#funny that this is the reason I got into the arcana in the first place

[cicadako]

Isaac reminds me of Julian in the best ways.

[aquamine-amarine]

I've got a lot of thoughts.

And it ended up being way too long again. Spoilers, analyzing, half assed translations, rants... Has anyone translated this or summarized it yet? Did I just waste my time? It took hours.

The title page is an obvious throwback to the very first chapter. It's nice I guess, I would have liked something a little more original and unique to this new series though. This new character still bothers me so I'm not sold on him just yet...

The official X account for the series is killing me though, cropping out that middle part to use as a header... Also this:

Where will Amu-chan's love go...!?

I'm telling you're the Nakayoshi editorial department is full of Amuto shippers.

The armband is on the wrong arm...

This is a huge red flag and a major regression in character development, because Amu should NOT be acting like this anymore. It's a huge problem.

Her crush on Tadase pretty much died after volume 7. During volumes 8-12 she isn't fangirling over him anymore and doesn't have any fangirl fantasies involving him like she used to. She started acting normal around him, like close friends, and it was nice. It was a positive development. WHY is all that development being thrown out the window? Just to cater to new fans?

I fully expected Tadase to continue trying to whoo her because he pretty much said he would continue to do so in volume 12. So I'm not annoyed about that. Amu's reaction to him is what annoys me, because she's not supposed to be acting like this anymore. You can keep trolling us with the love triangle WITHOUT regressing Amu's behavior to how she was in volume 1. They proved they could do this in volume 12. So this is bad.

As for the reason they're still in their elementary school uniforms, it's because the new school term hasn't started yet. This scene takes place during spring break in the Royal Garden, and there's a scene where Rima is asking if the middle school uniforms have arrived yet. I was wondering why they were still in their elementary school uniforms, when we know middle school uniforms DO exist. So the transfer happens before they even start middle school, it makes sense now.

The school they're transferring to (because Tadase is going with her) is called Arcana Academy. It's Seiyo's sister school.

A Japanese fan I follow on X noticed something very interesting about the kanji in the school's name. 聖或奏学園 translates to "Saint Arcana Academy". The 或 kanji is present in Aruto's name (it's the "aru" part), and the 奏 is present in Souko's name. Although in Souko's case it's a different reading. For her name, it takes the on'yomi reading of "sou", and when it's used in the school's name it uses the kun'yomi reading of "kana". From volume 10:

That's pretty interesting, I wonder if it ends up having any significance later? Or maybe it's just a coincidence? They do like being funny with the kanji they use in names, like all the celestial references they used here.

Tsukasa tells them they're transferring because there's an outbreak (he actually uses the word plague) of X-Eggs at Arcana Academy. He also says that Amu has a "secret mission".

Fast forward to the new school...

Amu's thought bubble says he's the Principal. He looks so familiar... He kinda looks like P from Kugiko-san (another Peach-Pit manga, from the Kugiko-chan series). And I feel like I've seen a character similiar to him in some other manga...

Someone said something they weren't supposed to during introductions in the auditorium... don't traumatize your new classmates already!

This little psycho is going on a joyride on this chandelier...

It did not want to be cleansed.

He's telling the entire auditorium that what they just witnessed were a "character change" and a "character transformation". The students are all amazed.

In a later page Tadase says that everyone in this school has a guardian egg. He said "egg" and not "character", so maybe most of them haven't actually hatched yet?

Daiya is a fucking airhead and slept through the entire fiasco in the auditorium. Because of that, everyone thinks Amu only has 3 guardian characters and not 4!

But Tadase thinks that's fine, they should keep Daiya a secret and use the fact that everyone thinks Amu only has 3 guardian characters to their advantage. Daiya can be their trump card.

She introduces herself as Erito Rose, a guide. Is that a name or a position? But if it was supposed to be "Elite Rose" instead, the whole thing should have been written in katakana... The guardian character's name is Rosetta.

Amu's dorm room is haunted... so the rumors say.

Phone call with Rima! And oh boy is this juicy...

Rima: By the way, did you contact Ikuto and Nagihiko who are overseas? Amu: Ah, not yet… Rima: Is that okay? Rima: Isn't Ikuto your boyfriend? Amu: Boy…!? Amu: There's no way!!

Rima!!! I love you, you angry little midget. That last text bubble was giving me trouble, so I gave up trying to translate it...

Amu: We've been apart this whole time. The replies to my messages vary.

I knew they were going to hurt me by bringing out my repressed long distance relationship memories... you stop that!

She was also saying how he's actually studying music overseas right now... no mention of looking for his father.

Also they forgot to draw the belt/strap things on his pants.

Amu: Even though you said something like that! Amu: Jeez! I'm an idiot! It's the same pattern. Rima: Amu? Amu: I won't be swayed by him anymore!! Definitely! Rima: Hey Amu, I just had a thought.

Rima: Do you live with someone in the dorms? Rima: If you say something like "I'm sharing a room with a boy", it'll make him jealous. Amu: Ha?! Amu: No no, this is a single room!? Amu: That's just a lie!! Rima: Amu, you're a kid. Rima: Boys like it when you tease them sometimes. All the servants say that it's a reward. Amu: This girl is scary...

Rima!!! Now I know why the Chinese Amuto fans were rolling around in their feels all over the place. Girl is giving Amu advice on how to flirt with Ikuto. I'm dying. How did I miss this page the other day...

Exactly what has Amu been telling Rima? Did she tell Rima they've shared a bed together already? I was not expecting Rima to be pro-Amuto! I always assumed Rima would hate Ikuto - for one, he's fucking tall and she's smol. Second, it's another man that's way too close to Amu (the other one being Nagihiko) and I thought that would make her angry. Although she mellowed out around Nagihiko in volume 12... and she's gotten REALLY attached to Amu in this chapter.

As fun as these pages were, time for some more ranting...

Amu: I won't be swayed by him anymore!! Definitely!

What the fuck are you talking about?! Did you forgot ALL OF THIS:

What the fuck happened to all this character development?! Why is she regressing?! Her reaction to him should NOT have been that hostile. Not after all these scenes. Which only happened months (some of them only weeks) before the graduation and wedding. The fact that 14 years has passed is definitely showing, and not in a good way… It feels like they're going backwards and I don't like it.

This bullshit right here is why I didn't want a sequel, I just knew they would fuck something up. They're either senile and completely forgot the events of volumes 8-12 (how, when they clearly took that quote from volume 12…) or their editor is braindead and giving them horrible advice, like how erasing 5 volumes worth of character development is a great fucking idea by setting Amu's relationships with Tadase and Ikuto back to pre-volume 8 levels. It's fucking stupid. It shouldn't be happening. It's bad writing to just erase all the good stuff that happened near the end of the first series. For what, to cater to new fans and drag the love triangle out some more? That's so stupid.

Should I make her my girlfriend?

I see someone has a death wish. I'd pay to see that cat fight.

There's a LOT of things that were left out. No mention of Easter, Hikaru wasn't in the Royal Garden with everyone, no mention of Nagihiko actually being Nadeshiko, no mention of Yoru being gone... hopefully these are all addressed soon. Maybe I'm being too critical, since it's still just the first chapter... I just have high expectations. I don't want them to ruin this.

As for the art... miles better than what they drew for that stupid ad (NOT a "short story", that was a lie). I hate the way Ikuto looked there, he looks a lot better now. The eyes look a lot better too, more detailed like they used to be. So that's a plus. The way they drew eyes were always one of my favorite parts about their shoujo artstyle, and it was sad that for their other manga they got lazy with it.

As for the story... everyone in this new school is aware that guardian eggs exist. Like I said earlier though, they were always using the word "egg" and not "character", so perhaps only a few people have actually had their eggs hatch.

Near the end of Amu and Rima's phone call, Amu talks more about her "secret mission", and how purifying X-Eggs isn't the only reason she's there. She also has to look for something. So I wonder what that's about...

[symphonic-scream]

Okay. Another in a long line of aus that have been coming from my mind lately

P4 but it's P5

Aka, the P4 Tokyo au

Gonna lay it out, but if you just wanna know everyone's roles scroll to the end for the list of the arcana :)

Alright. Let's do this

So, Yu Narukami was walking home one night when he hears a woman scream. He runs over to help and sees a man trying to assault her so he steps in. The man, drunk, falls over and gets hurt. The blame is placed on Yu, who is arrested and found guilty

Now, his parents don't want to deal with him, sending him to live with his cop uncle in Tokyo. Dojima isn't too happy about it, and to keep Nanako safe, he has Yu live in the old Yongen police station, now a storage building. It's dusty and old, but Yu thinks he can clean it up a bit

He's at a new school. Everyone seems to hate him. He spots a boy on the way to school, watches a teacher berate the kid before he pedals his bike faster. It's raining. The water from his tires flies up dousing Yu and a girl chasing after him

She's Chie Satonaka, formally a part of the martial arts club at Shujin, kicked out due to the extreme number of demerits she's earned. All from the same teacher that yelled at that boy

The boy being Yosuke Hanamura, who transferred last year. Kids being blamed for his father's business taking over a whole slew of smaller businesses in another area of Tokyo, just another big supermarket. But then as well, a certain teacher keeps spreading rumors about him and his family's business. It isn't helping

Anyways. Yu and Chie stumble into the Metaverse, find the shadow of King Moron, and a little bear named Teddie. Then they're back in the real world and shit and blah blah

We know the story by now. The third joins the team, they steal the treasure, etc

In the real world, Teddie is one of those Teddie bear dogs. The tiny ones. I think that's funny

Anyways. They save the day and things move forward. They are the Phantom Thieves. They're going to keep stealing treasures and saving people

On to arc two! After the teacher thing, Chie gets approached by a girl in a kimono, as they're walking through Shibuya. A local group was doing advertisement for a special like traditional style decoration event at an inn. And. One of the young designers wants to use Chie for inspiration

After. Having her soul bared to her. Uhm. Yeah.

Anyways there's a senior designer there that keeps trying to convince everyone the inn is haunted or something. He's an asshole. Wants to ruin the inn so he can buy it to be his personal mansion

Anyways Chie nearly has to get nude but before that they convince Yukiko Amagi to join them and defeat the designer

So. There's that

Anyways next arc!

So. Dojima is still a cop. He's on the case of a large crime group in the city, with another detective Adachi, and. A teenager.

A first year at Yu's school. Pretty much a kid. The cops aren't happy they brought the "genius Detective Prince" in cause they couldn't end it soon enough, but. The whole unit is sick of this kid on day one. Doesn't talk to them. Stands there. Uses big words.

The kid doesn't have friends at school. But, they get closer than anyone else does. Aka, they find both the Phantom Thieves and the crime ring. At the same time.

Naoto Shirogane is looked down on for being a kid but also was never allowed to be a kid. Lonely as fuck. Pressured into throwing themself at the crime boss with no backup

The team finds them insufferable at first. Until they're in the palace and Naoto breaks. And then gains their persona

(Genderfluid Naoto here. Some days he, some they, some she.)

So we've got a "criminal", the reason everyone's parents are broke, Shujin's most violent second year, an interior designer, and a young detective. Oh and Teddie

It's. Going great for them

And it lasts a while until, they get a strange request. An anonymous online fan wants their heart stolen. They're worried they'll resort to extremes soon, and don't want to wish that grief on their loved ones. It's, a lot,

And. They investigate enough to find out the request came from within the Dojima house

Former idol Risette has been living with them since she was attacked, assaulted. She doesn't go out, has a fear of being around crowds and, shit like that. She blames herself, she's read too many online comments. She was asking for it, and all. And she feels, gross. So, they go to steal her heart

And she joins the group! As their Navi! Fun!

Then the second years go to Hawaii, leaving only Naoto and Rise behind in Tokyo, and when they return? They have another palace!

This one idk but Kanji joins the team here. It's Kanji he's gay and likes manly things like sewing.

Anyways after that it's, another Palace that's honestly not chosen cause idk who'd be the Judgement (Margaret?? Maybe) and Adachi joins the team and then betrays them and then they're after the prime guy and then God

But yeah. Thief Team

Fool - Yu

Chariot - Chie

Lovers - Yosuke

Magician - Teddie

Emperor - Yukiko

Priestess - Naoto

Hermit - Rise

Empress - Kanji

And yeah. I've got some ideas for it and all but. Yeah. Ask me about it

[augment-techs]

If there was a card season for PR not Megaflop

Like say something like fantasy or yugioh then what would your ideal team be? Could have any character from the series.

Unfortunately for anyone reading this, I don't care about the actual card part of YGO, but I can think of fantasy oriented card sets with a collective of Rangers that would work rather well with them. The first thought is Tarot, the other is the Cardcaptor series. One works for slightly darker genre, one works for much lighter. As this is PR, a mesh would work well. To keep things organized, I would probably use the Major Arcana for the three primary Color Rangers, and the Minor Arcana for the Alt Colors, the aids, and the two necessary background characters. They can alternate as needed, but some of the cards can usually be found with one person. To appease myself, I would probably take up a sort of interdimensional/time stream scenario not terribly different from Shattered Grid or Forever Red. Bound together by necessity and to get the hell back to their own places. Red: Grace Sterling. I'm not going to sort out all the cards the top three Colors get, but I will explain my choices. Grace has PTSD from her first and only mission because of Zordon and Psycho Green and had been trying to relive the feeling of being a Red her entire adult life. She needs this, and I am going to give it to her.

Blue: Tori Hanson. No lying, I was VERY tempted to give this position to Ollie Akana...buuuuuut he wouldn't work well with people he doesn't know, and Tori is very flexible (as seen in her Good Villain/Evil Ranger misadventure). Also it's funny how short she is compared to Grace and Terona. Plus the age disparity.

Yellow: Terona Washington. This man deserves nice things, and one of them involves getting to be a Ranger when he doesn't have to go back to war and when he has people around that he knows and trusts. Plus, plus, also, AND--people seem to forget that he and Grace are leaders in their own rights. He needs and deserves this.

Pink: Kapri. SHE IS KICKASS AND POWERFUL; it is a CRIME that we never got her or her sister in a battle that meant something (Tori's visit to the land of Oz doesn't count). So she gets the Four of Wands and the Chariot.

Black: Leelee Pimvare. I don't need a reason to make her Black. If she's not Purple, she's Black and she EARNED THIS. She also earned the High Priestess and three of the Wands at any given time.

Green: Matt Cook. I am so sick and tired of Tommy in this spotlight, and while I love a lot of the Greens, this guy needs a fucking break. Which is also why I'm giving him Temperance and the Hanged Man to keep.

White: Udonna. Queen of White Rangers and wonderful in her own right even without Powers; she gets the seat here because it's so very important to keep her. She has most of the Cup cards, as well as the Empress.

Gold: Eric Myers; making him a Gold because it would be SO FUCKING FUNNY. Finally, he gets to a Color before Wes did--and he can't rub his face in it. How sad. Though it helps that he gets all of the Knights in the Minor Arcana.

Purple: Bulk. I don't care what age or timeline he's from, but Coinless or Lost Galaxy age seems vaguely appropriate. He has the Pages of Cups, Coins, and Wands; and the Magician.

Orange: Skull. Like Bulk, I don't care what age he is, though his Coinless counterpart would be IDEAL in this situation. Mostly because I am giving him ALL of the Sword cards, except for the Knight--which was exchanged for The Devil.

Aid/Tech Support: Billy Cranston. Can take the Blue Power Coin when he needs it, but he mostly gets used for his tech savvy. He gets the Hermit, the Kings of Wands and Cups, and the Moon.

Necessary background 1: Fran. She gets the Tower, the Star, and all of the Aces in the Minor Arcana (except Sword). She makes sure everyone is fed and watered and stitched up as needed.

Necessary background 2: Betty. Oddly, she helps out Billy when he's stuck as she has a POV and experience where he doesn't. Except for the Sword, she gets three Queens in the Minor Arcana, and the Wheel of Fortune. She also helps clean up when everyone is too exhausted, but she's not a pushover.

[quibbs126]

I decided to do some more sketches of Witch Hunt characters, since that original picture was just a small part of the canvas

So I already mentioned Glaive and Arcana, so I won’t repeat myself (I will put a link here). So let’s get on to the other two here, Inferno and Ruby

So Inferno is the fire witch, as you can probably guess. For her personality, instead of like a raging fire, like I usually see with fire based characters, she’s closer to a warm fireplace, being comforting and someone you feel safe around. However, this was definitely not the case when she was younger, as she was a pure wildfire. This is how she would be in the prequel game. She lives on a very cold and snowy mountain, and her fire’s proven very useful, especially during the cold winters.

I’ve actually drawn Inferno quite a bit before, so I think I could get a handle on her design, and I like what I got

Also, if you notice that she looks sort of out of place in a snowy mountain, with her extremely tanned skin and bright hair, you would be correct, as she’s not native to the place, she’s only been there the past 15 years or so. She’s actually from the desert, and feels far more at home in the scorching sun, she cannot stand the cold. If you’re wondering why she’s living there then, it’s because of her adopted daughter Rime (who happens to be the ice witch), who is native to this place. The problem was when taking her in, since she has no real experience with heat, she’d probably quickly die of heatstroke if they went back to the desert. Inferno figured with her fire powers, it’d be much easier for them to just move there, so that’s what they did

Oh yeah, another random thing about Inferno, she likes to make baked goods, particularly cookies. This part I did add because of Cookie Run, because I thought it was funny. Thankfully Inferno is not bringing her desserts to life, and if they were alive, she wouldn’t eat them

Inferno happens to also be happily married (and a lesbian), to the character right next to her, Ruby

I was originally going to draw one of the other three older witches, particularly Cascade, but I couldn’t get the design to work. This is always what makes me stop drawing these guys, because I can’t figure out the designs for these four. But then I realized “hey, I don’t have to draw the other witches. Why don’t I just draw Inferno’s family instead?” And so yeah. I’ll get to the other three when I feel like it

Now Ruby is part of a group of warriors that go all around the world, helping people where they can. Ruby happens to be a veteran member of the group. Everyone in the group has gem names, and they all wear white/light colored armor with their respective colors. Also, a random weird quirk, but their armor is all scented. Nobody knows why it’s scented, including the members themselves, but they just choose not to question it. Ruby’s armor smells like cherries. Also, for some reason the scent never fades, so Ruby has been smelling of cherries for over 25 years. I think I chose to do that because I remembered having toys when I was younger that had fruit scents (I think it was Strawberry Shortcake?), and it sort of just stuck with me to do that for them. Also in my mind, their armor is almost toy or plastic like, rather than typical metal armor. Or like a color coded gundam team

Unlike Inferno, who I’ve drawn before, I’ve never drawn Ruby before, and to be honest, I’m not entirely satisfied with her design. Given everything about her, all I could think was that she was just like Hollyberry Cookie (despite the fact that I first made Ruby nearly 2 years ago), and I both tried to incorporate some elements of Hollyberry, but also try to make her not like Hollyberry. But I think I also just didn’t get what I wanted. I really wasn’t sure what I was doing with her armor, and I think I need to play around with the armor design before I get something I like. Also, I feel like I didn’t get across her body type. Ruby is supposed to be BULKY, large and muscley. She’s supposed to be nearly 7 feet tall, and it isn’t all just vertical either, she’s got width too. By comparison, Inferno is barely over 5 feet, and she’s relatively skinny. Granted her body type is more lean and she does have muscle, but she looks like a small twig in comparison to her wife. But to be honest, she doesn’t look much different from the other characters. I think that’s a limitation of my style, as it’s hard to show different body types. I think I’m going to have to rework my style more so I can better incorporate that.

Also immediately once I finalized the sketch, I saw the weapon and went “she should have an axe instead”. Unfortunately I just couldn’t be bothered to go and change it, as I had already merged all the sketch layers. But yeah, I’m changing her weapon to an axe

In the prequel, we’d meet them as only a small group of around 5-6, Ruby among them, and they’re all siblings. And Inferno has a massive crush on Ruby. Inferno’s type is “women who can snap me like a twig” (which Ruby can absolutely do by the way. But she wouldn’t do that to her firecracker). But it wasn’t just physical attraction, they actually were able to get along really well, and fought quite well together, and along the way they properly fell in love and eventually got married, later adopting Rime after taking a job about strange happenings in the snowy mountain

In the first game, Glaive would meet Ruby during his quest. Originally she was just supposed to be going about doing her job, but now I realize she should probably instead be trying to help her wife and daughter. But regardless she’s an ally to Glaive, and is probably the introduction for Glaive (and the players) to the warrior group (that I don’t have a name for yet). Also when they first meet, Glaive doesn’t know that she and Inferno are married, but they might make references to it. He’d either find out later when they all meet up, or we’d only find out in the credits, when we see them together

I think that’s about it, I hope you like them!

[still-a-morosexual-help]

okok I'm not defending those who immediately hate on the girl presenting character, but if this wasn't an otome game where the characters were literally created to love the MC, I'd feel a bit threatened, ngl.

like?? even though the new characters are supposed to love the MC too, I still feel just a tiny bit threatened.

it's a side effect of the major insecurity lmao

HOWEVER I also consistently (for SOME reason) feel threatened by solomon/asmo in regards to each other and diavolo/lucifer in regards to each other. like??? it's not just the girl presenters I'm terrified of losing my LI to, it's the LIs themselves lmao

not sure how much sense that made.

tl;dr

I'm assuming some people are hating on the woman-presenting-enby (I hope im getting that right djhfjs, if they're not woman presenting or not an enby I'm so sorry, I read wrong) because they feel threatened. however, if we're gonna feel threatened by our new feminine-presenting kiddo, then what's up with not feeling threatened by solomon/asmo (like losing asmo to sol or losing sol to asmo) and dia/luci (losing luci to dia or vice versa)???? like???? we don't even KNOW the new characters lmao, we already have LIs trying to take LIs away from us and we're all worried about the newbies??? idk man kinda funny

(tl;dr end bc I'm gonna continue the rant, sorry 'bout that)

AND??? new LIs means we have more people to date. I don't like that!!! I mean. I totally do. please give me more hot demons/humans/angels/whatever. BUT. I already have my hands full with the 11 we already have on top of the other games I play, we can't give me mORE I'm gonna lose my MARBLES 😭😭

I'm like half joking so dw, I'm actually really happy we're getting more representation. like??? 10/10, obey me is only the second otome game I've seen with a gender neutral mc (the first would be the arcana), and especially with what you said about it being hard to step out of the lgbtqia+ box many places put media in.

I'm NOT happy that these NEWBIES are gonna GROW on my ass and I'm gonna have to read MORE fanfics and grind my cards MORE and feel MORE things >:( big stinky >:'(

sorry this was hella long

Though I don't really get it, I don't have a problem with people feeling jealous about the other LIs, I think whatever you're feeling is perfectly fine and you don't have to justify it to anyone. And yeah I completely understand that anxiety and jealousy can be irrational and a real pain in the ass. What I do have a problem with is how lots of people on other social media are singling out the nb character and saying they are ruining the game and asking for the devs to make a whole new game for nb & female LIs.

So I think it's pretty canon that Asmo is attracted to Solomon & Diavolo is to Lucifer. But given what this game is about none of them are gonna choose each other over MC. We're 3 seasons in. There have been heartfelt confessions and talk about marriage. At this point there's nothing I can think of that'll threaten MC's position with them. What I'm trying to say is you really don't need to worry about losing a LI to another ^^

Personally, though I think if MC got together with Asmo, it would be an open relationship even if he really does love them to death. And if they got together with either Lucifer or Diavolo it would be a poly relationship between the three of them. BUT that's just the way I see it, and obviously each person's interpretation of om is gonna be unique yet canon to their story.

According to solomon, they are neither a woman or a man and use they/them pronouns and they have a feminine aesthetic.

Yes!! This!! ALL the OM! characters are queer, and Solomon & Asmodeus and Diavolo & Lucifer already have relationships with each other that are packed with romantic undertones + the two new male LIs could steal any of the current LIs so why aren't all these people who are hating on the nb LI worried about all that????

I understand the pain of too many choices🥲 I mean I LOVE Mammon but the new nb LI really is tempting me😭😭😭😭

So I don't think The Arcana falls under the label of 'otome games' , I'm pretty sure otome games are just Japanese dating sims so OM! really would be the first otome game that you encountered that has a gender-neutral MC. Or at least it's the first one I encountered.

I'm gonna get so attached. It's gonna be horrible. I Can't Wait.

[uwuwriting]

Hurting their best friend/crush w/ Oikawa and Terushima

Request: Oikawa and Terushima the playboy squad y’know, hurting their female best friend and manager with whom they have been in love with for the longest time but are too afraid to make a move. It ends in fluff of course but like maybe their friends are like you messed up man and its a really big fight. thank you. - anonymous 

Playboy squad indeed. I feel like all three of them but mostly Oikawa got their hearts obliterated and that’s why they have adopted that fuckboy persona. These boys just need some real love even though one of them is a rat. Love ya.💖💖💖

rules 

masterlist

warnings: angst to fluff, some cursing

Oikawa Tooru

-It had  been a hard week. 

-Actually a hard year. 

-Oikawa was focused almost solely on volleyball, over doing it many times while you were studying like a maniac.

-Being their manager helped you loosen up.

-Plus it gave you the chance to be with your friend group.

-You had noticed how Oikawa seemed to brush off many of your attempts to hang out, sometimes giving you an excuse to why he couldn’t make while other times ditching you. 

-He hadn’t ditched you many times but it still hurt.

-Knowing that your best friend forgot almost completely of your existence. 

-You had drifted apart the last few months and the only one who noticed apart from you was Iwaizumi. 

-He had seen how he wouldn’t find Oikawa beside you when he came to your lunch table or how you weren’t Oikawa’s first call anymore after a game. 

-It bothered him too. 

-Seeing his two best friends separate like that.

-And Iwa knew you tried to prevent it, he gave you advice on the matter as well.

 -But Oikawa seemed oblivious to the gap that was forming and kept on ignoring you, more and more as time went on. 

-The final straw came when he wouldn’t answer your calls one Saturday evening. 

-It was one of those rare occasions when he had agreed to spend some one on one time with you and you were really excited. 

-You hadn’t seen your best friend for weeks, apart from some small conversations during practice.

-You had been waiting for an hour, the movie you had picked already had started and was now in the second act. 

-If this had happened a few months ago you would have let it slide, made a comment in your group chat and leave it at that but not this time. 

-He had ditched you one too many times and you were sick of it. 

-Making your way to the gym, you were taken aback by the lack of sound coming from inside. 

-You expected to be met with the sound of balls slamming on the opposite wall but nothing, the slamming was replaced by female giggles and a really familiar voice.

-Opening the door slightly you found your best friend being pinned to the court’s floor by one of his fans, her giggles bouncing off the walls as she kissed him. 

-Without a word you left, letting the door slam shut behind you as you walked out of school grounds and straight home. 

-It hurt like hell and you weren’t able to get that image of him pinned to the floor out of your head for the rest of the weekend. 

-He had texted you apologizing for missing your movie night, saying he was practicing late and he got carried away. 

-You answered with a simple okay and didn’t speak to him after that.

-You kept your distance at school, simultaneously avoiding Iwa who knew that Oikawa had done something.

-Volleyball practice was your neutral ground, the only place where you chatted with everyone but still gave him small curt answers. 

-Iwa had had enough of all this so he cornered Oikawa after practice as they were walking home alone, without your normal bubbly presence with them. 

“What the hell did you do to Y/N, Shittykawa?”

“What do you mean? I’m completely innocent.”

“She has been avoiding you like the plague all week and you haven’t even noticed? What the hell happened last Saturday?”

“I didn’t see her...”

“You missed it? Again?”

“It wasn’t my fault! Yui-chan found me at the gym and she kinda jumped on me.”

“You know what’s funny Oikawa? The fact that you claim you love her.”

-That’s why he’s now trying to coax you to open your bedroom door.

- “I’m studying Oikawa leave me alone.”

-His last name leaving your lips hurt, a lot. 

-He had always been Tooru to you or even Shittykawa. 

- “Y/N please, I’m sorry for Saturday I’ll make it up to you!”

-You opened that door then, rage burning in your eyes as you met Oikawa’s pleading face.

 - “Now you care? You have some fucking nerve coming here and giving me some half-assed apology after you ditched me for some chick last Saturday. I don’t need your apologies as much as you don’t need me. So do me the favor and get out of my house.”

-Tooru just stared at you, your words twisting the dagger in his heart. 

-He messed up, he messed up big time. 

- “You saw me with Yui...”

-You were fighting back tears as you looked at him, the sight of your underclassman hovering over him flashing behind your eyelids as you closed your eyes. 

- “Y/N she means nothing I swear, it was nothing, she came at me I-”

- “Why w-would I care what she meant? W-why would I-I care with w-who you make out with?”

- “I care what you think of me!”

-You were full on crying at this point, Tooru shedding his own tears as his fears started clawing their way up his throat. 

-He was losing you.

- “I care what you think of me because I love you. I care what image I create in your pretty mind because I hope that maybe at some point you will look at me in a different light. What I did last Saturday was fucked up and there are no excuses but I’m sorry, I truly am. Please Y/N. I can’t- I can’t lose you. Please....” 

-You wanted to hold onto your anger longer, wanted to truly stay mad at him for more because at the end of the day he deserved it but you couldn’t. 

-You launched yourself into his arms, burying your face in his chest as your sobs became louder. 

-He held you there until your tears ran dry, his arms tight around you as if he was afraid you would slip through his fingers at any moment. 

Terushima Yuuji

-You knew him from middle school. 

-Before the piercings. 

-Before the dyed hair. 

-Before the douchebag attitude. 

-And before the ocean of girls coming and going in his life. 

-It affected your friendship but you managed to survive it. 

-Some girls were just too crazy and possessive, harassing you to leave him alone and that he was theirs.

-Terushima always gave them a glare and a cold “we’re done” before proceeding to hang out with you non stop for a week straight. 

-It was your bro code that no matter what, a relationship would not change who you were to each other. 

-That no one would get in between your friendship. 

-Lucky for you, your love for Yuuji pushed away any potential boyfriends that came waltzing into your life. 

-You are attractive, smart and cute plus you’re funny so many boys tried to go out with you, but you being in love with your best friend prevented you from reciprocating their feelings. 

-Yuuji however changed girlfriends every two days and you were there to witness everything. 

-He came barging in your room every Tuesday and Friday to talk about the new girl that threw herself at him or about the hook up he had during the weekend.

-It hurt you seeing him with others but his short relationships gave you hope that he hadn’t fallen in love yet and that you still had a chance. 

-Then she came. 

-She was a year younger than the two of you and she was the only one that lasted for longer than a week. 

-She knew you two were close and whenever you tagged along with them she was seething with anger. 

-She became territorial to the point that Yuuji should tell her to calm down.

-But he wouldn’t and that let to multiple fights and in the end you two stopped talking to each other. 

-The last straw was during one of his games. 

-You are the manager so you are down at the court with them. 

-Terushima hit the ground really hard after he tried to save the ball and he hurt his shoulder.

 -He was escorted to the bench where you put some ice on his slightly swollen shoulder and wiped away some sweat from his forehead.

-He may have acted like a douche to you but he was still your best friend and you loved him so you couldn’t be cold to him for too long.  

-His girl lost her shit. 

-After the game she started yelling at you and calling you a ‘home-wrecker’ and ‘man-stealer’ along with some really offensive stuff. 

-You were putting her in her place when Yuuji came out and saw the whole scene. 

-She immediately ran to him spewing nonsense and lies about how you came at her for no reason. 

-The face of pure shock and disbelief on your face was enough for Terushima to understand that she was lying. 

-All those other times his ‘girl’ said or acted like a bitch to you came crashing down he was hit by a train of realization. 

-He suddenly was aware of your fight and the possibility of losing you, so he finally acted. 

- “I don’t know what happened but don’t talk about Y/N like that.” 

-She looked so offended for a second before snapping....literally. 

- “You defend her over me? Your girlfriend? She is nothing but a sad little girl who wants to steal you away from me! And you’re encouraging her! She’ll start believing she has a chance with you!!!”

-He just let out a growl and pushed past her wrapping an arm around your waist and bringing you into a hug. 

- “Maybe she does.”

-The both of you left the gym and went to blow off some steam at the water fountains.

-After your exchanged apologies you started to mess around throwing playful jabs.

- “Did you mean it? What you said to her.”

- “You mean about us? If you want it to be true than yeah if you don’t then just ignore it.”

-You leaped into his arms squeezing the life out of him as your voice came out in a muffled jumble of words “I want it to be true.”

TAG TEAM AY:

@iwaqchan​ @the-arcana-fan-fic​ @angelwritings​ @axerrri​ @reinyrei​ @dnarez-mangetsu​ @bemorefiction​

[whatifxwereyou]

The Oncoming Storm Part 23: Flesh and Bone

Liu Kang x Reader and Kung Lao x Reader (gonna do both, two paths!)

You find the springs- and it exceeds your expectations but perhaps not in the way you had hoped it would. Something wicked is unfolding.

A/N: I'm going out of town tomorrow but I will do my best to get back to replies as often as I can! Your feedback gives me life <3 I'll be back on Tuesday. You guys probably won't even notice I'm gone, since I've somehow managed to miraculously write enough to cover the space where I won't be around! I'm going to see my family for the first time since the pandemic ;___; !!

Part 22 Part 24 Chapter Index

You drew closer to the wave of clouds above you, and it wasn’t long until you were engulfed by them. It was like the most intense fog you’d ever been in. You had scoured the cliffside for caves along the way but found nothing of note. You stopped walking once you were completely surrounded by the clouds and had long since let go of Liu Kang’s hand.

There was that feeling again. As though you had been lost in this fog before and yet you had never been there. It made you dizzy and you lost sight of Liu in the fog. You could see that man from your vision, walking in front of you, then to the left of you, then to the right. Your head spun and when you closed your eyes, you felt lost. But you weren’t. You knew this place even if you’d never been there. The vision in your head knew it.

You turned and the clouds felt misty on your skin. It was as if you had lost your body and were watching yourself walk through the fog blindly in search of something you weren’t sure that you wanted to find. Then suddenly, very suddenly, as if you were being pulled out of a dream, Liu Kang stood in front of you. Your body was yours again. His right hand was bathed in fire and the shadows it cast on his face were haunting and beautiful.

“Wake up, Y/N.”

He urged his hand to your arm and forced you to look at him. You gasped, your lungs having once again forbidden you air. You closed your eyes tight to shake off the feeling and then searched around you. It was too foggy to tell how far you’d gone but you had the distinct feeling that it hadn’t been very far at all. Liu’s relief was palpable and with a wave of his hand the fire was gone, leaving you in the cold mist of the clouds.

His grip was tight on your arm, as if he were worried that you would walk off again. You caught your breath, chest aching with the lack of it, and knit your brow. “How… how did you know?”

“I just knew.” The concern on his face was valid but the admiration was unexpected. “You’re like flickering lamplight, Y/N. The shadows cast by my flame. I know when you’re not there.” Your tongue was suddenly far too big for your mouth and your heart hurt. You should have kissed him. That was the most romantic thing you had ever heard in your whole damn life. But your chest was aching and your hands were trembling with the fear of losing control of your body. “Do you think that you could lead us using your vision? If it’s taking control of you like that then it clearly wants us to go somewhere.”

“I’m… I can try but I’m afraid.” You were still struggling with air and words. “I don’t know if it’s a good thing it’s leading us. I walked off on Kung Lao and nearly drowned myself yesterday when my vision took over.”

“It’s okay, Y/N. I won’t let go of your hand.��� He let his hand move from your arm and down to your fingertips. He leaned closer and whispered. “Trust yourself as much as you trust me.” He stepped back, still holding your hand. You had to try. He was right. If you trusted your gut and it went horribly wrong then Liu would make sure you didn’t jump off a cliff. He was staring back at you, completely relaxed. He trusted you. You could feel it. How could you have ever doubted that? You weren’t sure where to begin but you started with turning off your inner critic. You were unsteady on your feet, unsure of yourself.

“Are you okay?” You couldn’t help but ask. He took both of your hands and walked backwards in front of you which you felt like was a mistake.

“Keep going, Y/N. I trust you. Close your eyes and follow your vision. I will make sure that we’re safe.”

“I…”

“Trust yourself, Y/N.”

You didn’t, that was clear to you both. With a deep exhale, you closed your eyes and then walked. When you walked, Liu walked. You led him blindly along the path through the clouds. The more you walked without plummeting to your deaths, the more confident you felt. And you were in control, which was nice. You walked until he stopped suddenly in front of you, as if he’d run into something. You stumbled into him, letting go of one of his hands to catch the stone behind him, body pressed against his. Eyes fluttering open, Liu let go of your other hand and instead rested both against the sides of your neck. Despite their warmth, they gave you chills.

His thumb brushed over the bruised skin on your neck, other hand gently caressing its way up to your cheek, thumb just beneath your eye. His hands were callused and strong, still somehow soft, controlled just like the rest of him. He had this way of drinking you in, of making you feel like you were something precious and special. You got goosebumps. The pitter-patter of your heart was betraying you, pressed against him like this and it was warranted for more reasons than you could count. The most important of those reasons was Liu Kang.

“You did it,” he whispered but his eyes were on your lips.

“I found it.” You smiled in realization and got the chills. That was a wonderful feeling. It was the first time in ages where you’d trusted your gut and it hadn’t wound up in a complete mess. Without thinking you buried yourself against Liu’s chest, hands gripping at his shirt. You closed your eyes tight and took deep calming breaths.

Don’t get upset.

Don’t cry in front of Liu Kang even if they were happy tears. It had been so long since you’d felt that good.

“What? What is it?” He could sense that you were trying not to get upset and he tucked your hair behind your ear, fixing the flower that had come loose.

“Nothing. I’m just happy.”

“Okay…?”

You lifted yourself from his chest and straightened your posture, but you were hopelessly pressed against him. “So much of these last few weeks with healing and my arcana and the visions… it’s felt like such failure. I’m trying so damn hard and still it seems impossible. One thing after another keeps going wrong and I’m just so grateful to have something work out.”

“Y/N, just because it doesn’t work out how you expect it to, doesn’t mean it’s a failure. You’re learning. Please… be kind to yourself. The shadow hanging over you isn’t any fault of yours. From where I’m standing? You’re doing well.”

God, he was the cutest. So damn sweet. “Thank you, Liu. Thank you for grounding me too. I needed it.”

“Don’t credit me with that. You grounded yourself, Y/N. I just reminded you how to breathe.” He gently took one of your hands from where it was balled up in his shirt and held it in his.

“It’s funny. Sometimes I feel like my brain is such swirling chaos that I’m going to float away, like a leaf on the wind. You have this way of bringing me back and keeping me firmly rooted to the branch.”

“I’m happy to make sure that you don’t float too far for too long if you need me to.” Liu let go of your hand and turned his gaze to his left. His smile faded.

“What? What is it?” You touched his face this time, fingers gently brushing over his cheekbones that curved so perfectly when he smiled. You’d never done that before. He was so handsome that it felt forbidden to touch him.

“Now is not the time. Later. I promise. We have things to do.”

“Yeah. The cave.” You nodded to your right. You hadn’t seen the cavern yet but you knew it was there. He offered a nod to agree.

“Raiden theorizes that these places are protected and changed by the magic that the man from your vision used. He considered that the artifacts could be toxic. The dotaku you found was probably tainted with evil intent in some way.”

“Great, because I had that thing pressed all up against me for way too long.” You frowned. “The monks there said something about it being cursed, too.”

“You seem fine other than the bruises. And the anxiety but I don’t know if that’s related.”

“Tangentially so.” You smiled but then frowned. Kung Lao had been pale that morning. You hoped that he was taking care of himself. “Let’s get this over with.” You stepped away from him, realizing you had essentially pinned him to the wall. He reached into his pockets and pulled out two keychain sized flashlights. He offered one to you and you took it with a smile. “I’m glad one of us was prepared to go into a cave.”

“It was a last-minute purchase.” He admitted with a shrug. The cavern opening, now that you saw it, was not inviting. You never would have found it without your vision. It was less like a cave mouth and more like a fissure. You’d have to stand sideways and scoot inside which was incredibly unappealing. You had to do it though, you reminded yourself.

So, against every instinct in your body, you pressed yourself between the stone walls and scooted. It was uncomfortably tight and you’d had to adjust several times to make it through. If you’d told yourself months ago that you would be doing this then you would have never believed yourself. Liu was right behind you and you helped each other through difficult spaces. Finally, the fissure opened up and you gasped at what lay beyond the tight opening. The air was so humid it was difficult to breathe and there were pools of water glimmering with bioluminescent light. Usually, you would have thought it was beautiful but there was something inherently sinister about it.

The air was foreboding. Liu joined you at your side as you studied the cave that went back into the darkness far beyond your tiny flashlights.

“It’s like the exact opposite of the springs back in the temple.”

“Something dark has corrupted it.” He frowned then walked right into the water like it was nothing. At its deepest point it was up to his thighs.

“You just jump right into that probably cursed water, huh?”

“Yes, and you should join me. I have a feeling that it’s going to be quite a walk and the only way through is in the water.”

“You’re probably right. Is this the opposite of holy water, you think?” You joined him and he offered a shake of his head at your bad joke. You trudged together through the water, following the only path there was to take. You lit your way with the tiny flashlights but even combined it didn’t do much for you. The bioluminescent plant life growing in the pools helped you at least find your path and you were sure if you needed to then Liu would use his fire. It was eerie. In the distance, there was the sound of falling water and it grew ever louder as you approached.

You finally pinpointed what the bad feeling was. It was like you weren’t supposed to be there, and the cave wanted you out. You knew that this was where you were meant to be and whatever wanted you out was that artifact.

“Careful.” You gestured to another fissure in front of you but this one was half full of water. It went on longer than the first one had, and you’d briefly panicked halfway through. Liu had helped you and then you had helped him when he’d gotten stuck at the end. It didn’t get any better after that. The next fissure was lower, and the water was up to his shoulders which meant you had to swim and squeeze your way through.

“Just hold your breath.” He encouraged and you looked to him skeptically but did your best. The water got down your throat a few times as it splashed around your face, but you managed your way through it. Liu continued right behind you, and it was made much more difficult when the path shrunk at the end. He’d nearly gotten stuck. That would have been a disaster. That cavern was low, and the water was so high you had to swim. The sound of water falling was no longer distant but very close. You searched the small corridor with your flashlight, but it was flickering after being submerged in the water. “Where do we go?” He searched above the water but there was barely any space above you.

“You’re going to hate it.” You pointed with an unhappy groan at the cavern beneath the water, completely submerged. This was a nightmare.

“You’re right, I do.” He shook out his wet hair. You ducked beneath the water, allowed your eyes to adjust to the warmth of it and cringed. It was uncomfortable. The springs in your vision had been small and modest. It was like they’d spread like cancer throughout the cavern thanks to that man and whatever artifact he’d hidden there. Then you came back up and turned to him. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck, Y/N.”

You ducked beneath the water again, held your breath, and then made your way through the tunnel as quickly and carefully as your body would allow. Just as you thought your lungs would give out, you found a space at the very top of the tunnel that was above the water. It was barely enough for you to tilt your head up and regain your breath but it was more than you needed.

Then you ducked under again and were grateful when the cave opened up and you could bring your head above water into a much, much larger space. The water was way deeper there too and you gasped greedily for breath. Then you turned and waited for Liu Kang to follow you. Seconds later, he popped up next to you, also gasping for breath.

The cavern was huge and you found the source of the rushing water. It poured from an opening above that led to the mountain outside. You caught a glimpse of a tree beyond, but just barely. Water poured from a river from the precipice and down onto two other ledges in between before ultimately falling into the pool that you and Liu had emerged in. There was dry land on either side of the deep pool and you were looking forward to it. Never again if you could avoid it.

Liu reached for your hair to push it back and looked disappointed to find that the flower had gone. You searched the water for it and sighed. You’d forgotten it was there. “Sorry.” You pouted and he smiled anyway. The air in the chamber was heavy and you were set on edge, like something terrible could happen at any moment. Liu was moving toward the shallower water and talking but you couldn’t hear him. There was a high-pitched squeal in your ears.

Liu called to you, but his voice was distant and fading. You couldn’t quite remember why he would be with you or where you were or what you were doing. You turned in search of him, but he was gone.

You were alone and made your way to the shallower water, crawling out just enough so it was up to your thighs. When you turned back, there was a man standing before you. It was him. The creature from your vision and you saw him plain as day. His skin was gray and mysterious patterns shifted beneath the surface, his white eyes surrounded by red flesh, as if he had never slept a day in his life. He wore a hat that fit to the form of his head and curved up into horns. When you blinked, he was standing uncomfortably close in front of you, and you stumbled back. He sneered and the flesh melted from his face, revealing the fanged skull beneath it.

“Who are…” You tried to ask but you choked on your words as his hand plunged into your chest, tearing at your flesh like it was nothing. Pain radiated through your shoulders, down your stomach, and you were blinded by it. You would have collapsed if he had not been holding you in his death grip. His cold fingers wrapped around your heart and you saw your blood ooze down his arm and drench your shirt.

He was killing you.

You were dying.

When you looked back up at him, he was gone but the pain remained. You collapsed into the water, the ground disappearing from beneath your feet as though you had never step foot upon it. You couldn’t breathe.

But you could hear again. The ringing had stopped, and you could hear combat above the water. Through it, you could see the light of Liu’s arcana as he fought off many creatures you couldn’t make out from there. He was trying to get to you but the shapes were overwhelming him. You watched, as if in slow motion, as one of those shapes burned up. Then he was thrown back into the water with a splash and the fire was doused with a hiss of steam.

You panic-swam to the surface. Liu was being held beneath the water by skeletal creatures in tattered robes and tarnished jewelry. They were pulling him further into the deep pool. You grasped at your chest suddenly and discovered there was no wound. It had been an illusion or a vision or something.

There was no time. You had to get to Liu.

You bashed the creature aside that had been pushing him under but there were others pulling him further and further. Taking a deep breath, you dove into the water and willed your ink into your jian. You hadn’t been certain it would work under the water but were pleased to find that it was solid. You slashed one of the creatures to pieces and swam out of the way of another. Then you knocked the one holding Liu away.

He was struggling to keep his breath, hand grasped over his mouth. You pushed his hand aside and pressed your lips to his, offering him the little breath you had left. Then you urged your arm under his and helped kick to the surface. You both gasped for breath, and he coughed up water. You urged him back behind you, defending you both with the jian so he had a chance to regain himself and get to dry land.

The moment he had his footing, he grasped at the natural energy around him and bathed his fists in fire. He twisted and threw the flames and several of the skeletal creatures stumbling toward you burned up. But they didn’t stay down for long. Either they rebuilt themselves or there were tons of them. You twisted with your jian, ducking, and slicing at them as they drew closer, finishing them off when Liu’s fire didn’t.

“This isn’t working!” He coughed as more of them crawled out of the water toward you.

“There’s too many.” You backed up to join him on the small shoreline. If these things kept crawling back to life, then you would be at this until you were exhausted and one of you slipped up. You had to do something drastic. You’d mimicked Kung Lao in Japan but you hadn’t been sure how you’d done it. Could you mimic other things? “You thought that my arcana could mimic things, right?”

“Yeah, you mimicked my hand when you first showed me. Haven’t had much time to train, have we?”

“Could you keep me safe while I try something?”

“Of course.” Liu stepped in front of you and, fists still engulfed in flame, and went after the creatures as they came close. Watching him fight was amazing. It was almost like a dance. Stepping back to offer him more space to fight, you worked with your ink magic. You’d been able to draw with it when you’d been fighting against the tar creature in Japan so why not try that?

Bracing yourself for the energy it would take, you focused on the creatures as they fell beneath Liu’s skilled hands. He stepped back from them and bounced in ready position, extinguishing his fire. You focused only on the space and your ink, your will to make it. Your mind cleared of all other thoughts. Liu stepped back in surprise as you drew solid walls around the creatures, and they filled with ink. Then you slammed your hands together and the walls crushed the creatures trapped within. You felt the crash of those walls rattle through your arms and into your shoulders.

“Damn.” Liu turned to you with admiration. You relaxed your posture but didn’t get to do so for long. Water exploded in a fountain and rained down over you. A huge creature made of bones and skulls rose from the water. It hissed and creaked awkwardly. Its many arms wielded old, rusted weaponry. You summoned your jian back into your hand and stepped up next to Liu who turned back into his stance, hands bathed in fire again.

You waited for the creature to strike. It raised its arms and swung down toward you. You leapt away from the blows. Liu ducked under another and set the arm ablaze and then kicked another back. You leapt over the one he’d kicked and sliced it at the arm and then cut another that was grasping for Liu. You ducked low, rolled back and then knocked the weapon out of another’s grasp. You were always aware of where Liu Kang was. It was unlike any other fight you’d ever been in. It was almost like you’d choreographed it before you’d started. You were so in tune with each other’s energy that you could sense what he was about to do before he did it. You stepped back to allow Liu to keep the creature at bay and with the jian as a pen, you created a heavy chain with ink that attached to the shore. It dripped and then crystallized into form, wrapping around the creature.

Liu rolled over the chain and then knocked the creature back as it pulled, trying to free itself with wild thrashing. Liu flipped backwards and threw fire at the creature that then swatted at him, howling in agony. You leapt atop the chain and ran closer to the creature. You flipped atop the mass that held its many arms. It swung at you wildly and you leapt to the other side of its many heads. With a flourish you drew another chain to wrap around the creature but before you could finish, you were grabbed and thrown back toward the shore.

Liu leapt and caught you, and then gracefully set you down. You bounced to your feet, and you finished the chain and then spun low to the ground, smacking your hand against the stone so that it locked next to the first one. The monster couldn’t move far now but you had to finish it off before you ran out of steam, or it found a way to escape.

Liu nodded toward the creature that thrashed at the chains. They groaned beneath the force. It wouldn’t be held much longer. You threw your jian and it faded into ink and then you mimicked the water, and a wave of ink coated the creature. Ink was flammable. It would smell horrible, but you hoped it would work. “Now, Liu!”

He stepped back, braced his footing and his hand was engulfed in flame, so much so that his flesh seemed to glow orange and crack with bright light. Ducking low, he swung upward and from the water behind the creature, a massive dragon made of fire and lava rose high above it. With a low crouch and a spin of his arms, he slammed his hand to the ground and the dragon opened its great maw and attacked the creature. The ink caught fire just as you had hoped and the creature howled, consumed by flame. Then it stopped thrashing and began to fall toward you with the last bit of its strength.

The shore wasn’t wide enough for you to stay on it, so you grabbed Liu’s arm and you ran from the creature that swept toward you, ablaze, and leapt into the water together. The creature fell after you, its bones scorching and disintegrating as it did. You dove deep beneath the water but as you made your way to the opposite shore, it grabbed your ankle and pulled. You choked and your breath escaped, and you got a mouthful of water and had to resist the urge to breathe and swallow. You fought against the creature’s fading grasp but your lungs were aching so badly that you could do little but kick and flail upward and hope it got you there.

But then Liu’s arm was around you and he pulled you free of its grasp and dragged you above the water. You choked and spat out water, but your lungs were in agony. He pushed your hair back and held you above the water. “Breathe! Breathe, Y/N!”

“Trying.” You croaked and water sputtered past your lips. It was burning at your throat and your lungs, but he had gotten to you before it had gotten worse. You dragged each other to the opposite shore and then Liu urged you to lay back so you could focus on breathing. Then he collapsed on his back next to you to do the same.

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #150: Merlin

Today on Fate and Phantasms we’re finishing the last build in Observer on Timeless Temple, the man who broke the meta, Merlin! I’ll be honest, I really wasn’t expecting we’d make it this far. Anyway, you’re a Divination Wizard, because no shit. You’re a wizard, you can see the future, you kinda cheat at life, everything else just falls into place. You’re also a Fighter, because you also keep a shortsword stashed in your staff in case of emergencies.

Check out his build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

Next up: A dimension-hopping bisexual. That’s not a phrase I ever thought I’d say, but I’m glad I did.

Race and Background

Merlin’s half Incubus, giving him immense magical power. Thankfully we can match that lineage one for one with the Abyssal Tiefling, an old UA that gives you +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma, Darkvision, Abyssal Fortitude for half your level (rounded down, minimum 1) in extra HP, and Abyssal Arcana. That last one’s a bit complicated, so give us a second. 

Each long rest, you randomly get one of six cantrips by rolling a d6 (aside from the one you just had, you have to re-roll if that happens). You can get Dancing Lights, True Strike, Light, Message, Spare the Dying, or Prestidigitation. You can cast that cantrip like you would any other cantrip at your disposal, although awkwardly enough they never mention what ability score you would use to cast it. (I would assume Charisma, but feel free to argue with your DM.) After you finish another long rest, replace the old cantrip with a new one.

Being stranded on the other side of the world makes you the premier Hermit, giving you proficiency with Arcana and Religion. 

Ability Scores

You know literally everything, so make your Intelligence as high as possible. You also don’t have much difficulty avoiding the consequences of your actions, so it’s safe to say your Dexterity is pretty good too. You managed to catfish a not insignificant portion of the human race during the Goetia Crisis, so your Charisma is up there as well. Your Constitution isn’t as strong, you’re pretty much unkillable but I’ll be damned if Quetz didn’t try. Your Wisdom is rather low- you thought betraying the second sun was a good idea- but we’re dumping Strength. You are wizard, no big surprise.

Class Levels

1. First level wizards get proficiency in Intelligence and Wisdom saves, as well as History (you were there for quite a bit of it) and Insight (you watch people long enough eventually you notice patterns).

You also learn how to cast Spells using your Intelligence. Like all wizards you get an obscene number of spells, so we’ll just mention the ones that are very important to the character here, though the character sheet has a full list.

Mage Armor, of course is super important for any wizard, as is your caster balls (Magic Missile). I’d also grab Charm Person to make the whole Magi Marie thing a bit easier. You can also get Find Familiar, if you really want Cath Palug that badly.

Lastly, you get an Arcane Recovery, letting you regain spell slots with a total level equal to half your level rounded up on a short rest once per long rest. Not having slots sucks, don’t do that.

2. Second level wizards learn a specialty, and Divination basically lets you cheat at everything thanks to your Portents. At the end of a long rest, you roll two 20s and save those results.  At any time before your next long rest, you can use one of those results to replace an attack, save, or ability roll you can see, once per turn. If you roll high, give it to Artoria. If you roll low, still give it to Artoria, it’ll be funny.

You also become a Divination Savant, making it cheaper and easier to copy divination spells.

3. Third level wizards get second level spells, but your Abyssal Arcana also grows stronger, giving you a random first level spell each long rest as well. You cast these spells as if you were using a second level spell slot once per long rest. They are Burning Hands, Charm Person, Magic Missile, Cure Wounds, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, and Thunderwave. You’re a Grand Caster candidate, so it’s not like there’s a reason you couldn’t cast any of those.

We’re also spending your spells this level to enhance party members, with Enhance Ability and Magic Weapon helping out in and out of combat.

4. I know we just got cure wounds last level, but that’s a one in six chance of using it once per long rest. I’d hardly call that meta breaking. We’ll fix that by using your first Ability Score Improvement to grab the Magic Initiate feat, giving you the spells Light, Minor Illusion, and Cure Wounds more consistently (the last one is still once per long rest though).

5. Fifth level Abyssal Tieflings get one last boost to their Abyssal Arcana, giving them one of six second level spells each long rest. You could get Alter Self, Darkness, Invisibility, Levitate, Mirror Image, or Spider Climb. 

You also learn Dispel Magic to break through Tiamat’s Chaos Tide.

6. Sixth level divination wizards have Expert Divination, recharging lower level spell slots after expending another spell slot on a divination spell. The recharged slot also has to be 5th level or lower, but that’s hardly an issue right now. Very useful for someone who’s technically in another plane most of the time.

You also learn Major Image, for stronger illusory power, and Haste to make a chosen warrior more of a hero.

7. We’re now going to bounce over to Fighter real quick, you’re surprisingly quick to pull a sword on someone if you feel like it. The Dueling fighting style adds 2 to your weapon damage with one handed weapons, and Second Wind lets you spend a bonus action to heal yourself. 

8. Second level fighters get an Action Surge, letting you add an extra action to your turn once per short rest. 

9. For your fourth level spells, Hallucinatory Terrain will give your allies a glimpse of Avalon (healing and NP charge not included).

10. Use this ASI to bump up your Intelligence, and learn Charm Monster to keep Cath Palug from smacking you upside the head for the eight billionth time.

11. With fifth level spells you can finally insert yourself into others’ dreams thanks to the spell Dream. It takes a minute to cast, but afterwards you can enter a trance to hop into a target’s dreams. You can shape the dream to your liking, or just watch the fireworks. You can also turn into a nightmare to deal psychic damage and prevent any benefits from that sleep if the target fails a wisdom save.

12. Tenth level divination wizards can use The Third Eye to gain one special kind of sight each short rest as an action. You can choose form Darkvision, sight into the Ethereal Plane, the ability to Read any Language, or the ability to see invisible objects and creatures. 

13. Sixth level spells like Mental Prison make things a lot harder for your enemies, charming one target creature if it fails an intelligence save. If it succeeds, it only takes some psychic damage. If it fails, it takes the damage and it becomes surrounded by an illusionary prison, so it can’t move, see, or hear anything beyond its space. If it’s forcibly moved out, or is attacked/attacks through the illusion, it takes even more psychic damage and the spell ends.

14. If you’re going with the standard array, you’ve probably noticed by now that your intelligence is currently odd. Thankfully we can fix that and make your DM’s life so much harder all at once thanks to the feat Keen Mind, which we’re picking up with this level’s ASI. Your Intelligence goes up by one, you have a great sense of direction and timing, and you have eidetic memory of the last month.

15. Seventh level spells like Mirage Arcane are another bump in power, letting you warp the landscape in a square mile around you. You can even add your fancy looking tower to the illusion now! Still not a lot of healing though.

16. Your last divination goody is the feature Greater Portent, letting your roll three d20s per day instead of two. Yeah, portent’s just kinda busted.

17. Eighth level spells like Illusory Dragon are a massive upgrade, almost as powerful as you usually are. This lets you make a dragon illusion that takes up space, is tangible, and can really breathe fire. I’m not entirely sure how this is an illusion, if I’m being honest.

18. Use this ASI to bump up your Dexterity for less dying and more stabbing. You also learn the spell Demiplane, to create your own Avalon! As long as you don’t mind your Avalon being a 30′ cube room and nothing else. Still, it’s hard to beat that level of security.

19. Seventeenth level wizards get ninth level spells. Seriously, just grab as many as you can. Merlin’s a grand caster, literally nothing is beyond his reach, certainly not anything a D&D character could do.

20. Eighteenth level wizards gain Spell Mastery over a first and second level spell, letting you cast them at their lowest level like cantrips. Silent Image and Magic Weapon are both good for support, I’d pick those. It’s not a huge issue if you change your mind later, too- you can change spells after 8 hours of study. You also learn True Polymorph. Artoria’s gotta father a child somehow.

Pros:

With your maxed out intelligence, plus ways to confuse your enemies and buff your allies, you make for a pretty good support caster. I doubt that comes as a surprise.

Divination wizards are kinda busted? Three portents per long rest can seriously reshape a campaign if you’re smart with them.

Wish is also kinda busted? You know how a lot of builds I mention not getting to ninth level spells as a con? Now you get to find out why.

Cons:

You’re squishy, which also isn’t too surprising. With an AC of 16 and HP barely scratching past one hundred, You probably won’t want to actually use your sword that often.

Despite healing being the big draw of your FGO counterpart, we didn’t really get that much in this build. You get one to two uses of Cure Wounds per day, plus your second wind. Not exactly meta defining.

Most illusions and buff spells use concentration, so good luck holding onto those with a con save of +1. It also means you have to pick and choose what you’re doing at any one time.

[mmikmmik2]

If you were to sort the Infinity Train cast(s) into the Major Arcana a la the Persona games, which Arcana would you give everyone?

anon I had SOOOOO much fun thinking about this, thank you so much for sending me this. I sorted all the major characters, plus a few other entries, based on a mix of Arcana symbolism, Persona series character archetypes, and general vibes. I came up with answers I feel pretty good about for all but four of the Arcana. (Was really tempted to say Strength is every human character who doesn't board the train because they can handle their problems on their own lol.) This is going to be a long-winded post, so I thought I’d post just the list as an image (which hopefully won’t be too blurry!) rather than wrestle with Tumblr formatting trying to make a short list, and put a big text wall under the readmore talking more about my picks.

If this list does end up illegible, the same info is under the readmore as text! Plus some characters for Magician, Strength, Justice, and Death that I didn’t want to add to the “official” list because they’re more based on headcanon. (Although my reasoning for some of the “official” picks is pretty weak lol.)

One-One as 0. The Fool

Oh my gosh, what am I?

IT is great at fleshing out character backstories and families, so One-One at the beginning of S1 is one of the few characters who really feels like a blank slate. He's got a lot of his baggage back by the end of the season, and I think One and One-One are more similar than they seem at first glance, but S1 does seem to have been very formative for One-One and how he thinks about what he's supposed to be doing and how he relates to other people. So it does kind of feel like his fool's journey.

Alrick Timmens as I. The Magician

The magician begins the journey... by beefing it on a dirt bike, dying, and sending his wife flying off the deep end. Rip.

Alrick was an engineer like Amelia, so I could see him suiting some of the themes of the Magician, like conscious thought and manifesting ideas. His apparent playfulness and insecurity are similar to the Magician characters in Persona.

Kez as II. The High Priestess

“We can’t make this decision for you, Kez.” “You know what to do.”

I thought really hard about making Kez the Magician because just like every Magician since Persona 3, she's dumb, horny, and insecure dlkjasfdkl

(and also her showing up at the start of the story arc and being helpful but also super needy is very Magician)

But the idea of "intuition" really does suit Kez. Sometimes her intuition is as bad as her conscious reasoning, but I think that's a lot because she's so confused about what happened with Jeremy, and Morgan making Kez feel like she did a bad thing by helping him.

Tuba as III. The Empress

She made me feel like I was warm all the time.

Tuba's a mom. Sorry, this one's not that deep, haha.

Simon Laurent as IV. The Emperor

Highest number! I'm the leader now.

Simon has a lot of issues, but the one that felt the most prominent to me was his unhealthy relationship with power, authority, dominance, and rules. Another quote I considered using here was what he said in Grace's memory of meeting Amelia: "I never thought I'd get to see the Conductor with my own eyes. He's perfect! Everything finally makes sense again." In his emotional crisis, he thought everything could be fixed just by the existence of a huge, scary, powerful, male authority figure, even if they weren't doing anything helpful or informative.

Atticus as V. The Hierophant

I like to think that our stones are sturdy and handsome, like the Corgis that crafted them.

Atticus is a figure of traditional authority who deeply loves the history, society, and culture of his people. He often provides spiritual wisdom and encourages Tulip to get out of her own head and engage with the world around her. Also in Persona, Hiero is the Dad Arcana so it's very funny to me (a) to make the little dog be Hiero and (b) that the little dog really does have the strongest Wholesome Dad Energy of the whole cast.

Jesse Cosay as VI. The Lovers

Don't tell me what to do. I'm not going to be a part of anything like this, on or off the train.

This was my first and easiest pick lol, Jesse is sooooo Lovers. Like, the focus on choice and personal values and relationships? Yep, that's Jesse. It works on an "actual meaning of the Arcana" level and a "vibes with the Persona characters" level lol... popular, upbeat, and having such an identity crisis.

Lake as VII. The Chariot

I'm my own person, who is getting off this train!

I don't know if Chariot captures all the ways Lake grew over the course of S2, but I feel like they had the most externally focused conflict of all the IT characters, which suits Chariot. They've been fighting to stake out their personhood from start to finish, and they took action and used their willpower to achieve that goal. Also they have at least a little jock energy which is a prereq for Chariot tbh.

Frank as VIII. Strength

I dunno, I kinda imagine him as a simple man and easily underestimated, but with a lot of heart. The Cat may say they're keeping things casual but I don't think she'd take him with her on her private vacation unless he had some kind of inner toughness that would let him stand toe-to-toe with her.

Morgan as IX. The Hermit

I need to be alone right now. Kez... maybe... we can talk later.

I like that Morgan embodies toxic self-isolation and stonewalling and rejection, but that she seems to be moving towards the positive aspects of Hermit and taking some time to calm down and process and think. I like it when characters can embody the best and worst of their Arcana.

Tulip Olsen as X. The Wheel of Fortune

We have to adapt to the changes in our lives. It's the only way things can get better.

Tulip has a lot of themes and conflicts, but this one is a clear standout as the most important. I also like it for Tulip because, while she has to handle a lot of difficult and even traumatic situations, some of the change that challenges her isn't as unambiguously bad as e.g. the death of a loved one. It really is just change itself she's struggling with, and that's Fortune babey. Also, from the perspective of the train itself and lots of other characters, by reversing Amelia and One-One's positions again and changing how One-One administrates the train, Tulip is the one giving the wheel a spin. That's fun.

Lucy as XI. Justice

One of my friends once described the Justice characters in Persona as "the ones the player character is ultimately accountable towards", and I like to think of Lucy as kind of being that for Grace (...since Hazel has excused herself). Lucy is the Apex kid we see Grace interact with the most, the first Apex kid Grace admitted to herself that she had harmed (see Grace very briefly showing distress and then regret when Jesse points the harpoons at his face and she stops him), and the first person to confront Grace when she came home in The New Apex.

Min-Gi Park as XII. The Hanged Man

I don't know if we'll sell a single album, but we'll figure that out as we go.

Min-Gi sacrifices his "realistic", "sensible" goals for a more personally (spiritually, even?) enriching life that's beyond his control and outside of the expected norm. Like the Hanged Man, who dangles foolishly upside-down, but as a deliberate choice and in a state of serenity and enlightenment. I also think this arcana suits a reading of Min-Gi's character development as starting off going slower as a way to stall and live in denial, but then going slower with deliberation. Compare his arrogant insistence on refusing to act in The Astro Queue Car to his patience and care in The Castle Car and The Train to Nowhere.

Jeremy as XIII. Death

This isn't about the death of his family - I'm thinking of his reluctance to admit his number was going down. He cared about Morgan and Kez, and it's possible both that he may have really wanted to stay with them despite his exit and that that might even have been a healthy choice - they're real ass people with feelings and everything, not holodeck characters. But I also think Jeremy was using his life with them to avoid moving on out of that fog (because it was hard and it hurt and he didn't want to think about what that would mean for him and Morgan) and Morgan was enabling him.

Ryan Akagi as XIV. Temperance

Maybe the experience is the point. I wasn't just rushing you. I was rushing myself.

I think this one speaks for itself. Also, the other quote I considered putting here, from The Art Gallery Car: "You told me I can't appreciate the song without taking in the rest of the album. I need the whole package."

The Cat as XV. The Devil

I always do the right thing.

Honestly, this is one I really wasn't sure about. The Cat isn't a great pick for a lot of the meanings of Devil. She is definitely consumed by material comforts, and the short-term rewards of ignoring her issues at a long-term cost, though. This is more of a "vibes with Persona characters with this arcana" pick... Devil characters tend to start off being somewhat exploitative or even antagonistic towards the player character, and gradually showing a more conflicted and genuine side.

Amelia Hughes as XVI. The Tower

There's a hole in the universe where Alrick used to be.

Amelia's life is defined by catastrophe and upheaval - both those she's suffered and those she's inflicted on others.

Hazel as XVII. The Star

I'm going to keep loving you like you're still here.

When I think of "The Star" as a small but inextinguishable light in the darkness, Hazel seems like the obvious choice. Although we left her deeply wounded, I think she still has a flicker of her hope, faith, and purpose.

Grace Monroe as XVIII. The Moon

But it's unfair for me to tell you how to understand yourself. I mean, I don't even fully understand me.

Grace is probably the most complex and dynamic character on the show and hence one of the most difficult to place. I considered Empress, Strength, Devil, and Judgement for her... I think ultimately, lies and illusions are the most unifying theme of her character arc. Also, from a Persona angle, her pursuit of status out of a lack of true self-worth reminds me of Ai and Mishima.

Alan Dracula as XIX. The Sun

Brought together by the majesty of a superpowered deer!

I'm sorry dkjasfklads this is largely because I thought it was funny to have this completely inexpressive dead-eyed deer as Sun akfk but also... like... it kind of works okay!!! Think about the genuine joy and comfort and positivity he brings to Lake and Jesse (and me)!

The New Apex as XX. Judgement

"Then what are we gonna be?" "Guess we'll have to figure it out?"

This is kind of a Persona mythology gag again because of Judgement being a group social link near the end of the narratives of P3 and P4, when the protagonists have pierced through the lies and actually figured out who the villain of their game is and are ready to really start making progress.

0 as XI. The World

Ah, train does it again!

It's an ending and the completion of a journey, but also the beginning of a new one. And the world is literally what the passengers receive at the end of their train journey. Welcome home.

[into-the-daniverse]

Camia (ft. the band) | decide to be happy

Notes: Okay, well, this is not what I planned to post for today, but when Camia gives me lore, I can’t ignore it! So for day 5 of @arcana-echoes​ THE AUNT, we have the story of how Camia got the shop in Vesuvia (before she would give it to Alec later on) Title: decide to be happy by MISTERWIVES 1.6k words

Camia hadn’t wanted to go back to Vesuvia, but they had to prepare for Lucio’s first Masquerade. He had requested that they come, and the last thing she wanted was to stay at the Palace while he was decorating. She found him insufferable enough as it was.

So, the only other option she had was to try to find somewhere else to stay.

Her family had owned a great number of buildings in the Center City, for reasons never explained to her, but surely, they didn’t need all of them, and the band could sneak into one such building for a few nights, at least.

She remembered one, an old magic shop they had bought from some magician decades ago, that sat not far from the marketplace and town square. That was as good a place to start as any, but when they reached the shop, she was disappointed to see that a light was on inside. She did not want to run into her family at any cost.

Just as Camia was about to turn away, the door opened, and her heart leapt into her throat. She felt Jamil tense behind her, but the woman who stepped out the door was unfamiliar.

She took in the band and gave them a curt nod. “Hello!”

“Hello.” Camia cleared her throat and gestured to the shop. “Do you… do you live here?”

“Hm?” The woman glanced behind her. “Oh, no. I was contracted to visit every once in a while, make sure it doesn’t fall down overnight or anything.” She laughed to herself. “Quite a funny man, wanting this empty shop to be checked on.”

Camia looked over the woman’s shoulder, half-expecting her father to come down the stairs. “The owner?”

“The young mister Baudelaire.”

Her brother. “Ignatius,” she murmured, more to herself than anything, but the woman still heard her.

“Ah, yes! That was his name. The shop isn’t even in his name, but he told me that until the real owner appears to claim it, I was to visit every other month or so.” She jingled some keys in her pocket, going to lock the door, but Camia held her hand out to stop her.

“Who… whose name is it under?”

“It’s…” The woman paused and looked her curiously up and down. “You know, you resemble him a bit. Are you two related?”

Camia hesitated, but nodded after a moment. “Ignatius Baudelaire was… is my older brother.”

The woman’s eyes lit up. “Are you Camía-Marie?”

Alec and Leon both made a noise of surprise, but Jamil shushed them as Camia nodded again. “Yes, I am.”

“Oh, how wonderful!” Keys were shoved into Camia’s hand. “This will be your shop then! It’s under your name. Your brother had it left for you when the rest of the family moved out of the city. There’s a letter for you waiting inside that he instructed me to leave, but now that you’re here, it seems I’m not needed anymore!”

And with that, the woman left, clearly joyful that she didn’t have to manage the shop anymore.

Camia stepped inside, barely waiting to see if the rest of the band followed her, and her eyes searched the shop. It was dark, but clean, and bigger than she remembered. She could already see a back room that would work for their instruments, and if she remembered correctly, there was at least one bedroom upstairs…

Her eyes caught on an envelope sitting on a small table and she went over to it. The letter was sealed with her family’s crest, but the writing on the front of it, addressed to her, Camía-Marie Baudelaire, was undoubtedly her brothers.

She opened the envelope and unfolded the letter, almost hearing his voice in her head as she read.

My sister,

I have no doubt that you are not exactly happy to have this letter from me, as I also have no doubt that you do not have any fondness left in your heart for me or the rest of our family. I do not blame you.

You may have heard, or not, that when Count Lucio was appointed, our family decided to leave the main city. We sold, well, rented out most of the land we held before, but I kept this shop for you. It is entirely under your name. In hopes that one day you would come back to this city. I do not expect you to find us, or to want to. But this city deserves better than the bloody memories you have of it.

You deserve better.

I regret I wish I’m sorry that I didn’t do anything for you when we were younger. I’m sorry I led our father back to find you the last time we crossed paths, though I hope you believe me when I say that wasn’t intentional.

I realized a few things that day, when that friend of yours almost cut our father’s ear off protecting you. I realized that he, essentially a stranger, did more for you in that moment than I had ever done in our whole lives. I realized that I was not nearly as brave then, and even now, to have attempted such a thing. I realized that I was as much to blame for your childhood, or horrid lack thereof, as our parents were.

When Viviane started showing signs of magic, I did for her what I did not do for you. Maybe you do not even remember her, she was such a tiny thing when you ran away. But our parents did not get to her in the same way they did you.

That is not to say that I feel I have properly atoned for my inaction regarding you. This shop is just the smallest act that I am able to do.

Please consider it a gift from me, the only one I have ever been able to give you.

If I could say this all in person I would, but I know that is unlikely. And I have made my peace with that. I have made my peace with you never forgiving me. I only hope and pray, Camía, that you will find your own peace one day.

Maybe you already have, and it is presumptuous of me to assume that you have not. If you are back in Vesuvia, you must have some semblance of it.

I hope and pray that it only exponentially grows.

If you read this whole, rambling nonsense, rabbit, thank you. I will leave you and the shop at rest, but if you do ever desire, here is where you can find me.

Sincerely,

With love,

Your brother,

Ignatius

Below his scrawling signature there was an address. Camia looked the entire letter over once more, and sighed.

“Camia?” Alec’s voice brought her back to the present, and she turned to look at the girl, her blue eyes wide in concern. “Are you okay?”

Camia nodded, then glanced up from her at Leon and Jamil, the latter watching her closely. “I’m fine. I’m better than fine. This is my shop.” She gestured around her, giving them all a smile. “Welcome home.”

Alec giggled, wrapping her arms around Camia’s waist for a moment before running past her, up the stairs. “I call dibs on this room!”

“What?” Leon cried, following her voice. “Alec, that’s not fair!”

Jamil walked up to her and glanced at the letter. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She thought back to the memory her brother’s letter had referenced. Jamil’s mother had sent them to Vesuvia for his studies when she was 17 and he 16, and they had run into Ignatius and her father. When her father tried to forcibly take her back, Jamil had struck him with his sword, indeed, almost cutting his ear off. It was the only time Camia had ever seen her friend furious.

“You horrible, awful, brat!” Her father spat, though he stayed out of Jamil’s reach. “Who do you think you are? I’ll have you executed for this!”

Jamil’s green eyes glinted like a dangerous animal. “Who am I?” He flicked his hair over his shoulder and pointed his sword at Camia’s father, blood dripping off the edge. “I am Jamil Alfonso of the house of D’Oria of Venterre, grandson to Eugenio Matteo II.”

The color drained from her father’s face, but he continued.

“I am the cousin of the Royal Consort of Prakra and his wife, the Queen.” Flicking the blood off his sword, Jamil pulled it back. “My mother was raised alongside the current Count and refers to him by name.”

Her father was shaking now. Camia couldn’t help but feel… happy.

“But most importantly, I am Camia’s friend. And if you so much as try to speak to her again, I will have you and your family banished from the entire Northern Hemisphere of the map.”

Her father ran from their sight without a second glance, and Ignatius, who had watched the whole thing, followed, staring at the trail of blood he left behind.

Camia had always wondered what went through her brother’s mind when that happened, and now, she knew.

“I’m alright, Jamil.” She put her hand on his cheek. “Thank you.”

“Okay. I’ll give you a minute.” He pressed his forehead to hers for a moment before following after Alec and Leon, leaving her alone.

She let a spark ignite in her palm and held the letter. It caught the flame, and started to crackle, his words bleeding away. Ignatius was right, the fact that she was back in Vesuvia meant that she had found her peace. At least a part of it.

As she watched the letter curl in on itself, the last ink blots dissolving into ash, she smiled, feeling a decade of weight slid off her shoulders.

She was home.

[illdesigns]

Skwisgaar for the ask meme!

oh the boy. the Man Himself. one of my new faves who i slept on for like ten years for some reason...

1) Uncommon headcanon about them I am deeply attached to. 

the accent is funny to him first and foremost - he finds it far more amusing than anything else to just be purposefully obtuse. “this ams just the ways that i speaks :) there ams no needs to be upsets :)” 

2) Widely-held headcanon about them that I reject.

stupid skwisgaar. mean skwisgaar. mean and stupid skwisgaar. like all of the band are dickheads, they’re all dumb as a sack of hammers, skwisgaar’s moments of meanness and stupidity are not Unique! it is not a thing that should make him stand out! especially when that characterization of him makes him come across as like, regina george or a particularly bitchy gay roommate. he’s sweet, and cares about his friends, and knows things! like-

3) What were they like as a kid? What was their early life like?

serveta’s brother and his wife didn’t/couldn’t have children, and lived close by. so when things were especially rough or unpleasant at home, skwisgaar would go spend time with them which they always welcomed. his uncle is the one who introduced him to his guitar teacher, a friend of his that he knew.

he “left home” when he was about fifteen which was him permanently moving into his aunt and uncle’s place. which was like, a fifteen minute walk and so it wasn’t a huge deal and was better for him in the long run.

4) Symbols/motifs that I associate with them–colors, animals, zodiac signs, mythic themes, imagery, objects, etc.

skwisgaar, to me, is a leo first and foremost.

his tarot cards are the lovers (major arcana) and the three of pentacles (minor arcana).

it’s odd but whenever i think of him, i think of vangelis? that has always been linked in my brain, i don’t know if it was the winning combo of my dad letting me watch metalocalypse as a kid while also making me watch cosmos to supplement scientific education or what. but it clicks in the sense that he’s somewhat melancholy, distant, operatic, beautiful.

i think white and gold when writing him, doves, the norse god freyr, roses, red wines, heavy colognes. very sensory heavy in ways that are hard to word without going into purple prose - just how he wants to be perceived.

5) Other characters or types of people I have in mind when I draw and/or write them.

the guy who makes sure you don’t sit by yourself at a party. the guy that will make a joke about himself faster than others can make them. the guy who always has a new story, hobby or experience to talk about with your friend group who will accidentally on purpose one-up whatever story, hobby or experience you talk about.

6) What I project onto them when I draw and/or write them.

failed gifted child syndrome. aka “i am not immediately great at this? this is not going to my very hyper-specific plan? oh well mind if i just (has a breakdown)”

7) A surprising hobby, interest, or phobia they have.

craftgaar lives in my heart, forever. and ever and ever and ever. but i also feel like he would be interested in music history? he’s got zithers. taber drums. lutes. has a series of accurate medieval music albums that he releases under a fake name.

[venalier]

16.  the tower  :  what event drastically changed your muse’s life ? do they resent that event or are they glad of it ?

             ♡   //    MAJOR ARCANA HEADCANONS.  /  @violashe

the easy answer is of course leaving her deeprealm to join her father in the war since that’s the only covered thing in canon, so instead let’s talk about something else!

this got long, sorry. under the cut i yeet.

when caeldori was in her earlier teenage years, about 13 or 14, she made her first close friend, and the closest friend she’s had since — much in part due to what happened with said friendship. this was a big deal for caeldori, who, by her own admission, didn’t have many similarly-aged peers growing up in the deeprealm and was pretty lonely, with only her guardian and his family, her tenma, her books and imagination, and periodically her parents for company. she didn’t really know how to have friends ( and arguably still doesn’t really ), but she met a rare peer around that time and was delighted when the girl wanted to befriend her! even better, the girl had a few other friends in a neighboring village and introduced caeldori to them, too.

they all got along pretty well, but without a doubt this friend was the closest one to caeldori. they spent almost all their time together, enjoyed similar things, would talk about the same books and stories, and go on long make-believe adventures around the countryside all afternoon. caeldori tried to take her rides on her tenma, but the girl was afraid of heights. she also couldn’t really relate to caeldori’s military background and ambition, but she always talked about how impressive and admirable caeldori was, and seemed to look up to her. this, of course, flattered caeldori and motivated her to work even harder.

she’s not too sure when things started to change — much like the weather eventually grows cooler and there’s little way to definitively say when autumn ends and winter begins, she can’t pinpoint an exact event or occasion when she first noticed her friend’s attitude towards her beginning to change. they didn’t spend any less time together, nor did the enthusiasm wane, but over time caeldori did start to notice a difference in the way her friend talked to her, the things she would say and how she would say them. they sometimes felt a little barbed. she also found herself wondering for the first time whether her friend’s compliments, now often accompanied by self-deprecating statements, were wholly compliments or not, and she couldn’t figure out why she wondered this, either.

at one point, she recalls her friend pulling out her storybooks — all her high romance novels of princesses and knights, and starcrossed lovers — and opening them up to random pages and reading them aloud to her, declarative and pointed, laughing the whole time. caeldori laughed along too — at the time, her friend insisted that it was just for fun and to be silly — but even in the moment she couldn’t deny there was something strange about it. only years later would she look back on that moment and recall that there’d been something perjorative in her friend’s body language, something mocking about her tone, that when she’d said “ wow caeldori, i can’t believe someone like you likes this kind of crazy stuff ”, it hadn’t really been all that funny.

though she couldn’t place exactly when it began, she can tell you exactly when it started to end: her guardian that she so idolized and with whom she was so enamored gently confronted her about behavior towards him. deeply mortified and embarrassed, caeldori was only more shocked when, shaken, she told her friend about what happened and her friend admitted to being the one who told him about it. more than the fact itself, what stunned caeldori so much she couldn’t even find it in herself to question ‘ why did you do it ’ was the matter-of-fact way her friend delivered it, as though such a breach of trust was as natural as anything.

you’d think that would be the end of the friendship, but caeldori would be deeply ashamed to admit that she continued to believe in that friend, reasoning that there was something wrong with her own judgment and not her friend’s actions, or that it was simply a difference of opinion that they could reconcile, for some time after that. maybe she just hadn’t told her not to tell anyone? then it was her fault for not making it clear, she thought. after all, their other mutual friends didn’t think anything ill of the girl, and it was caeldori who didn’t have any other friends, so who was more likely to be wrong here?

the two are no longer friends, and she hasn’t seen or spoken to the girl since leaving her deeprealm. as for whether she’s resentful or glad — it’s hard for her to say. certainly, a large part of her resents her friend now that she’s had time and space and sees the events in another light, more for what they were. but part of her still can’t help but wonder if her judgment is still colored too much by her own flaws, and it was, in fact, something about her that made her friend feel the need to act in such a way. she’s never tried to get another opinion, or to find out — afraid of the answer.

[collective-laugh]

Actors AU - Main 6

I actually got permission for this one guys

@thearcanaderes

Actors AU: Main 6 The Main 6 are discovered by the press to be dating their co-star, and one season route acting love interest.

Asra

You and Asra actually knew one another prior to your work on “The Arcana”, considering you played his roommate’s love interest on that one sitcom for like a million seasons

You clicked then, and you especially click now

You’re almost sad that you only get to play his love interest in one season route

He’s honestly such a snooty dooty, and you and Vulgora don’t put up with that one bit

He likes to talk about how he has to put up with you, but it’s not hard, honestly

Especially once the two of you decide to move things to the next level, and to be a little more official

The press finds out about the two of you because tabloid photographers

You’re in sweatpants, and he’s in giant sunglasses and a shirt three sizes too big, and both of you are in the standard sunglasses-baseball cap ensemble to help hide your faces

It doesn’t work

The very next day, you find clickbait about the two of you

It’s honestly really funny to you - you knew the press would find out about the two of you anyway - but the title of the article is “Big Time Stars Dress Like Small Time Has-Beens - Is the End of Asra Alnazar’s Career In Sight?”

“Is it Asra? Is it over?” Your teasing is insufferable, but he will admit to cracking a smile when you read the article in a mocking retelling

Nadia

Nadia is probably your biggest fan

You were the lead in her absolute favorite early 2010s rom-com, and when the two of you first meet, she’s head over heels immediately

She can hardly believe that she gets to be your love interest next route! 

And then you’re like...super nice to her? And the two of you have great chemistry, even with your limited interactions in Asra’s route?

Side note: She totally cries during your show-stopping performance during Asra’s reverse route

The two of you dip your toes into a relationship in the early production of her route, and she’s just like

And as it gets more serious, it’s more difficult to keep up with keeping it between the two of you

Like, she’ll be heading out to a magazine shoot and you just show up with her?

Okay, she’ll admit that the two of you haven’t exactly done much to hide your relationship, but it’s still supposed to be between the two of you, right?

The press find out when the two of you go to the Met Gala and are absolutely inseperable

Honestly, you picked the best time to drop the relationship bombshell, because the press eat that shit up

Julian

He knows you’re a bigger name than he is, but he’s like...shook that you’re so nice and down to earth - to him, at least, from what he sees

He’s flirting with you shamelessly and he falls in pretty quickly

You’re always offering to go over your lines together, under the ruse that you’re having troubles with a specific scene, which he sniffs bullshit the moment you say so

But he agrees, and during one of these many, many, line-crunching little dates, one of you makes the first move

Okay, it was you, but he was planning on it, alright?

And one thing leads to another and he’s absolutely struck by the fact that you want to be with him? Like are you certain you’re really single? You’re an absolutely god(dess) and???

But the two of you tear it up, like actors do, and Julian

Julian is the reason the two of you can’t keep it a secret

He’s like a puppy on crack when it comes to you, and you’re almost always touching and he’s always making jokes to make you smile or break character

Julian is just 

Muriel

He really isn’t aware that he’s going to be playing a love interest in the first place

Like it’s so wild to him that he’s not going to be playing a villain, and he’s gonna play someone with a romance arc?

And then - holy shit, it gets even more wild? - he’s playing a movie star’s love interest?

He’s a major fan of your work - especially those rom-coms and that one CGI sci-fi movie you did - and then he finds out that you’re a fan of his Broadway roles?

He’s practically buzzing, bouncing around, which is not the best look for the big, broody, ominous character

His absolute favorite scene is during the pre-season “Prologue” when you chase after him in the courtyard, because you go hard

And then, while filming the beginning of Julian’s route, he finally asks you out on like, a date

And you agree?

This job is actually insane, but he’s not going to complain

After things have gotten more serious, you’re at the premier of his Route

Everyone has been talking about y’all’s return, everyone is going off, and then, at the premier, Muriel spills that the two of you are together in real life, so that helped him get in character (because he’s the Tom Holland of this world honestly)

The press absolutely eats it up, and Tumblr goes crazy

Portia

When she auditioned, she assumed it would be for a side character - which she is, for the first four seasons Routes

But they tell her that if it doesn’t flop, and they make it to the fifth season, Route she’s going to be the showrunner’s love interest

Aaaaaaaaaand the main character happens to be you, but she only freaks out on the inside, because you were the main character in her absolute favorite sci-fi film, and now you’re here! And her LI to be!

Cool, cool, very cool

She’s a bit of a mess around you, but she holds it all together for the Job and for the Aesthetic

She’s a riot, and it’s probably still during filming of the “Prologue” that the two of you get together, considering she’s just so alluring

And it goes great! It doesn’t really affect work, save the faces she’ll shoot you to try and make you break character, but she does that to everyone

I could totally seeing her doing the second gag in this reel (Raven’s monologue, Beast’s gag) during Valerius’ monologue or something

The two of you are doing like a video interview, like a planned thing

And you just kind of let it slip that the two of you are dating, that it won’t affect the show, etc.

And Portia just looks at you, simultaneously smiling and confused af

But she’s so glad that the two of you can be open with your relationship because she felt like she was going to combust

Lucio

Lucio honestly doesn’t get all that much screen time in the first five routes, until their finales

And so the two of you don’t really get a chance to click or connect until his route

You might be a big mainstream name, but he’s not at all afraid of you, or talking to you, and that’s really what draws you to him

His confidence and unashamed flirting is just absolutely endearing, and you compare him to Lucio constantly

The two of you start dating after the big release of his first “Chapter”, as they’re so lovingly called on screen

And he proposes just after you wrap up filming his Upright Ending, and it’s absolutely magical and a little rushed, but all things with Lucio are

The show is starting to come to an end, and the press is dying to know if you clicked with any of the other characters - and if the courtiers are getting seasons Routes, but you have to physically cover Muriel’s mouth for that one

And you just kind of drop that “Oh, Lucio and I are engaged.” and flash the ring before moving on

The press goes hog wild

Also please just imagine Lucio looking like this while he’s the Ghoast 

[ifeveristoday]

well, that escalated quickly

The first card of the Major Arcana, The Fool is generally a positive card indicating new beginnings. If it appears in your readings it could mean that you are on the verge of an exciting, unexpected new adventure. Your new adventure will bring you along a path which may require you to make a leap of faith but you will grow as a result of this new experience. This new adventure could be a literal new adventure, like travelling to a place you’ve never been before. The change this card can bring will usually be a welcome one. While the Fool is generally a positive card, its appearance in a reading can also indicate that you need to take the time to look before you leap. [x]

Even when reversed, the Fool is an indicator of newness; as well as the purity and open-hearted energy of a child. This is generally considered a positive card, with the caveat that it's important to take time to be sure that you are "looking where you're going." In reversal, The Fool can show that there is a need for a new beginning, but that there is some hesitancy about making it happen. [x] 

When the Fool card is reversed, you are encountering an unfinished side of yourself, a part still caught in the shadows of ignorance or immaturity. An emotional reflex or psychological attitude could be holding you back from responding authentically and naturally.

Release yourself from any dogmas or taboos so your natural truthfulness and instinct for right action can be restored. [x]

Light some incense and find a crushed velvet vest and let’s get to issue 16 of Buffy.

Spoilers, as always underneath the cut. Also long and semi-rambly so if you’re new to this tumblr...yeah. 

Short version: There’s a thing I’m not sure I like yet, the usual layer cake of THEMES and how it all ties together, and good character stuff.

Wow. So they’re really going there with Buffy and Evil! Xander. But it’s not like the comic hasn’t left crumbs of a potential -- something happening between them. Vamp! Xander’s first confrontation with Buffy was a crude sexual come-on, which she rebuffed very quickly, and then when he had his soul, there was an ambiguous hug between them in Hellmouth. Xander’s feelings about Buffy have always been pretty clear. 

And while I’m not thrilled that in the year 2020 we still can’t have a platonic relationship between Buffy and Xander (like, I joke about this being a Point to the reboot that Joss insisted on, but of course that’s just speculation. But come on. He totally would), it’s not like the comic was not giving clues, clunky though some of them may be. Buffy’s Slayer dream of Vamp! Xander and Vamp! Her, Robin’s oddly insistent interrogation of Buffy’s feelings for Xander, the dinosaur gift of Zeppo, and Buffy’s own ambivalence toward Robin as a real potential boyfriend. 

Issue 14 (which I still haven’t written a thorough post about) showcases (not explicitly written as such, but the characteristics are there) a PTSD-afflicted Buffy, who has lost both of her best friends in a matter of weeks. She’s not on good terms with her mother, Giles is still weird after his descent into magically induced MRA-ness and not exactly comforting her, and having to accept the reality of Kendra being a Slayer as well. There’s a lot of anxiety, jealousy, and survivor’s guilt thrown in there as well, and we all know Buffy’s favorite thing to do when she’s going through a lot of pain: ISOLATE HERSELF. 

And then here’s Robin, telling her he’s on her side and is a friendly face and Buffy seizes that emotional life line and decides, well if I can’t like myself (this is referenced in Issue 15), Robin will do it for me. It’s a lonely, but understandable grasp at something normal and not...the reality of her present life.

Except Robin realizes he can’t be Buffy’s emotional support almost-boyfriend, and that Buffy has a martyr complex where she can’t be just the hero but also the villain in her own story - she takes on all of the fault but none of the help and love that does exist in her life.

He tells her that one of her problems is that she just doesn’t like herself.

And it’s a hard truth for Buffy to bear but she admits it.

Issue 16 dips into Buffy’s mixed up feelings re: love and connection and the thread that ties it together is the tarot card Jenny pulls from her spread to read to Dolly, her cat.

Best reveal of the reboot so far, no I won’t take any objections. Her cat! Is named Dolly! Possibly after Dolly Parton, stealth producer of BtVS!

Jenny, lone human adult voice of Reason, pulls the upside down Fool and I’ve included three meanings of it up above. The reason why I think it’s a common thread for this issue is because in Buffy’s slayer dream where she’s riding Zeppo the Symbolism? What Symbolism Dinosaur with Xander (with some terrible punning), Buffy says that they can’t let Zeppo drive, he’s too young and doesn’t know how to get to where they’re going. Xander replies, “Do you even remember where we’re going?”

And prior to this Buffy worries that they’re going too fast and to slow down. 

This could signify a number of things - definitely new beginnings with Evil! Xander and the changed nature of his relationship to Buffy, Buffy’s personal fear that she doesn’t know what’s happening, only that it is too fast, and the fact they’re both so young. And for the moment, Xander will forever be this young. And with his reputation as being the ‘funny’ one, Xander could also be considered a Fool. 

He’s in a state of being unfinished - he’s never going to experience the trials of regular adulthood, the personal milestones a human being has. And Buffy is unfinished in that she’s not done growing up, but she is also the Slayer, which requires a level of sacrifice that other girls her age wouldn’t experience.

Jenny pulling this card - well, there’s the unfinished nature of her relationship with Giles, they’re broken up but still pining over each other, and the fact that she doesn’t seem to have stayed in touch with anyone in the Scoobies? And her only confidante seems to be her cat. Which, no judgement, cats are good listeners.

Dolly is also a good detector of Ye Olde Supernatural Bullshit, as she senses something bad behind Jenny’s all of a sudden visitor, and Hulk! Giles a few issues back.

It is of course, Xander, who is gleefully pleased that it was that easy to trick Jenny into inviting him in.

Fade into black- sort of, as the next step is Xander playing mind games via text.

Right after Buffy has her weird dinosaur dream, she tries to google meanings of it, as well as sending Willow texts in a long chain of non replied thread, updating her about what’s been happening in Sunnydale in her absence. I noticed she used a similar - “I’ll be here for you” in her message to Rose, and I think that’s Buffy’s way of changing. She wants to be there for her people, instead of avoiding them.

And she gets a text (Miss me?) from Xander, which prompts her to run to Giles and Kendra. 

This is a neat(?) reference to how Xander got catfished by Drusilla when she texted him from Buffy’s phone. God, the way this sentence sounds out of context to an TV canon fan.

ANYWAY.

Buffy states that Xander died the night the Hellmouth closed, and they had a candlelight vigil and his parents barely leave the house - which makes me think while Hank Summers is a bastard in every ‘verse, Boom! has a good dad for Robin, Joyce and Eric for Buffy, and apparently good parents for Willow and Xander as well. Yay.

Kendra, who is more objective than Buffy and Giles can be regarding Xander, theorizes that Xander’s disappearance might not be death in a final sense, but rather his soul disappearing. Which causes the question, where has his body been this whole time? Also, I see that I Robot, You Jane easter egg, Jordie.

Setting Jenny’s house on fire, that’s what. Giles gets a similarly upsetting text on his phone, and they run to her house. Buffy and Kendra immediately throw themselves into save the cat (and Jenny!) mode and run into Evil! Xander. Quite literally - Xander grabs Kendra by the neck and throws her out of the window from the second floor - don’t worry, she survives.

We can’t be fridging the POC this early, after all.

Then it’s Xander and Buffy’s first glimpse of each other since Hellmouth, and standard enemy banter ensues - Xander says it’s just them and Buffy snaps that it’s only in his dreams. Then the staircase starts cracking due to the fire’s heat and Buffy’s thisclose to falling off when Xander grabs her, and in his human mask tells her that it could just be them together, if she wants it. Buffy takes Kendra’s advice to stop feeling and just think, and kicks Xander in a jump with both her feet aimed at his chest. Also she says she’d rather die than let that happen, which...I really hope aren’t famous last words.

The fool card flutters down and lands on Buffy’s forehead, reminding her that she’s on a rescue mission for Jenny. Who is nowhere to be found, but Dolly leaps into Buffy’s arms, and she carries her out.

Giles, Kendra and Buffy reconvene at Giles’s and try to figure out why Xander targeted Jenny. 

Giles, who started the issue being a concerned mentor has grown smaller and less confident toward the end as he asks Buffy and Kendra to find Jenny. Buffy vows that they’re going to make Xander pay. Giles sadly agrees and then leaves to show Dolly the garden.

Let me pause a moment to cry about the fact that Giles is showing Jenny’s cat the garden.

Kendra and Buffy bond, sincerely, for the first time since Kendra made her appearance. Sister slayers, fuck yeah! Also, I love Kendra’s characterization and I hope she stays for a long time. And not die.

There’s a thawing there as each switch positions - Kendra tells Buffy it’s okay that she feels the way she feels, as Buffy tells her, no, she’s right, Xander isn’t the boy she knew, and to treat him like he’s just a regular vampire.

Then she admits she’s not sure if she misses Xander, or if it’s something else, to which Kendra replies, “I think when you know, you know.”

And Buffy asks her like her and Rose - and Kendra confirms it.

Just as Kendra’s words end the issue, Willow - who could be OG timeline Willow, or an Alternate Verse Willow, comes into the light and holds Rose’s hand.

DRAAAAMA.

So. Xander and Buffy heading toward something, Kendra/Rose confirmed, Giles has now adopted Dolly, Jenny’s status: Currently Unknown.

And Willow?

Though with the Fool, there’s that meaning of new adventures and travelling to a place you’ve never been before. That sums up Willow’s current journey so far.

[whatifxwereyou]

The Oncoming Storm First Interlude: Electricity in the Springs

Kung Lao x Reader

Look, I don't even think these fit into the actual timeline of the story? But it was fun to write. An imagine that still fits in this Oncoming Storm universe! Will post Liu Kang here in a second. AND ALSO I could not make them kiss before they kiss in the actual story, so again, I'm only kind of sorry for the torture! Lol.

Part 1 of The Oncoming Storm Second Interlude: Steam (Liu Kang x Reader)

The training session had been rough that afternoon. You felt you’d more than earned a trip to the springs after how exhausting it had been. Besides, your inky arcana kept leaving you soaked. The only time you truly felt clean after a fight like that was when you got to bask in the springs. You understood why Liu was constantly covered in soot now. It was easier to function as a mess than to go out of your way to the springs. Worse than that, the springs were a time suck. You’d come down there and fall asleep or get carried away listening to stories told to you by the monks that frequented them.

That day was no different. You made your way to the springs, towel wrapped around you securely, and you joined a group of female monks who had invited you to sit with them. You listened to them speak about their day animatedly and then sat in comfortable silence while they continued to talk amongst themselves. You tended to check out when you were no longer included but had caught them talking about you several times.

Their gossip was never a bad thing, but they did enjoy teasing you for the company you preferred to keep. The fiery Liu Kang and handful that was Kung Lao. The monks jostled you awake and then bowed respectfully and said they had to take their leave. You were fine with that. There wouldn’t be anyone else in the springs but you and you would bask in the warmth of its waters and the emptiness of its walls.

Closing your eyes, you relaxed in the water and resigned that you would likely fall asleep for the afternoon. It almost always happened every time you came down there. Why did you resist the siren call of the relaxing water? You had no idea. Honestly, you weren’t sure why you resisted a great many things those days. Perhaps it was out of habit, perhaps out of guilt. Who knew? The human psyche was complicated and you had no aspirations of figuring it out.

Footsteps were followed by a familiar energy but before you’d sat up and opened your eyes, Kung Lao had leapt into the water and a great wave of bubbling warm water soaked over you in a wave. You fell over with a laugh. Upon correcting yourself, you were met with a face full of water. Kung Lao was splashing you, a grin on his face.

“What’s wrong with you?” You laughed, wiping your hand over your face. He splashed you again as if to make a point, though what the hell that point was you had no idea. You splashed him back as he made to speak and he coughed, spitting out water. You chuckled and swam a little away from him in case he retaliated.

Narrowing his eyes at you, he considered his options. “Oh, now you’re in trouble.”

“What? You started it!” You swam further away, making your way into the next pool but Kung Lao pushed into the water and the wave that it resulted in knocked you back into the water. You yelped and barely caught your breath before being submerged. He offered a hand to pull you back up and you smacked his arm then splashed him in the face. You coughed up water and then splashed him a second time for good measure.

“I didn’t mean to drown you!” Despite his insistence he was still laughing, so much so that his face had turned red.

“It’s not that funny, Lao.”

“It’s pretty funny, Y/N.” He purposely called you by your full name almost constantly. You’d thought it started as him teasing you when they were kids but now it was kind of sweet. He was the only one who did it. Even Liu Kang called you by the shortened form of your name. Kung Lao settled next to you but you scooted a cautious foot away from him. He laughed and purposely closed the gap between you again. “Hey!” He objected when you pushed him away again.

“I don’t trust you for a single second.” You accused and he seemed to think your words over before nodding.

“That’s fair.”

“You came in here very… chaotic. You do know that people come here to relax, right?” You gestured toward the water.

“What people? It’s just you. Figured you could use some action.” Kung Lao rested comfortably, arms outstretched on either side of him, taking up an impressive amount of space for one man. That was when you realized that Kung Lao was completely naked and your expression must have changed so severely to alarm that he’d noticed. “What? It says clothing optional on the door. The towels get all heavy and saggy.”

“You are a mess of a human being.”

“Oh? And you like me, so what does that say about you?” He laughed, pointing an accusatory finger toward you.

“I’m deeply flawed, obviously.”

“You’re defensive, is what you are. Always have been.” He clicked his tongue in disapproval then closed his eyes as he leaned his head back. He’d gone from hyper and attacking you with water to relaxing as though he’d been there all afternoon.

“Remember when I was that comfortable?”

“You need to learn to relax, Y/N.”

“I was relaxing, Kung Lao!” You splashed at him and he wiped his face free of water.

“Come on. Relax with me!”

“You are such an antagonist.”

“Sue me for having a little fun.” He stuck his tongue out at you then closed his eyes and relaxed again. You settled a bit away from him, sinking further into the water and avoiding looking at him. When he didn’t tease you further, you finally relaxed and closed your eyes. You heard the movement in the water but didn’t think much of it. When you opened your eyes, Kung Lao was crouched in the water before you, watching you.

“…you okay?” You asked curiously. He nodded and took your hands, pulling you further into the water with him. You leaned your head back with a whine and he laughed as he kept pulling. You allowed him to do so and he took you further into the pool until they were treading water. “You just can’t let me relax. That’s it. I’ve figured it out.”

“Tell me that this isn’t relaxing.”

“…it is.” You averted your gaze but agreed.

“What’s with the look?” He urged you to spin in the water with him and you laughed.

“I’m tired. You’re so needy right now.” He wasn’t usually like this. Well, he did have a fondness for pestering you but usually it was less pulling you around and more teasing.

“No reason.” He lied, right to your face! You saw it in his eyes. “Are you really bothered by me?”

“No.” You shrugged. “It is fun to give you a hard time though.” He laughed and splashed you lightly again. “So help me, Kung Lao…”

Much to your surprise, he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you close in a hug. You stiffened up at first, expecting to be dunked but his arms instead were comforting. He didn’t seem willing to let you go so you relented. Sometimes fighting with him was impossible anyway. And who were you to argue with him? His arms were strong, surrounding you, and offered you a deep security and indescribable warmth that was far beyond that of the springs.

“I’m really glad that you’re here, Y/N.” His voice was different then. The usual lilt of teasing was gone and it was deep and serene, a rare seriousness beyond his usual playfulness. There was a special place in your heart for Kung Lao. A hole that only he could fill, a hole you hadn’t realized was there until you’d been reunited with him.

“Me too, Kung Lao.” You watched the corner of his lip curl into a smile, fixated entirely on his lips. His hands brushed slowly over your back and then he rested his chin in your hair, offering the top of your head a kiss. You placed your hands against his chest and basked in the comfort he brought you. You leaned back up with every intention of telling him you were going to fall asleep and drown if you stayed there but found him watching you. The look in his eyes was so serious that you weren’t sure how to process it.

You pushed some of his messy hair away from his face. He took your hand and rested it on his strong jaw. That was your Kung Lao. All grown up and one hell of a man. Your fingers crept over his jaw and down his neck, eyes following your fingers. He tilted your chin back up, closer to him. His lips brushed just barely against yours and he hesitated, as if unsure that you would reciprocate. You would have, but that moment of hesitation was enough for you to wonder if either of you were ready for that.

You smiled and placed your other hand on his other cheek. Then with a yell, you leaned back and shoved him underwater, jumping up to do so. Then you swam backwards and away from him. When he popped back up and shook out his short, wild hair with a spray, he stared at you in disbelief. Then his smile returned, as if he understood why you’d done what you had done. You shared a knowing look.

“I’m going to get you back, Y/N. Just you wait for next time.” He swam to the other side of the springs and climbed atop the stone. You sunk into the water and turned away because there he was, naked, and making his way to the locker room. You stole a look when you were sure he wasn’t watching you. He had the cutest little butt, good god.

You sunk further into the water with a sigh. Placing your fingers to your lips, you swore you could feel the residual touch of just that gentle brush of his lips. It filled you with confused butterflies. There was no relaxing after that, so you made your way out of the springs.