#sormik week 2017

[demonic-innocence-cosplay]

Bonus Day of Sormik Week 2017:  Katz Korner (Free Choice)

Sorey: Xx_LiL_xX

Mikleo: Yami-no-tenshi

Photographer: Freaked

Last pictures Designe by: Alasse Tasartir http://alassetasartir.tumblr.com/

Germany 2017

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemonicInnocenc

[grayino-star]

SorMik Week Day 3: Marlind - Nature

Oh yeah, it’s my otp’s week~ 😆

[carnelianwings]

Sormik Week 2017: Katz Corner (Free day)

For @pengiesama​ and @applegelstore​ / @toradh​.  I only hope I did it justice, and I regret not being able to wrangle my smut muse into letting me write the car scene.

“I want you to draw me,” Mikleo began, practically purring into Sorey's ear.

“Um, okay,” Sorey responded, unsure of why this required such an elaborate set up.

“Wearing nothing but my mother circlet,” he finished, his warm breath ghosting over Sorey's ear.

Or, the Titanic AU where nobody dies, even though the ship still sinks.

[somefinelipstickonthatpig]

Place of Hope

Sorey and Mikleo remember their first kiss. Lastonbell, they decide, holds many memories for them. But not all of them are as happy as they would like to pretend.

Sormik Week 2017 - Day 6: Loghrin, Promises/Acceptance

[Read on AO3]

“This is where we had our first kiss.”

Sorey’s comment brings Mikleo out of his thoughts and into the present. He turns to look at the other seraph as he stands in the circular overlook of Lastonbell, in the very same spot all those centuries ago where he had first announced his plan to sleep for the good of the world, the good of their dream.

Mikleo hums and smiles. He looks away and towards the town, with all its people closing up shop and winding down for a lazy summer evening. “It is.”

Sorey chuckles. “You were crying, too, during it. I remember that.”

“I was not.”

“You totally were.”

Mikleo’s face heats up in ways he wished it wouldn’t. He crosses his arms over his chest. “W-well, so what?”

“It was sweet,” Sorey murmurs, and Mikleo doesn’t miss the soft look on his partner’s face as he reminisces. It makes something in him soften, too. “Up until that point, I wasn’t sure what you really thought about the decision I made. Then you just took my face in your hands and kissed me and cried, and it—kind of told me everything I needed to know. It was nice.”

Mikleo chuckles quietly. “It was an awful kiss.”

Sorey laughs. He loops an arm around the water seraph’s waist and pulls him in to his side. “It was,” he agrees. “But I think we’ve gotten better in that department.”

“You think so?” Mikleo hums and looks to pools of green.

“Yeah.” As if to prove it, Sorey leans in and steals a kiss under the falling sun. They part slow, leisurely and Mikleo feels his nerves sing. “You know, I always thought that when we did eventually kiss, I would be the one to kiss you first.”

Mikleo chuckles and pats the back of his knuckles against his lover’s chest. “Shows what you know. I’m full of surprises.”

“Apparently,” Sorey murmurs around a wide smile.

Mikleo hums and leans in close. “Just like this,” he whispers low and kisses him again, this time deeper. His hands wrap around the sides of Sorey’s cloak, pulling him in until they are flush. Sorey makes a small noise in the back of his throat that might have been a whine.

When they part, it’s as slow as before.

“Sorey?”

“Hm?” The seraph’s eyes are still closed.

Mikleo smiles and steps back, bringing Sorey’s attention to him quickly. He takes the ex-Shepherd’s hands in his own to squeeze. His eyes fall between them. “This is…a little late to say, but I wanted to thank you. For keeping your promise to me.”

Sorey blinks. A smile, warmer and softer than before, stretches onto his face. He steps forward to slip his arms around his lover, bringing him in close again. “Well, I wanted to wake up. I wanted to come back to you. Besides, it was the least I could do after you promised to wait for me. You know?”

Mikleo raises his eyes with an unreadable look and a hum. He smiles. “This the first time I’ve come back to Lastonbell since that night.”

“Really?”

Mikleo nods. He sighs with something heavy and looks away again. Out of the corner of his eye, the water seraph could almost see the invisible question mark floating above Sorey’s blank look. His fingers idly fiddle with the black lining of the white cloak Sorey wears—so similar to his Shepherd one from centuries ago.

He wonders where to begin.

“It was hard. Lastonbell just had too many memories.”

Slowly, Sorey’s hold on him softens. Sorey pulls back a little. “Oh…yeah.”

Silence stretches between them until Mikleo can see a shadow has crossed over Sorey’s face. His green eyes, glinting like emeralds in the sunset, seem especially sad. “Sorry. I hope…I hope I didn’t ruin other places for you, too—“

Oh.

Mikleo shakes his head quickly. “No. No, Sorey. You didn’t.”

Sorey presses his lips together tightly and nods.

Mikleo exhales. He recognizes that look; he knows it too well since Sorey’s woken up. He has traced it with his fingers and memorized every downward curve each night he finds Sorey crying, countless apologies falling one after another from his lips for all the years he’s missed he’s missed he’s missed.

He raises his hands to cup his lover’s face. He forces Sorey to look at him. “Sorey,” he says firmly. “Going to sleep didn’t ruin everything between us. It didn’t ruin me. Remember that. Okay?”

“Yeah,” Sorey rasps and he blinks hard. “I-I’m workin’ on it.” He takes a deep breath, but it feels so laden, so heavy.

Mikleo’s thumbs brush the other seraph’s cheeks.

For a long moment, neither of them speak. They breathe and let the sun set behind them, painting the world in soft reds and violets. Then Mikleo whispers, “Hey.” He leans in like he has a great secret. “How about we make some new memories, then?”

“New memories?” Something eases in the tension around Sorey’s eyes. He watches Mikleo with something like hope. “You…mean here? In Lastonbell?”

“Yeah.” Mikleo smiles. “After all, the night hasn’t yet begun.”

Sorey thinks. He nods. “Okay. What should we do…?”

“Anything you want.”

Sorey takes a slow breath in and out. It only takes a moment. “Ice cream.”

It’s not what Mikleo is expecting.

“Sorey,” he chides and he pulls on the front of Sorey’s cloak, trying not to laugh. He doesn’t miss the way the setting sun highlights the other seraph’s long brown hair like gold and his eyes like emeralds. “Neither of us have been to Lastonbell in literal centuries, and the one thing you want to do here more than anything else is have me make ice cream for you? But I can do that anywhere.”

“Maybe that’s why it’s a good idea,” Sorey says in his defense, color returning to his cheeks. “Because we can have it anywhere, but we’re going to have it in Lastonbell.”

“Does having an ordinary thing in an extraordinary place suddenly make that place special?”

“I don’t know,” Sorey answers with a shrug and a small smile. Mikleo’s glad to see it. He pulls away with a playful huff and a roll of his eyes. “But I do know that anything I do with you makes it special. And I think that’s enough.”

Mikleo looks to Sorey sharply. His face burns redder than the sun could paint it as evening comes. “That’s cheesy.”

“It’s the truth,” Sorey says and his grin is wide.

Mikleo is so glad to see it.

He takes Sorey’s hand. “C’mon, you sap. Then let’s get some ice cream. We’ll make Lastonbell a place of hope and fulfilled promises. How does that sound?”

Sorey chuckles. He squeezes Mikleo’s hand. “Okay. Now that’s cheesy.”

“What can I say? I’m just full of surprises.”

Sorey’s laugh after that is bright and warm like the sun on their backs.

[lukecastellan-rights]

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Tales of Zestiria Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Mikleo/Sorey (Tales of Zestiria) Work: COMPLETE, 16852 words (au created by @looveel-realm )

Day 7: Family/Fate

“I’m Sorey,” he says, with the glow of the moon on his hair, and Mikleo smiles, slow and wide. “I know.”

In a world on the brink of calamity, darkened by the promise of war, two boys meet and become fast friends. The only twist is that one's an angel.

[parapara9974]

Part of my contribution to Sormik Week 2017. It's still a work in progress, but looks much better now. I hope I can finish all the panels for bonus day.

[imagine-and-headcanon-blog]

SorMik week day 1

Elysia home if the seraphim. A truly beautiful place indeed. It was very rare for a human to stumble upon the land but when they did something usually happens to bring them right back to where they started. So when they did see a human most of the time it was just a traveler looking for a place to sleep for the night soon to find out that while it was a gorgeous sight to behold this was not the place to settle down for a nights rest. It came to quite the surprise when Zenrus came home with two baby humans. Mason was the first to confront him about it. "These two will be the next shepherd and seraphim to lead the world to peace, and right the wrongs of the present shepherd." Zenrus smiled "you will see one day." Although they weren't to sure about the plan they started working. "One of them is human right? So shouldn't they know how other humans live?" "We should start making certain things that are normal for humans." "What about houses first?" They all pitched in ideas and followed through with them. The earth seraphim making basic foundations for the houses, the water seraphim helping with the food,The fire seraphim finding ways to keep them warm, the wind seraphim making sure the smoke doesn't kill the kids. All of it was turning out perfect Sorey (the human boy) and Mikleo (the human turned seraph) got along well with the few occasional fights between them over small things; nothing was ever big. Small play dates in the mount Moblinogio ruins would always lift there spirits. Zenrus for the most part let them they were never aloud into the deeper parts of the ruins for reasons unknown to them until later times. The thunder God always watching over them. Of course the first day in them was pure panic for everyone else but them, a search party was dispatched to search for them only to find out that they were perfectly fine and were actually playing in the ruins. The others knowing that they couldn't keep them away from the ruins let them go in but kept a close eye on them while they ran through them. But as time went on they both grew and matured, Sorey soon learning how to handle a sword and Mikleo a staff(just like his mother but that is for later times far into there adventure)the small village could rest a bit easier knowing that they could defend themselves. The ruins were a key part to there beginning, after all if they had never found the princess knight in them they wouldn't have gotten the push that started them on there journey at all. Thus is what me and mod torn mostly mod torn have been doing for the past couple of days. For me the weeks been pretty shitty I hope it was better for mod torn and others but I came pretty damn close to walking on a broken leg bone from moving my sisters stuff the other day. It's doing better though and most of it is done so I should be able to post more stuff soon. So Uh bye?????

[mikleo-seraph]

Sormik Week Day 1 : Elysia (Innocence/Beginning) Finalmente lo logre, es un simple sketch pero no queria faltar a este reto y me ayudara para practicar, espero les guste uvu

[sormikweek]

Hi there! Just wanna say thank you for making soymilk 2019 available (I missed 2017) and I also wanna ask if you have a tag or compilation in AO3? I would like to know if you have.

No problem

[ammerynth-moved]

sormik week 2017: day ???? / free choice

it doesn’t really fit any of the prompts but i did draw it as sormik week promo art, so i’ll include it anyway!

[demonic-innocence-cosplay]

Day Five of Sormik Week 2017:  Lohgrin (Truth/Time)

Sorey: Xx_LiL_xX

Mikleo: Yami-no-tenshi

Photographer: Freaked

Germany 2017

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemonicInnocenc

[talesofsymphoniac]

My 2017 in fanfic

Twitter gave me the idea to make one big post with everything I’ve written this year-- a sort of end-of-year roundup thing. I invite anyone else to make a list for themselves-- I figure it might help people see fics they might have missed this year, and it is kind of cool to go back and remember stuff from the beginning of the year.

January: Translation (Tales of Zestiria/Sormik, 854 words, T): Summary: Sorey and Mikleo like to talk to each other in the Ancient Tongue, but sometimes they forget they're not the only ones who speak the language. Or, the group sets off for their final mission after making their decisions in Lastonbell. Based on one of @neodiji​‘s @sublime-sormik-scripts. 

A Click Away (Tales of Zestiria/Sormik with side relationships, 32,035 words, G): Summary: Online friends AU. Growing up is hard. Having a best friend that lives thousands of miles away only makes it harder, but Sorey and Mikleo manage. Technically written mostly in 2016, but completed January of this year. 

February: Promises (Tales of Xillia 2/hints of Jumilla and Judger, 1762 words, G): Summary: Jude knows Milla better than anyone, but that doesn't mean he's stopped being surprised by her.Or, what really happened between Jude and Milla at the top of the Kijara Seafalls, anyway?

First Meetings (Tales of Zestiria/Rosali, 1874 words, T): Summary: Technically, Rose and Alisha met a long time ago. It turns out Rose and Alisha met as kids... and as teenagers... and then they meet again, much later than that. Written for Day One of Rosali Week 2017: Wait for me.

After the Storm (Tales of Zestiria/Rosali, 2722 words, T): Summary: The Rose/Alisha scene we deserved in the season 1 finale. Rose has a conversation with Alisha after the first battle against Roland and their fight against Alisha’s own people. Written for Day Two of Rosali Week 2017: Your smile is forever in my mind.

March: Wedding Bells (Tales of Zestiria/Rosali with side Sormik, 1704 words, G): Summary: At their friends' wedding, Rose and Alisha reflect on the relationship between humans and the seraphim after all these years. They also flirt quite a bit. Written for Day Five of Rosali Week 2017: Stay with me.

May: What is Love? (Tales of Graces/Huscal, 188 words, G):  Summary: Sophie asks Hubert about love. This was a short ficlet from Huscal Week 2016 that I didn’t publish to AO3 until this year.

Sleep Well (Tales of Zestiria/Sormik, 466 words, G): Summary: Mikleo's written response to Sorey's letter from "Goodbye,” a previous fic of mine.

June: A Soft Epilogue (Death Gate Cycle/Marit x Haplo x Alfred, 1464 words, G): Summary: A look at Haplo, Marit, and Alfred following the events of the books. A very domestic, fluffy look.

July: Low Expectations (Tales of Zestiria/Sormik, 862 words, G):  Summary: Sorey and Mikleo have always loved each other, but saying it out loud for the first time proves difficult. A fic continuation of "High Hopes," a fanmade skit from Yaoi Con 2016 (link in the notes). Written for Sormik Week 2017: Bonus Day.

August: To draw on all its omnipotence (Death Gate Cycle/Marit x Haplo x Alfred, 30,798 words, T): Summary: My big fat soulmark AU, following the major characters through the events of the series. Basically: Death Gate Cycle, now with soulmarks and 100% less elf princess death! Written over the course of about four months, this is probably the work that I’m proudest of, out of everything I wrote in 2017.

Finding You (Tales of Zestiria/Sormik, 862 words, G): Summary: Post-canon. Sorey is a seraph now, and as such, he has forgotten all about his human life. Luckily, Mikleo is there for him.

November: Threshold (Death Gate Cycle/Marit and Alfred friendship, plus Marit x Haplo and Alfred x Haplo, 15,856 words, T): Summary: Alfred and Marit become friends, they both keep a secret from Haplo, and the three of them have the emotional maturity of high schoolers. It's possible they're all still a bit shaky on this whole "feelings" thing.

December: The Next Morning (Tales of Zestiria/Sormik, 1488 words, T): Summary: In Ladylake, the morning after forming their armatus for the first time, Sorey and Mikleo wake up together. Fluff ensues. 17th day of the Sormik Advent Calendar: Hot Drinks.

Snowfall (Death Gate Cycle/Alfred x Haplo plus Marit x Haplo x Alfred, 2320 words, T): Summary: The first snow falls in the Nexus, and Haplo, Alfred, and Marit have a night in.

[carnelianwings]

Rating: Teen And Up Audience

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Category: M/M

Fandom: Tales of Zestiria

Relationship: Mikleo/Sorey (Tales of Zestiria)

Characters: Sorey (Tales of Zestiria), Mikleo (Tales of Zestiria), Alisha Diphda, Lailah (Tales of Zestiria), Edna (Tales of Zestiria), Zaveid (Tales of Series), Symonne (Tales of Zestiria)

Or, the Puella Magi Madoka Magica AU I have been teasing since last December and I finally decided to just post what I have for Sormik week.  As is the case with how I’ve written every other AU, this is a character swap AU, with some tweaks along the way to make things work a little better.

Also known as, the AU in which Being Mikleo Is Suffering, and not in that cutesy slow burn high school/college AU kind of way.  Major thanks to @koko-ai for beta reading this and Suffering with me through the discussions.

Posting this for Day 1, because well, even if they’re both not children anymore, it is a Beginning.  Of sorts.

[somefinelipstickonthatpig]

(abt that smoke au) Please for the love of Laphicet write that I will dance at your wedding

well gET UR DANCIN SHOES READY BUD cuZ HERE WE GO !!

Canon-divergent drabble in the Tintagel Ruins where the scene in which Sorey gets locked in the chamber happens just a little differently.

[also for Sormik Week 2017 - Day 8: Katz’ Korner, Free Day since I could write whatever I wanted to my heart’s content so heRE HAVE SOME REQUESTED DR A MA and a little fluff at the end cuz i love these two]

When Rose first said, “Whoops,” Sorey should have known that wouldn’t bea good sign. “Don’t you ‘whoops’ me!” he had cried, fumbling for the gap in thewall to the left. Rose just laughed. When she said, “Whoops,” again for the secondtime, Mikleo beside him grumbled with his arms crossed over his chest, “Whatdoes she mean by that?” and Soreywasn’t sure he wanted to know.

The third time she made some sort of surprised sound was the moment itall went downhill.

Steam hissed into the room from a corner Sorey couldn’t identify, thoughhe tried to find it.

Edna whistled long and low. She lifted her closed parasol to her slendershoulder and tapped it once, twice. “Well. Things just got interesting,” shemused.

“Uh—sorry, Mr. Shepherd! Dunno what that did but I’ll see if I can turnit off…!” Rose’s voice traveled to them from behind the thick wall. “Obviouslyit didn’t open up the door, so…uh, how about this one?” As she spoke, a collectionof shafts dotting the upper walls of their enclosure slid open. Moresmoke—colored oddly, Sorey couldn’t help but notice—filtered slowly into theroom.

Mikleo huffed, “That is the oppositeof helping!”

The Shepherd laughed nervously. “It’s okay…!” He called out, both for theseraphim around him and the human who couldn’t hear them still fiddling in theroom beyond. He scratched the back of his head and then shrugged. He turned tothe others. “Here, maybe there’s a way to make that stop on our end. C’mon,let’s check it out.”

Soreylead his team around the room, meticulously examining every wall. He placed hisfingers to every crevice, pressed into each nook he could reach. Edna stompedon the floor pattern with her overlarge boots, mumbling something about thisentire venture being “stupid.” Lailah hummed, eyes following the images alongthe walls with her bright green eyes for guidance. Her fingers hovered justabove the stone surface.

Mikleonever once left Sorey’s side. Perhaps that was why he was the first to noticewhen Sorey’s breathing started to change.

“Sorey?”

Soreycoughed into his hand lightly once and then twice. He shook his head andblinked his eyes hard. “I’m fine,” he answered, his voice quiet. He winced andlifted a hand to his throat. “Just getting sore, I guess. Weird.”

Mikleofrowned but said nothing.

Afew minutes later, Sorey coughed again. His shoulders curled inward. Mikleo’shands shot out and hovered. “Do you need some water?” he asked.

Soreyshook his head again. He waved a hand. “No, it’s passed.” He turned to thewater seraph with a bright and brave grin. “But thanks! C’mon, there’s gotta besomething here that’ll turn that weird smoke off. Let’s see if we can find it.”

Mikleolet his hands fall to his sides. His eyes lifted to the ceiling, now filledwith the smoke in question. He watched the way the clouds of it slowly driftedwith an odd odor and hue, circulating and churning around itself.

Aheavy stone settled in his gut when Sorey swayed and coughed again. TheShepherd put out a hand to steady himself against the wall they were beside. Thesudden attack was rougher than before; it drew the attention of the two otherseraphim in the room. Edna tapped her parasol against her shoulder. Lailah’sface grew tight. The fire seraph walked over.

“Sorey?”Lailah called.

“It’sokay,” Sorey responded with a bare-bones chuckle. It was weak. Mikleo couldn’thelp but notice the sweat that now dotted the human’s brow. There was an odd,thin strain to his breath. “I’m fine.”

Sorey’sshoulder crashed into the wall with his next lung-rattling cough a few minuteslater. His body sagged against the stone.

“Sorey!”

Lailahand Mikleo were there in moments. Mikleo took his shoulders and eased him tothe floor. Lailah hovered in front of the Shepherd, her hands torn betweenreaching for his fevered skin and clasping each other in front of her.

“Ohdear…!” she gasped. “He’s so pale…!”

“Sorey!”Mikleo called, tucking him against his chest. He could feel every shake ofjagged breath in his friend’s form and his hot pants for air, short and pained.

“I’mfine,” Sorey whispered. “It’s okay. I just…gotta figure out how to—“

“—Sorey,you’re not fine,” Mikleo corrected.His head snapped up; his violet gaze swept the room. “Edna!” he called to theearth seraph now standing in front of the wall that had imprisoned them. “Can’tyou do something about this?”

Ednaturned. Her glare, even from across the room, was edged with daggers. “In caseyou haven’t noticed, Meebo, I’m an earth seraph. I can’t do anything aboutpoisonous gas and weak humans.”

Lailahmade a soft sound. “Poisonous—“

Mikleoshook his head. “I know that, youidiot! I wasn’t talking about the gas; I was talking about the door! We need toget Sorey out of here! Now!”

Edna’seyes lit up with something dangerous. Her body fell still. “What did you just call me…?”

“What’sgoing on in there?” Rose’s muffled voice carried through the thick stone. “Everythingokay? I can hear a weird hissing sound, but not much else. You still kickin’Mr. Shepherd?”

Lailahjumped to her feet. “Rose!” she called. “Rose, you have to hurry! Sorey’s in abad way!”

Therewas no response from the assassin just outside their room.

Edna’sgaze drifted to the wall. The tip of her parasol dropped from her shoulder andto the ground. “Well. So much for that; she still can’t hear us, it seems.”

“Shecan’t—“ Sorey’s voice was haggard. He coughed again; Mikleo was half afraid thehuman in his arms would upheave his own lungs with each rough jerk. An odd lookentered Sorey’s wide green eyes; something born at the intersection of fear andresignation. “—well,” Sorey gasped thinly. “That’s…not good.”

“Brilliantdeduction, Sherlock,” Edna mumbled.

“Edna,this isn’t funny.”

“DoI sound like I’m laughing, Meebo?”

“Guys,”Sorey breathed. His fingers reached up for Mikleo’s tunic. Tanned fingers duginto white-spiraled teal. “Stop it. We gotta…” A thin, high and whispy thingcame out of the Shepherd. “…gotta get out of this.”

“Weneed to get you out of this, Sorey,”Mikleo stressed. He squeezed the Shepherd’s shoulder and could feel Sorey’sform shake and labor to breathe. How strange it suddenly seemed to the seraph inthat contact that so small a thing such as badair could wipe away a life. Humansare different from us, Mikleo, Zenrus had always said.

Nowthat the difference was tangible under his fingers, Mikleo wasn’t sure he likedthe reminder as to just how fragile humans could be.

“Yes,”Lailah agreed. “And we need to hurry. Perhaps…perhaps if one of us were toarmatize with him? We could blast our way out and—“

Soreyshook his head. The world swam in front of his eyes with the motion. “—but, theruins…”

“Sorey.You’re really gonna worry aboutkeeping the ruins intact when I’m pretty sure it’s this ruin that is killing you right now?”Mikleo’s voice lacked all humor as Edna stepped over to the huddle around thefallen Shepherd.

“Tintagel…”Sorey rasped. He coughed violently. “…there’s…so much history here. We…we gottagive it its chance to tell us its story. To…to explore it all—“

“—oh,just shut up already,” Edna deadpanned. She stuck her hand out towards theShepherd pointedly. “You can’t explore if you’re dead, idiot. And neither willyou be able to help my brother like you promised. So suck it up and armatizewith me. I’ll make sure your stupid ruin stays safe.”

Soreyraised glassy green eyes to the earth seraph. His exhale struggled to fullycome out of him. “You will?”

“Ohmy gosh,” Edna rolled her eyes so farback, they may have gone into her head for a moment. She squatted down andsnatched up one of Sorey’s limp hands in her own. “You’re as bad as Meebo. Justsay my name and let’s get this over with already.”

“Hey!”

“O-okay.”Sorey’s quiet voice wavered. He took a breath and tried to squeeze Edna’s handback. “Then let’s…l-let’s go.” He took another breath and for a moment, Mikleoworried he wouldn’t be able to get the words out.

Then,he whispered, “Hephsin Yulind,” andthere was a great flash of light.

Rosejumped the instant she heard an explosion from some place behind her. Her headsnapped around, blue eyes wide. “What the—?”

Withoutwasting a second, she scurried back to the room she had left the Shepherd in.The large door that she had shut between them was burst to pieces as if asingle powerful punch had been given to its center and torn all the stoneasunder. Dust was still settling from the blast. In the doorway, looking paleand weak and surrounded by a strangely-colored smoke that spilled out into thehallway from the chamber, stood the Shepherd himself.

Hislegs shook.

Hereyes widened even further.

“Is…”he began. His voice sounded weak. “…is the door okay?”

“U-uh—“Rose wasn’t sure the door should be the Shepherd’s priority right at themoment.

Blearily,those green eyes turned to the stone that had crumbled to the floor around him.Stone he had, she was assuming, somehow blasted aside in his effort to get out.At whatever he saw, the young man nodded, his feathered earrings dancing tosome unknown question that hadn’t been asked.

“Isee,” he said. Then he collapsed.

Astrange wind blew in from behind Rose and swept the smoke away.

“Sorey,we’ve got to stop doing this.”

“Iknow.”

Mikleopressed cool fingers to the Shepherd’s brow, feeling the poison-fueled heatstill simmering underneath his human’s skin. He wet his fingers again with asmall spell and watched as Sorey’s eyes fluttered at the renewed contact whenhe placed his fingers at the tip of the human’s forehead.

“Heythough, this time,” Sorey murmured back, rough and quiet. He coughed weakly.“It’s not my fault.”

Mikleo’seyes flickered up to look at the assassin who was in the middle of aconversation with another member of her Sparrowfeather group. Rose had a tightfrown on her face; her arms were crossed over her chest. “Yeah, I know,” hemumbled.

Soreycoughed again, a harsh and grating sound rising up from deep within.

Mikleoleaned back. “Do you need to sit up?”

Soreyshook his head. A few harrowed breaths later, he calmed. One hand clung tightto the collar of his dark blue button-up as the other rested on his stomachover the blanket lying across him. His exhale seemed to rattle his whole body.“Ugh. I feel awful, Mikleo.”

Mikleolistened as the human’s breathing slowly evened out. He nodded. “Yeah, well.That’s ancient poison for you.”

“It’s…notgoing to kill me, right?”

“Sorey,”Mikleo chided with a small and knowing smile. “Do you think I’d let it?Besides, you’re past the worst of it by this point.”

Soreylooked up. He grinned back. “Oh. Yeah. I guess that was a silly question, huh?”

Mikleoput his chilled fingers to his best friend’s brow again. Gentle pressure,soothing, and caring. Sorey’s eyes slipped shut. “The silliest thing I’ve heardall day,” he fondly murmured—and that, he knew, was saying something.

[lan-tana]

A little something I did back for Sormik week 2017 c: The theme was Camlann (Family/Fate)

[acesdesire]

For Sormik Week 2017 - Day 4 (Loss/Protection) Lyrics: Shadows and Regrets by Yellowcard