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lilacsandpetals · 1 year ago

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Frozen Blossoms Pt. 6

Last part here.

Next part here.

Bi-Han x F! Reader

Tags and notes: Arranged marriage AU, SFW (but some suggestive themes), exploring emotions, Pre-MK1/MK1 AU

Trigger Warnings: Kidnapping, blood, and mentions of violence.

Bi-Han had gotten far too used to you now.

Since that night when you washed his hair, the taste of your lips lingered on his. It’s as if you’d cast some spell on him. He sought you in quiet moments of the day when no one else was around but you and him. Exchanging discrete touches, stealing kisses, and nothing more.

He inched closer to you every night as you retired to bed. You opted to wake up earlier. A chaste kiss was shared before he departed in the morning, followed by a fervent one before bed each night.

Every day that went by brought you closer to him.

Yet it still left much to be desired. The longing for more of you was present, but it seemed all too difficult to proceed as he hoped. Something seemed to always pull you two apart. Whether it was you pulling away from a kiss far too soon for his liking or him being dragged away to serve Earthrealm. Or maybe on occasion, it was his own apprehension.

He did appreciate the kiss of goodbye you would gift him before he’d depart. Which these days, was more often than he preferred. But he tells himself that it’s not only for Earthrealm’s safety but yours as well.

And maintaining your safety was of the utmost importance to him. He’d strictly insist that you remain within the Lin Kuei’s walls, and when he did, he could see the disappointment in your eyes. Yet it was for your own good. He was sure that you were aware of the fact that your position was highly coveted. So slowly but surely, whispers and retaliation of your marriage clawed their way to the Lin Kuei. But he would not allow anyone from the surrounding clans to advocate or force your removal.

Still, they were becoming more of a nuisance than he had initially anticipated.

Many clans had approached the Grandmaster with offerings of their daughters for marriage; greedy and willing to sacrifice their kin as a bargaining chip in exchange for the Lin Kuei’s protection and loyalty. Although, what right did he have to think that way? His own father had so quickly arranged his marriage for the sake of greater resources for the clan’s advancement and well-being. He knew it was tradition, and he was nothing if not a product of his clan’s laws and heritage. But still, he wondered if his mother would have made him abide by such a standard.

Either way, when you had married there were already unhappy whispers dancing throughout the other clans. With tensions brewing he urged your instructors to intensify your training as time went on, just in case things went south. Other than the blatant conflicts they’ve had to shut down, he had instances where they’ve caught suspicious characters lurking nearby the Lin Kuei’s estate.

He wouldn’t worry you about all that. He’d manage that burden on his own.

Usually, he’d be eager to use the skills he has been taught. His bloodlust is greater than he’s let anyone take note of. But when it came to you, these conflicts concerned him. He found no pleasure in engaging in disputes that may put you at risk. It causes his heart to become anxious like he needs to wipe out any threat to you the second it arises.

That’s why he is always leaving you. Your time spent together has been cut short so often because he needs to take care of you in this way.

———————-

For now, he sits at the bedside, his body is tired, but he is eager to spend time in your company.

He glances at your flowers and gently plucks a petal off of one of them, he’d need to pick you new ones soon. These were clearly dead, yet he found it slightly endearing that you kept it around. One night he had seen you pluck some of the flowers off of their buds and place them into one of your books. He never cared for flower pressing, but he did find it somewhat gratifying that you’d preserve his gift in such a way.

His eyes then fall to the books. You had a decent stack of them resting at your bedside. You came off as an avid reader. When he’d return home from his work, he would find you engrossed with your novel more often than not. He wonders what type of books you like. He supposes that you wouldn’t mind him flipping through them.

Oh, how he wishes he hadn’t. You had a type of literature you were fond of and he’s not surprised. Most of the women he knew of had a preference for romance. However, he did not expect your novels to delve into such explicit situations.

What type of filth were you reading??

You often maintained such a monotone look while you read, so he never would assume you could be reading things of that nature.

He toyed at the collar around his neck. Were those actions what you desired of a man? Did you think of anyone while you read those novels? Have you already indulged in such actions with another? Or did you want to try them at all? He was right beside you when you read in the evenings. In his opinion, you had ample opportunity to initiate anything if you so desired. However, you two never went farther than a kiss. And it has been some time now since your first one. A slight feeling of unease settled within his chest. He could be the one to advance your relationship if he really wanted to.

What was holding him back?

The distinct sound of your footsteps approaching snap him out of his thoughts, so he clears his throat and sets the books back in place as if they were yet to be touched.

You rounded the corner with a smile on your face, as beautiful as always. “Husband, will you walk with me to the dining hall?”

He narrows his eyes slightly, “yes.” He gets up and steals one more glance at the books before he walks with you there. He maintains his regular demeanor. As you keep up the pace by his side, your hand slowly slips into his. He allows it and gently tightens his grip on your hand. You keep your eyes trained on the path ahead, but he can’t help stealing glances at you. Your hair was neatly tied back. A few strands always managed to escape but it felt fitting for you. The necklace he’d gotten you has taken up permanent residence on your neck, he knows you are wearing it before he even looks. The pin in your hair is simple, but he wonders if you’d want one to match your necklace. He’s sure he’d be able to find one with a jewel similar in color to that of your necklace.

———————-

Dinner went as per usual. These days your father-in-law would direct his conversation to his sons, leaving you a silent listener at the table. They spoke about their missions and their current affairs. As the matriarch-to-be, you should have been attentive to the conversation. But you often found yourself zoning out. You weren’t included in conversations of this nature that often outside the dinner table, so it made it difficult to engage properly.

But today was different. A calculated list of questions descended upon you. Inquiries on if you’ve been sleeping well and how many hours per night, how consistent you are with training, and if you’ve been eating properly.

You were confused for a moment, you appreciated the Grandmaster’s concern, but it felt nearly invasive. Still, you don’t think much of it until he speaks up once again.

“If all is well, I assume an heir will be conceived soon.”

You nearly choke on your food and begin to cough a bit. Tomas pushes your cup of water towards you. ‘So that was what all the questioning was about.’ You were not ready to have a child, not yet. And you were yet to even sleep with your husband. You seem frozen in place, not knowing how to respond. Thankfully your husband comes to your aid.

“We will inform you when the time comes, father.”

Bi-Han eyes you briefly and you look back down at your plate. That would be a different topic for you two to breach at a different time.

———————-

You’re off to bathe before bed. The warm water is soothing in the midst of the cold weather. Bi-Han is tempted to ask if he could join you. Yet he cannot find the words to do so. Matters of the heart have bested him far more than those of the battlefield. So he finds himself in his secondary place of pain and comfort of the training grounds. More training was beneficial. Unfortunately, he hadn’t anticipated Tomas or Kuai Liang to be present. They seemed more engaged in their conversation than the light sparring they partook in. What exactly were they talking about?

“Did you see his face?”

‘Who’s face?’ Bi-Han debates on whether or not he should ask, but before he is given the pleasure of deciding, Tomas spots him. “Bi-Han! Come practice with us.”

Bi-Han rolls his eyes, but he supposes the sparring partners would prove helpful. “What were you two talking about?” Tomas shoots Kuai Liang a certain look that Bi-Han takes notice of. “Well? Spit it out.” He snaps.

“It’s really nothing,” Tomas says sheepishly.

“We were just speaking on our future endeavors.” Kuai Liang remarks. He debates on whether or not he should cover up the subject of conversation, or if he should test his brother’s temper and be honest.

“As in?”

Kuai Liang throws some hand wraps to Bi-Han, which he snatches with ease. “Marriage and its aspects of love and responsibility.” Bi-Han nearly rolls his eyes. Both brothers assume a fighting stance. As per usual Bi-Han starts on the offensive, so he throws the first kick of the match, “Elaborate.”

“The same subject that father spoke about at dinner.” Kuai Liang responds with a punch that Bi-Han checks. He then shoves his brother slightly rougher than he meant to. ‘The subject spoken about at dinner?’ The sparring comes to an abrupt halt. “My wife?” he hisses.

Tomas promptly speaks up, “No! Just about the idea of having nieces and nephews soon.”

Bi-Han inhales sharply, and Tomas takes note, “I mean unless you haven’t been trying for a child yet?”

Kuai Liang shoots him a slightly amused look, and Bi-Han knows that face. It’s the same face that his younger brother would give him before he was about to spew utter nonsense. “You haven’t yet, have you?”

“Shut your mouths, you insolent fools.”

Tomas tries not to chuckle, “The more you avoid the question, the easier you make the assumption for us.”

“Neither of you is married, so do not act as if you could even comprehend such things.”

Kuai Liang respects his older brother, he really does, but right now he has to resist rolling his eyes.”Harumi and I are not married yet, but I think I’m capable of understanding such a topic.”

“You and Harumi have known each other since you were children, I met my bride rather recently. It is not the same ordeal, so don’t speak on it.”

Kuai Liang supposes his brother is correct. “You’re right in that I wouldn’t understand your exact situation. But you misinterpret my intentions.” He placed his hand on his older brother’s shoulder, “Don’t overthink it. Whenever it does happen, you’ll be fine. And I’m sure you’ll have offspring soon enough.”

Bi-Han will not voice it, but he hopes his brother is right.

———————-

Steam fills the room. You sink into the hot water and let out a pleasant sigh. Lately, you’ve had to increase the amount of time you spend training, and it is safe to say that your muscles still haven’t properly adjusted to the increased burden of it. Therefore, unwinding like this was greatly valued.

Whenever you were in this tub, you were reminded of your first kiss with your husband. The memory is still fresh in your mind and it causes heat to rush to your cheeks. He had looked stunning that evening with his hair down and his demeanor relaxed. Since then you were thankful that you had gotten close enough to exchange more kisses in private. Although neither of you breached the aspect of furthering your physical relationship. Yet you did find yourself desiring it more and more often these days. Thinking of his physique had caused your mind to wander further than you would have felt comfortable admitting.

And then it made you think of dinner earlier.

The process of producing a child did intrigue you, but the rest seemed nerve-wracking. Pregnancy was something you knew you’d have to endure sooner or later. It excited you but scared you all the same. And then the thought of raising a child in this strict environment worried you.

But those were problems that you would address later. For now, you’d relax, and ponder the possibilities of what may have happened if you hadn’t retired to bed so quickly after your first kiss that night.

———————-

Bi-Han eventually returned to your shared quarters. You were adorned in a silk robe, relaxing in the bed, book in hand. Your eyebrows were furrowed as your eyes rapidly scanned the words on the pages. You bit your lip briefly before a small smile emerged on your face. He wonders what about the novel could have you so engrossed; was it on the same topic he had seen earlier today?

He clears his throat and you look up, then briefly down at your book again before you shut it. Your eyes lift to meet his, “welcome back”

He cracks a small smile as he walks over to his side of the bed. “You say that as if I’ve been gone for a long time.”

“It felt long to me,” you tease and lean closer to him. Your book is still enclosed in your hand and Bi-Han can’t help but glance at the novel. “What were you reading?”

“Oh, this?” You hold up the book a bit higher and he gives you a little nod. “It’s a romance.”

You then stand up and motion to the stack at your bedside. “The majority are romance novels. I’ve read through a lot of them.”

You set the book in your hand down gently. “Speaking of which, I want to go get more.”

He raises an eyebrow, “More books? Why?”

‘What does he mean, why?’ You think and cross your arms rather confused, “why not?”

“Do you need them?”

“I find them enjoyable, isn’t that reason enough?”

“Can’t you find enjoyment in other things?”

You scoff and lay a hand on your hip. “I know you’re often preoccupied but the home we live in is catered to the strict nature of your clan. There are not many means of enjoyment here. My days are busy and I like to read to unwind.”

“There’s other ways to unwind.” He responds, almost in a tone that merges desire with that hesitant spite, and it only confuses you more. You step closer, “If you don’t accompany me I will go on my own.”

“You will not.”

Now you are getting annoyed. “And who’s going to stop me?”

Bi-Han clenches his jaw and steps forward, he holds your hand, “I will. You are not allowed to leave on your own.” It wasn’t safe, you’d become an object of envy for other clans. He was not going to let you out on your own.

You fight the urge to roll your eyes, you went out on your own accord when you had lived with your family prior to the marriage. You went out during the Mid Autumn Festival. So what was the problem now? To be frank, it was getting a bit tiring. Living out a similar schedule every day, seeing the same locations on the daily.

Before your husband can say anything else you come up with another retort, “Okay, if I’m not allowed to go alone I’m sure Kuai Liang or Tomas will come with me.”

“No, not happening.” He snaps. Were you purposely trying to get on his nerves? The unamused look on your face clearly told him you would not be backing down. “If you desire to go that badly. Then I’ll take you.”

———————-

Bi-Han kept his word the next day.

It was nice to get back into the village, a much-needed change of pace from the confining walls of the Lin Kuei.

You had dragged your husband along to various shops—mostly window shopping. But you eventually made it to the shop that sold the novels you had a preference for. The shop itself was quaint, and the books were located in the back corner. You make your way there and skim the shelves, with your husband following close behind, His shadow looms over you as he tries to steal glances of the books you pluck off the shelf. You can feel how close he is so you turn around, handing him the book you have in hand. “You seem slightly interested.”

He takes the book and glances at the cover, “I assume it’s a romance.”

“Of course, it’s a genre I like. Oh and don’t put that back, I want to buy it.”

Bi-Han flips through the pages. It appeared to follow the course of the other books you had at home.

Maybe he’d sneak a look at the book when you were preoccupied again. If you found the actions done in the novel so enticing, maybe he could use that knowledge to his advantage. Or rather, the overall advantage of your marriage.

He continues to follow you around the shop and ends up buying the books you picked out. As you exit the shop and make your way onto the street you see Bi-Han staring at a small establishment. It was a tad far and on the other side of the road.

“What is it?”

“Nothing. Just stay here. I’ll be right back.”

You oblige and as you squint your eyes, you notice it’s a jewelry shop of some kind. You try not to ponder, but you wonder if he was buying something for you.

So you wait on the side of the street, pacing back and forth a bit while you wait.

But something is wrong, bit by bit, the smell of smoke starts to become apparent. At first, you consider it nothing. Perhaps a nearby eatery had burned their food or something of that nature.

Then your stomach drops as you turn. Without warning, black smoke erupts into the air, and hot flames lick at your surroundings. Screams and shrieks of civilians ring in your ear as you attempt to make sense of what is happening.

You need to get out of here. Where is Bi-Han?

Your eyes quickly scan from side to side. The heat of the flames are becoming more and more apparent as your skin starts to sweat. It’s getting harder to breathe. Your sense of direction is skewed.

You need to find your husband.

But you can’t.

It all happens too fast. You don’t know when the unfamiliar hands grabbed you, and you don’t register how quickly the cloth covers your mouth and nose. You only realize you’re beginning to lose consciousness when it’s too late.

———————-

Your eyes can barely open. There’s a heinous pounding in your head accompanied by stinging pain around your ankles and wrists. You realize you’ve been bound there by a rope that scrapes against your skin every time you move, leaving it red and on the brink of breaking.

You’re unable to speak due to a cloth covering your mouth. You try to remain calm, but that’s easier said than done. Tears stream down your face and you attempt to regulate your breathing. You remind yourself that the more you panic, the harder this will be.

How long have you been here? The last thing you’re able to remember is being ambushed by men you didn’t know. With a thick cloth serving as a blindfold and being in what you assumed was a darker environment, there were limited ways to estimate the passage of time.

It suddenly hits you. The fire must have been a diversion.

You knew something was wrong. Between Bi-Han being more protective, the rise in clan conflicts, and the sudden increase in training, you should have deducted that something was off.

This would not have happened if you paid attention more or if you trained more. Maybe you would’ve been able to defend yourself and make it to Bi-Han in time. You knew risks came with your new status, why didn’t you take that into account more?

You never thought it would affect you so directly, that you’d become a hostage. And worse yet, you didn’t know what these men intended to do. What if they meant to kill you? You would never get to say goodbye to your family back home. You would not get to say goodbye to Bi-Han. You wished you spent more time with him. You can feel yourself shaking, but attempt to take a few deep breaths.

You try to snap out of it. You have to be calm. Worrying would do you no good now.

Your husband wouldn’t leave you like this, would he? He was a capable man. You know he wouldn’t just forget about you.

You will be fine. All you have to do is remain steadfast in your trust towards your husband.

And so as time slowly passes, your breathing returns to a normal rate, and the tears do not stop, but they slow down. You lay your head against the concrete wall. Your mind runs over the same thought again and again. That BI-Han would rescue you, you just needed to be patient.

You don’t know how long it has been, but you’ve remained practically still.

The sound of a heavy door creaking open gets your attention.

“She’s here!”

Your heart pounds as you hear two familiar voices within ear’s reach. ‘Kuai Liang and Tomas.’

“Is she hurt?”

“I think so.”

Both of them come to your aid, first removing your blindfold. Your eyes try to adjust to your surroundings and the visual confirmation that your new family is present eases the tension a bit. Tears of relief leave you as they remove the cloth from your mouth. “Thank you.” You mumble. Drool pools at the side of your lips when you speak. Between that and the tears you briefly think of how much of a mess you might look like now. But the thought leaves as fast as it comes. Kuai Liang undoes the binding on your ankles, while Tomas tends to your wrists. It hurts, and you notice your left wrist has begun to bleed. Your lip begins to quiver and Tomas hastily wraps a cloth around it. “Don’t worry, the rope didn’t cut that deep, this cloth should do until we get back home.”

“And don’t worry Y/N, you’ll be home soon,” Kuai Liang remarks in as comforting a tone that he can muster up right now. But you catch the concerned looks that the brothers exchange.

You try to crack a smile, to show your appreciation at their attempts to make you feel better. But it’s difficult right now.

Where was your husband?

As if on cue, Bi-Han practically breaks down the door as he enters the room. “They’re all dead but one, I left him alive to question.” His tone of voice is harsh, practically lethal.

You’ve never seen him like this.

Blood paints his face and clothing. He is breathing heavily and you can vaguely hear it through his mask. His eyebrows are furrowed and his eyes have never appeared so cold. There’s a blood-soaked dagger in his hand. You can see it’s made of ice and he tosses it to the side before running towards you. His mask covers the lower half of his face, but his eyes have always been expressive, and you can see the hardened look in his eyes slightly soften. He bends down to your level, taking your ankle in his hand gently before you feel his arms wrap around you. He lifts you bridal-style.

Exhaustion has overtaken you. The blood on his clothing concerns you, but it doesn't seem like it belongs to Bi-Han. Some of the blood gets on your cheek when you lay your head against his chest. You can faintly hear his heart beating frantically although he doesn’t show it. He carefully wipes a lone tear that cascades down your cheek.

You want to thank him for saving you, you want to apologize for allowing yourself to be kidnapped. You want to scream and cry, and you want him to wipe away all the tears that threaten to spill over. But it feels as if no matter how many times your mouth opens, no words come out. That no matter how badly you want to move, your body is frozen in place. He carries you out and you close your eyes.

He doesn’t say anything, and neither do you.

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Thanks for reading 💙

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Some of the tags aren't working

#mk1 #mortal kombat 1 #bi han x reader #bi han mk #bi han sub zero #bi han x you #bi han fanfic #I hope I caught all the typos

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bihansthot · 3 months ago

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Hey! Hope you’re doing well! Can I request dilf!Bi-Han x shy!fem!reader headcanons? Thank you for noticing ❤️

Oh Bi-Han is a menace to a shy reader, he absolutely loves making you blush.

Single father Bi-Han x shy!fem!reader

Bi-Han notices your shyness right away and can’t help but exploit it because he thinks your blushing is cute.

He’s always been a bit of a playboy and that hasn’t changed much even after becoming a father, his kids are his whole world though so he doesn’t get out as much as he used to.

The two of you meet at the market in the village at the base of the Lin Kuei Temple, he’s there shopping with his kids when his youngest daughter suddenly hands you a random flower.

You’re enchanted by her adorable uneven pigtails and unusual bright blue eyes that sparkle at you as she exclaims “pwetty!”.

You blush a deep red and happily accept the present as you hear a deep voice, “Bingbing what are you doing?” You look up at him and your jaw drops you’ve never met such a handsome man before, your heart feels like it’s beating out of your chest. You manage to find your voice, “is this your daughter? She looks just like you.”

Bi-Han is immediately aware of your shyness, your shaky voice and lack of eye contact a dead give away. He confidently strikes up a conversation and eventually invites you out on a date.

He’s relentless on the date, showering you with compliments with his effortless confidence each word deepening your blush making you shake your leg with an increasing giddy unease.

After the two of you have been seeing each other for a while he finds more ways to try and coax away your shy nature with bold and brazen shows of affection.

He’ll come up behind you and blow his frigid breath along your neck before placing cold kisses along the expanse of skin. You yelp and shiver and try to push him away, it’s so much worse when he does it in public. You always scold him the best you can but end up giving into his incessant advances.

He knows your boundaries though and never pushes things past your comfort zone but he keeps you on your toes.

He does his best to reassure you and make you comfortable when he isn’t teasing you, he’s never malicious he just loves to see your shy blushing face.

#mortal kombat #bi han #sub zero #mk #bi han x reader #bi han x you #bi han x f!reader #dilf!bi han #shy!reader #mk headcanons #mk imagine #sol writes

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popawritter12 · 11 months ago

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Yandere! Lin Kuei clan x Fem! Reader

Author's Notes: GUYS I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY EVERYONE LOVES BI-HAN (Yes, probably because he has terrible tits- BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT). I think that he is bitter from start to finish but IDK there are colors for tastes.

Also, this one-shots is from a Wattpad request

(Don't let my favoritism towards Tomas be noticed jsadhjasfa <;3)

Yandere Characters: Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, Tomas Vrbada, (mention of Sektor and Bi-han, Kuai Liang and Tomas's father)

From the video game/manga/anime/series/movie: Mortal Kombat 1 (World of "the new age" as I investigated)

Case: Confinement, forced adoption, unhealthy obsession, extremely strange "family" relationships.

Warnings: NO, SUB-ZERO'S FATHER AND DOES NOT WANT TO FUCK THE PROTAGONIST, HE WAS OBSESSED WITH HAVING HER AS A DAUGHTER (I'll clarify just in case)

Finished: Yes

You still had vague memories of the last time you were free, or the last time you were with your mother. For many nights the question of your mother's whereabouts echoed in your head. However, it wasn't that long before your father's disappearance knocked on your door.

In the middle of the night, a group of warriors from the Lin Kuei clan found your dying father, who only had one last wish; Let the men who found him take care of his little daughter.

He didn't know them, he didn't even know their names, but something in his heart pumped in such a way that it only announced his time, and only "Protect my daughter" came out of his mouth.

He didn't even know why he said it, but in his heart there was only the desire to protect that little girl that he adored so much.

The warriors who were in charge of burying your father had to notify you of your existence, and the existence of a now orphaned girl generated some curiosity in several warriors.

And when the leader of that generation of warriors learned who the man who had died was, he only generated some surprise and anger.

It is there that, after asking the universe so much and mainly asking himself what he should do, he decided to call a clan meeting.

In the midst of all the doubts about why the leader called all the Lin Kuei, there was only one sentence which unleashed the beginning of chaos.

—One of my best friends, one of the people I loved most in my life, died in the hands of some thieves —The man began —, and his daughter, (Name) (Last name), is lost in the middle of the crowd, in "A town not far from here." The man looked up, the crowd realizing the seriousness in his words. His last wish, as the father of a little girl, and of a warrior who once belonged to this clan, is that we take care of his first-born daughter.

All the men and women present noticed that, amidst all the façade of concern for a friend's last will, they noticed that there was a hint of insecurity behind his words. It was a sensation that generated some intrigue as to who this young woman was.

—I strongly request that you investigate her whereabouts, and bring her to be part of the Lin Kuei from now on.

The chaos had begun, and the woman behind the mirror only longed for one thing from the bottom of her soul; May she find an escape from the chaos that was to come.

Even Liu Kang himself had a bad feeling, which heralded a change in the most powerful clan in the entire land. A change which began a breakdown in the clan's principles.

The dawn marked her presence in an imposing manner with its tormenting solar rays, while the crowing of the roosters echoed in all the nearby fields, a harmonious song that seemed to strain their vocal cords just to cause such a noise. And it was a noise that was as annoying as cutting onions.

The glass of the window collided with the first rays of the sun, and the temperature of the room began to rise where the solar lights shine. And just as those lights collided with the fabrics covering the young woman's body, a grunt of protest came from her, her body moving off the mattress, the friction making soft noises throughout the room as she felt the cold of the dark wood against her. the transparent fabrics.

Even with the discomfort of the floor, her heavy, closed eyelids refused to move even an inch, and her muscles only relaxed against the coldness of the wood.

Three soft knocks against the wood sounded from the other side, while the young woman only pressed her face against her wrinkled pillow.

—(Name), Are you awake?

She pretended not to know anything, and her head was cradled against the soft, cotton-filled fabric. Her fingers approached the fabric that covered the rest of her body, and her nails dug against the loom, only dragging to cover a part of her jaw and leave the soles of her feet. in the air.

—(Name), I'm going to pass.

The screech of wood opening and old metal moving invaded the woman's ears, generating a certain tremor in her eardrums. But even then, pr

He continued without separating his eyelids.

The man moved quietly, the softness of his steps at the same time as he tried not to move too much to the bed. The soft aroma of the lavender scented sheets and the sound of the leaves moving to the sound of the wind, gently colliding against the wood of the house. With each step, he just tried to see throughout the room some trace of disorder, but he was all pretty well done to make a complaint.

Since the girl took charge of issuing a complaint when she felt how her only free hand was suppressed against the ground.

The man took several steps back, now giving more firmness to his posture in his final retreat.

—What the hell is wrong with you?!

The brown-haired man's gaze lowered gently, noticing how a figure emerged from the ground, barely lifting his body. A sudden movement of the woman's wrist was heard as more moans came from her lips.

—That hurts… —she whispered with her voice barely high-pitched.

The man noticed the mistake he had made in taking steps, and only gasped angrily, lowering his shoulders along with the tension in his body.

—Are you sleeping on the floor again?!

—Stepping on my hand again, Liang?!

The two exchanged glances after a few seconds, a stinging pain spreading tension and burning through the skin and muscles of her injured limb.

—How many times do I have to tell you that you shouldn't sleep on the floor? —The man in yellowish clothes complained —, it's not healthy, and you leave everything lying around as soon as you get up.

—Yes, yes, yes… Whatever you say —The woman clicked her tongue, —, not even your dad was so complaining about me sleeping on the floor.

The man rolled his eyes, before kneeling on his feet. His gaze was fixed on the injured skin, and the circular movement that (Last Name) exerted with her wrist, trying to keep her body from focusing on the stinging burning in her hand. A somewhat heavy sigh left him, before her hand took his hand, her fingers taking gentle walks over her skin.

—It hurts?

A question so stupid but so loaded with worry that he asked her between nausea and wanting to jizz in her face, but he just shook his head, taking her wrist now. The man, even with his muscular build, allowed himself to be manipulated by the woman's soft movements.

—Yes, you idiot —she joked, before releasing the wrist of the man in front of her —, but I just need an ointment to calm the pain."

The look of doubt on her face didn't leave her grimace, but she just accepted her hasty excuse.

—Why did you come so early? —The woman asked, before taking the pillow and placing it on the mattress again.

Liang wasn't specifically someone who liked to interrupt people, especially her, so the few times he did, it wasn't especially for pleasure.

—Things happened, —he whispered, before moving from her position to get back up. —Can you go to the living room? Tomas wanted to tell you something.

The woman's face scrunched up a little, confused as to why the gray-haired man wanted to talk to her, but she assumed it was some kind of warning or something.

—Alright.

She gave gentle tugs on her muscles before moving her feet to stand up. The woman looked quite overwhelmed by the lights coming from her window, but she just ran her palms across her eyes, her back leaning back solely to stretch her lower back muscles.

It had been some time since the war, and she heard only prattle of the events of the great war that had been fought between this world and others. For some reason, a deja vu passed through (Name)'s mind after hearing what happened during those fights, as if in her soul, she knew something about the events of the war.

However, she just shook her head. The grimace on her face changed to a gentle smile as she greeted some newcomers from the clan, while her rigid body became accustomed to moving around the large place that until that day you dared to call home.

And at one point, she ran into someone particularly well-known, mostly because of her distinctive hair color. She smiled, giving a gentle click of her tongue against her teeth as her steps quickened a little, but maintained a certain stealth.

(Name), being close enough to the man —Particularly a couple of centimeters from his body, or rather her back—, she almost jumped on top of him, wrapping her arms around the edge of the waist of her. A soft gasp came from the man, his body generating some tension as he felt her hands so close to the gray garments, gently squeezing the fabric against his skin.

The man smiled after realizing who had made such a 'deadly attack', and her shoulders released their tension after a few seconds.

—Hello, (Name) —The man greeted.

The woman smiled, before walking away from him.

—How have you been, Tomás? —The woman asked, now located next to him.

—I'm better than I expected, luckily, —he replied, his gaze escaping to rom where he was looking to admire the girl next to him.

The two exchanged words, a conventional conversation typical of two people who had known each other for years that resembled a sibling relationship more than anything else. However, that was the thought the woman had about how they both looked in the eyes of other people.

He told her what the end of the war was like, and the "extra jobs" that both he and his brother did after said event. Even as boring as what he explained to her was, you just nodded silently while he continued talking to her.

But, to (Name)'s surprise, the people that she previously found everywhere around the house began to leave, or rather, began to stop appearing in her circle of vision, but the woman was not very focused.

It wasn't long before they arrived at a vast place full of plants and flowers, the bright colors spread harmoniously throughout the place, with a table in the middle of the grass. From the warmest colors to the coldest and dullest adorned the place, while the metal table and chairs of the same material with a spongy padding on the part where the weight of the body rested.

It was a special place for her, being one of the few outdoor places that she could access without having to ask the grandmaster for permission, and one where she hung out the most with your best clan friends.

When you sat down, Tomas sat next to her, his words pausing for a second as both of them gazed at the soft colors that adorned the garden.

—(Name) —He called you.

—Yeah?

—There's something I've wanted to tell you for a while —the man said, —, it's something I wanted to tell you but I never found the words to say it correctly.

—Well, that's new. —She leans back gently against the chair —, so, tell me.

—It's… complicated, you know? After so long of us being friends.

Her words seemed to take a very obvious direction, but the young woman did not seem very excited, just curious about what her best friend wanted to tell her.

—It sounds like something important, may I know what it is?

But there was no response, and not specifically because Smoke wanted it that way.

—Smoke! —A scream was heard in the distance.

Both of them looked at who called the man near them, turning out to be the young man that you and Smoke had known for a long time, but never as well as Smoke or Bi-Han, or his brother.

—Sector? —Smoke asks, intrigued —what's going on?

He stands up from the chair, moving to stand in front of she. She didn't notice it because she only saw his back, but there was a serious grimace on his face, knowing that a bad event was approaching.

—I need to talk with you.

His brow furrowed, as that feeling in his head that something bad was about to happen grew like a graph rising exponentially. The gray-haired man asked her to go to her room, which confused her, after all, why did she need to get away from someone she knew as well as Sektor?

She shook her head, her eyes closing for a moment before she snapped back to reality, and decided to get up. Obeying the request—although it was more like an order—from her best friend, she couldn't even say goodbye to Sektor, because the tension in the air didn't allow it.

She left the garden, getting away from everything to be able to access her inner thoughts, which you always kept locked in her room. In her face, which was always that of someone carefree, dropped to a thoughtful grimace; It had been several weeks since she stopped seeing Bi-Han, and both Liang and Smoke refused to talk to her about him, dodging your question almost in an Olympic manner.

You shook your head, trying not to go overboard with her thoughts, so as to vent the darkness of her soul on pages full of ink in Morse code. However, when she opened the door, she was surprised that someone was already waiting for her.

With his characteristic bluish clothes accompanied by his hair tied up and a permanently serious face in any situation —which he did not let her see because he had his back to you—, she saw him, the man from whom she heared so much expected even to know his whereabouts.

—"It is then that, by mere self-awareness, I notice that nothing is the same. For a long time I mistakenly thought that they were only kind to me, but inside me, very buried deep in my soul, I knew that the lie was extensive, a which had invaded my life and brought me to a point of no return, now I ask myself, over and over again, what can I do to escape them?"

A noise of piles of pages suddenly colliding with others in a book is heard. It is then that he extends that dusty book into your range of vision, allowing you to see where he had gotten those words from.

—I always figured you weren't as dumb as the former grandmaster led us to believe, —Bi-Han explained, his serious voice sounding surprisingly relaxed —after all, you were going to be my wife one day.

The woman shook her head, her jaw rubbing against her bottom and top teeth.

—My father taught me that I should get a woman who had a lot of intelligence, one who could help me and that I would give her the same help in return —He began his explanation—, and when he picked you up from that house, I thought you were going to be that woman.

He got up from the ground, while (Name) stepped back, but the moment she wanted to open the door and leave, she realized that it was closed, and locked. When trying to push against the door, someone responded by exerting much more pressure against the wood to prevent it from being opened.

—But, I was unpleasantly surprised that he didn't want you for that —The man threw her book on the bed —, he wanted you for himself, he wanted you to be his perfect daughter, the girl who was destined for a life of her own. , or rather, to a life with him.

She shook her head again and again, her gaze dropping to the ground, fixating on the remains of destroyed metal on the ground in front of the window.

—He wanted you for himself, he wanted you to be just his daughter until the end of his life, and that when he died, you would be left alone, taking care of this place as if it were yours —The man gritted his teeth —, and he became obsessed with the idea that you really were his blood daughter.

The woman's heart palpitations were such that it seemed like it was threatening to break the bones in her chest, she felt as if the air did not seem to reach completely into her lungs, as if it had stopped in the middle of the breath. veins of her.

—Kuai Liang and Smoke believed the same thing, that you were destined to give them orders, and they took care of you in a cradle of gold —He continued, now taking slow but forceful steps towards her —, you grew up away from the world, and they taught you what was necessary to that you could do everything from here.

She shook her head, her hands going to her ears, applying pressure, as if she wanted not to hear the reality behind the man's words, however, he took the woman's hands, easily forcing them to stay in her ears. shoulders.

—And Liang and Smoke became obsessed with the idea that you were weak, that you needed protection, that you were destined to lead from this damn room while they risked their lives for you—He press her hands against the wall—but I know better than that. You deserve so much more than that, someone like you needs much more than these four walls.

Her cries of denial echoed through the room, a wish that someone would magically appear and save her from Bi-Han's words. But she knew it was reality, that she couldn't deny the fact that she was like a bird in a cage full of harmless traps to keep it locked there.

—I will give you the life you deserve, and I will not let either of these two interfere in our destiny —He brought her face closer to her neck, pressing gently—. I am not alone, both Sektor and other Lin Kuei know what your destiny is, and they are willing to do everything to make it come true.

The poor woman sobbed, her arms too weak to fight someone as big as him.

But then, an explosion of smoke covered the place, while both of them heard the door being torn out. One arm took hold of her waist, taking hold of her body and stepping back with her in her arms.

—I knew they were up to something, —Liang whispered, before setting her down again —. Don't you understand that this is not right?

Smoke took her into her arms, pressing her face against her neck, while her hands clung to her body.

—You speak as if you know what she wants, —Bi-han replies, leaving the room —. Do you really think that someone like her deserves to be locked up in this place forever?

—Shut up now!.

It was the first time in a long time since she had heard Kuai Liang respond with such aggression, and in fact, she had never heard him speak with such expressions of anger.

—You don't know her, you just made yourself sick with the idea that she deserved to be by your side —Liang says, taking the blade out of his pocket —You already betrayed all of our father's will, what do you think gives you the right to also kidnap our future leader?

It was strange to hear him use that word, being that the idea that she was secretly in charge of keeping the clan alive in the new generations, but now that that idea had become a reality, she just wished it was a lie, an ugly one and horrendous lie.

Smoke walked away from the fight, carrying (Name) in his arms to safety place.

She knew the truth, she knew she had to take a path, one that was always going to be linked to obsession, and a sick feeling of horror invaded her chest at the idea that, wherever she went, it would always be the same.

Sorry if it took me too long, I was working on some headcanons that I had pending on Tumblr, soon there will be more one-shots and headcanons <3

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izzabela · 7 months ago

Note

Hi there! Can you write about the female reader being adopted into the Lin Kuei family (similar to Tomas) and was raised along the Lin Kuei trio, Kuai Liang develops romantic feelings for the reader but doesn't know and understand those feelings until years later Kuai Liang overhears one of the earthrealm's champions trying to ask the reader on a date?

Set My Heart Ablaze - Kuai Liang x fem!reader

in which Kuai Liang finally understands the slight ache in his chest every time he sees you

a/n: i love the premise, but i'm tweaking it a bit since adopted siblings are a grey area

ship[s]: kuai liang x fem!reader

warning(s): story deviation?

i seriously would not mind being in between him and bi han

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

Before the first signs of his fire powers manifested, Kuai Liang always noted the odd feeling in his chest whenever he saw you.

First meeting as children, probably no more than five years old, Kuai Liang always felt that little beat in his chest. You and Kuai Liang became fast friends, practically inseparable as your childhood played out.

From doing little play-spars, to eating, napping, and playing, you two were always together doing something.

Kuai Liang remembers him telling Bi Han and his father about the "weird feeling" in his chest. His father told him it was him playing too hard, while Bi Han teased him for liking a girl. Heck, even Harumi, when she was able to visit, would always ask him about his "new friend".

Of course, when Tomas was adopted, you and Kuai Liang integrated him to create the trio of mischief. At that time, he wasn't fluent in the language, but Kuai Liang mentally sighed as he realized even he looked between you and him like he liked you.

As you and Kuai Liang grew up, you two grew closer. From little kids who'd chase each other around one another's homes, you guys had become teenagers who would train with one another. More changes came along with the passage of time: his powers had come to him, your own magic came as well, learning the ways of both your clans, more responsibilities, training.

Not to mention puberty.

Though both of you still rather young, it was clear to Kuai Liang that you were going to flourish into something beautiful. Your body was experiencing changes, like how you grew taller. Your eyes began to sparkle a little more, and the air around you seemed... softer.

Over all, you just grew more pretty in Kuai Liang's eyes, and that same feeling in his chest kept clawing at him.

To keep himself focused, he came to the conclusion that this feeling was a side effect to his pyro powers. In order to master them, he needed to truly focus- and that meant isolation until he could get it right. As he honed his powers during that time, Kuai Liang noted that the thumping went away. Maybe he got it right, until you sent him a letter.

The rhythmic feeling came back, this time doubled its speed. He had to get it checked by the mages in the palace, but they concluded no magic resided in the ink or parchment. It was strange, and it kept Kuai Liang's mind muddled with thoughts and what-ifs. When he confided to his family about it, it was a mixed bag of reactions.

"Your magic is reactive, so cease any feelings not related to mastering your magic," Bi Han scolded him. Tomas was a bit kinder, though.

"Perhaps you need rest, your magic is a lot harder to control."

That was but many years ago. Now, here you were, with him and his brothers watching you spar Raiden as part of a joint training session pushed by Lord Liu Kang. In the many centuries he had been doing this, he had called upon your clan to role-play Empress Sindel's daughters in spars.

This time would be no different.

Kuai Liang watched as you held deadly metal fans in your hands. You stood against Kung Lao, who also bore a deadly weapon as part of everyday use. He watched as you circled one another, before Kung Lao practically pounced at you.

You moved like water, fluid as you dodged everything he threw at you. You were practically dancing as you parried his attacks, blocked, or threw your own arms and legs at him. He was lost in a trance at you impeccable skills, awed by your talent, and stumped by your undeniable beauty as you downed the farm boy.

Kung Lao was flat on his back on the ground. His head was pinned between the dagger-fans, and his hat was in your hands and against his neck. No, you weren't cutting him, simply cornering him until he conceded- which he finally did after a groan and a hefty sigh.

Kuai Liang's chest had been going at it all day, but the sight of you helping Kung Lao up with the same face you always gave him made his chest squeeze tighter than ever. He tried to keep the knotting feeling at bay, but it was too much for him. So much for fire magic mastery.

His hand is on Bi Han's shoulder, gripping it tightly as he doubles over and begins to heave for air. It's constricting, like someone keeping him in a chokehold in the air. It's so bad that everyone begins to look over at them, including you.

"Are you alright, brother?" He asks with a hint of worry in his gravely voice.

Kuai Liang shakes his head, "I am fine, just the magic." Bi Han is skeptical, but he accepts it.

Tomas's anxiety is more evident in his voice. "Are you ill? Do you need to head to the infirmary?"

Kuai Liang tries to answer again, but his eyes accidentally catch the concern in yours. You approach him slowly, like one does a frightened animal, but he just turns away and leans on Tomas to take him up on his offer.

"Brother, we are taking our leave," Tomas announces. You're shocked at how quickly Kuai Liang rejects you, but you bow to them in respect as you watch Tomas carry a limping Kuai Liang with a worried Bi Han trailing behind them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kuai Liang wakes up to a mixture of hushed whispers from within and outside the infirmary. He blinks the blurriness from his eyes, and he sits up to be met with his brothers at the bedside.

"Agh," he groans, holding his head. Bi Han just tuts his tongue, getting up from his seat to get some stuff. Tomas smiles in relief, sighing as he gets closer.

"Oh thank goodness you're awake!" he says happily. "You crashed right before we entered the infirmary, and you began to overheat to the point I almost burned."

Kuai liang chuckles nervously. "Apologies, brother. Are you alright?" Tomas just nods, and Bi Han comes in with his own words.

"If it weren't for me, Tomas would have been on a bed as well." Bi Han sits back down on the bedside chair, dipping the rag in cold water and slapping it (yes, slapping it) on Kuai Liang's forehead. He sighs at the coolness, sinking back into bed once more.

He's relaxed, sitting in the comfortable silence of his brothers, but he picks up on a couple of voices outside the infirmary. There's a window right above his bed, and it's cracked just enough for him to hear the conversation outside.

It seems Tomas and Bi Han notice his behavior as well, vigilantly watching Kuai Liang's expressions as the wind carries the voices.

"Not everyone who smiles at you is in love, Johnny," a semi-deep voice scolds. "Besides, when will we possibly have free time for you to take her anywhere?"

Kuai Liang's eyebrows go up ever so slightly, but he keeps his breathing steady to make sure his chest doesn't beat him into a stupor.

"Come on, Ken doll," Johnny says, "We could just eat privately from everyone else during lunch! All I gotta do is ask."

Kuai Liang is nervous, especially since he thinks he knows where the conversation is going, but he doesn't want any emotions to take over until he gets the bigger picture.

He hears your name coming from a youthfully arrogant voice, and that's when everything becomes clear.

"She is too good for you," Kung Lao interjects. "If she is anything like a clan leader, she will reject you on the spot."

Johnny scoffs, "That's why we call it 'shooting your shot', but you wouldn't know since I'm the one who'll do it first, Razor-rang."

Kuai Liang shuts the window with a harsh thud, but it doesn't filter out the fight between Kung Lao and Johnny over you. He closes his eyes and tries to control his breathing that gets more haggard every second. One hand over his heart and another on his head, he's hyperventilating as the thudding in his chest grows more and more incessant.

"B-Brother?" Tomas stutters as he removes the blankets over him, "Kuai Liang, talk to us!"

Bi Han's palms are immediately hovering over his body, emitting a bit of frost and snow to try and cool him down. There's a burning smell that comes from Kuai Liang, and the sweat coming from his body only adding more fuel to the fire (haha punny).

It isn't until Bi Han literally freezes a part of Kuai Liang's arm that he snaps out of his fiery episode.

"Kuai Liang! What in the realms!" Bi Han scolds as he sits his brother up against some stacked pillows. The heat from Kuai Liang's body is melting his arm, but it doesn't stop his thoughts.

Ask her out? Kuai Liang thinks. Again, that stupid thumping racks his ribs at the thought of of you out on a date with one of them- especially Johnny.

His mind plays visions of you laughing at something the actor says, the sound of your laughter not his anymore. It flashes to your smile, but it isn't directed at him.

As Kuai Liang steadies his breathing, Bi Han is the first to piece everything together.

"Is it her?" Bi Han asks as your name slips from his mouth.

Bi Han is frustrated when Kuai Liang shakes his head and plays an excuse.

"As stated before, jus' my magic," his voice slurred just a bit.

Bi Han just groans again, and it is Tomas who tries to egg him on, playing off Bi Han's idea.

"I did hear that she'll be going on a date soon. Raiden did mention to me that Kung Lao would be planning to ask her out..."

Tomas hit the sweet spot with that one. Kuai Liang's chest squeezes once more, and he takes deep breaths to try and alleviate his heart burn.

Bi Han and Tomas have never had a moment like this before. Their usually level-headed brother, one with perfect battle plans and proper thinking, was lost and disheveled at the mere mention of your name.

Scratch that, not even mention. The sight of you, the smell of you, the look of you. He had been felled by love, a double-edged sword if not properly handled.

And right now, the sword was cutting him deep.

"You are... in love with her?" Bi Han asks carefully.

At this declaration, all of Kuai Liang's memories of you and him come flooding in like a tidal wave. Strong, powerful, and overwhelming, it ironically soothed the pain he had in his chest. Dulling it completely until he felt a new rhythm in it.

His heart boomed with a quick, but not suffocating, rhythm at the thought of you. His eyes were soft, his breathing stable, and he sunk into the comfort of his pillows as he stared into the ceiling.

"Oh," is all he manages to say.

Tomas wears the shock all over his face, while Bi Han stares with a singular raised brow. They turn to one another before looking back at Kuai Liang.

Was that all it took for him to finally piece together his own feelings?

As Bi Han and Tomas are busy cleaning up, they hear a knock on the door. Kuai Liang is silent as he hears your soft voice speak to his kin.

"I brought food for him," you say in a hushed voice. "Knowing him, he must be starved."

He sits up again and meets your eyes. Shining like stars, you smile brightly as you sat down next to his thighs on the edge of the bed. In between you two are rice balls and steamed buns, and in a bakers dozen. Thirteen each food, all for you two to share.

"How are you?" You ask him as you took a bite of the steamed bun. "You looked so... nervous earlier. Are you alright?"

Kuai Liang nods dumbly as his body is on autopilot. He begins to eat a rice ball robotically, and Bi Han rubs his temple in disappointment.

"U-uh, we'll be taking our leave!" Tomas announces as he bows. He takes his brother's wrist and walks out, leaving you a little sad as you wanted to share the food.

"Poo..." you huff. "More for us!"

It's quiet between you two, but it isn't awkward. The beating in Kuai Liang's chest, you both keep eating away at the food until he takes a break to inform you of some interesting news.

"Kung Lao seems to have an eye for you," he says. "The actor as well. He plans to ask you to a private dinner."

Your eyes are wide at first, then you break down into hysterical laughter. Kuai Liang smiles nervously, but you just keep going in your fit of amusement.

"Funny you are, Kuai Liang. I mean, where did you hear that?" As you wipe your eyes from the tears of joy, you're met with the confident stare of Kuai Liang's eyes. Still, you are innocent to how he actually feels, and you continue to provoke him with your thoughts.

"Perhaps I will accept just because. Perhaps someone will win a bet with my boldness." Kuai Liang huffs at you with a glare, and you're shocked to say the least.

"I only jest, my friend." You go back to eating your food, and the ambience is awkward.

Kuai Liang, without thought or warning, slams his food down and moves closer to you. Shuffling out of his seat, he sits right next to you, and he takes your hand to place it over his heart. You gasp at how warm he is, despite the many layers that are between him and his body. You're very close to him, smelling the natural scent of burned lumber on his body as he tilts your chin up.

"Kuai... what is this?" you ask quietly, almost breathlessly, as you focus in on that rhythm in his chest. His heart, racing and pulsating, moves even faster at your tender touch. Kuai Liang responds just as softly.

"Do you feel this?" he asks you. "Do you feel what you do to me?" he's motioning you to the feeling in his chest. Dumbly, you nod, unable to focus as all the fine details of the assassin are right in front of you.

His deep brown eyes stare at you deeply, and you can see the little scars and scabs from years of battle. His brows, usually in one position, are softened and relaxed. And dear oh dear, his lips are thick and full, kissable- wait, did you really think about that?

"Your heart beats," you answer the obvious. "But... why is that an issue? Is it your magic?"

He shakes his head, "I guess, one could say it is magic. However, it is all you. Your smile, your laughter, presence, everything has a magic bind over me."

If you were shocked before, you'd probably have a heart attack by now. This was a hearty confession, one he had kept for years, and you'd also be lying if you said you didn't have a crush on him as well.

"So then... it isn't your magic?" you tease him, patting his chest lightly. He chuckles and moves his hand from under your chin to your cheek.

"You set my heart ablaze, my dear." Your own heart probably exploded right about now. It doesn't stop you as you move your other free hand to his cheek, pulling his face closer to yours as you give him the confirmation he had been looking for.

The healing spell to his chest problems, if you will.

"Give it to me, your heart," you whisper confidently. "I'll keep the flame alive for as long as I live."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

bonus scene:

Tomas smelled something funny when he went to check on Kuai Liang after he and Bi Han left.

As a hunter, he developed a great sense of smell, and he was very useful to his family before the accident. He could smell when it was going to rain, whether threats lurked, or if there was game near by. He could also smell the scents of people.

As he, Bi Han, you, and Kuai Liang stood side by side, outside watching the champions train in a 2v2 match, the wind carried a scent he never thought he would smell in his lifetime.

By the elder gods, you two had sex when he left.

He keeps a brave face on, using his hand to over his nose and mouth to seem like he was in deep thought, but his nose couldn't lie. The pheromones of his brother's natural smell and yours were mixed in the air, and it was suffocating as the stench was stronger than any screen of smoke he had released.

"Does anyone smell that?" he asks to test the waters, but you and his brothers shake your heads.

There were times he wanted his untrained nose back- this was one of them.

He sighs as he keeps up the façade.

I think I might meet my end here, he thinks.

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

why was kuai liang hard to write for LOLOL

no yapping today, still trying to finish my requests

see y'all in the next fic!

#mortal kombat #mk1 2023 #mk1 #kuai liang #scorpion #mortal kombat 1 2023 #mortal kombat x reader #kuai liang x reader #kuai liang x you #scorpion x you #scorpion x reader

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sunlightmurdock · 1 year ago

Text

Operation Apollo | 2.8 | Jake Seresin x Reader (18+)

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Masterlist

Synopsis: After a threat is made against her life, the President’s grown up daughter gets her security tripled. Ex-Navy and current Secret Service, Jake Seresin is devoted to being the best at everything he does. He isn’t going to let a bratty little girl cost him this job.

Warning: age gap, power imbalance, enemies to lovers, danger and angst, manipulation, sucky parents, grief and manipulation, lying, distressing themes throughout but especially towards the end of the chapter. Graphic violence, dangerous situations, revenge, wc: 3.5k

For as long as you can remember, you had known that your father was going to be president. It was always discussed as a given. It was the coup de grace; he had been working towards it much longer than you had even been alive.

Those fourteen hour work days, and sleepless nights. The hard decisions and the time away from his family. All along, Matthew had sworn that it would be worth it. It would, one day, be enough.

Then, the first set of polls came in after those primary debates the summer before his first election run and with it, intel that Matthew plunged a sixth of his savings in to. Politics and bribery go hand in hand across most of the world; this wasn’t even the first step off of the beaten path.

The intel was clear as day; It wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t be enough. All of that time, and work, and desperation that he poured into his career, it wasn’t going to be enough to win him the presidency. The guarantee was next to nil.

But there was still time.

He remembers one evening, in particular, sitting with his advisors in his home office, and just sobbing. Every birthday he had missed, every milestone — it was all going to be for nothing.

“Look, Matt,” Arnie had said, stubbing his thin rolled cigarette out into a crystal ashtray and sitting back in the leather arm chair, sinking into it like the lazy waste of space that he was. He was a good friend of the family back then. “There’s still time. We’ve got options, buddy. Plenty of ‘em.”

Matthew had rolled his neck back slowly — he still remembers the stress-induced stiffness those days had caused him — and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah, Arnie? — And what options are those?” It was a biting remark, untrusting and downright hateful by that point. Arnie had promised many things already, and rarely had delivered. On the times that Matthew thinks back to his twenty year friendship with Arnold Paulson, he finds himself glad that that asshole now resides six feet under.

The older guy had just shrugged, letting that snide little smile creep across his face. “I know a guy. I think he might be able to, uh… help you out. For a fee, if you get where I’m coming from.”

Ellis Armstrong. After three days, and more phone calls than you care to remember, you have a name. He’s a business-man, and a rather successful one at that. Works in corporate development — he’s not hidden from the public eye like you would expect a guy like this to be.

No, he’s got thirteen offices spanning three continents and a portfolio that would put the Forbes list to shame. Once upon a time, he had been a friend of the family. It’s easy to piece together the headshot of him sitting at the wide, mahogany desk in his new office and the fuzzy memories of the tall man in your father’s office late at night.

You remember him distinctly. The sound your bare feet had made, tiptoeing down that long, curving staircase in the old house. Far past your bedtime, your princess nightgown grazing your ankles. The halls dark, illuminated by lights pouring out from under doors. The house was never really empty back then. Pushing open the heavy pocket doors that separated your father’s office from the parlour.

The gaunt, tall blond man sitting in the armchair. His sunken eyes that had seemed so dark in the dimly lit room. His thin lips and hollow cheeks. The long, straight nose and the deep lines between his brows. Skeletal and still, he had looked like a monster. Something that belongs in the dark, lurking in wait.

“What are you doing up, princess?” Matthew had scooped you off of your feet and suddenly you were looking at him instead, in all of the warmth and glory and familiarity of a man adored by his little girl.

“I couldn’t sleep.” You remember, but it’s hazy now. You don’t remember the softer, higher pitch of your voice or really what had made the man in the chair quite so scary looking, or what had driven you out of the safety of your bed that night.

There’s a fondness to his smile in those hazy memories, a softness to his touch that feels so far away now. The stars and unicorns on your bedsheets, and the stuffie he had tucked under your chin. The safety of your childhood bedroom, with the warm pink glow of your nightlight and the embrace of your stuffed animal. How far away the fear of that man in the chair had felt once your father had kissed the top of your head and closed your door.

It doesn’t just feel far away, it is far away — everything about it. Your parents no longer own that house, you’ve long outgrown that bed and that stuffed animal ended up in the donate pile after one of your big moves. You’re no longer hiding from the scary man sitting in the armchair; you’re looking for him.

“I don’t understand,” You do, but showing your cards has never been part of your strategy. The woman opposite you forces her creasing mouth into a deeper frown as she pulls her coffee cup protectively closer. “Tell me, exactly, what you remember about your time working for my father.”

If Allen knew where you were, he would skin you alive. If Manny knew, he would be right here with you. If Jake knew, you wouldn’t be here at all. He would have locked you in a hallway closet before he let you set something like this up.

The woman sitting opposite you is a timid little redhead with big brown eyes and a disposition that brings new clarity to the term ‘afraid of her own shadow’. She’s jumpy, and looking over her shoulder constantly. You, are considerably cooler for a person more alone than they have been in more than a decade.

Her name is Ida — she was your father’s personal assistant the year before his first election, and it cost you to even get her to this cafe in Pasadena. You remember the long skirts and the narrow glasses, but you don’t remember Ida being quite so… afraid.

“He wasn’t— he isn’t a bad man, darling. That’s what you have to understand, it’s just that—“

“Ida, slow down.” You bite, growing tired of this. You don’t have long before someone notices that you’re gone, if they haven’t already. The sky outside is grey, and sullen, the cafe is almost empty for now but the lunch rush is approaching. “This isn’t about whether he’s a good guy or not. Tell me where Ellis Armstrong comes into this.”

Sitting opposite you, the mouse-like woman’s eyes turn wide like saucers as she shrinks down further into her seat, wringing her hands into the checked fabric of her skirt.

“He wasn’t going to win the election by himself. There was intel out there that… painted him in a bad light.”

“Details, Ida.” You click the pen and stare across at her impatiently. She swallows softly and checks around her again.

“Your father had an affair. It was all going to come out — it would have tanked any kind of campaign he could have put together, and you remember what times were like then… the kind of money it would have taken to make that go away…” The coffee mug in front of her scalds her trembling hands as she finally lifts her chin enough for you to look her in the eye. Raindrops start to beat into the sidewalk outside. A silence sets across the coffee shop as the soft indie playlist stops between tracks.

If you were still little, padding barefoot along the hall in your princess nightdress, this would have hurt so badly. The warm smile and his gentle disposition — and he was already betraying you, even then. You’re not little now. It doesn’t hurt like it would have then. You scrawl messily across the page.

“What was her name, who did she work for?”

Ida pauses briefly, blinking. Truthfully, she hadn’t been expecting this calculated coldness from you. She’s seen the videos of the frightened girl clinging to her bodyguard. She wonders how far he might be from you today.

“Suzy Blake. She was a political analyst for the New York Times back then.” Ida tells you, turning her head and checking through the rain-dotted front windows of the shop. You scribe the information and look back up to her, unsatisfied.

“All I’ve got on this is your word?” You prompt her.

“And her daughter — Matt never took a paternity test, but Suzy was always so sure.” This, Ida can see it worm its way under your skin, writhing under those years of collected conditioning. She blinks across at you and taps her nails against the coffee cup, glancing down at the milky liquid.

You have never heard of Suzy; couldn’t even begin to picture what she looks like. Her daughter would be nine, at least, maybe older. She could look like you, maybe. You press your lips together and grind the tip of the pen into the lined page, threatening to leave indentations of your anger through the rest of the book at once.

“So, Ellis paid for her to disappear?” You confirm, looking back up at Ida with an iciness that gives her a glimpse of her former boss.

“Ellis paid for a lot of things.” Ida answers you suddenly faster than she has in the entire hour that you’ve been sitting here. She doesn’t look at you as she says it, lifting the mug from the saucer and taking a long drink of her latte. The liquid shivers in the cup, disturbed by her trembling fingers.

“Ida.” You sigh, growing frustrated. She turns her head and looks towards the window again, craning her neck slightly. Frightened of her own shadow, you condemn her cowardice. “Details.”

Her eyes follow two raindrops as the grey droplets race along the windowpane. “He bought the presidency for your father.”

Your father is a proud man. He has told you the story plenty of times, of how your grandfather had tried to give your parents the down payment for a house, how your father chose to spend his first year of marriage in a studio apartment rather than taking it. Back then, you wouldn’t have believed he could do such a thing.

Now, you aren’t sure where to draw the line on where your beliefs lie.

“Extra campaign funding, promotions, big names,” Ida’s cup jingles as she sets it rockily back down onto the saucer. She turns her head back to the table, but avoids your gaze nonetheless. “Votes. Ellis made it all happen. He saved your father’s career.”

Your gaze flicks up from the scrawled information on the page, and lands on her hands. She picks restlessly at her cuticles, her attention shifting to every corner of the room but you. Your brows draw together seriously, taking a moment to check the empty space around you before you focus on her.

“And what did my father do to him?”

Such a clever little girl — that’s what Ida remembers most of you. So inquisitive, and engaged. So interested. It’s such a shame that no one had time for you, you really deserved someone who would have answered those wonderful questions you came up with.

She swallows softly, unsure of exactly how much information is encompassed by the umbrella of ‘everything’. In her industry, you never let go of all of your secrets at once. That’s just bad business.

“He ran for re-election,” Ida says calmly, her voice more confident sounding, even in its soft tone. She exhales slowly. “And, after the successes in his first term, it became clear that he could win the presidency again. Without Mr. Armstrong.”

Across the table, you set the pen down on the edge of the notebook and check the time on your watch. You should be getting back before Allen has time to deploy a whole search party.

“Again, Ida… I’ve just got your word on this.” You remind her. A jaded assistant from nine years ago isn’t exactly the concrete evidence that you broke out of your house for. The fear in her eyes is all the proof you need, but that won’t stand up in court.

You’ve been thinking about that a lot recently, as your research has deepened into your father’s past. You came across a picture yesterday, where he was your age, and smiling in the foreground of a Greenpeace conference. It struck you to consider if that young man would hate the man he was going to become as much as you have grown too — if maybe the two of you would have gotten along once, if things were different.

If you would be able to stand up in court and send the smiling young man, with the purest of intentions, to prison.

“You’re right,” She starts to shake her head and her chair scrapes across the floor. The loudest sound that has come from her all day. She twists in her seat and grabs her jacket and her bag from the back of her chair. “You’re right, I can’t prove this. This was a bad idea…”

Your eyes go wide as she scrambles for her things. “No, Ida, wait—“

She pauses, briefly, to look you in the eye. “I’m sorry.” She turns swiftly, and heads for the door, dinging the bell above it and slipping out into the sheets of grey rain outside the door. You slam your notebook shut and fumble to slip it into your back, all thumbs and no fingers, stuck in the struggle as she disappears from the view of the front window.

“Shit…” You mutter, slinging the bag onto your shoulder, forgetting your coat completely as you head after her. She’s much faster than she is loud. Rain chills your cheeks and dampens your hair before the bell above the door is even done ringing. Your shoes slap against the pavement, splashing fresh rainwater onto your jeans. You round the corner and squint through the grey ahead of you in search of her.

Her plaid skirt dips behind a car up ahead as she crosses to the driver’s side.

“Ida! Wait!” You call out for her, securing a hand around your bag as you jog to keep up, rushing for the blue sedan as she ducks into it. It doesn’t take you long, her hands are shaking too much to get the keys into the ignition. You slow, but don’t make it to a complete stop, reaching out to knock hard against the passenger window, as something cold, sharp-edged and hard slams into your right eye socket.

Your elbow hits the ground first, then your knee, then your left temple, before your body collapses to the wet pavement all together. Thrown off balance and reeling, your years of conditioning haven’t ever prepared you for this. Your skull aches, throbbing like you’re being hit with that first impact over and over, before you even feel the fingers curling around your arms and hoisting you off of the ground.

The car door clicks open. Blood rushes to the right side of your face, swelling in circles to form the deep bruise that will be left behind. Slow, blinking, your eyes drag themselves open and blink as you realize that it wasn’t the door of the car that opened. A second impact comes, but this one isn’t stone — it’s all skin. You can feel the warmth of the hand, and the ridges of each knuckle, as it drives forwards into your face.

After that, you can only imagine how easy you make for them to get you in that trunk. It hurts too much to open your eyes. Maybe that’s a pathetic thing to think, as you start to think of what they’ll do to you next — what pain is yet to come. But, it’s dark anyway, and in here, at least you’re alone. Your phone is in the bag. Maybe that’s still on th pavement, or maybe it’s in the car. But it isn’t with you.

Each turn sends you forwards or back, your body rolling over the thinly carpeted trunk, slamming into the back of the seats or the metal of the hatch. You can feel your face swelling, the heat from it stings like a burn.

Jake’s going to be so angry with you, for doing this to yourself.

Maybe it’s just a short ride, or maybe you black out a little on the way, there’s no way of knowing for sure. But, when your eyes feel open, they’re trying to focus to the new bright light after ages of dark. When they’re closed, it doesn’t look much different.

It’s cold, and the echo of the voices around you tells you that the space you’re in is wide open and empty. A warehouse, most likely. The perfect spot for an execution.

You’re held up by a hand on each of your arms, and your feet drag, scrambling for leverage against the ground as they tug you forwards. There’s some fight left in you after all. If it lasts long enough for someone to figure out where you are, that’s another story. You should have told Manny. Or left a note. Something.

The country is going to put your father on a pedestal when he’s grieving the loss of his beloved daughter.

Abruptly, you’re thrown down into a chair and your arms are torn backwards, making you cry out. Rope. Heavy, and fraying, rough against your wrists as you’re bound to the metal backing of a wooden chair. Fingers dig abruptly into either side of your cheeks, pressing the flesh of your mouth into your teeth until you’ve got no choice but to open up in complaint.

The second that your lips part, something is forced between them. A dry rag. It’s tied tight at the back of your head, digging into your cheeks, muffling your sounds of struggle.

Muffled and restrained, there’s no way to defend yourself when another blow comes. It hits the centre of your face hard, another fist, this one harder than the first. Not pulling the punch in the slightest. Instantly, liquid streams from your nostrils and the taste of copper floods your tastebuds.

Your screw your eyes shut and force yourself to blink, you force your eyes to adjust. You refuse to surrender your last sense. Gradually, the room steadies and your vision focuses. It’s grey and industrial, illuminated by a singular lightbulb dangling from the ceiling. Empty, almost, bar a few storage crates, and a scary man sitting in front of you.

He smiles softly as your gaze settles on him and burns with rage.

“I know, I know,” Ellis offers with a small smile. He gives a small shake of his head. “This is none of your fault, darling. I know that. I’m sorry, really I am.”

You’re silent opposite him, your heartbeat thudding in your ears, sickened by the fact he has the satisfaction of watching you bleed. Turning your head slightly, you catch sight of the two men in your peripheral. Security, you guess, in case you do something.

This time, when you turn your head, you aren’t scared. The man in front of you is afraid of little, old you — so much so, that he needs backup.

“But Matt has a debt that I’m… not willing to forgive.” Ellis is wearing a green crewneck and black jeans, not like the suits in his pictures. This must be a casual kind of affair for him. His thin lips twitch, hinting at a smile as your gaze remains, unwavering, on him.

Saliva pools in your mouth, copper-tasting as your nose continues to stream with blood. It saturates the makeshift gag, spilling down your chin, your jaw aching and numb at the same time, pins and needles stinging through your hands as the restraints bruise your wrists.

“You understand, don’t you? — Smart girl like you, you get why we had to go after you, I mean.” Ellis sits opposite you with his long legs stretched in front of him, his palms braced on the cargo box that he is perched on. Maybe it’s because he’s closer now than he ever was before, or maybe it’s just because you aren’t a little girl anymore — but you look into those dark, hollow eyes and there’s not a fibre of your being that needs your father to rescue you from him.

“Fuck you.” You spit. It’s easy enough to pretend that the damp rag secured around your mouth doesn’t cut into the corners of your mouth when you speak. You’re stronger than that.

Ellis presses his lips together and sits forwards, his gaunt face leering closer to you as he twitches towards a smile. He lifts one of those bony, skeletal hands and reaches for his phone, angling it towards your bruised face. “Don’t worry, darlin’ — we’ll get you back to your boyfriend soon enough. Just smile for the camera.”

tags: @alanadetigy @thedroneranger @momc95 @basicchelsea @perpetuelledaydreaming @cherrycola27 @eviesaurusrex @xoxabs88xox@desert-fern @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @khaylin27 @cowboybarbie @marchingicenotes7 @marantha @lgg5989 @herladyshipxx @chaoticweirdogeek @mak-32 @obiwankenobis-lap @diamond-3 @wolvesofthewinter@shawnsblue@itsmytimetoodream

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sundo-li · 1 year ago

Text

Intro Dialogue ❥ Flirty | 1 [Royalty]

I'm new to the fandom so don't be too hard on me. Raiden, Liu Kang, the Lin Kuei and the Royal family has my heart. Anyway, I wanted to start writing for them and this is the start of that. Enjoy! xoxo [In the future, if people want male reader content I can do that as well].

❥ female reader x the royal family + li mei ❥ intro dialogue

──── · · · ❥ SINDEL

❥ | Who's your queen? ❥ | You are, my love. Always and Forever.

❥ | Who would have thought I would have fallen for someone after Jerrod. ❥ | No one but us, my Queen.

❥ | Do you think my daughter will flourish as ruler of outworld? ❥ | If they are as strong minded as you, I know they will, my queen.

❥ | From paramour to being your equal. ❥ | What can I say, you made quite the impression on me.

❥ | Your beauty is unmatched. ❥ | You flatter me, my beloved.

❥ | You’ve made quite an impression on the Royal court. ❥ | *Laughs* I'm only concerned with impressing you.

──── · · · ❥ MILEENA

❥ | Even with the Tarkat disease, you're beautiful. ❥ | Flattery will get you no where, Queen.

❥ | You don't think I would make a excellent Queen alongside you? ❥ | *Sigh* By the gods-

❥ | You're not disgusted by my disease? ❥ | Heaven's no. Mildly intrigued.

❥ | Empress, do you want to see if I'll bite? ❥ | Is that a promise?

❥ | Are you going to fight me for my throne? ❥ | I'm going to fight for you love.

❥ | Am I to fight Tanya for your love? ❥ | Best you win, Empress.

──── · · · ❥ KATANA

❥ | Do you have eyes for me, Queen? ❥ | Of course.

❥ | How would you serve by my side, Princess? ❥ | With a iron fist. Let me show you.

❥ | There’s a fire about you that has enchanted me. ❥ | Let me put a spell on you.

❥ | My heart burns for you. ❥ | By the gods, have you been hanging out with Johnny?

❥ | How are you this stunning, Princess? ❥ | Simple. My mother.

❥ | Enchanting is the word you used for me, yes? ❥ | Enchanting. Beautiful. Gorgeous. All the above.

──── · · · ❥ LI MEI

❥ | You trust me, Queen? ❥ | With my life.

❥ | What role would I have in your kingdom, Empress? ❥ | With me, you won't have to worry about such trivial matters.

❥ | Come be my queen. ❥ | I-I’m flattered but I belong in Sun Do.

❥ | You deserve to be treated with respect and loved with a passionate fire. ❥ | I deserve this for letting Jerrod die. Though I’m flattered.

❥ | Are all Constables as stunning as you? ❥ | *flustered* I-I don’t know. Beauty is subjective.

❥ | What will it take for you to accept me? ❥ | Beat me in combat and we’ll see where it goes.

#mk1 #mk1 intro #mortal kombat headcanons #mortal kombat #sindel #kitana #mileena #li mei #mk1 fanworks #sindel x reader #li mei x reader #mileena x reader #kitana x reader #mk1 2023 #mk1 x reader

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heartilywrites · 10 months ago

Note

korra x air bender!reader pleasee, maybe as tenzin’s eldest daughter??

this one was definitely a challenge, but i got it figured. i got SO immersed in this story that i think it's best to do two parts to cover everything. let's go part one!!!

،، 𝓣o be loved and to be in love ; Korra (p. 1)

request guide | masterlist

to part 2 >

resume: where a love story goes all the way back to the playground.

content warning: fluff ; angst ; mentions of Mako and Korra's relationship ; airbender and fem!reader being Tenzin's older daughter ; Korra and reader being the most oblivious people ; childhood friends to lovers ; no use of y/n ;

wc: 2.7k

a/n: I know it's not specified how long Lin and Tenzin took to break up but since I made the reader a year younger than Korra let's say it was reaaaally long before she was born, yeah?

“ To be just friends, you're too beautiful. To just stay as friends, I know I'll regret this.

A breathe in to feel how the light fill your body entirely from your crown chakra to your earth one and a breathe out to let all the bad energies out of your body, feeling how the relaxation started to reign on every inch of your being, how you started to drif—

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “MEELO, STOP! MOOOOM!” ah, yes, of course, you forgot about that.

You sighed exhausted, in front of you, Korra laughed a little bit opening one eye to see you. “Very relaxing, huh?”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Tell me about it.” instead of trying again to meditate, you stretched your arms upwards. “Any luck this time?”

Korra shook her head, disappointed. “I lost the connection forever.” you grimaced a bit before taking her hand and leave caresses.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You'll be okay, you still have your friends to guide you. You have me.” a peaceful smile painted your face, she blushed a little bit while reciprocating the gesture.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “And I have two airbending masters.” she poked your side making you laugh a little bit.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “One, I don’t have my tattoos yet.” you said, standing up from the floor. “Let's go, I think they're waiting for you.”

You helped the southerner to stand up, the hand she took felt warm making your heart skipped a beat.

Korra and you knew each other since almost diapers; one year after her, you were born. Tenzin couldn’t be more happy when he found out how close on age you two were, he made his mission for you two to be close almost as family, the airbender trusted you would help Korra with the air part of her training. He would take you with him to the Southern Water Tribe to visit her, there were weekends were he would let you stay with your grandmother to have more play time with Korra. And it worked, Korra was your first friend and you were hers, she would tell you everything just as you to her. You got a secret handshake, a secret place to hide when you two wanted to be alone, always being one beside the other in everything you could, you showed Korra some tricks with air as she did with water, earth and fire.

But just as families drift apart, once you got older and learned about more deep and complicated feelings, you realize how you saw Korra as something more than a friend. You found yourself wondering how would it feel to walk with her by the hand like the couples you've seen in the city, what would it be like to introduce her as your girlfriend, how her lips would taste like... And so you decided to step away from her a little bit. You only went to the south with your father or at important occasions or send her a couple of letter every other week. It wasn't that you didn't want to be with her anymore, it was just that she felt unreachable to you and you were so sure if at some point you said how you felt to her she would turn you down by saying how she sees you as a younger sister, because that was how she referred to you all those years. Her younger sister.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “How come Jinora can go with you but we don't!?” you heard Ikki claim to her dad and a big smile showed on your face.

Your eyes wandered to your friend, feeling a punch in your gut when you saw her with Mako.

You knew something was going on between them after she arrived to the air temple island and escaped to see probending. She would come to your room to talk about a gorgeous boy who was in a probending group as the firebender, three nights after she would talk to you about how he was in a relationship with another girl who she didn't liked and the day after how Pema gave her the idea to confess. That was pretty much enough for you to start your journey to another temples, you brought up the idea to Tenzin masking it up as your opportunity to visit those places by yourself as part of your spiritual journey and even though at first try he stood by his negative answer, when he saw how desperate you were to get out of the island he let you go. It was safe to say you didn't know if Mako and her were still together or not since when you came back she never mentioned a thing, everyone was so busy about the new emergence of airbenders and you were trying to help Korra see if she could reconnect with her past lives, clearly without any success.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You coming?” Korra asked your way, making you change your face to a more neutral expression.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I'm not, sorry.” you answered, hugging yourself. “I'll be at the northern temple waiting for you, there are thing to take care of there before the other benders arrived. Jinora will go, though, so you have two airbender masters in the ship.”

Your sister smiled big at her recognition. Korra, on the other hand, had a indescribable grimace. She wanted you around, she already was away from you for months and now that you came back to her, she didn't want to lose you from her sight again.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Are... you sure? We could go met Ba Sing Se, remember how we said we should go together?” she stepped closer, you were so close to give up and go, but the sight of Mako stepping in the ship made your heart drop, you smiled through the discomfort, you didn't want to see them go all lovey-dovey in your face.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I'm sure, we'll explore Ba Sing Se together when all this is over.” you assured stepping to give her a hug. “Take care, I'll see you in some days.”

After they left you stood one more moment in your place, Ikki walked to you and stood by your side. “You should've kiss her for good luck.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Okay, that's all.” you said while turning around over your heels to walk back inside.

A couple hours after they left, you took your own journey to the north. A goodbye was said to your mother, siblings and aunt while loading some food to your flying bison and your thoughts were your only companion all that time.

At the beginning it was all good, thinking the activities you needed to do, hoping on all sacred there were enough acolytes to help you and time spare, but once the sun started to set you found yourself thinking about Korra. About those times were you two stopped playing to see the sunset on the water tribe, talking about what you two would do once she was able to live the compound to the city. You would tell her about festivals with so many games and lights that you loved and you were sure she would love too or maybe about how the city lights look so beautiful at night, specially the bridge, how it looked warmer than the water tribe's lights.

How stupid, you thought, you needed to start to move on from her, there was no use in staying stuck in that infatuation if it wasn’t reciprocated.

Once you landed at the temple, it was time for you to get your head in the plans for the newcomers.

The next days felt as if you were in autopilot, helping your dad at everything you could, training the new benders by groups and seeing some other things for the future. The day that Zaheer went to the temple, Meelo and you were instructed to stay by the radio for news as Tenzin was told there could be a new airbender coming and he wanted to be informed once they were near.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Did you know we found a whole herd full of baby bison?” you heard your brother said, at the distance while you were walking slowly to the radio room with a big bowl of fruit for the two of you, but obviously you were taking pieces of fruit for yourself.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “No, a whole herd!? really– agh!” you laugh listening how they took Bolin out of the radio. “Meelo, this is your commander officer, go get your dad now!” the avatar's tone made you shiver a bit and stopping on your steps.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Yes, sir!” his feet sounded on the ground, you tried to stopped him to ask, but he was fast to continue. “Not now, woman! I am a man on a mission!”

A frown settled into your face, you were quick to run to the radio leaving the bowl down. “Korra, what's going on!?”

She said your name with such a relief, like she waited for decades to hear you voice. “Listen to me! Zaheer is on his way to the temple, he's going for all the airbenders, you have to get everyone out of there immediately! Drop everything and leave!”

The sound of an airship made you turn around, Tenzin just got by your side, your face fell when you saw the green ship. Korra demanded to hear what was happening when the airbender complained. “It's too late, Korra... He's here.” your voice said trembling.

The avatar couldn't admit it in a loud voice, but at the vague thought of losing you over the Red Lotus would definitely be her last straw. Even though you didn't thought she would, Korra noticed how you where slipping away from her and she grieved that deeply. She was so convinced you were going to be in her life all the time, she had pictured you two growing old in the city or in the air temple island, there was no way she could live without you.

It was at some point when she arrived from the south and was almost every hour of the day by your side that she stopped to think about the way she felt about you, it was... It definitely couldn't be friendship if she felt for you the same way she did with Mako, right? But even before she could figure out and tell you about it you were gone to the temples leaving her confuse and convincing herself that maybe it was a sign to try things with the firebender.

The fights for freedom on the temple pass for you as if it was on fast foward, you tried to help as much as you could, but mainly you tried to keep Rohan and your mother safe as she carried the younger of all. And to everyone's bad luck, the Lotus got every airbender and the last avatar's children.

Sitting beside you there was your sister spiritually projecting to look for a way out, at her words she saw how it was up to everyone there to leave when Ikki mentioned Korra.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “What did you really saw?” you whispered to her, she turned to look at you with worry shining in her eyes.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Korra, they're trying to end the avatar cycle.” she answered after some silence, you felt her hands look for yours when your gaze looked away.

When the youngers came with a plan to escape and executed it, the rest of Korra's team, her dad and the Beifongs appeared through, literally, a wall. You were so relieved to see them, once they got you untied you went to Tonraq. He calmed a little bit to see you well, the chief knew how important you were for his daughter, and he had come to appreciate you like part of his family too.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Let me help you get Korra out of there.” you asked him, the man shook his head without any doubt.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “We got this, you should go help your dad, we'll get Korra out of here.” he assured, patting you on your shoulder before leaving with the brothers.

You helped your aunt to walk out of the prision they set the nomads, minutes after the waterbender ran outside saying how his daughter needed help.

Looking up you catch Korra impulsing herself with fire, attacking however she could and you felt your heart in your throat. Jinora had come with a plan to help her and you could just only wish it worked; seeing her fall without any support made you jump a little bit, not worrying about how Zaheer hit the floor in his stomach.

Your feet ran to her after Tonraq arrived and kneeled not so far to see her. Breaking in cold sweat, she was fighting for her life and the avatar cycle, you teary-eyed to the point you could only deference the girl by her silhouette and when she closed her eyes you couldn’t hold back the tears anymore.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You can help her,” you heard Jinora at your back. “The venom is metallic.” your head turned to look to your sister and then Su who rushed to the southerner.

You stood up to leave the metalbender work, walking to Jinora. She hugged you by the waist and you could only rest an arm in her shoulders while watching how it went down.

The sound of Korra taking a deep breath in and seeing the grey liquid come out of her mouth made you let go the breathe you didn’t know you were holding, Jinora's arms tighten in her hug so you hugged her back the same way, now letting happy tears go.

The next days, you promised to stay at the air temple island. After almost losing Korra forever, you attached to her however you could. She was grateful for that, she felt as if she could breath again with you by her side, but she was so tired and weak that couldn’t say it to you.

With help, a second bed was moved to the room the avatar was staying at. You could help her eat by bringing each meal to her, brushed her hair every night, tried to lift her up by reminding the shared memories back when she was still at the south. She didn't sleep much and you stayed awake by her side the times needed, when she wanted to have someone by her side but wouldn't say it to you out loud, you knew her enough to understand what she needed most of the times and the hours she could catch of sleep weren't much as she woke up after screaming as a nightmare took her peace time.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “It's okay, you're safe, you're okay.” you usually said waking up with her, quickly going to her side and hugging her. She snuggled to you, looking for shelter. “I'm here, you're okay.”

After two weeks from the events, Jinora had her ceremony naming her airbender master finally and you couldn't be more proud of your little sister, she deserved it.

You helped Korra get ready for the ceremony while humming a melody in low voice.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “A look an avatar deserve, you look gorgeous as always.” you said showing her reflection, Korra smiled however she could. You kneeled to her side, making her follow you with her eyes. “No one expects you to be recovered right now, it's more than fine to take your time healing.”

The blue orbs were teary-eyed at your words, her hand looked for yours.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You can count that I'll be here by your side to celebrate when you're back on your feet to kick asses like before.” your hand gave hers a light squeeze before leaving a short kiss in her knuckles.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I appreciate you.” she said hoarsely out of nowhere, you gave her a fondly smile. “So much, I don't know what I would do without you.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I appreciate you too, Korra.” your hand left hers to cup a side of her face. “You'll always have me, you can't free yourself so easily.” your smile just got bigger. “We'll talk more later, let's go, they're waiting for us.”

Later, Korra thought, she knew that later her family and her would be on a boat to the Southern Water Tribe and you'll have to stay there with your family since you had a duty to fulfill, you weren't going to see her as much as you did so far. And with what the future hold for you both was just prove how strong your love could go.

#the legend of korra #korra x reader #avatar korra #korra x you #korra fluff #korra x fem!reader #korra angst #request #the legend of korra x reader #korra fanfic

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evilbihan · 8 months ago

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Bi-Han x former!Umgadi reader

Here are some headcanons for Bi-Han with a former!Umgadi reader because I thought it would be an interesting dynamic and because I'm sick and tired of how reader always has this "I can fix him" attitude towards Bi-Han in most headcanons/fics. He doesn't need fixing, he deserves a supportive partner.

(Be warned, I've never written reader insert headcanons before and English is not my first language. I'm new to this, so feedback is appreciated.)

ALL YOUR LIFE YOU HAVE LOYALLY SERVED Outworld's royal family as part of the UMGADI, the royal guard made up of warrior priestesses. You live for DUTY, it's the only life you know, the purpose Delia and Argus have bestowed upon you, and you never dared to question it. To be chosen to protect Outworld's Emperor and Empress is an honor. Your Umgadi sisters are your family. You don't know your parents, your grandparents or siblings. You've never met them. As the eldest daughter, you were separated from them the day you were born. No Umgadi ever speaks of her family, you're well aware that it's forbidden and yet there's nothing you want more than to one day be reunited with your birth family.

AS THE TARKAT OUTREAK starts claiming the lives of many Outworld citizens, your unwavering faith in the gods and the royal family slowly begins to crumble. You helplessly stand by and watch as more and more infected people are banished from Sun Do each day. Infuriated by the INJUSTICE you witness, you start to wonder if the royal family really deserves your loyatly.

AT THE RISK OF BEING CAST OUT of the order, you begin to secretly search for your family, despite knowing that it goes against everything the Umgadi believe in. It means betraying your order and the royal family. More than that, it means going against the will of the gods. Nonetheless, you're determined. With no cure for the desease in sight, you fear for the worst: that your search for your family will be cut short, should they be among those who have contracted the illness.

ONE DAY YOU DECIDE TO secretly follow Tanya, the head of your order, after noticing that she often disappears with no explanation. You find out about Mileena's infection with Tarkat and that a cure exists, but is only made available to the royal family. Although you keep what you've seen to yourself, your faith is shaken and you wish more than ever that you could leave your life as Umgadi behind. You continue your duties, but deep inside your frustrations grow more and more each day.

YOU MEET BI-HAN IN LEI CHEN, during his attempt to free Shao from captivity. At first, you try to stop him and the two of you fight. You're evenly matched in strength and skill and the fight ends without a winner. You don't know why, but as Bi-Han tries to reason with you, you decide to hear him out. You don't know who this mysterious man is, but there's something about him that intrigues you and you can tell he's equally impressed by you and your fighting skills.

AS YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT HIM, you begin to realize that you and Bi-Han are KINDRED SPIRITS. Looking at him is like looking at a reflection of yourself. Both of you are driven by the same FRUSTRATION, the same DESIRE for freedom and the wish to be the architect of your own destiny. Both of you were forced to sacrifice so much of yourselves to serve a bigger purpose, only to be disappointed by those you had put your faith into. Bi-Han shares his visions for the Lin Kuei's future with you and you admire his AMBITION, his COURAGE, the courage to stand up to a GOD and shape his own destiny, something you'd always dreamed of doing, but were too afraid to do. You admire Bi-Han's LOYALTY and DEVOTION to his clan, that he's not afraid to risk his own life to give the Lin Kuei a better future and you realize that he's nothing like the royal family of Outworld. He's a leader you would happily die for.

YOU HELP BI-HAN to free Shao. It's your own little act of vengeance against the royal family for all that was stolen from you and in return, Bi-Han offers you a place with the Lin Kuei. Finally, after all those years of wishing you could be free, you leave the Umgadi behind and follow Bi-Han to your new home, Arktica.

HAVING SPENT YOUR WHOLE LIFE in Outworld, you know very little about Earthrealm, but to your surprise, Bi-Han doesn't seem to mind answering your questions, nor does he mind bringing you fur coats to protect you from the harsh cold that your body isn't used to. When you somehow end up falling ill with a cold regardless, you stubbornly ignore it at first. You're a warrior and warriors don't get sick. However, Bi-Han insists that you're put on bedrest. He brings you medicine and makes you tea and you can't help but wonder why he, the grandmaster, is personally looking after you, instead of tasking some servant with it. Though he came off as cold and ruthless when you first met him, you're starting to see that there's a CARING, AFFECTIONATE side to Bi-Han, one that he rarely shows around anyone else but you.

THE MORE TIME YOU TWO SPEND TOGETHER, the more you feel drawn to each other. Your respect and admiration for Bi-Han grows into something much stronger. LOVE. In you, Bi-Han has finally found someone who understands him, and supports him, a SOULMATE to confide in. You two have made many enemies and you know that every day you spend together could be your last, so you make your time together count. Despite the constant danger, being a wanted woman in Outworld and being at war with the Shirai Ryu, you have never been HAPPIER, you have never felt more ALIVE and FREE. Bi-Han encourages you to be yourself, he supports you in every way he can, he aids you in your search for your family and he's doing everything he can to make Arktica feel like home for you.

AMIDST THE CHAOS, you and Bi-Han have found SAFETY and COMFORT in each other. He is your home and you are his family. He understands you like no one else ever did. You would follow him to the ends of the earth and he would do the same for you.

YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE who knows how much Bi-Han truly misses his brothers and how much their betrayal pains him. You wish that you could help them reconcil somehow, but you've met Kuai Liang on a few occasions and you know he can't be reasoned with. However, a part of you is still holding on to hope that at least Tomas will come around one day. All your life, you have missed the family you never had the chance to meet and you understand how much it hurt Bi-Han to lose his brothers. It makes you all the more determined to help the Lin Kuei in their fight against the Shirai Ryu.

DESPITE BOTH YOUR PAST and the lives of violence you both live, the moments you share with Bi-Han are peaceful, tender and sweet. An unbreakable bond has formed between the two of you and although you had to cut ties with former allies and friends, you never once regret your choice to join the Lin Kuei. Few can understand why you turned your back on the Umgadi and your old life, some call you a traitor, but their opinions matter little to you. It is you and Bi-Han against the world, against realms and gods and you don't mind that at all.

#bi han #bi han x reader #sub zero x reader #mk sub zero #bi han sub zero #mk bi han #bi-han #mortal kombat 1 #mk1 2023 #mk1

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snoozisworld · 1 year ago

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Bi-Han x Fem!Reader - Arranged Marriage HCS (Part I)

A/N: Oh boy... hello ... it's been a while ...... 3 months to be exact. Ive been super busy these past few months with college and work so im sorry i've been mia... heres my apology! its a bit long so this will have two parts, anyways enjoy!!!

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(In this AU Bi han never betrayed his brothers and their father lived longer and died of natural causes, Tomas and Kuai are still in the Lin Kuei)

Background: You're part of another clan who's been rivals with the Lin Kuei for years, the current grandmaster (bi hans dad) has grown tired of the decades long feud and has proposed the two clans come to an understanding, as the grandmaster believes an alliance could be beneficial to both clans. The grandmaster of the rival clan (your father) has surprisingly agreed, on the condition that the alliance be formed via a marital ceremony. His eldest (you) and the lin kueis eldest (bi han) are to be married in order to make the alliance official and, in theory, make the bond of the two clans stronger. Bi han doesn't agree and believes this feud would've been solved by simply beating the rival clan into submission, but he follows his father's decisions if he is to be the next grandmaster.

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The events following the proposal:

- The first few days after the alliance was proposed, Bi-han was angry. How could his father even consider the possibility of allying with the enemy? It enraged him to no end.

- He spent days training harder, letting his emotions get the better of him. His brothers advised him that it was for the clan's benefit to have the 'enemy-turned-ally' in their good graces, but he was having none of it.

- After a week, his father called him and his brothers to his office. When Bi-han saw the rival clan's grandmaster sitting in the room, idly discussing plans with his father, he almost throttled him. He was stopped by Kuai Liang, who advised him that would NOT be a good idea considering the current circumstances.

- He begrudgingly sat in the meeting, and talked with his father and the others about the alliance, mostly discussing the potential military power, the disclosure of information, strategic planning, etc. But one thing that Bi-han was not interested in whatsoever was the arranged marriage.

- When the topic was brought up, Bi-han instinctively tuned it out, having absolutely no interest in the discussion. Bi-han settled with tolerating the alliance for now, so he saw no purpose in divulging the means to it.

- Of course however, it was the grandmaster's daughter after all, his "pride and joy" as he would call you, so he proposed that the two meet prior to the wedding. He said it would be good for them to "get to know each other". But Bi-han couldn't care less about you, to him you were just a means to an end, nothing more.

- After the meeting was over and everyone left, Bi-han stayed behind with his father. He argued there was no point in meeting you, and that if he was to care about this alliance at all, his father would grant him at least that; blissful ignorance of your existence. But his father didn't budge, he just regurgitated the words of his newfound "friend", that it would be good for him.

The day of the meeting:

- Bi-han would rather be doing anything else right now. Hell, he would rather be helping Tomàs train than be here right now; that's how horrible this felt to him.

- Kuai Liang had managed to convince him to meet you by reminding him of how proud their mother would be. A little manipulative? Sure, but it worked; so here Bi-han was, waiting for you to arrive in the front garden of the Lin Kuei estate.

- He sat on a bench and donned a beautiful blue and white traditional hanfu, hand-sewn by his mother. He played with the hem of his sleeves, slightly annoyed by your tardiness and (even though he will never admit it) he was a bit nervous.

- He heard the gates open and stood up, making his way to the entrance. That's when he saw you.

- Truthfully, Bi-han was never a "ladies man" as Kuai Liang would crudely say. He was just never interested in the pursuit of a relationship, he was more focused on his training. That meant he was never 'exposed' to a lot of women, and the act of interacting with them. As pathetic as it sounds, the only woman he constantly interacted with was his mother.

- After her passing, he completely closed himself off, having absolutely no interest in a relationship, even now. The only reason he's even here right now is because of the alliance. If it were up to Bi-han . . . well let's just be thankful it isn't.

- When he laid his eyes on you, it felt like being hit a bus. As prideful and arrogant as he was, he could not deny your beauty. For a moment he even questioned if you were really that grandmaster's daughter.

- It was weird, it was technically Bi-han's first time feeling like this, so naturally he hated it.

- He would've preferred that you were ugly, so that it wouldn't be so distracting to have you around, but no, you had to be the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. He hates this and he hates you.

- When you approached him, you looked up to look him straight in the eyes as you mouthed something to him. Bi-han didn't hear you and he didn't know if it was because he didn't care or if he was still taking you in.

- The whole conversation was awkward, if you could even call it a conversation. Bi-han offered to show you around the estate, but he wouldn't even look at you, much less talk to you.

- If you asked him something, he would always try to answer with a simple yes or no and he would never properly look you in the eyes; you picked up on this quite early on, which made you go quiet the rest of the tour.

- Safe to say the first meeting was an absolute disaster.

(1/2)

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A/N: okayy! part 1 is done, im tired its been so long since ive even THOUGHT about mk1 so sorry if im a little rusty... anyways tomorrow i post part 2 and hopefully ill get back to a nice rhythm.

#mortal kombat #mk1 #fanfic #bi han sub zero #mk1 2023 #bi han x reader #foryou #afab reader #sub zero #bi han x you #smoke mk #scorpion mortal kombat #subzero mk1 #headcanon #arranged marriage #bi han is whipped #writers block #female reader #lin kuei

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odditycircus-2002 · 6 months ago

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Dom Scorpion x Sub Quan Chi’s daughter Reader SFW and NSFW! I believe Scorpion might have become the new ruler of the Netherrealm by Snowblind, hence he might take S/O as his queen. Not much of a fighter, but wise politically and emotionally, S/O helps him rule politically, teaching him about Netherrealm and also still being kind, sweet, and supportive to him. She always feels bad bc she thought he might be better reunited with his family than her, but he assures her he loves her.

A/N: I hope this is what you asked, since what happened to Scorpion and Sub-Zero during Snow Blind is only hinted at in the movie and behind the scenes. So I had to take some liberties and fill in the gaps.

King and Queen

With your father killed by Scorpion’s hands, Shao Khan felled by Lui Kang, and Lord Shinnok indisposed, there was no one to manage the Netherrealm’s damned souls or its inhabitants.

You naively thought that because of your father’s position as Shinnok’s High Priest and the Revenants loose upon Earthrealm, Netherrealm’s denizens would accept your authority. But you were so wrong.

Half of the Brotherhood of Shadow thought you unworthy. Noob Saibot thought you were weak and didn’t have the ruthlessness required to rule Hell. However, he wanted your power and your knowledge about the realm. So, to have all that and strengthen his claim to Netherealm’s seat of power, Bi-han planned to make you his bride. You refused, so you ran to a part of the Netherrealm he couldn’t follow.

However, the other half of the Brotherhood of Shadow, which included demons such as Sareena, Jia, and Jataaka, believed you to be the rightful ruler of Outworld. As a result, factions were formed, and a Civil war—not seen since Shinnok usurped Lucifer—broke out in the Netherrealm.

You were not a fighter, yet your magical prowess and abilities were immense. If Sareena were to be believed, they could become strong enough to rival even Shinnok. Yet, it couldn't always be relied upon should you tire or your Shamisen should break too.

However, what you may lack in brute strength compared to Noob Siabot, you made up for with your strategies. Your war with the Spectre was at a standstill as both gained and lost territory or allies. Strategic decisions became more burdensome for you, as you didn’t want to unnecessarily send anyone off to die, especially when they’re demons that have supported and guided you for the majority of your life. You weren’t as heartless as Quan-chi.

The War wasn’t going in your favor after Noob Saibot made a deal with Havik, the Cleric of Chaos, and gained more allies from Chaosrealm. Your allies were nearly overrun and cornered, you were about to be killed, and Bi-han's victory seemed at hand.

Then, descending into the Netherrealm from a portal like some Angel of Justice, was Hanzo Hasashi, Scorpion! Who wasted no time in sending his kunai through Bi-han's chest and ripping him off you. You then transformed into your more demonic form and joined Scorpion in his fight against the former Lin Kuei. You managed to injure the Spectre enough for him to retreat with his forces.

In the aftermath, you offered Scorpion a brief reprieve within your secret base. Despite initial reluctance, the wraith relented upon your earnest insistence and hearing about your goal to keep Noob Siabot off Netherrealm’s throne to keep more Revenants from reaching Earthrealm. A goal that you will learn Scorpion shares with you.

Taking a page out of Noob Saibot’s book, you allied yourself with Scorpion. The Wraith will ensure that you’re put in charge of the Netherrealm and end Noob, so long as your intentions to keep the Revenants contained proved true. You then sealed this bargain with Scorpion with your soul, ensuring you’d be on the chopping block if you broke your promise. This sincerity took the Wraith aback, and nonetheless, he agreed.

Your decision to work with Scorpion has been very sagacious. In life, Scorpion was Grandmaster of the Shirai Ryu for a good reason, as his tactics helped change the tide of war. He proved to be more of a commanding General than you, as he was steadfast and confident in his decisions. Soon enough, he was able to whip your fellow demons into a more strategic fighting force that you didn’t think was possible.

Between each battle, you learn more about the soul of the man within Scorpion. For one, you finally learned his name to be Hanzo Hasashi. You sometimes asked him about Earthrealm, what it’s like to have lived in a world with a sky, oceans, and people who care for you beyond what you can do for them. Expressing your desire to experience it all.

Hanzo barely answered you at first, but the more he saw your love for your people, your unwavering determination to show kindness to those you consider allies, your reminders to your allies to rest and eat when they can, and just how much you are NOT like your father, the more it helped the Wraith open up to you. He told you about his mountain village, clan, and family. Scorpion also told you about the new Sub-Zero, an honorable man once an enemy but then a close ally. So much so that Scorpion gave the former Lin Kuei Grandmaster one of his kunai to summon him in case Kuai Liang should use his Cryomancy again. When you asked what would happen should the Cryomancer use his magic again, your companion told you that Kuai Liang would live out the rest of his days in the Netherrealm, and he would be the one to take him there.

When Scorpion revealed to you that it was your father who killed his clan, wife, and son, which he described to you in great detail, you cried for Scorpion, no, HANZO’S loss and apologized through tears for your father’s cruelty, as you didn’t know. An act that convinced Scorpion that you were being honest. Scorpion’s belief in you was sealed when you offered your life in repentance.

Rather than taking your life, despite a part of him WANTING to, Scorpion offers to take your throne instead, which you accept. Hanzo brushes back a loose hair behind your ear as he promises to restore order within the Netherrealm and keep the Revenants contained. You hug him in response, which Hanzo slowly and stiffly returns. You savored your first-ever hug, not knowing of the inner turmoil that threatened to make the Wraith cry.

During the final battle, you finally broke Noob Saibot’s defenses and were able to storm Quan-chi’s former fortress. The Battle was chaos; the screams of your comrades and the sounds of blades rendering flesh to ribbons threatened to deafen you. Yet, you and Scorpion had a plan. You would keep Havik and Noob’s army occupied with your frontal assault while Scorpion goes up Quan-chi’s fortress through a long-forgotten pathway to kill the Lin Kuei’s former Grandmaster.

When the two Spectre confronted one another, their combat became so intense that the collateral from Quan-chi's floating fortress threatened to wipe out both armies. Unfortunately for Bi-Han, the falling debris fell atop Havik and his fellow Chaosrealmers. Crushing them to death.

After addressing the most significant threats, you left Sareena to command the remainder of your army before teleporting to your former childhood home. When you arrived, you spotted that Hanzo and Bi-Han were on their hands and knees, and the entire throne room was demolished from their fight. You used your abilities to silence your footsteps as you walked from behind Scorpion, whose insides barely stayed inside him. Seeing the man you called your friend hardened your resolve for what you must do, even if you fully don't know if you have the power to do it. You had to try.

Hanzo finally noticed you and tried to ask what you were doing, although the only thing that came out of him was a wet cough. It didn't anyway, as with a snap of your fingers, Hanzo couldn't hear anything, including his heartbeat. What was going on? What were you doing?

You purposefully ensured Hanzo couldn't hear a thing to protect him from what you were about to do to Bi-Han. The latter didn't initially notice you as he tried to launch a Ghostball at Hanzo. Only for you to pluck a single string that sent a soundwave, knocking him off balance. This finally gained the Spectre's attention, who asked if you were here to finish him off after Scorpion did all the hard work.

This Spectre, being the same one who tried to overthrow your birth realm, tried to force you to wed him, wanted to control you, killed so many of your fellow Oni, has done Elder Gods know what other unspeakable crimes... Yet you couldn't hate him.

You knew him in life as someone who defended Earthrealm from the forces of the Netherrealm. Who helped free Sareena from your father's service as a slave. You watched him burn amongst the Hellfire after Scorpion unjustly dragged him into the Netherrealm, Bi-han's pleas of his innocence falling on uncaring ears. You were there when your father merged Bi-han's soul with the shadows of the damned. It was time that he was set free.

”What Hanzo did to you was unjust and unwarranted. I am sorry that you both were dragged in by Quan-chi’s deceptions." "The shadows do not need pity." Bi-han, or what was Bi-han, spat at Y/N. The latter doesn't react visibly but softly replies, "No. I offer you mercy." A grating sound echos from Bi-Han, which took Y/N a few seconds to realize was laughter. "You would spare me after I had done?" Y/N shook her head before readying her shamisen into place. Her hands begin to glow with a ghostly green and purple fire. "I'll finally set your soul free from this shell."

You then begin to play your song. It first started out at a frequency low enough to disrupt Wraith's entire central nervous system, meaning you essentially shut down his brain and began rupturing his organs. You then start to play louder, using your magic to encase you and Bi-Han in a dome of blinding fiery light, ensuring that The Wraith can't use the shadows to escape. From there, you began to tear Bi-han apart, burning skin, muscle, organs, and bone. At one point, you didn't need your hands to continue playing your Shamisen.

The soul was the hardest for you to cleave because it was so submerged in darkness. In fact, you were worried for a moment that you had utterly destroyed the soul until you peeled the darkness enough to be greeted by a bright speck of light, barely bigger than a grape. By then, the dome you made shattered, and your spell on Scorpion was removed.

Hanzo watched you gently cup the soul speck in your hand and hold it over your heart, giving it an odd embrace. You whispered to the soul, telling it you'd grant it safe passage. You gave the speck a tiny bit of your magic to boost it before releasing it into the air. The speck, as if instinctually knowing what it must do next, rocketed off into what counted as a sky above you until it disappeared.

"What did you do?" Scorpion whispered, finding the silence that now hung in the air somehow more deafening than when you took his hearing briefly. You turn to face Scorpion, your red eyes misty. "What I could for him."

Then, you used your magic to send a fire bolt into the air in the shape of a scorpion, essentially announcing to all in the realm that Bi-han has been defeated. Hanzo has won. You confirmed this by gesturing to the demolished black throne and declaring that, as per your deal with him, the Netherrealm is now Scorpion's. You wished him well, turning to leave with the intent of rejoining your army, when you felt a hand on your shoulder.

Hanzo turns you around so you can be face-to-face with each other. He offered you an amendment to your agreement. Scorpion will need someone he can trust to help him rule his new realm, someone who knows the Netherrealm intimately, someone with experience governing its people, someone with a good heart that won't let power corrupt her. You happily accepted and announced Scorpion's first decree to the waiting armies.

Reconstitution was not easy, but with you and Scorpion overseeing it all, your efforts made reconstructing the Netherrealm possible. You and Scorpion's leadership styles complemented one another, balancing each other. Scorpion's harsh and severe rule was necessary to keep the rest of Netherrealm's demons under control, and he was quick to stamp out any more revolts from the remainder of Bi-han's followers. On the other hand, you lead with wisdom and compassion to the denizens of the Netherrealm who weren't mindless beasts such as Sareena and her sisters, who have loyally fought by your side for decades now. Given your understanding of the inner workings of the realm, you often politically guided Scorpion on how the Netherrealm works and what would be best for its denizens.

Eventually, you transitioned from Scorpion's Advisor to being his Queen. While you were hesitant at first, inquiring if Scorpion really wants to be bound to the child of his family's killer. Unwavering in his resolve, Hanzo reassured you that he cared not for your blood but your heart. Your heart is why the former Shirai Ryu Grandmaster deeply fell for you; otherwise, he wouldn't bother asking. With joyful tears, you embraced Hanzo and accepted his proposal. The wedding wasn't a grand affair but an intimate ceremony with your most trusted allies.

Some more years go by, with more trials and errors, whether that be maintaining you and Hanzo's authority over the Netherrealm or your marriage with the Wraith. Despite Hanzo ultimately forgiving you, that didn't erase the guilt and doubts you held. You sometimes felt as if, somehow, you were keeping your husband trapped down in the Netherrealm through obligation, keeping him from spending the afterlife in the Heavens with his family. Yet, when you voice this guilt with Hanzo, he apologizes for doing whatever made you think that. He then reassures you that it was his choice to stay in the Netherrealm, and he wants to stay there with you as long as you have him.

One day, your husband and King told you the time had come to fulfill his promise to Sub-Zero. You told Scorpion that you'll be able to meet his duties while he's away before asking him not to be too hard on Kuai Liang. Hanzo held your forehead against his and promised to do his best. Your husband then disappeared from the Netherrealm in a wall of hellfire.

When you see your husband again, with a much older Kuai Liang in tow, as expected. What you didn't expect was to find both men bleeding from various wounds and Kuai Liang to be missing an arm. You rushed to meet them and asked what happened to them. Scorpion answers that he'll tell you later, but Kuai Liang's presence must be addressed for now.

You held your hand over the old man, where his arm was missing, gently asking permission to heal him. Kuai Liang looked to Scorpion for confirmation whether or not he should let you. When the Lord of Hell nodded, Kuai Liang accepted and let you stop the bleeding before doing the same for Scorpion.

You tell the former Lin Kuei Grandmaster that it's nice to finally meet him, as your husband has told you much about him. This catches Kuai Liang off guard at the news. To confirm this, Scorpion holds up his left hand to reveal his obsidian ring, which matches the one on your left hand. Scorpion held your hand with loving eyes on you as he introduced you to Kuai Liang.

"I could not have picked no better than her to have at my side."

However, Kuai Liang was less surprised in comparison when learning that Scorpion also keeps watch of the Netherrealm as its new Overlord. Because of you and Scorpion's ranks, you had to properly address his banishment to the Netherrealm. As you and your husband agreed, you held court for how his sentence shall be carried out within the Netherrealm. After a swift court session, Kuai Liang's sentence was decided.

“Per your oath, you shall spend the rest of your natural life here, where Lord Scorpion and I may contain and monitor your abilities. Welcome, Kuai Liang, to the Netherrealm.”

You promise Kuai Liang that while he may be stuck here, you’ll ensure his soul won’t remain in the Netherrealm forever. The old man thanked you for your kindness, even if he didn't think he deserved it. You retorted that it doesn't matter whether or not he deserves your kindness; his actions have shown you that he's more than earned it.

From the steps of your fortress, you and Scorpion then show the sprawling city of the dead below, where Kuai Liang shall dwell for the rest of his life.

Playlist While Writing This:

"City of the Dead" by Eurielle

“Conquer (Eclipsa attacks Meteora)” from Star vs the Forces of Evil.

“Kings and Queens” by Ava Max

"This Life is Mine" feat (Casey Lee Williams) by Jeff Williams

"Healing Incantation" ver Annapantsu

"The Cost of the Crown" by Mercedes Lackey & Shandeen

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat x reader #mk x reader #Oddball writes #mortal kombat headcannons #mk11 #mk scorpion #scorpion x reader #hanzo hasashi x reader #hanzo hasashi #bi han #noob saibot #sub zero #mortal kombat legends #Snow Blind #Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind #mk kuai liang

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chiqelatasblog · 1 year ago

Text

CHAPTER THREE : Second visit of the Death

-> Ao3 link is here.

-> Chapter Two is here.

Pairing : Sub-Zero | Bi-Han x Reader

Summary : Adapting to life within the Lin Kuei clan, you notice significant differences between their ways and those of your own clan. The tension around Bi-Han’s demeanor persists, and you feel at a loss about how to approach him. Despite the challenges, you’re surprised by the Lin Kuei’s compassionate side. However, an ordinary tea takes an unexpected dark turn, and the consequences become dire.

Author’s Note : I use both Sektor’s and Cyrax’s appearances from the MK9 game. Frost is also here. All of them are human in this story.

Warning : Details about violence & poisoning

Many years ago...

On a cold autumn night, when the last yellow leaves on the trees were falling to the ground and the scent of snow wafted through the air, you came face to face with death for the first time.

You were a little girl, just about to turn six. Though your imagination was vast, your feet were always firmly planted on the ground. As the only daughter of the clan’s grandmaster, you knew a different life awaited you compared to other children, and you had a responsibility to fulfill those expectations. It was your duty.

At the same time, you also understood that your father had never loved you like your other siblings. Yet, you didn’t realize there was a deeper hatred underneath, one that could turn your life upside down from that night on.

Could a father harbor such a significant grudge against his own child? It appeared that your father was nurturing something sinister.

Just before the assassin came to your room, although you didn't hear footsteps, your ability to control shadows made you aware of a visitor outside the door. It immediately put you on high alert, pulling you out of the sweet embrace of sleep.

You knew that no one would approach your room secretly and quietly like this at this time of night. One of your small hands gripped the hunting knife you always kept under the pillow.

Even though your younger brother had started basic martial training with the others, your father excluded you, insisting you didn't need it. Instead, you were taught etiquette, manual skills, and other noble womanly pursuits.

So, you didn’t know how to defend yourself, but you observed others training from afar. There was also a knife your mother had given you, tightly held between your fingers. She had always warned you never to let the knife stray far, and for the first time, you felt fortunate that you kept that promise.

A year ago, you were given a single room as you were deemed old enough and had to leave your parents. For the first time, your room seemed intimidating and vast to your eyes.

Finally, a decrepit human figure emerged from the shadows, and you held your breath. Your vision blurred with tears from panic, and your heart pounded with adrenaline, causing your lower jaw to tremble under the influence of the fear you felt. You had never experienced such fear in your short life – a pure fear that made your whole body tremble and made you want to sob.

Everything erupted in an instant. Things happened so fast that you didn't even get a chance to understand.

When the assassin deftly cut your exposed throat with a swift movement, your entire world came to a halt. Blood splattered around your chin like a red dye. The pain was so intense that you choked on the blood rushing to your mouth, and tears, previously restrained, quickly overflowed from your eyes.

The air became thick with the metallic scent of blood, and the room seemed to spin in a disorienting dance of shadows and crimson. Your fingers, trembling, clutched at the bedsheets, stained with the evidence of your struggle. The moonlight cast eerie reflections on the walls, mirroring the fading flicker of your consciousness.

Coughing and attempting to breathe, you struggled as your vision blurred. The pain was sharp, and your vision quickly darkened, fading into nothingness. It felt like someone was dimming the light of a lamp, and you believed the end had come. To die in your own bed, at the hands of an assassin—it was too cruel an end.

Amidst your closing eyes, you vaguely heard your mother's screams. Everything disappeared into a black, deep void, and the pain vanished, merging into the darkness as if it had never existed.

When you opened your eyes again, you found yourself staring at the familiar ceiling of your room. Standing still for a few minutes, you couldn't comprehend what was happening. Was the entire ordeal a horrific nightmare? When you attempted to straighten up in confusion, moving your neck even slightly brought such a sharp pain that tears instantly filled your eyes.

Frozen in fear of the pain returning, the sliding door of the room opened, and your mother and the clan doctor entered, expressing concern from every angle.

"(y/n)! Thank God you're awake!"

As your mother rushed inside and opened her arms, carefully embracing you, tears began to flow. Silent sobs shook your small frame as she stroked your hair and tried to comfort you with her sweet words. Hugging your mother more tightly, you sought refuge, as if trying to hide from the entire world in her embrace.

Since birth, the only place you felt safe was in your mother's arms. Only there could you express yourself authentically, unreservedly showing your feelings. Your mother was the only person in the entire clan who accepted you completely.

"Don't cry, my beautiful girl, it's all over now. Your father took care of the assassin, nothing like this will happen again. Don't worry at all."

After your mother placed a loving kiss on the top of your head, she stepped back and wiped the tears from your eyes. When you tried to speak, she silenced you by placing a gentle finger on your lips.

‘’No, you are forbidden to speak until your throat heals,” your mother declared.

Following her words, the doctor carefully explained what you should and shouldn’t do, framing it in a way that you could understand. Listening with fearful eyes, every swallow was a painful reminder of the wound in your throat. Could you speak again after such an injury? The possibility felt shrouded in uncertainty.

According to the doctor, you would start to regain the ability to speak in five or six months, but the pain persisted, as sharp as if the knife that cut your throat had never left. It was enough to extinguish hope, as fragile as a candle flame.

And that was exactly what happened.

As the days transformed slowly into weeks and the weeks into months, you learned to live with the pain—or perhaps "adapt" would be a more accurate term. Coming from a warrior clan where your father held the position of the grandmaster, you never wanted to overshadow his glory with your weakness.

Despite your young age and stature, you always tried your best. When the dosage of painkillers decreased over time and the pain intensified, that's when you began using your power for the first time.

The shadows became your allies—a refuge for the weakness, pain, tears, and the loneliness of not being around anyone except your mother. You learned to conceal all these emotions in the shadows.

For a long time, you were afraid to sleep alone in your room. However, explaining the situation to your father seemed more frightening, so you began hiding in the shadows created by moonlight in your room. You learned to console yourself from nightmares in which you woke up sobbing.

Feeling safe in the dark world felt strange at first. You had never liked the dark—your brothers would sometimes use shadows to scare you or tell scary stories, intensifying your fear. But this time, darkness began to feel like a friend rather than an arch-enemy.

When it all became too overwhelming, the darkness became your new cocoon where you felt safe. This bond with your power was established as the only way you could sleep at night. You didn't know exactly how to use it yet, or what it was capable of, but you became skilled at hiding yourself.

This newfound ability allowed you to rebuild the confidence you had lost over time. You still harbored fear of your father, your brothers, and anyone else bigger and taller than you, as well as sudden noises and movements. However, it brought comfort to know you had a place to hide from everyone.

A year later, a scar adorned your throat, a reminder of that fateful moment, but speaking remained an act you were afraid to perform. On the other hand, as promised by your mother, there was no further attempt on your life, and your father decided that you should train with your brothers.

Then, one morning, when you woke up late due to your nightmares, you discovered the truth. . Transporting through the shadows to move silently, you stumbled upon your instructors whispering quietly among themselves as they headed to the training ground.

It was none other than your own father who had attempted to kill you.

Today...

Thanks to Bi-Han's guidance, you easily found the kitchen.

You had been hungry for so long that nausea had set in, prompting you to seek out the kitchen to put an end to it. On this pretext, you also wanted to take the opportunity to explore comfortably while no one had started the day yet.

During your first night in your room, stress had gripped your body, preventing sleep. At some point, even though you couldn't decipher how it happened, your eyes closed. However, in that brief moment of sleep, you found no relief. Stress, anxiety, and all the negative factors from your mission led you straight to a memory you could never erase but tried to bury deep down.

You hadn't revisited the memories of your assassination for a long time, and you even thought you were getting past it. With no apparent reason to fear for your life – being successful in martial arts and trained to turn every disadvantage to your advantage – you believed you had control over your vulnerabilities. Yet, it seemed that under stress, your subconscious was still weak, dragging you back to times when you were incapable of self-protection.

Taking a deep breath, you attempted to push the memories out of your mind. Upon finding the kitchen, you immersed yourself in breakfast preparation, only to be politely directed to the dining room by attendants responsible for the clan’s daily affairs.

As you looked at the chairs at the long table, hesitation crept in about where to sit. Bi-Han, as the grandmaster, should be seated at the head, and it would make sense for you to sit beside him as his wife. However, due to the tension between you, Bi-Han's presence felt dominating, even suffocating.

Moreover, you didn't want to risk sitting close to him after the insult he hurled about the bedroom issue the previous night. This time, you didn't want to be exposed in public simply because you sat next to him. Your pride had been wounded by his arrogant words and contempt for you from the very first day.

Therefore, you decided to secure yourself by opting to sit in one of the chairs in the middle. It wasn't long after you took your seat that Kuai Liang and Tomas, whom you recalled were Bi-Han's brothers, entered with another dark-skinned man. You remembered seeing him at the wedding ceremony but had no idea about his name.

All three of them seemed slightly surprised to see you but didn't hesitate to offer a small greeting with nods. You reciprocated with the same, along with a friendly smile and voice.

"Good morning."

Tomas, with his unusual gray hair that made his name easy to remember, was the first to respond to you.

"Good morning. I hope your first night here was comfortable."

When Kuai Liang jabbed Tomas hard with his elbow upon his words, Tomas realized the implication and raised his hands as if to say, ‘I am innocent,’ in a panic that contradicted the composure of a ninja. His cheeks turned slightly pink, and his grayish light blue eyes widened with embarrassment.

"That's not what I meant! Please forgive my rudeness," Tomas hastily clarified.

The sincerity of his reaction made an unexpected soft giggle escape your lips.

‘’That’s okay.’’

‘‘I know well what it means to get used to a foreign place. I just-‘’

“I think she understood what you meant, Tomas,” the dark-skinned man interjected. Seating himself opposite you, on the cross side, he continued, “My name is Sam, but I prefer you to say Cyrax.”

‘’Pleased to meet you,’’ you greeted politely, your gaze wandering over the three of them. ‘‘You know my name, but we haven't had the opportunity to meet formally. My name is (y/n). I will be in your care from now on.’’

‘’Glad to meet you,’’ Kuai Liang said. Sitting next to Cyrax, Tomas took the chair beside you. The seating arrangements caught your attention – Kuai Liang sat right next to the head chair, while Tomas left it empty instead of taking the same position and settled in next to you. You couldn't decipher if someone else was supposed to sit in the third seat instead of Tomas.

‘’You are my brother's wife; it would not be right for me to sit there anymore,’’ Tomas whispered, audible only to you. Your hands, resting on your lap, clenched into fists. Though sliding to one side was a simple action, you didn't want to do it, and you had good reasons. Fortunately, no one commented on this issue.

‘’I can imagine it's not easy, but this is your home now. We don't have to inherit the hostility of our ancestors. This marriage has given us an opportunity to prove this.’’

Kuai Liang looked at you with a sympathetic smile, showing that he noticed the tension. His face resembled Bi-Han's, but not entirely. Kuai Liang's expression had a warmth that could be described as calm and friendly. His dark brown eyes were sharp like Bi-Han's, yet they also held a gentle modesty. The impression at first glance was that he was not an arrogant person.

‘‘You are now a part of the Lin Kuei clan, so please feel comfortable and safe. No one can hurt you here. Our word is an oath.’’

His words calmed the chaos within you a little, but they weren't enough to dispel it entirely. Trusting was a difficult act for you, having learned through an extremely painful experience not to lean on your family. Therefore, you could only thank Kuai Liang for his words.

As breakfast was served, the atmosphere was cozy, the food surprisingly good. Even though you just met these men, there was a comfort in their company. They included you in their conversation, making you feel like you’ve always been part of their group. No one questioned or spoke harshly to you.

But it’s crucial to remember—they’re your enemies. Despite what Kuai Liang said, the real reason behind this marriage was to eliminate them. They’re seemed friendly, which shocked you. After the coldness you experienced from Bi-Han, this warm welcome was unexpected. It left you feeling a bit bewildered, struggling to believe in their friendliness. The breakfast, the conversations, all felt a bit surreal, and you couldn’t shake off the surprise, unsure of their true intentions.

As you were about to take a small sip of your steaming green tea, you caught Tomas's curious gaze watching you. According to a ninja, Tomas could betray himself easily with his expressions.

“Is there something on my face?’’ you asked. Tomas cleared his throat and averted his gaze from you.

‘’It just feels strange to see someone new at this table after so many years.’’

‘’May I hope that it is a good oddity?’’

‘’Yes, yes, of course.’’

‘’I think the part that makes it strange is that it is connected with your brother. Am I wrong?’’ you asked in a polite voice.

‘’We knew that our grandmaster was getting married soon; this was a topic that had been on the table for a long time. It surprised us all that it was with the Tengu clan,” Cyrax mentioned, crossing his muscular arms on his chest. “Obviously, we didn’t expect him to accept.”

“But this was definitely instrumental in something good,” Kuai Liang remarked. He should have been the mediator among them. You had only been with them for half an hour, but it was enough for you to understand that the man had a rather optimistic outlook. “My brother is not an easy person; he is deeply attached to his habits and clan. But I believe that time can change everything. Your marriage will be a new beginning for all of us, I feel that way.”

Your lips curled in a forced smile. Yes, there was no doubt that it would be a new beginning, but it would be instrumental in a much different cause than what Kuai Liang hoped. Grasping the porcelain cup with both hands, you looked at your image reflected in the tea.

Your eyes were determined, yet they also looked so hopeless. You had deep doubts and concerns about this task, unsure if you were strong enough to cope with it all alone. All these unknowns suffocated you, strengthening the vortex of chaos inside you.

While taking another sip of your tea, the sliding doors opened, and Bi-Han and another unknown person entered, someone you only saw out of the corner of your eye during the ceremony.

Bi-Han's eyes found you directly, and upon noticing the chair you had chosen, his brows furrowed noticeably. The atmosphere of the room instantly became heavy; there was nothing left of the cozy atmosphere just moments ago. The cold breeze emanating from Bi-Han caused you to shiver slightly despite the thick clothes you were wearing.

You were sure that he did this on purpose; it would be ridiculous to think that someone with the title of grandmaster couldn't control his powers. If he was trying to intimidate you, it was clear that he failed. However, you weren't going to take your chances either. Even if his observation of your powerlessness annoyed you, you were set on turning this situation to your advantage for the time being.

‘’You're late today.’’

‘’I was making an assessment with Sektor about the training of our newly arrived initiates,’’ said Bi-Han, responding to Kuai Liang. "They’re determined, and I am sure they will understand the order here in a short time and behave accordingly.’’

He didn't take his eyes off you when he said that. Implicitly, you understood that these words were directed at you. You continued to sip your tea quietly, ignoring his presence, as if you had never heard what he was saying.

‘’I don't think we are likely to encounter a problem as long as they are properly directed,’’ Sektor added. He, too, had sat next to Tomas, facing Cyrax. You could read on their faces that everyone was quietly questioning the idleness of the chair next to you.

‘‘How did you find the breakfast?’’

Everyone's attention turned when Bi-Han suddenly changed the subject and directed his question directly to you in a cold voice. Although you were suddenly uncomfortable with the attention being turned on you, you didn't show it. You lifted your chin slightly and looked directly into Bi-Han's eyes, who was watching you.

‘’Everything was quite delicious and carefully prepared; I can't find a word to say,’’ you continued with a kind smile and a sweet voice. "Of course, I wish my tea could stay a little warmer.’’ You said. Because of the cold breeze emitted by Bi-Han, everything that was steaming, especially the tea, lost its temperature in minutes.

Bi-Han's eyebrows furrowed a little more against your words. Now an obvious line had formed in the middle of his two eyebrows.

‘’Maybe you're not doing the right thing to keep warm.’’

"Forgive me for my words, but it is very difficult to understand what is right and what is not under these circumstances.’’

‘’Are they still talking about tea?’’ When Tomas asked Sektor his question in a whispering voice, Kuai Liang covered his face with one hand and sighed deeply.

Bi-Han's gaze was sharp enough to cut someone in half, and even though the danger signals he emitted made your entire body tremble, you maintained your posture. If Bi-Han expected respect for his boundaries, he needed to acknowledge that mutual respect was essential, understanding that you wouldn’t be compelled to obey as others in the clan did.

"Leave me alone with (y/n).’’

At his command, they got up without a word, and you caught Tomas's worried gaze as he quietly left the room. His expression made you a little nervous, but you also had no choice but to confront Bi-Han.

‘’What do you think you're doing?’’ he snarled. You maintained your innocent expression and calmness. You could tell from his demeanor that your attitude annoys him.

‘“I am drinking my tea,” you replied, lifting the cup delicately.

“Don’t play the fool with me. Do you think you can make a mockery of me in front of my clan?” Bi-Han’s voice dripped with irritation.

‘’No, of course not. I was just answering your questions.’’

Bi-Han's gaze darkened even more. While his jaw contracted angrily, the cold air he emitted started to cover the table with a thin layer of ice.

‘’When you are with the others, you will act like my wife, obey me, and keep quiet.’’

“Then I advise you not to ask me questions that you don’t want to hear answered, Grandmaster. Because I will not hesitate to answer you, do not doubt about that.’’

‘‘I'm warning you for the last time, (y/n). Do not try to confront me; the continuity of this alliance depends entirely on you. You better keep that in mind.’’

‘’I have no such intention.’’ Gripping the cup harder, you tried not to let go of your control and maintain your calm. ‘‘But remember that as long as your hostile attitude towards me continues, you will be reciprocated in the same way. If you want me to act like your wife in front of others, I have the right to be respected by you in the same way.’’

Bi-Han remained silent. As the chill in the room gradually dissipated, warmth returned, and you, too, breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the tension ease.

“From now on, you will sit on the chair next to me,” he declared in an authoritative tone that brooked no objections. “Our rooms are separate, but aside from that, you will stand in the position and place where you should stand as a wife.”

‘’All right. Do you have another desire?’’

"Finish your breakfast; Sektor will introduce you to the surroundings so that you don't get lost again.’’

‘‘That's very thoughtful of you, thank you.’’

Bi-Han's expression seemed to break for a moment, as if he was enjoying your answer; his lips curled with a ghostly smile. He leaned back without taking his gaze away from you.

‘‘How do you like your room?’’

‘’Good.’’ You said it honestly. ‘’It is spacious and quite comfortable.’’

‘‘Then why did you have a nightmare?’’

‘’Wouldn't it be more strange if I didn't?’’ Leaving your cup on the table, you also sat back in the same way and crossed your arms on your chest. ‘‘My husband not only dragged me out of the room like a little child, he insulted me and closed the door in my face.’’

‘‘I told you not to call me that.’’ Bi-Han warned.

An eyebrow raised defiantly at him.

‘‘I'm just stating the truth; it didn't happen any differently from what I said last night.’’

‘‘I'm not the cause of your nightmare." Bi-Han's confident tone of voice caused you to be both surprised and angry. While he didn't want to be involved in his own business, his refusal to show the same sensitivity to you to the second time was getting on your nerves now.

‘’You're afraid.’’ Said Bi-Han. You answered him back instantly.

‘’I'm not afraid of you.’’

The edge of Bi-Han's lip formed into a faint smile.

‘’I didn't say you were afraid of me. You're a brave woman; I can't take credit for that.’’

Bi-Han slowly got up from where he was sitting, sat down on the chair next to you in one fluid move, and grabbed one of the legs of the chair you were sitting on, pulling it towards him so that you could stand in a way to see him.

Your body automatically tensed up against Bi-Han being so close all of a sudden. The cool air emanating from the cryomancer was not menacing this time; you could clearly smell its clean smell on the snow outside, and the gaze locked on it made you feel like you were once again nose to nose with a snow leopard.

So that's how the prey felt when the predator made eye contact with its prey. Aggressive and cornered... It was terrible to be the focus of staring eyes to catch the slightest vulnerability; if you didn't have the confidence and pride in your abilities, you would have already got up from the chair or pointed one of the knives at Bi-Han on the table.

‘’What scares you (y/n)?’’

Bi-Han's big hands, grasping the arms of the chair which you were sitting on, further triggered the feeling of being cornered.

‘’Am I under interrogation?’’ You asked, although your voice sounded calm, the underlying tense timbre was reflected in your voice.

‘‘It depends on how you want to evaluate this situation.’’

‘’It makes me feel quite interrogative. I thought you could ask your questions effectively without the need for them. I think I should add this behavior to the list, besides being rude.’’

‘’You think I’m rude?’’

‘He couldn't really have asked that.’ You thought. A grunt, uncharacteristic of a lady, escaped your lips.

‘’I can't say you're a very kind person. Look, Grandmaster, we all have our own demons. The fact that I come from a noble family does not change this fact. I'm not going to bother changing your thoughts about me, but I'm asking you, you can get the answers to your questions without being rude to me. Showing a little humanity won't take anything away from you.’’

Bi-Han's hands were covered with blue ice that momentarily turned white, freezing the arms of the chair he held. Recovering at an impressive speed, he retreated, regaining control over his powers. As he looked at you, a thin wisp of smoke rose from his lips, and he lowered his voice to a timbre audible only to you, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear.

"You're hard-headed."

"I have to be." You replied in the same quiet tone, causing Bi-Han to frown.

"Finish your breakfast," he said after a while. "Sektor is waiting for you."

***

In the few days spent in the Lin Kuei clan, you gradually acclimated to the surroundings and order. However, differences between their ways and those of your own clan began to stand out.

One notable distinction was the training of female assassins. While they were fewer in number compared to men, it intrigued you to see them actively participating. In your clan, women were confined to domestic roles, regarded solely for lineage continuation. They were kept behind closed doors, learning little beyond simple crafts.

Here, the situation differed. Female assassins received the same martial arts training as their male counterparts. One, in particular, caught your attention—Frost. With striking white hair and pale skin, she stood out. Possessing cryomancer powers like Bi-Han, she didn't seem to like you but maintained a respectful nod when passing by, acknowledging your status as the grandmaster's wife.

Another point of interest was the tight security within the Lin Kuei clan. Despite your discreet observations, there were no visible vulnerabilities. Watchtowers, constantly patrolling ninjas, high stone walls, and warriors trained under Bi-Han's supervision made it a formidable fortress.

Solidarity among the clan brothers was unwavering, leaving no room for discord. Conversations ceased when you approached, and you were consistently kept out of their discussions. Despite efforts to keep it secret, the fact that you shared separate rooms with Bi-Han became known. Although it bothered you, you managed to cope with it for a while.

This isolation felt unlike anything you'd experienced before. Even in your own clan, while the atmosphere wasn't vastly different, at least there was a familiar layout and recognizable faces.

Every night, your old memories resurfaced, and sleep became increasingly elusive. The weight of the mission seemed heavier than anticipated, causing nightmares to haunt you regularly.

"(Y/n)? Are you okay?"

Tomas's voice pulled you out of your thoughts, and you looked up to see him from where you were sitting.

‘’Oh, Tomas. I didn't hear you coming. Yes, I'm fine; I'm just lost in thought. Would you like to join me a little bit?’’

As you gestured to the empty cushion next to you, Tomas joined you with a small smile.

‘’I think I have time enough for a little company.’’

‘’That's great. How are the trainings going? I heard that some of the new members are under your responsibility.’’

"It's good, they're catching on quickly, but they still have a long way to go.’’

‘’I've had the opportunity to observe your training from time to time; you seem like a pretty good teacher. I'm sure they'll get the hang of it soon.’’

In response to your friendly compliment, Tomas's eyes sparkled with happiness, and his cheeks turned slightly pink. Among the brothers, Tomas was the easiest to decipher; you felt comfortable around him. Maybe it was because he was younger and more naive compared to others; there was a part of him that genuinely listened to what you were saying rather than analyzing you. That made it easier for you to get along with him.

‘’Thank you; it made me happy to hear all this. Have you gotten used to it here? I hope Bi-Han isn't causing you too much difficulty.’’

‘’I guess I'm getting used to it’.’ You said it in a low voice. After the conversation in the dining room a few days ago, Bi-Han's stern attitude hadn't changed, but you could notice that he was paying attention to the way he spoke a little. On the other hand, his gaze was still on you, analyzing you, his attitude was distant and cold. There has been no change in this regard.

When things were like this, you didn't know how to bound him to yourself; as your brother advised, it was the same as asking for the impossible.

‘‘I am glad to hear that. It seems difficult at first, but time somehow allows you to get used to it.’’

‘‘Tomas, I don't want you to misunderstand me, and please forgive me if I'm out of line. I heard something, you-‘’

Tomas stated, his typically expressive face now unreadable, sending a wave of unease through you.

“I’m sorry, I crossed the line,” you quickly apologized, sensing the sensitivity of the topic.

‘’No, no, no." Tomas shook his head from side to side and gave you a little smile that suppressed a lot of pain. ‘‘This incident happened many years ago. It's true that I'm not related to them by blood, but despite that, I wasn't raised any different from Bi-Han and Kuai Liang. Their family became my family too, they were always warm and understanding towards me. Time has allowed me to get used to both them and here. Of course, it wasn't as easy as I said.’’

‘’Considering where I come from, I don't know how good or convincing it will be for you to hear this from me, but I'm sorry for your loss.’’ You said with a bitter smile.

"Thank you, and you must stop thinking that way. You are not our enemy (y/n). Also, I always find it more correct to judge the person alone.’’

Your eyebrows are slightly furrowed as you try to understand what he is saying. As you pulled your knees to yourself, you gave Tomas a curious look.

‘‘How so?’’

‘’We can’t judge everyone the same way. Yes, it is true that you are part of the Tengu Clan, but you are a single individual. You have your own truths, wrongs, beliefs, and desires. At some point, you’re doing what your clan orders you to do, but that doesn’t mean you think the same as them. People are complex, (y/n). Life shapes us differently, and our experiences carve unique paths. Your actions might be guided by duty, but your thoughts and feelings are your own. That’s why I believe that everyone should be evaluated alone. This is the fair one for me.”

Tomas' words struck a chord in your heart that you never anticipated, a deep impact that sent unexpected ripples through your emotions. In an instant, tears welled up in your eyes, tracing a delicate path down your cheeks, catching you off guard. A surprised yet heartfelt smile played on your lips as the weight of Tomas's understanding resonated deeply within you.

Tomas, on the other hand, tried to calm you down, not knowing what to do with a horrified expression.

‘‘I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry.’’

’’No," another wet chuckle spilled from your lips. ‘’Your words touched me, that's all. I'm fine, honestly, I wasn't expecting to cry either.’’

You've never seen such an approach in your clan, and the olive branch Tomas extended made you feel good, as well as unfamiliar. You wanted to be angry with yourself for being so easily impressed, but you couldn't, your cheeks were flushed with shame that you were so hungry for a few kind words. You wiped the tears from your cheeks while your heart ached with a heat that you couldn't help.

Was it really as easy as Tomas said?

At that time, a woman came to you with a tea tray in her hand, and the moment she realized that you werecrying, she hurriedly left what she had on the coffee table in the middle and handed you the handkerchief she took out of her pocket.

‘‘Here, use this, please.’’

Taking the handkerchief, you wiped your tears quickly. When you saw that the concern in Tomas' gaze didn't subside a bit, you smiled and patted his arm.

‘’I'm really fine, Tomas, you have a good and pure heart. That’s very rare so protect it, okay?’’

‘’You're forgetting that I'm a ninja.’’ Tomas said, returning to his relaxed attitude just now.

‘’But I know that you are serving a good and honorable purpose. You're protecting Earthrealm on behalf of Lord Liu Kang, isn't that right?’’

When Tomas' cheeks turned pink once again and he signaled his approval, your smile widened. Just then, the woman cleared her throat, recapturing your attention. With a gentle smile, she poured tea into a cup and extended it to you, offering it for you to take.

“I made ginger tea for you. It’s good for the cold weather,” the woman said. Despite looking strong and young, her voice hinted at a bit of age. “It’ll soothe you and make you feel better. The ginger has healing properties, a little something to fight the chill and keep you warm.”

‘’Oh, thank you, that's very thoughtful of you.’’

You took the cup between your hands with the happiness of the unexpected gesture. The warmth instantly spread from your fingertips to your hand, warming you up against the cool air.

‘’Would you like me to bring a cup for you too?’’ She said, turning her question to Tomas.

‘’No need, I have to go back to training soon. Maybe later.’’

After the woman offered both of you a polite smile for the last time, she withdrew to leave the two of you alone again. As the pungent smell of ginger spread around, you brought it closer to your lips to take a sip from the cup.

At that time, you caught a glimpse of Bi-Han out of the corner of your eye; he was coming towards your place from the middle of the garden covered with white snow. Since the day you arrived, his gaze, which he has always kept locked on you, found you directly; you were starting to get used to this habit a little. And you responded to him, sipping ginger tea while watching him approach.

The taste burned your throat because the tea was brewed a little too much, but because the heat warmed you up, you ignored the bitter taste and continued to drink in small sips.

‘’Is it nice? I probably don't like ginger tea very much; it reminds me of when I was sick.’’

Tomas' words made you giggle.

‘’I'd say it's drinkable. Besides, a little warmth from ginger won’t hurt.”

“Well, as long as it’s not medicinal.” Tomas said with a grin. As you continued sipping your tea, Bi-Han’s shadow loomed over the two of you, casting a momentary hush. In the quiet pause, the weight of his presence filled the air, and you sensed his usual commanding aura.

‘’Is everything all right?’’ asked Tomas.

"Cyrax needs to go on a mission; you will take over the group he is training for a few days.’’

Tomas shrugged.

‘’Of course, that's all right. Did you come all the way here just to tell me that? You could tell me this at dinner.’’

Bi-Han opened his mouth to answer, which you unintentionally interrupted with your unexpected cough. The cough came out so hard that your throat hurt as if it had been torn out.

Unable to understand what was happening, you dropped the cup you were holding and began desperately rubbing your neck, as if you could take away the pain that was scorching your throat.

‘‘(y/n)?’’ Bi-Han kneeled down in front of you with frowning brows, carefully looking you up and down, trying to figure out what your problem was. When his dark brown eyes were turned to yours again, his gaze hardened as he caught the desperate expression on your face.

‘‘What's the matter?’’

‘’I don't know.’’ The panic in your voice was audible. When you started coughing again, your coughs turned into a crisis and prevented you from breathing. Tomas' anxious voice filled your ears.

‘’She's choking.’’

‘’Shit.’’

Bi-Han’s grip on your arms was vice-like as he swiftly maneuvered you onto your side, averting the risk of drowning in your own saliva. A tidal wave of excruciating pain surged through your body, each convulsive cough accompanied by a guttural groan that fought its way out despite your efforts. The world around you blurred into a nightmarish haze, and an overwhelming sense of panic and fear tightened its grip on your heart.

As the cough increased in intensity, your mouth filled with a metallic taste.

Blood.

‘’Tea! There is poison in the tea!’’

Tomas's voice echoed in your ears. The pain strengthened in waves, increasing its effect on you. It was different from the pain when your throat was cut, you felt like your internal organs were liquefying, and you almost lost consciousness because of this terrible pain.

Your whole body was almost on fire; you were so hot that you thought your skin was melting, and it hurt so much that you were ready to sacrifice everything to make it end.

When you were struggling to survive, you felt like you were touched by something cool. The pain had not disappeared, but the coldness that touched your skin had taken you away from the scorching fire, even a little.

You blinked your eyes a few times, trying to figure out what happened. As the power gradually left your body, you were rapidly weakening in your perceptions.

When you managed to pick out Bi-Han's face, you realized that you were on his lap. Your head was against his chest, and you must have coughed a few more times because the front of his clothes was stained with your blood. When you realized this, you muttered something like ‘‘I'm sorry’’ with your numb lips.

‘’Don't talk,’’ Bi-Han commanded with stern authority. ‘’Don't you dare close your eyes.’’

Writhing in his lap, each groan echoed the inferno within. Blood seeped from the corners of your lips, internal organs ablaze. A feeble utterance managed to escape, ‘‘It hurts.’’ You doubted how much longer you could endure. Keeping your eyelids open felt like an unbearable burden, as if tons of weight pressed upon them, leaving you only able to moan, cry, and squirm.

‘'I know.'’

‘I don't want to die,’ you thought. Facing death for the second time, you understood the feeling, yet you resisted, unprepared to depart. You fought against the engulfing darkness, a powerless struggle in the face of excruciating torment. How much longer could you endure? You didn’t know the answer.

Bi-Han shook you urgently, ‘’Keep your eyes open,’’ he growled. His movement made you moan for a long time like a wounded animal. Would this pain never end? Hot tears or blood? It flowed under the eyelids that you don't know when you closed them.

‘‘You're not going to die, do you hear me? You won't die.’’

Even though you heard Bi-Han's words, all you felt was the darkness engulfing you and the nothingness that came with it.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Hold on, reader-san! Everything will be…okay…I hope.🥲

P.S: I barely had time to edit this, if you notice any errors, please let me know!

P.S 2 : I also learned that Cyrax’s real name is Felix Sam Kaweeson and Sektor’s name is Li Hog Jing.

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