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batman's cape

mentions of guns and violence below the cut

we've all seen panels or read fanfics where there's some sort of danger---batman's working with one of his kids, usually the robins, and there's an explosion or a barrage of bullets and they can't get out of the way fast enough. That's when he wraps the cape around them, with a swift motion of his arm he can keep his kids safe long enough to get them out of there

maybe dick does the same when he takes over. He gets used to swinging his arm to cover damian when he can't avoid a surprise attack, when a bomb is about to go off and there's no time to run. he takes the brunt of the blow just like bruce does for him---did for him. maybe the other siblings with capes do it too. maybe it becomes A Thing.

Then the first time Dick and Damian work together again after dick takes up Nightwing again comes around. There's lots of guns, or some other threat that requires quick cover. Dick jumps in and swings his arm to throw the cape over Damian and he realizes. He doesn't have the cape anymore. Maybe Damian doesn't get too beat up from this, maybe he's hurt enough to be out of the field. Maybe a bullet doesn't even graze him. Dick still beats himself up.

just thinking about the muscle memory that dick may have developed when protecting his baby bat.

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I saw some panels of Steph stargazing. Cant get them out of my head. Keep thinking about how on a quiet patrol---a stakeout, a rare moment Stephs been staying at the manor, whatever it is---its quiet in Gotham. She and Damian are both on the roof and she tells him the stories she heard about heroes in the sky, how those stories came to be. Idk I just like hearing the stories behind constellations and think it'd be cool for steph to tell Damian that stuff too.

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Real or Fake?

Part 3 of Refracted Hearts

Navia x Clorinde from Genshin Impact

wordcount: 877

Content: coffee, navia's obscene sweet tooth, casual confession, Tabletop Troupe, flirting, brief mention of a toxic relationship, potentially out of character

author note: i've never written for these two before but i love them and this idea was the first i got for this one shot series hope you enjoy!!!!!!!

Clorinde took her coffee bitter and black. She didn't often have time to prepare it herself, work early, work late, never time for her own coffee, always time for the familiar, bitter taste from this café. But today, even on one of her few rare days off, here she was again, except this time she could sit and relax and enjoy Navia’s conversation.

“Anyways,” Navia set her latte down with a sigh. “That’s when I told her to dump the guy. He doesn’t even remember her birthday.”

“It never makes sense to me,” Clorinde gripped the mug in her hands and stared at Navia. “Why be with someone if you won’t make the effort to love them?”

Navia shrugged and took another sip. Clorinde couldn’t fathom loving someone without loving every part of them. For example, she knew Navia’s birthday was the sixteenth of August, and she loved the dogs that looked as if they had eyebrows. She enjoyed spending her time baking and hated the cleanup, and Clorinde couldn’t find a thing about Navia to hate. How could she even try?

“It’s so simple to love someone, isn’t loving someone like breathing?” Clorinde continued.

Navia looked up and smiled. “Sometimes. Love can have obstacles from time to time. You understand, no?”

“I do.”

“I’m glad we got past ours.”

“I am too.” Clorinde sipped her coffee.

“This is a bit awkward for me to say,” Navia wrapped a chunk of hair around her finger. “But it needs to be said.”

Clorinde made a motion for Navia to continue and set her mug down.

“Are the two of us really only friends?”

“I’ve hoped to be more for a while, but if you’re not ready—”

“Oh, I am so ready!”

Clorinde laughed and smiled at Navia. “I promise to express my love, no matter how much effort it requires.”

…

Clorinde cleared her throat and placed her hands on the table. “Stepping into the tavern, you find a woman at the table beside the window. She’s wearing a soft yellow blouse and black cotton pants. Her boots look like ones meant for adventuring but do not carry the same wear and tear that yours do. As she beckons you over with one hand, she clutches at a necklace with her other.”

“Can I roll a perception check?” Navia leaned forward and rested her chin on her palm. Clorinde nodded and watched as the number rolled to a thirteen.

“The woman is in her thirties, and the necklace is embedded with several amethyst gems. It’s too fancy for this part of town, and in fact, the woman herself looks out of place. With perfect blonde curls and smooth pink lips, it’s no wonder that the other tavern-goers are eyeing her warily.”

“Madame,” Lyney leaned forward. “If I may, why seek out our group? Have you heard of our deeds before?”

“Oh, no,” Clorinde smiled and did her best to soften her voice. “You just seem like the type of folks who can help me with an issue I seem to be having.”

“Can I roll charisma?” Navia asked.

“Well, this woman is very willing to tell you what you need to know.”

“Can I anyway?”

“…sure?”

“Nineteen!” Navia threw her hands in the air and cleared her throat. “Miss, you seem quite tense, and worried too if I’m not mistaken. That necklace, is it perhaps from your lover?”

Clorinde cleared her throat and got back into character. “Why, yes, how could you tell?”

“Because those stones bring out your eyes, as if looking into a sunset at sea.”

“Dear adventurer, I appreciate the complement, you too are beautiful, and you look like every treasure in the kingdom given human form, but I am spoken for. In fact, I’d like to request your help in getting my lover back from the palace dungeons.”

“Uh, if I may break character for but a moment,” Lyney glanced between Clorinde and Navia. “I can’t tell if you guys are really in character or… if you’ve talked about something.”

“Can’t it be both?” Navia smiled. “Now, beautiful maiden, tell us what has become of your lover. Why have you been separated?”

“What is your name?” Lynette spoke up. Everyone paused, realizing they hadn’t even asked.

“Clover,” Clorinde said in the character’s voice. “And my lover is a common thief. However, the king is angry at our relationship, and has offered only the death sentence.”

“That’s horrible,” Furina folded her hands in front of her. “What did your lover steal that has the king so furious?”

“You all see Clover touch the largest jewel on the necklace, for once she now seems reluctant to talk.”

“I roll persuasion!” Navia slapped the table and stood, watching the dice. “Twenty! Miss Clover, if you want us to save your lover, you must tell us what was stolen.”

“Years ago, when I met her, she stole something that can never be returned. The king is very unhappy with our relationship because what she stole… it was my heart.”

Lynette leaned over to Lyney. “I think you were right.”

“About which part?” He whispered.

“Both.”

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Posting part 3 of refracted hearts on ao3 right now cause I'm gonna be traveling at my usual posting time. It's scheduled to be up on tumblr at about 1pm EDT/EST

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finished a chapter! I should take short trips more often

overnight stay with the family something tells me a longfic is about to get longer

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its up an entire 1k words and i've been here 15 minutes

overnight stay with the family something tells me a longfic is about to get longer

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overnight stay with the family something tells me a longfic is about to get longer

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guess who never shuts the fuck up

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Eroded

Part 2 of Refracted Hearts

Tartaglia | Childe x Zhongli from Genshin Impact

Word count: 1.5k

content: small angst, fluff, picnic, kissing, zhongli facing the inevitablity that everyone he knows will one day die, childe and self-worth issues briefly, hurt/comfort applies i think, never written them so potential OOC, not beta read

There was a lot that Zhongli still did not understand about the human life. He’d watched constellations shift in the sky and more sunsets than he could count. Comets and meteors had streaked his skies so much that they blurred into millions of bright cuts across the sky. These were as common as clouds drifting in the sky, and yet—

“I hear there’s a meteor shower tonight,” Childe leaned backwards against the counter, staring at Zhongli upside down. “Will you be free?”

Zhongli signed his name on an order for a box of noctilucous jade and met his eyes. “Perhaps. It entirely depends on what time it’s happening.”

“A bit before midnight.”

“Then yes, I believe I should be free. I suppose you have a plan for where we will be sitting?”

Childe sat up and turned around, this time leaning forward. “Actually, I figured I should ask you where to go. I don’t know my way around the mountains.”

“Hm,” Zhongli set his pen down. “We’ll need somewhere with a view unobstructed by the landscape, and a good distance away from any city lights.”

“Where would that be?”

In the past, when he was a much younger man, he’d often sit with the other adepti atop Mount Taicang, back when meteor showers were still incredible in his mind. However, that was too far. They would need to set out now to make it by midnight. Perhaps there was somewhere much closer that was high enough, but it’d be closer to the city lights.

Zhongli had heard a few whispers about this meteor shower for the past few weeks. It was supposed to be clearest while facing the north, which meant that as long as they were north of the city gates, the light wouldn’t be too much of a problem.

“The peak of Mount Tianheng,” Zhongli sat a bit straighter. “Its view is always breathtaking, and it’s close. At night, the city lights are only an issue if you’re facing the Harbor, and the meteors will be in the north.”

Childe snapped his fingers and started towards the door. He stopped and gave Zhongli a wave and bright smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’ll meet you there an hour before midnight.”

Zhongli smiled and gave him a small nod. The day passed with Zhongli preparing more orders for the next funerals he and Hu Tao would be arranging. They needed a new supply of cedar wood, along with an entire shipment of glaze lilies. Most days he stayed late after Hu Tao left, but tonight, he set away his files and held the door open for her.

“What’s got you leaving so early?” She put her hands on her hips and gave him a playful smile. “Ooh, is our own Mister Zhongli meeting someone?”

Zhongli smiled and closed the door. “There’s a meteor shower tonight.”

“I know, I’m heading out to find a good spot to watch.”

“You know, in ancient times comets and meteors were viewed as signs of disaster, and yet you seem unperturbed by this fact.”

“Well, they’re fairly pretty, and if there is a disaster, it could be good for business.”

“Enjoy your evening, Director.”

Zhongli left along the northeast path, making his way up the uneven and less worn path. It had been some time since he had scaled the mountain in this form. Often, when he had to, he simply shifted into his draconic form and flew to the top. He’d almost forgotten how hard the climb itself was. Hopefully Childe could get up without complications. Zhongli knew the strain on his body from his abyssal power.

He reached the peak right on time. Childe stood with his back to the city, gazing out at the north sky. In his hand was a woven basket covered with a red cloth, and over his shoulder seemed to be a thick cloak. A familiar tightness formed in his chest. The same that he had felt when he had to part with many friends over the centuries. Of course Childe must be returning to Snezhnaya, Zhongli never expected him to stay. So why did it still hurt?

“Hey!” Childe turned and smiled. “Right on time.”

“Of course. We arranged to meet here, did we not?”

“Just complementing your punctuality.”

Zhongli approached and stared at the sky. “What have you brought with you?”

“Some snacks while we watch.”

Zhongli nodded and brushed his hand against a stone pillar. It glowed with the golden power of Geo, and a platform of plaustrite appeared. He held a hand out and stepped onto the platform. Childe reached out hesitantly and stepped onto the platform, gripping Zhongli’s hand when the platform dipped in the air.

“We can get a bit higher with this,” Zhongli said, allowing his hands to hold a soft glow.

The plaustrite began to rise, until they were well above the peak of the mountain. Childe released Zhongli’s hand and passed him the basket. He pulled off the thick cloak and laid it over the rough rock, before sitting with his legs hanging over the edge. Zhongli sat, placing the basket between him and Childe.

“We still have some time before they’re supposed to start,” Childe leaned back on his hands, running his fingers through the fabric that looked so soft. “What was your day like?”

“The same as usual. I don’t mind that though. We received a few pre-orders for funerals in the future, along with a few last-minute people informing us that their loved ones had suddenly passed. All necessary arrangements have been made.”

“Remind me to sign up for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor’s services when I die.”

“You should not speak in such a manor.”

“Well, it’s going to happen one day, we’re not all gods,” Childe smiled and straightened a bit. “It must be like a blink of an eye to you. I’ve spent the past three weeks trying to arrange something like this, and you probably haven’t even felt that time.”

“What do you mean ‘three weeks’?”

“Well I was going to invite you to one of Miss Xinyan’s concerts, but then she lost her voice and had to cancel. Then, there was this limited edition of an old novel about Rex lapis, but it sold out before I got to the bookstore, and last week I wanted to take you on a picnic, but it rained so much.”

“Ah,” Zhongli placed his hands in his lap. “I must admit I did not notice how often you were stopping by and how irritated you seemed when I saw you while I was leaving work. You are right, I suppose. It’s hard for me to track the time most days.”

“See? A night like this, that I spent so long on, you might not even remember in a few decades.”

“By that logic, I wouldn’t remember any of my passed friends,” Zhongli turned and placed his hand over Childe’s. “You are more to me than that. I could not forget you.”

“You should hate me,” Childe said, turning his hand to interlock his fingers with Zhongli’s. “I’m not just a Harbinger, I tried to destroy your city. I’m just a human, and you’re a god.”

“If you are implying that you’re not good enough for me simply because I’m a god, then I must let you know that you’re wrong.”

Childe sighed but smiled. He took the cloth off the basket with his free hand and picked up a pair of chopsticks. The way he used them made Zhongli smile in his attempt to not laugh. Zhongli took the second pair and picked up a dumpling. They ate in calm silence for a while. Eventually Childe tapped Zhongli’s shoulder, staring up at the sky.

Zhongli had to strain his eyes just a bit before he saw the streaks of light zip across the sky. Zhongli must have seen these same meteors before, but for some reason they felt different. Was it simply because of his company tonight?

Childe pushed the picnic basket out of the way and moved closer to Zhongli. “I don’t get to see these back home. It’s always cloudy.”

“Are you returning to Snezhnaya soon? This cloak is quite thick—too much so for Liyue at this time of year.”

“Hm?” Childe stared at the fabric they sat on. “Oh, well, I knew the ground wouldn’t be comfortable, so I brought it. I haven’t received any new orders.”

Strange relief flooded over Zhongli. “Good. I must admit, I appreciate that you invited me to watch this with you. It’s lovely.”

“It really is.”

Zhongli watched the reflection of the stars in Childe’s eyes. He almost looked like the happy man he should be. He lifted Childe’s hand and pressed a soft kiss to the open spot of his glove, just above his wrist. His face turned red and he looked away from the meteors. He grabbed the back of Zhongli’s neck and pulled him into a full kiss.

This was unlike the way Childe fought. He used his full strength to take down his enemies, yet his love was gentle, slow, and rare. Not unlike these meteors they watched.

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literally and the fact that albedo didn't really consider him or durin his brothers despite seeing Rhinedottir as his mother was so odd??? Give us complicated siblings! give us deep dives into who rhinedottir's sentient creations were! don't offscreen kill them!!!

3.5 years of fanfics exploring Subject 2's potential character arcs and growth,

only for Genshin to say "he's been dead this whole time and he wasn't even a person :)"

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me: actively working on an entire series of one-shots and a longfic that won't be done for another two years, with 8 other fic drafts, along with idea for a second series that in outline already has 7 longfics planned

also me, stressed: ooh yeah let's add another one-shot to that pile

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you do what you gotta when your pals are on par with literal gods and sometimes what you gotta do is deadly to most of the population

Superman performing cpr on humans: *gently does it with one hand like u do on babies*

Superman performing CPR on Wonder Woman: *punch punch punch*

Justice League: A League of One

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Your Pulse in My Hands

Part 1 of Refracted Hearts

Thoma x Diluc from Genshin Impact

Word Count: 3,337

Note: I've never done a series before but I had fun working on this one and got a bit carried away

Contains: jet-lag, fires, burns, blood, scars, nudity but not graphic, literally sharing a bed, hurt/comfort, secret identity+identity reveal, inaccurate cauterization of wounds, self-harm (tagging to be safe it's the cauterization), inaccurate use of a Vision in terms of canon, spelling or grammar mistakes because i didn't beta this

Thoma couldn’t sleep. This wasn’t unexpected of course, what with Inazuma’s time being delayed about an hour or two from Mondstadt’s, but he still found himself annoyed at being wide awake at midnight. Wide awake physically, yet his mind couldn’t seem to keep up. The book he’d been reading on his trip across the sea wasn’t boring per se, quite the opposite, but Thoma still found himself putting it back down every few paragraphs.

He threw his blankets off and stood, pulling his coat on over his sleepwear. A walk through the vineyard may do him some good. Fresh air, a familiar and cool Mondstadt breeze, the sweet smell of grapes in the air. It all reminded him of his time here as a child, when he’d chase Diluc and Kaeya through the grass and play hide and seek by the river. Now he was back, if only for a week or two, and he was determined to spend more time with the man he loved.

Diluc had gone to bed hours ago, along with the rest of the house staff, so Thoma couldn’t even ask if someone would join him on a midnight stroll. It was already kind enough for Diluc to let him stay here, and he’d probably refuse anyway if Thoma asked him to go out on a night as dark as this, with the moon masked by thick clouds. The idea of spending time with Diluc like that though, just in the quiet, the two of them unable to sleep—it made Thoma’s chest buzz with the warmth the memories brought to him. They’d done that a lot as kids, hadn’t they?

Something bright flashed bright from behind the curtains, and Thoma rushed to pull them open. By the river, fire arced through the air and fizzled, illuminating the shape of a cloak and several smaller, hunching figures. A fight had broken out on the riverbank, the participants unclear, but the winner was the opposite. Had some of the older workers of the winery been attacked by this flame-wielder? Thoma couldn’t just stand here.

He swiped his Vision from the nightstand and bolted to the front door, grabbing his spear from beside the door. He raced down the path, the flames flashing through the trees and between houses.

Reaching the open shore, Thoma had just enough time to catch a wave of flames send a lawachurl to the ground, collapsing into ash. that explained the smaller figures he’d spotted. The world went dark, heavy panting coming from Thoma’s throat and the barely-illuminated figure standing in the water. Thoma gripped his Vision, chanelling small flames to engulf his hand. Low light covered the dirt and sand, and the figure looked up. Their face was still obscured by darkness and the outline of a bird’s skull was clearer as Thoma stepped closer.

“Who are you?” Thoma demanded.

The figure straightened their back and ripped their sword from the muddy riverbed. They walked out of the water, stopping at the edge of light cast by Thoma’s hand. The greatsword left a thin cut through the dirt, the dim red glow fading from the broken blade. The hand that gripped the hilt had a Pyro Vision strapped to it, flickering with embers.

“Thanks for dealing with the hilichurls, but you could have endangered the people that live out here,” Thoma said. “Or lit the trees on fire.”

The figure shook their head, then pointed at something behind Thoma. He spun around, worried that the trees actually were on fire, or that there was another wave of hilichurls, but he couldn’t spot anything through the darkness. Behind him, the bushes rustled, and he turned to see the cloaked figure gone.

Thoma, how could you fall for that trick? He thought with a sigh. He remembered pulling it on Crepus back in the day, and now it’d been used against him.

He examined the beach for any traces of straggling hilichurls, finding only piles of ash and sand stained a deep red. Thoma picked up a handful, his palm becoming warmer and wet. Brushing the sand off left streaks of red across his hand, and he stood, examining the area with brighter flames. There were a few larger patches of the bloodied sand, making it clear how that figure had taken a heavy hit and still fought to eliminate the enemy. Something tightened in Thoma’s throat. This was a lot of blood.

He turned and ran for the winery—the figure had disappeared in that direction, and bleeding that much meant a trail would be left behind. He found wet handprints on the trunks of trees, broken twigs, and a thin line cut through the dirt by the drag of that greatsword. He broke through the trees facing the back of the house. No way the figure had gone there, right?

Despite the doubt, it was clear the figure had passed that way. One of the stone pillars bore another hand print, the ground beside it had a dark puddle that was still warm to the touch. Thoma wiped his fingertips off and snuffed the flames from his hand as he stepped into the lantern light. Boot prints led not to the back door, but towards the wine cellar behind the house. Diluc would be livid if there was someone down there. Injured or not, that was the most valuable room on the entire property. He might even get mad at Thoma, but if this person was a thief, Diluc might appreciate Thoma catching them in the act, rather than risk letting them get away by waking him up. He heard the heavy metal door slam and the sound of something hard hitting the ground.

Thoma followed the sound and blood, becoming streaked and smeared the closer he got to the cellar. It was just out of sight of any lanterns, like the entire room was meant to be as secret as possible. A smart move, on Diluc’s part. He really knew how to keep things safe. A singed piece of fabric stuck out from between the two doors, and the edges flaked away when Thoma brushed his fingers over them. Thoma pulled one door open and let flames appear in his hand once more.

The figure’s cloak was on the steps, and blood steaked down them, leading to a pool in the stone floor. That figure was still nowhere to be seen, but they must have gotten caught in the door and fallen. That would only make the injuries worse.

Thoma shut the door quietly and hurried down the steps. More boot prints dragged into a corner, and Thoma found the man he’d been chasing.

He was leaned against a pile of crates, right arm free of the red and silver coat around his shoulders. His right hand was pressed against the left side of his body—how much blood had soaked into the fabric was unclear. At the back of his head was tied long red hair, and even though that bird’s skull mask was still over his face, Thoma recognized him. Of course he recognized him.

He dropped his spear, snuffed the flames, and raced to Diluc’s side, pressing one hand over Diluc’s—covered in blood, he tried not to think about that—the other rested on Diluc’s neck and Thoma took a steadying breath and waited for the tap of a pulse. It was faint, slow, but there.

“Open your eyes,” Thoma said. Diluc let out a weak groan, but the room was pitch black now. That could’ve been acknowledgement or a final breath. “Hey, keep your hand against the wound. I’m going to go find a lantern.”

He stood and lit both hands with flames. He didn’t need to look for more than a few moments before the found an extinguished lantern hanging on the wall. In just a few seconds it was lit and brought to Diluc’s side. His eyes were still shut behind that mask, his breaths more labored than they’d been when Thoma found him.

“Hey,” Thoma grabbed his face gently. “I know you can hear me. I need to make sure you’re awake. Look at me, Diluc.”

Honey-brown eyes cracked open and met Thoma’s. He sighed one moment and winced the next. Thoma moved his hands to press against Diluc’s side, not letting his eyes break away from him.

“Coat,” he muttered.

“Right, it’s in the way,” Thoma said. “Here, move your hand under the fabric—good. Now I need you to sit up.”

Diluc moved stiffly, and Thoma removed his hands from the wound to pull the coat off. Next would have to be the vest and the shirt, but Diluc might pass out before that. His face was pale in the lantern light, a layer of sweat on his face. Diluc leaned back against the wall and shut his eyes again.

“Diluc, if you pass out on me—”

“Probably,” A thin smirk graced his face. He pulled his mask off and stared at Thoma. “I need you to—you have to be fast, Thoma. Fast with… with what comes next.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“I’m going to take my hand off for a few seconds. Pull the shirt up.”

“Then what?”

“Let me…” He tried to sit straighter and instead gasped and scrunched his face. “Let me do what I need to.”

Thoma may have been confused about this whole situation, may have thought it some screwed up dream from falling asleep reading, but even so, he trusted Diluc. Years apart hadn’t changed that. He nodded and grabbed the edge of Diluc’s shirt and vest. The second he saw Diluc’s hand move, he pulled the fabric up his chest, and Diluc pressed his hands back over a massive bloodied spot of his waist.

After a few deep breaths, Diluc’s Vision began to glow a fiery red. Fire erupted from Diluc’s palms before Thoma could stop him. The space between them went bright and faded in just a few seconds. Diluc dropped his hands and took in heavy breaths. Thoma let go of his shirt, hands shaking.

“You’ll be okay?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” Thoma smacked Diluc’s shoulder. “What in the hell were you doing out there?”

“Thoma, my blessing,” Diluc grabbed his face in shaking, bloody hands. His eyes were clouded, and his breaths still heavy. “Get me upstairs.”

Thoma pulled one of Diluc’s arms over his shoulders and stood, grabbing his waist in his other hand. Diluc struggled on the steps, but Thoma eventually managed to get him up and out of the cellar. The back door was closed, but unlocked.

“Do I need to get Adelinde?”

“No, just bring me to my room.”

Thoma helped Diluc upstairs into the closest room. He couldn’t help but think it was so close for nights like this, but surely these weren’t regular nights. Diluc leaned against the wall while Thoma closed the door behind him. Both of them were covered in blood and smeared handprints, both should be in bed, and yet there they were, staring at each other in the dim light.

Diluc unbuttoned his vest and shirt, his left arm stiff as he tried to pull it free from the sleeves. Thoma stepped forward and eased the vest off first, careful not to move Diluc’s arm too much. He set the vest on the ground and started to pull at Diluc’s shirt, but stopped when he saw the skin beneath it.

Burns covered his stomach and chest, some faded, others recent. Pink older ones, crimson ones in the shape of hands or sticks. He couldn’t tell what Diluc’s waist looked like through all the blood, and that scared him. Diluc sighed and pulled his gloves off, dropping them beside the vest on the floor. He pulled his right sleeve off and snapped Thoma back to the moment.

“How many times have you gotten hurt like this?”

“Too many,” Diluc said. Hesitantly, he grabbed Thoma’s wrist in one hand. “You can leave. I’ll be okay.”

“No,” Thoma tugged at Diluc’s shirt, sliding it off his left shoulder. “I’m not leaving you alone like this.”

He walked Diluc into the bathroom and turned on the cold water in the bathtub. Diluc threw a towel over his shoulder and pulled his hair free from the loosened ponytail it had been in. Thoma turned away to wash his hands while Diluc stripped and climbed into the water. Thoma waited for the runoff of his hands to turn clear before he even considered touching the soap. He’d dealt with injuries and burns before, but never on the magnitude at which he’d seen on Diluc tonight.

Diluc sighed and Thoma turned around to see him leaning backwards over the edge of the tub. The water swirled with a deep, wine color, but Diluc didn’t seem concerned in the slightest. In fact, he almost looked relaxed, if not for the tension in his shoulders and the soft glare he gave to the ceiling. Thoma dried his hands, wondering if he should empty the tub to clean it out when Diluc turned to face him.

“You have questions, let me answer what I can first,” His eyes flickered over Thoma like a small flame before settling on the water. “For a few years, I’ve been protecting Mondstadt from threats the Knight of Favonius can’t handle. Most nights end with me crashing upstairs in the tavern once everyone’s out, and nothing more than a few bruises. Injuries like this are rare, I promise you that. If I can’t get to a doctor, I simply cauterize them.”

“You should have someone on the grounds ready to help you when you leave,” Thoma walked over and knelt beside the tub. “Do you do this every night?”

“Once or twice a week. Usually it’s Adelinde I go to, but she’s been working late and hard the past few days. It’s why I didn’t want to wake her.”

Thoma nodded and frowned at the growing darker water. “Are you sure you’re not still bleeding?”

Diluc shook his head and drained the water. Thoma found a small rag and soaked it in clear, cold water, passing it to Diluc. He watched with careful eyes as the blood mostly smeared around, looking for anywhere it got thicker. A thin stream of red trailed from Diluc’s side.

“Your back,” Thoma said, and Diluc sat up, turning to give Thoma a better vantage point. A massive red smear was left on the porcelain.

A large cut crossed half of Diluc’s back, blood pulsing from it. Thoma took the cloth from Diluc’s hands and pressed it over the thickest part, just a few inches from his spine. Diluc couldn’t reach this on his own, and Thoma didn’t have the stomach to light him on fire, even if it was for a few seconds. Burns were less on Diluc’s back, but the backs of his shoulders looked as if they’d been splashed with hot oil, and were still bright red.

“Adelinde!” He called.

“She needs to rest,” Diluc said.

“I don’t want to light you on fire. Besides, you’re still soaking wet, so it won’t have the effect you want.”

“Fine. How bad is it?”

“Not too deep, I think? It’s bleeding a lot though,” Thoma said as blood seeped between his fingers. “What managed to hit you?”

“Mitachurl. I blocked the blow as best I could.”

“It looks like it almost chopped you in half!”

The door flew open and Adelinde rushed in with an ornate box in her hands. She set it on the floor and set aside a needle and some thread. Diluc dropped his head and groaned.

“Stiches are better than always lighting yourself on fire, Master Diluc,” She said at his reaction. “Thoma, clean the area as best you can, maybe with a fresh cloth.”

Thoma nodded and found another cloth, wiping the blood off of Diluc’s back as much as he could. Adelinde poured something clear from a flask onto Diluc’s skin, and he winced. Adelinde was quick, yet careful as she stitched the skin back together, pulling the thread tight before taking the cloth from Thoma and gently wiping off the rest of Diluc’s back.

“You should have woken me up,” She sighed.

“You’re busy enough, Adelinde. I simply thought of you first.”

“Put yourself first for once.”

Diluc sighed and nodded. Thoma helped her clean the rest of the blood off of Diluc’s body, and held him steady as she applied bandages to both the cut and the burns on his waist. Thoma helped him out of the bath and Adelinde brought over a soft fur robe. Diluc dried himself off and slipped into the robe easily.

“Sleep on your right side tonight,” Adelinde said. “Thoma, I’d like you to make sure he does so.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“And give me your coat, I can wash it with Master Diluc’s clothes.”

Thoma slipped out of his coat and passed it to Adelinde. She left the room quickly and it was only when they heard the bedroom door close that Diluc tilted into Thoma’s side. Thoma grabbed his waist in one hand and held him up with the other. His eyes were clear, but his body shaking.

He helped Diluc into bed, wondering how he was supposed to keep him on his side all night. Adelinde hadn’t said that Thoma had to stay up, but it looked like that was the only option. Diluc stared at him through half-lidded eyes and sat up slowly, patting the space beside him in the bed.

“Are you sure you want that?”

Diluc nodded, and Thoma climbed into bed beside him. Neither of them laid down, simply staring at the other.

“What was in that flask?”

Diluc scrunched his nose the way he always did when he was younger. “Snezhnayan alcohol. It cleans wounds well, but I still think burning them is better. Adelinde always insists on stitching me up though. It keeps me in bed longer.”

“Have you ever thought about not going out at night?”

“Not once. The knights can’t take care of everything. I know from experience.”

Thoma wrapped his arms around Diluc and buried his face in his neck, catching smaller burns even under his hair. “You scared me when I found you down there.”

“I know,” Diluc ran his fingers through Thoma’s hair. “I can’t stop protecting people, but I can be more careful.”

“Please do. I worry about you when I’m home, and now I’m going to worry about you tomorrow night, and the next, every night on my way home, and I know you can handle yourself, but I don’t want to lose you. Not… not again.”

Diluc pulled away and cupped Thoma’s face. “I’ll be as careful as I can.”

Thoma took one of Diluc’s hands and gave it a light squeeze. Across his palm was thicker, red skin, like he’d touched a burning metal rod. Diluc shifted his hand until he held Thoma’s like he was a guest at a ball, and kissed the back of his hand.

“Rest, Diluc,” Thoma said. “Let someone else keep you safe tonight.”

Diluc laid down, and Thoma wrapped his arm around Diluc’s waist, careful not to hit the bandages too hard. Under his fingertips, he could feel the burns, rough and numb. He drifted off to sleep, holding Diluc close all the night.

[mercurynjem]

haven't posted ao3 fic in so long i forgot you can't schedule posts these so uh part 1 of Refracted Hearts is over there right now lol

[mercurynjem]

me when i remember i actually have to write my fics

[mercurynjem]

me holding a gun to a mushroom: tell me the name of god you fungal piece of shit

mushroom: can you feel your heart burning? can you feel the struggle within? the fear within me is beyond anything your soul can make. you cannot kill me in a way that matters

me cocking the gun, tears streaming down my face: I’M NOT FUCKING SCARED OF YOU

[mercurynjem]

Refracted Hearts

During June, I (Jem) will be posting seven Genshin Impact one-shots themed around the colors of the rainbow. These will be available on Tumblr, and on Ao3 under "Mercury_n_Jem"

Dates:

June 2, Red: Your Pulse in My Hands (Diluc x Thoma)

June 6, Orange: Eroded (Childe x Zhongli)

June 9, Yellow: Real or Fake? (Navia x Clorinde)

June 13, Green: Unfazed (Kaveh x Alhaitham)

June 16, Blue: One More Reason (Neuvillette x Wriothesley)

June 20, Indigo: Masterpiece (Beidou x Ningguang)

June 23, Violet: A Trip Worth Telling (Sethos x Wanderer)