#amaranth mumbles

[little-sacrificial-lamb-amaranth]

Hi sissy! :3 -Aurora/ @circubit-the-skater

Hi!!! :D

[little-sacrificial-lamb-amaranth]

howd it go?

( - @8sided-insect )

It worked wonders, but I haven’t been able to throw it at my dad yet. No opportunity has arisen.

[svtiddiess]

Hi Eunha!! I love your work sm!  i love when i get notifications of your posts, makes my day! 🩵 Could I please request Wonwoo x fem reader with prompts

27. “if only you knew the effect you have on me.”

134. “Someone might see us!” “Isn’t that the fun of it?” (smut)

Wonwoo and reader are friends, he always seemed neutral to her but one night at a party he gets liquid courage to tell her..

Thank you!! xx

"If Only You Knew The Effect You Have On Me" + "Someone Might See Us!"

Pairing: Wonwoo (SVT) x afab!reader

Genre: suggestive, non-idol! au, drabble

Rating: suggestive/mature

Word count: 0.5k

Note: Another small surprise! Sorry this took so long anonie!

You furrow your brows in concentration as you dab Wonwoo's shirt with a tissue, trying your best to soak up the beer he managed to spill on himself. You shiver slightly as the cool night air brushes past you, both of you are on the balcony of Hoshi's house, and the sleeveless dress you wore to the party isn't helping you stay warm. Instinctively, you shift closer to Wonwoo, trying to shield yourself from the piercing air.

"Wonwoo, stop moving," you mumble, although it's inevitable that he'll sway a bit as he's not exactly sober at the moment.

Suddenly, his hand darts out, catching yours and pulling you close. You gasp as you collide against his chest, your cheek pressed flush to him.

"Wonwoo, what—" You glance up, but the words die in your throat. His gaze burns into you, so intense it sends a shiver down your spine, leaving you restless under his stare.

"If only you knew the effect you have on me," he rasps out, using his other hand to gently cup your cheek.

"What…" The word slips out in a whisper, your thoughts too scattered to form anything else.

"Do you have any idea how insane you drive me?" His voice is low, velvety, as he brushes his nose against yours in a teasing graze.

His hands glide down your body, slow and deliberate, and you shiver at the contrast—his touch is rough yet achingly tender.

"Every time you're near me," he rasps, "I have to act like it doesn't wreck me. But it does." A sharp exhale. "I hold back so much with you."

You melt into his touch, arching instinctively as his palms map every curve, every dip—like he's memorising you. Then his lips find the crook of your neck, his breath hot against your skin as he inhales deeply. A whine escapes you before you can stop it.

"Fuck, you drive me crazy. I can't hold back anymore," he growls before smashing his lips on yours.

A surprised gasp escapes you as his lips crash into yours—but you don't hesitate, kissing him back just as fiercely. The kiss is hungry, messy, all teeth and desperation, like he's pouring every ounce of frustration into it. His hands slide lower, gripping your ass with a possessive squeeze, and you moan into his mouth.

"W-Wait! Someone might see us!" you protest weakly, though your body arches into his touch.

"Isn't that the fun of it?"  He smirks before claiming your lips again, his tongue sliding against yours in a way that makes you whimper. Despite the chill in the air, your skin burns under his hands. He hitches your leg around his waist, and your breath hitches as you feel the hard press of his desire against you.

"Let me take you home," he murmurs, lips grazing your ear. "I want to taste every inch of you."

You nod, already aching for him, craving more. His smirk deepens as he pulls you away, his mind racing with all the ways he plans to devour you.

Taglist: @tinyelfperson @gyuguys @stay-tiny-things @unlikelysublimekryptonite @miyx-amour @iamawkwardandshy @codeinebelle @brownbunnyb @do-you-remember-summer-127 @sclovreina @theidontknowmehn @toplinehyunjin @gyuhao365 @mysticfairies @cherrylovescheol @cookiearmy @4shypotato @lxnnrobin @sashaaahh @xueisaaa17 @aeriyell @eshia16 @dreamingofpcy @archivistworld @kyeomiis @iwannakisspoutycheol @foxiesgf24 @livelaughloveseventeen @kwanniehae @ateez-atiny380 @junnhuisworld @horangipower17 @cheolsbb26 @scoupshawty @shuas-winnie30 @amaranthar @cherriecsc @jennwonwoo @cherrybb96 @smiileflower @yumyumcoo

[my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction]

thinking about cuddling up with soft marc☹️☹️☹️thats my baby fr.. just him being so enamoured and comfortable with you and being sososo sweet<33

Sobbing over this! 😭

Little Spoon

Marc Spector x gn!Reader • Rating: PG pals Masterlist• ao3• want to be tagged? | request info • buy me a coffee? • ask-travaganza masterlist •

Summary: Marc comes to bed late.

Warnings: Fluff, Marc being a bit anxious, not beta read, please let me know if I have missed a warning!

Word Count: 411

Marc gets into bed slowly, trying his very best to be as calm and quiet as he can. Part of him wants to just go and lay down on the sofa, to sleep there so that he doesn’t chance disturbing you. But he knows how much you’d hate it. Especially after you’d explicitly told him not to do it again after last time. 

He eases in, lifting the duvet cover as gently as he can before he sneaks into bed. He lays on his side, on the very edge of the mattress, trying to take up as little space as possible. 

For a moment, he holds his breath, freezes in place. But your breathing stays gentle and even and slowly he relaxes slightly, as much as he’ll allow himself. 

He just needed to-

Marc jumps when you move and snake your arms around him, pulling his back to your chest. 

“What you doing on the edge of the bed?” You mutter, your voice thick with sleep. 

“It’s okay baby,” he squeezes your arm gently, “Go back to sleep.”

“No,” you mumble and kiss his neck, softly coaxing him more into the middle. 

There’s a slight resistance at first, you know he’s trying not to be a hindrance. 

“Don’t make me turn the light on and force you over,” you do your best to sound as grumpy as possible despite the smile on your lips. 

Marc moves immediately, shifting closer to you and you grin. 

You snuggle into him, holding him comfortingly. His heart beats a little fast under your hands. 

“I’m sorry I woke you.” He whispers. 

“Don’t be.” You yawn. “Means I get to hug you.” 

A little smile pulls at his hips.”I should be hugging you.”

“No Spector, you’re the little spoon. Deal with it.” 

He giggles gently. You know he prefers being in this position, not that he’d outrightly admit it. He likes to feel your weight on his back and arms on his chest, it makes him feel… safe. Wanted. And he doesn’t have to worry about squeezing you tightly if he has bad dreams.

Finally, he relaxes somewhat. Shuffles back against you even more. He puts one hand on his hip, his fingers flexing ever so slightly and you know what he wants before he even has to ask. 

You shift your leg onto his side and he squeezes your calf in a silent thanks before he breathes deeply and finally drifts off to sleep.

Thank you for reading!

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[little-sacrificial-lamb-amaranth]

… technically. I plan on getting purified and dad heavily disagreed with it when I explained it to him and I know mom probably wouldn’t like it either so… I may or may not have run away in hopes of getting purified by the other heroes?… uh… that’s really the best I can explain it…

Hi, grandpa. I’m totally not currently in the bedroom that used to belong to my ma. Totally not. … I hope you don’t mind me possibly staying here?…

-@the-princess-amaranth

I see- why aren’t you with your ma? Barracuda? Did something happen?

[little-sacrificial-lamb-amaranth]

Zooming around Grandpa’s house when no one is watching is so fun! :D

[kairiscorner]

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ choso's hands are pretty cold to the touch.

choso has never known what it's like to be held by someone he loves.

hell, he can't even recall when the last time he felt anything remotely close to what humans would define as "love". when you two engaged in this sort of arrangement, where you and choso would be able to do things together that friends or family couldn't really quite do together, he had always had this sort of longing that centered around you. you and your touch.

he's not the bravest person (or rather half a person) that you've dated, he is a little rough around the edges and pretty reserved, but you never shunned him or shamed him for being so. he hadn't been properly loved when he was younger, and unknowingly, he had that need in his heart to want to be loved properly, to be loved in general.

luckily, you were more than willing to show him what being loved by you is like; and he was a little taken aback at first by how sweet you loved him, but you never forced him or imposed on him the kind of love you gave him, teaching choso little by little how being loved by you was like. he loved it, loved every bit of it; but he also wanted to give back, to love you, too. but he didn't have the faintest clue on how, or where to even start, showing you how much he loves you.

he did notice from the human couples around you two when you'd take him out with you on some evenings, a lot of them tend to walk side by side, their hands clasping each other's, with some leaning against each other, one having their arms wrapped around the other's; smiling and talking and giggling... this was what choso wanted to give you, a blissful, happy moment between you two.

he takes a glance at your hands, they look so nice to hold, he thinks to himself as he approaches you. he doesn't know how to go about this, he's sweating buckets and chewing the corners of his lip, trying to think of what to say. "you're, um... could i, ah... you..." he stutters, getting impatient and frustrated with himself that he can't even ask something so simple that mere humans could do so flawlessly.

you give him your attention, looking into his amaranth colored eyes and waiting for him to finish, but he fears he never will be able to say it, not with him overthinking things to the point that he's scolding himself in his head for being such a wuss about it. he takes a deep breath and mumbles out, "can i have your hand in mine?"

...

"of course." you tell him softly with a smile, and steadily, you wrap your hand around his hand; it's cold, cold to the touch. you expected that because he was able to control blood that he would be quite warm, that was the sign that a living creature had blood, a pulse, had life, right? but choso's hands were like blocks of ice, frigid and cold. but when you looked up at him, he didn't just seem tense, he also seemed to soften up at the same time. the markings running across his nosebridge became a little thicker, a little redder and pinker. his nose was a little red at the tip, and his ears seemed to be flushed with some pink, too.

choso was blushing. in his own unique way, he was blushing. it made you giggle seeing him like that, and hearing your bewitching giggle, he tightened his grip around your hand by just a little bit; and his shoulders slowly became less tense, he seemed a lot less like a block of ice, and was melting into a puddle before you.

your touch felt really nice, way nicer than he could ever dream it to be. you two walked down the streets like this, going here and there, all over town, not letting go of each other's hands until the night was over. you never let go of him, not even for a second; you held choso close to you, and he... he could feel his hand warming up by your touch, little by little, until his hand felt hotter, felt... alive.

choso finally knows what it's like to have warm hands for once, and to be held by someone so important to him.

he wouldn't let this be the last time, he'll hold your hand as often as you'd let him—and like you... he'll never let you go, because you mean too much for him to do that to you.

[bubblecat-co]

Fragment Friday

The idea was made by @dragonagegayz

So for Fragment Friday I want to see some fragments of the work you've been working on! Be it arts, writing, gifs, collages, etc! Whatever work you got cooking, let us see! (Can be anything!) Also, highlight/color a fragment that you are particularly proud of!

I wasn't explicitly tagged but @becausedragonage had an open tag SOO. All my stuff is gonna be under the cut

I will be tagging @antivan-sprig @booksncatsworld @a-mumbling-nerd @wardentabriis @ezriell @madrabbit014 and anyone else who wishes to join. Y'all do not have to if you don't want to!

first, I have an edit I've been working on for awhile

Next is a lil thing I've been reworking and redoing for awhile, It's going to have it's own place in my Davrin and Aria fic "everybody but them" It's a Conversation with everyone's favorite Assassin Zevran.

He chuckled at her confusion and motioned for her to sit across from him. She slowly pulled the stool out, taking her seat. “You said that people call you Rook, no? My wife has told me about the one called Rook who is fighting elven gods. I guess it’s strangely fitting that it’s you.”  “I- wife?” he nodded a bright smile on his face as he lifted his hand and wiggled his ring finger. On it was a golden band that glistened in the dim light. “Oh, when? Who? And how does she know?”  “I met her on my contract, you could say it was love at first sight.” he swooned, a playful smile on his lips as he rested his head on his hand. “I tried killing her, she beat me. While covered in other people’s blood and I was on the ground bloody myself. She let me live, I guess it was my charm.”  “You tried killing her?” “I know, a real love story huh.” he chuckled “as for who? She has many names. Warden Commander, Arl of Amaranthe, Hero of Ferelden but to me and you she is Adahla Mahariel. I think that would answer your third question, would it not?” She laughed and she couldn’t help but do so. Her uncle had managed to marry one of his marks and she is one of the most renowned women in all of Thedas. The memory of Weishaupt seemed to slip into her mind, oh maker she was a warden. “Was she at-” “Weishaupt?” Zevran seemed to sit up straighter “Not originally, word got to her about the darkspawn, and you understand self-righteousness. She had to be there.”  “Wardens.” Aria sighed. “Yea, I’m assuming that your friend there is the Warden who slayed the archdemon, no?”  “You heard about that too?” “Txavo, news like that always finds its way around.” Didn’t she know it. Throughout her two months of dealing with these blighted Gods everyone seemed to know the name ‘Rook’ and what she looked like. She hated it, assassin’s weren’t supposed to be known like that even Lucanis’ identity wasn’t truly known, only the name given to him by the Tevinter News sheet. It was off putting to say the least. “Speaking of your friend.” his smile was devious as he leaned closer to her “is he your lover?” “Por Hacedor, Zio!” She could feel her face begin to warm at the mention of Davrin in that way which only caused laughter to erupt from her uncle, amusement flashing in his eyes. “He’s just my colleague. Why would you want to know that? To gossip?” His laughter still hung in the air as he spoke, “I just want to know what my niece has been doing, or who.” he winked at her, his smile only growing on his face as she felt heat flush through to her cheeks. “But my dear, colleagues do not look at each other the way you two look at one another but I will not pry.”  “Thank you.” She was exasperated. He was insane to say something like that, of course they were flirty but neither had crossed that line. ‘The way you two look at one another’ what in maker’s name does that even mean. He barely saw them interact for two seconds, now this was something that’s going to bother her for the rest of the day, possibly for the rest of the week.  “You’re thinking about it.” he hummed, watching her expectantly. He wanted her to reach some conclusion, but she wasn’t sure what conclusion that was. “Do not dwell on it too much Txavo. Wardens always seem to make it clear eventually. "

Speaking of my Aria and Davrin fic "everybody but them" I want to share my rough draft of chapter two. It's from Harding's perspective.

The silence was interrupted by the faint sound of laughter. For a moment Harding thought it was the sound of her friends in distress but as she grew closer it was clear that it was Aria’s laughter filled the space followed by Davrin’s low chuckle. As she grew close, she could see it, Aria running in the snow her weapons on the ground. She held something in her hand. She turned her body away as a thing of snow pelted against her. Harding’s gaze followed where the snow came from and caught on to Davrin who was crouched down desperately trying to pick up some snow. Smiles lit both of their faces. Aria’s pitch-black hair was highlighted with the white of snow from other attacks. Her cheeks were flushed red from the slight cold. Davrin had snow linger in his hair while he clearly got Aria, she also got him. Assan ran in the snow running back and forth between the two elves before he took off in the air to circle them from above. Harding didn’t want to interrupt and bring an end to their enjoyment so for a while she decided to stay back and watch them. She watched for the first time as Aria let loose, a bright smile on her face and her laughter only growing as she ran around trying to stay out of Davrin’s fire. She tossed the ball of snow in her hands hitting him square in the face even as he tried to move so it would hit the back of his head instead. “Oh, come on Warden that the best you got!”  “Tough talk for a crow that’s about to get iced!”  “Your trash talk could use some work!” “So could yours!” he hid behind the mining cart that sat unmoving on the rail tracks. Harding couldn’t help the smile on her face as she watched. Aria seemed to dance in the snow as she moved quickly and quietly to get the upper hand on Davrin. Harding had never seen her so relaxed or seen that big of a smile on her face even her laughter was different. There was no strain, no stress, nothing holding her back she was just her and she seemed to only be like that with Davrin.

This one isn't with my Rook, Shocker I know! This one is instead my Inquisitor, Aelon Lavellan.

“So you are adventuring off without me? I’m hurt.” Aelon couldn’t help the smile that stretched on her lips as she turned to see her closest friend, Dainara. They were around the same age, and many would say they were a lot alike but in truth Aelon was alot like Dainara while Dainara wasn’t anything like her. Everything Aelon did was a mimic of her friend. What she would do in her position and how she would handle situations. It led to a lot of problems but also helped Aelon through them when she didn’t know how to make her way out. “I wouldn’t dream of it, the Dread wolf would have to take me for that to happen.” she retorted back.  “You say that and then he will.” Dainara nudged her. Her choppy red hair lightly danced in the slight breeze that ran past them. “I can help you pack, Maybe I can convince the keeper to allow me to travel with you?” “I doubt she would agree to that.” The two girls began to walk together. Around them everyone of the Clan slowly became more lively. Children ran around chasing one another while also being chased by Aelon's mother and sister, Harhen Ashiril and Dar'Elgara, the children squealed as they tried to move away from the two older elves.  “What will your Mamae say?” Dainara kept her voice low as they Walked past them. Her eyes watch Ashiril wearily before returning back to her friend. “Everyone is aware how she feels about anyone going away from the clan, much less the World of the shems.”  “I will just have to handle it. Come help me pack? And we can try to brainstorm what I will say.” Aelon grabbed her friend's hand. Oh, how she will miss her while she’s away but no matter it shouldn't take her long, a couple months is what she hopes. She would just be there to listen, nothing more. 

Finally, is rough draft of an argument between my Warden, Adahla Mahariel and Alistair.

“Then what do you mean?” she could hear the small hint of sadness in his voice as it slightly cracked. She felt his hand touch her shoulder, a simple and gentle touch one that she wanted to keep, to have as her own but it wasn’t her own. He wasn’t and couldn’t be hers, he was a Human and she was an elf. She dropped her hands into her lap and turned to him. She felt her heart break as she was met with Alistair’s sad expression.  “We can’t…” she mumbled “You are to be king.” “I don’t need to be king, Anora can remain the throne and-” “No, Alistair… you need to be king.” In the moment sadness seemed to completely vanish from Alistair, replaced by frustration and anger as he removed his hand. “What do you mean? I do not want to be king especially if it means that I can’t have-” “Alistair listen..” “No. I’m sick of listening.” he stood up “Everyone tells me what I have to be but I don’t have to be. I don’t need to be king and I don’t want to be king. You seemed to have understood that and now you are throwing whatever we- we have so I can be something I don’t want to be.” “You need to be king!” she stood up, matching his energy. “You are the only one who should be on that throne, Alistair. You want revenge and Loghain to pay for his crimes? You think Anora the current queen and his daughter will rightfully do that? You can help your people and my people on that throne with that power!”  “There’s more to it, isn’t there? Is it Zevran!?”  “What would he have anything to do with this?!”  “I’ve seen you two! I know something is there but if you think he loves you I think you may be strongly mistaken by that idea.” “This isn’t about him!” She closed some of the distance between them. She looked up at him, their faces only a couple of inches apart as anger swirled around them causing the once cool night air to turn warm. Tension passed between them a familiar feeling, she’s had arguments before with Tamlen where they wound up in the same position. Faces only inches apart and a fine line between them kissing or fighting. She had to create space before that line was crossed, she felt her foot begin to take a step back but Alistair’s arm seemed to snake around her waist and pulled her in.

[little-sacrificial-lamb-amaranth]

Unlock the door or windows or something. I have decided I’m running away and am gonna come live with you and Grandpa. Dad doesn’t want me to get purified but I wanna be purified, so I’m running away. I know you guys purified Cyanide once. I’m hoping you can do the same for me. I don’t want to be corrupt anymore.

Question; how quickly could you get to purifying a corrupted hero?

Another question; are the doors unlocked? Windows?

-totally anonymous hero, you definitely dont know who this is

I have a feeling I know who this is. Hello, Amaranth.

As for that first question: I have a bit of spare time sometimes, if that's any answer.

As for the second.. No, why?

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Fallen Petals

Book: The Royal Romance Characters: Liam Rys, MC (Jade), Madeleine Amaranth, Bastien Lykel Pairing: Liam Rys x MC (Jade) Rating: E Word count: 1066 Reading time: 4 min Summary: After the first dinner to celebrate his engagement to Madeleine, Liam couldn't stop thinking about Jade. He had to find a way back into her heart. Based on the prompts: @kingliamappreciationweek Day three: Roses / Golden

Author’s note:

Jade Bourbon is a creation of this author. The other characters belong to Pixelberry Studios;

Thank you to @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes for hosting another KLAW. The event never fails to wake up my writing muse from hibernation 😁

This fic is part of TRR series, To (Secretly) Love You, but I believe anyone who played TRR Book 2 will understand the context.

County of Fydelia, January 2018

"Thank you for coming!" Madeleine faked a smile and waved as the last guest left the grand hall. The countess then grumbled and extended her hand to her maid, who promptly squeezed a hand sanitizer on her palm.

Right next to her, Liam inhaled sharply. It still baffled him to remember that Leo endured Madeleine for three years. Keeping up appearances in front of guests was one thing. But when it was just them and the servants, it was so much harder. After all, that was exactly when Madeleine's true self would show.

"Your Majesty, your bedchambers are ready," Bastien whispered.

"Thank goodness," the King mumbled to his bodyguard, who pressed his lips together and nodded. Bastien certainly knew how obnoxious Madeleine could be.

"I beg your pardon?" Madeleine cut in. 

"Bastien just informed me my room is ready and I thanked him. If you excuse me, I'd like to rest right now." 

"Alright, you've been doing your part pretty well, Your Majesty." Madeleine smirked.

"Not as well as you do, sweetheart," Liam retorted as he walked towards the stairs.

"Just try to not ogle that commoner when she's around and we should be fine."

Liam stopped in his tracks as his hands balled into fists. How Madeleine planned to keep up with this engagement if she insisted on pushing his buttons it was still a mystery to him. But he would never let her know she was getting under his skin.

"Have a good night, Madeleine," he said, plastering his best fake smile then headed upstairs.

Inside his bedchambers, Liam drank the last of his scotch and heaved a sigh. This certainly would give him the worst migraine in the morning, but at this point, it didn't matter. He just wished the whiskey could help him sleep and forget this night ever happened. Yet, he couldn't. How could he forget the look in her eyes? She clearly seemed upset, but her eyes still searched his from time to time. And she changed. Her hair, the way she dressed, her posture... Did she miss him too? Did she still want anything to do with him? He needed to know how she was doing, what she was thinking. He just didn't know how.

A soft knock pulled him out of his reverie.

"Yes?"

"The maid is asking if you want anything from the kitchen, Sir," Bastien explained.

Liam scanned the room, searching for any dirty dishes, when his eyes landed on the flower arrangement on the table outside.

"Actually, I do want a couple of things from the kitchen." Liam began to list a few things he wanted so his guard would pass it along to the maid. "Also, do you know if there are any flower shops open at this hour?"

"I'm not sure, but I can ask around."

"Get me the number of the best flower shop in town. I'll talk to them myself."

"Your assistant can handle this matter, Sir."

"No, let's keep this between us."

"As you wish, Sir."

About half an hour later, the Royal motorcade rolled to a stop before the largest flower shop in Fidelia. Once the King's guard cleared the perimeter, Liam climbed out of the car and walked in, greeting the flower shop owner with a smile.

"Your Majesty, it's an honor to have you here." The woman bowed in respect.

"Thank you for accepting my request in such short notice, Mrs. Atwood. Shall we see the roses?"

As the florist led him to her workstation, where dozens of roses were displayed on vases, a cold breeze blew against the flowers. Liam watched a few petals fall on the floor as a sudden memory took over his mind.

Cordonian capital, November 2017 (coronation night)

A giggle escaped Jade's lips as Liam's hand caressed her lower back and traveled to her derrière.

"So you're a butt man, huh?" She grinned.

"Pardon?" His brows furrowed in confusion.

"You know... Some people prefer boobs, others prefer butt. And since your hands can't seem to rest anywhere else..."

Liam's cheeks flushed crimson. "I didn't realize... I—"

"It's okay," she interrupted, leaning in for a quick yet torrid kiss. "I like it."

A slow smile played on his lips. "Oh, do you now?" Liam captured her lips once again, grasping her buttocks in the process.

"If you squeeze them harder, we might never leave this maze, Your Highness," she whispered.

"Nothing would make me happier."

She pulled away just enough to look at him and arched an eyebrow. "Nothing?"

"Well, there's one thing..." He gazed at her in adoration as a gentle breeze ruffled roses, a few petals falling near them. "Making you my queen would make me the happiest man. Are you ready?"

"I am. As long as I'm with you, I'm ready for anything, my love."

"I love the sound of that."

"Great! Me too."

Both of them chuckled. 

Just then, a gust of wind blew inside the maze, ruffling the flowers, rose petals and leaves flying towards them.

"Oh! So cold!" Jade shivered slightly, hugging him tighter. "I think my butt is going to freeze!"

Liam guffawed then reached for his jacket, covering her backside and part of their thighs.

"Thank you." She smiled softly as a rose petal fell on her hair.

Liam then reached for a red rose nearby, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and placed the rose on her hair bun. Jade has always been an attractive woman to him, even when she wore that unflattering waitress uniform from the New York dive bar. But, right now, wearing simply a red rose from the maze garden, she never looked more beautiful.

County of Fydelia, January 2018

"How many flowers should I get for the bouquet, Your Majesty?" The florist asked.

"All the red roses you have."

"All of them?" The woman's eyes went round.

"And a few baby's breath to adorn the arrangement," Liam said as he touched a fallen petal on the table. 

The florist nodded in surprise (probably shocked that the King knew a thing or two about flowers) and left to pick up the flowers. When she returned, she placed a card and a pen on the table. "You can write a note to your fiancee. I'm sure she'll be delighted to know you came here to pick the flowers yourself."

"Thank you." Liam smiled and reached for the pen and the card. He could only hope the person he'd send those roses to would be willing to read his note and to see him again.

[tessa-liam]

Isle of Misfits 

Chapter 9 – Inconvenient Truths 

Fandom: TRR x Platinum x OH x CoP x TNA x ?

Series: Isle of Misfits, Round Robin 24, hosted by @choicesprompts 

Word Count:  1405

Characters: TRR – Liam Rys, Leo Rys, Olivia Nevrakis, Madeleine Amaranth 

                       RoE – Katie Rys 

                       TNA – Sam Dalton 

                       CoP – Trystan Thorne 

Warnings: M *(swearing, references to depression, alcohol abuse, suicide, infidelity) 

“Something’s burning…” 

Leo stopped short. The scent was subtle, but unmistakable. 

Smoke. 

Olivia and Leo exchanged worried glances, before darting down the corridor, following the faint acrid scent to its source. 

It didn't take them long to track down the fire, the smoke was now billowing out from beneath the door at the end of the hallway. 

Olivia pushed Leo back. "Get back! I'm calling the fire department!" 

"But—" 

"Just do as you're told, for once in your life!" the fiery redhead ordered, already stabbing at the numbers on her mobile phone. 

Leo's shoulders raised in defiance. But no sooner had he complied, than the door to the suite burst open, and a large plume of dark grey smoke billowed out. 

Coughing and spluttering, Sam Dalton, was waving the acrid haze out of his face. 

"Sam?" Leo exclaimed concernedly, stepping forward. "What the fuck, man.!?"

"I'm okay!" Sam assured him, trying to clear his throat. 

Olivia put her phone on hold, her eyes darting over the wayward billionaire, looking for any injuries. "Are you sure?" 

"Yeah, I'm sure..." Sam said, taking a few shaky steps into the corridor. 

Olivia's sharp eyes narrowed. "Are you drunk?" 

"No," Sam scoffed, before reconsidering his statement. "Well, a little. I may have had one or two shots." 

"Or a whole bottle," Olivia murmured, rolling her eyes. 

"I don't know about that..." Sam muttered, looking around himself in bemusement. "I was just trying to put together some food, and... well, next thing I know, there's a fire. Must have forgotten to turn off the hot plate." 

"Are you kidding me?" Leo exploded. "You nearly set the building on fire, just because you couldn't be bothered to make a sandwich?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I know..." Sam mumbled. "It was stupid." 

"I'll say!" there is a Michelin star chef here on the island, why are you even trying to cook?"

"It wasn't like I was trying to kill myself or anything," Sam grumbled, as he staggered off in the direction of his room. "I just couldn't remember if it was gas or electric. It's a common mistake." 

"No, it's a common sign of early dementia," Olivia retorted. 

"Nah," Sam scoffed, raising his middle finger and slammed his door shut.

The sound of an elevator sounded down the hall. Countess Madeleine Amaranth, a member of Liam's council and Leo's former betrothed, strode towards Leo and Olivia.

Madeleine's cold green eyes took in the smoke damage to the door. "What's going on here? The building is still standing, I see."

Liam had enlisted Madeleine to help reform Leo as a role model for royal decorum since she was a stickler for etiquette and was the queen of spin. True to his promise.

"It's called karma, you idiot," Olivia muttered back, folding her arms and smirking. 

"Oh, what fresh hell is this?" Leo growled.

"Ah, Madeleine," Leo greeted her, turning on the charm. 

"Leo," Madeleine acknowledged coolly. 

"What brings you here, on this fine evening?" Leo asked.

"Liam has requested my assistance. Apparently, you need remedial lessons in proper manners." 

"Remedial...?" 

"Yes. We have already seen that you cannot handle an engagement," she says, glancing at Olivia, who glared back, "or a marriage, or a mistress, or even a simple friendship..." 

"You're not seriously still mad about that, are you?" Leo exclaimed. 

"About being publicly embarrassed, or humiliated? Oh, no. That is water under the bridge," she mocked. "However, Liam has asked me to tutor you in proper decorum. So, if you are finished with your tantrum, perhaps we can begin?" 

Leo's jaw tightened. 

"Well, I think we've got things sorted here," Olivia said, laying a hand on Leo's arm. "If you'll excuse me, Maddy." 

Madeleine's eyes narrowed. "You're not going anywhere. You are to meet with Trystan Thorne. I'm sure he'll find that your presence will be beneficial during his sessions." 

"What? You're not my superior." Olivia objected, glaring at the tall blonde. 

"I am if Liam says so," Madeleine shot back. 

Leo's shoulders raised as Olivia's grip tightened painfully. 

"Now, if you don't mind," Madeleine continued imperiously. "I need to have a chat with my wayward student." 

"Your wayward—!" 

"Ow!" cried Leo, wincing. "You're going to leave a bruise, Livvie..." 

"That's the plan!" Olivia retorted, digging her fingers into his bicep. 

"Come on, Olivia," Leo implored, gently prying her fingers loose. "Let's just get this over with." 

Olivia looked like she wanted to argue the point, but Leo's pleading gaze eventually softened her resolve. 

"Fine," she growled. "But you're on your own next time, your highness." 

"Sure," Leo agreed, sighing. 

Olivia gave him a warning look, before stomping off down the corridor. 

"Shall we?" Madeleine prompted Leo to offer his arm for her to take.

*** 

"This is pointless," Leo announced, leaning back on the lounge chair and closing his eyes. After many hours of intense etiquette lectures, role plays, quizzes and more, he felt his stomach rumble as they waited for lunch to be prepared by the Michelin chef, sans alcohol. 

"What's pointless is the amount of money Liam has spent on trying to make you a decent human being," Madeleine bit back, flipping the cover of her personal binder of court decorum closed. 

"I am a decent human being," Leo countered, frowning. "I'm a far better man than you'll ever know." 

"Oh, really?" Madeleine challenged, raising her eyebrow. "Then how come your wife is threatening divorce?" 

"That is none of your business, or Liam's for that matter," Leo snapped, opening his eyes. "And just for the record, my life is none of yours either. You don't know the first thing about love, or me." 

"I know you can't keep it in your pants," she retorts, rolling her eyes. 

"So do I," a voice came from the doorway. 

Leo turned towards the speaker in shock.

"Katie," Leo breathed shallowly, pushing himself upright. 

"Don't get too excited," Katie told him, folding her arms. "I'm not here for you. I'm here for the kids." 

"You're... you're..."  Leo stammered nervously. 

Looking at her husband, she almost felt sorry for him. Almost. 

"Why are you here, Katie?" Leo demanded, standing up. 

"Your brother sent me to help," she explained, looking everywhere but at him. 

Madeleine excused herself and quietly sauntered out with her binder in hand.

"Yes. He thought it might help to have me here. Help you remember what is important. Family, love, loyalty." 

Leo shook his head, moving slowly towards her. "You don't get it. I'm not the same man anymore." 

"Then maybe it's time to prove it." Katie said. 

"That's what I'm trying to do!" Leo shot back, stopping in place. "I'm here, aren't I?"  

At that moment, Leo understood why Liam sent him to the island. His epiphany.

"I have to go," Katie said, her eyes softening. "I'll be back later, when you've had time to process this." 

Leo watched her walk away, a sense of unease settling in the pit of his stomach. 

*** 

Later, Leo found himself sitting on his balcony, staring at a glass of scotch. He had resisted the urge to drink it, but he was still tempted. His phone buzzed on the table, and he reached for it. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey," came the reply. 

"I made a grave mistake ..." 

Leo paused, relieved at the sound of his fellow 'in-mate'.

"Thorne." 

“How so?” 

"Well, remember when we met at the bar with your brother. I should have believed your brother. That he would be true to his word with his threat." 

“Oh boy, this sounds painful.” Leo smirked, already knowing where this conversation was heading.. 

“Who did he partner you with?” 

“Olivia Nevrakis! She is terrifying! Put a dagger to my throat when I dissed her. She threatened to go lower if I didn't pay attention.” 

"Did she now? Maybe she's the one you need to focus on," Leo mused. 

"She's so intense, it's scary. And she has no interest in me. She is only here because Liam asked her to be.” 

"And here I thought she was coming here for me," Leo sighed, taking a swig of the scotch. 

"Hey, what happened with that countess?" 

Leo paused. "I... I... what did you hear?" 

"That she's going to stay a couple more days." 

"That's just great," Leo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just what I need." 

>>next writer @twinkleallnight

[little-sacrificial-lamb-amaranth]

..Small...child?

What are....you...?

( @thewhisperthrives )

… a hero who’s unhappy…

[summerwritesfics]

🌎But You Will Always Be Searching For An Answer

Pairing: Shang Tsung/Kuai Liang Length: 4855 Words Rating: Mature Warnings: Cyberpunk AU, Cyber Noir, Forensic Pathologist!Kuai Liang, Detective!Shang Tsung, Crime Scenes, Corpses, Minor Character Death, Past Torture, Trauma, Divorce, There’s a BiHanzo divorce arc going on in the background lol, Past Abduction, Found Footage

Meanwhile In Another Universe Masterlist

Notes: I wrote this a couple of months ago, again never quite got around to posting it U_U;; Title is from Digital World by Amaranthe.

The rain was pounding down as Kuai Liang pulled up to the crime scene. He was thankful that the team had already set up a forcefield, to protect the scene from disruption and further contamination. He parked his motorbike up, hopping off and hitting a button on his helmet. Slowly, it morphed and turned into a collar around his throat instead.

He didn’t waste too much time, grabbing his kit and rushing towards the forcefield. He was relieved when it let him in without much resistance. He’d been to one too many crime scenes where they’d forgotten to give him clearance.

“Kuai Liang,” a voice called to him, and Kuai walked over to meet Hanzo half way. “Thank you for coming, I know you’re meant to still be on sick leave, but-”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kuai assured him, trying to give him as big a smile as he could. “I was going stir crazy at home, you’ve done me a favour.” He briefly glanced over his shoulder to where he’d just been. “It’s more Bi-Han you’re probably going to have to convince.”

Hanzo groaned and mumbled, “like I need anything else to fight with him about.” Kuai looked back to him, biting his lip.

“Is he still being awkward about… you know what.” Why was it that Kuai Liang struggled to say the word divorce? Even though Hanzo was his soon to be ex-brother-in-law, when Bi-Han had taken custody of Kuai after Father’s death, Hanzo had become like a second father to him. The fact the pair were now separating felt more like his parents splitting up than his brother and brother-in-law.

“Awkward is not in it. But, it would be unfair of me to put that burden on you.” Hanzo reached a hand forward and placed it on Kuai’s shoulder. “Kuai Liang, you know, no matter what happens with me and Bi-Han, I will always be here for you. Even when everything is over, you will always have a place in my life.”

“Thank you.” He was worried that keeping a close bond with Hanzo would anger Bi-Han. Given that Hanzo was his boss however, he was sure he could use that as an excuse to stay close. He cleared his throat slightly, remembering why they were here in this secluded area of town. “Um, why did you call me out, anyway?”

“Ah, of course.” Hanzo moved over, sliding his hand down slightly to place it on Kuai’s back, using it to guide him. “A body was discovered behind the bus stop, and after a positive identification, Liu Kang wishes for only the best of the best to be on the case. Hence why I’ve had to call you to conduct an examination.”

“They have an identification already?” Kuai questioned. That seemed awfully fast. Combined with Liu Kang wanting all hands on deck for the case, it could only be someone of an extremely high profile.

“A quick DNA scan has flagged him as Prince Xandras of Outworld, nephew of Queen Sindel.” That explained it. Given that relations between Earthrealm and Outworld had been tense lately, it made sense that Liu Kang would throw everything at this. “Outworld are sending a detective of their own to aid the investigation, your brother has gone to collect him now.”

“I see.” He tried to put aside his unease that Bi-Han would flip his lid once he arrived and saw Kuai working. But he supposed Bi-Han would have to take that up with Liu Kang and Hanzo instead, since they both seemed to consider him their best forensic scientist. “Anything I should know going into it?”

“He has multiple stab wounds, so we have an idea how he died. We don’t know how long he’s been here.” They reached a small ditch just behind the bus stop where Kuai could see a body lying lifelessly. “Photographs have been collected, and some of my officers have already begun speaking to the young men who found the body.”

Kuai nodded, reaching into his pocket to put on his gloves, before pressing the button on his collar, once again causing it to morph, although rather than turning back into a helmet, it now became a mask that hugged from his jaw to just below his eyes. 

Satisfied, he carefully made his way down the ditch's slope. The body wasn’t in the easiest place to examine it, and he’d get a better idea of everything once he’d got it back to the lab. For now however, seeing how the body was in the ditch and the state of the surrounding area would help give him an idea of how it got here. He’d also probably be able to at least confirm if the stab wounds were indeed how the man died, or if there was something more going on.

Kuai looked at the sides of the ditch, noticing where he’d left a few scuff marks where he’d slid down. When he looked either side of where the body was, there were none. There didn’t seem to be any further down either.

“Hm, well it looks like the body was placed here,” Kuai informed Hanzo, taking a few steps to get closer. “Rather carefully actually, there is no disturbance to the surrounding area, so he wasn’t pushed down. It’s almost like someone placed him here with a crane or something.”

Hanzo opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by a distant shout. Even from afar, Kuai recognised his brother’s voice anywhere. Great, shit’s about to go downhill. As he expected Bi-Han appeared at the top of the ditch, followed by a man in a brown trench coat that Kuai did not recognise. He could only assume that he was Outworld’s detective.

As soon as Bi-Han’s eyes landed on Kuai Liang, his eyes narrowed and he snarled at Hanzo “what is he doing here?”

“Liu Kang wants the best of the best on this case,” Hanzo calmly replied, even as Bi-Han’s hands clenched into fists. “And we both know Kuai Liang is the best forensic scientist we have.”

“That doesn’t matter, he’s meant to be recovering at home,” Bi-Han argued, waving his hand around wildly. Kuai wanted to speak up that he was fine, at least physically. It was the mental wounds that still needed to heal. But he didn’t think that was going to happen by shutting himself away from the world. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“Bi-Han, I’m fine,” Kuai called up, trying to not flinch when Bi-Han shot that venomous glare towards him. “Can we just focus on the case for now and talk about this later?”

Bi-Han hesitated, but after a while huffed in annoyance. This wasn’t the last of it, Kuai Liang knew that well enough, but at least it was over for now.

Outworld’s Detective coughed, loudly and deliberately, clearly hinting that he had not yet been brought up to speed. Kuai grimaced slightly, glad his mouth was covered by his mask. Having a domestic argument in the middle of a crime scene was not exactly a good example of Earthrealm’s police forces professionalism.

“Regardless,” Bi-Han began, shifting on the spot, “gentlemen, this is Detective Shang Tsung of Outworld’s police force. Detective, this is Constable Hanzo Hasashi and Doctor Song Kuai Liang.”

Shang Tsung’s eyes landed immediately on Kuai Liang, and his head tilted. “I take it you are conducting the forensic examination?”

“Correct.” Kuai Liang looked back down at the body, he’d barely been able to examine it yet.

“May I join you down there?” Shang Tsung asked again.

“Um, of course?” Kuai found it strange he even felt the need to ask, usually Detectives didn’t give a shit. “Just, put some gloves and a mask on.”

“Obviously.” Shang Tsung’s hands were in his pockets, pulling out a pair of gloves and a medical grade mask. It wouldn’t be as good as Kuai’s but should be enough to protect him from any potential disease.

Kuai turned his attention back to the body, getting closer as he heard the detective curse as he tried to get down the bank. When Kuai glanced over, he was brushing himself down. Kuai smirked, once more glad it was hidden from view before crouching down to get a closer look at the body. Shang Tsung walked over, looking at the corpse and squinting at it.

“It really is Xandras then. I’d recognise that smug face anywhere,” he grumbled bitterly, and Kuai bit his tongue to stop himself from scolding Shang Tsung for talking so disparagingly about the dead.

“Are you familiar with him then?” It might help establish more about the victim.

“Vaguely. Being the Queen’s favoured detective I tend to be invited to a lot of functions,” he explained, joining Kuai Liang’s side but not getting down to his level. “He barely talked to anyone outside of noble blood. I’m not surprised someone killed him.”

Kuai hummed at that, not entirely sure what to say. He was instead looking at where Xandras clothes were torn revealing the stab wounds underneath. The completely blood free clothes and stab wounds.

“He has multiple stab wounds, but there’s absolutely no blood.” Kuai carefully reached a hand forward, gently pressing around the wounds and counting them. “And given there’s an estimate of around 20 wounds, some near pretty major organs and arteries, there should be a lot of blood.”

“So what does that mean?” Shang Tsung questioned, finally getting down low to get a better look at what Kuai was talking about. “Someone cleaned up his body before dumping it?”

“Maybe, but even then, I’d expect to still see some blood.” Kuai carefully placed a finger at one of the wounds. Even with the gloves on, he could tell it was dry as a desert. There was no blood at all. “It’s… almost like his body was drained of blood before he was stabbed.”

Kuai glanced over the body again, before his eyes trained on a strange mark on Xandras neck, mostly covered by his clothes. Reaching a hand up, he pulled the clothing down just enough to look what was there. It was a circular bruise with a puncture wound in the centre.

“Interesting,” Shang Tsung whispered, leaning against Kuai’s shoulder slightly to get a better look at the wound. “But I do not understand the motive.”

“The blackmarket for blood is surprisingly lucrative.” It had many uses, illegal surgeries, illegal blood transfusions, even some illicit substances were made with blood. Even then however, it was rare for a victim to be completely drained. “It’s unusual that they’d take every last drop, but maybe with his higher standing they thought having it all would turn a higher profit.”

“I meant I do not understand the motive of stabbing him after they’d taken the blood,” Shang Tsung clarified, although it sounded like he was taking Kuai’s theory into consideration. “What was the point? Surely the extreme blood loss would have killed him.”

“It would,” Kuai confirmed, looking back at the stab wounds. “Either the stabbing was a weak attempt at causing law enforcement confusion or they were trying to make sure other criminals couldn’t harvest his organs.” Kuai sighed as he thought of a flaw in that. “But if they were that concerned about that, why wouldn’t they take them for themselves?”

“Anything else you can tell from the body?” Shang Tsung asked, and Kuai hadn’t really realised how close he was until he felt his warm breath against his cheek. “A time of death, maybe?”

“It’s hard to tell but I’d guess it’s been at least 24 hours.” Kuai sat up straighter and looked towards where the bus stop was. “This isn’t the most used bus stop in the city, but it’s used enough that someone should have noticed sooner, meaning the body has likely only been at this location for an hour or two tops.” Kuai pointed at the banks of the ditch. “And like I mentioned earlier, it seems the body was dumped here, but how they did it without disturbing anything I have no idea.”

Shang Tsung hummed, having followed Kuai’s gaze the entire time. He didn’t say anything more.

“I will likely know more when I am able to perform an autopsy.” Kuai finally stood up, deciding he’d seen enough for now. Shang Tsung followed him. “Maybe a search of the surrounding area may provide more clues.”

“Then we should do that.” The use of the word we did make Kuai pause a bit, but he supposed it was only natural the Detective would want to look around too.

Kuai went to try and climb the walls of the ditch again, his foot slipping slightly. He saw both Bi-Han and Hanzo rush forward to grab him and pull him back up. Shang Tsung managed to follow unaided, although raised an eyebrow at how Bi-Han and Hanzo kept their hands on Kuai.

“Thank you,” Kuai quietly said, hating how his tone gave away his embarrassment. He managed to wiggle out of their grips, reaching his hand to the button on his mask, letting it settle around his throat as a collar again. “Myself and Detective Shang are going to do a quick inspection of the surrounding area, see if there’s anything the officers missed.”

“You absolutely are not doing that,” Bi-Han hissed, hand darting forward for Kuai’s bicep. “You are going home to rest, like you shouldhave been doing this entire evening.”

“Bi-Han, I’m fine,” Kuai tried to argue, but winced slightly when it made his brother’s grip tighter.

“If he says he’s fine, then he’s fine,” Hanzo cut in, trying to yank Bi-Han’s hand off Kuai’s arm. “You need to stop treating him like he’s still a child.”

“You would say that given it’s you who brought him he’s here.” Bi-Han glared at Hanzo again. And Kuai felt his skin crawl. Despite the two men doing their best to raise Kuai, they always did argue a lot, and witnessing it always took him back to the worst nights. The ones where he could hear their screaming matches through the thin walls of the apartment.

He loved them both and knew they cared for him and did their best, but sometimes he wondered if it would have been better for him to live with Tomas instead.

Not that Bi-Han would have ever let Tomas have custody of him.

“Once again, he is our best forensic scientist, and the best was requested for this case.” Hanzo pulled on Bi-Han’s arm hard and finally managed to pry it off of Kuai. “And him investigating the surrounding area is basic protocol.”

“You know what else is protocol? Not fucking calling in someone who’s on medical leave,” Bi-Han snapped, and how Hanzo didn’t flinch Kuai would never know.

“He’s been cleared for work and his leave ends in a week anyway, there is no reason for him to not come back early.” This was absolutely the wrong thing for Hanzo to say if the way Bi-Han lunged forward was anything to go by. Kuai darted forward to grab him before he could do anything violent.

“Just because he’s physically fit doesn’t mean he is mentally.” Bi-Han pointed his finger directly in Hanzo’s face. “And let’s not forget whose fault it was he ended up needing medical leave in the first place.”

Hanzo’s face dropped and Kuai himself let go of Bi-Han in shock, swiftly turning away. He didn’t blame Hanzo for what happened to him. It wasn’t his fault. The fact Bi-Han was throwing that in Hanzo’s face made Kuai feel sick. Did he genuinely believe that, or was it just something said in anger to hurt Hanzo?

“Kuai Liang,” Bi-Han said softly, clearly understanding he’d gone too far. Kuai still didn’t turn to look at him.

“We need to talk,” Hanzo growled and even without looking Kuai knew it was directed at Bi-Han. “Now.”

Bi-Han huffed, but given the footsteps, it seemed he was going with Hanzo.

“Do what you need to in the area, Kuai Liang,” was the last thing Hanzo said, before Kuai looked back to see the two walking off.

“Do I want to ask what in Argus' name all that was about?” Shang Tsung questioned, and honestly Kuai had been so caught up in everything, he’d almost forgotten he was there.

“Um, a terrible mix between a divorce and a protective elder brother,” Kuai summarised. He looked over to where his brother and ex-brother-in-law were standing. They’d clearly gotten back into a heated argument if their stances were anything to go by. At least I can’t hear them anymore.

“Ah, that explains a lot.” Shang Tsung lent in close to him. “Although I do have to agree with your brother, if you are on medical leave you shouldn’t be here.”

Kuai held his breath so as not to give an annoyed sigh. He’d had to listen to Bi-Han insisting on him staying at home for months now, he was getting kind of tired of being told what he could and couldn’t do.

“The doctor has cleared me,” Kuai gently argued, tearing his gaze from the arguing ex-couple. “It was Bi-Han who insisted on me having an extra week, and if I take it, he’s just going to keep insisting on adding on more.” He really didn’t want to talk about this anymore. He just wanted to get on and do his job. “We should carry out our inspection.”

He didn’t really give Shang Tsung a chance to argue as he spun around and began to walk in the opposite direction of where his brother and Hanzo were. As worked up as he was, he still wanted to do his best on the case. He owed the victim that much. As he strolled along the edge of the bank, Shang Tsung caught up with him, only slowing down when he was walking in tandem.

“I get the feeling your medical leave is a touchy subject,” Shang Tsung enquired and once more Kuai resisted the urge to respond with a cutting remark.

“It is,” he replied shortly, hoping maybe Shang Tsung would get the message to drop the damn subject.

And the thing was, Shang Tsung didn’t ask anything more. Instead he took to just staring at Kuai Liang, looking like he was trying to figure everything out by himself with what little info he had. Kuai’s stomach twisted slightly as he came to a realisation.

“If I don’t tell you, are you going to go around and ask our colleagues about it?” And god, Kuai knew those colleagues would talk. Earthrealm’s Police Force was a surprisingly gossipy bunch of people, and worse, the majority wouldn’t have the full story. Kuai himself had been asked about details that didn’t happen or happened differently, and he was getting tired of correcting people or telling them to mind their own damned business.

Shang Tsung meanwhile gasped in mock offence, holding his hand to his chest. “I am horrified to know I’ve made such a bad first impression on you.” A small smirk slowly graced his features. “But, I suppose, if people just so happen to start talking to me, it would be rude for me to reject the conversation, wouldn’t it?”

Kuai couldn’t roll his eyes hard enough.

“Of course,” he bitterly whispered, turning his attention to where he was going. Regardless of what they talked about, he still wanted to keep an eye out for anything that was out of place. “A few months back, I was taken hostage by a criminal gang. I was rescued, obviously, but not before they did some serious damage.”

Am I underselling that a little? The Doctors had stated it was a miracle I was even alive.

“And, I assume as your brother is blaming his ex-husband for this series of events, the constable was the one they were targeting?”

“Bi-Han and Hanzo basically raised me. They never had children, but I was the closest Hanzo had, so…” He didn’t like thinking like that though. Hanzo wasn’t to blame for what happened to Kuai. They just saw Kuai as a weakness they could exploit. “Regardless, does that at least sate some of your curiosity?”

“I suppose it does,” Shang Tsung dramatically sighed. “At least for now.”

Kuai was glad that his contact with Shang Tsung would be short-lived after this. They’d probably only interact to go over what was discovered in the autopsy, and after that Kuai wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore. Let him be Bi-Han’s problem. Although knowing that Bi-Han would give a heavily biassed view on everything that happened did worry him a little.

They were approaching the edge of the forcefield, it was frustrating how small an area this seemed to cover, but he supposed they wanted a more concentrated crime scene. So far nothing had stuck out to him, and he just hoped Shang Tsung hadn’t distracted him from some sort of major discovery.

Then, as he glanced down towards the ditch, he saw a red glint in the mud.

He stopped in his tracks, and to his surprise Shang Tsung stopped as well. The way he was trying to peer over Kuai relayed he hadn’t seen what Kuai had.

“What are you looking at?” He enquired.

“I don’t know yet.” Kuai carefully made his way down the bank, looking at the ground. Now closer, he could see what appeared to be a red light, shining between the grass.

Odd.

He carefully crouched down, brushing away the grass to find what looked like an old fashioned film camera. Digital, although extremely primitive, likely from the early 2000’s. No doubt a collectors item, if he remembered right, especially if the red light meant it was working.

He picked it up and climbed back up out of the ditch. Shang Tsung did a double take at what was in his hands.

“Is that a camera?” He questioned, looking strangely disgusted by it. “I did not think anyone still used those things.”

“Some hardcore enthusiasts still use them. I have a friend who knows a lot about it. He loves the history of film, so he collects things like this.” Kuai looked over the camera. It was in pretty good condition for something that had been lying abandoned in a ditch. “I think the red light means it’s recording. I’m honestly impressed it’s still got battery, depending on how long it’s been down there.”

Johnny had shown him enough of his collection that Kuai had some idea of how to use it. He found a button that looked like it would stop the recording. He pressed it, and the light went out almost immediately. A small screen displayed a few options, and even though Kuai wasn’t that confident in his abilities he still managed to find what looked like the camera’s contents.

There were several recordings, the latest was over 5 hours long. That did seem like an oddly long battery life for one of these things. Maybe I should ask Johnny about it, he’ll be able to give more insight. Still, there was no way he was watching a 5 hour long video that could possibly just be a ditch. It was worth going over once they were back at base, it might have caught the dumping of the body.

The other thumbnails looked somewhat mundane. Just people and places that Kuai Liang didn’t recognise. There was only one that really stood out, apparently an hour long and with the thumbnail of what looked like bloody cloth. It might reveal what happened to Xandras.

He clicked it, and on the small screen it began to play. The image shook a bit, and the sound of a group of men laughing loudly came through the speakers.

“Haha, he’s a lot of fuckin’ fun,” a rough voice came through, and Kuai felt his skin crawl because for some reason it was familiar to him. In the background, he could hear what sounded like someone crying. “Kinda hoping they won’t come through for him.”

“Even if they do, who said we have to give him back.” Someone picked up the camera, but didn’t actually point at anyone. “You’ll be happy staying with us, won’t you?”

“P-Please…” Kuai Liang’s head went light at the new voice, the world spinning around him and bile gathering in the back of his throat.. “Please d-don’t…”

He knew that voice.

It was his own.

Whoever had the camera finally pointed it at a figure, and Kuai realised quickly it was himself. He was in a tank top and shorts, revealing many bruises. A blindfold covered his eyes, he remembered they kept it on him the entire time. It was likely the reason he never realised they were recording their crimes. Given he had a large gash down the one side of his face, he realised this had to be sometime after the 2nd day of his captivity.

A hand reached for the stop button, shutting off the video. Kuai looked up towards Shang Tsung. To Kuai’s surprise, the look wasn’t one of pity, like he’d feared, but one of quiet contemplation.

“So,” Shang Tsung hummed, slowly pushing Kuai’s hands to stop him from holding up the camera. “It would seem this case is linked with your recent misfortune.”

“Seems so.” He didn’t really know what else to say. Bi-Han had told him they’d caught all the culprits, but now that he thought about it, he never asked his brother for evidence of that. Why would he? Because his brother wouldn’t lie about something like that. “All these recordings will have to be examined. And-” He took a deep breath. “And I should probably take myself off the case.”

Shang Tsung did a double take, raising an eyebrow and indignantly asking “why?”

“If this case really is related to mine, then it is a conflict of interest for me to be involved.” He didn’t know why he felt so defeated by that. He’d hoped to finally get on with life after what happened.

“Really? You forgo medical leave to take on this case, but this is the line where you stop?” Shang Tsung questioned, his voice sounding oddly annoyed for some reason. “You do not want to figure out how these two things are connected?”

“Well, yes but-” Kuai paused and really stared at Shang Tsung. This didn’t add up, why was he suddenly trying to convince him to continue investigating? “Didn’t you say I shouldn’t be on this case because of the medical leave?”

“I didn’t say that, I merely voiced that your brother is technically correct.” Oh fuck off. That was such a twist of what he actually said it was almost laughable. “But given you are already throwing protocol to the wind, I find it odd that you would start adhering to it now.”

“Wait.” Kuai closed his eyes and shook his head trying to make sense of what he was hearing. “Why is this such a problem for you? Do you want me on the case?”

“Quite simply, yes, I do.” Shang Tsung smirked at him. “Because frankly, you are the first sign of intelligent life I have encountered since I arrived here, and I’d really rather work with someone who is my intellectual equal.”

Kuai didn’t have an answer to that. It was flattering, in a strange way, although he wasn’t sure he agreed with the implication that everyone else was stupid. Granted Bi-Han and Hanzo bickering probably had not given off the best first impression.

“So, with that in mind.” Shang Tsung reached a hand forward and gently patted Kuai’s cheek. “Are you going to give in, or are you going to figure out how these things interconnect?”

Kuai looked down at the camera. He knew that while Bi-Han would argue against it, Hanzo would overlook protocol if this was something Kuai really wanted to do. And, weirdly, it was what he wanted. Maybe it was Shang Tsung’s words getting into his head, or the sense of control the idea brought him, getting his life back into his hands, and empowering him to find his own justice.

Kuai finally nodded, one single but firm movement of his head, confident in what he wanted to do.

“Then we should get this to someone who can analyse the files, and while I wait for them to get the body to my lab, I’ll see what my friend can tell me about these sorts of cameras.” After he’d finished, Shang Tsung gave him an odd smile, one that could only be described as if he’d just won some sort of game.

“I will take your lead,” he cheerfully said, as they began to walk back towards where Hanzo and Bi-Han were clearly still deep in their argument. “I have no doubt we will make an unstoppable team.”

Kuai tried not snort at that. Still, he felt a fire ignited within him now, one that it would take the Elder Gods themselves to extinguish.

He would solve this case, he would get his answers, and he would find himself reborn from the ashes.

[little-sacrificial-lamb-amaranth]

what do you wanna talk about? :3

im lonely :( some1 talk to me

[3po-r2d2]

The Isle’s Light Pt. 2

I kinda skip around a lot.

sorry not, sorry 😜

Family Day had always felt like a foreign concept to Ama — too bright, too full of hugs and smiles that didn’t seem to exist back on the Isle. The courtyard of Auradon Prep was buzzing with laughter, chatter, and royal families gathering beneath silk-draped tents and tables overflowing with food.

Ama stood off to the side, her back to a tall marble column, trying to become invisible. Her dark curls hung around her face like a curtain, and her hands nervously twisted the edge of her sweater sleeves.

She didn’t want to be noticed. Not as Hades’ daughter. Not as another kid from the Isle.

“Hello,” said a soft voice beside her.

Ama startled and looked to her right — and froze.

Standing there was a woman draped in a flowing gown of petal-pink and gold, her eyes a shade of green that reminded Ama of springtime after a long winter. Her presence radiated warmth like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

“What’s your name?” the woman asked gently.

Ama swallowed, heart pounding. “I… I’m Ama. Amaranth.”

A soft smile spread across the woman’s face. “You’re Persephone,” Ama breathed, almost reverently.

“I am,” she replied with a nod. “And you’re Hades’ daughter, aren’t you?”

Ama hesitated, then nodded slowly.

“You look like him,” Persephone said kindly.

Ama’s gaze dropped, arms wrapping around herself. “Like a villain,” she mumbled.

Persephone’s smile didn’t falter. Instead, she reached out and gently tucked a curl behind Ama’s ear. “No, love. Like someone who loves fiercely.”

Ama blinked, taken aback.

Persephone tilted her head, her expression open and warm. “Would you like to meet the rest of your family?”

Ama hesitated. Her heart clenched at the offer, at the possibility. But then the fear crept back in like a familiar shadow. “They won’t like me,” she whispered. “I’m just… a villain kid.”

Persephone’s eyes softened with understanding, but she didn’t press. Instead, she held out her hand with a patient smile. After a long pause, Ama took it.

Later, after introductions had been made — to a host of shimmering, radiant beings, gods and demigods adorned in colors brighter than anything Ama had ever worn — the kindness began to fray. Whispers. Raised brows. One of the gods — someone golden and aloof — spoke just loud enough to be heard.

“Curious they let her out of the Underworld,” he said, a sneer hidden beneath courtly tone. “And to think they called us divine.”

“She reeks of shadow,” muttered another.

Ama shrank inward, staring at the ground, wishing she could disappear.

“That’s enough,” Persephone said sharply, her gentle voice suddenly iron-clad. “She is part of this family, whether you approve or not.”

Ama’s voice came barely above a whisper. “I should go.”

“No, petal,” Persephone said quickly, turning toward her. “You belong here.”

Ama gave a small, strained shrug. “It’s fine. You’re not at fault. They are who they are.”

“To them,” she continued, eyes glassy, “I’ll always be the kid of a villain.”

Persephone placed a hand on her shoulder, steady and warm. “And to me, you’re someone brave enough to stand in the light.”

Ama didn’t answer, but her fingers curled slightly toward Persephone’s hand — not holding, not ready. But not letting go either.

It was a start.

[little-sacrificial-lamb-amaranth]

… I wanna be a pure hero. I don’t wanna be a corrupt one anymore. I don’t wanna have to fight anyone. Ma’s pure now, so why can’t I be?…