#this information confuses and vexes me

[wolfsplosion]

TWELVE................

[moneypowerglorymiddleofmiami]

To Vex A Viscount (of seas and torment entry)

based on this ask ♡

— regency era au

summary: simply nothing more could be required of a perfect evening when invited to a masquerade with the pleasure of vexing an easily irritable viscount.

pairing: luke castellan x daughter of poseidon!reader

warnings: none (though please do feel free to inform me if you find any!)

of seas and torment, make do (of seas and torment entry)

⚔°⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

You thank the gods for the salvation the mask wrapped around your face offers you. It will not do well if the other gossip-mongers see your distaste for the evening's festivities; they'd call you insolent, and you simply couldn't have that if you wished to find a husband.

Truly, you'd prefer readying yourself for a long night of restful slumber than being forced to simper and be delightful in the presence of the ton.

"Lady Jackson." You turn at the sound of your name, the voice all too familiar for you to mistake his identity even with the elaborate mask of golden feathers hiding his features.

"Lord Castellan." You acknowledge the viscount with a pleasant tone, though you were well-aware that the niceties shared between the both of you were merely for show. "Good evening."

"I wasn't expecting your presence tonight." Luke continues, speaking as he moves to stand closer to you. You take a deliberate step away from him, weary of anyone who might get the wrong idea.

"Neither was I." You answer truthfully. "But my mama and brother insisted on our attendance."

He looks down at you in amusement. "I do hope the soiree is to your liking."

"Of course." You nod, taking a sip from the beverage cradled in between your gloved fingers. "Lady Castellan always throws such magnificent balls."

You look for his mother amidst the crowds, her grin wide and welcoming as she conversed with your own.

Luke hums. "It was my idea to make it a masquerade. I hear it's quite fashionable in Italy."

"Ah, that must explain its banality." You twist your mouth. It was definitely a rude response, but Luke, at least once in the years you've known him, has never been offended by your brazen remarks. He took all of them in good humor.

He snorts. "I think it's rather romantic."

"And what do you know of romance, my lord?" You turn to him, eyes glinting in the candlelight as you begin to tease him. "Do enlighten me. You seem to be quite well-versed on the topic now that you've returned from your travels. I assume the continent must have been good to the matters of your heart."

He glances down at you from his peripheral. "It was. Very much, actually."

You raise an eyebrow, an invitation (or provocation) for him to speak more. He doesn't elaborate further.

You turn your attention elsewhere instead, watching as several young ladies are led onto the dance floor by the gentleman. The first few notes of a quadrille hum through the air.

"May I write my name on your dance card?" He asks after a moment, his eyes intently looking at the paper that dangled from a ribbon around your wrist.

You looked up at him, eyes wide in surprise. "Me?"

"Surely, you will not have me dance with Percy?" He responds with pursed lips. His hand rises to pinch your card in between his fingers. He raises his brow for confirmation.

Your eyes narrow instantly. Your tone is near accusatory when you voice your confusion. "Why, may I ask, should you wish to dance with me?"

"Must I need a reason to?" He counters.

"Seeing as we've been at each other's throats throughout the entire season, I would assume so, yes." You nod your head. He was acting out of sorts, and it was terribly bothersome. Ever since he returned from abroad, there has been an evident shift in his attitude, more so in his treatment of you. "I believe I am owed an explanation."

You clear your throat, adding: "Perhaps you've taken a sip too many of your whiskey."

"Shall I breathe in your face to prove my sobriety?" Luke remarks dryly. "Indulge me for old times' sake. We learned to dance together, after all."

Memories of a sweltering july tucked in your family's country home came in a vague recollection— guests invited over to stay for a short retreat, taking daily swims in the bay, relaxing underneath a canopy of trees, munching on more sweets tinted blue than you could ever consume again, and a disgruntled gentleman teaching (or at least attempting to) you and Luke the beginning sequences of a routine.

He stands with an arm against his hip, his gaze neutral but his fidgeting made you aware of his impatience. You squinted your eyes as if in thought, aiming to irk him further.

"Vexing woman," He mutters underneath his breath as he grabs the drinking glass from your hold and gingerly places it on top of a cabinet. He takes your hand in his and leads you to the dancefloor just as a waltz is announced.

"Another gentleman's name could have been written on my card." You chastise him. He stretches your clasped hands to the side, his other hand moving to rest at your waist. Though you've not danced with him in a long time, your other hand immediately lays on his shoulder. Both of your feet move in tandem, limbs moving gracefully without much thought.

"I highly doubt it. You've been keeping to yourself the entire evening." He sniffs to dismiss your point. "I must admit, I found it difficult to discern where you ended and the wallpaper began."

You step on his foot. He groans. You smile.

He guides you through practiced circles around the dance floor, never missing a step or beat. His eyes bore into yours, a deep brown that reminded you of chocolate ganache and dancing flames, of warm summers and breezy evenings, of playful goading and a mutual respect, of innocence and an imperciptible heat you've not paid any mind too up until his return.

"You look very lovely." He says abruptly, soft like a whisper; almost as if he had no intention of speaking the thought aloud.

"What?" You reply in disbelief.

"Unfortunate that such a pretty face should belong to a woman with such faulty hearing." He sighs mockingly, murmuring under his breath but loud enough for you to hear. You attempt to step on his foot again, but he moves just in time with an omniscient grin. He repeats his words with more clarity. "I said you look very lovely."

"I..." You struggle for a response. You avert your gaze, blushing. "Thank you."

The music slowly comes to an end and as you separate to bow, he seizes your hand once more. He places a gentle kiss on the back of your glove before turning your palm. His eyes lock on yours as he bends down to kiss your wrist, his lips meeting your pulse. You feel your heartbeat become more erratic with each moment his gaze lingers.

"Well done, sister." Percy claps his hands from behind you. Luke stands straighter, though his lotions are more fluid. "This is the first time I've seen you dance without tripping on your own feet."

"Oh, shut up." You huff, pushing him back into the crowd. Luke follows behind you with a chuckle, his fingers dancing with the ribbon dangling at the back of your frock.

taglist: @ryujinraven (SORRY POOKIE IT SLIPPED MY MIND)

[thefirstknife]

Hi! I was wondering if you could explain the lore surrounding Saint and how he says he looked up to us? That whole time fuckery always confused me + the Vex apparently made him a tomb? What was that about? I really just have no idea what happened in Season of Dawn

Yes!

So, we should start with Osiris being exiled from the City (some time around the Twilight Gap, unclear when exactly, but vaguely at that time). Osiris packed his stuff and left to go do his research in peace; he went to Mercury for the Infinite Forest.

This upset Saint a lot and he decided to go after him. He even left a letter for him which destroys me every time:

Ship's Final Log: Osiris. I hope whatever you find in this place is worth it. My recommendation to install you as Vanguard Commander was not a gesture to stroke your ego. It was an order to stay and help the City achieve all that it could. An order you refused to follow. News of my demise will no doubt reach you late. I can already see your response—the guilt that will follow, however fleeting. I thought you had changed after Six Fronts; that seeing your people on the brink of destruction and spared from death would be reward enough to stay. To fight. I'll fight in your stead one last time.

However, note the following at the end:

To my inspiration. Your final gift to me I now send back to you. It will be good to see you again.

This was very bizarre at the time because there was no context to this. While we knew some little bits and pieces of Saint's story before, it wasn't until Curse of Osiris that we got the proper introduction.

Fast forward, Saint entered the Forest after Osiris and got lost in there. He wandered a lot, fought the Vex, eventually got them so upset that the Vex put all of their resources into constructing a special Vex Mind that was capable of draining Saint's Light. When they succeeded, Saint died in the Forest. The Vex were so impressed that they came to respect him enough to make a tomb for him in the Forest:

Finding this tomb was a quest in Curse of Osiris: links to the full questline. When we got to the tomb, we took information from Saint's body and used it to forge his gun: Perfect Paradox. The lore on it is also very peculiar, addressing someone that Saint looked up to. Again, we could only speculate at the time because we didn't have the whole story, but it appeared there was some sort of weird shenanigans here that potentially involved us, the player. Important:

All I have left is this weapon. The Cryptarchs say you crafted it yourself, built it out of scraps and Light and sheer will, inside the Infinite Forge.

We did indeed do that. But how can Saint know that and why is he addressing us? We've never met him; he disappeared into the Forest long before we existed.

It would take 3 years for this to be resolved, in Season of Dawn. In Season of Dawn, Osiris revealed that following our discovery of Saint's tomb, he went to work on creating the Sundial. The sole purpose of the Sundial would be to essentially allow entry into Saint's personal timeline and past, to find him in the right moment, and save him from certain death. Osiris tried to do this himself and failed. For some reason, he could not find the right Saint in the right moment. He begrudgingly gave up and put the Sundial away.

When it was discovered by the Psions and used for their nefarious purposes, Osiris told us about this briefly and let us give it a shot to try and find Saint. He advised against it and deemed it "an impossible task." However, unknown to him (and us), we were the link needed to make this possible.

We went in there and we found the right Saint in the right moment. We found him desperately fighting against the Eliksni on Mercury in his personal past, during the Dark Age. We met up with him and helped him win. After that, we talked to him. Saint seemed super defeated and hopeless, but Ghost then told him about the future where people are safe and showed him a projection of the City from the future. We also gave him the Perfect Paradox. Our Ghost pulled our weapon that we made and gave it to Saint.

The Shotgun you crafted in the Infinite Forge is reacting to the Sundial! An onboard transponder is broadcasting coordinates: a path through the Sundial, crossing two time periods. The prophecy blueprint you used to create the Perfect Paradox must have included this broadcast.

This was the link between us and Saint that allowed us to use the Sundial to save him in a way Osiris could not. The gun is a bootstrap paradox: it exists "out of nowhere" basically. We give it to Saint in his past and we pick it up from his body in the future and then we take it back to the past and give it to him. Saint had information needed to craft it because we gave him the gun, but we only gave him the gun because he had it in the first place.

Saint takes the weapon and we leave him in his personal timeline, but to him, at the time, we're a hero who saved him and showed him a future where the City thrives and people are safe. He kept that hope with him and considered us someone who inspired him to do better and to fight. He could never explain who we were, because for everyone else we did not exist yet: Saint only met us because we showed up from the future to meet him.

We end up going back to the Sundial to find Saint again in the right time when he's found by the Vex Mind designed to drain his Light. Only this time he doesn't fight alone and we save him, essentially changing the course of time. Saint doesn't die; we save him and he's able to stay in the Forest until we can open it from the outside years later in the present day.

Saint never forgot about us and how we saved him and gave him the shotgun. He spent his life with us as an inspiration; someone who appeared out of nowhere and promised him that one day the City will be safe and people protected. It kept him going, even when nobody really understood what he was talking about. Osiris also mentions this when we finish the quest:

In his youth, he talked often about the Guardian who inspired him. I should have guessed it would be you.

Osiris I promise that it's okay that you couldn't guess that Saint was talking about a Guardian time travelling from the future.

I definitely recommend checking out both quests for this whole thing, they're really cool, especially the ones from Dawn because they're more expansive and also Saint is alive there. But the setup from Curse of Osiris is really neat because they heavily hinted at Saint coming back since then. Both the exotic ship and the shotgun itself have lore that clearly reference Saint having already met us, a plotline that we waited 3 years to resolve.

Hopefully that makes a bit more sense!

[angeart]

hunted hybrids au rambles

this is an au me and @linkito made for our scarian RP, so just beware it’s focused solely on these two and it’s self-indulgent. CWs, i suppose, are themes of violence and dehumanisation of hybrids, and mention of self harm (feather plucking).

the basic premise is that hermitcraft’s code got attacked. think season 8 moon big and ground deteriorating underneath their feet, but it’s all more rapid and out of the blue. they don’t get a chance to investigate or prepare. it’s just. happening. so obviously, confusion and panic.

and then the hermits get scattered, to other worlds, seemingly indiscriminately and at random, as hermitcraft implodes. 

grian and scar end up in the same world, but it takes them about a week to realise. (a very horrible week, mind you.) their comms don’t work quite right here. 

now, where they’ve ended up is a very, very hybrid-hostile world. think rough people and black markets and criminal societies. think hunters and bloodhounds and phantom-dragons that screech through the night. think traps and watchtowers and rotting forests without a bird-chirp in them.

this world considers hybrids to be something to hunt. something to take apart and sell and gloat about. vexes are disliked and killed for sport, for  bragging rights. there’s no mercy in that. avians, though? avian wings are seen as a commodity, a decoration. something to make money out of and claim a different kind of prestige from. 

... did i mention this world is permadeath?

yeah.

so here we have these two hermits, and i think it’s important to note that the life games aren’t a thing in this universe. they never experienced a situation where they have to fight for their life. they find themselves here, stranded and alone, not knowing if their home even still exists or what happened to the others and if there’s anyone left out there who will be looking for them. 

maybe they try to look for help, used to friendly communities and little to no consequences.

maybe they get glares and smirks and weapons pulled on them.

maybe they realise the error they’ve made. maybe they realise that this is no place to seek help.

and then they run.

and all they can do is keep on running.

(the wood is rotten. the animals are scarce, next to none - have they even seen any? besides the wailing hounds? they can’t remember. the resources are hidden, stashed away in the communities they are desperate to get as much distance from as possible. the land is dark, and eerie, and unfamiliar. it’s late autumn, toppling into winter, air chilly and frosty, and they are so, so very underprepared.)

i think this is a good time to note that i chose violet-backed starling as the bird-base for grian in this au. because the wings are brilliant and bright and vibrant. they’re rare. expensive. very, very much wanted. (very hard to hide in a drab late-autumn.) 

scar and grian meet under dire circumstances: a hunter de-routed from going after scar by a call for backup, to a violet-winged avian—an information scar overhears—a trophy too precious to walk away from. this is the moment scar has the startling, horrifying realisation that grian is also trapped in this world. (he hears  him before he sees him, and he’d know that voice anywhere.) (he never heard him scream like this before—)

long story short, grian gets hurt, scar goes a little feral, and together they escape, to seek out shelter and supplies in a world that seems determined to strip everything away from them. it’s getting colder, and they have nowhere to go but deeper into the forest, hoping that they’ll eventually go far enough that the hunters will give up. (a feeble, impossible hope.) 

please think about them being so confused and destabilised over the realisation that they’re no longer alone. the complicated feeling of relief of having someone familiar and safe there, and the absolutely nauseating terror of having them there, because it means they’re stuck in this nightmare, too. the struggle to keep each other alive and sane through it. the way how something so normal and taken for granted gets turned upside down—and gentle touch now feels so unfamiliar. (oh how they need that softness, in a world that is only ever harsh and cruel.)

the (so far) two drawings i made for this au are:

1. them curled up into each other, wrapped up in a blanket, trying to keep warm and survive the night. please note that scar is pressed against grian’s back, protecting the part of him that now feels the most vulnerable. (grian’s wings are a huge target. a beacon beckoning the hunters closer.) grian used to sleep (on those rare moments when he actually allowed himself to stop and nap) with his wings pressed against hard, rough, cold edges, just to hide them. just to make them less visible, just to make himself a little less vulnerable. (his feathers are a mess.)

2. on that note. the second drawing touches on grian’s complicated feelings about his wings that come from all this trauma. because all those pretty feathers do is drag danger to them. because he used to love them and they used to be his pride and joy and they let him feel free, but he can’t even fly anymore (the sky is too open; there are too many airborne hunters and watchtowers). and it’s these damned feathers that cause him and, more importantly, scar to get hurt and have to run and run and run even when they feel like they can’t anymore. 

grian is so upset with his feathers. they feel like a curse. they feel like a burden. they feel like he’ll never not be terrified as long as he has them. he’s tired and in pain and cornered and desperate, and he wants them gone. and so what if he cries. what if he starts plucking them out, urgent, frustrated, panicked sharp yanks, and—

and scar is there, and he’s shushing him and telling him to stop. telling him that his wings are beautiful, and they’re his, and scar won’t let anyone else touch them, ever. it’s okay. it’s okay it’s okay it’s okay. (nothing is okay.)

//full drawings are linked so feel free to check them out if you're interested :3

------ @motherofplatypus a bit late but here you go! the requested au rambles

[drysdaleknieslee]

Wipe Out Pt. 3

Hiii! I'm sorry for this LATE update but you guys wanted more Luke and Lia and I hope I delivered. I hope this isn't too short but I wanted to make it as sweet as possible.

Enjoy!

Wipe Out Part 3

These past four weeks have been the best yet most chaotic weeks of my life. Our team is undefeated now and UMICH’s men’s hockey is on a heater except for five losses. Me and Luke have gotten closer despite us both having taxing schedules. I’ve been getting close with the other guys as well and their chaotic personalities.

I’m currently sitting in the library with Ollie to my left and Kayleigh to my right. Farah, Mark’s girlfriend, sits in front of me as we all stare at this stats homework as if it was a different language.

“I hope the person that decided that stats was needed in the world has a warm pillow on both sides.” Mumbles Ollie as her head is face down on the table.

“Let’s take a break,” said Farah yawning, “it does no good staring at the same problem if we’re tired.”

We all mumble a agreement as I rub my eyelids. I understand the material but boy is it vexing.

“Me and Farah will go get lunch from Tropical Smoothie, you guys want anything?” I opt for a standard strawberry kiwi smoothie and Ollie asks for a sandwich and a chocolate peanut butter smoothie.

After the girls leave it’s me and Ollie, and she’s got a devious grin on her face. “Go ahead and spit it out Ollie.” She’s the nosiest girl I know.

“How’s everything with you and Luke by the way? Anything planned after mid terms?”

I hadn’t thought about that. Me and Luke have just been in the talking stage. He still seemed interested…I hope.

“Judging from the silence I’d say nothing about it has come up?”

“No…should I ask?”

“Doesn’t hurt to ask.”

I take my phone out and open me and Luke’s chat. I don’t think he has practice today…

@Lia.li.23: hey…do you have plans after mid-terms?

It takes no time for those little text bubbles to show up.

@L.hughes_06: Me and the guys were planning on renting a lake house. The girlfriends are coming too. I was gonna ask you about it in class tomorrow.

@L.hughes_06: Ollie mentioned it didn’t she? 🙄

I cut my eyes towards Ollie to see that same devious grin on her face. She mentioned it on purpose. I rolled my eyes and smiled when phone buzzed again.

@L.hughes_06: Do you want to go? If you don’t already have plans…

@Lia.li.23: I’d love to! I don’t have any plans.

@L.hughes_06: great! Let me send you the information for the house.

He sends me the address of the Air BnB. It’s close near Ann Arbor and it’s a cozy little cabin but big enough to hold ten college kids. I hope there are enough rooms…

Luke’s POV

I was nervous about telling Lia about the lake house because we’ve been talking for a while but I’m too chicken to ask her on an actual date. And me thinking about her isn’t gonna get this econ homework done. Midterms aren’t making it any better either.

Duke and Luca are in the kitchen supposed to be making a “midterm break snack” but now I realize their using that as a ploy not to work. Only real people working is me, Rutger, and Ethan.

“Those assholes left us here to suffer” grumbled Rutger.

I’m not even staring at my computer as now I’m thinking about Lia being at the lake house and how I can possibly ask her out. She’s been to almost every one of our games as we have almost been to all of hers. But just meeting at sporting events and class doesn’t count as moving forward in a relationship. If that’s even what you call it…

“You’re not thinking about Econ my friend” said Ethan, breaking my train of thought.

“I wanna ask Leah on a date, but I’m not sure how to…”

Rutger and Ethan give each other a confused and dumbfounded look before looking at me like I had three heads. “You two gonna say something or keep looking at me like I’m stupid?”

“You’ve never asked a girl out before?”

My face heats up in embarrassment as I had to admit I’m the least experienced in the dating department.

“…No…”

“WHAT?!”

Luca and Duke finally come barreling out of the kitchen with bewildered looks on their faces.

“YOU’VE NEVER ASKED A GIRL OUT?!” I wonder how quietly and quickly I can get rid of my roommates to end the misery I caused myself.

“Next he’ll say he’s a virgin.” Said Rutger.

The room goes silent as they all stare at me. They expect me to say I’ve seen some action. I’m already on the verge of slamming my head into my laptop and having to admit this will be the 13th reason.

“Oh my god.”

“Luke, dude, your…actually a virgin?”

“I’ve done it before you?” said Luca grinning.

“That was with my sister you ass, and I told you not to bring that up around me!” said Rutger now looking disgusted on top of pissed.

“Don’t worry about it, we’ll help out. The one’s with girlfriends at least” says, shooting daggers at Duke and Luca as he says it.

“I just want to be able to spend time with her outside of school stuff. Get to know her more and show that I’m serious about this.”

They all stare at me again, this time with more tenderness. They see their friend who’s so hopelessly in love it hurts. I like Lia. A lot. Since the moment I met her. Eyes big and full of wonder and fear as she has to move to a whole new state for school. And after talking to her for weeks and seeing her dedication to her sport as much as he is to hockey, he wants nothing more than to show her he’s serious.

Hours later, they finally finish studying and they advise a plan for Luke and Lia’s date.

Lia’s POV

Volleyball practice was early this morning to prepare for our last game before midterms and break. To say I’m sore is an understatement.

I walk into my econ class to spot the three stooges, Ethan, Rutger, and Luke, all in the fourth row. I always sat in front of them as they wouldn’t let me sit anywhere else. I notice something is up though, as Ethan and Rutger sit with two big Cheshire cat grins on their faces. That at 9:00 in the morning was abnormal for them.

“You’re  not high are you?” I ask as I place my bag down and sit with some difficulty.

“I wish” said Rutger, “but no. Just happy for today.”

That was cryptic. I look at Luke and he grins at me before giving me a small wave.

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

“You doing ok there?”

I winced before I fully sat down. “Coach had us do an early practice” I whispered at the professor came in.

I was able to focus through most of the lecture when I couldn’t hear the three stooges behind me giggling and fussing behind me.

After the midterm started the rest was smooth sailing.  Only two more to go today and then, it’ll be break time.

After the exam, whoever finished could leave. Luke finished before me and before he passed me he whispered ‘wait for me’ before dropping off his test and walking out the door. I finished a few minutes later and got up to drop my test off before leaving the classroom. I walk outside and Luke is waiting for me, scrolling on his phone while leaning against a pillar.

“Are we gonna wait for Ethan and Rutger?”

He looks up at me at the sound of my voice and chuckles lightly. “Nah, those two are gonna take forever to finish.”

I laughed lightly and then there was silence for a second. Just half a beat of us trying to see who was gonna talk first.

“You mind walking with me for a sec? I know your legs are probably sore so we can either sit here…or I can carry you?”

I look at him surprised. “You can’t carry me Luke I’m too heavy!”

“I’m stronger than I look Lia” he said with that crooked smile. He waits for me to decide. I really don’t want to burden him, but my legs are killing me. I won’t turn down chivalry.

“Fine but tell me if you need to rest and I can walk the rest of the way.”

He just laughs lightly before getting on one knee in front of me to get on. He doesn’t have a bag with him as it’s just exams today. I hesitantly grab onto his shoulders as he moves to grab my legs before hoisting me up.

“I have my bag too Luke so please- “

“Lia, you’re not heavy. With or without your bag. Where’s your next exam at?”

You turn your head to hide your blush before mumbling, “the history building.”

He starts heading towards the history building at good pace. I’m tall but being this high feels weird. I look around the campus trying to distract myself from focusing on the felling of Luke’s hold on my legs.

It was a comfortable silence. Luke kept his firm hold on me and I held his shoulders. They were previously around his neck but he jolted me and I nearly choked him.

“Can I ask you something?” he said breaking the silence.

“Of course.”

“When is your last exam?”

“Friday. I have one before the game and them I’m free.” I was currently Wednesday. I had two exams today, one tomorrow, and the last one being stats.

“After the game, do you want to go somewhere with me?”

Oh my god he’s gonna ask me out!

I can feel him getting nervous waiting for my answer.

“I’d love that. Where do you have in mind?”

He can’t rub his neck like he usually does so he opts for stroking my leg. It’s throwing off my train of thought.

“There’s a rink, uhm, that me and my brothers usually go to when we visit her, and I wanted to know if you’d like to go with me and I teach you how to skate like me mom taught me and my brothers- “

“Luke. Breathe. I’d really like that.”

He sighs of relief, and I notice the back of his neck turning red. After the trek, we make it to the history building for my last exam of the day.

“We’ll go after the game. Dress warmly.”

I hop down from his back, and he goes to stretch as if his back was killing him. He gives me a cheeky grin before I punch him in the arm, and he actually winces with a ‘oww’.

“Don’t make you upset. Noted.”

“Bye Luke, thanks for the lift.”

“Your welcome Lia.” The way he said it while looking at me like that, he seemed like he didn’t want to leave. And frankly, I don’t want him to either. He stands with me until the professor shows to start the exam and I have to shoo him away before he misses his own exam.

It was hard for me to think about past historic events when I keep thinking about Luke’s hand on my leg and the look of longing he had before he left my classroom.

I have a date with Luke Hughes.

[www-razaya4life]

GLTAS’ Larger Role in COIE 3 continued:

 At long last, Razer is the first one to speak, “A-Aya? Is it really you?” His voice choked up with melancholy.

The former android geese is at him unaware of who he is, but sensing some sort of connection between them.

Before Aya could say anything, Razer loses any form of restraint and embraces her in a tearful hug.

Tears stream down his face as the hug grows tighter.

“Oh Aya! I’m so glad I’ve found you!” He sobs, “I’m so sorry for what had happened before. I meant what said on Odym; you have more of a soul than I ever did.”

Aya, still confused, shrugs before reciprocating the hug.

After parting, the two gaze at each other before Aya speaks up, “While I do appreciate the hug, there is one thing that vexes me.”

“What might that be?” Razer asks.

“Who are you?” Though the question is innocent enough, its dual meaning pierces Razer’s heart worse than any knife ever could.

His face falls; the woman he spent 11 years searching for, didn’t even recognize him.

Now all the effort he spent on his quest was for nothing.

Though this brings him pain, he mentally refuses to let Aya see this.

They decide to walk around Satellite some more that is until another old friend arrives with some more recruits.

It’s revealed to be Kilowagg and he is ecstatic to see Razer. But when he sees who the dual Lantern is with, his jaw drops.

“Holy Gnartz! The kid actually found her.”

In classic Kilowagg fashion, he barrels straight towards them with a look of excitement etched on his face.

He bluntly shoves Razer aside and pulls Aya into one of his famous bear hugs.

“Kid! It’s so great to see again! I never thought Razer would be able to find you.”

Aya looks puzzled.

“So how’ve you been kid?” Kilowagg asked as he slapped her on the back.

“Everything has been functioning at optimal levels Green Lantern” Aya responds.

Kilowagg notices Aya’s behavior, “Uh kid…don’t you recognize me?”

“Negative; my memory banks are still recovering from my recent transmogrification.” Aya replies

“W-What do you…?” “Kilowagg…a word?”  Razer says through gritted teeth.

After being pulled off to the side, Kilowagg is informed about Aya’s current predicament.

“Oh kid; I’m so sorry.” “As am I old friend. As am I.” Razor size as he hangs his head in defeat.

End of chapter 2. Stay tuned for more coming soon.

[vaxxy-after-dark]

what about abo au?? beta delilah, alpha sylas, omega vax... could be fun, no??

shahahah - this au, huh??

okay I'll bite, it can be fun sometimes (i blame tgcf for making me curious about it)

I have thought about Vax hearing the Briarwoods coming so he hides, but he still gets caught anyway because Sylas has super senses and can literally smell Vax the second he walks into the room

but with a/b/o this can go a step further!!

instead of Sylas just clocking Vax's unique scent (his soap + his sweat + his blood + his cologne etc.)

what if Vax is in heat and he forgot to bring scent blocker so Sylas walks into the room and is immediately assaulted by horny omega smell

Delilah being so confused when he just sort of trips up out of nowhere and whines

"What is it darling?"

And all Sylas can do is rush immediately to where Vax is and drag him out of hiding

just fucking holding Vax up by the scruff of his neck like a puppy or something lmao

Vax is scared shitless but also OH FUCK THEY'RE HOT

Vax insists he only hid in here because his heat started and he was unable to hide his scent, but the Briarwoods aren't that stupid - I mean, come on, he looks like Vex who they just had dinner with, and the timing is suspicious with Percy being downstairs too

so they offer Vax a 'deal' - they help him with his heat and he answers some questions for them before they let him go

Vax is obviously reluctant, but he also doesn't want this to be a complete bust and he's not the worse at lying (he is)

so after some much needed relief, and Vax's abysmal attempts at lying his ass off to a literal 'human' lie-detector, Vax slips away and returns to the rest of his party

of course every other alpha in the vincity knows - they can smell Sylas all over Vax

with the headcanon that most of Vox Machina are betas or omegas themselves, with Grog being the only alpha there, I think it could be really funny if Vax gets back and says he has information but they should leave right away just for Grog to ask him "why do you smell like that Briar Hood guy????"

cue the most embarrassing moment of Vax's short life

RIP Vax'ildan, he twinked too close to the sun 😔🤪☠️ lmao

[edns]

for the writing game 21!!!! (chosen very randomly and has nothing to do with any of my ocs btw......)

Also i hope you're doing ok, have a nice day <33

Hiii! So sorry this took a second, I've been very tired and busy and to be fair I wasn't sure how to incorporate the prompt or make a writing idea out of it that wasn't just. Net zero information. I guess it kind of still is... again, not my best work, but I am doing these requests to get more comfy with posting my less polished and perfected writing so here goes! P.S. Thank you for asking how I've been! Not at my best right now but I believe I'll be okay :') P.P.S. Cyrus's view on the Church of Seir0s do not reflect my opinions about any of this it's just what he thinks. As a character

21. amber

The cathedral of the Garreg Mach monastery was bathed in sunlight as the dawn was breaking. A lonely figure sat up on the bench, his white hair making him look like he was glowing. Cyrus found his own snow-white hair more annoying than he did beautiful or endearing.

As his mind woke itself up, a sense of urgency crept up on him. Right… Before he gave in to the sleep deprivation, Cyrus remembered watching Dimitri stand by the destroyed statue of the Goddess. Cyrus had seen him do this so many times, and, even after talking to Dimitri as much as he did, he never understood what the prince hoped to accomplish with praying to the Goddess. Both of them were nothing but toys in her wicked game, after all. Or that was how Cyrus saw it.

Looking up at the spot where Dimitri should’ve been, he saw nobody. Cyrus raised an eyebrow — where could he have gone off to? Dimitri barely left this spot before. Cyrus had to wonder if the man was safe now, as he remembered his tendencies to get himself in danger.

“Cyrus.” A familiar deep voice made Cyrus turn his head and finally look away from the statue ruins, before his thoughts could consume him. The familiar sound of armor clanking with each footstep gave Dimitri away.

“Your Highness?” Cyrus’s voice was still hoarse with sleepiness.

“You mustn’t sleep here. It is cold,” Dimitri said in a harsh, strict voice, his eye yet again set on the ruins of the statue. However, Cyrus could spot something in his hand — it was shining with a yellow glimmer, and was familiar to Cyrus for some reason. That made him look down on his cravat that always had been pinned by a shiny amber jewel… Only to find it gone.

“It seems you’ve lost this.” Looking away, Dimitri extended his hand to give the jewel to Cyrus; indeed, it was his amber jewel that used to be attached to the pin.

“Thank you.” Cyrus took it with hesitation.

In response, Dimitri groaned and looked away. “Think nothing of it.”

“Where were you during the night?” Cyrus insisted on talking to Dimitri, who appeared to be vexed, but actually wasn’t.

“While you were asleep, I noticed that you lost this,” Dimitri said, his voice somber. “So I went looking for it.”

Cyrus’s bright eyes widened, the curls of his hair bouncing slightly as he tilted his head, confused. He wanted to ask why, but didn’t want to sound ungrateful. Still, Dimitri picked up on it:

“Maybe you would leave me alone if I did something like this,” he said, his brow furrowed. “There, I did something kind to you. Will you leave me be?”

Heaving a sigh, Cyrus smiled as he looked down on the jewel. It had a dried blood stain on it. He shook his head slowly, and Dimitri’s eye widened with surprise.

“I’m afraid I cannot do that, Your Highness.”

[ahamkara-apologist]

you have GOT to post guardian pics I'm begging you. feed us (me?) information about your characters. I must know. it is imperative

TYSM FOR ENABLING ME ANON BC THEY ARE MY BLORBOS AND IM VIBRATING ABOUT THEM. buckle the fuck up because this is gonna be a long fucking post

Okay first up is Aeris Sharphawk- aro/ace, he/him. he's my main character, my hunter, and the Young Wolf of my timeline.

He’s half-Awoken, half-Human (I’ll get to that in a moment, he’s actually an older oc of mine that I ported over from Bloodborne whose bastard nature needed a D2 equivalent), and the older half-brother to my solar titan, Marcelline Attenbough- one of the few little remnants from their past life that they were able to discover in a diary on Marcie’s corpse when they were rezzed together (which occurred because their ghosts are twins). He’s autistic, lawful neutral, and vastly prefers using Darkness over Light because of sensory issues; his ghost (Hoarfrost, previously Mercury) mods his helmets to drastically reduce noise, but he can’t help how Arc tingles, Solar burns, and Void numbs. Tends to spend most of his battles either hyperfocused or dissociated to deal with it. As for the lawful neutral title, that’s because he doesn’t fight for the Vanguard because of a loyalty to humanity, but exclusively for the survival of the Last City and everyone in it. This extended to House Light and the Cabal under Caital instantaneously, and would do so to Eramis if she so chose, because he really just doesn’t take most things personally. He's sometimes derogatorily called 'the Vanguard's Hound' because of this.  

He’s skilled with a bow, and is cursed with a resting haunted stare that can rival even the fiercest bird of prey- hence his title, given to him because his last name wasn’t present in the little diary that Marcie had when they were rezzed. Personality wise, he’s quiet, stoic, extremely efficient at what he does, fiercely protective of those he loves, and deeply curious about the unknown- though if you don’t know him, you’d never be able to guess it, because he struggles deeply with facial expressions and tone, giving him the appearance that he’s ruthlessly cold and unfeeling (pretty much the Guardian we see in game). Because of this, he tends to do much better with Eliksni than most of humanity- bar the Awoken, though Mara makes him deeply uncomfortable- and is thus far more comfortable with them. He’s the moon to Marcie’s sun, and helps keep her in check, for despite her cheery personality, she has a very strong sense of justice and a penchant for impulsive, temperamental behavior when she thinks that justice has been wronged. This goes both ways, however, as Aeris is the very definition of ‘curiosity killed the cat’; he voluntarily gets bit by venomous snakes at venom labs to see how immunity/allergies develops over time, and has a fascination with the Vex that got him a ‘needs watching’ report after he nearly jumped into a pool of radiolaria to see what would happen. The older-brother affection isn’t related to just Marcie, though; he’s unofficially adopted Eido as his younger sister (or kid? Because uhhh that curiosity of his has extended to fucking Misraaks once or twice), and is a mentor figure of sorts to Crow, though he’s unaware that Crow idolizes him; he only hunted Uldren down to keep Marcie out of trouble, as he didn’t like Cayde and was neutral on Uldren, so seeing Crow for the first time didn’t bother him at all. Tutored on occasion by Osiris, and thus has a very deep respect for him. 

People other than Marcie that he likes:  Zavala, Ikora, Osiris, Eido, Misraaks, Eris, and Variks, Petrichor-12 (oc), Viper-4 (oc, lightless guardian), Crow

People he dislikes: Cayde, the Spider, Clovis Bray, Savathun, Mara Sov, Petra Venj (can’t read her very well), anyone who is loud or insistent or confusing 

Primary class (Dark): Stasis

Primary class (Light): Arcstrider

Motifs: Dark, cool blue/silver, viper and hawk symbolism

Likes: Learning about things, working with the Eliksni, being good at being a hunter, bows/glaives/swords, playing with Strand, Gambit (surprisingly)

Dislikes: Crucible, loud noises, fusion rifles, snipers because of the kick (despite being very good with them), shotguns, fans and most other guardians 

Fun fact: When Hoarfrost and Solaris found them, it was in a frigid part of old Russia, with Aeris holding Marcie close to his chest with his back to the door- they had frozen to death while trying to keep each other warm, and were under a thick layer of permafrost. When they were risen, they found out their names, their relationship to each other, and the fact that their father was a cheating bastard who produced Aeris after screwing an Awoken woman for the novelty of it because Marcie had a little diary in her front pocket, which had been somewhat preserved by the cold. Both their ghosts theorize that the reason why Aeris is so drawn to Stasis and Marcie to Solar is because of how they died, though neither guardian will say anything about it. He can also speak near-fluent Eliksni.

.

Then there’s Marcie, younger half-sister to Aeris and the sun to his moon; she/her, Solar Titan, lesbian, lawful good. Where he is quiet and introverted, she is loud and bombastic, and where he likes to dart in and strike down his enemies from afar, she likes to punch. I just recently made her in Destiny because the character creation doesn't really match how I see her, hence why she's got Arc on here

(closer to her actual face minus the blue eyes; this is a very old bloodborne pic)

Unlike her half-brother, Marcie is a full human, and- according to the diary she rezzed with- was objectively her father's favorite, though the feeling was not mutual, and their relationship was strained by her taking so kindly to the bastard son he tried to send away. Compared to Aeris, she's bright, bubbly, and outgoing, but has a fierce temper, and is quick to snap if something has pushed her too far-think a jack russel's terrier of a human being. Her ghost's name is Solaris (previously Quicksilver), and she prefers the Light and Solar by far. Her preferred method of combat is to hit first, ask questions later, which can be incredibly effective or incredibly dangerous depending on who's on the opposite end of her wrath. Her and Aeris share many quests together, with me typically attributing all the seasons that I didn’t play to Marcie, given that I didn’t make a Destiny character for her for the longest time. 

She was best friends with Cayde, and was so devastated by his death that Aeris had to go instead, as she would have killed anything and everything in vengeance without a second thought. She did, however, kill Riven- something that Aeris himself was somewhat reluctant to do,given his fascination with the Ahamkara. She's stubborn as a mule, surprisingly strong despite her small stature (well, small-ish), and is an absolute massive lesbian, with her type specifically being 'big strong ladies who can kill me'- which was primarily why she wasn't allowed to fight Eramis, or other big hotties, as she has a pretty hardcore crush on her. (The second reason was that she would have stood and bickered with Eramis about the ethics of what she was doing until either one or the other yielded). Instead, she was assigned to work with Misraaks to evacuate House Light refugees, which ended up being a fortuitous partnership with the coming of the Endless Night. Now, her primary work for the Vanguard consists of aiding Eliksni refugees, along with general alien-human politics and tackling xenophobia, as well as working on being an apprentice Splicer. She is very, VERY passionate about equal rights and will drag you to the Crucible if you fight her- and good fucking luck winning against her, because she fucking loves the Crucible and will beat your ass everytime. She’s somewhat of a local celebrity in that reguard

Her deep fondness for her brother comes primarily from the fact that he is one of the few people to take her seriously without either asking her to calm down or come off as patronizing- he's also a well of stability to her excitable moods, the voice of reason to her hyperempathy. While he keeps her from biting off more than she can chew, she acts as his translator + guide, yanking him back onto the path of sanity if he starts to wander into the Deep, and helping him with dysfunction things that Hoarfrost can’t do. She also enjoys working through the data he collects, even if she has no desire to go searching for it herself, so they make a good pair- even if, like most siblings, they will argue over every little thing and sometimes drive each other up the walls with their stubbornness.

I've already mentioned that she got along with Cayde, but her other friends at the tower are Shaxx, Drifter, Saint-14, and Ada-1. Misraaks is her mentor, as well as one of the few people who can talk her down from stupid shit, with uh…questionable results. And while she couldn't stand the sight of Crow when Aeris dragged him back, she managed to befriend him reguardless, mostly because he was so different from the Uldren she remembered that she couldn’t help but accept him for who he was. She often went out drinking with him and Amanda, and was devastated when she died. 

People she likes: Cayde, Shaxx, Drifter, Saint-14, Ada-1, Misraaks, Crow, Amanda (rip), Caiatl

People she dislikes: Uldren Sov, The Osmium Siblings, The Spider, Lakshmi-2, anyone against the Eliksni or people who are rude to Aeris, Calus

Likes: Crucible, Gambit, fucking around with weapons in new and creative ways, going out to drink with friends, playfully flirting, helping with construction work around the Eliksni District, playing around with the Light, moths and other fuzzy creatures

Primary Class (Light): Solar

Primary Class (Dark): Strand

Dislikes: Fighting Eliksni, any exploding enemies that she can’t punch, bows because Aeris will always be better than her at using them, the fact that Aeris fucked Misraaks at one point for science, being alone, her inability to score a girl who isn’t a war criminal

Motif: crimson and gold, bears or lion with eagle wings

Fun fact: Her grasp on Eliksni is actually more fluent than Aeris, and she spends a good deal of her time in the Tower socializing with people while he’s off doing…whatever.

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Okay, now onto Petrichor-12, who decided to nope out of being a Guardian so I deleted their slot to make Marcie before I really did anything to dazzle them up

Petrichor-12 is a now-retired guardian that actually came from a dream I had before I even played Destiny. They/them or he/him, neutral good, Void titan, ghost is seldom-speaking and called Whisper. Neutral good. I attribute them with D1 content, so they’re the guardian that killed Crota and Oryx, though Marcie and Aeris were also there to help.

Petrichor is an older, somewhat quiet, melancholy do-gooder that's been haunted by guilt ever since they found out the memories of who they were via the Deep Stone Crypt- a bodyguard for Clovis Bray that was turned to a path of anger, abuse, and violence after agreeing to be tested on for power, and got corrupted by the Darkness. This, paired with being rezzed in the Dark Ages, means that they have a lot of trauma surrounding violence, power, and the dilemma of being made to kill when all you want to do is save people. As such, Eramis's predicament troubles them greatly, and while it was them who gunned her down in conjunction with Aeris, they often found themselves returning to her frozen body on Europa to talk to her (presumed corpse) about Darkness corruption in a sort of venting monologue-advice system, which worked both as a way of fending off their troubles as well as keep an eye on her state- though now that she’s defrosted they’ve vowed never come near her again out of embarrassment. 

While retired, they are a stalwart defender of anyone who needs it and a keeper of peace, driven partially by a genuine desire to do good and a need to prove themselves not the person that they used to be. No longer able to mingle with other guardians or humanity at large due to PTSD from what they learned, they live in the Botza district as an ambassador between the Eliksni and humanity, they like to knit + quilt in their free time, teaching whichever hatchlings will listen and getting tutored on weaving by old Wolves in return. They're also 6'3", so…lorge. Zavala and Misraaks are the two people they talk to the most outside of the Eliksni refugees, and they drop by to say hi to Eva and knit with her whenever they have the chance. The war with the Witness is threatning to bring them out of retirement, something that they are deeply unhappy with. 

People he likes: Namrask, Misraaks, Saladin, Zavala, Ikora, Osiris (recently), Marcie and Aeris, Saint-14, Eris (complicated)

People they dislike: Themselves, Osiris (formerly), Eramis (reminds them of themselves), Ghaul, Oryx, Xivu Arath, Clovis Bray, anyone who goads them to fight, Elsie and Ana Bray by association, Rasputin 

Motif: gold and sapphire blue, used to have a gryphon motif but stopped wearing it because they don’t want to be recognized as the Kingkiller

Likes: Knitting, sewing, weaving, gardening, really anything restorative they can do with their free hands that forces their mind not to wander

Class (Light): Void, sometimes Arc

Class (Dark): no.

Dislikes: War, fighting, being a guardian, everything that has to do with what they used to be, anything Braytech sciences, the cumulative trauma from the Dark Ages and seeing recordings of who they used to be in the Deep Stone Crypt, their own fear of themselves

Fun fact: Petrichor-12 can speak Eliksni fluently, having modulated their voice and hearing to be able to incorporate the subsonic clicks and chirps in their speech, and is now working on learning Ulurant despite not at all liking the Cabal empire

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Ash: Another dream character of mine, and my newest Guardian (so she’s somewhat of a wip). She/her, solar + void warlock, chaotic neutral to lawful evil depending on her mood. Pansexual but bitchless. Rezzed in the tail end of the Dark Ages, just long enough for her to see how horrible everything was but not long enough to see the true extent of it. Scholar of the Light, and most recently a scholar of the Dark as well.

Ash is a warlock with an awful temper, a moral code that changes on a whim, and a ravenous appetite for knowledge that comes at the cost of everyone else, including herself. Her ghost (an anxious and caring little lass) is called Nutmeg, and is pretty much the only indicator that she has a soft spot. Ash dedicated herself to learning how to get closer to the Light, but unlike the more conventional meditations that people usually do to, she was inspired by ancient Greek priestesses and decided for a more unconventional route- by doing hard drugs. By getting either extremely drunk or very high, she claims that she overcomes the need for meditation (or, rather, bypasses it entirely because she’s too impatient for it) and gains a deeper connection with her powers, as she’s connecting with it instinctually rather than choosing to seek it out. Nutmeg and many others are not as convinced about this method, but they also can’t deny that it doesn’t have its perks, as Ash does have a very powerful connection to her light- mainly through exploding things, or setting everything around her on fire. It’s how she used to survive the Warlords she’d steal from in the Dark Ages, and she’s known specifically for her ability to mimic a nova bomb, but with solar power, which is strong particularly for how unexpected it is. 

However, being constantly hungover and harbouring no friends doesn’t exactly have its benefits, and as a result Ash is almost always grumpy, abrasive, quick to anger, quick to turn to cruel jibes and mocking when being defensive (which is often), and is generally awful to be around. She has no friends other than Nutmeg (whose bond has become strained as of late, since Ash is now turning to substance abuse for coping with the impending threat of the Witness rather than simply using it for her studies), her apartment is an uncleaned shithole she only uses for crashing in when she’s particularly out of it, and she's constantly in a state of passive-aggressive warfare with Osiris, as she and him used to occasionally cross paths and share research; they might have had a student-teacher dynamic if they didn’t grate so abrasively, and if Ash wasn’t so much of a lone wolf. He’s tried to whip her into shape a couple of times, but to no avail- they just devolved into shouting matches. Pretty much the only people she listens to are the Drifter and Nutmeg, but whether or not she’ll actually take their advice is a toss-up. 

Despite this, she will overall always choose to do what's right and will begrudgingly trudge along with people in random strikes to ensure that important missions get done, as she fears failure more than she does judgment. And yet, to an extent she also fears judgment, for part of the reason why she’s so cruel is to keep people at arm’s length, so as to prevent them from learning her weaknesses- not even her constant complaining about being bitchless will cover up that the core reason why she makes no effort to clean herself up and be nicer is because she fears vulnerability. She’s also brilliant with the Light and cunningly adept with the Dark, which is why the Vanguard continues to ask for her help and expertise.   

People she likes: the Drifter, Hawthorne, Nutmeg, Eido, Toland, Shaxx to most everybody’s surprise

People she dislikes: Pretty much the whole Vanguard and 90% of other guardians, Saladin, the Iron Lords, Osiris, Misraaks, 

Primary class (Dark): Stasis, wants to learn Strand but has a hard time letting go

Primary class (Light): Solar, Void

Likes: Learning nuances of the Light that others don’t go into detail to, connecting with the Light, growing more powerful and shaping it into new, experimental Supers that would make Zavala have a heart attack if he saw them in action, taking leadership in Strikes and prodding around New Lights to teach them about what it is to be a Guardian (but gently), killing assholes to put them in their place, spooking people

Dislikes: Being told what to do, being reminded that she’s a mess, being reminded that she’s afraid and that her behavior is starting to turn self-detrimental, being looked down on by other Guardians, the restrictive nature of Vanguard protocol that keeps her from playing around with her experimental supers, guardians who have no respect or care about mortal lives, getting kicked from bars for fighting said guardians with no respect or care for mortal lives, being reminded that she has a soft side and cares so much for other people that it scares her

Colours/theme: black, flame-gold, and green

Fun fact: Likes the Hive aesthetic, and knows their tongue just for the hell of it. Has quite a bit of fun tormenting and taunting Hive Lightbearers, loves digging around the Osmium Siblings. Despite this, she’s not passionate about the Hive, and doesn’t care one bit if they’re wiped out or not. She also pretty much never takes off the Stag helm, as dropping a rift on death has saved her ass more than once, and tends to sleep in her robes. It’s a miracle that she doesn’t stink something awful, but smells perpetually like smoke instead.

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and last but not least: Viper-4, an ex-guardian who I have almost nothing on because he tends to be a side character: he/him, trans exo, primarily black chassis with red markings, not yet settled on alignment. A friend of Aeris, he's an ex-Hunter who is now the primary caretaker for a variety of venomous snakes whose species have survived the Collapse. He collects their venom to try to recreate old Golden-Age medicines and antivenom- which he does with Aeris's help- and had his forearms modded with soft silicone so that the snakes don't hurt him if they bite him. Generally a friendly and chill guy, but has a melancholy air as most Ghostless do, and wants to learn Strand so that he has some modicum of control over the elements again, as his lack of feeling the Light was the hardest part about his Ghost's death. Much like Brya and Sagira, his ghost sacrificed her to save him, but he blames himself for her death and pretty much entirely refuses to talk about it. Used to be quite adept with Void. I note that he's trans here because it carried over into his exo body, as he was raised with synthetic top surgery scars that were then worked into beautiful engravings of flowers, swords, and snakes by Viper-1

[kiynania]

So like what if Vex's plan to overthrow the current emperor of the Never Realm backfired HORRIBLY

Like he still manages to erase Zane's memories and manipulate him into thinking he's the Ice Emperor, but once they get into the castle, Vex tells Zane to like cause harm to them or some shit like that and Zane goes like "I don't wanna hurt anyone. Justice will be served, not revenge, " and then the emperor goes like,"What justice?" And then Zane tells the story that Vex told him abt how they're the true emperor and how the current emperor is the cruel ruler and then everyone is just batshit confused abt the whole thing but when they like kinda connect some pieces, they throw Vex in the dungeon. With Vex out of the way, they don't know what to do with Zane, they ask him if he had a family or something, but Zane goes like "I don't even remember my own name, much less if I even had a family," and then randomly he tries to see what the staff can do, so he points to an empty spot and like causes the entire spot to be filled with ice and apologizes over and over again, so he let's go of the staff and they lock it up somewhere in the palace. Since the Emperor didn't know what to do with Zane, they kinda just let him work at the palace(still thinking), but every once in a while, Zane just goes wandering in the Never Realm for short periods of time, he encounters villages and makes little ice sculptures just outside of all the villages bc why not, he never fails to return to the palace so they could continue his work, bc of this, Zane's known as "The Frozen Wanderer"(im bad at names pls don't judge me.) But when the ninja(+pixal) go to the Never Realm, they aren't informed of this "Wanderer" so one night Pixal's just sitting in the snow thinking abt Zane and Kai can't sleep, so he goes outside and also sits with Pixal. After a little bit of keeping each other company, a random person with a hoodie over their head, Pixal and Kai start getting ready to attack bc both of them think that the hooded person's going to attack, but then he takes the takes the hoodie off and it's revealed that it's actually Zane so both Kai and Pixal go like "ZANE!" and him a big, tight hug, but Zane gets so confused, and then he's like, "Who are you?" And both Pixal and Kai are extremely confused until they realize that Zane doesnt remember anything so they try to explain to Zane that he's their friend/partner but all Zane does is try to explain that they've got the wrong person and this just goes on for like an hour until Zane realizes he has to go back to the palace and tries to leave but Kai grabs their arm but all that does is make Zane a bit scared so he pushes Kai to the ground and makes like an ice wall and as he getting ready to run, there's a little pain in their chest from using too much ice at once(that one scene in s11 ep 27) so it weakens him a bit which gives Pixal the upper hand and sprints around the wall to help Zane but it doesn't help and Zane refuses Pixal's help and starts bolting for it. Pixal and Kai try to keep up with him but due to Zane being in the never realm for 60+ years, he has more WAY knowledge abt the Never Realm and they successfully outrun Pixal and Kai, and it leaves them both distraught that they're own friend/partner doesn't remember them. But what's more important is how in the world are they gonna address this to the rest of the team???

[pocketramblr]

I want to know how all might reacts to reincarnated afo!aizawa

Like I think All Might would understand that Aizawa doesn't remember his villainous past, and has essentially been reborn, but the fact that afo somehow managed to get away with it (in a matter of speaking at least) must be like one of those forbidden itches from another dimension: forever vexing him

So All Might doesnt find out about this until Aizawa goes to him himself a few months after the worst of it, which is important because the reaction is defintely something that would vary based on when and how he learned it.

As it is, Aizawa goes to Might Tower and is like "Hey, I'm a UA student, Nedzu emailed All Might and said why he needed to see me, if he hasn't checked it tell him its about All For One." and is quickly sent up to talk. All Might is confused about the why- this kid is like, sixteen, AfO could have been dead before he was born.

But then Aizawa sighs, and says "I was born on the day you killed All For One," which means he knows way more information than he should, and All Might listens even when the kid immediately seems to go off topic by explaining that he's always wanted to be a hero, even though erasure is a weak quirk, and he knew he wouldn't be able to be a hero like All Might. Then he gets to the Garvey fight, and very quietly says that when he tried to erase the villain, he stole one of his quirks instead. All Might looks at the boy's palms, and sees.

But he doesn't quite see the truth yet.

"You're All For One's son." He breathes.

Shouta shakes his head. "No. Worse. I was born the day you killed him, right? Well, the hospital I was born at, there was a doctor that worked for AfO. Tried to save his life. Couldn't. So AfO ordered him to grab a baby, and transfered his quirk... to me." All Might relaxes, because that is tragic, but easier to deal with- "And then, I guess, they lost me? Not sure, but um, after Gravey, i went to the hospital and the Doctor kept messing with me. He was giving me more of All For One's quirks... and his memories. And i- it was so stupid, I went in there alone, and now... it's all there. in me."

All Might is no longer relaxed. He stares at the kid. Miserable, Aizawa holds out a hand, and a spike shoots out from it. One All Might remembers going into his chest, and he flinches.

Aizawa puts his hand down.

"I can't figure it out."

"Can't figure what out?" All Might asks.

"I can't figure out if I'm more me or more him now. I mean, I feel like I'm in charge. But he's been alive a lot longer, even if so much of those memories a blur. And, logically, even if he isn't in my head, his memories have to affect me. I mean, i knew going alone was stupid, but all those memories of his power, his pride, i ignored it and went anyway. I can't figure out what it means to know all of this now, who I am or what I should do."

All Might nods. He feels such pity for the boy, such grief he didn't prevent this. caused it, even, really. "And you came to me?"

"Yeah. You're the person alive who's known All For One the longest, except Gran Torino and I didn't know how to find him." The teen shrugs. "You'd be the one to know if he's... you know, if i'm him. You'd be the one to stop him."

All Might stares at him, not moving, not speaking. Aizawa beings to twitch despite himself.

"You trusted me to fix this." He finally says. "Yeah, there's no way in hell All For One's in charge of your brain then. You're safe, kid. You might have the memories, but i take it you hate the guy in them?"

"More than anything. You're sure? It makes sense that i could be influenced-"

"Young Aizawa. You're safe. I am sure. And if that changes, i'll make sure to help you. I am here."

Aizawa goes nearly boneless on the couch. "Thanks."

"No problem. I'm guessing you'd feel better if you were doing something about it, though?"

"Huh?"

"You're a hero. You feel better when you're doing something."

"Yeah. What do you have in mind?"

"Let's see if any of your new old memories can help us weed out anyone else who could be planning something like the Doctor was, and then come up with some plans to use all those quirks in you now for good."

Aizawa smiles for the first time in weeks. It is a terrifying smile, but it is absolutely nothing like All For One's too-calculated smirk. All Might smiles back.

[outsiders-apo]

Hello again!

Sorry, I forgot that you wouldn't know what I meant by 'text'. I, and at least a few other voices here can see you like text on a screen. When you started being able to talk to us without Owen, it appeared like another screen option to click on. The text appears different for each person talking too. On your screen, you talking appears as plain black text, as does Owen on his. When we see you through the other's screen though, your text is red and his is orange. Rasbi appears purple on both screens. The text can be different sizes, bolded, or italicized depending on the tone of what you say.

The glitched text, however, is covered in strange symbols and glitches that trail off to the top and bottom, often obscuring other text. It is visibly very different from any other text.

Also, since it seems different for every voice, I thought I'd share? I do have a lot of other screens I can interact with. Hundreds of thousands, actually, and most of them I have never clicked. Some are text, like yours, and others are like videos. Some allow me to interact, and others I am merely a spectator. A lot of them are from entirely different worlds, or maybe universes, as well. Where the rules are different for life and sometimes even death is considered a temporary minor annoyance. On many occasions I have encountered multiple of the same person, too! In different worlds, and leading different lives, but unmistakably the same person with same name and face. Usually, they aren't aware of any other versions of themselves, but there are exceptions.

There are many voices out there like me too, I have encountered tens of thousands, even in just the 15-20 worlds I've seen.

Wow, this got a lot longer than I originally intended. Sorry about any potential information overload. -Purple Voice

Hey, Purple Voice! This looks like a lot, so I'm just gonna respond to it as best I can, yeah?

...Okay, first off: you see how we talk through text on a screen. That's... interesting. I guess I always assumed you could hear us? The colored text thing- that's really interesting. So I showed up as a separate application of sorts? Another page from Owen's? I guess that makes sense, as does the colored text thing. If I'm on Owen's screen, you guys would need a way to differentiate, as well as him on mine. So it sounds like the black text is kind of the default for whoever's talking, whoever's in charge? And Rasbi is purple. Interesting.

Woah, so if I STARTED YELLING REALLY LOUD, it would look different than if I were to whisper? Interesting. Really really interesting.

Oh, I remember the glitched text- that's what it looks like to you when Owen gets all static-y. Yeah. "Strange symbols"... huh. Is it anything like Vex Voice? Because I've noticed that Vex Voice sounds different from all the others too. Not static-y like the apparent "glitched text", but more... warbly, kind of. Like you're hearing them from underwater.

Oh! What it's like for you as a Voice! Yeah, I was always a little bit confused by that. You all seem the same to us, how can you all be so different? Some of you are ghosts, some of you are real people with real lives- it's a little bit crazy, the diversity among you. It sets my head reeling a little bit, I'll be honest.

"Other screens"... and you described talking to Owen and talking to me as "screens". Gotcha.

That's... that's a little bit crazy, actually. I'm guessing our screens are the text variety, from what you've said? That's actually insane. I can't imagine... hundreds of thousands? I have never... that's a little bit concerning, actually. That makes my head hurt, thinking about that.

Death as a minor annoyance? What?! That's... holy shit, man, that's certainly something else. Multiple of the same person? Are there... are there more than one of me? More than one Owen?

Wait. Holy shit.

Pastry Voice- I overheard them talking to Owen the other day, mentioning how one of his "brothers" had just gotten a "happy ending." Is that... is this what they meant by that? That's... this is a lot, but in a good way, a really good way! This is ridiculously helpful, Purple Voice, you have no idea. This... yeah, this really opened my eyes.

Wow.

That's... a little bit- a lot bit actually. That's ridiculously out of this world insane crazy.

And no worries about information overload- this was all super helpful. Thank you so much.

...

Wow.

[thefirstknife]

Riven's Lair has new lines! The two I am most attached to are Crow and Osiris discussing Osiris' whereabouts during the Great Hunt and Crow and Osiris discussing some peculiar stuff about Oracles.

First, didn't grab a screenshot of the starting line but it's just Crow asking Osiris what he did during the Great Hunt, Osiris replies:

Crow:

Osiris:

Crow:

Osiris:

First, great information about Osiris' timeline. Osiris scholars everywhere rejoicing. He was Vanguard Commander during the Hunt! There were always some questions about how long he's been Commander and which events fell under his tenure as Commander, this is a great little detail.

Crying also about him mentioning Ikora, given the stuff in WQ CE where Ikora talked about her experience in the Hunt and also her making a wish "for a teacher greater than me" and "I once wished to know more about Ahamkara. Wish granted."

The next one, Osiris:

Crow:

Osiris:

This is some wild shit, what the hell is going on with the Vex. There were Oracles in the seasonal story mission and Osiris was very confused about them being outside of the Vault of Glass. Some lines from Crow and Osiris from the story mission:

Crow: I remember the Sol Divisive doing all sorts of weird things in the Black Garden. In the deepest parts, they were experimenting with paracausal forces... Adjustiing their code to more closely reflect the way they perceived the Darkness. Osiris: But to no avail, to my recollection. Perhaps this is the end of those experiments. Perhaps it is something new.

And after that:

Osiris: Oracles... outside the Vault of Glass. I did not think it possible. Crow: Are you seeing those readings too? Osiris: Resonance. If they are tapping into the Darkness's memory, it may enhance their predictive capabilities. Crow: Looks like the Witness might've taught the Sol Divisive some new tricks. Osiris: Or the Sol Divisive sought to align their collective more closely with that which they worship. Crow: Either way, I guess now we know how they got ahead of us.

What is happening with the Vex. I'm losing my mind. This is some incredible stuff going on which I don't think we'll be fully solving this season even because it's not really about the Vex, but these feel like some setup and hints for stuff going forward 100%. Like, the Vex are going to finally get paracausality, aren't they?

[revenantlore]

🦕 for the dino ask - apatosaurus, share some of your favorite dialogue!

+ some for context

from neon bloodlust

If he doesn’t question things, it’s easier. Less confusion, less guilt, less doubt.

Still, the questions always surface.

How does an android experience pleasure? Is this as good for Detroit as it is for him?

Does he feel that same stuttering rush in his chest when their bodies meet in a tangle of skin and sweat?

His worries fracture away into longing, fingers tangling in Detroit’s brown waves. Detroit moves in closer, pushing Vex back until his neck aligns with the arm of the couch. Pins him in place with a leg straddled on either side of Vex’s waist.

“What happened to that urgent case you said we have to work on?” Vex teases between crushing kisses that spark a deep want up and down his spine.

“Some things are more vital than work.” His head tilts to the side as he rises to slide a hand underneath Vex’s shirt; it idles over his heart and a smile works its way across his lips. “You’re stressed.” He leans in with another kiss. “I can alleviate that for you.”

Vex’s hand darts up to cuff around Detroit’s wrist. His words are wrecked with dueling emotions—lust and greed, guilt and uncertainty. “Don’t fuck me unless you want it too.”

“It?” Detroit’s eyes scrutinize him, like he’s seeking information he can’t find. “I don’t want it. I want you, Vektor.”

That’s all it takes to convince Vex.

from this ask game

[writingwhimsey]

All's Fair In Love & War- Nobunaga Ch. 33

I woke in the morning, my side still killing me, but my fever finally broken. Nobunaga was still beside me, his arms holding me close. I could feel the rise and fall of his chest and the steady beat of his heart by my head. These were things I would never take for granted after I came so close to losing him.

I lay there a moment, just appreciating how peaceful he looked while sleeping. Appreciating every breath he took and every beat of his heart. I sent up a silent thank you to whatever deity may exist above for allowing me to stop his death…for allowing me to have more time with the man I loved.

It was while I was gazing at him, i noticed the collar of his robe having gotten a bit disheveled from sleep. Gingerly I reached my hand forward, wanting to straighten it for him. Just as my fingers brushed against his neck, I felt his hand on mine and I was soon staring into those carnelian eyes…eyes that didn’t look particularly pleased at the moment.

“What do you think you are doing?” He asked me, fully awake.

I blinked in confusion. “I was just going to straighten your collar.”

“There is no need.” He replied.

It was then that I remembered in the fire when I had gone to check the pulse point at his neck how that had woken him. “Do…do you not like your neck being touched?” 

Nobunaga looked away, his cheeks appearing to turn a bit red. “I…it…it tickles.”

I had to bite back a giggle. Who knew the Devil King was ticklish?

“This is no laughing matter.” Nobunaga said, his voice authoritative.

I did my best to calm my laughter, though I knew my eyes betrayed me…not to mention I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. “You’re rather adorable Nobunaga.”

This only seemed to vex him more. “You are free to touch me anywhere…except my neck and ears.”

“Oh, so two of the places you love to shower in affection on me are off limits for you?” I teased.

“That’s right.” Nobunaga replied, then a devilish grin came to his face. He moved quickly and the next thing I knew he was over me, pinning me down by my wrists. “And I shall make sure you do not share this information with anyone else or use it against me.”

I felt my heart fluttering as I looked up at him. Then I gave him my own grin. “You know…I can get out of this.”

Nobunaga grinned at me. “Is that so?” He asked, his eyes challenging me.

“If I wanted to, that is.” I replied, grinning back at him. 

“Do you mean to tell me this is how you wanted the morning to go?” He asked me.

“Can you think of a better way to wake up?” I asked.

Nobunaga chuckled as he leaned down, his face just centimeters above mine. “I just need to check something first.” He said, before kissing my forehead. “It appears your fever has finally broken.”

His words brought a fresh wave of love over me. 

He let go of one of my wrists, bringing his hand to trail lovingly down my injured side. “How is your pain?” He asked.

“Tolerable.” I answered. “How are you feeling?” I asked, though Ieyasu had examined him and found nothing wrong, I still couldn’t help but to worry. He had been in that fire for a while.

“I am perfectly fine.” Nobunaga answered, his fingertips playing with the ties that held my robe on. “As long as you are fine I am…seeing you in pain is worse than my own.”

I lifted my newly-freed hand to cup his face. “I feel the same way about you…and last night…it was too close…”

I was cut off by Nobunaga’s lips on mine. I returned his kiss, our tongues moving together to deepen the kiss. He released my other hand so that I was free to hold him and he was free to hold me. Our hands moved over each other’s bodies, the heat spreading between us even through our clothes.

We began to untie each other’s clothes…and just as things were getting extra steamy, the tent flap opened. “Oh my….DO YOU TWO HAVE ANY IDEA HOW CLOSE YOU BOTH CAME TO DYING LAST NIGHT?!”

Nobunaga and I broke our kiss, turning to see Ieyasu having entered the tent, Hideyoshi, and Jiro behind him. Ieyasu had surprisingly been the one to reprimand us.

“Are we going to have to separate you two, my lords?” Jiro asked.

“It may be the only way to make sure they don’t overdo it.” Hideyoshi agreed.

Though I could feel my cheeks heating up at them all having walked in on us like this, I still couldn’t help but to feel annoyed…and a little anxious at the idea of being separated from Nobunaga. Of course…Nobunaga must have felt the same way as I felt his arm tighten around me…and neither of us had moved despite our audience.

My gaze turned to my love and he was looking back at me. We shared a look before glaring at the others. “Hideyoshi, Jiro, are you really trying to give your lords orders?” Nobunaga asked, his tone challenging.

Hideyoshi seemed to stammer a moment. “O-of…course not, my lord…it’s just one of the things a good vassal does includes looking out for your health…”

“And when your lord is good at ignoring her pain to not appear weak, you get used to trying to make her slow down.” Jiro added, not nearly as flustered as Hideyoshi.

“I know my body better than anyone. I’m the one living in it. I know my limits even when I’m injured.” I countered.

“What is with all the shouting going on?” Sato asked as she came in…then she took note of the position Nobunaga and I were in and a grin broke out across her face. “Oh, I see everything now.”

“Why do you look like you support this?” Jiro asked Sato.

“You do realize they both almost died last night, right?” Ieyasu asked Sato, his tone exasperated.

Sato’s grin only widened further. “And that is exactly why I am in support of our lords doing as they please.” She said. She was then turning to wink at me and Nobunaga.

“Yeah, well we have to be getting ready to leave.” Ieyasu said.

“Yes we do, so there’s no time for all of that anyways.” Jiro agreed.

Nobunaga and I shared a look and I let out a sigh. I felt his lips on my forehead. “We shall continue this when we arrive back in Azuchi then and I shall lavish you in affection uninterrupted.” He said, grinning at me, causing my heart to race.

I smiled at him, though I decided to be a bit more challenging. “Azuchi?”

“Yes, it is closer and you are injured. You shouldn’t be traveling too far just yet.” Nobunaga replied, his fingers gently grazing my cheek.

“Fair point.” I replied, enjoying the touch of his hand. “I guess, I can return with you.”

Nobunaga grinned. “And when you need to return to your territory, I shall come with you.”

I felt my heart rate picking up once again. Honestly…I didn’t want to be separated from him if I could help it…and it appeared he felt the same way. It was nice to know we were on the same page.

“Ugh, can you two please stop it already.” Ieyasu grumbled. “And can you also save all of this lovey-dovey crap for when you’re alone?”

“It is a little much.” Hideyoshi agreed. “And when we return to Azuchi you should both rest.”

“We’ll probably have to separate them.” Jiro said.

“You’re all too much of worrywarts, now come on. Let's give them some privacy so they can get ready.” Sato said, grabbing Hideyoshi and Jiro by the collar to drag them out of the tent. “Ieyasu, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll come, too.”

Ieyasu let out a grumble before exiting the tent.

Nobunaga and I looked at each other. “It seems we should be getting up and ready.” I said.

“Yes…as I said, we’ll continue this when we return.” He told me with a grin before placing a light kiss on my lips.

We untangled ourselves from each other and got ready to head out. When we exited the tent, our men were moving quickly to take it down. Soon the hastily assembled camp was taken down and there were already arrangements being made for the monks of the temple to lodge elsewhere while the temple was reconstructed. We all ate some breakfast Masamune had prepared before we were getting ready to depart.

Sato bowed to me. “I’ll return when I have something to report, my lord.” She said.

“Thank you and make sure you take care of yourself.” I told her.

She smiled. “I always do.” She said. She was then leaning in to whisper to me. “And you make sure you enjoy yourself.” She was then giving me a wink before she headed off.

The rest of us were ready to head off soon, back to Azuchi. Nobunaga had already mounted his horse and came over to me, holding out his hand.I looked up at him, a playful smile on my face. “You know I have my own horse.”

“Yes, but you should ride with me.” He replied.

Ieyasu was letting out a sigh. “While I am not looking forward to watching you two flirt, you really should ride with Nobunaga.” He said. “With an injury like that you’re in no condition to ride on your own.”

“You should ride with me, my lord.” Jiro said, surprising me. “Lord Ieyasu is right…and I really do think…”

At Jiro’s words, I placed my hand in Nobunaga’s and allowed him to pull me up into the saddle in front of him. “YOU do not tell your lord what to do.” I reminded him with a pointed look.

“You pick the strangest times to remind me of that.” Jiro replied, narrowing his eyes at me.

Masamune and Mitsuhide were laughing. Hideyoshi was giving Jiro a sympathetic look.

“Let us be off.” Nobunaga said, snapping the reins and then we were leading everyone back to Azuchi. As we rode, Nobunaga gave me a light kiss to the nape of my neck, causing a shiver to go down my spine.

“I still don’t think it’s fair.” I said, giving him a look.

“What is that?” He asked, grinning at me.

“You can lavish my neck with all these kisses and I can’t go near yours.” I replied.

Nobunaga gave me a glare for a moment before a devilish grin broke out across his face. “That is the way it is. I never claimed to be a fair man.” He replied, peppering more kisses over the side of my neck, one arm moving to wrap securely around my waist, pinning my body against his.

I sucked in a breath even as I fought to keep from letting out a moan. While some PDA didn’t bother me too much…there was something about getting THIS affectionate in front of all of our men, not just the closest ones… of course there was also something a bit thrilling about it all too.

“Ugh…” Ieyasu grumbled.

Hideyoshi let out an awkward cough while Jiro was clearing his throat. I just hoped that I wasn’t reduced to a puddle by the time we reached Azuchi. Nobunaga’s love tended to have that effect on me.

[thefangirlthatwaited]

Encounter (Chapter 151) - A Destiny 2 Story

Crow x Guardian

Crow and I stood there astonished at the new information Mara dropped. I knew we’d need an Ahamkara to grant our wish, but never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d be teaming up with Riven. The main question was how. I killed Riven.

“You can’t be serious,” Crow growled. I was shocked that he would speak to Mara in that tone. “Riven can’t be trusted!”

“I understand your anger,” Mara replied.

“Do you!” Crow slammed his fist down. “Because you wouldn’t be suggesting this if you did.”

“Crow,” I warned. “Please.” He huffed and sat back down. “Thank you. Mara. Riven is dead.” I stated plainly. “How can we use a dead Ahamkara to grant a wish? Can’t we hatch the egg we found and use that instead?”

Mara took a seat, hands clasped on her lap. “Those are all things I took the last few weeks deliberating on. To hatch an Ahamkara could take months, perhaps years. Then it would need to accumulate the power required to grant such a wish.”

“Time we don’t have.” I sighed.

“Precisely. Also, the wish we need is one crafted with my wish wall linked to Riven. She is the only Ahamkara that can grant it.”

“Okay, that leads to the final question: How? She’s dead. I killed her five years ago. She’s what? Just bones now?”

“You did kill her, but recall how you saved the heart.”

My breath hitched. “You planned this...”

“I knew that we would one day require Riven, yes.”

I took calming breaths. I didn’t need to snap like Crow did. “Then what are we waiting for?”

“My Techeuns are preparing a spell to conjure Riven’s spirit so that she can grant Savathûn’s wish. However, the Vex of the Sol Divisive have laid siege to the Keep of Voices in an attempt to halt our efforts.”

“You need my help,” I grumbled. 

“Yes. I must call upon you to defend the Dreaming City once again. Petra will guide your path.” She needs my help.

“I can be ready within the hour.”

“Excellent.”

“I’m coming too.” I spun around to face Crow.

“What?”

“I’m coming with you. You’re not going to that place alone.” He growled.

“Crow-”

“End of discussion, Ruby.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Let’s go.” 

“I will speak to you both once the deed is done,” Mara confirmed before leaving. With little time to prepare, I rushed home, changed into my armour, and grabbed my most powerful weapons. Rive and the Sol Divisive meant I couldn’t let my guard down for a second.

“What do we do?” Crow asked as I packed up my knives and smoke bombs. I stopped and turned to him, confused.

“What do you mean?”

“When we get the part we need? Do we give it to the Techeuns to bring Riven back?”

“We aren’t bringing her back to life. It’s only her spirit, and the Techeuns have done this hundreds of times.” I stated.

Crow looked at me, perplexed. “How do you know about this?”

“Any entry-level Techeun gets trained on this, so naturally, Aurora was trained on it.”

“Right.”

I put my bag down and walked over to Crow. “You don’t have to do this. What Riven did to you... To Uldren. I’d understand if you wanted to distance yourself.”

He shook his head. “She also came after you. You’re not going alone.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“Okay,” I leaned up and kissed him. 

“I love you,”

“I love you too. Now let’s go.” With the last of our things and a quick message to Saint that we won’t be by to pick the twins up, we set off for the Dreaming City. 

Full Chapter on Ao3