gentle rain.

xiaoli knew very well that if their roles were reversed, it would be just the same. she wouldn’t be leaving until she knew her brother was alright. she would most likely be a little more awkward about it, never knowing how to properly comfort people, but she would try her best. and bolin knew that. no one knew her better than her brother did, after all.

‘i know that was, and never will be, your intention,’ she wrote. she took his hand, continuing to type with her free one. it took a little longer, but she wasn’t about to let go. not when it made her feel better. ‘it is more of a selfish feeling on my part. you are all moving on with your lives and meeting new people, or exploring the relationships you already had in a different light.’ she gave her brother a soft, but pointed look at that. something like approval, almost. ‘i feel as though i am still the same as i was when i first arrived. that was the main reason for my wish.’ because if she had a voice, it would be easier to make friends. it was such a childish wish in retrospect, and she hadn’t really known what she’d wanted until now. she just wanted what everyone else had.

It took a moment for Xiaoli’s words to settle in as he read them. His eyes flickered to his sister’s expression when she looked at him. At first, he wasn’t sure what to think. But, he wasn’t clueless. He gave a sheepish smile. It wasn’t that he had meant to be obvious about what had started with Thalia; it’s just now that someone else had noticed it, it was all the more clear as to what they had become. He then looked up towards the window of the dorm. Xiaoli, stagnant, and Bolin, the one to be moving. It seemed as though things have been turned around since the beginning of the year. 

she shook her head, her mouth turning up into a grin as she stilled the hand that was brushing his way his hair, letting it rest for a moment on his cheek. “ definitely not dangerous. and i would be inclined to agree. i like you as you. strong bolin shan.” she remarked, thinking nothing of it. thalia lips twisted into a small smile. a genuine smile, not one of her smirks or grins. just the tiniest of real smiles that she hardly shared with anyone. she could hear past the teasing and into the ring of honesty the words held. “ of course. our family. ” as someone who took the word family very seriously, she would never once deny that the shans were family to her. and like she would with her own blood, she would go to the ends of the earth for them. ( and though she would never admit, she liked the way the words sounded coming from his mouth. their family. ) she let her eyebrows furrow as gravely shook her head in mock seriousness. she tsked. “ not once would i think to rid myself of you, dearest bolin. ” she let herself lean ever so slightly closer. “ and you can be sure that i will be by your side as well. as certain as the sun setting in the west. ” she matched his response with a small smile.

a mortal kombat!au where shan bolin is a runaway fighter from a warrior clan, only to be captured to participate in a fatal tournament. little does anyone know, this tournament determines more than earth’s greatest fighter, the entire balance of this universe rests on the outcome of the champion.

i am mortal kombat trash okay, i love it so much and i encourage anyone to play the game if they haven’t already (unless you’re not a fan of gore, then please don’t). and thIS IDEA CAME UP RIP ME. AND YES I HAVE MORE THAN ONE PART BECAUSE LBR THIS GOT REALLY LONG. and yes there are mentions of @thxliadalma and @xiacli dON’T WORRY ABOUT IT

There was the rattling of chains. Bolin remembered the sound well— it was strange that he couldn't see. He was bound. Yet, every other sense was on high alert. He could smell rust and sweat, he could feel the thickness in the air as if there was dusty wind howling just beyond him, he could hear the cheers and roars of a crowd. Most importantly, he heard an old brother of his grumbling to “release him but hold him at spear-point”. How irrevocably charming.

The point of the blade pressing against the small of his back, Bolin was forced to move forward. The cover over his eyes didn't let up, however, he could feel his wrists and ankles become unchained. That was all he needed, even with the death threat breathing straight down his back. It was barely a heartbeat later when Bolin twisted his body around, effectively kicking the spear out of his captor's hands. The stagger sounded familiar— it was his old brother with the limp in his right leg and who didn't exert enough energy with his left punches. With one clack of the spear hitting the floor, Bolin managed to pinpoint where its grip was (or was going to be) and used his leg to kick it back towards him.

xiaoli just continued to hug her pillow, wanting to hide away from the world again, but she forced herself to remain upright in her blood-stained dress. she hated that she couldn’t hear herself cry. she knew she was, all the other signs were there, she just couldn’t hear it, and it annoyed her. but she tried not to think about it. thinking about it too much was what had dragged her into this mess in the first place.

knowing she had to say something, she reached for her phone and typed up her message with shaky fingers. ‘you shouldn’t have to show me. i should be able to do things myself. i shouldn’t need to rely on people.’ because people were changing and leaving and going off in different directions. and she wasn’t about to hold them back. ‘it isn’t fair for you – and the others – to be looking out for me.’

All of the weight that Bolin had to bear was easily based off of his father’s beliefs and actions. Nothing was attributed to his ability and his ability alone (perhaps his large heart but he hadn’t considered it a burden for very long). As he watched Xiaoli, he knew that she thought about her muteness quite often. His eyes became downcast as she began to type. He felt bad. 

Chloe: (Photo of bruce right beside a pair of torn up batman socks)

Chloe: Anyone want a pet ferret?

Chloe: Bruce has been tearing up my socks lately. 😒

bolin: Oh no. I hope everything is alright.

thalia nodded, satisfied, and a small smile played across her lips. she let herself be pulled towards bolin, resting a hand on the one that sat on her waist. they were both more tactile beings than either of their siblings, and she assumed that’s why their hands naturally tended to drift to the other. she reached over to gently brush bolin’s bangs out of his eyes. “ after what i’ve just done, auradon should do it’s best to placate me. ” she responded, voice matching his teasing lilt. thalia gave him her signature look, one eyebrow cocked and the corners of her lips turning up into a smirk. “ i wouldn’t say you are dangerous, my dear bolin. you are most definitely strong, stronger than most, but a danger ?? no. ” she mused, but didn’t deny his claim. she was much to prideful, and found herself quite flattered by the remark. her smirk soften just a bit. “ but yes, sweet bolin. i’ll be sure to warn you next time. there’s no need for you to worry about me. i’d say i had things handled, hm ?? a little seawitch who threaten my family’s and your safety ?? she didn’t stand a chance. ” she joked, lifting her chin in mock arrogance, though there was a ring of honesty to it.

xiaoli couldn’t help but feel guilty. bolin had lived the same way she had for years, but he hadn’t felt the need to wish for anything. her wish had been one of the only things that was different between them, but it didn’t matter to her. to wish things were different was like trampling all over bolin’s kindness to her over the years, and she couldn’t forgive herself for that, even if he could.

she felt the bed shift and knew bolin wasn’t leaving anytime soon. even if he hadn’t done that, she already knew. he wasn’t the type to just leave her alone when something bad happened. his voice just made her cry again, sobbing silently into her pillow as he continued to speak, and she felt the need to show her face, even if she didn’t want to. she owed him that much. and so she lifted the blankets off of her face and sat up, still holding her pillow. she couldn’t look him in the eye, but it was a start.

Everytime Bolin spoke, Xiaoli usually had an answer for him. He’d hear her pen scratching against her sketchbook and he’d read the familiar writing. That, along with her body language, was brought the two together. That allowed them to face the world together. He understood that he’d never know what it was like to have a voice and that writing his thoughts down could never amount to the same value as speaking. Maybe, that’s what made it so sad for him. Xiaoli’s experiences would always be different from his.

( @rainingvictory )

as soon as the dance had ended and the water walls ( something thalia herself wanted very much to learn how to do)  had come down, she had done a cursory check on her siblings and bolin, before taking off to firmly assure xiaoli that that woman was a witch and she deserved what she got. the old hag had hurt her family, and as a general rule, doing so did not go over very well with thalia. on top of that, the hag had gone and interrupted thalia’s dance. she believed wholeheartedly that the witch deserved far worse than whatever sentence she got.

but she put her cold anger to the back of her mind as she returned to bolin. she strode towards him, taking his face in between her hands and tilting his head back and forth to scan for any injuries. “ i swear to you, bolin shan, that i will be quite put out if you are injured. ” she said, masking just how angry she was about the whole ordeal. “ so please tell me you are not grievously injured, cause i don’t think auradon would like me when i’m put out. ” she took a step back, looking him up and down. if bolin was injured in the ordeal, on top of xiaoli getting possessed and illyria having to get involved, then auradon would be dealing with a very unhappy goddess on their hands.

There was something about Thalia and Bolin couldn’t quite put a name to what it was specifically. But, as he stood, trying to come to terms with everything that had happened, having her come up to him and inspect him for injuries was quite refreshing. One of his hands went up to hers and he gave the smallest hint of a smile. “I’m fine, Thalia. You know, I’m sturdier than I look,” he murmured. The first part was genuine and true, however, it became more teasing the more he spoke. He tried to read her; understand what was going on through her head. His hand dropped as she stepped back but not as a signal to move away.

xiaoli would be lying if she said she hadn’t expected her brother to come search for her. bolin wasn’t about to just let her be alone after what had happened, though she didn’t think she deserved the attention. she had hurt him. they were never supposed to fight each other, and she’d hurt him. he should have just left her alone and never looked back, maybe never even spoken to her again.

when she heard his voice, she just curled into herself all the more, holding her pillow tighter. she may have cried in front of bolin before, but that didn’t mean she wanted the situation to repeat.

The way that Xiaoli curled in on herself, a detectable movement once Bolin sought it out, disheartened him a little. However, he could understand it. This experience was unlike anything he could imagine of. He didn’t know what it’d be like to be mind-controlled, to lose ownership of what should always be his. She’d close off from him especially because up until then, the two shared almost identical experiences. Bolin could only speak the entire time, while Xiaoli couldn’t. That’s what set everything apart and made Xiaoli’s experience a little more-- just more.