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reversedpineapple · 1 day ago

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⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ── 𝚈𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚎: 𝙰𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚎 ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

༺ Yan!Aventurine x Reader ༻

TWs: Implied sexual abuse (not reader), no stable position in life, Aventurine degrading himself, manipulation, obsessive themes, stalking, isolation

Comments, likes and re blogs are always appreciated. :D

ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬Word count: 2.2k ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬

By continuing to read beyond this point, you have agreed to the trigger warnings and to be at least of the age of 18. The author does not hold any responsibility whatsoever for your actions.

Aventurine would worship the floor you walk on.

The man never expected to end up in a relationship. Heck, he even avoided the possibility of it. For one, he was not exactly what most would call “in a stable position”. In the IPC, ranks are earned with hard labour but also easily taken. Nevermind the deal he made with Jade. Whilst he is blessed with luck, he is also well aware that all it takes is one small slip up. For all he knows, he might be back to square one within a second. But then there is also this past. Losing his sister hurt more than anything he ever experienced. Aventurine’s life was never easy. He always had to fight for his life but those cold nights locked in a cell, hands bound by iron chains were by far the worst. Back then, the pain of losing his last living member of his family was still fresh. This is the one thing the Stoneheart wants to experience never again.

So imagine his surprise when he noticed a small fondness for you blossoming in his chest. The heart he thought had grown cold oh so long ago once more beating for someone else other than himself.

Now, this can go two ways. Aventurine either pushes you away or you stay stubbornly by his side. Should the first of the two possibilities happen, then there will never be a relationship between the two of you. The blonde man would trample on those fragile little sprouts called affection faster than you can blink. He will still behave normal towards you like any other person but if you are paying attention, you will notice that he avoids you. The second one is a bit harder to achieve. For that to happen you need to be a necessary part of his life. Perhaps you are a representative of a business partner or maybe even a colleague. If you somehow manage to stay by his side even though he tries to avoid you in his suave, charming way then there is a possibility of him slowly but surely accepting the feelings he has for you.

I don’t see many talking about this but I think Aventurine would be a piner. An absolutely horrible one at that.

Don’t think that him simply accepting his feelings was the solution to this problem. Aventurine is feeling very undeserving of you. Even if we continue the possibility of you working for the IPC, an organisation which’s morals are highly questionable, he still sees you as a rather innocent person. Which is fair, considering he has probably done a lot more shady if not downright criminal things than you. To him you are just this innocent angel trying to climb the corporate ladder.

You won’t even notice that you broke through the walls Aventurine had built oh so carefully around his heart. That doesn’t mean he won’t try to get closer to you. Whenever the two of you run “accidentally” into each other outside of that necessary part of his life, he will invite you to dinner. He will present it so innocently to you, casually joking by the side so that you don’t even notice his true motive.

The Stoneheart has never experienced love and thus, does not know how to act upon the feeling. Although it was not stated in the story, there is the very high possibility that Aventurine was owned by someone who had… “greater interest” in him. The man knows he is charming on the eye. For goodness sake, he is an Avgin, one of the people who were blessed with good looks. So all he knows is buttering up to someone deemed higher than him even if he felt downright disgusted being even close to them.

The man knows that you deserve better. He loves you, Kakavasha loves you. But how is he supposed to express that in a way which he doesn’t connect to darker times in his life? And thus, he simply basks in your presence. You are the soothing rain gently falling on the beaten soil that is his soul, watering the small sprouts fighting for their life.

Aventurines feelings are completely normal at the beginning. Life is dandy and you are, despite not knowing he wants to say three special words to you, by his side. But the longer this phase continues, the more dependent he becomes on you for emotional nourishment. He had his fill once already, his thirsting lips had tasted the drops of your platonic affection, now he wants more.

But it is not enough for his longing to become unbearable. Kakavasha is hidden beneath layers and layers of carefully cut Aventurine, nothing leaves those walls unless the Gem allows it. Should you show yourself to be ruthless or to be a cruel person, he would rather scratch his heart out than have an inkling of affection to you. He understands being a bit cutthroat, a bit manipulative. The world is no walk in the park but those traits? They would just hit a bit too close to home, reminding him of them. It’s most likely that he already figured you out before his feelings escalated so it is unlikely for him to witness you as his worst nightmare by then.

Aventurine would not confess to you unless you show signs of romantic interest in him. He would rather be your closest friend, so close in fact that it wouldn’t feel so weird just moving in with each other “to save money” (as if he needed to do that) or some other excuse he would feed you. This won’t mean you are safe though. He will still hog all of your time, destroying your friendships along the way. Not obviously, of course. You were just so busy and you know how friendships end when you don’t take care of them. Despite that, he would encourage you to have a good relationship with your family (if you are on speaking terms with them). Families are something special to him. Something warm, a memory of his sister placing her palm against his, speaking words in Sigonian he had long forgotten tickling the back of his mind.

If he notices signs of romantic affection from you, he will approach you about it. He will invite you out, perhaps a simple dinner or just meeting up in either of your places. The Avgin will not proclaim his affection in grandeur, this is not Aventurine, the gem, the facade. This is Kakavasha, a young man from a home which no longer exists. The Avgin believed in humility, every prayer spoken with elegant simplicity. Kakavasha does not know how to approach you as a grown up of his people so he defaults to the one thing that was so essential during his earlier life. There will be no big exclamation, no dramatics, no luxurious gifts, /only words/.

Aventurine is just so tired. And angry but most of all tired. It does not matter how ambitious you are, how much hatred and fury fuels you, at some point a person just needs rest. He did not have that since he was a child. Like his confession, his private life is very humble. Yes, he lives in a luxury flat that costs more than you could probably ever earn in your entire life but he doesn’t flaunt his wealth. (I doubt he is even the sole owner of all that money. His freedom belongs more or less to the IPC.) All that expensive jewellery and clothing is for Aventurine, not the actual him. Sadly, more times than not, he needs to be prepared to act his part so he wears all of that most of the time.

Humility is also a huge part of how he shows his affection to you. The Avgin despises gifting you bracelets to the point he would let Diamond demote him to a mere lower rank lackey despite how essential his position is to attain freedom. He does not mind wearing them himself, heck, if you wear one you own yourself he would not even take note of them. But to wear something like that given to you by someone else just makes him squeamish. Kakavasha refuses to ask himself as to why. One thing he will not mind spending a lot of money on is gifting you a broach. His mother gifted him one when he was just born and he held onto it until things went down the drain. He carefully picks one out, searches for one with a gemstone in the color of your eyes, small pieces of magenta and cyan subtile worked into the gold. He wants you to know that he picked this one just for you. ‘I thought of you, I always do, you mesmerise me like no other ever has.’ Clothing is also something he gifts you on many occasions. He had to fight tooth and nail for scraps to cover him and he does not want you to feel the shame that comes with being seen less than worthy of life necessities.

And this is where the fluffy part ends and the not so nice one starts.

Aventurine hoards you like a gem. You are his gem, a piece cut out of his heart - the most polished part, given life to walk the universe and he would be damned if something were to happen to you.

This man has connections, old debts that still need to be paid. He does not mind if you step out. On the contrary, please, step out. Get some fresh air. He is the last person to lock you in a cage. What you don’t know though is that you are always shadowed. Not only by one person. Everything you do is reported. You enjoyed a piece of cake from that shop? He will note that down. You liked that street performer? Interesting. Another man checked you out? Oh…

The blonde has the power to ruin someone’s life. He just needs to flick his fingers and the world of business bends to his will… in moderation. They must have really bad luck, not a single company accepted their application. Aventurine doesn’t even need to do much. A few texts were all it took and they lost their job, now unable to start somewhere else anew. In the really bad cases though, like for example someone flirting with you even if you told them you were in a relationship, he will take care of them himself. One day the person mentioned might meet someone who is really charismatic. That person will challenge them to a game of luck and, oh goodness, would you look at that, they lost everything to that person with the unique eyes. Massively in debt and without any means of returning them, they are doomed to a life of paying huge sums back. Or maybe he just snaps. Aventurine knows how to fight and he is not shy about showing off his skills. It was all self defense. What was he supposed to do when they suddenly attacked him? For all he knows this person had a grudge against the IPC and things accidentally escalated to the point of one of them not leaving.

I mentioned that your partner would not mind you being in close contact with your family and would even encourage it… in a platonic relationship. This takes 180 degrees in a romantic one. Aventurine cannot stand the thought of him having to share the pedestal of loved ones with someone else, nevermind multiple people. He is very aware that familiar and romantic love are very different but you two are supposed to be a unit, these others are of your past. It is not the fact that you love them as well and more the fear that one day you turn around and see his true self, manipulative and obsessive to no end, hardly worthy of you, and run back to them. So he burns the bridge. If merely keeping you busy and distracted like with your friends won’t do the trick then moving you across half the universe will do. He is just so busy with work and if you were to live in this new place, he could reach you faster and you could spend more time with each other. Kakavasha dislikes lying to you. Lying is necessary for survival, lying is reserved to deceive those who threaten your union. Usually he would just steer the conversation in a different direction or just tell you the truth whilst leaving parts out but this is the one time he will shamelessly deceive you whilst smiling in your face.

It’s almost like he can’t imagine creating a space in your heart specially reserved for him and him alone. Instead, he needs to carve out a place for himself violently, filling the missing piece he had torn out with his bare hands with none other than himself.

And when Aventurine lays in bed with you, his ear placed above your heart, he knows that all he does is only for you. In his arms he finally finds peace. One day, he will pack your bags, his own already prepared, and disappear with you into freedom. Until that happens he just needs to keep you warm and well taken care of. Taking your slack hand, your soft breathing hitting his head, long gone into the land of dreams, he places his palm against your own. Praying that somewhere out there is a place only for the two of you.

If not, he just needs to create one. Even if the path is littered with tears and blood.

Do not copy, translate or use my work without my permission. All rights belong to the author.

#honkai star rail x reader #yandere honkai star rail #yandere hsr x reader #hsr x reader #hsr aventurine #aventurine x reader #yandere aventurine #yandere aventurine x reader #gn reader #revpinewriting

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reversedpineapple · 1 day ago

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You can't tell me Phainon wouldn't bring random Chimeras back home. Doesn't matter that you already adopted twelve of those. This one just looked too hungry and cold, can't he keep them?

You like to try denying his requests, but the Chrysos Heir has another weapon beside his sword, his puppy eyes.

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reversedpineapple · 2 days ago

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─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ─── 𝕐𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖 ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕗𝕚𝕝𝕖: 𝔻𝕣. ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠 ── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

Here to spread my Dr. Ratio propaganda. (≖⩊≖) This is beta read but I also wrote and looked over this in the middle of the night.

∘•·····•∘ Yan! Dr. Ratio x Nameless! Reader ∘•·····•∘

(Reader is not Trailblazer)

TWs: Stalking, obsessive behaviour, toxic relationship, manipulation, delusional behaviour

Comments, likes and reblogs are always appreciated. :D

ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ Word count: 1.4k ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬

By continuing to read beyond this point, you have agreed to the trigger warnings and to be at least of the age of 18. The author does not hold any responsibility whatsoever for your actions.

This man is a menace and you don’t even know about it most of the time.

Since you are a Nameless, he can’t just do with you whatever he wants. Your name is far too well known in the universe for his actions to not have unnecessary repercussions.

To his luck (and your demise) are the adventures of the Trailblaze highly sought after, the media reporting on what your group had been up to if there is even a hint of action from you. So imagine the surprise of Veritas colleagues when they see him listening to a gossip channel on the radio. One time, another professor approached him just to catch the esteemed Doctor Ratio reading an article of a boulevard magazine. There was no reason at all why he was even more adamant to wear that plaster head for the rest of the day (if that was even possible). No reason at all!

Everything you do, even if you are on the other side of the universe, is catalogued by the Doctor, a carefully cultivated timeline decorating his bedroom walls. In that regard, he is a complete hypocrite. Veritas claims that the first necessity to overcome idiocy is to know thyself, yet he doesn’t even realise his own unhealthy behavior. To him, this is no different than someone painting their wall in a colour. His favorite just happens to be you. And he is so careful with it too. Don’t even dare to imagine hurriedly scribbled notes with a pencil, by the Archons, no. He paints the whole thing carefully like how an artist would paint their muse with acrylic paint.

Veritas has a plaster head of you. Of course he has, what did you expect? But he does not dare to wear it. Instead, it’s presented in a glass case and to ensure it does not feel lonely he also has a perfect marble replica of you. Veritas also has the nasty little habit of talking to them like you were actually standing in the room, telling it about a certain student not doing as well as they could if they would only focus.

This man knows your likes and dislikes in and out. How? Remember him reading magazines and listening to entertainment he would deem as waste if they were not reporting about the latest gossip about you? Yes, that. He rewatches even the smallest snippets he sees about you in visible media. There was that one time you tried a dish on the Xianzhou and despite you smiling, he could tell by subtle body language you were lying. By the way, that clip was three seconds long.

If he meets you in person though? He behaves totally normal. Well, as normal as the Doctor Ratio usually behaves. However, he talks slightly less down on you than he does to others. Don’t misunderstand him though, he still sees himself as the superior one between the two of you. His behaviour stems less from a position of equality and more like how a human views a small kitten. Don’t get him wrong, he thinks you are unlike most not stupid, dare I say he respects you even a little bit but in the end, his view on humans is a spectrum. On one side, there are idiots who he oh so desperately tries to educate and on the other, there are geniuses (which are in his opinion sadly way too rare). You sit right in the middle between the two of them.

Congratulations, most don’t even come close to the halfway point of the middle.

The plaster head is glued on in your presence. Reason for that is the heat blooming across his face. Ratio is your most avid fan, your most loyal cheerleader. To him, you are someone with great potential. Veritas also has hope in his students but what he feels for you isn’t just hope, he knows you have the making of someone of true intellect and he would be damned if he were to not attentively take note of that.

If you want to see the good doctor flustered, do small acts of services. Prepare him a dinner, ask him how his day was, arrange his clothing back into place should they ever fall out of place. Veritas is often seen as someone untouchable, a perfect cold statue so the human part of him gets often forgotten. This does not bother him one bit but you acting like this strokes some part of him that would make him, if he had less self control, squeal like a schoolgirl and roll on the ground… metaphorically speaking.

Should you ever express romantic interest in him though… oh boy. The plaster head would still stay for a while. Ratio needs to practice. Like an athlete prepares themselves for a tournament day after day, he himself prepares himself for your affection. If he is sure he won’t turn into a solanum lycopersicum, he will start to remove it more often around you. No, Veritas Ratio isn’t all suave and cool headed like he presents himself, he is just way too prepared for everything in this relationship. If he messes up, it’s on purpose. You dislike that? Then he will do this better the next time. Of course he knew that beforehand but everyone would get suspicious if their relationship was nothing but smooth sailing.

On those rare occasions you stay over, he will prepare. The plaster head and statue will be moved to his bedroom. The man is most likely rich enough to own a place with a guest bedroom he will present as his own. Ratio understands very well that you seeing this would be the end of your relationship, especially if you are still in the earlier stages. Like already mentioned, he does not see how toxic his behavior is because he thinks that everything he feels and thinks about himself is undeniably true. It usually is and because he is wrong in this one instance, he is unable to see the problem with his actions. He is, in simpler terms, acting like someone who says their opinion on something but deep down disagrees with it without realising that.

If you are in a relationship and currently traveling, he will miss you and he will catch himself spacing out from time to time. Such a thing was unthinkable for him before all of this. Veritas is not against that, though. He understands that humans have such reactions to emotions and suppressing those would lead to negative consequences. He does try to keep it under control whilst being in public though. On the other hand, one thing he is ashamed about is the shirt he stole from you. It’s not a smell thing, he would never let used, dirty laundry get close to him but rather a thing of possession. It just hangs neatly in his dresser, waiting for the owner to return. The best assumption he can make about his own actions is, that he just likes to have something materialistic from you. He also has a lock of your hair hidden somewhere on his person. Where though is a mystery only he knows the answer to.

Somewhere along the relationship he has gifted you a headpiece like his own. In his eyes it’s a lot less glaringly obvious than a ring. You don’t have the heart to tell him that it is indeed a lot more obvious so you just wear it happily. What you don’t know though is that every time your partner sees you wearing it, whether that be on a photo or a video, there is a part of himself satisfied that he has laid claim to you. If you let him do as he wants, you might as well soon look like you are from Amphoreus and believe me when I tell you, you do not want that.

If you don’t draw clear lines, Ratio will make you emotionally dependent on him. He knows how humans work, he knows how to manipulate you just right so you still have your dazzling personality, yet can’t go on without him for too long. The good news is, your partner is a patient man. You can drag this on for a very long time. The bad news, it is not a question if but rather when this happens. When you finally learn about all the unsavoury things Veritas does, it is already way too late. By then you are dependent on him and nevermind the questions. Ratio also is a well known person so should you even think about distancing yourself, you will have to answer to a horde of reporters and I don’t think I need to tell you about how intense they can get when they think they got a scoop.

Do not copy, translate or use my work without my permission. All rights belong to the author.

#honkai star rail x reader #yandere hsr #yandere hsr x reader #dr ratio x reader #yandere dr ratio #Yandere dr ratio x reader #hsr dr ratio #gn reader #revpinewriting

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reversedpineapple · 2 days ago

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Thinking about a duct tape wizard

#hehe #neat #revpinetalks

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reversedpineapple · 2 days ago

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hiii! may I ask, what characters are you writing for?

Hi! I write for every hsr character that is not underage. The gender of the character is also not important so you can also request the women. :D

Here is also my rules page should there be any questions left open. Hope to hear from you again. (∗˃̶ ᵕ ˂̶∗)

#revpinetalks

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reversedpineapple · 2 days ago

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FINALLY since the day Arlecchino released I build her and only today did I get a good artefact.

Father, why dost thou test me?

#revpinetalks

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reversedpineapple · 2 days ago

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Thinking about joining the astral express with Sunday... Only for him to follow you like a lost puppy. As your boyfriend,, pls take this while i write for the amphoreus trio <3 600+ words.

Sunday never expected that he would have to share his journey with someone else. Yet, here he is, exploring the unknown with you by his side with such an unexpected twist.

The new reality is quite hard to get used to, but he's glad to have you - your presence brings him comfort that needs no words. While of course, the Halovian tries to befriend everyone to finally put the awkward tension to rest, it's obvious he's first and foremost going to you. Not only as a friend, but now - as a partner.

That being said, he's also new to the whole relationship thing - he's had a few partners before, but they weren't as serious. Perhaps this is what love is? Those cursed butterflies in his stomach he has no control over, his wings covering his face when you look at him with that bright smile of yours, or the rest of the wings appearing and covering his face entirely when you catch him staring a bit too long...

"Sunny," you call out affectionately, "Hello? Penacony to Sunday!" Your hand waves in front of his face.

Sunday on the other hand, feels like he just got caught stealing, but ten times over. His face flushes red and the poor, poor wings cover his mouth at the speed of light. His gaze falls on the floor.

"I— I apologize," the halovian curses at himself for stuttering in his mind, "I... I did not hear what you said. But if you could repeat it, I'd love to listen."

Your hand moves to his face, gently pushing the wing away and rubbing the gentle feathers; he doesn't fight you, almost feeling like his body is listening to you more than his own mind. Once you press a kiss on his cheek, that's when Himeko brings the first aid kit...

Everything is new to you as well, including sharing a room with Sunday. Even though neither of you planned to be in a relationship together, it seems like someone else did with that plan of theirs (Himeko). He's actually pleased to decorate it with you, meshing the ideas together and creating something entirely new. Alas, another heart attack is waiting for him when the realization hits - one bed. Sunday doesn't hide his nervousness, but your confession admitting the same puts him a little at ease. His voice, although quiet, asks for your consent to hold your hands together.

Yes, he's a bit stiff. Yes, it'll take more than one night to get over. But his hand just fits so perfectly in yours, that the worries slip away.. making the Halovian snore not long after.

Actually, you might need to excuse Sunday for following you all the time, because you're guilty of it yourself. Not that he minds - it's merely another opportunity to spend time together. Now that he's a nameless - he has time to try out all the new hobbies he couldn't before. If you want to help him make breakfast, you're more than welcome to accompany him and guide him through the recipe, which eventually turns into a playful fight and stolen kisses here and there. Hmm, was it the sound of a camera shutter? Probably just your imagination.

"Sunday, I need to use the bathroom."

"Understandable. Please do."

"Can you leave?"

He's got the spirit, at least... Right!

The undeniable thing about Sunday's love - although very fragile, is still filled with endearment and care; his wings gently envelop your cheeks when your lips meet together in a kiss, his hands brush against yours noticeably before intertwining them, asking silently for your approval - perhaps sometimes letting someone enter your heart may yield beautiful results - as long as their intentions are to mend that shattered heart.

#god I love how pathetic he is #revpinereblogs

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reversedpineapple · 2 days ago

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Nyanaxa (•ؔʶ̷ ˡ̲̮ ؔʶ̷)

落書き

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reversedpineapple · 3 days ago

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꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬𒋲ᩧ 𝒮𝓁𝒾𝒸ℯ ℴ𝒻 ℋℯ𝒶𝓋ℯ𝓃 𒋲ᩧٜ۪ꥇ໋۬﹋꒦꒷

The GRIP this man has on me oml. Anyways, I hope you like this starter for my series. I always wanted to write something for her but never got the time for it (never mind setting up a blog, yada yada the whole spiel). Enjoy! ( ദ്ദി ˙ᗜ˙ )

∘•·····•∘ Yan! Sunday x Isekaid! Reader ∘•·····•∘

Escape had always been the plan. However, being the director of Penaconys Grand Theater made that a whole lot harder but perhaps, you might just make it with the help of the Nameless.

Pre!Relationship setting, Pre!Penacony storyline setting

The reader holds the title “Direttrice” (= Director). They will be addressed as such by the characters. This is not an OC insert! (I used google translate so who knows how accurate that is.)

TWs: Themes of captivity, high stress positions, obsessive behaviour, (not really) implied stalking, forced into occupation, description of loneliness

My inbox is always on anon so write me if I forgot something \(°v°)/

Comments, likes and reblogs are always appreciated. :D

ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ Word count: 4.7k ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬

By continuing to read beyond this point, you have agreed to the trigger warnings and to be at least of the age of 18. The author does not hold any responsibility whatsoever for your actions.

7 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑦 𝐹𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙

Sleep was not the act of resting for you. It hadn’t been for a long time.

You had lost count how many times you had dove into the waves of the dream, bubbles floating around you to the surface, breaking through to reality. There was no need to move, no need to swim with desperate movements to the surface. This was not the kind of sea capable of ending a life.

Not in this form at least.

Baby blue light shone upon you brilliantly. In a natural setting, this would have been a marvelous view. Fishes dancing among the waves, the light of the sun caressing the most upper layers of the ocean.

The gentle light became harsher, it no longer lifting you gently from the depths, now aggressively pulling you upwards to the cold air of a cold room.

You swallowed. The scratch of a dry throat greeted you like a ‘Good morning’. Pushing yourself upwards, you rubbed your eyes, the blinding light of a single lamp leaving a stinging sensation behind your iris.

How long were you asleep? Lifting your gaze to the clock beside your dreampool, you were greeted with numbers telling you it was barely past midnight. Lifting yourself out of the water, you reached out to the towel you always kept close to the tub.

Someone knocked on the door.

Replying to the question of allowed entry, you let out a (not so loud) scratchy ”Come in.”

Hearing the opening of the door and steps entering into your office, you turned around to tie a robe around yourself. You were almost dry, only a slight sheen of moisture left on your skin. You kept yourself from cursing when you couldn’t find your slippers for a minute.

Finally appearing behind the partition separating your place of slumber from your work, your eyes met the gaze of a bloodhound member. Perhaps, he was more of a “the” bloodhound member to you. Gopher had assigned this man to guard and run errands for you since day one. Other than him, there was no other interaction with a living being in the real world.

You had to give it to Gopher, even after not appearing in public anymore, the old man was still loyal to his order. ‘Educate them, teach them how to take care of the Theater, make them subservient.’ As far as you knew, you played that last part well enough to not be suspicious.

At least you hoped your acting was good enough.

Setting down a stack of papers on the desk, its dark wood imposing its presence onto the room, he gave a quick nod. “Direttrice, I have brought the current reports concerning the preparations for the festive activities held in the theater.”

Nodding, you gave him a small thanks, not disappointed as he simply moved to the display case. Taking out a glass and a carafe of such fine craftsmanship you could have never bought if you were still living your old life, he moved to pour you a drink.

“Has there been any unrest? I hope that Pepeshi reporter has given up on sneaking into the Theater.“ you inquired as you pulled the chair out to sit down. Grabbing for the first paper on the stack, you started to read through the graphs and estimated number of attendance. There had been a time when such numbers had been frightening to you, too high to comprehend their meaning. Now they were to you just what they truly were, numbers.

A glass of cool water was placed to your right. Grabbing it, your eyes never left the papers slowly spreading over your workspace. “Have there been any messages from the families?”

Looking up from the cause of your most likely incoming headache, your eyes met the ones of the hound once more. “The head of the Nightingale Family would like to know if there is any need to send a member to the Grand Theater should there be need for greater redecorating.”

You both knew this was not necessary even if the building itself were to collapse.

Yet, it also wouldn’t be bad to keep up the pretense of the hard working, totally normal Director of the Grand Theater though. Feeling the cool essence of life flow down your throat, finally dislodging the ball of needles nestled in there, you placed your drink down.

Yes, you would do well to strengthen the pretence.

“Please tell them that their kind offer is appreciated and that we could use a few helping hands to redecorate the halls. Miss Robin is the star of the show, so a few more posters would not be a bad idea.”

Just as you were grabbing for the fountain pen sitting in front of you, a red drop fell onto the report in front of you. Letting out a hiss, you leaned back in your chair, tipping your head backwards to avoid getting any more of it outside of you any more.

A gloved hand held out a cloth handkerchief, the gesture unusual hurried. “Direttrice, should I call for medical attention?”

Pushing down the feeling of surprise at his unusual behaviour, you accepted it. Pressing the fabric against your nose, you shook your head carefully. You felt fine… but also exhausted. It had been a while since your mind was allowed to actually rest instead of working. Ending inside the dream was nice until you were exposed to actual work.

“It must be the stress. As soon as the festival is over I will get some proper rest.”

Or at least you hoped that it was only stress.

Stretching your limbs over your head, you felt a satisfying pop running through the joint of your arm. A look at the clock told you, you hadn’t moved in the last six hours. Stretching your legs as well, you made a plan in your head how to proceed during the rest of your day. A drunken guest had somehow made it through security last night, damaging two seats and even though you could easily ask the personnel of the Nightingale family to fix the damage, the thought of them changing more than small details made you feel uncomfortable.

Who knew what kind of devastating consequences an overconfident Dreamweaver playing with the Stellaron could bring forth?

Lifting the last of the many papers to your face, you studied its contents. There was nothing that couldn’t be fixed very quickly. Just a few new bookings, the workers most likely already took care of that.

What you did not expect were the words ‘Astral Express’ written on there as well. This was the first time since learning what was important and what not that you gave your attention to this part of the reports.

From what you understood, there had been a new member among their numbers. Those that claimed to witness them reported they reminded them of a gray raccoon. The Trailblazer, no doubt. There had been a request from the management team to secure an extra seat should the rumors turn out to be true.

So it had finally come to this. How many times had you sat here, wishing for the story to progress to the point you would finally see the Nameless in person.

Picking up your pen and a paper, you started to write.

Dear esteemed head of the Oak Family

Reports have informed me that members of the Astral Express will be in attendance of the Charmony Festival. As we are both aware, the Nameless have always been experienced in the handling of Stellarons.

Considering the true nature of the Grand Theater, I would like to arrange a meeting between us to discuss precautions should they somehow find this information out.

With the greatest respect,

The Direttrice

Careful as not to wrinkle the paper, you sealed your message in an envelope, the rarely seen emblem of the Director of the Theater decorating the wax seal. Gesturing for your assistant, you handed him your letter. “Please make sure the Oak Family head gets my message today. This is of utmost importance.”

Watching the man leave your office, you suppressed the tickling in your throat. All you needed to do now was follow the plan you had oh so carefully worked out over the past few years and then, freedom would be finally yours.

Untying your robe, you stepped behind the partition, not bothering to lay out a towel to prepare for awakening once more.

Finally letting out the laugh you had been holding in, you slipped gleefully into the liquid. There was a lot to prepare and not much time before the arrival of your honored guest but for them, you would gladly work yourself to the bone.

Violet fabric adorned with blue thorns materialized out of nowhere, covering your arms. smoothing out a few stray wrinkles, you checked yourself out in the reflection of the mirror standing next to the dresser. Being satisfied with your appearance, you stepped out from behind the partition. Your office in the dream identical to the one in the real world. The only difference was the missing dreampool. Opening the door to the corridor, you left the room, your destination the front desk.

You took note of the changes that happened during your absence, posters created recently by the sent Dreamweaver now decorating the walls. One of them caught your eye, the stylistic portrait of Robin slightly crooked. Stepping closer, you heard something akin to chirping. Already knowing the culprit behind this small mistake, you raised your hand until it pointed to the small pink plume of feathers peeking out from behind the picture.

With a snap of your fingers the small bird dislodged with a small chirp. Shaking its small body, it chirped at you. “How did you find me again? I made sure to hide in a new place.”

Shaking your head, you let out a small laugh. Holding out your arm, you invited the small being of paper to take seat on your sleeve. “I am the one responsible for this place. Of course I would notice if something was amiss.”

Stepping forward, the small paper bird took its offered place. Waiting till it had found its balance, you angled it in front of your body. Even if someone were to pass, it would just look like you were standing perfectly normal and not tending to something invisible.

“Has something interesting happened?” You asked your small companion. A tickling sensation told you of it shaking its head. At least nothing happened whilst you were gone. “I think the Oak was visiting earlier.”

Not a surprise. You found him wandering the halls at least once a week. Why he did that was a mystery to you but considering that he had a miniature version of the city in his house, you wouldn’t be surprised if he was mapping out his own plans.

If only you had the time to take a walk like he did.

Now that you thought about it, how did he manage to have enough time for those? Last time you checked, leadership positions were usually not very gracious in the department of free time.

Seeing the entrance to the ticket counter, you dusted off your arm with your other hand. Understanding your message, the bird took flight. Stopping midair, it turned around to face you once again. “Sunday has been acting weird this time. The others and I don’t know why but he has been unusually interested in the stage.”

Nodding to it, you expressed your thanks. It was no wonder he did. If everything went according to what you remembered, he would soon confront the Nameless there.

Lowering your arms, you stepped into the room. As soon as the personnel saw you, they hurriedly tried to get in position. Waving your hand, you told them to stop. “There is no need for that. I am just here for the booking list.”

Stepping in front of the desk, you focused your gaze on the young woman standing behind it. She stood straight, a welcoming smile on her lips but her hands rubbing told you of the nervousness she felt. Offering her a gentle smile, you hoped she would relax a little. “Good day. The reports told me of an overbooking. Please hand me the list to see if there was not an error in the system.”

Nodding a bit too fast for your liking, your gesture not helping her in the slightest, she searched for the mentioned list. Shortly after, she pulled the neatly kept paper out of a drawer under the desk. Handing it to you, she kept her gaze glued to the list. Grabbing it carefully from her hands, not wanting to give the poor thing the fright of her life, you thanked her for her help.

Unfolding it, you looked over the list, pretending to look for a certain booking. Looking down, you saw that there were indeed still empty seats for this specific performance. Snapping with your finger, you noted down this information on a piece of paper in your office. Turning around again, you folded the list once more. “I must thank you once more.”

Handing over the list, you left once more. You heard the orchestra strum their instruments in the theater hall.

Heading over to your office, you took notice of two voices resounding in the long hall, almost drowned out by the sound of the practicing orchestra in the theater. “The Direttrice should be here soon. If you wish, I could accompany you to a seat.”

Turning around the corner, you were met with the sight of one of your workers and Sunday. Hearing you, the second of the two turned around. Golden irises and navy pupils met your own. You felt your back muscles tighten, the middle finger of your left hand twitched.

The characters always looked so pretty on screen but when they actually stood in front of you, you could not help but be intimidated by the uncanny valley effect they exuded. They looked human enough but there was just something not right just below the surface.

Lifting your left hand to your chest, you gestured welcoming to your office door with the other, the gentle smile you had practiced oh so painstakingly over the years still visible on your face. “Welcome, head of the Oak Family. Could I have the pleasure of inviting you into my office?”

Stepping closer to you, Sunday replied to your smile with one of his own. A shame it was a lot less warm and a lot more cold but perhaps that was just your knowledge of what he was planning. “Good day Direttrice, I have taken notice of your proposal for a meeting. Considering its importance, I came over as soon as possible.”

That was fast. Too fast for comfort. If you were asked for an urgent meeting, you would have been able to meet them earliest in half a day. At least you had finished all the preparations in advance almost a year ago. “I am very thankful for your fast response. Shall we head inside?”

Stepping aside, the Halovian made space for you. Passing him, you took hold of the door handle. As your gloved hands made contact with the cold metal, the door opened with a silent clicking sound. A warm current of air passed you, the space you usually occupied carrying an air of familiarity. Stepping into your office, you held the newly opened pathway open for the man.

Nodding to the worker, you thanked him for bringing him here. The steps of Sundays shoes reverberated in the hall before the sound was drowned out by the smaller space. Pulling the door closed, you squeezed the handle. Taking in a breath you turned to the most powerful man of this planet.

Following suit, you slowly stepped into the center of your office. Walking around your desk, you casually picked up the note lying on it, hoping not to look too suspicious. Turning around, you gestured to a chair standing in front of the desk, it now standing where a second before was nothing but air.

“Once more, I must thank you for your attendance.” Sunday took his place in the offered seat, his movements practiced and refined. “The gratitude is mine considering the gravity of the situation. I assume you already have an idea how to deal with it.” Sitting down yourself, you took one more small breath. You could feel your heart racing in your ribcage.

Gripping the golden ornaments decorating your trousers, you gave him a nod. The blunt tips bit against the skin hidden beneath your gloves. Reaching with your right hand for the desk drawer, you pulled out a folder from within. Opening it, you presented him with five tickets. “as we know, the Trailblaze hasn’t visited Penacony in a long time. Thus, we can still influence their opinion.”

Sliding the folder over the desk to Sunday, you kept your eyes trained on his. “In order to assure they will not pick up on any unwanted information, I shall approach the followers of the Trailblaze under the guise of their personal guide.”

The halo flying behind Sundays head bobbed slightly forward when he reached over to take a look for what the presented pieces of paper were. “And how will you, the director of the Grand Theater, explain why especially you are showing them the planet of festivities?”

Your reply was a nod. This was a small victory, one you had prepared for years ago. With an opponent like Sunday, nothing was allowed to be left to luck.

Not even the tickets for the play you were presenting right now. “A reasonable question. In that case, I could bring forth that I myself am not from here and as a show of gratitude for their deeds decided to step forward to welcome them myself.��

Sundays eyes glided back up to yours, his irises looking like molten lava, a shadow of doubt flickering across them.

You held on tighter to the ornament, it now stinging painfully. If you so much as stuttered, this could all go terribly wrong. “As I am connected to the Theater, I am also most concerned about them doing something to the Stellaron. The Nameless are known for doing whatever they want to do but with my presence, we could avoid something happening to it.”

Still sensing a sliver of doubt, you leaned forward. “To ensure the success of the Charmony Festival.”

Your eyes and the ones of the Halovians locked into each other. Sundays eyes widened slightly but before you could reason as to why, he leaned back in his seat. Mirroring his action, you hoped to appear less aggressive in your debate strategy.

“I do not see why you should take care of such a task. Sending members of the Bloodhound family after them could secure the safety of the festival just the same.” Damn. Of course that would not have been enough but this was the head of the planet of festivities. A few words were not going to give you what you wanted.

Finally, you relaxed your left hand, letting it fall to your side. Standing up from your seat, you walked over to the windowless outlook into the theater hall. A violin was currently desperately trying to nail their solo part. With a wave of your hands, the red curtains smoothly slid shut, not a sound of the outside world now perceptive to the two of you. “There have been rumors of an addition to their group.”

Wandering over to one of the bookshelves lining your walls, you glided your fingers along the titles, looking out for a green cover with gold lettering. “About two years ago we had a Dreamweaver break into the theater. They were convinced that their idea of it would be more beneficial for Penacony. When they started to change this place, I felt it.”

Finally finding what you were searching for, you pulled the thin book out. Taking a look at the cover, you confirmed that it was the right one before starting to flip through the pages.

“Through resources, I have found out that their new addition could have a Stellaron inside of them.” Resources being your memory playing the game. You heard your visitor stand up. Taking a small look at him, you lowered your tone, a frigid seriousness penetrating your actions. “If my guess is correct, then I can confirm that.”

Finally finding the illustration of a folder, you reached for the page. The paper gave away like water. If you allowed yourself to be tricked by the feeling, you could almost feel small bubbles pushing against your skin to the surface. Your wrist was already completely submerged before you finally felt what you were looking for.

“Stellarons resonate. We need to find out if their mere presence could give away Penaconys best guarded secret.” Pulling at the object, you were finally able to hand the Halovian what you had prepared so long ago in advance.

Taking hold of the files you had just presented him, Sunday started to flip through them. “I am a creation of Penaconys Stellaron, I can assure that I can get the necessary information to make sure that no unwanted information gets leaked.”

A lie, well, halfway. Your body was… perhaps, but your soul definitely wasn’t. It did however grant you safety from whatever the family would have done with you if you had told them that you hailed from another world.

Sunday closed the folder a bit too aggressively. “If what you say is the truth, how do you know the Stellaron within that person won’t resonate with you?”

You could feel your hands becoming clammy in your gloves. Clasping your hands in front of you, you tried to keep your breathing steady. This kind of reaction was to be expected. There was nothing to worry about. This man would not be in the position he was today if he was naively walking through life. “Past events have shown that Stellarons only resonate if they are active. Also, individuals with connections to them do not incite this reaction.”

Your conversation partner did not answer. Walking forward, the winged man stepped closer. Stepping aside, you made space for him. There was no telling what he was about to do but you also did not dare to say something.

Gliding his hand over the books, he pulled out a copy of a play having Clocky as its protagonist. Swallowing, you tightened the hold on your hands. “I am inclined to include plays for children into our program. The Dreamscape has seen an uptick in children visiting with their parents.”

A lie, again, but there was no reason for him to doubt you. Cocking your head slightly to the side, you raised your eyebrow at him, careful not to shatter the illusion of the gentle person you were trying to portray. You hoped your expression looked more like someone expressing interest rather than desperate impatience.

Sliding the book once more into the space it left behind, Sunday stepped back to your desk, his hands resting on the folder still laying there. Opening it, he read the name of the play tickets were for. “A theatrical recreation of Penacony's history. Can you assure me they will learn nothing of value?”

“Of course. This is merely a more interesting recreation of it rather than reading the information from a tourist pamphlet.”

Taking another look at the tickets, he nodded. "Alright. You shall act as their guide but should they turn out to be too much for you, the Oak Family will step in immediately.”

Looking up again, he gave you a final nod. The matter was decided.

Closing the folder, his hand stayed on top of it. “Now that we took care of this matter…”

Turning his face halfway into your direction, he continued. “Direttrice, many members of the Family have reported to feel various negative side effects due to the preparations of the festival. How have you been fairing?”

You felt your mouth twitch. This was… unexpected. You were expecting a lot. An evaluation of ticket sales, reports on performances but for him to inquire about your well-being? That was something you did not think about when preparing for this meeting.

“I am thankful for your… inquiry. I am happy to reply that I have been doing well.” You hoped your assistant wouldn’t report to Gopher the little incident which happened just this morning. Or perhaps he already did? It would explain the question.

“Have you and Miss Robin been alright? I must assume that the both of you are the busiest of us all.” Giving you an elegant smile, still not warm enough to reach his eyes for the second time this day, he gave you his reply. “My sister and I have been doing well. We are currently preparing for a short outing outside of Penacony. I hope you will fare well.”

He was truly spoiled. You never really noticed when you were still playing the game, merely reading his voicelines but when engaged in conversations with him, you felt a sense of superiority radiating off of him. The kind of sense telling that someone was raised with not only silver, but a diamond spoon in their mouth.

“I wish you the best of travels. THEY shall protect you on the voyage.” Ok that was perhaps putting it on a bit thick but you were not someone able to express their rather non-believing world views.

The backpocket of your trouser vibrated. Excusing yourself, you turned around to take a look on your phone. Not a real one, of course. Just something existing in the Dreamspace so you wouldn’t need to resort to carrier pigeons. On second thought, maybe you should. At least then you would have control over one feathered being.

It was nothing close to important. Just a message from one of the managers that one of the plays they were responsible for was sold out. Still, it was a excuse to escape from… whatever this was.

Turning back to Sunday, you threw him an apologetic smile. “I must apologise, but something urgent came up.”

His wing twitched again but there was no indication for any negative emotion on his face. “I see. If that is the case, I shall excuse myself.”

Walking him to the door, you took hold of the handle, opening it for him. “I must thank you once again for your attendance.” God you wanted this to be over. “Goodbye, Direttrice.”

Closing the door after he turned around, you slumped against the dark wood. A small clicking sound was heard when the lock closed. Flicking your hand, the curtains pulled aside again. The stage was slowly emptying, the instruments and musicians slowly leaving the platform.

Was it always so cold in your office?

The young man felt his wings flap. Before him stood a stranger, one Gopher had instructed him to meet. He had read the reports, knew that the creation of the Stellaron was docile.

He just didn’t expect it… them to look so normal.

When he heard of them from one of his caretakers, he was overjoyed. Until then, only his sister was somewhat close to his age.

He had been sad when he learned that they would not be able to meet them.

When Sunday took the seat of the family head, he was handed the reports. A child stumbling forth from behind the curtain, bathed in the golden light of the Stellaron. At first, they were assumed to be a Memory Zone Meme but when their body was found in a dreampool.

Later it was confirmed by Memorykeepers that they did not sneak in. They just started to exist.

Even though he had never met them, he always felt a kind of kinship. Both of them were groomed to be leaders in their respective fields, /someone who understood him/.

At some points, the reports about them became his highlight of the week.

A year later, they became the director of the Grand Theater.

Gracefully lifting their hand, they rested the tips of their fingers on the space between their collarbone. A practiced action, Sunday recognised it from his own training. “Greetings head of the Oak Family. The pleasure of meeting you is mine.”

Sunday did not even remember what he said back then. All that mattered was that he finally met them. His Charmony Dove, his own little slice of heaven.

“I hope our liaison will be a harmonious one.”