#guild enchanted

Thorne (blue haired landsknecht ♂) and Jonah (male red-haired landsknecht ♂)

Thorne was the one who first made his interest know. Jonah is suffering from a curse in his eye that allows him to learn stats of monsters. Thorne didn’t know that when he first laid eyes on him. Only thought he was cute because he was smaller than the average landsknecht. And he’s cute in general.

Even after learning that Jonah is cursed, and that the one who cursed him is still out there somewhere, Thorne maintained his interest. Jonah was cute and interesting now. Thorne is protective of him, however. Not exactly possessive, but he’s the only one who can tease Jonah and make him blush ever-so cutely.

Jonah doesn’t know what to make of Thorne first, especially his blatant honesty toward him. He did find Thorne rather handsome, but figured that a guy like him would lose interest in him quickly and move on. Thorne was rather flighty, after all. But Thorne made his interest and pursuit of him known, and stuck to it regardless of Grandpa Vlad’s displeasure.

In Nexus, they’re officially in a relationship. Thorne is openly affectionate while Jonah is still more reserved. He doesn’t push Thorne away however, just blushes deeply.

Nairn (male black-haired alchemist ♂) and Althea (orange haired medic *male portrait* ♀)

Their relationship doesn’t fully form until they reach Lemuria/Nexus, and Althea is aged 18. Althea has had a crush on him for a couple of years, but always held back out of fear.

They met accidentally when Althea was in the library studying and Nairn just happened across her. Because of her being mute, she didn’t verbally respond to anything he said. Instead of feeling annoyed that she’s giving him the supposed cold shoulder, Nairn was intrigued because while she didn’t speak, she looked somewhat interested in what he was saying.

Nairn held a sense of interest in her because of her shyness and muteness. His interested turned into protectiveness after seeing a few ladies of society corner her and place the blame on her for the actions of her murderous mother. After seeing how distressed Althea was and how she couldn’t exactly talk back, he did instead. His family is of high society too, but he doesn’t care what others think.

After he learns what had happened to Althea (her mother brutally murdering her father and tried to kill her before fleeing) he vowed to help her regain her voice. And in order to do that is to make her feel safe and comfortable.

They have a very sweet relationship. Holding hands and cuddling is as far as they go, really. They’re both content just to be with each other.

Emmett (red haired medic ♂) and Crystalena (blonde protector *male portrait* ♀)

Crytalena is a maid who works for Emmett and is the daughter of the maid that has worked with Emmett’s family for years. In her mind, she’s just the maid and the help. Emmett is completely out of her league, and rightly so. Emmett is considered Lagaard’s wealthiest bachelor and has a lot of marriage-minded woman and mothers looking at him. And he hates the attention. He’s only interested in Crystalena.

In order to help Emmett ward off unwanted advantages, Crystalena agreed to be his pretend girlfriend. But she believes it’s only a ruse to help Emmett. But Emmett is determined to prove to her that she’s the only woman he can ever see marrying.

Because of her upbringing, Crystalena finds it extremely difficult to believe she’s worthy for someone like Emmett. Even though they’ve crashed into bed together a few times. Had sex, basically. That causes a bit of tension between them, but Emmett is stubborn.

In Nexus, they’re engaged. Crystalena has accepted that Emmett’s love for her is the real deal and she loves him in return. She still has maid tendencies where she likes to serve others. But she knows that Emmett is dedicated to her.

Kendrix (brown haired highlander ♂) and Sokyu (black haired ronin ♂)

Sokyu was seriously injured protecting his younger brother after a monster attacked his village. He would have died had it not been for Kendrix, who had been tracking the monster that attacked. He led Sokyu and his brother to safety, giving up the pursuit of the monster. Sokyu didn’t remember her when they reunited in Lagaard, but Kendrix recognised him immediately. And from then on Kendrix decided to be the one to protect Sokyu and help him heal from his injuries.

As Kendrix watched over Sokyu, his protectiveness morphed into that of genuine need to keep him safe. Even though Sokyu didn’t remember him, he did develop a crush on him.

After a sighting of the monster that attacked Sokyu’s village, Kendrix goes in search of it, attempting to keep Sokyu away. Sokyu tracks him down nevertheless and demands answers, actually more disappointed that Kendrix would leave him behind him. He’s surprised when he learns of their past connection.

After that, the two worked together to take on the monster and free them both of their regrets. For a short while they thought that since the monster was no longer connecting them, that they would drift apart. But they didn’t. They grew closer in fact and decided to attempt this relationship thing because they were both free now.

In Nexus, they’re in a steady and affectionate relationship. Kendrix is still protective of Sokyu though.

Kaiser (blue haired dark hunter ♂) and Kaede (blonde alchemist *male portrait* ♀)

Kaiser’s sister was murdered by her own guild and Kaede was the only witness. She was targeted by that murderous guild and took refuge in Lagaard. Kaiser happened to track her down, hoping to use her to get to the murderers. But he realised how scared she truly was and realised that the murderers aren’t someone to mess with.

So Kaiser became Kaede’s secret protector. He knew that the murderer would eventually come for her, so he reasoned with himself that he’s just keeping an eye on her until then. But Kaede was a very sweet young woman. His need for revenge for his sister grew to also keeping Kaede safe.

The murderers eventually return and Kaiser chooses to protect Kaede over his need for revenge. Staying in close quarters together soon turned to comfort and the cliched passion took over. The murderers realise that they are outnumbered in Lagaard, and the guild’s popularity outmatches any shit-stirring they could cook up. So they fled.

In Nexus, Kaede still lives in fear of the murderers returning, but she knows that Kaiser will protect her. Kaiser has vowed to stay by her side, no matter what. So they have a very endearing relationship.

Ritvik (dark skinned war magus ♂) and Elah (red banded hexer ♂)

They’ve been together for as long as they both can remember. Ritvik found Elah soon after he was turned into a Hexer and immediately took him in to care for him. Elah is very ill, suffering from a curse that affects his physically health. Ritvik is attempting to search for a way to cure Elah.

They’re in a very close relationship. Ritvik is very protective, benignly possessive of Elah. They’re both devoted to each other. Some may see it as being too dependant on each other, but they really do love and care for each other. Who wouldn’t go to hell and back for the one they love?

Duardo (older gunner ♂) and Fleuretta “Fleur” (blonde haired survivalist – classed as sovereign *male portrait* ♀)

Fleuretta is a princess on the run and in hiding. Her sister wanted her place on the throne so sent assassins to kill her. As you do. So Fleuretta went into hiding, taking her loyal guard, Duardo with her. He went willingly, of course.

Duardo considers himself Fleuretta’s bodyguard, and he can’t be anything more. He doesn’t really have “romance” or “relationships” in his vocabulary. Fleuretta, on the other hand, wants Duardo to see her as more than an obligation. She’s a very unconventional princess, so she’s the one pursuing him. Which baffles the hell out of him.

It takes Duardo some time to realise that Fleuretta is actually serious about disavowing her royal family and becoming an explorer, and having him by his side as a romantic partner.

It takes a few close calls for Duardo to realise that he can’t really see his life without Fleuretta in it. And maybe a life as an explorer for the both of them isn’t so bad.

In Nexus, they’re in a fledging relationship. Fleuretta is still very blunt in her adoration of Duardo though.

Tyvon (white haired dark hunter ♂) and Charity “Charli” (brown haired gunner *male portrait* ♀)

Tyvon is a street rat of Lagaard. Grew up on the streets and did what he could to watch over the other vulnerable street rats. Despite his class, he’s a caretaker. He tries to help other vulnerable people. But the vulnerability he sees in Charity’s eyes really catches his attention. It also helps that she’s kinda cute.

Charity came to Lagaard to hide from her sister after witnessing her brutally murder a couple of street kids, and tried to blame her for it. She was very skittish and tried to keep to herself in order to keep others safe. She couldn’t shake Tyvon, though. Especially when the two of them are found by Vlad in less than ideal conditions, and he took the two into his guild.

Their relationship started with friendship, to developing crushes on each other. After a near encounter with Charity’s sister, which put Charity in hospital, made Tyvon realise that she could be taken from his life forever and he didn’t like that.

Even after the murderous sister had been dealt with, the two continued with the Just Friends charade, even though they’ve admitted that they would like the other to stay in their life a little longer.

In Nexus, they’re beginning a fledging relationship. Taking things slowly because neither had been in a relationship before.

Garek (silver haired fortress ♂) and Skylark (blond haired sniper ♂)

Garek found Skylark alone in the labyrinth as he attempted to train. He didn’t like that because being alone is dangerous, so practically drags Skylark back to town and gets him to join his guild. Nup. If Skylark wants to train on his own, to master the bow he had inherited (and which his sister is willing to kill him for) he to deal with Garek tagging along. No ifs or buts about it.

Starts off as Garek being Skylark’s bodyguard, to helping him train, to simply hanging out. And it kinda develops from there. There’s no “what are we exactly” talk. They just go with the flow.

Jamal (dark skinned imperial red hair ♂) and Oceana (brown haired fortress *male portrait* ♀)

Oceana is boyish in appearance, but the mother-figure of the entire guild. She never knew her mother and was raised by a hard-working single father. She’s a blend of toughness and gentleness. Jamal is a cynical imperial who is looking for information of his “missing” father.

Oceana is drawn to Jamal first by his looks. He’s rather hot, after all. But its his secret pains that gains her full attention. She understands what he’s going through and wants to help.

Their relationship starts out rather platonically. Jamal sees Oceana as a fellow warrior. Someone to have his back in battle. But he slowly begins to see that she’s there for him outside of battle.

Their relationship starts off as physical at first, the two just needing someone to touch and hold. They soon develop a true bond though Jamal isn’t sure what that is because he hadn’t encountered anything like it before. After Oceana nearly dies does he come to the realisation that he wants a future with her.

In Nexus they’re married, and a short while later Oceana finds herself pregnant.

Harlan (blue armoured imperial ♂) and Celeste (blond runemaster *male portrait* ♀)

Celeste is a bit of an airhead. She was raised in a small village out in the Windy Plains to become a Priestess of Nature. In order to do that, she needed to visit the labyrinths. Harlan is a simple low-level soldier for the empire. They don’t really have anything in common.

Even so, Harlan realises how naïve Celeste still is and kinda took it upon himself to ensure she doesn’t wander into danger. So he finds himself tagging along on her little wandering journeys. It’s through these journeys that they bond and develop feelings for one another, though it isn’t until they shared an unexpected kiss do they ask “What are we?”.

They still don’t know. But it’s nice, so they’ll stay together.

Jake (green haired sniper ♂) and Rosetta (brown haired runemaster *male portrait* ♀)

Rosetta is quite the character who doesn’t care for social cues. She makes her intense interest in Jake known from the moment they meet. That confuses Jake in return and since she’s rather deadpanned about it, he can’t take her seriously.

Rosetta may seem like she’s outrageous in her attempts to get with Jake, and Jake is just a hapless victim. But he has the ability to tell her to fuck off, and she knows when she’s pushed too far. She doesn’t see the point in hiding or being reserved. A part of Jake respects that. He still doesn’t know how to handle her, though. He’s not used to anyone being so openly and honesty affectionate toward him.

In Nexus, they’re in a relationship. Rosetta is still openly and outrageously affectionate. And Jake still finds himself overwhelmed at times. But they genuinely care for each other and Rosetta knows when to hold back and when to push forward.

Miguel (blond dancer ♂) and Shanti (alt purple haired dancer *male portrait* ♀)

Shanti had been raised to be ashamed of her body. She’s out of everyone’s league and she’s destined to live life alone because she’s so useless and such. To say that she’s suffering from low self-esteem is an understatement.

Miguel is outspoken in his complete adoration of Shanti. To him, she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. He’s very encouraging, both gently and outrageous. He knows when Shanti needs a pep talk, or need someone to simply sit quietly with her.

Interest at first sight which turned into a gentle friendship, to a gentle relationship. Shanti still believes that Miguel deserves better than her, but she also doesn’t want to push him away.

In Nexus, they’re officially in a relationship and Shanti is slowly allowing herself to show Miguel affection out in public.

Daniel (brown haired EO4 medic ♂) and Ryland (brown haired EO4 landsknecht ♂)

Daniel is Tharsis’ most eligible bachelor and his mother wants nothing more for him to settle down with a nice girl and start popping out grandkids. Daniel has other ideas, however. He’s interested in his medical training and to advance that, he agrees to start a guild with his friends.

Ryland is emotionally stunted and suffering from the radical abuse he had suffered as a child. He sees himself as a warrior, not a person. A punching bag with no emotions.

For Daniel, it’s interest at first sight when he meets Ryland. As a medic, he decides that it’s his duty to help Ryland to understand his emotions. He wasn’t expecting Ryland to be so adorable, though. Or so attached to him. Ryland himself is startled by how attached he is to Daniel. His sister, Rosetta, was the only person he had allowed himself to become attached to.

Their relationship turns physical rather quickly because Ryland isn’t used to using words. Action speak louder than words, and sleeping with Daniel helps him to realise how much he means to him. And how much he means to Daniel.

They have a rather unconventional relationship, but Ryland is very attached to Daniel and only sees himself doing “those types of things” (aka, sex) with no one else but Daniel. And Daniel is protective of Ryland, and will protect him no matter what.

Brody (younger white haired EO4 medic ♂) and Sonya (younger purple haired landsknecht EO4 *male portrait* ♀)

Sonya has an obvious crush on Brody and tries whatever she can to get even a moment alone with him, or do something romantic like going on picnics or dates. Brody, however, is older than he looks and he refuses to have anything to do with Sonya at first. He doesn’t encourage her crush on him. He figured that it’s a phase and she would move onto someone much more suited.

It’s not until Nexus that Brody begins to realise that Sonya is indeed quite the beautiful young woman. And she’s as determined as ever. He’s still reluctant, however. He’s a bit of an asshole. A known one. Sonya deserves better than that.

So, currently, they’re in the “they obviously care for each other” phase of their relationship.

Neroli (red arcanist ♂) and Lotus (purple arcanist *male portrait* ♀)

They were friends since childhood and Neroli had dragged Lotus around on little adventures. Only her. He wants to see the world, and he wants to see it all with Lotus by his side. Lotus only wants to stay with Neroli and she wants to see him happy.

They have a very, very innocent and pure relationship.

Devlin (black haired nightseeker ♂) and Kali (white haired nightseeker *male portrait* ♀)

They were in the same cult as children, though they had different roles. Kali was selected to become the Priestess of the Moon and he was nothing more than a lowly guard who is meant to pledge his entire life to her. But something went wrong during the ritual and Kali’s hair turned white. Using the chaos to his advantage, Devlin grabs Kali and flees to Tharsis where they’ll be safe from the cult.

Kali doesn’t truly remember her attachment to Devlin, just that she trusts him with her life. Devlin has cared for Kali for years and had wanted to get the both of them out of the cult for years. He’s dedicated to Kali and makes his affection toward her known. And Kali is as dedicated to him. She doesn’t remember everything of their past together, but her heart does. And that’s all that matters.

They have a strong relationship, having only eyes for each other. During the nights of the full moon, their relationship is very sensual and physical.

Theron (earthlain portrait) and Alexis (younger dragoon ♂)

They’ve been friends for years. Theron is the son of a noble family and expected to find a wife. Alexis’ family owns a chocolatier, which he is expected to one day own, thus giving up his “silly” dream of exploring.

Alexis is a martyr, putting everyone first. He has had feelings for Theron for years but refuses to tell him in fear of ruining their friendship. And Theron deserves better, in his opinion. Theron doesn’t initially see Alexis’ crush on him. But when he does, he goes on a crusade to show Alexis that his feelings are returned.

Which is surprisingly not that easy. It takes some time for Alexis to accept the fact that handsome, rich Theron does indeed like him. He likes him a lot.

In Nexus, they’re in an official relationship. Theron is very handsy, one could say.

Zachary "Zac" (piercings Harbinger ♂) and Astara (long haired warlock *male portrait* ♀)

Astara lost her family in a terrible fire some years ago, but she’s lost a great deal of her memories from that night. Zachary is a bounty hunter who may know a little more about that night than he’s willing to reveal.

They started off as guildmates before Zac found out about Astara’s trauma, so he becomes her secret protector. First, that is out of duty. But after spending time with her, he realises that he’ll do anything to keep her safe.

To Astara, Zac was rather intimidating. But she soon learns that he’s quite the nice guy. Very smart, easy to spend time with. Protective, too. She develops a crush on him rather quickly. She doesn’t do anything about it, though as she’s still struggling with the lost of her family and her memories.

In Nexus, they’re not quite in a relationship. They’re both working through personal issues. But it’s obvious that they care for each other deeply. To others, they’re basically off the market. They just haven’t made it official yet.

Xanthe (Warlock ♂) and Chantall (long haired Harbinger *male portrait* ♀)

Chantall comes from a high ranking council family and expected to marry well. She’s interested in exploration however. And in order to get her family off of her back, she makes up an imaginary man and tells her family that they’re dating. Well, fuck me, they want to meet this man!

Desperate, she turns to Xanthe, an unsocial warlock, for her in pretending to be her boyfriend. Amused by her plight and revelling in the possibility of fucking around with a snooty family of high society, he agrees. Much to Chantall’s shock.

A series of cliché moments between them cause them to spend time together. And they realise that the other isn’t so bad. They’re kinda nice. Cute, too.

In Nexus they’ve decided to make their pretend relationship into a real one.

Ramon (squared jaw Necromancer ♂) and Lilybeth (Fencer *male portrait* ♀)

Ramon was meant to marry a daughter of a noble family. But he decided that he would rather throw himself head first into the labyrinth than marry. Lilybeth is the sister of the betrothed and is sent to find him and drag him home. Instead, she finds herself joining him and his guild, becoming a explorer.

Ramon has made his interest in Lilybeth known practically from the beginning. Lilybeth had been her family’s human punching bag, so relationships are foreign to her. She does find herself drawn to unconventional Ramon, who is hell-bent on helping her to lighten up.

In Nexus, Lilybeth has turned her back on her abusive family and is beginning a relationship with Ramon. They’re kinda in the courtship stage, Ramon going out of his way to woo her again.

Valente (eye patch Dragoon *female portrait* ♂) and Mikazuki (cat-eared Masurao *male portrait* ♀)

Valente is the eligible bachelor of Iroys, and he loathes the title. His family is pressuring him to get married. So he gets childhood friend, Mikazuki, to be his pretend fiancée. And in order to teach his haughty family a lesson, she agrees.

Their relationship is outrageously “affectionate” when they first begin their façade. It soon has them both seeing their steady friendship through a more romantic lens. And they soon realise that their “pretend” is becoming more natural.

In Nexus, they’re in an official relationship. Still outrageously affectionate, but sweetly so now. Especially in private.

Kayin (long haired Necromancer ♂) and Selena (celestian *male portrait* ♀)

They started off as partners working on the case of Selena’s murdered mentor. Spending long hours together, usually just the two of them, had them starting a close friendship. That soon turned into a sexual attraction, which they soon began to explore.

They fell into a natural relationship after that. They’re both very spiritual individuals, and quite mature. So they just went with the flow of things to see where it would take them.

Radhi (younger Pugilist ♂) and Jasmina (Rover *male portrait* ♀)

They both have obvious crushes on each other. But they deny them because they’re a couple of idiots who think relationships are silly and not for them. They’re also stubborn.

They do care for each other greatly however. They’re not sure how to express that, though. So often get into verbal fights, especially if they’re worried. They don’t get vicious with each other with their words though. And don’t say outright negative things about the other. When alone they weakly admit how worried they are and how relieved, and such. Like a pair of idiots.

In Nexus they’re still in the denial stage, but are slowly accepting that they have crushes on each other.

Nadiel (young shogun ♂) and Mercy (alt younger medic *male portrait* ♀)

They’ve been through quite a bit; their prince’s assassination, being stranded on Lemuria before Maginia arrived, and Nadiel being hurt. But they managed to survive by working together. Mercy healed Nadiel while Nadiel kept her safe from harm.

They developed feelings for each other while they were on the lam, but they did not fully accept them, and certainly didn’t do anything about it. They were too busy trying not to get killed by assassins. Now that they’re safe with the guild, they had a few conversations about their feelings and though they felt guilty about failing their prince, they knew that their prince wanted them to be happy. And they’re happy when they’re together.

They have a very sweet and supportive relationship. Very gentle and healthy.

Tabris (younger hoplite ♂) and Kaidus “Kai” (younger orange haired gladiator ♂)

Tabris’ family’s name was ruined several years ago after a member claimed to have seen a monster that “should not exist”. Kaidus had his reputation at stake after the party he had been escorting was wiped out by a monster that “should not exist”.

It started off with Tabris wanting Kaidus to help restore his family’s name. But he soon found himself having to protect Kaidus from those who don’t want him to tell anyone what he had witnessed. Kaidus reluctantly turned to him because he felt guilty about not protecting those in his protection and he wants to help Tabris to restore his family’s name, even at the cost of his own.

Tabris’ protectiveness toward Kaidus soon turned into genuine affection. And Kaidus himself had never saw himself in a relationship, but there’s something nice about being protected by Tabris. And being shielded in his arms.

Currently, they’re in the Not Quite a Relationship stage, though it is obvious that they care deeply for each other.

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Alexis’ POV:

Alexis rushes up the stairs leading to the entrance of their guild’s unofficial guildhouse. It is actually Theron’s home, an estate that he inherited from a great uncle. His entire family were members of high society. Despite that, and despite the way his family constantly looked down upon ruffian explorers, Theron continues to allow the members of their guild to come and go as they please. To stay the night. To eat and live there without any qualms.

He is their guild’s leader. He claims that it is part of his duty to look after his guild.

Theron is also Alexis’ childhood friend. They’ve known each other for years. Many of those years though consisted of Alexis’ hiding his secret crush on the other man.

Despite knowing him for so long, and joining the guild the moment he made it, Alexis is stunned by what he had recently commanded of the guild. Commanded of him.

How could he order Alexis not to participate in the next battle? It’s an important one! Against the monster that rules over the second stratum. Surely they needed his shield for this battle?

Alexis could understand if Theron found that his shield wouldn’t be needed, or that other members of their guild had specifically wanted to fight the BOSS on their own. He could even understand and reluctantly accept if he was to be…useless for this battle. He could understand all of that. He could understand that he was to simply be in the way.

But Theron purposely kept the battle arrangements from him. He didn’t even give him a chance to plead his case. He didn’t tell him anything. He had to hear it from another teammate.

“You weren’t supposed to know,” Naoko had told him with a guilty and sympathetic look. “Theron purposely chose a time when you were working in your family’s chocolatier to hold the meeting. He stressed that you weren’t to participate in any way. He asked us not to tell you anything but that…didn’t sit right with me. If I was in that predicament I would want to know.”

Alexis is grateful that Naoko had the generosity and kindness to tell him.

But this is just cruel. To hold a meeting, to specifically single him out with the strict orders not to get involved…that hurt so much. Was he that useless? That worthless? To the guild? To Theron?

Alexis blinks back the tears as he heads upstairs to Theron’s room. Though he feels guilty, he ignores his guildmates’ voices of concern. He wants and needs answers. He needs to hear it straight from Theon. It will hurt…a lot to finally learn how useless he is to Theron. But perhaps it is best that he finally hears the truth.

It’s going to be scary but he needs to know.

Alexis tries to swallow back the lump of pure emotion in his throat as he bangs his fist on Theron’s door. “Theron! I know you’re in there. We need to talk.”

As the door opens, Theron looks at him with an expression of confusion on his face. That confusion turns to worry as he furrows his brow. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m pretty sure you already know what’s wrong,” Alexis retorts, surprisingly himself how bitter and angry he sounds.

That anger catches Theron off guard, too. For a moment at least. His expression soon turns stoic though he does utter a sigh of disappointment. “They told you?” he states rather than asks.

Theron takes a step back before turning around completely and walking deeper into his room. Alexis moves to follow him, his chest restricting painfully but he ignores it.

“You're asking me, no you’re telling me to sit out on this important battle!” Alexis raises his voice before he suddenly falls silent, the sting of tears in his eyes more painful than before. “Why?”

Theron stays silent as he looks at him with a painfully dismissive expression on his face. “I have my reasons,” he says simply.

Alexis feels his face crumbles as tears blur his vision. “Am I that useless to you? To the guild?”

“No! Gods, no,” Theron immediately says as he reaches out to grab Alexis’ by his arms and looks him straight into his eyes. “That’s not it at all.”

“Then what is it?” Alexis practically begs as he grasps the front of Theron’s vest. “Why were you trying to keep all of this from me?”

Theron falls silent and still as he simply gazes at him. His hands on Alexis’ arms tighten however, and he appears to be struggling to find the right words. Probably trying to find a way to tell him that he’s truly not needed for this battle. That he…really would be in the way.

But Theron would never say that directly to his face. No, he’s too nice for that…

“That battle is just too dangerous for you, ok?” Theron finally replies.

Alexis’ shoulders droop and he drops his chin to his chest. Too dangerous is just another way of saying he’s too weak, isn’t it? Is that truly it?

He keeps his head down as he removes his hands from Theron’s vest and attempts to pull himself from his grip. “I’m sorry for being too weak then…”

Theron utters a frustrated sigh and his hands unexpectedly tighten on Alexis’ arms. “That’s not it,” he says.

Alexis shakes his head and tries to take a step back. He doesn’t have the capacity to say anything in return at the moment. His chest is aching and his eyes burn with tears he still refuses to shed.

“Alexis, look at me.”

But Alexis just increases his struggles. “Just let go, Theron.”

He doesn’t want to deal with this any longer, ok? Just let him go. Just let him leave so he’ll never bother him again, ok?! Just-!

Theron’s grip on him tightens as he pulls him suddenly towards him. Alexis stumbles forward and lands against Theron’s chest. Before he can find his balance and push himself away from the other Earthlain, Theron’s strong arms wound themselves tightly around him, pinning his arms to his sides and crushing his body effortlessly against his.

“Theron!” Alexis yelps in surprise as he lifts his head to look at him.

However, Theron answers his surprise with an even more surprising action; he leans forward and kisses him forcibly on the lips.

Alexis’ eyes widen in complete surprise and he tenses in Theron’s arms. That tension soon drains away and he inexplicably falls limp against Theron’s strong body. His eyes remain open and unblinking, even as tears finally broke forward and roll down his cheeks. Theron’s mouth is firm and yet his lips are tender against his.

Theron is kissing him. Theron is actually kissing him!

Just as Alexis begins to wonder what he should do and whether he should do anything, Theron pulls back from him, breaking the kiss slowly.

“I love you more than anything in the world, okay?” Theron says as he unfurls an arm around him to tenderly wipe his cheeks of his tears. “And that’s why you have to stay here. I can’t lose you. Not even for a second. Not again.”

“Theron…”

He has waited for years to hear him say that. But even now it feels somehow unreal. But this is real, isn’t it? He…doesn’t know what to say.

“Do you have any idea how painful it is constantly watching as you get hurt?” Theron continues. “Watching as you throw yourself into danger? Watching as you constantly pretend you’re all right when you’re hurting?”

Oh…he had no idea.

“Theron, I…”

Theron silences him by pulling him in for another kiss, this one Alexis intends to fully participate in. He manages to slip his arms around Theron’s neck as Theron wraps one arm around his waist and the other across his upper back to hold him as close to him as possible.

His heart flutters in his chest as Theron’s mouth smothers his, his lips moving incessantly against his. The kiss is almost possessive, yet also barely restrained. Had Theron waited to do this, too?

It isn’t until Alexis feels the back of his legs hit the side of Theron’s bed did he realise that Theron’s been gently guiding him toward the bed throughout the kiss. Alexis’ gasp of surprise breaks the kiss between them and he falls back onto the bed. He murmurs another gasp a moment later when Theron leans over him, his hands pinning his wrists on either side of his head.

Theron’s blue eyes appear darker than they usually wore, and Alexis felt a shiver race through him. It isn’t a shiver of fear though. It’s something he hadn’t felt before but he’s sure it’s a shiver of excitement.

“You’re still not participating in this battle,” Theron tells him firmly.

Alexis swallows thickly. “But you are, aren’t you? How can you think I would just let you go into battle without me? How are you certain I’ll just wait here?”

Theron’s grin is positively wicked. “You won’t be able to fight if you can’t walk,” he says, almost playfully.

Alexis feels his heartrate jump substantially. “Wh-what does that mean?” he mutters weakly.

But he soon gets his answer when Theron kisses him again, deeper and more passionate. He presses his hard, heated body against his, and his hands, rough yet gentle, begin to tug at his clothes.

The last rational thought in Alexis’ head is whether or not the door to the room is locked.

After that is a blur of ecstasy and pleasure.

~*~*~*~

Alexis leans against the dining table pitifully. His lower back is aching and he can hardly feel his legs. Not to mention his neck and shoulders are itchy from the numerous bite marks and love bruises scattered across the skin. He’s not sure but there’s probably a couple of bite marks on his inner thighs too.

When Theron said that he’s going to make love to him until he can’t feel his legs, Alexis didn’t think he meant that literally!

Next to him, their guild’s botanist, Florent, pats him sympathetically on the back. “There there. The discomfort will pass. And don’t you worry about Theron and the others in that battle today. Theron certainly had a spring to his step so he’ll be back before you know it! After all, he has his new boyfriend waiting for him~”

Alexis drops his head into his arms in an attempt to hide his blush.

Guild Mythica:

Kieran – teasing literally all the couples if given the chance. He’s also very supportive so he would immediately offer tips and suggestions to win over their lucky love interest

Charity – more like a nudge to the ribs and pulls a funny face whenever the person’s crush walks into the room. All in good fun. Until she’s subjected to it then she bristles wildly

Guild Celtica:

Miguel – again he would tease all the couples. Thinks of himself as an expert in love and sensuality. More than eager to offer tips and suggestions even if they’re not wanted. The ultimate wing-man as it were

Akasha – absolutely fascinated with all the couples and finds them all so beautiful. She would squeal over any precious moments she spies because she truly finds it all so lovely. Love is lovely.

Guild Enchanted:

Mikazuki – teases to hide her envy and jealousy. The ultimate shit, pushing the couples together or putting them in situations where it’s just the two of them. She doesn’t mean any harm and doesn’t do anything that would make either uncomfortable. She hides her softness with teasing.

Guild Mythica:

Definitely Thorne/Jonah. Big brother Leon is just infuriated. Thorne needs to try to talk himself out of it rather quickly. Of course he can’t help but be a bit sarcastic at the beginning but promptly realises how screwed he is and starts blubbering nonsense. All the while Leon’s eye twitch is becoming more prominent. Innocent or not doesn’t really matter to big bro Leon.

Shit would hit the fan if Althea ever wounds up naked in Nairn’s bed. Innocent or not. The latter won’t happen for a couple of years yet. But chaos would reign thanks to all the overly protective older siblings

Guild Celtica:

Daniel/Ryland – Rosetta asking Daniel this but not in a protective way. She wants to know his secret so she can get into Jake’s bed naked. She also wants to know if Daniel is taking care of her brother. So a little bit of protectiveness I guess.

Jamal/Oceana – As the undisputed “mom” of the guild of course everyone is going to make sure that their mother is being taking care of. Oceana wrapped up in a bedsheet and the colour of a cherry while Jamal only has a pair of pants on so it’s pretty obvious why Oceana is naked in his bed. But it better be because Jamal loves Oceana very much. Anything less deserves an ass-kicking

Guild Enchanted:

Theron/Alexis – when they finally get their act together and get together. Happens in the morning of their first time together. Alexis is trying to hide himself under the blankets while Theron kicks out whoever had barged into their room. Theron doesn’t try to explain anything, innocent or otherwise. It’s none of their business.

Ok several of my characters could be the reason behind the near fatal ambush. And that would be the main theme of this story (if it ever gets done but play pretend with me here).

Astara – because of her family’s murder and she’s looking for answers. Obviously someone could take exception to nosiness

Iris – because of her older sister’s kidnapping and murder has never been solved and she’s looking for answers also. Again asking too many questions is likely to ruffle some feathers

Jasmina – because someone believes she betrayed her village by leaving even though she actually fled to protect herself. They might even believe she’s the one responsible for that tragic event that sent her fleeing

Ramon and Lilybeth – someone likely sent by her selfish half-sister who is still smarting by Ramon’s blatant rejection and Lilybeth’s audacity to instead stay with him and not return to her abusive family

Selena – yet another member looking for answers of a murdered loved one

Chaise – for both his selfish family furious that he hadn’t returned and dedicated his life to their happiness, and the slave traders who had a lot of money riding on him. We can also add a potential buyer to this list

Hadley – for his work as a recovery specialist and saving many potential slaves from being bought and sold. A lot of people would have it out for him, slave traders and buyers alike

Valente – someone just trying to get rid of the black sheep of the family and stop him from ‘tarnishing’ their family name

Zachery – he’s a bounty hunter. That is enough to piss off a lot of the wrong kind of people

Shit there’s ten of them. Anyone of them could be the real target. Though it would be ‘hilarious’ if none of them were the target and it was a case of mistaken identity. They get a note simply saying “Oops, wrong guild! My bad D:” with no explanation on who was responsible or why.

~*~*~

No wait this needs two characters! Yes. A precious Masurao and maybe another necromancer because they are stunning. Masurao is the one cursed. A blade handed down throughout the generations. Necromancer had to watch several members of Masurao’s family die brutal deaths because of the blade and he refuses to watch anyone else die. Especially not Masurao himself.

They head into the labyrinth to search for something. Holy water or something. Work with me here. Anyway they are both there looking for something to help Masurao when a couple of FOEs appear. The cursed blade desires blood and Masurao has no choice but to fight even though he’s precious and doesn’t want to. Necro tries to help but Masurao can’t stop until he murders those foes for dead.

Guild Enchanted comes across the scene. Masurao is crying. Literal tears on his face as he pants from exertion. He doesn’t want to fight anymore. Enchanted takes care of the foes but the cursed blade still wants blood.

Necro has no choice but to tell them that Masurao and the blade he wields is cursed. They want to save him but don’t know how. Masurao looks so tired and weak. He just wants to sleep without the nightmares of the blade. Their hearts go out to him and they take them both into their guild to watch over them.

Angelward guild is literally the only guild in the city that can deal with these kinds of things. So off they go to Drayce’s guildhouse and explain to him what’s going on. I imagine Drayce would be just as protective of Masurao and if he wasn’t already under Enchanted’s protection he would insist that he stays at the guildhouse.

Zohar and Shashi inspect Masurao. Yup he’s cursed pretty badly. It won’t be easy. But there is a possibility. A slight chance but Enchanted is willing to do whatever to help. Angelward will prepare for the ritual needed to free him. Enchanted will enter the labyrinth to gather the materials needed for said ritual.

But another guild learns of Masurao and his unwitting prowess in battle. They want to slay a dangerous foe. Why not get him to do it for them and then take the credit? Yeah, good luck getting through Enchanted’s defences.

Characters: Masurao is the sweetest, shiest thing. He’s absolutely adorable. Haven’t a name for him yet but something cute no doubt. He’s going to be on equal ground with precious Alexis and Chaise. The power of the cursed blade lessens when Necro takes him into his arms and holds him. So he does that a lot. And even after the curse is removed because it’s a habit now.