#Skekso/reader/skektek

[soultek]

Love Bites (And So Do I) - SkekSo/Reader/Skektek (Dark Crystal: AoR)

Author’s Note:  Alright, like a whole year later let me post the fic that I made this whole damn blog for!!! And then didn’t finish until now-!

I mean I wasn’t gonna post it but then... I... This blog is literally called So(ul)Tek. These two are... why it’s called that. 

Anyway, happy to provide this fandom with some content (sorry it’s so late!) that’s for sure! 😊😊

Disclaimer: Age of Resistance/The Dark Crystal and all associated characters nothing to do with me / title taken from song of the same name by Halestorm / obvious female reader.

Premise: The arrival of a creature such as you to Thra attracts the attention of more than one Skeksis. The Emperor is quick to claim you as his, and will mark you as such. He can fulfill your every desire, but he does not own your heart. When you need love, to feel like someone in this strange land actually cares for you, you go to The Scientist.

Words: 1641

Warnings: alluded to sex / biting / mentions of blood / not really a poly relationship and yet kinda *is* a poly relationship. / monster kink (I guess!)

________

It wasn’t a good night unless you were bleeding. Unless you could wake up with marks. Jagged wounds from sporadically placed teeth, running from your shoulder down, in an arrow towards a sharper puncture mark. Your skin was so easily marred – such was the nature of your body. And the perforations ran on both your back and your front. Covering them was more of a problem. And sometimes that was because they were not meant to be covered – but to signal to others whom you belonged to. Not that they did not already know that, but on sheer number of teeth alone it was obvious as to whose bite had left indents in your skin. He couldn’t risk them over your neck – if he caught you just wrong then he would no longer have you; and that presented problems. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t scratch those talons across your delicate skin, and on occasion dig them into your neck; feeling your heartbeat as your blood pulsed through your veins. Life. Yours not eternal like his. But a life that could be his to give or take.

 Whilst he may well have had your fear, your respect, and every desire and carnal thought you’d ever had… he did not have your love. That, and your heart, belonged solely to another. And the Emperor only let you have that relationship because it kept you happy, and if your heart was happy… you’d come back to him at night for what you really needed. He just had to keep his court in check – though he would think the Skeksis to whom you gave your love would not dare step one toe out of line.

 It was a strange union – in that nothing would ever come of it. Foolish to think that anything would. You were not of Thra. And he was not of Thra either – but you were still not of the same world. He’d given up on that notion some time ago; but at least he knew that you would have a union with no other either… And yet it was something. And he had to keep you. You were as tall as the Lords of the Crystal, smart and sarcastic – holding your own against any one of them if it was called for. And agile, quick on your feet – if he called for you no matter where you were, you could be at his side in minutes. A fraction of the time he knew it would take any of his court. Almost as quick as Skekmal, in fact.

 As the morning light broke through the windows to the Castle you studied the lesions in the mirror. There was honour in being marked in such a way by the Emperor, and the sheer ecstasy it brought you under the cover of midnight… But running your fingertips over those indents the morning after, when your head was clear and there was no lust running through your veins, brought you a different kind of clarity. You would have to return to the one you loved most looking like this. And he would notice. Eventually. You may be able to hide them – but the Emperor would not allow you to cover them in his presence… Your eyes swept the room with a sigh; he had already left for court duties. Allowing you and your body the respite of sleep. You pulled your dress on and slipped quietly back to your own room, it wasn’t much, but it was still somewhere of your own. You couldn’t stay there too long, however, doing nothing more than changing your clothes before you made your way to where you really wanted to be…

 It was cooler in this part of the castle, making your way down to the lab, sticking close to the shadows and walls. You were about as wary of the Gelfling guard as you were any other Skeksis; and you certainly didn’t want to run into any of them so far from the Emperor’s side. You knew the temperature would change a little as you reached the Scientist’s workspace; here you were closer to the centre of Thra and the molten rock that flowed sluggishly through the heart of the planet.

You padded softly through the castle, and paused at the door with a smile to watch, as you reached your destination. He was already tinkering away, muttering to himself as he did so. You rested your head against the door frame, smile growing. As you listened a while you realised that Skektek wasn’t just muttering to himself, but he was grumbling. You wondered which of the others had set him off today – not that he ever needed much of a reason – and couldn’t contain your laugh well enough, as a small chuckle slipped out. This immediately alerted Sidetic to your presence, and the little green fluffball - whom Skektek called ‘friend’ - chirped happily at you from his cage.

The Scientist turned from his work with a huh, and his amber eye focused on you. “Oh-!” He placed his tools down and fussed with his clothing for a moment as he stepped back from his work bench, “Top Gear.” You weren’t sure exactly where this cute nickname Skektek had fashioned for you had come from, but it made you immediately beam. “I wondered if I might be able to help you today?” There was only a moments hesitation, “Surely the Emperor would prefer you to accompany him?” It stung a little, that hurt in his voice, even when he knew it had to be this way. “Not that he requested.” “So you have not cleared this with him?” Skektek took a step back towards his workbench. “I haven’t, but what I do with my own time is not of concern to him.” You voice was firm in it's conviction. “No, but you and I…” He trailed off wistfully and fumbled with his tools for a moment. “Perhaps you should confirm that you will not be required in court today.” “He would keep me there out of spite for me wanting to be here!” You crossed the room, begging him not to ask you to go. You needed Skektek now, you needed to feel loved - as if someone cared for your more fragile emotions, needs and desires.

Pushing yourself between him and his work, your eyes were determined, “If the Emperor wants me, he can come find me himself-!” “I-!” You cut the Scientist off before he could protest, “I’m staying. Relegate me to a corner if you must, but I would rather be useful.” There was a silence between you that you tried not to see as uncomfortable as his eyes searched yours, your head tilted, frown absentminded; you always worried about his mechanical one. Something you weren’t sure you could forgive the rest of his species for. You were a fairly good engineer, that much was true, but you also knew you had nothing on him – and everything here on Thra put you a little out of your depth. “Please…” Begging wasn’t beneath you, and your voice wavered the perfect amount, “don’t make me go.” Skektek was almost reluctant to say it, and he looked away from you again; “You can stay.”

Although relieved, you didn’t move from your position between him and the bench, and all of a sudden your emotions overwhelmed you, finding your eyes flooding with tears that you tried to keep from spilling. Startled by your first sob, Skektek recoiled, before - bringing his clawed hands up to nestle on your cheeks - giving his best attempt at wiping those tears away. “Now, now, there’s no need for that.” You gulped them back, hands upon his, not quite lacing your fingers together, “S-Sorry. I just…” You didn’t need to finish the sentence for him to know, and he lifted you up onto the counter top. Your clothing fell just a little more suggestively than you had meant, but you weren’t about to readjust anything at the significance of this pause.

You noticed the way his eyes lingered on your now exposed thighs, and wondered if perhaps you could make something of that. That you could be loved on now… that you could wash away the way last night was currently making you feel, now you were in this moment with him. You pulled Skektek into your body gently, planting a series of sweet, chaste kisses over his snout. The Scientist's movements were instinctive, even when his hands trembled the way they always did, and he began to inch your dress down your body. You couldn’t help the spike in your heartbeat, that tender flutter of anticipation you felt. Every. Single. Time.   He paused; hesitation apparent by the fading marks on your shoulder, across your chest and thighs. You would wait days between one and the other, just to hope that they would fade quicker. But they never did. “Please…” You pulled Skektek’s eyes back to yours, fingertips delicately ran his beak, “…I need you…” “But- I-” Try as you might you could not keep him from tracing his Emperor’s markings. And you swallowed hard. “Bite me.” “…What!?” The Scientist nearly recoiled at that. Why would you ask such a thing of him? Your love was delicate, you came to him to recover, to revel in being loved, for once. Not to be broken as you were upstairs. If you awoke with him - and it was always with him - he would curl himself around your body protectively, tail always wound around your legs. And when he slept with you in his arms tangled in his sheets, he emitted a sound not unlike a purr. And in this strange land, that was where you felt safest. That was where you felt like home. “Please.” You took his talons back in your hands, “Mark me. As yours.”

[urleaf]

Skeksis x taller reader

Based on the sizes they used on set  SkekMal - In a way it was a fresh breath of air for SkekMal to see someone that could intimidate him. Although size doesn't really matter when it comes to survival, skill did. So if you were good at any type of combat, he’d totally challenge you to a 1v1. SkekSo - He doesn’t really care, BUT he does think you’d be a great body guard, or a guard in general. He would get intimidated if you were provoked - usually in arguments where there were only both of you. Would keep you around if he sensed danger. SkekSil - He’d try to get on your good side immediately, which sometimes made things worse for him. He would definitely use you as a threat, or circle around you if he knew he was in trouble in hopes of scaring anyone he pissed off away. SkekTek -Tek wouldn’t be happy about another giant creature that’ll most likely bully him like the others. But if you are nice to him, and treat him like an equal, you were bound to break his mind. Would ask you to reach for stuff and help him in his experiments. SkekGra - He’d see you as a huge body pillow, an amazing cuddle buddy. It would be his dream to be sandwiched between you and UrGoh, especially in colder nights, if you were a breathing heater just like his counterpart.

[shortpirateking]

Headcanons of the Skeksis having their first dance with the reader?

(Your wish is my command, anon!!)

SkekSo: He was the one to ask you, holding out his hand towards your own with an air of regalness he always showed. 

He leads you onto the dance floor, and his movements are graceful and strong- yet there are times where he falters, shaking and losing his step- his age, perhaps, has caught up to him.

SkekSil: “will dearest friend dance with Chamberlain, hmm?” SkekSil barely holds back his excitement when you take his hand, pulling you close and twirling you around the floor. He practically preens with pride as all eyes remain on you and him. 

SkekTek: As the resident hermit, he seldom participates in any form of dance or anything that requires physical exertion. As such, it was you who asked to dance. 

“pardon me, what?”

You both were alone in his lab- no one to watch you both, and your kind and beaming smile was what made him finally relent and take your warm and outstretched hand in his own.

His movements are jerky and awkward, face contorted in embarrassment. Given his inexperience, you are the one to control and lead the dance, assuring your partner he is doing well- even when he steps on your toes

SkekMal: He didn’t even realize what you were doing- moving around in odd patterns and humming a tune. He didn’t even understand what dancing was.

Offering your hand, he just stared blankly at it, until you took his hand in your own and instructed him on what to do,

While SkekMal was an agile hunter, he is beyond hopeless in dancing. His movements were jerky and lacked any sense of rhythm. By the time you were satisfied, SkekMal was rather disgruntled and you were chuckling over the fact your hunter was not nearly as graceful as he seemed.

SkekVar: You though SkekMal was bad?? HOOOOO BOY IS SKEKVAR WORSE. He was a mess, awkwardly asking you to dance with him- more so as he stumbled about and stepped on your toes so many times you had to check with Skektek to see is anything was broken. 

Can’t blame a General for trying though, right?

SkekSa: Flirting? yes. Grace? yes. Making sure you blush throughout the entire dance and making you feel like you’re in a fairytale?? ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

She isn’t as regal as the others, but she knows how to dance. She will twirl you about, dip you low and whisper how lovely you are. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Vassa, or in the middle of Ha’rar, the deeper a red she can get you to flush, the better.

SkekOk: When he asks you, it is filled with flowery words and the air of regalness you’d expect from a prince charming. Of course, he is the scroll keeper- a master of words. His dancing, though?? At first, it seems very calm, SkekOk seems to be trying to make this as much of an experience he can....but the more you smile, laugh, and enjoy yourself- the more flustered and embarrassed he becomes. His actions become more jerky, his flowing words becoming more of a babbling nonsense mixed in with giggles.

SkekZok: His actions are...rather off putting, but he means well....you think..

He holds out his hand, asking you to dance. He is oddly strong and he pulls you along just enough to be fast, but not enough to make you stumble about. He holds you close and his hand is just a little....too close to your rear, but you ignore it.

SkekShod: You quickly take notice of his wallflower behavior, hiding within the shadows and sullenly nursing a drink as the others party around you. As his friend, you will not allow him to be sullen in such a joyous occasion.

He begins to sputter and shakily drop his drink in surprise. You wish....to dance with him??

You insist, smiling warmly, and SkekShod finds himself unable to stop himself from hissing out a small “yesss” 

His movements are far from graceful- but he is gentle and careful, making sure not to step on you or cause any discomfort. You both slowly get the feel of each other’s actions and relax, altogether it was an enjoyable night.

SkekLi: You barely had the time to think before you were quite literally swept off your feet by an overly excited Satirist. 

“dance with me!” Chirped the Skeksis, pulling you close to his form. 

While you were more than a little clumsy from the suddenness of his actions, SkekLi was perhaps the best dance in all of Thra, turning your clumsy actions into graceful dips and drops, making the crowd grow insanely jealous over the two of you- which did nothing but make SkekLi’s pride grow,

SkekUng: You barely were able to talk to the fearsome Skeksis before he grasped your hand and proclaimed you were to dance with him.

It was obvious the moment you stepped onto the floor that Skekung had absolutely no clue how to dance. he would nearly barrel you over when he would step forward, or yank you towards him when he stepped back. You had to finally demand him to stop before you corrected him. As you took the lead, he seemed to catch on and slowly get the hang of it- though he was much too stiff throughout the whole ordeal

SkekNa: his claw held itself open to you, his remaining eye gleaming with a mixture of dark malice and mirth. You knew all too well how terrifying he was, and yet somehow you still accepted.

Surprisingly, the Slave Master is a great dance, his rhythm near perfect. His eye narrowed in amusement as you tried to keep up with him, not nearly as polished as he. He seemed to bask in your amateur movements, more so as he helped correct you. Throughout the dance, his hand always seemed to brush along you...

SkekEkt: The Ornamentalist could barely hold back his excitement as you asked him to dance, practically flinging himself into your arms with a nearly ear splitting “yes!!”

Though you were the one to ask, SkekEkt immediately began to control the dance, flinging you about everywhere as he laughed and seemed to enjoy the ordeal.

SkekAyuk: after a delicious meal, you found yourself being pulled into Ayuk’s bulk, the Gourmand proclaiming that such a good meal required a celebration!

Unlike the other skeksis, SkekAyuk was both quick and excited, yet grounded enough for you to keep up with him. For someone so bulky, he was rather quick on his feet.

SkekLach: Like Shod, you were the one of ask to dance with the grumpy Collector, but unlike the Treasurer, she huffed and complained the dancing would just make her headache worse. 

That didn’t stop you from insisting, and finally convincing her to dance with you.

For the most part- she was Okay. Not good, but far from bad- though she did step on your feet a few times. She complained a bit here and there. but afterwards you could see a smile gracing her lips when she’d glance your way.

SkekGra: Given his spontaneity, it was no surprise that his offer to dance was completely out of the blue either. You were simply enjoying the bright sky, and then suddenly you were in the arms of your more than excited skeksis friend, chirping and laughing as he spun you around. You could barely take in what he was saying, though it didn’t matter too much as he practically spun you all over the place in his excitement 

[skekshroom]

Could you please do headcanons for the moment that the Skeksis realize that they're in love with the human reader?

skekSo

- doesn’t exactly deny that he cares for you, because nobody would have the gall to suggest it. Even if they did, he’d quickly (and albeit honestly) say he gives you fair treatment for your loyal service to explain his favoritism towards you. That, and being a human rarity made you a special case in his book.

- However, he realizes he loves you when you show him genuine kindness outside of servitude.

skekTek

- he’s always been protective over you, he tends to latch on begrudgingly to anyone he can genuinely call a friend.

- He was skeptical the first time you stood at his defense. As much as he likes you, he can’t help but feel like there was some ulterior motive.

- It was the prospect of you leaving that made him realize. When you declined another skeksis’ offer to have you under their wing. You made sure not to blame him for their rejection. That act helped him realize how much you cared for him, and in turn how much he did as well.

skekGra

- He’s going on about the plan to reunify with urGoh, when you say you hope he remembers you when he’s GraGoh again. You both laugh it off because- of course he will! Both halves of him do!

- Then he realizes for the first time in hundreds of trine he feels like he’s leaving something behind again for unity. He is still sure of becoming one again, but he’s realizing not only that it will be a change for the three of you, but that he cares enough about you where he does worry if it will be the same. He knows it wont be. He likes to think it’ll be better.

[grievous-writes]

SFW, NSFW, I don't have a preference! But I'm curious as to what you think each Skeksis' first dream might be, like perhaps because of you, and the almost mystical connection you forge between the two halves of a whole, perhaps the Skeksis manage to dream (and the Mystic counter expresses anger), and of course you're in it! Which is why they're so startled, maybe, when they wake. "That didn't happen? What was that??? What the FRICK??" XD Anything, anything at all can occur in a dream.

HM. This is an interesting concept! Let’s see what I can do. I’m only going to do three Skeksis, and they shall be my fave bois

SkekSo

When the Emperor wakes up from his very first good dream, not a nightmare for once, he’s understandably confused. Here he’d been damned, contently so, to have nightmares in exchange for power, but then he dreams such a sweet dream . . . a tender dream . . . of you. You held him in your arms and caressed his rotting face. You weren’t afraid of him, you didn’t shun him. You accepted him and all the shadows at his back. Hr’s hesitant to come to you after that, but he does watch you more often in court; he finds himself growing angered at seeing you so close to the others, and not him. He’ll have to correct that.

SkekMal

The Hunter does not like to dream. Such things only cloud the mind and muddle the instinct to the hunt. However when he dreams of you, he finds himself oddly welcomed to it. He already posses you during the waking hours, so it’s only fitting you are also his in sleep. When he wakes, Skekmal acts like nothing is different. There is the usual morning nuzzle, his subtle purrs, and then it’s back to the hunt. 

SkekTek

SkekTek is a confused mess of panic and worry. What in Thra was that?! He dreamed?! He couldn’t remember what it was like to have a dream till then! How interesting. Scary but very interesting. It takes the Scientist a few minutes to calm down, looking to your sleeping form next to him on his lab cot. You had both fallen asleep after a long night of experiments and testing, with you cuddled into his side like a little kitten. He sighed with a small smile. He glad his dream was of you, his Top Gear. 

[bcdrawsandwrites]

For Unity by @jaywings and me

Rating: T Genre: Friendship, Angst Characters: urGoh, skekGra, skekSil, skekSo, skekTek, skekVar, urVa, urSu, urSol, urZah, possibly others… Warnings: A LOT OF VIOLENCE. Description: One was as vile and repulsive as his brethren. He murdered, and maimed, and reveled in it. The other was as slow and indirect as the rest of his brethren. He hated his dark half as much as the others did theirs. But who they were did not matter, for Thra saw its moment, and seized its opportunity. Beta Reader: ThePrairieNerd

—~~~—

Chapter 8: One, That Became Two, That Became One Again Summary: In which the Wanderer takes the first steps.

—~~~—

His hand was empty.

As he made his way through the Dark Forest, guided only by the light of the Sisters, urGoh found himself rubbing his thumb over his calloused palm repeatedly; the shard he'd carried for only a few days had felt almost like a companion to him. And yet it had shattered beneath his fingers, leaving nothing but sparkling dust in his hand—gone in a mere moment.

And what a strange moment it was.

The shared memory threatened to return, but urGoh pushed it aside. Dwelling on it would do nothing but fill him with an unhelpful, unreachable ache of longing. Instead he focused on the absence of the crystal shard, reflecting on just why it had taken that exact moment to shatter. Had the connection he'd felt extended to the shard, and corrupted it, causing it to break? Or... had the shard served its purpose?

The more urGoh thought of it, the more it seemed to be the latter, and the more unsettled he felt.

It wanted them to unify. Not just the tiny shard—the Crystal. All of Thra. A Mystic uniting with a Skeksis... who ever thought of such a thing?

The idea of working alongside the Conqueror was not something that brought urGoh any comfort, no matter how Thra urged them to. He would, he would certainly try, but he did sometimes question the wisdom of this world. After all, could a creature who had killed so many others truly decide to stop within a matter of days? Could such a monster actually change his ways, and so quickly?

"You better... have a good idea... of what... you're making us... do," he grunted to a passing tree, which merely shuffled its roots in response. "This meeting could end... very badly."

The idea of a Skeksis conversing with a Mystic was absurd to begin with, but to willingly bring the most vile of their kind so close to the Valley to meet again? What a terrible idea! Why had he agreed to this?

But at the same time... he couldn’t shake this feeling—that moment, when they both recalled the same campfire, with the same Gelfling telling the same story, because they...

The sudden ache in his chest made him stumble, and he shook his head, keeping his gaze trained forward. No—he couldn't keep rethinking this. His path had been decided, and there was no turning back now.

As urGoh walked, the first rising sun cast strange, flickering shadows in the trees, winking in and out of view and slipping through the leaves as though they were following him. One shadow broke away from the rest, twining serpentlike partway down the trunk of a tree before a shape landed in front of him with a thump. UrGoh backed up a step, squinting hard.

The first Brother was at his eye-line, and he could not see the figure that confronted him, save for a looming, spiked silhouette. For a heart-stopping moment he thought it was skekGra, having changed his mind and abandoned all sense, returning to attack him again.

“A plod-stomping urRu,” the figure rasped in a low voice. “In the Dark Wood.”

It had to be a Skeksis, but urGoh didn’t immediately recognize it. Sunlight glinted off the edge of a wicked dagger it gripped in its claw.

UrGoh raised a hand to block the light and attempted to duck to one side in order to clear his vision, but the creature simply moved with him with a fluidity that he did not expect.

“This looks like valuable pickings,” it went on. “A Mystic’s floundering tongue would be the trophy of trophies. And the head of a Skeksis would come freely with no miserable squabbling.”

“You are… bluffing,” urGoh said. No Skeksis would purposely bring harm to another Skeksis, surely? Especially by attacking their Mystic counterpart. They seemed to prefer open confrontation.

A beaked, reptilian head was suddenly thrust in his face, eyes narrowed under a mask made from the skull of some unfortunate creature.

“Am I?” the Skeksis spat.

UrGoh shuffled backwards, his tail dragging through the leaves, still trying to get a good look at his aggressor. The mask had revealed the exact identity of this Skeksis, though it was someone he’d never met—nor, truthfully, had wanted to meet.

“How did you… know I was here?” he asked, hesitantly. Had this creature caught sight of skekGra?

The Hunter hissed through jagged fangs. “I followed your lumbering footsteps for miles. The blundering Mystic disturbed the rakkida pack I was tracking.”

“Oh. I am… sorry,” urGoh said uncertainly. He didn’t have much love for rakkida, vicious as they could be, though the thought of more deaths attributed to the Skeksis gave his stomach a sickening lurch. “Perhaps if you go after them now… you will find them again.”

“But they’re no longer a worthy prize,” the Hunter sneered. “They were scared off by a Mystic.”

He lunged suddenly, faster than urGoh could have prepared for, but withdrew with a snarl almost within the same second. A large arrow had sprouted from the ground at his feet.

“Leave this place, skekMal,” the deep, resonant voice of the Archer rang out, as the Mystic stepped into view. He had strung his towering bow, another arrow nocked loosely in the string but not yet pulled taut. “The forest is not yours to command, much as you think it is.”

The Skeksis clicked his teeth. “All who trespass into the Endless Forest beyond their piddly settlements invite death from the shadows.”

“I see no shadows,” urVa growled. “You stand in the light of day.”

UrGoh could see a shadow, however: the one standing before them, cloaked in death.

As they were speaking, the sun had risen higher, now leaving the Hunter in plain view. He stood up straighter, rattling the morbid trophies that hung from his belt—skulls and pieces taken from previous victims that urGoh did not immediately recognize, and he tried to look away, for fear he eventually would.

"I am a Lord of the Crystal, and master of these woods, in light or in darkness," skekMal snarled. "I can hunt what I wish, whenever I wish, hidden or not!"

"I see." UrVa returned his arrow and unstrung his bow. Then, his eyes always upon the Hunter, he marched forward until he had situated himself between skekMal and urGoh. He lifted his head, a challenging gaze piercing his other half's eyes. "Hunt me, then."

For a long moment, the three of them stood silently, skekMal and urVa both eerily still, each a corrupted reflection of the other. Only urGoh moved, glancing back and forth between the two, wondering which of them was truly mad enough to make the first move.

SkekMal suddenly lunged his head forward, letting out a vicious howl, and charged. While urGoh cringed back, urVa stood his ground, and the Skeksis bolted in a wide arc around them, rushing into the depths of the Dark Forest. UrGoh kept an eye on him until his form melted into the trees, while urVa regarded the situation with an almost detached calmness. Finally the Archer turned away, his long bow thudding against the soft ground as he moved on without comment.

"Um... thank you," urGoh said, blinking and trailing after urVa. "I wasn't sure... what would happen there."

"SkekMal is a dangerous creature," urVa said plainly. "His actions can be unpredictable, even among the Skeksis… But even he would not be fool enough to attack..."

UrGoh waited for him to finish; when he did not, he merely followed, keeping an eye on the path ahead.

"You have been wounded," the Archer said suddenly, and urGoh gingerly touched the scratches on his snout.

"My... other half," he mumbled, and urVa gave a quiet hum. They walked in silence for a few minutes longer. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, but nor was it much of a companionable one, and it inescapably put him in mind of their previous journey toward the Valley together. It felt like countless trine ago. Had it really been only a few days?

"For what reason do you take the path through this forest, urGoh?" urVa asked.

"Hm. Other than... my being... a Wanderer?" UrGoh slowly turned his head, giving his companion a wry smile. But urVa did not spare him another glance; he didn't seem to be in such good humor this morning, and urGoh sighed. "I am... returning... to the Valley."

UrVa stopped, lifting his head as he faced urGoh at last. "Again? Your wandering path rarely leads you home. What brings you back this time?"

Glancing back the way skekMal had fled, urGoh frowned. "I have... something important... to discuss with urSu."

"A better conversation would be had with the mountainside."

UrGoh cast his gaze downward. "Perhaps. But... even a mountain may eventually give in... if it is worn down enough, or if something large... should impact it."

"Hmm." The Archer closed his eyes. "I see you are still concerned with the plight of the Gruenaks. If the Master has already given his verdict on the subject, I fear nothing but the voice of Thra itself may change his mind, my friend.”

“The Gruenak devastation… has… passed.” UrGoh could not keep the bitterness from his voice. “I return with… a different matter.”

Briefly urGoh considered telling everything, and glanced down at the forest floor to contemplate his words. But the light cast by the first brother upon urVa created a looming, dark shadow behind him, and he shuddered. No. He could not speak here.

"I see." For the first time that morning, a smile crossed urVa's muzzle. "I am keen to see what you believe can move a mountain."

"As... am I." UrGoh blinked. The Archer’s wording had struck him. “You wish… to join me?”

“I will. Perhaps it is now time I returned to the others, as well,” urVa said. “But please… no poetry.”

“No,” urGoh said mournfully. “I… lost it all… in an unintended swim.”

“Ah. That is certainly a shame.”

The two resumed their journey, urGoh confident in knowing that it would not split at the Valley entrance this time. He felt that a weight had been lifted from his shoulders—but was almost immediately replaced by another one as the enormity of his task set in. The thought of trusting any Skeksis was still a rather foreign concept to him. How in Thra’s name might his brethren be convinced?

—~~~—

He looked like an idiot.

He certainly felt like an idiot, especially among the other Skeksis who probably hadn't set foot outside the Castle in who knows how many trine. SkekGra was uncomfortably aware of the mud on his claws, ashes on his armor, the cuts on his face, and the myriad of twigs and leaves clinging to his robes. He could feel the burn of their stares. Would there be a time when he wouldn't traipse back to the castle drenched in all manner of filth?

SkekGra had hoped to return unnoticed, but he should have known otherwise. It was getting too late in the day, and the castle was far too busy. He managed to climb back up through the catacombs unnoticed, but was spotted by guards as soon as he reached the first of the more populated floors of the castle. Now he could only trudge through the cold stone halls like a Podling before the Deturge and hope he wouldn't be questioned.

And also, once again, to make the choice between food or sleep. His cramping stomach suggested which one should take priority. Hastily, he brushed off the worst of the grime and headed for the Banquet Hall.

"So... the murdering scourge of Thra... is afraid of me..."

The deep, slow voice, the chirping of desert insects, and the crackling of a fire echoed in his head.

"The Crystal is fractured... It felt like pain, emptiness, incompleteness... Have you not thought... that it needed to be healed?"

An image of the great Crystal, once a pure, shining white, now bled a deep violet. The memory of the Crystal of Truth dragged down to the Scientist's lab in heavy metal claws, pulsing against the cruel restraints.

"It never occurred to me..."

Someone prodded at his side, hard, and he picked up an urgent, whispered, "Lord Skeksis-ah!"

SkekGra jerked upright, blinking in alarm, his warrior's instinct fighting to take in every aspect of his surroundings. He was seated at his place at the banquet table. Several Skeksis around him were croaking with laughter. There was an upturned bowl of soup in front of him. And his face was dripping.

A Podling face looked up at him anxiously—the one who had poked him awake, no doubt. SkekGra waved him away, heart shriveling slightly in embarrassment as he mopped up his face with a dry part of the tablecloth. Irritably he noticed the others were still cackling. What were they laughing about? He could do an entire series of paintings about the stupid things each and every one of them had done. And whom at this table hadn't ever buried their face in a bowl of soup?

Too bad his own stupidity seemed to be coming more frequently as of late.

After shaking off the mortification, shoving some amount of food in his mouth, and regaining some strength in his limbs, it was of course time to attend the Ceremony of the Sun once again. He stood at his place in the circle, his gaze unwavering, letting strength flow into him that he knew was never theirs to take, and spoke to no one. He did not catch skekTek's eye, ignored any jeers presented by the others, their own insults forgotten as soon as they garnered no response.

"Lord Conqueror!"

A voice called out to him in the corridor as he made his way to his chambers, and he finally stopped, looking down to see a Vapran Gelfling rush up to him. He gave a start as he recognized this one.

"Conall," he greeted, the name slipping out before he even realized that he knew what it was. Strange... he'd never cared much about learning their names.

The Gelfling dipped forward in a bow as he reached him. "My lord, I've just returned from the battalion of Gelfling sent back to the Caves of Grot to rout out the Gruenak stragglers. They told me that no one had reported to you about it, so I immediately sought you out. We..." He swallowed nervously, as though unsure how skekGra would take his next words. "We- we didn't find anything, my lord. And the Grottans swore that they had offered no further protection to the traitors."

Again, the voice returned to his mind: "You spared two. Two of the hundreds... that fell by your swords."

He swiped his tongue over his jaws, and gave his response in almost a trance. “Let them escape…” he muttered.

Maybe they did escape, he thought. Maybe they left those foul caves and found a place to settle, far from conflict.

The Vapran, meanwhile, quailed away from him, face paling and ears flicking back. "N-no, my lord, we did not intend to, but we had orders from Emperor skekSo to return. I'm so sorry, my lord. We won't give up. Every time we're sent out again, we'll keep a watch for them. We'll track them down eventually, and make them pay for eluding the army of the Castle of the Crystal!"

SkekGra's stomach wrenched. "Yes. See that you do."

“And I… I wanted to warn you, my lord…” the Gelfling wrung his hands. “The guards have been saying strange things. Things… about you.”

SkekGra gave a sniff. “I think I can handle a few Gelfling rumors. Now, attend to your duties, Vapran.”

He took his leave from the young guard and, in a haze, found his quarters and loomed in the doorway like a dark shadow.

Oh, Thra, it was a disaster in here. Someone would have to take care of this.

He crossed into the room, placed his weapons carefully beside his wardrobe, and promptly turned to collapse face-first onto his bed.

"You feel... guilty, Conqueror."

Another sickening lurch to his insides.

Vaguely he grasped at the tattered wish for a sleep with no dreams, no visions, no haunted words, no drowning Mystic idiots or cries from the Crystal to rip him from unconsciousness. He wasn't built for this nonsense.

Oh. And I promised another meeting with the Wanderer in some Thra-forsaken corner just outside the Dark Wood.

Eyes tightly closed, his tongue snapped a sharp curse and one fist beat against his bedcovers. When had this become his life?

—~~~—

It was the phrase that skekGra fell asleep to, and blearily woke several hours later with it still running through his mind. He pushed himself to his feet, and finally exchanged his sodden robes for clean ones—the others had been through a lot, he noted, as he laid the forlorn-looking clothes out flat on the bed—and sheathed his weapons back in their proper places before strolling from the room.

Not wanting to have to navigate another conversation or lecture from anyone this time, he took back ways around the Castle, slipping unseen into the Scrollkeeper's library to swipe a map, and then retreating down through the catacombs to undergo another unpleasant crawl out through the Teeth of Skreesh.

An unexpected scent hit his nostrils before he reached the way out, however, and he tensed. Gelfling? He could have sworn he caught a hint of stale Gelfling scent. But that was impossible—Gelfling had always been forbidden from coming down here. Anyone who broke that rule would be thrown from the Castle, along with any members of their family, and with such a black mark on their record would likely never be able to find civilized work again.

He shoved the matter aside and continued on his way.

It would be nice, he thought, to not have to leave the castle like this again. But at least it was secretive, as no one considered that anyone in their right mind would use this path.

"It's been a long time since I've been in my right mind," he muttered, swatting a dangling branch out of his face. Consulting the map he'd borrowed, he pinpointed the unlikely spot for the Wanderer's planned meeting with whatever Mystic he could drag out of its hole, and started off on a path southeast from the Castle.

Was he ready to meet another Mystic?

His teeth clicked. The tips of his fingers twitched. There was a prickling at his back as his spines rose.

He didn't fear the Mystics. What was to fear? The Wanderer himself had stated that anger was not natural to them. And aside the Hunter's strange counterpart, he doubted that they even had a concept of weaponry.

It was the wrongness of it all that unsettled him so. The knowledge that he would have to look into some creature's beady eyes and see the distorted, meandering reflection of someone he knew. Which one would it be?

And why did he dread this decision more with every step?

—-~~~—-

The third Brother barely broke over the horizon as urGoh and urVa neared the Valley. The Archer paused as they drew closer, and for a moment urGoh feared he would turn away again.

However, urGoh quickly spotted the reason for it, and could only stare as urSol the Chanter approached them along the trail, stopping in front of them.

“...Chanter,” urGoh said, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. “You have… left the Valley.”

UrSol inclined his head, a slight smile on his face. “I have taken four steps beyond the border. Hardly a long trip when compared to the Wanderer.” He looked up, his eyes shadowed. “Did you find what you were looking for, urGoh?”

UrGoh paused, his neck dipping slightly as though weighed down.

“...No,” he said after a moment. The Chanter blinked in sympathy, and urGoh went on. “But I did find… something else.”

UrSol's gaze turned to urVa, regarding him with a tipped head. "You found... the Archer."

"...Yes," urGoh said. "But that is... not all. I must speak... with urSu."

At that, the Chanter heaved a sigh. "I may speak in many voices... but none of them can reach Master urSu." Yet he smiled at urGoh, and continued, "But that does not mean the Wanderer will not succeed." With that, he resumed his original course, passing the other two Mystics and heading up and away from the Valley.

Though urGoh knew he could not delay long, curiosity overcame him and he turned to face the Chanter. "Where do you... go?"

"To seek new songs outside the Valley," the other said without turning around. "And new company. But I will not be gone long. Perhaps a few trine."

"Avoid the forest," urVa said, eyeing urSol seriously. "No song is worth an encounter with the monster that lurks there."

UrSol paused. "I fear not the shadows," he said, and did not stop again.

With the departure of the third Mystic, the two made their way further into the Valley, watching as the slow life of their fellows went on as usual. UrZah the Ritual Guardian did not look up from his sand painting, though the Weaver waved in greeting as urGoh and urVa passed by. While urGoh was glad to see the other urRu again, his mind dwelled on other matters. "Where... do you suppose..." he began, but trailed off when he saw the Archer had stopped. UrVa's gaze was turned upward, and urGoh followed it, blinking in surprise.

UrSu stood on the ledge above them, regarding him with an expression urGoh could not read.

"Wanderer," he said. "You rarely return home without purpose." He did not question urVa's presence, and urGoh's mane prickled.

"I have come... to show you something," urGoh said. "Something... of great importance..."

"And what have you brought to our Valley?" urSu asked.

"I did not bring—" urGoh nearly said “him,” but caught himself just in time, "—the… important thing... with me. You must come with me... beyond the Valley."

The Archer snapped his head toward urGoh alarmingly fast, eyes wide. Every other urRu within listening distance did the same, their heads raised and snouts pointed almost accusingly at urGoh. UrVa opened his mouth to speak, but urSu was faster.

"It is one thing for other urRu to leave the Valley," he said. UrSu's gaze had an uncharacteristic hardness to it. "I have permitted some to leave... against all counseling, whether from clouded judgment and dissatisfaction, seeking perpetual solitude, or a futile wanderlust… the Storyteller, the Swimmer, and the Monk, passed beyond our sight... the Archer, living alone, the Peacemaker… the Chanter, ever guided by his ill-formed emotions, storming off after another argument… And to say nothing of you, Wanderer, as it’s in your very name.” His gaze never left urGoh. "But to ask for me to pass beyond the Valley’s borders…”

"He would be killed," urVa said plainly. "A Skeksis would surely seek him and swiftly kill him. To take his power."

UrGoh looked him in the eye. "But you... have faced your own dark half, and driven him away."

The Archer regarded him for a moment before humming and turning aside.

"Master urSu," urGoh went on, facing his leader again. "This is of... vital importance. Thra itself... demands it."

UrSu heaved a long sigh through his nostrils. "Thra has not spoken to me of such things."

"Thra... has spoken... to me."

The Valley went still. Without looking, urGoh knew the others were staring at him, and he knew how absurd his claim sounded. But he continued to stare into urSu's eyes, his own gaze serious, pleading. If urSu would not at least see what he was going to propose, there was no hope of his ever listening.

The Master returned his gaze for an agonizingly long moment, and urGoh held his breath. But slowly, slowly urSu turned away, his heavy steps plodding across the wooden walkway. Heart suddenly heavy, urGoh lowered his head, shutting his eyes against the sheer frustration and sadness welling up within him.

A better conversation would be had with the mountainside, indeed.

"Show me, then."

Straightening, urGoh spun around as quickly as he could, almost falling over himself, to find urSu watching him again and leaning heavily on his staff.

"Show me what Thra has shown you, that it has kept secret from me."

UrGoh blinked stupidly, his mouth falling open and throat producing no sound.

"Then I want to see as well," urVa said somberly, shifting the walking stick that doubled as his bow. "Lead the way, Wanderer."

The knot in his chest loosened itself a little, the burden easing, and urGoh nodded. "Yes... right... away."

—~~~—

What was he doing?

Every step brought deep dread seeping back into his bones, displacing the relief he’d felt, his jaw set with his teeth clenched together.

Not one of them spoke. The calm camaraderie that urGoh had felt with urVa on the trek back to the Valley had vanished, replaced by a cold fragility, three slow-moving figures set on a single destination, all lost in their own reveries and none too happy to be going.

This was a mistake. The thought wound itself through urGoh’s head and felt heavy on his tongue, as though desperate to be spoken aloud to send the others home. He glanced behind him to see urVa’s face set in grim determination, his eyes slowly roving from side to side as though to watch for threats. UrSu by contrast had his gaze set straight ahead, watching neither urVa, urGoh, or their surroundings for that matter.

This was a mistake. I am leading both of them into a Skeksis trap.

UrGoh slowly shook his head, tossing out his mane. A trap? No. SkekGra could not restrain and capture three Mystics at once, particularly when one of them was the Archer. And he certainly couldn’t kill them without harming himself, along with a highly revered and feared Skeksis in the Hunter, and his own Emperor.

Unless the death of Emperor skekSo was the point.

UrGoh glanced again at urSu, with urVa following in his wake. This was why the Archer had come along—to grant the Master all the protection he could offer. But skekGra did not even know that urGoh had planned to bring urSu to the meeting place. UrGoh hadn’t told him.

“And he’s… changed,” urGoh said aloud, as though speaking the words might make him believe them.

“What did you say?” the Archer said evenly. UrSu said nothing.

“I said… so much... has changed,” urGoh said, his fingers curling.

UrSu spoke up then, still gazing ahead. “Eternity does not change. The stars, the planets, they sweep across the sky in an endless rhythm. We are nothing to the great expanse of the universe, the creatures who dwell here even less so. Our lives are a whisper that makes no impact, until we are called to act by a mediator of the cosmos.” He tilted his head to look straight at urGoh. “So what is it, Wanderer, that you wanted to show us?”

The Master’s response had drawn the small party to a stop—uncannily close, urGoh realized, to the meeting spot he had set up with skekGra. UrGoh drew in a deep breath and slowly, slowly, turned to face the others.

“We are here,” he said simply.

“And there is something… waiting for us?” UrVa’s face had darkened, though his expression was not altogether readable.

UrGoh hesitated. “I am… not sure yet. I… will go check.”

He turned quickly to avoid the looks in their eyes and pushed through the bracken and curtain of leaves up ahead, coming to a stop when he reached a clearing and a strong, sour scent hit his nostrils.

The forest here was silent, as though nothing wanted to reveal its presence.

There was no doubt. SkekGra was here.

As he had this thought, a nearby branch shifted and suddenly the Conqueror was there, slipping out into the daylight, eyes bright and accusing. He tilted his head up, taking a sniff of the air. With a jolt urGoh remembered how much better senses of smell Skeksis had than most other creatures he knew—certainly better than Mystics.

“I thought you were bringing maybe one Mystic,” skekGra growled. “What kind of trickery is this? Was this a trap?”

UrGoh stretched his neck higher, looking the Skeksis straight in the eyes. “Those I have brought… fear a trap from you.”

The Conqueror went rigid, his eyes aflame with fury and horror. “How many others did you tell about me?!”

“None… yet.” He held unwavering eye contact. “I have told them… nothing. But we discussed... that we should share our revelations... with the Mystics. So I… have brought them.”

“What, all of them?” SkekGra shook his head hard. “We didn’t discuss anything! This was your idea, which you simply flung at me while I was in a hurry—”

UrGoh interrupted. “It is… time.”

Before he could change his mind, he turned and let out a low note from deep in his throat, the sound reverberating through the trees and causing the leaves to tremble. SkekGra cried out and flung his hands over his ears, baring his jagged fangs.

Before urGoh’s call had faded, urSu and urVa strode through the trees and stood behind him, the disheveled Skeksis in full view.

Neither Mystic betrayed any hint of surprise, though the worn, spiralling creases in their faces had hardened. SkekGra, however, looked alarmed; in a flash of sunlight he had drawn three blades—a short sword along with two daggers clutched in his secondary arms—and dropped into a defensive stance.

At some point, out of urGoh’s sight, urVa had nocked an arrow, though he did not yet draw it.

No one spoke. No breeze blew, the atmosphere heavy and taut as if the air itself were the Archer’s bow. UrGoh felt as if the slightest movement would snap the fragile strings holding them all at bay and the clearing would erupt into chaos.

He made the tiniest gesture toward skekGra, his eyes on the two Mystics.

“Here… is what I wanted you to... see,” he said, his tongue lame in his mouth. He half-expected the Archer to run him through with an arrow where he stood, perhaps not even bothering to loose it first.

"...A Skeksis," urSu said, and urVa tightened his grip on his bow.

"Yes," urGoh replied, twitching his tail in a vain attempt to rid himself of the excess tension in the air. "This is the skekGra, the Conqueror... my other half."

"This was a terrible place to meet it," urVa said, his voice a strained growl.

"Why?" skekGra asked suspiciously, and if it were possible, the tension only increased in the small clearing. Something was going to snap. "If you're worried about the Hunter, I don't think he comes out this far."

"He... hmmm." Slowly urVa lowered his bow, but only by a fraction. He doesn't, was probably what he had been planning to say, but he'd evidently thought the better of it, not wanting the Skeksis to know what he was actually worried about.

"Can you stop pointing that thing at me?" skekGra demanded, glancing from urVa to urGoh. "You’ll end up hurting him too, you know."

"Your weapons are still drawn," urVa retorted.

At that, skekGra pulled back slightly. "Listen, I don't know which ones you are, but..." He ground his teeth furiously. "...But my Emperor would have my head if the others found out I attacked you. I'd be attacking one of my own."

UrVa did loosen the pull on his arrow upon hearing that, lowering the weapon in surprise, but urSu's gaze hardened. "I do not believe it. No Skeksis has honor."

"This again," skekGra growled, but slowly sheathed his weapons. One talon, however, rested on the hilt of his sword.

"What does it mean, again?" urVa questioned, this time turning to urGoh.

"SkekGra and I met yesterday," he admitted. "It was then... we decided... to speak with you."

The Conqueror clicked his beak sharply. "Oh, yes, this was truly something we agreed upon, with full understanding of each other."

Slowly urSu turned his gaze upon urGoh. "Is this... what Thra spoke to you of?"

"Thra... spoke to us." UrGoh took a small step, merely shuffling his feet, realizing moments later that he had moved slightly closer to skekGra. "Both of us. We... were given... visions."

There was silence for a moment.

“Thra does not give us visions,” urVa said. “We are not truly a part of this world.”

"Any vision received by a Skeksis is sure to be one of corruption," urSu said, finally looking skekGra in the eye. Apparently the Conqueror could see a certain something in the Master's eyes, for he took a step back.

"I... I did see corruption in my vision," skekGra admitted after a moment. "Thra itself falling apart at the seams. Death everywhere. Even the Skeksis..." He swallowed. "We rotted where we stood." His gaze grew distant for a moment, before hardening, as he looked at urSu accusingly. "I'm sure the same was happening to you lot as well."

"It was... a warning," urGoh said quickly, before a fight could break out. "Thra showed me... that the Crystal... needed healing."

For a moment urVa and urSu were silent, the two turning their gazes upon each other. UrSu's face was unreadable, but urVa raised an eyebrow in interest. "Yes," he agreed. "The Crystal... does need to be healed."

"But not by one of our own," urSu said. "That is not our destiny."

"So what do you propose we do?" skekGra snapped. "Sit around and hope someone patches a bandage on it?!"

UrSu glared at him. “Nor is it a task that the Skeksis will accomplish. We must wait for the Crystal... to call."

"That is not... what Thra... told us," urGoh said. "It said... we must strive... for unity. All of Thra. The Gelfling—"

"The Gelfling have Aughra to aid them," the Master interjected.

"Aughra yet slumbers." UrVa said. His head lowered, but only for a moment.

"It is not our call."

"Oh, listen to yourselves!" skekGra snapped, teeth bared in a hiss. "Do you Mystics ever do anything other than mumble, walk in circles, and chant nonsense? When are you going to do something about all this?”

"A Skeksis would lecture us on taking action?" UrVa’s gaze was piercing.

The Conqueror’s eyes flared. “If even one of you bitter, long-necked sloths would stand up and act, you could march up to the Castle of the Crystal itself, and—!” He faltered.

UrGoh stared at his dark half. What?

He shook his head—it wasn’t important now. "What the Conqueror means,” he said, “is that... we are taking steps... to solve... the problem."

"The only steps we must take are the ones that will lead us when the Crystal calls us," urSu said simply.

"Thra... has told us otherwise." Looking between the Master and the Archer, urGoh curled his tail around his legs, mentally preparing himself for what he would say next. "Thra... wants us to unify... not just the rest of Thra... but the Skeksis... and the Mystics... together."

UrVa lifted his head, his eyes wide, while urSu's expression did not change. More alarmingly, he raised not only his head, but his entire body, his four hands braced against his staff. At his full height he towered over skekGra, and the Conqueror's feet dug into the dirt as though he wanted to be swallowed by it.

"It... is not... our... time."

The words hung heavily in the air, the solid weight of them bearing down on the shoulders of everyone in the clearing. UrGoh felt they would crush him, and nearly sank to the ground.

"Do you believe it, Wanderer?" urVa said, finally breaking the deafening silence. "That we should unite with our dark halves?"

"...Yes," urGoh replied, and froze at the look urVa gave him in return. Only then did he remember the encounter with the Hunter, a Skeksis who showed none of skekGra's fear of harming his own kind. "Um... Thra... told me..."

"Was it indeed Thra?" urSu stared down at him; he had not lowered himself in the slightest. "Or was it a product of your endless wanderings?"

"It's true!" skekGra blurted. "I saw it too. Thra won't leave us alone about it!" He gestured toward urGoh. “Show them the thing you had last night, that little glittery crystal shard! That looked important.”

“I… can’t,” urGoh said dolefully, glancing down out of habit at his empty hands. “It… shattered.”

“Oh. That’s helpful.”

UrSu stared at skekGra again, unmoved, and the Skeksis visibly balked. "I do not believe a Skeksis would be granted such a vision. Thra... has not said such to me."

"I wonder why," the Conqueror snapped, regaining his composure at once.

UrSu slowly dropped back into his normal posture. He looked wearier than urGoh had ever seen him. "A Skeksis is not to be trusted," he said finally, and turned to urGoh. "You must never again speak with your other half."

"What?" urGoh said, stunned.

"UrSu is right." UrVa took a step forward. "Was it not you yourself who spoke of the evils this creature has done? The blood he has shed?"

Even without looking, urGoh could feel skekGra's gaze upon him. His toes dug into the grass, his tail curling tightly. Once again, he saw the two Gruenaks huddled in a corner deep in the Caves of Grot, still mourning their lost family member. Even more, he could still see the shoreline of the Silver Sea, drenched in red with more than the light from the setting suns. "I... did... speak of such things."

"Our shadows... have reveled in bloodshed." There was nothing accusatory to urVa's voice; it was steeped in sorrow. "We should not wish to join with that."

UrGoh shook his head. “We… would not—”

"Nghhh—you’re missing the point!" skekGra cried. "You think I'm glad about the things I've done? Will none of you cretins believe me? Thra is... it's... look, I don't want that future it showed me, either! All right?"

UrSu and urVa's stares were upon him again, boring into him for a long while, until even urGoh felt uncomfortable. It was urSu who broke the silence: "Even now... you prove that the Skeksis act only in self-interest, and can do nothing good."

Something bolted up from the tip of urGoh's tail and all the way up his spine, and his chest burned. "At least... he does... something!" he snapped, glaring at the Master. When urSu stared back at him, he was tempted to back away, but held his ground. "We have done... nothing... to help Thra... for hundreds of trine. What does it matter... if something is done... in self-interest... if it is done at all?" His tail lashed, and he did not wait for a reply. "SkekGra... has decided... to join the cause... of Thra itself. That, I believe, is good. What... have you done... Master?"

Silence hung in the clearing. It was broken not by speech, but by a strange, soft crooning sound that emanated, to urGoh's shock, from the Conqueror's throat.

The Skeksis stepped forward, leveling himself with urGoh once again.

"There is one more thing we could try," he said lowly, and urGoh wasn't sure if it was meant for everyone to hear or for him alone. SkekGra looked down at him, the corners of his beak folded in a grim line.

And he held out a gloved hand.

"...Ah..." urGoh couldn't keep the single word from escaping with his breath. Icy claws like his dark half's talons pierced his heart, driving deeply into it. His eyes locked on the offered hand, and all it implied, and he couldn't move. The other two Mystics were like statues as they watched the proceedings.

"UrGoh?" skekGra prompted, and urGoh wondered if this was the first time the Skeksis had used his name. "UrGoh—take it, will you? This doesn't look good."

He felt as though he were drifting away on the tide, at the mercy of the waves. To take that hand was to offer alliance—friendship—to this creature that had slaughtered hundreds, thousands, and relished their suffering. To sever himself entirely from his own kind and tie himself even further to this shattered perversion of a being that differed from himself in every way. All in a bid to save this world from darkness.

He reached out and took skekGra's hand.

A great surge of feeling erupted through him, a warmth, a light as brilliant and blazing as the Crystal of Truth had once been. UrGoh took an astonished breath. This feeling… he hadn’t felt like this since—

In an instant he was jarred from the vision as skekGra pulled his hand away and the world returned to normal. Dazed, urGoh forced his focus back onto urSu and urVa. What had they seen?

“There!” the Skeksis said beside him. "You want unity? There's some unity!"

UrSu blinked at them slowly. “I did not see unity,” he said. “I saw hesitation—a lack of conviction. And a desire for selfish victory rather than benevolence.”

UrGoh bristled; next to him, skekGra cried, “WHAT?”

He went on, “I held a Mystic’s grubby hand and this is your reaction?! You only see what you want to see!”

UrGoh shifted uncomfortably. “We’re… working on it,” he said.

The Master shook his head, slowly, as though sorrowful. Finally, he turned away. "You... neither of you… will ever understand."

He started to leave, but glanced back only once. “If you decide to come back, urGoh, you may not be welcomed… unless you can convince me you have changed your mind.”

With that, the Master stamped his staff into the ground, and headed back toward the Valley without another word.

Frustration welled up through every fiber of urGoh's body. All four of his hands clenched into fists. He turned to urVa, ready to speak again, but his voice died when he saw the Archer's expression.

"...You believe I should join with the Hunter?"

There was a faint, desperate hope to urVa's voice. Hope that urGoh would prove him wrong.

For a moment, urGoh wanted to say no, that he would never ask his friend to even attempt such a thing. But he knew—he knew he could not waver.

"Yes."

UrVa stared at him, and silently turned away as well, his bow striking the ground sharply beneath him.

Once again, the clearing was silent, and urGoh could only stare hollowly at the spot where his companions had disappeared through the woods. Something was again bubbling up within him, but it was neither anger nor frustration. It filled his stomach and chest and throat until it finally burst through his mouth in a booming, echoing call.

Birds and fliers scattered from their roosts, and the tension was finally gone.

"Well," skekGra said, startling urGoh—he'd almost forgotten the Skeksis was still there. "So much for that."

Gritting his teeth, urGoh sighed through his nose before swinging his head toward skekGra. He felt exhausted—more than he had been in a long, long while. To his surprise, skekGra did not look the same, but was instead watching urGoh with an expression he found hard to read.

"...Did you feel it too?" he finally asked.

It took urGoh a moment to remember. “Yeah,” he admitted. “For… a moment.”

SkekGra nodded slowly, then hesitated. "And... did you really mean what you said? You think I'm... I'm better than the Mystics?"

UrGoh tipped his head, embarrassed and a little ashamed. "You... act more than any of us... certainly." Oddly, he found strength in his own words. "I believe... you can be good. What is the point... of unity... if you cannot?"

SkekGra gave what might have been a laugh, but without any humor. “Good? What is your definition of ‘good’?” He fiddled with the hilt of his sword. "I dunno. I'm... still figuring this out." His tail flicked. "...Now what?"

"That..." urGoh began, and paused. "...I do not... know." He tilted his head one way, then another. "We could... talk to... the Skeksis?"

Staggering back, skekGra grabbed his bony chest with his talons. "Do you have a death wish after all?!"

UrGoh frowned, a tendril of irritation curling in his own chest. “No.”

“You must, or that wouldn’t have even crossed your mind!” SkekGra’s beak snapped. “Those lumbering Mystic friends of yours were merely disappointed. Set foot in the Castle of the Crystal and they’d tear us both apart!” He paused dramatically. “Tear us apart separately, so we’d feel each other’s pain as well as our own!”

Raising a brow, urGoh said skeptically, “They would not… do such to one of their own.”

The Skeksis’ nostrils flared. “Oh? So sure, are you? And what of skekNa’s counterpart, urNol? What is he, the Herbalist? Noticed anything missing about him lately? I suppose his hand dropped off of its own accord? His eye vanished overnight through some… some fluke?”

UrGoh lowered his eyes. He had received word of the Herbalist’s plight, but had not looked into it. He remembered skekGra’s previous lamentations about the cruelty of Skeksis punishments and, for the first time, began to wonder…

SkekGra drew himself up higher, his eyes dimly lit with a familiar sort of victory. It was a light that flared and then died once more, as the realization of what that victory meant sank in. “Thra may have chosen to unite us, but the others will never be convinced. Never, Wanderer. It’s not in their natures!”

UrGoh’s breath caught. “And yet… it is in… ours?”

That gave them both pause.

“This was never in my nature,” skekGra said quietly. “I shouldn’t still be here talking to you. I should follow the winding trail of those urRu to see where you things like to vanish beyond our sights. I should bring you all to the Castle in chains.”

They looked at each other.

“I would… like to see you attempt… to chain up the Archer,” urGoh said mildly.

“Who’s chaining up longnecks?” a cantankerous voice demanded, making them both jump. “What’s all this racket?”

Both skekGra and urGoh spun around, the former brandishing his weapons again instinctively. But just as quickly he lowered them, and urGoh raised his head in astonishment.

Before them stood an old crone, her mane of gray hair curling around two spiraling ram horns and framing a face that once had three eyes. One eye had been put out over a thousand trine ago, while another was dimly lit, but still seeing. The leftmost eye, meanwhile, darted accusingly between the Skeksis and Mystic before settling on the latter.

“Well? Why are you shouting up the forest while some of us are on important business?”

UrGoh realized his mouth was hanging open.

"...Mother... Aughra,” he said. “You’re… awake.”

“Yes, awake and needing to know what’s going on beneath the stars rather than through them,” the old woman replied. “And you can start by telling Aughra…”

She stopped, turning to eye skekGra and then back to urGoh.

“What disaster has befallen Thra that a Skeksis would consult with a Mystic once again?”

[kuvvydraws]

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV), The Dark Crystal (1982) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: skekSil (Dark Crystal)/Reader Characters: skekSil (Dark Crystal), skekSo (Dark Crystal), skekVar (Dark Crystal), skekZok (Dark Crystal), skekOk (Dark Crystal), skekTek (Dark Crystal), skekEkt (Dark Crystal), skekLach (Dark Crystal) Additional Tags: Even more plot to spice up the porn, Reader Insert, Smut, NSFW, Fingerfucking, Oral Sex, That’s the smut tags so far I’ll update them as I go, canon short skeksis Series: Part 4 of Tassel Summary:

The Ornamentalist has plans. The Gourmand has plans. So does the Emperor, the Ritual Master and the General. The Chamberlain, of course, also has a plan. No one ever listens to the Scientist. You are angry and now you’ve made a new enemy because you are an idiot and no one bothered to let you know as much before.

_____

🔞🔞🔞

MINORS PLEASE DON’T INTERACT

[liaswritesrobots]

Hello! Can I request hcs about how Skektek, Skeksil, Skekso and Skekzok would act like and deal with a crush on the human reader (who is obviously completely unaware of Skeksis customs) please? Thank you!

SkekTek

💚 He will be in absolute denial about having a crush on you, pushes it to the back of his mind because he doesn't want to put you in danger or think of the possibility of you not feeling the same (even though he expects you to deny him anyway).

💚 IF he does get the courage to court you it will be subtle. Small gifts that he's made himself, shy glances in your direction, never raising his voice to you.

💚 Honestly you wouldn't even be able to tell he's into you unless he gets the courage to come out and say it, which frustrates him.

💚 He also uses big words to make himself seem even smarter because he thinks that might impress you. After all, what else is the weakest skeksis going to woo you with? In his mind he has to show you how smart he is so you'll be interested.

SkekSil

♥️ Also in denial. Not because he thinks you're too good for him or that he's afraid or anything, he just...never really expected to have these feelings so strongly about ANYONE.

♥️ He finds it harder to lie to you as time goes on, which annoys him. He's never been the super honest type but you just...bring out (what he considers) the worst in him.

♥️ If he finally accepts his feelings for you then expect a LOT of attention from him. He is practically glued to your side.

♥️ Gift upon gift upon gift! Compliments everyday! Not-so-subtle flirting! He WILL make sure you know he's courting you, cultural differences be damned!

SkekSo

🖤 He isn't that alarmed by his attraction to you. You're taller, pretty strong, smart enough, of course he's going to be attracted to you.

🖤 He's going to make sure you know he wants to court you, lavish gifts, compliments, a chair by his side. Everyone can tell he wants you.

🖤 He's not going to be shy about any advances, he is going to let you know he's attracted to you and that he can take care of you if you say yes.

🖤 He makes good on that promise too if you do say yes. You will be sitting in the lap of luxury, only the best for his S/O. Honestly you'd probably have to convince him to tone it down a bit (if you wanted to of course).

SkekZok

💛 This is... unexpected. He never really thought about the possibility of being attracted to you and it's a bit of a dilemma at first because he can't stop thinking of you.

💛 He is going to stare at you a lot. Mostly because he's observing you to figure out what you like and what the best way to court you would be but also because he can be kind of a creep.

💛 He figures the best way to show you that he's interested is to find some way to incorporate you into his rituals, and make up new ones that revolve around you.

💛 If it still doesn't get through to you then he'll ask what kind of rituals and practices humans preform when they're courting and mix those in with his own, surely you'll notice his interest then!

[skekshroom]

Could you please do some headcanons on how the skeksis would react to experiencing love at first sight with the reader?

i say boomboomboom now let me hear you say wayho...wayohh

SkekSo was meant to see you as the Vapra’s odd find. His fingers dug into his temple as he impatiently await the arrival of this “human” that a pair of farmers had found and brought to the All Maudra. He almost did a double take as he glanced up at you as you approached, escorted by castle guards. You walked towards him and something in his chest stirred, his eyes widened and his posture rose from the slump into an intrigued upright perch as you gave him a polite bow.

SkekTek coughed and fanned smoke away from his beak with a groan, blinking harshly as unsure if that noise was ringing in his ears or the whining of one of his animals that may have gotten trapped under debris from his machine’s fatal error. When he looked up, he yelped as something large moved from behind the haze and scrambled out into the clear. He grabbed a chunk of the machine as a weapon and crept back... That was when you turned to him. You were disheveled, eyes red and glassy from the dust, flushed face, completely out of place in his lab... And beautiful.

SkekSa looked through her spyglass atop Omerya Staba. The dark shape in the water floated closer to the ship and she squinted, making out the shape of a body. She called to the crew and shucked off the heaviest of her garb before diving in. Sure enough, it was a gelfling like creature, incredibly big, slumped over from exhaustion on top of flotsam. She helped you awake and when you finally coughed up the rest of the sea water, she wasted no time getting you to the gelfling to be taken care of. It wasn’t until later that night that you found her to thank her. In the evening lantern light with the smell of the sea heavy in the ship air, she finally saw you conscious and the first smile you gave her was all it took.

[skekshroom]

as someone who changes their hair colour every week, how would the inner court skeksis react to a human changing their hair to different bright colours constantly?

!!!!!!!!!!

If its being noticed you want, rest assured that that is EXACTLY what you’re getting. Chances are, you just dye your hair for fun and for your own aesthetic choices. Chances are that concept is going to go RIGHT over the inner court’s heads.

[Reader Insert]

Among those who are rather threatened by this display would be the General, the Ritual Master, and the Scientist. SkekVar thinks you’re trying to assert some form of dominance over the court, and by proxy him and the Emperor. He actually took some time getting used to SkekEkt for this reason, and learned over time their flamboyance was a personal pursuit, not a show of power. SkekZok would assume you were floundering for attention, and scoff at the gauche and blatant attempts at it. SkekTek would be threatened outright. Yet another domineering member of the court who was making it clear they were establishing themselves as higher than him.

Surprisingly though, this is not at all the thought of SkekSo, the Emperor. He doesn’t see you as a threat in the slightest- Instead thinks you’re trying to impress him. It’s working, by the way. SkekLach is VERY attracted to you in both an “oooh shiny” way, and another. SkekEkt, you’d expect to be in the category above, but lets be real. They aren’t threatened by you. Your hair? Gorgeous, vivacious. But they have everything else picturesque, and they’re confident enough to appreciate you too. SkekAyuk thinks its lovely, but is also very confused as to how you’re able to pull it off. 

SkekSil is on the fence about it. On one hand, its a little bit shocking, but there’s also a very alluring quality to it that he can’t say he doesn’t like. 

SkekOk doesn’t notice cause he can’t fuckin see lol

[skekshroom]

Bruh. The last ask about unrequited crush destroyed me. 😭😭😭😭 Would you take a bribe of an egg to have the reader reciprocate their love? 🥚🥚🥚

(colonizes mycelium inside egg) delicious, thank you. the trade has been made!

SkekSo: He knew you’d come around. You had him worried there for a second. The Emperor tried his luck and finally outright offered you his hand... And to his pleasant surprise, you accepted. He promises you will want for nothing, and your life will be full of endless love and prosperity.

SkekTek:  He was prepared to fester in his misery till Thra rendered him a memory. He was prepared to live out the rest of his days in sorrow- But SkekTek could have nothing for long, not even his own pain. You were the one to make the move, and he felt as though his life started over again.

SkekSil: You caught him off guard, incredibly so. Your confession was troubled, as if you’d been kept up as many nights by this as he has. This was always a possibility, yes, but... It was so unexpected.

SkekMal: You must have gotten tired of his tantrums and decided to confront him. You demanded to know why he was acting that way. He tells you angrily, an air of indignation as if you had accused him of something terrible. You refrain from laughing. It all makes sense now. Why didn’t he just say so?

SkekZok: He’s incredibly intrigued. You’re quite a catch, and to so easily walk into his grasp? How lovely. He’ll make sure you don’t regret it. 

SkekUng: He is delighted by this news! You’ve won his affection and there is no greater triumph than knowing he’s done the same. He’s proud to be with you, and together you will be unstoppable.

SkekGra: He was getting tired of the uncertainty, the shame he felt whenever he pressed a little too far and you, flustered, would retreat. So he finally just asked, quieter than his usual self. He knows he cannot conquer you. You have to come willingly... And you do. He feels his heart swell and he can finally tell you outright: he loves you.

SkekLi: He’s conflicted. A sense of weight, responsibility, reality- has just fallen upon his shoulders. He doesn’t know how to feel. On one hand it feels like the game is over, and somehow he feels like you just told him that you hate him. He laughs at how ridiculous he’s being. He cries. He doesn’t know what to do.

[skekshroom]

I'm reading stories about the Skeksis basically adopting the human reader as a glorified pet, and I'm just thinking "Man, they think humans are like overgrown gelflings, sweet and docile, when in actuality their darkest shenaningans would put the Skeksis to shame." Imagine them learning of human history, or seeing their human go apeshit/machiavellian and just *surprised Pikachu face* (though I suspect some of them would find that VERY attractive).

ANON YOUR BRAIN IS REALLY BIG but oh this is such a risky ask bc... human history is a sensitive topic. This gets a little heavy because...... reference to real world violence of course lets be sensitive to that. Also some specific instances are taken from my life congrats you get to kin me for a day.

This is definitely an AU where the drainings dont happen bc otherwise we would have Stabbed CesarTM.

Also this is So Long oh my god

[Reader Insert]

“Crawlie isn’t that good come on.” You shook your head. “It’s the nebrie that’s the good stuff.”“No, I’ve got to agree, the glamourous taste of crawlie far surpasses that of even nebrie.” SkekOk chimed in. The other skeksis laughed triumphantly.“Et tu brute?” You frowned in mock offense. SkekOk, along with the others gave you a confused look.“Now what does that one mean?” They were used to you spouting odd earth sayings, but this was new.“Oh, it means ‘even you, Brutus?’. So like, there was this giant empire and one of the rulers, a senator, sucked so while he was getting publicly stabbed to death by his fellow senators, his friend Brutus was among them so he said ‘even you?’. Sometimes humans say it ironically when their friends don’t back them up on things.”

SkekSil and SkekOk exchanged horrified glances, as well as with Ekt, So and VAr.“What?”“How barbaric for a human! They’d kill one of their own!?” Now it was your turn to be dumbfounded.“Um... Yes? That’s not even the worst thing humanity has done, are you kidding?” You shifted your postured towards them, watching them lean in with piqued interest.

 “I mean, I was born in the beginning of a war, its literally all I’ve ever known. My friends and family have went to go fight wars, some never came back. I don’t agree with it at all, neither does my immediate family, but it hasn’t always been like that. I have ancestors who used to literally bathe in human blood. We have eras dedicated to different wars, the um... The highest death toll was like, what, 70 million? A hundred million? I don’t know, but it was big but outside of history classes people don’t really acknowledge it.”

“I mean, that’s kind of why I’m so happy to be here. Everything is so simple. Back on my homeworld... Everything was dangerous, not saying its not here but, I don’t know, people dont just kill each other for no reason.” You frowned. “I don’t miss the threats I got from people who said they’d kill me for the way I looked, or who I liked or how my body was. And you guys are lucky to be here too! Shit, if you were on Earth, especially in my country, they’d strap you to a table and put your guts in a platter trying to figure out what you were. Heh, or if the gelfling were any more human they would have already put your heads on spikes- or strung you up by the throats outside the All Maudra’s palace.”

The skeksis let out horrified yelps and clutched their necks. Humans, if you were anything to go off of, were so docile! How could they!? Not even skeksis thought to do such things- and they were ruthless! The most ruthless!

“Have you...” SkekSo gulped, eyes wild with an unreadible expression. “Ever-”“Killed anyone? No! No, no of course not I’m not a monster.” You raised your eyebrows. “I mean, I’ve had to defend myself before, and it got bloody, but killing someone would be unthinkable... I just hope it doesn’t come to that on Thra.”

SkekSo: SkekSo sees you in a new light. His dainty pet is now more tiger-on-a-leash than the big declawed kitten he took you for. He wont admit it but he’s wary now. Knowing you not only have the strength but the history terrifies him. He will see the opportunities he can get to use you as a threat against others, but the threat of you using your human strength against him is haunting. 

SkekVar: Respects you much more than he did, but is astounded. How come you never told him about your species being a warrior race? You didn’t seem proud of it, but regardless, him of all people would appreciate the information. He finds you to be much more attractive than he did before, and may or may not want you to demonstrate your strength.

SkekEkt: How brutal! Thank Thra you’re one of the good ones! Humanity sounds awful- would they really dissect them!? Oh the horror! Their beautiful beautiful head on a platter! Once they’re finished making a scene over the barbarism of it all, they’ll probably fawn over you. (Y/n), I never realized how strong and fit you are!

SkekTek: He knew there was more to you than that cushy demeanor. Because of course there is. There’s always a catch. The information makes him miserable in more ways than one. First, now he cant help but feel bad for you. You were a sweet human, in no way deserved to live in that kind of world. But all animals had instinct and he wondered if yours were darker than the skeksis bargained for. His deep affection for you feels more and more forbidden. He feared more that you saw him as weak now that he knew your kind’s history of ferocity.

SkekSil: This was most unexpected, but the information came with much prospect. A strong mate was a successful one, and your kind may be dangerous and cunning, but did that mean you were?

SkekLach: Great, now she had to worry about you too? Just great. Similar to Ekt, she will probably find you more attractive knowing that you’re capable of snapping someones spinal chord.

To sum it up: mark them down as scared and horny.

[skekshroom]

How would the skeksis react to being pregnant with reader's child?

anon this is one of the menu specialty items! ◉>◉

SkekShod: He’s very happy! Let’s preface with the fact that he’s super happy and very excited to be a dad. That being said, he complains constantly. The discomfort, cramps, cravings, etc- If he can’t say it he will sign it. It doesn’t matter but you’re going to hear him complain. Very clingy, he wants you to be around him constantly, insists on you talking to the childling.

SkekTek: Tells absolutely no one, he’s far too scared of being targeted. You have to tell the others. He goes very broody, and will snap at the others. He’s a little stressed out the whole time, barely has the time or energy to relax because he insists on taking the reigns in preparing for the baby to come. Please get him to sit down he really needs to.

SkekSo: Two words: pleased and paranoid. He much prefers carrying rather than have you carry because then he never has to separate from his baby. He’s terrified of anything happening to them. Very demanding, but not as cranky as one would expect, he doesn’t get violent with skeksis that come near him. He’s very proud of himself and his child but he’s gonna put you to work during his entire term.

SkekEkt: Will act dramatic about it, but is surprisingly one of the hardiest mums. They aren’t actually fazed by any of the pain and handles it like a champ... But they also love making a scene and will complain if anybody asks how they feel for a little extra pampering and attention. You and Ayuk are very excited!

SkekMal: He goes back to the castle for his term, surprisingly. As much as he has disdain for the atmosphere of the castle, he knows he needs care during this time and doesn’t want to risk complications.  Goes EXTREMELY broody. Starts nesting,  and if a skeksis gets close, he will draw blood. You, SkekSo, and SkekTek (with warning) are allowed near, of course. He wants to see as little of the others as possible, though. He asks you to come up with names.

[skekshroom]

Yo, can I have some romantic head canons for the good Skeksis AU? I feel like we all need that right now, and you don’t need to do it immediately, just whenever u have time or whenever u want, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

ok i am SO HONORED yall are interested in my Swap AU pls ask me about it.......

that being said here you go!

dating skekTek the Naturalist is guaranteeing an adventure. He’s like a blend of Charles Darwin and Coyote Peterson almost. He loves animals, loves cataloging them in his journals. He’ll take you out to the forest and introduce you to beautiful, docile breeds of bird and teach you how to call landstriders. He’s got a soft spot for bird like creatures, especially sidetic. While dating skekTek, you are most likely dating his companion skekGra the Explorer as well. You have many adventures! A date with the three of you is somewhat akin to an Indiana Jones movie. Whatever happens, it’ll be interesting.

I hope you like kids. If you’re dating skekVar the Headmaster, you’re going to have to. The head of the village orphanage and director of the school, skekVar is a busy father of many so getting his attention may be difficult at first. Be patient, and try not to mind the kids giggling up a storm when you hold his hand.

skekNa the Shepherd is a gruff farmer type. He isn’t one to beat around the bush, and appreciates it if you’re bold and direct in stating your feelings for him. Don’t worry if you’re shy. He might be a little rough around the edges, but if he can coax a foal, he can be gentle with you.... sometimes.

skekSo the Mentor is the charming soothsayer and leader of the village council, motivated and selfless. He’s busy, often found checking up on homes and cleaning around town. If you show any interest in him, he’d be deeply flattered, worried a bit that you put yourself in an awkward position courting the town’s figurehead.

[skekshroom]

Okay onto the juicy stuff: on a scale of 1-10 how jealous do skekso, skekzok, skektek, skekok and skeksil get if someone else tries to put the moves on their love interest?

Oh honey You got a big storm comin

SkekSo: Surprisingly a 4. He doesn't think they actually have any chance with you. He still gets pissed, but it's more because it's disrespectful for them to speak to their Emperor/Empress/Ruler that way

SkekZok: 7 though he would not admit it. He's take it as a personal disrespect... But also infuriated someone should interfere with his advancements towards you

SkekTek: 8, he's jealous and discouraged, rather than jelaous and possessive. He genuinely sees the other person as a threat. If you're his s/o it especially makes him really insecure.

SkekOk: 7 He will backstab the utter hell out of the interloper. Expect their reputation to be dragged through the dirt publicly overnight. He will openly talk so much shit about them

SkekSil: 6 Exactly like SkekOk (genuinely I'd love to see them feud. The drama would be theatrical.) But is a lot more subtle about it. He doesn't know what you're talking about, rival, he totally doesn't know how your secrets got out like that.

[skekshroom]

what would skeksis with an unrequited crush on a human be like?

Oh geez i went ham lmao

SkekSo: He doesn’t believe it will be unrequieted for long. Perhaps it takes time for you to form attraction to him. That’s fine. It’s fine. But couldn’t you hurry up already? If you blatantly make it clear you don’t like him, he’s frustrated, furious. He pities how shortsighted you are. 

SkekTek: What a surprise, the universe punishes him further. He will try to distance from you as much as possible, kicking you out of his lab often. But chances are, you’re a good friend and worry about his well being. There are moments where you smile at him and he forgets you’ll never see him the same as he sees you. This hurts. He’s yearning, and its nothing but pain.

SkekSil: He’s not shocked. He didn’t even want to admit to himself of his feelings because he knew it was ludicrous. He tried to stomp the feelings out of himself, or at least try to charm you. Every attempt goes south. He’s not sure if he’s doing that on purpose. He’s very sweet to you, but the second you leave his head is in his hands and his fists are at the wall.

SkekMal: To say he’s frustrated is the understatement of the year. He absolutely hates his own lack of self control. If the moments get even anything close to tender, or he feels his heart beginning to skip- He’s storming off, growling to himself in anger. Its jarring and not very fun for anyone.

SkekZok: All I can say is that you’ve awoken something terrible and I am very sorry for you.

SkekUng: He’s frustrated at himself, but he respects you for even bringing him to this point. It takes a certain type of person to court the affection of the Garthim Master. 

SkekGra: He’s going to be sad about it, and has to reevalutate his relationship with you. But give him time, he’ll be okay. He cares for you beyond his crush... But that doesn’t make it much easier. He’ll be over you in a decade.

SkekLi: If only it encourages him. He must be a bit of an emotional masochist, because he loves your annoyed responses to his prods and banter. He loves how little you care. When it really sinks in though, it hurts him, makes him feel hollow. He can ignore it, pretend his real love for you is all part of the game. Honestly, he kind of revels in the tragedy of it all.