#viren-reader-love

[delusional-mushroom]

Aaravos x reader where reader is also a startouch elf who was Aaravos’s lover but got imprisoned at the same time he did but in a different prison so instead of trying to lead Claudia and Viren to his prison he’s insisting they save his lover (but in his own ‘No! You can’t do it on your own you need this elf’s help!’ To avoid revealing something that would break his mystery facade- maybe reader had like a pet that guards their last residence and Aaravos is just like ‘oh yeah, that’s just ___ he bites.’ Feel free to add some plot to this it’s just a lil scenario that poofed into mah brain hole.

🌟 anon

Oh hello 🌟 anon. Thanks for the request >:3

Side note: sorry this was a bit rushed, especially towards the end. I’d be happy to part two it if you guys want.

After Leola’s death, you and Aaravos shared your grief. When you had no more tears to cry, and the crater of her demise was full to the brim, you began plotting your revenge.

At first, everything was going great. No one suspected a thing.

But then, a human girl— A human girl, had the audacity to stick her nose into where it did not belong, and rat you two out to the arch dragons.

It all happened so fast, one moment Aaravos was shielding his lover from the onslaught of attacks; and then the next they were both enveloped in a crude, blinding light.

Your look of horror was the last thing he saw before he too was imprisoned.

The two of you were both granted a visage through intricate looking glasses, spared with only one shellshocked glance at each other before you were given to the arch dragon of ocean, Domina Profundis.

Every day, and every night, Aaravos cried in his prision.

First Leola, his kind and loving daughter, and now his spouse: the only thing he had left in this cruel world.

Everything seemed hopeless.

He might never hold you in his embrace.

You two might never see each other again.

That was until a middle-aged dark mage stumbled upon his looking glass. How it got from the clutches of Avizandum and Zubeia to the treasury of Katolis, he didn’t know. But old habits die hard, and Aaravos didn’t mind reusing some old tricks…

“Avizandum is dead.”

What…?

Avizandum, King Of The Dragons, the ringleader in his and his lover’s imprisonment. He was dead.

Aaravos felt a satisfaction he had not felt in a long time. Not only was this going to make his schemes easier, but hearing the news of his passing made Aaravos almost giddy with joy. Maybe he wasn’t the one to end Avizandum’s life, but knowing of his death was almost just as good.

Maybe this middle-aged, emotionally fragile man had potential. Maybe he would be a useful pawn.

Finally, after centuries in his prision, escape was within his grasp. He could leave this dreaded place. He could take revenge upon those wretched dragons and elves.

But in a final moment, he relented.

“No.”

“What do mean ‘no’? We’re this close to freeing you!” Claudia squawked indignantly, pinching her fingers together to emphasise her point.

“You need to free someone else first. Someone just as powerful, and just as essential to the plan.” Aaravos insisted, his ghost-like apparition pointing a finger to a second dot on the map.

“And who would that be?” Viren inquired, Raising and an eyebrow in suspicion.

The star touched elf resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His use for the old man was beginning to dwindle. “You will see when the time comes.”

Reluctantly, he managed to get Viren, Claudia, and Terry to agree, though the earthblood elf didn’t really put up much of an argument.

Roaring and ticketing sounded through the mountain where your prison was kept. Allegedly, the magic orb that contained you was imbedded into an ancient tree. In order to acquire it, the tree needed to be felled. Easy, right? Wrong.

The tree was guarded by a serpent-like dragon by the name of Mortem, who’s bite held enough venom to kill an archdragon.

“Don’t get bit.” Aaravos instructed.

He was so close to you. He could feel your energy radiating through the mountain.

And somehow, the earthblood elf managed to lead Mortem away and distract him long enough without getting bit for Claudia and Viren to cut down the tree and grab your prision.

The scrambled journey back down the mountain made his breath bait in anticipation. This was it. He was finally going to be able to see you again.

Once the ritual was complete, your giant form kneeled down to look the three mortals in the eye. Shrinking yourself down, his ghostly appearance caught your eye.

“Aaravos?” You ask incredulously.

“I’m here, beloved.”

I’m here…

[platinumrosetail]

Ok so interesting idea at least I think so.

What about a the dragon prince x sagua creator!reader idea?

The reader would be the creator of teyvat and its inhabitants on it, the reader decided to go to another world where the reader isn’t high regarded and didn’t create the world she went to, just to have some fun since she kinda gotten a bit bored with the same old, same old stuff in teyvat and needed a break.

She decided to work in a castle in a kingdom called katolis as nanny to the two princes, then getting a high position once the two princes grew up more to not need a nanny. She became great friends with the king and queen fast which lead to her getting those positions sooner than it probably would.

Viren, the high mage have a bit of rivalry between him and the reader though it’s more one sided as she doesn’t see him as a challenge considering who she is but she loves to tease the man when she can, unknowingly resulting in viren having a bit of attraction for her (I love drama 😂😁😈).

She will stay in katolis as the 3 protagonist go to xadia, mostly because she doesn’t want to ruin the kids fun plus she feels like she is needed in the castle anyway, what she doesn’t know is that she gains many male’s interest while staying in that world.

So what do y’all think? It’s still a work in progress but I would like to hopefully make it into a book or at least do some work of it on here (maybe people request things based on it? I don’t know about doing it on my own as I haven’t been doing stuff on my own considering I keep on switching which fandoms I want to do and end up deleting them and not liking them lol 😂😭), this will most likely have a female reader as I can’t really think of it with a male!reader this time sadly 😭 but that could change maybe? Anyway hope yall like it! I hope yall request for it as I think it’s a fun idea. Anyway hope yall have a wonderful day/evening/night!!

[raayllum]

You Have A Good Heart — It's Super Annoying :: An Ezran and Rayla Meta

Forgive me for a moment, meta readers, for a quick anecdote.

Ages ago (aka pretty shortly after S3) I had plans to write an Ezran and Rayla focused meta, centred primarily on how the show highlights their unique bonds with dragons at different intervals and thus far (and honestly still now) with an emphasis that hadn't been doled out likewise to Callum. It was meant, therefore, to be a companion piece to my "Callum and the Dragon Prince (Zym)" relationship analysis, and is built upon a similar thought that Ezran and Rayla are fundamentally more similar to one another than they are to Callum. (Also just goes to show that procrastination can, indeed, last up to four years.)

Ergo, previous meta / thoughts you might want to consult if this is an area of interest:

Brief Rayla & Ezran parallels meta + headcanons

Ezran & Rayla parallels compilation (s1-s5), some of which we'll be going into more detail with

A short meta about how Callum is different from Ezran and Rayla (s1-s4)

For fun, this poem always makes me think a lot about Ezran and Rayla a lot too.

Now, this isn't to say that Rayla and Ezran are 100% or even 80% similar; they are very different, and I would say they're one of the few dynamics in the show that doesn't quite hit the foils mark, either (at least not to me). Nor is this to say that Callum and Ezran, and Callum and Rayla, don't have parallels or similarities. The brothers are both very compassionate, love each other and their father deeply, have many big feelings, are generally emotionally pretty open, and Callum takes on being Zym's caretaker when Ezran turns around to go home. Callum and Rayla's early arcs both have a great deal to do with coping with ideas around failure and familial belonging, and their arc 2 plot lines have been dominated by their devotion to each other and being pushed back onto paths (dark magic, assassinations) that they would rather leave behind.

Therefore, what I am saying that is that Ezran and Rayla are quite similar to each other in some really important, interesting ways, and that I think they are more similar to each other in terms of their Core characters than they are to Callum. Take it or leave it. Okay? Okay. With that out of the way, let's get into it

Core vs Presentation

One thing that I find particularly useful when it comes to discussing/analyzing characters, or when creating them, is the difference between a character's core vs their presentation. The most classic kind of example we see is the "jerk / bad boy with a heart of gold" archetype where the character's presentation is one way (outwardly prickly and/or mean) but their internal core (values, priorities, 'truest self' etc) is very warm, loving, and caring. We see it so often it borders on the point of being cliche.

However, it is useful in explaining just how much a character's core can differ from somebody else's, but their presentation might be similar, or vice versa, with their presentations being different but their cores being similar. And obviously even that is simplistic (characters can have pieces of one another's core but still be very different; for example, while Viren and Callum have a similar devotion to their loved ones, Viren does not always act on it and puts things above his loved ones - leading to theirs and his downfall - whereas Callum thus far hasn't put much above his inner circle, because he always acts on his devotion).

The reason I get into all of this is because I think that while Ezran and Rayla have different presentations, they have very similar cores.

Despite Ezran being more childish and cheery where — especially season one Rayla — is more gruff and impatient, Ezran and Rayla both have similar responses when it comes to forgiveness, their families / upbringings, senses of self worth, and their priorities.

But first, let's get some of the basic parallels out of the way. Ones with an asterisk * next to them will be expanded upon later in greater detail:

General Parallels

Not being believed (by Ruthari and Callum in BH and 1x08 respectively)

Not fitting in growing up

Following in parents' footsteps vs wanting to be different/better than your parents

4x08 gift giving being relational to their fathers, whereas Callum's is Ibis' staff

Arguing to give up hands as they perceive something as being mostly their fault (1x06, 5x08)

Going the nonviolent route in 5x05 vs Callum wanting to seek out the Nova Blade *

A thematic / social emphasis that never quite affects Callum in the same way *

"I knew I had to be strong alone." / "It's not fair you have to struggle through this alone." *

Now let's get into the specifics.

Upbringing

On the one hand, Ezran and Rayla had very different upbringings. Ezran never knew his mother before she died, whereas Rayla remembers, loves, and resents the parents who left. Ezran is given plenty of space to be a fun loving, mischievous little boy, whereas Rayla is playful too, but definitely more dutiful and devoting more time to training and taking it more seriously. Ezran believes that "it's okay to be afraid of things" whereas Rayla mandates that "Moonshadow elves aren't supposed to show fear, ever".

One isn't blamed for being a child:

And one is:

Now, part of this is context. While Ezran has decisions to make, his current ones (up to s1) haven't caused any harm or consequences. Rayla sparing Marcos and then lying about it (pre-binding spell too!) has gotten her team into a load of trouble. But where Soren reminds Callum of his youth to reaffirm that Callum needs to stay safe (much more in vein with Opeli) even if it's in a cruel way, for Rayla it is little more than a critique. She's a child, she had compassion, so she's weak.

This is also a critique lauded at Ezran ("You're just a little boy believing in fairytales" -> "This is a trick and a trap, you're a fool Rayla") in terms of their hope for peace. Likewise, Viren believes that if a child king leads them, Ezran will make 'weak' (aka bad) choices. In spite of their compassion being what they are most critiqued and punished for (Ezran is imprisoned for his abdication of his duty to try to spare people, and Rayla is exiled for sparing Marcos), this is ultimately what makes the difference in ending the war and protecting Zym.

With that in mind, let's talk about Ezran, Rayla, and

Dragons

Ezran and Rayla are both routinely shown to be more anchored to the dragons in a way that Callum is not in arc 1. This is shown in them agreeing with each other about Zym in 1x03 ("It has a mother and it needs to go back to her" "You're right, it wants its mother") even when Callum doesn't act until Ezran is put in danger, Ezran being Zym's tried and true soulmate whereas Rayla becomes the Last Dragonguard, and other little notices.

In arc 2, Soren arguably steps up to take the other half of the draonic-caring role (highlighted most notably by Rayla walking away from the drake in 4x05) in addition to Zym getting less plot focus. However, we still some of this overlap given that Rayla is the first to initiate the gift giving with Rex Igneous, and Ezran is the one to actually figure out what the great dragon wants. Additionally, when Rayla was at her best / not tamping down said self, we see that she does reflect Ezran.

One of my favourite little season four parallels was also the trio's responses to Zym's 'death' in 4x07 and Soren's an episode before, where Ezran and Rayla are the most distraught respectively (Ez stays optimistic about Soren, Rayla turns and mourns alone about Zym), and Callum steps in to look after both of them. Moving on.

That said, the parallel between Rayla and Ezran that sticks out to me is:

Blame, Responsibility, and Self Worth

One of the things that's stood out to me on my most recent S2 rewatch is how unnecessarily hard on himself Ezran is (which Callum verbally acknowledges in 2x03), and how much it reminds me of Rayla throughout the series. This isn't to say that Ezran's mental health or self esteem is as poor as Rayla's — he does have a better view of himself (good, however?), he processes and shares his emotions better, for example — but that they repeatedly use the same language and phrasing, and worry about similar shortcomings.

Ezran: I'm so sorry I messed up the plan. Rayla: Ah, you should cut yourself a break. Everyone messes up sometimes. Or in my case, all the times. (1x08)

Ezran: Corvus, I'm sorry I let you down as king. It only took a few days for me to mess everything up. (3x05) Rayla: I let you both down. I let the world down. (1x09) / Oh no, I messed up again! (4x06)

Rayla: Ugh, I'm such an idiot. I should've figured it out. She's not a healer, she's a fake. She's an illusionist. She can't heal anything. (1x09) Ezran: You knew? Ugh, I'm such an idiot. I should've figured it out! When we met you, you had two of those assassin-y ribbon-y things, but one of them fell off that night. (2x08)

We also know Ezran's super annoying good heart is something that Rayla has too ("I told him you were too good-hearted for the work of an assassin") and something she has various levels of self hatred for ("Rayla felt her heart turn soft in her chest in just the way she hated" —Chasing Shadows part 1).

The point, however, is ultimately that Ezran and Rayla tend to primarily blame themselves when things go wrong, they worry immensely about failure and letting people down, and that Ezran has a greater capacity for self loathing than I think we sometimes give him credit for.

For example, both Rayla and Ezran exchange themselves for Viren in S3. Ezran abdicates and takes Viren's spot in jail, though the mage likewise finagles his way into being king, which wasn't part of the deal, and Rayla tackles Viren off the Pinnacle even if that means also dying in order to save Zym.

That said, one of the main reasons these two are so hard on themselves is because of the amount of internalized responsibility they take on when it comes to their

Collective Priorities

While both care deeply about individuals — friends, family, strangers, animals — Ezran and Rayla most often prioritize the collective, albeit in different ways. We see this first hand in 2x09 when discussing Ezran's decision to turn home and prioritize being king of his kingdom:

E: Now that I'm king, I have to go home. Maybe I can help the world better from the throne. I can do whatever I can to stop the war. R: Ezran, returning Zym to his mother is the world's best hope. E: I know. And you guys will do that. You'll find his mom and Zym will take his place in Xadia, just like I have to take mine.

This is also reflected in how Rayla wants to stay behind in 2x07 for a stranger, Ezran reminds her they have to take care of Zym (and follows Zym down), and Callum follows Rayla down and does dark magic. We see this once again in 4x04 and 5x01 with their choices:

Opeli: King Ezran, maybe there is a way. Go with her. Ezran: But Katolis needs me. Opeli: The world needs you right now. The high council can take care of the people, I promise you. Ezran: You're right. The kingdom will be in good hands.

Rayla: I love you, and I haven't forgotten about you. But... I can't help you yet. Because right now, the world needs me. Callum and Ezran need me. A great evil is trying to return to Xadia and we have to stop it. At any cost.

We also see this in how they prioritize their own understanding of harm mitigation over Callum's, as Ezran and Rayla ally with each other over the prison vs Nova Blade discussion, even though Rayla was the one to tell Callum they should be looking into killing Aaravos in the first place. Now that both stopping the mage fam from finding the prison and going after the Nova Blade are on the table, Rayla chooses the former over the latter, reaffirming her and Ezran's 'violence as a last resort' whereas Callum sees it that way, too, but is more inclined to get there faster (since Rayla has made that mistake twice, and is trying not to repeat it.)

Season five doubles down on this Ezran-kingdom and Rayla-world set up yet again, with Ezran primarily thinking things through in relation to his duty as a king, and Rayla in the self-imposed duty she feels to the greater good, even if that means denying doing or feeling the things they want to do or need to feel:

Soren: You deserve time to do kid stuff. If you spend all your time doing adult stuff now, you'll grow up weird, like your brother and Rayla. Ezran: I don't have time to do kid things. I must gain the trust and cooperation of the dragons, and I shall not be deterred. So many people are counting on me to do my duty. [...] Every time I sit on my throne, I'm reminded of the immense pressure of my kingly duty.

Rayla: It hurts me to know they're trapped like this. It's agonizing. But I know our mission comes first. The world is in danger, and you can trust me to stay focused. Callum: We can help them. Rayla, we can undo this spell. Rayla: Not yet, Callum. Believe me, I want to do something, but [...] Callum, we have to leave! Callum: Two minutes, that's all I need.

From what we know in 6x01, this seems reflected in Ezran putting off looking for Zubeia until they have something settled on with the prison, Rayla agreeing with Ezran's verdict that the prison should stay hidden in Katolis for now (until Callum convinces her otherwise), and Rayla reaffirming that while she wants to free her parents, she won't let it bias her.

All of this honestly just makes me more excited because when Ezran's mental health starts to crack, it's going to crack hard and be absolutely devastating. What will Ezran's mental health start spiralling over? Well...

Fathers and Remembrance

Like Claudia, Ezran and Rayla are direct legacy carriers. While every character in TDP carries some kind of legacy or hold over from their past, some characters are more entrenched in it than others.

For example, Soren's occupation has — as far as we know — nothing to do with his father, so that has nothing to do with legacy, but Soren choosing to be a different man than the son his father wanted absolutely does. Callum sort of gets the inversion of this, as occupation wise as mage and particularly as a high mage, he's carrying the weight of Ibis, Claudia, Kpp'ar, Viren, and potentially the Jailer on his back. That's where legacy comes into play, as although he's very much Sarai and Harrow's son (and Harrow's letter is a legacy unto itself), he's not struggling with the same things they struggled with primarily outside of "how to break (or perpetuate) the cycle," which every character struggles with. If he was having an arc decidedly about being a warrior, leader, or ruler, it might be different, but his occupation is what his legacy is mostly about, which fits a character who's meant to be 'born normal' and ascend to great heights purely by his own merit, even if he has royal status.

Ezran and Rayla, meanwhile, are given both occupational and familial legacy to deal with, much like Claudia, namely because all three of these characters are shot down the line to carry their parents' — primarily their fathers' — mantles.

Harrow was king, so Ezran becomes a king ("So I've realized I don't have to be the king my father was [...] I don't want to be that kind of king"). Runaan was an assassin, so Rayla tries to become an assassin ("Is this right? The moonshadow assassin who isn't capable of killing?"; Lain and Tiadrin were Dragonguard, so Rayla becomes a Dragonguard ("Don't you remember who you are? You're the last Dragonguard"). Viren was a dark mage, so Claudia becomes a dark mage ("I have led my beloved daughter down this path").

We see this reflected in the gifts Rayla and Ezran offer to Rex Igneous, tokens of love and remembrance that they carry with them to remind them of their fathers, but are willing to sacrifice. We see this in the way that each want to honour their parents, but also want to be different than them (i.e. Rayla doesn't want to be an assassin like Runaan, mirroring Ezran's changing assertion of "I wish Dad was here, he'd know what to do" to realizing he can't solely look at his father in an idealized lens because of his mistakes).

Of course, their gifts to Rex Igneous highlight their interrelated trauma. Ezran lost his father because of Rayla's father. Rayla's parents were imprisoned by proxy because of Harrow through Viren. Rayla is going to get her parents back. Ezran? Well... not so much, but it doesn't stop Claudia from mirroring Callum in her offer.

We see this aspect of remembrance and loss and mistakes in S3 as well, as a good deal of the first half of the season emotionally deals with Ezran and Rayla coming home and finding not quite the circumstances they wanted. The primary father they wanted to be like (Harrow, Runaan) is fallen, and so they have to step into different roles. For Ezran, that means being a new kind of king; for Rayla, that means becoming a Dragonguard.

With all this in mind, we're wrapping in similarities (though I'm sure there's some I missed or didn't touch on much, like the "the crown is a heavy burden" and "There's a burden I'm carrying" y'know?) but for now, onto the

Differences

Shorter section as these are more obvious, and I'd expect apply to both surface level and core aspects. Ezran's never been as prone to action/violence or being super active, Rayla's mental health is still somewhat in a ditch whereas Ezran's holding on (by a thread maybe but a thread nonetheless), Stella is the only animal Rayla's had a very close bond to meanwhile Ezran bonds with every animal, etc etc.

That said there are two I want to highlight in particular.

The first, like I've already alluded to, is that Ezran is better at holding and thinking of dualities in terms of priority and in terms of emotions (even if sometimes he can barrel on a bit too fast, like in 4x03). For example, when heading up the Cursed Caldera, Ezran is the one who mentions her hand (fittingly, since if she loses, it'll be for him):

Ezran can hold and prioritize two things at once. To help break the cycle, you have to hold love and pain in your heart at the same time. Upon inviting Zym and Zubeia to Katolis...

Corvus: But is this really about changing the world, or is it just an excuse to see Zym again? Ezran: Can't it be both?

Ezran is, of course, likely going to initially fail at his own challenge of thinking about Both when it comes to Runaan, prioritizing his pain and love over Rayla's, but the point stands that Ezran is usually better at focusing on what can and what needs to be done.

Ezran felt bad for Rayla and her fear of water, but he knew she could face the fear again. He was about to encourage her to cross the bay when Callum jumped in. “You know what?” Callum said. “We’ll just walk around it somehow. With our legs.” Ezran couldn’t believe what he was hearing. But thankfully, Rayla shook her head no. (—Book 2: Sky novelization)

Rayla, meanwhile, tunnel visions, and tunnel visions hard. When Ezran brings up her hand, she tells him, "Don't worry about my hand, the egg is all that matters." When she goes to save Pyrrah, she states, "It doesn't matter what happens to me, live or die, this dragon goes home." She destroys her relationships in the name of killing Viren and puts herself at risk, and it takes two years to come back and start making amends and recovering. Where Ezran's passivity shifts to carefully weighing things and making pretty measured decisions most of the time, Rayla's tendency to not consider anything but the immediate goal in front of her routinely gets her into trouble... such as abandoning a mission to save an individual (Harrow + the egg, Pyrrah, the Dragon Queen) no matter what the personal cost.

On that note, we also see Ezran directly reject the worst of Rayla's more toxic mindset, re:

The other difference that I noticed, particularly in S5, is that Rayla knows not everyone has a good heart, even if she expects someone to:

Ezran, meanwhile, continues to see the best in everyone even when being told it's unlikely.

Both these perspectives are good and bad circumstantially, and both can get them into trouble, but it's an interesting one to me to say the least.

Conclusion

Overall, I hope you enjoyed this dissection of Ezran and Rayla's similarities, contrasts, and flat out differences. I don't think we'll see a lot of their bond in S6 as we got to see in previous seasons, but fingers crossed for S7! As always thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

[linkemon]

Too late (Runaan x Reader)

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested.

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"— ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ꜰʀᴇᴇ, ʀᴜɴᴀᴀɴ."

ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: 1. ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴇᴘɪꜱᴏᴅᴇ 8 ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ 1ꜱᴛ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ. 2. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ'ꜱ ᴏʀɪᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ (ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴏꜰ ᴜꜱ ᴋɴᴇᴡ).

What was Viren trying to accomplish? The question had been on Runaan's mind for days now. How long, he couldn't remember exactly. After he'd murdered the king of Katolis and been thrown into a cramped cell, he'd lost track of time.

[Reader] would visit him sometimes. At least, that was how she introduced herself. She brought him both human food, elven juice and messages from Viren as well. So far, he had not drunk anything, nor admitted to anything. But he found that the girl was a diversion during the slowly dragging time. The time that was still left before he died.

He was more certain of nothing in his life than his imminent end. Raised as an elven warrior, he learned from an early age to push fear into the recesses of his consciousness. And years spent training and the oath sworn with his brothers allowed him to do what had to be done and accept the consequences.

He only regretted that Rayla, whom he had trained for so long, was unable to shed her scruples. But he had little control over that. He only knew that she would lose her hand instead of her life, which might have been a silver lining but in reality she would be covered in shame for not keeping her oath.

The value Runaan fought for was justice.

Or at least he believed with all his might that it was. Even if, from the perspective of the human race, he dreamed of revenge, he considered it righteous.

That was why he was hanging almost helplessly from the handcuffs connected to the ceiling. They locked his arms, legs and prevented him from moving most of the time. But he still held his head up with the pride typical of elves. Unfortunately, his strength was gradually failing him, which did not go unnoticed by Viren.

Runaan had already examined every inch of gray stone beneath his feet and the mold at the other end of the cell. Every now and then he caught a glimpse of a mouse scurrying by. At that unremarkable moment, [Reader] entered the cell. Her demeanor, however, indicated that something was clearly wrong because she usually moved quickly and quietly but now she turned her head a few times, as if checking to see if anyone was behind her and then, right in front of him, drank some of the juice.

— You should take this. — She held the bottle to his lips. — I assure you it’s not poisoned.

— What you did doesn’t prove anything yet — he replied in a hoarse voice.

He didn't really believe in the girl's intentions. She could have just as easily drunk the antidote or let herself be sacrificed to the governor.

— Viren doesn't want to kill you. He needs you. For now, at least — she added quietly. — And I'm going to get you out of here.

— Why would the woman from Katolis want to release her king’s killer from prison? — he snarled.

— Harrow was never my king — she snapped quietly.

— I still don't see why you would do something like that.

— I don't have time for your idiotic questions.

— My dear, I have all the time in the world. — He smiled.

She looked at him, then resignedly pushed her hair to the side. Despite the darkness, lit only by the faint glow from the corridor, he saw that it carefully covered her long, elven ears.

Runaan, unable to believe his eyes, moved his gaze to her hands, where he saw five fingers.

— Most people are at the king’s funeral, so we have some time — she explained briefly, glancing back out of the corner of her eye. — My grandfather was an elf. — She pointed to her ears again. — He fell in love with my grandmother, who followed him to Xadia, where my mother was later born. A year later, humans stole the dragon prince’s egg and, at her husband’s urging, she fled to Katolis. Hoping for his return, she raised the child. It wasn’t that hard. My mother was physically fit but her appearance was deceptively close to human. When she grew up, she met my father and the genes weakened even more. That’s why I have five fingers and I’m not much different from anyone else. After my mother died, I ended up at the castle by saving the life of Claudia, who is Viren’s daughter. Since then, I’ve been under his watchful eye and...

— I don’t understand what you’re getting at — he said.

— I want to get to Xadia safely. I received a sealed letter from my grandfather half a year ago. There is no mistake. He is waiting for me there because he is unable to get to Katolis without getting involved in the conflict. By holding back, he pays tribute to my deceased grandmother.

From the elf's perspective, [Reader]'s grandfather had lost his honour by failing to fight for his people but Runaan was not about to throw away a potential ally. So he stuck to the neutral statement of fact:

— I understand that in exchange for your help I would take you to Xadia.

— Yes. — She rubbed her fingers nervously.

— Why do you think I'd agree? I've already achieved my goal. Besides, I might as well slaughter you right after you escape.

— Elves aren’t like that! — she interjected.

She hesitated but quickly regained her composure.

It sounded like she'd said this denial many times before.

— I know that... people believe the nonsense they're told but my family didn't ignore the truth when I was learning about your culture. If I hadn't chosen to trust you, I wouldn't be here.

Runaan held her determined gaze.

— Let's say I trust you, too. What's your plan? Assuming you have one...

— We'll have to wait until the coronation, when the perfect opportunity to get you out of here quietly will present itself. Especially since Viren put spells on the shackles but I've already stolen a few things, so that shouldn't be a problem. You should also try to regain your strength by then, so I brought you some juice and some formula. — She pulled out a second vial, previously hidden in her wide skirt.

The elf eyed both bottles suspiciously, then sniffed as she unscrewed the cap. The first definitely contained juice. He wasn't so sure about the second but the liquid reminded him of something the medic had made him the last time he'd had a nasty wound and needed a quick fix.

He was aware of the risk he was takin but he had already completed his task. The only thing that loomed before him was death or the betrayal of his already dead brothers. He had no other choice.

So he did what cold calculation told him and drank the contents of both bottles.

— I’ll be back tomorrow. — She smiled shyly in response to this act.

Then, looking around carefully, she left the cell. Leaving Runaan with doubts.

The elf was finally able to let his guard down for a moment.

Being suspended in handcuffs was already making it hard for him to sleep. Now, on top of that, he wondered if he had just made a mortal mistake. As a result, he didn't sleep a wink until Viren's next visit.

[Reader] came to him when she received such an order and she was exactly as quiet as she had been at first. The elf guessed that the governor must be watching her.

Their meetings were completely different when she came while Viren was unaware.

She brought him bits and pieces of information about his kin that she had managed to overhear in the castle, told him about her past and corrected her knowledge of elves. Oddly enough, she managed to get close enough to Runaan to tell her about himself. He had never confided in anyone like that in his life.

[Reader] also made an ointment that would partially numb the pain but didn't get rid of the prisoner's scars, cuts or bruises. They didn't want to risk a failed operation by acting too suspiciously.

The girl applied the medicine with such delicacy that the elf could have sworn that if he had even hissed, he would have stopped feeling that anyone was there.

Oddly enough, her touch and presence seemed oddly soothing to him, even though he had hated the human race so much up until that point. He explained it to himself by saying that she was the only one who resembled his people to some extent.

The night before her escape, [Reader] went over every step of the journey and the details with him once more, and then, before she could change her mind, she walked over and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

— Tomorrow you will be free, Runaan. — She left.

The elf was confused as he felt a warmth around his heart but decided to put the budding feeling aside as the day had come when he would regain his freedom.

However, the governor thwarted the plans by bringing something the prisoner had not expected. A mirror was brought into the cell.

Runaan was well aware of the danger that lurked within the ancient relic, especially considering whose hands it had taken. He also knew that if he so much as uttered a word, death would befall many, so he proudly refused to cooperate.

He kept the secret.

But it cost him pain, suffering and endless nightmares.

Even Gren on the other side of the castle dungeons heard his screams.

He had lost all hope of any escape.

Because how could one try to escape from inside the coin?

He lost his chance at something he had never experienced before.

Two hours later, [Reader] entered the cell.

However, she found no one there.

She arrived too late.

[coralswritings]

aaravos and his sun-fire elf S/O with viren

— summary: after aaravos gives viren his familiar and discusses with him, his lover finds himself concerned.

— a/n: first writing, kinda nervous — also! reader is kinda specified as a male with brown hair, but please imagine as you want

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"Did you really need to start with the 'How may I serve you line?' Oh, and let's not forget you saying that you never lie! Which might I add, is a total lie.” You exclaimed, running your fingers through your cedar-brown hair.

A slight laugh erupted from the man you were accusing.

"I don’t quite understand why you are so... well pressed on this matter. I was also telling the truth; I do not lie." 

The midnight blue-skinned elf explained, pushing back some of his long white hair behind his ear.

"Never-mind Aaravos. Are you sure this is going to work? He seems, well, uh, resistant." You admit, plopping yourself down on the red chair you have gotten so so used to.

Aaravos slowly walked over to you, placing his hand on your cheek and caressing the sun-ray-like feature slightly glowing on your toned skin.

"Don’t you trust me?"

His deep voice rumbled as his lips slowly formed into a smirk.

"Of course I do! But there's no proof that this little experiment will work." 

You might have exaggerated when you said an experiment; after all, Viren is a human, but either way… how does he think this will work?

"Is that so? Either way, you won't back out of this. You’re too curious to see how this will play out." 

He commented, slowly extracting his hand from your face.

As a sun-fire elf, you usually stand your ground and don’t let others sway you. That all changed once you entered this, well, prison with Aaravos. You find yourself yielding to him whenever he wants your assistance, unfortunately.

"Tch, well, you aren’t entirely wrong, I suppose. I swear, my love, if this ends up creating more chaos, I'll—"

"Shh… Make no mistake, this will work beautifully."

Aaravos interrupted, placing his finger over your lips with a playful glint in his eyes.

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[stranger-angel0401]

Love Me Like a Sailor

Pairing: Soren x Reader

Description: While Soren searches for the princes, reader is left in Katolis with Viren. When reader runs away, their relationship with Soren is strained. A song fic based off of Sailor Song by Gigi Perez.

CW: Canon-typical violence, mention of death, Viren being Viren

WC: 3.2k

So apparently I can only write angst. Anyway, I'm pretty sure no pronouns are used for reader, pls let me know if there are. Feel free to request, hope y'all enjoy!

I saw her in the rightest way, looking like Anne Hathaway.

The first time Soren sees you, he makes a fool of himself. Trips over his cape, nearly drops his sword. He can’t help it. You’re beautiful. You laugh at him, and immediately it becomes his favorite sound. He’ll do anything to hear it again, even if it means making a fool of himself. When you shake his hand, he brings your knuckles to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to them. You assume this is a common occurrence for him. He’s never done that to anyone else.

Laughing while she hit her pen and coughed.

The two of you become fast friends. You sneak around the castle grounds at night, giggling like stupid teenagers. One night, you collapse to the ground in the garden. Soren is concerned at first, until he leans over you and you start giggling. You reach out for his wrist and drag him down next to you. He lands over you, holding his weight up with his hands on either side of your head. He scolds you about how his sword could’ve impaled you. You grin at him, and he can’t find it in himself to be mad.

And then she came up to my knees, begging ‘baby won’t you please do the things you said you’d do to me?’

When you find out about his quest with Claudia, you beg him to bring you with them. 

“I can fight!” You argue. 

Soren knows this. You’ve quickly become a top Crownguard. Maybe better than him. He won’t risk your life. He asks you to meet him in the gardens that night. You oblige. You always will. There is fire in your eyes when they meet his, he’s almost intimidated. You stomp right up to him, poking him in the chest. 

“I can fight as fiercely as ten soldiers. I can help. Please, Soren. Take me with you.”

He sees the desperation hidden behind anger. You are dealing with the same pain as him. A failed Crownguard with no king to protect. You will do anything to help your kingdom. You will risk your life.

Soren won’t. 

Tears fall down your cheeks. There is so much more to your desperation than obligation. You are scared, you’re terrified Soren won’t come back to you. You’re afraid you’ll never see him again.

Soren steps towards you, towards the tree behind your back. He places one hand next to your head. You are not cornered. You don’t move.

He leans in and presses his lips to yours. 

Oh won’t you kiss me on the mouth and love me like a sailor? And when you get a taste will you tell me what’s my flavor?

You whimper and slide your hand under his chestplate, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and pulling him into you. The kiss is full of longing and fear and joy. He is yours. He may not return.

I don’t believe in God but I believe that you’re my savior. And when we’re getting dirty I forget all that is wrong.

You find him the night before he leaves. You are standing at his bedroom door, fist raised to knock. You consider going back to bed. He needs rest for tomorrow. You need him.

As you finally build up the courage to knock, his door swings open, and he nearly walks straight into you. You stumble backwards, and he reaches out to gently grab your shoulders. He steadies you.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I shouldn’t be here,” You ramble.

Soren shakes his head.

“No! N-no, don’t be sorry. I sort of kinda was..maybe on my way to go see you,” he admits.

He rubs his arm sheepishly, embarrassed. He is strong, he is vicious. You so desperately want to break down the walls his father has forced him to build.

You smile at him and take his hand. He gently tugs you into his room, shutting the door behind you. You stand awkwardly, unsure what exactly you’re allowed to do. Soren sits down on his bed, extending an arm to you. An invitation. When you take his hand, he pulls you forward into his chest. He lays down, shifting to make sure you’re comfortable. He holds you close to him, you can hear his heartbeat. 

“I promise I will come back to you,” he whispers.

You sob.

When he leaves the next morning, he holds you tightly. He almost reconsiders bringing you with him. Almost.

You watch them go from a balcony until you cannot see them anymore. You watch a little longer, just in case. 

I sleep so I can see you cuz I hate to wait so long.

You last all of two days under Viren’s reign. He is a tyrant, you understand. And he is especially abusive towards you. He is on his third trip of the day down to that stupid mirror. You can’t stand to pass Gren each time you accompany Viren. He insists you come down with him, simply because “With my son gone, you are the top Crownguard.” You want to roll your eyes. 

Your breaking point is on the evening of the second day. He insists you come down to the dungeon again, and you refuse.

“Viren, there is no reason for me to go down there. There are other guards there, and you are at no risk.”

He rolls his eyes at you.

“Maybe so, but as my guard, you will accompany me if I so request.”

“Respectfully, Viren, I will not go back down there to watch you speak to your reflection again. I am needed up here.”

You wonder if he only wants you near him to keep an eye on you. 

“I am your king! You will serve me!” 

You flinch at his sudden volume.

“You are not my king.” 

“If you will not serve me,” he sneers at you, “then you are of no use to me.”

Viren crushes a small piece of coral and begins chanting. Particles swirl around you, freezing into ice. It envelops your legs, and you feel icy spikes digging under your armor and into your skin. The process repeats with your torso and arms, until finally the ice raises. A single spike threatens to poke into your throat. You squirm, trying desperately to break free. You cry out as the spikes rip open your soft skin. 

Viren sends a sick smile your way, mumbling something about returning for you later, before swiftly leaving the room. As your struggle, a new horrifying truth comes to light. The more you fight, the closer the spike grows to slicing your neck. You continue fighting anyway. If this kills you, you decide, it will still be better than whatever Viren has planned. 

After what feels like hours, you finally realize Viren’s mistake. He has trapped you against the wall, directly next to a mounted torch.

Despite the pain it causes you, you struggle until your right arm is free. You cry out as a particularly large piece of ice digs into your skin. When your arm is finally free, there is a large gash in your skin. You ignore the blood streaming down your wrist as you grab the torch, and begin the slow process of melting your prison. 

By the time you escape, it’s the middle of the night. You are bleeding in too many places to count, the gash on your arm still aches, and you are shivering. You run, with no real plan on where you’re going. You try to run in the general direction you think Soren and Claudia took. You hope you remember correctly. 

You run straight into a body. When strong arms wrap around you, you thrash and scream.

“Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!”

“Hey, hey hey hey! It’s okay, it’s okay! It’s me, it’s Soren!”

His gentle voice fills your ears, and you nearly sob. He steadies you, glancing over your form. You are filthy, bleeding, and pale. 

“Hey, what happened to you? Why are you all the way out here, and why are you so hurt?”

Just as soon as he takes his hands off of your shoulders, your knees buckle. Your adrenaline has run out. He catches you before you hit the ground and calls out to Claudia. Your vision blurs as you feel him guide you down to the ground, concerned eyes staring straight into your soul. The last thing you hear is Claudia chanting, and Soren whispering that you’ll be okay. 

When you awake, you are on the back of a horse, held in place by strong arms wrapped around your waist from behind. Soren, you recognize. You groan, lifting your arm to get the bright sunlight out of your face. Soren shifts behind you.

“You’re awake!”

“Unfortunately,” you mutter.

Your body is sore. Your arm is wrapped in bandages, it still aches a little. You shift to sit up and awkwardly crane your neck to look at Soren. He is battered and bruised. You wonder what happened. 

“Where..where are we going?”

“Home!” He grins at you.

Your eyes widen, panic setting in.

“No, no! No we can’t! I-I can’t go back! Not now, Soren, please don’t make me!”

Soren halts his horse at your rambling, sliding off the back of his white stallion. He offers you a hand, pulling you gently down next to him. He rests a hand on your shoulder, speaking softly.

“Why don’t you want to go home? What happened to you, who- who hurt you?”

You shake your head, looking to the ground as your eyes well with tears. How can you shatter his world like that?

She took my fingers to her mouth, the kind of thing that makes you proud that nothing else has ever worked out.

With his free hand, he grasps yours, bringing your fingers to his mouth for a kiss, just as he did the day you met. You want to scream. Claudia stays a few feet away. You appreciate it.

“Sweetheart, look at me.”

Your eyes meet his, and you have to look away again. There is so much innocence behind his eyes. He places two gentle fingers under your chin, lifting your eyes to his.

“I can help you, I want to help you. But I can’t do that if you won’t tell me what happened.”

There is so much earnestness behind his expression. He is dead serious, something you don’t see from Soren often. 

You wonder if he really will help you.

In a leap of faith, you take a deep breath.

“V-viren..Viren trapped me. He was going to kill me, Soren.”

Soren’s expression shifts to something not quite readable. You can’t meet his eyes.

And then he laughs.

He laughs so hard he nearly falls over, wiping tears from his eyes as he recovers.

“My- my dad? Good one, love. Now, who do I need to go after?”

Your heart shatters.

“Soren, I- I’m being serious. He trapped me in ice, said he’d come back for me later. I- I had to run. He would’ve killed m-”

“Yeah, right,” Soren interrupts. “You must have misunderstood something. My dad would never hurt anyone, not like that. Especially someone he knows is important to me.”

He pulls you back towards his horse, frowning when you resist.

“Come on. Come home with us, we’ll sort everything out. I know he wouldn’t have intentionally hurt you.”

And lately I’ve tried other things, but nothing can capture the sting of the venom she’s gonna spit out right now.

You shake your head, ripping your hand from his.

“I can’t, Soren. He will kill me.”

Hurt flashes in his eyes. He steps forward, starting to argue. You step backwards, looking at him as if he’s a threat.

“I’m sorry, Soren. I can’t. I won’t.”

You stare at the ground, hoping you aren’t making the wrong decision. Hoping he won’t.

You step forward, pulling Soren into one last kiss.

Oh won’t you kiss me on the mouth and love me like a sailor? And when you get a taste can you tell me what’s my flavor?

You release him, whispering a soft apology as you turn away, running away from Katolis. Running away from Soren.

The elf, whose name you later learn to be Rayla, nearly kills you when you catch up with them. Hesitantly, she lets you stay when you explain yourself. You are a Crown guard, you are here to protect the true king and Prince Callum. When you explain how you ran from Katolis, and from Soren, Callum trusts you implicitly. When the kids explain how Claudia and Soren betrayed them, and how Soren lied to them about their father, you understand you have made the right decision.

You wish you hadn’t.

The next time you see Soren is at the top of the Storm Spire. He coughs and sputters as Callum performs the breathing spell. When he finally inhales, his eyes look straight to you.

“Is this the afterlife?”

You nearly cry. 

Instead, you raise your sword stepping in front of Callum and Ezran. 

“Don’t- don’t come any closer.”

Your voice trembles. 

Soren tries to rise. You step forward, raising your sword higher.

“Take one step closer to the princes and find out what happens.”

He raises his hands in surrender, dropping to his knees. You hate this. You hate what Viren has done to him.

His hair is grown out and messy, and stubble dusts his chin. He looks older, sadder. You’ll kill Viren. 

“I’m here to help,” Soren whispers. 

You lower your sword a fraction of an inch.

“How can I- we, we, trust you?” You ask. 

Your sorrow is not lost on Soren. Ezran’s voice sounds from behind you, commanding you gently to stand down. Hesitantly, you sheath your sword and step back. Soren reaches out, but you dodge his grip, opting instead to lean against the wall at the back of the room. He looks like a kicked puppy. An apology dies in your throat. 

Dread settles over your shoulders as Soren explains his father’s plans. You glance around at the room, deciding you’re doomed. A child king, a baby dragon, a Moonshadow elf, two sky mages, and two failed Crown guards. You’ll never stand a chance.

You look up to see Ezran whispering in Soren’s ear. It’s an interesting sight. Ezran is standing on his tip-toes, while Soren is hunched over, his back bent in an uncomfortable looking way. Despite yourself, you smile. When Soren stands back up, you see him take a deep breath. He turns and begins walking towards you, looking nervous. You don’t walk away. When he reaches you, he offers his hand. In his palm is a small Xadian flower in your favorite color. When you look at him, his eyes are apologetic. 

“Can..we talk?” He nearly whispers.

You nod lightly. You surprise him by taking his hand and letting him lead you outside. His grip is gentle, but feeling his touch again nearly has you in tears. The scar on your arm shatters his heart. He knows now who gave it to you.

Soren doesn’t take you far, just a little ways down the steps to a small platform. He releases your hand, and you sit against the rock. Soren paces in front of you, and you sigh.

“Soren, whatever you have to say to me..just say it.”

He freezes, staring at the ground.

“I uh- I owe you an apology.”

You motion for him to sit beside you, to which he happily obliges. He’ll take any excuse to be near you.

“When..when Claudia and I were on our mission, there was an accident. I was hurt, I couldn’t walk. I wouldn’t be walking if it wasn’t for Claudia. When we got home, my dad was..cruel to me. To everyone. The things he did..”

Soren is crying now. You reach up to brush a tear off his cheek, and you hate the way he initially flinches at the contact. 

“The way he talked about you, I- I left his army. Left him behind and I came all the way here just for you. I just- I need you to know that I believe you about- about what he did, and I’m so sorry for not believing you, I- I couldn’t imagine my dad doing something so awful but- but I believe you now, and I’m sorry.”

You respond not with words at first, but by letting your head drop against his shoulder. He tenses, and you wonder when your life fell apart so horribly. You reach for his hand, dragging his arm around you and over your shoulder. He finally relaxes, leaning against you. His thumb rubs gentle circles against your shoulder, and you wonder how long you can milk this moment for. 

You find yourself unable to sleep that night. The threat of the battle to come is simply too much. While everyone else sleeps, you find yourself wandering over to where Soren sleeps. His blonde hair is a mess, falling over his eyes and mouth. His breathing is soft, and you suddenly doubt yourself for walking over here. Just as you turn to head back to your makeshift bed, he shifts, and his arm reaches out for you. 

“Come here,” he whispers. 

When you hesitate, he shifts to face you. He looks tired, but you realize he hasn’t slept either. He lifts his blanket, motioning for you to lie next to him. 

“Don’t wanna bother you,” you mutter.

Soren frowns. With a surprising amount of gentleness, Soren tugs on your arm, dragging you to lie down next to him. You practically feel your body melting at the warmth he provides, and you shift to press your body closer to his. He stiffens as you move, still afraid to mess things up again. He won’t lose you again, he’ll give you all the time and space in the world. Once you’re settled, you tug on his arm. He obliges and wraps it around you, pulling you against his chest. You exhale softly, and Soren could cry right there. You’re so perfect, he realizes, and he nearly lost you. 

“I won’t let him hurt you,” he mumbles. “Never again.”

“I know.”

You admire him, the stubble adorning his chin, the way his hair has grown out ever so slightly. You reach one hand up and twirl the soft strands around your fingers. He hums contently.

Subconsciously, you lean closer to Soren. His breath hitches in his throat, but he waits, allowing you to make the decision on your own. You close the distance, gently pressing your lips against his. A muffled cry escapes Soren.

We can run away to the walls inside your house, I can be the cat baby, you can be the mouse.

When you pull away, he is smiling softly. You shift, tucking your head under his chin. He holds you protectively, and for the first time in weeks you feel safe.

And we can laugh off things that we know nothing about, we can go forever til you wanna sit it out. 

Something shifts, and suddenly you feel like you can win the war. Zym will be safe, Ezran will take the throne, and Xadia and the human kingdoms will be at peace.

And with Soren by your side, that will be enough. 

[newtthetranswriter]

Soulmate? Soulmates Pt. 2

Paring: Soren x Trans masc! reader

Word count: 3829

Summary: After Finding the egg of the Dragon Prince and a confrontation with Claudia, it’s time for a last minute effort to stop the elves from finishing their plan to assassinate the king.

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of King Harrows death

Part 1

A/n: Okay so a couple quick things. First I’d like to wish a Happy Pride Month to all of my lovely followers and anyone else who reads this. Second, I know it’s been almost a Year since part one was posted but Adhd and shifting hyper fixations got the better of me. I do have an outline for future parts and I've started on part three so hopefully it will be out sooner than later. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and Remember to Hydrate or Diedrate.

I still couldn’t believe it, the egg of the Dragon Prince wasn’t destroyed, like everyone was led to believe. In my shock I failed to realize that I had let my thoughts leak through mine and Soren’s connection. How is the egg still here? Did Viren seriously lie about this? What could he possibly do with a dragon egg?

Um Y/n, what are you talking about, shouldn’t you be at the banther lodge with your brothers now. Shit, we were supposed to leave a while ago. Hello? Y/n you there? How the hell do I explain what happened without him freaking out. 

So, Me and Callum may have been ambushed by a moonshadow elf while looking for Ez. And before you freakout I’m fine. I explained, completely ignoring the conversation happening between my brothers and the elf. Ezran actually saved us before anything could happen, anyway he led us into a secret passage and led us to a creepy store room. In it we found the egg of the dragon prince, it turns out it wasn’t destroyed. I refrained from asking if he knew anything about it because it was likely Viren wouldn’t trust him with his dark secrets.

I could tell Soren was trying to come up with a response from the sudden quiet in my mind. The delay in response let me tune back into my surroundings, “But how? Why wasn’t it destroyed?” Callum said, still confused as to how the egg was here.

Before any of us could respond we heard the grinding of stone as the stairs opened again, signaling a visitor. “Because my father saved it.” Claudia said entering with her strom primal stone in hand. 

The elf got in a stance ready to attack as Claudia tried to convince me and my brothers to stand behind her. My brothers just stood shocked, as I chimed in. “No one’s standing behind you and your lies. Viren didn’t save it, he stole it.” I said calling out her bullshit.

“That’s a lie, and you know it.” Claudia said, turning some of her hostility towards me.

Callum sensing a fight about to start stepped forward. “Then, Claudia, Why is it here?” He asked, obviously way too trusting of the dark mage. I had to fight back a laugh at the thought of Claudia actually telling the truth.

“My father took it to protect us, Callum, so the elves and dragons couldn’t use it.” Claudia defended, voice laced with hatred towards elves.

The elf now clearly pissed snapped back. “What are you talking about? How can we use it?” 

Claudia snapped in response. “Don’t play dumb! You know it’s a powerful weapon.” Okay now she’s just being dumb.

“It’s not a weapon. It’s a fucking egg, Claudia” I joined in calling her out for her crap.

Claudia then started to try and convince Ezran to bring her the egg, preparing to use magic against the elf. Realizing the egg wanted to go home Ezran looked to me and the elf before telling us to follow him, and ducking out of the room. Without hesitation we followed him. Callum on the other hand chained Claudia to the wall, and picked up the primal stone that she dropped in the chaos before following us.

As we ventured through the halls, we heard the sound of wolves howling behind us. “There’s something after us.” Callum shouted as we followed Ezran. I watched as the elf stopped taking out her blades and instructed us to keep running. Not wanting to take any chances, I just kept following my little brothers.

   As Callum turned the corner he was met with protest from Ezran. “Wait, not that way.” Before he could respond he slammed face first into the wall. “Because it’s a dead-end.” The younger boy said with a smirk as I chuckled at his misfortune. Though the laughter only lasted a second as we were now cornered by the smokey wolves.

   Taking a chance Callum looked at the primal stone in his hand before mimicking hand motions he had apparently seen Claudia use before. “There might be something I can do, but I don’t know if I can do it.” He sounded nervous.

   “Is this a guessing game? Just do it!” The elf exclaimed. We all then watched stunned as he successfully used a breath spell to dispel our smoky attackers. “You never said you were a mage.” THe said holding her arm that seemed to have been bitten by the fog.

   “Who, me? No, I’m… I’m not really anything.” Callum responded.

   I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “You just did magic, dumbass.” He just looked at me confused as Ezran was just excited to see his brother do something cool.

   The elf also responded with an eye roll. “Yeah, that’s what a mage is. You’re a mage.” Callum then responded excitedly, forgetting we were still trying to lose Claudia. The elf shushed him with a finger to his lips, “Nobody likes a loud mage.” 

    “Sorry. Sorry. I’m a mage!” Callum whispered before following the rest of us as we made our way out of the tunnels.

    As we made our way through the tunnels, my train of thought was interrupted by Soren trying to talk to me. Are you ok? I know you said Ezran was able to save you before anything happened but where are you now, and where’s the elf? I could tell he was concerned but also still on edge from everything that’s happening.

   I’m fine, Soren. You should be focused on protecting the king. It’s getting late after all. I didn’t need him to worry about me, he should be focused on staying safe even though he’s supposed to put his life on the line for the king. But if you really want to know, I’m in some hidden passages with my brothers and the elf. She actually helped protect us when your crazy sister tried to stop us from saving the egg. I knew bringing up Claudia was probably dumb but hey he asked how I was so I told him.

   I’m sure she has her reasons, if what you're saying is true about this egg, it could be dangerous. Of course he would think that. Just don’t do anything stupid.

   I didn’t respond to that, I knew he valued his family, so there was no way I was going to convince him that they were doing something wrong. I just focused back on my brothers as Ezran said he would lead the elf to the roof. She hesitated before she followed along.

   When we made it to the roof Callum, Ezran and myself hid behind some crates. The elf then scanned the area making sure no guards were close before speaking. “You’re here. I know you are.” She said, as a taller elf walked up behind her on the edge of the wall.

    “Rayla.” Okay so that’s her name, got it. “ You defied me.” It was clear this elf was less than pleased to see her here.

    Ignoring the strictness of the older elf, Rayla went on to speak. “Runaan, you need to call off the mission.” She tried to convince him.

    The elf or Runaan, jumped from the ledge to be closer to Rayla. “You’ve lost your mind.” He said.

     Rayla was clearly growing more desperate. “Please, listen to me. I’ve found something. The egg of the Dragon Prince.”  Runaan just scoffed at her, saying it was impossible. “The egg wasn’t destroyed, it was stolen. Their High Mage was going to use it for dark magic, but the human princes found it, and they’re trying to help-” She tried to explain before Runaan interrupted her.

    “No. Humans are liars. This is a trick and a trap. You’re a fool, Rayla.” Runaan said brushing her off, only seeing humans for the horrible things they have done in the past.

     Having enough of the arguing, Callum showed himself. “She’s not a fool. What she’s telling you is true.” He said coming to the defense of our new friend.

    I could hear the other elf draw his weapon as he told my brother he made a mistake, and took it as my cue to pull Ezran from behind the crate to show the egg, and hopefully not get any of us killed. I watched as Runaan lowered his bow, muttering out that the egg was beautiful.

    “How can we take vengeance for an act that never happened? You have to call it off.” Rayla said, trying once again to get the mission called off.

    Runaan just sighed. “Rayla, you know it doesn’t work that way. We bound ourselves. There’s only one way to release.” He said motioning to the bindings on his biceps.

    Rayla continued to beg for him to relent and find another way, but even I knew the truth. I had read about it once in an old book, moon shadow assassins bind themselves with a promise to take out their target, these bindings get tighter the longer it takes to kill the target and they will keep tightening until the target has been killed or the limb falls off. It’s a truly dark practice but it’s their tradition. There truly is no other way, they have to kill their targets.

    Runaan turned from Rayla to Ezran as he spoke again. “The humans struck down the King of the Dragons. Justice will not be denied. Now, give me the egg.”

    Knowing where this was going, Rayla moved between us and Runaan. “You three, go” she said, drawing her blades. As Callum was about to protest, she cut him off. “Just keep it safe.” With that we took off back towards the castle, just as the full moon reached its peak.

As we reached the courtyard I spotted a cart full of hay and motioned for my brothers to follow me. Callum looked at it for a second understanding my idea and put his backpack into the hay. I turned to Ezran and grabbed Bait from his head, setting him in the hay as Callum helped get Ez and the egg into the hay as well. “Y/n you should hide in there as well. Stay hidden and keep the egg safe.” I looked at him confused as Bait let out an equally confused croak. “I’ll go talk to the king.” Was all he said before running off towards the main castle.

Ezran popped his head out from the hay to speak to me. “Why don’t you guys just call him ‘dad’? I think he would want you to. If you wanted to.” He said, sounding concerned. 

I just gave him a gentle smile before responding. “It’s complicated, Ez. But you need to get back in the hay and try to keep Bait from glowing too much. I’m going to go after him so he doesn't do anything stupid.” I just ruffled his hair before running off.

Hey Soren, I know you’re busy at the moment but Callum is headed to the Kings room. Please make sure he doesn’t get hurt. I’ll be there in a sec to get him. I quickly called out through our connection hoping Soren had enough focus to understand and not let my brother get hurt.

As I rounded the corner to the stairs leading to the King’s room, I could hear fighting. I also saw many guards already taken out by the elves. Don’t come up here Y/n the elves are here and there’s no way I can keep you safe. Don’t worry about Callum, he just started down the stairs. Whatever you guys end up doing, just please stay safe. That was the last thing I heard before getting run into by Callum and feeling my connection to Soren being blocked from his end.

Running out of the castle to meet up with Ezran and Rayla. “Callum. Did you talk with Dad?” Ezran asked as soon as he saw us.

Rayla handed over Callum’s backpack, telling him she’ll go back in with him if he asked her too. He just shook his head looking at Ezran and the egg. “No. It’s up to us now. We have to return this egg. We have to keep it safe and carry it to Xadia.” He said matter-of-factly.

Ezran nodded. “And find its mother”

Rayla looked at the group of us before responding. “We could change things. We could make a difference.”

I nodded agreeing, that it’s for the best. “Just the four of us.” I nodded at the group. Before we could continue, Bait croaked and turned red, clearly upset to have been left out. “The five of us.” I corrected myself, picking up the glow toad as we headed off out of the castle grounds.

Keeping my focus on moving past the guards running into the castle I barely noticed the conversation my brothers were having. “Callum, do you think dad will be okay?” I could tell Ezran was worried.

“He has the finest guards in the kingdom defending him.” Callum stated, although it was clear he was skeptical as well.

“Yeah. Yeah, of course.” Ezran said still worried but trying to sound like he believed it.

As we ran into the forest I noticed Rayla stop to look at her wrist as the boys kept going. “Is everything okay?” I asked even though I watched as one of her bindings turned red and fell off. 

Noticing I stopped, Callum stopped as well. “What’s going on? Something’s wrong.” He said as if knew what was happening.

Rayla made eye contact with me, somehow understanding that I knew what just happened. I shook my head at her discreetly hoping she understood, luckily she did. “No, it’s… we should stop and rest soon. It’s a long journey to Xadia.” It seems that Callum accepted that answer and we kept walking.

 We kept walking for about twenty more minutes until we found a small clearing where we could take a break and rest for the night. Callum and Ezran laid down on the ground, Callum using his bag as a pillow and Ez just curling up to Bait. Rayla had walked off saying something about finding something to eat. Myself on the other hand decided it was probably a good time to check on Soren.

Hey Soren, how’s everything going? I asked even though I knew the answer. One of Rayla’s bindings fell off, which can only mean King Harrow is gone. 

It was quiet for a few seconds, crickets and the soft breathing of my brothers being the only sounds I could hear. I’m sorry Y/n, I tried to keep him safe. I really did. They were just too strong. Soren finally responded, I could tell he was feeling guilty, but he was also avoiding saying the truth. My dad’s saying we’re having the funeral in the morning once the kingdom wakes up. There it is, conformation that he was really gone. Though I couldn’t stay thinking about my loss for too long as the rest of his sentence registered in my mind.

Why the hell is the funeral happening so soon? It’s tradition to mourn for seven sunsets when a king dies. Why is Viren being so disrespectful? I couldn't hold back my anger, after countless times claiming to be his best friend, and King Harrow going along with his dark magic for years, he doesn’t have the decency to let his people mourn his death properly. I’m not trying to take it out on you Soren, I’m just upset.

It’s understandable for you to be upset, you’ve lost so much in your life, and you just lost someone else who you cared for. You have the right to be upset. This is a side of Soren most people don’t get to see, when push comes to shove he really is understanding and extremely caring. But my dad is saying it’s because the elves killing the king was an act of war, and we need to prepare for it.

Of course Viren would use this as a reason to fight the elves, not like he wouldn’t have come up with a reason soon enough on his own. I’m just so done with Viren. I just don’t like him, I feel like he’s planning something. Please don’t let him damage Harrow’s image in any way. I know you don’t have much control over your own dad, but I don’t want him spreading lies about the King. I told him hoping he would understand.

He stayed silent for a few seconds before changing the topic. Let’s not talk about this now, how about you tell me where you and your brothers ran off to. Can’t seem to find you in the castle anywhere. Did you guys head for the Banther Lodge like you were supposed to do? Of course he would want to know where I’m at. He knew we found the egg, but it seems that in the chaos of the night he may have forgotten about it. So I did what I thought best.

Yeah, we headed there after Callum came down from the tower. Just got here actually. We’ll head back when we get the all clear. Promise. I know it’s wrong to lie, but I can’t tell him we’re running for the border of Xadia to take the egg of the dragon prince home, when his dad is a crazy dark mage who would probably kill us for it. I’ll see you soon. Anyway, I gotta go try and find food for the boys when they wake up. With that I closed the connection not wanting him to figure out the lie.

I leaned back on the rock I sat on staring up at the sky as it slowly started to turn orange in the rising sun. I just hope we can get this egg to Xadia safely. As I was lost in thought I didn’t notice the approaching footsteps. “So, Y/n, do you zone out like that all the time?” I was startled by the thick accent of Rayla, looking to see her sitting on a rock close to mine.

“Oh I was just thinking. Nothing to worry about.” I said, trying to brush off the fact that she probably saw me spacing out while talking to Soren.

She rolled her eyes at that. “Well you must get lost deep in thought a lot, I noticed you were doing it quite often back at the castle.” She said, turning her attention to her wrist, where the assassin's binding still rests. “I’m guessing that it has to do with your soulmate connection. You’re what 18, so you probably already got it a while ago from what Runaan told me about soulmates.” She said matter-of-factly. 

Damn she’s perceptive. “Yeah, we can talk to each other through our thoughts.” I said, trying to keep it brief. “My soulmate just likes to check on me a lot. What about you? Have you gotten your connection yet?” I asked hoping to not overstep any boundaries.

She just nodded her head. “I did a few years ago, but it’s not a very helpful bond like hearing thoughts or even a name on the wrist. I guess we can feel each other's emotions. I’ll randomly feel happy when I’m sad or feel angry for no reason, but I can tell these emotions are coming from somewhere else.” Rayla explained. It was nice to have this little chat, it’s good to get to know someone if you’re gonna be traveling together for a long period of time. “So, have you figured out who your soulmate is yet? What’s it like?” She asked, shifting her attention to me again.

“I did find them yesterday, actually. He’s part of the Crownguard of Katolis, we figured it out because of everything that was happening.” I said with a sad smile, leaving out the fact that my soulmate is in fact the head of the crownguard. “I was just checking in on him. Thankfully it sounds like he made it through the night okay.”

She nodded at me with a timid smile, probably feeling some level of guilt for my first day knowing my soulmate turned out so poorly. “I’m sorry you figured it out during such chaos.” She said, I just waved her off. It wasn’t her fault that the elves wanted revenge for what we did to the King of the Dragons. Changing the subject again, she started to fiddle with her binding again. “How did you know what it meant when the other one fell off?” Rayla asked, intrigued by my knowledge of moon shadow traditions.

I scratched the back of my head deciding what parts of the truth to tell her. I wasn’t ready for her or my brothers to know my lineage, especially my brothers, but she did have the right to know how I knew about it. So I bent the truth a bit. “Before King Harrow and his wife took me in, my birth parents would read me stories from Xadia. I was always curious about it so when I moved into the castle I read any and every book I could find on elven cultures and traditions. In one book I read about MoonShadow assassins and how they bind themselves as a promise to complete their missions.” I told her, it was true my birth parents did tell me about Xadia, and I did read about it in the castle library, but my parents told me from experiences not story books.

Rayla nodded in understanding. “Well then I guess you probably already know why I have this second one.” She said, still pulling at the ribbon.

“Yeah, but I don’t blame you. I know you were doing what you thought was right at the time. We will find a way to get rid of it before it takes your hand.” I said knowing that it was unlikely but hoping to bring some calm to her mind. Our conversation was interrupted by loud bells ringing through the kingdom. I knew what that meant, they’re taking the king's body to the Valley of Graves. Not wanting to dwell on the fact that this meant Viren was likely to lie about where we are and try to take the throne for himself, I stood from my place on the rock. “We should probably wake Callum and Ezran soon, so we can keep walking.” I made my way over to my younger brothers, shaking the oldest’s shoulder to wake him up. ��Callum time to get up, we have a long way to go.” I said before moving to wake Ez.

“Let him sleep a bit longer, it’s gonna be a lot to take in.” Callum said, protesting waking the youngest of the group, as he moved to lean against a tree. I just nodded at him before deciding I was going to look for some berries or something for breakfast.

[nebulous-library]

Nebulous-Library Masterlist ✨

MY AO3 - All of my works are posted ONLY either here (on my main blog in some cases) or on my AO3 account. Nowhere else has permission to post or use them. Do not feed my work to robots. I can’t enforce that, I know, but like, I work really hard on this stuff and it would make me sad.

This masterlist is organized in two parts: 

Things that have the utmost brainrot at the current point in time.

Everything else, organized alphabetically by series.

Read more below!

Relatively current obsessions -

TOKYO REVENGERS

Hajime Kokonoi (Koko)

Better Together (Koko x Reader x Inupi)

my thoughts will echo your name until i see you again (NSFW - dark content, not porn)

Seishu Inui (Inupi)

Better Together (Koko x Reader x Inupi)

Misc. headcanons, musings, imagines

little acts of intimacy - how they like to be touched (misc. characters)

what their kisses are like (misc. characters)

what they sound like when they cum (misc. characters)

how they fall in love (misc. characters)

Baji with a crush (HC)

SPIDER-VERSE -

Lyla 

the one where lyla gets a physical body (HCs)

UPCOMING - Untitled work (Hologran!Lyla x Reader)

Miguel O’Hara

UPCOMING - Untitled work (Dr. Olivia Octavius x Reader, Miguel O’Hara x Reader)

Dr. Olivia Octavius 

UPCOMING - Untitled work (Dr. Olivia Octavius x Reader, Miguel O’Hara x Reader)

Peter B. Parker x Bagel (feat. Reader)

Fifty Shades of Grain (NSFW) - Peter's love of carbs goes a little too far when he finds himself alone in his apartment one morning, fantasizing about his cute neighbor and not having anything better to satisfy his cravings than the bagel from the coffee shop. Whilst getting jiggy with this bagel, Peter manages to find himself in a little bit of a predicament only said neighbor can help him get out of.

BUNGO STRAY DOGS

Chuuya Nakahara

wine & dine (NSFW) - When your plans for Chuuya’s birthday go awry, he keeps himself busy with a nice bottle of wine. However, when you arrive later that evening, you find that the wine has caused certain complications for Chuuya. No matter — he’s going to have a birthday feast one way or another.

wine & dine - the bonus chapter (NSFW) - The unplanned follow-up in which Chuuya finally gets to smash

Sigma

mile high club (NSFW) - Sigma didn’t think his first sexual encounter would be with his assistant manager at the Sky Casino. But things don’t always go as planned, do they?

Everything else, alphabetical by source material

AVATAR: THE LAST ARIBENDER -

Zuko 

Like a Moth to the Flame (NSFW) - You are with the Gaang at Zuko's family's abandoned vacation home on Ember Island. Sozin's Comet is due to return in three days' time. The entire squad is stressed, especially Zuko. You approach him that evening in an attempt to help him alleviate some of his tension.

DEMON SLAYER -

Headcanons, musings, imagines

Being romantically/sexually involved with Kagaya Ubayashiki [part 1] - [part 2] - [part 3]

Douma + breeding kink, kind of (HC)

Eggplant HCs [part 1] -  [part 2]

DRAGON PRINCE -

Araavos 

Milky Way (NSFW) - Whilst sneaking about where you shouldn't, you discovered the mirror from Viren's study down in an empty dungeon chamber. As captivating as such a relic as the mirror was, it was nowhere near as captivating as that which you saw in the glass.

Runaan 

Bound (NSFW) - You didn't mean to start semi-regularly having sex with the leader of one of the most notorious moonshadow elf assassin groups. But it happened, and now after having not seen him in months, he is being held captive in essentially the basement of your place of employment. You decide to pay him a friendly visit.

A Nocturnal Affair (NSFW) -  Night has fallen in Katolis, and what a beautiful night it is. Beautiful, but lonesome. Your chambers at the palace were lovely, but so very empty. Perhaps a sneaky late-night visit from a certain lover of yours can do something about that.

Xadian Nights - Your relationship with Runaan has come to the point where you can no longer stand the sneaking around and the secrecy. Neither of you wants this to be all it is for the rest of your life. After what had started as wistful daydreaming of what your lives might be like under other circumstances, you decide you're going to do it. You are going to flee to Xadia. With Runaan by your side, you venture off on a life-changing journey. [prologue] -  [chapter 1] - [chapter 2] - [chapter 3]

HAIKYUU -

Oikawa Tooru 

The “Oikawa Has A Bedroom Full Of Mirror, Particularly On The Ceiling, And 100% Gets Off On His Own Reflection” saga (NSFW, drabbles/HCs) - [drabble 1] - [drabble 2] - [HC 1] - [HC 2] - [bonus]

Oikawa has both a praise kink AND a degradation kink (NSFW, HCs)

JUJUTSU KAISEN -

Kokichi Muta

Bringing him presents (HC)

Developing a relationship with him (drabble)

Going on dates with him if/when his body gets restored (drabbles) - [part 1] - [part 2]

Suguru Geto

Character Analysis Hours - [part 1] - [part 2]

High school Suguru + his piercings (HC)

Subby Suguru thoughts 

Misc. poly w/ SatoSugu thoughts [part 1] - [part 2]

Satoru Gojo

His sense of humor (HC)

Misc. poly w/ SatoSugu thoughts [part 1] - [part 2]

Kento Nanami

What flirting with him is like (HC)

Mahito

Learning how to speak like a person (HC)

SK8 THE INFINITY - 

Kaoru Sakurayashiki (Cherry Blossom)

what they’re like in bed (part 1)

Cherry/Joe/Adam cockblocking each other

Kojiro Nanjo (Joe)

what they’re like in bed (part 1)

Miscellaneous HCs (NSFW)

Cherry/Joe/Adam cockblocking each other

Ainosuke Shindo (Adam)

Adam’s shotgunning kink (NSFW, imagine)

what they’re like in bed (part 2 - the Adam-centric sequel)

Cherry/Joe/Adam cockblocking each other

Hiromi Higa (Shadow)

what they’re like in bed (part 1)

SPIDER-VERSE - 

Peter B. Parker x Bagel (feat. Reader) 

Fifty Shades of Grain (NSFW) - Peter's love of carbs goes a little too far when he finds himself alone in his apartment one morning, fantasizing about his cute neighbor and not having anything better to satisfy his cravings than the bagel from the coffee shop. Whilst getting jiggy with this bagel, Peter manages to find himself in a little bit of a predicament only said neighbor can help him get out of.

VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER -

Takashi Shriogane

Missing Pieces series - A pre-VLD series in which you, Shiro’s partner, are coping with losing him to the Kerberos mission.

Part one - Let Me Call You Sweetheart (SFW) - You and Shiro had just moved into your new place shortly before he left. Now everything just feels empty without him.

Part two - The Moon and Back (SFW) - Keith comes to check on how you’re doing.

Part three - Stay with Me (NSFW) - Keith’s comforting goes a step too far

Part four - Just One Yesterday (SFW) - A glimpse into the development of your relationship with Shiro when you were both eager young Garrison students

Part five - Somewhere Only We Know (NSFW) - A bittersweet reunion between you and Shiro after his alleged disappearance on the Kerberos mission.  

Part six - The Impossible Year (SFW) -  [chapter 1] - [chapter 2] - It's been almost a year since the Kerberos mission, since you thought you'd lost the love of your life forever. But a fire is brewing within your soul. Despite your previous beliefs, you no longer can sit idly by and accept what the Garrison has told you about the disappearance of the crew on that mission. You need answers. And it's about time you find your missing pieces 

[herwrittenuniverse]

Thoughts on Rayllum Post S4

Last week, I posted a chapter of my story Lunation and got some pretty divisive comments. It got my wheels turning and before I knew it, my fingers were flying, and I ended up writing something small an essay on Rayla and Callum's communication at this point in their journey.

I'm going to put it below because I feel like people may disagree (which, by all means, you are free to do so and keep scrolling without reading). Click below to read more.

Are you sure you want to read?

There's still time to turn around!

Alright then!

Also, please feel free to sound off in the comments or reblogging.

Edit: Adding this one because I feel like this blog is making its rounds and it needs to be said. Let me make this 100000% clear that this post is not to blindly defend Rayla in any way. Her actions (lying/leaving) in TTM were awful (and I talk more about that below). However, this post is a reaction to some comments on my story - comments that made me realize that there are those in the fandom that believe her actions are (especially to Callum) unforgivable - that no matter what Rayla does, says, or thinks in future seasons, she will forever be at fault for leaving, and doesn't deserve to reconcile with Callum.

Original Post:

I didn’t realize how much of the TDP Community takes serious fault in (ahem, hates) post-TTM Rayla. Last week, I posted a chapter of Lunation (a fanfiction/character study of what would happen if Rayla and Callum actually talked post S4) where Rayla and Callum try to talk about things. In my story, Rayla realized how much she truly hurt Callum, and while she attempts to explain herself, she ultimately apologizes, realizing her actions hurt Callum more than she could ever imagine. Callum, who is still blinded by anger and repressing a lot of his feelings, lashes out at her. It makes them both explode and nothing is settled between them (until later chapters - but that’s a different post).

Obviously, I am just a fan, and I am using this work as a creative release. But I take pride in proper characterizations - I want to be sure each party member is behaving like they would in the show. And, on top of it all, I am spending my free time putting genuine love and devotion into something purely because I enjoy it.

But many of the responses on the chapter really left me scratching my head, and quite frankly, made me…sad. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and that is not the issue - I understand you can’t please everyone. I was genuinely upset because people seem completely ignorant of the absolute trauma Rayla has been through. Readers called me biased towards Rayla (with no sympathy towards Callum), called Rayla toxic, said they want Rayla to "truly regret her decision and actually apologize," calling my interpreted apology disingenuous because I used her family dynamic as one reason why she would leave to protect Callum (and honestly, likely also because she didn't grovel at Callum's feet). 

I am not saying what Rayla did in TTM was right - actually, I think the opposite. Rayla’s response was definitely not healthy, and it wasn’t correct, and there were more plausible options. Yet having been through trauma myself, I understand Rayla’s actions. When TTM begins, we see how Viren has taken away literally everyone Rayla has loved - every parent she’s ever had,  including (in a way) Ethari, who is not dead but is forbidden to see his foster daughter due to the fact that she is a Ghost. 

Rayla left to protect literally the last thing that she loves in life - Callum, and probably Ezran too (but remember, she saw Callum encased in ice along with her parents and Runaan in TTM). Through Seasons 1 - 3, Rayla is self-sacrificing, rash, and guilty - her choice to leave, while not right by any means, aligns with her character that we have all seen through Seasons 1-3. 

Again, was her decision right? Nope. Was it correct? Absolutely not. But those were Rayla’s actions, and at the time, she felt it was right and justified, which again fits into her character. In S4, we see Rayla come back empty-handed, and frankly, that shows growth. She realizes that her attempt was fruitless, and hence returns. It sure looks shitty to Callum because she has nothing to account for - and at the beginning of S4, he seems justifiably hurt, angry, yet still hung up on Rayla. So yes, Rayla’s return is incredibly hurtful to Callum - but let’s not forget that it was likely also hard on Rayla. She is both a prideful and honorable creature, so returning to Katolis empty-handed had to be one of the hardest things for her to do, especially with nothing to account for. No one likes to admit they’re wrong, especially about something as big of a decision as that. That is not to take away from Callum’s pain - it is just as hard and traumatic for Callum. But I think members of the TDP Community are forgetting that it’s hard on Rayla too. 

And Callum’s ire is understandable. However, my interpretation from S4 (and from his short story 'Inheritance') was that for two years, he stuffed down all his feelings and made everyone around him miserable. At this point, those around Callum have been dealing with him wallowing for two years - and now, the love of his life is here, in front of him, and he is still choosing not to address anything with Rayla. He is withdrawn, and has been for the past two years. Rayla's return is essentially forcing him to finally process what has happened. That’s why I decided to explore Lunation. S4 gave us no resolution with Rayllum, and it had the gears in my brain going. 

Some people are also saying that Ezran and Soren should be loyal to Callum because they know him the longest, and that they should be more angry with Rayla (both in the show and in Lunation). Yet I see Soren and Ezran as mediators, both in the show and throughout my story. Yes, they’ve seen their friend/brother desperate for nearly two years because of Rayla (which I’m sure gets tiring in itself). Now Rayla is back, but Callum is not taking any means to move communication forward. This is plainly addressed when Ezran and Callum speak in the Drakewood (“Lots of things are hard, like magic. But you figured that one out.”) and when Rayla and Soren speak on their ‘adventure’ (“When you left, you hurt him - real bad.”). It is natural that Ezran and Soren are not going to have the same bitter response to Rayla that Callum had because A. Their love/relationship with Rayla is different, and they have likely already processed what has happened. B. It is not in their nature to be inherently angry or bitter (Ezran, especially). C. I would like to think that, at this point, they want to see Callum happy. I am sure they were angry and mourning Rayla in their own way, but Callum would be the most affected by Rayla’s departure. 

Let’s also not forget…that Jack DeSena (when being interviewed about S4) himself said that Callum repressed his feelings during the two year absence, and dove into magic. 

And again - in case you didn’t read the first or second time I said it - Callum has every right to be angry. But remember, these are conflicting emotions that Callum is suppressing. He loves Rayla deeply, but is also angry and hurt. Still yet, he hasn’t talked about it or addressed it, even at the end of S4. A person who is withholding all these feelings is going to act angry, bitter, moody, and likely lash out - we saw evidence of all of this in S4. 

But…those of you who are anti-Rayla seem to miss the fact that Callum is still in love with her. He never stopped loving her - not ever in these two years. But he still has these repressed, unspoken emotions that are going to burst through, and that is what I wanted to explore in Lunation.

I deliberately made their conversation drawn out and slow, starting right from Through the Surface (my fanfic that takes place before Lunation). They’ve been slowly getting there, bit by bit…because if you’ve ever tried to repair a relationship (especially one where both parties are hurt), it takes time. That’s one reason why I liked S4, as Rayllum wasn’t addressed at all. Why would it? While it was disappointing to Rayllum fans, it was a perfectly normal response. It is not realistic for a couple to just pick back up after two years and pretend like nothing happened. 

And ultimately, that is the point of Lunation - to show that relationships are messy, are not linear by any means, and that in order to make it work, there needs to be communication, and communication is freaking hard. 

As a bonus, for those of you insisting “But Rayla hurt Callum! Rayla doesn’t deserve to go back with Callum! How can you ever go back to someone who has hurt you?” To you, I say this: it is painfully obvious that you have not had any complex relationships, life experiences, or the ability to empathize. It seems like you’ve never had someone you hurt (or they hurt you) terribly , only for the love to remain ever present. Truly, it must be nice to live on a plane of reality where things are so black and white. But in my reality, life is not black and white. Life is messy, and love is the messiest thing of them all. 

And, on top of it all, these are fictional characters that do not exist, and I (along with several other creators) am writing fanfiction out of free will and my love for the show. I don’t get anything out of this process (including writing this rant/blog post). So if a person doesn’t like my interpretation of these characters and this story, that’s cool - but you can say your opinion kindly and without aggression, or simply close out the tab and decide not to read. 

And hell, write your own damn story if mine makes you so angry.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

Feel free to sound off in the comments.

[platinumrosetail]

Hi it's me again! I was wondering if you could do a Yandere Aaravos refusing to let go if his reincarnated Lover aka reader after losing them in elarion??

Hello again! And yes! I’ve been waiting for a Aaravos request for so long 🤩.

Warning: noob author, , yandere romantic character and others.

Character: Aaravos.

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

You were a simple servant to Viren, you mostly take care of dusting and straightening things that were out of place and needed fixing, unaware of the eyes of a invisible; with Viren being the one to see him, startouch elf named Aaravos.

Aaravos soon realized that you’re the reincarnation of his past lover which he lost long ago when he was still free and not stuck in that mirror he is in now

Aaravos decided to manipulate Viren to get you to help out more around viren’s office so that he could see you more and learn what new things you liked as there was new things made that weren’t in existence in the past when you were still his lover before you died.

While you do your job you notice that a little caterpillar like creature appear when you’re in lord viren’s office, you decided to let the little crawl up your finger so that you could hold it but wasn’t expecting it to crawl faster up you arm to your neck and around your ear before a deep voice started to speak.

The deep male voice kept saying how he’ll have in his arms again and that he’ll never let you go again along with how you’ll never leave him again and not even death will take you after he has you in his hands, you were fearful about all of this but didn’t know what to do as you needed a job to have a stable life and this was the only one with good pay as far as you were aware, you decided to keep quiet unless it escalates to more trouble then you would tell lord Viren about the caterpillar creature, though what you didn’t know was that your choice on leaving it be was a bad decision on your part.

Aaravos began on making sure to execute his plan faster and more calculated seeing as you were put into the mix which was unexpected even for him, so he has to make sure he doesn’t lose you again.

Though he did find a spell that could bring you into the mirror and decided that, that was the better course of action as he can keep a better eye on you, make sure you don’t run off, get injured or worse, and so he can finally have you in his arms after so many centuries since your passing.

(A/n: hope you like it!! Also I can’t wait until season 6 and hope we get to see more Aaravos and his past cause i feel like he isn’t doing all of this just for fun especially after seeing some pictures of Aaravos that I believe is for the next season, also I really hope I get more Aaravos as I love this man even though he’s a villain 😍 lol and I know some of y’all can agree with me, also I’m hoping to create a book for this man sooner or later so wish me luck 😁, anyway hope y’all have a wonderful day/evening/night!!)

[armchairaleck]

Rejigging this due to a tag failure (my failure I forget), now rectified so hopefully links work and all..

I kinda like the darker edges of the dragon prince fandom, which means sometimes I’m not fit for human consumption.. but anyway fave characters:

Viren Kpp’Ar Claudia Harrow Lissa

And let's be honest it's mostly Viren... I’d like to say Aaravos cos he’s where all the shipping action is at, but he’s too pretty for me to attempt to draw and too hard for me to write.. so Viravos content is sadly limited..

Ships are Virrow, probably my OTP cos of the sad angst and all, but also Viren/Kpp’Ar, Viren/Ibis and errr... Viren/Corvus... don't expect to see anything for these because it will only be me, but anyway lot of Viren er, bang for your buck here.. these sometimes have to be shifted into weird AUs to work... also a little bit Varai and Vissa because I love a tragic marriage it seems. There may or may not be things to show for these dumb inclinations.

Plus I like moderately whumpy stuff, whole whole host of that under the febuwhump tag. A challenge I will never attempt again.

I write and I draw a lil', not with any consistency or great skill..

Mostly I like this stuff just for the questions it raises and the little unknown dark corners of the soul it possesses, which means I'm inconsistent at best and I try really hard not to theorise because I'm crap at it.. saying that if I do have certain thoughts on the show, they'll go here and no shit they’ll probably be wrong, I apologise I’m not a great reader of stuff, I root for the morally ambiguous and the clinically depressed..

Anyway I love to talk about any of this, you can always hit me up if you do too, despite my dark obsessions I'm pretty friendly and I'll probably never stop being wrong about Viren..

[darth-shado]

Azrael's Fic Master List

Here's my (rather long) list of fanfics I have published on ao3 and will be updated in the future.

List is divided into three categories: on-going works, completed works and one-shots.

How to read the list: Title (and link) — Rating — Word count — Brief description.

On-going works

Home: A place in a Galaxy — T — 3,3k — (post tbobf, Dinluke centric)

3 times Tim tried to get Jon and Martin together, and 1 time he realised he didn't have to — T — 2,8k — Co-written with: @.im-gonna-squeet — (post MAG: Fluff, Tim and Sasha being matchmakers)

The stars will be ours (once again) — T (GDoV) — 8k — (post season 4, Virravos and Magefam centric)

Completed works

Edward's Bar and Grill — T — 3,5k — (Ed instead of becoming Kraker decided to deal with Stede leaving him by opening a restaurant)

3 times Aziraphale wanted to kiss Crowley and 1 time he did — G — 1,9k — (Aziraphale throughout 6000 years wanted to kiss someone (Crowley) three times until one day he finally did, Aroace spec Ineffable husbands)

One-shots

Star Wars

Ret'urcye mhi ner kar'taylir darasuum — G (MCD) — 5,7k — (post tbb s2e3, Cody and Codywan centric, based on unused Kenobi script)

Differences in similarities — G — 705 — (Aroace Hunter, discussion about being aroace)

Romantic feelings, are not for everyone. — G (Referenced aphobia) — 584 — (Aroace Din Djarin, implied Din/Cobb and Din/Omera)

Planning under pressure isn't easy — G (Description of sensory overload) — 485 — (post tbb s1e8, Hunter centric)

Trick or treat — G — 477 — (Din & Grogu going shopping for Halloween costumes for Grogu, Modern au)

Forgotten Lullaby — G — 426 — (post Mandalorian chapter 13, additional fluff scene)

Freezing break — G — 295 — (Rey/Rose, Prompt: Rose drags Rey into the freezing cold to make a snowman.)

Omega's story — G — 241 — (Short scene addressing Omega being trans)

Taming hair before the meeting — G — 187 — (Leia/Han, Prompt: Han helping Leia brush her hair after a shower.)

The Magnus Archives

Loss of a family — M (GDoV) — 1,3k — (Fnaf plot written as a statement)

AITA for forcing people to tell me their trauma? — G — 245 — (AITA but it's season 4 of TMA)

Genshin Impact

Lovely crime — G — 907 — (Heizou/Kazuha, detective x criminal)

Heikazu week 2022 — G — 1k

Good Omens

Ineffable morning — G — 531 — (Ineffable husbands fluff)

Would you like to move in with me? — G — 251 — (Aziraphale asks Crowley if he was to live with him)

The Dragon Prince

Growing flowers — G — 397 — (Claudia's and Terry's first meeting)

Escape from the mirror — T (self-harm but for a spell) — 339 — (Viren frees Aaravos, post season 2)

MCYT (not rpf)

Welcome back gift — G — 1k — (Mumbo returns to Hermitcraft, Waffle Duo reunion)

(Not so good) Memories — G (GDoV) — 810 — (Double life desert duo angst)

Sherlock (BBC)

I love you for who you are. — T — 332 — (Johnlock centric, Asexual Sherlock, Coming out)

Stargazing with consulting detective — G — 328 — (Johnlock, Prompt: John and Sherlock spending the night on the perfect hill for stargazing.)

Honkai: Star Rail

How to deal with nightmares — T — 1,3k — (Dan Heng/March 7th/Trailblazer, Pre-relationship, Literally sleeping together)

Sons of The Forest

Simple Gestures — G — 632 — (Kelvin & Tim & Virginia (can be platonic or romantic), Kelvin and Virginia bonding)

Our Flag Means Death

Nightmare worst than a Kraken — G — 184 — (GentleBeard, fix-it au, episode 10 is just a dream)

Marvel

Soft Spot(s) — G — 448 — (Fluff and Crack, Lego99)

Baldur's Gate 3

When Astarion saw himself for the first time since becoming a vampire — G — 815 — (Astarion & or x Artist!Reader)

[ranisutra]

“You can sit on my lap if you'd like.” Viren said.

Sade hesitated, her hand gripped the fabric of her New Katolis designer dress, a gift from Viren and Lizza for her nineteenth birthday. It was the same shade of blue as the sky above them, a soft hue that perfectly matched her eyes.

She returned her gaze to Viren and noticed that he patted his lap, waiting for her to take a seat.

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt your legs. I'm heavy."

Viren nodded reassuringly. "Nonsense," he said gently, "Have a seat, Darling."

Sade smiled at the endearment and cautiously perched herself on his lap, letting her legs dangle off the side. She felt the warmth of his body beneath hers and all her worries melted away.

She rested her head on his shoulder and felt his lips brush against her neck as he whispered in her ear, "That dress looks stunning on you."

"Thank you," Sade murmured, feeling herself blush, "It's my favorite color."

She felt her heart racing, her body wanting what it shouldn’t. She looked into his eyes, her thoughts a mess of “I should” and “I want”. She knew what would happen if she gave in to her desires; she’d lose her friendships, her family, and the respect of everyone she loved. But what if this was the only chance she had? What if this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? She stayed still, caught in the moment, knowing she had to make a decision that could change her life forever.

"What do you think of me? I'm not just some dumpy, prudish girl from the dessert?"

“Darling, I see you as a beautiful, intelligent, captivating young woman who will make a fantastic, caring and brave nurse someday.”

Sade opened her eyes to look at him with a loving and timid grin. His grace and charm were undeniable, and she felt like the luckiest woman alive.

“I am honored to give you such a personal birthday gift.”

The kiss happened so quickly, there was no time for her to question it. His lips met hers, and the wetness of it made her shiver. The strong smell of spices made her head reel and sent a wash of heat over her body. Sade felt like her entire body was covered in a warm blanket of fragrant earth and silk. She felt safe, she felt protected, she felt home.

That kiss was the first debt.

Karz [In-Progress]

Dragon Prince - [Soren Azimov x Sade Thos (OC)] & [Viren Azimov x Lissa Azimov]

Set in AU 1980s. Inspired by S3-S4

A kind-hearted nurse from Neolandia named Sade Thos can't escape her terrible past after paying her father's debt to a notorious felon and drug trafficker, Viren Azimov, when Detective Soren Azimov recruits her to go undercover as a live-in nurse to Viren’s wife to take the crime family down. Will Sade and Soren fight for justice, or will the seduction of vengeance lead them to ruin?

(This story contains adult themes that may not be suitable for everyone. Reader discretion is advised!)

Read it on A03

[stranger-angel0401]

All Fall Down

Pairing: Soren x Reader

Description: Viren's return has caused Soren to face emotional turmoil. Reader is there for him, standing with him. When Katolis is attacked, they turn to the person they hate most for help.

No pronouns used for reader (I think), no use of y/n

CW: Blood, violence, death

WC: 3.0k

When your group returns from your search for Zubeia, you are all in good spirits. 

Zubeia is alive, she is healing. She will be okay. Your group is unharmed, and together.

You sense the sour mood before Soren. He’s long into a rant about souvenirs and mushrooms when he stops. 

“Uh..is something wrong?”

Ezran looks between the two of you, holding eye contact with you for a moment too long. Somehow, you understand. Ezran gives you a pleading look. Please don’t make me tell him. You nod. Poor kid doesn’t need any more trauma. You glance at Opeli and Corvus, and they nod. You gently take your boyfriend’s hand, smiling softly.

“Soren, why don’t we go on a walk?”

Soren is not oblivious. He flashes you a confused look, which you reply to with soft eyes. Trust me. He does, with his life. He allows you to lead him out of the room.

You take Soren outside to the bridge. It is deserted, except for a few guards. It only takes a single nod from you for them to salute and make themselves scarce. Soren squeezes your hand, and you can’t make him wait any longer.

“Love, what’s- what’s going on? What was that weird silent conversation you had with Ezran? Is there another plot? Are they- is someone coming to kill Ezran?”

You take his other hand, softly bringing his knuckles to your lips. Then, you release his hands, stepping closer to him so you can take his cheeks in your palms. He practically melts at your touch. He only gets it from you.

“Soren..two years ago when you left Viren’s army and came to fight for Zym..I was so proud of you. You had no idea what you were doing or if we would accept you, but you knew that Viren was wrong, and you fought for what was right, no matter- no matter how much it hurt. You did..the right thing, even when it felt wrong, because you knew it was right, and I just- I want you to know that I see you, that I see every sacrifice you make. I see the person you’ve become, and I want to make sure that you know that no matter what happens..you have to stay true to yourself.”

He’s heard this all before, several times. He never gets tired of it, but he’s confused.

“What’s happening, Love? Why- why are you telling me this now?”

You stare into his eyes, and you wonder how they can be so different from his father’s. You hardly remember Soren’s mother, but you think he must have gotten them from her. There is so much life behind them, so much warmth. He’s beautiful.

“Soren..Viren is back. He’s here.”

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

When Soren asks you to come with him to the dungeon, you don’t hesitate. It’s not often that he admits he needs support, so when he does, you make sure to give it to him. To show him that it’s okay. He seems to intentionally walk down the stairs as slowly as possible, staring at the plate of food in his hand. 

You hear a voice in the distance, and as Soren steps out of the shadows, Viren gasps.

“Soren? Oh, Soren! My son! I-is that you?”

You make sure to scowl at Viren from behind Soren’s shoulder. He sends you a regretful look. Your features don’t soften.

You flinch as Soren tosses the plate into Viren’s cell with a loud clatter.

“Do you need anything else?”

His voice is cold, it almost frightens you. It’s so..unsoren-like.

Viren sputters as he walks closer to the bars.

“Oh, Soren, so much has happened, I have... so many things I want to say to you. I... I don't know where to…”

“I guess that’s a no.”

Soren makes a point of taking your hand as he turns, and his message is clear.

I don’t need your love. I found my own family. I have them.

Viren calls out after Soren, but Soren doesn’t stop, doesn’t even falter. He leaves the dungeon, squeezing your hand tightly.

The next time Soren visits Viren, he asks you to stay near the stairs. You agree, but you don’t let him leave without wrapping your arms around his neck, pressing soft kisses against his shoulder. He is loved, you will make sure he knows that.

You stand in the shadows, far enough that Viren cannot see you. Close enough that you hear everything.

Viren gasps when Soren tosses the plate into his cell.

“Thank you.”

Silence.

“Why are you here, Soren? You’re a Crownguard. You could ask anyone to bring prisoners their meals.”

When Soren speaks, venom drips from his tone. You hope you don’t have to get used to that.

“Maybe I just want to see you suffering.”

Viren sighs softly, and you prepare yourself for another monologue.

“I was cold to you when we last met in the Drakewood. No father should treat his child like that. But then, I've done many things a father should never do, haven't I? I have been cruel to you. And, your sister... I have watched Claudia walk down such a dark path, Soren. And I set her on it. I am to blame. I finally see that now. But with my eyes open, I also see... you. I see you, Soren. Oh, you've grown so much. You're so strong, so true to your heart. Your good heart. Somehow... somehow... you... you found the right path, in spite of everything I've done. I'm so proud of you.”

“What are you trying to do?”

Soren is at his limit, you realize. But you won’t leave your spot unless he asks you to.

“Soren, I’m just-”

“No! Stop it! Just... Just stop it! I know who you are! You're dangerous! Everything you're telling me is... is some kind of lie! And I'm not going to let you manipulate me again!”

You hate hearing so much anger and pain in his voice, but you’re so proud of him. 

“It isn’t a lie, son. Please-”

Soren whips around, slamming his fist into the metal bars. He breathes heavily for a moment, and you wonder what he’s going to do. You won’t tell a soul. Soren turns silently, and you let out a breath. You see him walking towards you, sniffling. Only when he knows he’s out of Viren’s sight does he collapse into you. You support him, burying your fingers in his hair. You slide your free hand under his armor, rubbing gentle circles against his back. He is shaking. He feels pathetic. He’s so strong.

“I love you,” you whisper.

He sputters for a moment, struggling to form words.

“L-love you too.”

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

When you wake up, you’re shivering. When you turn, you realize why. There’s no messy mop of blonde hair lying next to you, the bed is empty. You know where he’s gone. You almost wish you didn’t. Part of you wants to go find him, to bring him back to bed. You understand that you can’t. He obviously didn’t tell you for a reason, and you’ll give him that space. You’ll be here when he comes back.

You’re not sure how long it’s been when he returns. A couple hours, you guess. You’ve lit a candle, quietly reading a book. You’re wrapped tightly in your blanket; you’ve forgotten how chilly your quarters are when Soren isn’t here to keep you warm.

The door opening startles you until you see who it is. You shut your book gently, not bothering to mark your page.

“Hey, hun. How did-”

Soren whimpers, bringing his hands up to cover his face. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He turns as if to leave again, and you’re out of bed in a second. You grab his hand, turning him towards you. He stares at the ground. You carefully lead him over to the bed, pushing against his chest until he sits down. You carefully remove each piece of his armor until he is left only in his comfortable underclothes. You sit next to him, and he stutters for a moment. You shush him gently, wrapping your arms around his neck and lightly pulling his head into your chest. He sobs, and despite his embarrassment, he lets you comfort him. He hugs you tightly, gripping a fistful of your shirt as he cries. You run your fingers through his hair and hold him there.

“I love you, I’m so proud of you,” you whisper repeatedly.

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

The next time you see Viren, you’re alone. He’s surprised by your presence, having only seen you recently from behind Soren. He never lets you come closer than an arm’s length. He won’t risk Viren hurting you. 

“You’ve grown,” Viren reminisces.

You scoff.

He can’t believe how strong you’ve become. You look so commanding and fierce. He’s glad Soren has you.

“Well, what is it? The guard said you have something for him.”

You see Viren hesitate for a moment, and you scowl.

“Don’t waste my time, traitor.”

Viren sighs, and produces a slip of paper.

“I..I don’t think he should read it. It will only make things worse for him. It will only burden him.”

You reach through the bars and rip the paper out of his hand. As your eyes scan the writing, you find yourself horrified. Viren is more of a monster than you first thought. And yet..you are thankful. Thankful that he saved Soren’s life.

Viren desperately searches your expression for something, anything, some semblance of emotion. He is met with cold eyes.

“Soren will not read this, you are correct.”

You turn, but before you can leave the room, you glance back at Viren. He is so sickly, so..broken.

“I’m glad you saved him. If only it hadn’t turned you into such a monster.”

You toss the letter into a torch.

Soren has all but broken down the door to the dungeon when you reach the top of the stairs.  When the door finally opens, unlocked from the other side, he half expects it to be Viren. When he meets your eyes instead of his father’s cold ones, he whimpers. 

“Why would you- I thought- He could’ve hurt you!”

You throw your arms around his neck, and he melts into you.

“I’m okay. I’m here.”

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

When the kingdom is attacked, you and Soren are prepared to defend it with your lives. As you stare out at the destruction, it all feels hopeless. Until it doesn’t. You don’t tell Soren where you’re going, he’ll stop you. You hope he’ll understand. You pull him aside, hoping this doesn’t take long. You have to tell him.

“Soren,” you start, almost backing out. Soren is quickly growing antsy.

“Your dad- he did terrible things, but he loved you, loves you, so much. But that doesn’t excuse anything he did. He hurt you, and he loves you, and both can be true. But I need you to know that I love you so much, and I will never ever hurt you, not on purpose.”

Soren stares at you, searching for words. He can’t find any. You pull him into a kiss, whispering one last “I love you” before instructing him to save the people, and taking off.

You lock the door behind you, quickly descending the stairs. You hope he doesn’t realize where you’ve gone. Viren is calling out from his cell, panicked. He does not relax at the sight of you. You don’t speak, but you unlock his cell, then his binds. He is surprised when you thrust his staff into his hands. 

“What’s going on?” he questions.

He is afraid. You try to hide that you are too. 

“Viren, you have to do something. Katolis is being destroyed. A dragon is attacking, we- you have to help. Please, everything is burning.”

Viren stumbles backwards, scared.

“I- I can’t fight a dragon! There’s nothing I can do.”

You scowl at him, pushing the staff closer to him.

“What about that spell you did at Lux Aurea? Hearts of Cinder, right? Almost used your own son as a guinea pig?”

Viren stares at you, dumbfounded.

“It protected your soldiers from dragon fire. Do that, save the people!”

“No, I- I had a primal stone then. It’s..different.”

You groan, losing patience. 

“You have dark magic! There must be some way to do the spell that way!”

“I gave up dark magic!” Viren argues. “And even if I did, the sacrifice- oh..it’s unthinkable.”

You shove his staff into his hands, and he stumbles back.

“Do it for Soren.”

Viren shakes his head.

“The sacrifice is a human heart.”

You lock eyes with him and draw your dagger. For a moment, he thinks you’re going to kill him. When you instead wrap his fingers around the handle, the message is clear.

“Tell Soren I love him.”

Soren can’t find you. The kingdom is being destroyed and evacuated, and he can’t find you. He’s resorted to running back into the burning castle, searching under every last pile of rubble. He won’t lose you. 

Just as he starts to become convinced that you’ve been crushed or burned to death, a more awful truth reveals itself. A trail of blood, leading out of the dungeon, leading to a bloody dagger. Your dagger. He follows the trail to find Viren, alone. His robes are covered in blood. His own blood, Soren realizes. Viren takes notice of his presence and yells. It is strained, but clear.

“Go to them.”

Soren doesn’t hesitate. 

You’re in the village when he finds you, helping someone out of a pile of rubble. He is relieved, until the dragon appears behind you, ready to strike. Soren won’t reach you in time, he realizes. He cries out. The blast hits you.

When the heat dies away, Soren opens his eyes. His skin is warm and cracked, and he feels reinvigorated by the flame. 

Hearts of Cinder shall not burn.

He freezes for a moment, understanding now why Viren was out. Understanding Viren’s sacrifice. 

Soren’s name is yelled, and he’s never moved faster. When he reaches you, all he sees is your hand. Your skin is cracked and decorated with lava, much like his. The person you had been protecting has run away.

Soren clears the rubble around you, finding strength he didn’t know he had. When you are revealed under the rocks, he wraps his arms under yours, dragging you out. He glances around the village, everyone has escaped.

Everyone except one.

Soren hoists you into his arms, and he runs.

When you have escaped the burning kingdom, Soren collapses with you in his arms. The spell has worn off. Soren’s hands touch your face, touch every last inch of your skin, searching for damage. You are cut and singed, but you will survive. 

Your hand finds the gash on his forehead, and he grimaces as your fingers graze it. You wipe a drop of blood away from his eye. Soren is the first to speak.

“Why- why would you disappear like that, why would you do that?”

Your answer is simple, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“You would’ve stopped me.”

He sobs, pulling you into his chest. Silently, he swears to never let you out of his sight again. He’ll never let anything or anyone harm you ever again. You’ll never feel sorrow as long as he is alive. You’re trying to stay strong, but the gravity of the situation settles on your shoulders. You sob and push yourself closer to Soren. Your kingdom. Your home. Your memories. Soren is all you have left. He’ll never let you go. 

You hyperventilate, feeling as if your lungs will never fill with air again. Soren whispers to you, trying desperately to comfort you. How can he?

“I love you,” he whispers over and over against your hair. He receives no verbal response, you still can’t find your breath. Three light taps against his back convey your message.

 Finally, after what feels like years, your lungs fill with air. The weight of what you almost did to Soren hits you, and you cry harder. You whisper repeated apologies into his chest. He was never angry with you. He would’ve done the same. 

You have so much more to worry about than this. People to direct, to guide. You allow yourself to be selfish for a little longer. Soren has stopped crying. The situation will catch up to him later, but for now you are his only concern. He holds you, he comforts you, and he thanks the stars that you are still here with him.

“Please don’t leave me.”

He almost misses it. Your voice is hoarse and broken, and it is barely audible. He hugs you tighter.

“Never, I’ll never leave.”

When you only sob louder, he shifts. He moves one hand from around your waist to the back of your head. He hopes you feel safe. You’ve never felt safer.

“Hey, I mean it. Katolis- we’ll figure this out, you know we will. We always do. And..and when we do. I’m going to marry you. If- if that’s what you want of course. I just- I need you in my life. I need you by my side.”

He feels your grasp tighten, and for a moment he wonders if he’s made a mistake. 

Your response comes quietly, but you’ve never sounded more sure.

“Yes, yes please, I- I love you. I love you.”

Soren presses a gentle kiss to the top of your head, then to your lips. He starts to pull away, but your fingers find their way to his hair. You bury them there, tugging him closer. You pull him back to your lips, kissing him hard, but so softly. He’s scared if he lets go you’ll disappear. When you do finally pull away, you both understand it will be a while until another moment like this comes. He stands, hoisting you to your feet, wrapping your hand in his. 

“We’ll be okay,” he reassures you. “Together.”

You nod, turning. Ready to help your people with Soren by your side.

“Together.”

[newtthetranswriter]

hii can u write a cuddle session with yuuta?

Summary: Just a lazy day cuddling and watching The Dragon Prince.

Paring: Yuta x gn!Reader

Word Count: 874

A/N: Thank you for requesting this. I love cuddles with Yuta, he’s just so sweet. I couldn’t help but use the dragon prince as the show they watch while cuddling because it’s one of my favorites right now and if you’ve watched you should understand my comparisons, if you haven’t watched it I highly recommend, it has such diversity and has the same feel as Avatar the Last Airbender, plus there are a bunch of easter eggs for atla because one of the creators was also a writer and producer on Avatar. Anyway, enjoy this lovely piece and let me know what you think. MINORS AND AGELESS BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT

Dating Yuta has been a dream come true. He is the sweetest guy I have ever met and it feels like he understands me better than anyone. It’s almost like he can sense when I’m having a bad day because today he suggested that we skip hanging out with our friends to just stay in and watch one of my favorite shows. So, that's exactly what we are doing right now, we’er cuddled up on my bed with a bowl of skittles on my lap watching The Dragon Prince on netflix.

I just really enjoy laying with him and commenting on the little jokes each character makes or judging Viren for being a horrible father. We also like to try and figure out which character reminds us of each other and our friends, that’s the current debate we are having.

“There is no way Toge is Claudia, if anything he’s Zym. Because one, he can’t talk, and two he likes to cause trouble. I don’t think any of our friends are evil enough to be Claudia.” I said completely flabbergasted that he would insinuate that our best friend would be able to do such horrid things to people and animals.

He laughed and said “I wasn’t saying that because I think he’s evil or something, I was saying it because in the first few seasons Claudia is a complete dork, yeah she sucks for doing dark magic but she does dumb stuff as well. Anyway, now that we have Inumaki picked, who would Maki be? I personally think Rayla is an exact copy of her; they would both roll their eyes and slap someone for being an idiot.”

I chuckled at his defense, “I completely agree. Maki is also too stubborn to ask for help when she really needs it. Panda is Ezran, I will not accept any argument, he understands Toge and encourages his dumb behaviors.” I started with no room for argument.  “Also you are Soren, don't try to fight it, that's my final decision and I'm sticking to it.”

“W-what how am I Soren?” My boyfriend looked at me obviously confused by my statement. “I’m not disagreeing, I’m just curious why you think that.”

“Well for one you both use swords to fight. But most importantly, you are both extremely kind in spite of the fact you have both been through a lot. Soren spent years being gaslite by his father into doing horrible things, and when he tried to make his sister see it she also tried to gaslight him. Once he finally realized his family was doing horrible things he made the hard choice to leave them and change for the better. Now I’m not saying you have the same past but I know you struggled and suffered for a while. Having Rika lash out everytime something even came close to threatening you and not understanding it had to have been difficult, but instead of giving up, you decided to keep fighting and try and make it so no one else has to go through what you did.” I pointed out the major similarities between the two swordsmen. “Also I think you are both adorable.”

He just watched amazed by my reasoning, thinking I was just gonna say it was because they both use swords and are dorks, but no it was like I had thought about this alot. “I-i- Wow, you’ve thought about that a lot haven’t you?” he asked with a light blush.

I smiled up at him. “ Yeah I have, you have been through a lot and I'm proud of you for it. Now the most important question, what character am I?” I asked, trying to see his brain work.

“Oh definitely Bait.” He said confidently as I looked at him in shock.

“Excuse me, I just gave a college dissertation level speech on why I think you are a handsome swordsman, and all I get is a toad.” I said sitting up and turning to fully face him.

“Well yeah you are both adorable when you’re grumpy, both love shiny things, and you have a massive sweet tooth.” He said, defending his choice, reaching to try and pull back to lay with him. I begrudgingly layed back down resting my head on his chest, I felt his arm wrap around my shoulders as he placed a kiss to the top of my head. “Now shush, one of your favorite moments is coming up.”

I just nodded and snuggled closer to his side as I turned to watch as general Amya accidentally ruined her own engagement. I always find it funny, like yeah I get wanting to propose in a flashy way but seriously. Amya is a high ranked general who doesn't seem like someone who enjoys random surprises, what else would you expect to happen ambushing her with what look like flaming whips. I chuckled at the scene before closing my eyes, just enjoying the time I get to spend cuddling Yuta. I whispered a quiet “I Love you” as I drifted off to sleep.

Right as I let sleep take over, I heard Yuta respond with his “I love you too” before we both feel asleep to the sounds of dragons, elves, and magic.

[unholydeukae]

AO3

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