belaephemeral - Tumblr blog

belaephemeral · 1 year

Text

Hold me tight, don’t let go (please don’t let it swallow me whole)

Pairings: Vil x Reader x Rook (gender-neutral)

Description: You discover how a lie becomes the truth, one that you can’t believe but one that was inevitable. And it tears you apart.

Author’s Note: sorry self-indulgent vent fic.

Everything is spinning.

Your fingers uncontrollably tremble no matter how much you will them to still. You heart jumps, throbbing painfully against your ribcage. You feel it rattle underneath your skin and bone as you wheeze, in and out, desperate to fill your lungs with air, to resist the unbearable sensation clamping against your chest.

The world is spinning. Shapes undulate and coagulate into abstract objects that swarm you. Your vision swims and you teeter between this horrible, excruciating waking world and succumbing to the welcoming dark obsidian depths that lurk around the edges, waiting patiently, before consuming you whole.

Everything hurts. You feel like a rag, twisted, wrung of everything that you held hopelessly onto, discarded and left for good. Why did this have to happen to me? Why now? Why when everything seemed to be going so well, so perfect, when everything seemed to be going as planned? You’re so stupid, so gullible, no naive to think it was finally going the way you wanted because this foolish, immature saccharine perspective of yours is the weight that pulls you deeper, and deeper, as you drown. As you flail and no one will help you because there’s no one here for you. All except for him.

Your body feels like it’s on autopilot. In your line of sight, you catch the familiar sight of medieval architecture, the rich, luxurious shades of violet and mauve, and intricate gold embellishments. Stumbling through the corridor, your throat constricts, your stomach curls, but you resist the nausea that threatens to bubble into your throat to reach Pomefiore’s Lounge. Your hands trace the walls, finding something to hold onto to as it suddenly become hard to stand upright, as it becomes harder and harder to breathe.

The corridors are dim. The only source of light comes from the moonlight that streams through the dorm’s grand windows and the only thing you hear as you clammer down the hall is the whistling of the night breeze that billows through an opened window and faint chattering from the Lounge.

Meekily, peering through the splotches of black that cloud your vision, you enter the room. Upon your unexpected entrance, Vil promptly stands as Rook observes you carefully. “What’s the matter, darling”, the dorm leader rushes to your side, “What’s on your mind, my little star?” he reaches to cradle your face, pulling you closer to him gently, careful not to break you, careful not to hurt you more so than you’ve already been.

And you falter. You abhor the idea of showing people, much less them, your flaws, weakness, and vulnerabilities because that’s the last side of yourself you want to show them. Because the last thing you need is their pity. But the thought doesn’t cross your mind. The thought isn’t one that you register as you finally crack, splinter and break in his tender hold. Your embarrassment and humiliation at the idea of someone seeing you weak and fragile is cast to the side as your eyes agonisingly sting and burn, your heart squeezes painfully and is on the verge of bursting, and a tsunami rings in your eyes loudly.

Because the image you’ve painstakingly built for yourself doesn’t matter not when you collapse into his arms, clutching onto the front of his robes desperately for something, someone, to weigh you down, to anchor you to this world and remind you that you’re here. Because you relish in being able to confide in your trusted confidants and bear yourself to them. You figure as much as Vil cards his fingers through your locks methodically, wrapping his arms around you, and bringing you closer to his chest.

Following the metronome of his heartbeat, mirroring the rhythmic thump-thump that you feel as you’re pressed against him, you slow your ragged breaths. Gradually, it becomes easier to breath, it becomes easier to find your footing in a world that swirls underneath you and it becomes easier to find yourself again. It’s as though under this moonlight, under the expanse of stars above you, he’s a lighthouse that guides you home. A boat tossed across turbulent waves and tides finally able to see land and wretch itself away from the tempestuous oceans and clouds that broil over it.

The hushed voices reverberate in your head as murmurs, not able to comprehend the strings of words that flow out of the dorm leader and vice dorm leader’s mouth. Shaking, you lift yourself slightly off the male’s form, grimacing at the stains against his previously pristine outfit. You remain crumpled against him, like a tattered sheet of paper folded and torn at the edges, gathering what’s left of yourself as you shakily exhale. You aren’t sure when you were taken to one of the chemises of the Lounge but you can feel the plush cushion underneath you.

You don’t say anything. You can’t say anything without throwing up the organ that threatens to launch itself into your oesophagus.

So, you don’t. You just revel in the warmth Vil exudes and the tender kiss he places against the crown of your head. You savour the way he takes your hand in his and soothingly rubs circles into the back of your hand. You bask in the way he whispers “it’ll be okay, darling”s into your ear, relishing in the way the “I’m right here, love, I won’t leave you” resounds throughout you.

The couch dips behind you and you hear the sound of a cup being placed on the table in front of you and the sweet fragrances of jasmine. A hand slowly turns your chin upwards and a soft handkerchief catches the tears that descends down your cheek. For the first time in what feels like years, you open your eyes to glimpse at Rook softly smiling at you. You lock eyes and he stars back earnestly, wiping off the shimmering tracks along your cheeks. Once you blink, you feel lips carefully and softly press against your eyelid and whisper “Take as long as you need, mon trésor, we’re here for you”.

You don’t know if you’ll be able to voice the parasite that’s chewing away your insides or the monster ravaging the carefully built architecture of your mental foundations. You can’t find the words for it right now. But you’re comforted by the fact that they won’t pressure you into telling them - that they’ll wait once you’re comfortable and willing to share the demon that’s infiltrated your mind and haunts your waking thoughts.

But at this moment, you don’t want to think about the overwhelming anxiety that’s plaguing you. Right now, you want to cherish the feeling of their warm embrace. Securely, the hold onto you, each resting their head on your shoulder and lulling you into a stable state with the rhythm of their heartbeat and the tempo of their tranquil inhales and exhales.

You’ll worry about it later. Right now, you want to relish in this moment. Right now, you want to feel the safety of their arms that protect you from the treacherous outside world. Right now, you want to revel in this reverie - this escape you’ve all created, a respite from what seeks to hunt you once you leave the refuge of their embrace.

Right now, you just need a reminder that you’re human, you just need to distract yourself from your worries - you just need them. And they’re all you could need in this moment. You register two final kisses planted on your forehead and your cheek as you slowly, gently fall into your fatigue and descend into the world of dreams. But as you do, you aren’t drowned as you have been these days, two loving, guiding hands lower you to this land of Nod. Two figures, brilliant and luminescent in this dreamscape of yours ward away the darkness lying in wait. You haven’t slept better in days.

Selfishly, you’ll stay in their embrace, stay in their arms, stay with them. Because they are anchoring you to this world, a lighthouse guiding you home, and the gravity that pulls your head out of this cloud of misery. And you’ll forever cherish their support as they are willing to give it to you unfailingly. And you’ll love them unconditionally for everything they’ve done for you.

Sweet dreams, ma chérie, for another day is awaiting on the horizon.

But don’t worry, we’ll be by your side every step of the way, darling. We’ll be waiting for you and please don’t be afraid to lean on us when you find yourself having to.

Je t’aime, mon cœur.

Tu me complètes. Bonne nuit.

Sorry, I just want to be held. I hope everything gets better but it’s so fucking hard for some reason.

You don't know what you've got until you lose it

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #vil x reader #rook x reader #vil schoenheit #rook hunt #vil schoenheit x reader #rook hunt x reader

144 notes · View notes

belaephemeral · 1 year

Text

🎵 POV/character spotify playlist masterlist

Hi everyone! Over the past few months I’ve been working on these so I’d like to share some POV/character playlists I’ve made! I’ve included a little drabbles to introduce them and I intended them to be playlists that emulate what it is like to be their significant other or reflect the personality of the specified character.

Feel free to recommend me some music or share playlists of your own! I hope you enjoy both reading and listening to these!

CHARACTERS

GENSHIN IMPACT: Zhongli, Xiao, Yelan, Childe/Ajax, Wanderer, Diluc Ragnivndr, Lisa, Signora, Kaveh.

HONKAI STAR RAIL: Himeko, Kafka.

ENSEMBLE STARS: Arashi Narukami, Tsumugi Aoba.

TWISTED WONDERLAND: Malleus Draconia, Jamil Viper, Rook Hunt.

PARADOX LIVE: GOKULUCK

DANGANRONPA: Byakuya Togami, Nagito Komaeda, Kokichi Ouma, Gonta Gokuhara, Kaito Momota.

FFXV: Ignis Scientia

HYPNOSIS MIC: Ramuda Amemura

POV playlists for Genshin Impact, Ensemble Stars, Twisted Wonderland, Paradox Live, Danganronpa, FFXV, Hypnosis Microphone utc.

I will update this post whenever I make new playlists!

KEY: favourites ❤

Author’s Note: sorry in advance if some of the song choices may not fit the character, I mainly listen to the song and then after that, I ‘feel’ which character it suits. they also tend to be the songs that inspire my oneshots of the character or embody how I perceive them.

GENSHIN IMPACT

ZHONGLI

POV: you're falling in love with the wangsheng funeral parlor's consultant ❤

Genre: kpop/jpop, soft romantic.

Description: the idea of soulmates are part of the many stories you’ve been told by your parents. the concept of this idyllic conditional love is one you’ve yet to expect and frankly, you may be fine never finding a partner with the many people who’ve disappointed you throughout your lifetime. well, that is what you thought before you started sharing lingering, fleeting, and ephemeral glances with the handsome consultant a few doors away from your family’s store. you can’t help but be drawn to his ethereal, almost celestial, beauty when you realise this is the same man you’ve seen in the murky dreams of your childhood. when you reach out to lower his hand and propose to pay for the meal you’ve shared together, instead of reassuring him that you’ll handle the bill, your hand instinctively finds itself in his. you flush and try to laugh it off but you are on the verge of succumbing to a wave of embarrassment as zhongli’s thumb tentatively and tenderly brushes over the back of your hand. slowly, your fingers intertwine. like they were always destined to be there together, like missing puzzle pieces finally fitting together. for once in your life, you feel complete. for once, you feel an overwhelming sensation consume you as the consultant warmly gazes at you with those glowing amber orbs.

(a love letter from a zhongli main)

XIAO

POV: conqueror of demons is infatuated with you.

Genre: kpop/jpop, traditional, slow, melancholic, wistful/yearning, cathartic

Description: your calming, serene presence makes his karmic debt dispel itself from reemerging onto his skin, his worry over hurting you with it dissolving into the recesses of his mind. on the rooftop of wangshu inn, you lean further into his warmth as the cold night breeze bites into your skin. upon seeing the way your shoulders shudder as you shiver, he brings you into his being. the action settles the thoughts racing in his mind and the restless worries that normally cloud his head this time of night. your hand is warm in his and now the only thing he can bring himself to worry about is whether you can feel his heartbeat, thundering in his chest, with the way you're laying against him.

YELAN

POV: you and the valley orchid are more than just "business partners" ❤

Genre: kpop, deep house, r&b, soft romantic, seductive

Description: being of noble birth, you’re starting to get tired of the cushy and constraining life your parents have set out for you. you don’t know how to feel about your betrothed, neither the responsibilities laid out before you in the next coming years. it was unexpected when you encountered the mysterious and enigmatic valley orchid during an evening stroll outside of your estate. what was even more astounding was the suspicious offer she put forward, admitting she’s witnessed the strength you possess during the night prowls you regularly embark on (ones you thought were inconspicuous enough). she offers you a job (of sorts, you aren’t exactly sure how you’re getting paid) to target certain known individuals for the ministry of civil affairs. you’re pretty sure what you’re doing is illegal, but with every rule’s she’s broken in your book, she’s a criminal. one who’s extracted the truth from unfortunate individuals in immoral ways, dirtied her immaculate hands with the blood of the tainted and knows every way to best you. yet another crime on top of those is undeniably stealing your heart. you just hope she doesn’t steal the vestiges of your wavering dignity tonight as she corners you in the depths of your family’s estate. well, it’s not like you mind. you’re starting to lose track of the many firsts she’s taken from you (firsts she definitely doesn’t want your betrothed to take before she does, stimulating her competitive spirit). nevertheless, you desperately hope she takes another with the way she stares you down like your her latest prey under the glow of the moonlight and the intoxicating kiss she presses against your lips, leaving you breathless under her touch.

CHILDE

POV: analysing the enigmatic 11th fatui harbinger, tartaglia

Genre: kpop/jpop, duality, energetic, dark

Description: even within his internal conflict, he longs to bask in your presence like a moth drawn to a flame, a lonely ship guided by a lighthouse, a sunflower leaning towards the sun. but he can’t, he tells himself. he can’t succumb to his selfish desires and pull you into his world of devious activities conducted in the cover of midnight or the pain of ever learning of his true form. he can’t love you because that’s selfish of him. he can’t put you in danger because of what he does day in and day out. because his love burns brightly within his chest, he’s willing to burn his entire existence from your mind so you can forget him. but he’s just ajax - a selfish boy with selfish desires. he can’t help but gravitate to you. he can’t help that he wants you - in more ways than one. so how can he resist when you offer yourself so willingly to someone like him. surely you know the consequences, right? but maybe the risks are the last thing on his mind as he descends into you like a wave crashing onto a shore. drowning you fully in him and his pleasure.

SCARAMOUCHE/WANDERER

POV: traversing the world with your soulmate, wanderer.

Genre: kpop/jpop, a mix of genres (slight duality theme)

Description: you follow wanderer on his travels, witnessing how he navigates the world with his new identity, traverses the planes of his newfound persona, and explores the inner-workings of his being with you by his side. although, at times, that other side of him shows. it’s rare but you do sometimes catch glimpses of the fearsome, manipulative and calculating balladeer resurface from the calm and playful exterior he puts up in front of you and the other people you encounter along your travels. regardless of the different sides he possesses, you’re ready to give up everything for him, sacrifice yourself to give him the life he deserves. you'd even kill. this is something you realise as you both stand over the bodies of your enemies, weapons in hand, residual elemental energy tinkling at your fingertips. By his side, you’ll venture the world together and explore his ever persona, until he finds a version of himself he’s most comfortable.

DILUC RAGNVINDR

POV: celebrating your birthday with your beloved, diluc ragnvindr

Genre: kpop, birthday-themed

Description: in the bustling tavern, the smile that splits across your face aches with how much fun you’re having surrounded by your companions in the warmth of the angel’s share. as per your request, diluc has reserved the entire place to celebrate this joyous occasion with the key figures of the knights of favonius you’ve befriended (and distastefully, he recalls, a certain cavalry captain but let’s not forget the troublesome bard you’ve invited and is indulging in the complimentary bottles of dandelion wine that line the grand table). for once, he feels his lips quirk ever so slightly as your laughter tinkles in his ears and your joy fills him with an unbridled sense of happiness. as the hosts of the party, you both find yourselves behind the bar to refill drinks and place more food platters onto the table. playfully, you bump your hips into his before pressing a chaste kiss against his cheek. you’re flushed by how much fun you’re having and he loves how it looks on you. alongside that, you’re excited to finally go back home to the dawn winery with your beloved to finally open your present. after all he’s wrapped up so nicely in the new outfit he’s commissioned, draped in a rich crimson and adorning silver chains and embellishments. the least you can do to unravel it all. it’s your birthday day after all. anything you says goes, right? even if it was unspoken, he can guess the wish you made as you blew out your candles. he will do everything in his being to make that wish come true and so much more. before fulfilling this however, he’ll spell out his affections for you against your skin. he’ll await your every command tonight. it’s your special day after all, just say the words and he’s all yours.

LISA MINCI

POV: the partner of the knights of favonius' head librarian

Genre: kpop/jpop, soft, romantic, chill, implied wlw

Description: in the comfort of your arms, you and your partner find yourselves lazing on the window seat of your shared abode, basking in the sun that streams across your languid forms and illuminates the woman dozing against your chest. you aren’t used to this slow pace she’s used to. in contrast, your busy lifestyle means you aren’t able to enjoy tranquil, quiet moments like these very often. however, every time you come home to visit your darling, she always makes it a point to drag you into a small cosy nook in your house or the library to have a cat nap with her. she makes it her responsibility for you to relax whenever you’re with her (though you’re aware it’s mainly because she knows this is the only way you’ll condone her constant lethargy). you chuckle at her languor as she nestles herself into you, making sure she’s comfortable against her human pillow. gently, you place a tender kiss against her forehead. you hope that simple gesture blesses her dreams with the way she smiles in her sleep instantly after it. maybe, you think as you surrender to the fatigue that sinks into your body, you could get used to these lazy afternoons with your beloved.

SIGNORA

POV: the crimson witch's faithful lover

Genre: kpop/jpop, orchestral, a mix of different genres (she’s a very complex character)

Description: faithfully, you stand by her side, conquering the world together and witnessing how she makes it bend to her will. you relish every second you spend alongside her. even if she initially stated that you’re only a valuable asset she could not afford to lose, a vessel of great power to assist her in carrying out her grand plans, a partner (in the strictly working sense) to help her achieve the aims given to her by the great tsaritsa, but you know it’s so much more than that. it’s so much more than what you ever thought it could be - if the red marks across your neck and the crimson lip stains that adorn your pulse point are anything to go by. whatever you have with her goes well beyond the working relationship you started of with. it’s because of this ambiguity that you relish in the masqueraded dance you share upon a bloodied battlefield of crystalline flowers, flittering moths, and fallen bodies. although you dutifully serve the tsaritsa, you loyally obey signora’s every word.

KAVEH

POV: the renowned sumeru architect (not so) secretly adores you.

Genre: kpop/jpop, art-themed

Description: pressing a kiss against the nape of his neck, you carefully tug free the silky blond locks secured by the rouge ribbon he’s tied into his hair. you pull away to catch him stir from his abrupt nap atop his work desk once again, murmuring nonsensical mutterings into the arms he’s propped his head on and snuggling into the large sheets of drawings and calculations beneath him. you hope he isn’t drooling onto the plans he’s worked so painstakingly on as you gather his curled form into your arms to carry him into his bedroom. just as you tuck his head into your chest and secure your hold on his lithe frame, you catch a glimpse of kaveh’s personal notebook sprawled onto the table. the little remarks that line the margins of the pages makes you chuckle but you stop to admire the graphite depictions of yourself that litter the next page. planting another kiss onto the crown of his head, you begin to exit the study room. to kaveh, you’re his muse, his inspiration and his purpose. he dreams of capturing your beauty in every medium, he wants to portray your every single feature, which he adores you so much for, and he aspires to paint his undying love into your being. although, the latter is an issue for another night. at least in his dreams, he is able to do the same. perhaps, when he isn’t too busy with his projects, he’ll turn those dreams into reality.

MULTI-CHARACTER

POV: summer vacation at the Golden Apple Archipelago

Genre: kpop/jpop summer playlist

HONKAI STAR RAIL

HIMEKO

POV: you're as beautiful as the day i lost you.

Genre: kpop/jpop, mixed, full of longing/implied reincarnation, implied wlw.

Description: "I'm sure we're about to embark on a fascinating journey together." even in this life, where you've sacrificed your heart and conquered hell, himeko is just as breathtaking as the day you met her, when you exchanged rings, and your last kiss goodbye. it's a shame she doesn't remember you, her wife.

KAFKA

POV: the flourishing romance between you and the infamous stellaron hunter.

Genre: kpop, mixed, pining

Description: to be added.

ENSEMBLE STARS

ARASHI NARUKAMI

POV: walking down the runway with arashi narukami

Genre: kpop/jpop, deep house, r&b

Description: this isn’t your first runway. although it is the first you’ve shared with the renowned model trio of yumenosaki academy. adorning luxurious silks that feel like air against your skin, glittering jewellery that rests against the expanse of your clavicle and line your wrists and fingers, and glamorous cosmetics that enhance your already beguiling features, you glance to the opposite side of the bustling dressing room. your countless years of experience in modelling mean that gliding in heels are no problem for you. but why do the gorgeous electric violet eyes across the room make you trip up? why does the way her mouth curves into a sweet smile instantly draw you to her? why does the playful glint that flashes over her visage make you want to smear the bold rouge painted over her supple lips onto your own? you can’t help but gravitate to her. with the way she lures you in with her spellbinding beauty and competitiveness, it’s not surprising how the silks and jewellery you adorn gradually pool around your intertwined forms. to her, this is another runway in the comforts of her personal room. with all of your experience, you’re determined to put on a show she’ll never forget.

KEITO LECTURE CIRCLE

POV: bibliosmia and the descent of petrichor

Genre: soft kpop study playlist

Description: studying with BIBLION.

TWISTED WONDERLAND

MALLEUS DRACONIA

POV: you're bewitched by the king of the abyss, malleus draconia

Genre: kpop/jpop, PIXY-centric, based on overblot malleus

Description (potentially spoilers for chapter 7): in this capsule of time, where the clock stops ticking, where the world around you is frozen in a state of suspension, where the shadows coagulate into permanent shapes across the cobblestone floor, you realise it is only you and him. surveying the slumbering forms of your companions, the truth of the reality you’re regrettably living in settles deep into your heart. as your body is racked by an overwhelming sense of disbelief, you don’t hear the sharp clack of heels that approach your figure nor the heavy drag of a tail against the floor and grows louder as it nears you. frightfully, you whip around to witness one of your friends, your beloved tsunotaro, grow closer, ever closer to your trembling form. you feebly press your palms into his chest as he leans into you, desperate for some space to comprehend what he’s done, to understand the full extent and gravity of the actions he’s taken. weakly, you resist his advances as he grabs your chin and pulls you into him, trailing ink across your lips and jaw as he does so. at some point, you’ve stopped fighting, you’ve stopped countering his advances, and you’ve stopped yearning for the sweet and gentle tsunotaro you’ve gotten to know over these past few months. at some point, you surrender to him, falling deeper into his depths, allowing him to drown you in his affections and the love he holds, one that’s only for you. as you waltz over the world he’s frozen, you’re slowly starting to indulge in this fantasy he’s created. you’re starting to take pleasure in being his, the lover of the king of the abyss. truly, this isn’t the way you wanted to confess to him but maybe this is what you needed to express your undying devotion to the heir of the briar valley. the thought immediately vanishes as his lips descend onto yours once again, eager to claim you once again tonight. dragons are fiercely protective of their treasure. it’s only right, he thinks whilst marking his name into your skin, that he guards what’s rightfully his.

JAMIL VIPER

POV: whisked away into the tundras by the vice housewarden of scarabia

Genre: kpop/jpop, hip-hop, dance-pop

Description: regardless if he uses his unique magic, he should know how his presence spellbinds you. his gorgeous charcoal eyes are hypnotising, his straightforward and caring nature is enthralling, and the saccharine words he whispers into your ears are the only hypnosis he needs to get you to follow his every command. His every being is electrifying: that much is proven as he slips his hand into yours (his very touch casts a spell on you), brings you closer to him (the spicy perfume that he adorns renders you defenceless), and connects his lips to yours (his very taste is absolutely intoxicating). As you admire him under the vibrant luminance of the fireworks above the both of you, you wouldn’t mind falling into this hypnosis once more. the smile he flashes you makes you make to want to fall once again into his temptations and dive into him fully. the night is young, you remember, you have all the time you’ll ever need to understand the hold he possess over you. for now, you’ll relish in this dazzling display of fireworks with the enchanting male by your side.

ROOK HUNT

POV: they don't deserve you, mon amour.

Genre: kpop/jpop

Description: you deserve so much more, mon trésor. and he’s right. you really do. with the way he tenderly holds onto your hand, how he brings your form into his chest as your own squeezes and shudders with a painful feeling you’ve become accustomed to over these past few days, weeks, months (at this point you’ve stopped counting), you wonder how you could ever desire more. how you could ever want anyone else when he’s by your side, unfailingly your loyal partner, who’s supported to you all this time. that’s why he’s your best friend, your partner-in-crime, your most trusted confidant. maybe that’s all you’ll ever be. but with the way his heart thunders into his chest to the way his eyes briefly flicker to your lips and you do the same in response, perhaps there is still some ground you’ve yet to cover in your relationship with the enigmatic beauty from pomefiore.

(getting over your toxic ex-friends with your confidant rook hunt)

PARADOX LIVE

GOKULUCK

POV: rebelling against the system with 獄Luck (GOKU LUCK)

Genre: kpop hype playlist

Description: setting the world aflame with HANCHO, PITBULL, smoking dog, and anonymous.

DANGANRONPA

BYAKUYA TOGAMI

POV: you detest the ultimate affluent progeny, byakuya togami

Genre: kpop/jpop, rap, hip-hop, dance, money-centric

Description: you hate his guts. you fume at his inherent smugness and that suffocating sense of self-entitlement he prides himself so much on. he’s arrogant, insensitive and conceited. god, the sight of him infuriates you tremendously. wiping it off his face is the only thing on your mind as you grab his pristine collar, and furiously pin him against the wall. but why do you feel utterly powerless as an image flashes before you of those same irritating lapis blue eyes staring into yours with love and a foreign gentleness that looks out of place with the haughty male you’ve understood over the past few weeks. why do you feel absolutely defenceless when he forcefully yanks you forward and presses a kiss against your lips with the passion only a lover could hold?

NAGITO KOMAEDA (spoilers)

POV: you're his ultimate hope.

Genre: kpop/jpop, pop-rock, synth, based on another episode: ultra despair girls nagito komaeda

Description: you’re his ultimate hope. but honestly, who you are you kidding? he's your ultimate hope. you'd do anything for him. you'd sacrifice your soul, surrender yourself wholly to his every whim and you’d willingly let him drown you fully in his despair, just to fulfil his unbridled obsession for hope. the same hope he’s eliminated in this world brimming with hatred, madness and absolute chaos. nevertheless, you'd go to the ends of the world for him. sacrifice every single ounce of humanity you have just for him. because whilst you are his sun, he's your universe, and you'd gladly burn for him.

KOKICHI OUMA (spoilers)

POV: witnessing a commendable performance from the "mastermind"

Genre: kpop/jpop, villaincore

Description: it’s amusing, honestly. how he could possibly think that this elaborate scheme of his would convince anyone - that this “mastermind” lie, this twisted performance was actually plausible. but you know better, you ponder as your eyes bore into his own, swirling with that corrupt despair he claims he’s so familiar with. however, you know so much more than he ever could about this world, about the puppeteer who holds all of your strings. well, you’ll just watch this carefully crafted game of his whilst waiting for it to fall apart like a house of cards. it’s only a matter of time.

GONTA GOKUHARA

POV: the ultimate entomologist melts your heart ❤

Genre: upbeat, romantic, a bit of melancholy

Description: you aren’t one for this mushy love stuff people nowadays seem to obsess over. especially not in this game of life or death. however, you can’t seem to help to stop the way your heart flutters at every adorable action the ultimate entomologist makes, nor the warmth he emanates every time you embrace him (you’ve done it so often he’s started affectionately calling you ‘snuggle bug’). Regardless, you can’t stop the way your walls melt around him or stop fawning over the blinding beam he shoots you. when you grab a handful of his collar and crash your lips against him, you can’t help but think ‘well, who’s the pot calling the kettle black now?’

KAITO MOMOTA (slight spoilers)

POV: the luminary of the stars is your universe

Genre: kpop/jpop, space/universe themed

Description: you abhor the optimism he unfailingly displays, day in day out, rinse and repeat in this absolute hellhole. but, you eventually find that you can’t, not when he’s a brilliant light in this desperate situation, a star in this night sky that seems to want to consume your every being, the unending universe that holds all of you and everyone together in this sick game where lives are nothing but numbers and objects of entertainment. you just wish you could’ve spent longer in the stars with him before the next day came.

FINAL FANTASY VX

IGNIS SCIENTIA

engine revving, hearts roaring (a night drive in the regalia.) ❤

Genre: kpop/jpop, R&B, dark synth, sensual

Description: a night drive in the regalia but you’re not sure if a simple ride is all he desires. not with the way he’s looking at you. truthfully, you're not sure when he fixated those crystalline sea foam orbs on your figure but when you stare back, they darken into pools of oceanic teal, hazed with a grey fog that sinks into the flecks of aquamarine that speckle his bewitching optics. in this moment, he's a predator but, as prey, you don't give in easily - you’ll dance around his elaborate trap before he finally snaps, and makes you his.

HYPNOSIS MICROPHONE

RAMUDA AMEMURA

POV: his smile is downright tooth-rotting

Genre: kpop/jpop, sweets-themed playlist

Description: the sweet flavour of artificial strawberry and sugar of the lollipop he’s recently popped into his mouth invades your senses as he pulls you closer against his mouth. you experimentally lick his bottom lip to taste more of it and you can feel the corners of his mouth curve upwards against his lips. in return, you smile and relish at the way you connect perfectly pressed against each other. you’d take this delectable sweetness over the bitter, metallic taste of cigarettes. oh right, that’s why he’s kissing you, you’ve yet to go on your latest sugar supply run. it seems that he’s slightly pre-occupied - surely he knows at this point you’ll never let you go. oh well, you think as he guides you to the couch of his studio, he knows how to use his cuteness to his advantage. his smiles and his demeanour is downright tooth-rotting - if he keeps up at this rate, it’s bound to give you a cavity at this point. well, you think as your back hits the plush sofa, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

71 notes · View notes

belaephemeral · 1 year

Note

your writing is so pretty it feels like dancing in a ball room

Awww thank you so much anon! <3 This really made my day! 😊 I appreciate knowing that my work makes you feel that way - I'd love to continue to transport you and my readers elsewhere to spend beautiful moments with your beloved.

That being said, will you allow me the honour of having this dance with you?

#belaephemeral replies 💌

0 notes

belaephemeral · 1 year

Text

♡↷ | Unfolded secret

SYNOPSIS. You're patiently waiting to meet your friend by the shore, but instead you were visited by your friend's twin and blame you for his brother's crush (That you're unaware of..)

CHARACTERS. Jade Leech (Romantic), Floyd Leech (Platonic)

TAGS. Fluff, Childhood crush, Floyd unintentionally revealing a secret

WORD COUNT. 602

You've been waiting for your friend on the shore at your usual spot where you two meet often. You met him a few months ago, he was special, more than special than any other friend you have —he's a merfolk! how cool is that? You two clicked so well after your first meeting, he had a huge curiosity about the mushrooms in the land and you were interested in the sea's exoskeleton.

You're happily humming to yourself when in the distance, you recognized the teal-color bump on the sea. "Jade!" You called out your mer-friend whose head was poking out as he stares at you attentively with no response to your call. You rushed close enough to the sea to show your collections, "There you are! You got to see these sea shells I've collected! ... Jade?" Still no response, an unusual behavior of your friend as he was always the one eager to converse with you.

Soon enough it rose from the cold sea to show itself. He still had his usual heterochromia eyes, but they were inverted and the streak strand of black hair was on his right.

The more you stare at 'Jade', the more you're unsure if it is him. Then it spoke with a grouchy tone, "It's you."

You were taken back by the sudden attitude, "Pardon..?"

"You're that guppy Jade talks about." He accusingly pointed a finger at you and continues his words before you can let out on your own; he rambles his annoyance as if you had done something wrong. "Before it was boring mushrooms from the land, now his new subject is just you, you and you. —Seriously, I'm sick of it..!" he carries on his rambles, leaving you speechless and shocked by the new revelation that Jade has a twin. He did mention it before, but you weren't expecting a sudden appearance of him now.

Unsure what to reply to his rant, you settled with complying to his whines. "Sorry..? I'll try and tell him to stop if you want."

"You should be! Plus, he never shut up how cu—"

You didn't get to hear the rest of his sentence when his tail was pulled into the sea followed by the rest of his body, the mer-eel's voice was muffled by the water's layer. What arose soon was the friend you were waiting for,

"Floyd, I think that's enough." Jade put an arm above his brother's head to refrain it from getting back up; to keep him quiet. "My sincere apology for my brother here, he's rather... Mouthful"

"I can tell..." You let out a nervous laugh. Though you're a bit happy to finally see your friend again, the atmosphere was less intense than with the moody presence of his twin brother.

The Floyd thrashed around to escape from Jade's hold, he pushed his brother once his body was free to move. "Hey! I wasn't finish talking!" This irked Jade and pushed the other back "You were going to tell it to them!" —splashes of water from a brawl that were caused, you had nothing to cease to their fight and were left there awkwardly watching as the two annihilate each other.

The rowdy one was able to win for a second to yell, "He has a crush on you!" The small distraction to tell a secret lowered the other eel's guard down and his head was shoved back into the water a bit harshly... "He's silly, am I right..?" Jade quickly covered up the revealed secret but it was already too late, you were already flushed and stunned.

"Ah.... There goes my confession.." Jade will be sure to give his brother a scolding later..

#belaephemeral reblogs 🌸#twisted wonderland x reader #jade leech x reader #haha omg this is super cute #floyd being an endearing menace as usual #i love how you captured the dynamics between the leech brothers #thank you so much for this piece!

1K notes · View notes

belaephemeral · 1 year

Text

Update

CW: discussions of Moonbin’s passing

Hello everyone, I’m sure you may have heard of Moonbin’s passing over these past few days. As a casual listener to ASTRO and the subunit Moonbin & Sanha, the news deeply affected me more than I had expected. ASTRO was one of the first groups that got me into KPOP in 2018 and Moonbin was my bias. He was inspiring, charismatic and he never fails to put a smile on anyone’s face. I admired ASTRO’s music (in particular the favourite title tracks that made me become a casual stan “All Night” and “KNOCK” - I can’t list down the rest plus the b-sides since it would take too long) and I love how they’ve flourished over these past years musically and personally.

Over these past few days, I’ve been trying to cope with Moonbin’s passing. If you find it hard to console yourself or come to terms with it, you are not alone. Although it’s still shocking to me, I know that he’s passed onto a better place; he’s become another brilliant star in the sky - one that’s undeniably cherished by many that he shines upon and illuminates in the dark night sky. He will never be forgotten. His smile, his music and his legacy will undoubtedly preserve his memory in our hearts and for future generations. I hope you rest in peace, Moonbin.

As of now, his cause of death is not definitive. Despite this, I wanted to remind you that, regardless where you are right now, you are not alone. It may not be my place to say this, but there is always someone there you can reach out to, someone you can share your worries or anxieties with, someone who will listen to you and remind you that you are worthy. Because you are. Because you are so much more than what you think you could be worth.

Lately, I’ve been struggling with certain thoughts because of the anxiety and stress I’ve experienced since entering university and my upcoming exams. I just want to say, with whatever you may be experiencing in your life, you can overcome it and persevere. This too shall pass. When I discussed my anxiety with my academic mentor, he told me: there is so much more of your life ahead of you, if you’re hung up this one chapter of your life, you won’t be able to turn the page and witness the adventures and opportunities awaiting for you in the next chapter.

I know it isn’t easy to convince someone of this. I know this all too well. But if I could give you one assurance that you have the power to push through any obstacles you encounter in your life, that you are strong enough to face any hardship and grow from what you’ve learnt, and that you are tenacious enough to overcome whatever that may be plaguing your mind, I hope that this simple reassurance can support you.

Thank you for reading this. Moonbin will always have a place in our hearts.

I hope you have a great week.

#update #information

0 notes

belaephemeral · 1 year

Text

Nilotpala Lotus (Vulpes Zerda)

Pairings: Tighnari x Reader (gender-neutral), Lisa Minci & Reader (platonic), brief Albedo & Reader (platonic)

Word count: 6500

You pull me in like gravity (ground me with your affections)

Series summary: They each have their own way of showcasing their love for you - from the way they embrace you with the distinct form of passion only they could hold, to the gestures that express their affections that leave you to fall ever more inextricably in love with them. In particular, you savour the way they kiss you and the unspoken message of their endearment towards you. It’s like gravity, pulling you once again to them, grounding you to this mortal world; each touch spirals into something more and you eagerly await the paths they forge with you alongside them.

Parts: Nilotpala Lotus (Vulpes Zerda) (current), Glaze Lily (Monoceros Caeli) (coming soon), Qingxin (Crista Doloris) (coming soon), Cor Lapis (Lapis Dei) (coming soon)

Author’s Note: Taking a break from revision to finish this piece that I drafted quite a long time ago. This piece was originally part of a headcanon about how different Genshin characters would kiss you but I got a bit carried away (sorry, I can’t help it ;u;). Since they’re all based on the same prompt/idea, I’ll be making this into a small series. Each narrative develops in different ways - I tried to make the stories parallel each other and have a common theme/characteristic (I hope you can spot it!). Feel free to recommend characters for this series.

You’re well aware of the many capabilities the Chief Officer of the Forest Rangers possesses. From the immaculate precision and accuracy he demonstrates with a bow, the immense intellect and quick wit he holds (which certainly leaves you astounded after intently listening to every single one of his impassioned lectures), to the admirable tenacity he holds to protect Sumeru’s vibrant flora and its vital ecosystem.

You are ever so intimately familiar with his many abilities: him being a doting, affectionate and endearing husband is yet another skill he has recently acquired. You relish in the air of domesticity that envelops each room of your quaint shared abode. Crisp, white parchment paper and scrawls of his hurried yet distinct cursive handwriting are a familiar sight. As you wake to greet another day in the Avidya Forest and flit from room to room for your habitual morning rituals, a gentle smile spills onto your face. Carefully, you hold the message closer to your form as your thumb tenderly brushes over his penned words and idly traces every undulation the pressure of his pen makes against the thin paper. Unfailingly, he leaves messages for you before he departs from the safety of your home and your presence to fulfil his responsibilities as a Forest Watcher.

‘Good morning, my padisarah.

I hope you’ve slept well and are well-rested to face yet another eventful day.

Although I would have liked to awake once again in the warmth of your embrace, I’ve had to unfortunately leave before we could have shared this fine morning together. Recently, there has been increased reports of disturbances around the Divine Tree and some of the Forest Rangers have sighted perpetrators polluting the waters below.

At dawn, I will embark to the Chinvat Ravine with the others to resolve these issues. I will return to you by sundown.

It has gotten warmer lately, so please make sure that you take care of health once you begin researching today. Always be aware and pay close attention to your safety whilst exploring. Even if your capabilities mean that this isn’t much of a concern for you, I want to remind you to be cautious - I would hate to not be able to protect you if you ever injured yourself in the depths of the Forest.

The sunny weather we’re having nowadays is quite pleasant - what do you think about trekking to our favourite spot at Mawtimya Forest? It would be nice to bask in the warm sunshine. We could bring along a few dishes and enjoy the scenery once again. I promise I won’t fall asleep! However, your lap is the perfect place for a midday snooze: who could blame me?

...Oh, look at me, rambling on again. Please bear with me for a little longer, I’m almost done writing.

I await to return to you, my padisarah; you may not know how much you are a blessing to me. We shall meet again under the setting sun and the rising moon.

Forever yours,

Tighnari’

Every time he returns, he fills the empty space you both inhabit with his twinkling laughter, his quick-witted quips and his unique vulpine mannerisms. In every instance, he’s instinctively wrapped his tail around your waist, slightly ever so raised and turned his fluffy ears in elation, and surreptitiously scent-marked you with each nuzzle of his face against the hollow of your neck. Whilst he nestles his fatigued figure into your chest, you’re reminded of each and every one of his endearing characteristics. Each of which a separate reason you’ve fallen so irrevocably and absolutely in love with him.

Easily, you fall into a routine with him. From the way you carefully attached his signature earrings and fasten his distinct viridian, flowing half-cape to his right shoulder. He returns the gesture by fastening the buttons of your shirt and pining onto you the gold brooch he gifted you on your second anniversary. Its design is that of the Kalpalata Lotus he fondly remembers you were enamoured with when you both trekked to the Lokapala Jungle, gazing upon the surreal, gargantuan, fluorescent structures there. He was astounded when you began to scale the rocky cliffs to admire its beauty and brought one of the delicate and exquisite flowers back to him. It’s a memory that’s forever ingrained in his mind: the moment you grasped his hand for them to join yours in gently holding the Kalpalata Lotus that glowed under the blanket of stars laid out across the sky.

He felt something - something so subtle he otherwise may not have noticed it without his adept perceptive ability and heightened vulpine instincts. A potent energy courses through the lotus that rests where your digits and his gloved fingers conjoin and it courses through him. A tingling sensation assimilates through his skin and infiltrates deeper within him - gradually spreading what feels like newfound vitality through each limb and expanse of muscle.

Viscerally, he feels a sigh leave him - like he’s finally at ease, body relaxing and eyelids fluttering as he relents against the sudden wave of fatigue. Unbeknownst to the Forest Watcher, his lithe body slowly sways and collapses into you. It feels as though his mind surrenders to the way the pain embedded into his left shoulder from last week’s attack and the dull aches from his fresh bruises dissipate as a healing glow permeates through every inch of his body. The last he remembers is your tender caress over his drooped ears and foreign words that fall from your lips - a strange incantation he doesn’t remember hearing nor reading from your plethora of alchemy books. Although his wonder as to where you could have learnt such an impressive feat dissolves as the view before him vanishes into a blissful abyss as he feels his weight being placed securely in your firm hold. The rhythmic crunch of the grass beneath your feet, the reverberating chirps of cicadas and the sonorous buzz of fireflies is a symphony that welcomes him as he descends into sleep.

____

Everyday with you is a blessing; it’s ever so easy to fall into a routine with you by his side. It’s exactly because you’ve fallen into this pattern, a waltz you share as you dance around each other to reach for your desired items or complete mundane tasks around your home. A comfortable schedule of rising at early daybreak, of wistful farewells and loving welcome homes. It is because of this routine you’ve settled into that it is a surprise that this has to temporarily come to an end. It was unexpected when a letter sealed with the Knights of Favonius sigil was delivered to your doorstep. It’s even more staggering when you learn it was from an old acquaintance from your alma mater and fellow colleague at Spantamad, requesting your assistance at the city of Mondstadt. Although the idea of reuniting with the talented sorceress is delightful, the thought of leaving your partner saddles you with an uneasy bout of despondency.

Despite your concerns, Tighnari’s altruistic and compassionate nature shines through. He puts your worrisome mind at rest through kind and genuine reassurances, regaling of how he’d faithfully protect your cosy dwelling in your absence and consoles your apprehension by promising he won’t encounter any trouble whilst you’re gone. What drastic or lethal could possibly occur during the duration of your visit to the City of Freedom?

What’s more is that he’s well aware of your boundless curiosity, your inquisitive nature, and your insatiable desire to discover new things. Experiencing the vast plains of Mondstadt and traversing through its rocky and breathtaking vistas should quench your eagerness to explore unfamiliar, foreign terrain. Of course, he’ll miss you, agonisingly so, but if it’s for you - he’d sacrifice anything for you - be it his soul, his time or his own wishes so you’d be able to fulfil your own.

On the day of your departure, his send-off takes noticeably longer than what he claims it would would have taken. The first thing on his agenda is presenting you with a small jute sachet of crushed herbs, Nilotpala Lotus petals and an assortment of flower buds just in case you have a headache. Regardless of the medicinal remedies he preaches that they hold, you notice the hint of spice and the soothing floral fragrance - it’s his unmistakable scent and this pouch is definitely an indirect token to remind you of him during your travels.

Next, he presents a fresh leather-bound journal to you. He explains that it’s for you to write about your experiences but in a small case you receive alongside it, filled to the brim with translucent sheets, intricate instruments and a wooden block, you know he’s hoping that his fascination with botany is finally rubbing off on you. You know he’s hoping that you’ll press flowers into the margins of each page, a small souvenir for each place that you traverse.

“If you do find fallen leaves or other plants, just press them between some dry sheets of paper. You’ll be able to make quite an attractive and handy bookmark out of them. I’ve also heard that Cecilias and Small Lamp Grass are in bloom this season - they would make fascinating biological specimens to examine or decorative pieces to create. They’re incredibly versatile.” Stifling a laugh with the back of your hand as Tighnari’s tail gleefully swishes side to side upon discussing his favourite past time, the vulpine male glares at your teasing gaze and droops his ears in displeasure. You give into his whims - encircling your arms around his nimble frame and snuggling into soft fabric of his navy hoodie.

Of course, watching you depart from Avidya Forest is no easy task for Tighnari. Trying to delay your inevitable leave, he tries to distract you from noticing how many minutes go by or how the sun has already reached the peak of the sky when it was just dawn a few minutes (maybe hours ago). He attempts to mask his desperation and reluctance through talking, a tried and true strategy that will allow him to remain with you just a second longer. His cogent lectures and words of caution are readily accepted and you don’t notice how the clock’s hands have already moved past your designated departure time. He’s panicking but he doesn’t want you to see. He doesn’t want you to see that his entire being glows in your presence and the fear that this will vanish once you aren’t by his side. It’s because he knows how this trip is important to you.

It’s part of his nature to put others before himself, so once again he’ll do the same for his beloved. The one eternally by his side and permanently resides in his heart regardless of the distance between you. So, he hesitantly concludes his speech. Now, he has to let you go.

Sometimes you think you know better than him. Especially when it comes to what he deserves and what he can choose to do with you. Truly, as someone so selfless and constantly worrying about other people’s wellbeing, you want him to be more selfish with you. You want him to place more emphasis on his feelings and his desires in your relationship. So, as you see his self-sacrifing nature resurface in this moment, you plant supple kisses on the apples of his cheeks and the corner of his mouth, momentarily stupefying him and relishing in the way he unconsciously croons at your actions.

In return, draws you closer to him, innocently nuzzling the tip of your nose with his and grounding himself with your presence before you drift away and what he fears is like losing his centre of gravity. The close proximity between you two grants him a clear view of the flush that spreads onto your cheeks and of the exquisite way your vibrant eyes dilate at his loving gaze. “My padisarah,” he steadily breathes out, chest pressed against your own, arms enclosed around your figure and shimmering verdant pupils passing fleeting glances to your cupid’s bow and what lays beneath. “I can’t believe I almost forgot to give you the most important thing.”

His mouth descends onto yours and you gasp at the way his fangs trace your bottom lip and nibbles onto it. As he pulls away, he revels in your dazed look. He wants you to feel how infatuated your touch leaves him. He wants to express how dumbfounded he feels in your embrace. And you do. He’s downright irresistible.

His mischievous antics have doused you in a honey-like stupor as you swiftly grasp his collar and bring him closer, more so than he already is. His lips are still delectable and sweet with the Zaytun Peaches you shared with him earlier.

Losing yourself in his hold, you squeeze him against your chest, flustering him with the rapid pounding of your heartbeat. Content in your hold, you can feel his mouth forming a smile against your lips. However, the male seems to have something else on his mind. Briskly, he breaks away from you to part his lips and plunges towards the junction between your shoulder and your neck. Daringly, a sharp suck astounds you as he latches onto the area that he knows is your sensitive spot, carefully brushing his canines against your supple skin. He loves the way your pulse stutters and comes to life under his lips; he shudders at the way your hand reflexively grips his waist, moving downwards to massage nonsensical patterns into the curve of his hip, and inwardly spurs him on to leave one last message against your skin before you leave.

Reluctantly, and biting back the groan that eagerly wants to escape your mouth, you lightly push his chest. “Stop, ‘Nari,” you slur, drunken off his intoxicating touch, “I need to start my journey before the sun sets.” Chuckling at the way he relents despite your attempts to resist his persistent advances, you realise you are no better than him. Regardless of your resistance, your body betrays you and melts underneath the fangs that desire to spell out his name down the length of your neck. “You little minx,” you huff, half-exasperated and half-determined to quell the flourishing bud his embrace plants into the core of your being, “If you continue with this, it might be absolutely hard for me to ever leave you, my blossom.”

Resolutely, you detangle his body from yours, placing an appropriate distance between the both of you. You wistfully smile at the whine that tumbles from his lips and the sheen of glaze that momentarily eclipse over his vibrant burnt sienna and viridescent orbs. At an attempt to sober him up, you slide your hands to his chin and cup them gingerly, planting a chaste kiss on his forehead. Adorably, he shifts his gaze from yours, huffing both in frustration and embarrassment. Frustrated that you would tempt him so and embarrassed that he unravelled himself in such an carnal way, surrending himself temporarily to his innate, animalistic, vulpine instincts. Peering at the light red bruises decorating the nape of your neck and clavicle, he exhales in annoyance at how you stopped him from marking you once again.

Pettily, he sharply turns his head away from you as you shoot him a teasing smirk and delivers his signature sidelong glance that expresses his contempt, displeasure and so much more. His pouty exterior falls as after chuckling at his antics, you slowly make your way to the door to collect your belongings.

Turning back to him, you beckon him into your arms for one last chaste and longing hug. You bury your nose into his navy hair, trying to ignore the way your chest feels as though its being compressed by an incredible weight and how your eyes fervidly burn with unshed tears. Tighnari’s keen senses pick up on the way your heart lurches. To console you, he rubs your back soothingly, and his tail lovingly and warmly curls around your waist. He knows rather too well what wishing someone farewell feels like - how you might shatter once they leave your view forever, how you may find yourself floundering in their absence, or how the distance extinguishes any vestiges of warm within your heart.

However, he knows better, he knows you better. You won’t falter no matter the circumstance, you will perserve and he knows you’ll bloom even if he won’t be able to see you. In a few months, you’ll return to him, return to this humble and cosy abode you share, return to this life you’ve built together. He’s certain of it. He only needs to let you go for a while and before you or him realise, you’ll both be back to where you belong, to where your were always meant to be.

Eventually, he takes a step back, wiping a stray tear off of your face with the pad of his thumb. Willing a wistful beam, you whisper, worried that your chest will heave and your breath hitch with the weight of melancholy that bears onto you: “I’ll see you soon, my love. Don’t miss me too much, okay?”

“Of course, my padisarah. I’ll be waiting for your letters. Have a safe journey and always know that my heart travels with you.”

____

“I’m so sorry Lisa,” you splutter, stumbling as you weave through stray piles of books, hurriedly shrugging on your coat and gathering your loose papers off the antique mahogany table.

“Do be careful, darling, I haven’t sorted through those titles yet,” she responds, a knowing smile on her face as she languidly watches you frantically dart around the room. She’s rarely seen you so frantic and she would have never expected you to lose your composure so quickly. “The last thing we need is for you to be injured. We wouldn’t want your dear husband seeing you in such a state would we now?”

Your trip to the Mondstadt was rather eventful to say the least. Initially you expected the lethargic librarian had required your assistance for something urgent - certainly it must have been important for her to send such a vaguely worded letter to your doorstep? However, it turns out she merely wanted to bask in your companionship once again and needed someone she could confide in during this particularly busy period for the Knights of Favonius. What exactly brought you here may have been the nostalgia (that much you could discern as she began gushing about her fond memories of being your roommate and that sneaky comment about her results always beating yours in each module despite your diligent nature and her indolent disposition - a statement that was definitely not needed as you shot a glare at the tittering brunette) or it could have been the bundles of Sumeru Roses she specifically requested and emphasised in the postscript of her message.

You’re considering it’s possibly the latter as you periodically pick up the sound of her cup being picked up and placed down onto the matching floral decorative saucer you’ve temporarily lent to her. The scent of Sumeru Rose and Harra Fruit you’ve blended into her tea wafts throughout the library as you sit across the Chief Alchemist. Albedo ecstatically reads your ongoing research into medicinal alchemy, sifting through beautifully illustrated diagrams depicting your various experiments, admiring the dried Viparyas and Dream Flowers you’ve preserved and the little notes you leave next to them (although there also seems to be other sentences scrawled in a cursive script underneath your handwriting), and analysing your extraction of different compounds and materials for prolonging life and revitalisation. Flattered by his words of praise and wonder, you express your awe on his experimentation of utilising alchemy to bloom an other-worldy seed, the intricacy and accuracy of expertly rendered objects and stages of investigation (the style is oddly familiar to the cover of some books published in Liyue that Tighnari owns), and the graphite sketches of his laboratory and the snowscape of Dragonspine Mountain.

“It must be exhilarating to be able to venture out to many areas in Sumeru to conduct your research. It’s very much the same for me up on Dragonspine. To go out into the world and investigate, turning the ‘unknown’ into the ‘known’, that is the true raison d'etre of us alchemists… Ah, it’s truly an invigorating feeling.” The blond sighs contentedly and then suggests, “Seeing as to how adept you are with drawing, how about one day joining me to sketch the scenic views of Starsnatch Cliff?” Beaming at his words, you nod in affirmation: “I’d love to join you! It would be a perfect chance for me to showcase the beauty of Mondstadt to Tighnari.”

In response to your excited reply, he chuckles and then places a hand on his chin as he ponders pensively: “From what you’ve told me about him, your husband sounds like a truly exceptional man. It would be a pleasure if I could meet him in the near future.”

Slowly, time passed between the two of you. As the librarian took her daily afternoon nap, the amiable chatter between two fellow alchemists murmured throughout the expansive library and discussed a plethora of topics as the wax candles began to burn and diminish infront of them.

In between documenting your experiences to your beloved, traversing the diverse plains of Mondstadt and pressing flowers into the journal Tighnari gifted you, Lisa uncharacteristically makes it a point for you to visit her companions and most importantly, her dear mentee, Razor.

Gently raising the teapot filled with lilac Sumeru Rose petals, you began to pour the fresh brew into a small flask as per Lisa’s request. You were rather elated as she recounted how she wished for her beloved pupil to try her favourite blend of tea when studying at the Akademiya. With her languorous attitude, you wouldn’t have guessed she was a capable and competent teacher. For her to have someone regard her as part of his Lupical fills you with a sense of warmth as it seems that carefree, frivolous roommate of yours has slowly matured and has yet another person she can dedicate herself to. The sudden onslaught of sentimentality makes you wonder of the family you could have with your spouse back in Avidya Forest (although this will come in due time and he’s certainly assured you that you’re welcome to take your time, you might want to take him up on his offer soon).

An unexpected crash wrenches you out of your dreamy reverie and jolts your entire being. The teapot lurches toward and the steaming liquid scorches the back of your hand. Hissing in pain, you soothe the sting by murmuring a brief incantation, the words embossing themselves into your flesh and weaving throughout the mark. Swiftly, you set down the items to rush over to the source of the strident sound.

Witnessing the brunette crumpled on the herringbone wooden floors, you drop to your knees to hold onto her heaving form. As you do so, you’re careful of the fallen stack of thick tomes, the shards of broken porcelain scattered next to her and the moist soil spilled around her. Her hands which previously found purchase on the ledge of the bookshelf now finds themselves against your chest as she fists the material of your shirt. Panting, her forehead rests against your clavicle as she desperately refills her lungs with air only for it to be quickly forced out of her.

Urgently, you bring her fully into your grasp. Encircling your arms around her figure, your index finger inscribes foreign symbols between the peaks of her shoulders. They soon glow with a luminous white as it sinks into her and a mirrored version of your writing engraves itself into your back.

Suddenly, you can feel a numbing prickling sensation around the corners of your heart, the organ relentlessly pounding painfully against your ribcage and each inhale feels incredibly onerous. However, you resist against the agonising sensation to quell the embers that threaten to consume your life-force and the thick black tar that attempts to drown every ounce of your being. Methodically, you inhale and exhale, a rhythm that Lisa follows, and you fervently whisper strings of conjurations against the crown of her head.

The time it takes for the pain to subside feels like hours. You don’t know whether it’s completely vanished as it feels as though it remains heavy within your chest and stubbornly clings onto you despite your various attempts to rid it. “You’ve never used alchemy in such a way,” she murmurs dolefully, a distant look in her emerald orbs. And when she speaks your name, you freeze: “I don’t believe you’ve been telling me the whole truth this entire time. But then again, there has been something I’ve been hiding from you as well.”

It astounds you how Lisa’s nonchalant and easy-going exterior doesn’t falter, not even after she told you of the curse that plagues her body; her years slowly depleting before her eyes and a pre-mature demise she has no choice but to helplessly give into. You’re not sure of what she thinks of your confession as to the source of your powers nor the minuscule pawn that endows you with the faculties that assist in your alchemy and elemental abilities. Instead, you’re left to grapple with the revelations you’ve encountered today as the librarian chides her young pupil and ushers him towards you. Cheerily, she exclaims: “Come on over here Razor, that's it, good boy!” she places her hands on her hips before continuing: ”Let's do some combat practice — I've found you the perfect partner. Hey! Come back!”

The silver-haired male was rather interesting to say the least. Well, that was expected considering his teacher. You were thoroughly impressed by his fighting capabilities and his exceptional use of his Electro vision. It was incredibly endearing to see him so eager to demonstrate the results of Lisa’s teaching by taking you to various mountains and telling you about the basic properties of their local plants and fruits. Intently, you listened to him as your trio eventually settled on a field to drink your rose blend. Whilst indulging in Wolfhooks and Sunsettias, you taught him how to press the Windwheel Asters he collected to create a present for his Lupical.

Sparing a glance at the brunette dozing against next to you, you understand her lethargic nature. If you were in her circumstances, you would be fully dedicating yourself to your work and efficiently using the time you had left to discover more of this mortal world. However, that’s the attitude you’ve developed from your time in the Akademiya. You could understand how the ephemerality of the time she has remaining means that it may be better spent in tranquil afternoons, simple routines and being around those she loves.

Gazing towards the glaring sun, you wonder what your husband could be doing as you relish in this quiet evening. Unbeknownst to you, an acute sense of impending turmoil and the ever present feeling that chaos is bound to spill over lingers in his mind after the events that have unfolded in Sumeru over the past few days. His anxiety grows as he watches the departing figure of The Doctor, his ambiguous words and thinly veiled threat setting him on edge, and uncertain to the trick up his sleeve he’s yet to unveil.

____

“I’m so sorry Lisa,” you splutter as the worry gnawing at the pit of your stomach is suddenly absolutely unbearable and threatens to consume you whole. The overflow urges you to return to him. It may have been the diminishing number of letters, the lack of updates from Collei on the status of the Avidya Forest and her training, and the fact that the sigil you’ve embedded into your wedding ring sears against the skin of your ring finger, writing a message of warming that spirals down the length of your digit and across your palm. At the sight of it, your fear boils over the precipice and you’ve decided to ensure nothing happens to your beloved and your companions in Sumeru.

Granting Lisa one last farewell, you burst through the doors of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters. The golden band you adorn tingles, glimmering with a radiant light of viridian and translucent white. You extend your left hand to view the ivy-like incantations that spread along the expanse of your arm. Swiftly, you write the script embedded into your skin into harsh gusts of wind that fervently blow past you. Once the symbols are aligned and placed in their appropriate positions, you enfuse your sword with elemental energy, closing your eyes and deftly slice through them.

A clank of metal and the sharp, reverberating sound of blades colliding resound in your ears as you open your optics and glare at the Fatui Pyro Agent before you. Before you could counter his incoming strike, from behind you, you hear a swift ‘ffwhip’ as an arrow embued with Dendro flies past you, precisely lodging itself into his chest and forcefully knocking him back a few meters.

Tighnari pants, grateful to whoever parried the attack for him. However, he does a double take, recognising that distinct stance, the remnants of great ancient power, and your familiar fragrance. “My padisarah,” he exhales breathlessly, lowering his bow, genuinely bewildered by your unexpected entrance. Holding your blade upright, you peer over your shoulder to shoot Tighnari a smirk, disguising the anguish you felt prior and the relief that he’s safe and next to you once again: “Hello, my love, did you miss me?”

____

“You’re so stubborn.”

The exasperated statement is the first thing he hears as he stirs awake. The warm cloth resting against his forehead is soon replaced with a damp one, easing the dull throbbing rattling each corner and crevice of his mind. Next to him, the bed dips, and the unknown figure leans over to examine his injured body. Pulling himself from the depths of his dreamless sleep and adjusting his eyes to the blinding light that aggressively beams down on him, he groans.

Upon awaking, he is starkly reminded of how absolutely exhausted he is: his body feels like lead, his limbs weary and sluggish, and there’s a persistent electric buzz that stings his skin. Gathering the last vestiges of his strength, he wills himself to rise. But just as he pushes against his elbows to lift his head and shoulders off the plush bed beneath him, two palms firmly press against his chest, which he now realises is bare, and steadily guides him back to his original reclined position.

“I wouldn’t do anything hasty right now.” The fuzzy shapes amalgamate to form your beautiful, but extremely vexed, visage. You cross your arms and shoot a pointed look at the male: “Would it kill you to think about yourself for once? For such a talented student of the Amurta, you really are foolish sometimes.”

“Good morning, my love,” he whispers lackadaisically.

“I’m still mad at you Tighnari.” Ouch, he’s on first name basis now. “I know that your patients are important to you but you need to tend to your injuries first. Do you know how long it took me to even get around to treating your wounds? Normal people don’t get struck by lightning and then just walk it off. Normal people don’t push themselves to the brink. I was so worried when you collapsed. With the lightning strike and the other injuries your body sustained, you were out for a few days.”

You exhale a shaky breath, “Please don’t scare me like that again. I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t so lucky this time. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.” As you cup his cheek with your palm, your sleeves shift ever so slightly and he catches the foreign symbols sprawling down your arm, matching the lightning marks on his body.

Silently, you settle next to him on the bed, laying your head next to him. He slowly regains his strength, just enough to pull his body closer to yours and gently rests himself against your chest. He preens contentedly as you weave your fingers through the strands of his two-toned hair.

“I’m so sorry, my padisarah,” the vulpine morosely mumbles into your collarbone, listening to the metronome of your heartbeat. “I didn’t mean to worry you. Honestly, I thought it wasn’t too bad, at first, but I guess I should know my limits better than anyone.” Placing a chaste peck against your jaw, he whispers, “Thank you for saving me. You seem to always know whenever I’m in trouble. Should I start calling you my guardian angel? It seems like a rather fitting title for the celestial beauty that appears before me whenever I’m in a bind.”

Wistfully, you think of the chipped pawn that flickers between your fingers before it dematerialises into tiny shards of ivory light. But a smile eventually finds itself on your face as you glance at your husband, alive and safe, and back to you, back in your arms and in your embrace where destiny has decided preordained he will be. Somewhere that in the centuries you’ve roamed the mortal plane of Tevyat, you feel that maybe fate has blessed you with and is finally giving worth to your various sacrifices.

You release a huff, “I know that you were concerned about Haypasia but please try to take care of yourself more in the future - I’m going to hold you to that. Anyways, if I was your guardian angel, you still probably wouldn’t listen to me. I might as well become your devil - then it would in character for me to punish you whenever you go against my words. How does that sound, my little darling?”

Guffawing, Tighnari snidely comments: “You, a devil? Oh, you’re being delusional, that definitely doesn’t suit you. You’re too sincere and benevolent for your own good - those two ideas are not compatible with one another - they’re like oil and water. Besides if you ever wanted to punish me,” he pauses, punctuating his statement with a light peck on the tip of your nose, peering into your eyes teasingly: “you’d have to catch me first.”

He catches a tsk leave your mouth as you rise from the bed. Soon, he registers the way the pillow dips underneath him and he soon finds both of your hands on each side of his head. Languidly, you hover over his form, caging his figure under your own with a familiar glint in your eye.

“Is that a threat or a challenge, my love?”

“Take it however you want dearest. I’d love to see you best me,” he purrs as a familiar syrupy sensation coagulates in his being and his arms instinctively wrap themselves around your neck.

However, the fog that threatens to cloud his eyes is quickly dispelled by the acute bolt of pain that shoots across his chest and down to his hands, jolting himself violently away from you.

Despite your sympathy towards the pitiful sight of him wincing and his ears flattening against his head, you chuckle: “Serves you right. Maybe you should have taken into account whether you would be physically fit enough to give into your carnal desires. I’ve been gone for months, surely you missed me in more ways than one, right dearest?”

He pathetically whines as the pain dissipates into a dull ache pulsating under each inch of muscle in his upper body: “But, please, my padisarah-”

“Just when I was thinking about starting a family with you. I guess we can’t have any new additions when your in this sorry state.”

Abruptly, Tighnari freezes. A family? He remembers briefly mentioning it to when you were courting him whilst he was still a student of the Amurta and just a few weeks after your marriage. Nevertheless, he didn’t want to pressure you into starting one due to his responsibilities as a Forest Watcher and your various alchemical research projects. However, the fact that you’re ready for this next chapter of your lives fills the vulpine male with an insurmountable level of joy.

Impulsively, he pulls you down to him and esctatically rolls over your stunned form. “Are you serious? I’d love to! In fact, I think I’m feeling better already so why don’t we-”

You stop him in his tracks by pressing a finger against his lips: “Slow down ‘Nari,” you chastise, “you aren’t fully healed yet.”

“If that’s the case, then what about tomorrow?”

“No.”

“How about the day after that then?”

You shot back a reply in jest: “It’s not even February, why are you so eager?”

“Well since it’s you, I’m always eager to copulate-”

Embarrassed by the next words to leave his mouth, you exclaim: “Okay, I get it! You’re truly incorrigible. I don’t know how I can endure you and your high libido.”

“I, for one, think it’s because of my charming nature and irresistibly brilliant mind. How could you forget? You said so after-”

“Alright, alright, I give.” You pause to contemplate, sighing before continuing: “Fine, after assessing the severity of your injuries, you’ll be fine by next week.” At your words, you feel his tail softly swish from side-to-side and his ears perk up in elation.

Glancing at your husband, who now peers up at you endearingly, adorning an ebullient beam that you just can’t help but mirror and emanating an exuberant glow you’re glad to see return to him, you plant a kiss against his lips. “You’re such a handful but sometimes I wonder what I could have done to ever deserve you.”

Tighnari flushes at your words, a light pink dusting his cheeks: “I could say the same for you, my padisarah. I can’t believe life led me to you; I couldn’t imagine not having you or your blinding radiance by my side. I’m so grateful to have you as my partner - I don’t know if I could convey how much you mean to me. Well, I could but we may be here for a millenia.”

Warmly, you meet his gaze, staring into those beautiful viridian and hazel optics with your own, “We might have time for that don’t you think?” you remark cheekily, before tenderly announcing: “You’re my universe, Tighnari, I love you.”

“I love you too, my padisarah.”

Underneath the warm rays of the setting sun, Tighnari feels a wave of drowsiness wash over him, lulled to sleep by the rise and fall of your chest and the birdsong outside the open windows. Eventually, the tranquil sight of your beloved slumbeing against your bosom, the sound of the soft breeze entering the room you share, and the relief of being able to return to your home, your soulmate and your dearly missed routine, urges you to succumb to his warmth and doze underneath him.

Although you both don’t dream, you unconsciously catch glimpses of your future together. And you hope that it becomes more than that, that it becomes your reality. Because you wouldn’t want to live out an intangible dream, you want to carve out the next stage of your lives in the waking world. Because you suddenly feel that this is what you’ve always been fated to do. And for once you’re grateful that destiny has led you to him, the love of your life.

182 notes · View notes