#LOST IT LIKE OMG HE WAS TAKING ORDERS FROM HIM TO RESEARCH AND REPORT WHAT THO AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[merakiui]

Okay okay okay I’ve been thinking about this for a few days now here’s my list of genshin boys most likely to least likely to become a yandere and why:

-xiao. Millennia of suffering and he meets somebody who makes the pain dissipate? Hell never let go.

-diluc. People have died in his arms, he can’t risk losing another loved one... it’s not like he doesn’t have the wealth and resources to keep his beloved by his side.

-Childe. I think he’d be the most dehumanizing yandere - he treats you almost like a child (haha) as be manipulates his way into your heart. And god knows that he gets what he wants.

-albedo is obviously in the top half of this list. We’ve talked about his yandere tendacies before so I won’t relist them but jeez get this boy some therapy.

-razor. Now this sounds surprising but after years of protecting his Lupical, do you really think he’d let somebody he loves and sees as helpless wander alone? I feel hes less captor and manipulative and more of a stalker if he becomes a yandere

-venti. Freedom is his entire world, but can he let his beloved have freedom if it endangers them? One of the most manipulative ones on this list, except he has no clue that he’s doing it.

-kaeya. Maybe you’d gotten to close to one of his secrets. Maybe you’d figured out something he wanted to die. It doesn’t matter much now, all you know is that you were tried and declared guilty by the knights of favonius and were sent into a dungeon protected by the Calvery captain himself.

-zhongli. Has the yandere desires, but refuses to give in. He’s loved and lost so many times over the years and he figures he doesn’t want to take that away from his beloved.

-chongyun. I’ve gone back and forth between him and xingqiu for this one, but I feel like these last 3 are all pretty much tied for not being a yandere. However, if he met someone who could somehow null his congenital positivity than he might move up on this list...

-Xingqiu. He has a strong sense of justice and honor, the idea of manipulating, stalking or god forbid kidnapping his S/O is appalling to him.

-Bennett. Literally just tryna vibe. Devotes as much time as he can to make sure any relationship he has is healthy.

So basically:

Everybody on this list: *frothing at the mouth, thinking of ways to keep their S/Os with them*

Bennett, Chongyun, Xingqiu and to some extent Zhongli: what the fuck

Your list... Simply amazing. Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m beginning to wonder where other characters would sit on the list. Mainly Scaramouche though aha oops Anyways, please never stop sharing your thoughts!! They are so GOOD!

Xiao’s backstory and past is just perfect material to fuel his yandere desires. He’s suffered for so long and has never really experienced positive emotions, let alone love itself. The poor adeptus is always brooding on his own and here comes his darling, bright and happy and just...perfect. They’re like a glimmering star in his murky darkness and he wants to treasure them. There’s no way he’s going to let go of the feeling he gets when he’s with them, nor is he going to let them leave his side.

It makes sense that Diluc would also be at the top of that list. He’s got the making of a yandere, especially considering all of the people he’s lost in his life. Now that he’s found someone so important to him, he can’t risk losing them. It would destroy him if he found out that his darling got hurt or was even killed because he wasn’t taking enough precautions to keep them safe. He’d definitely blame himself if something like that happened.

Childe, pspspspsp!!! The power this man holds... Omg he makes for such a terrifying yandere. On the outside, he seems warm and disarming—just your normal, happy-go-lucky kind of guy. He’s not dangerous at all! No way. But under all of that falsified charm is someone who knows how to pull strings. He’s a Fatui Harbinger, so of course he has the means of getting you wrapped around his finger. It’s not all that hard when he’s got money, power, and strength. Plus, when he wants something he’s not going to stop until he acquires it; Childe lives for the thrill of chasing after you and it’ll be even more fun once he catches you. Someone should send me more thoughts about yan!Childe!!! orz orz

Albedo also qualifies as a neat yandere! Something about yanderes who are into science is just...fascinating to me. It’s also cool because Albedo’s rumored to be a homunculus, so that adds to the intrigue! Albedo has the resources to get what he wants as well. It won’t be all that difficult, and if it proves to be challenging he can just think of other solutions to pacify his darling. He is a researcher, after all, and a good researcher seeks to find the best solution to a problem.

Razor would be a feral yandere. He’s more action than words. He doesn’t put much thought into what he does because it feels more like an instinct to him. He’s just protecting his Lupical. There’s nothing wrong with that! So why are you acting so difficult? D: 

Like you said, Venti’s not aware of his manipulation and he just does it because it works. His belief that everyone deserves freedom is probably what really holds him back. He doesn’t want you to feel caged, but that feeling is practically inevitable since he’s always hounding you. Venti is a very suffocating yandere and he doesn’t even realize it.

KAEYA! KAEYA! I love the idea of Kaeya having some sort of blackmail on you—something so bad that you absolutely can’t let the world see. And so he uses that to keep you quiet. If you did stumble upon one of his secrets, he can’t possibly have you running that pretty mouth of yours. But if you do end up spilling his secret, it’s only fair that he shares yours, right? An eye for an eye, as some would say. Kaeya’s very smooth and calculative when it comes to handling blackmail. Whenever it feels like you’re trying to one-up him and possibly escape, he’ll flirtatiously remind you of the power he holds over you. Blackmail is rather compelling, is it not?

Zhongli does have the motive to be a yandere, as you pointed out, but he’s a strange case. On one hand, it makes sense that he’d want to protect his beloved at all costs, but on the other he’d probably be aware of these unhealthy tendencies. Although he probably uses the idea of a contract to keep your relationship going, even if it’s clear you don’t want anything to do with him. But if you do, that just makes it easier on him! 

NO BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE SAME FOR CHONGYUN!!! Not the yan!Chongyun piece rotting in my drafts for a month or two now ehehee I had some thoughts about Chongyun but never bothered posting it for some reason. Anyways, I do think Chongyun has potential to be a yandere! As you mentioned, his congenital positivity can become an issue and he doesn’t want that to seriously affect his daily life. So he’s probably very pleased to find someone who can nullify that positivity. It’d be similar to Xiao’s case; Xiao likes someone who can be the light in his dark world. Chongyun falls for the person who can null his congenital positivity and is someone who he gets along with. 

The only way I can see Xingqiu being a yandere is if he wants a noble, storybook romance. Okay, that sounds strange, but consider it! He’s a huge bookworm who probably doesn’t exactly experience romance aside from what he reads in his novels. Although he doesn’t dabble in the romance genre all that often, he does like the idea of being a hero and sweeping someone off of their feet. So when he meets you—another fellow bookworm or maybe the two of you are thrown into an arranged marriage—he just feels an undeniable connection. This must be some form of fate or a sixth sense. Maybe he can be the main character of his own story! You’ll just have to cooperate and you can be the valiant knight’s love interest!

Bennett’s vibes are so nice. How could he be a yandere? He’s just too sweet and pure. He’s really just here to chill and gather an adventuring team full of great friends! But if anyone has any thoughts...please share them! 

That’s it. I’m writing about Scaramouche even though he’s not on the list. Please, why do I simp so much for him? Anyways, we don’t know nearly enough about Scaramouche to determine his backstory or past. But he just oozes yandere! Most of the Harbingers are probably the same, to some extent. He’s like Childe with all of the power and resources, but whereas Childe relishes in the chase Scaramouche refuses to put up with it. It’s just way too inconvenient for him. He’d rather catch you when you least expect it and then keep you for himself.

Gosh, he’s a very determined and possessive yandere with a strict agenda; this man probably cheats in order to get you. He’ll send his underlings to do the work in his place. They’ll stalk you and report back to him and it isn’t long before he learns of your friends, certain family members you’re close to, and even where you live. It’s terrifying, but this is Scaramouche we’re talking about. For someone so short, he sure knows how to intimidate and beat fear into those below him. Good luck to the poor soul who catches his eye. 

I must thank you for making that list! It was lots of fun to consider their mindsets and behaviors as yandere. :D

[venomous--fics]

In the Dark Ch.1

Inspired by/Mood music: Losing Interest by Shiloh // I’ll Keep You Safe by Shiloh // Slow Dancing in the Dark by Joji (so the lyrics in this song kinda related to Eddie. imsosorry.)

Pairings: Carlton Drake x Reader, Eddie Brock/Venom x Reader (eventually?)

Summary: Your lifelong friend, Eddie Brock, has come into your life and you two plan to catch up. Nothing ever goes as planned, though. 

Pearlie: AAAWWW YISS here’s that drama fic, guys. omg I am so glad I can finally get this thing out of my crusty documents. Enjoy this garbage! also, p.s. Anne is referenced, but at this point, in my story, they have already broken up.

STORY: 

You leaned over the counter, peering at the small tv. The Eddie Brock report was on, and you always tried to watch it, as you promised Eddie you would never miss an episode. Sometimes it was the only way you got to see him. You two had hardly spoken since he became a journalist. You weren’t upset that he was following his dream, no, you just wish he still had some spare time for you. 

You and Eddie go way back. You two had met during your first years of preschool. Some bigger kids were picking on you and taking your things and Eddie tried to be the hero, only for him to get picked on as well. You two just stuck together, and as you both got older, Eddie got braver (even if it meant getting into serious trouble) while you stuck to focusing on work. 

You and Eddie had planned to go to the same university and everything, and you worked extra hard to make sure you would make it. But after graduation, money became and issue, so you had to stay behind to work a job or two to save spare change. Eddie was way more broken up about it than he would admit, but he promised he would come back and they’d buy a big house and nice car, dogs, cats, the works. 

You hate to admit it, but you dreamed about that all the time. You wanted to have a life with Eddie more than anything in the world. You’ve been in love with him since middle school. You always got jealous when he got a new girlfriend, but you never said a word because you wanted him to be happy.

“Y/n/n.”

Your chin was resting on the palm of your hand as you stared at the tv, losing yourself in a daydream. You felt like a lost puppy, and you were waiting for the day for Eddie to just come around, even if it was just for a couple of minutes. 

“Y/n/n? Hello?” 

You snapped back to reality and moved back from the counter, “What?” 

You eyes landed on a familiar face, a crooked grin was plastered onto it. It took you a minute to register that Eddie was actually in front of you. You let out a noise of excitement as you ran around the counter and put your arms around him. He returned the hug, chuckling, “You seem a little too excited to see him.” 

You move back and look at him, “Of course. I’m overjoyed, gosh, it’s been-”

“A year.” 

“Yeah. A year..”

Eddie took a seat on one of the stools and you sat next to him, “So, how are things?” 

You cleared your throat and twiddled your thumbs, “Oh... You know. Uhm. The same. Boring.” 

“Same.”

“What do you mean same?” you playfully tap his shoulder, “You’re doing so many amazing things, Eddie. How is that boring?”

Eddie took a moment to respond because he forgot what his name sounded like coming out of your mouth, or how happy it made him feel. He looked you over, noting how your hair looked in the afternoon sun, and how confused you looked that he stopped talking.

“Eddie?”

“Oh!” Eddie stammered, “Oh, right. Well- uh- I guess it’s boring because I just don’t do much.. I suppose.” 

Eddie began rambling about how the show made it all seem so exciting and cool. That went on for awhile, as Eddie had to talk about every person he ever interviewed, and you didn’t mind. It felt like an eternity of you two talking about nothing. You hadn’t even noticed the day was fading into evening until Eddie mentioned the time.

He got up from his stool, “I got somewhere to be, but I am not done with you.” 

“Maybe over dinner.” 

Eddie backed up to the door, “Why not. How about that weird, pretentious gourmet place just down the block?” 

“Sure, I would love to go to that weird, pretentious gourmet place.” 

Eddie bumped into the door, “Oh, sorry.”

You sarcastically rolled your eyes as you rose from your seat and walked behind the counter. He was so clumsy when he got flustered. It was always cute to you, if you were honest. 

“What about Friday at 7?”

You stared at him, pretending to think about it, “I suppose I can rearrange my schedule.” 

“Awesome.” Eddie replied, clumsily pushing open the door, “Friday at 7. Don’t forget.” 

“I won’t forget. You should write yourself a sticky note, though.”

“Oh.. Haha, very funny, Y/n.” 

You giggled as you leaned on the counter once more, “See you, Eddie.” 

“See you.” 

You watched as the diner door closed and Eddie walked down the sidewalk, celebrating a little. You shook your head, he’s never gonna change, is he?

 The rest of the week went by quickly, probably because it was so dull. It was now Friday, and you were waiting for your shift to end. You got off early, so you had planned to go home and get ready. You your outfit picked out and everything, only because you wanted to look nice. You never went out much, seeing as you really didn’t have friends and for the fact that you never actively went out looking for dates. 

Your shift ended and you made your way home. You were so ecstatic to spend an evening out with Eddie. You’ve only been dreaming of this moment for a few years. What if Eddie said he liked you? What if he was super honest about how he felt? 

Eddie was never one to get all mushy or romantic, but if he really meant it, you were sure he would at least give it a shot. Maybe not like those weird romance movies where they fly to a different country or anything like that.. But maybe he’d buy a ring pop. That counts as romance, right? You thought it did.

You opened the door to your apartment, sighing happily as you dropped your keys on the counter and made your way towards the shower.

Eddie left his boss’ office fuming. Interview Carlton Drake? That creep? Yeah, right. He let the mere existence of that guy consume his thoughts. There was no way in Hell Eddie would interview that murderous prick. He knew he had to, one way or the other, but he didn’t have to be happy about it. 

He made it home, and he sat on the couch, still thinking about that Drake guy. He would rather beat that guy to a pulp that even spit in his direction. He closed his eyes for a moment before he heard a ping. He turned his attention to Anne’s laptop on the coffee table.

She was in the process of moving her things out. She broke things off after a bit of an argument about Eddie’s maturity and how she wanted different things than what he did. He thought he’d be a little more upset about it, but she was right, Eddie was very immature. But in Eddie fashion, he wasn’t going to change that.

He set the laptop on his lap and opened the source of the noise: Anne’s work emails. He felt a bit gross about going through her things, but the email was from the Life Foundation, and it had all this information about people who had died during some weird trials.

Eddie lost himself entirely trying to research this, hoping to find something he could use to bring Drake down. He wouldn’t stop until he had everything he needed. 

You flipped your phone over and checked the time. Again. It was 7:45. You knew Eddie was going to be late, but not this late. You sighed quietly as you set your phone back on the table and rested your hands on your lap. He would be here soon, you told yourself. 

“Can I get you anything?” a waiter asked politely.

“I’m okay. Thank you.” 

The waiter left and you looked down at the table, glancing over the neatly folded napkins and perfectly placed dishware. Maybe you should just leave. You looked towards the front, hoping to see him coming through the doors, but to no avail.

You were growing tired and angry and you rested your cheek on your hand and got back onto your phone. You opened your messages and opened Eddie’s conversation. 

You began typing: Eddie, what the Hell? I’ve been waiting for almost an hour. If you didn’t want to come, you should’ve called. You stood me up.

As you were about to hit send, a voice caught you off guard, “Is this seat taken?” 

You look away from your phone and saw none other than Carlton Drake. You awkwardly set your phone down and shook your head, “Uh, no, go ahead.”

Drake politely sat down, “Sorry, I don’t mean to intrude. I come here every once in awhile- ...I saw you sitting by yourself. You seem upset.”

“Oh. It’s nothing. Some jerk just stood me up.” 

“That’s his loss.” Drake smiled warmly at you.

The waiter came over, “Are you ready to order?” 

“I believe we are.” Drake replied.

Before you knew it, you and Drake were talking about his business and it all sounded so cool. The two of you enjoyed a wonderful dinner, which he insisted he pay for. He also insisted that he walked you home, and he gave you his number, just in case you wanted to go out again. 

You had a surprisingly good time. Drake was actually quite funny, and charming, and talented. Spending time with him made you realize just how much your world used to revolve around Eddie. He obviously doesn’t care that much about you anymore, so maybe it was time for you to move on.

You got to your apartment building and wished Drake a good night, even giving him a small kiss on the cheek. You watched him walk off before you went in, and as you got to your apartment, you got your phone out again and saw the message you were going to send Eddie. You erased it and typed something new. 

We need to talk. Call me when you get the chance.

You crashed on your couch and shut your eyes, too tired to get into pjs or to even get into your actual bed. You had a lot to think about and to take in. Maybe that Drake guy isn’t so bad, maybe you should see him again. He was pretty fun to hang out with.

A few weeks have gone by, and you found yourself spending more and more time with Drake. He was a delight to be around, mainly because he made you feel special. He liked hearing your stories and often times remembered little details from them, like your favorite colours or flowers. It was nice being around someone who actually appreciated you. 

At least he wasn’t like Eddie, who has gone radio silent. You’ve tried to call him several times, but every time it went to his voice mail, so you gave up. He didn’t want to talk to you. He’s made that clear.

You got off work and left the diner, only to be surprised by Drake, who, surprisingly, invited you to a movie. He said it’s been years since he’s been inside a theater, and he wanted to go see this new sci-fi flick. You said sure and took his arm and you two began strolling down the sidewalk. He began asking about your day, and of course, you told him. 

You were lost in conversation with him, and even though you were happy, you couldn’t help but think of Eddie. Sometimes you imagined that Drake was Eddie, and that he was telling you all these things, and buying you these gifts.. But the reality is that, Eddie isn’t around again. It’s only Drake.

What’s so wrong with that.. You kept telling yourself it was all going to work out, with or without Eddie. Drake was a good guy, what could go wrong?

On the other side of the coin, Eddie was in the middle of a crisis. In the midst of everything, it seems he has gotten in the middle of something much bigger than him. His world was in shambles a the moment and he had nobody to lean on.

It all started with those damn emails. He shouldn’t have opened them, he understands that now. He should’ve just gone to dinner with you. He’s felt awful about missing it, but it’s way too late now. But after reading the emails, he decided he would be a smart ass and bring them up in the interview, to which Drake got irritated and kicked Eddie out.

That led to Eddie getting fired, which then led to Eddie getting drunk at about 3 in the afternoon. He just decided to forget about it all and found himself in Ms. Chen’s shop, where he was getting his “dinner.” And that’s where he found out that some lady named Dora was following him. 

She said that Eddie was absolutely right about everything: The deaths, the aliens, Drake’s insane plan to bond human and symbiotes. Eddie told here where to stick it, but he wound up caving, as he just wanted to wipe Drake off the face of the planet.

Other stuff happened that Eddie can’t really remember, but here he is now. He looked like Death is constantly knocking on his door and there’s this voice in his head that won’t shut up. Kept saying it’s name was Venom.

He groggily got out his phone and finally went through every missed called and unread text message from you. He groaned a little as the voice in his head kept asking who you were, because Eddie wouldn’t stop thinking about you. 

“Shut up.” Eddie snapped, “I’m trying to call.”

“Who are they, Eddie.”

“Shut up for the love of god.”

His call went to voicemail, and he shakily began saying how sorry he was, but quickly changed to a frantic tone, saying he really really needed to see you. Venom kept butting in, to which Eddie would snap at him, but then apologize to your voicemail. He kept saying incoherent sentences until the machine cut him off.

He began leaving messages, hoping that you would answer one of these times. When he got cut off once again, he decided to leave just one last message.

“Hi, machine cut me off again.. Look, I really am sorry, please just give me a chance and I-No, not you, just me- Shut up- No, not you- Sorry. Please, it’s important. That Drake guy is really bad news, Y/n. He needs to be stopped. Please just call me back.” 

He hung up and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. He feels like he’s losing his mind, which he probably is, but he’s trying to think things over, when Venom speaks up.

“Don’t answer the door.”

[the-fandom-crossroads]

☠: my muse visits your muse’s grave ( Going through the Proof of Existence room after hearing about those in Castle Oblivion being terminated. I am ready for the angst. OuO)

Ooc: This turned into a monster omg. I did quite a bit of research to make sure I did this right. Most funerary customs I looked up were a moot point because Demyx has no body to mourn. (eh nobody get it? eyyyy that is a horrible pun I’m sorry) I’m pretty sure I wrote Demyx going through all seven stages of grief. So keep an eye out for that.This is really sad and I hope it makes you sad as it made me. It’s all under a read more cause oh boy so big.

Demyx had been avoiding the room. Demyx would portal around half the castle just to avoid walking past the door. It had worked for the last two weeks. Just act normal and no one will notice that laziness has changed to depression. Nobody’s don’t get depressed. Nobody’s don’t miss their friends.

It was bullshit. Demyx missed Zexion and he couldn’t make it stop. The horrible feeling of losing someone else. The dreams of running and never getting to them in time. It was all back and he hated it. 

Hanging out with Xion and a sleeping Roxas helped. Xion was nice and she always brought seashells. Demyx loved giving her little facts about different types of shells.

But everything had been flipped on its head again. Axel was back, Axel was alive. Demyx didn’t mind that Roxas immediately went back to hanging out with Axel. They were best friends, Demyx could tell. Demyx wasn’t surprised that Xion followed. She always followed Roxas’ lead. He was certain they’d still hang out from time to time and talk about seashells.

But Axel was alive. And that had to mean something right? It had to mean the report that everyone died in castle oblivion was wrong. That maybe someone else survived too. Demyx couldn’t get the thought out of his head.

So here he was standing in front of the door to the Proof of Existence. He had to know. He had to see for himself. So why did he hesitate? 

Screw it! He was here and he was going to learn the truth. Demyx pushes the door open and steps into the Proof of Existence. 

A quick glance shows a balanced mix of blue and red markers. Demyx moves to check Axel’s first, intentionally not looking at the other half of the room. A shiver goes up his spine as he walks past his own marker. 

Demyx stops in front of Axel’s marker. The floor plate glows a bright blue, but the stand is destroyed. The back piece seems to have been snapped at the base and glass still covers the floor. 

If Axel had been injured like he said the floor plate would have been flickering between red and blue. That plus the decimated back piece. It made sense why Xigbar had assumed him dead with the others. There’s little you can do for a flickering nobody. They tend to be too close to fading.

Demyx sighed; he had held off long enough. Keeping his head down he stepped out of the row and moved forward one. He closed his eyes as he turned his body to face the no. VI marker.

“Please, just please be flickering.” If it was flickering maybe something could still be done. Axel had survived flickering. Hopefully, Zexion would too.

Demyx opened his eyes and gasped in horror. “No.” It was the only word that escaped his mouth as he fell to the floor, kneeling in front of the marker. It was totaled. None of the back piece remained and most of the floor piece had been ripped out. But that wasn’t what trapped Demyx’s attention. What little of the floor piece that remained was a bright bleeding red.

Demyx stared as the red began to blur with the gray around it. Emotions, feelings, things he had been holding in for the last few weeks came rushing to the surface. “No! Zexion! Why?! You were supposed to be careful! You were supposed to be the smart one! So why… why are you gone?!” 

Demyx curls in on himself. Castle Oblivion was supposed to be safe. It meant Zexion wouldn’t be going on dangerous recon missions anymore. It meant he would be able to work on his experiments more. It was supposed to be a good thing.

“Do you guys really have to move to Castle Oblivion Zexion? It’s like halfway across the universe.” Demyx unapologetically sat on one of Zexion’s lab tables. Demyx absentmindedly skimmed over some of the papers near him while swinging his legs back and forth.

“You know Superior ordered us to split our forces between the two castles. So yes we really have to go. Besides the distance is relative, you can always portal there.” Zexion would tell Demyx to leave when he started getting annoying, but sitting on a counter chatting was relatively harmless. He wasn’t interrupting any of their experiments.

 “But I’m going to be so busy! You know Saix is just going to toss all the recon missions on me when you’re gone.” Demyx tossed his arms up, never giving up a chance to complain about the blue-haired superior.

“And yet I get the feeling you will find ways to be lazy.” 

“Ha! You know it! Maybe I’ll use that time to visit you guys.” 

Vexen chose this moment to butt in. “No, no you will not no. IX. We are moving to Castle Oblivion to avoid distractions from our experiments.” Vexen was actually quite pleased with the arrangement fewer people meant fewer interruptions.

“But what about breaks? You guys need to take breathers from time to time.” 

Zexion sighed. “Don’t worry IX I’m certain V will find ways to force us to take breaks.” 

Demyx crossed his arms and pouted. “But I wanted to help with that.” 

Vexen rolled his eyes. “No. IX if you want to be helpful keep an eye on XIV while we’re gone.” 

“The new guy? Why do you want me to watch them?” 

“XIV is part of one of our more long-running experiments. I need to know if there are any issues with the new member while I am away.” 

Demyx shrugged. “If that’s what you need help with sure. I mean Axel’s going to be busy showing XIII around.” 

Zexion looked up from his papers. “Didn’t you hear? Axel has been assigned to keep an eye on Larxene and Marluxia.” 

“What!?”

Demyx didn’t talk to Zexion for long after that. Demyx got distracted running off to yell at Axel for not telling him he was on the Oblivion mission. That was the last full conversation Demyx had with Zexion. Most days he regrets that.

And now he was gone. Demyx brushed the few tears that had appeared in his eyes. 

“H-hey Zexion. I guess you really are gone. Sorry I didn’t come to visit sooner. I just wasn’t ready to admit you were gone.” Demyx sighs. 

“I’m sorry I don’t have anything with me. Marluxia’s flowers died a long time ago. But I doubt you’d want a Lei from them, he was an asshole.” Demyx gives a dry chuckle of a laugh wiping away a few more tears. “I doubt he had any Maile* plants anyway.”

Demyx somber’d up for a moment. He may not be able to follow any of the customs, but he could still give his respects. He knew Zexion hadn’t been religious. It would be foolish to wish him well in a next life he didn’t believe existed. So he would just say what was important for Zexion to hear right now.

“Zexion you were the youngest of us, but you were the smartest of us. You were witty, cunning, intelligent, fun, sarcastic. Given enough time I’m sure you would have solved every mystery in the universe. I mourn every day the fact that you didn’t get to be a somebody for long. I mourn your lost chance to experience emotions like the rest of us did. I-i mourn that you didn’t live to get your heart back. I mourn that you will n-never be in my life again. I mourn you. Hoaloha* Ienzo.”

Finding himself with nothing else to say. Demyx wiped away the rest of his tears and stood. Slowly he left the Proof of Existence. He doubted he’d ever find the strength to go back in there. Once had been draining enough for a nobody with no feelings. As he walked down the hallway he ran into the last person he wanted to see.

“Hey Demyx, I haven’t really seen you around since I got back.”

Because I’ve been avoiding you. Demyx looks at the ground refusing to make eye contact. “Hello VIII, I thought you were giving your report to Xemnas.”

“I just finished.” 

“Ah well, then I assume you’ll want to be getting to twilight town. Roxas and Xion should be finishing with their missions soon.”

“Hey man if I didn’t know any better I’d assume you’re trying to give me the cold shoulder. I wanted to talk to you before I go.”

“Oh yeah…” Demyx decides to rush through the conversation then maybe Axel would leave. “Roxas and Xion were fine while you were gone. Roxas ended up sleeping for a week or so at the end there, but it started on a mission with Xigbar so it’s on him. I did what I was told and kept an eye on them. Now if you’d excuse me.”

“Demyx why are you avoiding me?” Axel had easily noticed that Demyx was refusing to even look at him.

Demyx shouldn’t blame Axel. It wasn’t his fault he was the only one to survive the castle. Demyx shouldn’t blame him for surviving, but he couldn’t help it! 

“How did he die?” Demyx didn’t need to specify who Axel knew. Demyx was still looking down so he didn’t see as Axel’s eyes looked away.

“The keyblade wielder, he… he wiped everyone out.” Axel put a hand on Demyx’s shoulder. “Demyx I’m sorry.”

“Bullshit.” Demyx roughly pulled his arm out of Axel’s grip. He finally looked up at him, a glare secure on his face.

“Any tests with the keyblade wielder were to be conducted in the higher levels. Overlooked by no. XI Marluxia and no. XII Larxene. Superiors IV, V, and VI were to be conducting private experiments in the underground lower levels. They never should have been in contact with the keyblade wielder.”

Axel tensed. “How do you- Zexion. He told you about top-secret mission details.” So Zexion was one of the traitors.

“Nope.” Demyx gives a tired smirk. “Vexen did, he was really excited to brag about his new lab facilities.” 

At that moment Axel was scared of Demyx for the first time. The kid could wiggle his way into any conversation and make it seem like he was supposed to be there. Demyx could convince Vexen to talk about secret information with him in the room. The scariest part was it didn’t seem like Demyx even realized he was doing recon on the other members.

Axel shook his head. He’d have to word this carefully to convince Demyx. “You’re right the keyblade wielder wasn’t supposed to go to the lower floors. The first one didn’t.”

Demyx frowned, “what?”

“There were two of them Demyx. Apparently, the first one had a little friend. The second one didn’t arrive until the first was already working his way through Larxene and Marluxia. Lexeaus and” Axel looks away. “Zexion was overwhelmed by the second one. They didn’t have any backup.”

Demyx’s eyes narrowed. “Where were you?”

“After Marluxia and Larxene fell, I was the only one left upstairs. I was stuck trying to contain the first wielder. If I hadn’t stalled him as long as I did they would have been overwhelmed by two keyblade wielders.”

Demyx’s shoulders sagged as he listened to Axel’s tale. So Zexion had died fighting. Zexion had hated fighting. It wasn’t fair!

“Where are they?” Demyx’s voice comes out as a deep growl. Axel startles.

“You can’t be thinking of going after them. That’s suicide!”

“They killed members of our organization! We have to take them out!”

“Woah, woah, woah. Demyx you can’t just go hunt them down.”

“Why not!? They killed Zexion Axel! They killed him!” Demyx gets in Axel’s face as he yells at him. Specs of tears returning to the corners of Demyx’s green eyes.

“Demyx.” Why hadn’t Axel realized this? Why hadn’t he thought an event like this wouldn’t affect their most loyal member. “Demyx they’re gone. None of us know where they disappeared too.”

Demyx looks away. Quickly blinking away the tears and clearing his throat. “Doesn’t matter, I’ll just start searched world to world. They can’t hide forever.”

Axel had to stop him. Demyx was teetering over an edge and Axel wasn’t certain his mental state would survive the fall. A rogue Demyx was the last thing they needed.

“Demyx you can’t go after them.” Axel grabs Demyx by both shoulders and shakes him. “Do you hear me? You can’t go after those two.”

“Why not?” 

“Because you’re too-” Axel trails off, he’s not sure how to finish that sentence.

Demyx’s eyes glare again. “To what?” Demyx is pissed. “To EmoTIONALLY cOMpromISED?!” Demyx grabs both of Axel’s wrists his grip incredibly strong. “NEWSFLASH AXEL WE’RE NOBODY’S. WE DON’T GET EMOTIONALLY COMPROMISED! BECAUSE WE DON’T FEEL THINGS!” Demyx was tired of feeling things he wasn’t supposed to feel. He was tired of hurting all the time.

“WOULD YOU JUST LISTEN FOR A SECOND!?” Demyx froze at Axel’s response. His hands slackened and he sagged in Axel’s grip. Axel took a deep breath, collecting himself.

He was surprised the fight left Demyx so easily. Was this part of Demyx new? Or had he always been this close to tipping over and no one had noticed? Axel groans, Zexion probably noticed.

“Demyx you can’t go after the wielders, because Xemnas hasn’t given you that mission.” Demyx seemed to listen to this logic. “You have to follow orders or they’ll label you a traitor.”

“Like Marluxia and Larxene.” Axel really didn’t like that. He really didn’t like that Demyx had figured out they were traitors. It meant he probably made the connections that they had been intentionally sent to Castle Oblivion to die to the keyblade wielder. It was too close to the reason the others had died.

“Yeah Demyx, like Marluxia and Larxene. Do you understand Demyx? Xemnas will give us orders to go after them. They took out our own after all. But you have to wait for him to give us the order.” Axel hated tricking Demyx like this, but he knew it was effective.

Demyx sighed in Axel’s arms, defeated. “You’re right. I should wait for Xemnas to give the order.”

Axel sighed in relief. “Good.” He finally let go of Demyx’s shoulders.

Demyx stepped back. “I guess I’ll see you later.”

Axel coughed awkwardly. “Yeah, I’ll see you later.” Demyx started to walk away. “Uh, Demyx?” Demyx paused. “If you uh want, you can come join us for ice cream sometime. Since you, you know, know about it.”

Demyx slightly turned and gave Axel a tiny smile. The first one Axel had seen on Demyx all conversation. It was weird seeing the guy without a smile.

“Thanks for the offer Axel, but I think I’ll pass. Ice cream is your thing with Roxas and Xion. I refuse to impose on that.” Demyx continued walking down the hallway. Once he turned the corner he summoned a door of darkness and portal’d to his room.

Demyx face planted onto his bed. He screamed his frustrations into his pillow. After a moment of muffled screaming, he came up for air. He just laid there on his side. Wishing the world would just stop.

Axel was right. Demyx would follow Xemnas’ orders. He wouldn’t engage with the keyblade wielders until ordered too. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t be the first one to find them and report back to Xemnas.

Demyx sat up on the bed. That was it! He could just check random worlds himself during his free time! And if Saix or Xemnas himself questioned it. Demyx could say he was just exploring and doing recon! Which technically he was!

If he wanted as much time as possible to search. He would have to finish his missions faster. Perhaps skip parts of the reports entirely.

“Well, Zexion you did always want me to find a way to get over my procrastination. Too bad hunting down your murderer is what did it.”

*Maile leaves are the most common type of funeral Lei. Different Lei’s have different meanings so I had Demyx mention the one used in funerals.

*hoaloha combined word meaning hello/goodbye friend. Hoa-friend, Aloha-hello/goodbye.

Also tossed Ienzo in there at the end, cause names have power. And it felt wrong for Demyx to call him Zexion in his final goodbye.

Author’s note: wow was that long! 2,600 words. Hope it’s a satisfying response. lol. I’m definitely posting this one as a one-shot on AO3 at some point. This thing doubled in length because Axel decided to show up and do a bunch of foreshadowing. I’m glad I was able to work in my headcanon that Demyx is avoiding Axel for most of days. In the manga, Demyx is always quite happy to talk to Xion or Roxas. But he rarely interacts with them when Axel’s around.

My favorite part of this was giving a reason for Demyx’s “laziness” in days. He wasn’t lazy he was just busy trying to hunt down Sora and Riku for killing Zexion. When really it had been Axel the whole time. Man, maybe I should write a part 2 post-DDD where Demyx learns Axel is the one who ended Zexion. It’s something to think about for later. Something to use with nort’d Demyx maybe?