#proof: dain

[eerna]

Eva Duarte ran from Madoc, that fact is constantly mentioned throughout the books, but no one ever dwells on the fact that she left her kids behind with the guy who just killed their dad. everyone is like "oooh Madoc killed the Duartes, what a horrible violent bastard" but no one mentions Justin was the one who tried to kill him first. Jude ultimately decides she doesn't wanna know if her parents killed a pregnant human girl or not during their escape from Elfhame, and it paints better than anything the fact that no matter how much she imagines her bad parts as a product of Elfhame, her human parents were clearly not totally pure either. and yet Madoc talks about both of them with such tenderness, only mentioning their accomplishments and virtues. I am so so so curious about wtf went down between those 3 in Elfhame you have no idea

[babiexiao]

HAND HOLDING WITH THE GENSHIN MEN

contains : fem!reader, smut (yeah this is smutty not soft sry not sry <3 lmaooo), mentions of cervix fucking, size kink, tummy bulges, breeding / impregnation kink, creampies woohoo, oooh the praise in this has me going a lil insane tbh, some degradation too, lots of oral, fingering, soft doms *sniffles* my weakness. includes scenarios for zhongli, kaeya, dain, tighnari, xiao and childe. this is not proof read at all, please ignore any mistakes i will not be fixing them cause i'm lazy :D

i thought about this scenario with xiao and then i spiralled from there. sorry not sorry i needed to get this out of my system actually... i am so unwell bye. likes / reblogs are appreciated and feedback is always welcomed <3 minors dni !!

zhongli : oh he is so big. listen, everythingggggggg about him is big okay, he's literally a dragon like? his hands? big. height? bIG. cock(s)? BIIIIG and he thrives off being big. sinks his cock into you while being in a half dragon form just because his dick is bigger than his human form. golden horns on top of his head, the colour of his skin changing from his normal pale one to somewhat mixed. hues of black, orange, yellow and golden the further you travel down his body. his hands and fingers are slightly longer in this form. nails coloured black, almost resembling claws. he enjoys this form because it lets him keep his human-ness but it also embraces his past. his favourite form when you two get intimate because he wants to see your cunt struggle to take him. "there you go darling, takin' me in so well." he'd whisper as his tip pushes past your entrance, thumb rubbing against your clit. "loosen up for me, that's it." as your cunt begins to flutter around himjdhfhf aaaaa don't even get me started on the bulge he'd make in your tummy :( it's inevitable. he's just so damn big.

favourite position is you on your back, couple of pillows under your body and him holding your waist to raise your lower half off the bed, claws digging into the flesh of your waist as your cunt clenches around his cock. it's only when he's bottomed out and you're bucking your hips to signal him to move that he'd lace his fingers with yours. pins them above your head. have i mentioned zhongli's big? he's so big that he only really requires one hand to have both your wrists in his hold. daddy zhongli is so strong too, doesn't matter how much you move or thrash around when he fucks you, trying to get your wrists out of his hold so you can just touch him, he doesn't budge. waits for you to really beg, tears in your eyes as you sob out "please, please, please" will he soften up. intertwines his fingers with yours as he rocks his hips slower, but sooo deep. leans over to place a kiss to the top of your head while you thank him for letting go, and he does that every time when you two hold hands :( he's so <3 mm yeah best daddy me thinks.

kaeya : this man,, lord kayea is a wild card in my very humble opinion. he's a tease, we all know this. but i think sex to him is so intimate, especially when it's with someone he would give his heart to on a silver platter. he's like the perfect mix of tease and praise and degradation and somehow giving you what you need all at the same time? idk, just listen okay. the word tease might as well just be kaeya's middle name, he's just that good at it. he likes to hear you beg, plays dumb too. "hmm? my sweet little thing, you're so quiet. what did you say, i'm afraid i missed it." all the while he is knuckle deep into your cunt, fingers curling up juuuust right so they nudge your spot. but only just. he knows your body so well it's almost annoying. the curl of his fingers isn't enough to give you proper satisfaction but it is enough to have you crave for more. enough to make you gasp and buck your hips to try and get the satisfaction you need. "ah ah ah, don't be like that. i can't reward you if you're being a needy slut for me darling. use your words." starts withdrawing his fingers and ultimately you need to grab a hold of his wrist and b e g for him not to do that, beg for his touch. it makes his head go a little dizzy if i'm being honest. "there you go. that wasn't so hard now, was it?" and he gives you what you've been needing :( slender, pretty fingers pushing deeper into you till he physically can't anymore. letting them curl against your spongy spot and making you cum with a cry of his name liiike he thrives off teasing you and giving you what you want.

puts his dirty fingers in your mouth while he kisses your stomach, slowly kissing his way up your body (he is a romantic man after all) and makes sure to give your tits a squeeze too. grabs a hold of your chin to make you look at him as you let go of his fingers with a little pop and presses his lips to yours. it's a little messy, slippery and sloppy but you can feel how in love he is with you. spreads your thighs apart so he can press his hard on against your cunt while you kiss, tangles his fingers with yours while he ruts against your centre like he has all the time in the world :(( he takes it sooo slow, grinding against your cunt, the fabric of his boxers rubbing your clit so nicely, his lips against yours, giving your hands a little squeeze as you fiddle around with the elastic on his boxers. he just holds his body weight up with one hand, the other still tangled up with your fingers as you pull down the material just enough to have his cock out and while he fills you up nicely, he just tightens his hold on your hand cause you feel so tight around him every damn time <33

dainsleif : starting this off by saying he is SO touch starved. honorary member of the touched starved crew. he still gets so shy when he sees you naked in front of him no matter how long it's been. dain might look rough and tough on the outside, but he is so soft for you. he adores kisses your body. your lips? he kiss. your cheek? he kiss. top of your head or your nose? he kiss. inside of your wrist where he can get a slight wiff of your perfume? he kiss. but his favourite you may ask? his favourite type (aside from your lips) of kiss is when you're laid out on the bed. where he's between your legs and he's lifting your shirt off, placing kisses along your tummy, the valley of your breasts, then a gentle kiss underneath your earlobe before he's tossing your shirt to the side and making his way down your body again. this time, he places kisses to both your ankles once your pants are off, kissing up both your legs and your thighs. the last kiss he places is to your clit before his thumb presses against your nub, gentle circular motions that already have you seeing stars. dain rests his head against your thigh as he teases and rubs your clit over and over, watching how your hole clenches around nothing.

"always so pretty for me, aren't you?" another soft kiss to your upper thighs that have you wanting to shut your legs at how sensitive you feel. "keep 'em open, that's it. there you go." he'd say, your trembling thighs spreading once again. he's not the best with words of affection but he'll be damned if he doesn't praise you, let you know how pretty you are. how good you are for him. and when your hands clutch his hair and the bedsheets the closer you get to your orgasm, he'd bring the one that was holding the bedsheets closer to his mouth – dain places a kiss to your wrist, to the tips of your fingers before he slides his fingers against it and lets you grip it. he enjoys holding your hand so much while he does this, i cannot stress that enough. he likes it when you feel real. and it's only then, will he place his mouth on your cunt, letting his tongue tease your folds and dipping into your hole to really get a taste of you. feeling a sense of pride when you gasp and whimper out his name, tightening your hold on his hand as the other one still in his hair, buries his face deeper into your pussy.

tighnari : furry king he's so cute, sighs. like kaeya, sex for him is very very intimate with someone he loves. it's not about getting off, it's more so about the gentle touches, the praises that come from both your lips and his, it's about the way you two latch onto each other when you make love and he will die on that hill. yes every now and then, his animalistic urges take over and it is about a quick fuck but more often than not, he likes to explore your body. he loves it when you're straddling him. his favourite thing to do is feel you up while the both of you kiss. even though tighnari takes it slow, his movements almost feel rushed, desperate to have your clothes off. but it's the gentle kind of desperate, you know? where he wants you to be naked so he can appreciate every dip and every curve on your body without any flimsy layers of clothing in the way. hearts in his eyes even though it's the nth time he's seen you naked. you're wearing nothing, seated on his lap while his eyes dart all over your body, never really able to linger on one part for too long. admires how out of breath you are just from a make-out, lips slightly swollen and pinker than usual. continues to place kisses against your jawline to your neck as his hands grope your hips and thighs, eventually one hand inching closer and closer to your heat, a soft sigh escaping your lips as you feel the pad of his thumb finally brush against your clit. "feels good?" he'd mumble against your skin, ears twitching with excitement every time you let out more content noises followed by a soft "yes."

tighnari's good with his fingers, great in fact. he pays attention to your body, listening to every noise and taking mental note of how your body squirms in his hold as he touches you – he's so good that your hands don't really know where they should go. sometimes digging into the skin of his shoulders or his biceps. sometimes when he hasn't riled you up to where the only replies he wets are broken whimpers, they're in tighnari's hair, patting just behind his ears which has him rutting his hips against you, or sometimes they're just tangled in his locks tightly as you need to feel something to ground you. but tighari's favourite is when you plead him for his hand. the little taps against his bicep or wrist make his heart melt, followed by the "hold me, please." it almost makes the animal in him want to manhandle you, toss you on the bed and pin you there while his cock is hitting your cervix and you can't do anything but lay there and just take it. but the rational part of him tells him no. the rational part of him brings your hand to his lips, places a kiss to each and every one of your knuckles before lacing his fingers with yours, all while his other hand is buried knuckle deep in your cunt and being soaked with your juices.

xiao : he is very very very desperate with how he holds your hands. it's more so to remind himself that you're there with him, that you're real. he's a very passionate lover, how could he not be after eons and eons of thinking he's alone? of eons and eons of being alone. he's also a honorary member of the touched starved crew god he is so DJKFDHJGKD i'm so in love w him <333 he just wants to please you okay? like. all the time. every day. whenever you ask him or hint at it, he's ready to give you anything you want. he would do aaaaaanything for you to be honest. he's not very good with words, he knows he's terrible with words. but what he lacks vocally, he makes up for it with his actions instead. slow, but deliberate. almost like he's forgotten all those little stripes and freckles on your skin even though he's been memorising every dip and every mark whenever you two get intimate. gentle, barely there touches while he takes your clothes off, ghosts his fingertips over your pussy and breasts at first. likes it when you inhale sharply but he does give in. he's not much of a tease like kaeya is, gives in so quick. "'m gettin' there. just wait." he'd grumble, but there's no bite behind it all all. places a kiss to your hip bone before he spreads your legs and laps your cunt like a starved man. he's so good with his tongue, i can't stress that enough. another man who makes sure you've came on his tongue or fingers before he thinks about fucking you. the thing about xiao is, he gets pussy drunk so quick, and so very easily. the second he hears you let out a sigh of satisfaction after his mouth is on you, he's gone.

he's soo gone. xiao is an adepti, he's much stronger than humans. it's super easy for him to hold your body down with his hands, whether they be on you waists or even hooked around your thighs, he's not moving his mouth off you until he feels your hole clenching and gushing. or unless you're trying to pry his head off cause you "wan' be filled, please xiao!" flips you onto your back and makes sure your face is pressed into the mattress and your ass is up ohh my goddjghf yeah,, fucks you like that actually, he's pussy drunk. let him bury his cock in your cunt any way he wants plssss. he may not be long, but fuck is he thick. makes you clench the bedsheets while your noises are muffled out by the bed but :( xiao needs to hear you – tugs your back flush against his chest, makes his cock go even deeper in you that you're going dizzy and you're even more dizzier when you feel his fingers on your clit aaaa. firm believer xiao uses one hand too rub your clit while the other turns your head towards him so he can kiss you :(( he loves kissing you so much when you're fucking, tries to kiss you every time before you cum on his cock. it's so romantic for him. feels you cum around his cock and he's trying to hold back a groan but but but that's when he moves his hand that was on your clit to hold yours :( still kissing you too till he orgasms and spills his cum deeep in you and makes out with you for a couple of minutes. doesn't really care how sloppy it is, he just likes kissing you while you hold hands like that :((

childe : listen... childe is actually so romantic (we'll get there soon) i dunno about you. hand holding is his middle name, it's true i've seen the birth certificate. a romantic, mean perv is the best way to describe him. such a tease too. he won't give you what you need till he sees tears in your eyes or you actually start crying. he's kinda mean about it too. gets you sooo close to an orgasm only to just rip it away. "nawww, you cryin sweets?" and proceeds to lick your tears away. "don't cry, you pretty thing. gonna give you what you need, 'kay? just lay back f'me. there you go." smiles darkly when you listen to him again and lay your body flat against the bed again while shaking. and he just keeps doing that until you're full blow sobbing. "aj– ha– 'jax! please.. can' take it a'more... need to c-cum please." and watches you grip his wrists while you cry. it sets him off. he loves that you can get so pathetic for him :( some days when he's made you cry by not letting you cum, his favourite this is having you on top. just to add a little bit more humiliation into the mix. lays down first and gets all comfy without telling you what he's doing and just pats his lap. "not gonna get over here? thought you wanted to cum." has you scrambling over and once you're straddling him he'd put his hands on your thighs and just stroke them since they're shaking so much. but gives them a little slap, just enough for there to be a sound but not enough to hurt when he feels you try to lift your hips to take his cock in "relax baby. didn't i say i'm gonna give you what you need?" hhhh and when your thighs have calmed down and he's made your lips all swollen from kissing you so much will he lift your hips for you, letting you guide his cock into your hole and gives you time to get used to the stretch when he's bottomed out.

while you're taking your time and breathing whilst trying to hold back the orgasm that's approaching once being filled up, he'd let his fingertips trail up your arm, hand cupping the side of your face and rubbing his thumb along your lash line to gather the tears that haven't fallen yet and makes you suck the saltiness away from his thumb... and that makes his cock twitch in you. doesn't let you move though, wants to see how ruined you look before he's even fucked you right. and once he's admired you enough he'd go "c'mere sweets." and proceeds to hold out his hand for you. coos at how your hand is sooo tiny in his though. and he lets his other arm wrap your lower back, essentially he has you resting your head against his tits while you two hold hands. it's gentle, a contrast to how he was being mean to you earlier. as you grind on his cock and the little tufts of hair on his lower tummy make you cum around his cock, he brings your intertwined hands to his mouth and places a kiss to the back of your hand and bucks his hips up into your pussy to get to his high. but the thing is, once ajax feels soft like this, he'd just keep you above him, kiss you and keep holding your hands till he's hard again and fuck you till your lower halves are all messy and sticky.

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

Hey I hope you have a great day.

So I just saw the post with the wrath of the creator on Azar and I had an idea.

I am very emotional and I bailed my eyes out when I did the chasm quest with xiao and he nearly died AND I got a sad cutscene of the adepti after so my traveler was just stuck in the dialog with Xiao while I was crying a whole waterfall and sniffing really loudly and the only other quest where I had that was when we were in the chasm with dain and he tells us that the hillichurls are cursed people from Khanri'ah. I stood in front of the corpses and cried heart out.

So I wanted to ask the characters reactions to that. Especially Xiao, the archons we know (because khanri'ah and its destruction is a big thing here) and dainsleif.

I'm sorry this got so long. If you want to change something or want to add someone or take a character out it's okay, this is just my 5 am thought I just had.

Alr, Anon! Coming right up! Imma just focus on the Perilous Quest lol-

Creator Having A Meltdown During Perilous Quest

(Warning: Might Be OOC & Spoilers to the Perilous Archon Quest!)

Yelan

She wasn't going to lie, she wasn't expecting you to cry your heart out so freely. Raw emotion was hard to come by when people grow. They tend to be more...seclusive, with their emotions.

You, on the other hand, were free-balling it. You did NOT care if people were gonna look at you weird, you are gonna cry because you are sad! And honestly, Yelan's glad that the Almighty Creator is expressive and sentient. It proves just how much you care for the characters.

"It seems the Almighty Creator is far more connected than anyone thought..." She wonders what she can do with this information, but at the same time, keep it under wraps. Letting this information slip into the wrong hands was always dangerous.

She wouldn't gamble your safety. Never. Safe to say Yelan's got you covered.

Itto

Woah, woah! He did not expect you, the Almighty Creator, to be crying their eyes out the moment he wakes up from passing out and all that—what he miss? What happened while he was sleeping?

Wait, they're not in the Chasm anymore? Oh Archons, someone just tell him what happened! Why the heck is the Creator balling his eyes out?

"Huh—? What's going on? We're out of the chasm?" Poor guy is so oblivious, and no one's bothering to fill him in—at least, at the moment.

He'll pester Shinobu about this later. Just, someone, stop the Creator from crying! Those are sad tunes, not something you want to hear when you should be celebrating about leaving that gloomy place!

Yanfei

She was NOT expecting you to be this emotional! Yanfei feels a little guilty not being able to do anything about it, to be honest...

She has to resist the urge to shake Xiao out of his stupor, because a) that was unprofessional, b) she's more relieved than anything, and c) Yanfei wasn't sure if you, the Creator, would think she was okay if she started acting out like that.

So, instead, she tries to ground herself, and do her best to make sure that the situation is fine, and that everything will be okay. That's the least she can do to reassure you, and everyone else, right?

"Hopefully, Their Grace will stop those tears...Hearing them sad makes me feel sad..." As a lawyer, Yanfei knows how to sympathize with her clients. This, however, felt like she could really understand what you were going through—there was a bond between you and everyone.

She doesn't want to make you sad. That's one thing for sure. Yanfei wouldn't be able to sleep out of guilt otherwise.

Shinobu

She wasn't expecting you to be crying your heart out, but she loves how sentient you are. It shows just how you truly care about Xiao, and about everyone.

She really appreciates you. She can see how you connect with every character—how you cheer with everyone, cherish the moment with everyone, rejoice, and mourn. This was visible proof of it all.

"Hm...How should we comfort Their Grace..." Shinobu wants to do something—for the sake of the gang's gratitude for their Almighty Creator. And everyone here as well.

You contributed much of yourself for them. For that, she's grateful.

She'll have to explain to Boss later...but that's besides the point right now.

Xiao

He feels guilty for making you cry. He heard you call out his name several many times. He hears how you ball your eyes out, thinking you were gonna lose him, only for Rex Lapis to save him just in time.

He doesn't know if the Lord of Geo heard your divine prayers, or if he went on his own accord, but he feels guilty. He placed a heavy burden on you. He didn't mean to.

"How should I make it up to Their Grace..." He listens to how you scream and cry (out of joy now) that he was alive. You, the Almighty Creator, already connected yourself to someone like him. Your bond was too severe, and he tried to cut it off.

But the way the Traveler is smiling at them with a reassuring smile, Xiao wonders if he will be forgiven. Perhaps far quicker than he imagined.

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: This honestly feels too OOC—I don't really know Yelan's personality all that well, and honestly I don't think I caught the full potential of Yanfei, Itto, and Shinobu. I do hope you enjoyed this, but I'm also sorry if this came out disappointing.

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[retellingthehobbit]

The Hobbit AU where Thorin survives BUT he has to deal with the same thing Bilbo did after surviving the journey. Thorin walks back into the Lonely Mountain only to find that he has been Presumed Dead, most of his things have already been sold, the Arkenstone has been auctioned off to the highest bidder, Dain is measuring his rooms as he plans to move in, Thranduil (the Sacksville-Baggins of the elves) has stolen all of his spoons and adamantly refuses to admit he is alive no matter what proofs he's given, and so on and so on

[angstywaifu]

Means to an End - Garrick Tavis x Reader

Propt by @fw-gt - “You can do anything you want to me, beat me, torture me, skin me alive. But I’ll never let you take her from me.” A/N: This fic is from Garrick's POV, so I hope you like it. This one is just pure angry protective Garrick. Enjoy.

It was meant to be simple. Well as simple as you could get for rescuing Violet from Varrish. Who from what we knew had her locked in one of the interrogation cells under the college. Varrish who was now dead. Good riddance I say. I had never had much to do with him, but he had a reputation for handling things in an unconventional way. And the way Violet had been when Xaden had led her up those stairs was proof. But she wasn’t his only victim.

As General Sorrengail turned to me, sadness in her eyes…. I knew. Every part of me knew. Chradh in my head confirming after speaking to her dragon. She was missing. And no one knew where due to this, concoction they had made up with to dull the connection between rider and dragon. She had been missing since the day Violet had been taken. No one had seen her after she had gone to bed. But with Varrish dead, we had no way to figure out where she had been taken. She could be anywhere. Xaden looks concerned as I pace back and forth trying to rack my brain as to where he could have taken her. We had searched the other cells top to bottom trying to find her. But there was no sign or even trace of her. And Violet was adamant that she had never heard or even seen her while down there. Varrish not mentioning her once

Xaden reaches out and grasps my shoulder. I go to shrug it off but he clamps down and forces me to stop and look at him. “What about Melgren or Aetos? Would they have her somewhere?”

Dain clears his throat from where he stands next to Violet. “There might be somewhere they could have taken her.”

Xaden tries to hold me back as I storm over to Dain, grabbing the front of his uniform and pinning him to the wall. His eyes go wide with fear as I glare down at him. “Where. Is. She?” I sneer, emphasising each word

”T-there’s a tower, at the end of the administration building closest to the riders quadrant. Down the bottom, there’s a door that leads underground. There’s more interrogation cells down there.” He gulps nervously as he looks to Violet and Xaden for help. “That’s the only place I could think he would take her. He was working closely with my father.”

I shove him back against the wall, his head smacking against the brick before I storm off in the direction of the tower. No one tries to stop me. Xaden letting me go. He knows there’s no point in stopping me. If anything he will make sure Violet is safe and follow after me, or send someone else. Luck must by on my side, all the corridors are empty. Not a single cadet around as I make my way over to the tower Dain speaks of. I descend the stairs, each step echoing off the walls as I make my way further and further down. At the bottom I almost think Dain has lead me here as a joke, there's no door. But my eye catches the dim glow of a light around the edge of the brick. A secret door. I push on it and it opens with ease. Almost too easily.

Keep alert. I will send word to Xaden to send someone. Chradh says to me.

I send acknowledgment through the bond before continuing through the door and descending down another set of stairs. It is easy to tell that this has been used very recently. Fresh foot springs and drag marks can be seen in the dust coating the floor. They dragged someone down here. As I descend further down the stairs, the light gets brighter and brighter. I finally descend into an open room, much like the one the RSC interrogation chambers are in. 2 cells are on the far side of the room, both are completely empty. Empty bar the blood caking the floor of one of them. I can see from here the blood isn’t old, the torches reflecting the slight glean of fresh blood. I go to reach for my sword when a voice from the doorway on the other side of the room stops me.

”Had a feeling I’d be seeing you Tavis.” Drawls Colonel Aetos as he leans against the doorway, his eyes focused on me.

”Where is she? What do you want with her?” I demand.

He merely chuckles as he steps into the room as he starts to pace towards me. It’s then I notice the blood on his hands. Fresh blood. Very fresh.

He stops, leaning against the table. ”Oh you naive boy. It’s not her I want. I don’t need anything from her. She’s just a means to an end. It’s you we want, and you’ve come right to us.”

My blood runs cold. They’d used her to get to me. To get me here, right where they wanted me. They’d taken her and done gods knows what to her to get to me. I look over to the cell with the blood and pray its just a set up. She’s fine. If they knew she knew nothing then there was no point in hurting her. Not yet anyway.

They’re on their way. Keep him distracted. Chradh tells me.

“What do you want from me?”

”Information of course. We know what you and that Riorson boy are up to.”

"I will never tell you anything.”

He smiles at me, a smile that sends a shiver down my spine. “Oh I know. You are a hard one to crack. But luckily in the brief moment Varrish met you, he saw all he needed to see. And now I have my way to make you tell me everything.”

As if on queue two guards walk through the door, a limp figure hanging between them that they throw to the ground in a kneeling position. They rip the bag from their head, and I swear my heart stops beating. My eyes go wide.

“So what’s it going to be Tavis?”

I can feel the muscles in my face twitching as I look up and glare at him. “You can do anything you want to me, beat me, torture me, skin me alive. But I’ll never let you lay another hand on her.”

“That’s the thing though Tavis. No matter how much I beat you or torture you. You won’t tell me anything.” I gulp as he smiles at me. A smile that would send anyone else cowering. “But if I do any of those things to her. You’ll tell me whatever I need to know.”

The two guards either side of her march forward. I quickly grab the sword from my back, swiftly blocking their strikes. The sounds of our swords clashing echo off the walls of the chamber. One of the guards lunges to grab me, but I side step them and grab on of the daggers on my belt, stabbing it into the side of their neck. They rip it out, spraying me in their blood as they fall to the floor. The other turns and looks at me in horror as their friend dies on the floor next to me. As I do this I notice Aetos is no longer leaning against the table. He must have snuck out while I was fighting. I go to lunge for him as shadows swarm the room, blinding the last guard. I turn around to see Xaden run into the room.

“Grab her and go. I’ll take care of the rest.” He tells me as he walks towards them.

I nod before I rush over to her and scoop her up in my arms. She goes to protest but one look from me and she merely nods in agreement as I stand and carry her up the stairs. No one would lay another hand on her if I had anything to say about it. As we get to the top of the stairs I hear the vague sounds of screaming down below.

[callsign-rogueone]

mercy - m.s.

Mira Sorrengail x reader Back in your days at Basgiath, you and your friends made up Mercy, a game of spontaneous “assassination attempts”, to prove your strength and skill in single combat. Mira starts a new game, years after the last one ended, and it has unforeseen consequences. 🎧: “I will show no mercy for you, you have no mercy for me, the only thing that I ask: love me mercilessly” - Hatef—k, The Bravery words: 4.5k 🏷: Iron Flame spoilers. NSFW, afab reader but no pronouns used, violent homoeroticism, sparring and a teeny bit of blood, childhood friends to college rivals to lovers, mysterious unresolved tension between you, reader is coded as being on the curvy side bc I am, one very brief mention of past abuse from your father, you could be Dain’s sister but I didn’t say that part out loud for inclusivity’s sake, use of the nicknames bunny (derogatory, but also affectionate), sweetheart, and baby. softdom!Mira, mild predator/prey vibes, fingering, overstimulation, biting (once), aftercare, love confession, soft ending, I proofed this with a migraine so pls ignore any grammar/syntax errors lmao

A cold hand closes around your throat. You know it can only belong to one person.

“Hi, bunny,” Mira purrs, confirming your theory. “Did you miss me?”

Your pulse jumps under her fingers as she moves forward, pressing her body up against your back. You don’t know if you’re more relieved or scared -- she’s alive, but she hasn’t changed a bit, still hellbent on making you play her little game of cat and mouse. 

“When did you decide the game was back on?” you ask, finally able to form complete sentences.

“Just now,” she answers, tightening her grip on your neck ever so slightly. “Why? Have you lost your bite? Did those two years in the middle of nowhere make you even softer?”

You burn at the insinuation, bringing a hand up to dig your nails into her wrist -- she hisses in pain, releasing you, and you take the opportunity to slip out from her reach, unsheathing one of the two blades you have left after last night’s events.

You stalk in circles around each other, waiting for someone to strike first. 

“Try not to kill each other before I can say hello,” a familiar voice sighs, and your head snaps up. 

Brennan is standing twenty feet away from you, alive.

“Truce,” you and Mira declare in unison, suspending your fight. 

You rush forward to embrace her brother, hugging him tightly.

He smiles, resting a hand on your back. “It’s good to see you again, kid.”

“Someone knows how to greet people like a normal person,” you say with a glare over your shoulder at Mira, your voice wavering with emotion. You can’t believe Brennan is standing here in front of you, that he’s still alive.

“And someone didn’t punch me straight in the face when they saw me,” he adds dryly.

Your jaw drops. “What the hell, Mir?”

“I don’t regret it,” she says firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Brennan’s gaze lands on the reddened bandage around your arm. “Do you want me to…?”

“Oh, no,” you say, looking down at it fondly. “This was a parting gift from the Colonel. I’d like it to scar.”

Both siblings know who you’re referring to, know that the man who sired you and your brother isn’t Dad to you, just his title — he’s never acted like anything other than your commanding officer. 

Brennan doesn’t ask if you’re sure, doesn’t push the issue further. He knows your relationship with your father has always been strained, that the Colonel would’ve had more than just some choice words for you when he found out you were going to desert. 

He remembers the last time he saw you, a week before you and Mira were to enter the rider’s quadrant — he was in his third year at Basgiath, “home” for an evening. He’d been the one to answer the door when you’d shown up, not knowing where else to go.

You didn’t want to follow in your father’s footsteps, but you weren’t given a choice; your family are dragon riders, through and through, even if the line of work cost your mother her life. 

The mention of her earned you a bloody nose that Brennan had been able to fix near-instantly. You’d spent the night on the Sorrengails’ couch, the two of you silently agreeing to never speak of it again.

Mira burns with anger, but she stays quiet. “I’m so sorry, bunny.”

“It’s okay,” you say with a sad smile. “At least he’s finally out of my life for good. Are the kids here, too?”

Brennan nods. “Vi and Dain are around here somewhere. But things have gotten… weird between them.”

“That’s an understatement,” someone says quite coldly.

You turn, tensing when you see Xaden Riorson standing ten yards in front of you. 

“I didn’t expect any members of your family to be joining us, Captain,” he drawls, inspecting you. “Why the change of heart?”

Brennan is about to speak, to vouch for you, but Mira beats him to it. “You of all people should know that it isn’t fair to judge someone for the actions of their parents.”

You put up a hand to stop her, speaking for yourself. “I came here because it was the right thing to do. The name on my uniform means nothing to me, but if you cannot see past it, I will take my leave and fight on my own.”

He must realize that you’re serious. He softens ever so slightly, but does not apologize. “Very well. Welcome to the revolution.”

Mira leaves you alone — and therefore, on edge — for two days, a silent statement that it’s your turn to sneak up on her, that she’s waiting to see if you’ll bite.

Nothing has changed about her, including her workout routine — she’s holed up in the gym before breakfast, when half the fortress is still asleep.

She has her back to the door, settled into a high plank on one of the small stretching mats. A perfect opportunity; she’s already on the floor, unarmed. Easy.

You take a moment to admire the toned muscle of her back and the green rider’s relic spanning her shoulders before you press your boot into her spine.

She yelps, her concentration broken — her sweaty palms slip against the foam, sending her straight to the floor with a soft thud. You lean down to pin an arm behind her back. “Consider yourself dead, Sorrengail.”

Too perfect. Too easy. It’s your turn to squeak as she yanks you down to the floor with her, your back hitting the hard wood with a wet slap. It feels like your skin is on fire. You gasp for air, but you don’t have time to recover before she’s looming over you, that devilish grin on her face that you’ve missed so much.

Your friend rolls her eyes, stopping Garrick from leaping in to pry you and Mira apart. “It’s a game we made up as cadets. The two of them took it farther than anybody else, as you can imagine.”

You manage to gain your bearings, twisting a leg up and over her shoulder, behind her neck and using the other as leverage to squeeze tighter, locking her in place.

She digs into your hips, clawing at you with blunt nails, but you hardly feel it through the thick thermal fabric of your leggings.

“I should make you a little white flag to wave,” you say with a sweet smile, convinced you’ve won.

She hisses at you, some snide remark already prepared, but someone else speaks first.

“I don’t want to know,” Professor Devera says, looking down at the two of you still tangled up on the floor, “but we have work to do.”

You release Mira, letting her pull back and breathe. “Truce?”

“Truce,” she pants in agreement, and you seal the deal with a firm handshake, rising to your feet.

“Does it bother you at all that she could kill you in your sleep?” Garrick asks as you exit the gym and ascend the stairs.

“That’s against the rules,” you say matter-of-factly. 

“Since somebody can’t bear to admit defeat,” she adds, glaring at you.

The two Lieutenants can tell that there’s a story here, and there is. The rule was made during your second game of mercy. After a week of back and forth with no winner and no surrender, she’d taken desperate — or cunning, measures, however you view it — and befriended your bunkmate, Sascha, as a guise to get into your room, where she’d struck unexpectedly. 

You’d nearly had a heart attack when you’d woken up to see her looming over you. Needless to say, Sascha did not take Mira on another date, and at your insistence, the two of you added a new rule to the game.

“Your target has to be awake, and not doing anything directly related to base safety or following orders,” you explain. “The barracks are fair game, but not the flight field.”

“Truce can be called at any time, but it expires in an hour, or whenever you’re off duty for the day,” Mira adds, and you both make a mental note of the time. 

“Anyone can start a game by striking first. Surrenders can last from two days to two years, apparently,” you say dryly.

Mira finishes the set of rules with a narrow glance at you. “And you can’t seriously hurt them. You can act in self-defense, but try not to draw blood.” 

“That was one time,” you huff, crossing your arms over your chest. “And you shouldn’t have snuck up on me while I had a knife in my hand! It’s a miracle I didn’t kill you.” There’s a note of hurt in your voice as you remember how close of a call it had been.

As soon as you saw the blood dripping down the pale skin of her neck, you had dropped everything to take her to the healers, terrified that you’d hit a vein — you hadn’t, but you still didn’t resume the game for two weeks afterward, until the cut had fully healed. 

Mira smiles. “I’m touched, bun, but I don’t think you could kill me if you tried.”

You only bare your teeth at her in response.

Mira is waiting for you outside the bathroom door, leaning up against the wall looking bored — she must have been here for a while.

She pushes off the wall lazily, smirking at you. “So, bunny, do you want to give up yet? Call it all off?”

You suppress a shiver. “That wouldn’t be any fun,” you say calmly, hatching a plan; you can lose her easily enough, and get back to your room and be safe until breakfast, when you’ll be properly dressed and armed. 

You dry your hands on your towel, dropping it at your feet and putting one leg behind you, bent at the knee as if you’re going to have a proper fight -- then run like hell in the other direction.

You hear her chase after you, the pounding of her footsteps matching up with your racing heart as you make turn after turn.

There are two problems with your plan. 

The first; this place is a damn maze. All these doors look the same, and you’re moving too fast to look at the numbers posted on them. And like any good maze, there are plenty of dead ends. You skid to a stop as you realize there’s no way out of this hallway — or just one way; past Mira.

You quickly find the second problem; you’re running in wet sandals. You trip over an edge of the thick rug that lines the stone floor, headed straight for the ground, but Mira grabs you by the wrist, breaking your fall.

You steady yourself, yanking your arm away.

She lets you go easily, content to stand a few feet back and taunt you. “Just a defenseless little bunny, walking down the hallway in these cute little pajamas, all this skin exposed… I know you don’t have any daggers hidden under that excuse of a shirt,” she says, looking at you with the shine of something predatory in her eyes. “I can see everything.”

You move to cover yourself, crossing your arms — the fortress is cold, and you hadn’t bothered to wrap your chest just to walk back from the showers… you squirm under her gaze, embarrassed. “I am clearly at a disadvantage in these clothes,” you huff, “not fair.”

“That’s on you. You knew this could happen when you got dressed,” she dismisses. “But you’ve also been at a disadvantage this whole time playing against me. We both know I’m a better fighter than you. Maybe I’ve just been faking to let you believe that you’re all big and strong.”

That’s the last straw. You kick off your shoes and lunge at her, not caring that you’re still in your pajamas, cornered and unarmed — you’re going to end this round now, prove to Mira once and for all that you can go toe to toe with her and come out on top, disadvantaged or not.

She grins. “I was wondering when you’d start really trying.”

You knock her to the ground, though she lands more gracefully than you had the other day -- your back is still tender.

“You really need to switch it up, Bun. This whole wrestling-on-the-floor thing is getting old,” she taunts, grabbing your arm and twisting it behind your back.

“Shut - the fuck - up,” you pant. “You think this game isn’t getting old? You’re the one who’s stuck in the past.”

You struggle, and she loosens her grip enough for you to hook one arm over her head, squeezing your elbow around her neck in an attempt to get her to give up.

You hear her wheeze, running out of air, and you’re about to triumphantly proclaim your victory when you feel a sharp pinch in your bicep. 

She fucking bit you.

You gasp, releasing her and standing upright to cradle your elbow in one hand and inspect the damage. There’s a perfect imprint of her teeth in the muscle, two tiny punctures from her canines. “What the fuck, Mir? That really hurt.”

“Oops.” She rises to her knees and licks up the small beads of blood forming on your skin, making you squirm.

Gross. Well, actually… 

You don’t have much time to think about it before she’s pinning you to the wall. You struggle, but she has you trapped firmly against the cold stone.

“All you have to do is admit that I’m stronger than you. Say the word, and I’ll let you go.”

“No,” you spit, “you cheated and you fucking know it. You were the one who made the no-blood rule.”

“Poor baby. Want me to kiss it better?” she asks, looking down at you with that signature smug expression. You want to slap it right off her face, but she’s currently holding both of your wrists in one hand.

Your stomach flips at the realization of just how strong Mira is, how easily she can pin you down, how she could do anything to you right now if she wanted. 

Okay, now is not the time to be horny. You have a point to prove.

You start to struggle, but she only bears down harder, presses in closer.

“If you wanted this, you could have just asked,” she says quietly, her nose brushing against the side of your neck. 

Your resolve is crumbling. The way she’s talking down to you in that condescending tone and the way her muscles flex as she presses you into the wall have you more turned on than you should be.

You want only one thing more than for her to hold you down and fuck you absolutely stupid, and that one thing is to win, to have Mira Sorrengail beg you for mercy.

You only see one way to get out of this — to cheat, like she did.

You blink up at her, doe-eyed. “Mir, please,” you whimper, pretending to struggle, but all you’re really doing is grinding against the muscled thigh she has wedged between yours.

She takes the bait, loosening her grip and leaning down to nudge her nose against yours, connecting your lips, remarkably gentle.

It feels too good to carry out your plan. You melt right into her, your whole body relaxing, and she drops your wrists to rest her hands on your waist, dipping under the hem of your shirt as she steadies you.

She kisses soft and sweet — a stark contrast to the ache in your arm from where she’d sunk her teeth into your skin.

She pulls away after a moment, smiling at the dazed look on your face. “You wanna be a good little bunny and let me have my way with you? Let me play with that pretty body?”

“Yes, please,” you breathe. It’s not an act; you really do want her hands on you, you have for years. You’ve never felt this needy in your life, never craved anyone’s touch this badly.

You should be more careful what you wish for.

You gasp into her mouth as she tugs aside your pajama shorts and brushes her fingertips against the embarrassingly damp fabric of your underwear, right over your clit.

“Not here,” you manage, clinging to your one last shred of rationality — at any moment, someone could walk out of their room and see you here, in the middle of the hallway, half-dressed, with Mira’s hands all over you.

She appears to agree. She pulls you down the hall by your wrist, wasting no time unlocking her door and leading you through it, pushing you right onto her bed. 

Your back hits the mattress and she’s leaning over you in seconds, though the predatory look in her eyes is gone, replaced with something softer.

Your heart pounds. You have no idea what she’s going to do. 

“Such a cute little thing,” she coos, her hands moving to knead at the plush of your hips. “Spread your legs for me.”

You comply instantly, starting to take off your shorts, but she stops you.

“Nuh-uh, bun. Keep them on.”

You whine softly, but she doesn’t budge. Her hand slides over your thigh, settling over the soft fabric. “So warm and wet… did you like me on top of you? Like me holding you down?”

“Yes,” you answer readily, panting even though she’s hardly touched you. “N’ liked… liked kissing you.”

It’s a thinly-veiled plea for her to do it again, but it works.

You whine into her mouth as she starts to circle her fingers over your clit through the two layers of clothing, smearing your wetness into them. Her other hand slides up to your chest, squeezing gently through the thin cotton of your shirt. 

You should have known that this would be good -- it’s Mira. She knows exactly what she’s doing; she’s had plenty of bedmates over the years, and she isn’t shy about it at all.

You burn with jealousy at the thought of anyone else being in your position, laid underneath her, her hands all over them and her lips on their neck.

Well, that’s new, you think. And not at all concerning.

Your inner monologue is interrupted as she pulls back, guiding you to look at her with a gentle hand on your chin, assuaging your worries. “Relax, sweetheart. It’s just you and me here right now.”

You push away the thoughts, closing your eyes and focusing on the three soft sensations -- her lips on your neck, her hands on your chest and between your legs, teasing you… 

She hooks her fingers into the thin straps of your tank top, slipping them over your shoulders one at a time and tugging the neckline down until your breasts spill out over it. 

She swears softly. “You’ve always had such a pretty body, bun. Shame you keep it covered up all the time.”

You burn at the praise, feeling exposed, but the embarrassment quickly fades as she kisses her way down your neck and across your collarbones, down… 

You can’t hold back the gasp as she laves her tongue over your nipple, her free hand thumbing at the other.

“Oh, you liked that,” she muses, smug, but quickly returns her mouth to the other, sucking gently.

You did. You really liked that. No partner has ever paid this much attention to your chest before, only some casual groping before they moved things downstairs. Nobody’s paid this much attention to you, period, taken this much time preparing you for the main event. 

You can feel the pressure building between your hips, your muscles tightening. You might actually cum just from the way she’s still circling her fingers over your clit through your underwear, and her mouth…

“Want me to keep going?” She asks, and you can hear the grin in her voice as she continues. “You know what to say. Just one little word.”

You don’t care if this is all an elaborate scheme to get you to admit defeat -- you’d do anything if it meant she’d keep touching you. You’re already addicted to her after one dose; you need her like you need air.

“Mercy,” you beg, “I’ll admit it, you’re— you’re stronger, you’re the better fighter, just please don’t stop, need it so bad,”

“There we go. That wasn’t so hard, was it?” she coos, smoothing a hand over your hip. 

You let out a soft whimper as she sucks hard on the side of your throat, undoubtedly going to leave a mark.

There’s that rough edge you were expecting.

She pulls down your shorts and underwear in one quick movement, spreading your thighs apart easily. “Gods, bun, you’re soaked.”

Enough for her to slip two fingers right in. She finds that special spot near instantly, laughing when you squeak in shock. 

“Oh, right there? Does that feel good?” She asks, even though it’s clear as day that you fucking love it.

You give her a soft sound of affirmation, biting your cheek to hold back the slew of whimpers.

“You’re probably used to keeping quiet, hm? Laying in your bunk with a hand over your mouth, wishing someone was there to make you feel good? Do you think of me when you touch yourself, sweetheart?”

“Yes, ah, I do,” you admit, too far gone to care. It’s true; you’ve spent many a night pretending your hand belonged to her, imagining a moment just like this. 

She continues to batter her fingertips against that little soft spot, not letting up for a second. “And does it feel this good when it’s just you alone?”

“No,” you cry, “this is, ah, this is better, oh, fuck, Mira,”

Your fingers flex helplessly, reaching for something, anything to ground you, and she takes pity on you, giving you her hand to hold while you sob into her pillow.

“Shh, bun, it’s okay. Just let yourself feel good. Know you needed this so bad, needed someone to fuck all the thoughts out of that pretty head.”

She strokes her thumb over your clit in time with the movement of her fingers, and that’s all you need; that and her soft voice cooing all those condescending things to you.

You clear your head enough to speak properly, or try to. “Mira, please, gods, fuck, gonna, ah, gonna cum,” 

“Go ahead, bun. Cum for me.”

You’ve always been good at following orders.

On her command, every muscle in your body tightens then releases. You grip her hand for dear life as warmth flows through your body, eyes rolling back and cute little whimpers pouring from your lips.

“Fuck, bun, you get so tight when you cum,” she swears, but she doesn’t stop or slow down at all, continuing to press and rub and kiss, overwhelming your senses.

“Too much,” you whimper, squirming away from her touch, but she doesn’t stop. 

She shushes you softly. “Just relax for me, sweetheart. It’ll feel better in a minute.”

You sob, dropping your head back onto the pillow in defeat -- you aren’t in a headspace to fight it, and you aren’t sure if you even want to; it hurts, but it’s still so fucking good.

She slows for a moment. “You know what to say if it’s truly too much, don’t you?” 

“Yes,” you manage, “I know.”

“Good bunny.”

You whine softly at the praise, gasping as the sharp sensitivity turns back into pure pleasure. 

She knows those panicked little whimpers mean you’re close. “It’s okay, bun. Let go for me.”

You unclench your free hand from the sheets, yanking her down by the collar to kiss you as you fall apart beneath her, your soft cries muffled by her lips.

She slows to a stop, letting you ride it out, giving you a few more soft kisses. You whine softly as she withdraws her fingers, feeling empty without them. 

She rests her hand on your shaking thigh, petting the soft skin gently. “It’s okay, sweetheart, we’re done,” she soothes. “You did so, so good for me.”

She easily moves you to sit up in her lap, wrapping her arms around you and letting you rest your head on her shoulder.

She hasn't been this tender with you in years. You savor the moment, hiding your face in the curve of her neck as you try to catch your breath.

“Can you look at me?” She asks after a minute.

You lift your head up enough to see her beautiful brown eyes gazing at you with a softness you’ve never seen in them before.

“There’s my pretty baby. Was I too rough with you?” She asks, genuine concern in her voice.

You shake your head. “No,” you promise, nuzzling your face into her neck. “Felt really good.”

You feel great. Your whole body feels fuzzy, your muscles relaxed and your brain completely liquified, all thoughts of the week’s events wiped away save for this moment; Mira holding you so gently, stroking your back — a minute of soft quiet.

You take your chance.

“Do you remember the night we came back from Squad Battle, our second year?” You ask, closing your eyes.

“Of course I remember, bun, that was fucking terrifying. Why…” 

You continue. “I couldn’t even make it upstairs to my room, I was that exhausted. I was planning to sleep in the courtyard, until you found me.”

She looks confused. She knows this story; why are you telling it again? And why now?

“You didn’t leave my side for a full day. You helped me shower, found me clean clothes, let me sleep in your bed until you were convinced I wouldn’t die… You put aside the game, and the fact that we’d spent the last two days on opposite sides of a war, because you were that worried about me. I’ve been hopelessly in love with you since that night, and I have spent every waking moment since graduation regretting how we left things. I missed you so godsdamned much, Mir. I don’t want to be apart from you ever again.”

You can feel her sigh of relief, her whole body relaxing against yours.

“I love you too,” she says quietly, still stroking your back. “I was so relieved when I saw you again, bun. I wanted to tell you how much I missed you, how sorry I am for ending things that way, but I was too scared. It was easier to just go back to the way things were before,” she admits. “You know I’m no good at that stuff. You’ve always been the one who was good with words, not me.”

You smile, leaning forward to brush your nose against hers. “Then let me tell you every morning and night for the rest of our days how much I love you, Mira Sorrengail.”

[thespianinthebackcorner]

So like Arlecchino has the wholr Crimson Moon deal that basically 100% ties her to Khaenri'ah. And I was thinking. What if her X eyes are because she's a descendant of Khaenri'ah and there's something about her bloodline that means like. Either they've been exiled or they've been cursed so that the proof of their heritage (something that family likely would've been proud of since they were probably important) isn't there anymore and was literally Xed out. Like they were exiled by both Khaenri'ah and the gods. Was there a Crimson Moon Dynasty??? I can't remember but if there was then I guarantee you they probably had a big part in the Cataclysm and were cursed because of that. I mean we saw the Crimson Moon symbolism before with Khaenri'ah what with the WWBR trailer and that prophecy from Dain's announcement so we know it's related. And also the Traveler having a trauma reaction at the end of Arlecchino's story quest. And we know she's cursed too with the flames and also the black arms so it does match up kinda. And also she said she was raised in Fontaine not born there or that her bloodline is from there so that opens up the possibility that she was either born in what's left of Khaenri'ah or was born elsewhere to a Khaenri'ahn line

[foullegussy]

I am making this post because Fontaine Archon Quest made me go down the theory rabbit hole and I need other people to agree with me that I'm not crazy.

Of course this post will have SPOLERS about the Archon Quest and some minor one about world quests, but I'll try to stay vague about them so everyone can still read this.

First thing off, fontaine is super related to Abyss stuff:

So far we have:

Childe actually finally dropping the things from his character story, giving us some weird Abyss fact that doesn't seem to be important yet (but i bet will become later on);

the whole Primordial Sea thing. I don't know if you saw that, but during the Archon Quest (in Marcel's underwater hideout) if you use elemental sight on the water it's black, just straight up black. 

NOTHING has ever been black before, so that to me just screams ABYSS. 

Also, it was flowing upwards, as in, in reverse, which reminds me of the reverse statue, the reverse city in the chasm, and all of that stuff. Then it would also make sense for it to "reverse" the life it created, dissolving people. 

the world quests in Fontaine being very Abyss related, as well as the constant mention all over fontaine of the name Jakob Ingold, the one who allegedly first discovered the effects the water from Primordial Sea had on people (this is said during the Archon Quest).

So far, in every Archon Quest we've had the Fatui as main villains (except in Mondstadt, but then Signora kinda stole the spotlight, so we all forgot about the Abyss Mages), and the Abyss Order stuff has progressed independently with Dain, but I think they're trying to reintroduce the topic in the main quest this time.

One of my main theories is that the Tsaritsa is at least somewhat right in whatever her objective is (even if her Harbingers are deranged psychopaths), so when we'll eventually get to Snezhnaya it's gonna be some huge mess, but we're gonna get the key to piece together some facts that they've throwing at us since the beginning with no context, and find some common ground (Are she or Pierro still gonna be bosses we'll have to fight? Maybe. Will the common ground be fighting Celestia or maybe saving it from the Abyss that is, maybe, taking over? Also Maybe. I have some speculations, but no proof whatsoever. Just vibes)

The reason I think that the Tsaritsa is not our enemy and doesn't want the Gnosis to, I don't know, take over the world or some shit, is because then why are all the Archons so chill about giving their Gnosis away?

Many say that, well, Signora attacked Venti in Mondstadt, that means Venti didn't want to give his Gnosis to the Fatui, otherwise why would she have done that? 

And maybe that's even true, but 

why isn't Venti more worried about it, then? 

after knowing Signora's backstory, she probably did it because of a personal grudge, ngl

Also, with every other archon it went very peacefully, especially with Zhongli. Zhongli who literally gave it away like it was nothing: if he truly cared about it he would have found another way to get his retirement, the Fatui weren't the only ones he could ask for help, but since he was already giving it away he probably thought he should get something out of it.

Ei too (and while she isn't technically one of the original Seven she has always been there as Makoto's twin, so she's still old enough to remember the Archon War), she literally didn't even have it on her and wasn't worried at all when Miko just straight up gave it away.

Even Nahida gave two of them away, the only thing that was holding her back was not the fact that she needed them, or what the Tsaritsa wanted with them, just the fact that one had just been used by Dottore to create a god to replace her, so she didn't exactly want to give him two of them.

So far all the gods we've met are: either old enough to know some stuff or the literal god of wisdom, who still knows some stuff thanks to Irminsul.

None of them seem too worried about the Tsaritsa's plan. (even mf Zhongli that literally signed and NDA is just chilling) (like, i know you know what the Tsaritsa is doing, and you're a really good guy who literally wants nothing more than his people to be safe, so if you're not stopping her i can't really think of her as a bad guy)

I made this long ass premise to say that when Lyney says that Arlecchino yes, wants the Gnosis, but also wants to save Fontaine, I-

like-

I think that could actually be true.

Or at least I don't think they're the ones behind all of the stuff that is going in in there (realistically speaking, we don't know if Arlecchino actually cares about Fontaine. I don't think she has plans about its downfall, but maybe she just doesn't give a fuck, whether they all drown or not), I think it either directly the Abyss Order, or just a consequences of abyssal energy on the land and water.

(also there's like, three Fatui tents in the entire map and from where they're placed it could actually be them just investigating what the fuck it's going on with the Abyss. I have 100% exploration, so i know i haven't missed any,,)

(from the official Interactive Map)

The Abyss being responsible might explain a bunch of stuff, like Childe being judged by the Oratrice guilty even when he's not.

Let's put some stuff together: Childe says that, while in the Abyss, he awakened "something", and that he still carries traces of that "something" inside of him.

The Oratrice is a divine mechanism, as such it is powered by divine energy.

In Fontaine we are introduced to Pneuma and Ousia. 

Each of them is what could be called and "Archè", which (if memories of greek philosophy in high school don't betray me) means something like "original substance", something from which everything else originates (like Heraclitus thought it was fire, Thales thought it was water. I should go back to read it, i might find something there huh).

For Pneuma (the light one) this is easy to understand: after all we know that combined, the seven elements make the Light element, but that is just because the seven elements are actually the spectrum of the Light element broken down, and it is said that the Dragons lived in a realm made of Light. So Pneuma (which means something about life and stuff) is Light, and it is the original substance from which the seven elements derive. 

One thing we know about Pneuma and Ousia is that they are opposites, they are both energy sources, and when interacting they annihilate each other, but also become more stable than when on their own.

Allegedly, this is probably also what Khaenri'ahn machines were powered on (because when the Ruin Serpent charges up he does that AoE attack where he shoot these yellow and purple blocks, which reminds me of Pneuma and Ousia; added to the fact that we know the Research Institute of Fontaine has been studying Dhari machines, this is probably some kind of confirmation).

Ousia literally means something about substance and matter (so on one hand you've got the "divine mind generating life" on the other you've got the matter, which remind me of the whole Descartes's res cogitans and res extensa, but whatever, another thing to look up again i guess).

If we're working on the whole "opposite to Pneuma" thing (so opposite to Light and elemental energy), then all that comes to mind is the Abyss (also referred to as the Void Realm).

This would tie back to Khaenri'ah and the fact that everything that everything that the Abyss touches gets the Mussolini treatment (this is a joke that literally only italians understand, sorry. Basically: it gets hanged upside down. down with the fascism boys)(i need to stop, sorry, i'm just in a silly goofy mood).

So divine things come from the Pneuma archè, that of Light: the Dragons, after them is the Primordial One, Celestia (Paimon??? The Travelers??? you know, the whole battle pass cutscene is hella sus).

The Abyss is a completely different archè: it exists outside of Teyvat and therefore has different laws (time is different there, we know from Childe's backstory), has taken on many different forms (oozing filth in the chasm, forbidden knowledge, etc) because its purest one is incompatible with the other realms.

(Do the Celestial Nails, placed in areas of high abyssal energy, contain enough divine power to generate an annihilation reaction, leading to funky but stable ley line disorders? Ice from Dragonspine doesn't melt, but doesn't spread either. Same for Tsurumi Island, the Eternal Oasis, and the Chasm)

Logically, there can only be one "original substance from which everything is generated", and the Abyss's presence on Teyvat is unnatural (the Abyss is, after all, a completely different world, it was Nibelung who sought out its power and opened the connection), so conflict is inevitable and again with the greek philosophy (still Heraclitus i believe, but i could be wrong): it is the conflict between opposites that generates things (such as energy). 

(The first human civilization in Teyvat, the one that saw the conflict between the Primordial One and the Second Who Came, is based on ancient Greece. DO WE THINK IT'S A COINCIDENCE???)

Abyssal and elemental energy being opposites also explains why elemental creatures are so vulnerable against abyssal energy, why gods defeated in the Archon War escaped to die in the "dark sea" outside of Teyvat, and the annihilation that leads to stabilization probably explains why some abyssal creatures can wield elemental energy (Abyssal creatures that we know where humans at first).

If the waters in Fontaine got contaminated when the Cataclysm happened (and previous Hydro Archon died), then oceanids, elemental creatures, would suffer quite a lot and escape from Fontaine and MAYBE even get a little bit corrupted as well. 

After all, the oceanid lady in the bottle event was extremely chill and lovely, while Rhodeia is as pleasant as hugging a cactus: is it just different personality or something similar to what happened with Apep (when she became a lot more angry after absorbing Forbidden Knowledge)? Doesn't Rhodeia also mention something about the waters in Qingce once being polluted as well (you know, right where the Chi was sealed? The Chi we know has something to do with abyssal energy from Baizhu's story quest)? 

Just throwing these out there, it's very cool to realize how connected the Genshin world really is.

Going back to the Oratrice, a divine mechanism, who, maybe, sensed the Abyss in Childe and either

had a funky reaction 

somehow knew the influence of the Abyss on Primordial Sea water (which after the world quests I can imagine how it could have happened), saw Childe's abyss-iness (abyssussy??? abussy??? amogus???) and went "Ah! Gotcha bitch" 

the Jakob Ingold thing (because Childe is basically a herald at this point, mf can switch forms like my boy Enjou did back in Enkanomiya, god I miss him). 

What would the abyss order have to gain by flooding Fontaine? Yeah, play the world quests. My boy Elynas is taking a nap bro (he chill tho so it's fine)

AND THAT'S MY PREDICTIONS. I guess. I might make more?? eventually?? 

[howlsmovinglibrary]

thank god for you, fellow former 11 year old freak obsessed with daine and numair. my copy of the book was creased to open to their first romantic scene. grappling with that as an adult was sure interesting, and yet i love tamora pierce still

proof I was not immune to wizards from a very formative age, honestly (and neither is Tamora, really, if you count how many times she describes Numair's lovely long hair).

To be honest, while I get that the romance is problematic and the age gap is :I .... Trickster's Choice is literally right there. Of all the things Tamora Pierce could get cancelled for, it's not top of the list. At least she lampshades this age gap lmao.

[ae-neon]

Fourth Wing

Chapters 1 - 3

Disclaimer: Much like SJM, I have no love or like for RY, they get no money or support from me for reasons I feel are obvious

Here's the good, the bad and the complicated

The good:

I didn't have high expectations, I know what this book is, I know almost all of the plot of the two books released so far via spoilers in general bookish spaces and it's...doing what it does.

I'm not a dragon enthusiast but they're a welcome element to the story.

Mira is hot. And caring.

The bad:

A little more editing might have been needed. Already made posts about "The Continent" and "The parapet"

RY is more concerned with info dumping Poromiel geopolitical trivia than making the immediate setting feel real, I spent so much time trying to understand the map and it turns out North is at the bottom? Like who does that?

Authors who include drawn out wars in stories please realise countries cannot afford to let candidates and cadets die willy nilly and that many more people should be reproducing to feed the war machine. Sparta failed, stop gloryfying them.

Authors of romance, romantasy and especially "enemies to lovers" please invest in suspense and character building. We do not need to see the mmc in the first chapter when we hardly even know the fmc 😭

It would have been more impactful if Dylan started killing people out of desperation than to have both Dylan (a walking death flag) and Jack (a cartoonishly evil person) be exactly what they looked like at first glance.

The complicated:

On the topic of Violet's disability and how that's incorporated into the story

I wanna say that I don't have EDS, I cannot understand the disability rep to that extent. That being said, I have a weak lung and some issues with my autoimmune system which really impacted my school life and experience with exercise.

I'm worried, given things I've heard about the story, that it is not about dealing with disability but escaping it.

Violet is especially sensitive about being perceived as weak but it doesn't seem like RY is gonna make her confront the reality of that or circumvent it, since we're told Violet lives with disability but we're also told Violet is almost exceptionally fast and agile. (both of these require muscle strength so...)

She climbs 70+ stairs holding a heavy backpack and acts like being winded is "proof" of her physical condition being worse than others but that seems completely normal?

Again, I could appreciate Violet's complicated feelings around Mira and Dain's concerns if I was sure the story was intentionally going to address this - as part of the frustration and other mental processes of dealing with a body you feel you cannot use the way everyone else does - but so far Violet's experiences seem so dimished.

[unyieldingwings]

It always confuses me how Violet could be so mad at Xaden for not telling her the truth about the Venin when she hasn’t really given him any opportunity to tell her?

Iirc, he even tried to ask her what she thought about her dad’s letter to her about history.

Also, did she really think she would believe any of the stuff he could tell her without actual proof? Her lecture to him about Dain respecting her boundaries, lol. He never did. He never once respected any of her boundaries.

[alyshiba]

Hello!. Love your posts and answers.

I have one theory regarding the next book that i’ve seen around and i wanted to share it with you:

in IF, they mention violet ex being a prince or someone really important and i do wonder if he’s gonna appear in the next books and have a role in them. And obviously, i wonder if RY is gonna make him a thing with violet if xaden turns full venin. I think the mention of who he is, and how we couldn’t marry violet was foreshadowing of him coming back eventually but i’m dreading it a little bit

Hy there! Thanks for the compliment <3

As always, spoilers ahead for Iron Flame

When I read both books, honestly, i didn't focus my attention on any details about Violet's past relationships. But you have to consider that FW and IF are books that requires multiple re-reads to apreciate oall of the details in them.

Every source I found over the past months that mentions this theory base it on details that have more than one explanations, like:

Violets and Aarics interactions: Of course Violet will have a friendly relationship with Aaric (like Dain TBH). Lillith is a General, we could dare say Melgren's second, so of course they will be in direct contact with the royals. In the ball scene in FW you see how familiar was Lillith with King Tauri, so ofc their children will grow up knowing eachother;

One of Violet's exes is in infantry: This info is being used as proof because "a future king must be in military school and since Tauri doesn't approve of his sons being the riders quadrant, than Halden must have been in the infantry section", well.... aside from the King's second born (killed by Xaden durin threshing in their first year at Basgiath) we have no record of a prince being officially sent into Basgiath. Officialy being the key since Aaric is "undercover". So we don't know if Navarrian royalty has a tradition of sending children to war colleges or "homeschools them".

Violet is unconfortable/turned down by the propect of being "royalty" when she understands that Xaden is still unofficially the Duke of Tyrrendor: This has been used to indicate that Violet's relationship might have gone badly because she's not nobility and therefore the couple was made to break up.

Neither of this fact is proofs.. we have nothing to support this theory yet. It isn't impossible, but at the moment we can only speculate. Plus, why must it be Halden the ex, and not the other brother (the one Xaden killed)?

[skyfallscotland]

Violence game 8 and 22?

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

Ahaha there are so many hills I will die on, but since we don't have time for me to rant about Xaden's signet, I'll stick with this:

Tauri being the king’s (and Cam’s) surname. Grinds my gears. Give me something Rebecca! Everyone does it and I know a lot of people are doing it because we have no alternative name given yet, but I just can’t see why that would be the case. IRL we refer to our monarchs by first name (King Charles, Queen Elizabeth) and presumably that’s because the crown is passed through a family line. If we called them by surname it would just be King Windsor, Queen Windsor, King Windsor, King Windsor, etc and like? Who are you referring to?

So yeah, TLDR: we don't know Cam's surname.

Also, when RY comes to Australia in June, if I manage to get tickets you can be damn fucking sure I'm asking her about it 😂

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

Hmm. I have two: a scene and a 'thing' because part could mean either. My favourite underrated scene is the saddle scene. As someone chronically ill, my heart hurt reading Violet protest any accomodations being made for her because she wanted to be just like everyone else.

But if I'm choosing Violence... 😏🔥

It's the redemption of Dain Aetos. I know he's fun to hate on, but fuck all of you if you try and tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing. If you were indoctrinated since birth to think certain people were 'bad' and your father, who you trust, said they were doing something underhanded and you needed proof, for sure you're going to do it, especially if it means saving your best friend and the woman you love.

His actions resulted in Liam's death and yeah, that fucking hurts, but his actions are understandable if you look at things from his point of view. As soon as he realised he was wrong and he had proof his father (who he's trusted his whole life!!) was a massive asshole, he switched sides, even though that meant he might not be safe where they were going.

He's a dick and often an idiot, but he's not some irredeemable villain. I also have a lot of feelings about the way people say he 'would never break a rule' because the man was willing to sneak Violet out of the Quadrant. Honestly his worst feature is that he doesn't listen to her enough. I could write a whole essay on how I feel about Dain to be honest.

[melina-mellow]

Dain definitely fits the "this man got 10 times sexier after his life fell apart" trope.

...

....

I have literally no proof for this btw. For all I know he could have always been this way even before the cataclysm. But he just gives off the vibes.

[ichoosechoasandbeingqueer]

Fili 2022 Whumptober Masterlist

You can find all 31 days of my 2022 Fili whimptober fics here! I’ll be bringing them out day by day and I hope you enjoy. These will probably just something short (400 words to 1000 words) unless I feel motivated as I write.

Please understand that these fics depict forms of physical, emotional and psychological violence and/or pain and may not be for everyone. Each fic will have individual warnings of triggering content contained in that fic so please READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. IF IT WILL TRIGGER/UPSET DO NOT READ THE FIC.

Here’s a little guide that may help if your unsure if you want to read.

⚔️ violence/gore/hardcore whump

❤️‍🩹 soft whump/brushed mentions

🥲 emotional/grief/angst whump

🌸 comfort

❤️‍🔥 nsfw/smut

💀 character death

Also as a bonus 🦋 for my favorite stroies

Day 1- A little out of the ordinary - Chained and Moon Touched

⚔️ -Gandalf warned them the would have hidden enemies if they reclaimed Erebor. Fili had expected Orcs and goblins, not this.

Day 2- Nowhere to run - Stupid Bloody Wood

💀(Smaug) -Smaug corners Fili in Laketown, or so he thinks.

Day 3- Hair’s breath from death - My Brave Warrior

🦋🌸💀(reader) -Fili finds you after a battle at the Blue Mountains and keeps you company as you pass on to the halls of the maker.

Day 4- Dead on your feet - Shotgun Shells and Glass

⚔️Fili remembers just how he found out zombies were real.

Day 5- Every whumpiee’s needs -Your Good Boy

🦋🌸 You kidnap Fili in an attempt to ransom him back to the royal family for gold. The ransom is quickly forgotten when your prisoner begs you to let him stay.

Day 6- Proof of life - Nightmares

🥲 🌸 Fili survives the war, but barely. Recovery is hard and long. After a nasty nightmare, Fili tries his best to prove he’s OK to his one and he’s not going anywhere.

Day 7- The way you shake and shiver - Gold broken (part 1)

⚔️ Fili is chained and whipped in the throne room for defying a gold sickened Thorin.

Day 8- Everything hurts and I’m dying - Safe and Sound by my Brother’s Side

⚔️ 🥲 💀 (fili and kili) Fili and Kili die in the battle of the five armies they way they lived. Together. (this is based from a head cannon I made about the song safe and sound from the hunger games hence the song. read about it here)

Day 9- The very noisy night -Thunderstorms and Kisses

🦋🌸 The thunderstorm outside sounds far to similar to the battle for Fili. Narni helps him through it.

Day 10- Poor unfortunate souls - Gold Broken (part 2)

🥲 (soft) Fili struggles with recovery and the realization that something needs to be done to stop his uncle.

Day 11- “911 what’s your emergency?” - Amad Help

🦋❤️‍🩹 Little Fili has to protect his brother when they wonder away from their mother at the markets

Day 12- What could go wrong - Frustrations (part 1)

❤️‍🩹 Having received the worst wounding out of the company during the war, Fili is given the safest, easiest job in the mountain. What could go wrong?

Day 13- Cant make an omelette without breaking a few legs - Of Gold and Lust

🦋❤️‍🩹 Thorin dies on the quest and Fili leads the company to the mountain. It is Fili who suffers from the gold sickness and is willing to sacrifice Dain’s army for his gold.

Day 14- Die a hero or live long enough to become a villain - Gold Broken (part 3)

❤️‍🩹 Fili is forced to make a choice. His uncle or his kingdom.

Day 15- Emotional damage - Healing

❤️‍🩹 🌸 Fili screams himself awake years after the battle of the five armies, and in a struggle with his nightmares, accidentally hurts his one.

Day 16- No way out - Caught, Not Broken (part 1) 

⚔️ Fili is kidnapped and beaten

Day 17- Hanging by a thread - Cruelly Hung

⚔️ A young Fili find out just how cruel humans can be to dwarves when he is hung by his hands and left to die.

Day 18- Lets break the ice - Caught, Not Broken (part 2)

⚔️ Fili has been shackled and beaten, but doesn’t break until his whumper reveals their face. A very familiar face.

Day 19- Enough is enough - Ghosts

🦋❤️‍🩹 🥲 (for the reader) 💀 (Kili, Thorin, Vili and Frerin) Kili knows his brother has been through a lot, but the drinking needs to stop. It’s a bit hard to convince him however, when he can’t even hear your voice.  

Day 20- It’s been a long day  Carried to Safty - Stolen Away

🦋🌸 After a long and grueling council session, Fili’s one saves him.  

Day 21- Famous last words - Off With Their Head

🦋⚔️ 🥲 💀 (OC) “Pathetic” was the last word his childhood bully had spat at him as he left him lying beaten in the street. Now Fili was king, and as he sat on his throne, said bully kneeling before him begging for forgiveness, all he can do is sneer and spit one word. “Pathetic”.

Day 22- Pick your poison - Merry Berry Pollen

⚔️ After stumbling into a toxic flower on the quest, Fili loses his mind and attacks his brother.

Day 23- At the end of their rope - The Old Gods

🦋❤️‍🩹 🌸 After raiding an orc camp Fili finds a girl chained up and terrified. There something strange about her though.  

Day 24- Fight, flight or freeze - Frustrations (part 2)

⚔️ After the cave in narrowly misses a still injured Fili, he struggles to survive.  

Day 25- Silence is golden - Shut Up Durin

❤️‍🩹 Fili is forced to stay silent by his abusers as to not wake up him brother that is asleep next to him  

Day 26- No one left behind - The Only Question That Matters

⚔️ 🥲 💀 (Every one in the company but Fili) Fili is the only survivor of the company and deals with the survivor’s guilt for the rest of his life.

Day 27- Pushed to the limit - Knives and Restraints

🦋❤️‍🩹 🌸 ❤️‍🔥 Everyone knows Fili has a knife kink, but his one finds out just how far he pushes the boundaries of pleasure and pain.  

Day 28- It’s just the tip of the iceberg Forced to watch - Watch Me Dance

❤️‍🩹 Fili takes too long to ask the girl to dance and has to watch her dance with someone else.

Day 29- What doesn’t kill me... - Frustrations (part 3)

❤️‍🩹 Fili wakes up after the rock slide to find the consequences of the accident.  

Day 30- Note to self: don’t get kidnapped - Branded

❤️‍🩹 🥲 Fili deals with the aftermath of being kidnapped and branded.

Day 31- A light at the end of the tunnel - Faceless Memories And Broken Promises

❤️‍🩹 🥲 💀 (Fili, Vili) Fili is reunited with his father in the halls of Mahal, he just doesn't realize it at first.

[wri0thesley]

Nat. i always. always am thinking about what my faves Diluc, Dainsleif, Thoma or Zhongli are like with a loud reader. as in loud in bed. loud, drawn out moans and whimpers, every thrust of their hips making you squeal and pant, gasping their names over and over as they split you open on their cocks and all of Tevyat can hear how good they fuck you ♥️

OHH . . . ajaghaafgbkjhf.

thoma, i think, LOVES a loud reader. this is a man who's service-oriented in almost every way; and the kamisatos are lovely, and they thank him, but . . . it's so, so different seeing you laid out before him whimpering and gasping and moaning and begging. proof aloud that you adore him and he's doing a good job, every single whimper and cry of his name going straight to his cock.

and diluc . . . you're so embarrassed at first, because diluc is so stoic and gentlemanly and you can't stop yourself, but it turns out that it makes him so, so shy and adoring. he's got a dormant praise kink that is awoken by you telling him how good it feels in between the moans, and it just spurs him on to fuck you harder; to thrust his hips deeper, to touch you more.

zhongli thinks it's so cute. he doesn't make much noise himself beyond an occasional grunt and sigh; he's very, very composed, even in the bedroom . . . but he's been alive for such a long time, he has learnt to enjoy the sight of somebody revelling in pleasure above all else. sometimes he teases you and murmurs 'now, now, dearest. can't you be a little quieter?' - but it's all soft-edged. he loves the noises you make. it's just also terribly cute to watch you try and stifle your moans for a few moments before you inevitably give up and your fingers twist in his hair and you're sobbing out his name for all of liyue harbour to hear.

fgnbkjfgkjn dain is embarrassed by it at first, but not because of you - because he's already so on edge that you're letting him touch you, the way you're outright enjoying it too makes him feel like he doesn't deserve it at all. he's flustered as he buries his face into the crook of your neck; perhaps even tries to muffle your noises with his hands, mumbling some excuse about being afraid of being trailed - but the sound of your voice all honey-sweet and pitching and euphoric proves to be too tempting, and it's not long before his gasps are mixing with your whines and whimpers . . .