#i just know he'd be Unseelie

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia! I hope you’re doing well! Thank you so so so much for all of your work; especially FFS and Constellations— I literally could not stop reading and stayed up WAY too late accidentally multiple times, which hasn’t happened to me since I was a kid.

I know this isn’t on the ask meme, and my apologies if you’ve already answered it, but if Arden were in the original Fae Tales universe, what would he be up to?

Thanks!!

Hi anon!

I'm so happy you've been enjoying Falling Falling Stars and Constellations! I can't wait to bring a bit more into that world, and had the time of my life writing Falling Falling Stars. That story changed me, lol. I'm so happy you're getting something out of it!

As for Arden and the original Fae Tales universe, I've never known quite how to answer the question! I know he'd probably be Unseelie, but beyond that I just don't know anything about him. Not what kind of fae he'd be, or what his appetite would be. He really resists being folded into my other universes! (Which is probably why he's not in the Underline the Rainbow universe at all)

[fuckedprophet]

me on my fae bullshit for my other oc, my brain: and what of dallas and his fae bullshit? what about it?

[atzfilm]

— 『 𝐖𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋; 𝐨𝐭8 』 [6] (M)

— 𝚠𝚘𝚗 • 𝚍𝚎𝚛 • 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚕, adjective. having someone who serves as a pillar in your life, who offers a sturdy place to lean in times of trouble. somebody you find yourself thinking about constantly and are completely infatuated with.

❝humans were such strange creatures. wretched in their mere existence. none of the eight were ever truly interested in them until they found you. they just find. it strange that despite their status and rank, you'd rather spend time with your lover. that isn't much of a problem, though. one they can fix with ease.❞

〘ʏᴀɴᴅᴇʀᴇ, ᴍʏᴛʜ, ꜱᴍᴜᴛ, ꜰᴀᴇʀɪᴇꜱ〙(m.list)

— pairing: ot8 x reader, mxm (this chapter); yeosang x reader, wooyoung x reader; 12.7k

— note: this is a yandere fic. sensitive topics such as manipulation, gaslighting, murder, and other topics involved with the genre. please heed the warnings and read this work of fiction while keeping this in mind.

CHAPTER WARNINGS: murder references, manipulation, blood, torture references, dark magic, lying, emotional turmoil, injuries, slight descriptions of gore, worship references (?), smut

Chapter 6

You've grown to notice that it is never truly cold in the forest around their home. It feels as if it’s a warm bubble, unaffected by outside elements. None of the faeries ever mention it, probably accustomed to the odd temperature. You yourself are not, jacket wrapped around your waist as you walk through the small path Yeosang has taken you on. His clothing is loose, steps gliding along the slow breeze. All of them are quiet when they walk, barely the sound of a leaf crunching beneath their feet. He does not move as fast as San did when you arrived. In fact, there's little space between you, his skin close to brushing against your own.

Since you have known him, he has been indifferent to your presence. Oftentimes mulling in silence whenever you two spent time together, or glued to whatever object was around at the time. Being alone with him didn't happen often – most occasions he'd have San tied to his side, fingers wrapped around his waist, moving where he moved. Or Wooyoung lingering around you. So you're quite surprised he even wants you out here alone with him. You aren't close at all.

“The house could be quite a nuisance,” he says softly, hand sliding in yours as you climb around a protruding rock. Now that you know he can feel what you're thinking, the coincidences of him answering your thoughts aren't so shocking anymore. You expect him to let go once you’ve steadied yourself but he doesn’t, fingers entwined. “Everyone is watching your every move. San unwilling to leave your side for even a breath,” he smiles, slightly toothy grin. “Now you know how I feel.”

“It’s like he’s attached. Each time I leave the room he follows,” you say, and Yeosang snorts, nodding.

“Seonghwa warned him that he is to keep his eye on you. None of us know when you’ll–” he snaps his fingers on his free hand– “Better to be safe than sorry.”

“I’m not going to do anything.” There’s little ground to defend yourself on, but still. You can barely remember what happened then. It was a life or death situation. You doubt it'd happen now. “Just don’t try to kill me or anything.”

“Is that a threat?” he teases, brow raised. “Not to worry. I doubt any of us would do such a thing. We have morals, you know. Even as Unseelie.”

“San was explaining that to me. Between the chaos there is comfort. I can see it when you're around each other. You tease, but you do care. In different ways.”

“We do. Our inane element of chaos is fairly simple. We reign terror on human lives. It has lessened over the years now since humans aren't as inept as before. It takes time for us to ruin their lives,” he glances at you from the side. “You may witness it in person eventually.”

“Just like how you've caused it on mine?” You barely speak above a whisper, but Yeosang catches the irritated murmur, laughing softly as he helps you over a fallen tree. The sound is a bit eerie under these circumstances. You are trapped and he knows it so clearly. His laughter is evident enough of that.

“Precisely. We are almost there, human. Watch your step,” he pulls you closer to him, arm wrapped around your body, fingers light against your waist. Oddly it reminds you of Wooyoung – neither of the two's actions in consideration of the person they bother. In a way you believe that while Wooyoung touches you whenever he likes on purpose, Yeosang fails to realize there is an issue at all. He lets go when you enter the field, gracefully crossing his legs as he rests on the flower petals. You sit next to him with far less elegance, taking in your surroundings.

It is strange to see anything like this in the forest nearest your town. A small waterfall and a body of water sit in front of you, the sound of the liquid splashing filling the night. You pay no mind to how Yeosang watches you, your interest in the natural structures in front of you. A group of deer bend their necks, drinking the freshly cycled water from the pond.

“Hongjoong showed me this place when we first arrived,” Yeosang explains, head resting in his hands. “He told me that I can come whenever I like to clear my mind or hide away. He hasn't shown up here since, I'm sure out of respect for me. If you'd like I can come with you here whenever you need. I thought it would bring you some comfort amongst everything else.”

It does. Your emotions weigh heavy on you. Missing your family, mourning your lost relationship. Hurt sitting inside you with everything that's happened. You haven't gotten the chance to really let that feeling settle because you haven't had time to yourself. Though now you technically still don't, Yeosang doesn't speak. He doesn't interrupt the silence. No, all he does is stretch out his fingers, a book appearing on his palm. He flips through the pages, filling the air between the two of you.

“Thank you.”

The grass beneath you is comforting as you lie back, eyes closed. The sound of a page flipping continues.

“Thanking me is not needed.”

—

“Where did you take her?”

Yeosang barely looks up from his literature, a sigh escaping from his lips. Perhaps the two of you should have stayed out much longer. “Welcome home.”

“You can't just take her out of the house, Yeosang. We have to keep an eye on her at all times. You can't be alone without any of us near.” Seonghwa's voice is frustrated as he opens the fridge, digging through the drawers. “If she attempts to kill you we're too far away to stop it. You have to think these things through before committing to it.”

“The human isn't going to kill me, hyung,” Yeosang murmurs, frowning as he reads the next line. “Oh what a pity.”

“What?” Seonghwa turns, seeing his mate staring at the book.

Yeosang looks up, pointing to the page, “They died before meeting. They've been waiting years but they both died. It's horrific,” he shakes his head, continuing to flip through. It only gets Seonghwa more frustrated, frown on his lips soon to permanently embed itself in his face.

“You are not listening to me–”

“Oh, but I am listening perfectly, Seonghwa. I just wonder when you will finally let one of us know what's on your mind. And why you continue to lie about her to us,” Yeosang hums. “Maybe then I will give you my full, undivided attention. But for now, since you will likely respond with another lie, I will continue to read.” he looks up from his book, eyes resting on his. It makes the lump in Seonghwa's throat grow. Disappointment. Yeosang isn't like the others in that sense. He's hidden with his emotions, only letting his frustration or irritation through individual talks. Never letting another person around hear it. So now, even though they are both alone at the moment, it hurts Seonghwa to see that even with this privacy, Yeosang does not let his true feelings slip out. His hurt must be larger than he can comprehend.

It's not like Seonghwa doesn't want to say it. But solidifying his suspicions without being one hundred percent sure would only be useless. Turn them in a direction that they don't need to be in right now. They should be focused on the growing threat of Seelie entering their land, not you. You would just be a distraction between it all if you are human. And if Seonghwa is right about what you really are, then you're an asset to their team. If his spark all can fall under your charms without much effort, the Seelie are sure to fall for it. And they could finally subdue them once and for all. The only glaring problem with his plan, that is, is if you turn on them. It is the main reason why he dislikes whenever you’re left alone with just one.

“It is for a reason, Yeosang.” Seonghwa holds the tangerine in his hand, slowly peeling off the skin. “I hope you can understand.”

“We don't hide things from one another,” Yeosang says, writing into the pages of his novel. “So if you expect sympathy from me you've gone to the wrong mate. Perhaps Hongjoong, or Jongho will give you what you desire.” His brows furrow, frustration etching itself into his skin. “Now you can go. I'm getting distracted.”

Seonghwa places a tangerine in front of Yeosang's folded legs, leaving the room altogether. Once he is gone, Yeosang grabs the fruit. He stares at it, thumb running along the surface. It pierces the skin, juices sliding down his skin, spilling onto the book that rests in his lap. He sighs in frustration, tossing the fruit into the sink several meters away.

“Everything would be solved if she were dead,” he murmurs.

—

“Three.”

“Nope.”

“Less than that?”

“Much less.”

“It can't just be me, Wooyoung.”

Wooyoung grins, palm holding up his head as he looks up at you. “It's surprising, no? But it's true. All I've ever wanted, no, desired, was other faeries or creatures beyond your comprehension. Humans are only playthings to me. Meals at the end of the day. Nothing more.”

The thought makes your stomach want to fold in on itself. “You're joking?”

“Unfortunately no,” he sighs, letting his head flop down to your sheets. “Your scent is all consuming, solaris. No other human has affected me in such a way. And it wouldn't make sense to have a human partner when all I'd do is just kill them in the end.” His eyes shift to you. “I wouldn't do that to you though, I like you too much.”

“How wonderful,” Sarcasm drips from your words as he laughs. Easily speaking of killing humans, as if he's talking about playing a game. Some things you'll never get used to when hanging out with Unseelie. Their lack of care for living still makes you feel queasy. Your one murder haunts you every night, but he, no, they, thrive in it. You just cannot imagine it.

“You've overstayed your welcome,” Yeosang stands on the outside of the door, arms crossed against his chest. He nods at you, expression surprisingly warm. Since that night, Yeosang often spent time with you. He hasn't said much, as usual, but he sought you out for quiet. Wooyoung being here right now is likely the opposite of what he wants.

Wooyoung's head rolls to the side, eyes narrowing at his mate. “You bother her too much. Give solaris some space.”

“You're in her room every night,” Yeosang deadpans.

“Yes, and? She enjoys me around her, I liven up the place! Don't you enjoy me?” His pout matches the whiny tone of his voice. In the beginning it was mildly irritating, but you do enjoy it now. Not that you'd admit it to him. He'd never leave your side at that rate.

“No.”

“Solaris!” He whines, tucking himself further into your sheets. It would be humorous if it weren’t for the look Yeosang gives him.

“Leave,” Yeosang says, his voice firmer now. “Mingi and San need you.”

“On a scale of not needed at all to they're currently dying, where does the need of my presence fall–”

“Go, now.”

Mingi. You haven't seen him in a while, assuming that he was on a mission. Knowing that he's around makes you wonder a bit. He hasn't greeted you since you've arrived again. Was he afraid of seeing you? No, that couldn't be. You were afraid of him, not the other way around.

Wooyoung painfully drags himself off your sheets, sending you a quick look before moving past Yeosang. His hand reaches out and grips Wooyoung’s bicep, their eyes meeting. They often communicate without speaking, gazes flicking over one another’s before Wooyoung leaves down the hall. Yeosang turns to look at you, exhaustion easily lining his gaze. Still you envy their connection, unlike anything you’d ever experience yourself. You wouldn’t want to become an Unseelie, but their devotion to each other is formidable. If only your kind were the same. Perhaps if humans were equally bonded to one another, there’d be less infighting and more respect spread across the Earth. But of course, just wishful thinking.

“Hongjoong asked for you,” Yeosang says.

“The man of the hour,” you murmur, sighing. “Why can’t he just come here himself?”

“Believe it or not,” Yeosang smiles. “He is a bit more busy than you think. He didn’t technically ask for me to come find you, but I doubt he would find the time to leave himself. And Yunho is too preoccupied to come here. I’m the only one free at the moment.”

You lift yourself up from your seat, stepping past the small gap between Yeosang and the doorway. He shifts slightly, arm brushing against yours as you make your way around. He does not follow you promptly. You turn to look at him, his sight glued on yours.

“Something the matter?”

His expression changes, and he merely shakes his head. “Nothing. I’ll lead the way.”

—

Yeosang leaves you with him, fingers brushing against the back of your hand as he disappears down the hall. He did not try to start a conversation as you two were walking alone, briefly glancing at you from time to time. Whatever you did moments ago must have bothered him enough to not even attempt to dissolve the awkwardness resting between both of you. But you didn’t either, so there’s that.

You slowly enter, your steps echoing as you move further inside. You’ve been inside Hongjoong’s office once before, but never in his room. It is nothing like you expected it to be - no torture devices hanging from the walls. Instead, vinyls resting on clear displays, cds in between each one. In fact, there were several instruments decorated all about, some you couldn’t even recognize yourself. Many likely hundreds of years old. This is his place, his mind. The thought of peering into his personal space, his mind, even if ever briefly, makes you anxious, goosebumps rising on your skin as you take yourself further in. It can’t be that bad.

He at least tolerates you enough to have you still around.

“Why are you here?”

You turn to the side, Hongjoong hunched over at his desk, pen dragging across stationary as he writes. He does not look up so you can only assume he heard your loud steps enter his room. The notebook he writes in is well-worn, corners curved in and cover peeling. His eyes briefly meet yours after you don’t speak, brow raised in expectation. “Well?”

“Yeosang told me you wanted to see me.”

He rolls his eyes, staring at his writing before ripping out a page, crumbling it up and snapping his fingers. The paper engulfed in flames before flickering into ashes, sliding off his table and into the bin beneath. “Yeosang tells everyone a lot of things, that does not mean it’s true. You’ll learn to not listen to his words after a while. He’s quite mischievous,” he murmurs.

“Then I am not needed?” You’re thankful, really. Being in his space, his scent, creates a strange feeling within you. There’s a reason you avoid him, more than just being afraid.

Hongjoong stands, throwing his notebook off his table. You take a step back just as he moves forward, too fast for you to leave his sight. His hands grip your body, pulling you close to him.

“Personal space is a thing, Hongjoong.”

“You want me to speak to you, truly?”

You try pulling away but his hold only tightens. So instead of fighting a losing battle, you speak through tight lips, “Say what you have to say.”

“What is it you want me to say? That I would follow you everywhere, until your steps become my own, until your breaths mingle with mine? There's no need for that. There is no where you will go that will be where I am not. It is all but that simple.” He cradles your face in his hands, thumbs rubbing against the skin. It takes everything in you not to flinch. “That is all I need, and it is all you’ve wanted. We will no longer be separated; you won’t be left alone. Is that what you want?”

What is he even saying? The more he trails on, the more fear begins to circulate your veins. He does not seem to notice it, so he continues when greeted with silence. “Soobin is no longer an issue since he’s gone. You’re free to desire whomever you want without him holding you back.”

His name pulls you out of your confusion almost instantaneously. “He was my partner, Hongjoong,” your brows furrow. “He’s the reason I’m even in this town in the first place. Why would he be holding me back? I love him.” And it’s true. There has been a bit of wavering in your love, and he broke your heart not too long ago. Mourning a love lost is one thing, but losing that love for him completely is entirely different.

You don’t see the way his mouth twitches at the word love. What you do see, though, is the way his eyes narrow. “He’s gone.”

“Love doesn’t just disappear when I no longer see him.”

“Then how will it? Must he come to you and say he hates you? Will he have to attempt to hurt you for it to go away? Why do humans continue to love someone who’s left them? Why can’t you let him go?” What else does he have to do? Should he have manipulated the human’s mind before they killed him? Made him break your heart? He thought Mingi’s appearance was enough to stop your mind from lingering on him. But it seems like it has done little.

You stare at Hongjoong as he loses himself in his thoughts. You’ve believed in inherent goodness, but there’s always been this underlying fear of them, just for the nature of them being Unseelies alone. Knowing that despite all of what they say, it’s something they can’t change. It’s something you’ve settled with. But hearing his words, the way his eyes shake as he looks at you… something tells you that he’s off. That despite their comfort and sympathy, they know what happened to Soobin.

An even smaller part of you believes that they’ve done something to him.

“Why do you care?”

He does not respond, waiting for you to continue. In the position you are right now, it’s hard not to.

“It’s hard to,” you explain, choosing your words carefully. “I’ve known him since we were children, and even if I didn’t love him in the romantic sense, I still would love him as a former friend. It hurts to just lose a friendship like that.”

"If I killed it would you forget him?"

You still. His touch is ever so delicate as he waits for your response. Eyes warm, blinking slowly. It's as if he didn't just say he'd do something so heinous, so unthinkable.

"What?" Is all you can respond with.

He leans closer to you, barely a breath away from your lips. His eyes flick over your face, before landing back on your eyes. "If I killed your weak, miserable, disgusting, incompetent, lackluster ex-partner, as you call it, will you forget then? Will you mourn its loss then come into my arms? Will you love me as you love it?"

It. Perhaps his mask slid down just a bit.

"You're out of your mind."

"I am very much sane, y/n. It's a simple question with an even simpler answer."

"No."

"No…?"

"I wouldn't forgive you if you killed him, Hongjoong."

He rolls his eyes, a huff echoing around the room. "How boring and mundane. I thought you were more amusing than that." He moves away from you now, grabbing his notebook he threw across the room. “Yeosang was right, I did want to speak to you. Not yet, but I suppose I have little reason to keep it to myself. Seonghwa suspects that you are not human.”

He moves on from the moment as if it never happened, as if he did not threaten your old partner. The subject change easily distracts you though, the idea so otherworldly that you scoff. Hongjoong snickers at the sound, standing up. “You make that incredulous sound but Seonghwa has rarely ever been wrong in his findings. You may not be as human as you think.”

“I’m only human, Hongjoong. There’s nothing else to it.”

“That you know of,” he adds, placing his book back on his table. “You’ve lived as a human your whole life you know nothing other than that. Of course you’d think the thought silly.”

“What do you want me to say? First you threaten my old partner and now you say that I’m not human? Do you want me to beg at your knees and tell you that it’s not true?”

“The thought of you on your knees in front of me isn’t unappealing,” he chirps.

“You’re,” you hold your tongue. It’s not the smartest thing to do - insulting an Unseelie in their territory. Hongjoong is unhinged already, no need to push him further into his madness. But you cannot help yourself. “You’re disgusting.”

He shrugs, “That’s not the worst insult I’ve ever heard. You've overstayed your welcome, you can go.” His hand waves you off, giving you his back completely. Though you expect nothing less from him, it still feels humiliating. But there's nothing you can do. Not now. You decide it's best to just leave completely, door slamming behind you as you exit the room. Yeosang lingers outside, book closing when you walk past him. He reaches out for your arm but you shove his touch off, making your way to your room.

You don't quite notice how hard you’ve pushed him, his body thumping against the wood. Yeosang looks down at his hand. How his fingers curl into themselves. You pushed him off. Strength formidable to his own with just a spike in your anger. He does not follow you but instead, enter the room you just left.

—

“He is an Unseelie. It is not unlike him to thrive off of your anger and frustration. It's tantalizing, the energy oozing from humans. It is fun for us,” Wooyoung's laying on your bed once again, arms folded beneath his head, eyes on the ceiling. “It tastes wonderful, though not as good as fear.”

“Doesn't really ease my nerves,” you say, flipping through the book he handed you. It's something he grabbed from Jongho, the scrawny writing etched into the pages. You snicker at the jabs he adds in, his notations growing more humorous as you turn pages. It's distracting enough for now. A hand covers the writing, Wooyoung's pout forcing you to stop. You shut the book, placing it on your side table. “He is annoying, Wooyoung. I don't think I'll last here long with him constantly saying shit and me not being able to say anything back.”

“You can argue with him, solaris. He won't kick you out.” He sees your expression, sighing. “We all do it, and none of us have left yet–”

“You are his mates, his spark. He wouldn't throw you out because of an argument. I have nothing left if I leave, Wooyoung. My family would be in danger, Soobin would be in danger, right when I step outside someone is waiting to kill me. It's exhausting to think about.”

“You have to learn to put yourself first instead of worrying about others,” he says. “And your family is as safe as they can be right now. They do not remember you, and you’ve been pulled from their lives. If a Seelie truly digs for it they will find them, but we will know before anything happens,” Wooyoung presses his finger against his temple. “I’ve got them on my radar.”

“You’re only confusing me more.”

“A spell, solaris. I’m keeping my eye on them every second. You’ll know if anything is amiss. Unfortunately though, I’d rather not update you on mundane things. It’ll make letting them go harder to bear.”

You do not agree with his method of lessening your worry, but you’d rather not argue with another Unseelie, too distraught from the last conversation to probe any further. You sink yourself deeper into the seat, closing your eyes. His silence is enough to make you open a lid, meeting the eyes of the Unseelie who continues to stare. You shake your head, closing them once more.

“Taking a picture would be better than you just staring.”

“Is that a joke or can I really take a photo?”

This time both of your eyes open, moving to him. He hasn’t moved from his spot, the devilish grin still on his face as he laughs. “I was kidding.”

“How unfortunate.”

You hum in agreement, eyes closing again. Since Wooyoung is often lingering around your room and having time to yourself is only reserved for late nights, San hasn’t really come around anymore. Sometimes he’d show here and there, but only for a quick once over and disappearing back to wherever he spends his time. It’s why you’ve grown used to Wooyoung threatening to tear your door down if you don’t let him in. Sure, it’s a bit concerning and mildly threatening, but he hasn’t done anything nefarious. Flirting here and there, maybe a bit of annoying banter, but you enjoy it. He’s one of your only companions that you have, even if you were essentially forced to live with him.

Your mother wouldn’t let you out of her sight if she knew.

“Do you like me around, solaris?” he asks after a moment.

“No.”

“If that is truly what you think, you don’t have to say yes and allow me to enter your room if you’re not comfortable with it.”

Nope. You don’t want this conversation to happen now. Not when you’re still figuring this out, trying to decipher what your feelings are for him. “I’m… fine with you being around, Wooyoung. You’re fun to hang around with.”

“As friends?” He asks. You hear the creak of your bed and immediately open your eyes. He sits on the edge of it, eyes looking through the open porch door. He does not look at you and yet, you feel like his attention is focused on the beats of your heart, the sound of your breaths. “Do you consider me a friend?”

“I don’t know.”

And it is true. You’re not sure how to classify your relationship with him. You’re friends, maybe. But it would be a lie if you were just that. He’s open with his own feelings, how much he wants you to want him. You just… don’t understand how he could want you so badly when he has seven other mates to focus on. And from what you know, despite Hongjoong’s slip of information, you’re a human. There’s nothing truly special about you aside from your little blip a while ago.

“Are you afraid of me?”

This is one you can answer with ease. “Yes.”

He turns around to look at you. It’s hard to see his face, the sun shining on the back of his head draping his face in darkness. You can barely see through the rays yourself. You watch as he stands, a slight step towards you. You follow his movements, though making no move to back up or go forward.

“That’s good, to be afraid of me,” he murmurs. “Perhaps you are not as clueless as we’ve previously thought. Being on guard around us, holding your feelings close. It is good.”

“What are you getting at, Wooyoung?”

“What I’m getting at is that you fear us, I can see it. I see how you interact with everyone, with me. But we both know how you feel about me. Even if you cannot say it yourself.” he moves even closer to you. But instead of standing in front of you, he slowly goes down on his knees. “If I am so terrifying to you, will this change things? My submission to you?”

He reaches up, his hands slowly holding yours in his grip as he places them on either side of his cheek. His eyelashes flutter once they touch his skin, a slow, clear groan escaping his parted lips. “It could be so easy for us. You could be mine, and I yours,” he whines.

“You have mates, Wooyoung. There’s no need for me.”

“They do not mind my yearn for you, if that is what you are worried about. None of them do. We all love each other differently, in different ways. My care for you is nothing like my care for them, but it does not have to be. You are different.”

Oh no.

You hold his face in your hands, fingers shakily stroking the tan of his skin, brushing against the mole beneath his eyes. They remain focused on you, lips trembling beneath each caress. You can hear your heart in your ears, pumping violently against your ribcage. It is familiar. A feeling you haven’t felt in a while.

You might just be in love with him.

And it is terrifying.

The revelation is alarming, swelling. It frightens you each passing second. You love him dearly. How has he worked himself into your heart? Is this coercion? Maybe he’s manipulated you to the point of no return. It is reasonable to think so. Before you were terribly frightened of his presence around you, aware that at any moment they may decide to drag their lengthened nails into your chest, killing you. And yet here you sit, Wooyoung crouched beneath you, his nails leaving indents in your thighs from how desperate his hold is, his warm, aroused eyes flicking between yours. The gasps leave your lips as his hands travel closer and closer to you. Right now you are not as afraid of him, not completely.

How could you love someone so easily when you lost the man you thought you were going to marry not too long ago? It should have been harder to fall for his charms. It shouldn’t have happened so quickly at all; and yet here you are.

Your thumb presses lightly into his lips, the flick of his tongue eagerly dragging on the pad of it. Never in your life have you seen such desperation from a partner, such eagerness to have you. It is a wonder you’ve held yourself strong for such a long time when he is so willing under your touch. Is it sinister to want this to continue? Knowing who he is, who they are.

“You are pretty,” the words leave your mouth without much thought. His body shudders at your words, leaning forward, head pressing into your stomach. His hands leave your thigh, wrapping around the curve of your waist, pulling you closer to him.

“Am I?” His breaths hitch, yearning lining and enfolding itself around two simple words. You have yet to kiss him, to taste his mouth, and he is distressed for you. Touch on your skin, but it is not enough for him. His head tilts up, pupils covering his irises completely. “Am I pretty to you?”

He slowly rises, warm, trembling body moving closer and closer to you. His hands stay on your hips as he hovers over your body, chest rising and falling quickly. Your hands leave his face and cup his neck instead. You are not unaware of how his breath hitches as you hold him. He leans forward, lips lightly brushing against your chin.

“Am I?” There is a pause in his movements. His unwavering despair to have you is not unknown, but he pauses. As if waiting for your approval to move further. A bit humorous how now he is holding himself back when he is so close to having you. “I want you to say it to me, solaris. Tell me.”

“You’re pretty, Wooyoung.”

His lips waste little time in covering yours, tongue entering your mouth immediately. His lips tremble as he tastes you, hands moving to the back of the chair to hold himself steady. The freestanding furniture slides against the floor, hitting the wall behind it as he pushes himself closer and closer to you.

You are overcome with the feeling of not knowing him, of not knowing his touch, his desperate breaths mixing with yours, his teeth sinking into your lips, begging for reprieve. He almost swallows you whole with his eagerness, hands wrapping around your body, pulling you into him. His strength lifts you from the seat entirely, your legs wrapping around him as he presses you against the wall. He lets his lips leave yours, tongue tracing down the slide of your neck, moans loud. It is not surprising he is a vocal lover, and for a moment embarrassment settles within you at the thought of one of the others entering the home, hearing his voice echoing down the halls.

“I do not care,” he murmurs against your skin, “Let them listen to me worshiping you.”

You're unable to speak.

“Would it bother you? For them to hear me kiss you from your neck to your feet, everything in between? Is it so wrong for me to want my palms to burn beneath your touch?”

You laugh at the suggestion, “I am no God that you’d be burned by my touch.”

He smiles against your skin, “How is that possible if I pray to you each night? Do they not say to worship in the low light?” his lips press against the tips of your fingers, teeth dragging across the skin. “You should have heard my prayers, solaris. I am an extremely devoted servant to you.”

“Wooyoung,” Somewhere in between sacrilegious and obscene, his chest rises with laughter.

“For you alone I am weak, solaris. For you, I will crawl, I will beg,” his lips leave your fingers, “San is not the only Unseelie who is violently devoted to the brink of utter obsession, solaris. Can you not feel mine?” His tongue drags against the skin of your collarbone, your body trembling beneath the wet touch. His hands have never left your hips, nails digging into the skin. You are too involved to feel how they slightly puncture, his longing words distracting. “Can you feel how devout I am to you? How gloriously blessed I am to be touching your skin?”

His hands release you for the briefest of moments, wrapping around your torso as he moves away from the wall. The walls around you shift, your mind lost for a moment. You blink, only a moment to glance around and see that you're in fact, no longer in your room. That he pulled you through the thin threads of reality into his. Wooyoung is ever so impatient, letting your body fall against his bedsheets.

“I think I prayed enough,” he continues, staring down at you. “You might have finally heard me beg to see you like this. How lucky I am to be the one to see you like this,” he leans over, brushing his thumb against your cheek. “But I need you to do something for me.”

“Okay,” you say. The words come out with certainty you didn't know you possessed for him, breathless and accepting of anything he may suggest. His lips lift, but you see that it does not entirely reach his eyes. You lean up, and he sits back down on the floor. Looking up at you. Just as you're about to sit yourself next to him, his hand stops you, shaking his head.

“I need you to tell me what to do to you.”

“Tell you what to do?”

“I can't do it myself. I can't do anything to you myself.” The tone of his voice is strange now. It is as desperate as before, but there is something else between the words. You do not know him well enough to even guess what it may be, why he truly needs you to guide him. But his despair is apparent, the way his hands tremble as they begin to hold your thighs, tears coating the brim of his lids. It is merely a guess, but it feels like he can only move further with your exact words. Your precise permission.

It should not frighten you how much control, even if facetious, you have over him.

“Please solaris.”

“I have to?” You whisper, and he nods.

“It is as I have said. I follow your word.” His hold is lighter now as he waits. “I cannot indulge in your sweetness without permission.”

You grow weary as he continues his explanation.

“The corruption is not merely just a surface level. None of the Unseelie can, not without word from the other partner. Though we reign in chaos, we cannot do activities like this without explicit permission. I need you, I do. But I need you to need me too.” His touch is claw-like, fingertips tracing the marks upon your skin, lips tantalizing as they drag over your knee, breathes tickling the small hairs. “Do you need me?”

You have only been the sun to him. It is no wonder he is so vehement on you aching for him a tenth of how he craves you. You can see it in his eyes, the darkened gaze settling on you, the cage preventing him from moving further. The thought is comforting perhaps, though you'd never suggest that he'd do such a thing, but knowing that Unseelie are unable to force themselves upon someone. Nature is still balanced.

You are the sun to him, his solaris. What he is to you…

You have yet to figure out.

He nods at your question long forgotten, hands unmoving as you lean down. He holds his breath as you place your hand at the bottom of his chin, tilting his head up to entirely look at you. Submitting to you.

“I want you all over me, Wooyoung.”

His hands drag your legs forward, thighs spread apart. His body could crack a hole in the floor with how much he trembles in anticipation. His fingers change, nails lengthening. You watch in awe as they turn into claws, easily sliding through the material of your shorts, tossing it to the side.

“I've thought endlessly of how I would have you beneath me,” the words are barely let out as he pulls you closer to him, arousal dripping from his words. “Your lips desperately pleading for me, wanting me. How you would let me do anything to you.” His words are coated in lust, lips hovering over where you desire him most. “Can I taste you, y/n?”

“Please.”

His lips cover your clit, smacking together from the wetness that clings to them. Your fingers glide into his soft locks, tugging lightly as his tongue enters you. His moans into you are loud, the tug in your stomach tightening, worsening when you feel his fingers gripping your thighs, tongue finding your most sensitive point with ease.

You attempt to lift your head to see him, your gaze falling on his helmet of hair between your thighs, nestled. Soft whines spilled from your lips as you place your head back down on the sheets, the silk forcing your touch to only grip him. Your thighs tighten as you beg him for something you’re not sure of, his movements continuing until you tug a bit harder on his hair to pull him away. His shadow slides up your form, “I’m not just done with you, solaris.”

He lifts your head, pressing a light kiss just beneath your ear. “I haven’t had enough of you yet. You are godly, and yet I cannot help but sin,” his breath was hot as he exhales onto your skin, goosebumps left in his wake as he moves back to where he once was. His fingers tremble slightly against your skin, his hooded eyes resting on yours as he leaned back down, lips wrapped around your clit once more.

Wooyoung’s hand grips and tugs at your thigh. You blink once more, a field of clovers beneath the two of you. The evening sun is low in the sky, peeking through the trees, the sunlight leaving a streak across his cheeks, brown eyes lighter. He practically glows, eyes shining with need, tongue between his lips to softly flick over your bud. The pull in your cunt grows once more, stronger and stronger as his eyes flutter close. Leaves rustle, a warm breeze brushing against your skin.

“My solaris, how do I shine for you?” he whispers. The simple sentence along the return of his lips to your lower ones make your muscles grow tight, a soft moan vibrating up your throat once relief and warmth began rushing beneath your skin. Wooyoung holds you close as you tremble, lips still wrapped around you as you climax once more, unable to let your grip on his hair go, pressing him harshly into you.

His eyes are warm as they look up at you, your body covered with your shirt, chest rising and falling slowly. His lips are slow, peppering kisses along the inside of your thigh, “how are you? still with me?”

You swallow slowly, struggling to find yourself after what happened. A few seconds pass before you can speak, “Yes. Yes, I’m fine.”

He laughs, continuing the seemingly never-ending drag of his soft lips up her stomach, his fingers pushed under your shirt to glide it up. They’re soft, warm as your lift your hands away from his hair and up, allowing him to see all of you. The last person that’s seen you this vulnerable was Soobin, and before that… not many. His eyes are glazed over as he takes in your exposed chest, his index finger tickling your skin as he lightly moves around the flesh of your breast. “Just for me?” He leans forward, cheek pressed against the soft flesh, trembling. “You’re more than what I’ve ever imagined.”

“Wooyoung…” Your mouth is dry as you let his name leave your lips, the word coming out rougher than you intended it to. He groans, shaking his head slightly.

“I would never tire of hearing you say my name like that,” he murmurs. “It is a shame the others cannot hear since we are so far.”

You look around as he slips his fingers into one of your free hands. The field is small, likely near where Yeosang brings you every once in a while. The thought makes you wonder – he did say that no one knew of the place aside from Hongjoong and himself. How could Wooyoung know to bring you here?

“Your thoughts move elsewhere, are you alright?” His eyes are coated with concern, hand lifting to brush a thumb against your cheek. “We can stop if it’s too much for you.”

“No, no everything is fine.” It may be that Yeosang let this private place slip his tongue while speaking with him. And perhaps Wooyoung found it as beautiful as you did and decided to bring you here. You let those thoughts settle within you as he leans down, his lips pressing against your jaw. A hum vibrates against his lips, your moment of confusion slipping away once he lines himself up and pushes forward, just enough to have your eyes widening almost immediately. You expect the impact to at least ache, but it feels warm and soft and full.

“So warm, my solaris. Made just for me, yes?” His entrance is slow, his hand that cradles your face sliding to your shoulder. “I need to ask, solaris.”

He leans forward, lips pressing against your forehead as he pushes deeper. “We… I feed on life. On human life. And you are full of it, pretty. So so beautiful and holy and bright.”

His words make no sense, a question still not uttered. “What are you saying, Wooyoung?”

“Can I taste you?” His hands slide down to your waist as he finally fully enters. They glow a dark orange against your skin, his eyes on yours. “It would be just a small taste. It wouldn’t kill you. It will feel good, solaris. You will feel good.”

The question is still vague, but even with you clouded mind, you can pick through the mess of words. A low moan comes from you as he pulls out slightly, entering again. “You want to eat my soul?”

“A sliver, it will barely be missed.”

“…Okay.”

The fear disappears once his lips cover yours, tongue entering your mouth as his hips set a steady rhythm. “You’ll love it.” You begin to keen under him, feeling wave after wave of heat surrounding the two of you, the sound of birds above you chirping as he takes you. The ache entering through you from the pleasure his cock pressing in and out of you and the sensation of being beneath his torso. His fingers gripping your waist break skin, and then you see it. The orange light that you presumed was spilling through his fingers was not him, no. It is you, your aura surrounding the two of you. Wooyoung’s pace almost doubles at the sight, the smell woodsy and sweet. The mop of black hair seeps into a orange color as it swirls through the air, eyes matching. It is a sight to see between pleasure, you, yourself, seen in an unknown light. Just as he pulls away from your lips, your soul enters your skin again.

His brows furrow, but he does not comment on it, instead, lifting up onto his hands to find another angle, sighing in relief it once your knees were up at his sides, feet hooked around his waist. The question as to why he cannot feed on you lingers.

“Perhaps my sin is too much for a soul like yours,” he whispers, dropping his weight down onto his elbows, then further, arms wrapping around you. “I will enjoy you nonetheless.”

“What are you–”

His hips press harshly into yours just as you begin to speak, watching as your eyes roll back, lids fluttering. You’re not quick to notice a hot tear falling down your cheek, rolling down your temple, lost in the darkness as his cum seeping out of his tip slowly but surely began melting your senses into nothing. The sound of skin begins echoing in the air and trees, his knees sliding up to push his thighs against you, pressing him deeper. You slowly lose your sense of the world you, focused on his cock pressing into you, his arms around you as you writhe with each thrust.

“So pretty,” he murmurs. “You always shine brightly, solaris, and yet you shine even moreso. How am I to keep my hands off you now that I’ve finally had you?” The sound of his voice is lost in between the sounds of skin slapping, the way he rocked into her body.

“Then don’t,” you say.

His eyes widen briefly, the orange fading as they meet yours. You somehow find the strength to keep focused on him despite how intensely your climax is coming. It’s the first time you’re unable to read his expression, perhaps a tint of wonder if you could focus. After a few seconds your thighs tighten, gasps leaving your lips. “Wooyoung–”

“Just like that pretty, just for me.”

Your head falls back, straining to let out the moan that clawed its way up, vise forming around his cock until he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Hell,” he grits, hips stilling as he cums, stuttering with each succeeding one. Your breaths escape your lips, lids heavy as you feel his own lips press lightly against yours.

—

“It has been hours since they were together, and he has still not let her leave his room. Should she not eat?” Yunho murmurs. They can see how his annoyance has gathered around him, hand gripping the apple between his fingers tightly, brows furrowed enough to become one. He is right – neither you nor Wooyoung has left his room. Seonghwa and maybe San could break the barrier that he has placed around his resting place, but neither wants to. Only making Yunho grow more irritated.

“They were together, Yunho. Let them simmer in it before they're told the news,” San rubs his arm, presses a soft kiss against his temple. “It is soon to be ruined once they enter a shared space.”

“He’s not going to move on from this,” Hongjoong sighs, eyes closed as he tucks himself further into the couch cushions. “I’m not ready to hear him boasting everyday about something I don’t care about in the slightest. San you might have to whip up a spell to shut him up.”

“I doubt he’d say anything outlandish-”

“Good afternoon~” His warm voice echoes through the room as he enters, almost floating as he glides along the tiles to the fridge. He presses his lips against Yunho and San’s cheeks while he passes by, the ghost of his magic roaming over Hongjoong’s arm and squeezing it. “Lovely day.”

Hongjoong’s lip twitches, but he makes no move to respond to Wooyoung’s words, annoyance already riddling his features. Yunho glances at Wooyoung, watching as he sings a song, pulling ingredients from open drawers and cabinets. No one says a word in response aside from San, easily wrapping his arm around his waist and pressing a kiss to his mate’s temple.

“We haven’t seen you in almost a day.”

“Busy. And solaris is hungry, and I assume the rest of you are,” he places his utensils on the counter. “Ready for some human food?”

All of their faces wrinkle in disgust at his words, a chuckle draping his lips as he rolls his eyes. “It wouldn't hurt you to feed on things other than humans.”

“It tastes of chalk and sadness,” Yunho mumbles, watching as he coats the pan with butter. “And smells rancid.”

“Whatever, you're missing out on the joys in life. Sweets aren't the only thing that tingles the taste buds.”

“You would know,” San is barely heard as he bites on the apple slice, but it is audible enough for their joint laughter. “I'm surprised you haven't spilled your secrets yet. Not often do you keep your escapades to yourself.”

“I’m not going to brag, I would never kiss and tell.”

Yunho’s eyes narrow. “You do, in fact, kiss and tell. That’s all you do actually, I’m surprised you were even able to let that lie slip.”

Wooyoung sticks out his tongue, tapping the pepper into the pan. “Well not now. Solaris is too special for me to discuss things like that around you all. A star that glows like her demands privacy.”

“Did she threaten you?” Hongjoong snickers, peeking out a lid when he doesn’t hear an immediate response. “Oh? She did?”

He frowns. “Not necessarily. I would just like to keep it quiet. It's not just between us eight now, she’s different. Humans are more private. I don't want her uncomfortable.”

“Honorable,” Yunho notes. “Perhaps you have grown.”

“There’s barely a hundred years between us,” Wooyoung deadpans, narrowing his eyes. “I’m not as young as you think I am.”

—

“They were together.”

“Correct.”

“And you have no qualms with that?”

“They are not young and we are not responsible for their actions, Seonghwa. I don’t care what they do in their free time. You’re just upset that she wasn’t with you first as all. She likely would have if it weren’t for that disgusted look you give her every time you’re in a room together.”

“She’s not a commodity to be passed around, Hongjoong. I don’t care if she is with me first or not at all. All that I’m saying is, it’s irresponsible to ignore it.”

If Hongjoong’s eyes could roll further back they would. He closes his notebook slowly, looking up at Seonghwa. “What do you suppose we do, then? Place a chastity belt on Wooyoung, perhaps cuff him to his bed so that he cannot move near her? Ship him off to Yeonjun himself to deal with?”

  “That is not what I’m saying at all. You treat this like it’s a joke,” Seonghwa frowns.

“What you’re suggesting is a joke. I’m not stopping either of them from indulging in one another. I didn’t expect Wooyoung to win her over so soon, but it was inevitable. You hid your suspicions from them, but even with it, it would only make it more enticing for him. He does not back down from a challenge. Especially one he is so obsessed with.”

“You told me to keep it to myself,” Seonghwa rubs his temple, breathing deeply. “I was going to tell them-”

“You still could have. You still can. What I said was a suggestion, nothing more.”

There is no use in arguing with him, Seonghwa thinks. Hongjoong knows what his suggestions are - oftentimes there are threats hidden beneath them. And though he loves him more than life itself, he cannot stand how nonchalant Hongjoong can be. Even if the human, you, does not know your true nature yourself.

“Fine.”

Hongjoong smirks, “That was much easier to deal with.”

“I will tell them tonight. All of them.”

Hongjoong’s smirk twitches. Seonghwa is not looking at him directly, so he does not see the slight dip in his expression, “You will?”

“As you said, it was merely a suggestion. Perhaps their minds will change once they all know of her true nature. And we can finally kill her.”

“You want her dead?”

Never. The thought forms bile in his mouth. “I’d rather not touch her at all. But what other choice do we have? She will kill us all if we let her stay. It is the best decision right now.” He found you, he tracked you down. If he killed you in the beginning despite the resistance to their powers, perhaps it would have saved him from the guilt that begins to riddle his body. He should not care for a creature like you, knowing it is what you do. And still, with knowing, he cannot stop it from happening. Which is why he needs to tell the rest of them.

“They won’t let you kill her. Most have already succumbed to her charm.”

“... I will do what I must to keep us safe.”

Hongjoong shrugs, “Then so be it. You have no objection from me. I’ve grown wary of her being around anyway. Humans are too… irritating.”

“Not a human.”

“Right. I won’t let the others know of my opinion and side with the majority.”

“Sometimes, they would like to hear what their leader thinks, Hongjoong.”

He pauses for a moment. “It will influence their decisions too much for me to say what I want.”

“And you think your thoughts do not influence mine?” Seonghwa asks, genuinely curious. Hongjoong laughs at the question, shaking his head.

“Seonghwa, I've known you for hundreds of years. You’d rather throw yourself in front of a deadly attack than take my opinion over your own. It is settled.”

—

You sit near the back of the room, Wooyoung’s presence wrapped around the headrest of the chair you occupy. No one else has approached you, though you sensed the lingering eyes of Yunho to the side of you. He gave you a smile when you entered, the slight downturn of his lips as he met Wooyoung’s gaze obvious. It did make you nervous that it was somehow your fault he looked furious. But the expression was gone with a blink.

“Mingi won’t be joining us, but he already informed me of his opinion prior to our meeting,” Hongjoong says, sliding past the rest and sitting in the loveseat farthest away from the entrance. His eyes bore into yours, oddly twinkling. “It will be kept in mind as we’re voting.”

“And what is it that we’re voting on?” Yunho asks.

“It has taken me a while to consider what has been going on the past few months, and how it affects all of us, including y/n,” Seonghwa does not meet your eyes as he speaks, staring at an unoccupied couch. “Our voting today is to decide if she lives or dies.”

Silence falls over the room. Your own chest tightens, palms growing moist as the seconds tick by. Kill you? Has what you’ve done destroyed their relationship with other faeries to the point of no return? Seonghwa’s reluctance to even be near you was not only for disgust like you thought before, but something deeper. Hongjoong wasn’t lying when he told you that they believed you to be not human. But you’re not hiding anything yourself. Being anything but human just feels impossible.

“You’re joking?” Wooyoung stands up from where he is behind you, slightly stepping forward. “She’s done nothing wrong.”

“She killed Beomgyu, Wooyoung.”

“So? I kill faeries and humans all the time! Why should that matter?”

“You know why,” San speaks this time, shaking his head. “It has caused us many problems. But Seonghwa, killing her? What use is that to us?”

Seonghwa sighs. “She is not entirely human, that’s why.”

Their gazes all meet yours from across the room. Even Wooyoung, his valiant effort to coax them into saving your life, expression drops slightly, confusion coating his gaze. As if questioning the validity of everything you’ve told him. Somehow that look makes you feel utterly guilty, despite not believing in his claim.

“I am a human,” you retort. “That, whatever happened at that time, it wasn’t… it was me, but it was a fluke. An adrenaline rush.”

“How can we assume she’s not human just because she killed a Seelie?” Yeosang asks. His expression remains neutral, potion book placed face-down on the counter. “Strength like that is not uncommon in humans.”

“Correct, but we all know that a human cannot tear apart a Seelie, especially the way Beomgyu was. His body was unrecognizable, torn to shreds. Someone with her size and strength, even with a burst of adrenaline could not take a Seelie down like that. She would have to know weaknesses, have weaponry-”

“It is unlike you to say allegations without undeniable truth,” Jongho interrupts him. “So I believe what you’re saying, hyung. What is she, if not a human?”

It’s interesting how despite being in the same room with them, they all ignore your presence entirely, speaking amongst themselves. Likely because you can lie with ease and without restraint. They won’t believe a word that comes out of your mouth, anyway, except maybe Yunho or Wooyoung.

“Now this may bother you all. But there is no other explanation. She is a kumiho.”

“That’s impossible-”

“It isn’t,” Seonghwa interrupts Wooyoung before he begins, holding up a hand. “We are real, so it is not too far gone to believe in something that was once unreal to us. There are still beings out there that we do not know of. Her strength, the claw marks on the dead Seelie. She has not turned on the full moon and her blood does not contain any sort of wolf characteristics. Kumiho can blend amongst humans the easiest after they have lived over a thousand years. It is not unrealistic to assume that she has moved past that point and become a human woman.”

“She hasn’t even attempted to lure any of us.” Wooyoung narrows his eyes. “Nor has she eaten human flesh.”

“That we know of.”

You can only scoff, shaking your head. “This is unreal.”

“There is no other explanation. Your strength is formidable to our own. Likely, the feline creature hiding inside this human appearance in front of us has prevented itself from remembering what it was. For protection or otherwise - we have yet to find out.”

Wooyoung’s gaze wavers the longer he listens to Seonghwa’s explanation. In fact, it seems that each of them believes everything that comes from his mouth. But it is impossible. What would be the reason for hiding your true being from yourself?

“Now we vote, then,” Hongjoong starts. “Mingi has voted yes to kill her. Seonghwa?”

“It is what needs to be done, yes,” Seonghwa agrees.

“Yunho?” Hongjoong asks, turning to him.

His gaze is on the floor, thinking. After a few seconds passed, “No. I don’t think she’s a threat to us. We keep her alive.”

Hongjoong looks at Yeosang.

Yeosang ponders the thought as everyone discusses loudly amongst one another. His eyes meet yours across the room, just being Wooyoung as he seemingly protects you with his body. You look afraid. Your eyes move to each person as they speak, your nerves palpable enough to be tasted in the thickened air. If he himself agrees to your death, it is likely that San would agree. Neither of them truly differ in opinion on things like this. Jongho would soon follow out of mere respect. And you would be killed promptly. It is what he has wanted since you’ve arrived here, turning everything sideways. So why, as he looks at your pathetic cowering behind Wooyoung, why does he feel such pity for you?

He looks at Wooyoung again. Though his fascination with you is beyond his capability of understanding, he can see it. How his eyes look at his spark desperately, pleading with them to save you. How Yunho’s jaw clenches, quietly observing. He wanted you here, wanted you protected by them. Though you aren’t exactly the pitiful human he once thought you to be, he still cares for you, strangely.

“Well, what do you want to do?” San whispers into his neck. Useless, since they all can hear what he’s saying aside from you. “Kill her?”

His next words will change everything. Yeosang meets your eyes across the room. His own widen slightly at your expression, flicking down to read your lips. The words mouthed to him are enough for him to decide.

Please help me.

“There’s no reason to kill her if she does not hold any threats to us right now.”

Seonghwa whips his head to Yeosang. Anger expressed along the vein on his neck, the set of his brows. He will not say it outright, but Yeosang has just betrayed his trust. Perhaps Seonghwa thought he would allow the woman to be killed just because … well, because he wanted it. But he cannot now, not when things are turning out so interesting.

“You are sure of this?” Hongjoong asks. His eyes sparkle. “Truly?” Despite only being the fourth oldest, his words hold weight for the rest.

“I am,” Yeosang says simply. The tense gaze of your expression has not dropped. Probably because you don’t realize that San would follow his lead, then Jongho. Your hand wraps around Wooyoung’s arm that traps you behind him. “If need be in the future with reason, sure. But now, no.”

“This is a mistake-” Seonghwa begins, stopping once Hongjoong flicks his finger. His mouth is shut in an instant, the feeling of magic swirling through the air.

“Hasn’t he spoken enough tonight? There are three remaining votes. As always, I will side with the majority. San, you’re next.”

“No need to kill her,” San agrees. Hongjoong’s smile grows louder, eyes flicking to Wooyoung.

“Your answer is obvious, but please Wooyoung, give your vote.”

Wooyoung covers your body almost completely as he speaks. “Of course, I will not kill her.”

“What does our youngest think?”

“I enjoy her being around, I can’t imagine her not being here,” Jongho smiles at you from across the room. “She can stay.”

“Well, as with the majority, y/n’s life is spared. Apologies to Seonghwa and Mingi, but as you know, it has now been decided. Take all the time you need to process this.” He flicks his finger again toward Seonghwa. The room expects him to roar his complaints, but he only looks around, tiredness seemingly flowing off of him.

“I trust you all and always have. And I assumed that you trust my words as well. But as Hongjoong has said, majority rules. I hope that you all keep an eye on her, and make sure that with the slightest change in behavior, monitor it. It can come at any time since she cannot control it herself,” Seonghwa looks at you, eyes meeting. “And I hope, y/n, you listen to my words yourself. Leave if you feel the change happening.”

He leaves the room, Hongjoong disappearing from his spot, likely following Seonghwa close behind along with Yunho. Leaving the rest of you alone.

Wooyoung’s body seeps into your figure the way he embraces you so tightly, lips pressing against your temple lightly. “I’ll be back, pretty.” His touch disappears as well. Jongho glances at you sympathetically, eyes glazing over yours for a moment before he too, blinks away. The instantaneous disappearing bodies is not something you’d ever get used to.

It does not distract you enough from what Seonghwa said, though. You are not human, despite how you’ve lived, how much you have insisted. A kumiho? As he further explained it, it still made entirely no sense to you. You’ve lived your life plainly, rarely if ever dated once in a while. Soobin was your second official relationship, the first lasting no more than a couple of years. The way he looked with such disgust as he explained it, how your age superseded everyone’s in the room. How your true nature was hidden from even yourself - it is impossible to think of.

“It is interesting to look at you, knowing what you are,” San says, looking around Yeosang to peer at you. “Do you have the urge to bite me?”

“I don’t feel anything, San,” exasperation coats your words. “I don’t even believe it myself.”

“Seonghwa is rarely wrong,” Yeosang murmurs. “That is why we take his word as the truth. Since you are kumiho, your training with Mingi will be much different now. Likely more intense.”

Your arms ache at the thought. You have yet to see Mingi yourself, but the training from before was strenuous. You look at Yeosang, remembering he expression on his face as he peered over at you, the tired eyes filled with curiosity as he voted to keep you alive. You are grateful, nonetheless. But the question lingers the longer you look at him.

“Do you want me dead?”

Yeosang pauses at the inquiry, straw resting between his lips. Eyes flicking to yours. There is little to decipher when it comes to him since he rarely tells what he may be thinking, and you're not with him often. But something in the way he looks at you. He does not respond right away – an indication that he may twist his words to satisfy your question.

“In the beginning I thought it'd be best to get rid of you before it escalated. Even more recently, I thought the same. But now I am not so sure,” he places his drink on the counter. “Most of us do enjoy having you around, human or not. Though I am not as enthused as Yunho or Wooyoung with your presence, I no longer hate it. So I have grown to tolerate it. Until I cannot.”

“You will kill me?”

His smile is strange, hollow. “If I must. Your life isn't that important. Or I'll wait until it has run out itself. You may only have a few more decades left, anyway. They will get over it – their fixation will move to something more interesting eventually.”

How casually he talks about your life. Like it is nothing. He does consider it as nothing, as he has said. None of the Unseelie is this house told you do directly as he has done. You should feel a bit wary around him now, knowing he could change his mind in seconds and kill you. Even now, as he reads the spellbook resting on his thighs, he could kill you. And San, sitting nearby, would only help.

So feeling comforted at the thought is unusual.

“Thank you for being honest,” you say, and he snickers. “Not much of that going around here.”

“Sure.”

San leaves a bit after that. The silence echoes around the small room, eyes moving to the doorway at the sound of the door clicking open. The sight nearly startles you, seeing him for the first time in months. Mingi is followed closely by Yunho, bodies brushing against one another as they enter. Yeosang takes that as a sign to leave you, closing his spellbook and gracefully hopping off the chair. His fingers drag across Mingi's arm as he leaves.

“Oddly quiet around here,” he notes, opening the fridge. Yunho sits where Yeosang just was, smiling at you. “Have you been getting along well despite today?” He asks, thanking Mingi as he passes him an apple. “Wooyoung said you've been making progress adjusting, but I rarely take his word for it.”

“It's been better now,” you say. “It's not one hundred percent yet, but I am getting used to being around here. I hope it just ends soon.”

“I heard your life was spared. It should make you happy. Ah,” he snaps his fingers. “They haven't told you yet,” Mingi sits on the opposite side of you. “We will have to leave soon.”

“We?”

“Half of us. Yunho, Wooyoung, Hongjoong, and myself. Seelie requested our presence. We would have all went, but with these circumstances, it may be best to leave half of us here.”

Circumstances meaning you. Mingi does not further explain and you do not insist on him doing so, instead sinking further into the chair you rest on. “So I am left with the rest of you.”

“Left is a strong word,” Yunho mumbles into his cup. “More like babysat.”

Your frown deepens, and he laughs. “It is but a joke. You can take care of yourself. They won’t do anything to you while we’re gone. Yeosang and San will likely stay to themselves now that Seonghwa has relieved him of his duty to watch you. Jongho will be entertaining enough, no?”

“She is older than us all, no need to treat her as a faerling,” Mingi murmurs.

“She thinks she’s almost three decades old, Mingi.”

“Time to see reality.”

They banter back and forth about you, clueless as to how you’ve already left, steps quiet as you make it to your own bedroom. Seonghwa’s words, no matter how convincing, is not something you believe to be true. He says you conjured up this false reality of your life to blend into the human world, but it makes no sense to you. Nothing, none of it does. You remember your parents, you remember your family life. How you so easily deluded yourself into thinking that it was real when it’s not is beyond your comprehension. Likely because you don’t believe it at all. Why would you hide it from yourself? There is no reason to block your own mind from it - even if you are as he says you are. Jumping to such a conclusion is ridiculous.

No. You’re not a kumiho.

You enter your room, shutting the door behind and locking it. Surely Seonghwa can easily create a spell to allow the others into your room, but he won’t. Not if he so vehemently believes that you’re a creature that he didn’t even think was real. You settle yourself into your sheets, ignoring the lingering feeling in your mind that he might be right.

[utilitycaster]

This will possibly skew my poll (although you are encouraged to vote how you want and argue for other things - I would love thoughtful meta on Ludinus's true origins and this is still, ultimately, speculative) but I am really enamored with the idea that he is from the group of elves in northern Wildemount who beseeched Corellon for aid, but were not answered - not because they were ignoring them, but because they had been deafened in battle with Gruumsh. Those elves then attempted to encase their civilization in ice and fled to the Feywild, returning afterwards to rebuild, as the ice didn't work.

This has so many elements that not only fit Ludinus's story, but allow for interesting hooks into other Calamity-era occurrences. If you take the story straight (and then have him get separated from the others in some capacity at any point following not getting an answer from Corellon), this all comes down to Ludinus perceiving an inadvertent absence as a betrayal, setting up the tragedy of dedicating his life to destroying the world, all over a misunderstanding. Sure, Molaesmyr is also the hub of elven culture and few will question his presence, but his willingness to go against the priests of the Arch Heart and to destroy feels much more targeted if it's not a flailing strike at all the gods, but rather vengeance on Corellon's ground.

You also set up where he may have gotten the idea to feed on fey energy and the knowledge to do so effectively; this even could set up how he was able to develop an alliance with the Unseelie Court. The timeline is loose enough - the Veluthil burns for a century post-Calamity - that we don't know what else he might have done. There's a chance for him to return to the Material Plane and work with the original Cerberus Assembly, or to have been the one to have set the arcane fire in the region in the first place. I also think the idea of Ludinus as a terrestrial-based wizard in the era of flying cities makes sense both in that he'd know of Aeor and perhaps even envy it, but be unfamiliar with the details of their tech and therefore preserving the idea that he is painstakingly and cleverly reverse-engineering this tech rather than just badly returning to what he already knew.

Finally: it explains a lot about his base of operations. Why not establish himself in Marquet? Why On some level, he remains in northern Wildemount because that is his home. Maybe he really was in Ivaadel for a time, but this is where he's from, changed as it is. The Dwendalian Empire is a useful tool, and the Cerberus Assembly's new incarnation a seized opportunity, but he could have originally been from where Rexxentrum now stands.

If any of this is the case, and that's a big if, I do wonder if he knows why Corellon didn't answer; or if he ever will.

[danwhobrowses]

Spoilers for Critical Role Campaign 3 Episode 104 Below

So with Orym's Seedling getting blessed by the Wildmother to now be Vestige-tier as a 'Relic of the Red Solstice' I thought I'd indulge myself and throw in which of the gods I think/want to bless the rest of the Hells with in order to give them Relics and why.

Imogen - The Stormlord Why - Easiest of the bunch after Orym, she is the storm after all and she likes her lightning magic, flying and projectiles. The Knowing Mistress may be a secondary option but I think the Stormlord has this one on lock, likely enhancing her damage output or overall spellcasting.

Laudna - The Matron of Ravens Why - Given Laudna's connection and affinity for the dark and spooky it seems the best fit. You could go and juxtapose with the Dawnfather given the Sun Tree or have the Arch Heart help her believe in her own magic but I think the Matron would be the best fit. Laudna's enhancement may fall more into damage avoidance than increased damage through the Matron, or something to hinder enemy saves.

Chetney - The All Hammer Why - The god of crafting hasn't gotten any real chances to shine in the past 3 campaigns, but he is the best fit for the toymaker. The Moonweaver may be an option given lycanthropy, and I wouldn't put it past Travis wanting to get a vestige from a Betrayer God but adding more options for Travis to be creative is always a solid recipe. For that maybe a Relic that changes shape or can make some summonings would work for Chet.

Fearne - The Moonweaver Why - While the Arch Heart - forefather of fey, Dawnfather - given the fire powers, or a double dip from the Wildmother are options, I think the Moonweaver best suits Fearne given how they're both known for their mischief and flirtiness. Also the Unseelie Court hate her so it'd be a nice dig at Zathuda. She also has a moon sickle, which may be the thing that gets enhanced if not her staff. Since the Titan shard already increases her firepower the Moonweaver could perhaps help with damage avoidance in an illusionary way, or improve her spellcasting and concentration saves.

Braius - The Lord of Lies Why - Braius is a difficult one actually. The As hole hasn't actually made contact with him so why give a vestige-like power? Problem is that there's not many other options given how he doesn't like the Primes. The Ruiner or Dread Emperor might be an option just for damage output. We've not seen too much of Braius but from what we've seen of him in combat he holds himself pretty well, so you'd probably expect something to enhance that maybe in a more hellish way. We'd also have to figure out how he'll contact a Betrayer in Vassalheim...

Dorian - The Changebringer Why - Dorian is the most difficult imo because although he's naturally good and considerate there isn't really a god he's been seen to lean on. I doubt he'd accept favour from the Matron or Wildmother after the Opal incident, but the god all about finding your own path may suit Dorian's mental state right now. The Lawbearer (to parallel with Orym getting the Wildmother's blessing), Arch Heart and Knowing Mistress are options too, but the latter already favoured a bard once before so you probably don't want to do repetition there. All manner of things can be enhanced for Dorian equipment-wise, it'll likely be an instrument though, which means their relic will likely enhance support and damage suppression.

Ashton - The Everlight Why - While I know the Coin of the Changebringer is right there, the Changebringer was FCG's god, not Ashton's - they have to walk their own path, providing that they are willing to accept a god's blessing. While the Ruiner may offer something to lure Ashton into given the promise of violence, or the Arch Heart proposing an enhancement of unique magic, I am sticking with my earlier mentioning that the Everlight is perhaps the god who can benefit Ashton the most as a person. It seems unorthodox but Ashton at their core wants to protect the people they care about; healing, temperance and redemption are all key to that, and like Fearne since the Titan powers increases their damage output already, perhaps Ashton's relic would be something to help them take more damage so others don't have to.

[thisisnotthenerd]

beacon spoilers ahoy!

episode of all time. goddamn.

starting off murking snowdinus. he's aware of ashton's whatever the fuck now, but they stopped him from getting further with the unseelie.

got a confirmation of zathuda's turncoat tendencies and the plan for the unseelie.

fearne with the persuasion rolls! stopping combat long enough to get them incapacitated as the temple fell.

insane battle before the break. they're at the top of their game. good tactical moves, even the ones that aren't fully thought out. laudna's disintegrate.

and then

and then

abubakar as the arch heart. god damn. literally.

the deal. the idea that they can control predathos and chase the gods off. what a quandary. what a conundrum.

dorian taking the deal. in another world, maybe he'd have been a follower of the arch heart anyway as a bard and known spider queen-hater, but here he's just asking hard questions and going for pragmatism.

i feel like ashton got exactly what they wanted out of the encounter and lowkey don't know how to feel about that.

the ring of remembrance. selena's wish, and her being freed.

laudna getting a message from the matron. next episode????? just want to say that i called it.

[12pt-times-new-roman]

c3e79

They have some convos in Morri's manor, and Orym does not seem happy that they've decided to run away into the Feywild. But he's rolling with having been mostly silent, brooding, and working out over the past day.

Fearne goes to talk to Birdie. She and Ollie were able to escape to the Feywild gateway, but Hondir took off toward Ashanadoor instead to reconvene with his allies.

Upon mentioning Tevon, Fearne -- apparently the party's lie detector -- can tell that Birdie isn't lying about not having had dealings with devils or demons, but she's still being guarded about something. "Fearne, you may not know how your father and I met, but know that he is a good man in his morals, and I've met no man greater than him. We met because we were both briefly entangled with the Unseelie Court; Ollie was a prisoner of theirs, and I was once enthralled by the wiles of one among them. This gentleman of whom I was romantically entangled with promised much, and delighted in my darker impulses... I was whisked away into the arms of this dark lover who danced with me, he waxed poetic about taking the moon from the Moonweaver herself, and he was beautiful as he was terrifying... I was in an odd place, and I do not like who I was then... my Unseelie suitor talked of the importance of our union, and when it was time for me to give birth to you, he brought me to a hilltop on Exandria beneath the red moon Ruidus, as he had planned and we had discussed."

Fearne's biological father is Atheon Zathuda, the Sorrow Lord of the Unseelie Court -- the person who chased them from the Malleus Key, who Morri fought for them as they fled. He had dealings with Otohan and Ludinus, who promised him that he'd be freed from the Moonweaver's imprisonment if he helped them make the key. Birdie notes specifically that Zathuda spoke with an "Exandrian high magus" to plan Fearne's birth so that she would be Ruidusborn.

Once Fearne was born, Zathuda stopped giving attention to Birdie and treated her badly, so she fled, taking Fearne and Ollie with her. When Ollie had his vision years later, they did what any parents would do: they kept Fearne safe. They knew that the Unseelie and Zathuda would be looking for Fearne, so they left her with Morri. "I don't ever want you to think that I'm asking for forgiveness, I know you can't give me that, but I'll try to make it up to you in time."

While that happens, Orym goes to talk to Ashton. "I realize that I didn't say a lot yesterday. I've just been thinking. To be honest, Ash, I was as freaked out as everybody else by what happened, but that's not what I want to say to you right now. I just want you to feel what you're gonna feel -- be angry, sad, confused, questioning, guilty, shameful, whatever. But we do care about you. I care about you. [Yeah. I think I believe that now.] Well, time, right? Whatever you're gonna feel, we're all going through it, and I get it, I do. You and your dad, Imogen and her mom, and me with everything I carry around -- it's hard not to let it be personal, and of course it's personal, but we can't let this be about our every little hidden heartbreak right now. [No. I mean, I'll admit that the positive reinforcement after jumping into a pool of lava may have been... I can see the escalation, the more I think about it.] I listened to everyone lay into you yesterday, and that's not what this is about. I care about you, and with everything that's coming, feel what you're gonna feel but also don't let perfect be the enemy of good. This group, as fucked as it is, this is the play. This is the angle, there are no legends coming in to save us -- it's just us, and we gotta pick up and do. When we leave, it's gonna be hard, but try not to spend all your time grappling with your demons, because I need your hands free so you can pick up that hammer and fight." Orym gives him a kiss on the forehead.

Allura assures them that every group of people who cares about each other falls out from time to time, sometimes drastically.

Imogen takes off the circlet because if she hadn't been wearing it, she would've known what Ashton was planning. Which is a massive fucking invasion of privacy and such an overstep that the people around her definitely need to interrogate her on

They start putting the pieces together between Zathuda, Otohan, and Ludinus, and decide to ask Allura about Sammanar (the leader of the Unseelie Court). "Sammanar is one of the five major archfey of the Fey Realm, Keeper of the Sun's Shadow (a region), master of the Unseelie Court. They are a moody entity, a rare sight out amongst the rest of the realms; they are the watcher of the twilight, the stiller of violent emotions, a bit of a prick." Archfey collect titles like rotten fruit. Zathuda himself is a brutal warlord who finds poetry in violence, and he has no other children; and he is the wielder of the Dusk Hunger, Blade of the Black Flame.

They show Morri the fire shard, and Laudna has to walk away into another room. (There's a point to be made here, I just don't have the bandwidth to make it.)

Allura speculates on why the Unseelie Court might want to depose the Moonweaver. It could be that they want to create a power vacuum, because the Moonweaver has significant influence in the Fey Realm — being generally good-aligned, she's definitely not a favorite of the Unseelie.

The leaders of the Fey Courts control who can and can't pass through fey gates, but some powerful archfey can mess with that "permission" — including Morri.

From what Allura knows of Morri, she is a "stalker of dreams, a voyeur of insecurity, a promiser of many things and a robber of others. There are stories that say she is an entity of balance, and others that say she is a reaper of sadness... in scholarly circles, she is a dubious and dangerous entity, in the sense that there are few that can even attempt to ascertain her true nature."

And thus, we begin the scavenger hunt. Morri gives them drinks, and says she has chosen three items from her collection, and has devised three different adventures for them: communciation, truth, and honesty. For each adventure they succeed, they gain an item. For each they fail, they "know what they have to work on."

They choose Honesty. Smoke fills the entire chamber, the temperature drops, and they feel a breeze — they're no longer inside the Manor, and instead find themselves in a dense fey jungle. In front of them is a massive cliff with no visible bottom, with broken stone and ruins across it. Morri gathers them and procures a brass monocle with a deep viridian lens — a veilscatter lens. "This, my friends, is the first item: the monocle of true essence. It will be your job to find this." She throws it into the ravine, and it disappears. "You all must work together to find it. The chasm is unclimbable, but it listens, and as our agreement, it only listens to honesty. Speak of your secrets, speak of your truth about each other, reveal something about yourself, and the land may show you a path forward." She puts all of them into a giant fucking hamster ball and tosses them into the chasm, like those levels of Super Mario Galaxy, and we go to break!

As they hit the bottom of the chasm, the magical shield dissipates, and they land in a muddy bog.

FCG is the first one to try "honesty," and admits that they like eating silver more than copper. Stone platforms move into place for about 15 feet — the bigger the truth, the bigger the gain.

Imogen's turn: she's genuinely scared to meet Liliana again. More steps appear.

Chetney attempts to argue that wood is fundamentally better than metal. Leeches start eating them.

Laudna: "Deep down inside, both Delilah and I kind of want the shard!" A jut of stone forms a 30-foot spike up to a vantage point.

Imogen: "I love Laudna deeply, but I'm disgusted at the idea of Delilah watching us all the time." A crumbled city begins to push out of the mud at the bottom of the chasm.

Orym: "I'm super lonely, even at night, and it doesn't matter if I'm bunking with one of you guys."

FCG: "Sometimes I pity some of you, because you have beating hearts and opportunities and you don't do enough with them." (bonus 4th-wall breaking Travis: "We're still in the game, right?!")

I actually fucking love this so much, because it's the fact that the Bells Hells fundamentally want to be honest with each other and to trust each other, but they've never done that outside of dire consequences, and this is giving them an opportunity to be honest without direct consequence.

Also Orym: "I guess I've always laughed it off, but I do kind of wonder if Chetney is my dad!" Laudna's vantage point that she climbed up to extends another 30 feet.

Ashton: "Oh, fuck it. I am the reason that the Jiana Hexum robbery went wrong, and the reason I got thrown out of that window!" Remnants of this ruined city's culture continue to emerge. This truth is the reason Ashton believed the Nobodies were right to leave them.

Fearne: "I feel like we are very ill-equipped for this job and we're gonna fail at saving the world."

Chetney: "I do fear that children will find my toys and thereby myself obsolete with every year that I grow older."

FCG: "Every time I hurt or kill something, it feels really good. It makes me relax a little bit, and some of my stress goes away." (hold up do we have BG3 dark urge characters in BOTH ongoing CR campaigns right now??)

Imogen: "I know we're supposed to save the gods, but none of them will ever respond, so I think I'm tainted. I don't know if I want to save gods that don't love me." *sigh*

Laudna: "You know we could all ripcord right out of this whole 'saving the world' thing any time, right? And I fantasize about it all the time."

Amidst the rain, Orym spots the lens and points it out. He leaps toward it, Laudna gives him a feather fall, and he lands on the roof where it is. He retrieves it and tucks it away, but they still need to get up to the top of the chasm.

Fearne: "Sometimes I do stuff to you guys while you're sleeping. Not weird stuff! I just look at you. You're so content and comfortable, and I can look at your faces real close and twiddle your hair."

Ashton: "Any time it's too quiet, I start worrying that one of us is going to end up killing another of us accidentally. Except for Orym, you're the one I worry about the least." Orym, in response: "I have all the faith in the world, all of you. And I have also thought about how to neutralize each of you."

FCG: "I kinda worry that I put all my eggs in the Changebringer basket and that she might betray us all. I had a weird conversation with her and she seems out for herself, and she might not really care about me, but she might and I'm saying awful things, and I'm sorry!"

Imogen: "Fearne, I was disappointed in you for running away from your power! You should take the shard!" (This one isn't enough of a truth.)

Orym: "I really miss Dorian, and sometimes I think that's okay but sometimes I think it isn't!"

Pate, out of left field: "I'm barely alive! What do you want from me?! I don't have feelings!"

Ashton: "I feel worse because I just fucked up Fearne's live way more than mine, and I should've died instead of that happening!"

Chetney: "I grew up in the Bramblewood, and when I was a kid, I came back and realized my whole family had left. All they left behind were toys. They left because oft he Rimelord, so I'm afraid of dragons — I had five siblings, and I was so angry I never looked for them so now I think they're dead, and I'm afraid that any family I have will leave me, so that's why I don't get attached to anybody."

Chetney's last confession bridges the gap. Zebra-striped manta rays, flying, with hands where their head would be, grab the Bells Hells and drops them at the top of the chasm. Morri waits for them there. "Well! It looks like you succeeded. Congratulations on your first team building exercise. I hope you got a lot out of it."

The monocle they got can cast detect magic once per day, arcane eye once per day, and see invisibility once per day, and gives advantage on insight and perception checks. It also doesn't require attunement.

They choose the Communication trial next. Morri brings them to a barely-lit, underground chamber with a tall rock ceiling that goes endlessly in all directions. There's a glowing yellow orb in the middle of a round platform; it's textured and odd, almost organic. There are three thin walkways that curl away from the platform. "Welcome, friends. This is a thunderwasp hive. Be mindful not to panic or speak too loudly; they get riled." She asks for three volunteers: Chetney, Ashton, and Imogen. The three of them are blind as the skin grows over their eyelids, and Matt has them put blindfolds on. The three of them vanish, and are placed on the ends of the three winding platforms.

OHHHHH I SEE

Each of the blindfolded players has a small map with a path drawn on it, and a mini they must guide along that path. The non-blindfolded players must guide their hand using instruction alone along that path. If they get too close to the edge, that player rolls a dex save to avoid falling into the pit below. Then, if the instructions get too loud, the wasps create an obstacle.

I honestly love that Orym/Liam is taking the lead here. It makes so much sense — Orym was a soldier. He knows how to command, knows how to communicate, knows how to make sense to people. In challenges like this, a leader will always emerge, and here it's Orym.

Chetney succeeds, and the two major contributors — FCG and Orym — are silenced for Imogen's trial, while Chetney is able to contribute. And yes, the interplay between Travis directing Laura as her husband and Laudna directing Imogen as her in-game girlfriend is exactly as entertaining as you'd think, but it's also working far better than I thought it would

Imogen succeeds, and Chetney and Laudna are silenced because they were the two major contributors. Only Imogen and Fearne are left to communicate with Ashton. Somehow, this is the calmest group so far, but because a single failed saving throw that had absolutely nothing to do with either Ashton or his directions, they fail the trial — a planned outcome.

Morri gives them an ultimatum. They can try one more time, all-or-nothing: if they fall, they die, but they get to choose who is being directed and who gives direction. Orym volunteers to go, and chooses Chetney and Imogen to give directions. (This is, objectively, the correct choice. Orym has the best dexterity, giving him an advantage on every check associated with this test; and Travis and Laura proved themselves to be the best direction-givers in the previous trials. I'm honestly amazed at Travis here, because he's giving directions like "lift up your 3 fingers" because he knows that makes it easier to maneuver.)

"Go, go, straight line, put your arms out to Nana Morri, you are there honey!"

Morri claps, congratulates them, and gives them their prize: the scarf of intrusive intent. The bearer can cast suggestion twice per day, magic mouth twice per day, and fear once per day.

Lastly, trust. The cold gives way to warmth, and the sound of birds, insects. They find themselves standing in a deep fey forest. Above is an enclosed canopy, and they are surrounded by runes, archways partially crumbled, extremely sharp thorns. In the center is a large well, filled with mirror-like water.

"Well, friends. We're here at your final test. Here, in this interesting site of lost fey history, you all learn to trust one another. There are three altars somewhere in these surrounding ruins, and upon each of these altars lays a section of a blanched ivory branch. I need you all to work together to bring all three of those back here and lay them into the water. Do you think you can do that?" "What's the catch?" "Let me introduce to you some friends." Two figures step out, humanoid but not, elongated and gray. "These are two doppelganer friends of mine, and they've been studying all of you, in and out. Two of you will be removed, and doppelganer taking their place, but you have to figure out who that is before they ruin this for you."

It's a literal game of werewolf! Two of them will get doppenganer cards, their objectives, and clues to the map.

Matt is out here playing mini games within mini games within mini games, I swear to god–

[ddwcaph-game]

what are the crush options' type romance-wise (like appearance and personality)? and will we get to choose mc and twin's type as well?

Hey there, thanks for sending this in!

I was originally going to reply with how I calculate MC's chemistry score with each crush option, but it was getting too long/complicated, so for now I wrote a condensed summary. I'll share that post instead once I'm finished with the update.

I want to make it clear that it's NOT necessary for MC to meet the crush options' preferences, whether it's gender, appearance, or personality. The game will have at least 6 volumes, so there's plenty of time to build up your chemistry score with each of them even if you have the opposite of their preferred traits or started with a low relationship.

If you ask him, Wayne would make up a poem about "How there's something beautiful about every girl", but if he had to choose, he prefers tall girls with very long and colorful wavy/curly hair. Wayne wouldn't go after boys, but he wouldn't reject them either. He'd return the favor if a boy told him he's cute or handsome.

But really, he just wants someone who's funny, likes spending time with him on his many hobbies (singing/dancing/baking/drawing/taking care of birds), and willing to go on fun adventures (or dates) with him around the world.

Wayne's preferred personality stats in-game are Silly and Headstrong, and his favorite genres are High Fantasy and Adventure (plus Fairytales, courtesy of Roselyna). It also helps if MC is romantic (or have halfling/dwarf/draconic/amphibious fae ancestry), but if there's one thing he dislikes, it's someone who gets jealous easily. Before getting together with MC, he'd ask them if it's okay if he can still tease or play-flirt with others (he wouldn't mind if MC does so as well), but of course he'd still try to respect MC's wishes if not.

It's probably not a surprise, but Roselyna's ideal crush is someone who's sweet and romantic, loves cuddling, and enjoys food (especially sweets) as much as her. Her dream job is to be a teacher, so she also admires someone who knows a lot of things. Oh, and just like Wayne, bonus points if they also like dancing, music, and animals. She also prefers boys, but her first crush is a girl, so gender isn't really a big deal for her.

Rosie's preferred personality stats in-game are Emotional and Altruist, while her favorite genre is Fairytales (and High Fantasy by extension). Appearance-wise she prefers someone tall and chubby (and maybe someone with halfling/fae ancestry or nephilim/werewolf/vampire heritage), but it's not a big deal for her either way (unless they have cambion/unseelie fae heritage). The only other dealbreaker for her (more than not liking hugs and being stoic) is someone who dislikes playing with little kids and not interested in having a family in the future.

Lily isn't really interested in crushes, but hypothetically… she'd want someone honest (unlike herself who likes keeping secrets), independent, and not childish or clingy. She's not a big fan of cuddling (or romantic acts in general), so acts of service as a love language speaks a lot to her. She prefers girls more, but on some level, she also understands why someone would like boys like Wayne. Other than that, she has no big preferences when it comes to appearance.

Besides having an interest in sci-fi and mystery, she'd also vibe well with someone competitive—and not strictly in academic terms. Unlike Rosie though, she has little to no interest in having a family, although she could be persuaded.

JM also isn't interested in crushes, but that's mostly because he's too focused in his studies. But if he is, he admits that he'd like boys like Wayne—minus his silliness, stubbornness, and troublemaking tendencies. That's the one thing he dislikes the most. As with Lily, he also doesn't have any big preferences appearance-wise, though he wouldn't mind if a girl liked him either.

JM's preferred personality stats in-game are Disciplined and Sensible, and his favorite genres are Mythology and Supernatural, so he'd like someone who shares his fascination with the creepy and the supernatural (and thus MCs with divine/supernatural/unseelie fae heritage), especially if he can be competitive with them… but maybe not too much. JM's love language is words of affirmation, so nothing motivates and cheers him up more than a compliment, reassurance, or praise telling him a job well done. You know, things he never heard from his father.

Unlike the other members of F6E, Brandon/Beatrice doesn't really have any gender preferences when it comes to crushes. They also don't have any big preferences regarding appearance, but that might change as the story develops. It does help if MC is the creative and competitive sort, especially if they're also great at swimming and loves giving gifts.

Brandon/Beatrice's preferred personality stats in-game are Honest, Emotional, and Silly, while their favorite genre is Superheroes. But the most important part? You need to accept B's sidequest no matter what, or else they will never have a mutual crush on MC. B would also have considerably more interest in MC if they don't have a bestfriend, but if they do, they'd prefer if it was Roselyna or Wayne instead of JM or Lily.

When it comes to crushes, Cordelia prefers girls (and non-binary individuals) much more than boys. And ideally, a bit chubby and much taller than her with long braided hair—the beauty standards in her culture. Speaking of, she'd be slightly more interested if MC has dwarven or halfling ancestry, or at the very least, has elven/gnomish/goblin/draconic/woodland fae ancestry.

Cordelia's preferred personality stats in-game are Warm and Altruist, and her favorite genre is Adventure (as well as High Fantasy, considering her origin). Given her work, she'd also like someone who shares her interest in animals, cooking, healing/helping people, gift-giving, and especially music. Music is a big part of her culture, so look away if you pick the Musical Averse Trait!

Cham struggles with the concept of crushes, but it'd be a lot easier explaining it to her if you are romantic, and bestfriends or mutual crushes with Wayne. That said, they don't have any preferences gender or appearance-wise, although she'd find it interesting if MC is also genderfluid, have nephilim heritage, or short like Wayne.

She loves hugs (although it's more tackle hugs than cuddling), but when it comes to love languages, she's much more receptive to words of affirmation (receiving) and quality time (giving). They also struggle a bit with other human concepts, so they'd feel less awkward if MC has the Needs Improvement Trait.

Cham's favorite genre is Adventure (and Mythology given her origin), and their preferred personality stats in-game are Silly and Altruist—not Discipline though. She's a troublemaker at heart, and although they have a pet hellhound, that doesn't mean she doesn't retain her aversion to imps and demons (or Cambion/Unseelie Fae MCs) since that got part of her wings torn off.

***

As for the other two crush options… you'll just have to wait for now! But for MC and Twin's types...

I'm not planning on a choice like that for MC as you can just choose whoever they are interested in, but if you confess to your twin about your crush(es), you will get the choice of what you like about them the most. And in the next update, you will also get the choice of what you think about their appearance after accepting their crush sidequest.

As for MC's Twin, I've already mentioned in the FAQ that if they do have a crush, it will most likely just be a minor character as that's not something I want to explore (I'd rather leave that to headcanon). But now that I think about it, I might give the MC the choice to tease their twin about what their type is, which the Twin will jokingly deny (of course, MC's Twin having no interest in crushes is always an option).

[sesshy380]

New WereKat AU character refs!

First up, we have Fae Yugi, a Seelie Prince!

Yugi doesn't really enjoy all of the pressure of his status. He doesn't feel he's anyone special just because of a title. He'd much rather just enjoy the little things in life, and not have to worry about all the trivialities of the Fae Courts.

Thankfully there's one Fae that is of a similar mindset, and helps him to sneak out into the lower levels of the city on occasion.

Meet Unseelie Atem, a noble and member of the Unseelie High Court!

Atem is devilishly free-spirited. Court? Boring. Tedious. Snore. The Geal’drache, most popular casino/hotspot in the city of Dominus? Fun! Exciting! Been kicked out by the Elven CEO, Kaiba, more times than he can count but it doesn't stop him from coming back!(Seriously though, despite their rivalry, he knows Kaiba enjoys having him around for the entertainment)

That's about all I have for these two. Not much, I know, but they are more plot movement characters than anything.

I just felt like drawing them and showing them off. I had to laugh when I first did Yugi's outfit, because it has strong Han Solo vibes lol.

[starsfic]

Something that I still think about (and haven't really seen anyone else talk about, at least not that I know of) is the fact Azure was wanting to Spare MK

He was fully done with wukong and ready to be ride of him entirely, but mk was different. Heck it felt like he was still trying to convince mk to stand down just before mk went beast mode. Like he was trying to get him too see "reason"

It really seemed like he was trying to "save" mk from wukong. I'm sure in his head he still saw mk as this misguided child that was being used and manipulated down the wrong path by a negligent mentor that would sooner or later forsake him. Just as he'd "forsaken" azure.

Had things gone azures way I'm sure he'd still seal mk up in the scroll, but we don't know for sure if it would of been permanent. Azure clearly liked mk no doubt being reminded of the wukong he idolized before things went south, possibly even seeing him as a do over of sorts.

personal feelings aside, mks clearly a very powerful being on top of being fiercly loyal. If mk could be reeducated, his devotion switched to Azure. He would no doubt have a super powerful warrior in his court.

I always had the feeling that Azure sort of viewed Xiaotian as something that could've happened if things hadn't gone wrong. He could've been his and Wukong's son! When I watched the Mandarin version of S4, I thought that Azure was a touch jealous that Pigsy raised Xiaotian. I was wrong, but there's still the vibe.

And, real quick, I don't think Azure was entirely done with Wukong. I got the feeling that he wanted to kill him because, in his mind, he had to. His thoughts about Wukong were pushing him off his game and, in a way, killing him. I discussed the idea of what would've happened if Azure had actually killed Wukong on Discord and @vegalocity and @unseelie-robynx compared it to Simon's reaction in Infinity Train when he thought he killed Grace. (Xiaotian would be the roach monster.)

But, yeah, I agree with this.

[vegalocity]

Hiii the other day I was reminiscing about your oblivion fic, (it's my favorite fic of all time), do you plan on continuing it? Or if you're leaving it (which is fine btw, I don't wanna put pressure on you) would you tell us how you were planning to end it?

Okay so first off-

aww thank you! I'm so glad you enjoy it that much! And second off-

....

under the cut

I DID have two last installments in mind as i was planning out how things would go, But i wasn't able to get them to paper before i lost steam--In large part because @unseelie-robynx And I ended up fleshing out the Bad End from Side B And came up with a sort of splinter AU we call the Tyrant Prince AU (for more info click here!) (also Robynx has done a BUNCH of additions to the Bad end idea with her own path, it's real fun) I might go back to the original story i don't know at this juncture, so assuming i won't i'll just tell you my plans-

So i had part 5 and part 6 planned out- Part five (Ovation) was going to be about the rest of the Monkie Crew finding out about what was going on with Red

Everyone of course would react differently, Xiaojiao is trying to figure out the practicalities of un-brainwashing someone, Tang is morbidly curious about both Red's mental state and Oblivion itself (Ironically the true difference in Oblivion Classic and the Tyrant Prince timeline is that in TP Freenoodles didn't get together until AFTER Xiaotian went off the deep end into 'mind control is fine actually' but in Oblivion Classic They're long married because there was gonna be a joke about Pigsy threatening to divorce Tang if he tried to use him as a guinea pig for mind control studies) And Pigsy is sure 'mind control' is just Xiaotian not understanding how drugs work and thinks Red's just Suuuppeerrr High, Sandy is most concerned with keeping Red comfortable so when the 'high' fades he won't have TOO Massive a crash.

But Red IS starting to sober up, if slowly, and once more tells Xiaotian he loves him- which Xiaotian asks again for him to stop,

And it's the first time Red's sober enough to say no to him. I never got to this scene but i imagined Red being both THOROUGHLY addicted to the mind control present, but also getting sober enough to know that something's not right. though the only thing he can peice together as not right is that he's not going to pretend like he doesn't 'love' him when he does and that he 'doesnt need oblivion' which his supposedly also does.

And this is the moment where Xiaotian decides he can't pretend to know what's best for Red, OR that he'd be a good anchor for Red to cling to while he gets sober, and he has to just admit defeat and properly deliver him back to his parents.

He explains the situation as best as he can to them, but they don't really trust or believe him, but he hands red over, says they don't have to tell him anything past this point, but for his own peace of mind he'd LIKE to know if Red starts doing better, and just leaves. (doing his best to ignore Red's crying for him and begging not to 'give him' to his parents because 'he belongs to him' and all that)

Which leads into Part 6 which is basically just a one scene epilogue

it's two years since then, the bull family hasn't been seen hide nor hair of excepting one or two sightings of bull clones buying groceries, and Red Son returns to the city, clean for long enough that he still has some questions and tests that need to be done. It's awkward, but Xiaotian agrees to whatever Red Son needs.

It's simple things, asking for Xiaotian's perspective on the whole event, if his Parents DID tell him how he'd been doing (they did not) and asking if he gets the memories of the clones when they destabilize (He does not)

And then ultimately- asks him to order him to do something. anything. Said firmly, said like he EXPECTS him to do it. So he can be SURE he can say no.

Xiaotian obliges, something simple like 'take off your glasses' which is immediately responded to with 'Fuck off Noodle Boy'

They're both pleased.

Red Son states his parents might try to take over the world again, and he'd probably supply them with tech, but he's not sure if he's ready to get back into the fights himself. it feels... wrong, still. That he's not THAT recovered yet. And perhaps when his therapist hears he sort of went rogue for this, he would be scolded for trying to rush the process, but...

there was one more thing he wants to know. Something he NEEDS to know for himself. Because if he doesn't know then he'll spend the rest of his life questioning it.

Xiaotian is about to ask what he means but Red Son rushes up to him-

and Kisses him.

Because he needs to know if that was real, or just another thing the clone did to him.

Admittedly i wanted the result to be ambiguous, Xiaotian pulls away and Red Son immediately fire teleports away, and we switch to his POV, and he's several buildings away, still watching Xiaotian as he looks around for him, looking worried. And Red Son takes a breath, and looks back in the direction he knows the club once was, and heads home with a smile.

the Last line being 'But now he Knew'

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia! What kind of fae do you think Gary would be? Alignment, status, species? True appetite, if Unseelie? (I'm guessing so, but maybe not!) Not necessarily within the main FT canon (I'm not after how he'd be affected by canon events, even if he should he exist at the same time) just in general for the fae verse :D

Hi anon!

I think he'd be Unseelie, but otherwise I don't know! There's so many different kinds of fae, and so many different statuses and tbh even my core characters have changed status, etc. and never been exactly the same each time.

As for his true appetite, I'm also not sure either. Like it's tempting to just make it something related to his job as a human, but that's not quite right, and besides, it would probably be something I'd have to with with. Also Gary from Underline the Black would be completely different as a fae compared to Gary from Falling Falling Stars.

I can't give you a one-size-fits-all answer, anon! I can't even do that within my own stories. :D

[touchtranscendslanguage]

I love your AU. I have a few questions and didn't want to clutter you're inbox so I'll just ask them here.

A seelie born to the unseelie court probably wouldn't survive, but how would it work if an unseelie was born to the seelie court? Could an unseelie be raised to be a generally good or at least decent person if given good enough parents? Or even despite bad ones? In terms of civilians would an unseelie raised by a seelie be under the jurisdiction of the seelie or unseelie court?

If Virgil were fae what season would he be? (Personality wise, we know he was born in Winter)

Welp, it took me forever to be in the right headspace to answer this, but here we finally are.

Okay, so, first off you'd be surprised how many seelie survive in the unseelie court. Unseelie are more complicated than that.

All unseelie are malicious towards humans, but seelie also like to mess with humans just in a less malevolent way. Fucking with humans is a pretty universally fae thing to do.

Being malicious towards other fae (whether seelie or unseelie) and monsters? Humans, seelie, and seelie monsters think of that as an unseelie trait. That's both correct and a stereotype. It's an unseelie gentry trait.

Gentry are more violent whether they are seelie or unseelie, though unseelie gentry tend to be more vicious and are more well known for it. It's partially inherent and partially learned behavior.

Common unseelie, on the other hand, aren't much different from common seelie if you ignore their attitude towards humans. Sure, the common unseelie aren't quite as loving and kind, but at the end of the day they're just people living everyday lives.

A common unseelie family would be more likely to give their seelie child up to adoption in the seelie kingdom than a seelie family would if the roles were reversed, but it's not uncommon for them to keep the seelie child and raise them. Now, this is much less likely to happen with gentry, but still possible.

A seelie who's lived their entire life in the unseelie kingdom is primarily an unseelie citizen with automatic secondary citizenship with the seelie kingdom. If they move to the seelie kingdom then their primary and secondary citizenships get reversed. If they move back to the unseelie kingdom, frequently travel between the two without setting roots down in either, or move to Earth then things get really complicated.

It is worth noting that a seelie born of unseelie gentry can't be gentry. Regardless, that almost never happens and when it does the seelie is usually given up for adoption.

As for your second question, an unseelie is never going to be like a seelie. They will always be inherently more violent and malicious. But as stated above, a common unseelie still isn't that different from a common seelie. Are there exceptions? Yes, of course. Sometimes you will find a particularly cruel common unseelie, but as a general rule of thumb, they're about the same (minus their reactions to humans). If a common seelie raised a common unseelie they could indeed be considered a "good person" by seelie standards, for the most part.

Unseelie gentry are another story entirely. There's only so much you can do there. The learned behavior can be changed by being raised differently, but their inherent ruthlessness will always be there. They'd fit in better with the Seelie gentry they were both to than common seelie, but seelie gentry are unlikely to keep an unseelie child.

Can they be raised to be generally good or at least a decent person despite bad parents? That's a good question. Allow me to direct your attention to Grand Prince Valliance of the Unseelie. As far as royal fae go, Valliance is actually a decent person. You can find more about him under the #unseelie tag.

If Virgil were fae he'd be a spring. He stuck with his family for so long partly out of loyalty towards his family. He survived with them so long because of hope. When he met Janus's family he immediately became attached to them. He can be very playful when he's in the mood. His story is centered around his new life and new beginning. Right now growth is kind of his thing.

[strangefellows]

Woo, @khoc-week Day 5! Light and Darkness. This one was difficult to come up with a drawing for, but even so, I know the answer~

Jas is...both, really. He'd never really cared much for the solid dichotomy between Light and Darkness; on his world, the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, while being 'summer' and 'winter' and therefore loosely similar to light and darkness, were the furthest thing from a good-evil split. Both extremes can be just as good or bad as the others. It's not really important to him, and it annoyed him to hear all the keykids and the foretellers going on and on about the light and the darkness.

He didn't really care so much, so he followed along with the Light stuff, but after escaping the Realm of Darkness, he's much more firmly in the middle road. Not that he minds; the middle road feels like it fits best. He tends to refer to it as 'autumn' over 'twilight' or anything like that; a habit from back home. He'd call it 'spring', but he leans a little more towards dark than light and he knows it. He's well aware he's rather morally ambiguous at best and never cared about the heroic aspect of being a Keybearer; it was and is a means to an end on finding his father, after all. The Keykid stuff was a stop on the road, is all. He'll fight alongside them, fight to save the worlds, but it's never really mattered to him in the same way.

Sometimes he feels a little ashamed of it, especially if he interacts with other Keykids that are far more Light aligned or firmly heroic -- see: Sora, probably -- but he's been assured that it doesn't matter why he fights against the bad guys; that he fights at all is the important thing. It's okay to have a selfish reason, so long as it's a strong one that pushes you forward and helps you find the right path.

[tetsunabouquet]

Heir To The Lands Chapter 31

When Things Go So Fast, One Can No Longer Keep Up Masterpost

At the mention of that wretched queen, a collective groan could be heard. "What is the bitch up to this time?" Jace asked his parabatai who looked him in the eye with apprehension. Alec took a deep breath before answering, "It seems she discovered Kit in England. She attacked him when the Carstairs-Grey household decided to visit the Blackthorns for the re-opening of Blackthorn Hall." Jace dropped his glass on the floor, and Clary lifted her feet before the rum could splatter onto her pants. "Are they alright?!" She asked. "Emma got injured but she has been recovering pretty well. Everyone else remained unscatched." Clary put her hand to her chest and breathed out deeply though she hoped Emma really was okay and wasn't just stubbornly acting fine. She could be like Jace in that way. "So now that the issues with the Unseelie Court have been resolved, it's the Seelie Court that has a problem with Kit?" Simon mumbled out loud, "do you have any idea what her next move is?" Alec looked at Magnus who had his lips tightly pursed before he cleared his throat. "I have gotten dreams again because of my father." The words were enough to have everyone's stomachs churn at the alcohol. "Do you think it's related to the Seelie Queen?" Isabelle asked perplexed, thinking not even the Seelie Queen could possibly be that mad. "Whilst we cannot say for certain, the fact Ash Morgenstern can open doors to other worlds remains and there was this phonecall from Ragnor earlier." Alec stated, looking Clary sympathetically in her eyes knowing it was difficult for her to hear about her nephew. "Ragnor called?" Simon asked, wondering what the green warlock had been up to after Shanghai. Magnus nodded, "like me, he could feel something was up. Apparantly he has been spying on a particular secret route to the Seelie Court in Germany for a while now. There seemed to be a particular whift of dark magic coming from the tunnel for a while now, and a few werewolves reported seeing a winged boy come out of it every once in a while." Clary sucked in a deep breath as Jace wrapped his arm around her shoulder. It seemed like the day she had been dreading was finally coming close, the day she would have to fight her nephew in the way she once did with her brother. "Which brings me to Ragnor's call. We already had been given a report from Tessa that Livvy's ghost snuck into Faerie and Jaime Rosales has been held captive for months. We have enough evidence to take public action against the Seelie Court. It seems Dru and undoubtedly Kit, Ty and Livvy have embarked on a rescue mission. We already sent a fire message to Tessa to ask if they were succesful before you guys arrived." The entire group was stunned. "Those Blackthorn kids seem to ask for as much trouble as we always have." Simon observed. Everyone could agree on that. "Now the final problem on my list, is that my office has been raided. All kinds of documents have been stolen, including my secret exchange with Manuel Villalobos." Isabelle reached for the bottle. "I think I need another drink before we get to figuring out our priorities."

At least it seemed they had some unexpected allies. As Lily Chen handed Janus the documents in a dark New York street and he promised he'd get Raphael to her before the next full moon, none of them were aware of the highly glamored warlock keeping an eye on them, watching their conversation. One highly trained to be able to fool even the most skilled of Downworld. As each of them left for their own seperate ways, the warlock sighed. Watching the vampire go with pitying eyes. "Well boss, it seems you were right. I never thought Chen would be such a fool." She shook her head, her long multi-colored hair slapping against the building she rested against. "I hope we can intercept the Herondale before he enters Faerie." She pulled out her phone and sent the emoji that would signal to the rest of her companions that action was about to start.

[soulsxng]

“Sivel,” Iomhar trailed off. “Why did you not tell me that you were stepping down as king?” It hurt to learn, yes. Why had Camhlaidh been the one that he had to learn such momentous news from? Was there some reason why Sivel hadn’t told him first? He’d called his lover to his home to discuss it, but now all he could do was stand on the other side of the sitting room, hurt, away from where Sivel had entered through the doors. Putting distance between them.

“That is the real reason behind why you took on students, is it not? I could understand you taking back the grimoire, because Leithe is here now and you do not know her well. But what have I done to earn this?”

He’d thought his worries that things weee changing between them was unfounded, but this revelation only fueled those sparks of worry into a blazing inferno. Because the fact of the matter was that Sivel seemed to have been planning this for some time, and yet the one he claimed he loved was not privy to those plans. Camhlaidh knew before he did.

@arcxnumvitae

When he arrived at Iomhar's home after sending Elidei and Khilu back to Vasyri, his beloved was already there, waiting for him. Rather than his usual excitement, however, Sivel was met with this instead. He could feel himself growing cold the moment Iomhar's words met his ears.

That quickly? He had only told Camhlaidh mere hours ago, and yet somehow word had already spread to Iomhar?

"I came here now because I was going to tell you. I had planned to tell you after the revel in Unseelie, but when I was unable to then, I had to wait. With Leithe around you so much, I did not want to risk her spreading it around before Vasyri was ready to deal with any consequences of word getting out, were she to have heard."

The words felt lackluster as they left his lips-- like he had only said them in some reflexive reaction to Iomhar's hurt. An excuse. True, but still an excuse. Even worse, but left unsaid, was that Sivel had been just as worried about Iomhar saying something about it before they were ready. Likely on accident, or because he was compelled to do so...which was exactly why the vasyrus hadn't said it. He didn't want to throw that incident in Iomhar's face.

Soft ears tuck tighter to Sivel's head, and he can feel his fingers curling into the fabric of his sleeves. He'd rather hold to Iomhar instead, but he can tell that the other is trying to keep space.

'What have I done to earn this?'

Sivel didn't have a response, and so again, all he could do was mumble out another excuse. Growing more and more self-conscious in both tone and appearance as he stood before the fae.

"...Nothing. You did nothing to earn it. It was what I felt I needed to do, to keep Vasyri safe until things were better in hand."

I am not the only one that has kept secrets. As if I have not tried to tell you before, only for her to have pulled you away.

His gaze lowers, and he tries his best to push the incessant thoughts away. He doesn't want to hurt Iomhar.

He is hardly the only one hurt here. What about me? I have been hurting, and yet nothing seems to change--

Sivel himself had been the one that assured Iomhar time and time again that he was alright. That he could handle this, so long as even a fraction of Iomhar was still his. He had overestimated himself; he should have known that all of this would be too much. But he hadn't wanted to lose Iomhar.

What have I done to earn this?

"I apologize...it was inconsiderate of me, I see that now. I should have made more of an effort to pull you aside-- you should have known before."