gaped at you in surprise. "It's still foggy, but I can see you." You let out another sob, and Azriel pulled you closer to his embrace. Placing kisses on the top of your head, squeezing you a tiny bit closer than most. "You're even prettier than I imagined," you murmured, and Azriel let out a laugh, quickly wiping away some of his tears. You nuzzled closer into his chest, letting a wave of calmness once again reach the depths of your heart.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

oooh I got one! prompt 74 with any of the follower!bishops, where they get hurt on a crusade and reader, who is a healer finds them and helps them <333

74) "I think I broke my leg!"

.......

"I can't believe this...betrayed by my own-!!"

"Lord Kallamar?"

Surprised by the voice, Kallamar looked up at you, the figure dressed in white tattered robes, clean of any and all ichor. The metal halo behind your head reflected the sunlight from above Anchordeep, making it seem as though it were glowing.

Now he remembers.

You're one of the many nameless Healers in his former army of cultists and devotees. He thought most of them were culled by the Lamb at this point, yet you were somehow still alive.

"You have returned to us in such a miniscule form." You mused, to which you saw him tense up, trying to shuffle away.

So far, every creature here was trying to kill him during his crusade, and he wasn't sure if you were going to be any different.

He knew should've gone to the tailor first; at least they wouldn't attack him on-sight just because his red robes remind them of the Lamb..and that his defeat permanently shattered his image as a leader.

"Back away from me! I'm---ow!!!" Feeling a sudden sharp pain in one of his legs, Kallamar stopped moving and looked down, realizing it didn't look quite right. "Ah...a-ahaha...I-I think I broke my leg...!"

"Do not fear, my lord. I will make it all better." Floating down to the ground, you gently reached your hands out to him, green magic appearing from your fingertips. "How did this happen, if I may ask?"

"Well..I fell.." He mumbled quietly, and you looked at him, mishearing him.

"What happened?"

"I-I fell while fleeing from one of those sea creatures..." Red dusted his face as he averted his gaze, embarrassed to be seen like this--especially by someone he used to rule over.

But you seemed to show absolutely no bias nor resentment towards him, even though he now wore the same robes of the enemy cult.

Part of him was afraid you'd refuse and leave him to suffer on his own, although he remembers that your singular job is to be a healer. And despite knowing that he wasn't some all-powerful god anymore and allowed himself to be beaten by Lamb into submission...you wanted to help him anyways. You didn't huff or laugh or show any indication that you thought of him as pathetic for breaking his leg over a simple fall.

Instead, you quietly allowed your magic to go to work, mending the broken done and repairing the torn flesh. Soon it set itself back into place without causing him further pain, making it good as new.

Like nothing even happened.

"You should be good now, my lord. Do be careful with your new mortal vessel." Bowing your head, you rose to your feet and watched as Kallamar slowly got up.

"Only now I see how fragile this body is..damned Lamb.." He grunted, checking out his leg before picking up his backpack. Then he gazed up at you. "What's your name?"

You blinked. "My name..?"

"Yes, that's what I said. I never knew your name, but I wanna know it now."

"I see, then...I'm [y/n]." You answered, surprised and flattered that he asked.

It's been so long since you've said your name to anyone, that you've almost forgotten it entirely.

"Well, [y/n]..would you care to accompany me for the remainder of my crusade? I was sent to retrieve as many crystal shards as I could carry...but I keep running into dead ends, and death traps.." Kallamar shuddered. "And I-"

"You needn't worry, my lord. I would be happy to join you." Although he couldn't see your smile under your hood, he could hear the delight in your voice, and chuffed.

Why were you so kind to him? Why did you treat him as though he was still your ruler?

"None of this bothers you at all?" He vaguely gestured to himself. "You don't see me as your "enemy"?"

"I only see the injured and the sick, and I heal them." You assured him, chuckling softly. "Do not fret. It matters not what form you take or how limited it is, my lord-"

"Okay, I'm not your "lord" anymore. Just Kallamar is fine."

"...very well, Kallamar. Then let us go. I know a safe path."

[thepenultimateword]

Secret Santa 2023

For this year’s secret Santa I got @watercolorfreckles (I know you got mine too, but I promise I used a randomizer!) I’m sorry this is late, I’ve been traveling and just writing every chance I can get. I got a little overambitious and wrote several scenes instead of just one, so hopefully it doesn’t feel choppy and you like it!

"Hero's shy medic is the unsung and unappreciated glue that keeps the team together, magically repairing their every injury with her power to heal. What happens when Villain finds out how the hero's broken bones are always so quickly mending, and kidnaps the medic to utilize himself?"

Henchman was waiting in baggage claim when Villain arrived. His violet-dyed hair, thick mess of scars, and tall stature made him stand out against the crowd, but he still waved his whole arm over his head as Villain came through the doors.

Villain's glove creaked feelingless against his suitcase handle. This was getting tiresome. Probably for Henchman too. It was ridiculous that he insisted on picking him up from the airport every trip instead of looking for a new employer.

"Any luck?" Henchman said, seamlessly transferring Villain's bag into his own hand.

Villain's insides twisted. Maybe he should fire Henchman. That would force the underling to think about himself. Though Villain couldn't deny his reluctance to lose such loyalty. He wasn't sure he actually had the strength to enforce his own abandonment.

"Nah." He rubbed his numb hands together and forced a lighthearted tone. "Just another waste of money. I spent three weeks meditating away the damage, only for the so-called "power guru" to say I don't want to be healed. Apparently, if I did, I would have been able to banish the "bile" from my body."

Henchman gave the suitcase wheels a little bang against the ground. "Morons and scam artists.”

"Yes, well, it was a 50/50 shot in the first place. How's my bird?"

Henchman grimaced. "Still eating very little. She has stopped beating against her cage, but now she's very lethargic and despondent."

"You've tried cheering her up? Good food, nice things?"

"Yes, but she's not very chatty. Maybe we should have waited to get her until after your trip. This would have gone better with...some stability."

The automatic door swooshed open, and they stepped out into the chill winter air. Villain blew out a long cloudy breath and watched it disappear into the dreary, gray city landscape. Everything was so temporary. Here one moment, gone the next.

"The opportunity was too good," he said. "Besides, we couldn't leave her with our friend."

Hero had enough of an advantage without also having a decent healer on his side. No matter how many hits Villain divvied out, the heroic team always got back up unscathed. Perhaps without their golden goose, Villain could actually turn the tide. And maybe... Villain didn't want to get his hopes up, but maybe she could do something more too. He knew that Henchman knew that was the main reason he’d stolen her away in the first place. By this point he was just pretending to himself that there was a bigger purpose behind it all.

The crosswalk sign beeped its permission to cross the street, and Villain scanned the lot for Henchman's car, spotting its orangey paint job near the front.

"I am concerned she's been doing poorly this whole time. Why don't we stop by her enclosure first."

Henchman nodded and very kindly played along with the act that this was truly concern over an asset and not another cowardly excuse for himself. “I don’t think she’ll be very pleased to see you.”

She’s not going to help you.

“That’s alright.” Villain slid into the passenger seat. As Henchman loaded his suitcase into the trunk, he muttered under his breath, “I don’t have much left to lose.”

***

Villain called her Birdie.

Of course he knew her real title as Hero’s medic, but the nickname just encapsulated her so well.

So small. So skittish. Always flitting around the outskirts of a fight, the great folds of her medic’s cloak flapping at her sides like wings as she lighted briefly at each fallen party. The color was supposed to mark her as a noncombatant, take any targets of her back, but she had the instincts to remain wary always. Most villains didn’t follow the rules, and the gray was as likely to get her killed as not.

So why continue to wear it? Villain wondered, watching her through the one way glass of her cell's wall mirror. It was really more of a mini apartment than a cell--sitting room, bedroom, bathroom. The sitting room was the only room Villain could view into, but he doubted whether Medic knew that. Perhaps it was riskier to give a hostage so much blind space, but anyone worth keeping around couldn't be kept like any regular prisoner. Though, from the looks of it, Medic wasn't exactly grateful for the thoughtful accommodations.

She sat with her face buried in her knees, grey cloak nearly swallowing her little curled up body whole. He'd asked Henchman to prepare daily clothes changes, and the peeking green edge of sleeve implied she'd been taking them, but the cloak remained the same.

Villain moved around to the front of the cell and drew back the bolt on the otherwise regular door, taking a breath before swinging it open with a flourish. “Hello, Birdie.”

The woman leaped a little, head shooting up and fixing him in the inky black pools that were her eyes.

“Sorry for the delay." He locked the door behind him as casually as he could manage. "I’ve been out of town. But now we can finally chat."

Medic blinked then turned her chin into her shoulder.

Villain plopped down on the couch a couple feet away from her place on the rug. "Apparently you haven't been eating properly. Is the food not up to standard? Can I get you something else? Any favorite meals or treats?"

Medic didn't turn or respond.

"Hmm...what do birdies like. Worms?"

The healer's lip curled a little but still nothing.

"How about chocolate? Steak? Fruit tarts?"

Medic only tucked her chin tighter.

"Alright, I get it. The nice treatment doesn't work on you. Unfortunately, I don't have a mean treatment. Not for you at least. I can't asks favors from someone by relying on fear."

That got her attention. She still didn't unfold, but her eyes watched him sideways. Wary but curious. What could a villain need from a healer. He must have his own, so why her? She didn't need to speak for her thoughts to clutter the air.

"No, I can't just tell you," Villain said with a loud sigh. "You might go tell that precious hero team. I know you're quiet, but I don't believe for a second you're that quiet."

Medic swiveled her shoulders ever so slightly. "How...?"

Her voice was not so birdlike. Short yes, but like a rasped breath than a chirp. Still...

Villain grinned. "The very best of ways: by pretending I knew what you were thinking. Throw out a guess and you'll be right 80% percent of the time. That's also a guess by the way, I haven't actually researched the subject."

Medic retreated back into her cloak.

Darn.

Either he was totally unhumorous, or Medic was just that hard to entertain. Then again, she'd seemed interested by the prospect of a supernatural ability. She'd only clammed up again once she got the simple explanation for her question. She should've already known his Gift from the fights she'd witnessed, though he had held bad considerably this last year.

"You're not like other medics," he said, redirecting the conversation. "You have a Gift, don't you? And don't deny it, I've seen the recovery your patients. Scarless, rapid, perfect. One fight I saw a hero putting full weight on what, minutes previously, had been broken femur."

"And that's why you want me?" Medic squeezed her hands together, nails digging into the back of her knuckles like each word spoken aloud pained her. "Because I'm better than your medics? You want me to turncoat?"

"Not entirely. I took you because your good, yes. So good you've kept that ragtag trash hero team up and running way longer than it should have ever been allowed to go. Hero needs to be stopped."

Nothing.

"I'm going to the statue unveiling tonight." He watched her face closely. "I'm going to break it. And while I'm at it, break him."

"He's not that fragile," Medic said, her voice hushing a little further, and her brow furrowing.

"Ah, you know because you've tried?"

"I know because I' m his medic and I know how much treatment each fight requires." It came out quite a bit snappier than Villain expected and Medic must have realized it too because she set her jaw and looked away again. "I can't help you."

Villain pushed himself back to his feet. The declaration was firm, but hardly the denial of a truly devoted team member. Or maybe he was just reading to hard into things. Medic was shy. Maybe she wanted to make herself clear in as few words as possible. But if there was a chance only her fear was holding her back...

"I'll let you know how it goes," Villain said. With that, he made his way back outside the cell, bolting the door behind him with fumbling fingers. He flexed his hands a couple times, as if to warm them back to full function, but they felt as clumsy and disconnected as always. He shoved them gloved into his coat pockets.

Don't think about that. You have a hero to fight.

***

Villain couldn't feel his shoulders. He'd definitely overdone it. He'd overestimated his ability to fight with his arms as damaged as they were and he had relied too much on the power he'd been so careful to conserve.

He stumbled hard against Medic's door, sliding weakly to his knees. He didn't know why he came here. Henchman was probably having a fit searching for him after he'd bolted. Most of those heroes laid in shattered pieces at the scene. Or at least, parts of them did. Villain had found long ago that his Gift--the power to turn whatever he willed to stone--could be used strategically. The loss of limbs was usually enough to make a hero retire, no need to end a whole life. He wouldn't have minded ending Hero, but once again, the leader was the only one who escaped unscathed. Too this day Villain had only ever managed to take a pinky. It was a wonder no one found that suspicious.

Villain slammed his fist against the cell door, or more like tapped. He stifled a sob. “I don’t want to die.”

Not yet. Not without bringing down Hero’s deceit.

Villain strained to reach the bolt, fumbling it twice before finally jostling it outward. He practically collapsed onto Medic’s rug.

Dark spots clouded his vision but suddenly cool hands were running trails down his face.

“Villain?”

Medic?

No wait, the door…he needed to close…why was she still here?

“Uuughh…” Villain rolled into her knees. “It did not go well.”

“What did he do?”

“Besides use every other person as a shield?”

“I mean to your face.”

Villain squinted up into Medic’s dark eyes, so deep and concerned and…and infinite.

“My face,” he mumbled.

“Are these bruises?” Her fingers trailed a second time down his cheek. “It looks painful.”

“It’s in my face?” Villain barely restrained a wail.

“Villain,” Medic said firmly, her quiet rasp getting almost loud. “What happened? Do you need healing?”

Villain’s throat felt thick and swollen, too sticky to get out words. Of course he needed healing. But if she couldn’t help him…he didn’t know if he could take another failure. He didn’t know if his body could take it.

He extended his hand. When Medic only stared, he nodded at the black, fitted glove.

Medic’s thumb worked under the edge. Villain felt nothing but he imagined her fingers felt just as gentle as they had on his cheek.

She gasped.

Villain glanced at the bare skin for only a moment. The once caramel colored palm now a deep ebony. Like something rotten. Like something dead.

“Villain?”

Villain cleared his throat, fighting the words upward. “All powers have a price.” He forced himself to look at blighted appendage. “Mine’s is killing me.”

Medic turned his hand over in her own. “How long?”

“Always. It used to just be a little. Nails. Hair. Parts I could cut off. Then it hit skin…and it won’t stop. I can’t feel; I can hardly move. And no one…” He choked. “I’m going to die. All from trying too hard to rid the world of Hero, and I couldn’t even finish him tonight.”

Medic rested her fingers on the cuff of Villain’s sleeve, eyes meeting Villain's with some unspoken request for permission.

Villain nodded.

Medic's nimble fingers gently picked at the button, freeing the fabric and rolling it up to his elbow. Villain’s eyes widened along with hers. What had once had been dark veins was now as pitch black his hands. From the nothingness in his shoulders it was probably no different above the elbow.

Medic felt gently at the half-petrifaction. Most people, even his most loyal were afraid of the blight. Henchman was unfazed, but the previous medic had quit rather than admit they didn't want anywhere near Villain. And yet Medic touched him willingly.

“You can’t fix it, can you?” Villain said, practically plead. He didn’t care anymore. Even with the doubt in his gut and in his voice. He just needed help.

“I…I might…” Medic said.

“But Hero wouldn’t like it.”

Medic ducked her head. “It’s not that. Well, no…you’re right, he wouldn’t, but he wouldn’t have to know. And there are no specific rules that say I can’t heal a villain, it’s just…”

Villain blinked groggily up at her as she chewed her bottom lip.

“Like you said, all powers have a price.”

“And this one is too much,” Villain said.

“Yes, well, no. I don’t know.” She glanced toward the open door. “Maybe there’s a better healer…”

Villain closed his eyes, practically sinking with resignation. “No. Already tried. I don’t think I have the energy to search anymore.” He clasped numb fingers around his numb arm. “Or the time.”

A long silence stretched between them.

“It’s alright, Birdie. Fly away.”

It didn’t matter who she told now.

Medic pushed him carefully off her lap, clothes rustling as she rose. Two steps sounded toward the door way and then stopped.

“I’m not supposed to…but I’ll do it.”

Villains eyes shot open. “You will?”

Medic sucked in her lips but nodded. “Just…don’t tell.”

She knelt beside him, long gray cloak fanning out around her. The second glove peeled off easier than the first, and she held both hands in hers.

He’d always wondered what it felt it like to experience one of her gifted healings.

It was warm. Like drinking something hot. It spread from head to toe, and the numbness leeched out little by little. The skin lightened from black to charcoal from charcoal to heather grey from grey to brown.

Medic’s hands turned soft in his grip. He squeezed them lightly, his mouth parting in disbelief at the feeling of pressure of warmth of regular mobility. When he sat up, it came easy. Tears sprang to his eyes.

“You did it! You actually did it! Medic, you are—“

He stopped at the sight of her slumping figure. Sweat rolled down her temples, her face was flushed, and her teeth were grit as if in agony.

“Birdie?”

Medic only shivered.

“Birdie. Birdie, are you alright?”

Villain reached out, but she lurched back, stumbling toward the back corner. Veiny blackness spread from her fingertips, trailing up the creases in her skin. Her shoulders trembled. A small vein popped out of from her forehead. And she glared at the blight. Not like someone afraid of it, but like someone who’d like to peel it off and throw it away. Or burn it.

“No!” she cried and slammed both palms against the wall mirror with a feral cry. Immediately the glass crackled and, like a rolling wave, turned to cold, hard stone.

The black faded from dark ebony to a tan spot only

A few shades darker than her skin. She still glared.

Villain gaped. “You… That’s what I do. How did you do what I do? Did I…? Did you…?”

Medic’s eyes darted toward the door.

Villain jumped in front of it first. “Hey hey hey! I’m not going to tell!”

Another guess but apparently the right one because Medic’s shouldered untensed a fraction.

“I’m not going to tell,” Villain repeated. “I just… How?”

Medic wrapped her cloak tighter around herself. Her eyes had taken on a glazed shine suspiciously alike to unshed tears.

“It’s not exactly healing,” she murmured. “More like stealing. Taking injuries and making them mine.”

“The price.”

She nodded. “But this sort of injury…made from a Gift, it doesn’t work the same. It’s more like a build up of power concentrated in one place. And now that it’s mine…I can do what I like with it.”

Villain cocked his head. “And that’s…bad?”

“I don’t work for Hero,” Medic said. “I’m on the team because he’s supposed to watch me. Stop me from doing things like this.”

“Becoming too powerful?”

“Becoming a villain.”

Villain might have laughed if she didn’t actually look so scared. He took her hands carefully, savoring the sensation of skin on skin warmth once again. He fixed her with a hard stare that she seemed uncertain to hold or shy away from. He smiled, the first real one in a long time.

“What’s wrong with villains?”

Medic swallowed, looking away but not pulling back her hands. Her voice came out very quiet. “I guess…not everything.”

[aziraphales-library]

Hi! All of you do fantastic work! Do you have any fics with like magical curses and true loves kiss? I don’t really care about rating. Thank you again!!

Hello! You can fics along these kinds of lines on our #fantasy au tag. Here are some curse/true love's kiss specific fics...

The Fairy Prince, the Toad and the Snake by KannaOphelia (T)

Aziraphale supposed it was interesting that his flaming sword still managed to flame while underwater, but there were better ways to find out than dropping it down a well. He craned over the side and gazed down, seeing the glimmers of red and orange, far beyond his reach. "You've done it now," said the snake, watching him from the apple tree. "I suppose I have, yes." Aziraphale wondered if he could hook a rope around it or something, and draw it up. He wasn't quite sure how it would work. "Bound to happen," the snake said, not unkindly. "Don't want to go waving a big killing thing like that around. Sssssupposed to be a weapon." A Good Omens retelling of The Frog Prince, for Fairy Tale Inspired 2021

Fairest by lilliankayl (T)

(Snow White Retelling AU) Aziraphale has no memories of his father and very few of his mother. His father died when he was an infant and his mother remarried shortly afterwards. When his mother died just before his seventeenth birthday, his stepfather’s true colors were revealed. Now on the run and taking shelter from those who will help him, Aziraphale must never let the king find him, for it will surely mean his death if he is found.

The Dragon's Greatest Treasure by Sir_Bear (T)

Once upon a time, the kingdom of Eden was protected by the eternal knights. One of these ageless warriors, the healer Raphael, disappeared hundreds of years ago after saving Sir Aziraphale’s life. Now, while escorting prince Gabriel across the kingdom, Aziraphale is captured by the dragon Crowley. The two begin to fall in love, but can a relationship like their's work, when all Crowley sees himself as is a monster, and Aziraphale feels bound by his duty to the knights? *** He shrugged his scaly shoulders, his eyes looking about as if trying to find a change of topic. “Didn’t you have a magic sword?” “Uh…” “You did, you were waving it about and everything. What happened to it?” Aziraphale’s throat made a croaking noise, unwilling to answer. “Lost it already have you?” “Gave it away…” He muttered, despite himself. “You what?” Crowley’s golden eyes went wide, tilting his huge head to the side. “They’d be in danger without it!” He burst out. “There are dangerous creatures out there, not to mention you!”

A Demon's Guide to Love and Curses by cyankelpie (G)

(Crowley has been cursed by a witch, cut off from his powers, and trapped in serpent form. Only a True Love’s Kiss can restore him to his former self. There’s just one problem: demons can’t fall in love.) “So what’s your plan?” Crowley said at last, sounding resigned. “You want me to ssslither into town, find some random human, and see if I can fall in love with them? And get them to fall for me?” “Goodness, no. That would never work.” Aziraphale crossed the floor and pulled his cloak off the coat stand. “My plan is to take you into town, and then, together, we’ll find someone for you to court.”

(Someday I'll Be) Part of Your World by Pearl09 (T)

Aziraphale is a merman who likes human things a little too much. Crowley is a human who just wants to leave the awful place he’s at. A chance meeting, a surprising rescue, lead to more than the two of them ever imagined. Would they truly risk their own souls to be with each other? And, more importantly, will they meet the necessary requirements on time to keep them? A Little Mermaid au/fusion featuring two pining idiots.

hearts and thoughts fade away (I swear I recognize your breath) by Melime (M)

Due to a clerical error, Crowley is cursed by Hell, losing his memories of the past six thousand years. Now, Aziraphale has to regain his trust and find a way to cure him, but the only way to do this is by confronting his own prejudices regarding demons' capacity to love.

- Mod D

[deiaiko]

#21.3 Thoughts

"What's on your mind?" Isu asked, already lying down on his futon which was placed right next to his. Laure was already fast asleep on Isu's other side.

Hatz crouched down and pulled on his blanket. His thoughts kept going back to whatever happened just a moment ago as he stared at the ceiling. "How high do you think I can climb the tower?"

Isu hummed, the answer came easy. "Definitely higher than me."

Hatz looked at him, frowning. "I will take you along."

Shibisu's smile didn't reach his eyes, and he was not looking at Hatz.

"I just…" Hatz started again to fill the silence, "I realized how weak and helpless I am, in the face of true power."

Shibisu only hummed, and Hatz came to a realization. He knew very well that Isu wasn't gifted with power, yet he always did his best to keep up with their team that consisted of mostly gifted individuals. Though Hatz wouldn't call himself one, since he came from a more humble background.

"I think I understand you better now." Hatz said, with a newfound fondness of his friend. "It's frustrating, isn't it?"

"You're being sentimental." Isu chuckled, but he didn't deny it.

Hatz also didn't deny the claim. He might be just missing the life he left behind, where everything was simple, where he was praised for some achievements. But he also wouldn't exchange it for what he had today. His team, his family. It was just the thought that everything that he had could be taken away in just an instant, while he was powerless to stop it.

"You're rarely like this." Isu asked, now with a little concern. "What happened?"

Hatz debated on how to tell him. "We met a ranker, along with Agni and Grace, earlier."

"Oh?" Isu shifted to lie sideways, smirking at him with intrigue. "You met Grace? How did it go?"

It seemed that Isu was still under the assumption that Hatz had a crush on Grace, which he definitely did not. Not when Grace asked him to teach him how to wield a sword, and not when Grace picked his side when he debated with Earrings about swordsmanship's principles. Grace had wanted to know him better, and it was natural that Hatz had grown to like him more than the others. It was all just a mutual feeling, nothing extending to romance. Though he had to admit that he wanted to impress Grace and earn his attention, because no one else bothered to actually see the art of swordsmanship he was so proud of and trained hard with. Still, he had no intention to take him away from Agni. It was against his principle of loyalty. Even if, admittedly, he was a little bitter about it when he found out that Agni looked and acted a lot like Khun.

"You're frowning~" Isu taunted. "Could it be…jealousy~?"

"It's not like that." Hatz cleared his throat, as well as whatever he was feeling. "What I saw earlier made me realize that they're living in a different world than ours."

"Are you referring to their power? Since you're talking about it earlier." Isu's expression turned serious once again. "I mean…Agni is surely strong. We have all seen that first hand."

"He does, but– what I experienced earlier, was something I could get out of by luck."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know how to tell you exactly, but it felt like I had witnessed a fight between high rankers."

"On this floor?? In the regular area??"

"There was a shinsu barrier, so the fight was unseen from outside. I didn't notice anything amiss until I accidentally went through the barrier, and Agni caught me as soon as I entered."

"A barrier that could contain a high rankers' fight, yet easy for regulars to get through…" Isu mumbled. "Are they perhaps…sparring?"

"I think you might be right." Because Hatz was said to be unconscious for only a few minutes, and everything seemed to be over by then. "Rak clarified that Grace had partaken in that fight."

"Huh. Grace did?"

"He was beaten up and unconscious. Where else would he get those injuries?"

"Is he okay?"

"Agni had tended to him, and I can say that Agni is a capable healer. Grace should be fine, he was sleeping when we were forced to leave."

"...Forced?"

"There was a high ranker, I think. His presence was so strong that even Rak was quiet. Though he seemed to be fond of Grace and Agni. But it looked like Agni was a little afraid of him, so he sent us back."

"If that's true, then there is a good chance that the guy is related to FUG." Shibisu groaned and rolled back, covering his face. "Shit, what did we get ourselves into…"

"Uh…Sorry?"

"No, no. It's not your fault." Isu flailed his hands to try and make his point, before sighing and laying his hands back down. "Just…I'm glad you made it back, Hatz."

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[bigfan-fanfic]

Nurture (Male Reader x Thor)

Requested by @jayfeather965 for  Thor meets a shy human who has the power to talk to animals and control plants. He met him on a rescue mission from some hydra facility. Can you do a short fic on them forming a relationship as human begins to trust again and get over his trauma?

It had been decided that protective custody would be the best thing for you, and Thor had offered to bring you to Asgard.

SHIELD obviously hadn't liked that, but it wasn't up to them.

Hydra had determined that harkening back to the Auld Ways was the way forward, and their deep dives into mysticism and the occult had not only revealed the existence of Chaos magic, but also the natural magic of the world.

What better weapon than life itself?

What better equipped assassin than one who could take advantage of the most abundant form of complex life?

What better spy than one who can talk to animals?

However, Asgard is pretty much the perfect place for you to feel comfortable.

Magic is not just accepted and known here, but a way of life. Odin and Frigga are both highly accomplished mages, and their son Loki has learned from them both.

So, really, no one is shocked at your abilities, which is actually really helpful in you coming to accept them yourself. In fact, quite a few share similar abilities.

It's still hard to trust anyone, though.

Thor appoints himself your bodyguard and accompanies you wherever you would like to go.

He treats you cautiously, carefully. He never prods you to start talking, nor directs you to go anywhere unless it's for a reason that he explains, like dinner is starting, or there's a very nice secluded garden that you might like to check out.

Eventually, you start to open up to him. It's easy to talk when there's no pressure to it.

You don't talk about what you've been through. Not yet, although there has been a healer you've been obliged to speak with once a week to process what has happened to you.

With Thor you ask about his memories. His childhood, his thoughts. Simple things like his favorite color. You're still pretty shy, so these questions take great effort to ask, and Thor recognizes that.

He takes his time, pondering each question and giving an honest answer, full of introspection. Sometimes a joke.

Thor slowly becomes easy to talk to. He smiles more frequently, and starts to engage you, and now you don't flinch when he asks you something by surprise.

He too opens up, the more personal questions you ask him getting honest answers, sometimes pulling deep emotion from him.

You talk to him about your treatment, about your past. He holds you while you cry, and you take him in your arms when he does.

And one morning, he takes you to a garden you haven't seen yet, and you lean forward to kiss him.

He freezes. Gently stops you.

"I would be lying if I said I did not care for you. But it would be selfish of me to allow this without inquiring... my friendship, my care for you. It does not come with the expectation of anything else."

He blushes. "Though I would love the opportunity to court you, I will not hold it against you if you decide not to - what I'm trying to say is that... you have my respect, my friendship, and my protection, and you do not need to feel the need to repay me in this way. I just need to make sure you know this."

You nod. "I.. this is because I like you, Thor. I like being around you. I like seeing you every day. I like listening to you. Talking to you. I love you."

He smiles softly, eyes prickling with unshed tears. "This... it overjoys me. I fear that if we embrace, I shall never wish to let you go. I promise you now that I will do whatever I can to help you. Even if that means giving you space. Just command me, and it shall be done, my prince."

You blush. "I... I can't promise that I'll ever be fully okay. That I'll stop being afraid of everything. All I know is that I want to try. And I'll keep trying."

He's so close to you right now.

And somehow, when you move slowly, deliberately, your eyes open, to kiss him - it means all the more than rushing into it blindly and impulsively.

Your eyelids flutter shut as your lips meet his, and he's right.

You may never wish to let go.

[mimicha-arts]

Wasn't even sure if I want to post it, but anyway. I like to be more objective, analyze everything and so on. But this is the last week - which means I will live in delulu. Just don't take anything seriously. This post is a mixture of thoughts, guesses, a little personal opinion, not a theory. It's about possibilities. To begin with, I must say that my expectations have unfortunately broken free, and I cannot keep them in check. I also hope that, as always, the final episode will be more than 30 minutes ;)

REMINDER SPOILERS for ep11/ep12/s2

Keep calm No one has shot Cheng Xiaoshi in this timeline (yet)

Possibility 1 If it's just one shot. There is a possibility that the shot is a trick, where the frames and words should be in a different order. First there should be a shot scene where Qian Jin is still wearing the bulletproof vest. Most likely, he will simply run out of ammo later.

If so, yes, Cheng Xiaoshi was shot. Yes, the bullet partially hit. In fact? It was a miss. By all logic, the events when Qian Jin does not have a vest are what comes next in chronology. He must be left without firearms, so he switches to hand-to-hand combat. At the moment when Xiaoshi raises his hand to strike, you can see that he has a wound/torn clothing in a very obvious place, but this is not a through shot. Also Lu Guang's words, as an answer to Cheng Xiaoshi's worries: "You're not better than me, anyway" - probably, this “similarity” reflects the duality of their wounds.

And it's gonna be just like this... Or. Possibility 2 There will be two shots. And even if Qian Jin runs out of ammo, Xiao Li still appears in the scene, he most likely has a gun. I'm not sure if they can put such a serious and important moment in a teaser, but.

Keep in mind that where XIao Li is, there is always an absolute mess (do we trust him at all, haha). Considering all the actions of the police, either the animation studio is really salty about police work in the real world, or the constant fuck ups is deliberate actions.

Although I think Li Tianchen's attention will be focused on Li Tianxi or Qian Jin... Speaking of XƎTЯOVerthink, we still have "Li Tianchen and a bouquet of flowers". He has a very strong motivation to “get it all back.” If he shot at Lu Guang, but Cheng Xiaoshi blocked him with himself, it would make sense.

Ok, maybe things will be different. Anything can happen.

Qiao Ling

Everyone already assumed - it came true, since in the opening her eyes lit up in an extremely interesting way, and now in the preview we see the activation of her abilities.

Considering that this is (probably) the second time we see such a scene, we can say with some degree of certainty that Qiao Ling initially did not have her own abilities, but upon the death of Li Tianxi, Qiao Ling received her abilities or activated powers which are more compatible with the inner “core” of Qiao Ling herself.

Again, I think she kinda fits the role of "healer" in the team. This may also be related to the fact that in collaboration with 花亦山心之月 one of her abilities was directly related to healing and restoring HP. If this was done on purpose a year ago, if collaboration lore is particularly canon and hints... Ohhhhhh :)

I'm not sure if Qiao Ling's abilities will be a "one-time opportunity" since it is unclear whether we will remain in this timeline/reality. Considering all the elements in her posters (hearts, the music player, stop button), I think she will have the ability to stop/freeze time in the moment. It is precisely because of the symphony of life, probably she represents a “pause” button.

Lu Guang, Cheng Xiaoshi and Vortex

Something has to happen. Everyone understands perfectly well what the fandom is waiting for. Everyone perfectly understands hints and literally directly said things (visually and with OSTs). But we are all afraid that this situation is a hoax. Ugh, me too. This is terribly funny.

But let's not forget. This is the essence of LinkClick. Confuse everyone, make them doubt and overthink, and then take the most literal and direct path. Because that's what the game is about. I like to think of s2 as a game with an audience. I would laugh that Lu Guang would just be a "normal guy", but (c)... Nah, I think he is an onion with many layers.

YES. I'm still confused by the circumstances of the shot in the ep 12 intro. But we have so little understanding of where the truth is that I will continue to support the most obvious and direct way to the end.

In my opinion: s1 events is the cyclical past but with changing circumstances/Lu Guang's attempts, s2 is the present in which a “vortex” will occur, they will switch roles, and s3 is Chen Xiaoshi’s stage of depression - so Cheng Xiaoshi will be the one who will face the destiny from the other side, either learn how to live without Lu Guang, either find a way how to get him back. If everything goes this way - everything in s3 will ultimately lead to an attempt to change the node of their meeting so that they never intersect, but this is completely mystical speculation based on foreshadowing.

Considering how Cheng Xiaoshi's abilities are developing, 12 hours is not his limit. That’s why I’m betting on time jumping/rewriting from Cheng Xiaoshi's side. This choice had already arisen before him twice. We are getting closer and closer to what this will lead to. I guess one of his main themes as a character is, can he remain “himself” until the very end? I am referring to 天真.

I'll accept any scenario, just in general knowing WHAT Director Lee likes to do in his works... Huh. Also this poster for s2 extremely strange “does not coincide” with themes is s2. Like, we discussed the cameras several times, the difference in reflections and so on, but there is one point that was barely brought up. At least I didn't see it lately, cause I'm kinda new here. They're here in their damn SCHOOL uniforms (校服), we never had a flashback or anything with this designs in s2. Well. Time-jumps into the past, at the moment of the “nod/meeting” on the basketball court, but now all events will go on behalf of Cheng Xiaoshi? Yo. Is it possible that we will see (s3) their “past” not through flashbacks, but through the prism of the present? This seems like a rather interesting idea to me. If we are considering "The Arrow of Time" here, all events are relative, and it's also possible.

Considering that we all know about the “dark-design!CXS” in the intro, it never matched his design in s1, and there is an obvious link between the seasons and the passage of time, where exactly s2 is the present, and the entire s1 is a continuous "flashback". I'm not a big fan of posting materials from the art books, but it's just bits… In concept sketches of scenes, Cheng XIaoshi has a dark design, like in his intro. His eyes are not black, they are kinda ligher, like yellow, so these are not concepts for s1 at all (I’m speculating) - these are probably his concepts for s3, reliving the events when the Vortex turns over.

Anyway. Cheng XIaoshi is going to take a burden. Therefore, it is easy to draw parallels in s2ep3, we all understand the context. The themes of promises. Also, the ring. He is character with the obvious path - he have to realize the truth, find out about everything and live with it, keeping the memories. Especially about one "forget-me-not" person.

This is my personal opinion and empty speculation. So, in overall:

Lu Guang's vision was a flashback, he took over Cheng Xiaoshi's abilities at the time of death and was able to rewrite the events, but it's not the same as Cheng Xiaoshi's time jumping in the past. The color coding can be anything, but since red-lilac (as connection with twins) and white went to Qiao Ling, and all the Easter eggs point to green, Lu Guang still most likely originally had a green-yellow color coding, blue for Cheng Xiaoshi, idk.

All of Lu Guang's knowledge of lore and abilities comes from his personal experiences - for me, he as a character is literally imbued with the theme of regrets and the severity of his own actions. We saw how much his emotional moments, worries and sincerity were centered around Cheng Xiaoshi in s1, and everything became completely straightforward in s2.

Difference in design - in my eyes refers to the fact that Cheng Xiaoshi from the past could not survive his “fate” in any scenario before this attempt. And Cheng Xiaoshi from this timeline is the only one who got the opportunity to “move further into the future.” There's a chance that the story will begin once again, but from a different, now “correctly chronological angle” , if we take it from the point of view in the intros, precisely at the transitional moment from s2 to s3. But at the same time, I think that they cannot completely destroy the current chronology of events.

A lot depends on the date of Cheng Xiaoshi’s birthday, so maybe when he crossed his “age limit” everything goes to an end. I will scream if this shot is not actually a happy return to the photo studio, but Cheng Xiaoshi's birthday celebration in the past.

What about Lu Guang? Well. We literally have lyrics for "The Tides" - if this ED won't spoil everything that happens, I don't understand the lyrics at all. I don't think Lu Guang's existence will be eradicated from the universe, time or reality now. I think the current version of him will end up dead/cut off by the universe from the current version of Cheng Xiaoshi.

Will my understanding of events deceive me? Very likely. I'm not sure of anything except one thing - I'm wrong somewhere. Especially because here I do not take into account the plot role of Hatman (we have no idea what he is trying to achieve and what his influence will be in this particular situation) Again, a friendly reminder - this is all pure speculation. Lu Guang is a mystical liar, and this is not a fair game. We're playing bingo.

But am I completely sure that Lu Guang is absolutely pathetic and miserable, that he is the person who, despite all his words and rules, could not let go the person he loves?

Yes.

Qian Jin

Honestly? I love what they did. Oh, it will be a sexy main villain with complex morals? He has his own vision of justice blah blah blah. No, we have a very dirty story here, some people just fucked up everything in their lives and everything in the lives of the people around them. “And what, everything was just like that, so useless, is that how the script works?” Ok, everything may change in ep12, but.. yeah? And I think that's great. Because that's how life works, too. One of the most terrifying experiences in life is to be around such people in power. I'm not making excuses for Li Tianchen's actions, but I have deep empathy for him - his life really was nothing but a nightmare. I have no questions about his logic or methods of “asking for help” - because he is a victim of abuse.

At the moment, it's the pure irony that Qian Jin always used everyone as tools, that even his "family" were never really on the same side with him, and in the end the real "tool" - is Qian Jin himself. In the hands of a Hatman. If earlier I believed that they could act as one (since I had other thoughts about Quede, and we also did not know Qian Jin’s motivation), now I am inclined to believe that Qian Jin never knew that he was just a pawn in someone else's hands. Also, that purple color is all around his figure ;) "Hatman" was never on the screen in present, but also always was here.

Twins

My bet is that they definitely don't fall out of the plot. Their role is too important, they must be included in the main cast to reveal the story arc of Hatman (here I'm sure he is Liu Xiao). If he promised Li Tianchen a meeting in the future - it will happen. Could he get a redemption arc? Perhaps. Will he be able to get his HE? I guess no. Hatman's words in flashbacks about his philosophy about hunters sound pretty straight forward. This will be a completely different antagonist, with his own philosophy and understanding of the structure of the world and society. But it's not entirely clear to me what path the plot is leading us down and what the final point will be. To what extent is our “main” antagonist really... the main “antagonist”, will Li Tianchen continue to follow the path of "destruction" or will he receive a redemption arch.

Given his background, it's possible, and I can generally see the possibilities for it, even considering that Li Tianchen was involved in a series of massacres. The different details of the murders and the broken chronology - I can get how this could theoretically be softened if it is divided who killed whom. Yes, we know that Li Tianchen generally had no problem stabbing a person with a knife. But I still don't understand the difference in murdering styles (also what's wrong with boots in some cases), considering that Li Tianchen probably prefers more planned and quiet methods (like murder-suicides). It probably doesn't mean anything, Li Tianchen personally confirmed that he killed these people, but I sense something strange here. For now, I cannot imagine, if Li Tianxi does not die completely, how the script will be able to maintain the right degree between drama and logic and at the same time not discount everything that happened in the plot. If events are rewritten, it all depends on what impact it leaves, whether this reality, where everything mattered, will continue to exist. But this is definitely not the end for all of them.

Hatman

I'm still firmly convinced that Hatman is Liu Xiao, not much has changed since my first post about him. Possible antipode of Lu Guang (was Lu An from the mini-series a subtle hint, haha). At the moment I'm leaning towards 3 ideas:

He is also a person with abilities and sees variations of the future that has not yet happened since childhood, which generally clarifies his mysterious phrases about possibilities and chances.

In terms of time, since all events are relative to each other, maybe he is able to move from the “present-future” to himself 7 years ago in order to “lead” Li Tianchen to the desired point in current events and correct the necessary course.

It's all part of a time loop, the events are rewritten, but he still has memories of them, which is why he can "correct" what happens when the "loop" of several years is repeated again.

What else am I sure of? He will have some kind of terrible background story with his mother, remember it. And, if we take into account another donghua from the same studio, perhaps Liu Xiao takes his “roots” and “references” from approximately the same character as Lu Guang himself - just each of them … adopted different features, references and archetypes. Because damn it, Liang Chao's legacy is real and I can't stop thinking about it - this is one of the characters from Tu Bian Ying Xiong: Leaf - his story and family situation have interesting points, especially considering some moments in the link click itself, which refer to Leaf's plot (same city, closing of a pharmaceutical company, some interesting easter eggs, all of it)

Photos from OP

I always wondered what was going on in all the photos in the opening. I didn't expect them all to be left with such intrigue until the very last episode.

We have two photos in the opening that are flying in the water, they are almost impossible to see because of the blur, I think that their meaning will be revealed this friday (same as diary). If the events were/will be rewritten, most likely it has something to do with these photos - the same two photos from the op, as well as in 3D scene.

Except for Chen Nan, there are a few more strange photos from the passage in the tunnel. More cases, covered bodies, a bicycle/bike handlebar or something like that... But I have no clear thoughts on them at all.

What are the main points?

Some could be picked up in episode 12 in my opinion. Or in s3, I hope they not fall into oblivion. I am not taking into account all the questions that left since s1, hello to April-September and Emma.

Qian Jin should probably die, his birthday present.

The real circumstances of Chen Nan's death, there is too much unreliable information.

Explanation of the circumstances of Chen Bin's death, since it's not confirmed.

Xiao Ma also will be choked on screen.

Did Wang Juan survive?

How exactly did the twins' parents die?

Context of Qiao Ling's abilities - will Li Tianxi be saved or not.

Where is Liu Min's phone, what is the danger of information inside

Some chances of hints for 7th case, maybe.

The boat / flipped phone / kettle, everything related to the time loop, why Lu Guang knew the place/left a photo. Why doesn't Lu Guang use his watch anymore?

Password, ring, call - these are not questions that will be answered immediately

Who will get the shot, in what timeline and how? If the vision shows different circumstances, what happened there?

What are the photos about, what is the book/diary from the OP?

We still hope and believe in Lu Guang flashbacks, if related to the previous points, then. Why do they need to use such "time machine" references -

Vortex in context, will time be broken completely?

Will circumstances bring Cheng Xiaoshi and Li Tianchen to some extreme point?

Why is there a photo studio frame with balloons?

Liu Xiao / Hatman as the main cliffhanger

Too much, probably. All thoughts are my delusions. Well. See you on Friday.

[pain-is-too-tired]

Am I the only one who's kinda getting bored of the "haha Percy is blonde like Will, the you're not my type scene is gonna be so funny" or whatever?

Specifically because Walker looks nothing like how I imagine Will?

Like yeah, he's blonde. But not the blonde I see for Will? It's a darker tone. Plus He does not have lanky cat stretched out in sun vibes sorry y'all

That, and Nico never specified he meant looks when he said Percy wasn't his type.

Cause if we compare Will and Percy they're different in a lot of ways.

Will's a healer, Percy's a fighter.

Will is described as laid back and appearing a lot more harmless then he really is. Why Percy is constantly being described as frightening and even godlike. He's a whole storm why Will's a cat stretched out in the sun.

Both are stubborn,but Will is a lot better holding in his more extreme emotions. It takes a lot more for him to be loud when going back and forth with someone. He can sound annoyed but he hardly ever sounds angry.

That and Will can calm down others like Clarisse, why Percy ends up matching them in attitude at some point.

Like I said, Percy's a fighter which often leads to impatience as usually in a fight its so quickly placed. You have to strike first before your enemy gets you. His adhd is a lot more hyperactive.

Will on the other hand has to balance patience and speed. Rushing can be dangerous, but you also can't be too slow or else chances of your patient dieing grows. It applies to how he interacts with others too.

And I honestly think that might be why Nico clicked more to Will. Will just has more patience to get through to him. He gets upset but he keeps his cool. Literally,iirc, they were in LITERAL HELL before they had their first true out right fight.

Idk why it urks me so much now. It was funny at first but it feels it's been beaten to the ground.

I think a lot it is also I feel Will is way too often chopped down to Nico's "hot therapist boyfriend". That y'all literally think of Percy was blonde that's all was needed to be Nico's type again. Like that's all that makes Will his type.

Heck, think about the fact Percy hardly ever defenseless. If he doesn't have his sword he has his powers.

Nico's thoughts on Will why he was literally going on about him in boo is that despite his harmless figure. Despite being a healer and not a fighter. Will rushes in to battle, even volunteering to scout on a enemy right after DELEVERING A BABY AT 14.

I think Nico found Will a lot more welcoming because Percy is just too much like him in some ways.

Sure, they can outsmart opponents, they're not dumb or completely dependent on their weapons and abilities. But without them they're a bit more unsure of their next moves. We see that Nico,despite being on the verge of dieing, still instinctively relies on his abilities. Though we don't see a similar case with Percy, his abilities is what makes him great enough to go toe to toe with literally gods. Nico's connect to death related abilities radiating from him was enough to scare back monsters.

Both need someone who isn't as use to being able to depend on weapons or godly powers strong enough to topple armies. They need someone to keep them grounded.

It's why Will and Annabeth click so well with their respective boyfriends. Annabeth constantly coming up with plans, she has only really her wits and a small blade to get her the upper hand. AND SHE DOES SO. I'm sure if Percy was in a situation where he couldn't use any of his abilities and either without his sword or couldn't depend on it as well, she would easily think of a plan and keep him from over doing it.

Will,like Annabeth, doesn't have the same powerful aura that his boyfriend does that keeps others literally backing away.

But he still managed to walk past Gemini without being stopped. I refuse to believe that he can't handle himself in battle like TSATS tried to say.

Anyway, really excited to see baby Will in the show in a few years fhdh

[shallyne]

The Prince of Night and the City of Starlight

And here is the Feysandnyx fluff I promised y'all. Canon compliant, newborn Nyx. Enjoy!

Words: 1,293

TW: mention of traumatizing birth, recovery of birth post partum

Feyre and Rhys are introducing Nyx to Velaris.

It was a beautiful day in Velaris. The sun was shining, the sky was blue with only a few single clouds in sight and the birds were chirping. The temperatures were mild, perfect for a walk with baby Nyx. Feyre had planned to take him out with her earlier but the day before it was too cold for her liking and the day before that it was raining. Okay, fine, it was more of a drizzle. She knew that she was too anxious but she couldn't put it off, she wouldn't make her son uncomfortable by any means. In the four weeks that they had their son, Feyre had caught herself correcting Rhys a bunch of times when he changed diapers, bathed him or just how he held Nyx. Fortunately her mate took it personally, it was instincts that made her act that way and they knew. Especially because she had witnessed Rhys himself getting anxious when someone held Nyx for too long, or slightly slumping in relief when Feyre told him that the weather was too bad to take Nyx for a walk. In theory, they were prepared for their parental instincts, they read books after books and asked Madja endless questions on their appointments and they already had felt these instincts bubbling up during the pregnancy but oh boy, that was just a wisp of the force that hit them like a punch in the just. Holding Nyx for the first time, she knew that she would die for this little babe in her arms but more importantly, she would live for him. She would protect him and love him and give him the beautiful life he deserved.

"Stop fussing, you mother hen. I'm not incompetent, you one?" Feyre told her mate.

A corner of his mouth tugged up as he tightened the baby carrier on Feyre, "I know you're not incompetent, Feyre darling, but would you just let me help for once without complaining?"

She rolled her eyes, putting her hands on his shoulders as he tightened another strap but they both knew she was thankful for him. Nyx's birth was complicated and it took Feyre much longer to heal than it would have taken if it had been a natural birth. She still wasn't fully recovered, even with her healing powers she inherited from the High Lord of the Dawn Court, although it was mostly soreness that plagued her these days.

Rhys tugged on the bindings and then smiled satisfied, "That should do, it's perfect." he took her face in his hands, "Are you ready for Velaris to meet our little boy?"

Nervously, she wiped her hands on her pants, "As ready as I can be." she told him, pressing a light kiss on his lips.

He slid an arm around her and darkness gathered around them, "Don't worry, Mor and I will be with you the whole time." he whispered in her ear, then winnowed them downstairs where said blonde waited for them, holding Nyx. He already started to get restless, which wasn't something new. Feyre knew that exact same restlessness, that type that she got when she was separated from her son for too long. It was only a matter of a few minutes that it took Nyx from being restless to screaming his lungs out until Feyre picked him up and carried him around. They had asked Madja if it was normal, who had told him that Feyre and Nyx had a strong bond and that this could be the result from the complications at birth.

"Hi baby," she cooed at him as she took Nyx out of Mor's arms and Rhys helped them get him into the carrier, careful with his still delicate wings. Feyre pressed a soft kiss on his dark hair as he settled. "Are you ready to explore Velaris?" she asked him in a baby voice. She could have sworn that Nyx smiled at her voice but the healer had told them that wasn't possible at that age but Feyre was so sure that he was smiling. She looked up at Mor and Rhys, her hand supporting Nyx's head. "Let's go then." she nodded to the front door.

It didn't take them long until the first people came closer, staying away a healthy distance. If they didn't know that they should stop a few feet away, they would see it at the way Rhys stiffened, the way Feyre was flanked by Rhys and Mor and how slightly forward, ready to protect Nyx and Feyre if necessary. As the residents, two shop owners Feyre recognized and a younger Fae, presumably pre-teen, congratulated Feyre she felt pride blooming in her chest. Her son, she thought as she stroked her thumb over Nyx's head. His blue-gray eyes, so similar to hers, took in their surroundings. He found it especially interesting when a wind breeze rustled the leaves of a tree.

Her hand always supporting Nyx's head, she linked her other hand with Rhys's, stepping towards the rainbow.

It was Rhys's idea that they walked through the rainbow first. Not only because it was colorful, they had realized that Nyx was very fond of colorful things, but also because it calmed Feyre down.

"I think he likes it." Feyre said softly.

Rhys squeezed her hand, smiling at Feyre. He looked so happy as they walked there, that her breath hitched. She let the walls of her mental shields down a bit, feeling the wave of pure love, so much stronger than with her shields up. He opened his mouth, but Mor already cooed in a high pitched voice, "Of course Nyxie does! That's Velaris, right, Nyxie? Pretty Velaris! Pretty!" she booped his little nose, which in return he gripped her finger. "Look how strong you are!" Feyre giggled which made Mor grin at her, "Don't let Cassian know how strong he is, he will already make training plans."

"He can try, I'll kick his ass." Feyre murmured. Rhys chuckled, "I'd love to see that."

"Me too," Mor said, "Careful! Step!"

They were stopped a few times as they walked through the rainbow. They held conversations, introduced their son, and repeated as they walked past musicians and art shops. They took a breather, walking along the Sidra, when Nyx started to get fussy and Feyre knew from the way he mewled.

Rhys winnowed them both home after they said goodbye to Mor. She only managed to get out of her shoes before he started crying.

"Just a moment, my little star," she said softly, lifting him out of the carrier. Rhys already undid the binds before she could ask him two and soon Feyre was perched against the headboard, feeding him. Just then she felt the exhaustion crashing in.leaning her he'd back, she sighed and watched Nyx.

"How are you?" Rhys asked, slipping out from the bathroom where he went a few minutes prior.

Feyre half-smiled and shrugged. "I'm tired."

"Of course you are," he replied softly, perching on the bed beside her, "Today was draining."

"We went on a walk," she retorted, keeping her voice down for Nyx.

Rhys sighed, stroking circles on her thigh with his thumb, "You're recovering, Feyre. Magnificently, if I may add, but it's still a recovery and it will still take some time." He brushed a Strand of her hair out of her face, "And we were walking through the rainbow for hours. That's longer than usual. Of course you're tired."

She smiled, gesturing for him to lean forward so she could kiss him. "I love you,"

"Of course you do." he said. Feyre narrowed her eyes at him which made him chuckle. "I love you, too." he looked at Nyx. "Both of you. More than anything in the world."

Feysand Taglist:

@captain-of-the-gwynriel-ship @edgyellie @starfall-spirit @rhysiedarling @corcracrow @sydney-fae25 @tothestarsandwhateverend @aayo-whatt @disturbingly-silent

[llixulia]

Nyxalius slithered into the Vor’iek graveyard. No matter how much the nobles wanted to make distinctions in life between them and the hybrids, most ended in the same place in death. Here.

He was searching for a specific grave today though. Yihla’s. Hyperion’s daughter, Sharcai's mother and his own son’s mate. He sat next to it, silent, in his fleshed out and armored self, and waited.

“Oh. I… I didn't know someone else came to pay their respects to her.”-said a male voice.

Kailgraesh. Nyxalius looked at him and nodded. “She was a nice female who helped a lot of people. It's the least I can do.”

“You knew her, then.”

Nyxalius hummed his agreement. “We crossed paths sometimes, especially when people's lives were in danger. She was a great healer. Saved many from Death himself.”

"She did." Kailgraesh tilted his head. “You say it like you know him.”

Nyxalius closed his eyes. “That's because I do.”

Kailgraesh blinked. “You do? What is he like?”

“Yes. Despite being a god, he’s… He's flawed. He made mistakes in the past that still haunt him nowadays.” He looked at him. “Like never telling his son he's his father and how sorry he is he wasn't there for him. Like telling his son he's sorry he didn't stop his mother from doing what she's been doing for decades, for being afraid of doing so because of the consequences that might have. For what he will do next, which might mean her death as well. He knows he doesn't deserve forgiveness.”

He took a deep breath. “He’s sorry for not telling his son his child didn't die in that horrible spaceship crash where his mate died.”

Kailgraesh’s wings tensed and he looked at him with his eyes wide in shock. “You… What? But… my father is missed in action?”

Nyxalius shook his head. “Your adoptive father is dead. Sheekara killed him. Your real father is right in front of you.”

“That's bullshit! Even if it's true, what, you expect me to be happy and like “oh yay, I have a father!”? After all I’ve lived through? After what she's done, to me and so many others? To my mate? To the hybrids? Why? Why didn't you ever tell me? Why wait until now?”

Nyxalius’ voice broke. “No… I know I don't deserve anything.” He explained everything to Kailgraesh. About the deal. About how he’d failed Sheekara, Yihla, the hybrids, him, and how he’d kept hidden that he knew Kailgraesh was his son for fear of other gods hurting him.

“I don't expect you to forgive me. I know I don't deserve it. But I… I’m breaking my mating bond with your mother. I’m tired of pretending she can be redeemed. There's nothing left of the person I fell in love with, and she's using me as a meat shield. Things have to change in Llixulia. This is a good start, even if it means she and I will probably die. If we do, our powers will go to you.”

He stood up and took a deep breath. “I know my opinion will not mean much to you, but I want you to know I’m proud of you, of the man you’ve become despite everything. I’m sorry, son. I hope one day you can forgive me.”

Kailgraesh stared at him. He would be getting their powers? Bullshit. It couldn't be true. This Vor'iek... god? couldn't be his father. It had to be a joke... Right? But what if it was true? “...What you said before. Is it true? Sharcai lives?”

“I haven't claimed his soul. He lives.”

"If that's true..." Tears appeared in Kailgraesh's eyes. “All this time… All this time… and I didn't know for sure. I had a hunch, but now it’s confirmed. He lives. I have to find him, I-”

"Shekara can't find out the truth, you hear me? Or he will be in danger too."

"I'm aware." Kailgraesh paused. He could do that. He knew how to protect his mind from his mother... especially now that he knew who Nyxalius was. “This changes nothing between us.” Yihla would have wanted him to listen, and that was the only reason he had so far. Now though... He had things to do.

He nodded. “I know. Farewell... son."-he said, dissolving into mist.

[leomonae]

Soooo it turns out that if you're playing a do-gooding, self-sacrificing bleeding heart type who's basically contractually obligated by their religion to take on suffering in place of others doing so and also gives a fuck about what happens to the githyanki as a society...

(Massive spoilers ahoy!)

... you kind of inevitably wind up an illithid? Which, okay, fine, cool cool cool, as a healer this is pretty much the only time I've been at all effective in combat except when we're frying undead so that part is pretty awesome and apparently Ilmater is totally cool with all this since I still have my cleric powers, except now my prettyboy vampire boyfriend refuses to kiss me anymore, on the grounds that it won't work with my new mouth :(

The thing is, though, I've been mulling this over for the past fucking day I've been unable to just finish the damn game because of this slow-ass patching process courtesy of GOG, and I think I actually kind of adore this outcome? No, really, I could see this being great for Tav and Astarion's relationship, once he's had enough time to get over the whole... eldritch horror aspect of it all!

Benefit one: Tav's lifespan just became a total non-issue for them! Sure, I don't know and wasn't finding much regarding illithid lifespans, but my Tav was a human before; pretty much anything would be an improvement on that, next to how long a powerful elven vampire could expect to live. And honestly, illithid lifespan isn't even that important in that regard, because they have other options Tav could now actually take. There's no way she'd have ever agreed to becoming a vampire before, but now that the "I prey upon mortals to survive" line has already been crossed? The details of how she's going to handle things ethically hammered out? Why not go full-on vampiric illithid at this point, if that extends their time together? Hells, she could jump straight to illithilich if she wanted!

Benefit two: illithid are sexless. Sexless, but - crucially - with the potential to still be sex-positive, if we take that little interlude with the Emperor which broke my brain so badly the other week at face value. The most obvious implication of the narration was that what the mind flayer gets out of the whole experience is what their partner is putting in: that it's due to their psionic link, or whatever. Sure, there are still questions as to what part the tadpole played in facilitating said connection, but it's not like there aren't any other sources of mind reading or mental sharing that exist in the setting; my Tav is already running around with Detect Thoughts up constantly, I'm sure she can pick up some alternative just fine. The point is, Astarion and all his trauma just got himself a partner who not only wants him to genuinely enjoy having sex with them, but is quite likely literally physically incapable of deriving any carnal pleasure from the experience if he isn't.

Benefit three: illithid are naturally selfish and egotistical and risk-averse enough that my Tav probably just picked up a modicum of concern for her own survival, which I expect will be a massive weight off Astarion's mind after the past few weeks/months of watching her throw herself at wherever the most dangerous enemy on the field happens to be

Benefit four: illithid enjoy sunlight only marginally more than vampires do, which admittedly means that Tav is gonna have to buy a new mace soon, but also means the two of them now prefer complementary habitats and daily schedules

Benefit five: their diets are complementary too! They can split a bandit to avoid food waste!

[edit: benefit six: three times the upper limbs mean three times as many/thrice as good hugs for astarion]

In conclusion spawn Astarion + illithid Tav is clearly the happiest ending of them all, thank you for coming to my TED Talk

(also the going out in public part is pretty much a non-issue too, I tested out one of those cheap mundane disguise kits you can pick up and it worked perfectly fine even if the human female variant I used to be was not skinny and middle-aged with an afro, so I'm sure between Gale Shadowheart and Omeluum we can figure out a way of making me look like myself again in no time)

[iamaweretoad]

The l-word! We talked about this a bit, but I feel it needs a more in-depth analisys. I believe you said Mago is a demi-aro (I didn't dream this one up, did I? Sorry if I did! :D) when is the time he would feel comfortable hearing this from Heinrix? And when would he himself be sure enough to admit to having deeper feelings? Both to himself and Heinrix? ^^

Also, do you think that, after the game is over, there comes a time when Mago's criminal background comes back to haunt him in any way? Or is it a done deal, nobody would ever dare to come after him now that he holds the title of Rogue Trader?

Thank you! 😄💜 Took me a little while to untangle my thoughts on this, so apologies for taking so long!

I think, in some ways, it really helped that they were both so thoroughly convinced that neither of them had a future. So there was never any point or pressure to define what was going on between them. It gives them the space to figure things out at their own pace.

I think for Mago (he is demi-aro, you did not dream that up :D), the line between platonic and romantic love is blurred and there is a fair bit of overlap at the edges. I think by the time he found Heinrix in Commorragh, he understood that he loved him, but felt no need to like, demarcate the boundaries of that feeling. It was more of a: 'I think I love this person and I'll figure out what that means as I go'.

When it comes to them admitting it to each other... The thing is, from Mago's perspective, they had been doing that for weeks/months. All those little moments of kindness/affection/vulnerability/etc. I don't think it ever occurred to him that an explicit verbal declaration was like, a Thing? I think during the ice scene he understands, in the moment, that saying it out loud with words is a significant thing for Heinrix, but it isn't telling him anything he didn't already know. Which is why i love the mildly exasperated "i love you too now let me call the healers" dialogue option XD.

The confession that Heinrix is leaving the Inquisition, that he's *staying*, though... THAT hits Mago like a ton of bricks. Something about knowing they have no future, but wanting to hold onto it anyway, even if it hurts..... Anyways, I'm gonna stop before i start quoting Night In The Woods, but you get the idea XD.

----

And his criminal background! He wasn't really a big enough player to have enemies powerful enough to make trouble for him as a Rogue Trader. And he didn't cause enough damage to Imperial interests that it would really be worth it for the authorities to dredge that up either, as long as he sticks to the Expanse.

But his criminal and common background does still come back to haunt him in that the nobility in the Expanse never accept him. These are people who live for several hundred years, have their own private intelligence networks, and nothing to do but dig up dirt on each other, so by the time of the magnae accessio, they all know that he's a former criminal and a commoner and they don't let him forget it.

And I don't think the rumors Kunrad started every really die. Every so often the whispers start circulating again, that he's not really a Von Valancius, that he murdered Theodora and took the warrant by force, etc. Often it's just dangerous gossip, but occasionally it escalates to active sabotage or assassination attempts.

[boundlss]

"Shiroe-senpai!"

Soujiro's visage exuded bright excitement as he waved his hand, catching the eye of both players and townsfolk alike as he passed by. It wasn't often when the leader of Log Horizon (or a player of his caliber in general) sought out external assistance, let alone Soujiro's. Needless to say, he was eager to hear what Shiroe had in mind.

Could it be another raid? Some important mission? Or even just a secret mission with just a few members senpai handpicked? Uwahhh, I can't wait! I can't wait!

Once Soujiro's presence was acknowledged, the said excitement changed into calm gratefulness instead. He felt glad and relieved that someone like Shiroe started asking for help these days, rather than the old days by working by himself most of the time. Soujiro thought had the best ideas, to the point that he could be quite oblivious whether there were devious intentions behind them.

"I'm sure you either had something important to ask from me, or that you want to simply play catch up," he chuckled. "But we both know that the latter is more of a luxury these days."

Unbeknowst to Shiroe, Soujiro's admiration towards him alone would make him stop anything else he was doing, if it meant acknowledgement and praise from one of the players he respected the most. (As Nazuna would put it from time to time, like a puppy eager to please.)

( so this is an ask of all time... Hello!! Shwksns )

Ha. Unfortunately, Soujiro isn't exactly wrong about the lack of freetime they all have. As everything surrounding their circumstances comes closer to slotting perfectly into place, the gaps between "incidents" seem to shrink.

But neither of his guesses are entirely off the mark.

"Actually, you could call it a little bit of both..." Shiroe begins, a little vaguely. "That is, it's something important that I trust you with, but I wouldn't say that it won't involve any catching up..."

It's true that he probably could have asked just about anyone to join him for what he was planning to do with enough preparation beforehand. As far as operations went, this one wouldn't require a particularly large group of people, nor did Shiroe think it would require an especially particular team composition. It wasn't reported to be as difficult as an ordinary "boss fight" in terms of raw power, after all. But he stands before Souji now for a particular reason.

"For a while, I've been working with Rieze and Misa from D.D.D. to keep an eye on the waters that separate the physical locations of the Chinese server and the Japan server, since that's the shortest way for Kanami and Krusty to make their way here. Recently, Misa informed me that a Genius had been spotted who was able to completely disable an Adventurer's capability to do things like view the menu, or communicate with eachother through telepathy."

According to his meeting with the two interim leaders of the guild, the Genius hadn't been particularly strong, but things like menus and telepathy are vital to a party of adventurers, especially during sea-based battles. Cutting off access to menus was already bad for spellcasters and healers, but parties spread across multiple ships would have been essentially unable to convey anything to the members of their party on a different ship. Which was why...

"If it's a small enough party, using menus and status screens isn't strictly necessary, and we'd only have to use it with one ship if we only took a few people. But, just in case, I figured it would be best if I were fighting with people who I can trust myself to figure out. So far it's just me, Naotsugu, and Nyanta... But I wanted to ask if you and Nazuna would be willing to accompany us."

Shiroe can't help sounding sheepish, uncertain of himself. It's still just a little difficult, getting used to asking others for help, even knowing Soujiro likely would jump at the opportunity.

unprompted. / accepting.

[zhongrin]

My main team consists of Tighnari as main DPS, raiden as sub DPS, Venti as cc and zhongli for shields and being my favourite.

I dropped my xiao some time ago because I want to have fun with as many characters as I can, but i still use him in the abyss (I mean, he is almost triple crowned, only his normal attack is on level 8). Although I still feel guilty for leaving him, diluc, Barbara and kaeya behind, but I want to have fun with new characters as well and dendro reactions

(oh dear, I hope xiao don't hate himself for that, poor baby)

I pulled for tighnari on his banner and build him almost immediately, so foxboy knows he is loved. He also has only 5 star weapon on the main team (thundering pulse that I got by accident). He surely knows that he has better fate than cyno, that I got by accident when I was pulling for some four star on his banner. Cyno is level 50 with two star artifacts just like my qiqi, because I don't have any other use for him. But still, I had to get into hard pity for raiden and now I don't have much left for alhaitham, and I feel like he has something to do with it.

Raiden was build to level 60 in a single day, now being close to 80, with burst on level 9 and maxed out catch on the start. I also put her on my team after I got her (was using Fischl/Keqing as placeholders). Since she is my newest addition that I use more than others to test her and for fun, that might be a reason to panic for others I guess.

Venti is the most replaceable on my team. It sounds brutal and all, but he is on that third slot where I switch to low leveled characters (currently my level 40 beidou) to level up their friendship level. I like his crowd control, but for the reactions my kazuha/Fischl duo is way better. And I think he knows that, as he is being switched the most

Zhongli, my dearest. He is loved alright. I wanted to go for the staff of homa for him, but hutao and yelan look too good to pass. He has the meteor crowned, and shield close behind. I even leveled up his normal attacks when I wanted to make him a physical DPS (yes, I tried). Now he is a hybrid with 28k hp and 60/180 crit/dmg ratio. And I use him on almost every team, no matter who I want to use, he is usually there, in his 4th slot that I use for healers/shielders. Although I feel like he would be jealous of how quickly I level up new additions. But I did had to spend money on him, because he sent qiqi my way.

tighnari be like "who are all these alarmingly powerful people" lmao-

samee i've been playing around with different characters (also bc i want to increase them friendship levels) but xiao is my go-to dps too, he's THE goat in my squad. my golden child <3

so far i only have xiao and zhongli triple-crowned. al haitham's gonna be triple crowned too once i manage to farm for the new materials haha i've been quite lucky with the mirrors, so fingers crossed he can be triple-crowned soon!!

when will tighnari come home i want his passive skill so much sobsob

kazuha is so good as cc and exploration in general, i love him hehe definitely money well-spent!

zhongli has a permanent spot on my team lmao he's a hybrid so i enjoy witching between having him as shielder or dps! he was mean about coming home for me too lol he also sent our granddaughter qiqi my way and persisted until close to 80 pity.... thank god his banner wasn't recent, otherwise i would have to explain said spending for the house loan review lmao still, did not regret pulling for him nonetheless <3

your team looks awesome shdfljskdlf i have yet to build many characters, so they're all over the place...