#these two men make me physically ill

[shegoesbyjoy]

the quiet show of support from kim despite his own nerves... the playful ribbing between the two of them... the image of kim lending a crying harry his handkerchief, doing what he can to dry this broken man's tears....... these moments are really making me feel some type of way alright

[paging-possum]

Who up listening to good luck babe by chappell roan and having it resonate not in the way intended but resonating nonetheless. About to go ham in the tags about the overlap of being a lesbian and being aromantic...if u even care....

[ladyimaginarium]

okay so. on may 5th, the national day of awareness for missing & murdered indigenous girls, women & two spirits & otherwise indigiqueer or lgbtqia+ indigenous folx alongside indigenous boys & men... i& think i'll& finally be brave enough to talk about not only about the statistics i've& gathered in research over the years about just how much this genocide affects us on all levels & sharing the stories of others who were and still continue to be impacted by this trauma, but my& own personal experiences, not necessarily because i've& personally known anyone who's went missing or murdered although i& greatly fear for the lives of my& fellow indigenous friends, but how i& think back on the time of a recently discovered repressed memory where i& felt like i& was going to die, to get murdered, not in text, but in audio form. it's something i've& never told anyone out loud before & only just recently recovered the memory, which i& suspect an anonymous trauma holder i'm& unaware of was hiding from me& to keep me& safe. coming from me&, this is a very big deal. but for any natives out there who may read this: we& love you. we& support you. please take care of yourselves in any way you can, whether that's talking to a friend or trusted family member or support group or calling a hotline such as the stronghearts helpline or the hope for wellness helpline, where natives & all indigenous peoples in "canada" are offered services in both english & in french, or upon request, anishinaabemowin / ojibwe, cree & inuktitut & from personal experience calling there a few times for my& own personal needs, their services are absolutely excellent, they have experienced and culturally competent counsellors that are reachable by telephone and online ‘chat’ 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or smudging depending on your practice or doing something you love. i& know this week is hard for all of us, even those who aren't personally affected, as an elder once described to me& that this is an overall intergenerational community trauma that affects everyone who's native, but i& promise you, you are loved. i& love you. i& support you.

[drdemonprince]

I don't think I have it in me to be an abolitionist because I read that horrible story about the trans teen murdered in South Carolina and my knee jerk reaction is, those people should rot in jail, ideally forever, or worse. No matter how I look at it I can't make myself okay with the idea that you should be allowed to steal someone's life in such a horrible way and then just go back to enjoying your life. Some stuff is just too over the top evil.

You can have whatever emotions you want about that person's murderous actions, but the reality is that the carceral justice system is one of the largest sources of physical, emotional, and sexual torment for transgender people on this planet.

Transgender people are ten times more likely to be assaulted by a fellow inmate and five times more likely to be assaulted by a corrections officer, according to a National Center for Transgender Equality Report.

Within the prison system, transgender people are frequently denied gender-affirming medical care, and housed in populations that do not match their identity, which increases their odds of being beaten and sexually assaulted.

The alternative to being incorrectly housed with the wrong gendered population is that transgender people are also frequently held in solitary confinement instead, often for far longer periods on average than their non-transgender peers, contributing to them experiencing suicide ideation, self harm, acute physiological distress, a shrunk hippocampus, muscculoskeletal pain, chronic condition flare-ups, heart disease, reduced muscle tone, and numerous other proven effects of solitary confinement.

The prison system is also one of the largest sites of completely unmitigated COVID spread, among other illnesses, with over 640,000 cases being directly linked to prison exposure, according to the COVID prison project.

We know that number is rampantly under-estimated because prisoners, especially trans ones, are frequently denied medical care. And even basic, essential physical care. Just last year a 27-year-old Black man named Lason Butler was found dead in his cell, having perished of dehydration. He had been kept in a cell without running water for two weeks, where he rapidly lost 40 pounds before perishing. His body was covered in rat bites.

This kind of treatment is unacceptable for anyone, no matter who they are and what they have done, and I shouldn't have to explicitly connect the dots for you, but I will. One in six transgender people has been to prison, according to Lambda Legal. One in every TWO Black transgender people has been to prison. One in five Black men go to prison in America.

THIS is the fate you are consigning all these people to when you say that prisons must exist because there are really really bad people out in the world. We should all know by not that this is not how the carceral justice system works. Hate crime laws are under-utilized, according to Pro Publica, and result in few convictions. The people who commit transphobic acts of violence tend to be given softer sentences than the prisoners who resemble their victims.

We must always remember that the violent tools of the prison system will be used not against the people that we personally consider to be the most "deserving" of punishment, but rather against whomever the state considers to be its enemy or to be a disposable person.

You are not in control of the prison system and you cannot ensure it will be benevolent. You are not the police, the judge, the jury, or the corrections officers. By and large, the people who are in these roles are racist, transphobic, ableist, and victim-blaming, and they will use the power and violence of the system to terrorize people in poverty, Black people, trans people, "mad" people, intellectually disabled people, women, and everyone else that you might wish to protect from harm with a system of "punishment." Nevermind that incaraceration doesn't prevent future harm anyway.

You can't argue for incarceration as the tool of your revenge fantasies, you have to argue for it as the tool that it actually is. The purpose of a system is what it does. And the prison system's purpose has never been to protect or avenge vulnerable trans people. It has always been to beat them, sexually assault them, forcibly detransition them, render them unemployable, disconnect them from all community, neglect them, and unperson them.

[won4ver]

✈︎ best hidden secret

In Sunghoon’s opinion the worst part about being in a secret relationship was the sight of all these men thinking they had a chance with his girlfriend, but he knew no one could make you feel the way his touch did.

pairing : bf!sunghoon x afab!reader

warnings + genre : jealousy. secret relationship. suggestive. swearing. slight fingering.

wc : 1.1k

You’ve been Park Sunghoon’s best-hidden secret for a while.

So well hidden that it encouraged all these useless men to flirt with you, thinking they had even the slightest chance. He could only laugh to himself through a clenched jaw as he watched all these ill-mannered boys try and get with you, their foolish promises of pleasuring you physically boiling his blood.

The room grew hot as his eyes narrowed at you, specifically at your hand that was playing with the fingers of the man who’s been trying to get with you since you stepped foot in the room.

It wasn’t your touch that made Sunghoon jealous, hell you could touch anyone however you liked. But it was the way the man kept trying to slip his hands into yours that caused him to envision himself breaking his fingers.

Only Sunghoon could touch you, you were his. He knew that no one knew about the two of your little… relationship. But in his mind, they should've known better, known that you wouldn't go home with these little inexperienced try-hards. And they definitely should have known how to keep their hands to themselves.

It was like his eyes were glued in one place, never moving away from you. The heat of his glare had to have reached you by now because your hands were now by your side, twiddling with your empty wine glass as you anxiously glanced around the room.

The moment your gaze met Sunghoon’s heat pooled down your body, your nerves igniting with his heavy look. From your spot, you see his knee bouncing with the hand resting against it flexed, fisted in a tight grip around his glass. But nothing compared to the sight of the top few buttons of his blazer open, your dark marks barely visible behind the collar of his shirt.

Sunghoon knew you were looking at him, he could practically hear your thoughts. He also knew that if you didn't step away from the man situated in front of you, he was going to ruin his pretty face. Bruise his eyes until he could no longer look at you, it tasted almost too tempting on Sunghoon’s tongue.

The second Sunghoon jerked his head to the hallway you understood right away, leaving the man in front of you with nothing but a fake smile. The music was pounding in your ears as your heels clicked against the ground in a hurried strut, excitement coursing through your veins as you saw Sunghoon rise from his spot in the corner of your eye.

You flickered the lights to the bathroom the moment you stepped through, turning to close the door behind you before a hand pushed against it, halting it from closing. Sunghoon squeezed himself through the door, grabbing your arm and pushing you against the door as it slammed shut.

You jumped in surprise as the loud bang ricocheted in your ears, eyes widening for a split second as you looked up at Sunghoon. Your heart stuttered in your chest as a small smirk overtook his lips, one of his eyebrows quirking up at you in annoyance.

The next moment was a blur. One second Sunghoon was standing in front of you, chest rising and falling as he glared at you, and the next you were in complete darkness with his lips pressed against your ear.

“Do you think he could make you feel better than I can? No one knows your body like I do” One of his hands grabbed the base of your throat, pushing you further into the door as he ground his lower body into yours.

He used his thumb and pointer finger to raise your head, pushing it up as his lips attached themselves to the sensitive spot behind your ear. “No one can make you cum with just their fingers, no one but me” His harsh breath tickled your neck, his teeth biting marks into your neck as you panted from above him.

He could feel you getting restless, rubbing yourself against his jeans in an attempt to get yourself off. An airy laugh of disbelief left his lips, lip rolling between his teeth as your movements grew more frantic, your skirt rolling up as your underwear rubbed against his thigh.

He removed his free hand from the hold it had on your wrists, moving it down to press on your lower stomach. You whined as the friction stopped, your hips pinned against the wall as Sunghoon leaned his weight into both of his hands.

“What do you not understand about only me pleasuring you?” He pried your legs further open with his knee, moving his hand down to unbutton your skirt. Your head tilted back with a heavy sigh, his hand sliding under your waistband as he slipped his fingers between your underwear and your miniskirt, right above the place you needed him the most.

He circled his fingers across your underwear for a few seconds, lightly pushing the tips of two fingers into you from above the soiled fabric.

Even with the lights off Sunghoon could still see the way you reacted to his touch, the way your body tensed as you anticipated his next movements.

“Since you want to pleasure yourself so bad, go ahead” He slipped your pantries to the side, lining his fingers up to make it easier for you.

“Please you, please” You tried to beg Sunghoon to touch you, wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling him closer so you could bury your face into his neck.

“Oh? My baby doesn’t want to feel good?” Sunghoon spoke with a layer of faux surprise, making a show of beginning to pull his hands away.

“No no, just want you to do it for me” You were blabbering at this point, tears filling your eyes and you used your hips to chase his hand. “Please, I only need you”

Park Sunghoon was a weak man, the feeling of your wet cheeks against his bare neck nearly made him lose his mind. “Okay, stop crying, pretty” He shushed you as he pushed his fingers into you, letting go of your neck to undo his own jeans buttons.

“I’ll make you feel so good, so much better than these little boys could”

It wasn’t until a few days later when you learned that the party was hosted at the house of the man who flirted with you, and the owner of the towel Sunghoon used to clean you up.

Sunghoon only smirked at you when you told him, “he wanted you so bad, baby. Highly doubt he’d even clean the towel”

[kayesfanfics]

General Alucard Dating Headcanons

A/N: This takes place post Season 4, if he didn’t fall for Greta of course and just became friends with her

He absolutely adores when you call him Adrian, he doesn’t really like being called Alucard by you, since that’s more of his title than his actual name. He didn’t share his real name with you for a bit, but one day he asked you if you could call him by his given name, Adrian, and of course you respected his wish. But there was something about everyone else in the village calling him Alucard or The Alucard, and you were one of the only people to call him by his name. It made you feel special, and it made him feel more close to you when you said his name

It took awhile for him to open up to you fully, after what happened with Sumi and Taka, he needed physical space from you. Physical touch was iffy for him, he had to take baby steps into it with you. First it was linking pinkies, then holding hands, then hugs, and it took a long time for him to finally kiss you. But once he did, he never stopped wanting to, your lips fit perfectly against his and your sweet and love filled kiss didn’t hold any malice or ill intentions. More intimate things like sex would come later into the relationship, but for now you were content with kissing him

HE LOVES CUDDLING WITH YOU. After getting used to you touching him and feeling your arms around him, he felt so safe in them. They held him after nightmares, held him when he cried, held him when he wanted to express his love for you. Likes when you play with his long hair and scratch his scalp, his own hands often scratch your back with his long nails, or his thumbs rub your hips where his hands are rested. When he feels lonely in the castle, he finds you and asks if you to hold him. It never takes much convincing, so you find a comfy place to get comfortable, whether it be him sitting in a chair and you on his lap, on a couch or getting cozy in bed for a nap together

Loves watching you help the people around the village. You help the men hold things up to build houses, help cook meals with the women, play with the children while their parents were busy. You and Sypha would often chat together, complaining about your S/O’s bad habits, like Trevor’s constant thirst for beer and Adrian’s clinginess when you were busy

Adrian: “I am not clingy…am I?”

Trevor: “When you got drunk with me you cried about wanting Y/N and kneeled before her.”

Adrian: “Oh-“

He likes to gather and cook you dinner personally, it feels more intimate and with love that way rather than just bringing you a plate of food someone else made. Likes to set up romantic dinners with a velvet tablecloth, candles, and a vase with flowers for you, and cook you your favorite meal after a long week of running a village with him

He gets so embarrassed when the orphans of the village call him ‘dad’ in front of you. It always makes you giggle and brings a red blush to his pale cheeks, and he freezes until one of this kids tug on his sleeve to answer their question. Whenever he sees you playing with the kids, he can’t help but imagine what it will be like when the two of you have kids. Belmont and Sypha are already expecting their first, maybe soon the two of you would as well in the near future. He would bring the idea up to you, and you had the same thoughts for some time as well, thinking that Adrian would make the cutest kids with you, hopefully they’d have his luscious blonde hair

He definitely wants to turn you into a vampire, he doesn’t want to live his immortal life without you. Of course if it is your wish to remain human, he will respect that, but if you allow him to turn you, he will do it gently and hold you through the painful transition. Would love to always kiss where he bit you while turning you, so lots and lots of hug from behind followed by the soft peck of his lips on your neck

[i23kazu]

GENSHIN MEN & TAKING CARE OF YOU WHEN YOU'RE SICK .

characters. xiao zhongli diluc kaeya childe alhaitham neuvillette x gn!reader genre. romantic fluff. an. look at the cuties taking care of u :3 | please reblog!! im getting back into writing and reblogs with tags and comments will make me want to write more :D

xiao

when you're sick, he immediately forces you to get back into bed, not moving a muscle. xiao does everything, from making you food to going out to run errands and even enduring that horrible small talk he had to go through because he hasn't interacted with the stall owner in a while. he squeezes your hands to make sure that you know that he's there! xiao won't let anything happen to you. make sure that you're all wrapped up and cuddly when he gets home, because he's sure to shower you with physical affection – even if that's something that he doesn't do very often.

zhongli

zhongli makes sure to brew his finest tea for you, as well as booking that speedy consultation with the local pharmacist. trust that with all his years of wisdom and knowledge, zhongli makes sure to pick the best traditional medicine for you: a basket of ground violetgrass and qingxins mixed with honey sometimes does the trick. he watches your poor frame tremble, and wishes that he were gifted the powers of health instead.

diluc

upon hearing that you're sick, diluc immediately calls for adelinde to make something for you – a sweet broth, that has cured all things health-related since his childhood. it's a one-pot wonder, and adelinde has to politely kick him out of the kitchen before he says too much and ruins her cooking. diluc doesn't care about getting germs, and still makes sure that you're close to him. he holds you close, and maybe that wishful thinking of you passing your germs to him will make everything better.

kaeya

trust that when you first cough, he immediately goes to albedo to ask for a cure and a medication – albedo has to remind him that he's an alchemist, not a pharmacist – and kaeya sighs and turns to his stash of medication instead. he definitely makes sure to give you extra attention during this period (extra attention? what's that, when you've always been spoilt by your boyfriend?) and gets you all the different comfort foods and all the things you want and need – kaeya is the boyfriend to be at your side, day and night, when you're sick.

childe

makes his mom's chicken noodle soup for you! it's packed with veggies you love and a hearty broth that is just perfect for your sinuses. childe definitely still wants to cuddle you, even though you're a mess ... as much as you try to push him away, he always comes back with more – you've given up trying to keep distance at this point. it's really only a matter of time now before he gets sick because of you. you make sure to do the same for him when he's sick, though ... so that's a good two and a half weeks spent together.

alhaitham

he makes you rest your head on his lap, while he reads to you –claiming that you need as much rest as you can. you're not going to complain, though ... it's comfortable, it's homely, and alhaitham is definitely being very sweet. just like the sweet and comforting honey lemon tea he just brewed for you. alhaitham definitely makes sure that you take all your medications on time, because prolonging this bout of illness won't do for anyone.

neuvillette

the first time neuvillette found out that you were sick, he didn't exactly understand what to do. a little clueless, even – dragons, or rather non-humans, just don't get sick like you did. nevertheless, after some advice from a few human friends, neuvillette got to work. his contacts offered speedy services ... imagine getting a discount at the city's clinic, as well as a basket full of fresh vegetables from the melusines! it makes you smile a little on the inside, knowing that neuvillette cares about you so much. hehe.

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[tainbocuailnge]

i watched fight club today. really not hard to see how this became such a cultural mainstay. i feel like the opening sections before tyler even shows up are possibly even stronger than the rest of it, this setup of this guy with his cushy office job and his pleasantly furnished apartment being so chronically unfulfilled in his picture perfect life that he ends up visiting support groups for the terminally ill to vicariously get access to a framework through which he's allowed to lament his life, but even within these support groups everyone's lament has to adhere to a certain safe image, the narrator fucking hates marla for doing the exact same thing as him because she's not even pretending to go along with the image of beautiful lament despite her being extremely suicidal and just as much in need of support, and when chloe complains about her struggle to get laid now that she's consigned to a beautiful tragic cancer death she is quickly pulled away from the microphone. everyone on screen is excruciatingly unfulfilled because so much as voicing your desires outside very rigidly defined frameworks of acceptability is severely frowned upon.

it's extremely obvious why the men who join fight club are drawn to the allure of a framework through which they're allowed to desire and obtain the experiences of the flesh. all of tyler's crimes involve the taboo of the flesh somehow. splicing porn frames into movies. pissing and nutting into the food he's serving. stealing liposuction clinic fat to make soap and explosives. and of course starting underground fight rings. because the physical is inherently transgressive to these allowed frameworks of success and lament. when tyler lists the rules of fight club all the men present giggle at "no more than two guys per fight" "no more than one fight at a time" because just the fact that they're all here gathering as unfulfilled men indulging in the taboo of high impact physical contact gives everything a (homo)sexual angle that they have to laugh off. because even here in their transgressive taboo secret club they have to adhere to what is allowed! they're not gay. they're manly men who want to fuck women. they are deeply unfulfilled and deeply desperate for a place to belong among other men. they are simply exchanging one rigid framework for another.

it's no coincidence that the first support group the narrator goes to is for testicular cancer either, all these men crying about how losing their balls ruined their lives not because they almost died but because their wives divorced them for not being able to impregnate them anymore, because it destroyed their masculinity and thus their value as human beings, and especially bob who used to be an accomplished bodybuilder but needing to get his balls removed lead to hormonal imbalances that lead to breast growth and now this once masculine ideal is nobody anymore because he's no longer a proper man. he's the only one in tyler's army who gets to have a name.

like specifically bob and sophie really stand out to me as very bold statements especially considering when this movie was made and also very clear signs of what its trying to say here. the extreme social and physical alienation of modern consumerist society and the way it intersects with harmful ideas of masculinity to create a genre of extremely volatile reactionary asshole. and also the fact that the reason the narrator even ended up going to this support group is because his doctor was calling him a fucking pansy for not just powering through his insomnia and telling him to have a look at these tragically emasculated men if he wants to see what's really worth pitying. and having your balls cut off repeatedly being used as the worst threat you could possibly make to a man in this movie because being emasculated is worse than death.

tyler constantly tells the narrator he needs to be prepared to die if he wants to be free, he needs to lose everything and destroy everything if he wants to become able to do whatever he wants, but it's only after the narrator kills himself -> kills tyler and the ideal of masculinity tyler represents that he's actually able to desire something without being told what to desire. the narrator doesn't know what he wants and can't tell tyler what he wants when tyler demands to know, because being tyler isn't actually what he wants once it becomes clear to him where that ideology will lead, but as long as tyler is looming over him as his concept of the ideal (masculine) self he still can't be or even conceptualise his actual fulfilled self. because tyler is taking up all his brainspace to be nothing but a volatile reactionary asshole at the center of a death cult. it's the least masculine man in the movie who gets to be named, martyred even, in the pursuit of tyler's masculinity, and he's named because the narrator realizes he cannot abide tyler's ideal of masculinity. anyway. good movie.

[mit0bee]

Hii! Could you write Silver and Jamil with a s/o who is touch starved? In the sense they're not opposed to affection, but aren't that used to it and get kind of startled, but crave it nonetheless? Thank you so much, have a great night!

WHY IS THIS ME???? ill def be making a pt 2 because i love this so much

Twisted Wonderland Boys with an S/O who is touch starved

Stuff you should read: touch starved s/o, a tinyyyyyyyyyyy bit self indulgent because me too anon me too, bulleted post, i didnt use actual grammar/punctuation because i am lazy, once again no beta we die like men Characters: Silver Vanrouge, Jamil Viper, Malleus Draconia, Leona Kingscholar, Sebek Zigvolt, Lilia Vanrouge

SILVER VANROUGE

Silver first found out about your touch starved-ness when he accidentally fell asleep on your shoulder

When you shrieked softly in suprise, he shot up, thinking that he might've hurt you.

When you explained to him that you were just not used to physical contact, he sighed in relief.

i kid you not he genuinely thought he somehow headbutted you

And oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh boy when he learned that you craved touch, the boy was so ecstatic (for his standards)

from then on, he was always somehow holding your hand, or had his head resting in your lap or something

(at first, he would ask you or warn you before he would touch you, just so you wouldn't be too suprised or startled, but if you were okay with it, and as you got more comfortable, he'd just go for it)

if you were okay with more romantic displays of affection, he'd nap during lunch with you in the courtyard, with you somehow in his embrace

hes such a pookie i swear (im sorry his is so short idk how to write silver *sob*

JAMIL VIPER

Jamil actually found out from a silly little walk to Sam's

he went to hold your hand, and you pulled away, surprised

he thought you were mad at him and when i tell you this man tried to think of a reason why you would be mad at him

when he couldnt think of anything, he decided to just come out and ask if he did something wrong

and then you explained it to him

like silver, he sighed in relief

but not a little sigh

a big one

like muscles relaxing and everything he genuinely thought you were mad at him.

so when you slowly brought your hand to his, lightly squeezing it, you almost killed him

my dude ASCENDED like he actually would die with no regrets

when he figures out that you actually crave touch, he isn't as ecstatic as silver, but hes fairly excited

he'd definitely enjoy showing that he loves you through small physical touches (hand holding, maybe having your arm around his, ect)

Again, like silver, he'd tell/ask you when/if he was going to hug you or something

he wouldn't ALWAYS be touching you, but he would be in private

he himself is kinda iffy on pda but he'd hold your hand or something, nothing like kissing or full on big hugs, but hand holding is a big one for him

you two probably came up with one of those cute systems where its like "two hand squeezes means ily" or something

MALLEUS DRACONIA

he found out when, on one of your nightly walks, he tried to hug you and you just...froze in the hug

he just comes straight out and asks, he doesn't want to assume you're mad at him, but he did do something wrong, he wants to apologize

"Child of Man, is everything alright? You froze."

when you explained that no, nothing is wrong and that you just were a little touch starved, he nodded thoughtfully

"Well then, would you be okay if I request a hug, instead?"

^^^ (all of these men are so polite omg)

when you say yes, he is very happy

if he had a tail, it would wag

you know those cute pictures of rlly tall people hugging their shorter friends, s/o's? thats what this becomes. he is just leaned over, hugging you

"tsunotarou....shouldn't you let go now...?"

give him a second

when he learns you crave physical touch HE IS LITERALLY SO HAPPY

i hc that one of his main love languages is physical touch, so he is VERY HAPPY that he gets to show you just how much he loves you

once again, is another who would start with telling you when he will touch you, but his telling phase ends fairly quickly compared to silver and jamil

his main forms of physical contact are those elegant ones like where he has a hand on the small of your back

he would ALWAYS BE TOUCHING YOU.

more than silver

tfym he cant come to your ancient curses class with you when he has potionology? he already knows everything he needs to know anyway, so why cant he hold your hand a little longer :(

will 9/10 times end up sleeping over at ramshackle big spooning you (the big spoon in me wants to big spoon malleus but maybeeeeeeeeeee ill save that for another post)

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

he puts his head in your lap, and now youre shifting around?

come on herbivore smh smh you cant move so much hes trying to sleep!

when the thought eats a little too much at the back of his mind, he finally asks you whats up

when you explain it to him, he sighs and STAYS WITH HIS HEAD ON YOUR LAP.

but the only reason he keeps his head in your lap is because he knows his herbivore, and he knows all the signs that you're truly uncomfortable with something, so he knows that you don't mind

he breaks the cycle of asking. like i said before he knows his herbivore well, and he knows your boundaries and the signs that your uncomfortable even better, so he knows he won't overstep

i feel like he never had to figure out you craved attention, hes an observer, and just kinda always knew by your lingering touches, even after the shock of the touch

his favourite forms of physical touch are to lay his head in your lap, and basically anything (sexual or non sexual) where your body is on/close to his

hes another one whos main love language is touch, so he is too seen skipping his classes to hang out with you/to pull you from yours to the botanical garden

SEBEK ZIGVOLT

hes very aggressive with his affection, so when you shied away from his hug after training, he did a Jamil and tried to think of any reason you'd be mad at him

hes kinda sulking for the rest of the day until he decides to just come to ramshackle to ask you

"sebek wtf are you doing at my door its the middle of the night- WHY ARE YOU WET?!"

"I COULDN'T SLEEP THINKING YOU WERE MAD AT ME! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT I DID, SO I CAN PROPERLY ATONE!!!!!!"

"............what.................?"

you had to run and grab a towel because this idiot decided to WALK over while it was RAINING

when you explained everything to him, how you were just surprised, he understood immediately, so, he joins the Polite Cult (tm) and asks you to give you a hug

when he finds out you crave touch, he is a man on a MISSION

he WILL make sure you get what you want becuase he LOVES YOU SO MUCH

(just dont use your power over him when hes trying to protect malleus. he will become crisis'd about what to prioritize)

he loves to hold your hand sosososososo much its such a little gesture that can mean so much

hold his hand.

LILIA VANROUGE

he went to taze you (yk when you put your hands on someones waist and just pinch/tickle them while going ZZZZZT? yeah that) and you almost died of shock

hes seen many things, when your a prehistoric artifact like him, you know whats up

so you didnt even need to explain, he just kinda knew the second you screamed

hes also like leona in the sense he just knows you arent necessarily uncomfortable or anything

but he still tries to limit the amount he scares you but COME ON....your back is faced to him! its the perfect chance to scare you!

he, again, knew you needed more physical touch, so he's always stuck to you whenever he can be

not like skipping class level like malleus and leona, but he still is with you 90% of the day

another one to come to ramshackle with you, but he wont tell the others where he is so everyone thinks peepaw went missing

get peepaw to take his meds please hes a little deranged

--------------------------- I LOVED WRITING THIS SM but i was cramping the entireee time :( m.list @mit0ee 's work, please do not steal!

[bunniekittiee]

Cheater, Cheater, Raiden’s Eager

Pairings: Kung Lao x Fem. Reader, Raiden x Fem. Reader

A/N: Bi-Han won the poll, but I just could not stop myself from writing Kung Lao's fic. Shout out to @engie-main for giving me ideas on how I could approach this! You were a huge help! If some parts are poorly written or don’t make much sense, I apologize. I was in multiple different states of mind while writing this so it affected my writing too. I also suck at writing endings lol. But Happy New Year everyone! First fic of the year!!

Content Warning: A little angsty, cheating, physical cheating, NSFW, making out, oral (69)

Summary: Kung Lao has secretly been cheating behind his girlfriend’s back. After being exposed by Fujin, Y/N ends things for good. Raiden begins to fall for her, but his conflicts with Lao make them more estranged.

No one would have ever thought it would come to this. They seemed like they were endgame, enough to get married, have children, grow old together. At least, that is what Y/N thought. She never thought he would have done what he did. And she did not want to find out this way. It devastated her.

It was a group outing. Liu Kang wanted his champions to get together for a special dinner at Madame Bo's. Fujin, Raiden's sister, helped Y/N get ready for the date, as well as herself. They were the closest of friends, just like Raiden and Kung Lao. She introduced Kung Lao to Y/N originally, and the two hit it off from there.

She was happy to know that her best friend had found someone who loved and adored her, even if it was ill-mannered Kung Lao. He did have good attributes, she guessed. But Kung Lao was never her first pick for her best friend.

Raiden was used to having Y/N over often because of their friendship. He thought she was very pretty, maybe a little too good for Lao, but nonetheless he was happy for his best friend as well.

"Raiden!" Fujin yelled out of her room as she helped Y/N curl her hair. "Ten more minutes!"

Raiden sighed. He had been waiting for them to finish for over thirty minutes now. "We are going to be late."

Fujin peeked her head out of the room and glared at her brother. "Excuse me?"

Raiden looked away. "Nothing, sister."

"That's what I thought." she replied with her eyes narrowed, returning back to helping her best friend. Y/N giggled as Fujin smiled wide. She was quite the character.

They had finished up and left the room, making Raiden let out a small sigh. "I see that you are both finally ready."

Y/N smiled at Raiden while Fujin rolled her eyes. "Stop with the sassiness, I can't deal with it today."

Raiden raised a brow while he opened the front door for the two women. "Sassiness? I'm not anything."

"There you go again!" Fujin exclaimed as Y/N laughed. They interlocked arms together and talked on their way to Madame Bo's. Lao was going to meet them there with Johnny and Kenshi. She was excited to see her boyfriend. It had been some time since they had went out on a date, especially a group date.

After a few minutes of walking, they had arrived at Madame Bo's. It was quite busy, but as they scanned the room, they saw that the men were sitting at one of the bigger tables in the middle of the restaurant. Perfect.

Raiden led them to the table, and they sat in their respective spots, Y/N next to Kung Lao and Fujin sitting between Raiden and Y/N. Johnny tried to flirt with Fujin for a minute before she shut him down quickly. Raiden almost felt bad for the actor, but Kenshi thought it was hilarious.

Liu Kang arrived last, but he was very happy. When was he not? "I am happy to see that everyone made it tonight."

"A night out at Madame Bo's? We couldn’t turn that down." Lao said with a smirk. "Raiden's paying."

Raiden raised a brow. "I never said that."

"Raiden told me the same thing too." Fujin said with a wink while Raiden looked offended.

Liu chuckled. "I guess we will have to find out at the end of the night. Now let us begin dinner!"

A waitress came by and took everyone's drink orders. But not before she locked eyes with Kung Lao and almost looked nervous. Fujin noticed this, and she narrowed her eyes slightly. She did not want to say anything, maybe it was just a reaction the girl had to a table almost completely full of men. But why specifically Kung Lao?

Y/N was too caught up in Lao tickling her side to notice this, but Fujin brushed it off. She told herself to be on the lookout. For her best friend. Johnny had dared Raiden to electrocute the water tank full of fish near them which horrified him, but Liu thought it was funny. There was never a dull moment with his champions.

The drinks came to the table, the same waitress handing them out. When handing Lao's drink, she settled her hand on his shoulder before quickly pulling it away. This caught Y/N's attention.

"Do you know her?" She asked him, confusion written on her face.

"Yeah, she's my cousin." Lao said with his mouth full of an appetizer. "I thought I told you that?"

"No, you didn't." she replied back. She was never the jealous type of person, but she didn't like him keeping secrets from her. They were a team, what was the point of secrets? She told him everything. Ignoring the little splinters that went into her heart, Y/N continued munching on her food. Fujin had a bad feeling in her stomach. But she did not want to say anything. Maybe it was her mind playing tricks. She hoped it was.

Taking the last order, the waitress went back to the kitchen to get the chefs started on the orders. It would take a little bit of time, and Fujin felt nauseated. She excused herself to the bathroom where the same waitress caught her arm as soon as she was away from the table.

"Excuse me, how can I help you?" Fujin asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

The waitress chewed on her lip. "I must confess something as I do not know how to approach it."

Fujin's stomach did a somersault. "What is it?"

"Kung Lao and I have had relations with each other for the past six months." She said as Fujin's eyes widened. "He never told me he had a relationship. He never told me anything about her, and I feel so guilty knowing that she doesn’t know."

Fujin was beyond angry. Not at the woman, at Lao. He had betrayed her best friend. "I... I am at a little loss for words.”

The waitress nodded her head. “I understand. I think she needs to know. She is worth so much more than a cheating man.”

Fujin huffed. “She is. If I had known he would’ve did this to her, I would have never let him around her.”

"I am really sorry. If I had known he had a girlfriend, I would have never entertained him. He approached me first." She said sadly. "I feel horrible."

"He will get his karma, believe me." Fujin said. "I have to return to the table, but keep your eyes open."

The waitress and her both exchanged a head nod as Fujin went back to the table. They were laughing loudly and enjoying their time, not knowing that their nice outing was going to end badly. She would make sure Kung Lao regret ever committing adultery. She sat down again, and Raiden gave her a weird look.

She could not look at Kung Lao without her body filling with rage, but she kept quiet. Y/N was close to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Fujin felt awful knowing that her best friend's world was about to come crashing down.

Their food arrived at their table, and the same waitress helped her coworkers put their food on the wooden table. She locked eyes with Lao before quickly averting her gaze. As soon as they left, Fujin cleared her throat. "I am amazed, Lao. I guess the waitress’ seem to know you around here."

"He said that's his cousin." Y/N replied with a small shrug.

Raiden was puzzled. "Cousin? You never told me you had a cousin that worked at the restaurant?"

"I swear I did." Kung Lao said with a small hint of annoyance. "Do you ever pay attention?"

"I thought your cousins have moved away from Fengjian?" Raiden said as he looked at Lao with confusion. The entire table went silent as they watched the situation unfold. "Lao, I don’t believe that is your cousin.”

Lao started to stress a bit, but he tried to keep it cool. "I think your memory is off, Raiden. And what do you know about my family?"

"I know enough to know that she isn't your cousin.” Raiden replied back with a frown. Johnny and Kenshi exchanged 'oh shit' looks before turning their attention back to the rest of the table.

Y/N looked at Lao. "Do you care to explain to me who she really is?"

"Babe, like I said, she's my cousin. Raiden's memory is off. And let's not do this in front of everyone." He forced an awkward smile at her.

Fujin was done. She immediately got up, eyes burning with anger and smoke practically coming out of her ears. "And to think I let her around you, you filthy dog.” Fujin’s face held malice. “You deceive all of us, especially your own lover!”

The restaurant was still bustling, but other tables were now watching the drama unfold at the middle table.

Bi-Han sighed angrily at one of the side tables, Kuai Liang and Tomas both looking up from their food to watch what was going to happen next. "I wanted a quiet night. Instead, we have to listen to Liu Kang's champions argue."

"But brother, it is about to get good." Kuai Liang replied as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Kung Lao is about to get exposed."

Bi-Han snapped his neck to the table. "I would do anything to watch that imbecile crumble."

"Fujin, can you keep it quiet?" Kung Lao hissed at her. "Stop being dramatic, I did nothing."

Raiden let out an exasperated sigh. That was the worst thing he could tell Fujin.

Fujin clenched her jaw. "The waitress herself told me that you and her have been sleeping with each other for six months. While Y/N has been oblivious to it!”

Liu Kang covered his mouth with his hand while Johnny's mouth was agape. Kenshi’s eyebrows had risen in shock. Kung Lao mentally cursed. "She's lying to you! We have never crossed paths with each other."

Y/N turned to Kung Lao slowly. "Then explain the shoulder touching and the eye contact Lao. You were practically undressing her with your eyes!"

Raiden shook his head at his friend. "All those times you told me to tell Y/N you were out buying her gifts; you were seeing your "cousin"?" he said in disbelief. "I covered for you thinking you were doing something nice for her!"

All eyes were now on Kung Lao who was metaphorically backed into a corner. The group stared at him, waiting for an answer. "It is all a misunderstanding, I promise you!"

Y/N shook her head. "I don't believe you, Lao."

"You're going to trust Fujin's and some harlot's word over mine? I thought you trusted me." Lao said angrily at Y/N.

Fujina gasped as the waitress walked up to Kung Lao and slapped him in the face. "How dare you! You came to me first and flirted with me! It is you that is the harlot." She walked off as Lao held his stinging cheek with his hand.

Bi-Han held in the laugh that was stuck in his chest. Watching Lao being exposed after each and every lie he told was hilarious. However, Kuai Liang and Tomas felt horrible for Y/N who sat there looking defeated. Heartbroken.

But that was an understatement for what she felt. Her whole world was ripped away from her. And Kung Lao continued to bury himself in a deeper hole with every lie he told. Everyone at the table knew that he was making it worse for himself.

"Enough!" Liu Kang exclaimed, his white eyes narrowing. "Kung Lao, you are not helping your situation with every lie you tell. Be truthful, especially to your significant other."

Kung Lao sighed, looking at Y/N. "Let’s talk outside of here. Not when everyone is staring at us.”

Figuring he was right, they both got up from their seats and went outside, all eyes on them as they exited the establishment. Madame Bo was observing from afar of the events unfolding between Kung Lao and his lover.

“Tell me the truth, Lao! It is what I deserve.” Y/N told him as soon as they were outside. The night sky’s stars were twinkling at them, but there was nothing to twinkle about.

Kung Lao chewed on his lip. “I love you very much and-”

“No you do not.” She interrupted him. “Do not give me the sob story. Tell me the truth now.” She crossed her arms and looked up at him.

“I did it because I was tired of waiting for you.” Lao said as he fidgeted with his hat. “You are very adamant about keeping your innocence until marriage, and that’s nice. But when you’re with someone like me, it’s not ideal.”

Suffocation. Her entire body felt like it was being suffocated. Lao always said he didn't mind waiting for her. But she guessed that was another lie of his. She wondered how many other lies he had told her.

“I am so sorry, Y/N. I want to be with you. And only you.”

She scoffed. “I can hardly believe that. If you wanted me, you would have never made this mistake. We are over, Kung Lao.” She said as she turned away to go back inside the restaurant to grab Fujin. She just wanted to go home. She did not want to be out anymore.

As soon as Y/N entered the restaurant, Fujin hopped to her feet and bid farewell to the men who only watched as both women left. It was Fujin’s duty to be there for her.

Kung Lao entered the restaurant as well, sitting down at the table again looking at his plate miserably. Madame Bo came by the table and smacked Kung Lao in the head with a wad of newspaper. "You have made a grave mistake, Kung Lao. I thought you were better than that. I guess I thought wrong." He did not like the disappointment that radiated off of his friends, especially Madame Bo. She was like a mother figure to him.

Finishing dinner would have been like pulling teeth. The air was filled with tension and awkwardness as Johnny eyed Lao with resentment. He as well liked Y/N. He thought she was a sweetheart. And Lao absolutely destroyed her trust. Liu Kang told his champions that he would pay for dinner, giving Raiden a look as he glanced at him. The Thunder God caught this look and grabbed Kung Lao to lead him out of the restaurant. Johnny and Kenshi thanked Liu Kang and trailed after the two men.

“Tell us the truth, Lao. We are away from everyone else. We want the truth.” Raiden reiterated to his friend. He gave him a hardened look that Lao avoided.

Lao frowned. "I just couldn’t wait any longer for her. She was… always adamant on keeping her innocence until marriage. I love her, I really do, but I couldn't keep waiting. I was having difficulty."

"Woah, brother." Johnny said as he made a face. "You don't ever insult a girl and her virginity. And you don’t ever lead her on like that.”

Kenshi shook his head. “That isn’t an excuse. You should have known from the beginning that she was taking things slow. And if it wasn’t for you, you should have not gotten together with her.”

Raiden was bewildered. Every time he saw them together, they were happy. Lao looked happy, in love with her. Yet he was unfaithful most of their relationship. This was not like the Lao he knew and was close to. Raiden felt like he was looking at a stranger. "Lao, I can't believe you. I thought you were better than this. I expected you to be better."

Kung Lao's eyes began to water, and Raiden started to feel guilty. "Lao?" The hat-man started to cry, but he quickly wiped his tears away. "I know I messed up. I know I did, but I don't know what I can do to make it right."

Raiden sighed quietly. "There isn't much you can do, Lao. You can't make it right, sadly. I'm sorry." Despite what Raiden was feeling, he had to be there for his friend. Just like Fujin had to be there for Y/N.

The other men comforted Lao, putting their own feelings to the side about the situation. They knew he made the biggest mistake of his life, but they had to stay neutral.

Fujin held Y/N's hair back as she threw up the contents of her stomach into the toilet. What was supposed to be a nice outing turned into her worst nightmare. She felt horrible for her friend. She was inconsolable.

After Fujin helped her wash her mouth out and get ready for bed, she laid in Fujin’s bed. Tonight, she would stay with her, she did not want to be alone. Not when her heart felt like it was going to stop beating. She cried into Fujin’s shoulder, and she rubbed Y/N's back gently. She was beyond angry at Kung Lao, but she knew she had to be there for her friend. She needed her.

Raiden arrived home a bit later than usual, and he noticed Fujin sitting at the table with a cup of tea, mind wandering. "Is Y/N okay? How is she feeling?"

Startled, Fujin slightly jumped. "I apologize, I was deep in thought." She sighed. "She's not taking it the best. She was throwing up and had a panic attack. It is a miracle that she is even asleep right now."

Raiden frowned. "I am sorry to hear that. I cannot believe Kung Lao and his actions. It feels like an intense nightmare." He sat down near Fujin. "His reasoning is unforgivable."

"His existence is unforgivable. Y/N gave him everything, she was always too good for him." Fujin looked like she wanted to say more, but she didn't.

Raiden quirked an eyebrow. "You look like you have more to say."

Fujin sipped her tea. "I always thought that you and Y/N would have ended up together."

Raiden's brown eyes widened. "You have?"

She nodded. "I had hoped that you both would have. I would have rather seen her with you than Kung Lao. I always had a feeling he would cause heartache, but we cannot help who we love."

"Wow, I never would have thought that you would have wanted us together." Raiden was bewildered. "I have always thought she was pretty."

Fujin chuckled. "Well, give her some time before you go and try to romance her. She is going to be heartbroken for a long while. But she will come around again."

It was a long while before Y/N was ready to go back into the dating world. Kung Lao’s actions had completely warped her sense of trustworthiness with others, and she felt very insecure. Like she wasn’t enough. She wouldn’t be enough for the next man who came into her life. She was afraid of the same thing happening once more to her.

She spent a lot of time with Fujin and Raiden. Her best friend made sure she was distracted from her intense thoughts, as well as check on her mental health. Whether it was girl outings, sit-downs, tea times, or sitting at home, Fujin made sure Y/N’s heartbreak would not worsen.

As disappointed as Raiden was in Kung Lao, he was still his best friend. He had to interact with him on a day-to-day basis at the academy, and he couldn’t let personal problems interfere with his work. Even if Kung Lao allowed it to affect his.

His moods were dampened, he started to sleep less, he never ate frequently, and when training, he never seemed focused. He was beginning to lose his touch in his work. And Liu Kang had begun to notice.

“Raiden, come, I must discuss something important with you.” Liu Kang said as he approached Raiden who was in the middle of meditating. Raiden got up from the ground, walking with Liu Kang to somewhere away from the others.

“I have seen Kung Lao’s performance declining since that night at Madame Bo’s.” Liu said as his white eyes were staring into Raiden’s soul. “If he cannot focus, I will have to send him home until he improves.”

Raiden sighed. “I understand, Lord Liu Kang. He has not handled his breakup well.”

Liu Kang nodded. “I understand. Tough situations like that require lots of time to process and move on. I would hate to send him home and have him depart from us for the time being. But his actions may cause liabilities on missions. And we cannot afford that.”

Raiden understood where Liu Kang was coming from. He had a lot to lose, especially if he were to lose his champions. They were a part of protecting Earthrealm, they could not lose their lives because Kung Lao could not put his own self-brought issues to the side.

"I completely understand, Lord Liu Kang." Raiden said, bowing to the Fire God. "I will talk to Kung Lao and get through to him as much as I can."

Liu put a hand on Raiden's shoulder. "Thank you, Raiden. And one more thing,” Raiden looked at him as he said this. “When you plan on romancing Y/N, be sure to not take her to Madame Bo’s. It will remind her of the unforgivable.”

Raiden’s cheeks tinged pink as he stuttered. “Yes, Lord Liu Kang.” He walked back outside as Liu chuckled.

Liu sighed happily to himself with a small smile on his face. Raiden deserved to be happy, as they always were in every timeline. It was only different because Kung Lao had changed the course of events. But Raiden would never know that.

Raiden walked back to where his friends were. Kung Lao was sitting on one of the benches while Johnny and Kenshi sandwiched him. They looked concerned for him. Raiden quickened his pace. "Lao, are you okay?"

Lao sniffled as he harshly wiped his tears off his face. "No, I am not. I miss her. I don't know why I hurt her."

Raiden gave Johnny and Kenshi a look that signaled them to give them their space. Raiden would fill them in later. As they walked away, Raiden sat down next to him. "We all make mistakes that change our lives. But we cannot be stuck on them. It is unhealthy."

"Does she ever talk about me? Does she ever think about me?" Lao turned to Raiden, tears streaking down his face, his eyes red. "Does she still love me, Raiden?"

Raiden stared back at his friend. He did not want to tell Lao the truth. He often overheard her and Fujin's conversations in their home, and she did not harbor any feelings for him. She was recovering from it. Raiden stayed quiet, but Lao was not having it.

"Tell me now, Raiden. You are my best friend. Even if it hurts, I need to know. For my own sake." Lao was desperate.

He frowned. "From what I hear, she does not. I am very sorry, Lao. I wish it was different." Raiden felt horribly for his friend. Although he created it for himself, he still could not help but feel bad.

Eyes watering once again, Kung Lao blinked to prevent them from spilling. He sighed quietly, nodding his head. Their relationship was never going to be repaired. Kung Lao never had another chance. He stayed silent as he was afraid if he were to speak, he would never be able to stop crying. He avoided Raiden's gaze and stared off into the distance.

"You need to put your focus and energy into your training and work. It will help distract you." Raiden was trying to be as encouraging as possible. "I know it takes time, but you will feel better."

Lao did not reply back to Raiden which made him feel like he was being ignored. But he did not let him annoy him. He knew Lao needed more time. So, he sat there quietly until it was time to resume their training. Another day, Raiden would attempt to talk to his friend.

Walking back to his home, Raiden felt relieved as he approached the front door. He was exhausted and ready to relax. He had a long, draining day at the academy, and all he wanted was rest. Entering inside, he spotted Y/N in the kitchen. Fujin was not with her.

"Where's Fujin?" Raiden asked her when he went to the kitchen. She smiled. "Well, hello to you too, Raiden."

Raiden's cheeks flushed. "I apologize for not greeting you."

She giggled. "Don't apologize, I'm only kidding. Fujin's bathing, so I am passing the time. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes please," Raiden replied with a small sigh. "I've had a very excruciatingly long day."

She poured Raiden a cup of tea as they sat down at the table together. She was the closest to Fujin, but she and Raiden could still hold conversations fairly well. Even if the main topic of discussion was not in her life anymore. "Tell me about your day. I am all ears."

Raiden told her about his day as she listened intently to him. He felt his stresses begin to lift off as he breathed in the steam from his cup and talked. She nodded her head at him here and there and kept eye contact. Raiden noticed how bright her eyes were. How beautiful they were.

"And I am emotionally drained from comforting Kung Lao. He is my best friend, and I will always be there for him. But he is jeopardizing his place at the academy." Raiden continued. His eyes widened slightly as he realized his mistake. "I am so sorry. I do not mean to bring him up, especially to you."

She waved her hand with a small chuckle. "Kung Lao is a man from the past. I am in a new chapter of life. I can handle him being brought up in conversations."

Raiden nodded and decided it was best to not tell her what Lao had said. He was not her concern anymore, and Raiden never wanted to make her feel guilty for her choices. He knew that Lao deserved it.

"More tea?" she asked him as she began to get up. Raiden nodded and thanked her. Her smile seemed to enlarge. Raiden returned the smile. As she walked away, he was in his thoughts again. He thought about what Liu Kang said. He felt like a bad friend if he were to ask her out. Kung Lao was his best friend ever since their childhood. And here he was, thinking about asking his ex-girlfriend out.

But Lao made a huge mistake. One that could never be fixed. So Raiden was okay, right?

That’s what he thought but he wasn’t so sure anymore. He wondered if he should talk to Kung Lao first, but Raiden knew he would be even more devastated. Maybe it was not the right time-

“Raiden? Are you okay?” She asked him, eyebrows furrowed as she gently held his hands. Raiden noticed and immediately turned red, almost jumping in his seat.

“Yes yes, I am okay. Thank you. I was deep in thought.” He said as he tried to contain himself. They were still holding hands.

She giggled. “Fujin does the same thing. You are both definitely related.”

“Of course we’re related.” Fujin interrupted, making both of them jump and Y/N unlock her hands from Raiden’s. Fujin’s eyes twinkled as she made eye contact with her friend before turning to Raiden. “I hope your day was well, brother.”

“Could be better but I am thankful for another day.” Raiden replied as he tried to contain his blush.

“So darn humble it’s almost irritating.” Fujin said as she brushed her hair.

Raiden finished his tea and began to get up. “I have a few things to do. I will see you both later.” He nodded his head at Y/N and shuffled away. Once Fujin knew he was out of earshot, she snuffled at her friend. “Didn’t mean to interrupt your hand-holding.”

Her friend groaned and lightly pushed Fujin as she made her away over to her. “You are horrible.”

“What’s next, you two creating a family out here? Goodness.” She joked as her friend turned tomato red and hid her face. “Rather it be Raiden than anyone else.”

“Yes yes, I know. Don’t go into any more detail.” She said as she sat down on a seat.

Fujin only smiled. She would much rather it be Raiden any day over Kung Lao or Raiden’s other friends. She knew her brother was good. The absolute best. She trusted him with her best friend.

Another day of training. Raiden was happy to live another day, but he felt like he was stagnant. Just a little bit. He did not feel as enthusiastic in his training, but he knew he needed to be. He had to set a good example for the others, as well as prove his potential to Liu Kang. And he needed to talk to Kung Lao.

Kung Lao was hitting the punching bag when Raiden entered one of the rooms. He was focused despite blood seeping through the bandages on his hands. Raiden figured he was taking his anger out.

“Lao, I need to talk to you.” Raiden said as he approached him.

Lao’s eyes averted to Raiden, and he stopped for a moment. “Can it wait? I’m a little busy here.”

Ignoring his attitude, Raiden continued. “No. It can’t wait.”

Lao sighed. “If you’re going to give me another speech about how I need to get over my relationship and focus, then keep it to yourself. I’ve heard it enough.”

Raiden was never one to ever get angry. He seemed to have had that part of him somewhat turned off. Or maybe it was dormant. But as of now, he was irritated. “No, I wasn’t going to do that. Can you please talk to me?”

“Just because Liu Kang gave you an amulet does not mean I have to listen to you.” Kung Lao replied.

“I want to take Y/N out for dinner.” Raiden said as he stared at his friend. “I am telling you so you are not blindsided.”

Kung Lao stopped for a second and scoffed. “What a friend you are, taking my ex-girlfriend who I am not over, out to dinner. What else do you want to take from me, Raiden?”

“We are going as friends. Nothing more than that.” Raiden retorted back.

“As friends? We both know you want to date her. How long has that been going on for? Did you want to date her while I was with her?” Kung Lao started to get into Raiden’s face. “Tell me, Raiden. What is it?”

“So what, Kung Lao? You made the mistake of cheating. You knew what you were doing.” Raiden argued, his eyes narrowing and his body language beginning to shift. “Do not try to turn this around on me and make it my fault. I was never interested when you were with her. She was your girlfriend until you decided that you could not wait for her.”

“So what? So what?” Lao’s voice was rising. “You came to tell me about taking her out. You know I am not over her. You know I am still struggling getting over her. And yet, here you are, already trying to take my place. What more do you want from me, Raiden?”

“None of that is my fault. I am sorry that you are not over her. I am sorry that you are struggling. But you made the mistake of cheating. Not me, Fujin, or Y/N. You made that mistake.” Raiden stared into his eyes. “If you never cheated, this would have never happened. And you know that.”

Kung Lao stayed quiet and began to wail on the punching bag. Raiden stepped out of the room and began to walk to another training area in the academy. He was frustrated. But this wouldn’t stop him from asking her out. He liked her, and why would he let Kung Lao get in the way? He was the one who made the mistake. Not Raiden.

Palms sweaty, Raiden fumbled with the front door of his home. He knew Fujin and Y/N would be here. He wanted to ask her. He was too irritated with Kung Lao to reason if it was a good idea or not.

He entered his home with a small sigh, and his eyes caught the women sitting and enjoying a cup of tea together. She recognized his footsteps and turned around with a sweet smile. “Hey Raiden!”

Raiden smiled back. At least someone was happy to see him. “Hey Y/N! How’s your day been?”

She got up from her chair to prepare a cup of tea for Raiden. He never asked her to, but she knew him well. That warmed his heart. “It’s been okay. I am ready for a relaxing break.”

Fujin nodded. “Has Kung Lao been giving you issues?”

Raiden gave her a ‘be quiet’ look that Y/N did not notice as she was busy. “No, he has not.”

Fujin frowned. “I don’t believe that. If he even thinks about being an imbecile to you, I will choke him out.”

Raiden knew she would definitely do it, and Lao would not win against her. Fujin was incredibly strong. And Raiden realized this when she put him in a chokehold and made him eat dirt because he ate the last few pieces of her chocolate. Raiden learned two very valuable lessons that day. Never touch a woman’s food, especially when she is on her period. And that you have to floss very well to get the dirt out of every crevice of your teeth.

“I know, sister. You don’t need to save me. I can handle my own.” Raiden replied. “As much as I appreciate it.”

“Liu Kang may not appreciate you and Kung Lao getting into physical fights with animosity. But he cannot say much when it is me. I’m not a part of the academy.”

“She’s essentially saying that Kung Lao can mess around and find out what happens when he angers Fujin.” Y/N said as she put tea in front of Raiden. Raiden thanked her and chuckled. Fujin nodded with a mischievous smile. “He will not stand a chance.”

“He shouldn’t be an issue.” Raiden sighed as he did not want to think about his work. “He is prideful, but it can crumble easily. That’s how he’s always been.”

Y/N giggled. “It is funny to hear you talk about your closest friend.”

“Well, it is the truth.” Raiden said with a small smile. Her giggles made him warm. “At the end of the day, he is still my friend.”

Fujin, being quite the observer she is, noticed how radiant both Raiden and her best friend were. Eyes flicking between the both of them, Fujin made up her mind. “Oh my goodness! I forgot to help Madame Bo with food shopping!” Fujin scrambled for her satchel and began to run out the door. “I’ll see you both later!”

Raiden was puzzled, but he had a feeling Fujin did it so he could ask her out. She always worked in mysterious ways.

“I wonder what that’s all about.” Y/N said, just as confused as Raiden.

“I have no clue. But I wanted to ask you something.” Raiden said as he took the leap of faith. Raiden was never that confident, but right now he was feeling it. He wanted to ask her now so he could either wallow in his own pity or celebrate his victory.

She looked at him with her bright eyes that made Raiden feel tingly. She waited for his question.

“I know it may be too soon, but I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date. Somewhere of your liking.” Raiden’s palms were sweaty.

She was taken aback. A date with Raiden? He and Kung Lao were friends, and here Raiden was asking her out. But Lao was not a factor in her life anymore. She would not make decisions based on his feelings or thoughts. He betrayed her and made her feel unworthy. That was something she could not forgive.

And she would be a liar if she said she wasn’t interested in Raiden. While dating Lao, she never found Raiden attractive, but he was always sweet. But after, Raiden unlocked something in her. His eyes held much love and kindness. His hands were so gentle and warm. He was inviting. His lips looked so soft, and she always had the urge to kiss him. He was so sweet. So loving. Always positive.

Despite being a virgin, her sex drive had always been a bit low. But with Raiden, she felt it increase. There were many sleepless nights that she had to take care of herself because the thoughts of Raiden made her desiring. With Lao, she wanted their relationship to go slow. But with Raiden she wanted to give him her all.

Raiden saw her space out, and he began to feel extremely nervous. Maybe he said the wrong thing? Maybe she isn’t interested? Was it too soon? He was overthinking it. “Well?” He asked her. He was ready to be rejected.

“I would love to go, Raiden.” She replied softly, snapping out of her trance. “I must confess something.”

He nodded his head at her. Was it what he hoped for?

She let out a small sigh. “I have fallen for you. I am enamored by you. I don’t want to go on a date as friends, I want to go as lovers.” Now it was her turn to be nervous.

The Thunder God was about to combust on the spot. His chest fluttered, his thoughts were everywhere at once, and butterflies had invaded his stomach. She felt the same way too. “I would like to go as lovers too.” He replied with a small tinge of pink on his cheeks.

She smiled at him again. “Then it’s a date. I would like to go out to the carnival. If that’s okay with you.”

Raiden smiled back. “I would love to. When do you want to go?”

Bashfully grinning, she giggled. “Tonight, if that’s not too soon.”

“Absolutely! We will go tonight.” Raiden gently grabbed her hands and held them. They were soft. He wanted to kiss her hands, but he refrained from doing so. She held his hands as well, and she stared into his brown eyes. They seemed more beautiful than usual. Their excitement consumed them as eventually she left to get ready in her home. Raiden felt himself become giddy as the time grew nearer. Fujin had come back eventually, and Raiden filled her in. She clapped her hands and smiled, congratulating her brother while also threatening him. Just as Fujin menaced Lao, she would do the same to Raiden. Even if they were related.

Looking himself over in the mirror one last time, Raiden let out a nervous breath. Fujin stood nearby. “Don’t be nervous. You’ve known her for almost your entire life.”

“I know,” he replied as he fidgeted with his hands. “But I can’t help my nervousness. I must leave soon so I can buy her flowers.”

Fujin grinned. “How sweet. Have fun, brother. And be safe. If anything gets crazy, I will be there.” Her face turned serious. “Especially if it’s Kung Lao giving you issues.”

“Liu Kang gave me an amulet forged by the Elder Gods. And yet, you are worried that Lao will challenge me.” Raiden said with his head tilting slightly.

“I know you can handle yourself, Raiden. But as family, it is my job to protect you as well.” Fujin glanced at one of the clocks. “You must be on your way! Have fun! Tell Y/N I said hi!” Fujin practically shoved Raiden out of the house.

Raiden shook his head with a small chuckle and made his way to one of the shops to buy her flowers. He knew her favorites already from Lao dragging him along, as well as Fujin’s suggestions. Raiden went the extra mile to find some lace and ribbon to tie a bow around the flowers. He was so extra in every way possible, but he did it out of the kindness of his heart. He wanted to leave a long-lasting impression.

Approaching the door to her home, he knocked. He felt the butterflies creep back into his stomach, but it all went away when she opened the door. She looked gorgeous. Her hair was done to perfection, her makeup accentuated her features, and her outfit complimented her well. Raiden could not help his awe. “You look stunning.”

She smiled with a small blush dusting her cheeks. “Thank you, Raiden. You look handsome yourself.”

He handed the flowers to her, and she gasped. “These are so beautiful! And the bow-” Her fingers gently curled around the fabric. “Oh Raiden! You are so thoughtful. Let me put these in a vase before we leave! You can come in as well.” She moved quickly back inside of her home, and Raiden stepped inside. It was cozy, but it felt… lonely. He knew she lived here alone. That was why she had often stayed at his and Fujin’s home. He felt guilty that she had to come home to an empty home.

But before it could get to him more, she reappeared back in front of him. “Shall we go?”

He pulled out of his thoughts and smiled. “Yes, we shall.” They left her home and began to make their way to the carnival. He was excited but still felt the nerves pool in his lower stomach.

She talked excitedly on their walk, stars shining in her eyes. He could listen to her talk for hours. Raiden wondered how Lao could ever betray such a beautiful, sweet woman like Y/N. Lao had to have been on some sort of psychedelic herb to even think about betraying her.

But if Lao didn’t make that mistake, Raiden wouldn’t be here with her. It worked out in his favor.

As they approached, they could see and hear the crowds of people enjoying the carnival. They stood at the many tents to win prizes for their loved ones. Raiden felt like a little kid again.

Suddenly, he felt his hand being grabbed by Y/N. “That one! Let’s go to that one.” It did not register right away that she was holding his hand until he was being dragged along to the tent. He felt a small smile on his lips. She was so cute. After paying a small fee, her and Raiden both began to play the game. Raiden, being great at almost everything, beat her at it. She giggled at him as he picked a fairly large stuffed animal out. But it wasn’t for him.

He held a large dragon stuffed animal in his arms and gave it to Y/N. She squealed with excitement as she took it from him, giving him a hug as she did so. “Awww! Raiden, you are so sweet!”

He hugged her back and chuckled. “Anything for you. Now let’s get to the other games!”

They had lost a few games but also won a few as well. Whatever prizes he won, they went to her. And whatever prizes she won, they went to Raiden. Eventually, they had to buy a basket to carry their prizes because of how many they had. There were moments where Raiden felt that he wanted to kiss her, but he never made the move to do so. He didn’t want to scare her off.

Sharing one of the fried foods off to the side, they ate and talked. They were in their own little world. That was, until someone had decided to show up.

“Going as friends? You are a liar, Raiden.” Kung Lao said as he frowned. His eyes flickered to his ex-girlfriend who narrowed her eyes at him.

“It’s none of your concern, Lao. Leave us be.” Raiden replied back. He did not want to be cold towards his friend, but he didn’t want him to ruin his date.

“How odd is it that after we break up, you go and flirt your way into my friend group.” Lao turned his attention to Y/N.

Wiping at her mouth, she rolled her eyes. “I did not flirt my way into your friend group. I am on a date with Raiden. I haven’t went out with anyone else. What is the big deal?”

“Big deal? Big deal?” Kung Lao exclaimed in frustration. “We break up, and you are over here on a date with MY best friend! Do you realize how weird and hurtful that is? Knowing that my best friend also has a piece of you too.”

“Lao st-”

“You are not my boyfriend anymore!” She snapped, eyes burning with anger. “I broke up with you because you cheated on me! You cheated on me our entire relationship, Kung Lao. And you are hurt that I’m on a date with Raiden?” She scoffed at him as he looked at her with shock.

“Don’t you see how much I love you? How much miss you?” Lao argued back. “I have been miserable, and I know you know that. I want you back. I don’t want our story to end now.”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “How much do you really miss me? If you loved me from the start, you would have never cheated. I was hurt knowing that you could not wait for me. I was hurt knowing that you picked another woman over me. After I have supported you and loved you.”

“Don’t you realize that I can be better?” He grabbed her by the shoulders, and Raiden wanted to step in, but he knew that she would handle it herself. There was nothing he could do. “We can start on a fresh clean slate. We can make it work, Y/N. I can’t bear to continue my life without you.”

“You are not a factor in my life anymore, Kung Lao. And it will stay that way.” She said with a small sigh as she removed his hands off of her. “We can never restart. I will never forgive you for what you have done to me. Let me enjoy my date with Raiden, and you get back to doing whatever you were before you decided to rudely interrupt our time.”

She grabbed Raiden’s hand and pulled him away from Lao who stood there with tears glistening in his eyes and his fists shaking with anger and sadness. She was holding his hand. Raiden had taken his place. It should have been him, not Raiden. He watched them disappear into the crowd. His heart hurt so badly. There was nothing he could change. Absolutely nothing.

They pulled themselves away from the carnival and into a more quiet spot. Her eyebrows were scrunched in frustration. “I cannot believe him. Interrupting our peaceful date like that. I am so sorry, Raiden.”

Raiden rested his hand on her lower back. “Don’t apologize. You did what had to be done. I have enjoyed my time with you very much.”

He saw her lips curl into a grin. “I enjoyed my time too. And look at all the stuff we won!”

She lingered on her words for a second, and Raiden tilted his head at her to continue. “I was just thinking that… we go back to your house. And drink some tea. Unwind, you know?”

Interlocking their hands, Raiden nodded. “Of course. That sounds amazing right now.”

It was a little quiet on the walk to Raiden and Fujin’s home. The wind began to stir, making her shiver. Raiden wrapped an arm around her to keep her warm and close to him. Even though he was nervous and wondering if he was making the right moves. He did not want to scare her off or make her feel like it was moving too fast. But she leaned in towards his touch and let him pull her close to his body.

Arriving to his home, he opened the door and ushered her inside. Fujin was snacking on something that Raiden had no clue what it was. “Hey! You are both back early.” She tilted her head at them slightly.

Y/N sighed as she set the stuffed animals down that they had won. “It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed my time. And then Kung Lao decided to interfere.”

Fujin’s face hardened. She set her wrapper down carefully. “And what did he have to say?”

“He gave a whole speech about how I was on a date with his best friend and how much he loves and misses me. You know, the usual speech a cheater will say after their significant other leaves.” She sat down at a chair with one of the stuffed animals hugged close to her. Raiden sat on the other side of her.

“Of course he did. He’s dramatic. He’s lucky it’s just Raiden you’re on a date with. Imagine if you went with Liu Kang.” Fujin laughed.

“What’s wrong with me?” Raiden asked jokingly. “I think I’m equivalent to Liu Kang.”

“Have you seen Liu’s body?” Fujin said sarcastically. “He was literally carved by the Elder Gods.”

“Well, I would rather it be Raiden.” Y/N interjected while squeezing his hand. “He was carved by a Fire God.”

Fujin groaned. “By the Gods, not the sappiness. You guys have made me feel so ooey gooey that I’m going to Madame Bo’s. Goodbye!” As she was making her exit, she gave Y/N one last look and winked. She blushed a bit before her and Raiden settled together in each other’s presence.

The tension was strong as they were watching TV. Raiden’s hand was settled around her shoulders while she cuddled close to him. Her mind began to wander as her thoughts about Raiden started to turn sexual. She wanted to run her hands all along his body. She wanted to feel him against her. She wanted his lips on her.

Feeling her excitement, she rubbed her legs together to create some friction. She did not want to ruin their date with her horny thoughts.

“Are you cold? I can get you a blanket.” Raiden asked her as he noticed her moving around. He didn’t ask her if she needed a blanket. He felt rude.

“No, I’m okay. Thank you, Raiden.” She said as her cheeks tinged pink. At least he was a little innocent about it.

They returned their attention back to the movie, but her thoughts were still running astray. Thoughts about Raiden using his fingers on her. His mouth on her. The excitement was too much for her. She needed him now, but she knew that he was not in the mood. She didn’t want to pressure him into doing something he didn’t want to do.

Raiden knew something was going on. She was spacing out a lot, and he wondered what she was thinking about. It was just them at the house. Fujin was gone and would be gone for a while.

“You are quiet. Is there something bothering you?” He asked her. He hoped he didn’t do anything wrong.

She jumped slightly. “Oh, of course not! I am just in my thoughts, I’m sorry.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you thinking about?”

She started to feel embarrassed. She didn’t want to tell Raiden her thoughts. Especially when they were perverted about him. “It’s nothing really.”

“You can tell me anything.” He said to her as he gentle squeezed her hand. They were close in proximity, his face inching forward to hers. Her eyes flickered down to his lips and back to his eyes, and she realized what she had done at the very last second. He definitely caught her.

Raiden gently grabbed her face with one hand and guided her towards him, connecting his lips with her and giving her a gentle kiss. It started off with small kisses, kisses that were so sweet it almost gave her a sugar rush. His other hand settled on the back of her neck to pull her closer to him. It almost felt like electricity. She kissed him back, desperately wanting to feel his love, but she didn’t want to rush it. As much as she wanted her release.

He was just winging it. He had hardly any experience, and he had gotten advice mainly from Johnny who had a lot more experience than him and Kung Lao combined. Johnny was the one who told Raiden where to touch and what to do that would drive a woman crazy. That was how he described it.

“Let’s take this to the bedroom.” Raiden whispered as he pulled away from her. He picked her up, making her squeal as she wrapped her legs around his torso. He gave her kisses as he walked to his room, kicking the door open and setting her down onto his bed gently. He continued to kiss her, peppering kisses down her jawline and onto her neck. He moved her hair to the side so he had full access to her neck. Kissing and licking different spots, she moaned quietly while she tangled her fingers in Raiden’s hair. She started to undo the bun that it was in, so she could see him at his full glory. His black hair trickled down his shoulders, the smell of shampoo and fresh rosemary hitting her senses. She ran her hands through his hair, making Raiden hum in content. It was comfortable. He felt like he belonged in her arms.

He took his shirt off, making her do the same for herself. Raiden resumed kissing her collarbone as he wrapped his fingers around the clasp of her bra, looking at her for permission. With a nod of her head, he unclasped it and let her breasts fall freely. He kissed lower, gently licking and sucking on her soft skin. She moaned with every move he made. He made her feel good. Better than Lao ever did. He focused more on himself where Raiden was not selfish.

She felt up his body as he continued to kiss lower and lower, reaching the waistband of her skirt. Looking up once again for permission, she enthusiastically nodded her head quickly. He wrapped his fingers around the waistband and slipped them off, face to face with her aching core. Her panties were soaked, a large wet spot making it obvious. He smiled to himself.

He slid off her underwear and threw them across the room, moving himself closer to her. She was beautiful in ever way possible. He wondered how Lao could ever love another woman when she was the greatest. Giving a long lick, he eyed her as her face scrunched up in pleasure. He pushed her thighs up around his shoulders and dove his face into her sopping wet pussy. He ate like it was his last meal of a lifetime. She moaned louder, her hand tangled in his black locks as he tongued her clit. Sucking, licking, nibbling very softly, he drove her insane. She felt the warm knot tying in her stomach.

She pushed his head away rather quickly. Her wetness and his saliva was smeared across his mouth and chin. Wiping some of it away, he furrowed his brows. “Did I hurt you? Are you okay?”

“I have an idea.” She replied as she noticed his hard-on pressed against his underwear. Her mouth watered at what he would taste like. “Lay down.” She moved over where Raiden could lay down comfortably. She removed his boxers, letting his cock spring freely. The tip was wet with pre-cum.

Moving her body on top of his, but in the opposite direction, Raiden understood what she was trying to do. He felt himself become more excited as her pussy was in his face. He settled his arms around her ass and dove back into his meal. Meanwhile, she kitten-licked his tip, teasing him before taking him completely in her mouth. He groaned quietly, sending the vibrations through her. All that was echoing in the room were groans and moans, along with wet sloppy noises from their mouths.

The pleasure continued to build within one another. Almost like bounded souls, they felt their release coming onto them around the same time. Raiden tried not to thrust his hips despite how good her mouth felt.

Sucking on her clit, she squealed in pleasure as she took Raiden completely in her mouth, entirely engulfed in the warmness of her throat. She continued to moan, rutting against his mouth. Raiden’s stomach knot released, and his mind was frazzled in pleasure while her throat took all of his cum. She swallowed as her eyes rolled into the back of her head while she released in Raiden’s mouth.

Minds frazzled with pleasure, she moved off of him and laid next to him. Both of them were panting quietly as they stared at the ceiling. “Wow… that was… amazing.” She said as she glanced at him.

“It was. That felt so good.” He responded, brushing his hair away from his face.

They sat in a comfortable silence before Raiden got up. He started to put on his underwear. “I’ll make us some tea. Especially to ease your throat. I’m sure it is a little bruised.” He slipped on a shirt and grabbed one for Y/N. She slipped it on after she put on her panties, his shirt oversized on her in the cutest ways possible. He smiled sweetly. “You look adorable.”

“You think?” She asked with a giggle. “I probably look like a hot mess.”

“You are beautiful no matter what.” He replied as he went to the kitchen to heat up water for tea. She followed behind him, her legs slightly shaking from the position she was in. While waiting, she leaned against him.

“I really enjoyed today. I would like to have many more days like this.” She said quietly.

“As do I.” He said while leaning against her as well. He kissed the top of her head. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable with anything. We can take it as slow as you want.”

“I understand. I would like to take it slow as well. But with what we just did, we definitely did the opposite.” She grinned.

He blushed. “I apologize for that. I’m sorry if I coaxed you into anything.”

“You worry wort,” she laughed. “You didn’t coax me into anything. We both enjoyed ourselves.”

He chuckled. Pouring their cups of tea, they settled back into his room. They cuddled underneath his bed sheets, her head resting on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat. Eventually, it put her to sleep. It was too comforting.

Raiden fell asleep soon after, but not before thinking about the night. He wanted many more nights like this. With her. He knew that he would have a lot of explaining and arguments with Kung Lao, but nothing could separate him from his love. Things worked out for the best, in his benefit.

But what mattered the most was that he had her. And she had him. It was meant to be.

[arabellasleopardcoat]

Eyes wide open (Daemon Targaryen x Reader)

Summary: As you settle into life as a married woman in Westeros, you try to escape and outsmart Daemon. It goes as well as one could expect. 

Warnings: Kidnapping, forced marriage, violence, starvation, torturing (Not the reader, at least physically), gaslighting. Very much housewife kink. 

A/N: I think you are not going to like this. Might be too much. If you think I missed a TW, please tell me. 

Check the previous parts here. 

It's not a fun affair, your wedding. Nor does it have many guests. There is a Septon, and Viserys. You would like very much to claw his eyes out. You are not sure if he is a guest or acting as another officiant, but you despise him. 

Perhaps a witness. Who knows? Not you. You were not the most observant person on the planet, as the last few months had shown you. 

Daemon waves over to some people entering the throne room. There are two young girls, and as they approach, you realize one is Alicent and the other Rhaenyra. In between them, probably to ensure the peace, stands the man from before, the one that tried to help you. Not the young one, the other. The one who was Hand. 

Alicent carries a silver haired baby, perched on her hip. You wonder which one he is. The eldest? Maybe? The drunken one. 

How disgusting can men be? Really. As Alicent comes closer and closer, the more she looks like just a young girl. Rhaenyra it’s not much older, either. Viserys deserves every second spent in suffering from his illness, marrying hid child's friend. Alicent regards you with sad brown eyes, no doubt pitying you. There is nothing she can do for you, though. Not at this time. 

Perhaps you are judging him with modern morals, and she was not as shocked by it as you were. She probably expected it, considering medieval girls married young, and medieval men often did not. Yet, you cannot help but be angry in Alicent’s name. Here is another woman, like Rhea, like you. Trapped into marriage to a monster. 

You want to scream and scream and never stop. Until your throat is unable to make more sounds, until you cough up blood and choke on it because surely, it is a better fate than this. A world without Rhea. You open your mouth, turning towards Daemon. A hand on your shoulder it’s all it takes for you to shut up. 

Your experience in the throne room showed you all you needed to know. The more barbaric parts of Westeros, the ones that Rhea had shielded you from. In her castle, she did as she pleased. She was a married woman with an inattentive husband in the Middle Ages. Rhea had much more leeway than others. 

In the end, what you had liked about Rhea had been that life with her was similar to modern life. Or what you think life must be like for aristocrats in the twenty-first century, only without phones and the Internet. You wouldn't know, having been middle class all your life. But if you closed your eyes, you could pretend you were back where you belonged. Rhea was as free spirited as any woman from your time, if a bit conservative.  You never understood why she feared her husband. 

Now you did. 

Daemon had frightened you. It was just starting to sink in how much power he would have over you now. You were little more than property, and he had a right to discipline you as he saw fit. To take you as he saw fit. After all, marital rape here was no rape. 

No one questions that you are being hand fasted with still cuffed hands. Rhaenyra glares daggers at you and at her father, no doubt hurt because of her crush on Daemon. How you long to have access to Wikipedia to see when she falls for Harwin Strong and stops hurting. 

You can't make up your mind about if she is a victim too or not. Daemon has groomed her into wanting him. That doesn't seem right. There is no doubt in your mind about it. Her treatment of Alicent could be justified, too. In an internalized misogyny kind of way. But wouldn't that be taking away her agency?  But judging Alicent as a victim only… Isn't taking away her agency too? 

Can you truly judge them with modern standards? You never spent much time thinking about the ethics of fictional characters. You surely would have been more concerned if you knew what was going to happen.

Too in your head, you barely notice when it's time to say your vows. Daemon, ever dutiful, reminds you of it by unsheathing his sword. 

Someone, probably Alicent, gasps. Then, she goes quiet. You repeat your vows, glaring at Daemon the whole time. You would find a way to escape. This was only a temporary setback. And he would hurt, the asshole. 

You ignore the voice in your head that tells you it's no use. Not when you have already failed at step one. You have spent a year searching for a way to go back to your world, and have made zero progress. If you run from Daemon, what would you even do? If he found you, no Lord would deny the Prince his wife. He would just have to talk to the liege lord in charge of wherever you are hiding and ask you to be handed back. 

Daemon leans in to kiss you. As soon as he is close enough, you bite with all your might. The coppery taste of blood doesn't dissuade you. You keep at it. 

“Should have expected that.” He mutters, through a mouthful of blood. His lips don't leave yours. “You Royces are hostile environments.” 

Despite being hurt, Daemon keeps kissing you, moaning into your mouth. You are uncertain if it is pain or pleasure. Disgusted by the thought, and the hungry way he licks into your mouth, you stop. He gives you a big grin and kisses you again, biting into your lower lip until he draws blood, too. You yelp, trying to push him off. 

“A true Valyrian, this one.” He boasts, grabbing your waist. Viserys and Rhaenyra look transfixed by what just happened. Apparently, something on yours and Daemon's blood stained faces is of significance to them. 

Alicent and the man look at each other. Suddenly, baby Aegon gives a tiny, uncoordinated clap. The rest of the guests follow, and you beg to the skies for patience and fortitude. It seems you will need it, with these in–laws. 

The cuffs never come off. Daemon shoves you in a room. Feeling oddly like the ghost of the wife in the attic, you decide you need to plan. You have little to your advantage, here. Your hands remain bound, and there is nothing to use as a weapon. 

Your head hurts. You have cried too much. First, mourning Rhea, then pitying yourself. No more. You have read enough novels and watched enough awful movies to know how this might end if you succumb to weakness. This is not a love story, and you won’t develop Stockholm syndrome. You refuse. 

You will keep repeating this phrase to yourself in the days to come. Feeding your anger, your treatment is not bad. It’s probably a bad idea to alienate your captor, but you decide to go on a hunger strike. Despite how hungry you are, not having eaten since the day Daemon arrived at the Vale, you do not trust him to not drug you or poison you. 

He might think you valuable, but he is also known for being a rogue. He might change his mind at any moment. If it were up to you, you would not drink water, either, but you know you can’t survive without it. So you drink as little as you can. It also saves you from the indignities of not having the privacy of a bathroom. 

Daemon comes to you on day six of your hunger strike. You are weak as a kitten, and half delirious with thirst. You have lost quite a few pounds. Your head hurts, you are dizzy, you want to go home. Never had you been as starved as now, or as dehydrated. Modern life meant you went hungry to bed, sometimes. Either for your financial situation or because of diet culture. But you had never felt as weak. One thing was skipping a meal, another refusing food for six days. 

He enters the room with another man, one that wears noble clothes, but you have never seen before. 

“… Not eating. Nothing. And barely drinking water.” Daemon explains, approaching the bed. Too weak to really fight him, you conform yourself with sitting up. As you are, you cannot be any kind of serious resistance. It’s the first time he has seen you since the wedding and by the look in his face, you look terrible. “Cries in her sleep, too.” 

The other man approaches you. He reaches a hand towards you, and you scream, backing up quickly and nearly falling off the bed. You don’t know who he is, but you know you don’t want to be touched. Panic bubbles up in your throat. Bound hands. No escape, no way of fighting back. Is he here to hold you down? For Daemon to…? The thought is too horrible to finish. 

You scratch at the man’s face, trying to aim for his eyes. This close, you can tell he is older both than Daemon and you. He looks kind. But looks can be deceiving. You resume your efforts, as the man screams, and you feel blood under your fingers. 

Daemon grasps at your shoulders, but you only trash more. It’s a weak attempt. His arm wraps around your waist, firmly. 

“Seven Hells.” The older man mutters. You have managed to lift skin around his forehead, three clear impressions of scratches marrying his face. With Daemon holding you firmly down, the man presses down on your stomach. Then, over your womb. He examines your face attentively as he does so. You snarl at him and try to kick him off. Daemon’s grip gets harsher. 

Is he going to sell you now? Is the man checking you over because he is a potential buyer? You would rather not be sold, and so resume your trashing. People trafficking was bad in your time. It’s even worse now, with no laws to defend you. You could become a slave, or worse. 

The man, the slave trader, tries to check your teeth. You bite down on his fingers hard. 

“Your wife appears to be fine, physically.” The man finally says. A doctor? Healer. Physician. Whatever they call them here. 

“Fine?” Daemon asks, tone absolutely enraged. “Fine! She is starving to death.” 

“Her ailment is not physical. It’s grief and rage.” The healer, as you have now decided to call him, answers in a soothing tone. You wonder if he was chosen to visit you for that reason. Both you and Daemon must be maniacs in his eyes. You can’t bring yourself to care. 

“I see.” Daemon says, tone dangerously low. Then, he grabs you by the cheeks and forces you to look at him. “What do you think you are doing, refusing food? Are you trying to kill yourself?” 

You grin at him as best as you can with him squeezing your face. He makes a frustrated noise. 

“It’s called a hunger strike.” 

“Strike? Strike?” Daemon shouts, shaking you harshly. You let your body go lax, hoping it makes you less dizzy. You feel like you might pass out. “What in the world does that mean? You little…”

“My Prince…” The healer sounds concerned. “She looks like she is about to throw up.” 

“Hell if I care!” Oh, it seems like you really angered him, you think to yourself. The thought feels distant and cloudy. Your vision starts to blur. Are you about to pass out? A sharp sting to your cheek brings you back to your senses. You blink, trying hard to focus. What have you done to yourself? Daemon has his hand raised, as if about to slap you again. The healer is making distressed sounds. “Listen to me, little brat. You will drink your tea and eat, or else I will force food down your throat until you choke.” 

Your eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. You start shaking your head. 

“Broth. She will have to have broth, if you want her to be alright. Her stomach will be unable to handle more at first.  We can lace it with Milk of the Poppy.” The healer says, in a low voice. It’s clearly aimed at Daemon, but you sit up straighter. You recognize that name. It was something like an opioid, right?

“No, no. That's a sedative. No. I don’t want it. You will poison me.” You start tearing up in sheer terror.  Panic is choking you up, making you unable to think clearly. Daemon laughs, humorlessly. 

“That’s the problem?” Daemon’s voice is harsh and loud, making you wince. He grabs a carafe of water sitting on your table. He takes a big gulp, making sure you see. Then, he passes it to you.  His hand goes menacingly towards his sword. With no other choice, you drink. That’s how your hungry strike ends. Defeated not even a week in.

It takes you a few days to go back to your previous strength. Daemon’s visits become more frequent. He eats with you twice a day, always tasting before you the nutritious broths and milk glasses you are given. With no excuse and under his watchful eye, you have to eat. 

As you recover, you get the strength to explore. Your new rooms were not bad. It could even be called a vacation. You didn’t have this, with Rhea. You had had a nice room for a servant, which was in reality a normal room for a person of the twenty-first century. A bed, a small table and a chair. With a window because you had told Rhea you were unable to stand closed spaces. 

This room was not like it. There was one window, high enough for you to need a chair to reach it. You had no chair or table, only a bed. The bed was comfortable enough, the room spacious. It allowed you to pace a lot. You had books on Old Valyria, written in High Valyrian. If you thought Middle English was hard, it was because you had not met this terrible language. 

You were determined to crack it, though. If High Valyrian was the Westeros's equivalent of Latin, perhaps you could find something more about how to get back to your time. All books of greater knowledge had been written in Latin, that you knew. It had been the language of intellectuals. Perhaps High Valyrian was the same. 

It provided a good distraction, seeing as the room was bare aside from the bed and stack of books. And… Well. The candles. It looked more in here like the altar of a church, with how many there were. There was also incense, always burning. Perhaps as a way to amplify your powers because you had not seen anything like it during your year in Westeros. You wondered how much it had cost. 

Your powers. Good God, what a joke. You had tried telling Daemon and Viserys, but it was no use. At most, they patted your head and said the poor little dreamer was confused with so many visions of the future. No one would listen to you. 

Both of them seemed to think there was something sacred in you. Daemon had gotten you new clothes, thin white shifts. To you, it looked like a sluttier version of a roman toga. 

“As the priestess of Old Valyria used to wear.” Daemon had proclaimed, proudly. You had rolled your eyes, but you were soon wearing them. Your clothes just got too dirty to stay in them, and the silk felt cold and soft on your overheated skin. Allowed only one bath per week, there is not much you can do about your cleanliness apart from changing clothes.  

It takes time, getting used to your own skin again. After a year of nearly wearing as many layers as an onion, you were back to simpler clothes. No undergarments had been supplied, but you couldn’t stand the feel of your dirty ones, too worried about getting a UTI and dying because there were no antibiotics here. 

Daemon visits you daily. He sits there and stares, fascinated by you. As if you were an exotic animal. It’s one of those days when you speak your first word to him. It’s difficult to build the courage for another escape attempt. 

“I was wondering if I could have some ointment for my wrists.” You say, very quietly. He is sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring at you with absolute fascination. It’s a bit creepy. “My Prince.” 

That’s what you have heard other servants call him. You are uncertain if you should do as Rhea did and call him husband. Both of them had had rather creative nicknames for each other and so, whatever protocol they used might be incorrect. 

Rhea. Poor Rhea. You don’t want to share her fate, but you would rather not surrender to Daemon either. You feel guilty for even thinking about it. 

Rhea appears in your dreams, every night. Her laughter, her voice, her corpse. Did he cremate her? Bury her? You can’t remember, and no one has told you. You wish you could visit her resting place, perhaps leave her flowers. Maybe get her advice. You miss it dearly. 

“What's wrong with your wrists?” Daemon steps towards you, and you flinch. His past treatment of you is still too fresh. He is a ruthless man, you remind yourself. Play nice. 

"They are sore.” You try to look relaxed, forcing the tense line of your shoulders to drop. Relaxed. Nice and pliant, for your psycho husband. Polite, and just the slightest bit whiny. He fetishizes immaturity, you remember. Younger girls. Laena and Rhaenyra both were. “I have been chained up for days. I don't want the cuffs to cut my skin, I might get an infection." 

He takes your wrists in a very gentle grip. You don’t know why, but his hands on the cuffs make you start to tear up. Too much. You are overwhelmed, suddenly. It’s as if the grief has come crashing down all at once. 

“You hurt yourself.” Daemon says, looking at your wrists from all angles. There are raised lines on them, from all the tugging you and him had been doing. “I’ll get you softer ones.” 

He brushes a thumb over your cheek, and you sob even harder. Daemon does not seem bothered by your fear or your tears. No. He presses his wet thumb to his lips, as if he is barely conscious of it. It sparks an image in your mind. Under him, crying, his lips drinking up your tears. 

You shake your head, as if you could vanish the image from your mind. You need to be on your best game, tonight. Head clear and not scared anymore. Fear clouds the mind, and you can’t afford that if you hope to deceive him. 

“You don’t want softer cuffs, Dreamer?” 

You don’t answer. You give a tiny sniffle. 

“I… I miss my sister. I miss my home.” You look up at him, with a tear stained face and big sad eyes. Daemon brushes your cheek, again. “I want to go home.” 

“You have to be calm, little one.” He whispers, kissing your forehead. You feel cold all over, as if submerged in a pool of despair. Focus. You need to focus because you can tell he is close to breaking. You need to take a mile when he gives an inch if you want to survive. 

“I wish to go home.” You repeat, starting to pout. 

“This is your home now.” Daemon kisses your cheek, softly. You whine, low and sad. All bratty princess. You hope he falls for it. Daemon’s non-existent brows pinch together. Hook… Line…  “What about this? If you are good, and share a useful secret with Viserys, we can go back to Runestone.” 

Runestone! Finally, finally. To be near Rhea and perhaps the chance to escape. You have him. You have him by the balls, and he doesn’t know it yet. Fool.

“I’ll try, husband.” You force yourself to smile, as if you were the happiest girl in the world. He looks pleased. 

You wait a few days to drop the bomb on Viserys. It would do no good, if you share all your limited knowledge of the Dance and end up losing what little leverage you have. It wouldn’t be good, either, if Daemon thought you could summon visions at a whim. 

“Alicent will misunderstand your words, and Otto will take advantage of it to place Aegon on the throne. He will grow into a fine drunk.” 

As Otto Hightower falls, you rise. It feels like a dirty thing to do, but you want to go back to Runestone more than anything. You know the terrain there, you could have a chance at escaping. From what you remember, Otto’s only sin had been being too ambitious and pimping Alicent out. But he is Daemon’s enemy, and if you drag him down, it pleases him. A pleased Daemon is a better Daemon. He gets sloppy when he is smug. 

Daemon has no choice but to take you back. Dreamers must be kept calm and cared for. And you would be very upset if he goes back on his word. Your power could wane. You make sure this is clear to him. 

It’s back at Runestone he makes a mistake. He has had the guards that opposed him replaced. But he has given no thoughts to the servants. 

Mina is the one assigned to serve your food, out of all the kitchen girls. Perhaps Daemon handpicked her because he thought her easy to intimidate after their first meeting. Perhaps it’s just sheer luck. 

“He has ordered for you to have a special diet, milady.” She explains, as she places a tray down by your bed. You have yet to acquire a table, Daemon thinking it too much of a risk. He has no idea. 

“Mina, I’m not…” You hurry to correct her. You would never want to be called by Rhea’s title. It feels like disrespecting her memory. And it’s strange, too. To be treated with such deference. Not even in your time had anyone treated you as if you were royalty.

Had you pulled a similar stunt as you did with the healer with a doctor, you would have probably been institutionalized. If the doctor didn’t press charges for assault and battery first, of course. 

“Not a Lady? You own this castle. That man might be parading around like a peacock, but I much rather serve you.” Mina says, sitting on the edge of your bed. She is not meant to, but neither of you care. This is the only normal conversation you have had in nearly a month. 

“What’s all this about?” You point at the tray, when it’s clear you won’t be able to convince her. It’s filled with a strange array of food. Used to your broths and cups of milk, and light soups and bread, you wonder what this is all about. There is a cup with warm milk, as always, but this time smells of clover. There are also eggs, and seafood. 

“They are meant to stir desire and aid conception.” She points to each item. “It should all be eaten warm, or so Thea says. Else it will cool you.” 

“I think I will never…” You start saying, but Mina grasps your hands, urgently shushing you. Her jaw jutts towards the door, seemingly aware of something you are not. Heavy footsteps. Boots. They pause at your door, before resuming their path. 

“Don't say that. Don't. We might joke around about it, but he always gets his way. Men like him, they don't know how to lose.” She whispers, urgently. Trying to look out for you. You think of the possible consequences of saying such a thing in front of Daemon. It’s not a pretty picture. 

“They really don't.” You agree, sadly. 

Daemon does not know how to lose. That much is true. But neither do the two of you. It is only a week before Mina slips you the key to your room, taken from an unsuspecting guard. 

It’s not easy, waiting for the right time to use it. You have to do it before breakfast is served, so no one notices the key to be missing. Acting too soon means endangering Mina and you. 

The hour of the witch, then. Fitting. These people actually believe there might be ghosts roaming the halls at three am. With your white shifts and chains, you could pass as one if not looked at closely. 

When the sky looks dark enough, you open your door and run. Runestone is silent, in the quiet of the night. Servants would rise at the first rooster's crow, you know because you used to, the first days before meeting Rhea. You make sure to stick to their passages and corridors, and not the main ones, less some guard is still roaming the halls. 

It feels like an eternity, the time spent running as silently as you can. Your pulse pounds loudly in your ears. When you finally exit the castle, you nearly sob in relief. It’s astonishing that no one has caught you yet. 

Now comes the hard part. You have to find a way to get out of the Vale, fast. Somewhere far enough that Targaryen influence will not touch you.  And get rid of the cuffs while you are at it. 

Rhea had a hunting lodge, on the edge of the grounds. There she kept all sorts of weapons and knives to skin animals with. Perhaps something there can be useful to break your chains and protect yourself while on the road. You decide to head there, but do not dare take the path, afraid of discovery.

The moon shines brightly, the sky clear. It’s a good night to escape because you can actually see where you are going. You know the forest, having rode with her many times through it. Even if you found hunting disgusting, Rhea liked to take you with her. If you go through it, you could get where you need to be and avoid the path.  

You give yourself a silent pep talk, reminding yourself that at least the grass and moss will be gentler on your feet than the earth. You try to ignore your doubts about if you will actually be able to get there, reminding your way in the middle of the night. 

As soon as you could, you were so getting shoes. A sudden, shrill screech makes you rush into the forest, hoping the darkness conceals you. You know that sound. Caraxes. He shouldn’t be here. The dragonpit Daemon had ordered to build for him is on the opposite end of the grounds, to avoid him setting the whole forest aflame. 

It can only mean two things: He either escaped or Daemon took him out for a ride. Neither are good for you. 

You pray to whoever that’s listening to cloak you, let the darkness be enough to be kept unseen. Your heart beats even faster, muscles tense and ready to dart away. Ducking behind some bushes, you try to muffle your breath with your hands, silently starting to cry. 

It’s not quiet enough. The tree next to you catches fire, and you scream. You were so close! So close, you could almost taste freedom. And it was taken away from you, again. 

“Ah, Wife! Come to lure me back to bed?” 

You shiver. Daemon urges Caraxes to fly lower and extends a hand in silent demand. He can’t actually land here, not without ruining half the forest. But it’s clear what he wants. 

Is there something more terrible than being forced to climb back into your captor’s arms, with bound hands? You don’t dare ask. But probably. You don’t want to know what he will do to you in punishment. 

The scandal rises all the castle. Confused servants and guards pour out of the rooms to watch the ruckus occurring in the dining hall. You feel absolutely humiliated, in the sheer shift, barefooted and dirty, while Daemon scolds you as if you were a child. 

“What in the Seven Hells were you thinking?” He shakes you, roughly. For a moment, you fear he might kill you right there. You look at the crowd of servants and shrink into yourself. Daemon follows your gaze. 

“Ah.” He pulls out a chair and pushes you to sit there. You go meekly, too embarrassed to drag it further. You feel like you stink of failure. Slowly, with each thwarted escape attempt, hopelessness is starting to take hold of your heart.  “I suppose I can't blame you, for taking an opportunity when it arose. Question is…” Daemon pulls another chair and straddles it backwards, perching his chin on the backrest.  He glares at the servants. “Who allowed it?” 

The servants stay in silence. You close your eyes fearing giving Mina away. No one speaks for a long while, all of you frozen in the face of Daemon's rage. His chair creaks when he gets up. You keep your eyes firmly closed. 

There is a sudden weight in your lap. You open your eyes and there is Mina's terrified face, looking right into yours. 

“I have found a traitor. Do you know what happens to traitors here?” Daemon asks you. Your eyes widen. You shake your head. “Oh, I think you do, Lady Wife. But I will be merciful. After all, she is your little friend.” 

He gestures for a guard to approach. The man does, and Daemon whispers something in his ear. You look at Mina, still on your lap, whose lips are silently moving. Praying. You squeeze her hands. She squeezes yours back. She can't see that the guard has returned with a whip. 

You try to say something, but Daemon is faster. He cracks the whip against the back of her nightclothes, which do little to soften the blow. Mina's eyes widen, filled with tears, and she screams loud and shrill, nearly falling off from your lap. 

“I'm thinking… Fifty?” Daemon smirks, raising the whip again. 

“Daemon, please.” You beg, as Mina desperately clutches at your shoulders. 

“I'm not really in the mood to listen to you.” Daemon brings the whip down again, making Mina scream. Oh, how you regret now trying to escape. You should have never tried. “Next time, do not be so familiar with the help.” 

The next time he hits her, it's you who starts crying. Mina shakes her head and pinches you, but you still beg. 

“Daemon, please. Please, no more.” 

He ignores you, cracking the whip again. You scream with her. The coppery scent of blood fills your nostrils, and you know he has to be hitting the same spot on purpose because there is no way he is drawing blood this soon without being cruel. The next time the whip goes down, you throw both of you on the ground, trying to protect her from more hits. The whip hits you around the shoulder. 

“You just never learn, do you?” Daemon pulls you off Mina, kicking and screaming. “Willing to do anything to protect this whore who has done nothing to help you.” 

“Please, please. I will take it for her. Please, she only got me the key, surely that's not…” You keep on pleading because while you might not have known Mina a lot, it was a horrid thing, watching someone be whipped because they tried helping you. Her only crime was trying to do the right thing, when no one else dared to. Bravery. 

“Oh? You wish to trade places? As if you were some worthless little whore?”  Daemon taunts, still holding you in his arms. 

“Daemon, please.” 

“You are my wife. Perhaps once you were to be a worthless little whore. But you are mine, now.” His hand brushes the curve of your neck. A threat and a caress, all rolled into one. 

“Something else! Something else! We can negotiate, please.” At this point, you would agree to anything, desperate as you are to save Mina’s life. 

His eyes glimmer. He has what he wanted. 

“Put the girl in the cells. I will see to her in the morning. Right now… I have to tend to my wife.” 

[archangeldyke-all]

okay, wait y all

EXSEV i mean how she be, toxic? possesive? maybe none of that

maybe she gonna kiss/ fuck you so everyone knows your still hers? idk

maybe you have new partner?

if this inspires you, is nlt necessary have to be what i said, maybe she is a cry baby

but if you do i die for see sev on her knees beg to have you back.

if your comfortable, kiss

omg... OMGGG okay...

(just a quick heads up! this one has a brief scene where reader vomits, so if that is a trigger for u plz don't read!)

men and minors dni

there isn't a big fight. well, that's not entirely true. you fight it tooth and nail, but sevika stays stoic, sad, and sure. she's breaking up with you. you don't understand why.

"i thought things were good-- i thought you loved me!" you shout. you're in your pajamas, had been expecting sevika to come home and cuddle you. you never would've guessed this was coming.

she nods. "they are. i do." she says.

"so then why the fuck--"

"i don't know!" she shouts suddenly. it's silent as she gathers her thoughts. "i just can't do this anymore." she says softly.

"you can't be serious." you whisper. sevika shrugs, looking down at her feet. "what happened today?" you ask. "you-- everything was fine this morning!" sevika shrugs again, still not looking at you. you scoff.

if she had said something, she would've said that today at work she narrowly avoided a knife to her stomach. she would've said that she's never been scared to die before, but today-- she was terrified. all she could think about was your face when you'd get the news. all she could think about was how she could never hurt you like that.

if she had said something, you wouldn't have stormed off to pack a duffel bag, muffling your sobs with the back of your hand.

if she had said something, you would've stayed-- told her that you're both guaranteed to die someday, that you just wanted to spend every moment alive you could with her.

but she didn't. so you left.

sevika is miserable without you. she thought she'd just be back to her old self, the person she was before you-- grumpier, quieter, more tired.

she wasn't. she was much worse than that.

she felt physically ill each morning when she woke up without you beside her. each night, she'd lay in bed awake, her mind replaying the pathetic sobs you tried to hide from her while you packed your bags that night.

each time she comes home to an empty apartment it's like a punch to her gut. her closet is bare now, without your clothes shoved up against hers. her shelves are nearly empty-- all your knickknacks and books gone.

so she starts avoiding home. starts spending more and more hours at the last drop, nowhere near ready to return to babettes. the thought of fucking someone besides you makes her sick.

she doesn't hear from you at all.

you aren't doing much better than she is, but you're determined to avoid her at all costs. the thought of seeing her makes you cry.

about a month after the break up, you bump into her on the street.

you were walking home from the market, hands full with paper bags, trying to figure out what you were going to cook for dinner.

you bumped into someone, cursing and apologizing, cutting yourself off when you look up and your eyes meet with sevika's.

you're both shocked to silence. for a heartbreaking moment, everything feels normal again, like the two of you are walking home from the market together and sevika's stopped in the middle of the street to kiss you.

you shake your head. that's not what's happening here.

you take a step away from her. "hey, sevika." you say sadly.

her heart breaks at the use of her full name. you were the only one who ever called her 'sev.' she missed the nickname.

"hey." she grunts awkwardly. you look around, trying to avoid her gaze, and let out a spiteful laugh when you see the building sevika's loitering in front of.

"back to your girls already?" you spit. sevika freezes, looking over her shoulder at the glowing neon light of babette's.

"no i'm not-- silco's here on business."

"right." you say sarcastically, taking another step away from her. "'s this why you ended it? missed 'em that much?" you ask. "or maybe you were fuckin' 'em all along. didn't want me to figure it out."

you're spiraling right in the middle of the street, all the rage and sadness and grief boiling over at the sight of sevika.

"don't be fucking stupid. you know i'd never cheat on you." she spits. you laugh hysterically.

"yeah, well there were a lot of things i thought i knew, sevika." you say. "thought i knew you were the one." you shrug. "guess i was wrong about that, though, huh?"

you may as well have ripped her heart out through her chest. she realizes then what she's done to you, how heartbroken you truly are. she has to ball her hands into fists to keep from reaching up and brushing your tears away. she bites her tongue and reminds herself that this is what she wanted.

"have a good night." you say, sidestepping her and hitching your paper bags further up your hip. "don't forget to tip your girl."

your friends take you out one night in an attempt to cheer you up. it's been a month and a half since the breakup, and you still feel just as gutted and horrible as the night it happened.

they take you to the last drop, but only after you give it the okay. you still have sevika's schedule memorized, so the only reason you agree is because you know she'll be off tonight.

it's nice to be back. sevika's coworkers greet you with smiles and hugs, telling you they've missed having you around, asking you where you've been.

you realize that sevika hasn't told them about the breakup. it makes you furious.

"she broke up with me." you say to theriam as he whips up your usual drink order. he freezes.

"seriously?" you nod. "what the fuck'd she do that for?" he asks. you try not to burst into tears at the question, simply shrugging.

"wish i knew." you whisper. "think she got bored of me." he scoffs behind the bar.

"no way, she's obsessed with you. it all makes sense now, she's been a total bitch for like... five or six weeks now." he says. "she's been miserable." he adds. you shrug again.

"yeah?" you ask. he nods. "good." you say. he chuckles and passes you your drink, telling you to have a fun night.

you and your friends dance and drink-- and for a few hours you really do manage to feel okay again. that is, until sevika walks in.

your eyes meet across the dance floor and you both freeze. sevika feels something warm bubble up in her stomach at the sight of you, and she tries to swallow it down.

she storms to the bar to drink away her feelings, downing three shots in quick succession before ordering a drink.

you keep your eyes trained on sevika, a fact she's well aware of. she can feel your gaze on her, she's always been able to. she wonders if she should come talk to you, wonders if it would be the right thing to say hello.

she catches your eye from the bar and waves shyly at you. you roll your eyes at her but wave back anyways. she has to bite back a grin.

beside her, a woman's hand slowly snakes up her arm. she's so caught up in the sight of you she doesn't notice one of babette's girls (for the life of her she can't remember her name) draping herself over sevika until the woman's purring in sevika's ear.

"long time no see, sevika." she whispers, her tongue flicking sevika's earlobe. sevika jumps in her seat, whipping around to face the woman, then back around to face you.

you look devastated.

you look... slightly green.

sevika pushes the woman off of her as you bolt from the bar, running after you.

she finds you vomiting in the alley between bouts of crying.

"shit." she says at the sight of you. she walks over to pull your hair back from your face and rub on your back, only to be furiously smacked away by you.

"get the fuck away from me!" you cry out before another round of bile forces its way out of you. she doesn't move, and your vomit splatters on her shoes. it makes you feel slightly better.

"you okay, baby?" she asks. the petname rolls off her tongue subconciously, and she cringes when she hears herself say it.

you snap up from where you were bent over, fire in your eyes as you shove sevika away from you with both hands, hard. she barely stumbles.

"you do not get to call--"

"i know." she cuts you off. "i'm sorry. it was a mistake." she says softly.

suddenly, you're bursting into tears. you bury your face in your hands and try to compose yourself, but something about sevika's presence makes it impossible.

across from you, sevika is digging her nails into her palm to keep from reaching out and gathering you in her arms. she tries speaking.

"it's not what it looks like." she says. you laugh between your cries, shaking your head.

"none of my business anyways, you're not mine anymore." you reply shakily. with a deep breath, you pry your hands away from your face, wiping away your tears and snot.

it's sevika's turn to laugh. "don't be ridiculous." she says. you blink up at her in confusion, your eyes wide and watery, and something inside her snaps. "of course i'm still yours!" she shouts. you jump at the outburst. "i can't sleep, i can't eat, i'm a fucking mess all the time. i can't even-- i can't even step foot inside babette's, the thought of someone else makes me sick to my stomach. i can't go home either-- not without you there. you're all i ever think about, and i miss you so much it hurts!" she finishes with a shout. rage bubbles up inside of you.

"then why'd you break up with me, jackass?!" you spit out. "you did that, remember? that wasn't me, that was you. none of this is my fault-- i don't even know why it happened! you left for work one morning as the love of my life and you came home that night and dumped me! i-- you-- you fucking broke my heart," your voice cracks, "and now you're acting like it's my fucking fault!"

sevika is silent. this is the last thing she ever wanted. she broke up with you to avoid this, to avoid the horrible heartbroken look on your face, to avoid the way your hands are shaking uncontrollably by your sides. it occurs to her now, with you sobbing uncontrollably in front of her, that maybe leaving you wasn't the best way to keep you safe and happy. maybe you needed her as much as she needed you.

she thinks about it for a second, how heartbroken she would've been if you'd dumped her out of the blue with no explanation. she thinks she'd probably have gone on a murderous rampage.

oh shit, she thinks as she watches you storm past her back into the bar, i've made a horrible mistake.

sevika spends the rest of the weekend working on 'operation: win you back.' it goes something like this:

on monday morning you get to work and find an envelope stuffed in your locker. you open it curiously, it isn't signed or addressed, and you wonder if it's an old paycheck your manager forgot to give you.

inside is a five page handwritten letter from sevika. upon seeing her handwriting, you scoff and crumble the letter up, throwing it back in your locker and slamming the door.

that night, though, as you're shoving your coat on to leave for work, you can't help but slip the ball of paper into your pocket. you tell yourself it's just to take it home to throw away, but you know it's a lie.

you read it in bed that night, sobbing. the letter is unfiltered and rambling, you chuckle a few times at lines you can practically hear sevika speaking out loud in your mind.

"i think i fucked up," is one of your favorite lines, second to "i'm never going to be able to stop loving you."

the letter details everything, the near death miss you'd never known about, the way she had a panic attack in the back of the last drop afterwards, her mind imagining your heartbroken wails as you get the news she's died. she writes about how miserable she was without you, how everything seemed to get dimmer, how food lost its taste, and drinking lost its fun. she writes about realizing how much she must have hurt you, how sorry she is for being so careless with your heart.

you fall asleep with the papers pressed against your chest.

on tuesday, you wake up to someone knocking at your door, a deliveryman with a bouquet you needed to sign for.

when you take the flowers inside you open the card in the front. it simply reads, 'have a good day. S.'

on wednesday, you bump into sevika as you leave work to start your walk home. she avoids your gaze as she asks to walk you home. you say yes, heart melting at the awkward way she's rubbing the back of her neck.

"how've you been?" she asks you. you chuckle and shrug.

"goin' through a rough patch with my girlfriend, so you know. things could be better." you say.

you don't miss the grin that grows on sevika's face when you refer to her your girlfriend. she doesn't mention it, and you don't either, but you do reach out to snatch her hand into yours.

she doesn't kiss you goodbye when you get home, but she does hug you for a solid three minutes, breathing in your scent, soaking in the way you feel against her body.

god, she'd missed you.

nothing happens on thursday. at least, that's what you think until you get home and see sevika waiting outside of your front door with takeout in her hands. you raise an eyebrow at her.

"i don't remember inviting you over." you say. she shrugs.

"you don't have to let me in. just wanted to make sure you were eating right." she says as she hands the bag of food to you.

you consider her for a moment, then roll your eyes.

"come on." you say, as you unlock your door. "i don't have any whiskey but i've got some beers in the fridge."

the two of you spend the night catching up on the couch. sevika tells you all the crazy work stories she hasn't been able to tell anyone for nearly two months, and you do the same.

after a few beers, you both start talking about what went down between the two of you. sevika apologizes profusely, going into great detail on how she's going to make it up to you, how she's going to rebuild the trust she broke. you roll your eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling at her words.

"what?" she asks. you scoff.

"you're gonna make me cry again." you huff. "don't you think you've done enough of that lately?" you ask wobbly as tears start to bubble up in your eyes. sevika takes a shaky breath beside you.

"don't cry." she demands. "'cause then i'll cry." you laugh, and lean forward to bury your face in her chest.

sevika freezes for a moment, before reaching up to curl her arms around you, holding you against her as both of you cry.

you make her sleep on the couch that night, because you're still feeling a bit butthurt.

but in the middle of the night, you wake up cold and alone and acutely aware of sevika snoring twenty feet away from you. fuck it you think as you get out of bed and shuffle into the living room, nudging sevika awake.

"wha-?" she blinks awake. "you okay, honey?" you melt at the nickname.

"come on." you say, turning to walk back to your bedroom.

sevika sits in confusion for a few moments until you call for her from bed. "come on, sev!" she sprints into your room, diving into bed and giggling as she curls up in your arms.

on friday, you wake up with sevika on top of you, snoring away, right where she belongs. you breathe in the smell of her shampoo, press a kiss to her scalp, whisper sweet nothings into the top of her hair.

she wakes up somewhere between your "i love you so fuckin' much." and your "you're such a fuckin' asshole for making me pay rent all on my own."

"jus' move back in with me." she grumbles, still half asleep. you laugh.

"signed a year long lease." you say.

"so break it." she groans as she picks her head up to look at you, shuffling off your tits to lay beside you on a pillow. you turn over to face her, your noses brushing together.

"and wreck my credit? what'll happen next month when you break up with me 'cause someone shoots at you?"

it's quiet for a second, and you sigh.

"sorry. that was fuckin' rude." you grunt out. sevika shakes her head.

"it's cool, i deserve that." she says.

"it's not cool. not after last night. and this whole week. i get it, sev. i get why you did it. it just..."

"really fucking sucked of me?" she guesses. you giggle.

"yeah." you say. she smiles.

"so let me move in with you." she says with a shrug. you gawk at her. she shrugs. "i'll break my lease. i just wanna... be with you. if you'll have me."

"your apartment's half a block from your job!" you say. she shrugs. "and the shower here sucks!" she shrugs again.

"yeah, but you're here." she says easily. tears start welling in your eyes.

"okay." you huff out. sevika beams. "but i reserve the right to actually fucking murder you if you break my heart like that again." you add on. sevika grins.

"of course, baby."

you were gonna make her wait a few more days to kiss her again, but you can't keep yourself from leaning forward to kiss her breathless right then and there.

sevika's crying when you pull away.

"what's wrong!?" you ask, panicked. she giggles and pulls you in for another quick kiss before she speaks.

"nothing. i'm just so fuckin' happy you're mine again."

the two of you spend the weekend moving sevika into your apartment.

the space starts feeling like home with each box of sevika's stuff you unload.

you sleep soundly for the first time in weeks on saturday night, after sevika'd spent hours eating you out.

on sunday, she takes you out for dinner and a walk in the park. unbeknownst to you, sevika's 'win you back' plan had one final bonus step titled 'if things go well.'

you're in the middle of rambling to sevika about the book you're in the middle of reading when she stops in her tracks. you pause and turn around to look at her.

"you okay?" you ask. it's just the two of you in the park this late at night. you and a few geese swimming in the fountain pond beside you.

"i--i was gonna wait til we had a house together." sevika says. you furrow your brow in confusion. "but these past two months made it crystal clear to me that if there's ever anyone in this world who'll get me-- it's you." she says. you frown, unsure of where she's going.

"baby what--"

"and i-- you know, i'm trying to tell you my feelings now. all of them." she says. you nod, encouraging her to talk but still completely unsure of where her train of thought is headed. "so... right now-- and honestly probably for years now-- i feel like i want to marry you. and know it's probably a bad time to do this because we just broke up, but... i feel like i don't wanna wait anymore to make you my wife." she rushes out. you blink at her and she shrugs. "you don't have to--"

she's cut off by your hysterical laughter as you double over in front of her. "you're proposing!?" you gasp out. she nods in confusion. you burst into another round of laughter. "sevika!" you laugh.

"what?"

"this is a horrible time to propose! and you're not even on one knee! and you don't have a ring! you're crazy!" you say between laughs. she frowns, looking down at herself like she's just now noticing these things too. she pouts. you take a moment to compose yourself, wiping away your tears of laughter and standing back up to your full height. "you're lucky i'm fuckin' crazy for you, too." you say, leaning up to kiss her pout away.

"is-- what-- does that mean...?"

"yes. i'll marry you." you say, nodding. sevika blinks, then grins, tackling you onto the grass beneath you and kissing you breathless.

"i love you so fucking much." she says against your lips.

"i love you too." you say, giggling up at her. "good job sharing your feelings."

"yeah?" she asks you, pride shining through her voice. you grin and nod.

"definitely."

"i'm sorry i didn't do it right--"

"i don't care." you cut in. "i mean-- you're definitely getting me a ring, and a nice one too!" you say pointing up at her where she hovers above you. she nods enthusiastically. "but-- it was perfect. i mean it was horribly unromantic and i think i'm laying in goose shit right now, but it was you, you know? i'll always say yes to you." you say, grinning. sevika melts above you.

"you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." she says. you smile. sevika leans down to kiss you, not even caring that the hand she's holding herself up with is squishing a pile of shit.

hell, she'd eat shit if it meant you kept giggling and kissing her like this.

so, overall, the breakup was shit. but it ended up being one of the best things that's happened to either of you.

taglist!

@lesbeaniegreenie @fyeahnix

[cait-with-luv]

Little Leopard [3]

"If it weren't for seven men that fateful night you wouldn't be here now. They showed you good people did exist. That life can be great, that you can be loved and cared for. These seven men were the men you loved and cherished. These men were your mates. Your safety blanket. And to them. You were their Little Leopard."

Header Credit: Me

Pairing: OT7 X Hybrid!Reader

Genre: Hybrid! AU, Strangers to Lovers! AU, Rich!BTS, Fluff, Angst(And I mean Angst), Polyamorous!BTS

Warnings: Mentions Of Eating Disorder, Body Dysmorphia (if you squint), Depression, Anxiety, PTSD

Word Count: 5.7k

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------

The adjustments were difficult. You just couldn’t comprehend the respect and care you were being given by these seven men. It had only been a week or two but it was so overwhelming. It felt too good to be true. It felt like if you turned a corner something bad would happen. That this was just a ruse to get you to trust them before it all went back to how you were used to. You didn’t mean to think so ill of them but you couldn’t help it, your relationship with humans from the beginning of your life had been nothing but torture. They knew that too which is why you were grateful for the patience and space they gave you, doing their absolute best to gain your trust and when they were to finally gain it, they would absolutely treasure it and do their absolute best to never break it.

You’ve never felt so much appreciation for seven humans ever. They never pushed you to tell them anything, never force you to do anything you were uncomfortable doing, and always made sure they weren’t pushing any of your boundaries. And at least one of them was always there with you if your anxiety got bad or if you have a nightmare. You were never left to deal with it on your own. Some days were better than others and today unfortunately wasn’t a good one. 

“Hey, Kitty, how are you doing? On a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being not very good and 10 being feeling great.” Taehyung says softly as he peers into the room you had now claimed and pouts seeing you curled up on the bed silently staring out the window. They had come up with a system best suited for you. They knew it was hard for you to express how you were feeling and communicate your emotions, you had gone years not being allowed to and you had years of trauma built up so they used scales to get an idea of how you were feeling and then they’d know where to go from there. Taehyung could already guess that today would be low from your body language. 

“Uhh, a-a four I g-guess? ‘M sorry…” You say guiltily slowly turning to face him, wincing slightly from your wounds that had yet to fully heal. A look of guilt and just sheer exhaustion written all over your face making him pout and shake his head, carefully coming over and kneeling beside you. 

“Hey be careful you’re still healing. It’s okay Kitten, you’re allowed to have bad days, it’s a part of healing mentally and physically, you have nothing to apologise for hm? Wanna tell me what’s making you feel like this today or are you not ready yet?” He asks politely, holding his hand out for you to take not wanting to give you any physical touch unless you wanted it which today you do, placing his hand on top of your head wanting pets, a rumble coming from your chest when he scratches behind your hybrid ear a small smile appearing on his face. You need something to ground yourself and their touch and scent were so soothing and welcoming that you knew it would help you today.

“Night terror. I think that’s w-why. I-I don’t wanna talk about that though i-is that okay?” You say timidly leaning into his touch more to relax. You always felt timid around them still, you couldn’t help it they were much bigger than you and their good looks definitely didn’t help. 

“Oh Kitty of course that’s okay, but just know you’re safe here, nothing will hurt you ever again okay? Now I have some ideas to get these bad thoughts away. Wait here I’ll be back!” He says with a smile before rushing away to do whatever he had planned. You carefully sit up and pout waiting for him to come back only to hear a knock on your door, Jimin peers in and gives you the smile that always makes your heart flutter.

“Hey Petal. Taehyungie told us it’s not a very good day for you today? It’s okay to have days like this, so he’s come up with an idea. Whenever you have bad days like this it’s going to be a day of self-care and love and a day where we will cheer you up how does that sound?” Jimin says sitting on the edge of the bed making you hum and nod at the thought. It definitely sounded like something you needed right now.

“Great I’m glad you like the sound of it, now will you come with me for the first part of your day?” He asks tilting his head at you and holding his hand out for you which you take, he carefully helps you up and guides you into the bathroom where Taehyung sat on the floor in front of the bathtub watching it fill up and turns and smiles at you. 

“Hey Kitten we thought a nice bath will help relax you first hm? Here we have these bath bombs they make your bath smell all nice and the water change colour, take a pick and we’ll put one in.” Taehyung smiles holding out a basket to you. You hesitate before taking it from him and looking down at them tilting your head as you look at them, your nose twitching from the overwhelming smells of all the bath bombs making you let out a little sneeze, they giggle and stare at you as you pick them up one by one and sniffing them until you find the one you like the best and hold it out to Taehyung.

“You have a sensitive nose like Jungkookie huh? This is his favourite scent too. Nice and subtle. Come here watch this.” Taehyung chuckles and holds the bath bomb above the water as you kneel beside him curiously, eyes widening in awe as he drops the ball into the bath full of water and it immediately begins to fizz. They both laugh at the shock and curiosity on your face as you watch it dissolve but it made their hearts feel heavy too. The thought that you never even got to experience the little things in life. That everything was new to you and a learning curve. They all sworn to themselves that you will get to experience only the best things in life even if it is just a bath bomb in water.

“It’s so pretty…” You murmur in awe watching the limpid water change to a shimmery purple, slowly placing your hand in the water and moving it around to watch the glistening water swirl and make patterns, letting out a noise of surprise when you touch the dissolving ball and it lightly tickles your had from the fizzing.

“Not as pretty as you Angel. Now come on let’s get you in the bath and I’ll give you nice head scrubs hm?” Jimin says gently, making your face flush and look away from him as he takes the hair tie out of your hair to let it cascade down your back.

“Jiminie gives the best head scrubs when it comes to washing hair.” Taehyung grins, standing up, ruffling Jimin’s hair making huff and nudge him before he smiles at you and nods in agreement as you murmur a small ‘okay’ before standing up and looking at them with hesitation wanting them to turn around so you could undress from your clothes without eyes on yours You didn’t want them to see you so exposed. You had so many scars too, you wanted to hide as much as possible.

“Don’t worry Y/N I’m leaving now, I have to plan the rest of your day out, Jiminie will turn around for you.” Taehyung coos before exiting the bathroom and Jimin turns his back to you. You quickly strip yourself from the clothes which were Jimin’s since you had yet to get your own and climb into the tub, sighing in contentment as the warm water relaxes your tense muscles, pulling your legs to your chest so you felt less exposed and shyly whisper out,

“Y-You can turn around now…”

Jimin gives you a reassuring grin before kneeling again in front of the bath and rolls his sleeves up and picks up the jug beside him and scoops up some of the water and places his other hand on the back of your neck to support it.

“Lean your head back for me petal and close your eyes so I can wet your hair. It’s okay I’ve got you, I’m not going to look anywhere you don’t want me to. Relax you’re safe.” He coos seeing the hesitation in your eyes. All you needed was a bit of encouragement, and reassurance that you were in a very safe environment. 

You slowly lean your head back and close your eyes, humming to yourself when the warm water is poured over your hair a small smile on your lips noticing how careful he was around your hybrid ears knowing they couldn’t get a lot of water in them otherwise you’d get an ear infection from the moisture in them. You jump feeling his fingers suddenly in your hair and begin to gently massage at your scalp to lather up the shampoo he had now put in your hair, hearing him chuckle as you begin to purr from the sensation. Ever since they began to give you affection you couldn’t get enough of it. After all, you had many years of no affection to catch up on. And they were more than willing to give you it whenever you liked.

“There we go, Angel. All done.” Jimin says making your eyes snap open as he pulls his hands away and begins to dry his hands on the towel, an amused grin on his face seeing the small pout on your lips. You had spaced out so quickly that you hadn’t even realised that he had washed out the shampoo and conditioned your hair. It startled you at the effect they all had on you. In such a short period of time, you had grown to enjoy their presence, the nicknames they had all given you, and their comforting scents and touches. You had never felt safer, but there was always a nagging voice in the back of your head to not be so trusting of them already, that they’ll turn against you once they have your trust. You couldn’t stop it so all you could do was try to ignore it but sometimes it was hard.

“Thank you, Jimin.” You say politely before looking at your arms and peering at your thighs, throat tightening at the sight of all your scars. They weren’t very noticeable usually but every time you bathed they were always more prominent and it made you feel ill. No matter how much you will recover mentally, you will always still have to live with the physical memories of them. You will never be able to forget that chapter of your story no matter how many more chapters you make. 

“Hey, Angel look at me not them. Talk to me about what’s going on in that pretty head of yours hm? Your thoughts are allowed to be out in the open here. You won’t be punished or anything like that. I’m here to listen and help get rid of those thoughts. We’re here to listen and get rid of them.” Jimin coos stroking your hair for comfort. You turn to look at him with tears in your eyes, your voice stuck in your throat making him pout and coo at you.

“T-They’re ugly. T-The s-scars. T-They make m-me ugly. I-I’ll never be able to get rid of them. Y-You all m-must think I-I’m disgusting. W-Why did you save m-me Jimin? I-I’m a lost cause. Y-You never should have found me that night.” You sniffle and he immediately shakes his head at you and cups your face in his hands and his thumbs wipe away the tears that slip down your cheeks. 

“Petal no, you’re perfect the way you are. So perfect. You may have scars but they make you who you are. These scars are your battle scars. They each may hold a dark story, yes but every single one shows everyone that you, my little leopard are a survivor. A warrior. A warrior is not built of ease but suffering, and this is why they chose to build themselves to ease suffering and I know that you are capable of doing so. You are the toughest person I know. Look at you, Angel! You’re showing that you’re willing to heal and find who you really are. You are doing so well and all of us could not be any more proud of you. You will overcome this. It’s not going to be an easy process, healing never is but remember you are not alone anymore Y/N. You have me, Taehyung, Jungkook, the hyungs. We are all here to hold your hand through this. With time all this will be a distant memory, you are anything but a lost cause. We saved you because we believe everyone deserves a second chance at life. Especially you Petal. We found you that that night because of fate. It wasn’t your time. We were meant to find you that night and I’m so glad we did because believe it or not you are the best thing to happen to us in a long time and I’ll be damned if we let this fucked up system fail you again.” He says seriously, his eyes not once breaking contact with yours, letting a smile fall on his face as you stare at him with adoration. No one has ever told you anything like that before. It warmed your heart. You meant something to someone. Not just one person but seven.

“T-That was really refreshing to hear. T-Thank you, Jiminie. I appreciate your words.” You sniffle leaning into his hands, squeaking as he places a kiss on your forehead making him laugh and throw his head back finding how shy you were adorable before pouting as you hide your face in your hands.

“Nooo,  Angel don’t hide your pretty face from me!”

“No! Stop it you’re making me all flustered you meanie!”

—

“There she is! Good morning Doll! For a minute there I thought Jimin had kept you all to himself! Here come eat breakfast, I made some chocolate chip pancakes for you!” Seokjin says excitedly as he plates you some up as you sit at the table and look around frowning when you only notice Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung at the table. After your bath Jimin had brushed your hair for you and dried it before plaiting it for you and leaving you to dress and come down when you were ready.

“Oh you must be wondering where the others are, they had to go to work, they’ll be back later tonight, so it’s just us today.” Jungkook smiles looking at his plate and bursting out laughing and before you know it so were Jimin and Taehyung. You look down confused at what they were laughing at, your head tilting to the side. What was this meant to be?

“Yeah, so that means you and I are stuck with these brats. Yah! What are you laughing at!” Seokjin exclaims as he sits down glaring at the boys who were almost falling off their chairs from laughing so much.

“What are these meant to be?! They look so horrified!” Jungkook cackles as Jin huffs and crosses his arms and pouts at the three youngests for teasing his attempt of pancake art. You let out a little giggle, covering your mouth as Jin looks at you with an even bigger pout.

“They’re meant to be leopards. The chocolate chips were meant to be like a leopard print but they melted too quickly…” He murmurs making them laugh even louder but you stare at them, your heart swelling at the small thing he did to cheer you up, the appreciation he shows to your animal counterpart. You felt so lucky to have these seven men in your life. Jimin may be right. Fate brought you guys together.

“Well, Seokjin I think they look great. I really appreciate it.” You say quietly, flushing as he grins at you and instinctively winks at you. It was a habit he had that you picked up on. He then looks back at the boys and glares at them again and points at them.

“Hey! See at least someone appreciates my efforts you brats! And buttercup please call me Jin, no need for formalities here. Now brats eat your food before I take them back and make you all eat cereal!” He threatens before beginning to eat his own pancakes. You smile watching them try to defend themselves and begin to eat your own, only managing to eat one and a half before feeling full. Breaking your old eating habits was a challenge but slowly and surely you were improving.

“Now that breakfast is finished, we were wondering if you would like some fresh air buttercup? You could use it and we definitely need to get you your own clothes, I’m sure you’d like to have your own right?” Seokjin asks and your eyes widen, feeling your heart race a little at the thought of going outside. You knew you had to eventually but it had not crossed your mind once. You were terrified. You had never really seen the outside world, always trapped in your cage in your masters or mistresses home and you were terrified that you’d see one of them. You remembered them all so clearly. It was hard not to when they had caused you so much suffering.

“W-What if I-I see my m-master? O-Or any of my old masters o-or mmistressesI-I’ve never r-really been outside…” You panic and Jin and Jungkook who sat beside you both grab your hands and rubbed reassuring circles on the skin to calm you down.

“Baby, you will not see any of them and even if you do, we will not them anywhere near you and we will come straight back home. They are not your masters and mistresses. You are safe now and we will protect you hm? The world is a big scary place I know, especially when you’ve never seen it but when you put that aside it has a beautiful side to it and we want you to see that sweet girl. We want you to finally be able to live not just survive. As soon as you feel like it’s too much we will be home straight away okay?” Jungkook reassures squeezing your hand for encouragement.

“You are safe with us Angel. We will not leave your side. We want to spoil our little leopard, we think it is very well deserved.” Jimin coos from across from you. You look at them all, their faces all serious meaning they meant every word. These men would not let anything happen to you and that was all you needed to hear.

“O-Okay but! N-No spoiling. You don’t need to do that. A few things is enough…”

“No promises on that one Kitten.”

—

“Woah…” You breathe out as you look around the mall they had brought you to, eyes wide in awe and curiosity as you take it all in. You had never seen anything like it. It was so enormous. It was all-natural light, the roof made out of glass, a shop everywhere you looked. You didn’t even know where to begin. You felt so small in this big world already.

“Are you okay so far buttercup? Take your time, I know this must all be a lot to take in.” Jin reassures rubbing your back as he watches your eyes dart all around the youngest three watching in amusement at your shock. It was adorable.

“I-I don’t know where to begin…t-there’s so many s-shops and…and I can’t really read.” You murmur almost ashamed that you couldn’t read. You felt so illiterate and out of place with them. They were all dressed well compared to you who wore Jimin’s clothes that just about fit you and the fact that you knew they were very intelligent men just made you feel ashamed despite knowing it’s not your fault that you couldn’t read. You were never allowed to.

“Hey that’s okay don’t worry baby, we’ll guide you and we’ll get you some books to start to learn how to read how does that sound? Namjoonie hyung will be more than happy to teach you.” Jungkook coos, slipping his hand into yours and begins to guide you into a shop.

“This shop is for clothes, hybrid ones. It just means they’re modified for your pretty tail so it’s not squashed and you can show it freely and proudly okay?” Jimin says and begins to look around excitedly. They all seemed more excited than you, already seeing clothes they wanted you to try on.

“Will you guys help me? I-I don’t know what I like yet…” You ask gingerly, playing with your fingers, looking at them all pleadingly. You had no idea what kind of style you liked or suited. You never got to pick your own clothes and never got to wear anything colourful or pretty. You were just given plain old rags.

“Of course, we’ll help you come on let’s look around and we’ll pick things out and you point at anything you like okay, doll?” Seokjin says tenderly, taking your hand and begins guiding you around the shop, the other three looking around to find you something you may like. After a while of picking things you like and the boys picking out clothes and even shoes for you, they ushered you into a changing room to try on the things you had finally chosen to try and hopefully buy. A few dresses, tops and pants had been a no from you when you tried them on, not liking how they looked on you despite the boys telling you how pretty you looked in them but understood. If it didn’t feel like you then they couldn’t make you get them. They wanted you to be confident in what you wore not get them just because they liked them. You had finally chosen what you wanted to get and what you didn’t and went to pay before hesitantly looking at them after paying and murmuring,

“A-Am I okay to go change into something you guys got me?”

“Of course, you can, sweet girl, if that makes you feel more comfortable, here take the bag so you can choose what you’d like to wear, come on we’ll wait right outside the changing room for you.” Jungkook coos before handing you the bag full of clothes and guiding you back to the changing rooms. Once you were in you quickly route through the bag and find the blue collared shirt Jungkook had picked out for you and the white plaited skirt you had picked and quickly change into them, smiling at yourself in the mirror and grabbing the white silk bandana headband Jimin had got you and put on your head, unplaiting your hair leaving it down and wavy and finally changing into the white sneakers and then stuffing the worn clothes into the bag before taking a deep breath and taking one final glance in the mirror, happy with the way you looked. For the first time in a long time, you felt pretty. You exit the changing room and the boys stare in awe at you. They had already thought you were pretty but seeing you in your own style and even having some confidence made them think you were even prettier and they didn’t even think it was possible. 

“You look so pretty, Angel! It definitely suits you!” Jimin giggles and the boys chorus in agreement with him making your cheeks flush and look down shyly, whispering a thank you to them.

“Here let me take that bag for you, Kitten, let’s go look in more shops! We can’t not spoil you now!” Taehyung says excitedly and begins to enthusiastically pull you out of the shop, ignoring your protests and whines, the others laughing as they follow. For the next hour or two you all entered so many shops, the boys no longer holding back on buying you things. If this is how life was going to be with them, then you didn’t want it any other way. They made you happy. Made you forget all about the terrible past you had.

“Okay we have one more shop to go to and then we’ll make our way home and I think tonight we should takeout. You have to try pizza buttercup.” Seokjin proclaims as you tilt your head in confusion. 

“What’s pizza?” You ask slightly confused and they gasp dramatically, holding a hand to their chests in fake hurt making you giggle as you walk into the next shop not realising where you were heading into.

“Only one of the best foods to ever exist! You’re gonna love it!” Jungkook exclaims before holding your hand and pouting seeing the frown on your face seeing the shop you were in. A hybrid shop. Where you could buy anything you needed for any type of hybrid. But that also meant a collar. You hated collars. You were always made to wear a shock one. One foot out of line and your old owners would electrocute you.

“Hey, we know, we don’t want to get you one either but if you want to come out with us again you have to wear one otherwise any hybrid control that may see you might think you aren’t ours. You do not have to wear this at home. This is just for your safety outside the house okay? We’ll even let you pick your own one.” Jimin reassures making you nod hesitantly and look at all the selections you had. You look at them all before one catches your eye, a soft baby blue collar, it looked silky and to you, it looked more like a necklace, it would definitely make you feel better if you thought of it like that.

“That one. It looks more like a necklace. I don’t want any of the others. T-They look like they hurt. My old one hurt me a lot.” You whisper timidly as you point at the one you like, the boys frowning at your confession. It was the first hint they had gotten to your past and they didn’t need to be a genius to know what collar you had and just the thought of you being made to wear a shock collar fumed them.

“Oh sweet girl, it’s okay, you will never have to wear anything like that again. If this is the one you want then you will get that one okay?” Jungkook says, scratching behind your ear making you purr and nod.

“Is there anything in here that you see that you may need?” Seokjin asks softly, watching as you look around and pause when you notice a familiar bottle your previous owners constantly held in front of you and had you take. You may not be able to read but you knew what it was. You had totally forgotten about them and you were unsure if you needed them but you decided to pick them up to show them to see if they needed you to get it, their eyes widen immediately and quickly shake their heads, Taehyung gently putting it back down and holding your hands in his as they circle you, frowning their hearts sinking at the thought of you being made to take these tablets. You were confused at their horror. Were you not supposed to take them?

“Doll, no, you can’t have those, they can cause serious harm to your body. They can send it all out of balance, you will not be taking these okay? Not in our household.” Jin says sternly but as softly as he could. He was raging. How long had you been on them?

“But…all my other owners made me take them s-so I thought I needed them. A-Are heat suppressants bad?” You ask worriedly and they look at you in shock. You thought it was normal but it wasn’t.

“Yes, Angel, they are. They have too many bad chemicals and side effects. They shouldn’t even be allowed to be bought. You have to come off these okay? It’s unnatural for you.” Jimin says rubbing your back, your cheeks flushing, you didn’t want to have a heat in front of them, you had been conditioned to believe they were embarrassing and disgusting.

“B-But i-it’s embarrassing. I-I don’t want you to see me in heat. T-They’re gross…” You whisper and Taehyung shakes his head at you with a frown on his face, his deep voice now dropping lower making you shudder as he speaks,

“Kitten. Heats are anything but embarrassing and gross. They are natural. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. We will never judge you for something that is completely natural for you and out of your control. It’s part of your animal counterpart you should embrace it. You’re in a safe environment to have them okay?”

You nod slowly and whisper an apology, feeling close to tears, you had made them angry. You could smell the anger coming off them and it intimidated you. You couldn’t bare seeing them angry, especially because you thought they were mad at you. But you couldn’t be anymore wrong. They were mad at how badly the hybrid protection system had failed you. Something they had dedicated their lives to, something they were trying to improve. They were mad at themselves for letting your torture and suffering go on for so long, completely under the radar. They were mad at the people who had caused you so much trauma and pain. They were never gonna allow it to happen again.

“Why are you apologizing Buttercup? You don’t need to apologize for anything, it’s not your fault. It’s those horrible people’s fault. We are not mad at you, we’re mad at them. I have to ask this Y/N but…when was your last heat?” Jin asks worriedly, his doctor instincts kicking in.

“I-I don’t know…I was made to have the pills everyday, there was one time where I wasn’t given them for a week cause I had been left alone all week so no one gave me any so I ended up having one but that might of been about…three maybe four years ago…” You admit and Jin’ heart sinks. That was too long. He had to check your health properly. To make sure that you were really okay.

“Okay doll, I might have to do a health check on you tomorrow, just to make sure you’re alright but for now, let’s buy this collar and go home okay?” Jin says taking your hand as you nod hesitantly and begin to walk to the cashier. You were so relieved to have people who really care about your wellbeing and just you as a person. They didn’t view as a pet,or an animal. They saw you as a human. A person with feelings and a life. 

—

You had gotten home a few hours ago and had ordered pizza for dinner and to say the least, Jungkook was right. It was one of the best things you had ever eaten. You all were now sat in the living room watching a film, waiting for the three men who had to work to come home. Your ears twitch when you hear the car pull up in the driveway and you then hear the three mens voices getting closer to the house, your tail beginning to sway side to side, happy to be able to see them again. 

“We’re home!” Namjoon calls out, walking into the living room, Hoseok and Yoongi behind him, all three of them smiling when they see us all curled up on the sofas, the five of us peering up to them with a smile back.

“Hi loves, did you have a good day at work?” Seokjin smiles watching as they sit down and sigh in relief to finally be home, a purr leaving your lips as Hoseok rubs the tip of your ear making a shiver run down your spine.

“It was alright, rushed off our feet today. I see that little cub has gotten a pretty new outfit, wanna show us properly? Give us a twirl.” Yoongi grins watching as you blush and stand up before spinning around timidly, Yoongi and Namjoon chuckling at how shy you were and Hoseok cooing, a bright smile on his face despite being so tired.

“Doesn’t she look so pretty hyungs? Kitten was having a bad day today so we had a self care day today and took her out for the first time to spoil her. We’re so proud of her for being able to go out and see the city.” Taehyung praises as you sit down again and try and cover your face in embarrassment.

“She’s the prettiest girl I know. I’m sorry to hear you were having a bad day princess, I hope you feel much better now, I’m proud of you for going outside I know that must have been a big step for you but just know next time, it’s our turn to treat you okay?” Namjoon smiles as you whine and shake your head. You already felt like you had so much, you couldn’t possibly need anymore. 

“The more you deny us to treat you,sweetpea, the more we’re gonna get you. You deserve all the best things in life.” Hoseok teases making you huff knowing you weren’t going to win the fight. They enjoyed watching your personality slowly come to light. They knew when you were finally past this hard time, you’d be the brightest and sassiest person. 

“Hey doll, why don’t you go shower and get some of your new pyjamas on and then we’ll all watch another movie before bed?” Seokjin suggests, kissing your head as you agree before making your way upstairs. They wait silently until they hear the shower running, looking at each other before all at once, they say,

“We need to talk.”

------

So sorry for the wait! My internet decided to turn off so I had to wait for it to come back on! But here is part 3! Sorry if it's boring and if there is anything I missed whilst editing please do let me know! Anyway hope you enjoyed and I hope to have part 4 up as soon as I am able to!

TAGLIST (CLOSED)

@sunoosult @pb-n-juju @kimsaerom @tinyoonsblog @mintyoonjisworld @malewife-supremacy @army4eve3r @mageprincess7 @dreamamubarak @ot7nem @haleypearce @yoongiigolden @kinkyduuh @victoryscreech61 @driftapart @carolinexkpop @koobratzy @devilsadvcte @colourlyhobbit @toughbook @ah2002 @beeeee06 @euphoriayongbok @bbgniecyy @linospot @jaiuneamesolitaiire @whotfisclaire @rich-man-v @bangtanxberm @pathetic-brat @murkydoesnotloveyou @cheychey-4788 @kookiesandmilksblog @atinygracie @echo-ethe @yo-alli @blancflms @scarlet1722 @jamlessstars @theblueslytherin @rosquilleta @slash4slashers @chieftoadturkeynickel @m4r1eluvr @cath-fach @rainbow-bunny-bts @thedarkwinterrose @anjoellamorte

[gatheringbones]

[“It can be difficult for people raised as girls to express rage when we’ve been taught from very early on that it is in our best interest to suppress our anger. It is culturally acceptable for women to be sad, not angry. In one study on gender, anger, and the workplace, the participants conferred higher status to sad female employees than to angry ones. For men the opposite was true. Men, particularly white men, are rewarded and forgiven for their anger, while women are penalized and blamed.

Ceci, the mestiza paralegal, now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, five-year-old son, and twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter. She described herself using the exact language of a woman who was taught by the culture not to value or express her anger: “I’m a people pleaser. I don’t rock the boat. I go along with everything, do what people tell me.” This is the path of being a good girl, a good woman, and eventually a good mother. Lifelong gendered learning teaches people raised to be women to push down anger and any feelings in the “sub-anger” ballpark, such as annoyance, irritation, and frustration. I imagine this emotional push-down like the carnival game whack-a-mole. Each time an uncomfortable or unpleasant anger-related feeling pops up—whack!—women automatically bang it with a big-headed mallet, sending it back beneath the surface.

Like the rage itself, this game of anger whack-a-mole is an international phenomenon for women. In Korea, there is a culture-related anger syndrome called hwa-byung. It translates literally to “illness of fire” and mostly affects working-class middle-aged housewives, who have chronically suppressed anger stemming from strict gender roles, gender-based inequality, and patriarchal family structures. In traditional Latin American folk medicine, it is believed that holding onto certain emotions can cause physical illness. In Northeast Brazil, the term engolir sapos translates to “swallowing frogs,” and is mostly used by women to refer to the suppression of anger and irritation, and the pressure to tolerate unfair treatment without complaint.

Cheryl, the Black civil rights lawyer who internalizes her mom rage, is practiced at playing whack-a-mole with her anger: “I’m good at repressing things. So, a little problem, I repress it, and it gets packed on top of all the other things that make me mad, until there’s no way to untangle it. It’s just this huge tangle of anger that I’m trying to disassociate from all the time.” In our present-day culture of busy, intensive motherhood, stuffing down unpleasant emotions can be a matter of practicality. Minutes are a precious resource, and airing every frustration is a time expense that modern mothers cannot afford. Emails must be sent, dinner needs to get into bellies, and bodies need to snuggle under covers. But the perceived time-saver of the Emotional Whack-a-Mole phase is a mirage. Every time a mom suppresses her angry feelings, as she’s been taught to do her entire life, she is pushing them onto an ever-growing pile of anger inside her. Eventually, the pile will topple.”]

minna dubin, from mom rage: the everyday crisis of modern motherhood, 2023

[cienie-isengardu]

[MK1] Bi-Han & Kuai Liang. Good brother? Evil brother? Nah, just different reactions to trauma, part 1

Author's note: the first part is not directly focused on Kuai Liang and Bi-Han as characters but at the worldbuilding, our knowledge about Lin Kuei and tradition that shaped Sub-Zero & Scorpion, and Liu Kang's acceptance of things as they are.

Lately it feels like Lin Kuei fandom split into either Bi-Han’s supporters or Kuai Liang’s supporters and the dispute over who is a good brother and who is not is an ongoing issue. This is greatly upsetting because both men have their share of flaws that sometimes fans exaggerate to demonize one or another. For me though, the brotherly conflict is not about who is good and who is bad, not even who is right and who is wrong, but about how two men groomed since childhood to be a living weapon deal with the trauma in totally opposite ways. As in, one is rebelling against the tradition and the other willing to uphold the system. 

With Smoke, the adoptive yet no less traumatized brother, stuck in the middle of that.

Bi-Han and Kuai Liang being survivors of a great psychological and physical abuse is the most true for previous timelines, however hear me out - just because Lin Kuei falls now under Liu Kang’s authority it does not automatically erase the possibility of both brothers experiencing things that no child should. To better illustrate my point, let’s take a moment and look at the Empress Sindel and Umgadi system. 

Sindel in general is presented as the ruler who does not seek an open conflict with Earthrealm and whom Liu Kang openly admires. As Fire Lord said himself, Sindel was destined to “rule Outworld firmly, but fairly” and it is her rule that brings peace to the otherwise conflicted Outworld

Liu Kang, story mode: Its past has been difficult. Though the last thousand years of Empress Sindel's reign have been a true golden age... the memories of that strife still linger.

and

Sindel's Bio: Her early reign marked the start of a new Golden Age.

That is what the character's Bio and the main story mode outright says or implies about Sindel. 

But then intro dialogues bring a different side of the beloved Queen. The people infected by Tarkat illness are exiled, their property confiscated by Sindel’s edict 

Kitana: When you became ill, your assets were taken? Baraka: As required by your mother's edict, Princess.

and in result forced to slowly die in poverty far away from healthy citizens. Those who sympathize with suffering infected people and won’t “report them for quarantine” are treated like criminals, as was seen when Li Mei and her men disrupted the Royal Family’s procession while leading arrested and tied up people.

The bad treatment of infected people, according to Mileena and Baraka endings, will improve thanks to the new Empress, who not only reaches a hand to suffering but would go so far to reveal her own illness to reduce social stigma against the sick. Mileena is seen as hot-headed, violent and not the best material for a Queen compared to Sindel, the supposed wise and kind ruler or even compared to her younger sister, Kitana. But it is the brash Empress that would actually make an effort to change her Empire for better.

Similar things can be said about the Umgadi system, which forces Outworld families to give up their first-born daughters for a training that will turn their children into living weapons to uphold the Royal Family’s rule

Liu Kang, story mode: Umgadi, like Tanya, are warrior priestesses... Selected from the first born daughters of Outworld. From infancy, they are trained to defend the royal family."

The daughters in question will never know their biological family or where they were born to ensure their absolute loyalty to the Royal Family, even though not every candidate will finish their training. Once they obtain the title of Umgadi, they can’t marry or be in a relationship, we have no idea if they even are paid anything for their service. So far Li Mei is the only known woman to leave Umgadi, and she did so due to the death of Sindel’s husband for which she was unfairly blamed. And again, the tie-in material implies that the change to Umgadi system will happen because of Mileena, who is willing to reform an organization that is deeply rooted in Edenian tradition, not the “kind and good” Queen Sindel. 

So just because a character is set on the Good Guys Side, it does not mean the said character is crystally good with no flaw at all or that breaking up with tradition is inherently evil, because the tradition alone is just a system of beliefs, practices or behaviors established in the past and passed down from one generation to another within a group of people or society and not a determinant of being good or bad. 

Now, the important thing - Umgadi and Lin Kuei are very similar organizations. The similarities are especially true for old timeline(s) Lin Kuei, as we have more or less idea how training adepts looked through the ages. However, what we learned through sources about Liu Kang’s version of the clan still brings a lot of parallels to Umgadi - and I think we all can agree that objective speaking, the Umgadi system is very unfair to first-born daughters and benefits only the Royal Family.

Through the story mode and intro dialogues, Liu Kang does not question the nature of the Umgadi system. Quite the opposite, the intro between Geras and Tanya suggests that Umgadi was Liu Kang’s innovation

Geras: The Umgadi was one of Liu Kang’s best innovations. Tanya: My order sprung from his mind?

A man who does not see anything wrong with enrolling little girls into never-ending servitude to the Royal Family, logically thinking, won't question the process of making Lin Kuei warriors nor the nature of their duty.

In previous timelines, Bi-Han and Kuai Liang as children were kidnapped and forced into the life of assassins by their own father (original timeline) or unspecified Lin Kuei member, presumably grandfather (alternative timeline). Their choice was to adapt to this hardship or die and so they survived and both became great warriors on their own. The fandom has been torn about their brotherhood for years, as if Bi-Han was a good brother or not. Personally, I do not think this was even a matter of one brother being inherently good and another inherently evil, as both men are the result of the abusive environment in which they grew up. And I truly can’t stress this enough - Bi-Han and Kuai Liang were survivors of great abuse and pathology more than anything else. 

Now, in Liu Kang’s timeline Bi-Han and Kuai Liang were born into a place of power, as both are sons of Grandmaster. Sub-Zero as the oldest was meant to inherit the leadership once his father would pass away, or possibly abdicate. So in theory, Fire Lord improved the living of both brothers. However, the same as the previous, both men weren’t given a choice, as Lin Kuei clan is bound to serve Earthrealm while their existence is kept in secret. 

Liu Kang said: “The Lin Kuei is a centuries old clan dedicated to Earthrealm’s defense” while Sub-Zero’s Bio adds “As the Lin Kuei's Grandmaster, Sub-Zero leads his ancient warrior clan in the defense of Earthrealm from external threats. For centuries, it has been their solemn task” and this is the tradition that will define the whole life of Bi-Han and Kuai Liang. Because they, as sons of Grandmaster, were expected to uphold and continue that service.

We do not have a full picture of how Lin Kuei daily life or training looks like in Liu Kang’s timeline, but the sources give some idea. And so we have an examples from story mode

Scorpion to Kung Lao: We're trained differently. It takes years to master our ways." 

and intro dialogues

Sub Zero: The Lin Kuei are trained from childhood.

confirming both brothers were prepared for their role as Earthrealm Defenders (Liu Kang’s Special Forces) since they were children. Scorpion’s words alone brings another vital clue, as “trained differently” is what distinguishes both brothers from Liu Kang’s chosen Champions. We could see a glimpse of that during the Lin Kuei mission in Ying Fortress, as both Sub-Zero and Scorpion did not hesitate to kill their enemy and Kuai Liang’s “fit of rage” illustrates well how brutal Lin Kuei can be in a fight.

As story mode and intro dialogues point out, Lin Kuei weren’t trained for the glorious yet honorable Mortal Kombat Tournament, as members of this clan have never been chosen to represent Earthrealm

Kitana: Why are Lin Kuei never Earthrealm champions? Sub-Zero: So that Outworld doesn't lose every tournament.

but they were trained to eliminate any threat to Earthrealm’s safety, be it by killing or capturing those whose activity concerned Liu Kang. As could be seen with the Lin Kuei brothers mission to capture Shang Tsung.

Intro dialogue Sub-Zero vs Reiko adds another detail about process of making Lin Kuei warriors:

Sub-Zero: To kill, one must be cold-blooded. Reiko: My veins are as iced as yours, Sub-Zero.

Thus we may assume Lin Kuei training was not just about a physical aspect but psychological one as well. Both brothers were prepared from childhood to kill - while that was never demanded from Earthrealm Champions. In story mode Liu Kang said:

“No tournament participant has ever been grievously injured or killed."

and

“I would never send my champions unwittingly into mortal kombat."

so I assume the reason Liu Kang send his Champions to search for Shang Tsung was A) threat of the sorcerer that wasn’t supposed to learn magic in the first place and B) they were in Outworld, so he couldn’t call for Lin Kuei without Sindel’s knowledge.

Another detail about Lin Kuei comes from Scorpion vs Nitara intro dialogue

Nitara: Had you ever known hunger, you wouldn't judge us. Scorpion: I have, and I will.

and though we don’t have an idea if Kuai Liang was forced to endure hunger due to training - as happened in old version of Lin Kuei according to Mortal Kombat novel by Jeff Rovin:

 Many young people died during training: some could not hold their breath for five minutes and drowned, others weren’t fast enough to avoid the weapons of the masters, some starved or froze or dehydrated when they were stranded, naked, in deserts or on mountaintops and told to make their way home. But those who survived were the Lin Kuei.

Or was that a reference to economic problems of Scorpion’s clan, which at some point faced so great famine that it touched even the son(s) of the ruling family. Whatever the case, it gives us a sense of hardship endured by Lin Kuei members.

This leads us to another detail - father’s teaching (tradition) mentioned by Kuai Liang and Tomas through the story mode:

Kuai Liang: Glory? We fight for duty.

and

Tomas: Our clan doesn't govern. It serves.

while intro dialogues adds

Raiden: The Lin Kuei won't be allowed to govern. Sub-Zero: We will not be frozen out, Raiden.

Furthermore it is important to note that every Liu Kang’s Champion had their own life outside the fighting - Johnny was an actor, Kung Lao and Raiden were farmers, Kenshi was Yakuza on path to redemption and saving his clan. Lin Kuei? Not so much, as Bi-Han’s Bio points out Sub-Zero leads his ancient warrior clan in the defense of Earthrealm from external threats. For centuries, it has been their solemn task. 

After the Tournament, the Champions easily will return to their life - in the case of Johnny, benefit greatly by making his own movies based on the events, while the Lin Kuei would come back to the never ending training in preparation to defend Earthrealm and repeating the cycle by pushing their children into the same service. And it would go like that for generations, if not for the Titan Shang Tsung’s meddling that interrupted the “natural” order of things.

Let’s establish another thing - namely Lin Kuei duty in recent centuries.

Sub-Zero’s Bio suggest the Earthrealm hasn’t be threatened in generations:

But Earthrealm hasn’t been threatened in generations, and Sub-Zero sees no point in limiting his clan to preparing for dangers that may never come. Under his leadership, the Lin Kuei will come out of the shadows and fight for its place as one of Earthrealm’s great nations.

This lack of need to dispatch Lin Kuei to eliminate threat is supported by intro dialogues:

Reptile: The battle against the sorcerers was your first real fight. Smoke: It was a baptism by fire, Syzoth.

and

Kenshi: How is it you haven't been to Outworld? Scorpion: Earthrealm's defense has never required it.

However Bi-Han alone suggest something else:

Story mode: After years of idleness, it pleases me to again face kombat."

And so do the information about their mother:

Sindel: Both your parents were excellent fighters. Scorpion: I can only hope to live up to their example.

Sindel in another intro says, she knew the previous Grandmaster 

Sindel: I knew your father. He was a great man. Sub-Zero: Yet he never understood the Lin Kuei's potential.

So I think it is safe to assume Sindel was familiar enough with Bi-Han and Kuai Liang’s mother to praise her skills and is not just praising her out of politeness. But the thing is, Kitana’s intro confirms the Lin Kuei warriors weren’t chosen for the Mortal Kombat Tournament, so how did Sindel know if their mother was an excellent fighter? That to me suggests she either witnessed it outside the Tournament or it was reported to her and the latter may imply Bi-Han’s mother took part in eliminating the threat on Liu Kang’s order, maybe even in Outworld. We know from source material that Outworlders do not tolerate Earthrealm’s unauthorized activity on their land. However in the story mode alone, Sindel herself admitted that Liu Kang’s “interventions have kept Outworld at peace for centuries”

while the vast tie-in material agrees that Sindel’s Court is full of intrigues and dangers - both to the Queen and her daughters. So, if Liu Kang is a close friend of King Jerrod and Queen Sindel, it doesn’t feel that far stretched to think Lin Kuei could be dispatched to ensure the Royal Family's - and in greater perspective - Earthrealm’s safety.

Now, if there was no need for Lin Kuei service in the latest generations, why a woman

considered to be an excellent fighter - thus presumably in great shape

who also happens to be wife of Grandmaster - thus presumably having access to the best medical care the clan could offer

died in some unspecified time before main story happened? That doesn’t sound like a natural death, as Bi-Han and Kuai Liang are what? In their 30s at the worst? Which gives the chance she was a middle-aged woman, not an old person who dies out of age. The Grandmaster alone, also an excellent fighter, died in an accident, though story mode does not tell us what kind of accident it was supposed to be. Did it happen on a hunting trip? During mission on Liu Kang’s order? 

So again, for a supposedly peaceful time, it seems like Kuai Liang and Tomas are those who did not have much part in Lin Kuei activity - in contrast to Bi-Han and presumably their parents. 

Going further, the sources claims Lin Kuei clan is dedicated to defend Earthrealm from external threats, and indeed Lin Kuei warriors fought against vampires (Nitara’s people)

Bi-Han, story mode: As a boy I heard tales of battles against your kind. I had thought them tall ones.

and apparently their might is know in Outworld

General Shao: Finally, the chance to test the Lin Kuei's mettle. Sub-Zero: It will end with your humiliation.

However Lin Kuei apparently took part in solving the internal problems too, if Sub-Zero vs Kenshi dialogue is something to go by:

Kenshi: My ancestors say they've tangled with yours. Sub-Zero: Has it occurred to you to ask them why?

For a quick summary, through the sources, we learn that Lin Kuei:

were meant to serve, not govern

trained from childhood not just to be an excellent fighters but to be capable of killing

do not have a life outside their duty the way Earthrealm Champions do

endured hardship (hunger)

each generation is trained to perform their duty

and presumably, even in supposedly peaceful times, the fighters may not survive to an old age nor die in a natural way (the fate of mother and Grandmaster).

So I think that objectively speaking, we can agree that Lin Kuei does not benefit much from its service to Earthrealm, while Liu Kang got an excellent Special Forces that kept Earthrealm safe for centuries.

[Next part] Bi-Han and Kuai Liang and how Lin Kuei training affected who they are.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for telling my ex I don't forgive her?

(🫁 so I can find later)

so I (21ftm) recently received a message from my ex (20nb). we started dating 4ish years ago, when we were both 16, I believe? I'm 8 months older than her.

she was horrifically emotionally abusive to me for our entire relationship. if I tried to list everything she did to me, it would probably take 5 asks, but the textbook shit is all there; isolating me from friends, mocking me relentlessly both alone and in public, threatening suicide when I tried to break things off, comparing me to other (cis) men constantly, that kind of thing. she also slapped me, once, the one time we saw each other in person. needless to say, at the end of our nearly-two-year-long relationship, my self esteem was pretty shot, and I had a lot of unpacking to do.

we've had a few brief interactions since then, including me PayPal requesting her $100 when I was drunk once (she owed me about $160 when we broke up) and her paying, sending me a message annoyed about it, and blocking me on everything.

so, obviously, I was pretty caught off guard when she texted me last week. she sent me an... actually well thought-out, good apology, accompanied by pictures of her dogs, who I miss deeply. a few days later, I collected enough of my thoughts to give her a well thought out response, which essentially amounted to "I don't know if I can 100% forgive or believe you, but I'm really, really glad that it seems like you're genuinely happy and have changed for the better." It was a little bit petty in places, but not angry.

She responded, mostly receptively, talking a lot about how physically ill and traumatized she had been when we met, which I was aware of. she wished me well again, but let her boyfriend send me a voice message on her account angrily talking about the "petty jabs" I was making and how she had apologized enough, and she seemed to agree with him and backed him up on that.

I'm really wondering if I'm TA for not forgiving her, or at least for being petty to her face. I did accuse her of lying about her other exes, and voiced some angry sentiments I'd had about her (namely that a small part of me was upset that she got to move on and be a different, better, happy person, but that in the end I was genuinely happy for her). she was a deeply ill, deeply traumatized minor living in an abusive situation, and she did give me one of the best apologies I've received, despite claiming that she can't remember most of it, which I believe. but also she fucked me up so badly I had nightmares about her for years, and the fears and ingrained patterns she left in me tore up a number of my intimate relationships.

Am I TA for telling her I can't forgive her and don't 100% believe her when it seems like she's trying really hard to change?

What are these acronyms?