#{ the guildmaster's exception }

[twenty7knives]

@harpershigh | cont. from here

Honestly, it was her own doing to end up like this and.. she definitely wasn’t complaining. As it turns out, one shouldn’t tease someone about being too gentle when tied up and on your knees at the other’s mercy; or that’s exactly what one should do, depending on what you like. Astele fell in the latter category, enjoying this rougher treatment more than she would’ve imagined before. She definitely hadn’t expected this though, and if asked before today, never would’ve expected allowing anyone to impale her ass. But by the gods, was Jaheira good at this.. to the point she simply wanted to be good and take whatever Jaheira was willing to give her, soft and needy moans slipping from her lips as she enjoyed that perfectly right balance between pain and pleasure.

Even if in a tough position to do so, Astele adjusted her knees slightly to offer the the woman more space behind her, and more leverage to go deeper. She still pushed and pulled slightly at the restraints, both testing and holding onto for support, muscles tensing and relaxing again.. over and over, causing her to tremble at Jaheira’s every touch, very much beyond her own control. And that was precisely what made it so good, not having to be in control for once. Surges of pleasure shot through her, coiling, building, tingling her skin like electricity.

Admittedly, she struggled to keep up with this relentless pace, her breathing growing ragged as she worked though more intense pain and even higher pleasure. The pleasurable kind though, even if her groans in surprise would indicate otherwise at first. Well well, look at that.. there’s that addictive wild side to her, seemingly losing herself as well.. good. It didn’t last long though, and Astele could feel her heart flutter at the gentle check-up. The way Jaheira stroked her hair, her soft voice.. it only made her want more, it only made her want to be good for her. “The only thing not okay is that you’ve stopped fucking me.” The wit endured in words alone, for the way she kept still and shivered at Jaheira’s gentle touches suggested obedience that words could not translate.

As the movements continued, Astele let out a soft, trembling sigh. Pleasure bubbling once more, growing as she felt herself getting lost again whilst firm, calloused hands on her hips served much as her anchor. Soft moans started spilling again, slowly but steadily growing in volume. Jaheira always managed to make her lose herself, to make her forget and make her take a break. “Jaheira…” It sounded much like a prayer, her name laced with a breathy moan in ecstasy, “mark me.” Whilst she’s sure she can’t sit or walk properly for the upcoming days to remind her of tonight, she wanted more. She wanted to wear Jaheira’s marks, be able to run her fingers over them in remembrance when they’re apart. She simply wanted her, all of her.

[supernoverse-askblog]

So Team Star, any opinions about the mayor of Wish Town? I had a very small exchange with a little white rabbit about them (that I'll keep a secret about what >:3 ) and just ask what do you all think about them?

"Oh, yeah, Perry's alright. Bit lax, if I'm honest, but doesn't go out of their way to cause problems for anyone."

"They didn't ask to be mayor, all they are is the head doctor at the Clinic. They don't know anything about politics."

"I honestly think that if Esperance didn't want to be mayor, they should have just passed the role on to somebody else. Now, instead, all of Perry's decisions are filter-fed by their advisor. You know, the advisor who also works for the Red Bay Merchants' Circle?"

"Yeah, I agree, honestly. Perry doesn't have the backbone for the job, and their longevity means nobody can take over for them anytime soon. It's a good thing we've got Guildmaster Hope whispering things into Esperance's ears to counteract the things that horrid advisor tells them."

"Definitely a better doctor than a mayor. I'd count on Esperance to heal my kitten's broken leg, but not to create a good system for their education. Not a bad guy, but not a good mayor."

"I think they'd have been more helpful just granting wishes, like any other Jirachi would. Keeping themself awake all the time just so they can cast healing spells at the clinic... when they could just sleep for a few years and regain their magic, and then they'd have enough power to cast a really helpful healing spell. Something that could even cure magic sickness."

[ragnar0c]

Missy 100% calls Alope "Peepee" I'm sorry

[twenty7knives]

@harpershigh because it would be a crime to not share this today..

[sfznyxio]

-ˋˏ HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ˎˊ

SYNOPSIS. celebrate your very special day with your significant other!

CHARACTERS. albedo, arataki itto, beidou, diluc, eula, ganyu, gorou, hu tao, jean, kaedehara kazuha, kaeya, kamisato ayaka, kamisato ayato, keqing, kujou sara, ningguang, raiden shogun, sangonomiya kokomi, shenhe, tartaglia, venti, xiao, yae miko, yoimiya, zhongli

CONTENT. gn!reader. canon-compliant. fluff. established relationship. 1.7k wc. rewrite of happy birthday! at my old main blog @/verxsyon. based on birthday voice lines. no warnings for once other than the cast being super long lol.

VERA. it’s officially my birthday (and jean’s)!. my frontal lobe is fully developed. thank you to everyone who has sent their wishes. i’ll reply to them later. blessed with white day arts too!

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ALBEDO

albedo sketches you all the time, but hasn’t gathered enough courage to show you them. for his gift, it’s a portrait of you smiling and laughing. you begin to tear up of how beautiful it is, to which he confesses that the first time you expressed those emotions there was when he fell in love with you.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ARATAKI ITTO

not one normal person would gift you onikabuto and miss hina trading cards, but you appreciate his efforts nonetheless. this year, itto takes you to a cliff where he holds a talent show with his gang. as he’s about to perform his birthday song, the tenryou commission appears to chase after the two of you. it turns out the cliff is private property, and he didn’t see the signs.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. BEIDOU

celebrations are always lively at the crux. connections with wanmin restaurant and liquor merchants allow beidou to prepare a feast just for you. as it’s your special day, she’ll let you be captain, giving you permission to sail wherever you want to go. you and her crew know too well that she’ll go all out on the drinks and become too drunk to handle her duties.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. DILUC

romantic dinners are the best dreams to come true; no need for extravagant parties. having one at the balcony of dawn winery, with candles burning brightly and each person holding wine in one hand, you make a toast with your significant other to another good year ahead. afterwards, diluc will take you to the living room, dancing to each other’s heartbeats.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. EULA

as eula had celebrated her birthday alone in the past, she isn’t used to someone else holding her hand and being dragged around the city, spewing laughs for such a special day as yours. when you ask her if she wants to stop, she shakes her head. when her special day comes, she wants to feel free with you.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. GANYU

working all day and night, ganyu didn’t find time to buy you a present. instead, she bakes you a qingxin flower cake, and a messily attempt at that. yet she hides it behind her back, thinking that you won’t appreciate it. you happen to see it, which makes you want to try it. she sighs in relief to hear you say you really like it, and now she’s obligated to bake one for you every year.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. GOROU

you didn’t think it’s possible for someone else being more excited than yourself in celebrating your special day. the morning of, gorou hunts for fresh fish and crabs at the beach. at night after his patrol, he’ll prepare a banquet in front of a bonfire, rousing sparks of jealousy. they wish to be dedicated and loving as the general for their future significant others.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. HU TAO

it’s not the spooky season yet, but hu tao never fails to bring its energy to everyday life, and your birthday is no exception. after her shift, she takes you to wuwang hill just to stargaze, which she keeps on insisting. you don’t trust everything she says, but you still get pranked by her, using her ghost to disguise as her to make you think she’s “gone”.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. JEAN

the guildmaster has many hidden talents, and one of which is singing. jean gets embarrassed if someone hears her sing. everyone assumes that you did, but that’s a misconception. for your birthday, you finally hear her for the first time in forever after annoying her for so long. to your surprise, she really has a nice voice.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KAEDEHARA KAZUHA

being the poet that kazuha is, it’s no surprise that a haiku will be his gift. yet every single time he recites one, you fall in love with him all over again. he doubts his creativity in this one in particular but you insist that it’s the best he’s ever made so far, thanking him with a kiss. you would’ve never thought to see him so flustered.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KAEYA

for someone who talks a lot to charm his way into someone else’s affairs, kaeya greets you with a few words and a sliver of a smile. he doesn’t want to ruin your special day. but how can that be if he’s the reason your life has gotten so much better? as soon as he feels your reassurance, he reverts back to being a tease. your special day won’t be special without him.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KAMISATO AYAKA

ayaka manages to find out your birthday from the housekeepers in advance so she could make your gift extra special. she initially thinks that an expensive one would be suitable to your liking, but begins to have second thoughts. she decides to take you to chinju forest, a place not too far from the estate and where she’ll perform her fan dance.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KAMISATO AYATO

(kind of?) salty that his retainer chose to spend his birthday with the traveler instead of him and his sister, ayato doesn’t give you the liberty to act on your own today — he wants you for himself until then. while he pampers you with his peculiar cooking, you think of ways to fool him to escape. however, outsmarting him won’t do, because he’ll catch you in the end anyway.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KEQING

learning an important lesson from the traveler to rest every now and then, keqing requests time off from work for the first time in a while to make you a present. she gives you a lantern which looks ordinary, but it runs on electro energy and stays lit indefinitely. she tells you that it serves as a reminder of her being an extra light in your life, and you in hers.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KUJOU SARA

spending the majority of her time tending to her duties as a general, sara is unsure how to celebrate birthdays other than her own properly. on yours she immediately skips the formalities and goes straight to the point by asking you if you have a birthday wish. not only will she grant you one, but five, her lucky number. it’s cute that she’s trying her best, and you happily accept her offer.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. NINGGUANG

when you first started working under the tianquan, you were intimidated by her presence. once you get to know her, ningguang is a generous and kind lady; for instance, giving you a super expensive gift for your birthday. they’re brocades, which you can use to make your clothes. as someone who has never learned how to sew before, she’ll gladly teach you how to do it.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. RAIDEN SHOGUN

ah, don’t mind the raiden shogun; ei won’t hurt you. the electro archon finally accepts that time goes forward and she must go along with it. ever since the cataclysm, you celebrated alone, but now she’s at your side with a bundle of tricolor dango in her hand. it’s the modern age of inazuma, where the both of you can pursue eternity in a different way together.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. SANGONOMIYA KOKOMI

as expected of the resident strategist of the sangonomiya resistance, kokomi has already planned out everything for your birthday, even noting the possible changes of the weather. one thing she hasn’t done since the war is swimming at the pools of the island, so she takes you there for a dive in the morning. the shrine maidens are glad to see her having fun as she sprays water at you.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. SHENHE

shenhe learns the importance of birthdays from her master and also notes that humans in particular highly appreciate materialistic things. as someone who isn’t really fond of them, she takes you to her favorite place in the world — the mountains, where you can see the beautiful view of the sky. her way of celebrating your day is way better than any physical present.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. TARTAGLIA

just for one day, childe doesn’t want to do anything related to the fatui so he can spend time with you in peace. throughout the dinner with you and his family, the both of you sense a presence outside, excusing yourselves to take care of “business” — agents from another organization who you took down a while ago. maybe some celebrations aren’t meant to be peaceful after all.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. THOMA

thoma is friendly… too friendly. he practically invites the entire city, recommending them to bring any of their signature foods and drinks for your celebration. you told him you wanted a small party, but never mind that; he worked too hard for this. oh, yeah! a party hosted by thoma isn’t one if the hotpot game isn’t included, which is quite dreadful to say the least.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. VENTI

despite not being an experienced baker, venti attempts to bake a cake for you because someone once told him that you’re supposed to eat one on birthdays. it’s apple-flavored, his favorite! an amateur in baking, the cake doesn’t look like an actual cake — more like an apple pie. regardless, you did enjoy it. in addition, he allows you to request to have him sing a song as you eat.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. XIAO

xiao doesn’t celebrate birthdays because he doesn’t understand their concept, stating that they’re redundant. yet he still gives you a gift before going off on your journey — a butterfly emblem created from leaves. he says it’s an adepti amulet that staves off evil. so no matter where you go, the object will protect you from harm every step of the way.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. YAE MIKO

yae isn’t a big fan of celebrating such festivities because people would merely come to her for her blessings instead of using their time for other things, as their visits disrupt her leisure time. since you’re her significant other, she’ll give you special treatment (for a minute before kicking you out of the shrine). she won’t admit it, but she’s happy to see you and wishes for a fruitful year ahead.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. YOIMIYA

yoimiya is the definition of lively… and disastrous. you’re still unsure whether lighting up fireworks is a great idea because she got caught by the tenryou commission (again) for “illegal activity”. however, that doesn’t stop her from making you the best birthday present ever. as she begins to light up the fireworks, you could hear the footsteps of the soldiers trying to contain the incoming chaos.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ZHONGLI

as old-fashioned as he is, zhongli gives you a dried glaze lily. he says that it bears the beautiful memories and prayers of the nation. afterwards, he connects it to another story of a god whose eyes fell upon the love of their life, and then a field of glaze lilies bloom. unbeknownst to you, it’s about you and him, when the two of you first met.

[luimnigh]

Gambit's backstory is something out of a fantasy novel.

Abandoned at birth for his glowing red eyes, he was taken in by the Thieves' Guild, who worship a goddess called Candra, and in turn receive special abilities from her.

He pickpockets the head of the Guild as a child, and the Guildmaster adopts him as his son.

His childhood friend turns out to be the daughter of the head of the Assassin's Guild, who also worship Candra and have a rivalry with the Thieves Guild.

Rather than dissuade the friendship, the two Guildmasters decide to join their guilds by arranging a marriage.

Then on the day of the wedding, the bride's brother challenges Gambit to a duel to the death, which Gambit wins- but is exiled for.

It just reads like a fantasy story, except all this is taking place modern New Orleans.

[lalune9x]

'S-Classes That I Raised' Translation - Chapter 851: Save Me

I will note that this is one of the most emotional chapters of the novel, and is much more impactful when you have the full context of the story. If you don't like spoilers for that reason, you should probably skip reading this.

Chapter translation under the cut.

---

Chapter 851: Save Me

Sung Hyunje.

Two words were written clearly on each palm.

Sesung Guildmaster.

Together with the words on both hands, his fading memories resurfaced. In his mind, a clear, bright voice spoke as if chiding him:

"Sung. Hyun. Je. Now, repeat after me. I am Sung Hyunje. I am the Sesung Guildmaster. I will repay my debt to Han Yoojin tenfold. I will not leave a single crust of bread uneaten—"

"That, I don't like," Sung Hyunje muttered aloud.

He could feel the dampness of the wet earth against his skin. With every breath, the sickening stench of blood seeped deeply into his lungs.

His head was intact. Below that, he gradually became aware of his body, both arms, both wrists, and the two hands connected to them. He tried moving his fingers slightly. Both legs were also properly attached.

After being shattered, broken and torn apart countless times, he had begun to question whether his limbs had originally been attached at all. Wasn't it normal not to have them in the first place? His original form became obscured in the mist, and a single fragment became the self. Was the current self the real him, or was it the past self, or even a self from a more distant past that even he didn't know? Could one truly be certain that their present self was the real them if they couldn't recall their beginning?

Sung Hyunje clenched and unclenched his hands. They were clean except for a few smears of blood. But he could still remember the tickling sensation of the pen writing along his skin.

Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster.

The erased past, the hazy present, and the fragmenting future didn't matter. Those four words defined him. Another memory surfaced.

The aquarium.

He had kept two memories for himself. One of his identity and one of his purpose. His name written on his palm and the promise to go to the aquarium. Even if everything else about him was erased, as long as those two things remained clear, he was confident he could rise and walk without wavering.

His golden eyes slowly closed and opened. It was a simple goal, just a promise to go somewhere together for fun. It was the kind of promise that could have easily been written off or forgotten. And yet, that was precisely why it had been engraved even more deeply. Deliberately keeping such an ordinary and lighthearted promise meant that the other person was that special. Someone who could turn even the ordinary into something extraordinary.

His limp arms bent and pressed against the earth. Blood seeped from the soil between his fingers. Sung Hyunje rose to his feet.

It was night here, and yet there was no night. The bright light of the moon had chased away the darkness and bathed everything in silver. Only a few faint patches of shadow lingered, drifting to and fro between the swaying auroras of pale moonlight.

The moon rose at night, but could this place truly be called that? With a sky so silver that nightbirds closed their eyes, and daybirds couldn't sleep.

Sung Hyunje looked up at the moonlight. Within that cascading celestial glow, the Crescent Moon gazed down at him, like a god watching over her creation. It wasn't far from the truth.

"It's clear that I won't be able to escape this place with my own power."

Golden light flickered around Sung Hyunje. He had already surpassed S-rank. In his hands, he held a portion of his accumulated power and the Gardener's mana stone, refined using the Caregiver's title. One step further and he could have reached the level of a Transcendent, though he still fell short of the level of the Crescent Moon. The layers of contracts that bound him also held him back.

"But… you will not get what you want either."

Jingle, jingle— The tinkling of bells echoed.

Feeling a shiver run down his spine, Sung Hyunje lifted the corners of his mouth.

The small moon now had enough power to reach its fullness. With the Gardener's mana stone as the final drop, the vessel had been filled. Yet, Sung Hyunje had not lost himself. The Perfect Caregiver. The power held by that title was preventing him from transforming into something he didn't want to be.

By the skin of his teeth, barely, precariously, struggling to hold on. Yet refusing to give up.

The Crescent Moon didn't move. She simply hung there. But the moonlight quivered. Clink, clink, clink— Silvery chains poured down from all directions.

Clang, clang! 

Golden light flared to meet the moonlight. Hundreds of chains burst forth, but were struck down by an even greater number, crashing down in waves of gold. Under the overwhelming difference in power, the light fractured, shattering into countless pieces. The moonlight became stained with blood as it sliced through his limbs like blades.

Without even a scream, Sung Hyunje was torn apart. Painted red once more across the red soil. The metallic tinkling of bells subsided. The moonlight resumed its quiet flow. The scattered fragments began to reassemble Sung Hyunje's body again.

The power of the pseudo-Origin, wielding the force of creation, restored 'Sung Hyunje' to his original form. Recreated perfectly, from his body, to his clothes, to even his shoes. It was proof that he hadn't lost himself. 

After inhaling and releasing a long, labored breath, Sung Hyunje lay there on his back, staring up at the sky. 

"You've failed again," he said.

The Crescent Moon, who had reclaimed Sung Hyunje, understood his condition. Despite having gathered everything it needed, the small moon had failed to be reborn as a full moon.

Ordinarily, 'Sung Hyunje' would have disappeared naturally under the weight of such immense power. But Han Yoojin's memories continued to awaken 'Sung Hyunje'. Erasing memories alone wasn't enough to erase 'Sung Hyunje'. And the Cradle that sought to claim the Caregiver had been blocked by the Young Chaos.

The only remaining options were to break 'Sung Hyunje' or erase his memories and start anew.

Jingle─

The moonlight trembled.

His body had been shattered to pieces countless times. When the body broke, the mind was inevitably affected. Yet, Sung Hyunje endured. He was still the Sesung Guildmaster, and he still had a promise to go to the aquarium with Han Yoojin. If he bought him ice cream, Han Yoojin would accept it while pretending that he didn't want it.

"The Cradle will disappear as well."

Sung Hyunje stood, slightly unsteady. His intact legs felt momentarily unfamiliar.

"The Elder will handle it somehow, I'm sure."

The Newbie would end up helping Han Yoojin too. The world Sung Hyunje would return to would be safe. His golden eyes curved gently as he smiled. The Crescent Moon's expression remained unchanged as she looked down at him. Her detached demeanor was like the impassive face of the moon hanging in the sky.

"Your plans have gone awry, haven't they?"

— 'I wanted to perfect you while keeping you as intact as possible.'

Unlike her unchanging face, her voice carried a clear affection. And that made it feel eerily incongruent, like a doll playing a recorded message.

Clink!

A beam of moonlight shot forward at a speed that even combat foresight couldn't anticipate, piercing Sung Hyunje's shoulder. He grabbed the moonlight, which had solidified into a chain, and tore it away.

— 'I hoped you would stay unbroken until the moment of your completion.'

More beams of moonlight shot at him. A few silver chains exploded amidst the burst of electricity, but there remained too many to fend off. Sung Hyunje's body was flung to the ground like a ragdoll, his arm broken, his ankle twisted at an unnatural angle.

"Hrgk—!"

A choked breath reflexively escaped him as the chains coiled around his neck. They yanked him around violently like a toy, careful not to kill him. No matter how many times he severed them, the moonlight was infinite. His one remaining intact leg was torn apart, and his broken ankle was ripped clean off.

Crack—His vision went black. The lifeless body of 'Sung Hyunje' was restored to its original form again. His golden eyes blinked open beneath the strands of his disheveled hair.

— 'My child, in the new world, you will not Awaken.'

Sung Hyunje's legs, barely supporting him, were pierced by chains. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.

— 'You will be unable to convey your will, neither through voice nor written words. And yet, there will be countless who desire you, and that itself will become your torment.'

Powerless and mute, yet a coveted existence. Such a thing would ultimately be treated as an object. Some would cherish him, while others would enact unspeakable cruelty upon him. Even those who cherished him would not cherish him as an equal.

— 'You will wander, unable to establish anything of your own, until you give up on yourself, or the power that sustains you fades.'

It would be different from before. Someone who had always risen to the highest place would now have to crawl at the lowest. Even if his innate excellence made him rise again, the moment he clawed himself out of the muck, he would be dragged off to a new place again.

Sung Hyunje would have no opportunity to refine the power he had accumulated. He would have neither time nor freedom to find a way to escape from the Crescent Moon. He would be muzzled, collared, and trampled helplessly underfoot.

Instead of using his impaled legs, Sung Hyunje spread his wings. But before he could rise far, the moonlight tore them apart. His body plummeted, and was shredded to pieces by the silver chains before it hit the ground. He rose, ran, and flew countless times, yet his end was always the ground.

Sung Hyunje opened his eyes once more. His limp arm and open palm came into view. Sesung Guildmaster. Sung Hyunje.

"A promise I can't keep…"

How long would Han Yoojin live? Sung Hyunje was confident he could endure, but he couldn't guarantee Han Yoojin's remaining time. Even if Han Yoojin grew old to the point Sung Hyunje could no longer recognize him, that would be alright. Even if their world had changed completely, it wouldn't matter. Even if the aquarium was a dried-up, empty lot with not a drop of water, just going there together would be enough. Even if there wasn't a single minnow, they could remember, imagine and talk about the biggest whale shark.

Sung Hyunje stood once again, his golden eyes wet. The welling tears fell silently down his face. What he felt wasn't desperation or hopelessness. It was simply…

— 'Such sadness.'

"How could I not be sad? I loved those times."

Every single moment of living in his world. Of Sung Hyunje's life. Even if Han Yoojin's time ran out, Sung Hyunje still had death left to him. His faithful death would surely come and deliver him the final gift of closure.

So he felt neither anxious nor afraid. What he felt was purely sadness.

Song Taewon would recount for him everything that had happened. There would probably be time to share a drink or two. But nothing more than that would be possible for him.

"I want to live in my world."

Just a little longer. Greedily. Like a child who still had so many things he wanted to do, yearning for more time. He didn't want to let go of all the moments yet to come.

"I want to celebrate every birthday, and even death, in that world."

His own birthdays, but also the birthdays of others. He hadn't properly celebrated Han Yoojin's birthday even once. Maybe Song Taewon's upcoming birthday would be a little different than before. Perhaps Sung Hyunje would send off everyone else first, including the two of them, and be left alone again. But this time, he hoped to remember it all and long for it once it was gone.

Even being a gravekeeper would be a joy in that world.

"While remembering who I am…"

Moonlight poured down like rain, veiling his tears. His blurred vision became stained with red. Though he knew full well he couldn't win, golden light surged forth. Electricity crackled fiercely until his last breath. Over and over, again and again.

Yet, slowly, his memories began to dissolve under the relentless violence. Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. He struggled to connect these words, to recall their meaning. The aquarium. The massive glass tank where fish swam. He couldn't remember that place.

Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.

Someone took his hand and moved a pen across his skin. They were in an unfamiliar place. Light pierced through his heart, his head. The memories he had barely pieced together were suddenly severed and cut short.

Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.

The fragmented words drifted through his mind. He couldn't even remember how to breathe, but he realized that 'Sung Hyunje' was his name. Fish swam in the clear water. Bubbles rose to the surface. A vast space, a high ceiling. Moonlight streamed down from the sky.

Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.

In his empty palm, he saw the illusion of letters appearing. He had made a promise to go to the aquarium. But he couldn't remember what an aquarium was. His body felt as heavy as if it were sinking into the water. His body, struggling to rise, broke apart again. It dissolved like grains of sand flowing between his fingers.

Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.

The Sesung Guildmaster, named Sung Hyunje, extended his hand. The moonlit sky filled his vision. Had the sky always looked like that? Soon, his hand would be severed. He would inevitably be shattered into fragments, as if it were only the natural way of the world.

He didn't even feel the need to resist or fight. He simply stared at his hand.

Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.

And then, a string of pink yarn.

"…Yarn."

At some point, the string of pink yarn had descended. Or perhaps it extended out from him. The Crescent Moon lifted her head. The string of yarn stretched out endlessly. Instinctively, Sung Hyunje grabbed it.

'Happy birthday.'

With the sound of that voice, a memory flowed into him. Bundles of yarn tumbled from above. A golden dragon streaked across the bright blue sky, and hot pink yarn rained down around him.

'Hold out your hand.'

He already had. A pair of knitting needles appeared faintly in his mind.

'Though I wasn't invited, I'll leave you a gift. Take care to prevent dementia, and live a very long life.'

All the buried memories came rushing back. Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium. The pink yarn. Han Yoojin. Song Taewon. His guild, and his world. Like fireworks, the memories lit up his mind, sparkling brightly. Sung Hyunje rose to his feet.

The golden electricity that had vanished flared to life around him once more. And then—

Crack— the sky split open. At the end of the fluttering string of yarn, golden wings spread wide.

"I've come to save you, Princess!" Han Yoojin shouted.

Sung Hyunje laughed with pure joy.

—

Footnotes:

1. "털실" is "fur (usually wool) thread", and refers to wool spun into threads, or what we call "yarn" in English. The term for a single "thread" is also the same 실 as in 털실. In this chapter, the text just says "pink 털실" appeared. In Korean, "운명의 붉은 실 (red thread of fate)" has an analogous grammatical construction: "red 실" (red thread) vs "pink 털실" (pink wool thread), making the symbolism easier to see grammatically. In English, the phrase "red string of fate" is awkward to mirror since "pink string of yarn" sounds odd, so I went with "string of pink yarn".

2. The second line of this chapter says "three characters" in the novel because that's how Sung Hyunje's name is written in Korean (성현제). I thought "two words" was easier to understand and worked better with "Sesung Guildmaster" in English. In Korean, "Sesung Guildmaster" is actually 5 characters (세성 길드장).

[twenty7knives]

Admittedly, Astele hadn’t expected Jaheira to behave so.. good, for her. It thrilled her beyond measure, even if the chance at reprimanding seemed quite exciting as well. But she had her excitement already, the chance at marking the woman in a way she hadn’t been allowed to do before. Forever hers, with marks to prove it.

However much she enjoyed this, Astele was in no mood to tease the other woman. Not even to observe every beautiful little reaction to her touch. “I’ve got you.” She repeated once more, as her hungry and passion filled eyes looked up at Jaheira, noticing the desperation. Had she truly rendered her speechless? Well, well.. a victory to savour later, but definitely not now.

No, she found herself entirely focused on bringing pleasure instead. She moved back in, lips all too eager to find Jaheira’s cunt once again. She hummed in pleasure, a rush of arousal running through her own body just at her taste. So addictive, never failing to bring out that intense, fiery passion in her. Her tongue ran between folds, eagerly lapping up as much as she could before moving up to her clit.. flick, circle and flick again, sucking, circle… never the same pattern; a trait carried on from how she does all things.

Both hands came up, one to wrap around Jaheira’s left thigh, nails digging into the soft skin she found there – careful to avoid the new trophies carved into skin. The other teasingly ran along the inside of her right, edging closer and closer.. a very familiar path that she quite easily navigated, right until two fingers easily found their way to Jaheira’s entrance and slipped inside. Astele groaned at the slick walls enveloping her fingers as her eyes focused entirely on the other’s expression, wanting not even the smallest of details to escape her attention. Not as her fingers slowly built a rhythm.. until it wasn’t slow at all anymore. In harmony with the moment’s heat, another finger slipped inside as Astele went from slow and steady to deeper, faster and rougher thrusts whilst her tongue kept its steady pace, an anchor in a wild ride.

Jaheira’s breath came in ragged, uneven pulls, her lips parted, her gaze locked onto the woman before her with a hunger that burned deep. The sting of the blade against her skin sent a sharp thrill through her nerves, a delicious contrast to the warmth of Astele’s mouth as her tongue traced a slow soothing path along the cuts.

She sucked in a breath, biting down on her lower lip to stifle the loud wanton sounds threatening to spill free. Nine new marks. Nine fresh cuts she would wear with pride — Astele's memory seared into her skin, proof not only of the unbearable ache of want, but also a claim. She was hers, and hers alone. And gods help her, she knew that every glance at them later would set her aflame all over again.

Jaheira’s fingers wove through Astele’s hair, not to pull, not to command — just to hold. A firm, steadying touch, an anchor in the storm of sensation threatening to pull her under. She was dripping, her body taut with anticipation, aching, needing, but she stayed still. Barely.

Gods, it was unbearable. Every muscle in her body burned with restraint at each wet kiss on her inner thigh. The urge to reach between her own legs and put up a show for Astele was nearly overwhelming. But no — this was Astele’s moment to savour, and Jaheira would endure. Even as her legs trembled, even as her breath came in shallow gasps.

And then — oh, finally — Astele’s lips found her cunt, and the sharp jolt of pleasure was almost too much. A ragged sound tore from her throat as her head threw back, her body jerking forward, every nerve alight with desperate, pulsing need. She wanted to pull her closer, to grind against her mouth with all the fervor of her longing, but before she could, Astele’s mouth left her, prompting her to look down in an almost desperate breath, a look that practically screamed: please don't stop—

"Mine." Astele said. And Jaheira could only whimper in response.

[greetingsfromantiva]

-Zevran Arainai- The World of Thedas Vol. 2, Chapter 3, P. 96

The Antivan Crows are more than a guild of assassins. In their homeland of Antiva, they are a political force to be reckoned with, controlling the nation through influence and intimidation. Elsewhere in Thedas, they are renowned as unrivaled hired killers.

This unsigned letter shines some light on how Zevran Arainai, the elven Crow, came to be in Ferelden during the Fifth Blight:

Guildmaster,

I have looked into the assassin Zevran, as you asked. The elf in question first came to the Crows in 9:12 Dragon as compradi-he was purchased from a house of ill repute in Rialto, where he had been raised since the death of his mother, a former Dalish put to work in the house in order to pay off the debts of her husband (another contract of ours, executed in 9:04 Dragon.) She died in childbirth, and thus the boy was reared by the whores and learned what boys do in that situation.

Even at the age of seven, he was considered cunning and skilled enough as a thief that Guildmaster Talav paid off what remained of the debt and brought him under house Aranai- at that point still First Talon, if you'll recall. The house was flush with coin after the Three Brides contract, and the elven boy was one of the eighteen compradi purchased that year. It's worth noting that he was one of only two to survive. The other was a human named Taliesen, purchased from a Tevinter wreck at Llomerryn

Everything I've found in the records states that neither Zevran nor Taliesen showed any particular promise in the early years of their training. Certainly Talav never noted it in his records, though I would not put it past him to conceal as much. They both went through all the regular ordeals, the tests for pain resistance, the gauntlets- but it was not until the arrival of a woman by the name of Rinnala in 9:16 Dragon that they began to really matter. Rinnala came to House Arainai through the Azul contract, meaning she was yet another of prince Estefan's bastards for us to hide away, and as the Arainai had fallen to Second Talon by that point, it was their turn.

This was, as is noted, exceptionally lucky for Talav, as these three assassins complemented each other well. Zevran excelled at seduction and poison, Taliesen was the warrior, and Rinnala (or "Rinna," as Talav's notes often name her) was the planner. They formed a team that was exceptional enough to be apprenticed as a single unit by Master Eamon Arainai.

This was, of course, around the same time that the fortunes of House Arainai truly began to change. You'll remember Talav's execution following his attempt to retake First Talon. Zevran and his fellows were still far too junior to have been involved in that debacle. They did, however, receive a great deal of work when Isidora took over from Talav. As inept a grandmaster as she ultimately was, Isidora had ambition and took any contract she could. Thus, Zevran was involved in the completion of no fewer than seventeen missions prior to Isidora's ignominious death in 9:24 Dragon. Her passing was enough to plunge House Arainai into the ranks of the Cuchillos. But at the same time, Master Eoman's star rose, due to no small part to the work of this trio of young assassins.

Eoman took over as Head of House Arainai in 9:26 Dragon, eager to become a grandmaster by eliminating House Ferragani as Eighth Talon. His efforts served him well. He made alliances, earned accolades by selectively taking daring contracts (I had no idea prior to this investigation that Zevran was the assassin behind the remarkable death of Condesa Lupana in 9:27 Dragon- We assumed Eoman had done that job himself), but fell short of actually achieving his goal until 9:28 Dragon.

I believe you were involved in that business with the Rosso Noche, yes? Then you'll recall that the cult had found a legitimate heir to King Natale, though they wouldn't say who. It seems their heir in question was Rinnala. The girl was evidently too smart for her own good, tying her fate to those fanatics. Though I suppose it might have worked out had Prince Claudio not heard of it.- or rather, been told the details in exchange for a great deal of coin. House Valisti was Third Talon at the time, and eager for the possibility of pressing a claim for one of their own, so a deal was worked out with Master Eoman to eliminate Rinnala quietly in exchange for Arainai gaining Eighth Talon.

It worked. As the notes claim, Zevran and Taliesen eliminated Rinnala themselves and were told that it was part of a test. Which it was, I imagine, though perhaps not quite in the way they believed. Master Eoman became grandmaster in the very next month with two effective and clearly loyal assassins at his disposal. All ended well, yes?

Evidently not. At this point, I need to read between the lines regarding what followed, but my belief is that Zevran took the death of Rinnala rather poorly. The three were extremely close- connected romantically, as tends to happen with trios who remain together for so long. He became resentful of the Crows' test of his loyalty, and although his performance in subsequent contracts appeared unaffected, I'm willing to bet this was the doing of Taliesen, working to cover for him. I believe that when Zevran bid for the sole contract on the Ferelden Wardens in 9:30 Dragon, it was not the brash bid for master rank everyone suspected, but rather a way to commit suicide.

Conjecture? Yes, I suppose it is. Still, nothing I've read about this Zevran said he was ambitious enough to reach for master, nor interested in working on his own. We also know that the contract failed, and I like to think that if Zevran had truly desired to see it to its conclusion, it would have succeeded. It worked out in the end, naturally, as the Hero of Ferelden proved to be the answer to the Blight that the council had originally seen in Teyrn Loghain, but we didn't know that at the time... and neither did he.

We do not know what became of Zevran after that point. Was he slain by the Hero of Ferelden or made into an ally? Taliesen was sent by Grandmaster Eoman to discover the truth, and himself disappeared. Sadly, the chaos both before and after the Blight in Ferelden ended has made any sort of investigation almost impossible. I do, however, find it rather telling that Eoman died four months after the Blight in Ferelden ended, with evidence showing a Crow responsible, even though no contract was ever issued for him. Four other members of House Arainai followed in a similar fashion over the next three years, returning the house to obscurity. Then both Grandmaster Runn and Grandmaster Availa died, again at the hands of an unkown assassin.

I agree with your belief that it is Zevran who is our ghost, this so-called "Black Shadow." He has plunged the Antivan Crows into chaos and has almost certainly allied with elements of the Cuchillos to overthrow us. If we do not find him, and stop him, this elven son of a whore -an assassin who never even attained the rank of master- will undo us all.

[raethanbhanneth]

Pipe Smoke - Chapter 2

Dawn broke over the city's trees, casting pinks and reds and oranges over their misty green leaves. But no sunlight dare shine through to the dim sewer office where Jaheira hung tightly to Astele's skin, curled against her like a cat seeking shelter from the rain. Eventually, Jaheira exhausted herself of dreams and stirred ever so slightly. The corners of her lips turned up in a grin as she remembered the previous night's events.

It had all started when Astele stole her a yellow orchid from someone's jacket pocket at the Elfsong Tavern. She did it to make Jaheira laugh - to steal something right in front of the High Harper, then present it to her as a gift she couldn't refuse. Astele had said, "Petty theft for a pretty girl," then gently tucked the flower behind Jaheira's ear. She remembered forgetting, if only for a moment, that she was over a century and a half years old and had a house full of children waiting for her down the street. Instead, she had smiled bashfully at the Guildmaster's comment and fluttered her eyelashes like she was twenty-something all over again.

But it wasn't really the flower or even the comment that had brought on the sudden bashfulness. It was knowing that, in a room full of patrons who had flowers stuck in their suit jackets, Astele knew her well enough to steal the yellow orchid. And that was what made Jaheira's heart skip a beat.

Astele stirred underneath her, grunting lightly as she did. She squeezed Jaheira lightly to let her know she was awake, then pressed a sleepy kiss to the top of her gray braids of hair. "You talk in your sleep, Harper," Astele teased, her voice gruff and low.

Jaheira hummed then replied, "And you steal flowers to stick in women's hair so you can get them into your bed."

Astele chuckled, lightly shaking Jaheira as she did. "Worked, didn't it?"

Jaheira softly smacked Astele's side under the blanket, silently chiding her for trying to rile Jaheira up too early in the morning. "What other kinds of trinkets does the Guildmaster give women to lure them back to her lair?" Jaheira shot back with her own brand of teasing.

Astele opened one eye, catching the playful spark in Jaheira's hazelnut eyes. She smirked. “You really want to know?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t,” Jaheira replied, her voice was softer than it was before. A part of her still hadn’t fully recovered from the tenderness from the tavern and from the entire night.

Astele exhaled, not ready, but figuring it was better now than never. She turned fully onto her side to face Jaheira, hummed thoughtfully, and began counting on her fingers - the hand with all five of them. “Cinnamon. I’d bring you freshly cured sticks to burn in the evenings, because you said once it reminds you of the groves near Athkatla in late spring.”

Jaheira raised an eyebrow. She had said that—years ago. Once. In passing on a night that she'd lost to Lady Lockjaw at cards. She hadn’t even remembered it until now.

Astele continued, her voice lazy and soft. “Honeyed figs from a stall near the Temple of Ilmater. You always buy them for the little ones, but you take one for yourself thinking no one notices."

She furrowed her brow and she thought of even more. "Lemon tea. Strong, sweet. A steaming mug with a touch of honey. The kind no one else in your house drinks except you.”

Jaheira stared, unable to process the list Astele was rattling off. All the things she loved that she didn't think anyone ever noticed.

“Green ink,” Astele went on, ticking yet another finger. “You only ever write in green ink and you hoard those little glass jars like they're made of gold.”

A laugh choked out of Jaheira before she could help it, sharp and surprised. “I do not hoard them," she exclaimed.

“Ten in your desk. Three hidden behind the books in your study. Don’t lie to a professional thief, Jaheira.” Astele laughed herself and added, "There's probably more down in your sanctuary, too. If I had to guess, I'd say… six more little bottles all hidden in crates."

It wasnt a guess at all and Jaheira knew it. The High Harper covered her face with one hand, feeling a rush of warmth washing up her throat and over her cheeks. “Gods, you are insufferable!”

“I know.” Astele caught and held her gaze, sky blue meeting earthy hazel. “You also like rainy days when you don’t have to be out in the wet mess. You fall asleep to the patter of raindrops and gentle rush of wind. Thunder scares you if it's too loud, but you love to watch lightening crackle against the black sky of night. You hate it when people eat while standing, and Rion does it just to annoy you. You keep your boots polished even if you're going out into the wilds or a grove out of respect for nature. You double-knot Fig's cloaks because you don’t trust her to do it right.” Her voice then dropped to a whisper. “You mourn in silence. And when you love something, you never say it out loud. You just… guard it. With everything you have and everything you are.”

The silence after that was long, heavy with all the things Jaheira could not admit, but felt deep in her heart. “You just happen to know all of that?” Jaheira asked, her voice hoarse.

“I watched over the years,” Astele said simply. “Listened. You don’t talk much about yourself, so I learned by paying attention.”

Jaheira propped herself up a bit to face her fully, brushing silver hair behind her ear. “But… why?

Astele hesitated, her eyes flicking away for the barest moment before coming right back. “Because I didn’t know how to tell you I loved you,” she said in a voice barely audible. “So I memorized you instead.”

[twenty7knives]

Jaheira stood with her hands planted on her hips, one brow arching high. "Funding the new thieves’ guild, are you?"

Astele knew this moment would come the second she made her 'investment' and made a promise to see what else she could do.. even if that meant a high risk job to steal an idol that may or may not be important to Jaheira, too. "Ah yes.. a proper investment, I'd say." She took on her typical 'Guildmaster stance' with her arms crossed over her chest: casual and confident. Though her youthful grin and mischief filled eyes betrayed her amusement.. Perhaps that young, fiery rogue wasn't all gone.

"It helps the children whilst also teaching a lesson to those stuck-up druids. A win-win if ever there was one." She steps closer then, her grin only growing as her voice lowered to a whisper, "Oh and don't worry, I know they're exceptions.. which is precisely why they should be taught a lesson, wouldn't you agree?" Yes, this certainly wasn't the Guildmaster speaking.

[twenty7knives]

Had this been any other moment, Astele would have probably made some witty remark on rendering the high harper speechless. But the moment was too intimate, and the Guildmaster role had been temporarily left behind at the Guildhall. No, this was all Astele, masks and walls stripped away. Even her hidden traps were dismantled. This also meant her actions hadn’t been as well thought out as usual, leaving her exposed and.. vulnerable. But with her, that did not instil fear within her. She knew she could trust her with this.

Usually sharp eyes had softened significantly, though remained focused as ever as she followed Jaheira’s every move. The moment she came closer, Astele found herself gravitating even closer, losing the tentative slowness from before. It wasn’t just a matter of wanting to be close, she needed to be. It had been the woman in front of her who learned her how to enjoy touch and closeness, too, many years ago. And oh, how she wished to express her feelings more, but Astele could only bring her actions to properly speak for her. Perhaps they’ve both been required to fight for so long, that they may have forgotten how to express love instead. But she so desperately wanted to, and by the gods, was she willing to learn for her. It showed in how she fought her first instinct to pull away as Jaheira held onto her hand, eyes showing both uncertainty and longing.. the latter won, as Astele closed her own fingers and visibly relaxed. Enjoying the soothing touch, she found herself craving more.

A warm chuckle came in reply to the soft jab of words, “oh, that is definitely something I should be doing, but..” Her voice died in her throat, the next words not wanting to come out until after a soft sigh, “I shouldn’t have come here with.. these intentions.” She could only hope Jaheira wouldn’t inquire further, would accept her actions as answers to what her intentions are. Just like she wouldn’t question what Jaheira was doing when urging her to dance with her, a silent understanding. Surprisingly enough, Astele obliged and mirrored the sway. “Mhm.. your words, not mine.” She leaned down enough to be able to lean her forehead against Jaheira’s, not wanting the moment to end.

In fact, she put her own effort into keeping the moment as is, softly humming a tune to a ballad definitely meant for slow dancing. Yet her soft humming soon became soft singing, barely above a whisper – a miracle in itself, when attempting to keep your tone even and voice steady. A little song, to accompany their little dance in their own little world.. as if everything faded, even if just for a moment. And whilst swaying to one song, Astele already thought hard on whether she could find a next one, and maybe one after that.. anything to stay just like this.

Her younger self would laugh at seeing her like this, having lost her wild streak and pining after a woman for longer than ten years.. but if she’s completely honest, she enjoys the person she’s become since meeting Jaheira more than the person she was before.

Jaheira stood there, momentarily robbed of words —a rare occurrence, but gods, what was she supposed to say to all that?

Astele had chosen this bottle, something special, unique, not for some grand event, but for her. Just for invading her house visiting her.

The warmth blooming in her chest intensified, spreading up her neck, to her cheeks, her ears. It wasn’t just the lingering heat from her sprint — it couldn't be. No, this was something else entirely, something softer, deeper, something that made her heart stutter against her ribs like some teenage fool.

She wet her lips, trying to find something clever, something casual to say, but all that came out was a breathy, "I... Appreciate it..."

Jaheira closed the distance between them, slow but certain, as if drawn by an invisible thread she had no desire to sever. Her hand found Astele’s, fingers slipping between hers with a familiarity that felt ancient, inevitable. Calloused palm against calloused palm.

Her thumb traced gentle circles over Astele’s skin, savouring the warmth, the pulse beneath her touch. Her other hand still cradled the wine cup, but it felt forgotten, weightless compared to... this. Gods, how she wanted to say it — to breathe the words against Astele’s lips, to spill the truth that sat heavy in her chest, pressing, aching to be set free. I love you. Three simple words, yet they caught in her throat, tangled in the tangle of her ribs, unsaid but no less real.

So instead, she held on tighter, let her touch speak where her voice failed, let the longing settle between them like an unspoken promise.

"Shouldn't be doing what, exactly? Invading my home in the dead of night?" Jaheira’s voice was warm, teasing, but her grip on Astele’s hand remained firm, unwilling to let go. The arm still holding the wine cup slid effortlessly around Astele’s waist, drawing her in, close enough that their breaths mingled. She let them sway, slow and unhurried, a dance without music, save for the rhythm of their hearts.

"Or is it dancing with an old, senile Harper that you think is the real crime here?" Jaheira smirked, but there was something soft beneath it, something so much more tender in the way she held her. As if daring Astele to argue, to step away — but hoping she wouldn’t.

She could have laughed at how foolish she looked now, but when she looked at Astele's eyes, saw the quiet sincerity in there — well, maybe for once, she didn’t need to say anything at all.

[norcumii]

Some days, like today, I desperately miss playing Warcraft.

Not WoW-as-it-is, with the mutable UI and all sorts of dragon-riding nonsense I won’t pretend I understand from my occasional skims of Wowhead. Not WoW-Classic-as-it-is, which pretends to be just like the original experience (except when it isn’t). Not even WoW-as-it-was from Shadowlands, with the absurd daily laundry list of required quests and nonsense that wasn’t even really satisfying to achieve, let alone in terms of story (oh, Legion, it didn’t get better than that).

I desperately miss WoW-as-I-remember-playing it, which – let’s be honest – doesn’t even exist outside of my mind. I miss the emotional impact of those so-late-at-night-it’s-definitely-morning runs farming thorium in Un’Goro, chatting with the Ozzie and Kiwi contingent – that ache of human connection mixing with the gentle numbing of mindless, repetitive, productive nonsense. (Likely ADD whomst?)

I miss leveling yet another alt because my main needs more esoteric things, and my primary crafting alt couldn’t produce enough of rare mat of the week, so it was time to get an alchemist up to [Pick Expansion Here]. I miss the utter joy of fucking with new players, the people in chat who seem genuinely clueless and then thrilled to have a helping hand – and then giving them a little trade of items (all those huge bags my tailors could make!) and slipping in a hundred gold or so because they haven’t learned how to read the trade windows yet.

I desperately miss my character logging on to be welcomed by a gleeful “Madame Mel!!” from my guildmaster, genuinely one of the kindest, most patient human beings I have never met. I miss the idle tells of nonsense through the hours, the invitations to dungeons and eventually raids – that at first I turned down cold because the possibility of responsibility was terrifying. Then – because seriously, one of the kindest, most patient human beings EVER – cautious accepts into a quick dungeon where everyone was kind and seemed to think my semi-competent flailing and WHUT DO attitude was endearing because I could follow directions and hit the appropriate things.

Gods, I miss Wrath, and finding Arthas’ fingerprints everywhere you turned; the delight of someone who never played anything else Warcraft uncovering all the lore and history and messy, messy interpersonal nonsense. Legion’s intertwined plots between classes and the gorgeously themed halls that was enough to make it easy to swap from my beloved DK main to my new main a Demon Hunter tank (a tank!!!??!) that fit my playstyle perfectly and then to literally everything else, because I had to see ALL the storylines.

I miss emotions, moments, people.

I’m not playing at 4 am anymore, a metaphorical sloppy drunk deep in sleep dep. I’ve forgotten more lore than I thought I could learn, and I’ve developed nonsense head canons that I’m sure contradict actual modern content. Both I and most of the people I know have moved on to other things, other games, even other activities that don’t aggravate wrist flareups nearly as much.

But sometimes, I close my eyes, and once again I see a nelf in plate galumphing along on the fastest nightsaber I could eventually buy, and I feel so thoroughly homesick.

[madgod-of-kvatch]

The Fourth Corner [WIP]

Another 1400 words from this fic: in which Modryn finally asks questions that put his guildmaster's back to the wall, and finds out what happened when she went to investigate the strange happenings in Niben Bay.

Korone let out a low huff of distaste. “You know he’s dead, right?”

“Vivec?”

“Along with the other two,” she confirmed, and the confidence in her assertion took Modryn slightly off-guard. Korone might have been an Ashlander, and as such never worshiped the Tribunal, but no one knew exactly what had happened between them and the Nerevarine just a half-dozen years prior. With the disappearance of all related parties, Nerevarine included, there was no way to find out.

Nonetheless, Korone sounded certain in a way that spoke of something more objective than faith—or a lack thereof.

“I’ve heard the rumors,” he conceded. “Not sure I believe them. As I’ve said before, I don’t know how you’d kill a god.”

“I guess that means they weren’t gods, then.”

There it was—the opening he needed, the gap in her defenses. Modryn pulled his arm away from his eyes, turning his head just enough to look at her again. “And what about you?”

Korone blinked down at him, a disarmed sort of surprise flashing over her features. She opened her mouth to speak, closed it again, then set her jaw and averted her eyes, the furrow at her brow deepening. She brought her knees up closer to her chest, circling them with her arms, and sat in silence for a long second before she spoke again. “What do you think?”

“I think something happened to you when you went to investigate that rumor in Bravil,” he stated.

“Nothing happened in Bravil,” she declared, echoing a sentiment she’d repeated too many times since that investigation. Now that Modryn knew to look for it, the omission gaped open before him like a fissure into the Void itself.

“I don’t think it happened in Bravil,” he countered. “Niben Bay is the sea. It borders the county of Bravil, but it’s not in Bravil any more than the Abecean Sea is in Anvil.”

Korone’s expression tightened, head dropping lower, and Modryn knew then that he had her. He probably would have felt more vindicated by that fact if she didn’t look so ashamed, if he couldn’t read the fear in her eyes; as it was, he felt a low pang of guilt for putting her back to the wall like this. He trusted his guildmaster, regardless of her recent evasiveness and despite whatever it was she’d done to save him in the ruin.

He reminded himself that she needed to trust him back.

“There was…a door to Oblivion,” she said quietly, almost too quietly to hear. “In Niben Bay.”

“An Oblivion Gate?”

“A door,” she repeated. “Nothing came out except the island, and that was just to give visitors a place to stand when they knocked and asked to be let through—I didn’t understand it at the time, but I couldn’t very well leave it as it was. I’ve closed enough Oblivion Gates, I thought I knew what do to. I went in. Of course I did.” Amused disdain flashed over her face for a split second, almost too quickly to read, a rueful smile just barely tugging at the corners of her lips before she caught herself and the expression was replaced instead with a mournful frustration.

That flicker of emotion—what about that needed to be held back? Why did she seem so upset to have let it seep through enough to show in her face?

“On the other side of the door, I met Haskill.”

Modryn pushed himself back up quick enough that it made his head throb all over again. “The fetcher in silk.”

Korone gave him an incredulous look. “What in the world do you have against Haskill?”

“He speaks like a pompous ratbag,” he declared. “Like you don’t know anything and he’s the only authority on everything he’s ever said. ‘My Lord’ this and ‘My Lord’ that, but it sounds like he’s calling you an idiot.”

Her shoulders trembled with a poorly-stifled chuckle. “That’s just how he talks, it’s fine,” she said, her apparent but incomprehensible fondness brightening the red of her eyes. “He’s a…I think the simplest word would be assistant? But that isn’t right. He was my—” She stopped, squinting in thought and looking away again. “Haskill is My chamberlain.”

The air pulsed when she spoke, that single claiming word deep and consuming, stronger than ownership, than possession, than anything for which Modryn had a word in any language. As if the Breton were a work of art which Korone created from dust, an object that couldn’t exist without her.

“Chamberlains usually serve royalty,” Modryn pointed out, trying not to come off as hesitant in spite of his growing trepidation.

“It’s the word he used when we met,” she stated. “It’s not up to Me what he calls himself. Except when it is, I suppose, but that would be a lot of trouble. You could call Me Ann Marie and it wouldn’t make it My name. Regardless, he lives in My—oh, I shouldn’t—he lives in my—My—my—” She broke off and closed her eyes again, jaw clenched and expression tight, breathing slowly as she pulled herself together.

Again, the slip and the struggle. Whatever happened, it was a fight to keep its effect on her in check.

“I have a lot to learn,” she continued, more slowly, voice measured and once again kept on the lower end of her natural register. “Haskill has been there almost from the start, so he’s really the only one that can help—but I’m getting ahead of myself, aren’t I? I went through the door, and Haskill was there. We spoke, he explained that his lord needed a champion. The door would stay open until he found one.”

Dread welled up in Modryn’s chest. “Master, you didn’t.”

“I’m the Hero of Kvatch. I close Oblivion Gates.” She said it like sealing off gaps between planes of existence was the simplest thing in the world. “It’s what I’m best at, or at least it was before, and I’m still the best at it. This was different, but so was the Great Gate at Bruma.”

“So you swore yourself into the service of—”

Korone’s voice was firm. “I’ve done trials and favors for Daedric Princes before—Peryite, Azura, Nocturnal. I didn’t think it would be terribly different.”

“But it was.” Modryn didn’t bother asking, because he could see with his own eyes that it was different, because she was different as a result.

“The realm was under attack,” she argued. “He wanted a champion for a worthy reason, but that never would have been enough. He realized before long that what he needed was a protégé. An apprentice.” She hesitated, but only for a breath. “A replacement.”

“Korone—”

“And I thought…if Martin did it, so could I.”

“Are you out of your mind?!”

She blinked at him, and her carefully controlled expression shattered into hysterical laughter. Her eyes grew wide and almost frenzied, a wash of gold rippling out from her pupils as they tightened into slits once more, although the color didn't persist, reverting to red almost as quickly as it changed in the first place.

She sprung to her feet, light as a dancer. “Yes!” She exclaimed. “That’s the point! Mods, haven’t you figured it out?”

“Korone—”

“That's not Me!” She bellowed, hands fisted at her sides, raised slightly in frustration as she bent at the waist to lean in closer. “You wanted to know so badly, you made your demands and asked your questions so you could back Me into a corner—and isn't that just perfect? A Corner in a corner!”

Her voice grew increasingly frantic, ragged and desperate and thick, her face flushed dark as whatever it was she'd done to herself—or allowed to be done—fought to hold control and push the emotional outburst to new heights. She kept laughing, the arrhythmic stuttering tugging hard at Modryn’s sternum, the power rolling off her trying to pull him into this moment of hysteria with her.

He reached up and grabbed her arms at the wrists, and the laughter broke off with a gasp.

“Korone,” he repeated, firm but quiet.

“That's not Me,” she repeated, although this time it was more of a whimper.

She sunk down onto her knees on the bedroll and hung her head, Modryn still firmly holding her arms, her breathing slowing as the mania slowly abated.

“Mods,” she choked out, now herself again, “that's not me.”

[casual-praxis]

Another crossover AU oh boy

Adding onto my post from yesterday about combining Four Swords with the plot of PMD: Explorers of Sky, I have come to offer my ideas and then go missing for another week

I haven't thought too too hard about it, but I wanted to see if I could find a way to mash the two together in a fun, albeit self-indulgent way (I've been playing PMD again recently, as you might could tell)

I think having Shadow as the main protagonist with Green as the partner would make for some interesting twists to the original narrative, even if only minor in the grand scheme of things. Green already has some anxious tendencies in the manga, and paired with his adventurous spirit and motivation I think he's an alright fit for the partner character. Shadow as the protag is mostly for an alteration in the story (they're all still humans so..the original protag turning into a Pokemon shtick doesn't really translate well), but is also because I want to see if I can manage the Greedow dynamic

Blue takes the role of Grovyle, so he wouldn't actually show up in the story until about midway through. Anyone who's played EoS roughly knows what his deal is, and not much is changed with the exception of how he met Shadow (which, to my knowledge, isn't actually covered in EoS anyway?) He's strong and has a fierce desire to protect, even if it costs himself in the process. Very determined

Red has the role of Guildmaster Wigglytuff, and alongside him, Vio takes after Chatot. I think Red would be mostly the same, if a bit more social during morning gatherings, but Vio would probably be toned down just a tad--not as quick to freak out if something goes wrong. Shadow and Green would interact with Vio more on account of all the overseeing Vio ends up doing, though Red would be all over the guild and available for them to talk to should they want to (Red staying solely in the office doesn't suit him, unless he's being forced to do paperwork or something, and even then he'd find a way to get Vio to do it probably)

Exploring works pretty much the same way as it does in EoS, just with people instead of Pokemon. Magic is a thing, though not everyone knows how to use it (Green, for example, might just have to stick to weapons in combat). Items are pretty much as is, same with the random dungeon layouts that change constantly. I'm thinking they do have to fight monsters rather than other people, but they might get a mix of both every now and again. Outlaws are a thing after all

Green drives most of the plot forward, but Shadow is mainly in charge of steering it. Green wants to become an explorer, one who helps people and discovers cool never before seen places, though he's held back from approaching Red's Guild on account of how difficult it is to adventure solo. He worries that he won't be good enough on his own, and anyone who comes to depend on him for help will only be let down in the end. He's never worked in a team before, he has no idea if he'd even be good at it

That's where Shadow comes in. Strange meetings and even stranger self introductions aside, Shadow proves to be quite driven on his own when Green is blatantly mugged by some crooks right in broad sunset. It's his idea to go chasing after them, and he drags Green along into a mystery dungeon to get Green's stolen treasure back

Once acquired, Green realizes that this might be his golden opportunity to form a rescue team, if only Shadow would agree. Working together had been odd, but not unpleasant. He'd like to get to know this strange dude a bit better, maybe get to know what the hell he meant by, "I'm a shadow given form, I think."

Shadow turns down the offer to a join a team initially, citing a need to go find something or other. Although he can't actually remember what it is or why he's looking for it. It takes a bit of poking and pleading on Green's part, but eventually Shadow relents and decides that being part of an exploration team can probably coincide with whatever it is his unknown mission is. Probably. He doesn't actually know what an exploration team is, but based on the name, it seems relevant

And thus, begins their apprenticeship at Red's Guild, where many adventures are had and world ending plots are foiled

Vio is probably not paid enough for all the stress they put him through, assuming he gets paid at all