#i am in the shackles of terror

[bunniekittiee]

Shattered Ice- Bi-Han x Fem. Reader

This is my first Bi-Han fic (besides headcanons) I promised you all, and I tried to get his characterization correct in the way I wanted it to be. Credits to @magic-schoolbusdropout ‘s post and their ideas! I did not base it solely on their idea but I incorporated it into the fic. I wanted to give it a shot.

It is not exactly proof-read so there may be errors!

CW: a lot of angst, bi-han going crazy, yea this is not the usual fluff stuff guys im sorry :(, also this is extremely long so like beware.

“Where are your brothers, Bi-Han?” she asked so quietly, her voice barely reaching his ears. Like a little mouse squeaking.

“They have forsaken our clan.” He rasped back. “They do not want the Lin Kuei to succeed. They want us to be at the hands of Liu Kang.”

Her heart dropped. Memories of the faces of the two brothers echoed in her head. Never to be seen again. “You have… abandoned them?”

Jaw clenched, Bi-Han’s eyes narrowed at his wife. “Abandoned them? They have abandoned our clan. They made that decision when they did not follow me.”

“Bi-Han, they are your brothers-”

“They believe we should be shackled by Liu Kang’s rule.” He interrupted her. “The Lin Kuei deserve much more than we receive, and the only way to accomplish that is by removing ourselves as Earthrealm’s protectors. Kuai Liang and Tomas have departed from us, they are banned from coming into our land.”

Her eyes watered. “Bi-Han… this is not right. You have forsaken your brothers.”

“Do not talk back to me in that tone.” He said harshly. “You are my wife. Know your place.”

“Abandoned your brothers for complete rule? Your father would be so devastated Bi-Han!” She fought back against him. “The Lin Kuei are supposed to be Earthrealm’s protectors.”

He rolled his eyes. “My father was a foolish old man, he did not know how to truly rule the clan. Sektor has been advising the development of the Cyber Initiative with me. We will flourish.” He was certainly proud of his decision, which made her feel worse.

“I do not know who you are anymore, Bi-Han.” She said, tears falling from her eyes as her wide (e/c) locking with his brown eyes. Eyes that were once soft to look at now held frigidness and irritation.

“I am still your husband.”

“Hardly.” She choked out as she got up from her seat. “You are someone else, a stranger.” She stormed away from him, his eyes still stuck onto her figure. His heart ached. In the worst ways possible. But he could not waste his time on making her understand. He had a lot to do, and he needed to work.

The couple’s home was silent for many months. She avoided him at what chance she could, hardly interacting with Bi-Han when he came into their room. He did not make an effort to talk to her either. Bi-Han felt lonely in their large bed as her body was on the opposite side of him. She stopped cuddling with him like she used to. She stopped giving him her sleepy kisses that warmed his cold heart. It was as if she hated him. It hurt in ways Bi-Han thought it would not hurt, but he could not let his pain show. It was weak, and he was angry at himself for being so bothered.

She struggled sleeping. It was difficult to rest when her husband, an entirely different man, was so cruel. Leaving his brothers behind. The faces she loved like her own brothers, now gone due to Bi-Han’s thirst for something more for the Lin Kuei that costed him his family. How much was it all worth? That, she did not know.

Dearly missing the brothers, she conspired. She loved Bi-Han very much. It was obvious as many commented on her look of infatuation and adoration when looking at him, but she was lonely. And deep inside of her, there was an intense feeling of terror building up as Bi-Han’s personality began to change drastically. He was much more agitated and withdrawn. When their eyes met, he would quickly turn away from her. Sometimes, if he stared at her for too long, his once comforting brown eyes would shift to a blue hue. It ached deeply. She wanted the old Bi-Han to return back to her once more, but she was not so sure if that would ever be possible.

Bi-Han was always busy with Lin Kuei matters that he never discussed with her. Before, he would make time to come back and rest with her, or at least sleep with her during the nights. However, he was slowly stopping that. So she decided that it was the perfect time to try and find Bi-Han’s brothers. It was a matter of slinking past the guards and others that roamed the grounds, but it was something she could manage.

She quickly packed a few things just in case she decided to stay with them for a few days. As much as she did not want to be with a tyrannical clan, she could not leave forever. And she could not leave Bi-Han, for he was her husband. They were tied together for the rest of their lives.

Bi-Han was not in bed by the time she decided to leave, so she carefully descended down the stairs of the palace and avoided the guards. He had taught her a few tricks to not be seen by others and she never thought she would need it, but here she was now. Her heart thumped loudly in her ears as her adrenaline rushed. She was terrified of being found by Bi-Han or even Sektor. Bi-Han had never raised a hand to her, but with his personality changes, she was not too sure anymore.

It was incredibly dark outside, the wind swaying the trees to a slight rustling. This enhanced her paranoia as she snuck in the shadows, hiding from more guards. The Lin Kuei were much more guarded now due to Bi-Han breaking away from Liu Kang. Whether it was due to the fact the Shirai Ryu were beginning to rise up or Bi-Han was trying to increase numbers, the areas were guarded heavily. It made her escape difficult.

After some time of slinking past the darkest parts of the Arctika, she let out a small breath as she quickly padded in the direction of the horses’ stable. She knew that her journey would hardly be accomplished on foot, so having a way of transportation would grant her enough time to get away before Bi-Han realized she was missing. Whether it was the Gods’ way of helping her, the stables were not guarded. Luck must have been on her side tonight.

Quickly getting the gear on her horse, she frantically looked around to make sure no one would walk in on her. She could not be found out now. As she led her horse out of the stable, she looked around once more before lifting herself up onto her horse. She tried her best at being silent as she left, and the stables were on the outskirts of the Arctika. Once she hit the main pathway out, she looked down at the map she had stolen from Bi-Han of where the Shirai Ryu could possibly be at. It was in preparation for her trip. Her anxieties lessened as she increased her distance from the Lin Kuei, but guilt chewed her insides up. Bi-Han was going to be ravenous with revenge and fury.

Exhaustion hounded him like a starving stray dog. He had hardly slept for a while, the dark circles under his eyes darkening as he continued his bad habits. He craved the touch of his wife and her voice. Bi-Han missed her dearly. She had not taken the news of his new ruling well, and Bi-Han suspected that she was beginning to loathe him. But he tried to give her the benefit of the doubt.

“Firefly,” he whispered as he creaked their bedroom door open. “I have missed you so.” He entered the room, eyebrows scrunching at the sight of an empty bed. His mind wracked where she could possibly be at during this hour of the night. Jaw clenched, he turned away from the room and began to stomp around their home, asking his soldiers if they had seen her. They had not.

Panic ensued within him, however he did the best he could to compose himself in front of his clan. If they had not seen her, maybe Sektor had. He hunted him down rather quickly.

“No, I have not seen her.” He replied back to the Grandmaster as he studied one of the cybers on the table. He looked up at Bi-Han. “You don’t think she left, do you?”

“I do not know.” Bi-Han snapped. He was extremely worried. His brain was running a million miles per hour thinking about where she could have went.

Sektor ignored his tone and thought over what could possibly be the reason why the Grandmaster’s wife had disappeared.

“Unless… you don’t think the Shirai Ryu could have possibly taken her?” Sektor suggested.

Bi-Han’s blood froze. He felt the room spin as his eyes widened and he thought deeply about Sektor’s suggestion. It made sense. But how did they sneak inside so easily? Bi-Han had it heavily overseen with troops. They were on lock down practically, but he did not put it past them to kidnap his one and only weakness.

His brown eyes began to slightly shift in color, beginning to turn blue as energy surged through him. “We have to infiltrate their base immediately.” He said gruffly. “We cannot let them hurt her.”

She studied the map more as her horse carried her further away from her home. It had been at least eight hours with a few breaks in between for her horse and herself. At a galloping speed, she was able to get across more distance. She was cold, shivering from the wind. It reminded her of Bi-Han’s cold body when he changed his body temperature. Sometimes if she had hot flashes or extreme high temperatures, he would simmer his own in order to give her relief. He would cuddle her close to him as he did so, making sure to not overdo it. Her heart hurt as she thought about their memories together. After his betrayal, he was not the same.

Glancing around at her surroundings, she heard rustling in the trees around her. Her paranoia had risen once more and her horse had heard the noises as well, ears standing on end. She swiveled her head to see if it was an animal or a person. The rustling quickened, and she dug her heels into the side of her companion to run. But she was not so lucky, as they were both caught in a net. Her horse stopped dead in his tracks, squealing angrily as they were both thrown to the ground by the force of the net. Surrounded by unknown soldiers who had wrapped rope around her horse, she screamed. Adrenaline coursed through her body as her fear made her nauseated. Bi-Han was not around to save her, and she had led herself straight into the jaws of death.

As she attempted to get up, she was tackled back down to the ground once more. Her forehead was painfully wounded as she struggled against her captor who was much stronger than she was. Blood blurring her vision, she could not see very well. The soldiers had tied her extremities and picked her off the ground, silently making their way back to where they came from before. She continued to scream and thrash her body around, until another solider roughly tied a gag around her mouth to shut her up. Tears ran down her face and she could not help but sob. Her heart felt like it was going to come out of her throat as she knew she was meeting her demise. Without ever saying good-bye to Bi-Han.

She saw the dirt ground turn into a pathway, but soon after she had seen a glimpse of it, her head was obscured by a burlap sack by the same soldier that gagged her. They must not want prisoners to know the layout of their land. That made sense to her, she had seen the Lin Kuei practice the same method. For a moment, a fleeting thought passed through her brain. Maybe this was the Shirai Ryu clan. That meant she was near Tomas and Kuai Liang.

But then again, she was not so sure. That made the anxiety in her stomach twist. If she was wrong, it meant it would cost her her life. After some time of walking, she assumed she was where she needed to be when she was tossed to the ground like a rag doll. Her body ached tremendously from the cold, as well as the rough state her body was in.

“Unmask her.” A familiar voice rang out, but it was muffled by the burlap sack and her stinging head wound that made her lightheaded and dizzy. The sack was violently torn off of her head as her eyes adjusted to the light that the torches gave off.

Looking up, her vision was blurry as she could barely make out the two figures that sat near her. “By the Gods! Untie her immediately!” said one as he approached her fast. “Now now!”

“Y/N…” said the other who came near her form. “Is it really you?”

Kuai Liang and Tomas engulfed her in a hug as she began to cry. From pain and relief. She found them…

“I have been searching for you both.” she said, her words wavering. “I am so grateful to have found you.”

“We need to take you to the medics, little sister.” Kuai Liang said as Tomas gently picked her up off the ground. “That is a nasty head wound they gave you.”

“My horse…”

“They will take care of him.” Tomas said as Kuai ordered them to free her horse and put him in the stables. That was if they could avoid getting kicked in the face.

Reaching the medics, Tomas set her down on the bed as they began to work on her scrapes and wound. “If we had known it was you, we would have not allowed them to hurt you like that.”

She sighed quietly. “It is okay, Tomas. I was in your territory, a stranger. They were only doing what they were ordered to do.”

“How did you escape the Arctika?” Kuai asked. “I thought Bi-Han would have everything guarded heavily.”

“Well, he does. I was able to sneak past the guards and get to the stables. They do not exactly have soldiers patrolling the stables, and since it is on the outskirts of the Arctika, it is easy to escape.” She explained.

Tomas grabbed your hand gently. “If you have escaped, Bi-Han will not be that far behind you. He will go to the ends of the earth to find you.”

Looking down, she frowned. “I just… missed you both very much. Bi-Han is not the man he once was. He is much more aggressive and distant. He is searching for the Shirai Ryu. I have barely interacted with him since his betrayal, and I cannot bring myself to stay in a place that does not bring me joy.”

“Do not twist my words, I still love Bi-Han very much, but what he is doing is not what your father would have wanted. He has corrupted the Lin Kuei.”

Kuai Liang furrowed his eyebrows. “I heard that he was following through with the Cyber Initiative. That is what Shang Tsung had promised him. I cannot believe that he is doing all of this.”

“Neither can I. I wish he was easier to reason with, but he is very relentless on this matter. He believes you both have betrayed him, not the other way around.” She explained while gripping Tomas’ hand. “He is blinded by his own anger.”

“Bi-Han was never one to master his own anger, that was always an issue he has struggled with.” Kuai Liang replied. “I do not see him having mercy, especially now that you are with us.”

“But do not fret,” Tomas interjected. “We are happy to have you here until you recover. That is, if Bi-Han does not find you until then.” He exchanged a worried look with Kuai Liang who only nodded his head. “He will not take it lightly that we have his wife.”

She understood. She knew how much they were risking letting her stay with them. Bi-Han’s rage was not one to be in the crossfire of. She had hoped he would not find her just yet, she had barely reunited with the brothers and wanted to spend more time with them.

After cleaning her wounds up and bandaging her, the brothers led her out of the infirmary to walk to the temple. They talked about old memories of being together, the adventures they would go on. Tomas had asked how Jia was, which Jia was a little sad since the brothers were exiled. They were a part of her life since she was a kitten, it was not a surprise she carried melancholy since they had left. Many of their conversations were reminiscing as they did not want to talk about the present. It was saddening to know that they would never have the same bond they once did with Bi-Han, he would always crave for bloodshed. He already spilled Kuai Liang’s blood when he gave him that scar on his eye, he would continue his journey to spill more. Bi-Han did not see them as brothers anymore, they were enemies. Kuai Liang and Tomas understood that.

The brothers made sure she was fed and had a comfortable space to sleep. She was exhausted. She quickly fell asleep the minute her head hit the pillow, forgetting the events of her day in the dream state she entered.

However, Kuai Liang and Tomas were not so easily able to do the same as her. They stayed up, their anxieties chewing away at them.

“If Bi-Han finds her here, he will assume we took her.” Kuai Liang said while he brushed his hair. “He is not one for reasoning while he is angry.”

“Believe me,” Tomas replied. “I know he will be wrathful. There will be no way of explaining anything to him. He will ignore it.”

Kuai sighed. “As much as I am happy she is here, it also created a disaster in the long run. I just hope that Bi-Han will not be able to find her, at least for some time.”

“But if he already had a map developed of where we are at, then he will not take long.” said Tomas. “Once he is on a mission, he will never get side tracked.”

“You are right, brother.”

The glaring sun bore through the window near her bed, making her shift her body and scrunch her face up. She was not used to this as the Arctika did not have much sunlight coming through in the mornings. But where the Shirai Ryu were, there were lots of lighting. Eventually, it woke her up.

Blinking slowly, she remembered her journey that she had taken to get here. Her breathing increased when she remembered Bi-Han, and how he was going to eventually find her. It scared her. She did not know what he would do once he found her with his brothers. Maybe he would kill her? Keep her prisoner? Leave her to stay with the Shirai Ryu? The possibilities were endless, and Bi-Han was not exactly predictable like he used to be.

She crawled out of bed and made her way outside to enjoy the sunshine. The Arctika did not have sunshine with this amount of intensity, so she decided to embrace it as much as she could before she would have to leave. She sat down in a spot with direct sunlight, sighing with such peace as she closed her eyes. The sun felt good on her skin as the morning dew created a refreshing feeling.

Hearing the crunching of footsteps, she opened her eyes and saw the brothers approaching her. She smiled at them. “Good morning, brothers.”

They nodded their heads. “Good morning, sister.” They both said as they sat down next to her.

“It is a beautiful morning.” She said with a small smile on her lips. “Much better than the ones at home.”

Kuai Liang chuckled. “Definitely. The sun feels great out here.”

“I can see why Syzoth enjoys it, although he is a reptile, so it makes sense.” Tomas said. “It makes you feel good.”

They sat in a comfortable silence. However, they all had the same thoughts in the back of their mind. It always lead back up to Bi-Han no matter what. The worries of him arriving soon had nagged at Tomas and Kuai Liang. They could not abandon Bi-Han’s wife, as she was like a sister to them, and they knew they had to take care of her. But they knew they had to prepare for war. Bi-Han could arrive at any time, and they knew that.

“We came to greet you, but we must be on our way. Sorry, little sister.” Kuai Liang said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “We have to prepare for war as a precaution. I hope you understand.”

Smiling sadly, she nodded solemnly. “I understand. I am very sorry.”

“Don’t ever be sorry, we are glad we found you. We hate to let you go so soon.” Tomas frowned. “We wish you could stay here forever, but your life is with Bi-Han. He…”

“He would not know what to do without you. It is better if you are with him, even if he is corrupt.” Kuai Liang finished Tomas’ thought. “But we will not throw you out, of course.”

Nodding once again, she said her goodbyes to the brothers so they could tend to their duties and prepare for Bi-Han’s arrival. She felt her eyes water, but she blinked her tears away. She could not allow herself to cry, not yet. She had nothing to cry over, until it was time.

Eyes ablaze with rage and distress, Bi-Han lead his army to where he speculated the Shirai Ryu were at. He did take notice of the map missing from his study, he had almost believed that his wife may have taken it, but he did not think so. Why would she scheme against him? His trustworthiness for her was beginning to diminish, but he could not let it go too far. He could be wrong.

After planning with Sektor and Cyrax, they gathered what they had of the cyber Lin Kuei and combined it with their human counterparts. They could overpower the Shirai Ryu. At least, that is what Sektor had promised him. All three of them were riding their horses in front of their army, the only sounds echoing around them being synchronized footsteps and the click-clack of the horses’ hooves.

It was now sometime in the late afternoon to evening, and they had hardly taken any breaks. Cyrax was looking down at the map they had, thankful that Bi-Han had more than one map of the possible location of the Shirai Ryu. As he did this, Sektor was beginning to converse with Bi-Han.

“Grandmaster, I do not want to worry you, but-” he started.

“What is it, Sektor?” Bi-Han snapped as he was led out of his own thoughts.

Sektor raised his head a little higher and bit back his retaliation. “When I went to get our horses from their stables, your wife’s horse was gone.”

Bi-Han glowered. “There is no way of her horse walking out on its own, were any of the stable doors open.”

Sektor shook his head. “Not at all, Grandmaster. In fact, some of the gear was missing as well. I do not want to assume she may have left on her own, but it would explain why her horse was missing.” He carefully chose his words.

Bi-Han tightened his grip on his horse’s reins. “Why would she leave me like that? She has nowhere else to go. Besides the Shirai Ryu.”

“Either way, it is still a positive sign to continue our journey.” Sektor replied.

Sektor’s information did not ease Bi-Han’s heart. He felt like it was going to shatter. Why would she betray him like this? It was bad enough that his own brothers did the same, but she? His own wife, the love of his life? His heart was beginning to harden after everything he had known. Why show her mercy if she was disloyal to him and the Lin Kuei?

“Halt!” Cyrax called out loud. “There is something on the ground.”

Bi-Han rolled his eyes. “Why are we stopping over something that pathetic?”

Cyrax hopped down from his horse as he approached the spot on the ground, studying it carefully. “Grandmaster, it is blood.”

Narrowing his eyes, he let himself down from his horse as he approached him. “Blood you say? Is there a chance it could be hers?”

Sektor had decided to leave his horse as well and study different parts of the area to find more clues.

“I am not too sure, Grandmaster. It could be an animal’s but there is also a chance it could be hers. But this is not near the assumed location on the map.”

Sektor was studying some sharp branches closely. There was something off about them. Almost as if-

“Grandmaster. Cyrax. I have found another clue!” He said as he pointed at the clothing. Bi-Han quickly approached him. “Look at the branches. There is clothing caught on them.”

“That is the colors of the Lin Kuei.” Cyrax said in slight awe. “You have great eyesight, Sektor.” Bi-Han reached forward and grabbed the cloth. He rubbed it between his fingers. It felt just like the clothing she wore. His eyes darkened as he glanced back at the blood and the clothing that was now pointing them into the right direction.

“They hurt her. They are where the cloth will take us, in that direction.” Bi-Han said as he pointed. “We must act fast before they cause more harm again.”

Kuai Liang was meditating, taking a small break from the large amounts of preparing he and Tomas were doing. They had to get their soldiers ready for any threat, as well as their land guarded at every point possible. They had to stay on high alert of the Lin Kuei showing up. Kuai Liang knew it was coming no matter what.

His eyes widened as the hair on his arms stood on end. He had a sense of impending doom, a feeling all too familiar to him. From experience, his senses were hardly ever wrong. Getting up rather fast, he had to warn Tomas. Bi-Han was here and he was ready for warfare.

Bi-Han’s lovely wife was resting due to her head wound causing her to feel dizzy. Tomas and Kuai Liang did not pressure her to leave her bed. They were already busy as it was due to her staying with them. It was only a matter of time before Bi-Han arrived like a bat out of hell. Eyes closed, she drifted off to an in between state of sleep and alertness. That was, until a solider of theirs stormed into her room. “Grandmaster Bi-Han’s wife,” he said. “We need to put you into hiding, they are here.”

Her heart sank. She nodded, getting up from the bed and following the soldier to a spot underneath the floor where should could possibly be safe at. That was if Bi-Han did not find her. He was a very thorough man, there was a good chance he would.

Encased in mostly darkness, she sat on the dirt floor and pulled her knees to her chest. She could hear the footsteps of the Shirai Ryu overhead, and the approaching sounds of their rivals. It was only a matter of time before they were murdering each other. All because she left. She realized how much trouble she had caused for Kuai Liang and Tomas just by arriving at their home. She shouldn’t be hiding underneath the floor, she should be trying to reason with Bi-Han.

“Where is she, Kuai Liang?” Bi-Han spat while placing a hand on the handle of his sword. “Give me back my wife that you took from me!”

“Brother, I did not do such a thing.” Kuai Liang said, eyebrows scrunched. “She came here looking for us. We did not tread on your land.”

Bi-Han did not want to believe them. Why would his own wife betray him like that? “You defile her name, you speak lies, snake. Why have you hurt her? There is blood on the ground.”

Tomas internally cursed and looked sullen. “Bi-Han, it was an accident. They did not know who wandered into our territory.”

Gritting his teeth, Bi-Han’s eyes glimmered with anger as he began to pull his sword out of its sheath. “Incompetent. I do not expect anything less from either of you. Give her back to me, now. Before I rip apart your home.”

Tomas and Kuai exchanged a look before averting their eyes back to Bi-Han. “Only if you stop your mission to kill us. And you will leave her alone.”

Bi-Han signaled his soldiers to attack, not wanting to hear more out of his enemies. Kuai and Tomas knew it was going to come to this, so they wasted no time in lunging at Bi-Han to calm him down. Despite all he had done, they did not want to hurt their brother. But he was starting a war that neither side could not afford.

Curling into a ball, she felt terrified and lonely. She wondered when it would all be over, but then, their faces appeared in her head. Bi-Han had the chance to kill his brothers if he wanted to, all because she made the choice to leave. To find them. It was unfair, and she knew that. As she gained courage, she rummaged around the small space, trying to find anything she could to break out of the confinements. She had to reason with Bi-Han. It was the only way to get him to stop this.

She wrapped her hands around the handle of what she assumed was a broom and began to slam it into the trapdoor. Over and over. Continuously, until the floor began to somewhat break. She used her hands to strike at it as it was weak, and it eventually gave away. Pulling herself up, she squinted her eyes as she adjusted to the lighting. She could hear the yells of the soldiers much more clearer. With adrenaline rushing, she sprinted out one of the doors and whipped her head around. In her attempts to find Kuai Liang and Bi-Han. Back farther into the forest, she saw glimpses of smoke, fire, and ice. They must have taken their fight away from the Shirai Ryu Temple.

Avoiding as much as the bloodshed as possible, as well as the soldiers fighting to the death, she ran in the general direction she had seen the men’s powers. The soldiers were too occupied with one another to see her. Otherwise, the Lin Kuei would have immediately attacked her. The sight of the cybers increased her fear. That is what Bi-Han and Sektor were developing. It was horrifying.

As she got closer to where the brothers and her husband were at, the smell of blood stung her nostrils. Her worries almost came out of her mouth as bile, but she could not let herself be so weak in this moment. She needed to help them.

“Surrender, and I will call off the Lin Kuei.” Bi-Han rasped as he stared down Kuai Liang.

“Now you lie, brother.” Kuai replied as they paced around. “You will never call them off.”

Bi-Han’s eyes narrowed in irritation. “Obey your Grandmaster and heed my orders!”

“You are not my Grandmaster no longer, brother.” said Kuai as his emotions were written on his face. Sadness, betrayal, and grief. “You are not who you once were.”

“And you are not my brother, a mere stranger to me.” Bi-Han lunged forward at Kuai as their swords clashed together. Bi-Han stepped back once again.

“Bi-Han,” said that sweet voice, one that brought him comfort, love, and warmth. “Bi-Han, you need to stop this!”

“Little sister!” Tomas said as he went to her side. “You are not supposed to be here!”

“Get away from her you fool!” Bi-Han yelled at Tomas as he began to walk forward. Kuai pointed his sword out at Bi-Han to stop.

“You will not touch her,” Kuai growled. “You leave her out of this, Bi-Han.”

“I want my wife back, the one that was wrongfully taken from me!”

“Bi-Han, I made the decision to leave.” She blurted. “I left to find them. They did not take me away from you.”

Another blow to his heart. His beloved, his most cherished human being in his life, left him. To find the Shirai Ryu. Sektor was correct in his theory. “You betrayed me!”

“You betrayed them first, Bi-Han.” She argued back. “You made that mistake.”

“You have forsaken all the Lin Kuei principles!” His voice increased in loudness and raspiness. “What have you done to me? You were supposed to rule beside me!”

“I missed them, Bi-Han! You cannot blame me for my sadness, you brought it upon me and I had no other option but to accept it. You are not the same man you once were, and it shows. I wanted to see them again, Bi-Han.”

Jaw clenched, his eyes moved from his wife, to Kuai, to Tomas, and back to her again. “All three of you have abandoned the Lin Kuei. For your own selfish purposes. You all could have ruled beside me and witnessed us flourishing. Instead, you have betrayed me.” His eyes began to shift in color, his arms beginning to turn icy and the nature around them as well. His feet created ice underneath them.

Kuai Liang took a step back as Bi-Han’s rage was focused on him, his now blue eyes staring into his soul. Raising his hands, Bi-Han shot ice out of his hands, enough to give Kuai injuries and more. But, it did not hit Kuai Liang.

Body thudding the ground, her face paled quickly as the ice began to seep into her body and penetrate her blood. Bi-Han’s eyes slowly moved down to her small form laying on the ground. It did not register in him that he hurt his own wife. The woman he promised to never hurt and always protect. Yet here she was, lying on the ground as her limbs encapsulated themselves in ice.

“Bi-Han…”

“What have you done?” Tomas said as he kneeled down next to her. “Kuai, we need your fire now.”

“Unhand her now!” Bi-Han said as he ripped her body away from Tomas. “You… will not touch her again.”

“Bi-Han, she needs immediate attention! She is going to die.” Kuai said as he stepped towards Bi-Han.

His eyes began to glow which did not settle right with Tomas and Kuai. They had never seen him do this before. “I do not need your help. Leave it to me, now.”

“Brother-”

“Silence!” He screamed, breathing unevenly and placing his hands gently on her pale face.

"Bi-Han, she will die if she does not-"

Their vision was immediately obscured by white, ears ringing as the whistling of the winds began to pick up. They were surrounded by snow and snowflakes. They squinted their eyes at attempts to find Bi-Han and his wife, but they could not see very much.

"Kuai Liang!" Tomas yelled over the whistling wind. "I think he created a blizzard!"

"I did not know he was capable of doing so!" he replied as he grabbed onto Tomas. "He will be easily angered in this form, I do not see him reasoning with us."

"We need to help her! If she does not get the help she needs, she will die!" Tomas yelled again. The look of defeat crossed their faces. They were not going to have much power to reason with Bi-Han to accept their help.

Bi-Han felt his word shatter as he stared at her limp form. Her heart beat was still there but it was rather faint. Her lips were beginning to turn blue from being surrounded by cold and ice. Bi-Han's eyes were still glowing as the winds increased more, as well as the snow fall. Picking them both off the ground, Bi-Han began to walk in the general direction he assumed where the Shirai Ryu were at. He had to leave now. They had to make it back to the Arctika before she gave up on them. He could not rely on the Shirai Ryu to help, as they would only use it as leverage. And Bi-Han knew that he could not bite his pride back and let them help her.

The blizzard Bi-Han created followed the Lin Kuei all the way back home to the Arctika. They had difficulty navigating back because of how heavy the snowfall and winds were. It only seemed to get worse as they approached their home. Bi-Han attempted to keep his wife warm with many blankets as possible as Sektor kept track of her heart rate, but her condition did not improve much. Bi-Han felt hopeless, his moods taking a turn for the worst. He was distraught as he felt many emotions he did not think he could feel. He was hurt. His heart hurt so much. How could she do this to him? How much did she tell Kuai and Tomas? He was not sure, and he almost did not want to ask. He felt like he could not trust the only person who he loved so much, for she had taken his trust and ran with it.

But Bi-Han loved her. He loved her so much and he knew he could not stop loving her no matter what. Could he stop trusting her? Yes, yes he could, but stop loving her? That was impossible as much as he wished he did not turn soft. For many hours of their trip, Bi-Han continued to monitor her closely as they were far from their home. Any moment Sektor's facial expression somewhat changed when he listened to her heart rate was another stab into his heart.

After many grueling hours, the Lin Kuei and their Grandmaster made it home. The blizzard was at its peak, but the soldiers hurried inside the confinements of their home. Sektor and Cyrax instantly began to prepare the infirmary for the Grandmaster's wife. Bi-Han was relieved to be home, but his anxiety was not at ease. It made him nauseated. He felt out of control, it was not normal for Bi-Han.

He waited impatiently, pacing and rubbing his face constantly as Cyrax and Sektor began to work on her hypothermia. No matter how much warmth they used, she did not improve. They knew it would take time, but telling the Grandmaster that was as if they were telling him she was going to die. Cyrax and Sektor exchanged small, concerned glances as they continued their work. Bi-Han was not acting normal, in fact, it seemed as if his defenses were down.

"Grandmaster, we can give you a moment alone if you want." Cyrax said to him, noticing how pained he looked. Bi-Han did not reply as he got up which signaled to them to leave. Closing the door on the way out, Bi-Han sat next to his wife, gently cradling her freezing hand between his own. If anyone had seen Bi-Han, it would look as if he was in mourning. His dark circles were extremely dark, his eyes bloodshot and containing no glimmer of hope. His lips were pulled into a tight line, whether it was to prevent himself from showing any other emotions or another reason, it was unknown.

"Firefly," he said softly. "Never underestimate how much I love you. You have to be strong, you are Lin Kuei. Lin Kuei fight their battles well, no matter if it is in physical battle or in health. Do not give up." He did not know if she could hear him, but a small part of him wished she did. His eyes scanned her face while his grip began to slowly increase. She was alive, a fact that put his certain worries at ease, but she was lying on her death bed. That he put her on. It was his fault, he had lost control and was not disciplined enough to master his own powers apparently. That was evident to Bi-Han.

Lowering his head, he continued to hold her hand as he closed his eyes. All the fighting and long nights were beginning to hit him all at once. He could not help but feel himself drift off to sleep. It was not peaceful, that was something he could not argue against.

Drowsily opening her eyes, her teeth chattered immensely at the freezing cold that pricked at her body. She was covered in multiple blankets and had some sort of heaters around her, but it was not able to fight against the cold that made her body convulse. She looked over and her mouth opened agape. Bi-Han was sitting next to her with his eyes closed, holding her hand in his large one. She felt her fear consume her, as she began to move away from Bi-Han’s figure. She could hardly move her limbs, it was as if they were frozen.

Bi-Han heard her struggles and awoke fast. He got up on his feet, now awake and registering his own wife moving away from him. He placed a hand onto her. “Firefly-”

“Get away from me!” She croaked. Bi-Han retreated his hand, as if he had touched a red, hot knife. “Stay away from me, Bi-Han.”

“You should know I never meant to hurt you.” He replied solemnly. “It was meant for Kuai Liang.”

She felt herself tear up. “Hurting me or your brothers will not help your cause. Get away from me, Bi-Han.” She tried to say this sternly but she could not help the few cracks in her voice. “You frighten me.”

It anguished him to hear her sharp words. The pit of his stomach fizzled with nausea and bile, his chest felt that broken, horrifyingly warm feeling as his vision blurred and his ears began to ring. His breathing increased. “My beloved, you do not understand.”

“Understand what? That you are a monster?”

He gritted his teeth. “It was you that left me. Had you not left me, this would have never happened.”

“Well, it happened, didn’t it? All for what? So you could get the upper hand against the Shirai Ryu?” She spat back, bringing her knees to her chest as she cuddled against the blankets. “You were going to hurt your brothers.”

“They are not my brothers no more. You of all people should know that.” His irritation was beginning to increase. “You have betrayed me. I cannot trust you.”

“I can’t trust you either. Now I am going to be fearful if you will hurt me again or cover me in ice.” She replied with venom dripping off her words. “You are a cruel man, Bi-Han. Leave me alone. I cannot bear to be around you.”

With her last words, Bi-Han stormed out of the room. He did not spare her a passing glance. She let herself cry, sobs wracking her body as she pulled the blankets closer to her and tried to warm herself up. But she could not. She craved Bi-Han’s warmth and touch, but she could not be held by him. He was corrupted.

Sektor and Cyrax recommended lots of bed rest, warm foods, and extra warmth to help her condition. She was eventually moved from the infirmary to the comfort of her and Bi-Han’s bedroom. Servants gave her what she needed, and they gave her warm baths in order to ease the aching cold. But it was hardly improving much. It was as if Bi-Han had given her a deadly frost bite.

Ever since their last argument, Bi-Han had avoided her like she was an illness. She had not seen him since. But little did she know, Bi-Han did see her. He was check in on her when she was asleep to see if she was still breathing. She was just as beautiful as the day he married her. He wanted to crawl into bed with her and hold her close to him. Give her warmth. But he had to listen to her orders to stay away. It was for her own good. He could not bear to hurt her again like he did. She was even lucky to still be alive.

He occupied himself with work and overworked himself in large amounts. He had to oversee the production of the Cyber Initiative as he had taken some to battle the Shirai Ryu. They found out their weaknesses and made the cybers stronger. Soon, they would be unstoppable.

Yet his achievements did not make him feel any better. He missed his wife dearly. He wanted to hear from her how proud she was of him, and how the Lin Kuei would never have to be servants again. Instead, he felt like a monster living within human flesh. The blizzards hardly faltered since that day she had gotten hurt. The weather conditions were horrible on the Arctika due to this. Bi-Han did not know he was capable of such a powerful weapon, but he had concluded that he could only do so when he was agonized.

In dire need of seeing his wife once again, Bi-Han had risen from his chair and decided to take a stroll and find her in their room. That was where she mainly stayed at due to medical orders. Cyrax made sure she did not disobey these orders, as she had already broken Bi-Han’s trust.

His feet carried him to their room while he was deep in thought. It felt as if he had teleported his way to their sanctuary. His hand turning the door knob quietly, he peered inside and was taken aback. She was not asleep like usual, she was awake. Her head swiveled to him, their eyes locking together as they stared at one another. Bi-Han entered the room and she began to flinch away from him. She moved her body further away, and it tugged at Bi-Han’s heartstrings. She was afraid.

“What do you want?” She asked him, still looking at him.

“I came to see you.” He breathed quietly. “I always do when you are asleep.”

She felt her heart beat faster at his words. Despite how much they were hurting, he still came to see her. It warmed her heart, but she could not bring herself to forgive him just yet.

“I know I hurt you.” He said with his arms crossed. “I am truly sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”

“It is hard to believe you. With your behavior changes and what you have done.” She frowned at him and felt herself begin to tear up.

Bi-Han started to approach her but she scooted back quickly. “Please stay away, Bi-Han.”

He stopped where he stood and put his arms behind his back. “I am sorry, my beloved. I never wanted this to happen.”

As much as she craved his touch, she could not trust him. Just as he could not trust her. “We both need time, Bi-Han. It is too soon.”

He nodded his head. “Understood. We both do.”

Many months had passed since her accident. Bi-Han tried to keep his distance away from her, but here and there she warmed up to his advances. They had not made love for almost a year, although Bi-Han was not a fiend for such an act, he still wished they could divulge in it with her. He missed being so close to her and her body. But he knew she needed time to trust him, just as he needed time to trust her once again.

“Bi-Han,” she spoke softly.

He raised his head up. “Yes, my firefly?”

She stepped closer to him. “Please hold me, Bi-Han.”

This was a huge step for them, but Bi-Han did not want this opportunity to slip from his hands. He gently wrapped his arms around her waist as he brought her closer to him. He felt her arms wrap around his body. He breathed in her scent deeply. She smelled wonderful. It was comforting to Bi-Han.

He wondered if their relationship would recover fully from what had happened. It felt that these wounds were partially healed, but Bi-Han did not want them to re-open. His brown eyes started to tear up as he held her close to him, but he blinked them away. He wanted to stay like this forever.

“I love you, Bi-Han.” She said as she closed her eyes.

“I love you much more, my sweet firefly.”

[bloodlust-1]

Are you still taking requests? I literally cannot control myself when it comes to angst so I was thinking of a fic where Tav gets kidnapped by Cazadors spawns and is getting tortured by him, so Astarion goes crazy with worry and anger trying to get them back

Like I said i am insatiable when it comes to angst

The dramaaaaa.... LET'S DO THISS SHITT. I do love me some angst too :')

Hope you enjoy @blades-are-for-skating-ya-dingus <3

. Shackles .

Astarion x fem Tav — angst

T/W: abuse, blood

Notes: I’m so proud of this one ahh. This makes me hate Cazador even more.

Tav's body trembled as the shackles dug into her wrists, her bare skin exposed to the cold, damp air of the dungeon. She had been captured by Cazador one night by his spawns. Tav never returned back to camp that night, and the only thing that was left for Astarion was a note he found on a spawn:

-------

"My Dear spawn, how dare you to run away from me. Know that there will be consequences for your actions, and your lover will not be spared from my wrath. You will regret ever crossing me, my child."

-------

Her wrists were bound by heavy shackles, chains attached to the wall, preventing her from moving more than a few inches. The sharp metal dug into her skin, causing her to wince in pain every time she struggled against them. Her body was covered in bruises, cuts, and burns, the result of Cazador's ruthless torture techniques.

Cazador stood in front of Tav, a wicked grin on his face. He held a whip in his hand, the same one he had used to lash Tav's back until it bled. She could barely lift her head to look at him, her body exhausted and broken.

"Pathetic," Cazador sneered, his eyes filled with malice. "You thought you could hide from me? A mere mortal challenging a vampire? How foolish."

Cazador stood in front of her, his face twisted into a sadistic grin. "You think your lover, Astarion, will save you from me? He will help me ascend and be nothing more than dirt on the floor. And soon, you will be too. Tell me where is the boy."

Tav's heart sank at the mention of Astarion's name. All Tav wanted was to trade with a merchant to gift Astarion a better dagger. But now, here she was, captured and tortured.

"Never," Tav spat, defiant even in the face of her tormentor.

Cazador's grin widened. "We'll see about that, my dear. We have ways of making you talk."

He signaled to his spawn, Petras, and he poked at Tav's skin with a hot metal rod. She cried out in pain, her body bruised and bloodied. But she refused to say any information.

"You will never have Astarion again," Tav gasped, her voice weak from the beatings.

Cazador's smile turned into a scowl, and he grabbed Tav's chin roughly, forcing her face to meet his. "You wretched thing."

Cazador motioned for Petras to stop as he approached Tav, snatching the hot iron rod from Petras’s hand. Tav's eyes widened in terror as she realized what he was about to do.

"Please, no," she begged, tears streaming down her face.

But Cazador didn't listen. He pressed the hot iron against Tav's skin, causing her to scream in agony. The smell of burning flesh filled the dungeon.

"I will make you suffer until you give me what I want," Cazador growled, enjoying every moment of Tav's pain.

Tav's body shook with sobs as the torture continued. She thought of Astarion, their love, and their plans for the future. She refused to let Cazador break her, even if it meant her death.

"I said no, you bastard!," Tav cried, her voice hoarse from screaming.

Cazador continued to torture her, and Tav's thoughts became consumed with memories of Astarion. The way he looked at her with love, the cold touch of his lips on hers.

"I love you, Astarion," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.

But as the darkness of the dungeon consumed her, Tav feared she'd never see Astarion again.

~

Astarion's heart raced as he crept through the dark and musty corridors of the dungeon. His mind clashed between anger and guilt. Astarion feared that Tav was somewhere within these walls, shackled and tortured by Cazador.

When Astarion reached Tav's cell, he caught sight of her. Tav's face was pale and bruised. She was shirtless and barely conscious.

But even in this state, Tav was still the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on.

His hands trembled as he quickly picked the lock, and with a loud click, the chains that bound Tav fell to the ground, and Astarion's heart swelled with relief and anger. He scooped her up in his arms, ignoring Tav's cries of pain from the bruises and cuts covering her body.

"Shh, my love. It's me," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "I've come to take you away from this place."

Tav's tear-stained face looked up at him, and her eyes widened in surprise. "Astarion? How did you find me?"

Astarion fixated his eyes on Tav's face, the sight of her hurt gaze ached his dead heart. "I will always find you, no matter where they try to hide you." He pulled the shirt off his back and covered Tav's bare chest.

Carefully, Astarion carried Tav out of the dungeon, making sure to avoid any spawns or traps along the way. It was especially hard when Tav winced to every movement.

Astarion stealth his way out of the palace and went back to camp. He felt anger gnawing at his chest. He should have been there to protect Tav, But he had failed, and now Tav had suffered because of his shortcomings.

When they got back to camp, their companions rushed to their side, relieved to see Tav alive. Shadowheart, Wyll, Gale, and Karlach swarmed around Astarion.

"Get out of the way! She needs to rest!" Astarion snapped in a fit of anger. His emotions were pouring out in the worst possible way, and whoever was in the way needed to move.

Astarion gently settled Tav onto his bed, frowning at the sight of her bruised and battered body. She winced in pain as he placed her down, but he quickly reassured her, "I'll take care of you."

He grabbed a small bucket of water and a cloth, carefully cleaning the dried blood and dirt from her skin. Tav winced again, tears streaming down her face as he touched her injuries.

Gods this is all my fault. Astarion gritted his teeth from the sting of remorse.

"It's going to be alright," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I promise, I won't let anyone hurt you like this again."

Cazador will pay for this.

Tav weakly reached out to wipe away the tears that had fallen from his eyes, a small smile tugged on her chipped lips. "Don't cry, Astarion. You're here now, and that's all that matters."

He couldn't help but chuckle at her stubbornness, even in her injured state. "Your wit amazes me, my dear."

Astarion continued to clean and tend to her wounds, his hands gentle and careful than anything he'd ever touched in the past 200 years. Tav winced and hissed in pain, but she never once pulled away. She simply gripped his hand tightly as he worked, her eyes shut tightly.

Tav winced as he tended to a particularly deep cut on her arm. "It hurts," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"I know, my dear," Astarion's eyes narrowed at her pain. "But I promise, I'll make it better."

After what seemed like hours, Astarion finally finished and leaned back, a satisfied look on his face. "There, all done."

Tav slowly opened her eyes and looked down at her now clean and bandaged skin. "Thank you..." The burn marks would scar her skin forever. It was something Tav looked past for her own sake.

"You are strong," he continued, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "And I will do everything in my power to protect you and keep you safe from Cazador."

Tav reached up and cupped his cheek, she whispered. "I trust you.."

Astarion leaned down and pressed his lips against Tav's, pouring all of his emotions into the kiss. Tav pushed against his lips gently, while his hands held Tav's shoulders. When they pulled away Tav could see the desperation in his eyes and it was heartbreaking.

"Rest now, my dear. I'll be here when you wake up." And with that, Astarion stayed by Tav's side, watching over her as she drifted off to sleep.

Any thoughts? Comment 👇🏼 I love to engage!

[cod-imagines-fanfiction]

Jealous Alejandro kidnaps Valeria's girlfriend part 7 (3.4k words)

Summary: Now in the custody of the Mexican Army, Y/N is transferred to an incarceration facility and meets her unexpected bunkie

Warnings: LESBIAN SMUT, filth but very loving :) Note at the end Link to A03 Links to part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6

The journey to prison seemed never-ending. Y/N watched the world beyond from the small window next to her, watched as they traversed past dry, yellow fields, past abandoned gas stations. Past faded, rusty signs that were littered with bullet holes. She watched the world dim as the sun fell, the soft glow of twilight as the sun dipped below the horizon. The oranges and pinks shone so briefly but beautifully on the sky right before the darkness descended. The man across from her said that Valeria was in the van behind them. If there was such a van, it was way behind them and impossible to see. She only hoped that this misery would soon be over, that the cold metal bands around her wrists would be removed and she could walk free.

Only that she wouldn't. She and Valeria had reached the point of no return, that much she knew. The life they lived before - the secluded glamour, their intoxicating, opulent love - vaporised into nothingness. They cheated the world all these years and pretended that the truth wouldn't - couldn't - reach them. That the world would forget about their queer domesticity, their illegal lifestyle. Illegal because that lifestyle was funded entirely by drug money and violence. But the balancing scales finally tipped and Valeria would get what the world believed she deserved. And seemingly, the drugs were only part of the picture. Missiles. Terrorism. You'd heard those words scattered in conversations relating to Valeria and they made you shudder. There was a darkness that, so far, had lived on the periphery of your life with Valeria. A darkness that could be suppressed, that you could pretend was not really there. You pretended that the diamond jewels Valeria dressed you in were bought with honest money. Pretend that the men brought to the tunnelled rooms beneath your house were there for job interviews, not for interrogations. Pretended that Valeria's cars were made with heavy doors because it was her personal taste, not because she needed bulletproof transportation.

These fictions were no longer tangible, no longer capable of retaining their glamour. You and Valeria would have to pay for all of it, finally. Y/N knew that one of these days her tears would fall and she would not be able to stop them.

It was all mechanical after that. The van approached a looming structure of concrete and barbed wire, of guard towers and dogs. The van was checked and allowed to enter. Y/N shrank away from the gazes of all these men. The Captain across from her, the driver, the guards, the soldiers waiting beyond. The door was opened and you were flung out, shackles and all. The Captain put his arm through yours, a precaution in case you tried to escape. It almost made you laugh. There was nowhere to run to and all these men were impossible to run from. "No papers?" A guard asked the Captain, his eyes raking over your form. You became acutely aware of your attire, the pyjamas, and how they contrasted with the uniforms of these men. Your light, thin pyjamas were built for comfort and aesthetics. And their kit, bulky and covering every inch of them, was built for battle. "No, sir. Special case. Courtesy of General Shepherd." The Captain nodded to him knowingly. It felt illegal that they would jail you without even a passport or some form of ID, but you didn't dare say anything. You weren't sure what rights you had, if you had them. The process beyond that was glaringly odd. You entered what looked like the reception of the facility. Your pockets were checked - there was nothing. You were not identified but were given an ID card and a uniform to change to.

"Am I in prison?" You asked. "No, ma'am. Temporary custody, it's like jail." You stared at the uniform in your hands, then back to the guard. "Why am I wearing this then?" He cleared his throat. "It's more modest, ma'am." "Oh," you said stupidly and changed. Thankfully, you were not searched for anything. It was nothing like the scary stories Valeria would tell you from those who were caught and imprisoned due to her operations. Of people made to kneel and cough in all their nakedness, of guards probing their bodies and leering. When you came out from the changing area, the Captain was gone, presumably because he'd handed you off to the right authorities. That's all you were to them, something to be passed off and transferred from point A to point B. Something to be processed and shelved.

The guard was waiting for you. "This way," he said and buzzed you into the facility. Greyness and coldness prevailed in this place. The labyrinthiness of it made your head spin, every hallway was the same, and every corner was like the one you'd seen before. The doors were the same, even the guards looked like the same person but multiplied. The reality of it all pressed down on you oppressingly, you held in your tears and followed the man. Your heart hammered in your chest when you heard the yells of men, muffled behind the concrete but hysterical in their intensity. The guard must've noticed the panic in your eyes. "You will be held in the private women's wing. Special case gets special privileges." He almost sounded hopeful, but you weren't sure if the final part was meant to make you feel any better about your situation. The panic did subside, however. Another gate stood in front of you and you were processed through that one, too. The women's wing, you presumed.

The women's private wing was completely empty, the cells clearly vacant by the fact that their doors were wide open. There were two floors and a guard post staring at them. No windows. Your footsteps echoed across the chamber, the silence was defeaning. "You're in here," he said and deposited you to one of the rooms. It was a small room scarcely furnished with a toilet and a metal bunk. A pillow, a thin mattress and a blanket summarised your belongings for the time being. "Do I get time in the yard or anything?" You said as you turned around but the door was slammed in your face. You jumped back. "That's not how jail works," he said and walked off. You stared through the door's window for some time, becoming self-conscious with each passing moment. Apart from the lack of freedom and the possibility of spending a lifetime incarcerated, you were troubled with the hygienic aspect of things. Can they see inside when you go to the bathroom? It was something you always wondered about when you watched crime TV and you now had a personal investment in the topic.

"Don't worry, amor. They won't peek through."

You almost fell to your knees. Your hand reached out in time to hold on to the door as you heard her voice. You didn't have time to turn around, her warm hands were already on you as she hugged you from behind. Her body emanated warmth as she pressed herself against you and you felt her frame envelop yours. Her warmth, the scent of her sweat lightly masqued by her perfume. Valeria's hands caressed your sides and travelled up and down your body, eagerly. One of her hands slithered beneath your shirt and past your bra. She cupped one of your breasts and squeezed as her face rested on your shoulder, lightly coating the side of your neck with breathy kisses. You always shivered when she did this and let out a shaky breath, carefully releasing a relieved whimper. You tried to speak but struggled to release the words coherently. Each attempt started with a pitiful vowel which was drowned by a hot kiss, it resulted in a cascade of pitiful, small sounds that were interrupted by the sound of wet lips and light moans.

Actions spoke louder than words with Valeria. There was no point in saying how much she missed you when she could show it. She squeezed your nipple sharply. You yelped as expected and she took the chance to enter your mouth with her tongue. She could feel your flustered embarrassment given your surroundings and chuckled as you tried to kiss her lightly and more quietly. She refused your demands and kissed you harder, sloppier; louder. You finally broke off, breathless. "They'll hear us," you said as she moved on to your neck without skipping a beat, kissing your jaw. "They left the post, baby," she said and moved to your ears. Valeria's tongue flickered on your lobe, knowing how ticklish her warm breath made you, how it made your whole body squirm. "Special privileges," she whispered and started nibbling on your skin.

"Baby," you pouted to her. A frenzied passion arose within Valeria. All that time she spent away from you, all that fear about your safety, the despair she felt when she thought she would never see you again; that you were hurt or tortured, that you were bullied and exploited whilst she could do nothing to protect you. All those feelings made her desperate to touch you, to feel that you really were there. To feel your soft skin and to see for herself that you were not bruised or hurt. With each caress and with each touch, she wanted to feel that you were unharmed, untouched. And with each examining touch, arousal glowed within her body, that special warm feeling intensifying between her legs. She missed you; all of you. One of her hands was blissfully busy with your breasts, moving from one to the other and eliciting many praises from your body; twitching and whimpering with all the stimulation. Unable to help herself, Valeria allowed her other hand to to caress your tummy, which she loved, and then lower to the band of your trousers, teasingly. You wiggled excitedly in her grasp, loving to see her so excited with you. "You're so crazy, baby," you mumbled and delivered kisses to her face. Her hand then went lower to your crotch, fondling that sensitive spot hungrily. You yelped in response. "What if they walk in on us, my love?" You asked her and wiggled your hips to escape her touches, fending off her wicked teasing.

"I already told you, princess," she said and continued caressing your sensitive spot with more intensity, following the rhythm of your hips. "They've all left their post." Hearing quiet noises escape from your careful control excited her even more, Valeria couldn't deny how much she loved moments where this dynamic manifested in your relationship. Her intense, playful teasing when you were not in an entirely private place. Your assertions of propriety and decency. How Valeria would persist with her argument and teasing, your eventual, blissful surrender. You remained unconvinced and so she pressed you forward with her body, making you peek out of the little window on the door. "Look for yourself, they're all gone," she said. You lifted yourself a bit higher and looked on. You surveyed the space and saw how empty it was, with no guard posted, and no cameras. You hummed to yourself as you judged the safety of the situation. You made a noise with your assent. "You're right, there's no on-", with no hesitation Valeria plunged her hand past your trousers and your underwear, her fingers reaching out to your sex. "You're happy, now?" She whispered to your ear as her middle finger found your clit and moved your wetness up and down. She felt your jaw tighten as she continued that movement agonizingly slow but with more pressure, making your hips press against her. "Use your words, princess," she whispered into your ear. "Yes, baby. I'm happy." You said quickly and breathlessly.

Valeria bit her lip and groaned quietly in your ear. "You're already so wet for me," she mumbled as her fingers moved faster. Her movements were sloppy and the contact with your skin emitted those wet noises that embarrassed you so much. She kissed your cheek and froze when she felt how wet your face was. "Baby, are you crying?" It was all too much. Everything that happened came back to you. The sudden kidnapping, the destruction of your home, the interrogation, your imprisonment and chaotic escape. You had not a moment to yourself to process anything before Valeria appeared. You loved her touch and longed for release, longed to touch her. And yet, your tears fell. "Fuck, I'm sorry." She span you around so that you were facing her. Her eyes widened with panic at the sight of tears falling steadily and silently down your face. She cupped your cheeks with her warm hands. "Too much too soon. You know how intense I am, baby." She pulled you in for a hug. You nuzzled your face in her neck and inhaled her scent, you exhaled shakily. "I missed you so much," you mumbled and held on to Valeria tightly. "I didn't understand what was happening."

Valeria cooed as she stroked your back. "I know, baby. I'm sorry." "I didn't tell them anything," you said. "I know my love, thank you." You kissed her cheek. Valeria moved backwards and sat on the bed. She pulled you close so that you were straddling her; the two of you kept hugging. It was one of the things that always made you feel better on a bad day, how Valeria would hold you like this and comfort you. How she would whisper sweet nothings in your ear as you cried or complained about whatever it was that upset you. "Did he hurt you?" You said as you lightly touched the dark circles on Valeria's neck. She tried not to wince, she knew who you were referring to. "I hurt him worse." She said and paused. "Did he hurt you?" She asked slowly, suddenly afraid of your answer. You shook your head. "No, he was just scaring me." Valeria released a relieved exhale. "You're a tough cookie, Y/N." You giggled lightly and Valeria's muscles relaxed lightly. "I knew you'd come for me," you said. "I'll always find you," Valeria said and you kissed deeply. Valeria was careful not to initiate anything given your fragile state, she only gave what you asked for. You pulled back to catch your breath and went back for a second kiss, then a third one.

You pulled back again and gazed into Valeria's dark eyes. She almost seemed drunk with her flushed cheeks and the way her eyelids hung low as if she was sleepy. But you knew better. "Is it true that you left Alejandro for me?" You asked. It wasn't the sexiest thing to say at this time, but the question burned inside you. Valeria never spoke about her romantic life before you. Even on the nights when you had a little too much to drink and felt a sudden spike of jealousy that made you ask, she never responded. You knew that if you didn't ask now, you'd be silent forever and the question would eat at you. You would gnaw on the chops of jealousy, licking your wounds for eternity. "Yes," she said in a husky, low voice. You kissed her again and moaned into her mouth; you were elated. The rumours were true! The satisfaction was so delicious and warm, you felt yourself glow from the inside like a firefly.

Valeria broke the kiss. "The day I met you...I'd never felt that way about anyone. I knew you'd be mine. You were made for me, Y/N." Her face moved close to yours, your lips almost touching. "Only for me," she whispered and your lips crashed. Your hands reached beneath Valeria's shirt and roamed across her back. You found that sensitive spot on her lower back that made her shiver and grazed that spot with your nails; she moaned. One of your hands continued roaming her back and swiftly unclipped Valeria's bra. "Did you feel like that too, Y/N? The day we met?" Valeria asked. You nodded. "It was like magic. You were so pretty..." You trailed off as Valeria removed her top along with her bra. She lowered her back so that it touched the bed and just lay underneath you, half-naked. Her nipples hardened as they were exposed to the chilly air of the cell, they looked beautiful and felt soft and warm when you touched them. "And?" Valeria whispered, enjoying how hypnotised you were by her chest. It was her favourite way of getting you quiet. "And...I was worried you wouldn't like me. You're intimidating, baby." Your voice was low as you continued touching her as you spoke.

Valeria bit her lip. "Am I intimidating now?" You shook your head with a smile. "No, you're so beautiful," you said and lowered your face close to her chest. Valeria held her breath. "I could just eat you," you mumbled and covered one of her nipples with your mouth, circling the soft bud with your tongue and lightly grazing it with your teeth. Valeria released a breathy exhale. You released her nipple and kissed the skin around it, warming up her chest with your breath and occasionally biting down hard enough to make her yelp underneath you. You circled her other nipple with your thumb. "You want to eat me?" Valeria asked so quietly that you almost didn't hear her. She sounded shy; you knew what she wanted. "More than anything," you said and trailed kisses down to her tummy.

You both fumbled with each other's clothes, you scattered everything to the ground and basked in your nakedness together. You lay on the bed and guided Valeria's hips so that she lowered her thighs around your head. It was pure, never-ending bliss. The two of you filled the room with your moans and gaps, making the metal bed squeak from the rhythm of your love. Valeria ground her sex on your mouth, one of her hands reaching down to move your mouth closer to her wetness as she sought her climax whilst the other reached back to pleasure your clit. Valeria's body glistened with her sweat, she was beautiful as she moved her body up and down, the soft parts of her body bounced ecstatically until she came and her body recoiled with pleasure. Valeria always came first, but you followed quickly after, moaning as Valeria's fingers penetrated your deepest core and sweetly hit your sensitive spot. With a muffled cry, you came on her fingers.

The two of you lay in the bed together for a long time after that, whispering in the darkness. "You should've seen the house, Y/N. It was in ruins. I thought you were gone for good...I don't know what I'd do without you." You kissed her shoulder lightly. "I'll always be with you, Valeria." She shook her head and sighed. "Fucking Alejandro. It's all his fault. I'd forgotten about him, you know. I forgot he even existed." Your mind wandered back to the moment he burst into your room. The rage in his eyes, the way he yelled as he grabbed you. "He's very scary. I can't picture the two of you together." Valeria chuckled bitterly. "It was complicated. But don't think about that now, it's time to rest." You looked at her anxiously. "What if they come in whilst we're asleep?" Valeria shook her head and tucked you in, pulling the blanket up to your chin so that you were nice and warm. "They won't, baby. Just go to bed."

You fell asleep almost instantly, the exhaustion finally caught up to you. Valeria's scent, warmth and steady heartbeat lulled you to sleep and you slept deeply knowing that you were safe in your wife's arms. Valeria stayed up and watched you for what felt like hours. She stared at your face, the way the faint glimmer of moonlight illuminated your skin and lashes. She watched your chest rise and fall. You were so trusting, so loyal. So devoted even as you hit rock bottom with Valeria, you could make the coldest jail cell glow with warmth. At that moment, Valeria really felt that she could be happy anywhere as long as you were next to her. She could sleep in the most narrow metal bed if it meant you'd be next to her. She kissed your forehead lightly before getting comfortable next to you, she did not dream of anything.

Note: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! It's my first time writing smut but I think it worked out nicely and we finally reunited Valeria with her wife :D Although this could be read as the end, I'll write one more final part to tie up the plot because you best believe Valeria and her trophy wife ain't spending the rest of their life in prison!

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[dashing-through-ecto]

I am curious about those scars on your Nari 👀

Full picture is under the cut because of some self harm

Phantom sensations of shackles and chains haunt him in his sleeping and waking hours. Sometimes the only thing he can do after a nightmare is scratch.

He got some of his scars from missionaries and crusades, but his arms are mostly marred by his own terror.

[miscling]

The Picnic

‘Where am I? Who are you?’

Your smirk refused to answer those questions. Your hungry eyes watched me flail, but your hand caught my ankle. It held me, stronger than I could pull away from. I froze for a moment, all the will in the world to scream but no breath in my lungs to let it out.

We sat on a picnic blanket, a basket open holding the remains of a twilight lunch. You reached across it, holding me still by my bare ankle. I wasn’t naked, but barefoot. Not collared, but my wrists in heavy metal shackles.

‘I am here to hunt, my prey,’ you said, savouring my terror. ‘I’m going to have my fill tonight. But please, make it interesting.’ You let go of my ankle. ‘Run.’

My instincts took over. The command to run gripped my heart and squeezed the blood through my body. I had to get away. I had to make this interesting.

We were in the woods. I left the picnic clearing and scrambled to my feet, dashing for the nearest large tree. When I reached it, I hid behind it for a moment, feeling a need to take one last glance backwards through the dark night. The clearing was empty. You were gone. The chase had begun.

I had so many questions. I had no memory of how I got here, no memory of a picnic. I was your prey to be chased, so I ran. I slipped through mud and scraped by trees. I hopped along rocky ground to avoid the pebbles between them.

I could feel you in the air but I couldn’t see you. I knew you were nearby. The undergrowth rustled with movement without wind. Your voice mocked my attempts to escape. It only made me want to try harder, but you were faster than me. My only hope was to be smarter, to conserve my stamina. Snaking through the trees I passed by a stream, so I followed it, up towards its source. I crossed over it, letting the cool water run across my aching feet. I crossed again to loosen the mud covering my soles. Before the stream widened too much, I crossed once again.

I couldn’t feel you any more. I reached the bank of a large pond, where mossy moonlight reflected off the water. Sediment made for a soft shoreline, and I felt a moment of peace. I had escaped you.

Of course I was wrong.

‘It is a lovely night,’ you said from beside me.

A scream would have escaped my lips if not for something I couldn’t predict. A twitch of arousal. I still ran, but your hand caught my wrist and threw me onto the bank, my arm splashing in the water as you pounced on me without hesitation, driving me to the ground. Your fangs poked through your smile, and I fought you with everything I had. You tore off my clothes. I pushed you away with my arm, catching my flesh on your teeth, drawing blood. With every flailing hit I attempted your strength surpassed me. I was nothing more than prey. When your fangs found my neck I kept hitting at you, even as you gently teased at my skin with your bite. The hand that found my arousal was violent and rough, pushing into me as I pulled away, turning my mind over between conflict and surrender.

Your pleasure came first, however. Even as I fought, you took what you needed from my body, your violent arousal dismissive of my own. Each nip of your fangs and each grip of your hands cared only for letting you please yourself with my body. You sank your fangs into my flesh as you came, and I felt it too. It shuddered through your body and with each movement it travelled through your fangs into mine, and I shook with your pleasure.

You drained me of my fight and discarded me by the pond, half submerged in the water. After a moment, you spoke. ‘You are mine.’

Memory sparked at the phrase. I am yours. I was always yours. This was always your plan. I remember the picnic and being asked if I was ready. I remember the conditioning to forget. I remember agreeing to be hunted. I remember the dissatisfying sensual sex that led you to admit your need. I would let you hunt me forever, whenever your need grew again.

The water around my limp body splashed as you waded in to pull me out. You picked me up. You took me home. Soon, when I've recovered, we’ll do this again…

~~~

Reblog if you enjoyed this story, and check out my others under the Miscling Writes tag!

[unforgivenn]

SHACKLED BY ROYALTY

#7: FLIGHT

Im sorry posting this took wayyyy too long>.<

Previous/ Masterlist

CW: mentions to previous torture, captivity, slavery, blood, slight violence, trauma, escape attempt

Damian’s heart ached as he listened to Noah’s broken whispers. Tears burned at the edges of his vision, but he forced them back, his hands trembling as he examined the boy’s injuries. Noah was barely conscious, his words a garbled mix of delirium and desperate cries for a mother who would never come.

“Jesus Christ, Andrey, he’s just a kid!!” Damian’s voice was a raw whisper, the outrage and helplessness almost choking him.

Andrey’s expression hardened, his eyes like flint. “Just do your job, Damian. I don’t need a lecture.”

Damian bit back a retort, knowing it would only make things worse for Noah and himself. He focused on the task at hand, gently cleaning the blood from the boy’s face and trying to assess the extent of the damage. Each flinch, each whimper, stabbed into Damian’s heart, leaving wounds that would never heal.

“Shh, it’s alright.,” Damian whispered, his voice trembling with barely contained emotion. “I’m here to help you. Just hang on a little longer, alright?”

Noah’s eyes flickered open, glazed with pain and fear. He tried to speak again, his voice a ragged whisper. His words came out slurred and barely recognizable.

Damian swallowed hard, his throat tight with emotion. He couldn’t imagine the terror and agony this boy was enduring. He had to get Noah out of here, somehow, but he knew Andrey wouldn’t allow it. For now, all he could do was try to ease the boy’s suffering.

Andrey’s impatient voice cut through the moment like a blade. “Is he stable enough to move?”

Damian glanced up, his expression guarded. “He needs rest. Moving him could make things worse.”

Andrey’s eyes narrowed. “He’ll rest when I say he can rest. Get him on his feet.”

“No,” Noah moaned, his voice weak but filled with dread. “Please, no more…”

Ignoring the plea, Andrey stepped forward, yanking Noah up by his arm. Damian tried to intervene, but a fierce glare from Andrey stopped him in his tracks.

“No!” Damian’s shout was raw, a mix of fear and rage that echoed through the cold room. He watched in horror as Andrey roughly hauled Noah to his feet, the boy’s body limp and trembling. Every instinct screamed at Damian to act, to stop this insanity! but the power dynamic held him frozen in place.

“Damian, I said get him on his feet!” Andrey barked, his voice dripping with authority and impatience.

Damian’s mind raced, every fiber of his being screaming at him to protect Noah. This wasn’t just about doing his job anymore; it was about humanity, about saving an innocent life. Without thinking, without considering the consequences, Damian’s fist shot out, connecting with Andrey’s jaw with a sickening crunch.

Andrey staggered back, his eyes wide with shock and fury. Time seemed to freeze as the reality of what Damian had done settled in. His heart pounded in his chest, a deafening drumbeat of fear and adrenaline. He'd just struck the fucking heir to Russia. The fucking to-be king!!

For a moment, everything was silent. Then Andrey’s expression twisted into a cruel smile. “Oh, You’ll pay for that, Damian,” The smile on his face grew as he wiped the blood from his chin.

Damian didn’t wait to see what Andrey would do next. He lunged forward, scooping Noah into his arms, the boy’s frail body feeling weightless and fragile. Fuck fuck fuck what am I doing?! I should just go back there and beg for forgiveness!

As he ran, Damian’s thoughts were a chaotic mess. He had no plan, no damn idea where he was going, but he knew he had to get Noah away from Andrey. Every step felt like a lifetime, his breath ragged, his heart pounding. The corridors blurred around him, each turn a desperate gamble.

He could hear the shouts behind him, the clamor of pursuit. Andrey wouldn’t let this go. But Damian couldn’t think about that now. He had to focus on Noah, on keeping him safe. The boy’s breaths were shallow, each one a painful reminder of the urgency of their escape.

“Stay with me, Noah,” Damian pleaded, his voice breaking. “J-Just a little longer, okay? We’re almost there.”

But where was there? Damian’s mind raced, trying to find a safe place, somewhere they could hide. His thoughts were a whirlwind of fear and guilt. He had just thrown his entire life away, jeopardized everything, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. Not when he looked down at Noah’s pale, bloodied face. Noah's face reminded him of his younger brother and he could feel tears fill his eyes as he ran faster.

A door loomed ahead, half-open, offering a sliver of hope. Damian barreled through it, kicking it shut behind him. He leaned against it, gasping for breath, trying to calm his racing heart.

Panic surged through him, but he forced it down, focusing on the task at hand. He reached the door, fumbling with the latch, his hands slick with sweat and Noah’s blood.

“Come on, come on,” he muttered, his heart in his throat.

The latch finally gave way, and Damian pushed the door open, bursting into the cool night air. The garden stretched out before him, a maze of hedges and flowerbeds. He could hear the distant sound of running water—a fountain, if he remembered correctly. If he could reach the fountain, he might be able to lose the guards in the dense foliage.

Without a second thought, Damian sprinted across the garden, his legs burning with the effort. Noah’s weight was a constant reminder of his mission, driving him forward despite the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm him. The sound of pursuit was still close, but the open air gave him a renewed sense of hope.

“Just a little further,” he panted, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his own heart.

He veered toward the fountain, weaving through the maze of hedges. The guards’ shouts grew fainter as he put distance between them, but he knew it wouldn’t be long before they caught up. He had to find a place to hide, somewhere they wouldn’t think to look.

Spotting a dense thicket near the fountain, Damian ducked into the shadows, crouching low with Noah clutched tightly to his chest. He held his breath, straining to hear any sign of the guards. The seconds stretched into an eternity, each one filled with the pounding of his heart and the ragged sound of Noah’s breathing.

Please, God, let them pass by. he prayed silently.

Footsteps approached, then paused. Damian’s blood ran cold. He could see the glint of torchlight through the foliage, and he pressed himself deeper into the shadows, shielding Noah with his body. The guards’ voices were hushed, urgent.

“They can’t have gone far,” one of them said. “Spread out and search the garden.”

Damian’s heart sank. They were thorough, these guards. Trained to be relentless. But he had one advantage: desperation. It lent him a clarity and resolve that he clung to with every fiber of his being.

He waited, muscles tensed, until the footsteps receded. Then, moving as quietly as he could, he edged out of the thicket and crept along the hedge line. The garden wall was just ahead, a low stone barrier that he could easily scale.

With a final, desperate burst of energy, Damian reached the wall. He glanced back once, seeing the flickering torches scattered throughout the garden, then hoisted himself over, landing on the other side with a grunt. Noah whimpered softly, and Damian tightened his grip, murmuring soothing words.

"It's gonna be alright."

Next

Reblogs are appreciated <3

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[jjongswannabebae]

yandere!heeseung x insanely!obsessed(?)!fem!reader when you crave him (16+)

< implied smut, stockholm syndrome, "slut", thoughts of death(?), infatuation turned obsession, mentions of food and starvation, being held captive (i think that's all? I'm not quite sure about what warnings to add so lmk) >

Maybe you didn't hate being tied all bare, sat on the rubbled floors of some dirtied chamber that blond head had hauled you over at. You were scared which was given but also strangely attracted to this man.

His dark omnious aura, those stark eyes, that stoic expression he wore tirelessly were all so effortlessly attractive to you. You couldn't halt the increase of your heart rate everytime you heard his footsteps clack by the door and stop but to never enter.

A whole twenty four hours passed with the absence of food, water or him. He kidnapped you, you should be scared outright but you were so infatuated with this pale, pink lipped man. Oh how you wished to see him direly and run your coursed and dirtied fingers on his cold yet so soft skin.

You found yourself miserable in the situation.

It was inevitable, you'd take anything and everything that man would give you. Even if he'd take something as valuable as your life. Though living in seemed too extensive without this handsome man in your sight. Infatuation turned obsession, life would not be worth living without him.

You craved him so dearly.

That's probably what beckoned him to the dimly lit chamber. Your self degrading thoughts, thoughts of stripping him to skin, running your fingers down his stripped back, it was all too much for him. He couldn't believe what a wretched dazed slut you'd become for him.

He never prompted such arousing thoughts from you in the first place, he placed you danger by locking you up in darkness with no basic means of survival. Yet you had the audacity to fantasize about him all while he could read your damned, terrorized mind.

Your mind was vandalized—no, plagued—with thoughts of him.

So he decided to pay you a little visit.

You shook violently and if it weren't for the shackles bind to your ankles and wrists you'd free yourself and run to embrace this unknown man who looked so delicious with little to no light supporting his delicate features.

His eyes raked over your unclothed body. He walked forward with a dramatic pause infront of you, crouching down to your level.

"you desire for me?"

Nodding your head in agreement, a sting laps from his palm to you cheek and you revel in the pain as you show him a sultry smile.

"you, a mere mortal of all sorts," he mouths. He grips onto your hair, yanking you forth, "do you wish to know who i am for I've clouded your thoughts with me?"

"y-yes," you pant, shoving your face even closer to his, bumping into his forehead.

"heeseung, the one who'll slay you and suck you dry of life as you fantasize,"

"please," you struggle, "just take me, use me, kill me,"

He inhales sharply and shakes his head held down with an amusing chuckle, titling to make eye contact with your dancing eyes.

"very well," the rapid development as he closed the gap, hands all over the place, marking up what he desired. The eagerness pushed you past his taming tongue and fought relentlessly in a fury, fighting to beat the muscle sucked inbetween your lips.

What felt electrifying, a meaning to live, was broken away as he reached for your cheek, "i wait till my subjects are dead to feed of them since torturing innocent's doesnt sit right with me but you, you intrigue me and hence, you shall die by my hands– or more so my fangs,"

"a life without heeseung is not worth living for me. save me from this misery of a lifetime," you'd began addressing him by his name having lost your mind as the only that was provided since held captive was him.

You leaned forward again, capturing his lips in yours though it remained one sided, shoving yourself onto him so desperately. "you're far beyond return," he commented, pinning your hands behind you, admiring the maniac he'd produced with an unreachable goal, to have heeseung himself.

Long had passed as he let you use him, merely for him to use you– slay you for his long awaited meal. This was a bonus a him, not a win. But you didn't care.

He was amused with how you were so infatuated, so gone, so lost, so obsessed. So so in love with him, much beyond the border. He kissed you slower, but your pace never decreased, lapping at his mouth with an unattainable desire.

"bite me."

[shadowqueenjude]

Elorcan

“You swear it? That you will protect me?” “I didn’t leave you to the ilken today, did I?” “Swear it.” “I promise. I will not abandon you.” “Then I will tell you what I know.” “Bigger tits won’t prove or hide anything.” “Perhaps they’ll keep men distracted just enough that they won’t ask questions.” “Husband." "Brother. I am your brother." “You are my husband. We have been married three months. Follow my lead. Men will not fear the threat of a brother. I would still be unclaimed—still be open for … invitations. I have seen how little respect men have for anything they think they are entitled to. So you are my husband until I say otherwise.” "You have no money, do you?" "Looks like I was mistaken." “Come, wife.” "Figure it out yourself." "We have a bargain, girl." “You did not specify when I had to tell you. So I may take as much time as I wish to recall details, if you desire to wring every last one of them from me.” “Do not toy with me.” “Or what? Kill me, hurt me, and you’ll still be out of answers.” “I could find some buckets, heat water, and you could bathe in here, if you want. I’ll stand watch outside.”

“I’ll offer Ombriel a coin to wash it all for you tonight.” “I have no other clothes to wear.” “You can sleep without them.” “With you in here?” “What about your own clothes?” “What of them?” “You … they’re filthy, too.” “I can wait another night.” “Why should I be the only one naked? Wouldn’t the ruse work better if you and I both took the opportunity at once?” “You are very young. And I am very old.” “How old?” “Old.” “A body is a body. You reek as badly as I do. Go sleep outside if you won’t wash.” “Fine." “How badly does it hurt every day?” “I’ve had it since I was a child. I learned to live with it.” “That’s not an answer.” “Why do you even care? You said you’d stand watch. I thought you meant outside.” “Enjoy yourself.” “My uncle … He is a commander at Morath. He … locked me in the dungeon once. His name is Vernon, and he is clever and cruel, and he will likely try to keep you alive if you are caught. He wields people to gain power for himself. He has no mercy, no soul. There is no moral code that guides him." “Would you like me to kill him for you?” "Would there be a cost?" "No." “Your foot has been ruined for years, though. He locked you in the dungeon that long?” “No. I was only in the dungeon for a week. The ankle, the chain … He did that to me long before.” "What chain." “When you kill my uncle, ask him yourself.” “Molly will be begging you to stay, you realize.” “Is that your professional prediction?” “Did you sell your shirt, too?” “Got ten coppers from a farmer’s wife for it.” “That’s disgusting.” “Money is money. I suppose you don’t need to worry about it, with all the gold you’ve got stashed.”

“Marion was my mother’s name. She died defending Aelin Galathynius from her assassin. My mother bought Aelin time to run—to get away so she could one day return to save us all. My uncle, Vernon, watched and smiled as my father, the Lord of Perranth, was executed outside our castle. Then he took my father’s title and lands and home. And for the next ten years, my uncle locked me in the highest tower of Perranth Castle, with only my nursemaid for company. When I broke my foot and ankle, he did not trust healers enough to let them treat it. He kept bars on the tower windows to keep me from killing myself, and shackled my ankles to keep me from running. I left for the first time in a decade when he shoved me into a prison wagon and dragged me down to Morath. There, he made me work as a servant—for the humiliation and terror he delights in. I planned and dreamed of escaping every day. And when the time came … I took my chance. I did not know about the ilken, had only heard rumors of fell things being bred in the mountains beyond the Keep. I have no lands, no money, no army to offer Aelin Galathynius. But I will find her—and help her in whatever way I can. If only to keep just one girl, just one, from ever enduring what I did.” “I am over five hundred years old. I am blood-sworn to Queen Maeve of the Fae, and I am her second-in-command. I have done great and terrible things in her name, and I will do more before death comes to claim me. I was born a bastard on the streets of Doranelle, ran wild with the other discarded children until I realized my talents were different. Maeve noticed, too. I can kill faster—I can sense when death is near. I think my magic is death, given to me by Hellas himself. I am in these lands on behalf of my queen—though I came without her permission. She might very well hunt me down and kill me for it. If her sentinels arrive looking for me, it is in your best interest to pretend not to know who and what I am.” “Do you have a family?” “No.” “Do you have friends?” “No.” “Then you and I are the same in that regard, at least.” “I’m going to Eyllwe. Take me ashore and I’ll wash my hands of you as easily as you washed the blood of that man off yours.” "Did you not hear what I said? Take me to shore.” “No.” “No?” “The river veered southward two miles ago. From the map in the cabin, we can take it straight south, then find the fastest route to Banjali. Turns out, I now have business with Aelin Galathynius, too. Congratulations, Lady. You just got yourself a guide to Eyllwe.” “As far as anyone’s concerned, you’re still my wife.” "I will always find you. I promise." "I will always find you too, Lorcan." “I wanted to go to Perranth with you.”

“I love you. I have loved you from the moment you picked up that axe to slay the ilken. And I will be with you …I will be with you always.” "No." "I love you. I have loved you, from the moment you came to fight for me against Vernon and the ilken. And when I heard you were somewhere on that battlefield, the only thing I wanted was to be able to tell you that. It was the only thing that mattered.” "Ask me to stay." "Stay." "Ask me to come to Perranth with you." "Ask me to marry you." "Will you marry me, Lorcan Salvaterre?" "I'll think about it." “It’s just … I’m Lady of Perranth. If you marry me, you will take my family name. Lord Lorcan Lochan?" “I’ll use it with pride every damned day for the rest of my life. I will marry you, Elide Lochan. And proudly call myself Lord Lorcan Lochan, even when the whole kingdom laughs to hear it. And when we are wed, I will bind my life to yours. So we will never know a day apart. Never be alone, ever again.”

[myfirstnameisagent]

FALLING

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Angsty, Harm if you squint, I'm sorry y'all I'm going through it, cringey ending but we love angst in this garden

Summary: Bucky's struggle to cope finally catches up with him and costs him the thing he loves most; you.

Word Count: 646

Bucky Barnes had been known as many equally great and terrible things over the span of his overextended life time. He was the charming young man that all his mothers’ friends praised and adored,  and now a murderer. He’d been the starring captain of the neighborhood baseball team, now a cold blooded monster. The former best friend to the dazzling captain america, now his greatest burden. Okay, so maybe they weren’t equal. Regardless, he would of taken any one of those titles tattooed in bright red ink on his skin rather than the crumpled form seated on the floor and against the wall. His fingers almost scratching at the flesh covering his chest in an attempt to ease the throbbing within. Breaths were short, eyes squeezed shut. Arguably, he usually only was brought to such a weakened state by nightmares or those terrible moments that a memory from his HYDRA days. 

However, he would of taken any single one of those in comparison to the look on your face, the one permanently etched into his brain. Every emotion shimmering through large tears might as well have been large pieces of shattered glass straight into his chest, driven all the way through until it reached the aching organ behind a bone cage. 

The former soldier had taken many approaches to slowly piece his life back together (well, what he thought was a life, his therapist had very different ideas), and to his fatal flaw, he’d used your kind heart as his foundation. He’d always had a habit of doing it, whether it was before the war rooting his whole life and building his life around taking care of Steve, or now by only trusting you to be the one good thing he had in his life. But as the usual pattern unfolded, the cruelties of the fates had taken his parents, his sister, Steve, and what seemed to be anyone else who mattered. 

“I can’t do this anymore James.” Shaky breaths rattled your form and equally shaky hands formed clenched fists at your sides. “I am a grown woman, I don’t need you deciding where I go and who I spend my time with, like some fucking dictator!”

His head hit the wood behind him, the throbbing from how hard he’d done so almost a welcome relief from how his insides were turning inside out. Mismatched hands ran up his face and through his hair, abdomen clenching with the strength of his sobs, and he really wasn’t sure when he’d started crying. 

 You really had done your best, and he couldn’t fault you for that. You’d taken every single broken piece in your hand, carefully examining each one. However, you were tired of cutting your pretty fingers on such jagged edges. 

It wasn’t like he’d made it easy for you either, with how what his therapist had reasoned was HYDRA still continuing to make a mess of his life. His inability to let you be anywhere by yourself, distrusting almost anybody that even tried to come near you. He’d seen the terrors the world had to offer, hell he has been said terrors, and he’d be damned if he let any of them reach out and put out the only bright flame in a very dark and cold life. However, in doing so he’d managed to smother it out himself. Somewhere in it all, his love for you had in turn become shackles for you, not being able to turn around for a single moment without him standing right there.

Claws of shame dug themselves further into his chest, knowing he was pathetic mess for having such a reaction to a woman walk out of his life. But you weren’t ever just a woman, were you? No you’d found a way to become his hope, his lifeline, his home. Now he had none of the above, just a collection of broken fragments that no longer really belonged together. 

Bucky Barnes had been known for a lot of things in his life, but his favorite had been being yours.

[dolceaspidenera]

About Astarion, Cazador, and what it means to be bad.

In Italian the word "bad" is translated as "cattivo", whose etymology derives from the Latin captivus, prisoner. I think our ancestors had profound wisdom when it came to understanding human nature, generally speaking, most people who are considered "bad" often act like that and hurt others because they are prisoners of their own hurt and fears.  This does not mean that they are justified in their actions, of course, at the end of the day we are all responsible for our behaviors, and trying to understand why someone may act a certain way does not equal to justify them. 

Astarion's story revolves around overcoming trauma and hurt to not repeat the cycle of abuse. 

On one hand, there's Ascendant Astarion, who loses himself and his humanity, in favor of his hunger for power. A hunger that is fueled by fear, and the conviction that he can only count on himself and only the ones who have power are safe and free to do whatever they want. 

"One last thrust and I'll be free of you. I'll never have to fear you again. But if I finish the ritual you started, I'll never have to fear anyone, ever."

In reality, he becomes shackled to his fears, never truly free to move on, to face his trauma and overcome it. He will forever be watching his back, paranoid and worried about being betrayed. He becomes what he has always feared and hated, he is now the monster that haunted his nightmares, and the cycle repeats.

Before Astarion, there was Cazador, who succumbed to his own hurt and trauma and ended up perpetuating the abuse. He too was tortured by his master, Vellioth, and punished by being impaled for 11 years when he rebelled, not even for the rebellion itself but because he failed. Cazador too was just a victim in the beginning, but eventually turned into a monster himself.

“The boy I was, the man I became, the monster that will not end. I sleep, but cannot rest, I live, but cannot die. I am eternal, and I grieve.”

It's even more telling when you realize that Cazador probably saw himself in Astarion, every time he looked at him he was reminded of his old self, whom he perceived as pitiful, powerless, and detestable, all his unresolved traumas were thus projected onto Astarion, who was made a scapegoat and punished. (NB This is not to pity or humanize Cazador, by the time you get to confront him, he is a full-blown-out psychopath, and he needs to go down).

On the other hand, we have Astarion as a spawn, who was able to reject the ritual. He recognized that the power on offer wasn't going to set him free. 

"I know you think this will set you free, but it won't. This power will trap you, just like it trapped Cazador."

He retains his soul, his humanity, and by facing his fears he is able to let go. He is now able to see that true strength does not come from a dark and twisted power like the one the ritual offers, it does not come from dominating others and from hurting them before they hurt you in an endless cycle of pain and vengeance, but it comes from within. It's the strength to be kind, to be forgiving toward ourselves and others, the strength to hope and be open and vulnerable, to let others in and take the chance to see if there are others out there with a big heart like Tav's. To live again is to care again. He realizes that he is enough, just the way he is, and he can finally start the healing process. The cycle is broken, and he is finally free.

"But you saw something else in me - someone else I could be. Someone who could break the cycle of power and terror that started centuries ago."

"You saved me from myself and let me walk a path where I can be free. Truly, honestly free. This is a gift, you know. Thank you - I won't forget it."

(I know most of these things were already discussed, but I had to share my thoughts. I love it when even the etymology of words that we usually use without thinking too much makes sense and everything comes full circle.)

Thanks to @myopic-skull for letting me borrow his super cool photo of Astarion being a glorious regal cat

[claudemblems]

One of my friends asked me to write for this prompt from the list I posted, and one of you requested Sherlock for it, so here you go. Enjoy the angst 🥹

Sherlock Holmes - Moriarty the Patriot

Prompt 18: hugging them tight without saying any words when they're having a hard time

Why didn’t he kill Jefferson Hope when he had the chance?

It was a horrible thing for a detective to consider, especially one that was determined to save as many innocent people as he could, but if he’d taken the offer presented to him, would things have turned out different? Would he have had the Lord of Crime bound and shackled, harbored in a prison cell for the rest of his life? Would the people no longer live in fear of seeing yet another murder plastered on the newspapers' front pages? If he'd taken the offer by killing Hope, Sherlock would have had all the information he needed to find the mastermind. The hard part would be proving his guilt.

But if he’d pulled that trigger, he would have not only learned the true identity of the Lord of Crime, but he would have put an end to Hope's suffering. He’d practically begged Sherlock to take his life, but, out of kindness or conscience, he couldn’t.

Honestly, how pathetic of a detective did he have to be to second guess not killing a man in cold blood.

“...Sherlock? Sherlock?”

The sound of your voice rang in Sherlock's ears, gradually dragging him out of his thoughts and back into the sitting room he rested in, his body splayed out across the couch.

“Are you all right?”

No would have been his first answer had he not cared about worrying you. With all this baggage weighing on his shoulders, he was almost tempted to let himself crumble underneath it.

“I’m fine,” he answered, finally sitting upright. The room still smelled of smoke from the cigarette he’d had earlier. However, when he looked down at the ashtray, it appeared he’d ended up having several more than that.

“For a detective, you’re a terrible liar. I hope you know that.”

Sherlock sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Thank you for the vote of confidence, dear.”

“I’m not joking around. I’m worried about you!”

Well, there went his efforts to not make you worry.

"I...I'm just thinking about a case, is all."

"It's the one where you were offered the name of the Lord of Crime, isn't it?"

Somehow you always knew exactly what had been troubling him.

"I just keep thinking about it. Every time I close my eyes, I imagine what it would have been like if I'd pulled the trigger. Would it have been a good thing to put that man out of his misery? Would I have caught the mastermind by now? Would London have been freed from his reign of terror...or am I just a foolish man who's no different than he is?"

Sherlock buried his head in his arms, fighting back the frustration that wanted to burst out of him. What should he do? What was the right thing to do? For once in his career, Sherlock had no evidence, no confidence, and not a clue of what to do next.

But in all this gloom surrounding him, your ray of light encapsulated him, determined to drive out the darkness in his mind.

"Even for a famous detective, it's okay to not know the answer," you said, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling his head next to your heart, its slow and steady beat a soothing lullaby. "You're human, and no human can be perfect. We're bound to be ignorant, to mess up, to get lost along the way...but that's to be expected. All we can do is rely on our morals and ambitions to keep us going. If we can't do that, what else will we have left?"

"...Do you think ill of me because I questioned if I should have killed that man?"

"No, I don't," you answered without hesitation, "because I know you never would. Truly, Sherlock, if you found yourself pulling the trigger, it wouldn't have been to learn the Lord of Crime's name but to save that man, Jefferson Hope, from the misery that consumed him. Your heart went out to him, didn't it?" Gently, you stroked Sherlock's hair, watching as the stress from the past few days slowly began to leave his face. "He killed the monster who had kidnapped his wife and put her through so much suffering. But even with him dead, Mr. Hope can never forget what was done to his beloved wife. The thought eats him alive day by day, and you understood that. Who wouldn't have compassion on a man that wanted a peaceful life for the woman he loved, only to have it ripped away from her?"

Sherlock clutched the edge of your shirt, and though he made no sound, you knew that he'd begun to cry.

"You're no monster, Sherlock. You're a man that wants to save all of London, but you can't. You can't save everyone. You know that, yet you still try."

"If I don't try...then who will?"

Tears fell down Sherlock's cheeks and onto your shirt like light summer rain, and you held him in the warmth of your arms, intent on sheltering his broken heart until the storm had passed.

"One day, love, you'll find the answers you're looking for. For now, take a deep breath, and you can think through all of this when your mind has cleared."

Sherlock cried for a long time, and your hold on him never once faltered. There, in your embrace, you knew he felt safe, and though no words were spoken, being in your presence was all he needed. Eventually your sunshine chased away the clouds, and Sherlock found himself ready to go searching for answers once more.

London needed him. He would not fail.

[outofangband]

Maedhros likely experiences severe vertigo following his rescue. Much of the torments of Angband he swallows down, conceals or actively fights. He knows intimately that what is done to survive the pits of Hell, what one becomes there, is unwelcome among his kin and that the less they see of it, the better it is for all of them. But the terror that he feels at a sudden dizzying awareness of a drop? The agony that takes his entire body like choking, ghostly shackles he cannot be certain are not there?

There is a mercy to these fears as they are comprehensible to the world around him. Those who look with disdain or pity or worse at the other...habits formed in the clutches of the Enemy, who shy away from the signs of Angamando that live in the blood and bones, even they can still understand the terror of falling even if they can never know that terror to its full extent, endured without respite.

The winds of Himring sting any exposed skin they reach. He can find comfort in them, most of the time. On occasion though when he looks out across an obscured landscape and feels the hair he has not tucked under his furs carefully enough tear around him, there is another spell of dread that takes the breath from his lungs and swallows down any words

(I am obsessed with the monumental transition from life in an environment of coercive control and arbitrary systems to anything on the outside world so I do not at all mean to dismiss the lingering trauma that arises from this. It’s one of my favorite subjects to talk about. But I thought at least a few nods should be given to the sheer horror of the heights and conditions of Thangorodrim.)

[bvtbxtch]

The Nightmare Unravels | E.M

Summary: You and Eddie share a connection about what happened to you in the Upside Down.

Warnings: mentions of nightmares, death, injury and hospitals, fluff and angst. Minors DNI as I am a mature blog!

A/N: I made a little fic to take a break from Angry Heart and this is what I came up with hehehe.

Darkness. You could feel yourself falling and it was going to swallow you whole. The first time you felt it, you were at peace, ready to go. This time, you were met with sheer terror - you never thought you would feel it again, and not this soon. You felt vines and mist climbing up your back and you were suddenly wet with sweat and blood. Your back hit the ground and the wind was knocked out of you, your vision blurred. Instead of the misty blue-gray sky of your Hawkins, the atmosphere felt like it was covered in dust. The dusk now a foreboding red, riddled with thick black clouds. You stood up, feeling an ache in the core of your being. Your breath caught in your throat when you realized you had landed in front of the Creel house. The very place that you, three months ago, were pushed out of the attic and fell to the sidewalk below - luckily your life being spared. You heard wailings of demogorgons in the distance and all of the hairs on the back of your neck stood up. You couldn’t be back, the portals were closed. A clap of thunder shook the ground and rocked you back onto your knees. You sat on the ground in disbelief, looking at the horizon behind you, in your wake, a horde of demobats making ground on you. You tried to stand to run but immediately were pulled back into the ground. No. This couldn’t be happening. You raise your hands up to your face to brace for impact but none of the bats touched you. When you opened your eyes, you were back in the hospital bed that you had spent the last month and a half, just down the hallway from your best friend, Eddie. Your hands were shackled to your hospital bed by lurking vines, constricting every time you moved. Underneath your hospital door, a thick black smoke snaked through the room. An apparition of the mind flayer developed at the foot of your bed. You tried to scream, but no sound would come out. As the mind flayer lurched forward, your world went black. 

-

You were half dead when your team of friends got you and Eddie to Hawkins General, surprisingly, Eddie was in worse shape hanging on for his life by a thread. You didn’t find out he was hurt until you woke up from your own coma to find out he was still down the hall, still fighting for his life. Within a week, you frequented his room more than yours, watching TV with him, sleeping by his side and talking to him even though your conversations were still one sided. You rubbed his hand until he eventually woke up and was able to surprise you by visiting your hospital room instead of his own. You and Eddie were bonded by trauma, there was always an understanding about mortality that the two of you shared. You spent most of your days since the incident together, not realizing how much you relied on each other.

-

The darkness turned into a suave living room dimly lit by a fireplace. You sat straight up, chest heaving and neck sweaty. Where were you? It took you a moment to realize. You were at Steve Harrington’s house, camped out in his living room with Robin, Nancy, Jonathan, Argyle and Eddie - the kids staying at the Wheeler household.Eddie’s trailer was cordoned off and you were far too scared to stay in your house alone, parents off to a trip in New York. But where one of you needed help, there was the rest of the group to band together, alas the spread of blankets and sleeping bags in the Harrington living room. You groaned as you caught your breath, swinging your legs off of the loveseat. Stepping over various bodies sleeping on the floor, you make your way to the kitchen for a glass of water. Your breaths were still coming out shaky and heavy, not quite able to come down from your nightmare. They had been happening more often, now that normalcy threatened to rear its head. It felt next to impossible for you to just return to life before the upside down, even though the expectations your family and other friends had proved otherwise. 

You moved to go put your glass in the sink and return to the living room when you heard the back door of the Harrington household creak open. You gasped and dropped behind the island as a figure entered. To your relief, you see a hurricane of chocolate curls atop of a lanky body. It was Eddie. Your Eddie. His eyes were encapsulated by purple circles and his cheeks were flush. You stand up and take a small exhale.

“Jesus, Eddie. You scared the shit out of me.”

You must have startled him back because the sound of your voice made him jump. “Jesus, sweetheart!” He relaxed as he took a few steps into the kitchen to meet you at the end of the island. “I didn’t know you were up”. He encapsulated you in a hug. He smelt of cigarettes and menthol gum.

“I know I had a dream…” you murmured into his chest. He pulled away from your hug to study your face. He could tell you had been crying. He could feel the sheen of sweat on your back.

“A nightmare” he corrected. He pulled you back into a hug as your face started to contort into a sob.

“I’m here, sweetheart. I will always be here.” He patted your head. His heartbeat felt comforting against your temple. You were happy to hear it. 

“I know, I just-I was in the hospital… and, and I was so afraid I was going to lose you again.” Eddie Munson was your person. You knew this from before your time in the upside down, but that solidified it. When you found out that he was the reason you weren’t picked apart in the front lawn of the Creel house by demobats, you swore that you would spend the rest of your life making sure that he was okay. He confided in you about what it felt like to almost die, and you shared your feelings. No one else in your life would ever be able to do that for you. You had a love for Eddie Munson that no one else would be able to compare to.

You were in love with Eddie Munson.

Eddie grabbed your face with his large hands so you were looking into his eyes.

“Sweetheart feel me” he took one of his hands in yours and placed it over his chest so you could feel his heartbeat. “I am here with you, and I am not going anywhere okay? I promise you for the rest of your life I will be here, whether you like it or not” he giggled. It made you smile even though tears were streaming from your eyes. You stood there in silence with Eddie, almost nose to nose. You felt like he was boring into your soul. He was studying you like he was nervous you were going to disappear. His gaze lowered to your mouth as his thumb dragged across your lower lip. You melted into his touch.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered. You hummed in appreciation as you looked back up at his eyes.

“You’re the pretty one, Munson” you challenged with a small smirk. He leaned into you and you felt the world stop. 

You had thought about what it might be like to kiss Eddie Munson. How his lips would feel on yours, where his hands would lay on your body, how long it would last. You couldn’t have prepared myself for how much better it would feel when it did happen. You felt everything around you stop. His lips did fit perfectly with yours. He kissed you like it was going to be the last thing he did on earth. You felt how much he truly cared for you as he cradled his hands on your face. Your arms wrapped around his neck and your lips moved with his. You hoped that he could feel how much you truly loved him. You pulled apart and smiled up at him.

“Be my girl, please.” he huffed. “I have wasted too much time not telling you how I feel about you and I can’t wait another minute without showing you how much I love you-” His eyes widened at his admission, as did your smile.

“Did you just say you love me, Eddie?” you giggled.

“I - uh, I mean maybe. Depends on what you think about that” he retorted, unsure of himself. He knew he loved you, and deep down he knew you loved him too. But he was still scared to jump that line with you in case you wanted to go back to just being friends.

“Well, you’re lucky I love you too, Munson” You pull at his neck to bring him into another kiss. He smiles into you and lifts you up onto the counter you squeal in delight against his mouth.

“Okay well now that it's official you’re not going to be able to get rid of me as much as you try” He teases.

“Who said I ever wanted to get rid of you?”

[oneinathousand]

I'm halfway through Gravedale High and I think I get the gist of it, so here are my random thoughts about it:

Of all the celebrity cartoons, this is one of them. Joking aside, this probably is legitimately one of the better ones from this time period. I am not distracted by Rick Moranis's presence, and I'm glad he's not going full nerd as in his usual typecasting. I keep expecting to see a Ghostbusters or Little Shop of Horrors reference, since this show sure does love its pop culture references, but so far, they've had the restraint not to do it in a direct way except for one of the background characters in one episode looking like a terror dog, but that could be a coincidence. I guess I'll find out eventually if they actually do make a reference.

I can't watch a lot of it in one sitting because if I try, I know I'll be filled with homicidal rage at all the constant catchphrases and verbal tics and schticks that every character has.

Gotta love how the creativity of the main cast ranges from "Personifying the trope of zombies as commentaries for consumerism with a wealth-obsessed, literal mall zombie" to "what if creature from the black lagoon but surfer".

J.P. doesn't seem to be any kind of monster in particular, Peter Lorre parodies are just their own Halloween species lol

Vinnie may be the Fonz as a teenage vampire, but it was very big-brained of whoever the character designer was to give him black nail polish in 1989-90. For all this show's problems, the character design for the most part is not one of them, even with how dated many of them are fashion-wise they're still very charming.

Sure, I ship Vinnie and Reggie. Before I watched this show, I assumed it was just typical shipping of best friend characters, but when I got to the famous ear-scratching scene from episode four, I was like "yeah okay I can see where they're coming from".

Of the main cast, Sid is probably my favorite because everything about him is so hilariously dated above all the rest, which is saying something: The rapping, the baseball cap, the pattern on his shirt, the random impressions... he's so lame that he circles back around to being funny. And apart from the irony, an invisible kid becoming a class clown so people won't ignore him anymore is one of the more genuinely creative concepts here.

Oh, but speaking of Sid, who's voiced by Maurice LaMarche... It was pretty awkward to watch Sid whenever he talked about his dreams to become a stand-up comedian, knowing what I know about what happened with LaMarche's own desire to rise up in the stand-up world on the same month that Gravedale High coincidentally premiered in. I don't know if this is common knowledge, but I won't go into it here because this post is supposed to be about a silly cartoon. If you're curious and can handle emotional matters, go read about it on his Wikipedia page under the Career section and see the events leading up to him becoming a full-time voice actor after September 1990.

Anyway, this is one of those cartoons where you can see a lot of potential, but since this came before or at the same time as other more ground-breaking cartoons like Ren and Stimpy or Tiny Toons, you get the feeling Gravedale is still shackled by 80's cartoon trappings despite its occasional dark jokes and pop culture references. If I were to make a new version, with or without Moranis, I would go for something a little edgy to make it stand out from Monster High and other shows of its ilk, do for horror what Clone High does for teen shows, either in a PG or TV-14 way.

[imagionationstation]

No Good Reason - TMNT Drabblish

Can be paired in the same group as This previous Ficlette.

He doesn't know how it happened.

He knew he shouldn't have gotten up without permission, but Leo had said he was free to move about as he pleased. He seemed like he held a higher place in their chain of command, so Donnie took him at his word. He had no reason not to. Every one of them had earned his trust in one way or another. He knew he'd done nothing to deserve theirs, so that made the moment that ceramic slipped from his fingers all the more petrifying. 

The mug broke upon impact and the delicate shattering swallowed reality and drowned out the thump of his carapace against the cabinet. The following silence rang with the taunting echo of his wrongdoing, only interrupted with the sound of ragged breathing.

Then his consequence arrives. 

Leonardo slips through the curtain, their brothers close behind. Leo's gaze finds the brown shards, Mikey's finds him, and Raph's takes in the whole mess in one judgemental scan. Donnie blinks quickly, ridding himself of the liquid terror, willing his body to rise from the corner and accept the coming punishment. 

"Donnie, what-" "Are you-" "Dee, why’d you-"

Mikey is the first to move, and a full-body flinch snaps through the pale frame, arms jerking to his chest as he sinks lower to the ground. His foot presses down and shock jolts up his spine with the aftermath of pain, flooding his mind with the reminder of what comes with mistakes. 

Electricity jarring through flesh- shackles cutting into wrists- high pitch sirens drilling into his brain until he can hear it everywhere-

A half-strangled sob escapes as he pushes as far back from them as he can. They are all tense, clearly uncertain how to approach the pathetic bundle that can’t take his punishment like he should, allowing his broken pleas to hinder the quiet. “Didn’t mean to, didn’t mean to, I swear, I swear, I didn’t, I wasn’t, was good, was trying, was-was-!” 

"Donnie..." 

There's a clipped edge to the leader's tone that confirms that he must be mad. He's in so much trouble, and he knows he deserves whatever retribution comes his way, but he doesn’t want to know what that’s going to be. It was so nice here- so familiar, so confusing, so safe- and now he’s gone ahead and ruined everything in one stupid instance. He only wanted a drink- why couldn’t he just stay put? Why didn’t he trust his gut and simply do as he was told?!

“Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry, am, I am!”

“Woah, hey-”

“Bro, we’re not mad-”

“Yeah, it’s okay!”

Of course, they weren’t mad. That’s why satisfaction came with punishments- ugly, malice tones that chided for disrespectful behavior and insisted that he be good. Good good good- he was! He tried so hard to be! 

“Sorry sorry sorry sorry am am sorry good sorry tried good sorry-!” 

He didn’t want this nice dream of gentle touches and loving words to be tainted with deserved punishments and a buried ache that follows his every step. He doesn’t want to know what kind of horrors they’ll inflict now that he’s crossed a line that was better left avoided- broken something that wasn’t his. 

“Sorry sorry sorry sorRY SORRY SORRY SORRY-”

He doesn’t realize he’s hiding his face until pain is clawing into both his arms. He doesn’t dare look up to see the cause, sobs breaking free as the pain digs deeper into flesh. There’s shouting from everywhere at once, but then a strong grip is trying to pry his arms apart- but he doesn’t want to see- he doesn’t want to know- he doesn’t want this imprinted on his mind, mixed and merging with the other terrors that haunt his sleep. 

“NO NO NONONO- PLEASE PLEASE SORRY GOOD I’LL BE GOOD NO PLEASE SORRY SORRY SORRY-!”

The slam of something hitting the ground snaps his mouth shut. A whine overlaps the muffled voices in his background as the forceful presences recede. He leans further into the corner between cabinets and curls in tighter, shivering and sobbing into the only safety that he can ever find. 

He doesn’t know how much later the new presence arrives, but he’s suddenly aware of a gentle touch brushing along the top of his head. It keeps moving at a repetitive pace, stroking away the sweat that beads down his neck. The stabbing pain against his arms slowly loses it’s intensity until it’s just a faint outline of what was, and he hiccups as he lifts his head, looking to the source of comfort. 

“My son.” His father’s eyes are soft in worry as he removes his hand. “There you are.” 

He whimpers, keeping refuge within his huddle. His father’s head tilts, hands folded on his lap. “Are you with me?”

His eyes dart behind him, to the eyes peeking in through the curtain. They disappear the minute that he spots them. He understands why they don’t dare stick around when punishments are due. A shudder crawls down his spine.

“I saw what happen to my mug. That was you?” The terrified gaze locks back to the calm face as he gasps, “Didn’t mean to- didn’t- sorry sorry-”

“Apology accepted.” 

He blinks and the tears track their predecessors. “Y-you-?”

“I forgive you.” He says it like it’s the simpliest thing in the universe- but Donnie doesn’t understand. “But- but I- b-bad- punish-“ 

“This does not call for a punishment of any sort.” His father interrupts firmly. “Not from me, not from your brothers, and certainly not from yourself.”

“But-“

“Material possessions are replaceable. You are not. Killing your spirit is not worth the weigh of a million intact mugs.”

Donnie still doesn’t understand, but he takes him at his word. His father reaches out to lead his arms away from his chest, gently pulling him upright. Donnie looks at the bloody tears in the skin, and under his nails, slowly putting two and two together. 

They hadn’t hurt him. He had hurt him. 

He searches sympathetic eyes and earns a brief nod. Splinter turns away. “Leonardo, the first aid, please.” 

The curtain is brushed to the side, revealing two forms behind the one entering. Leo collects the requested box and stops near them, copying their father’s kneeling pose and looking between them anxiously. His father stands, leading Donnie to follow his example, and he yelps when his foot touches the ground. His father pauses, and then he has a brother tucking himself under his arm, removing any weight off his foot.

“Think he stepped on a piece.” Raph mutters as he watches Mikey scoot a stool up to the sink. He leads Donnie over, assisting him in sitting down, bringing his arms over the appliance as their father approaches with an open bottle. 

“This will sting. Not because we intend to hurt, or punish, but because we want to help. I will not pour if you request otherwise, but the wound should be cleaned. May I proceed?” 

Donnie looks to the blue-eyed turtles with their attention on the first aid kit, the father who waits patiently for his answer, and the brother who squeezes his hand when he takes the moment of hesitation.

He sniffles. “Okay.” 

He chooses to trust them.

They’ve given no reason for him not too. 

[tgrailwar-zero]

THGW-Zero, Chapter 4 - Battle Against the Beast

With a sudden attack, and a surge of power from his Masters, CONSTANTINE attacked. His blade carving into the back of the Beast, as she let out a pained screech as he echoed with an angered growl.

CONSTANTINE: "Die, Beast!"

His blade dug deeper into her back, her weakened form unable to react in time. DRACO snarled.

DRACO: "Gh…! You blackguards! I was a fool to place my trust in you again! Superbia! Destroy them!"

The Beast roared, enraged by this sudden betrayal, her draconic tail lashing out and striking RIDER, pushing him back. The mighty form of ALTER-EGO began to move, as KUKULKAN began to slowly gather up energy as the assault began.

With a grin, PRETENDER stepped next to MUSASHI, chuckling.

PRETENDER: "Oho, now things are getting interesting! Let's give Invader some space and fend off the giant, shall we?" MUSASHI: "Right! Okay, everyone! Let's hold back Alter-Ego!"

CONSTANTINE: "...Thank you for your support, Masters! Now, let us enact our justice!"

You could sense CONSTANTINE's gratitude, though it was briefly overshadowed by the murderous intent emanating from DRACO and ALTER-EGO.

ALTER-EGO: "Oh, I was just waiting for you all to screw up. Come here so I can squish you like the bugs you are!"

As best as they could, CONSTANTINE, PRETENDER and MUSASHI began holding back ALTER-EGO, in an attempt to block her from interrupting the Noble Phantasm of INVADER.

KUKULKAN had proclaimed herself to be a god before- and while powerful, she had used her Authority sparingly.

Powerful, yet restrained.

She would rush into battle like a missile, smiling all the while. However, her might was much, much greater.

And now, her shackles were undone with the command to use her Noble Phantasm.

She began to glow with a vibrant light, that slowly expanded until her form was no longer visible- the only thing remaining being a gigantic, blinding pillar of light that shot up into the stratosphere.

The might of an Anti-World Noble Phantasm. One that- if even for a moment- redefined the rules of reality... and therefore the 'laws' that held the Solar Cell together.

This pillar of light was as clear as day- not just to the people within the city, but to anyone who lived within the Solar Cell. The Nameless City was a central metropolis, and therefore anyone looking to the horizon towards the city would see this miracle take place, and while only those who lived within the confines of the city could hear the words spoken by the solar titan that was being formed by the pillar, that echoed enough to cause buildings to shake and clouds to split.

KUKULKAN: "I hail from the empty sky! Building up the earth… looking down from the heavens…"

The form of a woman- of KUKULKAN- slowly became visible within the blinding light as the world contorted and strained to even fit her presence.

KUKULKAN: "Meaning-- I am the Sun!"

The declaration reverberated throughout the Nameless City- as if time itself stilled. Such a declaration was one of authority over the Solar Cell- worthiness of overseeing the life that resided there.

Staring up at the Sun, with rage in her eyes, DRACO shot upwards.

DRACO: "My dragons! To me!"

In a moment, the four draconic heads that had once terrorized other parts of the city left their posts and sprouted up towards the towering god, jaws snapping and teeth gnashing as they attempted to seize a counterattack, or at the very least a final defense.

A shadow shot into the air, a calm voice filling the night sky.

MUSASHI: "…Hayagrīva… use my rage to sever all evil…"

In a flash, with four strokes of her sword, four dragon heads collapsed. One to a raging torrent of water, another to a crash of earthen steel, one more to a gust of razor winds, and a final to a gut of violent flame. The look in the swordmasters eyes was cold, focused on the moment at hand, as her technique was far from over.

MUSASHI: "This sword is my path to the void, my very life! Ishana, Daitenshou!"

The swordmaster drew her sword once more, the ringing sound of metal carving through the air.

The final stroke, a moment of perfected swordplay, sliced through the body of the larval Beast with perfect accuracy, a cascade of blood filling the night sky as the samurai cleaved an opening for the massive sun-god to strike.

The hand of the burning deity began to crash downward- seemingly slow at first, before the illusion of distance broke and the strike was revealed to be moving at a breakneck pace.

KUKULKAN: "--Kinich Ahau Impact!"

In a moment of stringent beauty, the great sun god made contact with the Beast, a wave of light rocketing outward and painting the sky of the Solar Cell into that of a bright sunny day, if only for a moment. For a moment, night was gone and replaced only by the overwhelming might of the Sun.

The declared name of 'Kinich Ahau' within the Noble Phantasm only served to establish the legitimacy of what everyone was witnessing.

And therefore- all of the Servants that had struggled against the heads of the Beast could only watch in quiet awe.

The Beast, her body thoroughly destroyed, only had a moment to herself as she burned up in the undeniable presence of the Sun.

As the daylight faded, the Beast stared hopelessly into the night sky.

DRACO: "…Ah, right… this is how it should be… the Beast of the Apocalypse falls down to the earth… and the Emperor dies alone… but..."

DRACO: "...I'm sorry, my Master... I... couldn't..."

Like sand swept away by the sea, the Beast of the Apocalypse, DRACO, disappeared from the Solar Cell.

With exhaustion, the massive shining god also faded, as KUKULKAN returned to the ground- her body swiftly caught by CONSTANTINE in gentlemanly fashion.

Her 'Master' gone, ALTER-EGO stumbled backwards, crashing into the wall with blank, dazed eyes.

There was a long moment of silence, before…

Sound.

A noise, like a rushing wave filled the air and swirled into the catacombs where your Servants stood.

The sound of applause. Praise. Cheers. Relief, that the city and the Solar Cell had been saved. Amazement at the shining, towering god that had manifested itself in such a central spot of this city.

The denizens of the Solar Cell exclaiming with true, uproarious gratitude.

The warmth that came with it, a grand feeling of heroism that washed over your Servants as they found themselves worn from this short, intense bout. Drained of magical energy, but otherwise still standing proudly as the remnants of the Beast disappeared.

You felt the Crimson Blade you once held go cold and inert, the flames sparking out.

In the midst of the cheers, MUSASHI finally landed down on the ground, holding out two objects.

MUSASHI: "…And here our spoils of our victory. You wanted this severed, right?"

It seems you acquired some new items... but lost the Crimson Blade.

KUKULKAN: "Ah- are the people of the city cheering for us? I'm a little embarrassed, but that means we won, yes?"

You saw CONSTANTINE step out, relieved. His armor was a bit bruised and dented- the one attack DRACO landing apparently quite the hefty one as he leaned against some of the rubble in the now-fading theatre.

CONSTANTINE: "The Beast is felled… thank goodness. but, what of Alter-Ego? What will happen to her?"

Stepping over to the dazed ALTER-EGO, PRETENDER patted her on the leg.

PRETENDER: "She's a big girl. I'll take her back to MoonCancer- see if we can't set her back to normal. MoonCancer's a smart lady, if anyone can fix Alter-Ego, it's her."

KUKULKAN: "Ay, she took a direct hit from my Noble Phantasm, and she's mostly just singed… it seems like the Blue Faction has a really scary Servant, doesn't it?"

A few sparse laughs shared between the group, before MUSASHI perked up, pointing her swords towards the entrance.

MUSASHI: "We're not alone- heads up."

As if suddenly having apparated within the space- the PRIEST that you encountered during your latest conversation with that 'NARRATING VOICE'- the one that had sealed your ability to acquire items from shops.

You hadn't noticed his arrival. If he had ill intent, he probably could have easily assassinated CONSTANTINE or KUKULKAN. Luckily, it didn't seem as if he held any ill intent- or if he did, he wasn't acting on it currently.

PRIEST: "I apologize for startling you. As one of the War Monitors, I was meaning to congratulate you on a job well-done once you finished your conversation. And I did have an agreement with your Masters… but please, do not rush on my account."

The PRIEST smiled.

PRIEST: "Frankly, it seems as if you've been quite busy indeed. A display like that certainly takes a lot of magical energy. Perhaps you and your Servants should take a well-deserved rest before making any further moves."

-

[ Lucius Origin obtained.] [ Asclepius Origin obtained.] [ Crimson Blade lost! ]