#a woman who wants to kill her and has already proven she can! but she does it because scott believes in people and lydia believes in scott

[white-weasel]

I am staring DIRECTLY at Film Reroll Luke Skywalker watching and anticipating his next move

[clockwayswrites]

Rumors of a Prince

“You could always ask Jason to pay her a visit,” Dick said from where he was lounging, mostly upside down, on the couch in Bruce’s study.

Bruce frowned at him. “I am not going to have Jason kill Vickie Vale.”

“Hey, you’re the one who said kill!” Dick held his hands up or, rather, given his position, down. “I just meant puts some fear into her. Maybe kidnap her for a few days so that she can’t write any more libel.”

Bruce found himself smiling, slightly and against his better judgment. It faded away when he looked back at his laptop. “At least in this case, it wouldn’t do much good. The stories is already out there and, unfortunately, Vale’s take on it has captured the public’s attention.”

“Tim knows I bet… and Babs.”

“Undoubtedly by now.”

“And if those two know, Steph knows. If Steph knows, she’s ranted to Cass.”

“Yes.” This family was impossible to keep things secret in.

“Welp,” Dick said and swung himself to be sitting up normally— or as normally as Dick ever sat. “Then I guess we better tell the others. How do you want to divide this?”

Bruce was grateful that Dick was willing to be his partner in this. “You would be best to take Jason. I’ll speak with Damian. Either of us can catch Duke when he returns from his patrol.”

Dick nodded. “And Tom?”

“I think perhaps it would be best to have as much of the family in the manor as possible,” Bruce said after a moment. “If he destabilizes, I want him to know that we are around and that he is still safe.”

“Alright.” Dick slapped his knees once and stood. “I’ll drag Jason back then. You know he’ll come if it’s for Tom.”

“Make sure he reads the article before he comes over.”

Dick grimaced. “Yeah. Yeah, that would be best. I’m going to bring some food too over with me. Good luck convincing Dami that he can’t go and stab Vickie Vale.”

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. “Right. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Dick chirped as he left for his task.

Bruce dropped his hand.

‘Gotham’s Pale Prince’ stared back at him from the screen.

-

“Seriously?!” Jason burst in through the kitchen door. “Have you read this swill?”

“Yes chum, of course I have,” Bruce said. He shot Dick, who trailing behind Jason’s fury, a look. Dick was supposed to get Jason to read the article before coming over.

Dick just shrugged helplessly and motioned in a way that conveyed Jason had read it and was still clearly quite upset.

“One of the biggest questions is,” Jason said, clearly reading now from the article with the air of Bristol accent he had put on, “perhaps, why the newest Wayne is not in school. Bruce has proven himself to be a champion of the educational system. This is despite the man himself being a college drop out’ like what the fuck?”

“To be fair, I am,” Bruce said.

Jason rolled his eyes and continued. “His oldest ward’— Dick is fucking adopted now, bitch!”

“Boo!” Steph echoed and tossed popcorn at the tablet Jason was holding.

(Bruce was neither sure when Stephanie had arrived nor where she got the popcorn.)

“Never going to college,” Jason said with a jab of his free hand, “and the second oldest never completing high school.’ I was dead you narrow minded shew!”

“Well, I mean, all she knows is that you were supposedly kidnapped by terrorists and tortured for years,” Dick said. He had moved over to help himself to Stephanie’s popcorn and paused raising the next handful to his face. “Okay, no, that’s actually worse.”

“And you are clear on your line that I cannot stab this woman for the dishonor she implies about the family?” Damian asked, again, as he joined them in the kitchen.

“Unfortunately we have to handle this the proper way, with a press conference,” Bruce said. Stabbing was looking increasingly appealing though.

Jason dropped into one of the open chairs. “I’d call it a battle of the wits, but I don’t think Vale has any left with this trash she’s writing!”

“Alright,” Tim said as he entered the kitchen with almost as much fury as Jason, just more contained. Cass followed in his wake. “I am sure that B has already run through no killing, no stabbing, no maiming, no poisoning—”

“No poisoning Vickie Vale,” Bruce said, feeling so tired.

“Way to go, Timbit, now we can’t poison her,” Jason groused.

Tim sighed, “Fair, I shouldn’t have assumed. I really thought someone else would have brought it up already.”

“People went for more bloody options,” Dick explained.

“Also fair,” Tim said, pointing at him. “Anyways, since we can’t do all that, can I ruin her reputation?”

“Tim,” Bruce sighed.

“Now come on old man, let’s here Timtam out,” Jason said, holding out his arm. “You said yourself we had to handle the proper way and I’m sure that our little socialite here knows just how to ruin her through something like a press conference.”

“You I can stab,” Tim said with a shark sharp smile towards Jason.

Jason returned it with a smile like broken glass. “You can try.”

“Oh, if you keep calling me a socialite I will try and I will manage.”

“Boys, please.”

“Are people threatening blood and violence again?”

Every head in the room swiveled towards the door to the hall.

Tom almost recoiled at the sudden attention of all of the family, taking a half step back and looking a little wide eyed.

Cass walked forward and wrapped her arm around Tom’s. “Tim is. To Jason.”

It took a moment for Tom to tear his eyes away from the family to look at his sister. “Of course. What’s… it about this time?”

“Jason is reminding Tim that he’s a rich society brat and Tim hates to be reminded about that even though it’s true because Tim is also a little freak and the upper crust would be applaud if they knew even a fraction of it,” Steph said before she stuffed his mouth full of more popcorn.

Everyone in the room paused for a moment.

“No, yep, I think that’s pretty much spot on,” Dick said. He wasn’t even pretending not to laugh.

The laughter was infectious and almost everyone was either snickering or outright laughing. Bruce even quirked up a little smile. Tom still looked mostly confused but at least less nervous.

“Come sit by me, little shadow,” Dick said with a smile.

When Thomas settled next to Dick, who immediately wrapped an arm around him, the room settled again into that slightly somber mood.

“What is going on?” Tom asked, voice small. There were times when he still seemed unsure if he could be a presence in a room or consternation. It was something that they were still working on as a family.

Bruce sighed. “A reporter found out about you and wrote an article with mostly speculation. Unfortunately, because of who I am in the city and my existing tendency to adopt, it’s getting attention.”

Tom chewed on his lip and Bruce just hoped he wouldn’t worry it so much it bled. “Bad?”

“Not bad towards you, but unkind. She made a lot of guesses and fact reasons about why the public hasn’t seen you,” Bruce explained.

“Oh. Am I…?”

The dropping of words wasn’t the best sign. Dick pulled Tom into his lap.

“No. Most of the children didn’t attend the press conference announcing them and you don’t have to either. But I will need to make one simply to clear up some of rumors. I wont say anything that you don’t want me to say.”

“Bruce and I can plan it out,” Tim said, “and then run it by you if you want to look over it.”

“Can… will… if anyone wants to help…”

“Of course!” Dick said cheerfully. “We can make a lunch of it or something. It will be the best press conference yet.”

“Yeah. And you don’t even have to watch it,” Jason said. “We’ll plan something fun for that day. The old man can go and do the hard work and we’ll enjoy ourselves.”

“Thank you, Jason,” Bruce said dryly, pretending he wasn’t warmed still whenever Jason refereed to him as anything approaching father.

“It’s what you deserve,” Jason said and tossed his tablet, cleared of the article, on the table. “Come on, let’s plan what we’re going to do.”

“The zoo is always enjoyable,” Damian said.

“You always say zoo,” Cass pointed out as she perched next to Jason.

“What about the park?” Steph suggested. She joined the others at the table and passed around her popcorn.

“Nah, Ivy has a new variety of tulips. I’m worried some of them might turn man eating again,” Dick said.

“We could head out of Gotham I guess,” Jason pointed out and pulled up the map.

Bruce slipped quietly out of the room with Tim on his heels.

“You can stay with them and help them plan,” Bruce offered. Tim was always too grownup, had been since before he came to Bruce.

Tim just shook his head. “I’m never the best distraction. I’ll be more use to you. Besides, I have some plans to run by you that doesn’t need the blood thirsty contingency hearing about.”

“Of course you do,” Bruce said with both a sigh and a smile.

“Nothing physical,” Tim defended himself. “I can ruin her legally.”

“That I have no doubt of.”

No matter what, Bruce had absolutely no doubt that the family would be there for Tom. They were a family, after all.

---

AN: Vickie Vale won't know what hit her. Esp after what she wrote.

Don't know if this will become a full sequel or not, but it was fun to revisit this universe and see how they've progressed!

[thewistlingbadger]

Imagine if for about ten years you had no one to talk to. Imagine if for about ten years you only had a few people you could actually speak to and when you do speak to them, it's never anything personal. It's all just business. Imagine if for almost ten years you couldn't go where you wanted to go, you couldn't be in public, you couldn't be about with other people because there was someone out there trying to kill you- someone who hated you so much that they wanted nothing more than for you to die by their own hands.

Then imagine that after almost ten years of isolation, you met someone. Imagine if this person talked to you all the time. Imagine if they opened up about themselves to you and told you their problems. Imagine if they smiled at you. Imagine if they found humor and comfort in you. Imagine if they liked being around you. Imagine if they enjoyed your company everyday for several years and they let you know this.

This is what happened to Silco. Silco only had a few people in his life that actually cared about and loved him, and all of those people either died or turned on him at an early stage of Silco's life. As far as we know, Silco's only friends throughout his entire life were Felicia and Vander and maybe Benzo, maybe even Connel if we're being generous. We never see him try to rebuild a social life after Vander's betrayal. He has distant employees, colleagues he hates, a blackmailed enforcer, and a right hand woman who's maybe his friendly acquaintance given that he's closer with her than he is any of his other employees, but not actually his friend. She would turn on him in a heartbeat if the opportunity proved to be to her benefit, and she's made this clear to him.

We never see him get close to anyone ever again. Except with Jinx. Jinx, who isn't afraid of Silco. Jinx, who holds no judgment for his past actions and his current misdeeds. Jinx, who was a child who looked to Silco for connection and acceptance after being rejected one too many times.

When we talk about the early days of Silco and Jinx's dynamic, a lot of us like to paint the picture that he gave her a lot of reassurance and affection. I have no doubt in this interpretation, but I want you to wonder: what if it was the other way around? What if it was little Jinx who gave Silco affection? What if she hugged him at random? What if she practically stayed at his side every chance she had? What would Silco, a man who hadn't received any kind of affection or positivity in so long, do with that? How would he react? Because when we look at all the physical interactions between Jinx and Silco, they tell us that Silco is NOT used to physical affection and is a bit put off by it, whereas Jinx IS used to it and she gives it out and accepts it freely.

It all truly starts here. In this scene, Silco is looking for Vi. Silco has just witnessed how powerful she is and he needs to find her because if she's alive and if she cannot be turned to his side, then she poses a major threat against Silco. Vi is Vander's daughter, his prodigy. She can fight like hell, she's strong willed, and she's not someone Silco needs on his bad side. Silco is shocked to see that he has found a little girl, alone, instead of Vi. He's not sure what to make of her. She looks small and pathetic, but the rest of Vander's kids have already proven that they can be menaces despite their youth and size. Silco bends down to reach Jinx's level and hides a knife behind his back as he asks her in a measured voice with fake kindness. Whether he was going to use that knife to kill Jinx or if he just had it out in the scenario he would have to defend himself against her (again, Vi has already proven that these children will throw hands AND fuck up adults if need be) remains forever unknown, because after Silco asks Jinx where her sister is, she looks up, Silco leans towards her with an inquisitive look, and Jinx LUNGES at him. And that is not an exaggeration- she throws herself at him with such force that the knife in his hand lands too far for him to use and she sends him straight on his ass several feet away from her original position.

Jinx curls herself towards Silco, nuzzles her head into his chest, and tightly wraps her arms around him. This man is a complete stranger, but in this moment it doesn't matter. He's here when everyone else is gone. Silco is COMPLETELY in shock. His mouth is open, his eyes are wide, his breathing is uneven, his legs bend as if to scoot away from her...he was not expecting this at all and he doesn't know what to do or how to handle this. He looks over at Vander's body as he listens to Jinx's words and a realization of some sorts dawns upon him. His legs twitch, unfamiliar to the human who is resting between them. SLOWLY, RELUNTANTLY, HESITANTLY, he raises his hand and returns Jinx's affection lightly. He scoots his legs to further embrace her and leans closer towards her to cradle her, as if to protect her from a threat that isn't present. He has to think before he knows what to say to her, and his next words are said ever so softly. It's almost as if the words he's saying aren't directed towards her, like they're actually for someone else. His words turn from a gentle affirmation to a determined promise. Jinx's hands clutch at Silco's back and he leans closer towards her.

This is the first scene we get with Silco and Jinx post time skip. By this point they have already been living together for years and they have become very close. Jinx now works for Silco, she is very comfortable with him and he is very comfortable with her. He lets her hide out on the rafters in his office. He's let her draw on his items. Likewise, Jinx is comfortable opening up to Silco about the things she isn't proud about, her failures and traumas. Jinx post time skip is very tough on the outside, but in this moment we get to see that she is still just as vulnerable as she was as a child. Silco is used to Jinx being vulnerable and honest with him because when Jinx tells him why she messed up, he hums with recognition and understanding. Jinx mistaking people for her sister is clearly something that has happened before and it's been something that Silco has been there for for Jinx. Silco extends the dropper for his eye medicine to Jinx. As she reaches for it, her fingers brush against the top of his hand and Silco leaves his hand up in the position it was before, even though Jinx has already taken the dropper and is starting to move closer to Silco. He doesn't put down his hand until Jinx is completely settled into her new position. It's kind of like the physical contact has him frozen or entranced, like he's still trying to process it or cling to it.

In her new position, Jinx's feet rest on the arm rests of Silco's chair, keeping him trapped in his seat. Her faces is inches away from his and her fingers are curved around his shoulder, her thumb rests on his throat. This is notable because Silco has trauma with being choked. He has been choked twice by Vander that we know of, with the first incident being so traumatic that all throughout act one he wore clip on ties instead of real ones. Only after Vander dies does Silco begin to wear normal ties. Yet despite all this, Silco allows Jinx to touch his throat and put pressure on it. This will happen again later as well. When Silco talks to Jinx, he spends most of his time looking dead straight instead of looking at her. Only occasionally do his eyes dart towards her. His tone is gentle, but it's clear that he's exhausted. Her performance at the job was less than ideal and even though he's not particularly angry or upset at her, he's stilled bothered. Jinx recognizes this, and that's when we actually get to the gif above.

Jinx specifically leans towards Silco, not even the chair. She made the distinct decision to move even closer to him than she was before, parts of her face now touching his hair. Silco sees her move this close to him and makes no reaction. Not to the movement or sudden contact. Immediately after, we see Silco touch Jinx for the first time unprompted. It is not in an affectionate manner, it is more of a reprimand for not paying attention to his words. He firmly grabs her wrist and lowers her arm. By this point Jinx's face is no longer just touching his hair, its touching his own forehead. This contact redirects Jinx's focus back to Silco. Silco keeps his hold on Jinx's wrist as he continues to talk to her, continuously adjusting his grip and making it tighter as he becomes more passionate with his speech. Jinx forcibly pulls her wrist away from him, out of his grip, and Silco lowers his hand.

This scene is the first time we actually see Silco get genuinely upset with Jinx. In the last scene he was disappointed in her failure and bothered by the ramifications of it, but he ultimately made sure to not let his emotions take control. But in this scene, Silco full blown shouts at Jinx and is angry at her. We can see his frustration grow as Jinx doesn't hear him/ignores him calling her name several times, until he finally gets her attention and goes off on her. Just like before, Jinx is blowing Silco off, ignoring him, not giving him her full attention. He gets closer to her and aggressively takes a pencil she was holding away from her, but he doesn't actually touch her. Now leaning closer to her, almost bending down to her level, he also uses his arm to point accusingly. Jinx takes his anger and gives him the gem stone, their hands do not brush. Silco looks at the gem stone, perplexed. He doesn't know what it is but Jinx seems to be happy with herself. Silco is still trying to figure out the gem stone when he looks up and finds Jinx a few feet away from him. In the gif you can clearly see the difference in silco's face before and after Jinx hugs him. Once again, he looks like he completely wasn't expecting her affection. He makes a shocked expression, he allows the weight of her body to push him backwards, and his arms instinctually move to surround her even if he doesn't immediately process what's going on.

Jinx herself looks like she was holding back right before, most likely out of excitement. However it's still clear that this is something she's used to doing with him, because she instinctually turns her head to the side when she hugs him and she makes her body flushed against his. Compare this to when she hugs Thieram, the bartender. She puts her head above his shoulder. She does the same thing when she hugs Vi too. Jinx continuously makes herself smaller when she's being physically affectionate with Silco. She does it as a child, when she curls into Silco's embrace. She does it in the office when she's hugging her knees. She does it in this scene by turning her head. And lastly she does it in the next scene I'm going to talk about by holding her arms.

But anyway, in this scene Jinx's arms quickly wrap around him like they did when she was a kid, she knocks him a little bit back like she did as a kid, and her hug makes a thud noise like it did when she was a kid. Silco is reluctant to return Jinx's affection, just how he was when she was a child, but he does return it. He delicately puts his hand on her shoulder.

If we're looking at all this scenes as Silco's journey with physical affection, then this is definitely the "turning point". Silco gives Jinx a lot of physical affection in this scene and it's the first scene that the affection he displays is completely of his own accord. He isn't just reciprocating Jinx's affection he's actually reaching out for Jinx to give her affection. First, the scene starts with Silco putting a lot of physical distance between himself and Jinx. This contrasts with all the other times we've seen them, as they have a history with having a close proximity to each other.

Silco extends his hand, physically reaching out for Jinx. This time, it's Jinx who actually hesitates but nevertheless she begins to make her way to Silco. As she gets closer, Silco begins to extend his hand even more, begins to lean towards Jinx even more. Jinx does take the hand he extends to her, and can we just look at that gif? Even though Silco was the one who extended his hand out to Jinx, even though he was the one literally reaching for her, he has barely taken her hand. Her four fingers are just barely wrapped around his top two. He's holding her hand in a very elegant, almost fragile manner. They are not completely hand in hand, flesh against flesh. He pulls her closer to him using the hand that has hers and with his other hand he gently holds the back of her head. Silco's mouth opens to take a breath, as if he's the one that's about to be underwater and not Jinx. He carefully lowers her into the water, adjusting his hand from the back of her head to the back of her neck for better support, leaning towards her the further away she gets to him. With only her face left to be submerged, Silco lovingly swipes his thumb against her temple and smiles at her. He lowers her even more, his fingers slide along the side of her face, to her cheeks then chin.

We've seen Silco get upset and aggressive with Jinx, but his negative emotions never actually impacted the way he touched her. Unfortunately, Jinx does not extend that same grace. Jinx's emotions drive everything about her and she has no problem on taking things out on the people she thinks deserve it. By this point in the story, Jinx has found out that Vi is alive and with this truth comes Jinx's assumption that if Vi is alive, then that means Silco has been lying to her this whole time. Silco hasn't seen Jinx for awhile now and when he does see her again, she's very aggressive and accusatory with him. She pushes his head back against the chair with her hand, forcing his head up. She climbs into and sits directly in his lap, a movement that is very childlike, a movement we haven't seen from her yet. Silco, I feel, doesn't even really get to process this because he's too busy trying to catch up on what's going on. He hasn't seen her in a few days perhaps and she's speaking in riddles, clearly upset with him. Jinx roughly moves her hand from his forehead to the sides of his face, with her lower fingers touching his throat (remember think back to the choking thing I talked about earlier) and her upper fingers pressing into his cheeks and jaw. A few moments later Jinx's hand readjusts itself higher, almost like she remembered something and purposefully moved her hand higher so she wouldn't be touching his throat so much. Jinx stabs Silco with his medicine dropper a few times and it's clear that Silco wants to retaliate in some manner. His hands instinctively ball up and flex but he ultimately does nothing other than move his hand from his lap to her forearm, similar to how he did earlier. Recall back to how I opened this post and now think about this moment. Jinx at this point is the one person in Silco's life who has afforded him physical affection, and now she is actively, purposefully harming him. Silco readjusts his hand higher, to her wrist as he begins to talk Jinx down. The more convinced she becomes, the looser Jinx's grip on Silco's face gets, until she ultimately gives Silco the proper eye shot and runs away.

Oh boy howdy is this one of my favorite scenes with these two. As I said earlier, from ep5 on we start to see Silco be more openly affectionate, and that is very clear in episodes seven and eight of season one. Somehow after their last interaction and Jinx ran off to go be Jinx, Silco manages to find Jinx on the bridge. Except, oh uh, Jinx is lying down on the ground as if she were a victim and not the aggressor. Seeing her unconscious and still, Silco rushes over to Jinx, fearing the worse. He is genuinely terrified, his eyes being the widest we've probably ever scene them. He instantly bends down and turns her face towards his with his hand. He runs his thumb over the side of her face, similar to how he did earlier in the river. When he sees her up-close, covered in blood and soot, Silco begins to feel a lose he had no idea he was capable of. To lose Jinx to her sister is one thing, but for Jinx to actually die? It is simply something Silco has never had to imagine before, and now that it's staring him in the face he has no choice but to imagine a life without Jinx. With one hand on her shoulder and the other on the back of her head, he lefts her upper half up. He moves the hand behind her head to hold her even closer to him than before. When he hugs her, her hands fall, and in pure astonishment Silco sees the length Jinx was willing to go for Silco. He rubs his hand against her hair, then moves it to her shoulder to properly hold her. He then picks her up like a child and walks off.

Immediately following the last scene, Silco rushes all the way from the bridge to Singed, hoping to get a hail mary that well help Jinx stay alive. Singed is able to help, but it comes with a lot of risk. Risk that Silco is unable to evaluate given the severity of his emotions and the lack of time they have to save her. Singed asks Silco if he's prepared to loose her, and once again, the thought is clearly inconceivable. Jinx coughs in the background, causing Silco to run to her side. He holds his body directly above hers. He cannot lose her. He holds a hand above her face, a ghost of a touch, before resting it on her head and giving her a kiss on the forehead. This is the most physical affection Silco has ever displayed on Jinx, even though he's kissing the strap on her forehead and not her actual forehead. Would he have done this had she been conscience? Would he have done this had she not been dying? Those are questions for you not for me. He pulls back from her slightly, keeping his hand on her head and a watchful eye. This is the last time he ever gets to touch Jinx.

In conclusion: I believe Silco was a man who was unfamiliar and shocked by physical affection after not receiving any for practically a decade. But then he met Jinx, a girl who had been rejected, yet loved all her life. A girl who was used to giving and receiving physical affection. Jinx has no problem being affectionate with Silco and for the most part she feels like she can be very childlike when around him. After being betrayed by Vander, Silco made it his own personal mission to mask his emotions at all time. For the most part he is very successful with this, except for the times where Jinx gives him physical affection. Despite the fact that they've known each other for years and have given affection to each other over the years, Silco is still always shocked to receive it and he's cautious when giving it to Jinx. Every moment is calculated and voluntary, he always makes sure its her choice whether or not to engage. He always is very gentle and light with his touch as to not overstep or be overwhelming. Not only is Silco touch starved from years of neglect and isolation, but he also has a complicated relation with touch due to his trauma of being nearly choked to death.

I want you to think about how I opened this post. Imagine if you went years without having any meaningful social or physical interactions. Imagine if you then spent everyday with a person who gave you both for the next several years. Now imagine that person's relative, who you know is close to your person but has also hurt you person in the past, comes around and tells you they're going to take away the person you've been with for the past several years. And now you see why Silco was so hellbent against Vi. Because she was going to take away the one person Silco had. The one person who gave silco affection and the one person who accepted affection from him. Now you see why Silco was unable to trade Jinx for Zaun. Jinx gave so many things to Silco that he would be unable to have without her. Affection, love, hope, humanity. A life with Zaun but without Jinx would have been pointless for Silco.

[herearedragons]

Selene Companion AU

had it for a while. putting it on main because I need a point of reference when talking about it to people and also like. It's Fun. with the power of imagination you too can have Selene Moonborn in YOUR Watcher's party

background: this AU gives Selene her original background of being raised in an Ondrite temple in The White That Wends, escaping and eventually making her way to the Dyrwood, with the difference that she happened to arrive several weeks sooner and not on Odema's caravan. alone, she wandered until eventually deciding to head to Defiance Bay, where the Watcher eventually encounters her.

Recruitment

Once allied with Dunryd Row, you receive a sidequest from Kurren to investigate a chain of serial murders (separate from the disappearances connected to Lumdala; these are proven murders, with bodies found). He'll direct you to a few crime scenes, where you will read the remnants of the victims' souls to learn how exactly each of them died, and where the killer went after that. You will learn that the killer was a woman, who was cloaked but emitted some kind of light, and that all of the victims were suffering prior to their deaths: a victim of robbery stabbed and left to die, a sick man with nothing to relieve his pain, a heartbroken widow who has tired of life.

You will eventually follow the killer's tracks to Ondra's Gift, where you'll find her in an abandoned building where a gang of criminals was torturing a traitor. The torturers are already dead, and she's getting ready to finish off the victim; with a high enough skill check you can stop her, but otherwise she'll put an end to the woman's suffering.

The killer turns out to be a moon godlike woman. Either through dialogue or through Watcher powers, you learn that she has some kind of condition that makes her feel the pain of others, and being in a crowded city overflowing with refugees is driving her insane. She has been killing suffering people in a futile attempt to make the noise stop.

At this point, you can either fight and kill her, putting her out of her misery, or turn her in to Dunryd Row (mentioning them will make her perk up, barely recalling that she wanted to find Dunryd Row before the noise became too much, hoping that they could help her).

In your next conversation with Lady Webb, she'll mention the woman you brought in: her name is Selene, and the ciphers of Hadret House have been able to bring her back to her senses. Webb explains that Selene is a powerful cipher whose mental defenses were worn down, and that though an insanity plea might spare her from being executed, she'll probably be locked away in the sanitarium for life. A Watcher with a high enough Intellect or Perception can pick up on the fact that she wants them to ask whether there's a better solution to Selene's problem; otherwise, Webb will bring it up herself. Either way, she will offer that the Watcher take Selene with them. If you agree, she will become available as a companion.

(If the Watcher refuses to take Selene with them, the first time you camp outdoors after the Defiance Bay riots you'll get a cutscene where she approaches the camp and asks to join you, explaining that she saw what happened in Hadret House and wants to avenge the deaths of those who helped her, giving you a second - and last - chance to recruit her)

Dialogue

Selene gets more dialogue options as her companion quest advances, but by default you can question her about her abilities, her condition and her homeland, all of which she will be perfectly willing to explain — though she skirts around discussing her community and its religious practices, saying that it's personal. She has a bitter attitude towards everything Ondrite, and it's clear that she was once fond of the religion, but for whatever reason that relationship has soured. She'll mention that her godlike nature made her important to the Ondrites in her community, but refuse to elaborate, falling back on vague "you know how it is" statements (though she'll be a little more open with a godlike Watcher, saying that she was expected to become a spiritual leader because of her nature)

Banter

Selene has a concise manner of speaking, trying to speak shortly and simply, but not out of a lack of patience: she just wants to be understood. If faced with aggression from other companions, she'll sometimes snap back, but most often she'll just retreat into herself, either indifferent or exasperated. She has a deadpan sense of humor, delivering jokes in the same tone she says everything else, and will laugh at the jokes of others when they're not outright cruel or too raunchy for her to relate to. She seems to enjoy the company of Sagani, Edér and Kana the most, having long conversations with them. Her fondness for Edér, seemingly based in their shared experience of being sentenced to death by their god and her admiration of his ability to find light in the world despite his hardships, seems to be deeper than she lets on; in one of their conversations, she asks him whether he'd like her to remove some of his Saint's War memories, a process that (unbeknownst to Edér, but known to the Watcher) is painful to her. He rejects her offer.

Companion quest: Still Waters

(if recruited at Webb's request) Selene, a cipher with a mysterious past, has killed several people in Defiance Bay. The ciphers of Dunryd Row brought her back from the brink of insanity, and I have agreed to take her into my party to make sure this never happens again.

(if recruited in Act 3) Selene, a cipher with a mysterious past, has killed several people in Defiance Bay. The ciphers of Dunryd Row brought her back from the brink of insanity, and now she wishes to avenge their deaths. I have agreed to help her, but I should keep an eye on her in case she relapses.

Tasks:

- Travel with Selene for some time

Selene's quest functions similarly to Durance's and Grieving Mother's, in that it advances through cutscenes that trigger when resting with her in the party. Once you have triggered all three cutscenes, a special visitor will arrive in Caed Nua, and dealing with them will resolve the quest.

Like many other companions, in interactions with Selene during her quest (and maybe in some Selene-prompted conversations), you can sway her towards one of two values: in this case, connection versus isolation. To sway her towards connection, the Watcher has to be supportive and stress that Selene doesn't have to face her struggles alone, and encourage her to care about others; to sway her towards isolation, remain indifferent or suggest that Selene can minimize her suffering from other people's thoughts by spending her time away from other people and/or emotionally distancing herself from them.

Cutscene 1: on the first rest with Selene in the party, the Watcher suddenly wakes up from a nightmare to find her standing over them, having woken them up with her mind. She explains that their thoughts were painful and kept her from falling asleep; the Watcher can express gratitude, remain indifferent or ask why hasn't she killed them like she did the other suffering people. Regardless of their reaction, Selene will explain that back in Defiance Bay, her judgement was clouded by pain and that she wants the Watcher to know she's not a danger to them. If the Watcher asks how it felt to be in the city, Selene will refuse to explain, saying that she wouldn't wish this feeling on her enemy. The scene ends with her offering to put the Watcher back to sleep with her powers; if they accept, they drift off into a peaceful dream of a moonlit ocean shore.

Cutscene 2: The Watcher finds Selene at the edge of camp, staring off into the woods with a lost expression. If asked, she will explain that there's a dying deer not far from the camp, and she's keeping it company. The Watcher can approve of it, mock her, stand with her in silence, or offer to go look for the deer. Selene will say that it's not necessary, and then announce that the deer has died. The conversation then turns to her feeling the pain of others, and, feeling vulnerable in the aftermath of sharing an animal's last moments, Selene will talk about how her cipher powers awakened when she was an Ondrite acolyte, and how she was tasked with taking people's painful memories away until her mind couldn't handle it. Her fellow Ondrites tried to put her out of her misery, then, but she escaped and lived for decades more with a broken mind. She will then ask the Watcher whether they think that was the right choice, giving them an opportunity to argue either for death as a mercy or for clinging to existence even when it hurts, or to argue the more neutral point that every person should be allowed to choose that for themselves (which Selene clearly wasn't).

Cutscene 3: As the Watcher sleeps, they find themselves pulled out of their dream and into Selene's. There, they see the temple she grew up in, and follow a phantom version of her around until it leads them past a closed door with a cold, terrible feeling radiating from it. Upon opening the door, the Watcher will see the events of the night when Selene's fellow priests tried to ritually drown her "to return her to Ondra" play out: Selene walks into the chamber, expecting a parting ceremony as she's been told that the temple has allowed her to leave, finds four priests waiting there for her, forcing her into the pool in the middle of the room. She kills them with her mind and runs outside. When all is done, present day Selene will appear next to them and comment that this was the first time she'd ever taken a life with her mind, or at all. The Watcher can express sympathy, callousness or indifference, and then has an opportunity to question her more about her past and her recovery. The conversation ends with Selene confessing that on that day, the whole world has shrunk to the size of this room for her: here, her family betrayed her, and though she didn't let them kill her, she had to lose them instead. The Watcher has an opportunity to argue either that Selene shouldn't put her faith in people blindly, or that, though what the priests did was horrible, there are people out there who would support her.

Special Visitor: after the third cutscene, an Ondrite Acolyte will arrive at Caed Nua. Impatient, the Acolyte will approach the Watcher at the gates of Caed Nua, explaining that they are a missionary sent from their temple in The White That Wends to spread their faith in the Dyrwood. At that point, they will notice Selene, either in the Watcher's party or coming over to greet them, and be shocked. They cry out, calling her Saint Sigrun and expressing their confusion at seeing her in the flesh, as it's known that she has ascended. Selene then speaks into the Watcher's mind, explaining what they can probably piece together themselves: that the Acolyte came from her community and that Selene's escape was apparently never solved, and now she sees that her people believe her disappearance to be Ondra's miracle. She's shaken, and the Watcher can feel her composure start to crack through their telepathic connection. At this point, they can either pressure her to steel herself (earning Isolation points) or reach out and support her (earning Connection points), all the while they and Selene stumble through trying to construct a plausible explanation for why she's here and not "ascended". Eventually, it becomes clear that her presence in Caed Nua can't be handwaved away, and Selene faces a choice: tell the Acolyte the truth (which will surely find its way back to her people, letting them know she's alive) or erase their memory of the encounter. The former earns Connection points and the latter earns Isolation points, but it's possible to let her erase the Acolyte's memory and still end the game with a high Connection score. This will finish Selene's companion quest, as one way or the other she will have come to terms with her place in the world.

Endings

If Selene's Isolation score is higher than her Connection score: once her quest for vengeance is fulfilled, she walks into the woods of Eir Glanfath, never to be seen again.

If Selene's Connection score is higher: she returns to Defiance Bay and joins forces with Kurren to rebuild Dunryd Row, determined to not let the legacy of those who helped her fade away.

(bonus) If her Connection score is higher and every one of her banters with Edér was triggered: it's mentioned that Selene regularly rides out of town to meet up with someone. She never tells anyone where she's going, but Kurren once managed to track her down and saw her walk into a tavern side by side with a familiar straw-haired man.

Bonus content: The White March

(spoilers! people who haven't finished TWM2, avert your eyes)

Taking Selene with you to The White March for part 2 of the DLC yields you an entire additional storyline. The Low Tide's situation reminds her of her own; she will be more or less vague about it depending on how much you have advanced her personal quest, but Ondra's general presence will deeply unsettle her. Learning about the murder of Abydon has a strange effect on her, seemingly evoking both schadenfreude and dread; in addition, if Selene is present, Ondra will address her personally, accusing her of shirking her duty to her (an accusation that hits different if you already know that Selene was supposed to be sacrificed).

If her Isolation acore is high, after defeating the kraken Selene will ask the Watcher to let her stay behind and strike the crystal, saying that she's tired of fighting against her fate. If the Watcher refuses, she'll try to use her powers to force them to hand the hammer over to her; successfully resisting requires passing a high Resolve, Intellect or Might check. This only affects whether you get to choose who stays behind; the criteria for Selene's survival are the same as any other companion, and if she strikes the crystal and survives, you'll get additional dialogue with her where she seems shaken, but weirdly invigorated by the experience, delighted by the fact that Ondra couldn't claim her after all.

Deadfire

If Selene survives the events of POE1 and gets her "connected" ending, she'll be with you on the Defiant at the beginning of the game, having helped Edér charter the boat, keeping an eye on the state of the Watcher's soul.

[a-court-of-lust-and-stardust]

Elain represents a kind of femininity I wish I had. It’s so disheartening coming across posts that say she’s too boring or spends too much time in her garden or in the kitchen cooking and baking, as if there’s something wrong with that. As if she's lesser because of it.

Elain finds joy in things that society would consider traditionally feminine. What’s wrong with that? What is so wrong with her planting flowers and creating something beautiful that makes her happy? What is wrong with her trying out new recipes and making delicious food for her friends and family? What is so wrong with her being a more quiet and peaceful presence amongst her loved ones?

Despite being exposed to so many horrors and having her previous life ripped from her in an instant, Elain hasn’t lost what makes her…her. She’s quiet. Soft. A calming presence. A person who finds beauty in simplicity in an extremely complex world.

This does not make her pathetic and it sure as hell does not make her weak. I, for one, am excited to see where her story goes because I want her to prove everyone wrong, the book characters included. To be honest, I feel like she already should've proven people wrong when she killed the King of Hybern, but apparently she's not tough enough. Not mentally or emotionally strong enough to handle tragedy and darkness.

It seems like so many people have written her off because she doesn't fit the "strong, independent woman" framework, which I think is quite silly and truly insulting. Women can be strong, independent, and secure, and still enjoy gentle activities. Elain has already shown that she can be a strong woman when she needs to be, and a soft woman when she chooses to be.

[screeching-chaos]

Goodbye Dear Friend

An MCD one shot

It was late at night, the four guards were all sleeping in their quarters, each in a light slumber. The energy of everyone on the island had been off for some time, and now it was even worse. It was even worse between the guards, each leaving far too much unsaid between them. Everyone was struggling, they knew that when they agreed to do this it would be hard, but no one could have expected anything that had happened in the past few months.

Travis hadn’t gotten a good nights sleep in weeks, being on the island kept him on edge, the fear of a visit from his father overwhelming. Katelyn wanted to trust the men she was serving alongside, but each has proven time and time again that their faults can be overwhelming at times. She knows she has her own but theirs would control them at times. Garroth found himself plagued by guilt even more than he ever thought possible. A man he barely met died for him, the woman he owed everything to lost the man she loved in the process of her survival.

Laurance, he was lost more than ever before. His anger had only gotten worse upon learning of Aphmau’s pregnancy. She chose him, and then hid it from everyone around her until it was too late. He died for her, he went through horrors he never could have imagined for her survival. Yet even at her lowest, she could not bring herself to trust him. Just once he wanted her to choose him. 

He had long since made peace with the idea that they would never be together. That he could accept. After all they had been through, she could not trust him with her emotions, and that was something he could not accept. She didn’t even have the decency to tell her about the child’s existence himself. He could feel the life growing inside of her long before the others could. Katelyn was the one to tell him, he didn’t dare to let on that he already knew.

The way she spoke to him when she told him. She was scared of his reaction, unsure of how he would take the news. It was no secret The Calling was getting to him more and more every day. He had control over himself though, the only time he ever lost control was in those moments that she was in danger. No one else saw that, all they saw was a man losing control of his emotions. Not a man protecting the woman he loved, a woman he died for, a woman who he was sworn to protect, the woman he was supposed to have killed long ago.

No one saw him for what he was, what he was doing. They would treat him normally most of the time. When anything about her personal life came up or when something, anything the others thought may trigger his anger, that was when everything would change. No matter how hard they tried, all they saw was a Shadow Knight, a man who was fueled by anger no matter how hard he fought it, a man destined to kill the woman they were all loyal to. No one saw the internal battle he had with himself everyday, the fight growing harder everyday. 

They cared for him, that much he knew. The way his peers looked at him, the distrust and fear in their eyes. He could not escape the nature of what he had become. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it. There would always be a rage burning inside of him, a rage so strong it took far too much energy to fight off. No matter what he did, everyone saw him as nothing more than a monster. It was only getting worse. The Calling was only worsening, the way everyone looked and spoke to him fueling it more so. 

He needed to leave. He needed to return back to the fiery pits of hell that had killed him and then revived him. The others would be okay. They have to be okay.

 They had Garroth, a Ro’Meave, a Prince, descendant of Esumand the Protector, and now a welder of his relic. They had Zoey, a woman who had seen and been through so much in her long life, a woman far more skilled in defensive magicks than anyone around them. Travis was an entity unto himself, but was fiercely loyal to those who showed him kindness; he may still be finding himself around a weapon, but his magicks would be more than enough. They had Katelyn, a woman who went against orders for the greater good, a woman who was more experienced in fighting than anyone else they had. 

They don’t need him. He was a ticking time bomb, he and everyone around him knew it. No matter how much he tried, The Calling was worsening. He needed to leave, now. The people he loves would be okay. They have to be okay. 

He didn’t need much, the journey to Bright Port would be short. Through the portal, take a dinky boat over to the village. Dock away from anywhere where he could be seen. Venture into the woods to the portal. Step through, go to the place he belonged. The only place out there where he would not be seen as an outcast. A place where he could still help the fight believed him, but from the inside. A fight only he could leave. 

Garroth knew something was wrong. He was losing him. He had never seen his best friend so angry before. He was losing him, he was losing another person he loved. Laurance was putting him between him and the woman he loved and was loyal to time and time again. He needs his support right now and he knows that. He has to want that support though, and he does not want it. No matter how much he tried, Laurance was shutting him out.

He hadn’t yet fallen asleep. Ever since his return sleep had become far and few between. There was rustling near him, someone was moving around. He could hear the noise of armor clanking. Something was wrong. He pulled himself up and out of bed, whoever it was they were gone. There was only one empty bed. There was a shelf cleared out. There was a drawer left open. It was Laurance.

Garroth took no care to grab his armor, his sword would have to be more than enough. Laurance was already outside. Garroth’s eyes adjusted, not quick enough though. He could see a figure heading towards the portal. He ran like he had never ran before, not even in war. 

“Laurance stop!” He took no care to try and not wake anyone. If he could just have one more day with him, that would be enough.

Laurance didn’t stop though. He wasn’t running, but he was quick, and had a headstart. He knew this island better than Garroth and he was using that to his advantage. Garroth was quick though, and he was stronger than Laurance. He could feel The Divine blood coursing through his veins. He hadn’t taken on Esumand’s form, but he could feel him there with him. The Divine was helping him for the first time in a long time. He caught up, and no matter how many times he yelled, Laurance ignored him. Grabbing his arm, with far more force than he should have used he grabbed the man, forcing him to stop. 

“Laurance, what is going on?” Garroth wasn’t angry, he so rarely was. The image of his father flashed before him every time he was. That was more than enough for him to detest the emotion.

“Garroth, this doesn’t concern you. Let go of me.” Laurence struggled to get out of the larger man’s grip, but it was a lost cause unless he transformed.

“Not until you tell me where you are going.” His voice shifted. It was no longer that of his best friend but that of a commander.

“Home. To the one place where people won’t look at me like I’m a fucking monster. That’s where.” He was angry, an emotion that was becoming far too common for him. He had stopped trying to get out of the blonde’s grip, it was not worth the energy.

“What are you talking about? You are home. No one here thinks you’re a monster. We care about you. We want you here.” His grip loosened on the smaller man. Whatever it was he was going through, he did not need another reason to think people were against him.

“Irene, you're so dense. Everyone here looks at me with fear, even you Princey. I’m not blind anymore. I know I no longer belong here. No one trusts me as much as they should. You have returned as their knight in shining armor. I’m not wanted here and I know that.” 

“I, what are you talking about? Laurance, I trust you more than anyone else on this island. I’m not scared of you, I never have been. Why would you say that?” Garroth let go of him. Laurance thought everyone was afraid of him and grabbing him like that was not going to help.

“Then why do you look at me like that? Why did Katelyn look terrified to tell me Aph was pregnant?” His voice was starting to raise. It wasn’t anger this time though, he was pleading with Garroth. He wanted a reason to stay.

“What? What did she tell you, Laurance? I mean her exact words.”

“She told me Aphmau is with child, that it was Aaron’s. Two days ago, I mean I had a feeling already. When she told me, Garroth she looked terrified. If the other guards here are living in fear of my emotions who is to say I shouldn’t be. I don’t belong here, not anymore.”

Garroth could process this another time. He wasn’t surprised at the news, but that didn’t change how much it hurt to hear it. All of this, it was a stab in the heart. A stab so deep that everything in him broke. Once again he had failed, as a guard, as a friend, as a Ro’Meave. He failed Esumand, he was not worthy of his relic.

“Bloody hell, you belong here. You have to belong here, because if you don’t neither do I. I’m the reason we missed 15 years of our lives, not you. I’m the reason Aaron is dead. You have done nothing but protect everyone in my absence. Laurance, you cannot leave, they need you here. I need you.” 

Garroth had been alone for so long. It was his choice, but it was not one he wanted to make. He finally had someone close to him. Not someone who he served, not someone who he had a sworn loyalty to. Someone who had relentlessly broken through his shell. Someone who saw him as just another man. Not as the heir to a throne, no matter how much he called him Princey. Not as a head guard. Not as a descendant of Esumand. Just a man. He couldn’t lose Laurance too. He’s already lost Zane, for good this time. He cannot lose another brother, not again.

“No you don’t. They were doing fine without me not that long ago. I can’t stay. You keep saying you want me here, but no matter how much you say it I will never believe it. Even if everyone here cares about me, I no longer belong here. If not for myself, for everyone else’s safety. I’m losing myself with every passing day I am here.” His voice was starting to break. No matter what was said both men knew it was going to happen. He had to leave, even if it broke him. 

“No you don’t. You can learn to control it. You can find yourself again. The man who is my best friend is still in there. He has to be. You can stay, I’m sure Lucidenda can brew some potions or something to help. Zoey knows more than she lets on, she can help. We can all help. We want to help.” Garroth needed him there. The idea of anyone else serving as his second was not one he ever wanted to broch.

“No they don't, Garroth. You want to, you want me to stay, no one else does.”

“That’s not true and you know it.”

“I have to leave,” A tear ran down his face. He had never had the chance to say goodbye before. He was never given a chance to give his farewells. He never thought it would be this hard, they weren’t supposed to stop him. “Let me go Garroth. Please.”

“No. I will pull rank if I have to, and you know that. I am not letting you leave. You belong here, by my side. I don’t care what you think or anyone else does. You are the only person I want here.”

“I was never the best at taking orders. You know that more than anyone. I love you, Aphmau, and Caddie. That’s why I have to leave. That’s why you have to let me leave Garroth. Please, I am begging you, let me go.” Tears were flowing down each of their faces. There was an ever growing pit inside each of the men. He knew it had to happen, they both had from the moment Laurance left the quarters. That didn’t care how much this broke each of the men. They had become constants in a world that was no longer the one they knew. 

“I don’t want to. I don’t want to lose a third brother.” Garroth found himself taking hold of his necklace, one that had the symbol of Irene on it. It was a habit from when he was a child. It was a way for him to cling onto his ever fleeting faith. A way for him to connect with The Divine.

“Let me go. Move on with your life. Be the man that you were always destined to be. Don’t let me hold you back anymore. You won’t have to worry about your second losing control anymore with me gone. You’ll be better off without me. This is already hard enough, but I have to do this. I know you know that, you must know that. I’m not gone for good, it’s not like I can die a second time.”

“I am the man I am because of you. You may see yourself as a monster, but you are not. I can’t change your mind on this, that’s clear. I don’t want you to leave, I doubt anyone does. You will have a place here by my side so long as I am here. You said you are going home, I assume you mean back there?”

“Yeah, it will cull The Calling. Hell maybe I’ll be able to take this fight down from the inside. I should leave soon, before you manage to talk me out of this.”

Garroth took hold of the clasp of his necklace. It was one of his few remaining things from his home. He didn’t need it anymore. He has The Divine within him more than ever. Laurance would need it more. He was never as religious as Garroth, but that didn’t matter to him. He couldn’t go with him, so instead a part of him would. He would not be alone this way, for Irene would be with him so long as he wore this.

“Take this. I won’t follow you. I know you don’t want me there and I’ll respect that. I know you weren’t raised like me. I doubt you’ve ever prayed or gone to church outside of the academy. If not for yourself, for me. Take part of me with you. Something so that you’ll never forget that you have people who love and care for you. That I love you, and want you back when you’re ready.” 

He removed the necklace from himself, draping it around the shorter man. He had to take care to make sure he didn't close the clasp in his hair. He had never seen Laurance wear silver or diamond. It looked good on him, his eyes bringing out the blue of the pendant.

“Garroth, thank you. I know this means a lot to you. Stop stalling and let me do this. Let me go.”

The blonde pulled the other man in tightly. He knew he would likely not see the other man for a long time. Suddenly all of the anger was gone, for the first time in far too long he knew peace. He could stay if every moment was like this one. That wasn’t possible, and the fire would return soon.

“Laurance, you are my best friend. You were the first person who ever saw me as me. You will always have a place serving alongside me. I love you, and I don’t want you to leave, but I know you have too. Just remember to take care of yourself. You deserve more than you think.”

“The same goes for you. Garroth Ro’Meave, your kingdom may have fallen but you are still a Prince. You would make a good King, no matter what you may think. I will never forget you, but do not allow for my memory to hold you back, even if that means forgetting you.” Laurance stepped away from Garroth, backwards towards the portal. “Goodbye dear friend.” 

He stepped back into the portal, and with that he was gone. Garroth was left alone in the night and his best friend was gone. Having given into The Calling, giving into what he was made into against his will. This had to happen. He kept telling himself that, because if that wasn’t true then there was no reason for him to leave. 

The Prince found himself wandering the outskirts of the settlement. He couldn’t bring himself to return to the guards quarters, not without him there. He had never called him by his full name before. It was strange hearing him say it out loud. His name and title never mattered between the two. They had fought countless times about his family but he was always separated from them. He was fighting against them and Laurance saw that. Laurance saw him.

As a teenager he read a book about how The Divine were cursed, as were their descendants. He didn’t believe it at the time. Even with all the punches he took from his father, he could not bring himself to believe that they were cursed. The past year and a half has changed that. The idea that he was cursed by something beyond him was becoming more and more realistic. 

He lost so much in so little time. He was not alone, but it felt a lot like he was. He couldn’t bring himself to mourn Zane, the last image he has of his brother is his blade at his throat. He has other people in his life, but that didn’t matter to him. Not right now his loyalty to his Lord and the people who served under him, it meant nothing in this moment. The person who he trusted more than anyone no longer trusted himself. 

This was the first time the Shadow Knight had spoken to him about The Calling. It would be the last time. Laurance was gone, and he was the only person who knew. His best friend, a man who he was proud to fight alongside was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. His confidant was gone. The only person he trusted to make calls for him in battle was gone. The person who brought him back to reality when he lost himself did not trust him to do the same for him. 

Even with what Laurance had told him, he still blames himself for everything. Maybe in another lifetime this would be different. He prayed for a lifetime where this would be better. A lifetime where he and those he cared for knew peace. The burden of war and politics not consuming them. A lifetime where they are able to be happy together and live their lives, and die natural deaths. 

He knew it was futile. If the sinking feeling inside of him was real, they really were cursed by The Divine. Never knowing peace, even in death and reincarnation. Hopefully they will all meet again. One day in a world where he didn’t have to leave. Where Garroth did not feel alone in this world once again.

~~~~~~~

A/N: turns out I liked writing one shots more than I liked. Not 100% sure how I feel about the flow of this but there were certain things I wanted to play out so. This is more in my regular style I liked using epithets though so I'm trying to incorporate them more

[miss-dollette]

Wake up call for ballistic Team Black and Rhaenyra Stan’s.

TW: Opinions and bad language.

Rhaenyra “rules for thee, none for me” Targaryen. Rhaenyra “Aegon wants to usurp my throne” but when it comes to my obvious bastard sons… nah, they’ll get this land and titles because they’re trueee Valeryeon’s (meanwhile, there’s actual Valeryeon’s who’d step up to the mantle but can’t ’cause Rhaenyra’s daddy is a fucking moron who doomed his family).

Whether Rhaenyra Stan’s want to admit it or not, Rhaenyra is a hypocrite and makes some of the most dumbest mistakes because of how spoiled and shortsighted she is. She doesn’t seem to care about consequences and constantly reaps what she sows.

She had a choice in marriage to any lord in the kingdom, which would have been a massive political advantage, but she blew it and had to marry a guy who wasn’t even straight. Not only that, she had a choice in having three bastard kids. Westeros literally has forms of birth control that she could’ve had at any moment. But noooo. Rhaenyra didn’t think ”hmm having kids with someone I’m not married to will have massive consequences and would essentially arm my enemies with more ammo on why I shouldn’t have the throne. I live in a culture that’s horribly misogynistic and everyone already doubts me because I was born with a vagina. But I’ll have two more kids even though they’ll be targeted the rest of their lives.”

What a top mind you have, Rhaenyra!

Ooooh, and i hate when she was like “now they see as you are”, bitch, what? “Now they see you as you are” - you mean a woman trying to get justice for her bullied child, who was now maimed by one of his bullies? Omg, can you imagine what Rhaenyra would have done if Jace had been the one to have his eye removed? And Viserys would have 100% let her. Matter of fact, he would have encouraged it.

I think at that moment, Alicent knew her children’s lives were in danger. Even if she hadn’t done anything at that point, besides essentially being the perfect queen and somewhat bad mother (who’s a perfect mom when you’re forced to marry and have kids before you’re even 18), her rightfully royal children were in sooo much danger, and it was proven at that moment.

And Daemyra is so god damn mf stupid. Daemon. Is. Loyal. To. Himself. And. Ceraxes. Rhaenyra is essentially a tool to put his blood (and himself) on the throne, and that’s pretty much it. He’s a complete psychopath, pedophile, and power hungry. Just because he treats her well sometimes, doesn’t mean he’s not the same Daemon who killed his last wife.

Every Rhaenyra Stan is like “Rhaenyra would never let anything happen to Alicent and her kids :)” but let’s be so fucking fr right now - Daemon would definitely kill them. Why the fuck would he ever let Otto Hightower’s kid, grandkids and great grandkids live, and even have the slightest chance against him? And Rhaenyra would let him. He literally choked her, and she’s the heir to the throne and he faced ZERO real consequences for that.

Okay, so hypothetically, let’s say Rhaenyra wins the throne, and all the Greens are dead. No one is that much of a threat to Targaryen rule, and Rhaenyra is to become queen officially. Daemon is king. Daemon. Is. King. And they still live in Misogynistic ass Westeros, and Rhaenyra is still a woman. You know how easily Daemon could just pull a “Give me that crown, everyone wants a king anyway and they’ll obey me ‘cause I’ll fucking kill them with my giant ballistic Lizard like I’ve always done, but now I have a massive military who is also fucking misogynistic. You’ll have my heirs and that’s it. Thanks Rhaenyra!”?

Rhaenyra would never let Daemon go. She needs him. Even she said it. So what would she do if he wanted the throne? Nothing. He’d kill her if she fought against him. Mr. Daemon “I murdered my first wife to get what I want” Targaryen.

And before anyone calls me a misogynistic team green or whatever, no I’m not Team Green, I’m just tired of how Rhaenyra Stan’s pretend she’s some sort of saint and the perfect character. If this doesn’t apply to you, don’t bother with lecturing me.

Rhaenyra is not Daenerys, and never will be. Just because they’re both girls and aspire for the throne, doesn’t make it a #girlboss moment. Rhaenyra wants to continue Targaryen supremacy and rule over the small folk just like her ancestors before her. She’s a super spoiled brat who doesn’t care about anyone’s pain, and wants to use everyone else as her pawns. So, more like Cersei than Daeny.

Is Rhaenyra someone completely evil? No, but she’s a huge idiot.

Also, I do sympathize for both sides, but Rhaenyra and her fans just make me want to rip my hair off.

I wrote this in 20 fucking minutes so pls don’t get on my ass about spelling errors. Bye.

[bluetooththereptile]

An idea!

I was thinking, what do you say about the reader being mother of one of the robins? Like for example it's Tim's mother, she was sentenced to life for murder of her husband (I've been listening to true crime a lot lately lol) and her son, Timothy, hates her, and since he's now basically an orphan he goes after Bruce.

The plot twist is, Tim's father was killed by penguin who wanted Tim's mother as his own, so he put her in jail by buying the jury so he can break her into submission, but she runs away from prison and shows up at Tim's school.

Drama happens, Tim is mad at his mother and lashes out at her until she snaps and tells him everything, Tim is split between helping his mother and turning her in, but Bruce stops him, they find out the truth and she's proven innocent, she rebuilds her relationship with Tim but she doesn't know that the big bat himself has his eyes on her.

I mean what a woman out of jail could say when a dashing billionaire helps her? She gets out of jail and jaws of penguin and gets shackled into the Wayne's chains.

"Mom, I've been thinking...would you come and live with us?" Tim said as he smiled sheepishly, Bruce having his hand on his shoulders as he looked at you with a smile, chuckling in his throat as you twirl your finger in your hair, a habit you used to pick when you were thinking about something important "Well...I don't want to be a bother-" "No not at all!" Tim and Bruce said in sink making you giggle at the cute sight "I...well...I don't mind being close to Timothy..."

Meanwhile back in the bat cave Jason is opening a champagne bottle for celebration, oh poor you, you didn't know so many eyes were already on you.

[redara]

Sub-Mission

Pairings: Áila Hávarôr / Bi-Han / Tenshikiri Jun Ratings: Explicit Words: 6.418 Tags: F/M/F, Sub-Bi-Han, Toys Summary: Bi-Han admits, he appreciates strong, influential women. AU - canon divergence. Sets in the current timeline, post-MK1, in the AU where everyone agrees for a truce in order to prepare for potential timeline Invaders.

A/N: also posted on AO3. Áila Hávarôr belongs to @tazahan . Tenshikiri Jun belongs to me. Special thanks, Taza, for the discussion about our girls! :3

The threat of invaders from other timelines is still looming over. It is not a simple matter; all sides are wary of each other, cautious for another ‘Damashi’ to trick them. The growing tension is becoming too palpable that Liu Kang, as the Protector of Earthrealm and the former Keeper of Time, has decided to call for a truce. And such a decision is immediately welcomed, at least for now.

Upon entering the Wu Shi Academy, Bi-Han tries, and fails, to hide his disgust. Why, of all places, must the meeting be held here? He strides to the main hall, not bothering to look at his surroundings; Sektor and Cyrax are following dutifully, dressed in their red and yellow mech-armor, sans the helmets.

As expected, the main hall is already packed with familiar faces. Bi-Han glances daggers at Kuai Liang and Tomas, the former who is still donning yellow, and accompanied by his Shirai wife, Harumi. Surprisingly, it is Tomas who gives a small nod to Bi-Han, either out of habit or respect, Bi-Han doesn’t bother to care. He only wants to find a spot in the background where no one can sneak up and stab him – given the glares he receives, there are plenty with such a wish.

He finds a place by a bookshelf, where there are two unfamiliar women standing. One is a voluptuous woman with short orange hair, dressed in black techwear-style outfit; crop-hoodie with intricate silver pattern, cargo pants, and red and white sneakers; she is crossing her arms under her ample chest. The other woman has jet black hair tied up in a bun, dressed in a dark teal kimono, and she is shorter than the first woman. Neither of them look familiar, or important , so Bi-Hand decides to not give them any mind, and stands in the space in front of them.

“Great, now we have a wall in front of us.”

“Jun –” the Orange-Haired woman immediately adds when Bi-Han turns around, “-- sorry, sorry , she doesn’t mean you –”

“Of course not.” The Teal-Dressed woman feigns a smile. “Please, resume standing there, Áila and I are only wallflowers after all.”

Bi-Han frowns at the sarcasm, “If you are short , you should be aware not to stand in the back.”

“Yes, apologies. Clearly, we should have brought stepladders to this meeting.”

The Orange-Haired woman, Áila, looks apologetic for the Teal-Dressed woman, Jun, who looks annoyingly smug. Bi-Han could reply, in fact, he wants to, but he’d rather not add two more people to the list of ‘people who want to kill him’, so he opts to ignore them – which has proven difficult, now that they’re muttering behind his back.

Liu Kang finally begins the meeting, fashionably late, as usual. The Fire God still looks the same since the last time Bi-Han saw him, though now he looks rather tired, if a God can be tired… “Thank you for sparing your time for this important meeting. I hope this won’t be the only time we are standing together, as there is strength in number, and solidarity. I understand some of you have different goals, clashing goals, and I appreciate it that you are setting aside your differences to fight a common enemy – The Invaders.”

Does he ever stop talking? Bi-Han sighs quietly as Liu Kang goes on a lecture about the current situation; how another Titan has been spotted invading other timelines, and it’s only a matter of time before they come to this one; how the Shirai Ryu (Bi-Han grunts at the name) have agreed to set aside their rivalry with the Lin Kuei; and how Quan Chi and Shang Tsung have agreed to ‘play nice’ for once as to not have Empress Mileena and her court hunt them down. All the boring details that could have been summarized in a written note, instead of calling for a meeting.

But then Liu Kang concludes, “Before I forget, we have two additional guests here. They may not have been involved in our latest kombat, but they are of powerful clans seeking to maintain the peace and alliance. Uh –” he looks around the room, so uncharacteristically confused as he scans the faces of everyone. Somehow Bi-Han has the feelings that the two thorns behind him are the ones Liu Kang is searching for –

Aaand he is right, when Jun speaks up aloud, “We’re here, Lord Liu Kang.”

Now all eyes turn towards Bi-Han, seemingly judging him for blocking the two guests, and he steps aside before anyone could ask him to. Liu Kang smiles, “Ah, there you are. Everyone, let me introduce you to Áila Hávarôr, future chieftain of the Sól Eldur clan. Her clan has been a dear friend, and their inventions have helped keep Earthrealm safe for centuries.”

Áila gives a respectful salute to Liu Kang and the room, “Pleased to meet you.”

Liu Kang continues, “And Tenshikiri Jun, the current Head of the Tenshikiri family. Once a clan serving the Empire as Spymaster, they are now oath-bound as secret keepers of Earthrealm.”

Jun bows deeply, before standing straight and replies, “It’s an honor to be here.”

“The honor is mine, Lady Áila, Lady Jun. As per our agreement, the two of you shall join forces with the Lin Kuei, in hope the three of you can come up with a battle plan if the Invader does invade our timeline.” Liu Kang gestures at Bi-Han, “Please, look no further than to your right, and you’ll find Bi-Han, the esteemed Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei.”

Áila casts a bright, carefree smile, “Ah, yes, we’ve been, uhm, acquainted.”

“With his back.” Jun mutters under her breath.

“If you’d like to step closer to the table, I’m sure we still have more space by the Champions.” Liu Kang gestures to the four Earthrealm Champions who are standing side by side.

Bi-Han watches as Áila and Jun accept the offer; they walk with their heads held high, and a formal smile on their faces. But he doesn’t miss the small glance they throw at him as they walk past him, one of curiosity and interest, both pairs of eyes locking with his dark brown ones. And in that single moment, Bi-Han can’t figure out why he is annoyed in the first place.

***

In the next few days and weeks, however, Bi-Han finds himself growing more annoyed than usual. At least now he’s back in the Lin Kuei compound, a familiar place devoid of judgmental people, and back on his routine as the Grandmaster. He’s sitting behind his desk in his office, reading the reports gathered by his Lin Kuei regarding the two unfamiliar clans he didn’t know existed prior to the meeting in Wu Shi Academy. Both the Sól Eldur and the Tenshikiri clans show promises and great rapports, in fact, they have been so secretive in assisting Earthrealm that the Lin Kuei have not needed to cross paths with them before.

Perhaps it should have stayed that way , for now he keeps seeing the names of Áila and Jun in every document, and his heart sinks a bit deeper each time. There is something about those two. Perhaps it’s the fact that Áila and her clan are blessed by the power of the sun and can torch the Earth if given the opportunity, yet they choose to remain pacifists for all these years. Perhaps it’s the fact that Jun and her family know every little secret in the world, but still keep them despite being capable of using them for their own gain.

Two beautiful women of powerful clans, commanding forces under their leadership – so why does it bother Bi-Han so much?

Perhaps it’s the fact that Áila’s voluminous chest would jiggle enticingly with every little move she makes – even the action of going downstairs becomes such a lewd display, that Bi-Han has tried so hard to focus on her face entirely. Perhaps it’s how Jun’s curvy hips would sway when she walks – Bi-Han doesn’t know if he enjoys the sight of her approaching or leaving. Perhaps it’s the way both of them would look at him, a mixture of coy and playful, like waves on the sand, enticing him to come closer into the sea to drown him.

And he hates to admit it, but by the Gods, some days he wants to step into the figurative sea and drown.

The door to his office is knocked. Bi-Han shakes his head to clear out the thoughts of Áila and Jun completely; he clears his throat, and gruffly responds, “Come in.”

Just his luck, the two burdens of his mind enter his office; they carry themselves in their own personal grace, like the sun and the moon, and Bi-Han suddenly feels like the dark space they accompany.

“Good evening.” He greets Áila and Jun, watching as they begin to occupy the space of his office. “To what do I owe this visit?”

Bi-Han is not sure who he has to watch; Jun is observing the line of decorative weapons on the wall, hips swaying with each step that she takes; Áila stands in front of his desk with her hands in the pockets of her cargo pants, shifting from one foot to another, and with each movement, her chest heaves. His attention finally settles on Áila as she speaks, “We’d like to say thank you for allowing us to stay with the Lin Kuei for this unforeseeable future. We understand it must be difficult to let strangers into your home, and we thank you for your trust, and – uhm…” she looks away, still shifting on her feet.

“And we trust you in return.” Jun adds without looking away from the decorative weapons.

“Right. I had that on the top of my head.” Áila looks at Bi-Han again, though now he notices a slight pink hue on her cheeks. “Uh… We just want to say that we trust you, and we feel that you do too, I mean, we are allies and – Jun, I can’t do this. You’re the one who’s good with words.”

Jun turns to her, “Why, you were doing great before that.”

“Oh, come on…”

The exchange raises both alarm and confusion in Bi-Han that he’s not certain on how to respond except, “What are you two blabbering about?”

Áila cocks her head towards Jun, “We have a point, I promise, but she will explain it.”

Bi-Han raises an eyebrow at the said woman, “Well? You’re talking about hospitality and trust, I don’t think I’d extend either if you two are acting weird in front of me.”

With a sigh, Jun begins to make her way to his desk; even paced, calculated movement, almost like a dance. “We intended to make this as refined as possible, but crass will have to do, given your attitude. We’re saying that we’re not blind, Bi-Han.”

“Who said you are?”

“We noticed your stare. I am a Tenshikiri, I’m trained to read the subtlest body language, and yours is loud.” Jun stops next to Áila. With both women looking at him intently, Bi-Han finds his heart beats a bit faster. “Did you think we wouldn’t notice your heated gaze on my hips? Or your ogling of Áila’s massive tits?” Áila nudges Jun’s side, but she continues. “We’re all adults here, so let us talk like adults, shall we? If my observation is incorrect, tell me so, and we will offer you our apology, take our leave from your office, and we shall continue our days like this has never happened. So, would you like to admit it, or deny it, Grandmaster?”

The shame growing in the pit of Bi-Han’s chest makes him feel like a hormonal teenager again, and he tries to suppress it, even though his face feels a bit warmer than usual. Gripping the armrests of his chair, his fingertips layered by ice in hope to quell his emotions. He glances between the two women, heat begins to consume him inside out, just like the urge to be honest or to lie to save face.

What’s the worst that could happen?

Bi-Han heaves a heavy sigh, body slumping against his chair. “How astute. Forgive me for having a keen sense of observation. You should feel safe within these walls. But,” he adds sharply, “I merely admired what your hard work has bestowed upon your physique. I’d be foolish if I did not notice them entirely.”

Jun glances at Áila. There is a smirk shared between them, and Bi-Han swears he sees a mischievous glint in their eyes, one that he doesn’t expect to see from them. Jun starts, “I told you. My skill is impeccable.”

Áila’s pink cheeks grow redder, “So you said. Now what?”

“Now it’s our turn to be honest. You do it.”

“Fine…” Áila groans, before schooling her expression into a decent one, albeit still holds mischief behind her smile. “We – ahem – we’ve also been ‘observing’ your hard work. We think it’s impressive, worthy of many praises – you are possibly the most beautiful man we’ve ever seen. Don’t laugh!” She chides as Jun snickers into her palm.

The cogs in Bi-Han’s mind fall into places, and oh… they’ve been ogling me as well? Them? Both of them? There is a cracking sound coming from his armrests, where his ice has taken form and completely ruined the fine wood, but he doesn’t care for that for now. These two women who have occupied his thoughts just confessed that they have been looking at him as well, and – and now what?

“Ah… Thank you.” is what Bi-Han can manage, for deep inside, his desire grows and he doesn’t wish it to be known, not when Áila is blushing so adorably, and he wonders if she’ll blush the same shade of her hair – does the hair below matches the hair above? – and certainly not when Jun is undressing him with her eyes, and he wonders what kind of expression she will give when she breaks underneath him – 

Bi-Han huffs an icy breath. The display earns the attention of the two women. He is the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei. He is the infamous Sub-Zero who is widely known and respected. He can handle the toughest enemies and the hardest of battle, certainly he can handle two lustful creatures.

“Since the cats are out of the bag,” He begins, heart pounding harder and steadily, watching Áila and Jun’s response, “and since we are adults who are capable of being responsible for our own… desire, let me ask what do you have in mind?”

“Perhaps we should foster our alliances deeper .” Áila glances between Jun and him.

“Nothing better than showing the naked truth to foster trust.” Jun purrs. “And you? What does the Grandmaster want?”

Bi-Han can’t help the pull on the corner of his lips, or the growing need in the restraint of his pants, or how he thinks how adorable that these two women are acting like they are in control of the outcome. But he welcomes their heated gaze nonetheless, as he gives his reply, “Do whatever you wish to me.”

***

The cold bedroom gradually grows hotter with each layer of clothing that’s being shed. Bi-Han admires how both Áila and Jun are not holding back from their desire, and neither is he; he interrupts Áila from undoing her bra by pulling her for a kiss – she moans, partially in protest of his colder lips, but she complies and melts into his touch, arching into his palm that’s kneading at one of her breasts. They feel heavy and full and soft, and Gods , Bi-Han wants to bury his face in between them.

A small chuckle is heard behind him, and he parts from Áila to find Jun, already in her naked glory, approaching the bed with a small box in hand. Bi-Han grows curious, “What is that?”

“This?” Jun shakes the box lightly. Whatever’s inside sounds heavy. “It’s something pleasurable, I promise.”

He is not convinced. He approaches her, silently demanding to see the content.

She clicks her tongue, “Mm… Such impatience.” She opens the box, and just as she has said, the variety of toys stored within make Bi-Han’s dick twitch in reaction. Jun takes out a large vibrator, “Would this be too much to handle? We can start with the – UNF.”

Her challenging tone dies down when Bi-Han silences her with a kiss. Her shaky breath is a reaction to his cold tongue, and she mewls when he palms her breasts – they are significantly smaller than Áila’s, but he enjoys her hardening nipples, how she jumps as he pinches them to attention.

A warm hand holds his lower back. Áila hums, “I believe you said we are to do whatever we want with you?”

Bi-Han swallows thickly, did I? Oh, right, I did. “Fine.” He grumbles internally, climbing into the bed to settle in the center. His erection is straining against his boxer brief, too tight, twitching in excitement as Áila and Jun are standing at the foot of the bed, observing him. The warm light of the room accentuating the beauty of their naked bodies, the curves and dips, the colors and marks, the perfect imperfections.

When he finally removes his boxer brief, his erection springs free and heavily, and he swears he hears both women gasp. Their reaction pumps his pride – he is not stupid, years of training have sculpted his body into a perfect weapon, but also given him an impressive physique – so he lies there with a smirk, hand holding the base of his thick length, and he watches Áila and Jun’s eyes widening.

“Truly an asset –”

“-- befitting a Grandmaster.”

They finish each other's sentences.

Without wasting any time, the bed dips when Áila and Jun begin to climb up to lie beside him. Áila is to his right, and Jun is to his left, and both are on their sides with their breasts pressing against him. Bi-Han curls his arms around them, cupping their breasts, earning their shared moanings.

Jun holds his chin, pulling him for a kiss; tongues and teeth clashing; he holds her breast a bit firmer, milking a moan. He feels Áila kissing his chest, and her hand is roaming up and down his sculpted abs, nails lightly scratching his sensitive skin, making him buck slightly. He wishes her touch would glide lower to his aching cock that’s waiting for attention, but she is taking her sweet time kissing and nibbling and marking him.

The kiss ends when Jun decides it does; she turns his chin towards Áila, where Bi-Han finds her looking at him with such a bright smile, and so sweetly she holds his cheek. Her kiss is slow and steady; their tongues moving in tandem against each other. It’s intoxicating, that Bi-Han fails to notice what Jun is doing until he feels her finger on the tip of his cock.

“Mmh…” He hums into Áila’s mouth as Jun teases his cockhead. The light touch is experimental, but by the Gods, does it feel damning. He grunts when his slit is teased, rubbed rather vigorously, gathering the little precum that’s leaking.

Jun’s hand leaves him, but Áila’s replaced it, holding the base of his cock with just enough pressure for him to feel her warmth. She begins to pump him, up and down, slowly, gently, earning an involuntary buck of his hips.

Bi-Han parts from the kiss to breathe. Eyes closing, he’s savoring the feeling, throat humming in reaction. “Mm… That’s it…”

“Does it feel good?” Áila hushedly asks, head pressing against his chest.

Bi-Han can only hum, but he shows his appreciation by squeezing the breasts of both women; the soft squishy of Áila’s and the perkiness of Jun’s. He is enjoying the movement, the warmth, every little thing that makes his cock twitch happily and he’s growing harder and harder and –

A soft hum joins the shared breathing in the room, and the next thing he feels is a steady vibration pressed against the underside of his cockhead. He opens his eyes and looks down, seeing Áila holding the base of his cock steadily, while Jun is pressing a vibrator to his cockhead; the tip is buzzing, blurring. Bi-Han rasps, “What are – ngh –”

“We are making ice cream.” Áila replies in a sing-song tune, still smiling brightly.

Jun moves the vibrator up and down his cockhead; Bi-Han bites back a yelp when she presses it over his slit, “This is the slowest setting. Let’s see how long it takes for you to come.”

Bi-Han grits his teeth, “Insolent maidens… Is that – mmh – a challenge?”

“You can back down whenever you want, you know.”

The vibrator is pulled away, and though Bi-Han sighs in relief, his cock twitches involuntarily, missing the sensation. Áila giggles, “Seems your dick wants more.” She moves her hand up to the tip – he bucks and grunts – and she gathers the precum, smearing it down his length. She repeats the action two more times before settling back to holding the base. “You have to use your words, Bi-Han.”

Jun moves the vibrator closer, and Bi-Han watches, partially in want and partially in dread, as the silicone tip is inching closer to his twitching cockhead. She hums appreciatively, “Ooh are you shy? You’re blushing so adorably.”

“Quiet.” Bi-Han growls. “You want to do whatever to me, do it, quit wasting time – NNGH –” a whine escapes his throat when the vibrator is pressed to its previous position again. The sudden sensation makes his core muscle clench, making him more aware of the feeling, how it tickles in a good way.

To make it worse, Áila is now moving her hand, shallow pump, steady and firm, and Bi-Han could only throw his head back. His legs are shaking, and the two devious women have taken the liberty to wrap their warm legs around each of his thigh; he can feel their heat and wetness, clearly they are also aroused by the activity. He tries to buck, but they keep their hold steady.

Then, the vibrator is pulled away again.

Bi-Han grunts in annoyance, but the women are laughing, and he is in no position to demand when his cock is oozing precum and twitching on its own, when his balls feel so tight and full, ready to burst whenever. “Get on with it.”

“You want to come?” Jun asks, and he can hear her smirk.

“Of course.” He opens his eyes, finding her observing his face. But his eyelids are fluttering to a close when Áila kisses his strained neck, and soon he is lost in the sensation of being teased, hot and cold, fast and slow.

The vibrator returns with a raised power. Bi-Han can’t help the bucking of his hips, the twitching of his cock – he is close, so close, it feels so good, so good, so good – mmhhh!

The sound that he makes is something he doesn’t know he’s capable of; a pathetic mewling, a moaning. Bi-Han pants aloud when the vibrator leaves him again, so close to the bliss, but so far away. He grips the breasts tightly, warningly, but it only earns Áila and Jun’s shared giggle. Though the sound annoys him, it also melts him, knowing they are having fun at the expense of his demise.

“Once more for good measure?” Áila asks tentatively.

“No. No.” Bi-Han shakes his head, eyes closed tightly. “You’ve been denying me release. It’s unfair.”

“Unfair is going back on your words – you said ‘whatever we want’.” Jun turns the vibrator off. The lack of humming sound in the room alarms Bi-Han. “What do you say, Áila? Do you think we should continue or not?”

Áila chuckles, “You’re cruel.”

“ Fine .” Bi-Han repeats with a loud huff. “Fine… Do it.”

Just as the words leave his lips, the vibrator is returns to its position, yet it’s not on. He waits, anticipating, but he’s not expecting two pairs of lips pressing a kiss to his cheeks. His eyes flutter open, just in time to see both Áila and Jun hovering over him with smiles gracing their beautiful faces.

“Such a handsome man…” Áila praises.

“A good Grandmaster…” Jun adds. “Here is your reward.”

The vibrator turns on at the highest setting; Bi-Han growls deeply and throws his head back, eyes clenched shut, as he feels all of his nerves are alight. Áila and Jun hum as they’re settling their heads on his chest. The muttered praises are muffled by his own grunting, his complaints and singing of arousal. Áila moves her hand again, at the same time Jun rubs the vibrator all over his cockhead, and the combined action defeats him completely.

“C-close –” Bi-Han rasps for no reason.

His orgasm hits him like a tidal wave, pulling him under the bliss, that all he can feel is the twitching of his cock as Áila and Jun are milking him; thick sperms shooting out of him, painting his abdomen with the hot, sticky substance. Bi-Han gasps when they still continue their actions, still holding his cock firmly, still pressing the vibrator against his very sensitive head. His twitching cockhead leaking out the remains of his seeds.

Bi-Han pries his eyes open, looking at the blushing Áila and Jun, how wide their smiles are, and how it makes his heart soar knowing he’s the cause of their joy. While at the same time, he wants to protest their grip at his sensitive cock, the still vibrating vibrator trying to coax another ticklish orgasm out of him. “... nough – enough … I’ve come…”

But he’s not prepared to receive the answer, as the two beautiful maidens look at him, eyes glinting with mirth, and collectively reply, “We know.”

***

The heat of the room becomes a bit unbearable, as sweat begins to layer Bi-Han’s skin. He’s drunk on bliss, after having been milked twice by the vibrator; the offending tool has been set aside, thankfully. But now he lies, panting, thirsty for more, while at the same time he’s had enough. However, it’s difficult to know which desire he wants at the moment, especially when his head is lying on Áila’s plush thighs, and her breasts are just a kiss away from him.

Áila is caressing his hair; his bun has become loose in the midst of everything. The action is soothing, calming, also encouraging. Bi-Han looks up at her, past her impressive chest. His tongue darts out to taste her nipple, and like a baby, he latches there, suckling, earning her soft moaning.

Once again for the night, he fails to notice what Jun is doing. Only at the last second that he feels her straddling his hips; his hands automatically hold onto her thighs, fingers splaying trying to grab ahold of her. She chuckles, breathy and lustful, and he feels her taking his hardening length in her hand.

“Áila, I think your tits are magic. Look,” Jun gives him one long stroke, “he’s hard again.”

Áila laughs, “Indeed, breastfeeding has so many benefits.”

Bi-Han bucks his hips when he feels Jun rubbing her wetness all over his length. He can feel her warm cunt, and his cock is eager for a taste. His hands find her hips and pull her close, earning her chuckle, “How insatiable, Grandmaster. Relax. You don’t need to beg for this. I need you…” She presses his tip to her cunt, and though it’s not yet entering, the spreading heat is enough for Bi-Han to want to drive into her.

Then Jun sinks down his length.

Their shared moaning is loud; hers a broken one, his is startled one. Her walls are warm and tight, and he can feel his tip pressing against her cervical opening. Jun rocks her hips gently, and her moan erupts again. “A – ah … fuck … you’re so thick…”

Initially, Bi-Han believes she won’t be able to handle him. He believes she would give up, and he would have to plow into her at his own pace, and finally break her under his command. But the more she moves her hips, the steadier her pace has become, and within seconds, it is Bi-Han who finds himself at the edge of breaking again. He should have known the sway of her hips is lethal. Paired with the clenching of her walls, he can feel all of her with such shallow, hard thrusts.

Jun looks powerful like this; rocking and bouncing on his cock, humble-sized breasts jiggling in response, and the strands of her hair dancing back and forth with it. The flushed face and the parted lips, sharp eyes looking at him from hooded lids – somehow he wants nothing but to please her, wants her to be pleased by him.

With Áila’s breasts pressing against his face, earning a few lazy kisses and licks as he breathes and moans, Bi-Han could die peacefully. He doesn’t know what to feel when bliss is rushing all over his nerves. His cock is twitching, getting harder and more sensitive, especially when Jun suddenly clenches down tightly; her walls are spasming, and she throws her head back; her lips forming a perfect O, with her eyes closing tightly – she comes hard. It doesn’t take long for her to greedily continue moving, either to prolong her orgasm or to earn herself another one. For a moment, Bi-Han feels wild, feeling like a toy being used for her pleasure, and he loves it .

Áila looks at him from between her breasts, “Hmm? You’re loving this aren’t you?”

“What?” Jun breathes out between moaning.

“Yes, I think he’s loving this, Jun.”

“I do not – ah –” Bi-Han protests hastily.

Jun laughs, “I can tell you’re lying even when your face is buried in tits.”

Bi-Han tenses when he feels Áila’s hand on his chest. Her fingers are circling around his nipple, teasing, coaxing it to become erect. He huffs, “Wanton creatures… How – nngh – how can I not react… when you keep teasing me…?”

“You could freeze us, but so far you haven’t –  OH!” Jun’s words are cut off when Bi-Han layers his hands in ice, and he grips on her hips tighter. He wants to hear her protest, wants to hear her beg him to release her, but instead, she is mewling, long and wanting. “Ohhh… You play dirty, Grandmaster… Didn’t you know pain and pleasure go hand in hand?”

Bi-Han knows he is lost when Jun rocks her hips faster. He knows he is lost when Áila mutters hushed words of encouragement, and he beams up for each stroke of her hand against his hair. He knows he is lost when he feels Jun’s walls enveloping his length tightly, and she twitches and moans aloud when she comes again, this time accompanied by his. Hot white liquid spurting out in liberation, painting her insides completely. He knows he is lost when Jun removes herself from him, and he whines – the Grandmaster whines – at the loss of warmth around his sensitive cock.

Oh, but for once, losing feels so good.

***

“Does this hurt?” Jun pulls the chain slightly.

Bi-Han huffs, looking down at the chain, following it to the nipple clamps that are now attached to his erect nipples. They look so red. When he doesn’t reply, Jun tugs the chain again.

“I said, does this hurt?” She repeats.

“No.” Bi-Han grunts.

“They look like they hurt.” Áila comments from where she is lying down on the bed, propped up by comfortable pillows. Her legs are parted, baring her pink cunt to the air; Bi-Han’s gaze falls to it, can’t deny that he is eager for her even after so many times coming.

“It’s not.” Bi-Han assures her. To be honest, he has never thought his nipples would be in this situation, but here they are, and he’s feeling way too good about it. He takes his position between Áila’s legs; his hard length resting on top of her mound. He can feel her hot cunt against his balls.

Áila looks divine in this position. Sprawled out on his bed, hands clutching tightly on the sheets, and her bright-colored hair a stark contrast to the fabric. She looks adorable, with the blushing cheeks, and still bright smile that’s just begging to be turned into orgasmic bliss. He wants to ruin her, wants to be ruined by her.

Bi-Han rubs his length along her opening, tip teasing her leaking cunt. She feels warmer, hotter than Jun’s, and when he finally enters her – Gods! – Bi-Han believes he would have melted instantly. Yet he persists, pressing forward until his hips are flushed against hers. He hoists her left leg to his shoulder, wanting to drive in deeper, she moves her right thigh further, wanting him to drive in deeper.

Then he begins to move.

With each thrust, his nipple clamps move, and it sends jolts of bliss to his sensitive tips. It makes his cock twitch involuntarily. It tickles, but feels arousing. It aches, but feels blissful. He is lost in the sensation shortly, when he can hear Áila’s loud moaning, when he can hear the slapping of flesh and the wet squelching noise of her cunt, when he feels her walls threatening to melt his cock off from how tight they are squeezing him.

Suddenly, the chain is tugged, and Bi-Han’s eyes shoot open in shock; he groans in protest when his pace falters. He feels Jun leaning behind him, pressing her naked front to his back. Her right hand is tugging at the chain, while her left is on his head, giving a gentle pat. “Hush… You are doing so well…”

I was, until you interrupted me , is what Bi-Han wants to say. But he grits his teeth and remains quiet, and focuses on fucking Áila as best as he can without faltering again. He can feel her getting close; cunt twitching, her moaning escalating into a crescendo, and – 

And she comes, at the same time as the chain is tugged three times, and Bi-Han finds himself moaning aloud to accompany Áila’s wanton cries. He grips her thighs firmly, trying to ground himself, not wanting to come just yet. But it’s difficult when Jun is teasing the living hell out of him, giggling and peppering kisses to his sweating temple.

“One more, for the sake of being fair. I came twice, she must come twice as well.” Jun whispers, still holding onto the chain.

Bi-Han can’t think straight. His mind is too fucked up to even make a coherent sentence, that he simply nods in reply, and sounding off a breathy, “Yes.” His hips begin to move again, picking up the pace again, that by now it feels like an automatic action, a carnal desire. He wants to come, again and again, wants to paint their insides with his seeds, wants to have them howling his name and crying aloud from how good he’s making them feel.

But his reply must have been not good enough. The chain is tugged again, but this time is by Áila; he bows down, following the pull of the chain. His eyes lock with hers, seeing the lust she shares. Her question is laced with the same lust as well, “Are you – ahn – are you going to please me – mmh?”

Bi-Han nods frantically.

Jun coos at his back, kisses littering on the hard plane of his torso, on his shoulders, on his nape. Dainty fingers coiling with his hair, rubbing at his scalp, gently kneading. Bi-Han drives in faster and harder into Áila’s sopping cunt, again and again and again –

He feels her walls clenching around him again, and he can’t stop the blissful moaning that erupts from his throat; his cock twitching in delight, and his seeds are leaving him without having to be asked. It is too much, too damn much, that he gets lightheaded.

He feels himself being pulled backwards until he’s out of Áila’s divine walls, and he’s lying on his back, sweating. He registers the bed shifting as the two goddesses are moving about. Jun removes the nipple clamps one by one; with each one, she rubs a cooling ointment on his sore nipples carefully. He swears he hears her muttering what a good job he has done, and how good he looks. Then, shortly, he feels a wet, warm towel being dragged along his lower abdomen, as if giving him a bath. It cleans up his length from his sticky sperm. Áila’s face comes into view, and she plants a kiss to the tip of his nose, a smile so bright he could claim her as his sun.

When his breathing has become calmer, he feels the bed dips again. Automatically, he opens his arms, welcoming both Áila and Jun to lie on his chest, cuddled up in a shared body warmth. With a slow movement, he plants a kiss on their damp foreheads, each one earning their pleased humming. And only then do they close their eyes, and drift asleep, high on cloud nine of bliss.

***

“You… wish to be placed with the Lin Kuei for an indefinite amount of time?” Liu Kang asks, confusion etched on his face. “I mean no offense, I’m merely confused as to why. When I suggested it at first, you two didn’t seem to want it, said Arctika is too cold and harsh.”

“Well, it was then, but after a while it grows on us.” Áila replies with a shrug. “I’ve informed my clan. As long as I’m doing my part to keep Earthrealm safe, they are fine with my decision.”

“Likewise,” Jun comments. “The Tenshikiri can operate individually; I have my General at the ready should anything urgent comes up. You have nothing to worry about, Lord Liu Kang.”

The Fire God, despite still in confusion, finally relents. “Very well. Should you require anything, do not hesitate to inform me.”

Jun smiles, “Rest assured. The Grandmaster is treating us well.”

“Indeed, he is.” Áila adds. “Please excuse us. We must return to Arctika at once; there are plenty to plan for the sake of Earthrealm.”

Bi-Han hums, leaning by the door to Liu Kang’s meeting room, listening to the conversation that’s taking place within. He counts the footsteps of Áila and Jun, and anticipates their arrival to his location. They notice him, as he does them, and though it is subtle, the little look they exchange speaks louder than words.

“Now that is done.” Áila begins.

Jun finishes, “Shall we return to Arctika, Grandmaster?”

With his smile hidden behind his mask, Bi-Han hushedly replies, “As my ladies wish.”

[verdemoth]

Maven! Small guy KEENLY aware of the crushing weight of responsibility. Director of Mission Control after Odyssey’s ‘retirement’. Doing their best.

-> Following after their mentor, Maven is the current head of Mission Control, a small team tasked with monitoring the status of expeditions, keeping the portal stable, and maintaining the technological systems that assist in these efforts. Maven’s the one calling the shots. In the case of a hazardous situation, Maven has to make an assessment with what information they have access to and decide what to prioritize. They’re inclined to recall the field team when faced with any untested issue, but the current owners/investors of the whole project aren’t too happy when supplies get wasted ‘for nothing’.

-> In practice they usually just go along with whatever Odyssey advises to the absolute best of their ability. And they Will Not complain.

-> They’re kind of usually too worried about have a personality for the entire duration of a mission. They fixate on the job and fret over it 24/7 until everyone makes it back in one piece.

-> When they can relax, Maven’s got some hobbies. They’re into embroidery, playing niche card and board games, and enjoys science fiction and mystery stories.

-> Their cousin, Perseverance, bullies them relentlessly for being a nerd </3. Even though Perse is the one who writes essays on oscillating genes, or the influences that parasites exert throughout an ecosystem, just for fun, so. >:(

-> Maven and Perse didn’t grow up very close in both a physical, spacial sense as well as an emotional one. Their teens is when they started to connect, when their families moved closer again. Maven babysat fairly often and helped her out with schoolwork, leading to Perse taking an interest in Maven’s aspirations and making them her own.

-> She’s a grown woman now and can look after herself, but Maven’s still worried for her now that she’s joined the team officially. They don’t want to get her killed. But then she goes and pulls some shit to make them reconsider all the effort they’re putting into worrying. Like showing Maven a big fuckoff moth she found by releasing it into their room. Again. (..it was a cool moth though)

-> Maven has to babysit Perse’s terrariums once she starts joining expeditions. Maven does not like crawlies.. but they are committed to upholding the highest standard of care for these creatures. They were reaaaaaally anxious about it the first time, but Perse said they did a great job, and they kind of grew to enjoy it? The feeling of being able to do right by these little animals and keep them safe. They don’t mind it, actually.

-> Maven was just stepping into the leadership role on that fateful day they lost contact with the field team. It was supposed to be straightforward, one of the first missions they’d be commanding with little input from Odyssey, up until it all went very wrong. When the storm hit, they scrambled to manage the crisis. In the time it took to restore communication, Maven was certain they’d gotten three people killed. Instead, they just got one person killed. Like it really makes a difference. They are quite certain that Opportunity’s disappearance and presumed death are their fault and they’re not dealing with it very well.

-> They look up to and respect their mentor a lot and honestly it’s just.. easier to let em overstep and take some responsibility away from them. Maven feels Complicated about it. Relieved, sure. Patronized too. They feel crushed that Odyssey doesn’t seem to trust their ability.. but is e really wrong? They’ve already proven to be inadequate. They’re not sure they’ll ever move past this.

[writergirl2011]

Regarding Hyle Hunt

There's been a little discourse regarding the role one Ser Hyle Hunt will play in Lady Brienne of Tarth's storyline going forward. Some people seem to think that he is her perfect match because they hate the idea that Brienne deserves to have a romance with the man she wants--aka one Ser Jaime Lannister--because that messes with the narrative they want to push, whatever that narrative may be.

Some people think that Ser Hyle Hunt is a more interesting and more remarkable man than he truly is, when nothing he's said or done to this point has shown him to be anything of the sort. Personally, I'm not impressed with a man who set up a bet with his buddies over a young noblewoman's virginity--which was essentially the kiss of death to said young woman, who didn't have much going for her on the marriage mart in the first place. (Don't give me the "men will be men" explanation. That makes you no better than Randyll Tarly.) And his proposal of marriage boils down to: "Hey, baby, you've got an island and a lot of money, I've got a functional dick that's already proven to be fertile. I can close my eyes and blow out the candle. Let's do it." How romantic.

There has been absolutely no indication that Brienne will ever love this man, or even care the slightest for him. Threatening to turn someone into a eunuch isn't playful banter, especially not when said man once bet on her virginity and the last time she confronted someone(s) in that bet, she beat the living shit out of them. She hasn't forgotten, and she really hasn't forgiven. And when it comes to Hyle, she never really will, because in her eyes, what he did was the worst of all of them. He came the closest to winning by doing the one thing none of the others did--he made her feel included, like she might be earning a little bit of respect in that camp. Then she found out it was all a lie.

"But she hated Jaime at first!" Yeah, but that was before Jaime: told a lie about Tarth's wealth to save her from rape; shouted "sapphires" and risked a beating to save her from rape again; risked his own life to save hers by jumping unarmed into a bear pit (with only one hand to boot), and revealed the truth about why he killed Aerys, thus revealing that rather than it being a callous act, he'd saved an entire city of innocents--a noble act. THEN he put his trust in her to find Sansa, gifting her with a horse, armor, and a priceless sword. He gave her the respect Hyle only pretended to give her, expecting nothing in return.

What has Hyle done on their road trip? When Brienne kills the three former Bloody Mummers, I'm curious: how long was Hyle there? At least long enough to see her and Pod burying Nimble Dick, but the way he's described sitting there casually makes me think he'd been there longer. Watching. Sitting back doing nothing while she might've been killed. And we don't know what his true motives are in following her. If she finds Sansa, is he going to help her get Sansa to safety--or is he going to betray her and try to turn Sansa in to the Crown for the reward?

If you want any further proof that she doesn't care about Hyle, think about who she tried to bargain for when Lady Stoneheart was about to hang them all. Not herself, and certainly not Hyle. Podrick, the boy. And when they were hanging, as she was dying. the only person she had eyes for was Pod.

And who did she presumably agree to kill Jaime for? Podrick.

Yeah. She's really going to come around on Hyle.

[yuseirra]

(Final speculation before 163 comes up) Could the story really wrap up within 4 episodes if Kamiki isn’t a god?

I don’t think so;; There are too many things that can be explained with this way but make no sense if it's not. I'm serious. This must be it. This CAN explain EVERYTHING about that particular character quite smoothly!! To the extent it almost can't be otherwise!

Ahh I jotted this down on the spot (used machine translate.. Sorry if the phrasings are a bit off because if it) please, take this into consideration yeah I can be SO off, already proven off but?? This though just keeps coming to me.

I’ve made a lot of guesses about gods, haven’t I? But no one really seems to take it so seriously.

But didn’t they mention there are “gods” who don’t know they’re gods in the piece itself? Why bring that up? They’re going to use it, right? After hearing the lyrics of *Fatal*, I started to seriously think that Ruby and Kamiki actually have some kind of divine power.

For Kamiki… everything he’s done makes way more sense if we consider him to be the earthly god Sarutahiko Okami. It's just impossible for him to just be a regular person with this little time left in the story but if you take him as a reincarnation of that particular god that's started to reawaken his divinity, everything starts to click!!!

Sarutahiko is considered a "noble" god,

And the way he met Ai is really similar to how he met his wife, Ame-no-Uzume, leading to their marriage (his wife came to his domain as part of a mission, and he led the way, they developed feelings and connected—this parallels how Ai came to meet Kamiki while pursuing acting, with him having guided her. The descendants of the god Sarutahiko bear the name that means "woman who dances well" That's like Ruby). They fell in love immediately, just like Ai seems to have taken a liking to him from the moment she saw him. Ame-no-Uzume approached him first and the relationship blossomed from there.

Sarutahiko is also a god of light (Hikaru has “light” in his name, and “Kamiki” relates to gods).

He governs land (isn’t it strange how people keep dying in the mountains?).

That shrine in Miyazaki where the main cast went to, Aratate Shrine, is dedicated to Sarutahiko and his wife, but they didn’t mention Sarutahiko explicitly. Together, these gods bless the entertainment world and grant people’s wishes. Remember when Ruby and Kamiki met and that whole talk about gods and wishes? He listened to what she really wished for, and Kamiki also congratulated Aqua, saying his wish was fulfilled. All the wishes that were mentioned there, indeed, did come true. In *Mephisto*, the line “I forgot who I lived as” refers to Kamiki, I'm sure of it. He’s a god who didn’t realize it but is now somewhat aware and using his power.

Aqua tried to drown him. Sarutahiko governs the earth, so it makes sense that Aqua, who’s aligned with Susanoo (the sea god), would have an advantage over him in water. That’s why he could kill him that way.

Sarutahiko is also the “guiding god.” He leads people toward good futures, that's what he is supposed to do. So, if Aqua says, “I have to stop you from ruining Ruby’s future,” it makes sense that Kamiki, as Sarutahiko’s reincarnation, might actually have the power to affect her future.

In *Mephisto* and *Fatal*, there’s a narrator desperately longing for a “star,” with Ai being compared to a star and Kamiki to a gem. Gems are from the earth, and Sarutahiko is an earth god (Kunitsukami), while his wife Ame-no-Uzume belongs to the celestial gods (Amatsukami). This all fits perfectly, doesn’t it? Kamiki wanted to reach Ai, and as the songs imply, he tried to gather "light" (the star eyes) as a means to do so. He couldn't get to her by his own powers because he doesn't originate from the skies the way she does, perhaps that could be why he needed the "stars" in order to "fill in what's missing" as mentioned in Fatal! As he originally blessed the entertainment world. Maybe he’s been going around finding people with star eyes to reclaim his blessings.

Actually, if we follow the mythology, Ruby is the one connected to Kamiki out of the twins. Sarutahiko’s essence is solar, and Amaterasu, who corresponds to Ruby, took over his place in the native religion. But even though Sarutahiko gave up his place, (getting married with Ame-no-Uzume in the process.. He did get a beautiful wife out of it all), he’s still honored as a powerful god with the title Okami. His story is more closely tied to Amaterasu and Ame-no-Uzume than to Susanoo. The three of them weren’t on bad terms either. Sarutahiko ended up working with his wife for Amaterasu. So when Kamiki treated Ruby with kindness, maybe it was because they share a deep connection. To add, since they overlap in their domains, so perhaps Kamiki posed a threat to her because of that.

Sarutahiko was said to have a strong, loving relationship with his wife. When they blessed people, they did it together, even offering marriage blessings. The song Mephisto and Fatal just scream that the speaker cannot bear to go on without their loved one and they'd give their life away if only they could be back. I feel that's how Sarutahiko would feel if he lost Ame-no-Uzume, they seemed so loving towards each other to me.

Kamiki’s character really seems to make sense if you consider him a god. There are so many things that would instantly click into place. But if he’s not a god, I honestly have no idea who he is. Everything about him points to that conclusion. Both he and Ai were gods. It makes sense then, that it's Ruby and Kamiki who could say that Ai was just a regular person. Because they think they really are just normal people and wish to be taken that way the way Ai is. They're the ones who can talk from those same shoes.

In reality, they were gods who wanted to live as humans and chose to live as such. Kamiki constantly says that he and Ai were the same, and that they could have overcome anything together. That’s probably because, as gods, they were each other’s counterparts, worshiped together at shrines. That's not just him being clingy, it REALLY was how things were. They were drawn to each other, unconsciously recognizing their similarities, and reunited as humans.

But after Ai’s death, Kamiki was fully corrupted, leading to his downfall.

Honestly, I can’t interpret it any other way anymore. If not this, then I really don’t know who Kamiki is. Too many unnatural things have happened surrounding him, and when you piece together the songs, it becomes clear: he’s a fallen god who lost someone precious and was consumed by darkness. This darkness probably didn’t originate from him; something external caused his fall. Even the scene where his eyes change—like paint dripping from outside—suggests that something seeped in from the outside.

In the anime, Kamiki’s eye color is lighter and more washed-out compared to Ai’s vibrant purple. It really seems like his original eye color was different and was later tainted. He might have been a god of light with orange or yellow eyes. His children’s eye colors might have split because of his original bright color.

Ai, as Ame-no-Uzume, is a goddess of entertainment and the dawn. Her colors align with this. Even if her personality was a façade, she shares a lot of traits with Ame-no-Uzume. If she had grown up without trauma, she might have truly been like her. The “morning/first star(in IDOL's lyric)” refers to the brightest star at dawn. If Ai is Ame-no-Uzume, and Kamiki is her husband, then their relationship with Ruby fits perfectly too. Even in the novel, Ai said she might become a god with her own religion.

I think this should be it. If not, nothing else would make sense. With only 4 episodes left, they’ll likely use this storyline to tie everything up. Otherwise, they’d need a lot more episodes. But since there’s an overarching mythology at play, I think they’ll be able to compress the narrative. No one could deny that these gods loved each other, and because Kamiki is falling into corruption, it'd make sense for there to be divine intervention- the resurrection of the twins. Ai wanted to experience true love, and she did find her match as Kamiki. She wouldn’t have found anyone better because they are meant to be. She wanted to save him from the depravity of the entertainment world.

I wanted to write this down since there won’t be many more chances to talk about these theories.

I’ve been thinking this since *Fatal* came out in July. The more I watch, the more these ideas seem to fit perfectly. The thought only strengthened;; Kamiki and Ai are probably incarnations of gods. The entire Hoshino family is likely divine.

[freellamabeliever]

(ALICIA ZDINARSK A.K.A. Z-DOG LIVES IN A DARK WORLD. SO SHE WILL BE DAMNED IF ANYONE TRIES TO TAKE AWAY HER ONLY BRIGHT LIGHT. AFTER ALL A BIG SISTER HAS TO PROTECT HER LITTLE HUMAN SISTER)

Natalie Portman as Mary Zdinarsk.

(Z-Dog's POV)

I was talking to my little sister Mary and smiled. I can't believe it's been fifteen years since I last saw her. Last time I saw her she was thirteen and now she is a twenty eight year old woman.

"I can't believe you actually stayed with the RDA Mary."

"Well someone had to make sure Avatar was growing healthy. And as your sister that responsibility was mine. Plus I am the best female mechanic and tech nerd here. I enjoyed making sure my big sister was healthy."

"Your arm still hurting Mary?"

Mary looked down at her bruised up arm and her smile dropped. My blood began to boil as I remembered finding out about her abusive ex boyfriend. I hugged her tightly in my arms and slightly picked her up. She smiled up at me.

"Well Marcus is not a probation anymore as he is in solitary confinement until he is sent back to that dying planet. And I want to thank you for not threatening to kill him. You didn't act on your impulsive thoughts this time."

I scoffed.

"I am not that over-protective Mary."

"Alicia you once put a man into a coma for hugging me."

"Point proven."

"Okay now put me down."

We both laughed.

-An hour later-

I was walking to a room where only I knew. No one knew about this room not even the RDA. I opened the door and walked into the room and locked the door tightly. I then faced the bloodied and bruised man tied to a chair. He looked up at me and paled even whiter than he already was. Fear was written all over his face as I sat in front of him. I ripped the duck tape off his mouth as he let out a shaky breath.

"Please let me go. I won't tell anyone I promise."

I chuckled sinisterly at him.

"Now why would I do that. You hurt someone who is special to me out of your own freewill. Now give me one good reason I shouldn't end you right now."

I place the tip of my knife on his throat. I smiled sinisterly and chuckled darkly. He didn't speak because he couldn't give me an answer. I stood up and stared down at him.

"What cat got your tongue? Or is it the fact that you think you can escape and tell everyone what happened. But believe me when I leave this room you'll be a skeleton before anyone will even stumble upon this room. By then it will be too late and no one will be able to Identify you."

I cut Marcus free from his bindings and watched as he tried to make an escape. He couldn't even make it to the door before he collapsed from weakness. I walked up to him and grabbed him by his throat and lifted him in the air. He tried to make a scream for help before I threw him against the wall. I crouched down to his level and smirked.

"These walls are sound proof. So good luck."

He kept whimpering and looking just pathetic. I gripped my knife and brought it close to his neck.

"I am going to teach you a lesson on what happens when people hurt the ones I love."

It was night and everyone was sleeping. When I was through with Marcus I cleaned up and got rid of the evidence. When I finally reached the room I shared with my little sister I smiled as I saw my little sister asleep on her bed. I closed and locked the door. I walked over to my little sister and smiled. I kissed her forehead gently before whispering in her ear.

"Don't worry baby sister I will always protect you. After all isn't that a big sister's job."

I lay down next to her holding her in my arms and made sure to mentally promise to never leave her again.

[possessiveandobsessive]

The Spirit of Determination

Nyra "Rook" Thorne is somehow responsible for the fate of all of Thedas. If she's going to pull it off, she's going to need a hell of a lot of determination. Lucky for her, she knows a guy and his demon who can help her out with that.

Sooooo I absolutely failed to mention that this Rook is an elf. Oops. She even has Vallaslin. I apologize for failing to include a fairly relevant detail, and I’m putting a picture of Nyra “Rook” Thorne below. (I fixed part 1 so this might be irrelevant for some)

Part 3: The Beginning of the End

Morrigan regarded Rook with her usual neutral expression, before allowing a small smile to grace her features. This she-elf certainly didn’t beat around the bush. Morrigan had to admit, that sarcastic, crossbow-wielding dwarf truly possessed a knack for stumbling upon and recognizing individuals with the potential to be real heroes. The one before her, “Rook” had a special kind of glint to her eyes when she focused in on a target. Morrigan recognized the look well. After all, the witch had spent more than her fair share of time guiding saviors of Thedas to their defining moments. Yes, this one will be able to do it, she thought before opening her mouth to address the woman in front of her.

“You assume I carry ill tidings,” Morrigan paused, “You’d be mostly correct, but it would be more accurate to say I bring a warning and some advice.” She waited a beat, waiting to see if Rook had anything to interject. The warden just watched her with the same steady gaze however, so Morrigan went on. “You are correct that it will be a month before the eclipse the blighted gods need to finish their dagger occurs naturally, but you forget that you are facing beings that do not play by the rules of our natural world.”

Rook’s eyes widened slightly but she remained silent. She wanted to wait until Morrigan was done to react, and she could tell there was more to come.

“We cannot assume that the gods are going to simply wait until the perfect moment arrives, especially since they are now all too aware of the danger you pose.” THAT made Rook’s eyebrows shoot up, and she opened her mouth to argue. She may be good in a fight, and occasionally have some success in the strategy department, but she alone couldn’t truly be a threat to the gods. The Witch of the Wilds held up a hand, indicating that she was not finished. Rook’s jaw snapped shut and she nodded for Morrigan to continue.

“You may not see what you’ve accomplished as a real victory, but you’ve proven yourself to be an adversary that they cannot ignore or take lightly. Not after you killed Ghilan’nain’s archdemon.” Morrigan smirked, “That is an insult they will not forget or forgive.” 

Taking on a more serious tone, her expression darkened, “I can feel something brewing, there is a change in the wind. They’re planning something and you need to be ready. In order to be ready for the final confrontation, you need to decide how you are going to handle The Dread Wolf.”

Rook was confused now. “Solas is locked away in the Fade prison he built, he’s not going to be a problem when we face the gods.”

Morrigan shook her head grimly. “The Dread Wolf has an escape plan, you can be sure of that. It’s doubtful that he will wait until you’ve achieved your victory to act. This is a being who believes only he can save the world. Fen’Harel isn’t going to trust you to do it in his stead, no matter what he has told you or promised. Solas is many things, but the one that has remained the most constant, is that he will lie and deceive anyone if he thinks it necessary to achieve his goal.”

“It’s not as if I trust him”, Rook argued, “But he’s trapped. If he could escape, I imagine he would have done so already. Solas built that prison himself, he made sure a god couldn’t ever leave it.”

“And yet two did.” Morrigan countered, “It’s already been done, there is no evidence to suggest that he can’t find a way out if the right conditions are met. Tread carefully Rook, you mustn’t underestimate him. Do not repeat the actions that have been the downfall of so many before you.” Then Morrigan sighed, “All that is not to say that the Dread Wolf is a lost cause, he isn’t. Not yet at least.” 

Amber eyes looked up and stared meaningfully across the table into green ones. “Do you think he is worth saving? Or has your faith in him completely vanished? This is what you need to decide, Rook. Once the gods take action and plans are set in motion, there won’t be time for hesitation. You need to have a plan to deal with Solas. The choice is yours, but do not make it lightly. Consider all that you have seen, all that you have experienced of the Dread Wolf’s life. The second fragment of Mythal is in your hands now, will you try to use it to save him?”

Rook had no answer to that. He’s an arrogant, deceiving, bastard who thinks he is always right, she grumbled inwardly, but is it right to call anyone irredeemable? She was a Grey Warden. Many of her brothers and sisters had done many dark things in their pasts and they were allowed a second chance. She herself had gotten a second chance. Could she really play judge, jury, and executioner in this situation while knowing that? Rook also considered Lucanis. He carried a demon within him, had killed countless people, but she knew he possessed a gentle soul and a caring heart. Was it fair for her to write Solas off when she didn’t truly know his nature? 

Rook worked her jaw in silent, frustrated thought. As much as she wanted to write the ancient elf off, she couldn’t do so without going against her beliefs. I have to give him a chance if he escapes. Everyone deserves an opportunity to do the right thing, at least one. With a heavy sigh Rook said the words that would seal a part of her fate: “I don’t believe he’s fully evil or a lost cause. If he gets out, I’ll do what Varric would. I’ll give him one last chance to change, evolve into something new, but I won’t allow him to do anymore damage. I’m prepared to kill him if that’s what it takes to make Thedas safe.”

Morrigan nodded her approval. “You’ve steeled your resolve on this issue, I can rest easier now. Trying to make major decisions in the heat of battle is what gets heroes killed. Thank you for setting my mind at ease.” 

Rook gave her a small smile before her face turned serious once more, “So what are the Inquisitor’s plans? Should I expect-”

She was interrupted by a sudden change in the light outside the window and the sounds of horrified screams coming from the docks. Rook and Morrigan stared at each other for a single moment in shock before both women rose quickly to their feet and ran for the exit. Lucanis already stood just outside the door, his typically stoic face raised to the sky with a mix of shock and fear painted across it. Not good, Rook thought before shakily forcing her eyes to take in the state of the sky.

Icy panic exploded in Rook’s chest at the sight. Impossible… That’s not… she couldn’t seem to form a full, coherent thought as she tried to come to terms with what she was seeing. The moon was being dragged to cover the sun. The gods were moving their timeline up rapidly. Their plan was to not even give her a chance to stop them from completing their ritual, and they were quite literally moving the heavens and the earth to do it. 

“No…” Rook heard herself whisper brokenly. “I don’t…” 

How was she supposed to fight beings that could accomplish something like this? Hell, these beings were the ones her people had worshipped. They were so powerful they could claim godhood. Rook was one person, and she was terrified. NO. Her own voice thundered in her mind. You promised yourself, promised the ones you failed that you’d never shrink back from a fight again. You swore you’d never feel that helpless again. That you wouldn’t give up ever again. So pull it together, and MOVE. The gods won’t wait for you to catch up. 

In response to these thoughts, Rook straightened up and squared her shoulders. Two pale hands came up to slap either side of her face in unison. That was better. Lucanis looked away from the sky upon hearing the forceful strike, and gave Rook a concerned look. She would have cherished it under any other circumstance but unfortunately, the world was ending. 

“Right.” Somehow, she managed to speak loudly and with authority. “Lucanis we need to get to the Lighthouse as quickly as possible and get our allies together. We don’t have much time to get to Tearstone Island before those blighted fucks finish their cursed dagger.” Rook started down the stairs but stopped when she reached the bottom. Her shadow still stood at the top of the stairs, gaping at her like a fish. Upon meeting her gaze again however, his face became that of the skilled assassin again. They needed the Demon of Vyrantium right now, not Lucanis Dellamorte. Rook turned before she could watch him begin to follow her and took off at top speed towards the Eluvian. She wasn’t even a hundred percent sure they could make it in time, but that had never stopped her from trying before.

   *   *   *   *

Rook and Lucanis practically fell out of the Lighthouse Eluvian in their haste to reach the rest of the team. Rushing up the stairs to the library, they found all 6 other members of the Veilguard (7 if you count Assan, which she did), standing around the table arguing.

“We are completely fucked!” Taash shouted at no one in particular, flames appearing at the corners of their mouth.

“The plan hasn’t changed.” Davrin spoke loudly over Taash’s growls. “We go to the island, kill Ghilan’nain, and take the dagger before Elgar’nan can use it to blight the world.” Assan screeched as if agreeing with his companion.

“Um, I don’t know if you’ve seen the sky Davrin,” Harding cut in, “But I’m pretty sure the gods moving the moon wasn’t part of our original plan.” The small woman was doing her best to hide it, but Rook could hear the anxiety breaking through her light tone.

“Everyone has seen the sky, everyone knows what’s at stake, and everyone here has already promised the same thing.” Rook’s voice filled and dominated the space, and silence quickly fell over the room. She spoke loudly, but didn’t yell. The warden maintained a steady, firm tone as she continued, “We do whatever it takes. I’m going to need all of you in order to stop this madness and save the world. We can’t do that if we’re busy squabbling and panicking.” Rook met each of the team’s eyes, doing her best to silently communicate that everything was under control (it wasn’t, at all).

“You’ve all grown strong and overcome so much already.” She smirked before adding, “The gods have never met the likes of us, and now we are going to make them regret coming out of that prison in the first place.” Making sure that each person’s eyes remained on her, Rook swept her gaze over the people that had become so important to her. She hated that she had to say it. She didn’t want to be the one to give the command, but that was the cost of leading. “Get your gear and do it fast, we leave in five minutes.”

Wordlessly but with more fire in their eyes, the team scattered quickly to gather their armor and weapons. Rook turned to Lucanis, “Get word to the Crows, we will need them.” The assassin nodded at her before taking off towards his pantry. As he exited, Bellara was already re-entering the library, tightening the last straps on her leathers. 

“I sent word to the Veiljumpers, they should be meeting us at the island.” Bellara reported. Rook shot her a grateful look. Thank goodness for Bellara’s quick mind. She heard a thundering sound behind her and turned to see Taash flying down the stairs from their room.

“I just sent word to the Lords, I’m sure Isabella will meet us there.” Taash was practically vibrating, the Rivaini was ready to go now. Any trace of fear had left them as soon as Rook came back and took control of the situation. Rook nodded her approval at Taash before turning to Emmerich who was making his way down the stairs now.

“Have the Mourn Watch been alerted?” She was pretty sure she already knew the answer, but a good leader had to be certain of which pieces were moving where. “We need total control of the board, kid. That’s the only way we are going to get any advantage over Chuckles.” She had learned that lesson from the best. Varric knew what it took to inspire people, and to inspire was to lead. 

“They have indeed, Rook. I just sent Manfred off with a word to Vorgoth. I’m certain my fellow Watchers will join us as soon as they are able.” Emmerich gave her his usual gentle smile, but Rook knew him well enough now to see the worry just behind it. She nodded her thanks as Neve, Harding, Davrin, Assan, and Lucanis re-entered the library together. “The Crows have been notified, I expect Viago will be coming himself with a group of his best.” Lucanis informed Rook in his serious, business-like tone. 

Good, he’s locked in. Rook thought, relieved. She needed him at his best, even if that was selfish. He might be the only one capable of taking down Ghilan’nain, and failure wasn’t an option this time. 

As if reading her mind, Lucanis directed his next words at Rook alone, “I will not fail again. Ghilan’nain dies today, by our hand.” Hearing them speak as one was comforting. Lucanis and Spite’s intentions had aligned at last, and not a moment too soon.

“Perfect.” Rook said, a dark grin spreading slowly across her face. “The gods aren’t going to know what hit them. Let’s go.”

With that, Rook led her team through the Eluvian and across the Crossroads to Tearstone Island. She moved with the confidence of an army general that had never lost a war, but inside she was filled with self-doubt. The team trusted her with their lives, and now she had no choice but to put them all on the line. Maybe it was her time as a Grey Warden, but Rook had a good sense for if a fight was going to cost lives. She felt sick when she noticed the familiar tug in her gut. One of us isn’t going to make it back….Rook did her best to shrug off the thought. It didn’t help anyone to get lost in doom-filled thoughts. 

One by one the Veilguard stepped through the Eluvian onto the soil of Tearstone Island. They stood in a line as they all took a moment to stare at the sky. The sun was nearly entirely covered by the moon now. Rook swallowed hard, her throat incredibly dry all of the sudden. “Let’s move.” she forced the words out, strain evident in her voice. If the team noticed, they gave no indication of it. She was glad for that.

They quickly got to the location where they needed to split up. One would need to lead a small team around the island in the opposite direction in order to keep eyes off of Rook and the rest of her team. Both Davrin and Harding volunteered themselves right away. 

“ I have experience leading people into battle, and you know fighting Darkspawn is what we are made to do.” Davrin argued in favor of himself.

“I’m the scout!” Harding pointed out, “It should be me, I know how to move quickly and efficiently, and am great at navigating unfamiliar landscapes!”

Rook looked between the two of them. How was she supposed to choose? They were both clearly willing, but she knew that whoever she chose was going to be in much more danger than the rest of them. Harding was staring at her intensely, and when Rook turned to fully meet her gaze, she had her answer. The scout’s eyes communicated one simple thing: “Let me make it right.” Harding had the same chip on her shoulder that Rook did, she couldn’t deny her a shot at the redemption they both so desperately craved.

“Harding will lead the small group. Taash, go with her.” Taash looked at her gratefully and nodded. Rook knew Taash wouldn’t have their head on straight if they spent the whole time worrying over Harding, so it was better to just have the two stick together for now. Everyone else comes with. Lucanis, Davrin, you guys are running point with me on this.” The two men nodded and stepped up to her sides. 

“Everyone knows the plan.” Rook said, addressing the whole team. “If we fail, the world as we know it is over.” She swept her eyes over each Veilguard member’s determined face, “So we won’t fail. Protect each other, and stay alert. Now go, we're already out of time.”

Harding, Taash, and their small group started off at a run to the other side of the island. Rook took a deep steadying breath, That’s not going to be the only tough decision you have to make today. She grimaced at the thought, but forced her body to continue moving forward. Rook managed to get her legs to run after a few steps, and they were off. 

*   *   *   *  

Lucanis stared at Rook’s back as they ran further inland. Here he was, following her as she plunged into danger once again. It probably should have bothered him but being at her side at all was enough right now. At least it meant he could protect her if need be.He was a fool for not making his feelings known sooner. The fear of hurting her, of not knowing what kind of man he could be for her, had held him back. He had wasted so much time. I have to tell her. When this is all over, I’ll tell her how much she means to me, and beg to stay at her side. 

Rook could feel his eyes on her back as she followed the small footpath that would take her to the gods. She wanted badly to turn around and hug him. Just once, she wanted to know what it felt like to be held in Lucanis’s firm, but gentle grasp. Rook crushed the thought immediately. She had a mission, a job to do, and it was far too important to make a mistake because she was distracted. Maybe afterwards though… When we finish the job, I’ll go to him. I’ll tell him what’s been true for a long time now: I love him as he is, demon and all. I’ve never really belonged anywhere, but I want to belong with him. 

Only, things had never gone the way Rook planned. It was stupid to think that would suddenly change now.

Part 4 here

Part 2 here

Part 1 here

DATV Masterlist here

[stevenblueniverse]

Bellow selkie au Chapter 22

I will consider this to be season 3 as the story will be taking a very different turn after this

Chapter 22 on the run

"What do I do now!?", yellow cried, holding her head and falling to her knees, "my own mother has abandoned me! I have no home, no future no life now! If only I had a sword right now, I'd ram it through my heart!". Yellow's cries could be heard throughout the forest that covered all around her mother's Palace, so much so all the Palace workers closed the windows so white diamond would not hear her daughter's cry and continue living the lie that yellow had died from the fall, but even that wasnt enough they had to close of all rooms that didn't have thick enough walls for 'decorations' to keep white from hearing anything.

"Please yellow, calm yourself", blue told her, lightly putting her arm on her shoulder, she had barely shown any fear or sadness ever since white expelled them, she was so casual it made yellow feel almost unsettled. "I have already planned our futures together, you have nothing to worry about", she continued, looking up, back to the window they had escaped through, planning something. "LIAR!", yellow yelled through tears, "what possibly can get me out of this!? I can't just go back to where pink diamond is I am no selkie!".

Blue put her finger of yellow's mouth and hushed her, "shhhhh....", she quietly said. Yellow slapped off blue's hand, "this isn't funny!", she snapped, "I've proven to mother I'm a failure and now I have nothing! I'm just going to die out here!", yellow looked down to the floor and turned away from her mother's palace, unable to look back at her old home any longer. "Mother always feared I'd become a failure and now I've proved those fears true! She always wanted me to be a strong, pious, married woman who would inherit her business and have many children and a rich husband, but look at me! I'm none of that...I'm worthless, a failure", she buried her head in her hands and wept loudly, making the maids who thought they could open the windows again panic and quickly slam them all shut, blue could hear all the windows slamming at nearly the exact same time and quietly snickered at this.

"You do not need to be a selkie", blue said, kneeling down and trying to hug yellow, "THATS NOT THE POIN-," "shhhh...listen to me, let me finish", blue hushed yellow who was about to yell at her again and pulled her in tighter. "I brought you here, I can bring you back to pink, but I believe you can bring yourself to pink, without me", she stood back up and looked back to the window, yellow looked up to. "and what do you mean?", she asked, not in the mood for blue to speak in such a way. "Your room, that door, there's something hidden behind that door, I believe I know what is in there", blue told her, starting to climb up a nearby tree.

Yellow stumbled off from the ground and quickly chased after her, "WAIT, BLUE STOP DONT GO BACK THERE, MOTHER WILL KILL YOU!", she called, climbing up after but not as fast as blue who easily made her way up. Blue didnt listen to yellow and didn't look back, she quickly climbed up higher trees and to the one just under the window, the one they had fell through, yellow stayed in a lower tree, only able to watch and too scared to get any closer or even speak incase white diamond heard her. "Blue stop!", yellow whispered, trembling, blue looked back to her and loudly said, "don't worry", and pushed open the window, noticeably breaking it and casually walking back into the home, yellow nearly fainted at the sight of this and had to climb back down to the ground to process what was happening.

Thanks to yellow's tour blue immediately knew where she was going, the maids and workers didn't know who blue was and what the 'earlier visitor who committed degenerate acts with her daughter' white told them about looked like, this allowed blue to easily blend in, some not even finding her selkie coat strange. Blue made it to yellow's room and to the mysterious door, she could feel that strange energy pulling her in again, "sorry If this will be loud!", she laughed, transforming into her large seal form and slamming her large and strong body against the door, breaking it easily and revealing what was inside. Behind the door was a small coat hanger, holding a glowing white coat that lit up the entire room.

Blue immediately detransformed and grabbed the coat, "I knew it" she whispered, hiding it in her own coat, that had the exact same patterns and texture and running out, this time shattering the window and jumping through the trees, making a lot of noise, but she didnt care, she had already got what she wanted.

Yellow sat under a tree, her knees up two her chin, she didn't know what to do and could only think, she had exhausted herself from all the crying and believed her mother could appear and murder her at any moment, she felt hopeless, and even worse now that blue diamond, the only person she had ever truly loved had left, and could have been found by her mother and killed by now. "Yellow?", a voice called, yellow turned around and was met by blue, "you're back? How was it? Was mother there?", she frantically asked, running up to see her, overjoyed she was back but also terrfied of what she could've possibly done or seen up there.

"It was easy!", blue laughed, opening her coat, "and I also found this!", she pulled out the matching coat she found in yellow's room, "I think its yours!", she winked. Yellow took some steps back and hit her back against the tree they where under, "m-mine??", she studdered, beginning to shake as she fully realised what blue was holding. "no it can't be!", she cried, "I am not a selkie!", blue looked down to the coat, "then why was it in your room? And it seems to fit you well, come on try it on! It will fit you perfectly!", "NO!", she yelled back at her, "IF ITS MINE I WILL BURN IT! I WILL NOT TOUCH IT! I AM NOT A SELKIE!", "then so be it", blue huffed and walked away, giving up.

[teaberrii]

Chapter 12: What Haunts Us

You and Dan Heng are a match made in heaven until fate takes him away from you too soon. Years later, you think you moved on with a mutual friend who shared your grief and stuck with you during tough times until you meet a mysterious man with a striking resemblance to your past lover and a hidden motive. You’re determined to get rid of him, but how are you going to get rid of a god?

Dan Feng/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail crossover

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

Support my writing

After taking him up on his offer to get a bite to eat, Dan Feng suggests a nearby restaurant that recently opened. So, here you are, walking next to Dan Feng with your hands in your coat pocket.

“It’s a little late for dinner,” you say, breaking the silence. Then, jokingly, “Did no one want to cook?”

“Bailu did, but I wanted to take you out.”

You almost stop at the unexpected boldness. You open your mouth but can’t find the words, so you make a joke instead. “Is this some sort of mind game where you treat your victim to a meal before you kill them?” Dan Feng glances at you without turning his head, and you awkwardly face forward and quietly say, “Well, you did say you want to kill me.”

“And here I thought we were on the same page. You’re my friend unless proven otherwise.”

You clear your throat. “So… Bailu cooked, but you still wanted to go out and eat?”

Dan Feng was staring at his phone, the conversation between you and him was open on the screen. Finally, he sighed, turned around, and Bailiu and Zhongli stood upright.

“You might want to give him some space,” Neuvilette said, quietly sipping his tea from the sofa.

Bailu pointed to Dan Feng’s phone. “You didn’t ask her!”

“Are you nervous?” Zhongli asked.

Dan Feng scoffed. “I’ll ask her once you two stop breathing down my neck.”

Bailu and Zhongli looked at each other, and it was Bailu who said, “Yeah, he’s nervous.”

“Why don’t we invite her over for dinner?” Neuvilette asked. He looked at Bailu. “I thought you out of all people would want her to taste your cooking that’s”—he raised his hands to make air quotations—”'out of this world'.”

“We can always invite her over,” Bailu said. “But, Brother Moon needs to make his move!”

Dan Feng rubbed the space between his brows. “You have way too much time on your hands.”

Zhongli chuckled. “You like her, though, don’t you?”

Dan Feng looked off to the side, and Bailu and Zhongli smiled at each other. “She’s human,” Dan Feng finally said. “A human with a strange connection to the woman from my past.”

“You know what your biggest flaw has always been?” Bailu sighed. “You never live in the moment. You’re always thinking about”—she changed her voice so it sounded like she was mimicking him—”what’s going to happen next? What about the future?” She looked at him like an older sister chiding a younger brother. “Yeah, she’s a human. But, you like being with her, don’t you? Just enjoy the time you have with her.”

“As much as I’d like to agree with that sentiment”—Neuvilette looked at Dan Feng—”it might be you who gets hurt in the end.”

“Don’t forget about her,” Zhongli added. “Who knows? She might take a liking to you too, if not already.”

“And... Do you really want to keep her at a distance?” Bailu asked. “Besides, if she does like you or whatnot, it should be her choice whether she wants to stay away or not, right? She knows what you are now! I’d say just focus on what you want. For anything to happen, it’s a two-way street.”

The silence eventually grew too much for Bailu to bear.

“What? Why’s everyone all quiet?”

Neuvilette took another sip of his tea. “Would you like to grace us with more wisdom, Master Bailu?”

She threw a pillow in his direction, which he swiftly dodged without putting down his cup.

“She wants us to spend time together,” Dan Feng finally answers. He’s expecting you to be surprised. Maybe blush a little.

But instead, you say, “Yeah… I hope it’ll get us closer to figuring out why I’m having these dreams.” When you see him slightly frown, you raise a brow. “What? Aren’t you curious too?”

“Let’s… not talk about that right now.”

“Then, what do you want to talk about?”

“You.”

The unexpected response stuns you into silence, and you almost stop. It doesn’t help that he’s still looking at you, too.

“M-Me?” you ask with a small chuckle. “Well, you know plenty. I should be asking about you.”

“You can ask anytime. But tonight…” He smiles at you, and your face unexpectedly warms. “It’s about you.”

Upon reaching the small, cozy restaurant, Dan Feng opens the door for you. Once you and Dan Feng are seated at a table near the back of the restaurant, you open the menu. After ordering, Dan Feng looks at you and asks:

“You said your father was a language professor… What about your mother?”

“She was an academic researcher,” you say. Then, with a little smile, “They went through undergrad and grad school at the same university but didn’t meet until they started working there.”

“Funny how life works sometimes.”

“Yes,” you say, looking down, and Dan Feng instantly senses something is wrong. “That’s... where they also died. It was an accident… in one of the labs my mother was working at.” You quickly look up. “Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to bring down the mood.”

“No.” His gaze softens. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“But… that was how Dan Heng and I got closer.”

It had been nearly two weeks since you were back at school. Anyone who’d seen you would say you looked like a zombie: dark circles under your eyes, and your hair was frizzy and messy like it hadn't been combed or washed in days.

You were folding your parents’ clothes in their room when your grandmother softly knocked on the door. You turned and saw her faint smile.

“Your friend’s here to see you.”

“Friend?” you asked, turning back. “I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

“He said you hadn't been answering your phone. He sounded like he was worried.”

“He…?”

“Dan Heng?" Your grandmother gestured for you to come out, but you didn’t. "Do you know him? He said he’s a friend of yours.”

“Ah… Yeah." Then, quietly, "We're not that close."

“But he still came all this way.” Your grandmother walked in and sat next to you. “You haven’t been out of the house for a while. Why don’t you go and get some fresh air? It’ll be good for you.” You sighed and stood, knowing there wasn’t a point in arguing with your grandmother. You walked out of the door and heard your grandmother say, “He should be right outside.”

And she was right.

“Hi,” he said, as soon as you opened the door.

You still weren’t smiling.

“I… got your address from Stelle,” Dan Heng quietly admitted. “I hope you don’t mind.”

You stepped out and closed the door. “I’m fine,” you said. But, your tone screamed that you weren’t. “You didn’t have to come all this way.”

Dan Heng reached into his bag and pulled out a folder. “You missed quite a few classes, so I photocopied my notes for you.”

You took it and slightly smiled upon seeing the cover decorated with stickers and doodles of what you liked. Then, when you opened it, you were pleasantly surprised to see the organized, color-coded notes.

“W-Wow,” you finally said, flipping through the pages. You also noticed a little cartoon at the bottom corner that seemed to move as you continued going through the notes. You chuckled. “What’s this?”

“It’s… something I thought you’d like,” he said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “I understand school is probably the last thing on your mind.” You looked at him, but he was looking off to the side. “And… I know nothing I can say can make things better. But…” His eyes meet yours. “If there’s anything I can do, please ask.”

Your sad smile doesn’t go unnoticed.

“It sounded like he made you feel better," Dan Feng says. "And it sounds like he came prepared.”

A waiter comes with your food and sets them on the table.

“Prepared?” you ask, after the waiter leaves.

“The notes. The little cartoon. I applaud him for his efforts.”

You look up at him with a smile without lifting your head.

You and Dan Feng eat in silence before you stop. You wipe your mouth with a napkin and scoot slightly closer to the table.

“Hey…” Dan Feng looks up from his food, and you ask, “What was it like back then? There was magic, right? What… What happened to all of it since, well, there’s obviously none now.”

“And here I thought you would be curious about Dan Heng in the past.”

“I am,” you admit. “But, considering what you told me… I don’t think it’d be appropriate for me to ask.”

“Based on what you told me about him”—Dan Feng quietly scoffs—”he sounds like the brother I used to know. But, the one I knew was a military general."

You almost spit out your water. “Military general? And, um, what about you?”

“I was in academia.”

“Ah… So you didn’t lie to me back then.”

“I didn’t lie about everything."

You point your fork at him. “Did you know you can get in trouble for posing as a police officer in this world, Mister?”

“Oh, so does that mean you’re going to tattle on me?”

You chuckle. “If you tell me what I want to know… I won’t.”

Dan Feng smiles. “Guess I don’t have much of a choice.”

You take a bite of your food. “I’ve been curious… If magic existed back then, why isn’t there any mention of it now? We have so much information about our history, but nothing mentions magic or is even taught in schools.”

“It’s because of The Great Purge.”

You blink once. “I’m sorry. The Great… What?”

“The Great Purge,” Dan Feng repeats. “It was when we used magic… to get rid of itself.”

“But… Why? And we…?” You put down your fork. “Did you cause it?”

“I was against it,” Dan Feng says, “but for the wrong reasons.” He put down his chopsticks. “I wanted to bring my family back to life.” The look on your face tells Dan Feng what’s on your mind. “The woman I’m looking for… She didn't just kill Dan Heng. She also killed my parents." A small pause. "She destroyed my home.”

The attack came out of nowhere.

Dan Feng was in his bed, eyes wide, and his muscles taut as he stopped the blade from slitting his throat. An armed man, someone whom he’d never seen before, was on top of him, desperate to make the final, lethal blow to his throat. But Dan Feng was stronger. He pulled the covers and took his chance when the man stumbled to the ground. With one swift kick to the head, Dan Feng knocked him unconscious and took his blade. He was about to kill him when he heard a blood-curdling scream outside.

He rushed out and saw a maid stabbed in the throat. His blood ran cold as she lifelessly fell to the ground, and his gaze hardened when the armed soldier charged at him. Dan Feng swiftly dodged his attacks and impaled him with the blade. As he ran to his parents' room, he heard screams, metal clashing against metal, and smelled the strong stench of blood.

His body trembled, and his heart raced as he ran past the dead maids he talked with just yesterday night. What in the world was going on? Why was this happening? Where did this attack come from? His mind was a blur. But as he neared his destination, he pushed his questions aside. The important thing was—

His heart instantly dropped to the pit of his stomach when he saw, what looked like, bloody handprints on the door of his parents’ chamber. He immediately slid the door open, and despite being prepared for the worst, his world still came crashing down when he saw the bed full of blood.

Dan Feng ran over. His father was already dead, his throat so badly cut that it almost looked like he was decapitated. His mother lay next to him, hanging onto her life by a thread.

“M-Mother…!” Dan Feng tightly gripped his mother’s hand, his own hand trembling, eyes wide in disbelief at the gruesome scene.

Blood continued dripping from the bed to the floor. Upon noticing the gaping wound on her stomach, he sprang into action, but his mother’s hand stopped him.

“It’s… It’s too late.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked desperately. He chose to ignore the blood from her throat. “I can fix this! I—”

“Find your brother,” her mother said weakly. Then, she slowly lifted her other hand, revealing a familiar necklace of pure gold and white jade. His heart shattered into a million pieces. “It was her… She…” A cough and Dan Feng held his mother’s hand tighter. “Your brother’s in danger. Please… Dan Feng… Find him. Save him.”

“It still bothers me to this day how the attack happened," Dan Feng says, looking at his food. "It was just… It was so sudden.”

“I’m so sorry,” you say quietly. “But… how did you know it was because of that woman?”

Dan Feng closes his eyes for a brief moment. “The necklace my mother was holding belonged to her. I gave it to her as a gift. And… She admitted it herself when she died.”

Red clouds. Orange sun. Dark blue skies. It was as if the massacre on the ground had painted its way to the heavens. The strong stench of blood was everywhere one went, and even in demolished buildings, one could still see and hear flames licking away at the debris. The screams had stopped, and what was left was a silence devoid of life.

Dan Feng walked toward a dead man and a woman in a forest on the outskirts of the palace. The man, his brother, lay face up and was impaled with a weapon known as the Cloud-Piercer. It was his brother’s favourite. The woman was holding him in her arms and sobbing into his chest. She was once  the woman both of them loved. But now…

“I’m sorry, Dan Heng.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. She coughed, and her blood landed on Dan Heng’s hand. As soon as she saw Dan Feng, she quietly said his name. 

"Get away from him."

"I—"

"I said get away from him."

She slowly stood.

"Tell me you didn't do this," Dan Feng said, his voice low.

“I… This wasn’t supposed to happen. I tried to stop it." She began to sweat and her face quickly grew pale. "I… He was… He was supposed to…” A cough and blood landed on the forest floor while dripping from her lips. “I’m sorry. I—”

He grabbed her and pulled her closer. "Why?" His knuckles turned white. "Why would you do this?!"

“I wanted to protect you… and Dan Heng." Her voice was getting increasingly weak, and her lips turned a faint blue. “I’m sorry… This wouldn’t have happened if…”

“If what?!"

More blood fell onto her clothes. Before she could answer, her body suddenly went limp, and she would've collapsed if Dan Feng didn't catch her.

"You can't die," he said, his voice breaking. "You—"

She opened her mouth, but her voice was gone. Dan Feng said her name. Once. Twice. But, the life had left her eyes, and once her hand fell to her side, he looked down and screamed.

You can’t find the right words no matter how hard you try. You can’t even begin to imagine how frustrating that must’ve been. Dan Feng gives you a kind look and nods at your food.

“Your food’s getting cold.”

"That... That doesn't make any sense," you say quietly.

“Yeah, you're telling me,” Dan Feng mutters.

You’re about to finish the rest of your food when a thought suddenly hits you. “Hey…” Dan Feng looks up. “The man she supposedly mentioned… Do you think he’s the one who gave Lan that note?”

“I never would've thought the two were related, but since you said Lan's looking for a woman… It’s possible.”

You sigh as you go back to your food. “And the plot thickens…”

“If it’s true, this person would’ve been using Lan and Nanook. But, my question is why he would be looking for her.”

“Maybe… the same reason as you initially. To kill her?”

“But… Why? Assuming this man was manipulating her, it sounded like he achieved his goal."

You rub the space between your eyes. “I guess we don’t have enough information to go on. Maybe it's best to stop playing Sherlock.”

You’re about to go back to eating when Dan Feng says, “Whatever the reason… I won’t let him have you.” You look at him without tilting your head, and his eyes meet yours. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Um, well, it just…” Your face feels warm. “I appreciate you looking out for me even though, you know”—you quietly scoff—”it was just yesterday you wanted to kill me.”

“Guess you’re not going to let that go anytime soon.”

“Oh, definitely not,” you deadpan.

Dan Feng smiles, but it could’ve been a smirk. “What about I get you dessert to make up for it?”

You narrow your eyes and pick up the menu you’d asked the waiter to leave behind when you first ordered. “Not afraid I’ll pick the most expensive one?”

“If I was, I wouldn’t bring you here in the first place.”

You keep your eyes on him as you open the menu. Eventually, you order a chocolate strawberry sundae, but you feel a bit nice, so you say:

“We can share this… if you’re okay with that.”

Dan Feng slightly leans closer. “You sure?”

You also lean closer. “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t ask.” He chuckles, and then you go back to your food. You and Dan Feng finish up and order dessert when you bring up The Great Purge. “So, who started it…? And… Why?”

“They were called the Stellaron Hunters, a group that people thought only existed in history and folklore.”

“Stellaron Hunters…?” You can’t hide back a little smile. “Off topic, but sounds like a guild from a video game or something.”

The waiter arrives with the dessert; it’s bigger than you imagined. You and Dan Feng pick up a spoon and start digging in.

“That’s not too far off,” Dan Feng says. “After the war ended, a new era began. New people had to be put into power and rebuild the nation. So, I was working with the Hunters who became the lawmakers of our time. The parliament, if you will.” It hits you now that you’re talking to an ex-prince or king. Dan Feng looks at you without lifting his head. “Something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing,” you say. “Um, so… After what happened, they decided to get rid of magic?”

Dan Feng takes a bite of the sundae. “That’s right. Black magic was even more rampant at the time. People were using it to do all sorts of misdeeds. It was too widespread and too chaotic to control. There were theories and speculations that our enemies used magic to infiltrate undetected.” He sighs. “But, there was no evidence.”

“I bet many people were against it,” you say quietly. You finish one of the chocolate strawberries. “I wouldn’t be surprised if normal magic was integral to people’s lives.”

“You’re right. The convenience and just human habits… No one wanted to go back to an era without magic. It was a life people thought would be miserable.”

You’re about to take another scoop of the sundae when you say:

“Wait… Does that mean… You wiped their memories?”

“We wiped everyone’s but our own,” Dan Feng admits. “And our excuse was so we and those that came in the future wouldn’t make the same mistakes again.” You’re down to the last strawberry when Dan Feng looks at you. “It’s yours.”

“Well… Even without magic, wars still happened.” You eat the last strawberry. “And technology is the closest thing to magic, I’d say. So… people will always find a way.”

“A double-edged sword, I suppose.”

You chuckle. “You mean… People’s determination to innovate is great, but they don’t think about the consequences?”

“Humans are weak against their desires, so even though they’re thinking about the future, it’s often through rose-coloured lenses.”

"Hey, don't gods have desires, too?" You look at him skeptically. "It doesn't seem like you're too different from us."

"We're not too different except we can control our emotions at will."

"Seriously?" you ask, eyes wide. 

"But that requires magic."

"I guess I'll believe it when I see it."

You and Dan Feng leave the table and head towards the counter where he beats you to pay for everything. Once again, he opens the door for you, and soon, both of you are returning to the apartment, not noticing rain is on the horizon.

“I guess Furina wasn’t part of the Stellaron Hunters,” you say. “That would make things too easy.”

“No, she wasn’t. She also wasn’t mentioned during my time with them.”

You and Dan Feng are waiting to cross the road when you feel a drop on your head. And another… and another until…

A hand is above your head, the only cover against the pouring rain.

“Come on. We can take cover over there,” Dan Feng says.

And soon, you’re running across the street with your hand in his.

Both of you are standing underneath a building, watching the rain flood the streets, but you can hear your heart thumping in your chest. Does he know that he still hasn’t let go?

Suddenly, Dan Feng’s phone buzzes with a message, and you can’t ignore the disappointment when he finally lets you go.

R U OK?

And then a worried-looking, anime-like sticker.

Dan Feng quickly replies to Bailu and slips his phone back into his pocket.

“Looks like the rain isn’t going to let up…” you say. Then, jokingly, “Should we run back anyway?”

Dan Feng notices a nearby convenience store. “Let’s grab an umbrella.”

You and Dan Feng head inside just as a woman with a young child buys an umbrella at the counter. When you and Dan Feng head over to the stand, lo and behold there’s an umbrella.

Just one.

“Guess the rain took everyone by surprise,” you say.

Dan Feng picks it up and heads to the counter. After leaving the store, Dan Feng opens the umbrella, and you aren’t surprised to see that it’s only big enough for just one person. Regardless, he looks at you and says:

“Come on.”

So, that’s how you and Dan Feng end up walking a little too close together. But you notice that he keeps the umbrella more on your side despite you telling him it’s okay. So, by the time you’re at the front entrance, his shoulder is soaked.

He notices you looking at his shoulder and says:

“It's just rain. I'll be fine.”

As you’re waiting for the elevator, you glance at him. “Thanks for dinner today. Let me treat you next time.”

He smiles. “Looking forward to it.”

The elevator doors open, and you step inside. “Hopefully by then, this entire mystery will be solved.” You turn to him. “You said you were here for only a year… Was that the truth?”

“I have a year to get Lan and Nanook back to our realm. If I don’t, I’ll be stuck here.”

“Does that… Does that mean you’ll become human?” you ask.

Dan Feng turns to you. “It doesn’t work that way. Technically, I’m not supposed to exist. So…”

You stiffen. “So… You’ll what? Disappear?”

“Gradually.”

“Then… What about Lan and Nanook? They’re not supposed to be here either, right? Is it possible to wait until they just disappear?”

The elevator stops and the doors slide open. “They can still return. They’re supposed to. They wouldn’t be banished like I would be.”

“Sounds unfair to me,” you mutter, stepping out. "They killed people and still get to return?"

“Regardless”—Dan Feng faces you—”I intend on making the most of the time I have now.”

“You could’ve told me this sooner.”

“You mean after I found out we were friends?” Dan Feng quietly scoffs. “Yeah, that would really bring up the mood.” Then, he smiles. “Hey. Stop with the frowny face.”

You still don’t look happy. “I’m not.” Then, you quickly head to your flat. “I’ll see you tomorrow. And…” You look at him before heading inside. “Thanks for dinner again.”

As Dan Feng heads to the flat opposite of yours, he wonders if getting close to you is really the best thing to do.

Chapter 13

Tag list: @lunavixia @aerithsthingss @sunsethw4 @boomie-123