This Won't End Well

Thank you Anet for this top piece for once I will use it on him LMAO

Merlin flipped the magazine closed and set it back on the cart with calculated steadiness. The cover - a flattering illustration of a thorn-haired sylvari - was accompanied by the teaser, "Interview of the century! Former mordrem tells all." For a cruel moment, he had thought the pages would hold validation.

The article had hit like like a punch in the gut. It was a reminder of why he hid his face for so long; a reminder of why he avoided any place posing even the slightest risk of crossing paths with old friends; a reminder that it wasn't just what he'd done that was unforgivable, but what he was. What he'd been through.

He felt stupid. No, not stupid - betrayed. It took him a long time to allow himself to just exist in public again, to pull down the scarf and show his smile, to stand straight without the rigidness of an animal anticipating a strike. He shouldn't have to feel this way. Years had past since the jungle dragon awoke, wrought its destruction, and fell, and he'd met more than one former puppet of the beast that had found their way back to mortal society. Though many had performed unforgivable acts, they were allowed to find a life their own.

But, clearly, they weren't welcome. He wasn't welcome. The author's questions were barbed and leading. Her every sentence seemed to say, "you're a monster, and always will be. Aren't you ashamed to exist?"

It hurt all the more because he'd said the same to himself for years. He'd hid himself from others for safety, but he had been hiding from himself, too.

He couldn't allow himself to fall back into that pit of self-loathing. It wasn't his fault then, and it wasn't now.

...we swear.

Commissioned @ itscupspoodles on instagram for this lovely art of Cynthia and Trahearne enjoying each other’s company <3

(again the app is Dream by Wombo)

Charr

Norn

Asura

Sylvari

Human

Tengu

The Exalted