#remembering reality sl

[seaofserene]

Watching you.

#✧･ﾟ ♫ i’ll be there when your reality drowns. ( ic. ) #✧･ﾟ ♫ don’t be so shy. ( open. ) #remembered last night i made her on SL so of course i have to make icons from it

[cissyenthusiast010155]

hey!! i was wondering if you could write a oneshot of larissa or melissa (whatever you think is best) where badicslly r and them literally despise eachother bc they got started off on the wrong foot and every interaction between them has just gone south, but r and larissa or mel find eachother extremely attractive, and then basically someone in the school told them that r is actually in love with them. and basically after that they get into another heated argument and they pull out the “it’s not my fault you’re in love with me” or something along those lines and r denies it ofc and then after that they like kiss n maybe some angry smut if you’re alright with that.

so sorry if this is too specific or you just don’t wanna write it lmfao 😭 TYSM!!

- 🪼

It Ain’t My Fault ~Dom!Melissa Schemmenti xFem Sub!Reader

Summary— Enemies to Lovers AU, where Melissa and Reader have never gotten along. The tension between them finally snaps… What will happen…? Anon Response— Thank you for the detailed request, anon!! I hope this finds you well. I had fun writing this little smut piece for you. Hope you Enjoy! ♥️

Mommy… Master List

Requests & Prompt-List

Warnings: NSFW, 18+!!, smut, fingering, eating out, semi-public sex, enemies to lovers, fighting, love confessions, screaming/yelling, dominance, light dom/sub implications, implied future smut, etc.

Enjoy (;

“Well It’s not my fault you’re in love with me—!!” Melissa shrieked.

Her classroom suddenly felt too hot and far too cramped, even though it was only the two of you. Your breath hitched and you stepped back slightly.

The two of you had been known to get into yelling matches, and the staff was quick to banish the two of you from the lounge if you felt like going at it. You didn’t even remember what this fight was originally about. You just didn’t get along. Never had. Ever since you had arrived at Abbott, Melissa always undermined you. It drove you insane, how she got under your skin. For Melissa, she could stand you either. You were just so annoying. So young and naive, so quick to disregard and disrespect authority. Neither of you would ever want to admit that you found the other attractive.

“Excuse me…??” You finally spat, coming back to reality from the brief stun.

“You heard me…!” She cocked, placing her hands on her hips and swiveling her head tauntingly.

“I am not in love with you—!” You exclaimed defensively, crossing your arms.

Melissa grinned wickedly and sauntered up towards you. You instinctually began to back up until the back of your legs hit the edge of her desk. Your breath hitched again as the older woman now stood right in front of you.

“Barb says otherwise, and Barb is always right.” She purred condescendingly, tilted her head slightly and staring you down.

Your eyes widened and you gulped. You uncross your arms and lean back a little on the desk, trying to get away from her intense presence.

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about…” you stammer.

“Fine, then prove it.” She quips, cocking her brow at you.

A challenge is something you can do.

“Ok, try me.” You immediately shoot back.

Melissa smirks and steps just a bit closer, so that her body is almost flush against you but not quite yet.

“Kiss me.”

You nearly choke on your own air, as your face flushes a deep red.

“I… sorry what..??” You choke out.

“Kiss me.” Melissa repeats as if it’s nothing, with a shrug, “Just once.”

“And what’s that going to prove…??” You defensively shot.

She raised her brow.

“You chicken?”

You immediately growled at her words. If there was anything you hated, it was being called incompetent and a coward. And Melissa loved to taunt you with both.

“Shut up.” You growled, before grabbing the back of her neck with one hand and smashing your lips together.

Melissa immediately groaned into the kiss. You really thought that you’d be able to prove your lack of love with this, but you were so wrong. The second you felt her lips, you were hooked. The kiss went from a peck to a sloppy mess in a matter of seconds, and neither one of you minded. You let out a breathy moan as her tongue slid into your mouth.

Her hands snaked around your sides, effectively pinning you to her desk. Yours held the back of her neck, as the other slid to her ass, pulling her flush against you while graciously squeezing her rear. This action made Melissa groan into the kiss once more, which only sent increasing sparks of arousal throughout your body.

After a minute, you both had to pull away, breathless. But the woman still kept you pinned to the edge of the desk by your hips. Her hold on you was bruising and dizzying, as you desperately tried to catch your breath. Melissa looked quite pleased with herself for having kissed you breathless.

When you finally met her eye, you knew she had won. The dark flicker of lustful dominance was something you couldn’t help but fold to. You allowed the woman the hoist you up on the edge of her desk, you allowed her mouth to wander along your exposed skin. You allowed her to take your tits and cunt out, to call you deliciously derogatory names as she sucked and bit at your nipples. You allowed her to shove her fingers into your mouth as a way to keep you quiet as she sucked on your pearl and explored your juicy folds. You allowed her to completely take control. And in return, she allowed you to cum.

~~~

Melissa Schemmenti Masterlist

#Melissa Schemmenti x reader smut #melissa schemmenti x reader #melissa schemmenti x you #Melissa Schemmenti smut #melissa schemmenti #enemies to lovers #enemies to lovers trope #enemies to lovers troupe #abbott elementary #abbott elementary season 3 #abbott elementary s3 #abbott elementary x reader #abbott elementary fanfiction #abbott elementary fic #abott elementary #abbot elementary #Abbott elementary smut #lisa ann walter #angry sex #hate fucking #love confessions #confessions #cissyenthusiast010155 answers

[hanakihan]

with how much SL has semi gore and eldrich stuff I absolutely crave that fucked up primal violence in SL lore

AB murdered? Have his body rot away forever trapped in his own throne chamber, forever pinned to throne as his muscles rot and blood dries up, leaving marble white bones behind held in pace together by still pristine spears, with once pure white robes a dirty torn mess with locks of hair scattered around like a spun silver. Majestic white marble throne room lit with light full of decaying scent and death, with giant skeleton of a god pinned to his throne.

Jinwoo going through Architect’s trial? Have him trapped in this room for days. Have him suffering from loss of his leg, from slow blood loss and mental traumas. Have him lose touch with reality and himself, have him starting to talk to statues as if they’re humans. Have him dying of thirst and hunger, have him staring at blood and corpses for hours, have him thinking if eating them is an option. Have him being stuck in this place for days, with bodies rotting and mind breaking. Have him thinking about ending his own life. Have him doing it so by triggering trial further. Have him not remember it all for it to crush on him later. Have him forever be a cripple as a constant reminder of that hell, a proof of his experience and sacrifice. Have him lose more and more of himself to the point he starts to question himself and reality around him. Have him kill and question his morals, have him gather an army and question if it’s worth it.

Jinchul working as a Chief of Monitoring Division? Have him deal with the most fucked up stuff hunters and dungeons can offer. Murders, crimes, dangers and unsolved mysteries of dungeons themselves eventually stop bringing out any emotional response from him. He looks at mess that once was a young huntress and feels nothing, maybe small echoes of pity in his head. He looks at backside of hunters’ world and knows what leads to what and the casual way he looks at corpses and what is left on them terrifies him. He’s becoming emotionally numb and burned out, to the point he doesn’t really care if he becomes hurt because pain doesn’t even register properly. He hurts those under him and gets hurt by those above him. He does his job, and for that his left arm is a price. Have Dongsu crushing every bone and tear every muscle in Jinchul’s arm when he stepped in. Have it being useless for rest of his life. He’s a tool in a system that shall exist because no one else can fill in. It’s fucked up but someone has to do it.

Seriously SL but it’s more fucked up. Entire setting just yells ‘trauma trainwreck’ combined with insane amounts of quality gore and physical/psychological torture

#solo leveling

[dreamgirllz]

Infatuated

Author note: HII yes I know it’s been about a month 🗿 forgive me… this is very tooth rotting 😍

Tanjiro(you work for lady tomoya)

-zenistu(you're a slayer he met on a mission alone)

-inosuke(you're a slayer he met)(And yes he has had character development with the help of tanjiro)

Tanjiro-

After lady tomoya's first place was destroyed she moved safely to another one. Tanjiro would visit sometimes. Before tanjiro even met you he fell in love with your scent. He didn't know he was smelling you but he'd find himself smiling as he thought of a lovely spring day. That's what the fragrance reminded him of.

Your scent lingered around the mansion even though you were working outside bringing lady tomoya things for experiments.

You two finally met when tomoya called you in to meet tanjiro. As soon as you two made eye contact his cheeks went a pretty pink.

"Oh hello l'm taniro and this is my sister nezuko!" He walks to you shyly reaching to shake your hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I must be heading back now." You said leaving, lady tomoya starts explaining things to him about his sister.

But he was Infatuated. Yushiro hit tanjiro's head, "how dare you space out as lady tomoya is speaking?! Are you crazy!" Tomoya laughed and told yushiro to calm down, which he did immediately. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what got over me! I'll pay attention more." He said giving his famous sweet smile. "You can always visit tanjiro, she always busy. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't mind some help. Tomoya clearly knew what was going on. "R-right, I'll see when I have some time off."

Even though tanjiro was a busy slayer he always tried to make time, cramming things in just to spend a few hours talking to you. He's just so good to you, you better return the sweet boys feelings.(or else 🤭🔪)

Zenistu-

We all know any girl that passes zenistu he's head over heels trying to marry her. But after encountering you there was no way he was going to go up to any other girl.

Zenistu was on a mission alone, of course against his will. In his mind he's thinking why they give him a demon this hard! In reality he wasn't really trying. He was too busy just running for his life.

Zenitsu caught your eye as you saw a yellow man running through the woods. In the directions you came from. Then you saw the demon chasing him, you run behind them obviously to save him. The yellow boy runs into the tree, possibly getting a concussion. The demon reaches out to strike him as he screams loudly. You sever the demons head off saving the boy just in time.

"Woah!! Did you see that I almost died! These slayers are going to cause my death before can get close to getting a wife!!!" He screeched through out the woods, you rolled your eyes.

"Aren't you a slayer? Why are you running from a lowly demon like that?" You said reaching into your pocket pulling out bandages. He went dead silent after hearing your angelic voice. You wrap his head up to stop the bleeding on his forehead. "Your so quiet now? Is there something wrong, It doesn't look like you lost a lot of blood just yet." He stared up at your facial features in a Infatuated way. "Are you married?" He asked in a soft tone, you shook your head no. "What makes you say that?!" He shot up from the ground, "THAT GIVES ME A CHANCE!!! PLEASE BE MY WIFE PLEASE!!!!"

He chased you through the woods begging over and over again for you to marry him. (Good luck 🥱)

Inosuke-

Inosuke was on a mission to the mountains to slay a demon who's been giving other passing slayers problems.

He marched up the mountain looking for the demon but instead finding you on the ground shivering really bad. He couldn't tell if you were a man or a girl. The demon came out of nowhere trying to launch a silent attack.

"HAHA! You thought I would fall for that lame slow attack." Of course he did taunt the demon...

He fought the demon for about 5 minutes with out a scratch on his body. * that was way to easy! I want more!" Then he remembered that he found a slayer not to long ago. He went back to the area, and threw you over his shoulders; running down the mountain. The ride was bumpy and definitely very uncomfortable. As soon as he met the forest floor he dropped you on the floor. "Ah! What the." your eyes shot open making eye contact with a pig man on top of you looking down. You thought it was a demon but you realized it wasn't. "Are you a slayer? Where's a your shirt it's freezing out here." He laughed loudly, "the strongest slayer doesn't need a shirt! I'm too cool for one! Don't think I saved you because I care!" It was hard to understand, but you knew he was spewing nonsense. "Don't worry I wasn't planning on saying thank you anyways" you say struggling to get up. "Your welcome! What? I saved your life praise me girl! Banjiro said I have to save people it's a good thing or whatever. Praise me, I'm your god!" You collapse from the cold, "hey this is no place for sleeping wake up! Oh." he finally realizes you were freezing to death.

He took off the fur from around his waist when covered you with it. He then took you in his arms and headed to a near by abandoned house.

You wake up in the house and look around, wondering where you were. "Woah! This is the second best nirichin l've seen. Of course mine is the first best one!" He said examining your blade. You breathe out feeling relieved. "So you actually dragged me here?" You asked looking up at him, "duh! Who else is that amazing!?" "Woah you carried me here all by yourself, you must be the strongest man alive." You joked, but he didn't see it as sarcasm. He doesn't know what sarcasm is.. His heart got tight in his chest.

"You think so. he asked sitting down by you.

"Yes definitely", you lay back down laughing. He just spaced out looking in your direction. He didn't understand he was feeling Infatuated.

Not many people at all have anything nice to say to him other than tanjiro. Even if you were being sarcastic he took it seriously. (Please a sarcastic and passive y/n would be so perfect for inosuke.)

#kny x you #kny x reader #tanjiro kamado #demon slayer tanjiro #tanjiro x reader #tanjiro x y/n #inosuke hashibira #demon slayer inosuke #inosuke x reader #inosuke x y/n #zenistu #zenitsu agatsuma #zenitsu x reader #zenitsu x y/n #demon slayer zenitsu

[whinlatter]

What about the dynamic between Ron and Ginny? I don’t see too many people talk about them other than the one time he tried to sl*t shame her.

this is a lovely one, thank you so much anon. the two baby weasleys. two beloved bruisers who will squabble til the cows come home but who would absolutely take bullets for each other in a heart beat... it's the loves of my life, ron and ginny weasley.

the dynamic between ron and ginny is, as you say, deeply misunderstood, deeply underrated and, ultimately, deeply loving. the ron haters will say ron's a misogynistic slut shamer towards his sister: the ginny haters (these are, i fear, much more numerous...) will say that ginny is a nasty bully towards her big brother, the family/molly's favourite who basks in greater limelight and parental love than poor tormented ronnie. i think that says more about fandom's inability to a) remember we are talking about children/teenagers, b) remember that tripping your brother to humble him when he's being openly horny about his future in sister in law is praxis, and c) grasp that conflict between characters does not preclude the presence of real love, care and mutual respect in their relationship. ron and ginny's dynamic is interesting because it brings out each characters' insecurities and flaws (for ron, his anxieties about his reputation among his own peers and his position within his own family, his worry about his family's wider reputation and wellbeing, his particular overbearing concern about ginny's safety post CoS; for ginny, her resentment of being overprotected, her inability to stomach hypocrisy and tendency to fly off the handle when confronted with it, her righteous temper in general...) but i think if the characters were, er, real, and you were able to show them the fandom takes/discourse around their relationship they'd be like, er, what? obviously we love each other to death. we're very very close. we're mates who enjoy each other's company and increasingly hang out a ton and treasure each other as dearly beloved family, what are you on about? like, yes, of course they bicker. of course they fight. but those two, in their core, are good. i think as adults they'd be closer still.

(there's been a horrid fanon tendency in the last few years to make a lot of hay out of the idea that molly desperately wanted a daughter and mistreated ron, her sixth son, as a result. this is an allegation that seems to have its sole canon basis in what the horcrux screams at ron ('least loved, always, by the mother who craved a daughter'). looking past the fact that the horcrux is, er, expressing ron's fears not reality (in its next breath claims hermione is .... in love with harry lads! tiktok fandom discourse do not like to remember this!), i think it's very important that even if this is ron's fear - that his mum loves him less than his siblings and only had him because she was trying to have a girl - it doesn't actually ever inform any resentment or jealousy towards ginny by ron. ron and ginny fight, of course, they do, but ron never makes this apparent anxiety ginny's problem. ginny could be someone ron bitterly resents, someone his mother and, by 1997, his best friend prefers. but he doesn't ever do that. ron just really loves his sister and wants her to be safe, and yeah, sometimes that pisses her off, but it doesn't come from a place of envy or resentment, which, given ron has oodles of that in other relationships, is saying something.)

my favourite ron and ginny moments:

in CoS when ron's desperate to see ginny get sorted and then gutted that he missed it :(

in CoS when ron teases ginny sweetly about her crush on harry but as soon as malfoy does it is ready to commit bodily harm

in PoA when ginny's suffering with the dementors and she goes looking for ron (even though the last thing he told her was to go away, lmao. just sibling things. fuck off and die! but also i would give you both my kidneys)

in GoF where ginny really is trying not to laugh at ron for asking out fleur when that is plainly fucking funny

in OotP when ron gets one singular look at michael corner and decides he is NOT good enough for his sister and also probably a traitor

in HBP when ron and ginny are at war with each other but ginny names her pygmy puff after him and as soon as ron is poisoned ginny is the first person on the scene (with hermione) and does up poirot with harry trying to solve the mystery of her beloved brother's assassination attempt. he will be avenged!

in DH when the catalyst for the ron/harry fight escalating and ron leaving is the moment ron accuses harry of not caring enough about ginny........ king shit sorry!

bonus in DH when ron's like yeah ofc i didn't go home are you mad. fred and george would have been fuming. and ginny, my moral weather vane, would have run me through with the rustiest of pikes

thank you for humouring me with this ask game anon!

#ron and ginny: lomls #calling your brother a prat is a god given right and also a love language #the pygmy puff joke is hall of fame funny stop being sour about it on tiktok fandom #ron weasley #ginny weasley #ask game #meta

[cfr749]

Thoughts on Chenford in 6x05?

Spoilers below:

So I’ve got a longer list of gripes this week, but overall I didn’t think the episode was bad. I do feel like they gave away too much of the Chenford again and there really wasn’t much else in the episode minus that one scene which was painful angsty deliciousness.

What I liked:

Melissa and Eric were again incredible in the scene where Lucy asked Tim to leave

I am SOOO happy Lucy stood up for herself, and I am so ready for her to put Tim in his place next week. I COMPLETELY get he’s trying to protect her, but he’s taking agency away from her. She gets to decide if she wants to be protected. 

This is actually why I really wasn’t at all a fan of the spinal surgery SL and Tim intentionally having people leave her in the dark so she wouldn’t worry. That bothered me even before they were dating, but now that they are in a relationship, keeping huge things from your partner isn’t how you treat a partner that you truly respect and see as an equal, and I am actually really excited to see this addressed. This is a holdover from their Rookie—T.O. dynamic that needs to change.

And of course it’s still up to Tim to decide from there if he wants to be honest with her, that’s his choice to make and he made it. 

But she was absolutely right to ask him to leave when he wasn’t, and that scene was seriously so painful but well done. 

What I didn’t like

Probably the main issue, for me, is that I didn’t find Tim’s situation emotionally compelling. We got told a lot of stuff about something that happened in the past, but as much as I wanted to empathize with him, I didn’t actually feel anything about it. Maybe if they’d set this up earlier on or done flashbacks or something, I’d have felt more of the stakes, but it just fell flat for me. 

And this ultimately led to them doing very little to convince me he couldn’t have texted (or called) Lucy multiple times. He said he didn’t have a choice, but he did. We saw multiple opportunities when he had his phone. He willingly chose to leave her in the dark. I legit was expecting him to be held hostage or something. He just shut her out, and while I get he was going through something, not even telling her he was alive is absolutely unacceptable like Lucy said. 

And then, finally, we had something that ALWAYS grates on me when they do it — using Lucy as a plot device without regard to her character or her state of mind. Her scenes with Aaron in the middle of the episode felt like they were inserted out of nowhere from a different day entirely. We were back to carefree, jokester Lucy (who I adore — when it make sense for her character). But… I’m supposed to believe she was worried Tim might be dead at this point? I’m supposed to believe she doesn’t have a LOT of feelings about Aaron flirting with his therapist considering she herself is the product her mom getting with a patient?! And yes, I get that moods shift in reality — it just completely took me out of her narrative for this episode. And when they do stuff like this, it makes me seriously question if they even remember the back story they gave her?

#Chenford #the rookie #the rookie spoilers #see Lana ramble

[groupalpha]

(More of comic under cut)

TA: Bubbles! Let's not .. uh.. let's just go.

TA: Come please just-

TA: Bubbles lets not-

TA: GAH-

...

. . .

. . .

Ah, you're awake now patterned friend! I'm glad you aren't hurt, as that wouldn't have turned out well at all.

SS: Greetings, we're Sunrise Solar Starlight Lunar. You can call me Solar though. Speaking of, the patterns within your DNA are quite present! It's quite interesting, but also tells me quite a lot about you.

I suppose you're the scared type? You can tell something is lurking behind you despite nothing being present? In reality you know it's your own shadow so you're in a constant cycle of being scared of yourself-

SL: SOLAR! You cannot just greet creatures like that. Remember what happened to Silk?

SS: Right right...

SL: I'm sorry about Solar's actions, she can be a little much.

Greetings though. You may refer to me as Lunar.

I'll get right to it though, as I see you've brought an object with you.

We've altered it slightly, as to request a task from you. We're unable to communicate properly, and from our understanding, it has to do with our Computing Transferring Auditorium.

SL: What we want you to do is to use this little device to fix it. Go to our Computing Transferring Auditorium, and use your device there to record and copy our broadcast key manually, then send it to...

...

Someplace with a control unit. Maybe a unit or collective perhaps. Or maybe even a tower.

This should allow our broadcast key to be read by the communication towers manually, and allow us to actually speak instead of being trapped between the speaking systems.

I hope we've made ourselves clear on this goal.

Sunrise Solar Starlight Lunar are now available for asks!

#rain world #rain world oc #rain world askblog #rw oc #the amalgamation #rw slugcat #rw slugcat oc #rain world iterator oc #rain world iterator #iterator oc #rw iterator #iterator #rw iterator oc #rain world slugcat oc #slugcat oc #rain world slugcat #slugcat #rw lizard #ga pixie lizard #bubbles the pixie lizard #sunrise solar starlight lunar

[isshua]

Messianic Aureation

Chapter 13: Battle with the Wind-Borne Champion of the Archon War

Summary: Cara arrives at the Thousand Winds Temple, ready to put her life on the line and steal the Anemo gnosis from Venti. The wind screams as a god's true might is displayed.

Scuttles out of my cave to throw this chapter at anyone who sees it THIS TOOK ME OVER A MONTH TO WRITE AGH I am such a perfectionist when it comes to writing and I REALLY wanted this chapter to be the best version of itself because it's the finale to the Monstadt Arc of this fic. In the end there are some parts that I feel a little iffy about but I'm happy with it overall and I hope readers will be happy with it too! Enjoy! :D

Chapter 14 is here

Up the rough road with large bushes and tall trees growing among the long grass, great stone walls and pillars rose up from a time long lost in Monstadt’s history. They were old, Cara observed as she rode past them. Vines crept over their cracked surfaces and there were many portions that were broken away. When she passed between two of them, she reached out a hand and brushed her fingers against their surface. If these stones could talk, what would they tell her about those ancient times of the Archon War?

  Everything was eerily silent as Epona and her continued. There were no animals scampering about. No squirrels, no foxes, no birds…the only sounds she could hear were the horse’s steady hooves thumping along the dirt path and her own nervous heartbeat pounding in her ears. She remembered there being a large amount of hilichurls inhabiting this area in Genshin Impact, but those too seemed to have vanished without a trace along with the wildlife.

  What worried her the most wasn’t the absence of Khaenri'ah’s lost souls, however. It was the fact that there was no wind. The leaves of the trees were dead calm; not a single one rustled even slightly. In the wilds of Monstadt, the wind was always present. It reached every corner of the nation, and held so much power you could practically feel it in your bones. Even when it was nothing more than the softest of whispering breezes, you knew the spirit of Anemo was always watching over the nation of freedom…or maybe that was just for her, due to her unique connection with the seven elements. But here, now, Cara felt like she was traveling through a windless land. The air was heavy and still, unnaturally so. It was as if Teyvat were holding its breath…or maybe, it was quietly watching her with seething hatred, judging her not worthy to feel its presence swirling around her body and soul. If the second option were true…then she wasn’t dealing with Teyvat.

  Up the crumbling steps of an ancient staircase, Epona’s hooves clopped on a portion of stone road, the sound echoing out into the area. When they ascended a second staircase, Cara saw they were near the large monument of the strange celestial arrow which pointed directly at Monstadt City. The inscription etched into its base arose in her mind: “Seeds of stories, brought by the wind and cultivated by time.” How poetic, she thought. Was that what her story was in this world? She was a traveler from another reality, thought to be the highest of all gods by some and an imposter by others, an outsider and a native at the same time. Her tale began with the wind, and time could only tell how it would end. That seemed to ultimately be up to Teyvat’s people. Or maybe she could write the conclusion to her story with her own hand.

  She could not shake the chilling feeling that the point of the massive stone arrow was no longer pointing at Monstadt, but at her.

  The road became less and less pronounced as they kept going. Soon Epona was walking over less dirt and more grass. The Thousand Winds Temple had been forgotten by many of Monstadt’s modern citizens, it seemed. No one had traveled this path in quite a while. Cara honestly couldn’t blame them. This amphitheater had been used as a gladiator arena back in the Aristocratic Period, where slaves had been forced to fight and kill each other for the amusement of cruel nobles. This whole area was probably stained with blood. It made her sigh with sympathy, then shudder with paranoia. She could not help but let her eyes wander between the trees, half expecting to see the pale phantoms of the dead silently watching her go by.

  When the ruins of the temple were only a few steps away, Cara stopped Epona and hopped off of her. The mare snorted questioningly. She held the reins and stroked her nose. “You can’t come with me there,” she whispered. “I don’t want you getting hurt. Wait at the edge of the ruins and only come back when you hear me whistle. That’ll be the signal to show everything is safe.”

  Epona’s eyes were deeply intelligent, and subconsciously, Cara knew she understood. The horse pushed her head into her hands and snorted again softly, then turned and cantered back down the way they came. Cara watched her go, her smile falling as the animal disappeared from sight. Now, she was truly alone.

  Ignoring her own screaming instincts that were telling her to go back, she forced her legs to move and take those final steps up the last flight of stairs and into the temple.

  It was huge. Larger than she anticipated and definitely bigger than how it was in the game, she had to turn around in a circle to fully perceive the absolutely massive arena she was standing in. When she looked at the weathered seats and rusting metal cage doors that closed off the temple’s lower areas, she could practically hear the cheering screams of an audience and hear the clashing swords of fighters battling for their lives. What a fascinating, yet disturbing place to be in. In the back of her mind, she wondered what might have happened if she had been here during the temple’s prime. With the power she held within her, could she have helped put an end to the tyranny of the aristocrats? Could she have saved the lives that were lost on these very grounds? If she had been sucked into the Teyvat of 1,000 years ago, would she have still been deemed as an imposter by Monstadt’s people?

  The sound of music made her whirl around. Her heart dropped when she saw Venti sitting on the base of a fallen pillar, nimble fingers plucking the strings of his lyre and creating a lovely song. His eyes were closed, and he was smiling gently.

  “1,000 years ago, the Falcon of the West was a noble lion,” he said in a storytelling voice. “With a mighty roar, she fought for the freedom of Monstadt’s oppressed and helped break the chains of tyranny that constricted this nation. After that, she gained her wings, and flew onward to godhood. Her story began here, in a place filled with heartbreak and death. It’s quite the tale, isn’t it? Don’t you think it’s a wonderful example of how humanity’s worst evils can give birth to its greatest goods?”

  Cara didn’t answer. She stayed absolutely still, watching Venti’s every move.

  The bard sighed. “Humans are incredible creatures. There are so many paths they can go down, and they can create so many things within the spans of their short lives. But because they are mortal, the gods underestimate them. They think humans are easy to manipulate and control simply because they think they’re weaker. But you want to know what I think? I think this shows just how weak the gods really are. After all, when you're obsessed with controlling the lives of humans, doesn’t that prove which is greater? If all it takes is for humans to stop believing in you for you to lose your power, just how omnipotent can you, as a god, really be?”

  He opened his eyes and finally looked at her. That smile was so deceiving. “Humans and gods alike worship the Creator. It’s practically one of the only things we all see eye-to-eye about! So how do you think we feel when someone pretends to be the Creator and tries to convince others to worship them? Do you think Teyvat is any place for a false god?”

  “Is that what you see me as?” Cara asked him. “A false god? Nothing more?”

  He giggled and ignored her question. “Did you hear my song?”

  “It would’ve been impossible for me not to.”

  “I knew that. A bard’s talent lies in his ability to capture attention! What sort of performer would I be if you hadn’t heard it?” He put his lyre away, stood up, and stretched. “Where’s the holy lyre?”

  Cara took out her backpack and pulled out the Holy Lyre der Himmel. Venti observed her with the lazy air of an uninterest. “Guess you went through all that trouble of stealing it for nothing, huh? Sorry about that. I could have let you have your great moment of ‘summoning’ me, but, well, I just didn’t feel like going through all of the theatrics of pretending such a trick actually works.” He nonchalantly shrugged.

  “Wait. It…it doesn’t?”

  He grinned cheekily. “Best not to get pivotal information from little kids from now on, okay?”

   Bastard. Cara gritted her teeth. “You’ve been watching me ever since I arrived in Teyvat, haven’t you? You’ve seen all that’s happened, from the moment I was first arrested until now. You know everything.”

  His smile widened. “Just because you can’t feel the wind blowing doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”

  “I swear, if you even think about hurting my friends-”

  “Oh, relax. I’m not going to hurt anyone. Well, not anyone except for you, of course.” He chuckled at that. “You would think me so low that I would harm my own people? Shame on you, little imposter! I’m no monster!”

  “I don’t have time for this.” She raised the holy lyre over her head. “Give me your gnosis, or I’ll break the lyre. Don’t think I won’t do it.”

  Venti stared at her for a moment, then burst out into laughter. Cara did not feel the least bit enlivened as she watched him nearly topple off of the pillar. “You won’t break it!” he chortled.

  “Try me,” she countered.

  He continued to laugh. He wasn’t taking this seriously. He wasn’t taking her seriously. She wasn’t a threat to him. Knowing that made this whole situation ever the more terrifying.

  “You won’t break it,” he repeated after finally composing himself. “You care far too much to ever go through with such an action.”

  The hand holding the lyre started to shake. She squeezed its frame and raised it even higher, bracing her arm to throw it down with all of her strength. She only got so far before she stopped herself. Drawing in a breath, she tried again; her hand refused to let it go.

  Venti watched on in amusement. “See? You can’t do it. Your mind is telling you to, but your heart won’t let you go through with the deed.” His voice was sweet and light, singsongy and haunting, a siren call pulling her out to sea so she could be drowned. “You won’t break it because you love me.”

  Her eyes widened and her heart broke. She staggered a little, rocked by what he had just said.

  He laughed again, though this time, he sounded so much crueler. “Poor little imposter, she loves the bard who will bring about her end! So silly, so stupid, to think the enemy could be her friend!”

  “If you know I love you,” she said quietly, “then why don’t you recognize me? Why don’t you remember?” Of course, she already knew the answer to this. It was because of the Madness. Whatever it was doing to him prevented the memories they had made together from making it through. The adventures they had went on when she possessed either him or the avatar of the Traveler…pulling for him, ascending him, fighting domains and bosses with him on her team…any recollection of her, and thus any love for her he had, was locked deep away by the threads of the Abyss.

  His laughter died and he pursed his lips. For a moment, his devious smile softened into a troubled frown.

  “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t know why you love me. For some time, I thought it was fake. Just a big manipulation to deceive me and use me against Her Grace. But now I can feel it. Your love is real.” His smile returned. “And it’s going to be your downfall. If you can’t find it within yourself to hurt me, then you’ll be making my job a whole lot easier.”

  Through the temple, the wind began to blow. Violent gusts whipped painfully at her skin and caused her to nearly lose her balance due to how powerful they were. Around the entire temple, to her utter shock and horror, a cyclone began to form, cutting the amphitheater off from the rest of the world. Roiling, screaming, wailing, the wind grew and grew, rising up from all sides in a mighty column of teal and dark gray. Cara looked back at Venti and saw he was no longer smiling. A dark expression took over his face as his eyes and braids glowed a bright blue. His cape flapped madly behind him as he glared at her with enough hatred to make her want to cry. A shadow was cast over him-and then it was over her, and the entire temple as a whole. The tornado containing them was so strong, so fervent, all light from the sun was blotted out and it was as if they were trapped in a perceptual state of developing storms.

  “Venti, please, stop!” Cara’s cry was nearly lost in the wind. “It doesn’t have to be this way!”

  “You knew it was going to come down to this from the very start.” Venti prowled towards her predatorily. Each step he took made Cara take equal steps back. “I’ll admit, it’s been fun watching you run around like a chicken without its head. But now I think it’s time for the hunt to end, and for you to end up dead.”

  Cara looked behind her. The massive tornado encircling the temple was so violently thick, she couldn’t even see past it anymore. The howling of the wind was like the shrieking of the souls of the dead. A foreshadowing to her own possible fate. There was no way out of this. She had bitten off more than she could chew. Albedo had been wrong-she wasn’t ready to take on an Archon. She had never seen Venti display this amount of power before. Terror had her in its grip, and she soon found that she couldn’t move, her legs rooted in place as her chest tightened and panic spread its infectious tendrils throughout her body and mind.

  “Aw, what’s the matter?” Venti regarded her with a tilt of his head, large eyes filled with taunting amusement as he smiled mockingly. “Gonna cry? Is your life flashing before your eyes? Are you afraid?”

  Albedo. Kaeya. Razor and Bennett. Klee and Sucrose. Noelle. Fischl and Oz. Diona. Nick and Casey. Her family. Her own world. Their faces flashed through her mind and fizzled away when she desperately tried to reach out and grab them. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

  She was not immortal. She was not the original Caratrice. She was not a god of limitless power who could take on an Archon and win.

  But she was going to have to try to be. Because there was no turning back.

  “Little imposter.” Venti’s voice boomed, loud, threatening. When she looked into his eyes, she saw flashes of dead gods with giant arrows sticking out of their mangled bodies. Battlefields doused in the blood of the Archon War’s losers while the champion hovered above them all, white wings so large they could overtake the entire sky, eyes blazing, wind rising, a primal force of total destruction. Barbatos.

  People back in her world always doubted Venti’s true potential.

  If only they could see the glimpses of the past she was perceiving right now.

  “Little imposter,” Venti rumbled. “I’ll ask again. Are you afraid?”

  “Venti,” she responded. Shakily, begging. “Please don’t make me do this.”

  He didn’t reply, only smiled. The Elegy for the End materialized in his hands. String pulled taut, bow nocked and ready. A pause wedged itself between them.

  She breathed in, and out.

   You love me. You care too much.

  “Forgive me,” she whispered to the Venti she knew was buried somewhere deep inside of the god standing against her. She took off her mask and slipped it carefully into her backpack, along with the Holy Lyre der Himmel.

  She gently pulled away the bandages covering the right side of her face. When they were all gone, she blinked her injured eye open. She could see out of it perfectly; it was fully healed, or at least healed enough for her to see now. For this battle, she was going to need her full vision.

  Venti laughed. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

  She pulled out her sword and charged.

  With lightning-quick reflexes, Venti raised his bow and released a flurry of arrows. Cara saw them coming and ducked, dropping to the ground and letting them sail over her before she was on her feet again and running. Venti’s hands moved with inhuman speed, conjuring one arrow after another. Cara dodged to the left when one came dangerously close to piercing her right arm, but unintentionally allowed another arrow to graze the skin of her cheek. A tiny streak of gold followed the arrow’s wake. She winced, but ignored the pain.

  “One score for me!” Venti cheered. “Let’s see how many more scars I can give you!”

  Cara raised her arm and without her even having to think about it, a golden shield was summoned from beneath her skin. Anemo-infused arrows bounced harmlessly against it as she ran forward. Venti laughed. “Oh, so you think your shield will be enough to stop me? Think again, little imposter! Remember that I’m the god of the wind!” He lifted his hand and made a swiping motion, and a gigantic gust of wind hit her and sent her careening backwards, leaving her right back where she started. Cara gasped as the air was knocked out of her. She barely had enough time to recollect herself and hold her shield in front of her so a fresh wave of arrows wouldn’t pierce her from every direction.

  She had to get to cover. There was no way she was going to make any sort of progress if she kept trying to simply run towards him. If she did, he would just continue to blow her away. He wanted to keep her back; on top of being mostly a ranged fighter, it was also integral for him to be as far away from her as possible so she couldn’t get the chance to fight back. Her skills lied within close combat, as did an opportunity to take his gnosis. If she was going to survive this battle, she was going to have to trick him into lowering his guard.

  She pushed herself up and ran behind a fallen column, blocking arrows with her shield as she did so. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, her back pressed against the rough stone as she listened to the howl of the wind and Venti’s maniacal laughter. “So you're choosing to hide?” he called out. “How cute! You think that’ll be enough to protect you? I can make this stone crumble into dust!” A blast of Anemo slammed into the column, rocking it violently. Cara lurched forward with a slight gasp. Little cracks splintered across its surface. A few more of those wind attacks, and it was going to completely fall apart.

  “Come out, come out!” Venti sang. Another blast of wind. “We’re not done playing yet!” And then another. “You know this fight can’t last forever! If I don’t kill you directly, then the tornado around us will! Aren’t you feeling a little lightheaded? Finding it hard to breathe, perhaps?”

   Oh god, he’s right. Cara clutched her chest. Being inside a tornado meant lower oxygen levels. She could feel it getting more and more difficult to take in a full gulp of air with each passing moment. How much longer before she passed out? If she did, she would be completely vulnerable, and then Venti would have the chance to…to…

   Stop thinking like this! She lightly hit the heel of her palm against her head. This is what he wants. He wants you to panic so you’ll act without thinking. You're giving him the advantage! She had to think this through, quickly and thoroughly. Her time was running out. All of the odds were against her, so if she wanted to change that, she was going to have to do something soon.

  “Aw, don’t be so worried!” Venti giggled. “I’ll make sure you don’t die immediately! Where’s the fun in that? I want to play around with you some more. Now, come out!” A final wind blast broke the column, sending bits of stone flying everywhere as he split it cleanly down the middle. The moment he did this, Cara took off running, sprinting parallel to where he was standing, staying close to the tornado wall. There was another fallen column nearby. She hid right behind it, waiting for him to react.

  Just as she anticipated, he released another wind slice. She ran forward just as it hit and destroyed the column. Another pillar sat in front of her, this one a little bit closer to Venti than the other had been. She hid behind it, waiting. Surely enough, another wind blast came, slicing the stone apart. With each pillar Venti destroyed, she inched closer, closer, gaining ground and using the columns as a distraction. It was obvious the bard was getting frustrated, because he was no longer laughing gleefully and was now frowning, displeased. “Will…you…stop… hiding?” he yelled, releasing yet another Anemo attack. This time, it hit a pillar that was still standing straight. It shuddered and slowly toppled forward, right for the column he was standing on. Venti swiftly dodged, easily flitting to the side and avoiding being crushed as swiftly as a bird flies through the air. This was what she wanted.

  She pushed forward and ran with all of her might, reaching out with the intention to tackle. She saw him turn towards her slightly, eyes widened in disbelief to see her so close.

  And then he smiled. And he was gone.

  It was like she was suddenly moving in slow motion. With no way to stop him, she watched him sidestep her, raise his hand, and conjure up a whirling ball of Anemo. With a crack ringing through the air, he hit her with the elemental ball and sent her propelling forward. She crashed into the pillar he had been standing on only moments before and slumped to the ground, her ears ringing as she felt nothing but pain.

  He was laughing again. “Oh, that was hilarious! You really thought you could outpace the god of the wind? Did you do any sort of research before you accepted this battle?”

  An arrow replaced the Elegy for the End in his right hand, and he sped forward with incredible speed. Cara raised the Prototype Rancour just in time. The Anemo-strengthened arrow clashed against it.

  “It’s a shame I have to kill you,” Venti sighed, feigning regret. “You're fun to play around with. You were being oh-so predictable, and then you sprung a trick like that upon me! And here I was thinking this was going to be boring!” He smiled menacingly. “You better keep impressing me, little imposter. You don’t want me to get bored too soon!” Too fast for her to react, he jabbed the arrow into her leg, right below her knee. She screamed out in agony and swung her sword wildly at him, but he jumped back and fluttered off with high laughter carrying over the cyclone’s raging winds.

  It was getting more and more difficult to breathe. Each inhale was desperate and shaky. On the precipice of her mind, she felt fuzzy numbness, the promise of unconsciousness growing closer. Gritting her teeth and letting out a strangled cry, she yanked the arrow out of her leg and threw it away. Golden ichor poured from the wound.

  “You better do something fast or I’m going to kiiiill yooou!” Venti sang. He started shooting arrows at her again. Ignoring the pain in her leg, Cara forced herself to run, this time going directly for him. Her time was limited. She had to end this now.

  This battle was unlike any fight she had ever been in before. Diluc, Jean, Rosaria, and the rest of the hunters had fought with the intention of getting up close and personal. Even Albedo, who had obviously been holding much of his true strength back during their practice fights, had done much of the same. She was used to facing opponents with swords. Venti’s attack style left her feeling clumsily unfit for any kind of fight. He released arrows so quickly, barely giving her time to knock them away with her sword. When she did get close to him, he would always unleash an Anemo attack to knock her away. It was difficult, frustrating, and anxiety-inducing. At any moment she could run out of oxygen, and then she’d be finished. This dance between her and him had to be over if she wanted to survive.

  “Your shield hasn’t appeared since we first began,” Venti idly chattered away. “Are you having a bit of trouble controlling those powers of yours? I see the way they react to your emotions. You were so determined before, and now you look like you're really down in the dumps. Are you starting to lose hope, perhaps? You have to have realized by now that there’s no way you can win this. A sword can do very little against a bow…c’mon, why don’t you just give up? There’s no shame in it, y’know. I promise I’ll give you a quick, painless death if you do.”

  Her frustration was rising. She did not reply.

  Venti released another arrow. “Or you can keep trying. I don’t mind it, really! More fun for me!”

  She was getting nowhere. This battle was entirely in his favor. Cara’s veins lit up gold as she roared and charged him. All of her exhaustion, caution, and fear was thrown to the wind, and she lifted her sword and swung it at him with the intention of knocking away his bow. Venti looked quite startled to see her gain so much ground. The Elegy for the End was recalled, and he crossed his arms in front of him while his braids and eyes began to glow. A sigil of the Anemo Archon appeared below him. An updraft of wind helped him float into the air.

  Cara let her sword dissolve away. She reached up and grabbed Venti’s ankle, then yanked him down with all of her strength. The bard was slammed into the ground, hard. She held him down and raised her fist, not even noticing how her entire hand was completely gold. All she could feel was anger, all she could sense within herself was desperation. She was done playing by his rules. Now, it was her turn to attack.

  Venti’s eyes widened. “Wait-!” he started to say, but his voice cut off into a strangled noise when she wrapped her hand around his neck. Cara’s blood was pumping. Her heart was pounding. Now is your chance, she thought she could hear her own voice whisper into her ear. Defeat him. Show him what you are capable of. This Archon is nothing compared to your power. You are above him. Take his gnosis. Win!

   She was about to. She really was. With her left hand still holding him down by his throat, she pressed her right hand against his chest, feeling his own heart beating frantically, and then along with it, an unnatural warmth. The area right above his heart began to glow.

  And then her eyes strayed to his. She saw the fear within him. She saw the pain. She blinked.

   Wait.

  I’m…I’m hurting him.

  Venti was indeed gasping in pain. As her hand sunk into the cavity of his heart and her fingers closed around the shape of his gnosis, she noticed him let out a cry. Her will faltered, and her face fell. The hand around his neck lightened. I’m hurting him. I’m hurting him. I don’t want to hurt him. I love him. I don’t want to cause him pain.

  Her own voice inside her head howled at her to continue. Her life depended on this! He wouldn’t be in pain forever! He was trying to kill her! She had to go through with this or she was going to die!

  But it was too late. Cara hesitated. That single fleeting moment was all the time Venti needed to release a powerful burst of Anemo that emanated from his entire body and send her careening back in a shockwave of wind. The gnosis was lost from her grasp. She crashed into the ground and rolled on to her side, her own breath lost within her.

  All of her anger and frustration with Venti vanished in her pain. She coughed and slowly pushed herself to her feet, clutching her side as she wheezed. Everything hurt. The leg wound Venti gave her had already healed, but now it was beginning to ache again. The light in her blood slowly ebbed away. Once again, her power was lost to her.

  The tornado’s intensity was elevated. Cara’s hair whipped around as she was battered by its winds. Bits of the Thousand Winds Temple were being cracked off and sucked into the cyclone. She heard a growl; she saw Venti slowly rise to his feet, wobbling a little as he panted. His hand was over his heart. He looked at her with hooded eyes, furious, terrifying.

  “You…just made…a very, very big mistake,” he said.

  And then a gust of wind carried him into the air. She watched, in fascinated horror, as white feathers began to sprout from his arms, out of his legs, and then his face and even his hair. The wind ripped them off and caused them to swirl around him until he was completely obscured by a whirling cocoon of feathers.

  Two gigantic white wings broke through and spread to an impressive length. The feathers were swept away with each beat. And out of them emerged a god shining with the essence of Anemo. He hovered in the air, as radiant as an angel. He was so absolutely beautiful, it physically hurt to look at him.

  When the god spoke, immense pressure slammed into her and made her nearly sink to her knees. The aura this being possessed was so incredibly raw and powerful, it made her mind go blank and her body go absolutely haywire. All she could hear was the roar of the wind. She felt like she was being pierced by a million arrows, her flesh being torn, her consciousness being ripped to shreds. She was going insane. Just being in his presence was driving her mad.

  “Imposter,” he announced, and his voice was amplified by the scream of the tornado, so that it sounded like it was coming from every direction and bombarding her. “Say my name. Say it, so that you may remember the Archon who damned your soul to the Abyss for sullying the name of Her Grace, the Almother.”

  Cara had no choice but to comply. The wind gripped her and forced the name to march out of her mouth. “Barbatos,” she breathed.

  The god smiled. “Good. Now die.”

  The Elegy for the End materialized, but this time, an absolutely massive arrow made out of pure Anemo energy was formed and released from it. Cara snapped out of whatever stupor Barbartos’ presence had inflicted on her and threw herself out of the way when the arrow slammed down into the ground and shattered the Thousand Winds Temple’s floor. More followed. She was running for her life as she dodged the elemental arrows with heads big enough to take off her entire arm if contact was made.

  “I told you what Her Grace wanted me to do to you,” Barbatos snarled from above. “And now I’m going to go through with it. Playtime is over. I’ve had my fun with you. Now I want you out of my sight.” He flapped his wings and lunged for her, swooping over the amphitheater like a bird of prey. Cara yelped and dodged. Where Barbatos flew, a trail of destruction followed in his wake. Whatever he swooped over was decimated by Anemo energy. If she hadn’t gotten out of the way in time, she would have ended up like that too.

   I can’t fight this, she realized. Not when he’s in this state. Venti she could just barely handle. But Barbatos? In no way was she equipped to beat him in battle. His power of flight gave him the ultimate advantage, and she could not reach him if he was constantly in the air. How was she going to do this?

   Use your power, the voice inside her head whispered. Take his wind and make it your own. Force him to remember you.

  Barbatos rose high into the air and held out his hand. A wind spear formed, and he hurled it at her with incredible speed and strength. Her first instinct was to run…but then something told her to do otherwise. She raised her hand and watched her palm light up gold. The spear shuddered and slowed. It started to glow gold, and then it exploded. Barbatos was hit by the force and fell back with a shriek.

  She stood there in utter disbelief. What…what had she just done?

  “Seizing control of my Anemo won’t do you any good!” Barbatos yelled at her. The Archon formed more wind spears, throwing one after another at her. Some of them she deflected with her sword. Others she used her own power to throw against him, the golden light blasting him in the face and causing him to screech in pain like a wounded eagle. It made her heart ache to hurt him like this, but she couldn’t hold back due to her feelings and empathy. She needed that gnosis. Whatever it took, she was going to get it.

  “Barbatos!” she yelled at him. “This fight is meaningless!” She dodged a giant wind arrow. “I’m not your enemy! Please, listen to me!”

  He didn’t answer. He dived to attack her again, and she had to run to avoid the destructive Anemo whirling behind him. She kept pleading to him. “I don’t know you as the god of the wind or Lord Barbatos! I know you as Venti! You're funny, you’re kind, and you are not meant to be a puppet of the Madness! You are greater than anything the Abyss can throw at you!”

  The tornado roared. Cara’s knees grew weak as she looked into the face of the god hovering before her. “You need to recognize me!” She dodged the wind strikes by a hair’s length as she ran. “I’m your warrior!” She leapt over a fallen pillar and blocked a series of wind spears. “Don’t you remember? We’ve been through so much together! We’re friends!”

  Barbatos screamed in frustration and sent forth a giant Anemo-infused arrow. It came zooming towards her, but she reacted in time and shot out her hand. Golden light shattered through her skin, and the arrow stuttered to a halt, its tip inches away from impaling her. She grimaced under the weight of the wind bearing down upon her; the will of the Anemo Archon was trying to crush her to bits. “Venti!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. “You need to remember who I am!”

  Her power overtook the arrow and possessed it. Cara filled it with all of her feelings and memories, of the joy she felt when she had first gotten him during one of his banners, of the journeys they had been on together, of the events, the festivals, the songs and the love she felt for him deep within her heart. Come back to me. Listen to me. We know each other. Let me set you free. The arrow, having a new target, circled and barreled right back for Barbatos. The Archon faltered, his face falling into an expression of confused shock. He didn’t have enough time to move out of the way.

  The arrow, golden, pierced his heart. Where a wound should have formed, there was light. Barbatos’ eyes widened, and a gasp was flung from his lips. The red was chased out of his irises and was replaced with the healing elixir of aureation. He looked at Cara.

  “Windblume?” he murmured, as soft as a whispering breeze.

  And then his wings gave out and the god of the wind crumpled, his entire body going limp while he fell through the sky like an injured bird or a dying dragon. Barbatos crashed into the ruins of the Thousand Winds Temple with a rumbling boom. Dust and bits of stone sprayed everywhere. Some of the few remaining standing pillars finally fell, adding to the cacophony of noise.

  “Venti!” Cara cried. She ran to where he fell, fear and worry spurring on her actions.

  Within a crater of rubble the form of the defeated god laid, his wings curled around him as if they were attempting to shield him from the outside world. She dared not get too close, aware of just how powerful this form of his was. One wack from his wing, and she would be killed immediately. But was he alive? Was he okay? She couldn’t tell if he was breathing. What if she killed him?

  “Venti.” Her voice was desperate. She felt like she was about to burst into tears. “Venti, please, get up. Please!”

  The god did not move. Cara covered her mouth in horror and stumbled back. She dropped her sword and squeezed her eyes shut. I killed him. I killed him. Oh dear god, he’s dead. This can’t be happening. I’m a monster. I’m-

  A low groan made her eyes fly open. She watched, frozen in place, as Barbatos slowly dragged himself out of the hole. When he stood, he towered over her, much taller than he was in his mortal form. His wings flared as he struggled to keep his balance, giving him an even more intimidating appearance. However, the reality was anything but. Barbatos looked exhausted, his head bent as he wobbled. Cara held her breath, afraid to say anything. The relief she felt at seeing him alive fought bitterly with her fear of him. She wanted oh-so badly to run up to him and give him the biggest hug, but she was too afraid he would try to attack her if she did so. So she stayed put and waited.

  Barbatos looked at her. His eyes were filmed over with tears. And then he fell to his knees.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.”

  Cara didn’t say a word.

  Tears streamed down Venti’s cheeks as he sobbed out the same watery words over and over again. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I’m sorry!” His wings shuddered and fell to his sides, snowy feathers stained gray from dust and dirt. He descended into a blubbering mess, completely breaking down. Any menace, any fury, any hatred for her vanished in the wind.

  Cara, feeling the full effects of the injuries she had procured during their fight, now that her adrenaline was wearing away, drew in a deep, deep breath. She limped over to Venti and knelt down in front of him. He stared at her with an expression of pure regret and heartbreak, green eyes wide and guilty, little whimpers leaving his mouth as he continued to cry. He spoke no longer; he seemed to be awaiting a reaction from her, most likely a negative one.

  Cara didn’t say anything. She leaned forward and gathered him into a tight hug.

  He stiffened in shock for only a moment before he melted into the embrace and hugged her back, his soft sobs elevating to muffled wails when he buried his face into her shoulder. Warmth encompassed her when his wings wrapped around her, holding her close, soft feathers brushing against her cheeks and back. Cara squeezed him gently.

  “It’s okay,” she murmured to him. “It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not,” Venti hiccuped. “It’s not okay at all. I-I hurt you. I hunted you. I hated you. I wanted to kill you. I-I didn’t even realize…how could I have not realized? How couldn’t I have known? The Madness…the false Creator…oh, gods, you can’t forgive me. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

  Cara rubbed his back soothingly. “Do you remember me?”

  “I remember everything,” he replied. “My god, my warrior, my windblume, my muse. You came to me in the form of another all of those ages ago and I’ve been yours ever since. I’ve worshiped you for millennia, since before I was even an Archon. Your Grace…you’ve freed me from the corruption.”

  Cara’s cheeks blushed a slight red. She smiled a little and chuckled. “Just Cara is fine. No need to call me Your Grace. Though, even if I tell you that, I’m guessing you're just going to keep saying it regardless of what I tell you to call me.”

  “Cara.” Venti sighed, and a gentle wind blew. The cyclone was slowly dissolving away, and above them, the sun peeked through the clouds and cast its warmth upon them. “I like that name. I’ve never been a god that’s particularly fond of formal titles.”

  Cara chuckled again. There’s the Venti I know.

  “I’m sorry.” Venti sniffled. “I’m sorry. I-I’ve committed horrible acts against you. All of Monstadt has. We-we were cruel. Heartless. The Madness has fogged our minds for so long…”

  Cara gave him one last gentle squeeze before she pulled away. He unfurled his wings and stood up with her. His hand went to interlock with hers, and she accepted. “How long has this been going on?” she asked him.

  With his other hand, Venti wiped his tears away. “Years. The Creator-well, I guess I should say the false Creator now-descended to Teyvat…20 years ago? 50? I-I can’t remember. The exact number is foggy…I distinctly recall her arriving long before you chose me to be a Vessel. But when it happened, all of Teyvat rejoiced…except Teyvat itself. The wind hates the false Creator. It despises her. I should have taken it as a sign back then, I should have realized there was something wrong.” He shook his head sorrowfully. “But by then, I guess it was already too late.”

  “How does the Madness spread?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t remember when I was infected. I didn’t even know I was infected until you freed me. All I know is that it filled me with a deep anger, a hatred so red it tasted like blood on my tongue. It was a hatred for anyone who might speak or act against the false Creator.”

  Cara sighed. None of these answers helped solve the mystery of the Madness. “It’s so strange…all of Monstadt seems to be infected by it, even non-Vision-holders. And for the people that aren’t infected by it, their fear of the false Creator and her capabilities keeps them in line…just what sort of entity is this true imposter?”

  Venti was silent for a moment as he thought. Then he gasped and flapped his wings excitedly. “I think I’ve got it! The false Creator doesn’t just infect the Madness willy nilly! She targets specific people! National leaders like Jean, ruthless fighters like Diluc, Archons like me! The more positions of power she can indirectly control through the Madness-infected Vessels, the stronger she is!”

  “Holy shit Venti, you're right.” Now that she thought about it, such an idea certainly made a lot of sense. “But then why isn’t Kaeya infected? He’s the Cavalry captain, I’d consider that a position of power. Bennett and Razor know the land really well and would work as excellent trackers…why aren’t they infected, too?”

  “Probably because they’re three of the new Nine Choirs,” Venti answered matter-of-factly.

  Cara stared at him.

  “I’m sorry, what?” she said.

  “The Nine Choirs? You mean you haven’t heard of them? They were nine Vision-holders who were chosen to become Caratrice’s envoys and ascend to godhood. Each of them had a specific ideal they represented so that they could help protect Teyvat from Armageddon’s corruption. When Caratrice died, there was really no need for them, so they disappeared, and were eventually replaced with Celestia and the Seven. But now that you’ve returned, and there’s an obvious crisis happening in Teyvat right now, the Nine Choirs are needed again! Kaeya, Bennett, Razor…you’ve chosen them to ascend to godhood.”

  Another bout of silence from Cara. She felt slightly dizzy as she was fed this information. “H-Huh?”

  Venti looked at her with newfound concern. “Are you alright? Are you going to faint? Please, hold onto me, I won’t let you fall. I know this is, ah, quite a lot to take in after surviving a battle with an Archon.” He chuckled nervously.

  “D-Do Kaeya, Bennett, and Razor know about this?” she asked him.

  Venti scrunched his nose and hummed while he thought. “Mmm, I don’t think so. If they’ve ascended to godhood already, trust me, you’d know. A lot of…physical changes would happen. But don’t worry, it’ll happen soon enough! One of them will ascend eventually, and then the rest will follow! You just need to keep an eye out for the lucky Vessel who will be the first.”

  “I want you to be one of the new Nine,” Cara said without thinking. She blurted out the words with no hesitation. “I want you to come with us. Please. Don’t stay here. Now that you're free, the false Creator will know, and she’ll come for you. I can protect you if you're with me. Venti, please, come with us.”

  Venti’s mouth dropped. “You…want me to be one of the new Nine? After everything that just happened…after the things I’ve done to you…you’d choose me for such a high honor? Aren’t…aren’t you afraid of me? Don’t you hate me?”

  “Venti. Look at me.” She held his face in her hands. “I could never, ever hate you. I don’t hold any of this against you. You aren’t the person who has to be punished for this. I forgive you for what you’ve done. I forgive Monstadt, and everyone in it who hunted me. I couldn’t get myself to hate any of you even if I tried.”

  Tears started to well up in Venti’s eyes again. “You…you're so kind. So very, very kind. To forgive a sinner like me to the point where you even want me to stand by your side as one of your apostles…you truly are the Creator.” He hugged her again, his forehead resting against hers. “I love you.”

  Cara’s bottom lip quivered. Tears of her own slid off of her chin. “I love you too. I love you so very much, Venti.”

  Venti’s sigh was soft. Reserved. Final. “…But I can’t come with you.”

  She felt her heart sink. He seemed to sense it, because a soft noise that sounded oddly like the coo of a dove rumbled in his throat, and he held her with his wings. “It’s not that I don’t want to. I want nothing more than to accept your offer. But…I’m an Archon. And if I accept a seat with the Nine, I lose my position with the Seven. Then Monstadt will be without a god, and the false Creator will know I’ve been freed. She’ll go after the people in the city… everyone, not just the infected Vision-holders. Monstadt will be reduced to a pile of rubble. I-I can’t let that happen. I just can’t.”

  Thinking of Monstadt being completely destroyed made Cara feel sick. She quickly agreed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spring such an idea on you. I should have thought of the consequences-”

  “Don’t apologize,” he quickly reassured. “You have nothing to apologize for. As the Creator, you are allowed to invite anyone you deem as favorable to accept a seat in the Nine. If Monstadt weren’t in the circumstances of today, I would accept. I really, really would. But I can’t. I have to remain here to keep Monstadt safe. Please understand.”

  “I do. I do understand. You don’t have to worry.” Cara gave him a tearful smile. “This is why you're one of my favorites.”

  Venti squeaked and fluttered back. “I-I’m one of your favorites?”

  “What, is that so hard to believe?” Cara laughed when she saw his flustered reaction.

  “K-Kinda!” Venti replied, his hands flying to his face to hide the deep blush settling over his cheeks.

  She laughed again. “See? This is why you're one of my favorites. I don’t think I could get any of the other Archons to react this way.” She sighed and let her shoulders slump a little. “Speaking of the other Archons…”

  “You're heading to Liyue next.” Venti’s wings sagged sadly.

  She nodded. “Mhm.”

  “Going there…it won’t be easy for you. Liyue is the nation of contracts, the nation of law. Their god…is extremely faithful to the Creator. I guess that means he’s technically extremely faithful to you, but being the blundering buffoon he is, he was probably infected with the Madness long before I was, so…you can fill in the blanks from there. Your Grace…Cara…Liyue will be even more dangerous for you than Monstadt. There are beings there that don’t exist here, and if they see you, they will stop at nothing to kill you. Which is why…I’m going to give you this.”

  He held out his hand and closed his fist. From between his fingers filtered a bright light. Cara had to squint a little when she watched in wonder as he opened his palm and up floated the Anemo gnosis. It hovered in the air, Anemo energy floating around it as it shined.

  “Go on,” Venti softly encouraged. “Take it.”

  She reached out a trembling hand, not knowing what to expect. Her fingers brushed against the cool metal of the gnosis’ surface, and a short tingle shot through her hand. When nothing happened, she grasped it, cradling it in her palms like it was the most delicate thing in the world. The gnosis floated just a little bit above the surface of her hands. Both her and Venti stared down at it.

  “Huh.” Venti sounded disappointed. “I was sure something a little more dramatic might happen.”

  She opened her mouth, intending to say “Well, what am I supposed to do with it now?” when all of a sudden, the gnosis began to hum, and a blinding light exploded from it and overtook her entire vision.

  She felt her body lift off of the ground-how, she didn’t know, but it was definitely happening-and her back tipped until she was belly-up, facing what she assumed was the sky. She couldn’t see anything except pure teal-green light, and she couldn’t hear anything except for the humming of the gnosis. It was vaguely familiar to when she had traveled through the teleport waypoint subspace. However, unlike that time, she was not in any pain. She did not feel panicked. Instead, she felt oddly at peace, like this was meant to happen. The light soothed her, and the humming implored her to relax. Her eyes fluttered shut.

  Her arms moved on their own accord. They positioned over her chest, and she felt her heart jump. The gnosis, still in her hands, pulsed in tandem with the beating of her heart. She felt its base settle on her chest. An intense warmth seeped into her, winding through her body. Wind began to pick up all around her, swirling around her arms, her legs, and traveling all the way directly into her heart and soul. She accepted the power without even having to think about it. The wind was in her. It knew her.

  The light dimmed, and Cara gently floated down to the ground.

  “Cara? Your Grace?” Venti’s voice spoke frantically above her. “Are you alright? Can you hear me?”

  Her eyes opened and she breathed in and out deeply as she stared up at his familiar face. She sat up, searching for the gnosis, only to realize that it had disappeared.

  “The gnosis,” she said. “Where is it?”

  “Didn’t you feel it?” Venti answered. He pointed at her chest. “It’s right in there.”

  She looked down and saw nothing but her own body. But then the wind blew, and she was startled when she heard its voice. It was not Venti. It was not a physical, corporal voice she could hear, but rather something she could sense. It was all around her, flowing with the breeze, because it was the breeze itself.

  “The gnosis is part of you now,” Venti said. “It no longer has a physical form. You’ve gained control over Anemo. Nothing can hold you back from using it as I can.”

  As he said this, a small Anemo symbol pulsed directly over her heart once before disappearing. She was silent, comprehending everything that had just happened.

  “Are you alright?” Venti asked.

  She nodded, then shook her head, and then nodded again. How was she supposed to respond? “I…I really have Anemo powers now?”

  “Yup!” Venti puffed out his chest, obviously prideful. “The wind is at your service, Your Grace! How do you feel? You want to test your new abilities out?”

  Cara held out her hand. “What do I do? Do I just-"

  Anemo energy started to swirl between her fingertips. She shrieked when she felt the rush of the wind and snatched her hand back, shaking it a little. Venti let out a little shout of glee. “It works!”

  “Oh my god.” She started to laugh. “Oh my god. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod, I have Anemo powers! Holy shit!”

  Venti looked absolutely overjoyed with her reaction. “So, I’m guessing you're excited?”

  “Excited? Excited? This is more than just excitement! This is absolutely incredible!” She held out her hand again. Dutifully, the wind bent to her will, little swirls of Anemo weaving between her fingers. It looked distinctly like the tail of a dragon with a large tuft of fur on the end. She watched it with wonder and delight, her heart racing. She felt airy and light, floating on cloud nine, absolutely floored that this was happening right now.

  “I’m glad you're happy about it!” Venti’s laughter tapered off when he seemed to realize something. His expression fell into a look of sorrow. “I wish I could teach you how to truly control it. There’s so much I want to show you. There’s so much the two of us could do…but you can’t stay here.”

  Cara’s hand dropped. The dragon’s tail dissipated, its furry end waving forlornly to her before disappearing.

  “You have what you came here for,” Venti continued. “Now that you’ve restored a fraction of your power, the false Creator will sense it. The Anemo gnosis has been lost to her. When she finds out-and she will-the first person she’ll question will be me. You need to go. If you stay in Monstadt, she’ll find you.”

  Even though she knew it was a lost cause, she begged him again. “Venti, please, come with us.”

  “You know it’s impossible.”

  “I know. I know it is. But I want to try. I can’t leave you here to face her. She’ll know you’ve been freed from her control. She’ll try to infect you again.”

  Venti sighed softly. “I know. I want it to happen.”

  She blanched, horrified. “What?”

  “The false Creator will be too focused on me to worry about you while you flee Monstadt. By the time she’s done with me, you’ll be long gone. She doesn’t have control over the wind anymore. Once you're in Liyue, she won’t be able to track you as easily as she was able to before.”

  “Venti, I’m not going to let you sacrifice yourself for me-“

  “I’m not sacrificing myself.” Venti clutched her hands in his and pulled them to his chest. “I’m not, because I know you’ll come back for me. I know you’ll come back for all of us. You’ll destroy the Madness. This isn’t permanent. You and the Nine Choirs will save us all.”

  “How do you know?” Cara asked with a hint of desperation. “How can you be so sure? I’m not like you. I don’t have the experience of an original Archon. I’m not the god you think I am.”

  “No, you aren’t. You're someone entirely new. And that’s why I have so much faith in you. Because I’ve heard your voice, and I’ve felt your presence, and despite everything, no matter how many times we beat you and battered you down, you still got back up and fought again. You don’t fight to sacrifice. You fight to save. Trust me, there’s a huge difference.” He cupped her cheek, the cheek with her eye scar, and let his thumb trail against it, wiping away her rapidly forming tears. “You know, it’s strange to hold you like this. For so long, I’ve only ever known you as the god beyond the sky.”

  Cara couldn’t help it. She laughed softly and leaned into his touch, sniffling. “Do you not like what you see?”

  “I do. Because it’s still you. You're still Her Grace. You're still Cara.” He helped her up to her feet, supporting her while she trembled slightly and cried. “Go. Find Kaeya, Bennett, and Razor. The wind will guide you. Pass through the Stone Gate into Liyue. I’ll use my power to ensure you leave Monstadt safely. But after that, I won’t be able to do anything else.”

  He was crying. Tears dripped down his freckled cheeks. A god weeping for the departure of his creator. She was moved by the sight and pulled him in for one final hug. “I love you, Venti.”

  “I love you too.” He hugged her back. “Before you leave, I have something I want to give you. I see Albedo left you with a little keepsake to remember him by.” His wingtips tapped her Solar Isotoma keychain, making its light pulse.

  Cara’s cheeks burned red, and she quickly stepped away. “W-Wait, it’s not what you think-“

  He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I didn’t mean it like that. I only want to remind you that he’s not the only one who can give you heartfelt presents. Behold, a gift from the wind itself!”

  He raised his arms and spread his wings. Wind gathered around him, and forming directly out of the Anemo energy he was calling forth, a beautiful wind glider materialized in front of her. Bright blue feathers knitted themselves to a bronze frame, creating a glider that fluttered with the wine’s breeze and gave her a distinct sense of freedom when she looked at it. She held out her hands, and the glider settled over them, surprisingly light and easy to carry.

  “Tada!” Venti declared. “Your very own wind glider! You don’t seem to have one, and it’ll be a long time before you regain your own wings, so I thought, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I gave you a temporary pair?” It’s not true flight you’ll be doing with these, but they’re the next best thing!”

  Cara ran her hand over the soft feathers. She was in awe of the craftsmanship and how something so intricately beautiful could be produced from nothing more than the wind.

  “Do you like it?” Venti asked, a little shyly.

  She beamed at him. “Venti, I love it. Thank you so much!” The glider dissolved into little bits of light that traveled to her back and disappeared directly over her shoulder blades.

  He looked delighted. “I’m so glad! If you ever need to use it, rest assured that the wind will be there to catch you. I may not be able to truly protect you outside of Monstadt, but Teyvat can, and it will.” He was saddened again, and sighed. “It’s time for you to go.”

  She nodded, protesting no longer. The two of them stood in silence for a moment. Then, she hugged him one last time. “I’m going to come back for all of you. I promise. I won’t forget.”

  “I know you won’t.” Venti clung to her for a moment longer, then reluctantly pushed her away. “Now go. I’ll buy you guys some time. Be safe. Stay cautious. Your journey is only going to get harder from here.”

  Her legs were heavy as lead when she forced herself to walk away. She waved goodbye to Venti, who was making no effort to hide his tears. She felt his gaze linger on her while she picked her way through the destroyed Thousand Winds Temple. She could not allow herself to look back. If she did, she knew she might go running back to him. Her time with the Venti she knew had been too short, but she would treasure it until she found herself back to him again.

  She did not want to leave Monstadt. Not anymore. But she had no choice. Against all odds, she accomplished her first quest. She had the Anemo gnosis and kept her life. One down. Six more to go.

  Onward to Liyue.

  A few hours later, Venti still remained at the Thousand Winds Temple. He had reverted to his mortal disguise and had once again taken a seat on a fallen pillar to softly play his lyre. The sun was beginning to set, casting the world in its darkness. He could feel the wind whispering to him, telling him of Her Grace’s whereabouts. Southwest from here, towards the Stone Gate. When they pass through, you will be cut off. But we will always be watching over her.

  He smiled. Though the Anemo gnosis was no longer with him, he felt assured that its powers were in the right hands. He was aware of the prophecy speaking of Caratrice’s reincarnation. Now that he was freed from the Madness, he could remember everything he had learned. The Abysmal powers that had previously infected him were comparable to that of a mask: it clouded his senses, obscuring his judgment and confusing his mind. When he looked back on how he had felt before Cara’s light cleansed him, all he could recall was anger and hatred. It was an unnatural feeling. The memories did not feel like his own. Even back in the Archon War days, when he had been in his prime, he had refused to act out on raw emotion. He did not consider himself a vengeful god. The Madness had turned him into a twisted version of himself that made him feel sick to his stomach.

   If the Madness did that to someone like me, he thought, then what type of person has it turned Morax into?

  The wind trembled. He felt fear.

  Then, a foreign presence he knew, and now hated, entered his mind. His eyes opened and he smiled. The time has come. Just as he anticipated.

   “Barbatos,” the false Creator hissed. Her voice no longer sounded as sweet as the Madness had made it out to be. “Where is she?”

   He continued to gently strum his lyre. “I don’t know.”

   “She isn’t in the city. She isn’t in Springvale. The Abyss cannot find her anywhere in Monstadt. You told me she was heading for your location. You assured me you had this under control. So what happened?”

  Gods, her voice was sickening to listen to. Venti felt slightly ill. It felt like poison was slowly being injected into his bloodstream. “She never showed up. The winds don’t know where she is either. You better keep searching.”

  The false Creator snarled. “You dare talk to me with that tone?”

  “My apologies. I meant no offense by it.”

  She was silent. If not for the oppressive mental force bearing down upon him, he would have thought she left. He held his breath and closed his eyes. Though he knew what would come next, he still found himself bracing.

  Gigantic claws seized his brain. Venti’s eyes flew open and his mouth dropped in a silent scream as he was rendered immobile. His lyre dropped from his hands.

   “Did you think you could fool me?” the false Creator whispered dangerously into his ear. “Barbatos…you traitor. You despicable rodent.”

   “I am no traitor.” Venti struggled to speak, and yet he found it within himself to laugh. “I am freed. What sort of god of freedom would I be if not for that?”

   “Silence!” The false Creator roared. “You are in no position to speak right now! Is she in Liyue? If she is, you know she will not survive there long. You are delivering her right into death’s claws!”

  “You underestimate her. She won’t go down so easily. A dragon never loses its fire. She will fly again.”

  The weight of the false Creator’s consciousness was growing heavier and heavier. “You will be punished for this, Barbatos. For your disobedience, you will suffer. I cannot kill you. But I can break you, and I will take you back as my pawn. Caratrice will be found. I will capture her. And when I do, you will be the one to kill her. I will take your hands and force them to carve out her heart, and I will make you watch as you kill the one you adore with as much freedom and clarity I can give you. Do you understand me? You have angered me greatly.”

  “You…won’t find her.” Venti grimaced in pain. He could feel his entire body being squeezed, like he was being crushed, and it was excruciating. Barely able to speak, he managed to sputter out his final words. “I have seen the future. I know what will happen. The wind…will always be there to protect her. The wind…will forever love her like I do.”

  The false Creator let out an infuriated bellow. The great claws clamped down on Venti, and this time, he did scream. His shriek of pain caused the wind to roil, and a great gust swept over the Thousand Winds Temple with enough force to rattle the ruins and whips wounds into the earth. Something was being pumped into his mind…and then it was in his body, and finally infecting his heart. The image of Cara’s smiling face was lost. He completely passed out.

  When he awoke, all he could feel was anger, and all he could see was red.

#messianic aureation #genshin #genshin impact #sagau #genshin sagau #genshin cult au #sagau impostor au #venti #lord barbatos #barbatos #genshin impact fanfiction

[satonthelotuspier]

I'd love to hear more about LASTCHENGXIANICORN

Oh lord I've had this cooking in my head for at least two years now so it'll probably never get written, sadly, but its a cx based losely on the l/ast u/nicorn (haha bet you couldn't have guessed that from the title right?)

But instead of u/nicorns, JC and his family being dragons who live in the lakes and rivers of Yunmeng, controlling the rains and waterways and generally minding their own dragon-business and being worshipped by the locals for doing dragon-stuff.

Wen Ruohan is King Haggard, who is only happy when looking at dragons, and his Yangwu (instead of the Red Bull) travels far and wide around the lands rounding up all the dragons and driving them to the ends of the earth for Wen Ruohan. The Yangwu eventually reaches Yunmeng.

JC doesn't remember anything after the arrival of the Yangwu, and when he next wakes up he's been captured by a wandering shaman type charlatan Xue Yang, who's peddling cages full of illusions to the public. Except the extremely dangerous SL (meant to be the harpy) and XXC (Arachne), who are very real. I'll work out what suits them better later. XY tells JC he's lucky XY found him, or the Yangwu would already have hounded him to the end of the earth, so at least one dragon survives. Which of course upsets JC because he's now worried for his family.

WWX, a wanderer with no memories of his own past, but with some skills with talismans and rituals, was passing by the area and came to see what all the fuss was about, and decides he has to free JC and the others that evening. Which he does. SL kills XY, and SL/XXC escape together. Meanwhile JC tells WWX what XY told him about the dragons being driven to the ends of the earth by the Yangwu, and WWX agrees to go along with JC to help him find out what happened to his family and all the other dragons.

Eventually however the Yangwu find them, and WWX seals away JCs powers to save him, and the ritual forces him into a permanent human body and the Yangwu loses interest and retreats.

They continue to WRH's castle, JC resenting and blaming WWX for the suffering he's caused now JC is in a mortal body, and struggling to deal with it, WWX is falling in love, and it's all a mess.

When they finally arrive at WRH's, he allows them to stay because he believes it will be good entertainment to see the dragon struggle with this new reality, and fade because dragons were never meant to have to deal with being mortal, and wow he's a dick.

Some very wicked plot twists about WWX and his origins are included for free too, and I love them, but I'd be loath to let them out of the bag, but also will I ever write it and they're big brain enough to share...

Even just revisiting the concept to reproduce it here is making me wish I could just drag it fully formed out of my head because I still love the idea sm.

Ty for the ask! (Sorry for the ages it took me to get around to coming back to answer)

#chengxian #answer #tag game

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

Alright, I'm doing Soy Luna too. Starting with the canon ships, which means every ship that was endgame.

Before you're worried where Gastina is, they're gonna be in the non-endgames poll. We're being faced with the sad reality in on tumblr today.

#soy luna

[urstruly-ghst]

happy birthday, deuce spade!

note : i am so happy that my classes are soon to be over, and i am also so happy to see that i got 700+ followers! thank you for the support, and with that i would like to announce two things:

1. i am opening my requests once again! 2. i might be opening commissions soon!

Every year on his birthday, Deuce has this odd tradition. It was stacking these machine parts and trying to make sense and make something new, and he found it pretty interesting. Since he was a child who fended for himself for a long time, he had to learn to be creative, innovate new things, or fix the old. It was a staple in his old house to have some broken pipes or light bulbs, and he had to lower their bills to lessen the money spent on something Deuce could fix.

Deuce then carried on to be a handyman of sorts, only for the practical machines. He wasn’t a genius and wasn’t capable of making complex machines. If he were, he would be in Ignihyde, but he is in Heartslabyul. He represents the Deuce card of Spades, and he is beyond happy to do so.

This odd tradition of making some new practical machines (aka just upgrading some of his trinkets) carried on, even if he was a student and no longer needed to worry extensively about finances when his school was a prestigious college. This leads to him being shut-in for a few hours just to make something useful or something new for his mom. 

Many of his birthdays weren’t the lavish classic birthday, and it was usually filled with kitchen table bills and a small baked cake his mother made. It was a simple celebration if you can call it that, but it was more than enough to make him smile. Deuce is an easily satisfied man, give him a card and simple machinery, and he smiles ear to ear.

He was used to being a simple person, and he didn’t expect such great life after his shady and hurtful past. A delinquent getting something good after hurting multiple people? That’s unfair, at least that’s what he thinks. It is probably the unsettling guilt and sadness that he can’t remove the harsh and brash delinquent side altogether. It was like a pesky bee, buzzing and following you with the intent not to stop. 

So, it was such a surprise when his dorm, and you, had made a lavish celebration in the name of his birth. Deuce was gobsmacked, at a loss for words, and flattered. His cheeks felt warm, and his sweat stuck profusely to his uniform. None of his work was noteworthy, so why the sudden celebration?

Unknown to him, he was noteworthy. Deuce may only remember a lot of his mistakes, the chandelier and tart incident, the Overblots, the countless times he failed to save you from harm; yet he forgets all the times he did his magic and cheering. At times, he was the logical one, where he defended every action you did when you did your absolute best.

He discredits himself when he shouldn’t, not after doing everything to make you and everyone else happy and a bit fuming. Deuce is a bit dense. However, Deuce has this smile and spirit that screams: “Why give up? We got this!”

Given his attitude, a lot of the impact is evident. It can be minuscule in the grand scheme of things, a tad cheesy, but that is him. That is Deuce Spade, the former delinquent who would use magic to beat someone up only to redeem himself, later on, the good old handyman of his mom, and the best friend anyone could lean on to. 

Being pulled back to reality, Deuce nearly let out a cry. The inviting smiles (though Ace had a weird snarky grin), the expectant stares, and the delicious cake with candles shone on his face. It was a warm feeling, being welcomed with smiles.

Then, a pie shot at his face. Ace stood at the side while everyone gasped. Was Ace planning to be a brat today? Instead of being angry and ready to fight, Deuce laughed. He let out a big smile, it might be messy, but it showed something.

Deuce Spade is no longer the scary delinquent in someone’s eyes, and he is now just their friend. You smiled as you saw Deuce rolling his sleeves and also bound to make a mess. Riddle sighed, but the glimmer in his eyes showed that the mess was worth it. Fun was just about to start in the Heartslabyul dorm.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #twst deuce spade #twst deuce #deuce spade #deuce spade x reader

[aquanology]

IT'S SPECULATION TIME AGAIN

Hey so we all remember how last chapter went and how I expressed my emotions about how it showed the characters progression in their relationship as a group and how it was fabulous, well yeah now we're gonna talk about how we're in a big trouble right now so hope we're all ready for this mess :)

So first of all I want to talk about the financial state of our boys we all remember this panel after all

And I want you to keep it in mind so I can show you my points in the most clear way possible.

1. So since I'm pretty sure that neither HC or Q are gonna tell JY's mother about his injuries, since he was supposedly under their protection and such I'm pretty sure they will cover the hospital expenses, and no the boys won't cuz they are broke and I think HC and Q have to be responsible since they didn't protect JY.

2. I think HT is gonna try to not only protect Mo but also avenge JY (and Mo) which I'm sure would be very dangerous and I'm even more confident about them trying to stop HT from doing such things to SL.

3. I don't like this but I think that JY will be left in a very vulnerable state with the high risk of getting kidnapped but not inside the hospital but when he is outside of it, ofcourse I'm putting in the factor that HC might be smart and kind enough to give JY guards but I'm not how JY's ego is gonna handle that one, and so I think he would be left in a vulnerable state after getting out of the hospital. And factoring in the reality of JY's bad fighting skill and carelessness the risk would only get higher.

(Sorry I kinda trash talked JY but one day I will redeem him in my eyes and yours too)

\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|

Sorry if this was short I want to realse this as soon as chapter 398 got out but I was too slow and then chapter 399 dropped lol Anyway I think chapter 400 is not gonna be story continuation but rather something else like a celebration, small prediction here. Hope you enjoyed this♡

#19 days #he tian #mo guan shan #jian yi #she li #he cheng #Qui #zheng xi #19days predictions

[twistedtummies2]

Top 7 Headless Horsemen

In my previous list, I talked about my favorite versions of Ichabod Crane - the central protagonist of Washington Irving’s timeless tale of terror, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Now, it’s time to talk about the spectral antagonist who haunts the Hollow himself: the Headless Horseman. Legends of Headless Horsemen, in general, are actually more common than you might think…but when people think of THE Headless Horseman, it’s always the one from Sleepy Hollow who comes to mind. The Horseman has become an icon of Halloween and classic horror, on par with such creatures as Count Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster. This is ironic, because in the original story, it’s actually left ambiguous if the dark figure who chases Ichabod down at the climax of the tale is the real Horseman, or just Brom Bones in disguise. Indeed, ambiguity is a big part of what makes the Headless Horseman such an iconic figure, I would venture to say: most takes on the Horseman aren’t really proper “characters” so much as they are monstrous entities, almost a force of nature rather than a developed person, so to speak. Even if their identity or reality is not in question, they, themselves, remain enigmatic, to a degree. Only a few versions really try to expand on the Horseman, with varying degrees of success. For this list, there are two basic rules. One, the character has to be either proven to be the actual Horseman, or the ambiguity of identity has to be kept intact. If they are revealed to be Brom Bone (or anyone else) in disguise, they don’t count. Two, I’m only counting the Horseman of Sleepy Hollow HIMSELF, so characters who are inspired by the Horseman or are completely different Headless Horsemen will not be counted. (So no World of Warcraft or Hecarim’s Horseman Form from League of Legends.) With that said, here are My Top 7 Headless Horsemen!

7. The Version from “The Hollow.”

This 2004 TV Film is…not very good, to be perfectly honest. In fact, until the Horseman shows up, it’s pretty darn boring, and some things in it don’t honestly make a lot of sense. It’s a pretty standard slasher-type film with a Sleepy Hollow motif, more than anything else: the movie focuses on a teenaged descendant of Ichabod Crane, named Ian, who effectively faces a modern-age, teenaged retelling of the story, as he has a rivalry with a jock named Brody, and a romance with a popular girl named Karen - obvious stand-ins for Brom Bones and Katrina. The Horseman doesn’t appear until the last third or so of the picture, swooping into town, galloping through the streets, lopping off the heads of various extraneous characters. The plot actually reminds me a LOT of an episode of the TV series “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” but the darker tone, in my opinion, helps make this Horseman standout. This version of the character REALLY ups the “monster” factor, turning the ghost into a demonic creature that is more fiend than man, with a moldy, nasty pumpkinhead. The film is pretty “bleh,” for the most part, but once the Horseman trots onto the scene, it becomes something of a guilty pleasure.

6. The Version from “Charmed.”

The TV series “Charmed” focused on a family of witches, combating demons and unfriendly angels, among other things, in suburban America. It was similar in tone to shows like “Once Upon a Time,” sort of a soap opera crossed with a fantasy/fairy-tale epic. In one episode, “The Legend of Sleepy Halliwell,” a young magic user - disgruntled with the world around him - summons the Headless Horseman straight from Sleepy Hollow to take revenge on those he feels have wronged him. Thankfully, the ones the Horseman beheads do NOT die, their disembodied craniums still able to communicate and think, but their bodies unable to do anything. The witches and their allies must work together to return the heads to their owners, and send the Horseman back into the book where he belongs. This was one of the earliest takes on the Horseman I can remember seeing, and it was neat to have this slightly more family-friendly “Whodunnit” with the character that still had a dark and unnerving edge. The result was one of my favorite episodes of the show, and definitely a Horseman worth mentioning.

5. The Hallmark Version.

To be honest, I’m kind of cheating with this one. Mostly because of how the Hallmark version works. Something that’s surprisingly common with adaptations and reimaginings of Sleepy Hollow is they try to play things down the middle with the identity and reality of the Horseman. By which I mean, Ichabod first meets a Horseman that is Brom Bones in disguise, but later the real ghost reveals himself. The Hallmark version does exactly that: the Horseman that chases Ichabod is actually Brom in disguise. Just as Ichabod learns this and is gloating with triumph, the REAL Horseman shows up. While the actual Horseman’s time onscreen is criminally small, I do think this is the best interpretation of that twist I’ve seen in any version. I also like how this one actually reimagines the Horseman as a GOOD character, rather than an evil one. Instead of being an enemy agent who was slain, and a devil-like figure of darkness, this Headless Horseman is a frightening but ultimately non-threatening entity, with his backstory painting him as a hero rather than a villain. It’s all interesting, but it’s not really even close to enough to get the Hallmark Horseman higher than fifth place.

4. The Rabbit Ears Version.

I didn’t count Rabbit Ears when I talked about Ichabod Crane. The reason is because the Rabbit Ears version is really just a telling of the story with minimal animation to paint the picture (literally). It’s one of my favorite screen versions of Sleepy Hollow, but it’s very different from something like the Disney version or the Tim Burton version (more on both later). While I didn’t think I could count Ichabod from Rabbit Ears, I DO feel counting the Horseman is acceptable. Because this is basically just an animated storytelling presentation, the ambiguity of the Horseman’s identity and reality is kept intact: we don’t know if it’s Brom Bones or the actual phantom. Indeed, I would argue never has that ambiguity been better illustrated (again, literally) than with the Rabbit Ears rendition. Why? Because we never fully SEE the Horseman. In every image featuring him, the Horseman is depicted as a solid silhouette, colored either ghostly white or shadowy black. The only sign of color are the vibrant, fiery hues of his pumpkin head. Because of the way he’s painted, and the fact no features are obviously visible, he becomes an unknowable entity. Everything from the music to his blank appearance makes him a sinister, haunting figure (no joke intended), and in some ways, I think this is much closer to what Irving imagined in his story. We can’t tell how much of the Horseman encounter is real and how much is in Ichabod’s head. Nowhere has that mystery been better portrayed.

3. The FOX Version.

In contrast to the total shadowy mystery of the previous pick, the FOX version of the Headless Horseman is actually the single most fleshed-out of all on this list. In this serie, not only is it revealed that he is actually one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but the the twist with Brom Bones is handled in a uniquely different way. In this version, Brom - or “Abraham,” as the series typically refers to him by his full first name - genuinely IS the Horseman. Not in the sense of being in-disguise, either: they are literally the same character. In this version, it’s revealed that Ichabod and Abraham used to be friends. Abraham was engaged to Katrina Van Tassel, and asked Ichabod for help wooing her. Unfortunately, this had the adverse effect of Katrina falling in love with Ichabod, instead, and she eventually broke off her engagement to Brom. Abraham blamed Ichabod for this, and this led to the series of events that would eventually transform him into the Headless Horseman. As much as I loved this version, I also liked that the show didn’t use the Horseman as a crutch, so to speak: even though “Sleepy Hollow” is based on…well…Sleepy Hollow, the Horseman wasn’t treated as a constant villain. Instead, he’s treated more as the harbinger of doom: he doesn’t show up in every episode (unless you count the opening credits sequence), but when he DOES show up, you know bad things are going down in town in a big way. It was neat to see such a developed and yet such a restrained take on the character, but at the same time, that development works slightly against him: the mystery of the Horseman is a temporary thing in this show. But he still remains intriguingly dangerous, from start to finish, and was one of my favorite parts of the show.

2. The Tim Burton Version.

Perhaps the single most influential and popular version of the Headless Horseman. The Tim Burton depiction, in my opinion, hits a nice middle ground between the development of the later FOX series, and the more mysterious ambiguity of most other renditions. More of the Horseman’s background is given in this one than any earlier rendition, and we actually get to see him in action before he lost his head, courtesy of an extended flashback sequence that reveals the ghost’s dark origins. However, there are still mysteries surrounding the character, and for most of the story he is once again treated as an unstoppable, monstrous force more than anything else. In the flashbacks, the Horseman is played by - of all people - Christopher Walken. However, for most of the film, the character is played by Ray Park; the actor and stunt artist most well-known for playing Darth Maul from “Star Wars” and Toad from the first “X-Men” movie. Both actors do great with the character in their respective areas, and the Burton version is probably the one most people think of when they think of the Headless Horseman as a character. More artwork and more future renditions of the ghastly rider seem to be based on this one than any other. Yet there’s still one Horseman I like more…

1. The Disney Version.

When I think of the Headless Horseman, it’s the Disney version that I think of first and foremost. In my opinion, this one hits the nail on the head, expanding on what was found in Irving’s original tale brilliantly, and creating one of the most frightening creatures ever put to animation. Disney’s Headless Horseman, once again, plays things slightly down the middle, in a lot of ways: just like Rabbit Ears, the Horseman is wreathed in shadow, his horse and his own body totally immersed in blackness. The only signs of color are the red eyes of his steed, and the vibrant violet cape he wears. And while the Disney version does indicate this Horseman might be real, there’s still an element of uncertainty as to whether this is true or not. While this Horseman’s exact identity is unclear, we do get a bit of background on him thanks to the song Brom sings about his legend. Also, while he never speaks, he does laugh. A LOT. It is one of the coolest, most epic evil laughs in history, and it lends a bit more personality to this grim phantasm than some other renditions have. In short, it does everything later renditions would do, and thus perfects everything that could be perfected. In my opinion, this is the definitive version of the galloping Hessian, and without a doubt My Favorite Headless Horseman.

#headless horseman #sleepy hollow #the legend of sleepy hollow #best #favorites #list #countdown #halloween #films #movies #tv #animation #fox #disney #tim burton #top 7

[beantothemax]

What a horrible day. Disaster after disaster after disaster. Crick had been murdered, Harvey decided to turn up and Roque made a tumblr account. What hadn't gone wrong? Seeing how upset Castti was, Partitio thought of a solution.

Usually, he would’ve had to drag her to the tavern. But today, she went willingly. Alcohol was likely the only thing that could make her forget about how bad that day had been. She took a seat beside Partitio at a small table.

While he left to get drinks, she got a good look at the tavern. It wasn’t unusually full or empty. Just the amount you’d expect from a tavern in a medium-sized town on Sunday evening. Agnea, Throne and Hikari sat by a table in the corner. Castti tried waving to them, but they seemed not to notice.

… that or they didn’t want to talk to her. Who knows. Partitio returned, two drinks in hand.

“I got the sparkliest, fruitiest thing I could find for you, and a northern Leaflands beer for myself,” he smiled.

She took the drink and gave it a sniff. It smelled like the stuff she used to clean her hands before handling a patient.

“What’s the percentage on this?” she asked.

“Thirty-five, ya’ might wanna drink it sl-”

Before Partitio could finish his answer, she downed her drink.

Castti had a coughing fit and hissed at the taste. Partitio couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. Such a drink was nothing to him. He’d probably drink straight hand sanitizer if he could.

“If I sip it then I’ll know what it tastes like and I won’t want to finish it,” she finally said.

“Fair ‘nough, some o’ that stuff hardly tastes edible sometimes.”

“D’ya want another one?” he asked.

But Castti shook her head, “I’ll be fine.”

He knew she didn’t want to think about that day, but didn’t push it. If she wanted a distraction other than alcohol, then he’d provide one.

“If ya’ could instantly master any new skill, what’d it be?” he asked.

Castti thought long and hard about the question, “remembering stuff.”

“Aw come on, that’s a boring answer. I’d become a ventriloquist and scare Ochette,” Partitio laughed.

What a strange hypothetical. She answered honestly, but that somehow wasn’t good enough.

“The violin then? I don’t know, I’m satisfied with the skills I have,” she said.

Partitio wracked his brain for another hypothetical, one Castti would be forced to give an absurd answer to.

Not much later, Castti laughed so hard her stomach hurt.

“No, but think about it! If ya’ had a thousand cockroaches in yer attic, you’d just fetch an exterminator. If it was a person, they might’ve been watching ya’ all this time! That’s a terrifying thought!” Partitio argued.

Castti thought long and hard about the question.

“That’s a stupid hypothetical, if it’s just cockroaches then you obviously pick the cockroaches. It has to be something bigger,” she said.

“A sand lion?”

“No, too big, smaller…”

She rested her head on her chin as she thought. Her brows furrowed as she went over a mental list of the most horrific monsters she knew of. But none of them seemed quite as scary as the idea of finding a human in your attic.

“What about a thousand cockroaches versus two buttermeeps?” she questioned.

But he didn’t answer. He stared at her with a dreamy, distant expression. Castti was, by far, amongst the most attractive people he knew. She had adorable kind blue eyes and thin brown eyebrows just above them. Her bangs were always off center, the left side covering more of her forehead. The asymmetry suited her, it-

She snapped her fingers a couple times.

“Hey, you there?”

Partitio suddenly came back to reality, “huh? Oh, yeah, I am.”

“Are you sick? Your ears look red,” Castti muttered.

Before he could answer, she pressed a gentle hand to his forehead, then to his cheek. She stared intently in his eyes as she thought.

“You seem fine…” she trailed off.

His eyes were captivating. In the candlelight, his brown irises resembled amber. They seemed to glow in the light. He was handsome.

She leaned closer to him and he didn’t protest. Her cheeks become hotter by the second. They had become pink in no time. She leaned over the table.

Their lips met. Partitio placed a hand on her shoulder as he leaned into it. Her lips were just as soft as they looked, they tasted vaguely of the awful drink he bought her. When he pulled away, Castti took a deep breath in and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re allowed to breathe,” he said.

“Sorry, I don’t really remember if I’ve kissed anyone before,” Castti chuckled.

She scooted her chair closer to his, “sooo…”

Partitio put a hand on her waist and the other on her cheek before pulling her in for another kiss. Her arms traveled around his torso in a similar fashion. He pulled her closer, holding her tighter as he deepened the kiss. He tried to open his mouth but their teeth only clacked against each other.

Castti couldn’t help but giggle as she pulled away. She was still tight in his embrace, her face only inches from his.

“Do you wanna go for a walk? I think Throne, Hikari and Agnea are watching us,” she whispered as she vaguely gestured to the other side of the tavern.

Partitio’s good mood and bright smile were suddenly interrupted by Castti’s words.

“They’re what!?” he said.

He looked at where she pointed, and sure enough, the three of them were sitting by a table, hardly even hiding as they watched. He flipped them off, earning a nasty looked from them before he took Castti’s hand and lead her to the exit.

pie you were right the first few sentences are absolute gold. roque making a tumblr account being treated with the same gravity as crick being murdered is hilarious.

also!!!! i feel like. honored? idk a less serious version of honored that you put my dumb lil thing about agnea throné and hikari spying on these two the entire time in here. kiwi does the same thing when they include some of the things I’ve said in asks with them in their travel banters and. i just really like that my dumb jokes are good enough to be put into your fics. it make me smile :]

also parti just flipping the three off at the end was equally hilarious. he gets one bird usage a month

pie this was a very nice fic and im just. idk im happy my idea helped you make something this cool

#asks #pie-knight #inbox fic #fave

[mysterytheater]

A MYSTERY THEATER PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

ATTN- People who post personal or intimate details about their lives or mental health

Social Media platforms share your data with hundreds of companies. Your data includes everything you post on their platform along with data their cookies collect from your browser, including your browsing history, which may include personal details that any one of the THOUSANDS of people who are employed by these marketing companies could use to identify you personally. As much as you may love and trust Tumblr, it is a fact that these companies sell your data to still even more marketing companies, many with questionable reputations and even more questionable motives for wanting to know more about you.

Below is a list of marketing companies, provided by Tumblr, who have access to what you do on Tumblr and elsewhere. There are hundreds of companies and LLCs on this list, but don't think of them as nameless, faceless corporate fictions... Instead think of each entry as the name of a REAL PERSON with the ability to track you from Tumblr across the web. Because each one of these entries represents dozens if not HUNDREDS of ACTUAL PEOPLE with YOUR INFORMATION, many of whom do not share your values.

And if you think that this type of data sharing is harmless, just remember the time that preeminent credit bureau sold customer data DIRECTLY to a front for a den of Identity thieves.

Below is a list of partners we work with, or may work with in the future, for our ads program. Expand each partner to learn more about them, and use the corresponding partner checkbox to set your preference. Please note that partners you do not consent to may still process some of your personal data when they believe they have a legitimate interest in doing so; you have the right to object to this legitimate interest processing using the corresponding toggle.

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[bluerosejuliet]

In the Bridgerton Isekai AU you hinted the the thief the thief planned a spin-off series for the original leads so does that mean that the Bridgertons were able to stop the curse? And how does Polin finally get together? Like do they sit down and talk? Was there a BridgertonTM grand romantic gesture?? And speaking of will the Bridgertons know that the spouse HAVE died multiple times? How would they react to that?

or what if one day Pen notices the original lovers acting weird and she thinks its because the thief is gearing up to rewrite the timeline and spirals into a panick attack (along with the rest of the spouses)? Imagine the pure angst, chaos and Bridgerton level of drama that would ensue because DAMN IT they are NOT losing their soulmates!

Lol im sl sorry for cramming all these questions

Cram away! I honestly love getting questions, asks, and prompts so it's no trouble!

Regarding the spin off series, they don't really realize this until other characters suddenly come in and start flirting with their future spouse! And it's also important to remember the isekai Bridgerton's are not aware of the curse. They are only familiar with the plot of the books that the thief published (the second timeline). They are aware they are in a universe inside a book. The spouses are not but they have memories (that the only gradually start remembering) of Lady Danbury's original storyline but all the times they tried to fight against the fractured timeline. NEITHER IS AWARE THERE IS A THIEF. The Bridgertons never knew the original author was Lady Danbury while the spouses don't know they are in a book and believe the first timeline to have been something made up as CLEARLY the universe does not want them together!

The Bridgertons will start to piece together that perhaps the author stole the original story when they realize their spouses have memories of a different timeline that is nothing like the books! Which includes them dying. This realization comes when Daphne, Anthony, and Benedict all realize their spouses have been having nightmares about dying. Not every night but Daphne sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night to find Simon counting the fingers on her left hand, pressing a kiss against her wedding ring. Or how Kate will wake up some nights gasping for air and coughing, as if she hadn't been able to breath. Or how Sophie will sometimes wake up clutching her stomach in pain. This of course worries their respective Bridgerton and they eventually glean from what their spouses tell them that their nightmares involve dying.

Benedict just casually mentions it during tea with the older siblings and is surprised to hear the other spouses have been having similar dreams. This leads them to thinking that something else is going on.

Meanwhile, Simon, Kate, and Sophie have realized the others remember parts of what happened but the Bridgertons do not. They all swear not to mention anything to them because they know how painful it was for them to live through their deaths again and again and if this is burden they must bear so their beloved Bridgerton does not suffer so be it. However, it's clear something is going on with Penelope. At times she appears to be aware of what is going on around her but then they'll see when the "fog" has taken control of her. Eventually they are able to get Penelope alone and she sobs, relieved that they are okay and happy but fearful because it's hard to be talking to someone and then blackout before coming back to herself. Thus the spouses try to figure out what triggers "the fog" to take over Penelope and what snaps her back to reality.

However, the feel like the appearance of new lords and ladies (odd that they have never heard of them before) starting appearing around the time Penelope has be fog episodes.

Everything will work out and then they realize they still have to deal with the last four Bridgertons and their spouses though Eloise and Francesca have their memories.

It'll all work out though!

Thanks for the ask!

#bridgerton #bridgerton au #bridgerton isekai au #asks and answers