#the sacrifices i make for cr......

[sparring-spirals]

okay. i mean this with the utmost affection. but. while imogen and laudna telling each other "im you're anchor. you're my tether" as reassurance about going "dark" or giving into the lure of power is very meaningful and important. it also kind of struck me like. hey wait one of you anchoring the other. fine. possibly-functional. but doesnt BOTH of you tethering to each other risk creation of a spinning centrifugal blur whirling down the road to power.

and like yes yes this isnt an original thought and the proper terminology for this is probably like "dual corruption arc" or in CR "i broke the world for you" yes but. i wanted to share the specific imagery my brain provided for this train of thought, which is roughly:

like. thanks. brain. i guess.

bonus thought that popped up when drawing this:

#critical role #imogen temult #laudna #c3e65 #cr spoilers #kinda #sorcery pact #LOOK I CAN ABSOLUTELY WRITE MORE THOUGHTFUL IN DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THIS or i can illustrate this and giggle at it #orbs spin fast. hah. #:) #(once i watch. proper meta is coming. this is both a promise and a threat) #i was partway thru making this post when i lost signal for a while and had to ask someone around me whether centrifugal is the outward forc #and couldnt explain why i was asking #the sacrifices i make for cr...... #shitpost #spar speaks #imodna #.....?

[utilitycaster]

For REAL though Edmuda hammering home the point that keeps being made by Ludinus and, frankly, by Bells Hells; most of the people (not all, but most) of the people mad at the gods have grievances that boil down to "why am I not The Raven Queen's most special little boy? Why do OTHER people get to be The Raven Queen's most special little boy?" and this is already not terribly valid as a complaint, but it is also really undercut when coming from uh, sorcerers and psionics who did even less than clerics for their powers.

#kreviris imperium like well we need to kill the gods bc then it will be easier to enact our manifest destiny #and if some bormodos die and we destabilize the cosmos that is a sacrifice we are willing to make #cr spoilers #critical role #also i just picked an arbitrary god but uh. the raven queen's most special little boy is actually not having a good time rn

[antlereed]

i want to shake mr. of the air ashari so bad because there isnt a way in fuck that any of the hells would be cool with his deal

and he knows this! he waited for everyone to be asleep before be talked to morri, he waited through the goofs and drinks to do this!!! he sat and laughed and joked with this sitting heavy in his head the whole time!

which really makes me think, how long has he been sitting on this? not the deal itself, but this martyrdom he seems to have draped himself in. how long has he had the idea that he has to ensure everyones survival goes before his own?

did it start when he began protecting keyleth? did it start after the first attack, when he survived but his husband and father didnt? or was it later, when orym woke to fearne sobbing above him, laudna still dead in the sands while imogen cried the same tears he did for will

he makes sure to even say it, that everyone has to get through this, and that he will be the sacrifice for their survival

orym. sir. please im begging you to talk to someone about this burden of guilt. im sure someone will listen

#cr spoilers #NOT TO SAY THAT I DISLIKED HIS DEAL I LOVED IT HES THE PERFECT PC AND CAN DO NO WRONG I WILL DIE COMFORTABLY ON THIS HILL #okay. thats out of the way. surely no one will be weird abt this post now #anyways orym and ashton talk abt taking the heavy hits for everyone else challenge #theyre dealing w similar problems in Vastly different ways #ashton w their self-sabotage w the shard #and now orym with their promised sacrifice after the fact #anyways if this post makes no sense then idk what to say. if i dont take the words from my brain i wont be able to sleep at all #ik its because he was a guard. so his main goal for basically his whole life has been the protection of someone else #okay. my thoughts on orym tonite are done. gn everyone

[stickandthorn]

got a fruit punch jarritos (red) in honor of Ruidus, so I’m ready

#critical role #lime is actually my favorite jarritos flavor #but I make aesthetic sacrifices #cr spoilers #cr liveblog

[roguedemonwatcher]

Imogen is really just walking proof that the things Liliana did were not “necessary.” And I kind of think Liliana’s deference to her daughter in their last conversation is indicative that she is slowly realizing this. Being confronted with the essentially younger version of herself who also left home to seek out answers, who has pretty successfully avoided the pull of Perdathos (something Liliana told her to do, weird that), and who is proof that Ruidiusborn can successfully work with those on Exandria aligned with the gods and not be “persecuted,” like Ludinus told her, all really shines a light on how weak her justifications to herself have been. 

And that's the tragedy here! Liliana thinks she's made this huge sacrifice for her daughter and for people like her, but she's been taking the easier path this whole time. And now she is seeing that! Imogen is making the bigger sacrifice by fighting to keep Perdathos at bay, despite the pull and the welcoming feeling and it (possibly) being a literal part of her. So like, if we want to talk about why Imogen is a counter to a lot of great CR villains because she choses to do good, well, we need to acknowledge that Liliana is one those villains. And Orym and Ashton and the rest of BH have every right to dunk on her because they see someone just like her make better choices every day.

#critical role #cr3 #cr spoilers #between orym and liliana #one of them trusts imogen and treats her like a leader and actually put their future on the line for her #and surprise its not liliana

[pastelpressmachine]

Black Mirror’s Demon 79 and the Justification of Brown Feminine Rage (warning: spoilers)

What if intrusive thoughts can be valid, and it is okay, maybe even necessary to act on them sometimes? If violence isn’t the answer, why must it so often be the question? 

Set in Northern England, 1979,  “Demon 79″ is the final episode of Black Mirror’s sixth season. It follows Nida, a meek sales assistant with a mousy appearance, who is tasked with the most complicated and important mission: to save the world by taking the lives of three human sacrifices in the days leading up to May Day.

Champions of the extended metaphor, Black Mirror employ the talents of Anjana Vasan (an Indian-born, Singaporean-raised, and U.K.-based actress) who plays Nida Huq and Paapa Essiedu (an English actor of Ghanaian descent) who plays Gaap*, the demon Nida accidentally invokes upon finding a talisman that begins this stressful mission of her. Gaap, devilishly handsome and charming, trying to earn his “wings” and be initiated into demonhood reassures the panicking Nida that she is not going mad, she is not a bad person, and the people she is encouraged to kill are vetted through his soul-reading as deserving of death.

*Gaap is considered through stories of demonology and texts related to the Testament of Solomon to be the Prince of Hell, with angels as siblings and a penchant for manipulating women and rendering them infertile. 

Gaap adjusts his form to something more comfortable for Nida by changing into a look-a-like of Bobby Farrell from the famous disco-funk German-Caribbean vocal group known as Boney M. Having the representation of a demonic entity be a Black man while allowing him to manifest into a symbol of appeal for Nida turns the inherent vilification of Black men on its head without contributing to the hypersexualization of Black bodies. Gaap is never presented as a love interest for her, but viewers do get to see them develop a snarky back-and-forth. I almost never see Black and brown leads banter like this. 

Another reason I’m glad Gaap was not portrayed as a sinful symbol of sexual desire is because Indian women already have to navigate a shame-fueled purity culture, and I wouldn’t want to see her grapple with her feelings for someone who is not only outside of her race and religion, but isn’t human. Writers avoided the idea that to love Gaap was to love something forbidden in all possible ways. And we don’t need to see Black folks depicted as not-human. The history of both American cinema and politics has acted on that dangerous perception already. 

When I saw the opening scene of Nida with her wide eyes waking up to get ready for work, I recognized the doe-like innocence in her face as the one I have been raised to emulate. She looks so much like my mother 30 years ago. Minimal makeup, modest clothes, hair neat and tied back.

Moments of Nida’s inner demons being unleashed start off as fantasies she has. She is quietly scurrying through her life as an oppressed minority in 1970′s England, where xenophobia and racism showed up everywhere, from the actions of the British Nationalists to the microaggressions Nida faces at work for simply bringing her potent biryanis to the stock room and “stinking up the place”.

Indian women are some of the least visible in politics historically and presently because we are raised to not make a fuss of things, to be quiet and reserved and let white people act how they want towards us because we are guests in their countries, even when they’ve colonized and pillaged our own. I feel Nida’s pain as she thanks the white people around her for the bare minimum (allowing her an alternative place to eat, such as the basement - where she finds the talisman that changes her life) and avoids the confrontation and rage within her, even sighing in defeat at the NF* tag that has been spray-painted on her front door. 

*NF stands for the National Front, a far-right, fascist political party in the United Kingdom, founded in 1967. 

I crave catharsis for Nida. And for her late mother, whom she has a photo of in her apartment. She explains after the first sacrifice that her mother was perceived as crazy, and now Nida is afraid that people will think the same of her, and this time, because of what she’s done, it will be true. I wondered if Nida’s mom was called crazy because she had stood up for herself, reported abuse or harassment that was occurring within the Indian community itself or in her own home, or tried to leave Nida’s father. None of these scenarios would make the show seem like fiction at all, at least not for many of the South Asian women trapped by the chains of patriarchal ideals. 

There are moments where I am concerned Nida is enamored by Michael Smart, a white politician giving a campaign speech outside the store she works at, as if his mere acknowledgment of her existence without visible disgust is enough to make her heart flutter. Again, I enjoy seeing a Black and brown lead in this episode, and knowing that other viewers are getting to see the many instances of white culture that exposes the racist ignorance and unfair power structures that exist in western society, workplaces, and even the homes of white folks themselves. (I was so happy for little Laura to hear of what was done to her assailant).

When it comes to stopping the world from absolute destruction in a nuclear holocaust, the heroes have never really been people who look like Nida. (It is worth noting that the head writer for this episode was Bisha K. Ali, who also is the executive writer for Disney+’s Ms. Marvel and has tackled many of the same representation issues in her work). People like her don’t have the permission to be loud, angry, or violent without consequences, no matter how justified. Meanwhile, with unchecked authority, bombs go off and innocent people die and children cower in their beds and white men get to act on their worst traits and impulses, however sinful, with little to no accountability.

Even when Nida is being violent, it is for the greater good. Because it has to be. Even female rage has to serve a purpose for others. It cannot just be hers. If she’s going to be angry, she better be trying to solve crime or save the world. 

And through this most guttural and sometimes poisonous part of being a human, Gaap sees her. Maybe it’s because he has transformed in the image of Nida’s celebrity crush or maybe it’s truly the way in which he interacts with her, Gaap sees Nida. He recognizes the type of violence she would and would not indulge in. He tells her she should feel more at ease after killing the first sacrifice, a pedophile she clobbers with a brick before he falls into a river. He continuously recognizes her hesitation, and suggests “Dutch courage”, or booze before following through with the second kill. It is inappropriate in Indian culture for women to drink, which Nida notes when she tells Gaap she doesn’t. Then he asks her if she wants to, something, from the expression on Nida’s face, it doesn’t seem like she has ever been asked. 

Upon entering a pub full of (yes, all white) men, Nida is dismissed by the (also white) female bartender who looks just as irritated by her existence as her coworker Vicky, who had reported how unfair it was that she had to smell Nida’s lunches and endure the lingering scent at work. An older (also white) bartender (who might be the owner) takes her order with the same polite and quiet discomfort of her boss, who had presented her with the basement lunch “solution” to appease Vicky. It’s subtle but the approaches in which different age groups and genders of white English folk take with engaging with Nida demonstrate the variety of ways in which people of colour experience discrimination. At its worst, it is violent hate crimes and unjust legislation that mutates into full blown genocide. At its mildest, it’s passive aggression and strained tolerance. 

It’s more apparent with the second killing (of a man named Keith who killed his wife) that Nida does have the option to be as righteous as she wants to be, which is something I really appreciated about her character. Even if she was killing to prevent the literal apocalypse, and the clock was 6 minutes from midnight -- she must follow the cadence of at least one kill a day -- the moment she has to hear Keith’s justification for what he did and his attempt at absolving himself with the statement “I’m not a bad husband, but --” she swings a hammer at his head to shut him up. She then bashes his head in repeatedly, even to the point where Gaap is wincing at the sight. If this was just about killing people to stop a bigger disaster and loss of life, she wouldn’t be losing herself in the act like she did. 

The third and final kill occurred in the next few minutes, as Keith’s roommate, witnesses her trying to exit, which presents itself as problem in allowing her to continue with the mission if she’s arrested. It’s messy because it was fast, the least premeditated, and she doesn’t know who the man is or if he’d done anything as bad as the previous two skills. Because of this, she’s much more apologetic as the man dies, later finding out from Gaap he was Keith’s brother, Chris, an “ordinary” person who would not have been one of Nida’s choices. 

But as Gaap says, “What’s done is done”. And the three lines on the talisman should have disappeared indicating that Nida has fulfilled her duty. But it still has a line remaining, so a confused Gaap dials 666 (of course) on Nida’s rotary phone to explain the issue to his superiors. He tells Nida that Keith apparently didn’t count because he’s a murderer and anyone who’s been directly responsible for the death of another human being (not counting future deaths they might be responsible for) is off limits. Chris counted because his death still occurred just before midnight. 

Nida doesn’t snap psychologically and decide she enjoys this and is going to become a serial killer, which is a direction I find common in other Black Mirror episodes, where the white and/or male character loses it and/or goes on a killing spree. She grapples once more with her initial unwillingness to participate in this because even when given the go-ahead and to have the most reason to, she enters a mental boxing ring with her instinct v. culture v. morals. From my own experience and what I have seen in my own community, outward expression of rage is never the first emotion a woman reaches for...because she can’t always afford to in the way others can. 

“My whole life, I never wished harm on anyone.” 

Gaap tells her what’s at risk for him, and he describes a fate of punishment that she says sounds like her life now. She stands, empathizing with an actual demon, and deciding to continue with the mission. Gaap also reminds her this isn’t solely for him; she possessed a darkness within her that drew her to the talisman. So, he asks her, who pissed her off?

To Possette’s Shoes they go. 

Vicky, a prime choice for the grand finale, delegates the task of attending to the young girl Laura (from earlier) and her mother to Nida. Because the little girl creeps Vicky out. Gaap informs Nida that because she killed Laura’s dad, Laura doesn’t kill herself at 28 and instead goes to therapy, becomes a mother at 29, and a grandmother at 57. It’s a comforting thought amidst the mayhem of it all. 

Michael Smart makes an appearance once more, as his father and the boss’s father, are old college friends, and Nida’s boss had promised him a suit and shoes on the house. The boss unsurprisingly selects Vicky as the sales attendant, with Gaap grumbling to himself as Nida’s eyes go from ‘excited crush’ to just crushed. Her boss then chooses to notice the boxes on the floor from when Vicky could’ve been cleaning up and hisses at Nida, “Could you pick up the bloody mess?” This prompts Gaap to suggest the boss be the next to go. 

Nida moves on to cleaning up the boxes, eavesdropping on the conversation between Michael and Vicky. When Michael says he hopes he has her vote, she says she is siding with the National Front who she believes will help rid the town of all the pesky foreigners. And then Michael Smart reveals himself to be what a lot of politicians are: covert bigots. He explains to Vicky that an explicitly xenophobic campaign would be too polarizing, so you have to elect a moderate who can win over the masses and put the evil plans in motion. (Sound familiar?) 

There is a subliminal language spoken among white supremacists, even if they smile politely at people who look like me and Nida. And this revelation that she witnesses presents an even more justifiable option for Nida’s third kill. 

She asks Gaap to give her information about Michael’s future, which he hesitantly reveals to her. Michael Smart wins the election, eventually becomes prime minister, and leads a new world order built on white supremacy. Nida decides he is the final target, but Gaap tells her he wouldn’t be the right choice because the Satanic world he comes from is a fan of his work and everyone there would want Michael to be able to facilitate the upcoming deaths that occur as a result of him first winning the election to become a member of Parliament. 

But Nida is set on him, or no one, giving Gaap the ultimatum to get on board or risk his own banishment after failing his initiation. 

Meanwhile, a police investigation occurs which leads to the bar staff identifying Nida as a “muttering Indian woman” who was at the bar the night Keith died. Len Fisher of Tipley Police arrives at Nida’s apartment, as part of routine questioning, and she invites him in, with Gaap’s suggestion to kill him. 

Fisher is the first white person to speak to her as person, too, even though he’s there on the premise of Nida being a potential suspect. Maybe this is more covert trust-building behaviour, maybe as a cop, maybe as someone generally suspicious of people of colour. He is the most mild-mannered, middle-man in the whole story. 

Fisher follows Nida who follows Smart after his speech at town hall. This is where I’m a little surprised but not displeased. The other episodes end with something sad, violent, and/or redemptive. Nida gets a bit of everything, but as with all things Black Mirror, not in the way you’d expect. In society, Nida may be reduced to a mad woman telling an insensible story, enduring the same perception people had of her mother. But society doesn’t last long, and she walks off into a kind of nuclear, fiery sunset with a new friend. 

The deadline for the sacrifices had been May Day, also known as Workers’ Day or International Workers’ Day to commemorate the struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Nida, representing intersectional identities of the working class (immigrants, women, people of colour), was not listened to or believed, and the world ended because of it. Her weapon of choice had been a hammer, a tool meant for building that was used for destructive but necessary purposes. This could be a reference to the Communist party’s symbol of a hammer and sickle, which represents proletarian solidarity. The meaning of the episode, particularly its ending, captures the significance of the working class and how our world relies on them to function and last. When their efforts are stunted, their sacrifices are in vain, or they are not heard, the world ends. 

#black mirror #demon 79 #tv series review #black mirror season 6 #paapa essiedu #digital illustration #fanart #commissions open #anjana vasan

[mayzi33]

******SPOILERS, SO MANY SPOILERS AHEAD.*********

I have so much to say I'm afraid my brain might explode. So I'll try to keep calm despite still being at the verge of tears.

When I first started this book series, I thought it would be the usual light, cutesy fantasy about friendship and family. And oh boy, OH BOY WAS I WRONG.

On a side note, something I'd like to point out I noticed, from the first book to the third, the lighting on the cover progressively gets darker. Of course, representing the story itself as the plot gets darker as well. On the last book, it's still dark, but there's a light coming from Janner, Kalmar and Leeli, like they finally reached sunrise after a long, ruthless night. Something i'm pretty sure was said at some point on the books themselves, about no matter how long the night is the day will always come.

Anyways. Back to the topic at hand. As the story progressed, I keep growing more and more connected to these characters, and each chapter I rooted more and more for the Jewels Of Anniera.

I'd like to add that I'm an only child, yet, somehow, I can tell Janner is one of the best eldest sibling characters ever written. My whole life I've only watched siblings around me and their relationship with eachother, especially on the eldest's side, and somehow, Janner reminded me of every friend, family member or random stranger I saw on the streets someday that have siblings.

Janner is such a complex character. He is by no means perfect, but he does have a golden heart. One of the things I was most impressed by was how the author described Janner's feelings, whatever it was the longing for his father, or just feeling burdened by his siblings. And yet, no matter what Janner is feeling, the narrator never invalidates his feelings or antagonize him. Janner is a child, a child who went through a lot. He is allowed to miss a father he never had just as he is allowed to sometimes be annoyed for always having to make sacrifices for his siblings. But one of the things I admired the most about Janner (along with everyone else I'm pretty sure) was his character development. At the first book, he'd roll his eyes at the mere thought of having to look after his siblings and saw them as a burden. At the second book, he learned the hard way how much Kalmar and Leeli matter to him, and how it hurts to be away from them. On the third book, he took pride on his title as Throne Warden and role as the eldest sibling, being devoted to protecting the High King and Song Maiden. And at last, on the last book, he leaves pride aside. He doesn't take care of Kalmar and Leeli because it's his duty, because it's honorable, neither because that's what he has always been told to do. He does it because he loves them above all else, because he finally sees how strong the bond the three of them share truly is, because he feels the blessing the Maker has gifted them, and how much stronger they are when they're together.

Janner is a kind, brave, clever, beautiful boy.

And I will forever believe that they managed to get him the water from the First Well to heal him. I will nor accept any other ending.

Kalmar. At first, the typical goofy, troublemaking sibling, more like a comic relief. But again, OHOHOHO BOY... DID THAT CHANGE.

I definetely did not expect for them to take the turn they did with Kalmar. I could tell that he would have some character arc mainly towards maturing and taking responsability, but I DID NOT EXPECT IT TO BE LIKE THAT. Seeing that bright, easy-going, smiley little boy loosing his usual joyful personality when he was fanged, slowly loosing his sanity and growing on his self loathing was really something painful yet beautiful to watch. Like Janner, he also had to learn his lesson on the hardest way possible. An extrovert kid like him, having everyone turning their backs on him and looking at him with hatred, and yet, he learned to keep his head high, like a High King. (the phrase "keep your head held high or else your crown will fall" is literally perfect for him.) And most of all, seeing him risk his life to aid a strange cloven, (that turned out to be his father) grant the Hollowsfolk his forgiveness despite everything they did to him, show mercy and compassion to the Fangs despite everything they did, all of these things make Kalmar an inspiring ruler, and leaves me assured that he will be a great king after all.

Now, Leeli, sweet, pure-hearted Leeli. I will be honest, at first I was afraid that they would make her the typical "overly nice and overly fragile female character", but again, BOY WAS I WRONG. (I don't know how many times I will repeat that, I apologize.) At some points in the books, she didn't have as much spotlight as her brother and I felt like she was kind of being thrown aside. But there's always a turn the books take that make her lack of spotlight at first worth it. So young, the youngest of the Jewels Of Anniera, yet she has seen and done so much. Has a bad leg, needed to use a crutch since she was little, yet that literally never stopped her. She strives to keep up with her brothers, and despite his kind personality she shows she can be festy and even scary when she wants to. (I will never forget that moment in the second book where she was yelling at the trolls and fangs and they were actually eager to obey her lol). She hates it when people assume she's weak and often refuses help, proving she's perfectly capable. But at times, she does need help, which shows us all it's okay to have someone to rely on. She was the link between Janner and Kalmar, no matter how much they argued nor how mad they were at eachother, she was always there for both of them and connecting them back together. She may not be able to fight like her brothers, but she found her own strenght. Her music, something that has always brought joy and hope to others turns out to be an ACTUAL weapon. She kicked a Green Fang to defend her puppy, she was the first one to see the pain and kindess through Peet, Nugget sacrificed himself for her showing how her strong her love for others really is, she stopped A FREAKING DRAGON from killing her grandpa, she led an army of dogs, she defeated countless fangs with nothing but her song. One of the best child female chracters I've seen in a while. She is feminine, has her weak points, but she finds her strenght, not in swords, punches or bows but on a whistleharp. I love her so much I can't describe it.

I love all of these kids so much. I am *proud* of them. I know it's a weird thing to say about fictional characters, but these books just make me feel this way. I can't name a single character I didn't connect or feel empathy with.

Nia, such a strong, independent woman, raising her children having lost her husband and kingdom, yet keep her head held high like the queen she is.

Podo, a man who has sinned, takes shame on them, yet shows that sinners can still be good people. Loves his family above all else, protected and took care of them until his last breath, might have been a little rough around the edges, but always showed a soft spot for his daughter and grandkids.

Artham, a broken man, haunted by the shame of loosing his brother, slowly, but surely, healing. Learning to move on by protecting his nephews and niece, making what was once a weakness a strenght.

Oskar, an old man that was always sitting on the library, letting go of his peaceful life and risking his life to accompany the Wingfeathers through thick and thin.

Sara, who was taken from her family, abused and had all her hope crushed, finding her courage back after meeting Janner and taking after him, being a sisterly figure, leader and queen ti billions of orphan children, and helping them find their strenght and fight for their freedom.

Maraly, a rude strander girl who was raised horribly her whole life by her abusive father, finally finding true love and a true father figure.

Everything about this story has touched me. A broken world taken by an evil monarch who turned to be just another broken soul, filled with hopeless people, people who had surrended to the darkness... Saved by three children, who brought light everywhere they went. A boy with scars, a boy inside a wolf, and a girl with a crutch. Kids who one day were mere peasants, the other were the Jewels Of Anniera, and a year later, heroes of Aerwiar.

I've smiled, I've laughed, I've been shocked, I've been scared, I've been mad, I've cried. I have red lots, and I mean LOTS of books. Different stories, different worlds, different characters. Yet none of them has touched me half as much as The Wingfeather Saga.

It has war, tears, bloodshed, betrayals, sacrifices and sorrow. But it also has love, joy, hope, laughter, wonder and light.

This story definetely deserves way more fans and recognition. I hope that with the new animated series (which I'll definetely watch later) it begins to gain more love.

Anyways. I really love this in case y'all couldn't tell already. Have a good day/afternoon/evening.

#the wingfeather saga #janner wingfeather #kalmar wingfeather #leeli wingfeather #the warden and the wolf king #podo helmer #nia wingfeather #book rant #andrew peterson #christianity #underrated books #fantasy books

[its-your-mind]

Taliesin: Percy's right there, what did you expect me to do? He knew. He had no illusions.

Thinkin about Percy laying in bed at night (alone watching over Whitestone while his wife is presumably off doing world-saving shit) thinking about that annoying as SHIT earth genasi punk who keeps popping up, insults and mocks him, shows outright contempt for his authority, and so very clearly has no idea what the hell they’re doing.

Percy’s probably top three smartest CR characters, and not only that, he’s an engineer. He knows a formula, a pattern, when he sees one - haphazard group of cast-offs and overpowered nobodies trying to save the world? Walking into rooms full of powerful and important people they don’t quite know how to act around? Succeeding and surviving through dumb luck, sheer force of will, and the strong family connections they’ve forged with each other? He knows this story. Hell, he made a cuckoo clock of this story.

And while he and Ashton might be complete opposites on the surface, he knows how it feels to have the kind of family who you’re constantly running with side-by-side into danger. He knows loss. He knows exactly how heavy a weight the responsibility of “saving the world” is.

So when the Hells walk in holding a shard of a titan, bearing news that Ashton is holding one inside already? When Allura tells them that the power that’s already inside Ashton just needs something to awaken it? When Ashton sits down with her to have a serious conversation for the first time Percy’s witnessed? They talk about drawing power into yourself, unknown effects, a power too dangerous to be allowed in the world for too long, that could be used for morally reprehensible things…

And a person who has so very clearly been ravaged by life just as much as Percy had by the time he was their age. At least all the visible consequences Percy had had to deal with was the white hair - he could pass that off as premature aging. Ashton wears their damage on their body, up their arm, across their face. Their skull is translucent, for gods’ sakes.

And now, Bells Hells has to save the world. And here in front of them is an ancient shard of a titan, and the means to absorb its power. Ashton already has two of the foundational powers of Exandria in their body - a shard of the Empress of Earth, and a piece of the Luxon. Based on what Allura has said, it’s a miracle their body still holds together at all.

Percy is good at noticing patterns.

Someone who has been shown some of the worst parts of the world without any opportunity to heal properly from their past. Visibly damaged, but with their chin held high and an eyebrow raised to the world, as if daring someone to comment on it. Someone who, by all rights, should have been dead already. Someone who doesn’t have a choice but to keep living.

Offered power. The chance to make a difference, to achieve your goals, using and building on the talents and traits you already have. No clear understanding of what accepting this power may mean for you. Not caring all that much either. Being willing to sacrifice yourself in pursuit of a singular goal.

Who else does that sound like?

I wonder if some part of him almost stepped in and removed temptation. Locked the funnel away, told Allura to take the shard and go, sent the Hells off in a rush, without giving them time to remember the burning shard sitting on his worktable. Spared someone else the curse ability to make this choice at all. But of course, it’s not his job to stand between a reckless stranger and their own stupidity, especially not when the world is at stake.

So when Ashton walks up those ziggurat stairs? When they are the one to send everyone but Fearne away, to request “privacy,” multiple times? Of course Percy knows what they’re about to do.

Going off alone to take a risk onto yourself so it won’t hurt your family? Not telling them because you don’t trust that they’ll let you do what needs to be done? Accepting power into yourself without understanding exactly what it is you’re getting into?

Allowing only one person to see you broken and vulnerable?

How ironic that Cassandra volunteered the ziggurat as a staging ground. The same tunnels where Orthax was destroyed will now bear witness to the birth (or failed emergence) of a new kind of explosive elemental power. Something new to be fashioned of fire and earth. Something never before seen in Exandria. A new creation that will have the power to change the fate of the entire world.

#c3e77 #critical role #bells hells #percy de rolo #vox machina #cr1 spoilers #c1 spoilers #cr3 spoilers #c3 spoilers #ashton greymoore #percival fredrickstein von musel klossowski de rolo iii

[atiny-piratequeen]

𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝑪𝒉.𝟓 (𝑷.𝑺𝒉)

✧.*Summary  ✧.*-Due to olden traditions, you’re sent off to be a sacrifice to an unseen beast on an island far from home. You’re not exactly the one to go down without a fight and you promise when you get yourself out of this situation, you’re going back for revenge.

After an encounter in the ocean and arriving on the island in question, you collect yourself and begin making preparations to get yourself off of this island.

All while being watched over by a pair of unfamiliar, narrowed emerald eyes.

✧.*Pairing  ✧.*-Siren!Park Seonghwa x Fem!Reader

✧.*Genres  ✧.*-Angst, Romance, Smut, Action, Fantasy, Survival, Slight Horror Elements, Hurt/Comfort, Revenge, Siren AU, Monster AU, Enemies to Lovers

✧.*TWs  ✧.*-Guilt, Intimidation, Stabbing, Blood, Biting, Pregnancy (Oh Look, the Consequences to our actions-)

✧.*Sws ✧.* - Creampie, Chase Kink, Cunnilingus, Breeding Kink (Yall look what all that stuffed poosi did-), Double Penetration, Monster Anatomy (Double Cocks), Scent Kink, Fingering

✧.*Rating  ✧.*- Explicit (18+)-Minors DNI

✧.*WC  ✧.*-+ 11.9k

✧.*Previous Chapter

✧.*Next Chapter

✧.*A/N  ✧.*This was originally a 3k+ paid commission thanks to the lovely @jacksons-goddess-gaia​​ but I loved the idea so much that I decided to make this into a short series! Thank you again for allowing me to turn your comm into something of a bigger scale and I hope you and everyone else also likes this little series! Just a note of warning, the ending of this series does have a pretty dark ending so please be mindful of the tws of each respective chapter (tbh I don’t think its any darker than the shit I make yall suffer through write anyway but just a fair warning, you are not ending this as any kind of pacifist lol)

✧.*Series Playlist ✧.* (I keep fidling with this one so dont be surprised if songs are added lmao)

✧.*  AO3 | Ataraxia Info| Taglist Form | Commission Sheet  ✧.*    

✧.*  ©atiny-piratequeen. do not repost, translate, or use my works. Minors DNI✧.*

✧.*Network Pings- @kwritersworld | @kdiarynet | @k-vanity

Divider Cr.- @benkeibear (tysm ily)

“It’s time to wake up, my love.” 

You feel lips against your head and grumble, tucking yourself firmly against the warmth pressed against your cheek. There’s a deep chuckle that rattled your bones and for a moment, you are under the wrong assumption that you’d be able to go back to sleep. 

Instead, you’re lifted clean up, and your eyes snap open, large and silver as you scramble to hold onto the giant so rudely mocking you with his dumbass handsome face. 

“Good morning, Y/n.” 

You stare at him, unimpressed, and for a moment you lament not being able to shift into your SeaBorn form at will. You’d found slapping Seonghwa with your tail was surpiringly effective when it came to him teasing you. 

You could only do it when wet, though. 

For now. 

Speaking of wet, you blush feeling a distinct wetness run down between your legs, reminding you of last night's messy love making. You huff, crossing your arms as Seonghwa held you up off the ground. 

“How wrong are you going to hold me up?” 

Seonghwa looked at you for a moment in confusion before he chuckled. 

“Long.”

You arch a brow. 

“Yes, you’re wrong.” 

He shook his head, gently, touching your lips. 

“You’re still getting used to your new language. Here, follow me.” 

Seonghwa repeated the sentence and you flush, realizing your clicks had, in fact, been off. You’d come a long way since you and him mated a week ago, but you still found yourself stuttering over your clicks or holding down a note too long occasionally as you spoke to him. 

As flustered as it made you, Seonghwa found your pattern of speech rather cute, calmly helping you every time you stumbled. 

He’d actually been pleasantly surprised when he found out you wanted to talk to him only in your new language, and for the first three days after you’d mated, you couldn’t understand a damn word he was saying. 

Seonghwa had been surprised by how adamant you had been to understand, fumbling through your tones and hums until he’d perked midday through the third day, hearing you call to him and ask him for a kiss because you were frustrated. 

The look on your face when you’d gotten the desired kiss all but made him fall in love all over with you again.

“I dod it!”

“‘Did’ it, baby.”

“I did it!”

Back to the present, Seonghwa walked you to the beach, the salty air blowing his bangs as he looked out at the ocean. You look up at him and then follow his gaze. 

“...Wanna go tell Hongjoong the good news?”

You don’t miss the way he perked, his eyes lightening, excited as he nodded. You kiss him, cupping his jaw lightly before he walked you to the water.

“Remember, don’t panic. I have you, and I won’t let you drown. Ever.” He assured you. You smile and kiss him gently. 

You hadn’t gotten the hang of holding your breath quite yet. Seonghwa had assured you the more you did it, the longer you’d be able to do it, and you’d be able to talk freely as well. 

For now, all of your focus usually went into not panicking while underwater. 

Seonghwa waited until you were ready and gently waded into the water, holding you bridal style so your legs would shift, the dark grey speckles of your legs stretching up to your torso, a thick, rather smooth tail forming. Seonghwa ran his fingers up the speckles, smiling to himself despite the shiver that ran through your body at the intimate touch. 

“Sorry, I got distracted. Let’s begin. If you do well, we’ll go down and visit Hongjoong.” 

You smile and nod, floating vertically with your head above the water as Seonghwa let you go. You drifted a bit from him before gently keeping yourself in place, your hips working gently as you watched his tail slap the surface in his usual fashion. 

You feel his hand lace into yours and dive in, smiling as he pulled you lower. 

The water is pleasantly cool, but you find yourself marvelling at Seonghwa’s tail. 

While yours was a simple grey, dotted with different colored splotches, and much rounder and thicker than his, Seonghwa’s tail had definitely gained some color since you both had mated. 

Before his tail was a simple, yet elegant ombre of platinum and gold, now it held many intricate designs and colors along the expanse. 

Thick, brown stripes started along the midway point of his tail, with beautiful orange and yellow dots speckling the space along the stripes, all the way down to his tail, which was a contrasting black with a single, distinct electric blue stripe going along the tips of his tail fin. 

You found yourself mesmerized by the upper half of his tail, which was the same electric blue as the tips of his tail, a series of mesmerizing (and sometimes glowing) platinum rings drawing your gaze directly to him. 

He smiled at you and swam backwards, encouraging you to follow after him, and you clumsily do so before you get into the groove again. 

The two of you swim in tandem, twirling around one another, swimming through reefs and enjoying each other. Seonghwa didn’t rush you, and instead waited until you took your breaths before continuing. Each time, he’d keep you for longer and longer, encouraging you with clicks and words of affirmations. 

After the fith dive, you hear a loud, distinct bellow that drew your attention. 

“My, look at this.” 

You look down and find Hongjoong casually circling you, his expression interested as he eyed your tail. You smile and wave at him. 

“Helho!” 

He blinked before chuckling and swimming closer, greeting Seonghwa with a gentle nudge. 

“Hello, Y/n. You’re learning the language a lot quicker than any human I’ve ever met, besides myself. How are you handling swimming?”

You purse your lips, frowning for a moment. 

“I still can’t stay underwater indefinitely.” 

He chuckled and crossed his arms. 

“You wouldn’t be able to, anyway. It’s the Landling in you. We are Reborns. Humans turned Seaborn. We have to come up for air eventually. It's just a matter of perfecting closing down one breathing system and using the other.”

You blink slightly and tilt your head at him. 

“‘We’ have to? Hongjoong? Were you also-”

“A story for another day, but yes. I was.” There’s something…dark in his eyes the moment you mention him previously being a human, and you immediately decide it’s none of your business to pry. 

Hongjoong seemed to appreciate you not doing so, and in an instant, you watch his eyes lighten back up as he looked at Seonghwa. 

“You’re doing a wonderful job, Angelfish.” 

Seonghwa’s scales tinted pink for a moment before he coughed and looked away bashfully. Both you and Hongjoong noticed immediately, matching grins on your faces. 

“Cute~” You both chirrup. 

“Oh oceans no, please don’t start ganging up on me” Seonghwa immediately half heartedly complained. You laugh, raising yourself to the surface for a fresh breath of air with both of the men trailing behind you. 

When your head surfaces, you find its night out, the stars twinkling in the sky as a crescent moon illuminated the surface of the water. 

The three of you don’t say a word, simply bobbing in the water as you enjoy each other’s company. Seonghwa kissed the top of your head, a calm smile on his face as he hugged you close to his body. 

“I think it’s about time she meets the others, don’t you?” Hongjoong inquired sometime a while later. You hadn’t even realized you’d been nodding off, your head resting on Seonghwa’s chest as he held you from behind to keep you from drifting. 

Seonghwa let out a nervous laugh that made your head perk up. 

“I’ll call them, Wooyoung probably will need to be warmed up first.” 

You frown and turn your head to look at his expression. His eyes were tinged white around the edges, something you’d never seen before. 

Was he…afraid?

“Who is Wooyoung?” You quietly speak up, reminding both of the men that you were not only right there, but able to understand them through the bouncy notes and hums of their conversation. 

Seonghwa looked at you and gently rubbed your hips. 

“He’s our best friend. One of them.” 

You purse your lips. 

“So why do you look afraid?” 

Hongjoong chuckled quietly. 

“Because he’s worried Wooyoung might not exactly take it kindly knowing you stabbed Seonghwa and nearly killed him.” he answered honestly.

You feel the weight of the world slam into you. Your lips part and you find yourself unable to speak. It hadn’t came up again since you’d dragged Seonghwa to the ocean to save his life. You glance at him again, and Seonghwa doesn’t respond, staring at the dark inky waves as he held your hips, the cogs in his head turning quickly. 

“What…what exactly does ‘not take kindly’ mean?” You ask slowly, putting your hand over Seonghwa’s. Hongjoong clicked his tongue, floating past both of you, looking at the sky. 

“Do you want to tell her?” He looked at Seonghwa but the SeaBorn simply shuddered and kissed your head. 

“It’ll be fine. I’ll talk to him tonight using the resonance stone.” He muttered. You could smell his scent, tinged with anxiety and fear, and press yourself back into his chest more to comfort him as much as you could. Even though you had no idea what was going on. 

Hongjoong hummed and gently flicked his tail hard enough to send both of you drifting to the left. Seonghwa sent him a curious look before Hongjoong waved his hand dismissively. 

“Go to sleep. I’ll check back on you both tomorrow.” He encouraged before he dove down, disappearing into the dark waters. Seonghwa took your hand and guided you to the shore, carrying you once you got there. 

You cup his chin and kiss his cheek several times until you make him turn his gaze down to you. When he does, you steal a kiss from his lips. 

“I really am sorry I hurt you.” You whisper. He nodded.

“I’ve long since stopped being angry and hurt about it. You were scared and defending yourself.” 

You nod and then gently press your forehead together with his. 

“I’ll explain myself to this friend of yours. Even if they yell at me, I deserve it. So don’t look so sad. We were having such a wonderful day, tomorrow will be the same.” You encourage and Seonghwa sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. 

You had no idea the beast of a man that Wooyoung was, but Seonghwa would undoubtedly handle the man’s ire first that way you could meet everyone worry-free. 

It’ll be fine. 

When he opened his eyes again, they were back to their normal emerald, and he gently walked you back to camp, settling you in your bed. Since you couldn’t hold your breath as long as Hongjoong could, you still preferred to sleep on land and Seonghwa didn’t mind accommodating you. 

You find yourself drifting once more against his neck and he gently sung, soft, airy notes swirling through your mind. Seonghwa rubbed the space between your shoulders, kneading out any tension his fingers found there. 

“Just rest. Tomorrow I’ll make a big breakfast for us.” He promised. You smile and let the embrace of sleep pull you under. 

For the briefest of moments, you feel as if you’re being watched by the sky itself, but you pay it no mind and drift off.

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

Something warm began to rouse you from your sleep the next morning. There are undeniable puffs of air blowing directly onto your face, and while tinged with the scent of amber, you couldn’t help the way the hair at the back of your neck stood on end. 

You should wake up. 

“Rrrrr.”

The moment you hear a growl, your eyes fly open, and in an instant, you’re greeted with a mass of hair, a GIANT canine standing over you with blazing, molten eyes that looked like fire peering out at you past their undeniably bear-esque face. 

You stare up at them in horror, your voice caught in your throat. The canine doesn’t move from their spot above you, though you watch where you assume the ears are under all of that fur twitch and rotate, listening. They raised their head, looking North East before looking back at you, letting out a bark that rattled your bones. 

You scream and scramble up to your feet, grabbing your knife in a hurry, but the dog made a snap at your heels, and you decide running is much more viable for you in this moment. 

“SEOGNGHWA” You scream, rushing into the trees with the giant dog on your heels. Every time you moved to make a turn and shake them off, they threw their massive body in that direction, howling and barking and forcing you to pivot in the opposite direction. 

Had you had been a bit of a calmer mind, you’d realized this demon dog was much faster than you, and seemed to be corralling you in whichever direction they wanted you to go in. 

You, however, are not of a calm mind, and keep running for your life, screaming Seonghwa’s name, panic flooding into your system when you realize he hadn’t came for you yet. 

Above you, the sky is blotted out for a brief moment as something humongous flew overhead, obscuring the sun for a few seconds before it was gone, also heading in the direction you were running in. There’s the sound of a primal roar that vibrates the air. 

You pay none of that any mind, nearly tripping over your own feet as you catch a root on your ankle. The dog grabbed your dress in their jaws and spun their body, nearly hurling you in the direction you were running in. Surprisingly, the maneuver doesn’t tear your dress, and you keep sprinting after the close call, finally breaking the treeline. 

Seriously, where the fuck is Seonghwa?!

“SEONG-”You stop yourself, eyes wide as you finally see your lover. 

Your stomach drops in an instant. 

He’s being held above the water of the ocean by his throat, a different man staring at him with an unimpressed look in his eyes. They were glowing a shifting deep purple and blue. 

In an instant, all of your fear melted away, your claws elongating and your eyes bleeding red. Seonghwa looked in your direction, and threw his hands up. 

“Y/n, wait, no!”

You don’t heed his words, rushing over, tossing the sheath to your knife away, your feet moving faster than they did even with the dog on your heels.

You don’t ask questions, driving and twisting the knife hard into the man’s back, throwing your body between them as much as you could and biting down on his forearm, tearing the skin and crunching down on bone. 

Seonghwa paled and the man hardly flinched, his gaze, once fixed on Seonghwa’s face, now snapped down to you. 

You don’t back down, your nose scrunched as you lock your jaw, biting harder. His blood runs down between your lips, into your mouth. You ignore all of it, glaring hateful daggers at the unmoving and infuriatingly smug looking man. 

“So. You’re the mate, hm?” 

“Wooyoung, listen to me, calm down.”

You don’t hear anything but the blood rushing through your own ears. Wooyoung smiled at you, but you can see a wild look in his eyes as he cocked his head ever so slightly to the left. 

“Is this how you did it? Did you stab him the same way here? Or was it a little higher? How about to the left? Mm? Hit any organs? How about we try again? I don’t quite feel like I’m getting the full experience, little seal woman. Though, the bite is certainly new.” 

You hear a bark from somewhere behind you and Seonghwa reached to touch your head and try and push you off. 

“Y/n, baby, my angel please I’m begging you, let go. You’re making it worse.” He genuinely looked terrified, his eyes pale platinum as he glanced at you and Wooyoung.

“No, no, Seonghwa. Let her do what she wants. I’m finding out every little thing I need to know here.”  

You hesitate and Wooyoung’s arm flexes in your mouth, in a moment, he lets Seonghwa go, grabbing your jaw and leaning into your face. 

“I don’t take too kindly to having harm fall upon my loved ones. So, what should I do, seal woman? I’m facing a dilemma.” He sighed dramatically, ignoring Seonghwa’s rapidly protesting and trying to separate you both. 

Suddenly, he perked, looking at the tall SeaBorn for a moment. 

“My, that was a dangerous thought, Park Seonghwa. Were you thinking of biting me too? Putting your fist through my chest? Are you sure that’s what you want to do here?” 

Seonghwa froze and you frown. He hadn’t said anything threatening. Hadn’t even moved. But the look on his face told you everything you needed to know. 

Who is this guy?

Instantly, purple and blue eyes are back on you, as deep as the night sky, speckled with stars. 

What is this guy?

“Jung Wooyoung. Eldritch god. Any other questions? I’d be careful, if I were you. I’m not sure how much of my blood you’ve consumed~ Who knows what could happen to you consuming the blood of a god like this.” He teased. 

You let go in an instant, and everything hit you in an instant, horror crossing your face. 

This was the friend, the one Hongjoong mentioned. You look at Seonghwa and he looked distraught, reaching for you. Wooyoung narrowed his gaze, and a barrier instantly separated him from the two of you. 

“Haven’t I let you do whatever you want for too long, dear Hyung?” He inquired, though the honorific sounded more like teasing venom with his tone of voice. Seonghwa locked his jaw, red bleeding into his pale eyes as anger began to swell in him. 

“Wooyoung, that’s enough.” 

“Is it? You nearly die, don’t call me even once to save you, and now you think the person responsible can suffer no consequences? When you fell, did you crack your head, perhaps? I gave each and every one of you a resonance stone and instead of it being anywhere near you for a case of emergency, where is it? Hm?” He turned his gaze to you, and you shrink back from the overwhelming pressure coming from him as he looked at the peridot earring dangling from your ear. 

“I was hoping you’d help protect her from harm in case I wasn’t enough.” 

“Protect her? She almost killed you.” 

“The spider almost killed me. The toxins would have killed me before I bled out.” 

Wooyoung looks infuriated, turning his head in an instant. 

“And WHO could have avoided all of that if he’d just called me? Are you out of your mind, Park Seonghwa? Do I need to remind you of how important you are to m-”

You can see he’s about to lay into him, and before you can think, you reach out, grabbing his face and forcing his head back to look at you. 

“I’m sorry. Whatever it is, I’ll take responsibility, just…please, enough of this. My mate is upset and I hate this. You think I don’t already feel horrible for what I did? I did then and I do now, every time I see him, I see the scars he got from that day and it won’t go away, it never will. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love him. So whatever it is that you’re going to do, whatever punishment you feel I need or deserve for it, just do it already so I can go back into his arms. This has been a very long and fucking chaotic morning.” You speak a mile a minute and Wooyoung stared at you with a half lidded look once more. 

“So, you’ll die? Because that’s what I deem appropriate for hurting one of my seven.” He answered flatly, all emotion gone from his voice. You hear a bark again, and a different noise that sounds like a growl, but you don't tear your eyes away from Wooyoung. Seonghwa pounded on the barrier, frantic and enraged. 

“WOOYOUNG?!”

You feel his killing intent, but don’t look away from him. 

“If that’s what you think I deserve. Just make sure he’s not hurt.” 

Seonghwa’s voice nearly breaks from the sheer rage in his voice as he slammed on the barrier, and for a moment, you think you hear a crack. Wooyoung looked into your eyes for a long moment before looking down at your stomach, cold fingertips pressing against your abdomen. A thoughtful hum left his lips. Seonghwa’s enraged voice grew louder. 

Wooyoung looked up, meeting your unwavering gaze. You were terrified, but you didn’t back down. A long pause stretched between the two of you.

Then, he chuckled. 

“Welcome to The Fold, Seal.” 

He snapped his fingers, and in an instant, you feel the world rush by. Colors and scents whirl past you until-

-you jolt upright, heart hammering. You’re back in your hut. 

…what were you doing?

Seonghwa startled from beside you, and the moment you lay eyes on him, you burst into tears, kissing and embracing him tightly. 

“Y/n? Why are you crying, my love?” He inquired. You open your mouth to ask him if he was alright after seeing…who, again? 

Why are you crying? 

Seonghwa looked at you, checking your head, your face, and your neck for any injuries. You relax the moment you feel his touch, putting your hand over his. 

“I guess I had a bad dream. I’m okay as long as you are.” You kiss his nose and smile. He sniffed gently, making sure you weren’t hurt before he kissed you deeply, hovering over you. 

You run your fingers down his abdomen, smiling at the way he rumbled and shuddered into the kiss. Seonghwa’s scales turned pink around the edges of his eyes and he smiled. 

“Oh? Is this how you want to start your morning?” He purred, pressing his hips down and grinding between your legs. You smile and thread your fingers through his hair, intending on pulling him into a kiss when a bone-shaking bark drew a loud scream out of you. 

Instantly both of you jolt up and Seonghwa looked perplexed for a moment, standing and sticking his head out of the hut. 

It took a brief second before a black and red blur tackled him back into it. You scream again, reaching for your knife and then frowning when you note it definitely wasn’t where you’d left it last. 

When the hell did it get so far from you?

“Yunho!”

You turn your head to the sound of your mate's voice, and in an instant, you relax when you hear Seonghwa laughing.

Your gaze falls upon this massive mass of black and crimson fur. They appeared to be a canine, and you got the confirmation when they licked Seonghwa’s face, nudging his hand until he began roughly rustling and ruffling their fur. 

“Y…Yunho?” You parrot, slowly coming closer, the knife forgotten. Yunho turned his head towards you and keened. 

“This is one of my best friends. What are you doing here?” Seonghwa inquired. Yunho wagged his tail, sitting straight. You were amazed at his massive form, and you nearly forgot to wave in greeting to the canine. 

“Wooyoung said we had to meet your partner.” Yunho spoke despite his form. Seonghwa paused, and you could smell the twinge of anxiety in his scent. 

“Oh, please. Just come outside, we made this feast for you and it's going to be eaten completely the longer we wait.” 

You hear a voice seemingly coming from the sky and Yunho made a gruff keen before turning himself around and lowering himself, seemingly waiting for you both to get on his back. 

“Yunho, I’m too big to be riding-”

You jolt as Yunho let out a dramatic yowl, slamming his weight playfully against Seonghwa and nearly knocking him over. Seonghwa caught himself and sent him a scandalous look. 

“Fine!” He huffed and turned to you, smiling sweetly and picking you up. He kissed your nose and raised you high, setting you carefully on Yunho’s shoulders. He rumbled and you smile, gently scratching his ears. He radiated warmth, but he wasn’t uncomfortably hot to the touch. Seonghwa mounted him next, wrapping his arms around your waist. Yunho rumbled and stood up to his full height. 

If you weren’t tightly clenching your thighs to keep yourself in place, you're sure you’d fall right off. Falling from this height would hurt like a bitch.

Was Yunho as tall as Seonghwa on all fours like this? Was he taller? 

"Hold on, I'm going to go fast." He warned before he walked outside. Seonghwa tightened his grip on you, kissing your head before Yunho broadened his stance and took off like a shot. 

You let out a scream before you cover your mouth and burst into joyful laughter as Seonghwa held you. Yunho wove through the trees as if he’d done it a thousand times before. 

When he stepped foot on the beach, he slowed down to a trot, walking over to a group of men talking amongst themselves. 

“I brought them.” Yunho keened, closing his eyes and wagging his tail as the tallest of the group, a man who towered over the others, scratched below his chin. 

“Good job. I hope you didn’t startle our new friend too bad.” the man with the golden hair with the deep orange tips spoke. Yunho nudged his hands. 

“I didn’t mean to, if I did.” 

You look at the two of them and then take the time to survey your surroundings. 

Hongjoong is here, his arms crossed as he looked down at a man who was sitting on….air? His legs crossed and a cup of tea to his lips. A man with long hair and a ponytail stood with them, seemingly scolding the man sitting on nothing with his quiet gaze. 

There was a fire pit on the beach, and beside that was another man clad in tight, form fitting black clothing. He had part of his pendant in his mouth, and he seemed to be focused on getting the food on the fire cooked to the perfect degree. The man beside him watched on quietly, though he cast you a few cautious glances, the scorpion tail swaying behind him twitching every now and again. 

Seonghwa got off first, gently letting you down and smiling before he looked over at the man floating in air. He took a breath, seemingly steadying himself. 

“Just wait here, I’ll go talk to-”

“There’s no need.” 

You’d blinked, and in an instant. The man with the teacup was floating in front of you, his blue and purple eyes twinkling like the night sky itself. You startle, Seonghwa’s hand instinctively goes in front of you. 

“Wooyoung, I want to-”

“I said there’s no need. I’ve learned everything I needed to know already. Isn’t that right, Seal? Or, rather, Y/n?” He inquired, offering his cup to you. You blink at him and then gently take the cup, sniffing. 

It smells sweet. 

Seonghwa looked stunned, watching the two of you and the look of joy bloom on your face as you sip the tea. Wooyoung smiled casually and leaned back, sending Seonghwa a mysterious smile. 

Seonghwa pursed his lips. 

“Did…did you do something? You’re taking this a lot…calmer than I expected.” He admitted. Wooyoung shrugged a shoulder. 

“Have I done anything? Is there something wrong with me greeting one of my seven’s partners with open arms and a cup of healthy, immune system boosting tea?” He inquired, looking in your direction as you drank another sip, peeking over the rim of the cup at the two of them. 

Something about him seemed familiar, but you couldn’t put your finger on it. Seonghwa touched his abdomen subconsciously but then he relaxed, putting an arm around you. 

“Y/n, these are my seven. They’re…the most important people in my life. I didn’t know everyone would come to greet you.” He shied, rubbing his neck as he looked at the others. Hongjoong shrugged, wearing attire you weren’t familiar with, though he looked comfy as he approached you. It dawned on you that you hadn’t seen him on land until today. 

The man who was beside him followed and stopped in front of you, a row of freckles stretched across his cheeks and nose, and a nearly heart-shaped, splotchy birthmark at the corner of his left eye. You stare at him for a moment, taking in the unique look of his eyes. They were an interesting mixture of blues and pastel yellow and they glittered in the morning sun as he smiled sweetly at you. 

“My name is Yeosang. I’ve heard you’ve had quite a rough time. If there’s anything I can help you with, please let me know.” He greeted, glancing at your stomach for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment before looking back at your face.

The man with the gold and orange hair towered above you, smiling and extending his hand. 

“Name’s Mingi. The weather is quite nice out here today.” 

You took his hand, marveling at how huge every part of him was. Two thick horns sprouted from his forehead and the moment you nodded and greeted him back, you noticed his massive tail swaying to and fro behind him. 

Speaking of massive, the dog you’d come to know as Yunho shifted before you all, standing taller than Seonghwa, as well. 

The corners of his crimson eyes had smudges as if left from the cinders of a once-burned fire and he smiled from ear to ear as he offered his hand to you, as well. 

“Hi, Yunho. Thank you for carrying us here.” You smile and hand Wooyoung back the now-empty teacup. Yunho’s tail wagged so fast, it thumped into Yeosang’s hips. 

“Who are they?” You inquire, pointing to the men by the fire pit. Seonghwa took your hand and gently brought you over to the two. 

The man with the scorpion tail tensed for a moment before relaxing the moment Mingi sat to his left and Yunho to his right. His ears, rounded, yet cat-like, twitched and swiveled. 

“Good morning.” He quietly greeted. You nod and sit across from him. 

“Good morning..uh…sorry, what is your name? My name is Y/n.” 

“....San.” 

He didn’t meet your eyes, but you found Mingi subtly opening his posture so the man could press closer. The small, yet familiar action made you smile. 

‘He must be nervous because of something.’ You think, not realizing you’re doing the same, leaning into Seonghwa’s chest as your eyes fall upon the last man. 

The one with the black clothes and hazel eyes. He had a laser focus on the food in the fire, his pendant firmly in his mouth as he turned the fish and gently stirred the pot that had what looked like a stew inside of it. 

Where on earth did he get that on this island?

“Jongho, baby bear, you’re being rude.” Yeosang gently scolded, touching the back of his neck to get his attention. 

He tensed in an instant, his spade-shaped tail sticking straight up. That was the only indication of him being startled aside from his wide eyes. In an instant, he relaxed and looked over the fire at you, smiling. 

“Oh, uh. Sorry. I spaced out. My name is Jongho. It’s nice to meet you.” He greeted. He smelled incredibly sweet, almost mouth wateringly so.

You waved at him and introduced yourself, looking at the group. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting all of my mates…seven?” You’re not sure what the significance of them calling each other their ‘seven’, but you don’t pry. They all seem very close with one another, no matter what. 

“We figured we might as well stop by and say hello just in case a certain angelfish decided to not bring you around to greet any of us.” Yunho answered, staring as Jongho finally finished one of the bigger pieces. He nodded in his direction and he picked it up right out of the fire, seemingly unbothered by the flames nor the heat of the fish as he immediately tore into it. Mingi followed suit, splitting his piece with San and continuing between bites. 

“Our den isn’t exactly ready for other people to be in it.” He rumbled. San made a sour face before biting into his fish to seemingly keep his comment to himself. 

He didn’t seem privy on you being in their ‘den’ yet.

You hummed and accepted a cooler piece of fish on a stick Seonghwa had passed over to you. It was full of flavor and you can’t help the seal-like bark of joy that came out of your mouth. 

All eyes land on you and you blush, clearing your throat and looking away. 

Wooyoung smiled smugly as Seonghwa gently broke off more of his fish to hand to you. 

“Jongho, make sure to give our lovely new friend extra.”  He instructed. Jongho nodded and handed you a bowl. 

You look down into it and tilt your head. 

“It’s full of protein, and I brought some freshly harvested veggies to stew in there. I added some spices, too. Not too many, though, I promise. It's very good for you.” Yeosang smiled softly and handed you a spoon. You sniff gently, the aroma smelling slightly spiced and savory. You take a sip with the spoon and smile, going in for more. 

Seonghwa leaned over your shoulder, blinking owlishly. 

“I want some.” 

“It’s not for you.” Hongjoong muttered flatly. Seonghwa gasped in horror while Wooyoung laughed, leaning on Yeosang. 

“Why not?! There’s a whole pot full of it!” He complained. Hongjoong arched a brow at him and San eyed the two of you before speaking up. 

“Y/n needs the extra protein.” He spoke gently, wiping his mouth. He seemed to be trying to convey something, but it seemed to have gone over Seonghwa’s head.

Instead, you tilt your head and look at the bowl before sneaking him a spoonful anyway. 

“It’s okay. I know I’m still growing into my size now that I’m SeaBorn, but I still will share with him, and you all, too. I can’t possibly eat an entire pot full of food all by myself.” You tell them. 

They seem to exchange a look with one another before Yeosang sent you a gentle smile. 

“Well, it’s alright. We’ll all eat until you’re full. If you want more, just call us back and we’ll be happy to make more. Or, Seonghwa can bring you around The Whetū Faewilds and I can cook something different, but just as nutritious for you.” He cooed, and you can see the freckles along his skin twinkle and glitter. 

“I’d love to visit everyone’s home one day. Maybe I can make some food from my old home for you all….”you trail off, thinking about your village. 

Oh. 

You’d been so engrossed in your new life, you forgot your promise of revenge. You stare idly into your bowl of food, brows pulled together. 

Wooyoung looked at you from across the pit, eyes narrowing for a split moment before he gently was slapped on the back of the neck. 

“Stop reading the poor girl’s mind.” Yeosang scolded him, his voice low. San, Mingi, and Yunho perked regardless, looking over at you as you nurse your bowl in your hands, unbothered by the heat. Your eyes had begun to bleed into a deep red color.

“Not my fault her thoughts are so loud. That woman’s mind has a storm just festering below all the goody goody emotions Angelfish is giving her.” 

Yeosang blinked before he looked over at you, as well. A stormy expression crossed your face before it disappeared the moment Seonghwa kissed you. Your grip on the stone bowl in your hands loosened and you relaxed once more into his grip, clicking and purring as he peppered kisses all over your face. 

“Give it a few months, tops. She’ll call us. I’ll bet on it.” He rumbled, leaning on Yeosang. The faerie exhaled and looked at him. 

“True as it may be, you need to let it come to pass naturally. For now, stop prying.” 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re no fun.” 

You eat and listen to the stories of the group of unlikely friends until you feel yourself dozing off, your eyes growing heavy. Seonghwa wrapped his arm around you, smiling softly. 

“I think it’s time we head to bed, everyone. I promise I’ll be better about visiting.” 

San sent him a look and then looked at you instead. 

“....I’ll let you in our den if you make him stop by. This one is terrible at keeping his word. He gets too comfortable on this island taking care of sea turtle babies and monkeys and neglects us.” 

“I do not!” Seonghwa gasped, scandalized. Jongho snorted and Mingi arched a brow. 

“You haven’t stopped by in months.” 

“It was during Season! You two were-” His cheeks flared red before he cleared his throat, San's face igniting as well while Mingi stared back, unbothered.

“And I told you, you could have joined. I have two-”

“I’llDoBetterLet’sJustDropIt.” Seonghwa muttered quickly, his face dusted with pink scales. You looked at him before snickering. 

“It’s a promise. I want to visit, anyway.” You tell them through a yawn. Hongjoong gently motions with his hand. 

“Go rest. We’ll clean up.” 

You wave goodbye to them and get on Seonghwa’s back, your limbs dangling as he chuckles and disappeared back into the trees. 

The seven remaining men watched the two of you leave and Yeosang glanced at Wooyoung. 

“I know what you did in the first meeting, Wooyoung. Must you threaten people like that all the time? What if the stress was too much?” He scolded. Yunho sent them a curious look before tilting his head. 

“Did you do something? Is that why I have this weird sense of deja vu?” 

Wooyoung yawned, stretching his limbs before he flopped back, his head resting on San’s thighs. San gently ran his fingers through his hair, looking down at him. 

“If anyone intends to get near you, they go through me. I needed to see if she was worthy. Besides, she’s not nearly at the point where overstress would be a concern. If I were you, I’d worry about that hatred she’s got in her pretty little head instead of me testing her.” Wooyoung checked his nails before locking eyes with a concerned Yeosang. 

“That woman has murder on her mind. It’s below the surface, quieted only by her love for him, but it’s there. All we need is one monumental event, and it’s all over for that sorry-ass village. And when that time comes…”Wooyoung trailed off, humming softly. 

“We help. Where she goes, Seonghwa goes and where he goes, we go.” Hongjoong cut in. 

In an instant, all of their eyes hardened. Wooyoung’s lip quirked. 

“Now who’s the one who’s being threatening?”

Yeosang looked at him flatly and threw a ball of magic his way. It exploded into dandelion-esque puffs and Wooyoung instantly began sneezing. 

“Oh, shut up, you sound like a damn villain. Help us clean up the beach.” 

 .·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈*¨¨*:·.

1 Month Later

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈*¨¨*:·.

You feel the wind blow by you, and your lungs protest from the strain as you rush through the trees. 

Several tree branches snap behind you, but you pay it no mind, rushing faster through the island’s forest. 

You’re almost there. You’re so close. 

Goodness, you’re a bit more winded than usual today, aren’t you? 

In the briefest of moments, as your mind trailed off, you feel yourself get swept off of your feet. 

“I caught you.” 

You look up, sweat running down your temple as you meet Seonghwa’s gaze. He’s looking at you with deep magenta eyes, his chest rising and falling as he catches his breath. 

You smile. 

“You won this round. I won before. That means we need a tie breaker.” You tell him through pants, reaching to wipe his face. Seonghwa gently set you on your feet and held you close to him instead, burying his face in your neck. 

You look at him, smiling softly. He’s breathing in your scent deep, and with him so close, you find yourself doing the same, grazing your fangs over his shoulder, pressing yourself against his sturdy body. 

“How about we do something else?” You coo, running your fingers through damp blonde locks and tugging. Seonghwa purred deep from his core, his cock hard against your thigh as he tilted his head back. 

“Kneel for me.” 

Seonghwa doesn’t make you ask twice, getting down on one of his knees before you and looking up. You run your fingers through his hair, pushing it back before you lift your thigh and set it on his shoulder, smiling sweetly. 

“Go ahead. Enjoy your meal.”

Seonghwa let out a keen, grabbing both of the globes of your ass and pulling you flush against him after muttering a soft ‘thank you’. 

You clench and sigh, feeling him work his tongue into you, his claws leaving indents in your skin as he curled his tongue. 

You move his head, thigh flexing every now and again as the sparking pleasure from his saliva started to creep into your system. 

“Don’t make me cum yet, I want to make a mess of your cocks.” 

You watch his pupils dilate, a reverberating growl tearing from his lips as he looked up at you. You smile, sweet as nectar as you push his face flush between your legs, challenging both him and yourself to actually fulfill that wish. 

Seonghwa, for his own credit, ate you out slower and more deliberately than he usually did, kneading and panting against your pussy as your juices ran down his chin. 

You don’t think you’ll ever get tired of the look on his face when he’s between your legs, dazed with his eyes deep and pink. 

He could be there for hours, if you let him. You’d tested that one day and he’d only stopped because your eyes were full of pleasured tears and your legs were trembling. 

You pull and tug at his hair and grit your teeth. Reluctantly, he stilled all movement, looking up at you with half lidded eyes. 

“Where?” He growled, short and simple. You growl back at him, trembling and impatient. 

“Right here. Both.” 

He stared at you for a moment before he chuckled and pulled away from you, letting your thigh down and slowly licking his lips. He stood to his full height, backing  you against a tree and leaning into your space, tilting your chin up to make you gaze deep into his eyes. 

“My, you haven’t had a single time where you didn’t ask me for both.”

You stare back at him, brow arching. 

“Why should I? You’re mine and that means both of them are mine too.” You fire back, running your fingers down the expanse of his abdomen until you stopped over the slit at his pelvis, smiling at the way his eyes darkened. 

“You’re insatiable.” He whispered, though it distinctly lacked any real reluctance. You smile, regardless. 

“Am I?” 

“Yeah.” 

You pretend to think for a moment before nodding, kissing the tip of his nose. 

“Okay.” 

He blinked, head tilting, and in an instant, you bolt back through the trees, leaving him stunned in your wake. 

“I’ll take care of myself, then~” You call over your shoulder. 

It took another second, and you fight the urge not to laugh as you hear the loud, undeniable roar of your name come from behind you. 

The birds in the trees squawked and flew off as Seonghwa tore through the island, chasing you with renewed vigor. 

“Y/N!”

“Seonghwa~!” You mock him lovingly, calling his name as you make sharp turns and pivots through the familiar terrain. This island had become your home in your time here, you were more than familiar with all it hid.

Seonghwa, of course, knew this place like the back of his hand and in no time he skid into your view, scales shimmering and glittering beautifully in the sun as he laid eyes on you. A smile stretched across his face as you rush to the left, giggling to yourself. 

You find yourself at a familiar rock formation, the same from when you first arrived on the island, and realize with a pout that you’ve hit a dead end. 

The sound of Seonghwa growling behind you confirmed it and you don’t even get the chance to turn around before you’re being embraced from behind. Seonghwa purred, planting kisses upon your shoulder and up your neck and ear before he nibbled the shell of it, clicking slowly. 

“I caught you again. What do I win?” He purred. You smile and turn your head to kiss him, taking one of his hands and guiding it between your legs. He got the hint, long fingers working you open while he held you flush against his body. 

You sigh and relax into his grip, moaning as your head rolled onto his shoulder. Seonghwa kissed you with an urgency his fingers did not share, and the mixed speeds made your head spin. 

You move his other hand to your breast, smiling as he kneaded it in his free hand, rutting his cocks against your ass. You can feel him dribbling against the dimples at the small of your back and you have a passing thought. 

‘He’s wasting it.’

You’ve long since stopped being flustered about these thoughts, and cup your hand over his, pushing your own fingers in beside his as you kiss him with a tad more aggression. 

“Want you.” You growl, hoping he gets the hint. Seonghwa moaned into the kiss and pinched your nipple between two fingers. 

“Bend over.” 

You pull your fingers from yourself, sending him a searing look over your shoulder as you lick them clean. Seonghwa followed the movement with his eyes before they drifted up to yours.

“Ah ah, down here.” You spread your legs and hold your folds open, your core aching. Seonghwa pressed himself against you in an instant, slowly guiding his cock coated in essence into you first. Your eyes nearly roll back at the pleasure of finally having his warmth inside of you. A shaky gasp left your mouth as he held your hip, pushing the other into you once he was sure you’d adjusted to the first properly. 

Seonghwa waited until you were ready, kissing your head and singing sweet nothings into your hair. 

“Put your arms back.” He instructed and you do so, feeling him work one of his arms through both of yours, pinning them back as he slowly rolled his hips forward and keeping you arched. 

“Seonghwa~”

“You’ve become such a fast baby, Y/n. I wonder what you would have done if you got away from me. Maybe I should’ve let you this time, just sit back and watch you pleasure yourself just right.” He growled against your ear, taking your earlobe between his teeth. You whine, clenching down possessively on his cocks. 

He noticed, a deep, throaty groan ripping from his chest as he snapped his hips up before reminding himself he wanted to drive you crazy, slowing himself back down. 

“I would have called to you-ah…faster, it’s too slow-” You whimper, trying to rock your hips back. Seonghwa’s arm flexed between yours as he held them back, clicking his tongue in your ear. 

“I’m enjoying my mate. Be still.” 

You shudder and feel yourself gush around him. Your body is getting hotter again, and you loosen up. Feeling precum run between your thighs as he moved faster over time. 

You stand on your tiptoes as he rocked into you, moaning his name like a chorus as he nuzzled your neck. 

“Sweet…you smell so sweet.” He panted, both of his cocks rocking hard into your gspot at the same time. 

You feel your brain disconnect for a moment, your mouth falling open before a guttural moan of pleasure fell from your lips as Seonghwa repeated the action. Encouraged by your song, he angled his hips, focusing on making you melt in his arms, his teeth sinking into your shoulder. 

Beautiful, glittering silver droplets run down as you feel him let go of your arms, pressing them above your head on the smooth rock wall as he thrusted into you. 

“Seonghwa! S-seonghwa slow down I’m gonna cum-” You try fruitlessly to drag it out for longer. Seonghwa had other plans, his free hand finding its way between your legs, rubbing your clit in rapid circles as he licked your shoulder bites closed. 

“Cum for me, then. You sound s-so pretty for me, clenching me like a vice….c’mon, don’t hold back. Make a mess. That’s what you want right? To make a mess of your mate’s cocks?” He chuckled into your ear, both of his cocks throbbing deep inside of you. You can feel them, and your mouth waters at the undeniable need to be bred swirling in your mind. 

“K-kiss me?” You plead, nearly crying in relief as he immediately tilted his head to do so, his tongue melding against yours as you feel yourself standing on your tiptoes due to the force of his thrusts and his heights. 

Your stomach bulges from the size of his cocks and the moment you hear him growl ‘I love you’ into the kiss, you feel yourself clench down, fingers flexing and clenching as you came with a spine-shaking orgasm.

Seonghwa moaned, your scent flooding his senses as he sped up his own thrusts, cumming deep inside of you and keeping himself still as he kissed you, keeping you pinned between him and the wall. 

“Love you, I love you.” You pant, mewling as you look back at him, your eyes no doubt matching his in their magenta color. He smiled and hugged you close, keeping himself inside of you. 

“I love you.” He rumbled, letting both of you catch your breaths and settle down before pulling out, watching as his cum and essence roll out in thick pearls, leaving a glittering puddle on the stone between your legs.

You pant, and for a moment, you consider cupping yourself to keep it inside, but you blush and perish the thought, instead.

Seonghwa picked you up, kissing your temple and carrying you off to the waterfall where you both had first gotten intimate. He gently guided you into the water, chuckling at the way your legs instantly shifted into your tail. 

You look down and he ran his fingers over your tail, smiling fondly. 

"Your tail really is beautiful."

You look at the gray speckles and purse your lips. 

"Yours is stunning. Mine is just…"you trail off and Seonghwa clicks disapprovingly.

"Beautiful." He ran his fingertips in small loops, tracing words of love and patterns of lace along your tail and chuckling as you shudder.

"You can always tell the difference between a Seaborn who was born that way and one who used to be human. We call them Reborns, at least, the older generations did. As Hongjoong told you, humans who were turned into Seaborn will retain mammal traits. Namely, the tail." Seonghwa hummed, drumming his fingers along your tail. You look at his face, watching the cogs turn. 

"Everything else is basically the same no matter the type. Our strength, our longevity, our basic anatomies, how we give birth, it's very similar regardless of being Reborn or Seaborn." He continued, beginning to wash your tail with long caresses after opening the container of self-made soap he'd left at this particular waterfall since it held sentimental value for you both. 

"How do Seaborns give birth?" You inquire. He blushed and rubbed his neck. 

"Laying eggs and keeping them warm? 

You blink at him.

"Laying eggs…and then keeping them warm after that?"

"Yes."

"Like a chicken?"

Seonghwa gave you a funny look, his eyebrows and nose scrunching up.

"....did you just compare us to chickens?"

"....its kinda chicken-like"

He stared flatly at you and pushed you into the water further, face deadpan as you came back up laughing.

"Seonghwa! I'm right!"

"No, wash yourself, chicken girl"

You snicker and come close to him, resting your arms on his knees as you feel him work his hands into your hair, gently washing and scratching your scalp.

“Our village is fortunate. There is an underwater volcano within our territory. There is a nursery nearby that is protected by magic and round the clock security. This is for couples who are active in hunting or may not have time to incubate them above water, in sand. During particularly busy egg hatching seasons, Yunho will come and stay within one of Hongjoong’s gardens and use his body heat to keep them warm. We have had our numbers quadruple and our success rate for hatching guppies almost perfect itself because of him and Yeosang enchanting our nursery gardens for Hongjoong." Seonghwa explained, purring softly as you close your eyes. 

You don't even realize the way your tail slapped the surface of the water, just enjoying the feeling of him taking care of you. He chuckled and reached in, picking you up out of the water as he continued to wash you. 

His hand wanders as he sings and hums to you, but so do your lips, and it takes but a few minutes of him cleaning his essence and cum out of you before you press your face into his throat, kissing and nibbling at his pulse. 

Seonghwa opened his mouth to tease you again, but paused. Once again he can smell it. That sweet scent lacing your usual one. 

His fingers twitched. As you place nips and kisses along the edges of some of his scales, you can hear him rumbling. 

".....sweet."

You look at him, blinking. 

"Sweet?"

"Yes. You smell sweet."

You blink before you hum quietly. Your eyes drift between your legs.

"Your fingers are still inside of me."

Seonghwa’s platinum scales along his cheekbones and the corners of his eyes turn a dusty pink, but all he did was hold you close. 

"Y/n."

"Yes, Seonghwa?"

You can tell there was nothing to panic about-yet-Seonghwa had spoken in a calm tone, his scales never paling or his scent tinging with fear. 

Instead, excitement? Nervousness?

"I think you're pregnant."

You stare at him. 

He stared back.

For a while, you think the world had stopped, had it not have been for the rushing sound of the water behind you and the gentle, steady sound of splashing as he continued to wash you with gentle, reverent hands. 

Then, your eyes well up. Seonghwa bit his lip and smiled as you bring your hand to your stomach. 

“Pregnant?” 

“Your scent has changed. It’s sweeter than usual, gentler.” 

He gently ran his hand over your stomach, landing on top of yours. 

Tears roll down your cheek as you pull him down for a kiss, feeling like you were floating. He smiled into it, holding you securely as you both sang and purred words of love and adoration to one another. 

That would explain…a lot, actually. The hunger you felt growing steadily, your portions growing significantly, getting winded easier while doing work around the island and in the ocean, and the increased clinginess from Seonghwa. 

You two clean up and Seonghwa held your hands in his, smiling softly. 

“How about we visit The Whetū Faewilds tomorrow? Yeosang may be able to help us out. He’s really good at helping out new families and I want him to give you a protection enchantment. I need to see if I can have my own seagarden somewhere here for our eggs so you can lay them separate from everyone elses. Maybe if Yunho brings a magma stone we can keep them warm on our own and-”

You watch fondly as Seonghwa excitedly chattered on about setting up your own nursery for your eggs. You cup his cheek minutes later and he stops mid-sentence, looking into your eyes. 

Neither of you say a word and he simply pressed his cheek into your palm, smiling. 

“Let’s get settled into bed early. We’ll leave for Yeosang’s early tomorrow.” Seonghwa suggested. You nod and smile, letting him carry you off to bed, a new kind of joy settling in your body as you cuddle into his arms that night. 

˚*＊✿❀༓❀✿＊*˚

“So how are we getting to Yeosang’s faewilds? Do we swim?” You inquire, looking over at Seonghwa the following morning as you both stand on the beach. 

Seonghwa fiddled with his ear, blinking as they brushed against a peridot earring. 

He had a feeling something had been misaligned, but couldn’t put his finger on what. Instead, he gripped the earring and called out to the ocean. 

“Wooyoung?” 

There’s a silence that stretches between you both. The ocean swayed calmly, unbothered. 

Seonghwa furrowed his brow and opened his mouth. 

“I’m right here. What do you need?” 

Both of you look behind you, finding Wooyoung standing on the air above both of you, looking down as you clutch your chest, startled. Seonghwa rubbed the small of your back and Wooyoung cocked a brow. 

“You two don’t look like you’re in danger. What do you want?” He yawned, stepping off of whatever invisible platform of air he was standing on, getting right in both of your faces. 

“We need a lift to The Whetū Faewilds, please.” Seonghwa informed him, smiling in greeting. Wooyoung blinked before looking at you. 

Whether you noticed or not, you’d been idly rubbing small circles along your stomach, taking note of the subtle bulge forming. 

“Oh, good. You both realized she’s pregnant. I see.” Wooyoung stretched and ignored the stammering coming from Seonghwa. 

“You knew?”

“We all knew. Now, c’mon before I change my mind. I don’t recall when it was I said I was suddenly a transportation service.” Wooyoung grumbled. He took a few steps towards the ocean, and you could see trails of stardust glinting with his every step. 

You blink. 

His feet never actually made contact with the sand, now that you looked closer. 

Wooyoung made a sweeping motion and in an instant, a tear appeared before you all. You frown, looking at the unnatural tear space and peer through it, holding Seonghwa’s hand. Through it, you can see a lush forest. 

“I don’t have all day, go on.” Wooyoung urged, nodding towards the tear. Seonghwa smiled at you, kissing your knuckles before he pulled you towards the spacial tear, guiding you into it. 

Immediately, the aroma around you changes. 

The smell of sea salt disappeared into the distance, now replaced with fresh rain and flowers. You breathe deep, smiling as it caresses you and brings about an instant calm. The forest seemed to welcome your presences, and you watch as a tiny, cotton ball shaped entity bounced over to you. 

It made a noise you could only describe as a puppy-like squeak before it ran down a row of fragrant plumeria and gardenia bushes. 

“That’s a faerie, they’re leading us to Yeosang.” Seonghwa explained. You smile and turn to thank Wooyoung, but find him already missing. 

“Oh-uh, okay, let’s go.” You take Seonghwa’s hand and follow the fae through the forest. You are careful not to step on any flowers along the way. A few other fae peeked out of the bushes, watching you before they began following you both, some of them cooing and climbing up Seonghwa’s body with a sense of familiarity. 

You smile, watching as the small glowing puffs dot your mate. One of them crossed the bridge between your and his shoulders, squeaking as it pressed against your cheek and began to shake in what you assumed was excitement. 

“Ah, you’re here. Welcome.” 

You look up and blink in surprise, finding yourself standing in front of a beautiful hut in the center of a village you don’t remember walking into. You look around, lips parted as you spy faeries of all shapes and sizes, looking curiously at you as they held fruit and flora in various baskets. 

Your eyes drift back in front of you and you find Yeosang smiling softly at you both, his hair secured back in a clip and a dangling jewled hairclip catching your attention as he walked closer. 

“You kept your word and stopped by. I appreciate it. We’ve missed you,Seonghwa, and my people have wanted to greet you, Y/n.” He gently gave Seonghwa a hug. Seonghwa closed his eyes and leaned down, pressing his forehead to Yeosang’s. Yeosang closed his eyes back, gently holding Seonghwa’s forearms. 

When they pulled away, Yeosang muttered something in a tongue you couldn’t understand, smiling softly before he looked at you. 

“Do you mind?” He asked, holding his arms open. You smile and lean into his embrace without a second’s hesitation. Yeosang smiled and hugged you back. He pulled away after a moment or two and you follow what Seonghwa had done, closing your eyes and tilting your head up slightly. You miss the small look of surprise on Yeosang’s face before it melted into a fond look, with him leaning down to press his forehead to yours, breathing gently. 

A sense of warmth and welcome washed over you, and just like with Seonghwa, Yeosang pulled away and muttered something. This time you could understand him. 

‘Welcome home.’

Seonghwa put his arm around you and guided you into Yeosang’s home, sitting down first and patting his lap. You sit down with a small blush, settling into his embrace as Yeosang began to move about his home, grabbing some decorative cups and setting them in front of you both before he set down a few small ceramic bowls. 

“So, I can smell the excitement on you both, and I noticed you had Wooyoung bring you here instead of making the day-long swim…I’m assuming you both have come to realize you are with children, yes?” Yeosang inquired, his movements graceful as he removed the lids of each bowl. You lift your head to peek, seeing dried flowers and fruit inside of each one, as well as the one at the end having some form of glittering powder. 

“Was I really the last to know?” Seonghwa frowned. You laugh behind your hand and kiss his jaw after turning your head and Yeosang chuckled, gently adding certain petals and leaves to a small bag, tucking them carefully into it. 

“It’s alright. Love is as exhilarating as it is blinding.” Yeosang mused, looking at both of you with a gentle fondness in his eyes. 

“How are you feeling, Miss?” He inquired. You wave gently. 

“Y/n is fine, Yeosang. I’ve been slowing down a bit but I’m okay. I imagine in the next eight months that may change drastically.” 

Both he and Seonghwa looked at you curiously before Yeosang hummed gently, adding dried apple and lemon to one bag. 

“Seaborns do not hold their eggs for nine months like humans do their young. You will probably need to lay in about two or so months. You’re a month in, so you’ll notice your body adjusting and changing fairly quickly from here on out.” He explained. You feel your lips part, staring at him in surprise. 

“Two months?” 

“Or somewhere about that time, yes. I recommend you keep your stress levels down and try and stay away from dangerous situations until then.” He met your eyes and you feel like there’s something he’s not saying in this moment. You don’t look away, rubbing Seonghwa’s knuckles as he adjusted his embrace. 

“What would I be doing that’s dangerous, Yeosang?”

Yeosang’s eyes didn’t betray anything in his head, and instead he only shrugged a shoulder. 

“I don’t know, I’m just warning you regardless.” 

He put the bags in the cups and gently poured the water into them. A pleasant aroma flooded the room and you find yourself sniffing eagerly, watching as he covered each cup with a small lid made of some kind of wood. 

He closed his eyes and took a moment, seemingly thinking before he looked at you both once more. 

“You would like me to place a protective enchantment on your womb, correct?” Yeosang inquired. You and Seonghwa nod in unison and Yeosang hummed, staring at the cups. 

“Have you chosen a place to lay your clutch?” He inquired, looking into Seonghwa’s eyes. 

“On the island, in a mini spring with a waterfall.” 

“Is it deep enough to have a magma stone placed in it without overheating it?” 

“I would need a smaller stone than usual, but yes. It's a good twenty-five feet deep. At least.” 

Yeosang tapped his lip and nodded quietly, humming to himself. He took the lid off of the cups and gently grabbed some of the glittering dust from the final ceramic bowl, sprinkling it into your cup before smiling softly and handing it to you. 

“Here.” 

You take a moment to take a deep breath, enjoying the aroma of hibiscus mixed with dried fruit. You sip gently and lean back against Seonghwa’s chest fully. 

“How many guppies do Seaborns usually have?” 

Yeosang looked at Seonghwa, arching a brow. Seonghwa rubbed your hips, putting his chin over your head. 

“If all goes well, usually two or three. If they aren't incubated properly, they won’t make it. We also would have to watch for predators. Usually, the creatures of the ocean stray clear of Seaborns but nurseries that aren't properly guarded have been known to have opportunity hunters go after the eggs.” he sighed. 

The sound of a growl drew both of their attention to you. A deep leer settled on your face, your eyes bleeding into crimson as you gripped the cup tight. 

“Baby?”

“I’ll kill anything that comes near my fucking babies, Seonghwa.” 

He blinked in surprise before he rubbed your hips and kissed your cheek. 

“I know, baby. Nothing will get close to our nursery.”

Yeosang watched the two of you and moved closer, sitting in front of you. 

“Can you lift your shirt? Just so I can see your stomach?” He inquired. Seonghwa moved his hands away from yours so you could decide and after you sit up a bit, you lift your shirt up until it was bunched over your belly. 

Yeosang’s eyes gleamed, and he held his hand over your stomach, fingertips glowing. He blinked for a moment before he exhaled, laughing to himself. You frown at him, worry settling in your brow. 

“What? What’s wrong?” You ask quickly. He waved and pressed his palm firmly against your belly. 

“Nothing, just thinking. Hold still for a moment.” He instructed. You hold your breath without thinking. Yeosang’s fingertips begin to glow with a soft, pastel yellow twinkle, small symbols appearing around the curve of your stomach before he pulled his hand away and gently lowered your shirt. 

“I’ve put some protective magic over your womb. Remember to be careful, it doesn’t make you immune to injuries, but it simply makes it easier for you with carrying and eventually when you lay. I’ll send you both home with some fae meals to keep your energy high and boost your health. Because you are a Reborn, you will find that your body will most likely begin to lactate, as well. Only Reborns can, seeing as you hold onto your mammal genetics to some extent. You can come back to me when your guppies are born and I will provide you with more Fae meals in order to keep your body healthy and cleansed of toxins so you can nurse them…if you choose to do so.” Yeosang explained, moving to sit back down, taking a sip of the tea in front of him. You touch your stomach ever so slightly and looked over at the kind Fae man. 

“That’s so kind of you…all of this is…Is there anything I can to repay you for your kindness?” 

Seonghwa kissed your head and pressed a kiss to your temple. 

“Yeosang, I’d like to show her around the village and your forest. Is it alright if I do it alone? I want her to see the Vermillion Gardens. If you don’t want anyone there, I understand, too.” Seonghwa spoke gently, and you could tell from the way Yeosang had paused his drinking, this was something of a special place. 

He rose his gaze up to the two of you before he smiled, his nose scrunching slightly. 

“Just be mindful of the flowers. Do not stray too far from them. My Faewilds may be friendly towards those I welcome here, but that does not mean you shouldn’t watch your own back.“

Seonghwa smiled wide and took your hand, pulling you out of the hut and guiding you through the beautiful village. 

Yeosang watched the two of you leave and sat down, bringing a cup of tea up to his lips. 

“I never expected you to be such a softie for an addition of The Fold.” He spoke into the brim of the cup. For a moment, there was no response in the seemingly empty room. 

Then, 

“A ‘softie’? You wound me. I don’t give a damn about that woman or those kids, I just want to make sure-”

“There was an Eldritch rune on her womb long before I touched her. I wonder who that came from.” Yeosang cut him off and motioned to the empty spot beside him, his fingers glowing as a second cup of tea began brewing. Sure enough, Wooyoung emerged, taking a seat beside him, pouting. 

“I really can’t hide a thing from you, huh?” He grumbled. Yeosang sent him a smile, eyes twinking with mirth. 

“No, you can’t. I don’t even know why you try at this point.” 

˚*＊✿❀༓❀✿＊*˚

You step carefully as you trek through the Vermillion Garden, the petals of countless spider lilies tickling your ankles as you walk beside Seonghwa. There was a gazebo in the center of the field and Seonghwa carefully helped you sit in a bench, touching you with added care, as if you were to lay at any moment. 

It was as equally adorable as it was endearing. 

Seonghwa put an arm around you, looking at the illuminated flowers as he took a deep breath. You admire your surroundings, holding Seonghwa’s hand. 

“This flower field…is it special?” You inquire. Seonghwa nodded, looking up at the stars above. The sky was a much different color than the one back on the beach. 

Instead of a pitch black or a deep blue, the night sky was a deep purple. A shimmering aurora flowed through the sky above the two of you, and for a few moments, you forget to breathe, simply taking it all in. 

“The heart and soul of the Faewilds. It all started here. Yeosang always brought us here when something good would happen in our lives. Something about the flowers helping lift the soul and spirit. So…its only right I bring you here.” 

You blush and smile, kissing him slowly. Around you, the flowers begin the glow, wisps of light dancing around the night sky like fireflies. You cup Seonghwa’s face, feeling like you were floating. 

Everything was going to be alright. 

….right?

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

Taglist

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

@kimnamshiks @angel0taiyo @atiny-dazzlinglight @jacksons-goddess-gaia @smallfrye @daniblogs164 @daisyhwa @yunhofingers @xlilehx @violetwinters @jess-1404 @perfectlysane24 @babiebumm @bangteezbaby @skmoonchild @universe-sighted @seomisaho @sanraes @asyamonet22 @drunk-on-hwa @shingisimp @yungiland @serialee @justatiredhuman @heesuncore @twistedsiren @xuxibelle @delphinium3000 @horizonmoonfics @cookiechristie @stardragongalaxy @ateezwonderland @spooo00oky @shymexican

#fie writes #beauty leaves #ataraxia verse #kwritersworldnet #kdiarynet #k-vanity #seonghwa x reader #park seonghwa fanfiction #seonghwa smut #park seonghwa smut #ateez smut #kpop smut #ateez fanfiction

[seraphiism]

❀ ﾟ. ༄ ┊ 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 ( 𝐩𝐭. 𝐢 ) ;

( AT THE END AS AT THE START, & THROUGH ALL THE IN-BETWEENS, I LOVE YOU )

characters : xiao / alhaitham / shenhe / kazuha / zhongli fandom : genshin impact quote cr : amal el-mohtar and max gladstone a/n : part 1 of 4! each character is limited to 150 words.

↬ xiao ࿐ ࿔

a yaksha knows what it is like to be needed, redemption sought upon self-sacrifice and approaching insanity. yes, xiao knows the feeling of being needed, but not the feeling of being wanted. mortal trivialities are not meant for intrigue, so he dismisses the thought.

it is when you first speak his name that he wonders -- it is merciless : the shift in gentle tones, the way your hands tremble, anxious at the selfish request. because you truly do not need anything, but there is something in the heart that desires him so.

he makes his presence known, notes how you brighten at the mere sight of him. it is then that he feels his pulse quicken, feels a semblance of home.

yes, xiao knows what it's like to be needed, he thinks, the burden of karmic debt soothed by another's love, and he knows what it is like to be wanted.

↬ alhaitham ࿐ ࿔

alhaitham does not know of the tenderness that resides in a seemingly dormant heart, endeavors found in all things factual. so it is a strange phenomenon, as said by a certain architect, that he has sworn himself to another, expressed loyalty in ways unseen by most. he does not recognize ardor, not quite -- it is a foreign stranger in his life, but one he is willing to welcome.

"read to me?"

your head rests against his chest, arm draped over his waist. book in hand, he gives you a questioning look-- one you return with an exhausted smile.

"it'll bore you, unless that's how you intend to fall asleep."

"that's okay." you fight back a yawn, giving into fatigue. "i just like listening to your voice."

"you subject yourself to strange things."

"you like it."

he chuckles, but pulls the warm covers over your close figures.

"do i? i wonder."

↬ shenhe ࿐ ࿔

cursed are those abandoned, innocence tarnished by deceit and insanity. a lone soul bound by red ropes and fate alike, shenhe bores a cold rage ; how it drowns in waves, struggles to stay afloat. but it is not only anger that remains at sea, but joy and sorrow. she was once devoid of such things, though they have bloomed so wonderfully in the knowing of you.

in the knowing of you, shenhe feels a longing that brings uncertainty and comfort. but she is naive to the bonds of mortals, and so she carries it forth without knowing it is love.

she will learn of it, eventually, and it will be beautiful. for now, she takes your hand, presses a kiss against your knuckles, and rests it against a beating heart. how wildly it rings in her ears, and surely she knows that this is the beginning of a future cherished.

↬ kazuha ࿐ ࿔

kazuha's soul belongs in many places : the sky, the shore, and the sea. how it thrives in the presence of all, but it is with you that it yearns the most. how silly, he thinks, this lovesickness he's given into entirely.

the rain pours upon his arrival, but it is not an unwanted greeting. he watches, nostalgic, a soft melancholy woven into his smile as the kind winds guide brilliant red maple leaves. you stand at his side, your hand in his, feel how he squeezes it in hope and quiet grief.

nature knows his heart all too well, just as you do. you laugh when a leaf lands in his hair, turns his smile into one of amusement as you remove it delicately.

"thank you."

you do not let go of the maple leaf, knowing he will keep it for his travels as remembrance of this moment you share.

↬ zhongli ࿐ ࿔

it is difficult, morax finds, to survive. even time cannot heal the deepest of wounds, and the burdens of leading humanity have hurt him so. he no longer has nightmares of battles won and lost, but he wonders-- did he ever truly win? to witness bloodshed, to cause bloodshed, knowing he lost his allies--

it is difficult, zhongli thinks, to survive.

the days pass quickly; even in a life freed from loosened chains of godhood, he wonders if he will ever adapt. from amber to embers, he closes his eyes, the music a welcome distraction as he focuses on the feeling of your body against his. you sway together, movements slow as you surrender to the depths of time.

yes, it is difficult to survive. but perhaps in this brave new world, he muses, resting his forehead against yours, he will remember once more what it means to live again.

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #xiao x reader #alhaitham x reader #shenhe x reader #kazuha x reader #zhongli x reader #okay i was going to do 10 characters per post..tht way there's only 2 parts but #150 words are difficult bc it takes awhile to figure out how to do everything + everyone justice with such a limitation #so i think 5 per post will be good :^))) #also reading everyone's lore and quotes again .. made me very sad #.: writing #.: multi

[utilitycaster]

Hi there, I saw in one of your tags recently that "if you think the raven queen was being unfair, I'm not really interested in your opinions." I was wondering if you could talk a little more about that because I'll be honest, Vax isn't my favorite character but I've seen all of C1 and I really don't get why some people HATE the RQ, call her unfair, manipulative and pretty plainly say this moon conflict is mostly her fault because she took Vax and through a Domino effect Ludinus is releasing Predathos. Also, I enjoy your theories and analysis for CR so much you got me listening to Midst, so thank you.

Hi anon,

Great question! This is going to be a very long post, with a relatively short initial answer, because there is both the literal misinterpretation that indicates this is not someone with strong analytical skills nor knowledge of canon, and a number of potential mindsets that lead to this manner of thinking in the first place, none of which I respect. You happen to have sort of hit upon the foundational elements of my whole deal re: CR meta, so, buckle in.

The first part is simple: Vex died because Percy triggered a trap before she'd been healed up. We've seen this sort of trap elsewhere in non-divine contexts (Folding Halls of Halas); it's just a form of trap. A particularly nasty one, but this is for a very powerful relic she doesn't want falling into the wrong hands, and, moreover, the party could have likely disabled it either through rogue skills or magic had Percy waited. Vax, then, as the third part of the resurrection ritual, told the Raven Queen to take him instead of Vex. The Raven Queen did precisely as he asked. He did not need to offer this (Scanlan was going to make an offering, the other parts of the ritual had gone well, it was Vex's first death so the DC was low, and Vax could have made any number of other, less dramatic offers), and he did so with the understanding that he would die in lieu of Vex, right then and there. He did not. I think that's the only case, actually, where the Raven Queen was not 100% upfront with her intentions before Vax accepted something; but he offered it voluntarily. Vax was a person who formed extremely intense connections, to the point where it was perhaps unhealthy, and did not believe life without his sister was worth living, and was willing to sacrifice himself to a god.

Everything after that was extremely straightforward. Vax communed with the Raven Queen, who spoke very directly with him in his vision in the Raven's Crest. She was extremely clear when she met with him following his disintegration: he was given the option to refuse her offer, and he took it instead. It is not manipulative to give someone a difficult decision, and if a character you like makes a choice you don't like, it is not automatically the result of manipulation.

As for the moon conflict being her fault…that is, to put it bluntly, unhinged, and what's more, ironic given that that's the manipulative argument. Ludinus tried to commune with Ruidus using a random crystalline artifact beneath Molaesmyr, centuries before Vax was born. He was going to do this regardless. If he couldn't get Vax, he'd get some other sliver of divinity, and what's more, it's been all but stated that Vax is not actually supposed to be leaving the Shadowfell to protect Keyleth, and is disobeying the Raven Queen directly (and it's been stated that this isn't necessarily helpful for Keyleth, who is trying to grieve and move on). So: Vax made his choices with the knowledge of what they entailed, is trying to bend if not break the conditions to which he agreed with full knowledge in a way that probably isn't healthy for him or Keyleth, and it's bananas to be like "wow look at how the Raven Queen made Ludinus try to free Predathos." Like. Even if she had tricked Vax, which she didn't, Ludinus literally could have just kept on his racist imperialistic longevitymaxxing beat indefinitely and left the moon well enough alone. The domino meme is a meme. I mean, while we're at it, couldn't we trace it back to Vecna instead, for killing Vax with Disintegrate in the first place, since had he not done so, Vax would have either survived that fight or would have been resurrected normally? Or perhaps it's Percy for triggering that trap. Or the Chroma Conclave for being the reason why Vox Machina was seeking the Deathwalker's Ward in the first place…but that only happened because Allura and Kima didn't kill Thordak but rather sealed him, and because a priestess of Melora cursed Raishan so that she had reason to ally with Thordak. We can go on indefinitely; the point is, to assign blame specifically to the Raven Queen when Ludinus literally did not have to do a goddamn thing with the moon is a fucking stupid take.

Below the cut, I talk root causes behind why people might decide the Raven Queen was unfair and come up with the above nonsensical argument to support that, since I don't think people say stupid things just to be stupid.

I think one root cause for this mentality of this is that the person in question wishes Vax hadn't died and is looking for someone to blame because they don't want to blame Matt Mercer and Liam O'Brien, even though yeah, that's who to blame. The thing is, as we learned in Campaign 2, character death is quite literally on the table. Had Vax not made his bargain, either in episode 1x103 or his original one during Vex's resurrection? He might have simply remained dead. Had he not given his life for Vex's, he was pursuing paladin anyway with the Everlight, and we don't know what she'd have required of him. But more importantly, for all people like to bring up a PC-centric perspective (which, in Actual Play, is inevitable) Vox Machina's frequent use of resurrection spells was in fact a massive privilege most people in Exandria do not have. And, unsurprisingly for a table whose DM made up rules specifically to make resurrection more difficult, the Critical Role cast is open to a story where death exists. I do not think it's an accident that resurrection has been made even harder in the subsequent campaigns. I also happen to think that Campaign 1 is a far richer and better story with Vax's death, given the other events that occurred. Had Vax not been the sort of person who would offer his life for a god to take in exchange for his sister? Sure, he'd possibly have lived to the end. But he was, and that's the character those people who wish he were still alive loved. If he wasn't that person, they wouldn't have liked him in the same way.

D&D is fundamentally about exceptional characters becoming more powerful, and will be focused on those characters. I do not think D&D supports a story about characters who reject all power. They can give up political power (the Mighty Nein, for the most part, do this - certainly more so than Vox Machina, and Bells Hells is yet to be seen) but they will progress in levels, which is power. Even if unwanted, it is power, because most people in the world are commoners with 5 HP and 10 in all their stats. With that said, a lot of people desperately want a subversion of this power narrative. Vax is, I think, the closest we get. In D&D you are not going to get a player character who finishes a campaign and remains Just Some Guy. But you can have someone like Vax, who doesn't have any interest in power (compare to Vex, who very much is about power and who gets a much happier ending) who nonetheless ends up on the Tal'Dorei Council and the favored of a god…and yet, in the end, his equally powerful friends still can do nothing to save him. I think a Power Bad story is overly simplistic, but "there are limits to power, and ultimately none of us have complete control" is not. I think Vax's death gives the story of Vox Machina a finality and heft that it would lack otherwise.

A second possible cause is the "What if the gods are BAD" argument. I'm going to be totally honest: I did not see this in the fandom until Campaign 3, and honestly, not until EXU Calamity in any widespread sense, which does lead me to believe that most people did not come up with it as a reasonable idea on their own until characters started saying it, because it is so plainly in conflict with the themes of Campaigns 1 and 2 that to make this argument would be obvious projection. Do I think a nuanced view of the gods as flawed beings, rather than perfection, is warranted? Absolutely. Mortals, too, are flawed, and we don't kill them all for it. I think Vax's story makes them uncomfortable because it makes it clear divine favor is not, as Ludinus Da'leth tries to argue, the gods just bestowing and withholding their gifts arbitrarily, but rather that divine favor comes with a divine responsibility as well. Clerics and paladins do not study the way wizards do; but they must live lives in service, whereas a wizard can shut the book at the end of the day and do whatever. Clerics and paladins have powers that can be taken away; a wizard does not. That's the fundamental concept behind the Age of Arcanum - wizards trying to get around the fundamental rules of this world! Vax's paladin powers came at a price. His options are guided, but also limited, by the oath he took. He is far more fettered than a wizard, in the end, and I think that fucks with the narrative of the gods cruelly withholding their gifts from all but a select few, so they instead make their gifts into manipulative punishments…while still, contradictorily, arguing that characters such as Laudna or Ashton or Imogen were denied the mercy of the gods. Now, setting aside the obvious, that these characters have their backstories because Marisha and Taliesin and Laura decided they would because this is a story, and one in which someone had a perfect life would be boring and so the gods didn't intervene with Laudna because Marisha Ray wanted to play a Sun Tree corpse (see next section), it really is fascinating to see how people who hate the Raven Queen so neatly align with Ludinus. It's fine for sorcerers to have inborn powers, apparently, and Ludinus actually has himself tried to ape druidic magic; it's not about power, it's just about that power source. Honestly, they're not even above the gods as a power source - Ludinus used the crystal beneath Molaesmyr seemingly unaware if it were of the Archheart, and he's demonstrably using Vax, and everyone loves a resurrection from the gods, but heaven forbid you pay someone for the work you feel yourself entitled to. (Entitlement: this will also be a theme throughout the rant portion of this post.)

As a brief subsection to this: the idea that bad things happen to good people because the other side of that coin is free will is an ancient theological and philosophical discussion, and one we are obviously not going to solve here, though it is a little depressing I have had multiple rewarding conversations on this topic, thanks to an academically rigorous religious education, starting from the tender age of 9, and a lot of adults on Tumblr seemingly can't engage on the level of my third-grade classmates. I think, however, it tells a truth that fits in well with the wizard (and entitled fan) desire to control everything. People are terrified of random forces. Cancer, for example, is a matter of probability. There are things that can increase your chances of developing cancer, to be sure, but the simile I used when I was taught about radiation-induced cancers was that of lottery tickets: if you buy more, you have a better chance; but sometimes someone who bought a single ticket "wins" and someone who bought a ticket weekly never does. By believing the gods of Exandria are on trial for not intervening with every little hardship or for not taking Vax precisely as he intended, they reveal a profound terror of random chance and of the free will of people who are not them. Which is very funny when you consider we're watching Actual Play, where random chance is a deliberately induced element. I think the takeaway of all of this is "I think some of you guys are really mad this is a D&D game." But let's continue.

The third, and honestly most likely cause, is honestly sort of a continuation of the first but not centered around Vax so much as just a general, in my opinion deeply childish discomfort of any sort of tragedy or unhappiness in fiction. I've noticed this a lot lately, and I am not a cultural critic and don't have a high enough level view to pretend to be one, but as others have noted a lot of people seem affronted when whatever show they are currently watching does not meet their specific standards of "comfort media" or "hopepunk." It's a self-infantilization I don't care for, and it's certainly not limited to the CR fandom (see: any grown-ass adult passionately defending a choice to only watch children's cartoons and only read YA) or even fandom at all (see: the baffling popularity of the Mr. Rogers "look for the helpers" line which was intended for anxious young children, not for adults who can and should be the helpers). It really came into focus for me with CR when people referred to both EXU Calamity and to Candela Obscura's Circle of Needle and Thread as specifically "hopeless." They are, to me, deeply hopeful series. They are sad, and tragic, and many characters do not get a happy ending, but they are ultimately about how some people will endure, and will live on and find meaning after great loss. Calamity explicitly states that because of the actions of the heroes, while devastation will occur, total annihilation is mitigated. It's like the adage of how courage only means something in the face of fear; hope only means something in the face of darkness. Happy and fluffy tales are not hopeful; they are merely not things that require you to have hope. The root word of catharsis is that of cleansing and purgation and it originally related to physical excretion - cathartic stories are about getting those complicated and ugly emotions and fears out and feeling better for it by briefly feeling, perhaps, worse! Now, again, this has worsened with Vax's story with time. Shortly after Campaign 1, it was very common to see stories where Vex or Keyleth were utterly distraught, indefinitely, but those at least were engaging with grief, even if in a very shallow and unproductive way. But this has morphed into this idea that the fact that a work of fiction might make you even feel sadness makes it bad, and wrong, and hopeless, and the machinations of a cruel and heartless god. Which brings me back to the entitlement narrative: it's really as simple as "the story didn't give me what I wanted (whether that was a happy ending for Vax, or for Keyleth, or just a lack of sadness generally, or a narrative about the gods that validates my personal beliefs, or a way to justify Ludinus's actions), so it is bad." Which again is about being in control of the narrative, which again, in D&D, is simply not something anyone can claim. Why are these people here watching a D&D game? I don't know.

So that's really it: on a basic level, if you think the Raven Queen is unfair, you are profoundly ignorant of canon, so I'm already going to have to fact check anything you cite (if you cite at all), but there's a much deeper refusal to meet stories where they are and expand one's own comfort zone at play, and that means any analysis will never consider the possibility that your pre-existing beliefs were wrong (absolutely crucial in meta). You will always play it too safe and be uninspired and reactionary because the alternative is uncertainty and fear. I think a refusal to embrace tragedy in fiction is itself a profound tragedy; that is someone who is terrified to believe that life goes on.

#answered #Anonymous #cr tag #long post #candela tag #ngl i'm torn about not maintagging this; kind of want to but it does go somewhat far from the original topic

[welcome-to-green-hills]

A list of predictions I have for the Sonic movie I think are at least likely to happen

- opening shot is with either Stone or Robotnik (or both) breaking into the facility holding shadow

- definitely more homoerotic tension between Sone and Robotnik

- tails has built his own workshop/treehouse he likes hanging out in

- knuckles similarly has built his own shrine for the master emerald (just for fun)

- sibling and family shenanigans

- Sonic gets arrested after Shadow goes around stealing shit, also GUN knows that its Shadow and not him, but they arrest Sonic as a cover up, the public is decided because half of them are like “that’s clearly not Sonic”, but the other half is like “what are the odds of there being two alien hedgehogs that just so happen to be on earth?”

- prison break scene

- flashbacks of shadow and Maria living on the ark

- what exactly happened to Maria isn’t revealed right away, similarly to sa2

- the death scene plays after Shadow remembers the real promise he made to her. His memories were repressed rather than altered, so remembering her death is a big character moment when he realizes he needs to accept her death and honor her memory rather than seek revenge

- Maria’s death definitely won’t be on screen. My guess is they’ll take the Sonic x route (the original, not the dub) and cut away to just show Shadows reaction (pretty much like in project shadow)

- if Amy isn’t in the movie, then Sonic will be the one to give Shadow the big speech to convince him to help save the world

- shadows origins will be a bit different. I think Gerald Robotnik studied and somehow traveled to the gangs home planet, and he found DNA from a creature capable of harnessing the power of the emeralds (the same alien race as sonic, tying into the reason Longclaw was afraid of someone taking Sonic for his power)

- eggman has the broadcasted speech while he shows off the capabilities of the Space Colony Ark (by blowing up the moon) and it shows the residents of green hills all watching and reacting (if it starts with Robotnik saying the words “I’ve come to make an announcement” I will be very happy)

- if Tom and Maddie don’t get to go with them to the Ark, they’re given the sacred task of looking after the master emerald for them. If they do get to go to the Ark, then Knuckles will go to Wade and count on him to protect the Master emerald (Wade will probably become more responsible and aware during the knuckles series, so much so that Knuckles puts his trust in him)

- alternate plot for Tom and Maddie, they investigate the cover up of Project Shadow and discover the truth about what happened (essentially everyone was killed except for Gerald and Shadow). Bonus points if they find out a Wachowski was involved (or even the one responsible for killing Maria, but that’s a stretch)

- also if Tom and Maddie go to Space Colony Ark, emotional moment where they have to see Sonic get ejected via the space capsule (he’s fine, don’t worry)

- Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie all going absolutely ham on fighting Robotnik afterwards because they think Sonic couldn’t have survived

- Sonic and Shadow team up (potentially a begrudging truce with eggman because he realizes he can’t take over the world if it’s destroyed along with him)

- Knuckles is the least enthusiastic about a team up considering Eggman used him before, and everyone is of course like “we really don’t like it either, but the world is literally going to end if we don’t”

- Super Shadow and Sonic pushing back the Space Colony Ark (I don’t think the prototype will be in the movie just for simplicity sake) while a rendition of Live and Learn plays

- Shadow inevitably sacrifices himself, all while thinking of his promise to Maria

- Sonic trying to save Shadow (and doesn’t)

- Tom and Maddie being so happy to see Sonic alive and well but then their faces drop as they see the distraught look on his face and notice he’s holding Shadows inhibitor

- Group hug where they all comfort him

- Post credit scene hinting Shadow survived

I have many more predictions involving Amy and Rouge, but I don’t know if they’ll for sure be in it. I have a feeling if they do pick at least one character to introduce it will be Amy.

Oh! Oh, these are some very excellent suggestions, my dear! I love them a lot. It looks to be that you and I share some of the same thoughts! Great minds think alike you know😎

I do agree with Shadow losing Maria: we won’t see it on screen, but it could be familiar to how it was done with Sonic X.

I’ve been cackling over the idea of Stone and Robotnik carrying a ragdoll-sized Shadow. He’s quite eepy.

#sonic movie #sonic movie 3 #I like the way you think! #mystery anon #off topic

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Cetus

CR 13

Chaotic Neutral Colossal Dragon

Bestiary 5, pg. 54

Among the cruelest creatures a DM could send after their players, the Cetus (I prefer to think it’s a singular, legendary creature rather than a species) makes for an excellent quest objective or even BBEG for a seaside campaign, its impossible power making it essentially unassailable by sea and capable of harassing an entire city on its own, and its only weakness difficult for some parties to take advantage of (or even know about, if treated as a singular legendary creature). Players may have to go on an entire separate quest to gain a weapon capable of harming the Cetus, and all the while the dim-witted but demanding dragon is free to take tithes from terrified townsfolk in the form of food, gold, or even sacrifices if it’s feeling particularly peckish or lazy.

But so long as the people within its territory keep up their side of the lopsided bargain, they see some benefit, however indirect. With Control Weather available to it 1/day, the divine serpent may gift its chosen beneficial and beautiful weather, free of storms or chaos. Cities protected/tyrannized by the Cetus is also all but invincible from the ocean, because the serpent has Quickened Control Water at will, letting it create an endless number of ship-swallowing whirlpools and destructive water spouts of truly tremendous size. If that weren’t enough, then an at-will Control Winds allows the beast to create cyclones 600ft wide to obliterate entire fleets at once and render it all but immune to ranged attacks, even those launched from cannons. With a caster level of 15, that gives the serpent just enough juice to raise the winds from Strong to Tornado-Force (or lower them by the same amount in case it wishes to protect its home from a storm), the 200 MPH winds reducing all but the largest of ships to toothpicks impaling screaming sailors. Or, should the beast be offended, wiping entire sections of its chosen city off the map. 

The “protection” offered by the Cetus is ephemeral at best, granted only to those who show it utter supplication, and its rage is downright apocalyptic. Thankfully, the creature’s gravely low Intelligence (7) and lack of any ranks in Sense Motive make it incredibly easy to trick and mislead, one of the few means a clever party (or desperate NPC) will have of defying the beasts and giving them time enough to find a way to beat it. This creates a tense time limit to gather the materials needed to combat it, because a straight-up brute force fight with the Cetus is nearly impossible.

The oceanic tyrant is practically built to thwart just about everything players can do. Its total control of wind and water makes assaults with war machines and heavy ships useless. It has Deflect Arrows for whatever reason, just in case something manages to sneak through its walls of wind. Its 30ft space and 30ft reach combine with its 120ft swim speed to give it a tremendous threat radius, nearly unmatched in the underwater combat the party will have to grapple with if they want to fight it toe to toe. And if you try to come at it from above? It has a unique ability called Impossible Leap, allowing it to use a full-round action to stretch its body to 1200ft and make a bite attack against any creature within that radius before returning to its former space. Yes, this creature can go from sea level to kissing the top of the Empire State Building in six seconds!

I hope whatever means you were using to stay aloft weren’t magical, either, because the Cetus is hard-coded to disrespect every method of flight and freedom. Its Dispelling Bite automatically targets any effect which would allow a creature to avoid being grappled or which would allow them to fly or hover. While this, thankfully, doesn’t strip creatures of their ability to swim, breathe underwater, or walk on water, that’s of little comfort to the unfortunate creature that just plummeted 100+ feet straight into the ocean.

But I’ve spoken of its ability to bite and what happens if it bites you without describing the bite itself! What does that look like? 6d6+27 plus Grab. That’s only when it’s swatting flies with Impossible Leap and striking fleeing foes with its Combat Reflexes, though; on its turn, its bite damage is actually 24d6+27 because it has Greater Vital Strike and literally no reason not to use it, so its average damage per round is hovering around 105, which is eyebrow-raising on its own even if it DIDN’T have extra bells and whistles. At the level a party can combat the tyrant serpent, that’s typically enough to knock a d8 Hit Dice haver from full to 0 unless they have some level of protection. Though it has 24 Spell Resistance, it has no status immunities aside from paralysis and sleep, so slapping it with as many debuffs as one can to drag down its otherwise monstrous +28 to attack rolls is one perfectly viable way to cut down its extreme DPS. With only one attack each round, if it misses that intimidating pile of d6s goes to waste.

if it hits, though? Whoof. Not only are victims potentially grappled, but the Cetus can Constrict such poor souls for 6d6+27 damage each round, and if that wasn’t enough? It can Rake grappled victims as a free action with its little arms for a not-so-little 4d6+18 damage. This is, of course, if it doesn’t simply Fast Swallow them into its gullet for 8d6+24 damage. Greater Vital Strike into a Grab to trigger Constrict, then Rake to follow up... Well that’s uh... That’s a very demoralizing number.

38d6+90 damage, or 230 on average, well over enough for a Cetus to kill even d12 Hit Dice owners.

It would be fine if the Cetus were a glass cannon, but it’s not. It has insurmountable DR 5, 28 AC, high saves for its level, and everyone within its 30ft reach is subject to Mariner’s Misfortune, a terrifying and terrifically powerful aura that forces every non-aquatic creature inside it to make a DC 26 Will save every round... which they must roll twice and take the lower result on. If they succeed, they cannot be afflicted by the aura for a full day, but if they fail? Oh god, if they fail? That’s disadvantage on ALL d20 rolls. Attacks, saves, skill checks, all of them. And this effect lasts for a full minute! And rounding off its defenses? Regeneration 10 that cannot be suppressed by any form of damage, making it unkillable even if the party managed to fight through its aura.

Thankfully, its Regeneration has a very specific weakness. Remember what I said about having to go on another quest to defeat this creature? I meant it. Much like its mythical namesake, the easiest way to beat the Cetus isn’t to fight it, but to kill it instantly. It has no resistance to instant-death effects or Polymorph effects, but more importantly it’s Vulnerable to Petrification. It takes a -4 penalty to any save to avoid being petrified, and even if it succeeds its saving throw it takes 1d4 Dexterity damage. What’s more, whether it passes or fails its save, it Regeneration shuts off for a full minute, allowing a party with the means to fight it on even terms and survive its damage 

Though its CR is low in comparison to heavy shakers like the demigods, the Kaiju, the Spawn of Rovagug, and others, it nonetheless shares the same role as an almost epic, ‘setpiece’ style monster one must go on special quest to find a means of defeating. Discovering the weakness is extremely hard on its own (especially, again, if you play the Cetus as a unique creature), likely requiring some form of divination or bargaining with a knowledgeable force, but then there’s finding the right weapon! Preferably one which can bypass its SR to assure there’s no room for failure. The head (or cooperation) of a Medusa, a tamed Gorgon, the gaze of a Basilisk, scrolls or other means to cast Flesh to Stone if desperate... or perhaps supplications to the extremely powerful Euryale are all means a DM could have players face off against the Cetus, possibly after the party found out the hard way just how hard it is to harm the thing in the first place, let alone kill it.

It is, however, endlessly amusing to me that this great and powerful serpent, blessed and protected by the ocean itself, can either be a nightmarish, down-to-the-wire DPS race against a foe that counters every reliable player tactic... or have the epic fight end in a single round, if the party caster guesses correctly with Flesh to Stone.

You can read more about it here.

#CR 11 to 15 #Monster Spotlight #Pathfinder #whoof this one was a long one #it needed to be though just LOOK at it

[basiliskonline]

I just finished a Court of Fey and Flowers by @dimension20official, it was absolutely amazing, hands down the best AP I have ever seen, or imagine I might see.

You can find it here.

As someone that is strongly anti-D&D 5E and Anti Wizards of the Coast, it took me a long time to give dimension 20 a chance, and I will strongly suggest that anyone in that same position give it a shot.

I am gonna talk about it below the cut here, cause this will likely be long, this will be things I both liked and didn't like.

So i'm gonna talk abit about my feelings and experience with games and APs, because we're all different, we all like different things in a TV Show and by extension those variable preferences would also expand to APs. So I want to give you a little bit of information about where I stand as I explain my thoughts. Sorry if this gets very SEO Recipe lmao.

If you don't care about all that, skip to the next bold line, however if you are gonna comment or argue or whatever, at least read the context first and then probably don't do that.

I've been gaming for 30+ years, I started very early, and i've played definately dozens, probably hundreds of different games. D&D doesnt even rank in that list, I didn't like it much as a kid, when i grew up and it was 3/3,5 I hated both it and pathfinder with a passion. I played 5E for a bit but its lackluster and very poor design led to a game of boring mechanical options and choices that quickly grew old. And if I was gonna play a narrative game, i wouldn't be playing D&D in the first place. 4E is the only edition of D&D I've actively enjoyed.

I was an immense Critter during Campaign 1 and partway through Campaign 2. Like... "my wife and I have Critical Role quotes engraved on our wedding bands" critters.

But I quickly fell away from both Critters and Critical Role, by and large Critters is the worst fandom ive been apart of (and I was a SuperWhoLock back in the day) and the CR cast talks a lot of nice ideals and backs them up with absolutely nothing but lip service. I am now, tbh, somewhat uncomfortable when I see any of them on my timeline.

Dimension 20 is the first AP my wife and I have tried to watch since CR (we find most APs to be unwatchtable in most situations, just our own preference), My wife was curious about seeing Brendan as a DM after watching him on Game Changer, so we watched Mice and Murder (it was fun, and good, but has NOTHING on aCoFaF), and then on a suggestion moved to watch aCoFaF).

Last piece of the puzzle, WotC is a fucking nightmare company that has harbored some of the worst pieces of trash imaginable (though tbf that is not unique to them, its a major "large/old ttrpg company issue". And I quite frankly would love to never have to hear or see about anything wotc ever does ever again, preferably because they burned down and everything they ever made goes with them (this sadly means I would lose 4E but sacrifices must be made).

Things I like about a Court of Fey and Flowers

The first thing I love about it, is its a very role play heavy AP, and it centers on matters of Political fey intrigue, and that is done so masterfully by every single player and by the GM. (I absolutely avoided D20 because of the DnD/WOTC connection, but I in retrospect absolutely understand the whole "Season of Aabria" that was going around now).

The characters were thrilling, dramatic, sneaky, nuanced and hilarious, and the storyline was gorgeous and beautifully made, allowing the players to make their own messes and their own relationships and romances. So much romances.

I absolutely loved that I didn't have to see dnd 5e be played most of the time. This is something, and one of the only somethings, you'll see me talk about in the "don't like" section, so it is strangely enough both. The system was changed and mostly ignored that I almost never had to see dnd played, the AP is so heavily social and rp and during the state of the AP only had two very very short combats that were more priority on the social implications of the combats than the combat itself. Overall it could have used any system and done what they did, but mostly I didn't have to see 5E played and that made it pretty solid, despite "being 5E".

I also love Brennan Lee Mulligan's Captain KP Hob, a very good bab and the first and only Bugbear PC ive seen in an AP (and I love me some Bugbear)

Thing's I didn't like about a Court of Fey and Flowers

This is gonna stay light, because really there wasn't much. The only thing really is that the system, while ostensibly "5E" the system was so lightly applied, used or stuck to that the game could have used almost literally any other system to better affect and I absolutely hate that they still gave 5E and WOTC some sort of props/bandwidth by barely using the system but still selling it as DnD.

#Dimension 20 #a court of fey and flowers #dnd hate tag #actual play #mine #ttrpg

[wh0refornikolailantsov]

Could you write something really angsty for Nikolai or Tolya

… or Matthias. He needs more fics too

Angst if my first language so, sure can do.

So this is one of a few ones I will be writing to the same song, because Half Life is giving such big Grisha x Non-Grisha energy. The song screams Helnik and Zoyalai, that whole "you're grisha and you can do amazing things and I will offer up my pathetic human life in service to keeping you safe if that's what it takes," energy. So I'll do both.

Wars Were Waged For Less Honourable Things Than Love - Matthias Helvar

Content Warnings: Canon Compliant Threat, Violence, And Discussions Of Death. Prejudice. Fighting Rings. Sacrifice. Trading Places. Mentions Of Viewing Grisha And Prisoners As Property. Explicit Language. Canon Divergent Storyline. Not Beta/Proof Read.

Grisha!Reader

The wire that stands between the crowd of the cage match and the fighters feels like it's laced with acid as you curl your fingers around the loops. You're done looking for weakness, for broken links. You are the only broken link in this place.

You're waiting. You spend all your time waiting, for these agonising moments, the lead up to seeing him, and then the torment of watching, of seeing what comes next.

In the breaths before you see him again, you are forced to relive it over and over, those ruined and savoured memories before the cage, before the truth so brutally came to light.

Your bruises feel as fresh as the days you got them, even though they're long healed, you can see that look in his eyes as if he was standing in front of you, those eyes tearing into yours, the needing to know, the desperation to right the wrong.

Please, don’t ask me who hurt me. Please, don’t use those words.

You regret ever giving in, ever telling him, ever slipping up to begin with. It was one thing for Matthias to know what you are, what you do, and love you anyway. But standing against those who were raised on the same type of hatred but with looser laws and bigger capacities for hate towards Grisha. You were nothing more than a fighting dog to them, and when you escaped you had planned on never coming back. But Matthias' loyalty, his bonds, it's what made you think you could trust him to begin with, when Nina said you could you believed her, but you did more than that in the end. You fell in love with him.

And he fell in love with you. Something seeming even more unlikely.

And it landed him here. In this cage, taking your place as the prize fight dog. The crowd starts jeering and cheering in equal measure.

"They tried to take me back, I fought, they will keep coming back," you told him as he tended to your bruise.

"You need to leave," Inej stated, "while you can."

"I can't leave," you pointed out, eyes on Matthias, as he tried to not hurt you in cleaning you up.

"They need to learn that a wolf will not be a pet, no matter what you feed it," he stated, "and neither will you."

He had been so confident he could bring this whole thing down, and instead he just took your place, and you know, in the ways that make your chest hurt, he chose to do that. Better him that you. That thought was eating you from the inside out.

He is already injured before the fight starts. Never really getting what he needs to recover, never getting a real chance. They don't want to give him one, he is a winner, but they'd rather not the risk. Fjerdan makes him a risk. Crow makes him a risk. You make him a risk. Besides, they still want you, and until he falls, he is between you and them, and you and the cage.

You know he won't seek you out in the crowd, because a part of him, the part of him filled with pride and a need to protect hopes that you won't be there, watching, waiting. Because he doesn't want that for you. He doesn't want you to see him like this. But you're always there, and his eyes find yours in the crowd every time.

"Matthias," you whisper, knowing even if you screamed it your voice would not carry over the crowd.

You watch the fights, it is the hardest thing you ever do, but you watch them, as if taking your eyes off him might condemn him to failure, and failure here, like this could get him killed. It's harder than you ever found fighting to be.

Not that long ago, Matthias was on the other side of this battle, it was the Fjerdan fighting the Grisha, now it's the Fjerdan fighting for the Grisha. For those who changed him, for those who saved him, and for those who love him.

Nina places a hand on your shoulder and you flinch. "Come on, you shouldn't be here," she tells you, "you shouldn't be watching."

"Until your gangster finds a fix for this Nina, what else can I do?" you ask, the question makes your heart churn and stomach twist. You feel so sick and dizzied by it all.

"I want him out of here," Nina tells you, "you know I want him out, you know how I care for Matthias, how I have always cared for Matthias, you know that. I am doing everything I can, and so is Brekker."

"Not everything," you say.

"Matthias wouldn't allow it," she reminds you, and that only makes your heart ache more severe. Matthias, protecting you, making the others swear to do the same. Matthias. Matthias. Matthias.

"You didn't..." you inhale deeply and Nina guides you away from the crowd, despite your protest and how much you want to be there, at the fence, be with Matthias. "You weren't there, you didn't hear him."

"I can imagine the kind of thing he said," Nina assures you, but you are shaking your head before she even finishes her words.

"Not this," you tell her. "Not like this."

"Matthias?" You had asked, but you couldn't read him. You couldn't put it together, figure out what it was he was doing, what he was thinking.

"Can we go for a walk?" he had questioned. You agreed, you would have given him anything he had asked for, but you didn't realise what he it was he was trying to give you. Not until the words that ring over and over, rattling around in your mind like an endless echo.

"If this is the last time that we’ll еver borrow, I’ll give you my half life so you’ll see tomorrow."

You had known all too quickly and all too clearly exactly what that meant.

"He thinks his life is worth less than mine, how can he go so far in one direction that he is circling back on himself?" You ask. He had once thought you and Nina, all Grisha, were evil, not human. And now, his valuing you differently, as if you could mean more than him, be worth more than him.

"It's not because you are Grisha," Nina tells you, taking your hands in her own, "it's because you are you. That is what is worth more to him, you."

"I am not," you tell her. "I am not worth more than him, I am not worth anything without him."

"None of that," Nina says a little too sharply, only meaning to be stern. "None of that. We will fix this, we will, but I need you to not lose your head. You love him, don't you?"

Your eyes are burning when they meet hers. "Yes, Nina," you choke out, "I love him."

"And he loves you," Nina says, "so clearly, undeniably, unmistakably loves you, so I need you to hold onto that, okay?"

"There isn't anywhere that I wouldn't follow," you say more to yourself.

"Just focus on getting through till tomorrow," Nina says.

"I'm worried about him making it through till tomorrow," you say. You feel the threat to Matthias's life stronger than your own, his mortality feels more real than your own, more important than your own. You miss the irony of that.

"You two are truly cut from the same cloth," Nina whispers. "Let me take you home."

"I am not leaving him."

"You don't have much of a choice," she is trying to be gentle, she is trying so hard to get through to you but it isn't working. Your mind is overrun with all the pain and the worst case scenarios. You cannot listen to reason, you don't know how. You are walking away and shy of dragging you she doesn't know how to stop you.

You make it back to the fence, and the sight of the blood dripping down Matthias's arm makes you nauseated to the point you cannot tell if the blood is his or not. You're not sure which is really worse. His eyes meet yours and you feel everything stopping, time, sound, the beating of your heart in your chest.

"Go home," he mouths. Your heart comes back thumping so fast you're convinced it can be heard over the sounds of the crowd. You shake your head at him. "Go home," you hear his voice now, and it sounds stretched and deep, and you know how painful it must be for him to talk.

"Matt-,"

"Go," he says again before turning away. You feel your legs falling out from under you. Nina catches you, hands on your arms.

"Come on," she whispers.

"Is this is the last time that we'll ever borrow?" You whisper.

"Come on... I'll get you home, we can talk about it tomorrow."

#shadow and bone #grishaverse #six of crows #matthias helvar #matthias x reader #matthias helvar x reader #six of crows matthias

[parttimesarah]

💜My immediate thoughts on WWDITS FX S5E3💚

* Yana Gorskaya always directs the BEST Nandermo episodes!

* I love that we got a fresh, more subtle, “SeanaaAaAaAAy”

* Guillermo’s interview sitting in his footlocker is so sweet! It’s a reminder that Nandor bought him something he really wanted and that Nandor is responsible, in this small way, for helping Guillermo feel more like a vampire.

* Guillermo standing behind Nandor when Sean and Charmaine are in the fancy room is just a subtle reminder of how dedicated Guillermo remains to Nandor. He is not abandoning him.

* I WANT BOTH OF THOSE SEAN SHIRTS!

* AWWWW Nandor, your crush is showing, bb!

* Guillermo’s super speed was… lacking. He seems less strong than when he was slaying/bodyguarding in S2, 3, and 4. Maybe it’s because he is further away from being his true self. Laszlo saying that the turning has been “stymied”, to me, lends credence to the idea that Nandor’s blood could kickstart its completion. Guillermo will come into his full strength when he is finally united with Nandor for eternity.

* I gotta admit, it feels a bit like they just needed to find something for Natasia to be doing. I think she did a great job with the physical performance, but I don’t know how much her/the doll’s story here was needed.

* “Soft after two pumps”, Nandor? Could it be because you’ve just been thinking of Guillermo (the djinn’s wish) while not being with Guillermo. That issue will go away 👏 once 👏 you 👏 are 👏 with 👏 Guillermo!!!

* Nandor demanding he “is wanted” as a reason to spend time with Guillermo (and Laszlo) during their experiments was so telling. Like he needed to hear Laszlo say he is a powerful hypnotist to be happy, he needs to audibly hear that he is actually wanted, even if he’s the one saying it. Guillermo saying “I chose you. I want you.” is going to make this babygirl cream his jeans velvet robes.

* Nandor looking at Guillermo before saying he can fly higher than Laszlo is another obvious tell that he is only concerned with Guillermo’s opinion of him. He is searching for that validation!

* “Grey Boy” is such a good nickname for CR 😂

* Laszlo calling Guillermo “dear boy” is a huge compliment when you consider how their relationship in the series began. Laszlo may not show it (cuz it takes him a long time to show his emotions), but he does care for Guillermo’s wellbeing.

* Awwww Laszlooooo, look at you out living your best beach boy life! I’d say that red face’s sunburn would be worth it! It is interesting that Laszlo is able to take strength from Guillermo. Sure, it’s something Guillermo doesn’t sacrifice anything to give away (just some hours on the treadmill), but the metaphor of using Guillermo’s self-defined weakness (he hasn’t been turned well enough, he isn’t vampiric enough) to help bring a vampire joy is actually quite lovely

* Nandor admitted it! OMFG! I was SO ready for him to deny deny deny that he was just trying to impress Guillermo but HE DIDN’T! Honestly, I still can’t believe it.

* Not the TikTok trainspotting guy Nandor Cam 😂. As I watched Nandor slowly going further and further up, I kept trying to imagine what he was saying to himself in his mind. It had to be something about wanting to outshine Laszlo so that Guillermo will stay with him forever. And then maybe his (usually blissfully empty) mind would have led him to say “Well, there is one way I could make sure we’re together forever…”

* Charmaine’s face when Laszlo said how much Sean has tried to kiss him. 👀 Might we see a jealous Charmaine??

* Naked Nandy! GOOD LORD! Thank you writers. Thank you, Yana.

* What does the Guillermo cough with the smoke mean?! It might have just been his breath in the cold, but it really looked like a bit of smoke or steam escaped him upon seeing his master naked (and with the djinn-dick). He still protected his Master though, even with the surprise, and that tending behavior was sweet. **UPDATE: I don’t watch with subtitles, so I missed the fact that Guillermo said “Oh my God” and then he coughed some smoke. That’s so perfect!**

* The jalopy lives and it looked great! But the best part of the parade was seeing Guillermo being so cute and happy. Yes, he’s owning his identity, but he also knows that Nandor will literally go to space for him!

* And as for that end credits scene…Nonononononononononononononono

#what a rollercoaster #wwdits s5 spoilers #wwdits s5 #wwdits s5e3 #I am overall LOVING this season so far #I do hope Nadja’s plot gets more grounded #but the Nandor-Guillermo-Laszlo dynamic is ON POINT #this was THE most Nandermo-heavy episode EVER! #THANK YOU YANA!!!! #wwdits #what we do in the shadows #what we do in the shadows fx #wwdits fx #nandermo