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#Learning the Ropes AU
anatomical-puppet · 11 months
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what if. psychonauts au. what if…….
[rbs appreciated :)]
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laststandx3 · 5 months
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it's not my fault they went with the wedding imagery 💍👰🏻‍♂️
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My favorite moment in "Bye Bye Baby". The family talks to Michael about his on and off smoking habits... and even Gracie got involved.
I provided some teensy weensy subtitles for Gracie's "commentaries" towards the end, since during the scene, the baby was "adlibbing".
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gooeykit · 2 years
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Ben's got two ways of showing affection, being mean and being obnoxious. Luckily, Julie finds it endearing
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and-stir-the-stars · 9 months
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I just realized. Your dream theory revamp means there's a wide field of options for endings outside of the dream, and I'm wildly curious about any ideas you have for that. Does Evan get to like. Grow up?? Ik you were still debating on the Bite for this, but I'm wildly curious about what things would be like if he actually got to continue on past that point.
Also, does Elizabeth still go missing?
I have. All the curiosity. Tell me anything. Or nothing. Follow ur dreams
I'm going to half-answer this in a rambling mess, okay, bear with me
So, initial idea for the au was that both Elizabeth and Charlie disappear, but I'm not exactly sure how that happens if William isn't actually a killer
Maybe it's possible that William accidentally killed Elizabeth in an ''abuse gone too far'' moment and covered it up afterward. Or there's some other killer or kidnapper who got their hands on Liz and Charlie. Or Liz and Charlie ran off together and got hurt and lost in the woods and never came back.
Orrrr, I was also thinking that it'd be nice to have an au where Mrs. Afton, aka Francine, is actually alive. So maybe William and Francine were going to get a divorce because William is an abusive piece of shit, okay, and William tries taking the kids and running because he REFUSES to loose everything that he had (all the "property" he owned) but he only manages to get away with Mike and Evan. So maybe in this version, instead of kids spreading rumors about how Elizabeth died, William and/or Mike is the one doing that to make Evan stop asking questions about Liz. William would have to leave Fazbear Entertainment behind to avoid jailtime for, yk, kidnapping though, so this version probably wouldn't work.
Or it's possible that Francine was the one to try taking the kids and leaving to keep them safe, but she's only able to save Liz for some reason. That way William is still part of Fazbear Entertainment, and anger and grief over the divorce/Francine running would further William's abuse of the boys; William could try pushing the idea that Elizabeth is "missing" around town rather than admit that his wife ran off with her, and kids around town still spread rumors about animatronics being responsible for Liz's "death." Maybe Charlie still goes missing, maybe not.
But either way, I think "Evan eventually grows up to reconnect with his mother and lost sister" makes for a good ending, especially if we squeeze Mike in there for the happy ending. Though ofc a lot of effort would have to be put into their relationship for Mike and Evan to get to that point, not to mention Mike and Evan having to get over the trauma of being left behind by Francine, whether she wanted that to happen or not.
If Mike does try killing himself at some point in the au, and esp if Evan is the one to find him, i can see Evan still growing up to be a doctor (probably pediatrics specifically) in the au, maybe; Evan wasn't the one in danger but the doctors and paramedics were all super nice to Evan when he had to call for help, when they showed up, and during stays in the hospital waiting room to see what Mike's fate would be. Evan obviously isn't very used to kindness, so their kindness would mean a lot to him.
It does admittedly feel weird to think about Evan growing up in this au tho, and I'm tempted to kill him off before he gets to that point for any other ending besides the "grow up and reconnect with his mother and sister" ending.
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wordgirlnextgen · 4 months
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What I think will be sad and sweet is having Chase and Liam talk about the feelings and experiences of half-siblings along with absent parents.
"we're more alike than you like to think"
"whatever..."
Liam and Chase sat in their assigned spots in detention. The teacher had gone out for a minute to speak to the principal. Liam could hear them saying that they would phone the parents. The blonde had started the fight as he did most times.
Chase didn't throw any hits or even retaliated back. However when the teacher pulled them from the 'fight' Chase said he did. And that was the thing that irked Liam the most. How chase
Never did Liam thought he would have something in common with his enemy-
Chase Boxleitner.
As long as he could remember he held a grudge against the brown haired preteen. Wall not really a grudge. But moreso on the line of jealousy. Here Chase had both of his parents in his life. Except....
He didn't actually.
Liam had assumed all this time given by how many times he saw Chase with his family at the P.T.As and neighborhood cookouts. He even called the orange haired lady mother for Pete's sake! It just didn't make sense. There weren't actually related. Sure Liam's dad married Keen. But he didn't call him father.
It just did not make sense to him.
"...."
Then again nothing made sense about Chase. Liam stared at said boy who was holding the icepack on his arm. Liam looked away not wanting to feel that ping of guilt for hurting his classmate. Being soft meant people would pity him. And he didn't want pity. Still...he felt inclined ask:
"you don't feel replaced?"
Chase looked up at him with his mismatched eyes. They didn't hold malice however Liam could tell he was thinking things over. "No...not really. " Chase says. he paused before admitting. "Sometimes I do feel out of place though...like an oddball"
"you are one." Liam says rolling his eyes. His tone wasn't smug however. He was quiet for a bit before adding "I feel that way sometimes ..."
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dollsuguru · 2 months
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just thought of the premise for the professor!geto fic & i’m excited hehehehe <3
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poukimart · 10 months
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stranger sailors chapter two sneak peek, aka: will doesn't know mike and tuxedo mask are the same damn person
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ensnchekov · 5 months
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Pavel clutches his head in his hands against the surge of frenzied rage that rips through his consciousness. His face screws up with the effort of holding back a snarling beast whose gnashing fangs continue to clamp down repeatedly at the edges of his mind,
Before Leonard had snapped him up off the street and taken pity on him—I am going to repay this favour one day—he'd met another wolf on his journey somewhere, anywhere across America that shared but horror stories and endless, angry vitriol that left Pavel eager to put as much distance between himself and the other man as possible.
To feel will be your undoing, he'd warned, but Pavel has always felt so deeply and so completely, even in moments he wished he couldn't, that to ever be able to do otherwise is simply unthinkable.
So what am I supposed to do?
He looks up at @onlybonesleft and, through gritted teeth, lets assurances spill from his lips that he doesn't quite believe in the moment, yet clings to all the same. "Y-Yeah, I'm okay. I just—it feels like it is going to split me apart. And I—"
Pavel shakes his head, pushing back against something he cannot see, but feel everywhere beneath his skin.
"—I will be ready in a moment."
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clockworkcrane · 7 months
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Chapter 22 is up! Prompt: Learning the Ropes
Summary: Sheriff's deputy Haurchefant Greystone forms a bond with the handsome stranger who just rolled into town. The local clergy is less receptive.
Chapter Preview: Aramond can’t help but let his edges soften at that look. The feeling returns; the flint and spark in his chest that seems to ignite whenever the deputy smiles.
“You’re doin’ just fine, Sunlight,” he says.
A Hard Row to Link
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bipherpol · 10 months
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Nice songs! I like the way you think! I wish Kaku can rejoin Galley-La in the future, provided he apologizes, and Galley-La forgives him, of course. Who realizes that Franky and Lucci are going to be in-laws first? I just realized that I sent the Alice in Chains songs twice, so you get six songs this time! "Pictures of You" by The Cure, "One Thing" by Finger Eleven, "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver, "Whirring" by The Joy Formidable, "Tongue Tied" by Grouplove, and "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men.
oh kaku is absolutely joining galley-la. they try to make him stay after enies lobby and he's like "no let's go be proper government traitors and give everything we know to the revs and then i'll consider it" this argument ends with the other six deciding that they'll do that and then promptly dump kaku on the next ship to water 7 regardless of whether or not he agrees. if necessary, they are not above tying him up to get him there. if that doesn't work, they could always ask kuma.
(kaku absolutely wants to go back but he also, y'know, doesn't want to just ditch the rest of them. meanwhile, the rest of them are like "oh my god please just ditch us and go. live ur childhood dream. pls. at least one of us gets to.")
honestly, the first one to realize the in-laws is probably one of cp9. or nami. actually no wait it's probably nami. she catches onto the whole franky/robin thing quick and then just kind of has a moment where she just mentally points between them and starts laughing her ass off because oh god. it's funny on so many levels, at least partially because the former government assassin is going to be in-laws with the head of water seven's big gang.
songs!! a: i love "pictures of you" it's so good. (the emo kid loves the cure, who's surprised) also oh god "tongue tied" i haven't heard that song since glee. (it is a good song though)
"toxic" by britney spears (who saw that one coming), "don't hold your breath" by nicole scherzinger aaand "unkind" by sloan
#personal headcanon that kalifa's childhood dream was to run a library cause she was canonically hella bookish as a child.#she takes over the rev's library/file room/whatever and forcibly organizes it and then beats that organization into everyone else.#they would be more annoyed but for the first time everyone can actually find things.#she 100% sets up the equivalent of a book return pile and tells anyone that if they try to put it back themselves that she WILL kick them#jabra and kumadori preemptively warn everyone else to just obey it#bc nobody wants to find out what kalifa's kicks feel like when she's mad#jabra learned the hard way the one (1) time he teased her after finding out her undercover role at galley la was a secretary#he did not make a secretary joke again#(nobody else ever made a secretary joke again and there are at least two people in the revs who are extremely grateful for it)#also trying 2 decide if i wanna have lucci take lami too during the marineford nonsense or if i should save that for later#fun fact: while i don't think the song itself fits as a whole#i have been itching to use a line from fob's 'you're crashing but you're no wave' for a fic title#specifically the 'hang on a rope or bated breath'#then again i also have a line from savage garden's 'to the moon & back' i wanna use to#which is the 'and crimes that were never defined'#the songs themselves are debatable but those lines specifically? yes#also in a theoretical au where cp9 did not inexplicably go back to the government after all that shit and wanted to go back to w7:#i present 'everything you've done wrong' by sloan#sibling verse
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goddessofroyalty · 2 years
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I keep thinking how Piltover probably has those really intricate and precise dances you see in Jane Austen adaptations and Vi wants to impress Caitlyn at like her birthday or something by dancing really well with her. She reluctantly goes to Jayce for help because he’s the only Topside alpha she knows who isn’t going to laugh at her. Jayce practically starts vibrating, he loves to dance and he loves to teach. I also headcanon that his mom used to be a dancer so he’s been dancing since forever.
He's not just the only topsider alpha she knows that won't laugh at her for it. He's probably one of the few topsider alphas she knows: a) at first-name basis b) that she doesn't have an antagonistic relationship with.
She just hopes he knows the fancy piltovan dances because she doesn’t really have many/any other option but him.
Jayce also is excited because he’s probably dealt with so many people wanting to dance with him as an excuse for either political stuff or to try and gain his romantic attention. So it’s something he loves that has almost been ruined for him by other people turning it into something for their personal gain (I do think he would dance with Viktor sometimes but Viktor doesn’t really like the social gatherings and Jayce doesn’t want to ‘bother’ him with it too much).
I do think Vi is a bit frustrated at the dances at first. Because while they seem really simple (a lot are basically a box step with a sight alteration) once you start doing it at speed it is very easy to lose your place and that can be hard to recover from (especially as she is probably somewhat hung up on doing it perfect). But she’s determined and Jayce is honestly a pretty patient teacher about it but it’s probably something they have to keep getting back to because Vi has to go like punch some stuff to calm down when she gets too frustrated at it.
Also though please image the actual birthday party where Vi is dancing with Cait and glances to Jayce to make sure she’s doing it right? And him just shooting her a thumbs up and huge grin because yep! She’s got it! Cait looks happy as well!
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makesiteasier · 2 years
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hello jane here i am sending you a word for that ask game! like lena i'm trying a few to make sure i get a hit -- 'shine', 'pale,' 'dirt' :~)
Thank you, Alice! We have a winner with “dirt” (even though it’s “dirty”).
From the Snurgie Ranch AU:
The sun hangs low by the time Burgie is back from tending the herd. He rides up behind the rest of the hired hands, bandana still over his nose and mouth to keep out the dust that kicks up so easily under the horses’ hooves. He brings his horse to a stop not far from Snafu, pulls his blue bandana down and reveals his easy smile, bright against his dirty face.
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This is the little guy tying soulmates together. The guy who used to do it retired and it's his first day on the job, he's a little confused so if things get a little rocky for a while please keep in mind that this little guy is doing his best.
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allfearstofallto · 1 month
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Sleeping Like the Dead
Yandere! Diluc x Fem! Reader
Forced marriage AU
Word Count: 2.3k
Synopsis: Diluc craves your body like a drug, but the only time he can get you, is when you're fast asleep
TW: NSFW, Somnophila, Non-Con, Masturbation (.male), Oral (f. receiving), unprotected sex, mentions of breeding/finishing inside
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The only thing that could seem to wake you was thunder. A loud crash and the windows shaking, followed by howling wind, and you'd be up shivering in fear. You'd lie back down once you realized what the noise that woke you was, and you were out like a light. Deep in slumber, snoring ever so softly.
Even though you were married on paper, you and Diluc never shared a marital bed. The marriage was never consummated and the most he'd ever seen of your body was your legs and maybe even a sliver of your stomach in the summer. Other than that, you stayed dressed head to toe like a nun.
He knew it was his fault that you were like this. Being forced into marriage with him, you didn't even want to tempt his urges. You were told time and time again that nothing would happen, not while you didn't want it, but he was failing to believe that himself.
It was when he saw you one night, after you'd just gotten out of the bath. Normally, he stayed in his room at nightfall, but now, he was particularly thirsty. Whether it was good luck or the gods actually blessing him for once, he saw you go into your room and close the door behind you.
Did he buy you those nightgowns? If he did, he definitely didn't remember doing so. But the red haired man did buy you whatever you wanted, no questions asked. So maybe you'd managed to slip an order in for them without him noticing. And archons how he wished he'd noticed.
The swell of your breasts, the curve of your ass, plush thighs and skin still steaming from your bath. You didn't notice him standing in front of the door to his room, but he noticed you. A brief glance was all it took, light work for anyone else who'd been married for as long as you two had, but it was the first time he's seen so much of you, and he felt his pants tighten at the sight.
He stormed back into his room while the memory was still fresh, not even bothering to make it to the bed. The door slammed shut behind him, he pressed his back against it and dropped his pants to his ankles.
It felt like electricity all over his body as he stroked his cock, eyes rolling back, tongue out his mouth. Diluc wasn't a prude, he masturbated when he deemed it necessary, which was when he got erections that were particularly stubborn and annoying, but this was the first time in his life that it'd ever felt so good.
It only took a few pumps and suddenly he was moaning into his hands, hips twitching as his cock shot ropes of cum onto his carpeted floor. He panted watching himself make this mess, but his mind shifted onto how you could clean it up. And his length refused to go soft. He fucked his fist for the rest of the night.
Diluc often heard stories of how hard it was to wake you up. That's when he learned how truly a heavy sleeper you were.
“The lady slept through breakfast again today,” a maid would say in a whisper. They thought he couldn't hear them, but as long as they weren't saying anything rude about you, he acted oblivious to it.
“She fell back asleep after I woke her up three times!”
“I called for her for a full five minutes, and she barely stirred,”
Temptation is a hell of a drug. Satisfaction is even more addicting. Maybe that's why he decided to visit your room one night. Hours after you'd left your bath and when he was sure you were asleep, he eased your door open and stepped inside. His heart was racing, afraid that you wouldn't be asleep, but instead sitting on the edge of your bed, waiting to confront him.
But you weren't. You were just like how he'd thought you’d be. Asleep in bed, lying on your stomach with your arms wrapped around a pillow and pulling it into a tight embrace. Your blanket was thrown haphazardly over your body, you obviously kicked a lot in your sleep, making it shuffle around.
Exhaling the quietest deep breath he could muster, he pulled that blanket to the side. Sure enough, like the maids said, you didn't stir, and much to his pleasure, you were wearing another one of those revealing nightgowns. With one leg slightly up, he could get a good glimpse of your round ass and your panties that seemed to be slipping between your moist lips.
He sucked in air through his teeth, taking in every inch of your body. Every curve, every soft piece of skin. He'd mentally promised himself this would be a one time thing. It felt awful invading your privacy like this, but his hormones were getting the better of him.
His cock was released from his pants and he began pumping it furiously. Biting his lip to hold back the moans once again, he watched the way your chest rose and fell as you slept. It only took a little bit and he was cumming, quicker than he ever had in his entire life and more intensely than he'd ever felt.
The rational part of his mind told him to leave no messes, so he made sure to cover the leaking tip of his cock with his hand to not spill his seed everywhere. Still, he couldn't help himself. He dipped a finger in his own cum, then pressed it against your slightly open mouth, wanting you to at least taste him a little.
The sight of you suckling that cum off his finger, lips pursed and wet with drool, the sight had him hard again already, but he decided against tempting fate. He'd finish himself off in his room again. This was a one time thing after all.
Was what he'd told himself, but he found himself in front of your door again, going to your room almost every night. It was like an addiction, standing in your room next to your sleeping form and fucking his cock into his hand while looking at you. And he grew bolder as the nights went on.
Moving your panties to the side to finally get a full view of that wet cunt, rubbing the tip of his cock against your lips to get you to suckle on it like before, he even managed to slip a finger inside your entrance, getting to feel your warm walls for the first time. The way you coated his fingers nearly made him grunt and he thrusted it in and out of you, watching your face contort in your sleep, little moans and mewls dropping from your lips.
Diluc imagined that it was his cock instead of his finger getting to fuck your pussy, that it was his cock making your eyebrows knit together and your fingers twitch. He could only imagine though, his other hand fisting his cock at the same pace as his finger.
He'd even gotten so bold as to start licking your cunt. His tongue poking out of his mouth, he'd tongue at your clit and watch you squirm in your sleep. Your taste was intoxicating, the juices your tight hole would secrete tasted better than what celestia would feel like, and while lapping up your folds between your legs, his dick would twitch and he'd cum inside his pants, completely untouched.
All good things must come to an end. A sad, but truthful statement. And Diluc wanted this to end. He really did. Each day he'd say that this would be the last one, that he wouldn't do this to you again, that it was becoming too risky, but sure enough he was back at your door the next day. He'd spend the whole night finding new ways to pleasure himself with your sleeping body.
All good things come to an end. Maybe he should've been thinking that when he arrived at your door on the night of a harsh thunderstorm. If his mind wasn't clouded by lust, if all his blood wasn't flowing to his lower regions, then maybe he would've remembered how particularly scared of thunderstorms you were. If his face wasn't buried between your legs again, then maybe he would've remembered the maids saying the only time you woke up easily, is when there was a storm and heavy wind outside. If he wasn't pumping his cock while licking at your pussy, going practically drunk from your taste, maybe he would've noticed that you'd begun to stir more than usual, more than out of a sleepy, unintentional pleasure.
The last thing Diluc was expecting was to look up and meet your gaze. With his lips still suctioned around your clit, your face was a mixture of disgust and mostly fear. Eyes wide and filled with tears, you opened your mouth, maybe to scream, maybe to yell at him, he didn't know. He was on top of you before you could let out a peep, one of his hands covering your mouth. After a bit of a struggle, he managed to use the other hand to hold both your wrists above your head.
“I'm- I'm sorry!” He gasped as you thrashed beneath him, but you were no match for his strength and all you were doing was wearing yourself out, “I-i swear! I don't know what came over me!”
But something has been coming over him for weeks, months even. If you knew how long he'd been doing this, you'd look at him in even more horror. Your eyes. So big and filled with tears, it only made his heart thump against his chest harder, but what else was he to do?
He laid on top of you, hand covering your mouth for what felt like hours, dick still twitching and conveniently between your folds. This was the worst time for him to be hard, not while you were awake. Not while you were scared of him to the point of crying, but he couldn't help it. It was you. You did this to him.
“I'm so so sorry,” he muttered as he angled his hips, the tip of his cock finally at your entrance. He didn't think your eyes could open any wider, but sure enough, they did when he forced every inch of himself inside you, bottoming out without stopping while pleading for your forgiveness. Your yelp, the noise you made as you were made to take him, was muffled by his palm, body squirming even more as you tried to get away.
He always said his first time with you would be gentle. It would be loving as passionate. He would take things slow and kiss every inch of you, to make sure you were ready for him. But the way you felt around him, the way you clenched around his length, it felt like his hips had a mind of their own as they started a rough, brutal pace. Slapping against yours so hard, even the headboard of the bed had begun to hit the wall.
“Fuck! Ahh! Fuck fuck! I'm so sorry! Hnng- please…ah! Please! I'm sorry,” he whined, but he didn't slow down for a second. You were so warm inside. So wet. This was made for him, he was sure of it, “Please, you- you hah- have to forgive me.”
You could thrash and squirm and cry as much as you wanted to, but Diluc had had his taste and he wouldn't be satisfied with any less anymore. He kept fucking into you, pounding you so hard, rutting his hips into you like an animal in heat.
You saw the way his eyelids flutter, you felt the way his hips stuttered, his pace grew sloppy, his grip loosened, drool fell from his lips, his moans grew breathier. You saw it all and you knew what was about to happen.
“Fuck,” he gasped between thrusts, eyes rolled back. He forced his dick as he could inside you, balls deep and held it there, feeling the way your silken walls contracted around it, “I'm gonna cum.”
There was no way to tell him no with his hand over your lips, so you were made to watch and feel in horror as he grew even more aggressive with his fucking. There were no thoughts behind his eyes, just pleasure, just lust and the primal urge to finish.
“Inside. Hah- aanh. Cumming inside, fuck!” He affirmed your fears through his filthy moans. His dick twitching inside you made your heart sink. You could feel it. The way his cum was spitting out of his length and hitting your walls. It felt neverending, like he'd stored so much waiting for this moment, some of it even spilling back out of your entrance and onto his balls.
Reality must've hit him after he came, because he was off of you in an instant. His length softened and his face filled with dread. Cum leaked onto your bedsheets, but despite the fact that he was no longer muffling you with his hands, you couldn't scream. You couldn't even think for a second as you realized what happened.
He looked just as scared as you did, but why? What gave him the right? Why did he deserve to be scared when he was the one who did it?
“I fucking hate you,” you spoke through strangled sobs and you watched his world crumble.
Those words felt like you were slicing his heart out and stabbing it over and over again. They made him tear up as well. But somehow, the sight of you, disheveled, with his seed leaking from your hole, somehow that made his dick twitch back to life. Even your crying face, while not as appealing as you sleeping peacefully, was gorgeous. Arousing even.
His cock twitched back to life as he looked upon you, half undressed and practically ready for him. He began a slow crawl towards you again, his urges wanting to take over once more. You already hated him. What was the harm in doing more?
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baeshijima · 10 months
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— hsr men in a royalty au
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INCLUDES : blade ; dan heng ; gepard ; jing yuan ; luocha ; sampo + gn!reader
A/N : what started off as a duke!blade word vomit became a hsr royalty au brain dump. sighs. also once again pushing my knight!reader agenda bc the lack of royalty aus with knight!reader is criminal.
genshin ver.
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imagine you're the personal guard for emperor!jing yuan, picked by his hand when he was still just a mere crown prince learning the ropes of what it meant to rule an empire. in truth, there's not much for you to do other than stand close behind when in public settings or indulge in his whimsical nature when in private and within the confines of the palace walls. in spite of that, you can't help but to wonder whether it's necessary to be his partner when he practises ballroom dances, despite never actually dancing in the banquets. well, who are you to question your duties, right?
there is no destination without a journey; jing yuan would know this best. having been thrust onto a pedestal from young, he's witnessed more types of people than he can count on his fingers: those who act nice in order to gain, those whose eyes cannot hide their contempt, those who are kind out of fear, those who act on behalf of others, those who hold respect without ulterior motives... he has seen them all. his view of the world grew dull, the predictability of those around him bringing only disappointment to the young heir. the days passed in a blur with nothing of note, other than a lingering emptiness which kept him awake at night and a passion which only emerges when sparring with his instructor. and so when he was told it was time to choose a personal knight after countless assassination attempts, he trudged through the halls with poise ingrained into his stride and a blank gaze reflecting his thoughts. but when he arrived at the training grounds to oversee the potential candidates his attention was immediately seized by another, his usually stagnant heart thundering. for the first time in his life, jing yuan discovered what it meant to want something as he watched you strike your training sword against your opponent, his world bursting into colours he never knew existed before then.
jing yuan sometimes finds himself envying those who can dance without care at banquets. he has an image to maintain in front of his people while you tend to be a stickler for this kind of thing, often refusing a dance in favour of maintaining your post. he supposes it's fine if you're both together, despite the numerous times he's imagined what it would be like to dance with you in front of everyone, as opposed to the privacy of the palace under the guise of “not becoming rusty”. but as he casts his gaze over to where you rest, having fallen asleep after a particularly thrilling game of starchess with your body tucked within the protective embrace of his ever-dutiful lion, he finds himself engraving moments like these into his memory and filing them away to look back on when nights to himself become a little too lonely for his liking. it's one of the many sides to you which only jing yuan has been privy to; one of which he takes immense pride in and vows to shelter from the danger which lurks around every corner.
(he will never let you know how your bright eyes is what set his once monotonous life ablaze in colour all those years ago — the aloof crown prince utterly besotted with a starry-eyed rookie knight. he will also never let slip how he still thinks back on the warmth he felt when you took his trembling, slumped form in your arms after he fought his stricken teacher all those years ago, the aftereffects of your touch still lingering on his skin even to this day.)
despite being duty-bound beside the impish emperor, there are times where you, too, are in need of some peace away from his scheming mind and watchful eyes. in these moments, you find yourself finding respite within the royal library built into the palace, a stack of books typically used as your makeshift pillow. and even if librarian!dan heng gives you a death stare from his designated place, you know he appreciates your company when he drapes a blanket over your shoulders and replaces the book pile with a cushion or two. although, you can’t shake off the feeling you’ve seen him from somewhere before…
for as long as he can remember, dan heng has always been on the run. from what? he’s not even sure anymore; it has been that long. it is but a mere shadow, a phantom which haunts him under the glowing sun and the gleaming moon. he can run — run until his body is weak and heavy with fatigue — but he can never hide, for it follows close behind and lurks around unseen corners. as unnerving as it may be, he has grown used to the chilling gaze and staying on edge. after all, no matter how far he runs, no matter how hard he tries to blend in, there is no escaping a shadow. maybe that is why he felt a churning sensation stir in his gut when he first met the emperor to discuss his newly appointed position as the librarian, whose gaze held an unfamiliar sheen of conflict veiled behind an amiable disposition upon making eye contact. amidst the eyes of the sun held a glint of familiarity, one which dan heng couldn’t put his finger on the longer he dwelled on the thought.
dan heng didn’t know what to expect when he first met you; you, the personal guard handpicked by jing yuan himself. with all the duties he’s sure keeps you busy, it wouldn’t surprise him if he never met you past the glimpses he catches here and there when in official spaces. perhaps that is why it came as such a surprise when you stumbled into the library one day, all bleary-eyed and attempting to stifle your yawns, and he could only watch in a daze as you pulled out a random set of books from the shelves, plop yourself down at the nearest table, set the books on the surface and slam your head atop the pile, your soft snores filling the once-quiet room. dan heng wasn’t sure how long he sat there staring at you for, but it was long enough to wake you up and inform you of the library’s closing hour when the day’s hues bled into the night. what he thought would be a one-time thing soon became a regular occurrence — a routine — and he has become accustomed to your unceremonious visits and wonderful laughter and draping the blanket he now keeps under his desk over your slumbering form and admiring your peaceful expression over the rim of his novel. it’s come to a point where he can no longer imagine a life without it; without you.
(sometimes he wonders whether you enjoy the time spent with him as much as he does with you, in which he cannot help but to compare himself to the emperor you have pledged your life and devoted your loyalty to. amidst those thoughts, dan heng finds himself hoping you would favour him over the shine of the empire’s revered sun.)
royal guard captain!gepard is someone you have always admired, ever since you were just a rookie knight trying to prove your worth amongst a sea of prodigal candidates like him. he is kind as he is strong, a formidable ally and a terrifying foe. however, you can't help but wonder whether you’ve done something to offend him, what with the way he sometimes avoids you if you happen to bump into each other amidst the palace grounds and speedwalks in the opposite direction with hasty apologies trailing behind him.
the landau dukedom. it is known for its military prowess and defending the borders, but infamous for the strict duke landau. as well-respected he may be by the nobles of the court, gepard only knows a strict man more like a superior than a father. it wouldn’t be a lie to say duke landau was just that; a superior — a teacher, one who viewed his children as either heir candidates or a foundation to bolster the territory’s military power. while it may be a strict method, the respect gepard holds for his father is undeniable, feuling his desire to make him proud and carry out his teaching in the name of the honourable landau duchy. he stuck to harsh training regimens, endured countless trials of tactics and wit, witnessed his elder sister begin to refute against their father’s suffocating hold upon returning from the academy, watched as she left the duchy to have control over her own life with a promise to keep in touch with him and their youngest sister. these moments were fleeting, passing in a blur until he entered the ranks of the elite, eventually promoted to captain as he remained steadfast in defending the borders.
it took gepard countless sleepless nights tossing and turning in his bed and a highly amused serval laughing at his predicament to finally understand his feelings for you. love was an unfamiliar concept to him. he knew of camaraderie between fellow knights (which was what he assumed he felt for you, but just a bit more… intense?) and familial bonds between family, so this new experience of his heart palpitating, hands clamming up, words stuck in his throat and an incessant heat clinging to his cheeks was unfamiliar, thus his avoidance. though that didn’t sit well with him, as a longing ache only seemed to replace it instead. and so, despite the apparent awkward flair his body language carried, gepard decided to follow his heart when it came to matters pertaining to you. he quickly came to discover your likes and dislikes, your miniscule habits when practising swordsmanship, the subtle cues you display when uncomfortable, the smile you showed upon seeing something you liked and the grin you displayed upon besting him in a duel. they were all segments which made up the very being you are, and the pieces which fit within his heart to establish this newfound love he holds for you.
(as your direct superior there are many things he notices when watching from the sidelines. among many, the one which stands out are the eyes which follow you — some gaze at you with envy, others regard you with awe, but there are a few which regard you in the same adoration he does. love and jealousy were never something gepard thought he would experience; not until he met you.)
with your role as one of the empire’s royal knights and the emperor’s personal guard, it comes as no surprise to be inflicted with injuries of varying severities. as a result, you are well-acquainted with royal physician!luocha through your numerous visits. you’ve come to find his pleasant visuals and soothing voice does wonders to heal your fatigue, even if he does tend to go a little overboard in his lectures when you come to him with less-than-fine wounds.
being able to wield elements and being able to use divine powers are two different things; one is widely accepted, the other is not. at least, that’s the case in the xianzhou empire. those born with the ability to use divine powers have fled into hiding, unwilling to be outcasted — or worse, executed — for being afflicted with the cursed power of the divinity. as such, having lived the majority of his life in concealment, luocha is no stranger to hiding his abilities. curse or blessing, it’s an irrevocable part of him. still, he didn’t want to stop helping others the way the nature of his powers could. and so he resorted to learning medicine. he soon became a renowned travelling doctor sought after for his vast knowledge, all of which garnered the attention of the emperor when he stopped by in the capital and was offered the position of royal physician. with little drawbacks, handsome pay, and a grand place to stay without needing to be on the run, luocha accepted and became the sole royal physician of the empire.
there was very little luocha found himself to be afraid of. with no one but himself to rely on, he’s crossed many bridges on his own without care. there was no need for such sentiment in survival. or so he thought. in all his years, luocha doesn’t think there was anything more terrifying than the day you were rushed in by a frantic jing yuan, your complexion sickly and covered in sweat and breathing laboured. as it turned out, you were poisoned, having drank it in place of jing yuan upon sensing something suspicious. he doesn’t recall anything making his heart drop as quickly as the situation then had, his mind blank yet frantic as he forced the panic-stricken emperor out of the infirmary and laid you on one of the beds. your symptoms were dire, he noted, and there was nothing in the cabinets suited for this kind of quick-acting poison. your condition was worsening, a pained furrow of your brows and haggard appearance being clear indicators. a bright glow then illuminated the room, and luocha came to the belated realisation he had used his abilities for the first time since concealing them, for the thought of losing you was far more torturous than his will to hide his abilities.
(there was no thought to the act, just sheer desperation to not let you die. it took him a long few days to realise that, all of which were spent looking after you by your bedside. he never spoke of how he cured you when you asked, eyes bleary with confusion on how you’re still alive, instead choosing to keep it to himself as he chided you for being so reckless. you will never know of the inner turmoil he endured, even praying to a deity he never once believed in to ensure your safety. should you sustain more severe afflictions, luocha has no qualms using his abilities again — if it means you live, he will make an exception.)
thinking about duke!blade, whose… less than pleasant disposition does little to help refute the fearful rumours surrounding his name. you've met him a handful of times when he visits the palace under jing yuan's summon or catching him at the odd banquet or two, and even back when he used to train with jing yuan before his visits suddenly ceased. even so, you find yourself doubting those rumours, especially when he seems to wear an expression akin to peace more often than he does of one resembling disdain.
the cold duke remains an enigma to those around him — even those who work under him. is it due to his quiet hostility? or is it perhaps something no one knows, such as a secret known only to him, his butler, his family physician, and the emperor? a curse; one of immortality where his soul is torn to shreds only to be stitched anew before he can succumb to the paradise known as death. it's a never-ending cycle, one which causes him to no longer track the days when they all feel the same. the days out on leading monster subjugations and expeditions are just a temporary means of escape — an outlet for his pent up frustrations to let loose without worry. no one knows what truly goes on in his mind, only ever witnessing or hearing tales of his brutal yet awe-inspiring deeds on the blood-soaked battlefields, and the origin of his adopted alias: blade. his true name evades him, having been discarded the moment he lost his humanity.
he has always noticed you. it was hard not to when the favour you received was blatantly obvious, even from when you were just a fledgling knight and he the young heir of his duchy. there weren’t many opportunities for him to talk to you, what with the way jing yuan always seemed to divert his attention back to their instructor when noticing his wandering gaze to your distant figure, and even more so after the curse struck him full-force and he stopped visiting altogether outside of summons and banquets. it wasn’t until he returned from a monster subjugation as the sole survivor did he first properly meet you. with his mind torn and body regenerating itself, he failed to notice someone rush towards him, an unfamiliar warmth encompassing his bleeding torso as his conscience began to fade. an unfamiliar ceiling and an unfamiliar room was what greeted him when he awoke, but a warmth he registered as familiar gripped his calloused hand. what met his gaze then was your dozing figure, your head smushed against the duvet beside his leg with even breaths giving way to your unconscious state. his typically chaotic mind was silent as he stared at you. it was an odd feeling, one which elicited a sharp inhale when you shifted in place, your grip on his hand loosening as you sought out a more comfortable position, before exhaling in relief when you resumed your rest. it was an odd feeling, but it wasn’t unpleasant. and, for the first time in his life, blade experienced what it meant to be at peace.
(while he never spoke of that incident to you again other than a brief thanks for giving him (unnecessary) medical attention, he found himself drifting towards you more frequently — whether it be conversing with you during those bothersome banquets, stretching out the time you escort him before he enters jing yuan’s office-slash-meeting room, sharing specialties from his territory during garden strolls, or even requesting you to spar with him. the victory from either side is sweet, but the strained expression he catches from notable figures is even sweeter.)
amongst the many you’re acquainted with, merchant!sampo is the one you’re most on edge around in spite of the years you have known each other for. it’s not that he’s a bad guy, but there’s something about his easy smile and ever-searching eyes and his words that always seem to form into something people want to hear which all seem… off. well, maybe you’re reading too much into his demeanour. after all, if he truly did have sinister intentions, you’re sure he would have acted on them by now — he’s had plenty of time to.
there’s a certain level of cunning one must have in order to survive. whether that be wits, deceit, getting one’s hands dirty, it doesn’t matter. they are all just a means to an end, after all. sampo has long since tread on the path of deceit, a game of cat and mouse with unassuming clients and authorities. but business is business, and what better way to make use of that than exploitation? disguised in a bar known as “masked fools” mapped across the globe sits a wealth of knowledge, hidden behind a secret code only known by those who covet wealth or revenge. it’s a fun pastime; the information-slash-mercenary guild receives money, the client has their request done. sampo quickly discovered playing the unassuming fool in front of the target only for them to discover they were the fool all along to be exhilarating. it was a rush like no other, even more so when he mastered the art of disguise and blended in with the crowd, building connections and biding his time as the airheaded merchant.
sampo admits, he was a tad hasty in his judgement of you. just a little. well, when compared to the ever-imposing figure of the royal guard captain chasing him down when he makes his weekly medicinal run for the palace’s physician, you weren’t all that impressionable at first glance. maybe it was the way you passively regarded him before walking off which led him to that belief, or perhaps it was the unassuming expression you always carried despite being the famed personal guard of the emperor. whatever the case, he was wrong. he realised that when his balance was tilted, back flush against the grass with your body pinning him down. the tip of your sword was against his throat and your eyes burned so brightly when asking what he was doing sneaking around a forbidden area to outsiders. he doesn’t remember what he said or did in response; all he does remember is the adrenaline rushing through his veins at the stern countenance you bestowed upon him. unconventional as it may have been, sampo thought you were the most breathtaking in that moment, a wondrous sight for his heart which only knew of cunning and deceit.
(it would be no lie to say money talks. in his line of business, it does all the talking. the only exception, sampo discovered, was when an ignorant fool attempted to hire him and have you… removed, to put it lightly. sampo couldn’t help the laugh which escaped him at the expression on the man’s face after his carefree refusal, a sound which ceased as he pointed his weapon to the man’s throat and demanded he spill the identity of the one who sent him. after all, a mere small-fry like him doesn’t have the ability to even dream of hiring someone against you — mercenary or assassin.)
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