#Vampire Diluc x reader | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

argentisbeloved · 7 months

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Diluc, Dainsleif & Dan Heng as vampires

pairings: diluc, dainsleif & dan heng x gender neutral reader

cws: biting and blood drinking, some swearing, them burning in the sunlight, slight suggestiveness in dain’s part (not rlly it’s barely even one moan)

tags: them as vampires, hurt/comfort, modern au (dan heng), kissing, dan heng’s part is dialogue heavy

notes: diluc’s part is also inspired by an art the lovely @/mmmairon as well as a drabble by @/hiraya_rawr. also also i wanna say that dan heng has more of a modern au type of thing going for him, so just keep that in mind!

word count: 3911

DILUC RAGNVINDR: (1340 words)

•Diluc was turned during a near death experience in Snezhnaya. A passing vampire spotted his body bleeding out on the ground and decided the only way to save him was by turning him.

•Though, Diluc would've rather died on that night.

•After he was turned, and he experienced his first craving for blood, he went on a rampage that he'd quickly come to regret afterwards.

•Out of guilt of realising what he's done, he exiled himself into solitude. Opting to not go back home ever again in case he'd hurt someone in Mondstadt if he did go back. He resided in an abandoned manor that he'd fixed up over a century or two.

•Instead of drinking human blood, he drank animal blood instead. Though he'd never drink enough from them to fatally wound the animal.

•Meaning for a very long time, he'd been suppressing his cravings for human blood.

•And when you came into the picture, it wasn't pretty for him.

•You'd knocked on his door one late night seeking for shelter from a storm that was starting to form. While the logical side of his brain screamed at him to not let you stay, he inevitably let you inside for the night.

•He brewed you a cup of tea, and let you stay in one of the spare rooms. By morning, and after you left, he expected that to be the last time he'd ever see a human for another century or so.

•He was proved wrong when you showed up at his doorstep again late into the afternoon with some food to thank him for letting you stay the night.

•After this, you ended up visiting him more and more. You quickly noticed how he wouldn't answer a lot during the day, but you just assumed he was busy working (in reality, he refused to open the door to not get burned by the sunlight).

•Because of your frequent visits, you ended up befriending Diluc.

•And before he knew it, Diluc was falling completely head over heels for you, to his dismay.

•The thought of loving you terrified him greatly. He was a vampire and you were a human for goodness' sake! It could never work between you two! The thought of losing himself because of you, your scent, and your blood made him so scared. He didn't want to harm you, or worse, he didn't want to accidentally lose control and kill you.

•So, in hopes to drive you away; he decides to reveal himself to you. To reveal the monster he is to you.

A letter from Diluc had you walking to his manor in the middle of a warm spring day, something you wouldn't usually do. You figured that he had a day off from work today and that he wanted to spend it with you. The last part of that thought making your heart throb in your chest.

You soon approached the door to his manor, knocking gently on the door three times. It didn't take long before the dark oak doors opened to let you inside. You entered casually as Diluc held open the door for you, closing and locking it once you had fully entered his estate.

He led you over to the sitting room, placing a pre-made cup of tea in front of you, to which you quickly accepted and drank out of. The two of you conversed together for a little while, with everything being light hearted and fine, as it usually was.

That was until Diluc suddenly questioned you;

"How do you feel about me?"

His question caught you by surprise, your eyes widening and a small blush starting to coat your cheeks. You laugh awkwardly, trying to calm yourself down from how his question startled you.

You open your mouth, planning to say "You're a good friend of mine!" And while that isn't a lie, a friend isn't something only you want to be to him, you want to be something more.

"Please, tell me the truth."

His words catch you off guard for the second time in such a small period. You choke down your words and take a deep breath, before reluctantly saying your true feelings to him.

"I... I'm in love with you, Diluc."

In that moment, the light hearted air in the room had quickly dissipated. With the way Diluc's eyes widened with what looked like disbelief, shock and also fear?

"N-No... no... you can't love me, you shouldn't love me...!"

He says, his voice breaking midway through his declaration.

"Why not?"

You respond. You're nothing but confused right now, you've never seen him like this before. Diluc was a calm and rational man to you, so you'd never seen him like this before.

"Because!”

He shouts, standing up from the couch forcefully. He turns away from you, walking towards the tightly covered window.

"I'm nothing but a monster! You should love someone better than me!"

"Diluc, why are you talking about..!?"

Almost as if to answer your question, he pulls the curtains apart, the tight bindings on them tearing from his abnormal strength. The sun pours into the already dimly lit room.

Diluc winces, resisting the urge to cover his face. He groans in pain and turns around to face you.

Your heart drops at the sight of him. The way his pale skin now glows and crackles from the sunlight, burning his skin.

"He's burning, he's in pain!"

You quickly leap from your seat, pulling the blanket that was draped onto the couch with you. You throw the blanket over his head, shielding him from the sun's piercing light.

Diluc's eyes widen with shock as you pull him away from the window and pull the curtains back to block the sunlight.

You look afraid and worried, as you frantically pace around the room looking for something that's unknown to him. After a few minutes of you tearing through his cabinets, you finally find what you're looking for

A roll of bandages.

You desperately cover the skin that's been burnt with the bandages. Diluc takes note of how heavy you're breathing, how you're almost hyperventilating.

Once you've covered the burns on his face, you search the other uncovered parts of his body for any more injuries. And Diluc finally hears your voice breaking the uncomfortable silence that had formed.

"Why the fuck would you do that...!?"

You try to sound angry, but your voice immediately shakes and falters, turning your tone of voice into a more desperate one.

Diluc begins to feel guilty, hearing the pain in your voice hurts him more than those burns did.

You raise your head to look at him in the eyes, opening your mouth to spit more words at him.

"Why would you hurt yourself like this...!?!?"

You choke on those words, tears beginning to fall down your cheeks at a rapid pace. The sight of you so distraught makes Diluc's barely beating heart ache immensely.

"I..."

Diluc struggles to get what he wants to say out.

"I didn't want to love you, in case I'd hurt you..."

He looks away from you, too ashamed to keep eye contact.

"Do you not see how much this hurts me though!?"

You reply, gritting your teeth.

"I don't care that you're not a human like me! I still love you, and nothing is going to change that!!"

More tears fall down your cheeks, some even hitting and sliding down his own face.

Diluc hesitantly reaches a hand up, pressing his gloved hand against the back of your head and pushing it forward so that your forehead rests against his.

"I'm sorry."

He apologises, being finally able to look you in the eyes again. He's sincere in his words.

You sniffle, closing your eyes and placing your hands on his shoulders. You don't respond to his apology, but he can tell that you've already forgiven him.

Diluc smiles and closes his eyes too, not deciding to start any more conversations, and leaving the two of you to calm in silence.

DAINSLEIF: (1424 words)

•When Khaenri'ah fell, Dainsleif was cursed with both immortality and vampirism. The immortality came with becoming a vampire.

•So he decided to travel Teyvat alone, so as to not let anyone know about his inhumanity.

•At first, Dainsleif struggled with being a vampire. He could only be on the move when the sun was down, but it wasn't like he could get very far with how sluggish he was from repressing his blood cravings.

•Eventually, he managed to figure things out. Every once in a while he'd feed on some poor drunkard walking home in the middle of the night. And he managed to construct a ring that made him immune to the sunlight, meaning he could now travel by day as well.

•The 500 years he's spent travelling alone were incredibly lonely for him. Because he didn't want anyone to know that he was a vampire, he isolated himself from civilisation, only occasionally stepping into the cities to get a drink at a tavern or to buy something he needed.

•He lived completely alone for five centuries, until you came along.

•Dainsleif had spotted you, another traveller, trying your best to fight some slimes that had been attacking you, but you weren't really doing a good job. So, he stepped in to help you out. He planned to just slay the slimes, make sure you were okay, and be on his merry way once again.

•But you had completely ruined his plans, chasing after him as he tried to walk away from you, saying that you'd pay him back with a meal at a nearby restaurant or a drink from one of the taverns he'd been to a few times.

•No matter how many times he'd try to let you down gently, you just kept going, insisting that because he saved your life that you should repay him.

•Once Dainsleif finally came to terms with the fact that you weren't going to let up, he sighed and agreed to your offer (demand)

•So you took him to a tavern for a meal and a few drinks. By the end of it, you were completely drunk and he was still completely sober.

•Regular human food and alcohol don't do much to his system. It wasn't like his body rejected them, but he would never become drunk even if he drank a sea of booze, and he would never become full off of just meats and vegetables.

•Much to Dainsleif's annoyance, he ended up carrying you back to his campsite to let you sleep there. He made sure to keep watch the entire night just in case.

•When you woke up, the first thing you saw through a bleary gaze was a pint of water being held out to you by Dainsleif. He scolded you for drinking too much last night and forced you to drink the water to lessen your hangover.

•And since then, you've somehow become a pest in his side. You both travelled around Teyvat together, soothing Dainsleif's centuries-long loneliness.

•Though, having a human companion by his side wasn't easy for Dainsleif. Especially if he was due for another feeding.

The crackling fire illuminated the campsite that had been darkened by the evening sky. The entrancing flames distracted you as Dainsleif tried his best to calm himself down in your shared tent.

He was due for another feeding, and the smell of your blood was driving him crazy. He was trying his best to hold back on his desperate cravings until you slept, so he could drink from another bumbling drunkard roaming the paths.

But it was getting increasingly harder and harder to hold himself back as the minutes passed by.

Dainsleif refused to drink from you. He didn't want to harm or scare you away. Overtime, he'd come to actually enjoy your company. Driving you away with his monstrous tendencies is the last thing he wants, especially after being alone for far too long.

"Dainsleif?"

Your voice breaks him out of his thoughts, and he looks up to see you, placing a hand on his shoulder. He hadn't even realised you'd moved away from the fire to come to his side.

"Are you alright? You look awfully pale..."

Awfully pale was just how he always looked, though he was probably as white as a ghost by now from how badly he needed to feed.

"I-It's nothing..."

Dainsleif utters with a surprisingly weak voice. He averts his eyes away from you, feeling embarrassed that you have to see him so weak.

"Are you sure? I think you may be ill..."

You respond, holding his chin to keep his head in place while you studied his features for any signs of illness.

Dainsleif's breath became ragged at how close you were to him. He was using all of his self control to not just pounce on you and drink straight from your neck.

In your eyes, you had just thought that he was refusing help because he didn't want to seem weak around you. Though the issue was much bigger than that.

"P-Please, I'm fine..."

He breathes out. He does not look fine in the slightest.

You furrow your eyebrows at him, starting to become annoyed at how he's pushing you away.

"You don't have to pretend, Dain. I can tell something's wrong, you can tell me y’know."

Dainsleif swallows. He wants to resist, to run away and return to you while you're asleep and he's finally been fed. But he cannot.

"H-How much do you know about... inhuman creatures...?"

He finally asks with his voice and breath shaking.

"Hmm... like slimes? Have you been poisoned by one or something?—"

"No, no, it's nothing like that..." He cuts you off, taking a deep breath before speaking again. "I-I meant creatures who appear to be human... but they aren't..."

You think for a few moments, thinking back to all the books you read before you decided to set off on your journey across all of Teyvat. After a few minutes of thinking, you manage to come to a conclusion.

"Like a vampire or something?"

"Yes... a vampire..."

"What about them?"

Dainsleif doesn't even find the energy to tell you. He simply just opens his mouth a little to show off his sharp fangs in his teeth that replaced his canines.

Your eyes widen. You're surprised, and even a little bit scared, but you know Dainsleif won't hurt you.

Not hurting you is what got him to this state in the first place, isn't it?

"Are you hungry?"

You ask him, and he weakly nods in response.

You take a deep breath before undoing the top button on your shirt, pulling your collar down enough to fully expose your neck. You hold his chin against and force him to look up at you.

"Drink from me." You say, and Dainsleif's eyes widen.

"B-But—"

"I don't want to hear it. I know you won't hurt me, so just drink already.”

A bit of anxiety goes through your mind, wanting to back out. But you'd rather be in pain than have your closest companion die of starvation when you could've prevented it.

Dainsleif hesitantly pulls you close to him, pressing his mouth against the side of your neck. He places small kisses on the warm skin, whispering out a bunch of "Thank you's" as he prepares himself to drink from you for the first time.

Right before he drinks from you, he whispers a small "I'm sorry," before taking a bite.

At first, it hurts. Your nails dig into Dainsleif's shoulders as he feeds from you. His thumbs draw comforting circles on your back to try and soothe you.

When the pain finally subsides, it actually starts to feel a little good. You let out a mix between a sigh and a moan as your nails stop digging into his shoulders and instead grip at his shirt.

Once he finishes drinking from you, he licks and kisses the spot he bit into, lapping up any blood that's spilled out from your neck.

The experience left you completely exhausted. You rested your head on Dainsleif's shoulder as he grabbed the first aid kit from your bag, pulling out a small bandaid to put over the bite.

When he's done patching you up, he lays you down gently onto your mat, pulling up the small blanket you had. His gloved hand brushes the hair sticking to your forehead away, and he plants his lips there in a gentle kiss.

"Sleep well..."

He whispers, before your vision fades to black.

DAN HENG: (1137 words)

•Unlike the other two, Dan Heng was actually born as a vampire. Though he's never met his parents before.

•Vampires like him age super slowly. So he's got another few centuries on his belt until he becomes weak enough to die or be killed easily.

•Instead of hiding himself away though, he works as a librarian in a public library.

•While he's very quiet and hard to communicate with, he is actually a very good worker (he plans to go down with the library if that ever happens)

•Nobody actually knows he's a vampire, not even his boss or his coworkers. While his previous bosses had noticed that he barely seemed to age as the years went by, they always felt too intimidated by his quiet and stoic nature to ask him about it.

•Dan Heng, like Dainsleif, also has a daylight ring. Though this is just something he's had with him for as long as he can remember.

•You show up for the first time in his life when you're hired to work in the library with him.

•Unfortunately for him, you just happened to want to strike up a conversation every time you saw him. His boss must've noticed this, because suddenly, majority of your shifts aligned right with his.

•Dan Heng is a bit annoyed that his nice peace and quiet is now being interrupted by you. But he's not a bad guy, so he's not going to get mad at you and push you away or make you feel horrible because of it.

•So, after a bit of trying to get him to talk to you, he caves and replies to you.

•And that started your friendship with him.

•You two remained as good friends for a while. It was until Dan Heng realised that he had started to fall for you that he started to push you away without even realising it.

•He felt bad for falling for you. He felt bad that he'd live on for centuries, while you only had a few decades. It made him feel guilty thinking of how you'd grow old and he'd technically not even be 30 yet.

•So, he started slipping informative books about vampires into your piles of books that you were going to borrow. He didn't know how to tell you outright the truth, so he hoped that this would get his message across.

•It did not.

Dan Heng notices you sigh while you're looking through your stack of books that you had left to the side unattended for only a few minutes. He watches you walk over to him and place the book he had slipped into your pile in front of him on the desk.

"Can you put this back in its original spot?" You sigh again, tapping on the hardcover with your nails.

Dan Heng picks up the book. "Are you not a fan of vampire books?" He asks bluntly, slightly raising an eyebrow.

"It's not that." You reply "They just keep showing up with the books I want to borrow even though. I don't put them there... do you think we're being haunted by a vampire or something?"

Dan Heng shakes his head. "Don't be absurd. Ghosts are the ones that haunt, not vampires."

"Oh? Sounds like you know a lot about vampires. Perhaps you're the one slipping these into my pile behind my back?"

You notice the way Dan Heng's eyes practically pop out of his head with how surprised he looks. It was an odd expression for him.

"Hey, you don't have to look so surprised, I was joking—"

"You're right."

Now you're the one who's surprised, though not to the same extent as he was just merely a few seconds ago.

Dan Heng sighs. "Can we go somewhere private? I have something to tell you."

You nod your head and follow him. The both of you are silent as you walk to a secluded spot in a corner of the library. When you both stop walking, Dan Heng turns to face you with a guilty expression on his face.

"I have two things to tell you..."

He begins, taking a deep breath before looking straight into your curious eyes.

"I have... fallen for you."

A cute red blush appears on his cheeks, and with the way yours had started to burn, you probably looked the exact same as him.

"But... I cannot be with you."

That immediately makes you confused. Your heart starts to pound harder.

"Wh-What do you mean?"

You stutter, your voice raising in a pitch a little too high when you emphasise your question.

Dan Heng sighs again, rubbing his shoulder awkwardly.

"The reason I've been slipping books about vampires into your pile is... well... because I am a vampire."

You cannot tell if you're being played right now.

"...Are you serious?"

"Yes."

With the way Dan Heng continues to look straight into your eyes without faltering makes you believe him more. But you have no reason to not believe him anyway, after all, Dan Heng was a serious person, so what would he get out of lying to you like this?

"So... how does that play into you loving me?"

Dan Heng bites his lip, fiddling with the ring he always wore to calm his anxieties down.

"I'm practically immortal. If we ever end up together in the future, you'll die way before I even reach the age you died at..."

It seems his anxieties only worsened as he explained the reason to you. That thought hadn't crossed your mind, but you understand why he looked so guilty and distressed over it.

You exhale, taking a step closer to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. He looks at you, wondering what you're planning to do.

"I'm sure we can work something out when that inevitably comes around. For now, why don't we just enjoy ourselves without worrying about the future?"

You smile warmly, brushing your thumb over his bottom lip.

Dan Heng doesn't respond for a second, but he finally nods to your statement.

"Alright, let's do that."

He grabs the wrist of your hand that's touching his face, moving it away and intertwining his fingers with you, giving you a small reassuring squeeze.

Dan Heng looks at you and smiles for the first time during your whole conversation. Your heart flutters at the sight of it, and you can't help but lean in and kiss it.

Dan Heng's eyes widen again when you pull away, and you immediately regret doing that.

"I-I'm sorry! I should've asked for permission first!"

"N-No... it's fine."

Dan Heng touches his lips, the blush on his face growing.

"...Can I kiss you again then?"

You ask shyly, playing with his fingers in your linked hands.

"Yes, you may."

And that's exactly what you do.

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hollythius · 1 year

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VANITY | vampire! genshin characters x reader

note | trying something new here! we’re going for multi-chapter, multiple characters x reader, and you get to choose your route! hopefully this goes as planned 😔 general trigger warnings for blood and biting in a (mostly) non-sexual manner.

SYNOPSIS | you receive a letter from a mysterious admirer, inviting you to an exquisite gala. when you arrive, you find various suitors waiting for you— but there’s a catch. they’re all vampires!

first chapter (you’re here!) / next / previous

Dear Y/n,

You have utterly captivated me. Your charms are like the sweetest incense, drawing me nearer like a moth to a flame. When our eyes meet, my heart erupts with joy in a way that words cannot describe. Simply writing to you makes my hands shake in wistful longing. The quill in my hand is as restless as I; and I hope my penmanship is legible. (It would be my worst shame to write to you and have you not be able to read it) Now allow me to get on with the real point of this letter.

I formally invite you to the Dawn Winery next Saturday evening to enjoy a delicious wine tasting and incredible live music. As it is a masquerade, please dress in appropriate attire. I propose a game to you as well— if you can spot me in the crowd, I’ll give you a sweet surprise.

Yours in secrecy,

Your secret admirer.

The love letters were new. You were used to odd trinkets: windwheel asters, berries, a honeyed ale or tasty biscuit. Never had you received such a flowery parchment. Flush rose to your cheeks, tinting them red as you stood on your doorstep. You shook your head, pushing back inside. Sure, it was true that sometimes you stayed awake at night, thinking of who could be behind the gifts. A rich nobleman? A sweet farmer’s son? A librarian, a fisherman, a baker? At times like these, you longed for the touch of your admirer. The country of Teyvat was large, but the incoming fesitival at the Dawn Winery drew in travelers months in advance. Your admirer could be from any reach of the nation! Could they be from your hometown of Mondstat, or the farthest reaches of Inazuma? You would have to find out yourself, should you attend the wine tasting.

Who were you kidding. You were already gathering money for a masquerade mask.

please reblog my work! i spend lots of time on my projects, and it really helps me out :) tagging @ilyuu and @hobieist bc they helped me finalize the ideas for this series!

#genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #🍵 . your tea is ready! ´ — writings #diluc x reader #kaeya x reader #childe x reader #tartaglia x reader #zhongli x reader #xiao x reader #venti x reader #wanderer x reader #albedo x reader #alhaitham x reader #kazuha x reader #vampires #vampire x reader #vampire x human

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flower-yi · 6 months

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Diluc Ragnvindr is knelt pathetically by the chair.

This is the worst he's been humiliated, he thinks, the coldness of the marble floor not once making him flinch. He's already frozen to the touch, no longer fazed by the temperature his mansion drops to on a daily basis, but you are warm, a living, real creature, who unlike him, needs no blood to live.

In contrast, he cannot live without it.

It is humiliating to know that he cannot survive a day without blood. Not— not without yours, not without anyone's, not without anything.

"Tell me once, and I will stop," his own voice quivers in the confines of his throat. Your hand on his cheek, pulse so close to his fangs, feels so pleasant on his chilled skin he's certain it makes him look foolish in the way he holds it so closely to his face. "I am giving you the chance to t-think twice. Please, my love, I..."

Your adoring gaze fills him with so much loathing he shuts his eyes to it.

The gentle circles you're caressing onto his cheek causes his body to shake. Gods, you are so soft with him. "Diluc," you start, sighing his name out, "Since when have I needed to think twice when it came to you?"

When he opens his eyes, the image of you in front of him begins to blur. "This folly will be remembered longer than you will."

"I know," you say with a smile, a strange liquid making a line on your hand. Diluc startles, moving, realizing that strange liquid is a tear, and that it comes from him.

He is beyond pathetic. Disgusting, really, to be kneeling in front of a human so reverently, when he will be desecrating someone like you.

When you've noticed he's yet to sink his fangs into you, you encourage him. Gods, you encourage him, by saying, "Diluc, I'll be safe. It's you."

And so he sobs, teeth breaking skin, blood filling his mouth. It tastes sweet. He's a monster to want more.

#hanyi-writing #diluc ragnvindr #genshin impact #diluc ragnvindr x reader #diluc x reader #genshin impact x reader #this is inspired by that legendary vampire fic on ao3 #you know what it is #the real ones know #can't believe this is my first diluc work and it's a vampire one #god. i'm down bad

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poisonf0rest · 4 months

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𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫

You still remember the face of the first Hunter you saved.

He was a young lad, no more than seven and ten years of age when he first helped you escape a blood-drunk mob on a night of a Hunt years ago. A sweet child, freckled, doe-eyed, and stuttering all the while as you thanked him, young body utterly drowned in that heavy black Hunter attire. And yet that hardly stopped him from doing his service to Yharnam, for each night he’d join the Hunt, and each morning he’d stumble into your clinic, clawed full with wounds and cheeks streaked with tears.

You had not believed that Hunters could still feel pain before then. You had not believed that they could still feel fear.

He cried himself to sleep in your arms that night.

They say it all happened because a beast bit him, infecting the poor child with its toxic blood. But you remember better than that— the nightmares remind you.

The boy Hunter’s change ran deeper than skin, deeper than flesh and blood.

A week before the incident you found him slumped against the clinic’s stairs, bleeding out as he babbled on and on in his semi-conscious state, eyes locked on the buildings before you yet his pupils clouded and unfocused. He spoke of things from another world, things he could see that no one else could. Things that clung to buildings like enormous parasites, things that possessed eyes that lined their brains, and things that were unspeakable in very definition.

By the time you brought him inside, his flesh had begun to rot, as if his body was eating itself from the inside out. It was then he began screaming, saying over and over again how he could hear them now too, the echoing voices and their prayers.

He swore he could hear the screams of a newborn child.

You remember the sickly black hue of the blood pooling from his ears and eyes, and those same four words he whispered over and over and over again. For you hear them in your sleep nearly every night:

“Fear the Old Blood.”

You still remember the face of the first Hunter who died in your arms, screaming.

· · ─────── ·♰· ─────── · ·

Gasping, you wake up as you do most nights: crying with a headache strong enough to split your skull.

You’ve learned smoking dreamroot gets rid of the migraines quickly enough. It leaves the world fuzzy and warped, but at least it is silent. Besides, it’s not like you have much of your life left to lose anyway. You’d be one of the lucky ones if you even hit thirty.

Yharnam is far from silent even in the dead of night, and when you open the clinic’s rusted balcony doors, they groan in tandem with the howling in the distance. You suppose it should bother you. It probably did, once upon a time. But the city has been dying for centuries now, and when the body is this rotten even the doctors stop trying.

Another huff and the world goes sideways, only the moon remaining as it looms over the city, everything else spinning as it fades to and from your vision. You giggle. Stumbling forward, you catch yourself on the railing, tarnished metal crying from your weight, and you curse at it under your breath.

“If you’re going to purposefully poison yourself, at least do it inside. Away from the ledge.”

You pout, flicking the end of the dreamroot as the embers dance into the dark. “Oui, but then the clinic will reek. And Saints know that certainly wouldn’t be considered above board.”

The Hunter only gives you a grunt, yet he doesn’t press any further. Rather, he jumps down from his spot on the roof, joining you on the balcony. The two of you are unavoidably pressed against each other in the limited, crumbling space, your thighs brushing against his as you lean closer, accidentally throwing yourself off balance as you tumble forward, your free hand gripping to his forearm to catch yourself. Diluc holds you, eyes never leaving your face as you struggle to make your tongue work again. His hands make their way to your waist. Only to steady you, he tells himself.

“You,” your brows furrow, “Were you here the whole time?”

It would hardly be a surprise, with his Vampyr stealth and whatnot. You take another huff of the dreamroot, humming as the purple smoke bleeds from your lips, the poor Hunter scrunching his nose as it swirls around him, consequence of you still half-leaning half-standing against him. Another cluster of embers falls, and you watch as they flicker, something hollow and hungry clawing at your chest when their light finally disappears.

You remember how Diluc smells like smoke. What does he burn for, you wonder?

“I wasn’t watching you, if that’s what you’re insinuating.” The Hunter’s voice draws you back, and you smile. “I was on the Hunt in Upper Cathedral Ward when I heard your heartbeat shift. I came in case there was trouble.”

“The Cathedral Ward.” That was at least an hour’s walk from the clinic. “You could still hear my heartbeat?”

“I…” He clears his throat, averting his gaze, but his grip tightens at your waist. “I always hear yours.”

Even above the cries of the beasts, even among the fifty-thousand-some inhabitants of Yharnam, he could still make out the slight shift in your heart.

“Oh.”

You inspect the dreamroot, rolled blunt already half gone, and lift it to Diluc’s lips. “Want some?”

His nose wrinkles again, and you begin to hypothesize that all of the Vileblood’s senses are heightened, not just their strength and sight, when the fog of the root takes hold again. Before he can answer, the blunt slips between your fingers, tumbling to the ground as your hand lifts to his jaw, thumbing at his lips. Pressing your index finger against his top lip, you marvel at his fangs before dragging the plush of your finger down one, shivering at the edge you come so close to cutting yourself on.

“I want you to bite me.”

Diluc makes a sort of strangled hiss at that, hands leaving your waist as they go to restrain your wandering fingers. “No. You do not.”

You laugh, relenting as your wrists are pinned down to your shoulders by Diluc’s stronger grip. “If you refuse to bite me, would you prefer I bite you?”

The Vampyr merely looks at you as though you’ve grown three heads, still very much contemplating how to salvage the conversation with some semi-appropriate answer when you stumble forward, rocking onto your toes as your lips brush against his ear.

“Is this okay?”

You hear the shaky exhale he lets out against your cheek.

“Please.”

That’s all the confirmation you need.

Falling completely against him, you give a chaste kiss right below his ear, allowing him to pull you closer as he slots his leg between yours to give you more support as you pin him against the balcony stone wall. You trail kisses along his jaw, tasting the sweet tremble of his skin as it mixes with the earthy musk of the dreamroot, utterly intoxicating as your head spins from it all. Fisting your hand into his wild hair, you tug, forcing his head back as you nip and pull against his neck, already addicted to the sweet sounds every harsh movement coaxed out from the man beneath you.

Diluc swallows once again, and you can’t help but follow the bob of his throat. Setting your mouth over his pulse, you ghost your lips back down his throat until you brush on a spot that has him tensing between your thighs.

And then, you bite.

His moan breaks your trance, the guttural sound still reverberating in your chest as he jerks you away, his grip harsh against your hair. You whimper, both hands tugging at his wrist to try and free yourself, every tug of his fingers against your scalp sending flickers of shameful arousal down your spine.

Saints, you didn’t know he’d react like that simply by being bitten.

Then, just as quickly as he had grabbed you, Diluc released his hold. Instead, his hands plant themselves on your waist, pulling you down his thigh and firmly away from his neck. He meets your raised brow with a frown.

“My, if I had known all I needed to do to was bite you to get that reaction then believe me, I would have done so far earlier.”

His voice almost sounds pained as he speaks. “You don’t know what you do to me.”

But by the gods above and below did you want to.

The faint glint of the candlelight coming from inside the clinic catches on Diluc’s fangs with every ragged breath, and you swear you’d trade the world, heaven and hell itself just to know every single thing about the man before you. Just the mere thought sends your pulse hammering, and Diluc’s supernatural hearing clearly catches the flutter of your pulse since he licks his lips, the slow movement sending a throb down your core in response.

This game you two insisted on playing was driving both of you insane. The waiting. The wanting. The anticipation was beginning to twist into aching.

Yet neither of you could fully yield.

And so, here you remain, torturing yourselves with the purgatory in between.

Diluc is the first to talk, yet his voice doesn’t go above a whisper. “You know what my kind is. So why? Why risk this? Why tempt me so?”

“I wish I knew.”

A laugh, and you sway closer once more. You can’t tell if it’s from the dreamroot or from your obvious infatuation, but you swear Diluc’s eyes burn, flickering between gold and blood red, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Your gaze turns to his fangs once more. “Perhaps I am merely naturally curious. But perhaps I simply long to know what it feels like…” Your lips brush his with every word, and Diluc’s eyes tremble, pupils dilated so viciously his iris have been reduced to flaming rings, “To become yours. Your prey. To know the feeling of your fangs and the feeling of you sucking the lifeforce out from me. I want to know how you hurt.”

Bitting down onto his lower lip, your words practically drip from your mouth into his. “I suppose I’m simply infatuated with you. You’ll help me, won’t you? You’ll sate my curiosity? My desires? You’ll bite me, won’t you?”

Finally moving to kiss him, you crane your neck up, and yet instead of the soft plush of his lips, you’re met with the rough flesh of his palm. Diluc gently pushes you back down, the rough pad of this thumb brushing past your lips as his own once did.

“Forgive me.”

You blink, and you’re back inside the clinic once again. The balcony door is shut, and Diluc is gone, swallowed into the night like an ember that slipped from your grasp, only the burns on your fingers left to prove it was ever even there.

· · ─────── ·♰· ─────── · ·

Every week, on the twenty-second hour of the seventh day, you and the Hunter would sneak into the Healing Church’s Grand Library, shuffling through centuries of lost knowledge, journals, and archives until the morning bells rang thrice.

And every week you’d leave with more questions than answers.

Piece by piece, you began to uncover more about Lawrence, the First Vicar, and his role as the Healing Church’s long-forgotten founder. No, not forgotten, that would imply this was something less than a meticulously organized scheme to keep the populace of Yharnam under control. Lawrence was erased. Erased like the truth of the Hunters, like the lineage of the Vilebloods, like the origin of the Beastly Scourge.

You’re busy re-reading today’s findings as you scour the city for new samples, the perpetual full moon and flickering street lamps providing the bare minimum amount of light for you to make out the scrawled handwriting of priests from long ago. Normally you wouldn’t dare be this distracted in the midst of Yharnam’s beast-infested streets, but today is Sunday mass, which means all the Church Hunters have been busy clearing the roads to and from the Cathedral. Not to mention, your own Hunter is never far off either.

As such, you are more than preoccupied with the decaying body of a recently killed Scourge Beast beside you, the skin surrounding its sternum pinned apart as you perform a paramedian cut down its furry side to get to its rotten lungs. One gloved hand extracts the delicate tissue as the other thumbs through another journal, your attention half-hazardously split between the two tasks. You like to think of yourself as somewhat of an expert multitasker.

Unpacking yet another journal from your satchel, you flip through bookmarked dates until you reach an entry that has been scratching at your brain recently. The author of this particular journal was even more of a madman than the typical worshiper- a tough record to beat, to be sure- and yet in between his blatantly racist rantings against the Vilebloods and history lessons on the Executioners, you discovered some mentions of Laurence and the founding of the Healing Church.

You read:

"But I have recently caught word that the holy medium of blood healing, brought to us by the esteemed First Vicar, is venerated in the main cathedral. And that councilors of the old church reside in the high stratum of the Cathedral Ward. They, and only they, may act as guardians to this Saint-given gift. I can only hope to one day rise to their ranks, and dedicate my life to preserving the Holy Medium as well.”

This Holy Medium, whatever it was that First Vicar Laurence had found, must contain the answers you’ve been searching for. If you could find it, study it, understand it, then perhaps it will finally bring you closer to the truth behind the Beastly Scourge outbreak.

Whatever Laurence’s intentions, it is clear that his ambition coupled with the power of this Holy Medium, allowed him to create the Healing Church. But why? For what purpose?

Shoving the beast’s rotten lungs into a glass, you move to extract another pint of blood, tucking the vials and needle back into your satchel as you stand once more. You can’t help but feel as though you’re overlooking something, a piece obscured both by intention and ignorance, a fragment of truth hidden in plain sight.

“Fear the Old Blood.”

What did blood have to do with all this?

After disposing of your gloves and wiping the gore from your hands the best you can, you finally make up your mind. You’ve been neglecting a crucial component, a perspective you’ve yet to fully exploit– you need to talk to someone from the Healing Church. Who better than the Vicar herself?

If what the journal says still holds true, then perhaps you could coax some information about the current whereabouts of this Holy Medium, or at least press her for some information between prayers during mass. Judging by the toll of the bell, there was at least an hour left of prayer. Besides, despite the Vicar's influence, she holds considerably more compassion than intellect in that skull of hers, predisposed to think the best and purest of everyone’s intentions. All the better for you, really.

“Hunter.”

Again, you feel him before you see him, that unnatural heat and the smell of ashes suffocating you like smoke. “Doctor.”

“We’re going on a little trip,” you turn, shooting him a grin as you spot him beneath a streetlamp. “To the main cathedral.”

Diluc’s brow furrows and you catch the harsh clench of his jaw as he emerges from the shadows, passing a sparing glance at the Beast's corpse behind you before meeting your gaze. “Forgive me if I’ve missed something, but I thought we were on the same page regarding those religious zealots.”

“Oui, but being a Doctor means I receive the great privilege of meeting a great variety of people in the city. Not to mention, meeting them under circumstances that more often than not place them in my debt.” You smirk, but the Hunter looks horridly unamused.

“Didn't realize you were so friendly with the Church.”

Serious as ever. You sigh, slinging your satchel and rifle back over your shoulders. “I can make exceptions. After all, if I were one to judge based on titles and lineage alone, then I would have killed you long ago.” An unamused huff. “If I recall correctly, you woke me with a rifle to the face.”

“And yet here you are, very much alive, mon petit monstre.”

Diluc is about to retort, but it dies off the instant you purr that pet name, his gaze dropping from yours as he hyper-fixates on the suddenly very interesting cobblestone below you. Stifling a laugh, you’re about to comment on his rather flustered nature today when the bells toll for prayer, each knell echoing through Yharnam’s streets. Diluc straightens immediately, clearing his throat.

“So? Who is this trustworthy priest of yours?” Saints, even the very sentence made his stomach churn, each word like acid against his tongue.

Mass was almost over, you’ll need to get moving soon. Beginning towards the Cathedral, you respond, “Vicar Amelia. Despite some inherent fanaticism, she’s a brilliant young lady. There are already pitifully too few brilliant young ladies, and so I took it upon myself to seek her out and see if she stood a chance against the zealous old men surrounding her.”

“And?”

“And I think she just might be one of the last chances Yharnam has left.”

Vicar Amelia is widely revered, after all, she’s just about your age and is already the highest-ranking member of the church, and a woman, at that. Yes, the Septons and the Maesters had their little fit, and yet with the entire populace of Yharnam in love with that angel of a woman, it was impossible to put her down. And for good reason too. From free clinics, soup kitchens, community mass, and a way with words that even managed to sway even you, she has earned her spot as the last flickering light left in Yharnam’s endless night, a beacon of hope for the townspeople.

And let's just say she owes you a favor. After all, she allows you to run your clinic even though you don't quite have all the necessary paperwork, licensing, and whatnot. Not that the Maesters knew. Courtesy of Vicar Amelia.

“You trust her?”

Diluc’s voice pulls you back to the present and you shoot him a crooked grin.

“Now, now, surely you jest? I said I admired her dedication to the people, but that inherently makes her a fool too. The best people often are.” You pause, mulling over your words carefully. ”She’s a resource. But more than that, she’s one of the last damn people here actually trying to save others, so I help her when I can. Despite some more… fundamental differences.”

Another scoff, the Hunter crossing his arms as he walks. “So what does that make me to you?”

“Quite talkative today aren’t we?” Diluc refuses to dignify your probe with a response. “You, my dear Hunter, are also a resource. Oh, and a pretty face to look at.”

His pace doubles, effectively leaving you trailing behind him, but not before you catch a hint of blush against his ears, peeking out from beneath the Hunter’s hat. With a laugh, you run to catch up.

Before long the looming shadow of the Grand Cathedral greets the two of you, beckoning you forward with the grand flight of stairs leading up to its iron maw. Like guardians, a line of the bowing statues kneels on either side of the railings, hunchbacked and clutching their faces (if you could even call that a face under those hoods, more a disfigured cluster of holes than anything) frozen either in prayer or pain.

The cathedral doors tower up against swooping marble arches, heavy metal cracked open as they sway with the wind. That’s odd. Typically the Healing Church posts a number of Hunters outside the cathedral to guard the town square until the mass is over. And yet the entire perimeter of the Grand Cathedral is void of people.

You and the Hunter push the doors wider, stepping into the shadows of the main hall as your footsteps reverberate through the chamber. It should be packed full as always on Vicar Amelia’s Sunday mass, everyone from families to Hunters to the Choir seated upon the rows of rotten wooden pews lining the grand hall.

And yet, all you’re greeted with is silence.

Usual neat rows of prayer benches and prie-dieus are thrown in disarray, splinters of wood littering the marble floors as you stumble further into the Cathedral in stunned silence. Not a soul remained, and despite that, you swear the words of prayer echo down the arched ceilings, like the whisperings of an angel. Or ghost.

Shaking your head in disbelief, you continue further into the hall, eyes trailing past the destruction and shattered stained glass windows, back down to the main altar where— Diluc grabs your arm, yanking you back as he tugs you against him.

“Not a sound.”

There, kneeling before the altar, dwarfed by the centerpiece statue and cast alight by the hundreds of half-burned candles, is a woman.

Dawned in white and deathly still, you never even noticed she was there, subconsciously mistaking her for yet another statue forever stuck in worship for whatever lay upon the altar.

Carefully, Diluc guides the two of you behind a pillar, hidden from both the woman and any guards or visitors who may still be caught beneath the rubble. Still entirely unaware of your presence, the woman doesn’t so much as move, and you’re near considering the possibility that she’s asleep or- Saints forbid- dead, until you catch the raspy murmur of prayers muffled into her clasped hands. Prayers that, you realize, have been echoing across the cathedral halls since you first stepped foot into the building.

It’s only then you realize you recognize her. For no one else in Yharnam has that pale, ashen hair.

“That’s her,” you fight against Diluc’s grip. “That’s Vicar Amelia. I don’t understand, why–”

A cough rattles Amelia’s body, and you realize those aren’t simply shadows casting her in a dark glow. She is covered in blood.

The Hunter pulls you closer. “Something’s not right.��

“Well obviously,” you huff, gesturing to the rubble as best you can against Diluc’s unrelenting hold. “Let me go, she might be hurt.”

“You’re not listening.”

“You are not listening. Now unhand me before I bite you!”

Craning your neck down, you intend to make good on your threat until Diluc’s hand meets your face halfway, stifling your mouth entirely as he yanks you backward, hissing against your ear.

“Listen.”

Again, you instinctually fight back, your duties as a doctor overriding any normal sense of fear or suspicion you should listen to, but Diluc’s Vileblood compulsion soothes your brain against your will, and you fall slack in his arms. Limp against his chest, your brows furrow as you finally begin to make out the words Vicar Amelia is muttering, over and over and over again as she rocks back and forth on her knees.

"Our thirst for blood satiates us, soothes our fears. Seek the old blood, but beware the frailty of men. Their wills weak, minds young.”

Your mouth opens, tongue dry against your mouth. What, what is she saying? Seek the old blood?

“The foul beasts will dangle nectar and lure the meek into the depths. Remain wary of the frailty of men. Their wills weak, minds young. Were it not for fear, death would go unlamented.” Her voice cracks into a broken cough. And then she starts struggling for air, falling forward as her body trembles, hands still locked in prayer. ”Death would,” a strangled gasp, ”Death—”

She’s seizing.

Dropping your weight into a lunge, you manage to wriggle free from Diluc’s hold, running out from behind the pillar, the Vicar’s jagged breathing echoing through the cathedral. “Amelia!” You need to turn her onto her side before she choked on her tongue, or worse.

And then, she screams. Neck snapping backward, the crack of bone and the gurgle of blood mix with her horrid screeches, body twitching and convulsing as every limb bent and snapped. Amelia’s spine snaps in half, screaming as she claws at her throat, tearing apart tendons and muscles with her bare fingernails as blood spews onto the statues before you, her ribs cracking open and piercing through flesh as her body tears itself apart. Crimson sprays like wings, red staining her white robes, tainting the altar and holy statues alike, covering you in blood as you stumble to the ground.

Even without her throat, Amelia continues to wail, the hellish sound gurgling out directly from her chest as her bones continue to twist and pull and grow in sharp jerks, fur sprouting out from under once holy robes, thick tresses of white ripping through flesh. Her body is ripping itself apart.

Then, every bone snaps back into place, but all wrong. Limbs reach for the ceiling and clawed paws dig into the marble as she mutates into a hellish beast taller than the grand altar itself. All at once woman and wolf and stag and monster, a creature defiling nature itself. She turns to snarl, flashing her disfigured rows of fangs in a mouth more muzzle than human, and you realize it would be futile to try and run.

Even with the tattered remains of human skin and cloth blindfolding her eyes, she knows you are here. And you will not escape her.

Still, Amelia clutches her paws to her heart, falling silent. She sniffs the air, once, twice.

You feel the bile rise in your throat, covering your mouth with one hand as the other scrambles backward to try and place more distance between you and the beast you watched transform right before your eyes. Impossible. It was impossible. The Scourge takes days, if not weeks to spread, and yet the Vicar turned right before your eyes.

Again, you throw your head to the side vomiting before someone grabs you, yanking you behind a pillar as you try and make out the words being muffled into your hair. Diluc’s grip tightens and he forces you to face him, crimson eyes grounding you as he whispers against your bloody temple. “As soon as I attack, run for the entrance. Run and do not look back.”

“Wait, please. You can’t kill her, she–” You’re shaking. Fuck. You’re shaking. “She’s the last hope this city has left.” The rest of your pleas die in your throat when another growl makes the very floor of the cathedral tremble. She heard you. “Please.”

The Hunter shoves three bottles into your grasp and forces your rifle into your hands. “You can’t save them all. You can’t save her.”

You’re out of time.

The growls turn to shrieks, Amelia’s enormous body shuddering as she screams, lunging forward as she knocks down the pillar to your right. You fall to your knees at the impact, skull rattling as you feel the blood from your burst eardrums trickle down your neck and jaw. By the time you open your eyes, Diluc is gone, darting out from the hallway and emerging into the main cathedral hall as he fires a shot directly into the beast’s skull.

“So this is how your gods repay you.” The Hunter unsheathes his claymore, swinging it to his side as he scoffs. “Pity.”

Amelia screams, slashing her outreached arm in time to Diluc’s lunge, only for his sword to meet her halfway, cutting right through her clawed palm. Flesh splays out as the sword drives up her enormous arm, tendons flailing uselessly next to the severed bone. Diluc is blinded with the spray of red, trying to wrench his claymore out from her flesh when Amelia flings him off, force sending him flying into a pillar with a bloody gasp.

Diluc falls, splattering the marble red as he hears the back of his skull crack- a sickening crunch that pulses behind his eyes and throat, vision spinning in time to his slowing heart as he watches the beast writhe in agony over its severed arm.

You hardly stifle a scream, about to run to him when one of the bottles tumbles from your arms, nearly shattering against the floor before you catch it. They reek of oil.

Oil. Fire. It’s a Molotov Cocktail.

Amelia has nearly finished stitching together her arm, beastly flesh snapping and knitting back together as she turns towards the nearly unconscious Hunter, claws outstretched.

Blood, he needs your blood.

With trembling hands, you unsheathe a dagger from your belt, slashing your forearm before launching the Molotov Cocktail at Amelia as hard as you can, the bottle shattering and setting the flank of the beast on fire as the cathedral is filled with the smell of burning flesh and blood. Your bones rattle with her screams.

Already lightheaded, you stumble through the rubble before falling at Diluc’s side. Pulling his face into your lap, you shove the open gash against his lips, feeling him stir beneath you as he gulps down your blood in greedy swallows. Crimson eyes snap open, and he takes one more mouthful before shoving you behind him, staggering to his feet as he lifts himself with the claymore.

Amelia rears up onto her hind legs with another shriek before thrusting her paws, still clasped in prayer, down on top of the Hunter. You’re thrown across the aisle with the force of the blow, choking on a gurgle of Diluc’s name.

But he is nowhere to be found.

Instead, the Hunter had already ducked underneath the enormous beast, claymore slashing into her Achilles heel, bringing the beast to her knees with another unending scream. About to cut the other heel, Diluc raises his claymore over his head, swinging down only to get struck in the chest with a desperate hind kick from the beast.

Rolling against the marble and debris, Diluc feels the pop of his lungs, hears it against his skull and coughs out a mass of blood. At least three ribs cracked, and he has to jam his sword into the ground to break the momentum. But Amelia is already upon him. She slashes twice, and Diluc hardly rolls out of the way in time, her claws nearly twice as large as his claymore as they dig straight through the marble.

Finally able to control your breathing, you roll onto your knees, propping your rifle against your shoulder as you desperately aim for the flailing head of the beast. She throws herself forward with yet another clumsy slash of her claws, and you pull the trigger, recoil kicking you backward as Amelia’s screams echo through the cathedral.

She claws at her neck, the gaping hole of torn flesh no doubt due to your bullet, giving Diluc enough time to thrust his claymore through Amelia’s lower jaw, slicing downwards as her throat tears in two. It’s all you can do to tune out the pained shrieks, high-pitched and distorted with the gurgle of blood.

Marble cracks and pillars tremble as the panicked beast rams into them, the entire cathedral trembling as she throws herself to the ground. But with that she’s pinned Diluc under her massive body, crushing the Hunter as his ribs snap from the weight. You scramble for another bottle, vision already flickering to black from the blood loss via your still-bleeding arm.

Chucking another Molotov Cocktail at Amelia, the glass shatters, oil and flames catching on her fur and burning through flesh and bone. The beast rolls side to side, screaming as she tries to put out the flames in animalistic desperation, giving Diluc enough time to crawl out from underneath her and stab his sword into her flaming side again and again and again, fresh blood fueling the fire.

But the fire was searing into Diluc’s skin too, and he only managed one more slash before he had to crawl backward, lest he wanted to burn alive too.

Amelia’s cries are mixed with the roar of the flames as she stands, flaying her arms widely, and with one final ram, one of the massive Church pillars plunges to the ground, right atop the crawling Hunter. With his injuries, Diluc only just manages to escape, several tons of marble slamming into the floor and on top of his leg. His screams are drowned by the howling of the beast.

Looming over the trapped Hunter, Amelia’s flaming maw opens wide, snapping closed against his entire torso when three more shots ring out, blasting through her skull and ripping her lower jaw straight off.

Snarling, she turns to face you. You have her full attention now.

Her tongue hangs loosely by snapped tendons and shattered bone, and yet her screams still echo against your ears. You stumble backward.

There’s nowhere to run.

You can’t fight her.

Somewhere in the distance, you think you hear Diluc yelling. But Saints, the drumming of your heart is too loud to focus on anything else.

You have no Molotov Cocktails left, and you can’t stop trembling long enough to even raise your arm, let alone aim your rifle. Amelia’s fiery shadow looms over you, and you collapse onto your knees. Ironic, isn’t it? Does this count as prayer?

Diluc watches as the beast stalks closer and closer to you, and yet you can’t seem to hear a word he says, screaming at you to run. Writhing, he curls upward, pushing and kicking with pure rage, but the pillar doesn’t so much as budge. He can’t feel his left leg anymore. Amelia’s jaw is nearly healed, and you still won’t fucking move. He curses, bracing both hands against the marble as he inhales.

Exhales. And he rips himself free.

Blood spurts from his leg, loose tendons, muscle, and skin ripping as he tugs apart the uneven gash in his left thigh, the entirety of his knee and below gone, still pinned and bleeding beneath the pillar. He doesn’t wait for the pain to catch up.

By now, you have accepted your fate. Amelia draws one of her massive paws back, and with her next swing, you close your eyes, welcoming your escape from this nightmare at long last.

But the blow never hits.

Instead, you’re greeted with the warm spray of blood down your face, and your eyes flutter open.

Diluc stands before you, one arm outreached as he stumbles forward, two of Amelia’s claws ripping from his shoulder to his sternum as blood pours from his body onto your own. You hardly open your arms in time to catch him as his limp body slides off the claws, falling into your embrace as you sob.

Only now can you see beyond his shoulder, at the skull of Vicar Amelia lies, split in two, with Diluc’s claymore wedged between the burning halves.

He saved you, and now he’s dying. Your Hunter is dying.

Scrambling, you take off your coat and rip at your shirt to stop the bleeding, but there’s just so much of it that your hands and forearms are stained red, the floor too, there’s just so much and Saints you don’t know what else to do. You try to force him to drink more blood from your arm, but he nudges it back down, trailing your palm with his fingers.

“Stop.” Diluc’s voice comes out in gasps, and he takes your hand into his own. Even now, he’s impossibly gentle and it makes you want to cry. “I’ll come back. Can’t—” he coughs up more blood, and you wipe it away, leaving a darker trail of red. “Can’t die, remember?”

“I do.” Your voice cracks, but you smile. He should remember you smiling. Diluc’s hand comes up, trembling as it brushes tears off your cheeks. “I do. I remember.”

The Hunter offers you one last smile, nodding as his arm falls into the pool of blood surrounding the two of you, words hardly more than a dying whisper as you fall over him. “I’ll find you once again.”

You press yourself against him, nodding as you kiss his forehead. “Promise?”

“I vow it.”

And your Hunter disintegrates into ash.

A heartbeat, and all you’re left with is an empty puddle of gore, blood, and a corpse of yet another beast at your feet.

This isn’t the first time you’ve witnessed a hunter enter the dream, and yet it feels no less scary. No less permanent. A sort of death where the gods were cruel enough to even take the body away, taunting you as though he had never existed in the first place.

Would it take hours for him to come back? Weeks? Years?

You don’t know.

All this carnage and for what? The meaningless death-door prayers of a Vicar whose mind was already poisoned by the plague and fanaticism alike. A Vicar who is now dead too.

You roar, smashing your fists against the pool of blood that you still kneeled in, splashing yourself with even more of the stuff, sticky and hot against your face as it drips back down to the floor. Another scoff. “All this talk of blood.”

This blood seemed to be as much of an obsession to the Healing Church now as it was during Laurence’s time; both those journals and Vicar Amelia praised it as though worthy of veneration. Old Blood, perhaps that was the Holy Medium? But blood from who, from what?

All this blood hardly seems holy. It's just red.

“Damn it all.”

Dragged down by the heaviness of your blood-soaked clothes, you force yourself to your feet with a wince, limping towards Amelia’s massive corpse when something flickers at the base of the altar. Turning, you lead with your rifle, and yet there is nothing left in the hall. The altar is untouched, bathed in red, and yet down at the base of it, amongst the hundreds of flickering candles lies a skull wreathed in cloth and offerings. You lower the gun.

The skull was hardly anything special. The face cracked with a massive gash cut down its right eye, and its jaw was hideously transformed, as if something had burst the bone from within. Rows of fangs protruded in awkward angles all along the half-human half-lupine jaw, and you can’t help but look back at Amelia, the similarities too striking to ignore.

Perhaps this was what the Old Blood did.

Yet the longer you observe the skull, the longer you grow certain something about it really is flickering. Not quite emitting light, visually there is nothing unnatural, and yet it beckons you forward all the same, drawing you closer as you reach out your arm.

And with a slow lean, your palm brushes jagged bone.

You’re falling. Jerked backward, the cathedral fades to black around you, vision tunneling as panic seizes your entire being yet again, darkness consuming you whole as you fall until the world goes silent.

Then, you hear a voice.

It’s a man’s voice, distant, warped, and yet you could taste the words as though it had been your own tongue that spoke them, calm and assured of yourself. You lick your lips- in nervousness?- and feel the scratch of something beneath your nose that you realize must be a beard. It’s only then you realize you must be seeing this through the man whose skull you just touched.

"Master Willem, I've come to bid you farewell."

Master Willem. You recognize that name.

Through the fog of the memory you see the golden glint of a septon, tapping rhythmically against the lap of a man seated in a grand rocking chair, his face blurry and obscured. Your head is throbbing.

“Oh, I know, I know. You think now to betray me."

The older man’s voice croaks with unamused scorn, a laugh broken with old age and weariness. You feel something in your chest wince, and yet you press on.

"No, but you will never listen." You sigh, but it does not shake you. Your mind was made up long ago. "I promise you, I will not forget our adage."

A toothless smile spreads across your mentor’s wrinkling face, and he begins, "We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood." He takes comfort in this. A devotion, a salvation to be shared with the world. "Our eyes are yet to open."

"Fear the old blood," the two finish in unison, voices mingling in a distant harmony.

Your shoulders straighten, resolve all the more solidified as you look down onto your master with a sense of longing despite knowing there was no other way. “I must take my leave now." You feel the body walk away, footsteps echoing as they creak against wood flooring, indicating that they must be in a house or building of some sort. A door hinge creaks, and slams shut. And yet your consciousness remains in the room.

Suddenly you are suspended in an aerial view, the man rocking in his wheelchair far below you as you take in the papers and candles strewn half hazardous around him. It’s only then the name clicks against your memory with cold realization.

This must be Byrgernwerth.

But before you can attempt to piece it all together, the world collapses in on itself once again, Master Willem’s voice ringing through your ears.

"By the gods, fear it, Laurence. Fear it."

Stumbling backward, you are suddenly thrust back into your own body, struggling to control your limbs once again, vision flickering back in place against the flickering torchlight of the Grand Cathedral.

“How–” your voice is raspy, tongue heavier than lead as it rolls against your teeth. “What was that?”

Laurence. You were inside the memory of Laurence, The First Vicar. You got inside a memory of a person centuries dead by touching his skull. Tripping over yourself, you fall onto your tailbone with a hiss, and yet even the pain is forgotten as you stare up at the skull still perched, unchanging, upon the altar.

Was that the moment Laurence decided to begin the Healing Church? He left his old master Willem and Byrgenwerth to… what? You remember his feeling of pride, the resolution for the path before you.

Laurence wished to share the Old Blood with others, the once noble pursuit likely taking him to Yharnam, leading him to found the Healing Church. And yet in doing so, he disobeyed the adage he swore he’d follow: instead of fearing the Old Blood, he turned it into an icon of worship. Turned it into a twisted devotion.

Look where it got us now.

Of course it took something holy to create this kind of a hell.

#genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin smut #genshin imagines #bloodborne #vampire #diluc ragnvindr #diluc x reader #diluc smut

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floatmeintothesun · 1 year

Text

Sanguine

Summary-You persuade Diluc to indulge in his desires…(vampire!Diluc x reader)

Tw- blood, slight mention of injuries, nothing really big

Tags- Vampire Diluc, fluff, slight injury, gender neutral reader, comfort

—

“...no. I’m afraid I can’t do that, darling,” Diluc denies you, giving you a look. You frown.

“Why not? I’m fine with it,” You tilt your head and he sighs. His crimson eyes flicker brightly for a second at my words, before the glimmer fades out.

“I’m not going to bite you. I--” You hold up a finger shushing him with a pout.

“Well you need blood, don’t you? I double as your lovely partner and a walking food source for you. I know you won’t take too much. I trust you,” You say resolutely and he squeezes his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I am not going to take your blood. And I’m certainly not degrading you to being a food source to me,” He says firmly and you sigh, sitting down next to him on the couch. Out of habit, his arm naturally loops around your waist and pulls you closer to him. He mumbles something under his breath and you poke him in the stomach, making him shoot you a half-hearted glare.

“Come on, ‘Luc. Why not?” You ask and he frowns.

“You know why. I can’t risk accidentally taking too much from you. I don’t want to hurt you,” He mumbles, and you make a face.

“But I trust you. You’ve got amazing self-control,” You say, and Diluc nearly wants to cry out in frustration. He does have good self-control, he’s trained himself for this, but Archons, he certainly hadn’t trained himself for you.

You, with your deliciously sweet scent and your delectable enticing blood--he doesn’t know if he can restrain himself. He turns away from you, trying not to think about how easy it’d be, to just lean over, grab your wrist and just bite--

“No. No, I will not,” He manages to rasp, his throat feeling uncomfortably dry. He glares at you. He should move away from you, he really should, it’s not helping his situation at all…but he just can’t tear himself away from your side. Your horribly mouthwatering scent surrounds him and he contemplates simply not breathing so he doesn’t have to risk snapping.

The much more instinctive side begs him to just give in, to listen because you said it was okay, you're insisting he drink and take and bite and devour, to just give in and he shoves the almost overwhelming urge down.

You reach up to brush his bangs away from his face and he nearly groans, hearing and practically feeling the blood rush through your veins, but he lets you do so, forcing himself not to react.

“I trust you. I do with my life,” You say and he grits his teeth. His fingers twitch and you can see his pupils dilate for a split second before returning to normal. You can see his self-restraint slip, just for a millisecond and he turns around, turning his face away from you.

“...you’re an insufferable human,” He mumbles, taking your hand in his, and looking back at you. You smile.

“I’m your insufferable human,” You say cheekily, and he hesitates, before sighing heavily.

His eyes flare their bright crimson color and you blink at how urgent his tone of voice is. “The second you feel faint, or dizzy, or tired, just tell me and I swear I’ll stop. You have to tell me,” You bob your head up and down, grinning victoriously at his caving in.

He closes his eyes for a second, before sighing again.

“Are you gonna bite my neck? Like in those vampire novels?” You ask curiously, and he startles, looking at you with surprise before his brain clouds over with want. He wonders if you know how intimate those are considered to be…

I want to, I want to claim you there, I want everyone to know that you’re mine, I want them to know how inseparable we are, He thinks, before shaking his head, trying to clear his mind of those instinctual urges.

(He knows that it’s not entirely instinctual but he won’t admit it out loud)

“No. I’ll just take some from your wrist. That’ll be enough,” He murmurs, gently grabbing your arm and lifting it upward. He observes it, his mouth watering slightly at the thought of piercing through and finally, finally feeding on that sweet ichor.

Remember to stop, He reminds himself quietly.

You squeak in surprise when he presses small kisses to your wrist, and he relishes in the sound, opening his mouth and teasingly lapping at the delicate skin. He can hear the steady thrum of blood flowing through your veins and he pauses.

“Last chance to say no,” He says roughly, his voice dark with hunger. You only smile at him, baring your wrist further and he sighs. “Alright. Get ready,”

He hesitates for one more second before he opens his mouth widely, the light glinting off of his long and sharpened canines. You close your eyes, jumping as you feel his fangs sink into your flesh.

There’s only a slight flash of quick agony before it’s swept under a wave of tingly numbness. You watch in fascination as he presses his mouth to the wound, crimson staining his lips and teeth.

A low groan vibrates in Diluc’s chest, closing his eyes, because goddamn it, you’re so sweet, so good, and you’re all for him. The taste is better than he could have ever imagined, and he swallows it down with greedy eagerness.

It’s finer than anything he’s ever had, sweetened with your genuine care for him and your intent to help him. It’s so filling, but somehow he simply can’t get enough of that purely addictive life flowing through your veins.

For a split-second, his desire takes over, igniting deep in his stomach and he wants--he wants so badly, to just drain you dry, to take it all, to drink until he’s gorged on your blood--

He tears himself away from your wrist, panting heavily and trying to blink away the craving to feast on your flesh. He swallows thickly, the sweet taste of blood coating his throat deliciously.

“...You…are you okay? He asks, looking up at you worriedly. You smile, patting his arm in reassurance.

“Yeah, I’m good, don’t worry,” You say, and he sighs, using his thumb to neatly swipe away the ruby droplets away from his mouth, absently lapping them up before grabbing a medical kit.

“No dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath? Anything?” You shake your head, and he nods, already wrapping a bandage tightly around the area he had bitten carefully. He licks his lips, tugging you onto the couch and tucking you into his side possessively.

You blink at the sudden act of affection, raising an eyebrow. He glances at you, somewhat bashfully.

“Ah. After I feed I tend to indulge my…more possessive vampiric traits,” He admits after a moment, his large hand placed protectively over your hip. He makes a face when you laugh, burying his head into your shoulder grumpily.

“Are you full now? Do you need more?” You ask and he makes a soft huffing noise through his nose, that might have been a disbelieving laugh. He’s more than sated now.

“No. I think I’ll be fine…for a month and a half. Maybe two,” He makes a shrugging motion, lazily soaking in your warmth and affection. He can feel your hands slowly combing through his ruby-red hair and he sighs, relaxing at the soothing ministrations. “You definitely don't need to give me more of your blood for a while,”

“...did I taste good?”

“What? Why would you even ask that?”

“I don't know. I’m curious! It’s not like I regularly get to ask vampires what I taste like,”

“It’s a stupid question,”

“Answer it, please,”

“You’re insufferable,”

“So you’ve said. Come on, stop deflecting. Tell me!”

“You’re a pain. Not really. But still,”

“Hey! ‘Luc, get back over here, don't leave!”

#diluc x reader #diluc x you #diluc x y/n #Vampire diluc #genshin impact x reader #Fluff #genshin impact #genshin diluc

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woooyeahbaby · 5 months

Text

aprilluc day 9: vampire

warnings: blood, blood drinking, established relationship, gender neutral reader, reader takes their shirt off (there are no sexual themes), if i’ve missed anything let me know

a/n: sooo another short one, sorry. i didn’t even remember i was supposed to do this until 8pm 😭 so i apologize if this feels rushed (cuz it kind of is…) the next day is cowboy, but idk if i’ll do it. i’ll surprise you with the next one i guess

admittedly, dating a vampire had it’s ups and downs.

nearly passing out from blood loss when allowing him to get his fix? not the best. but having been with you for a few years at this point, he knew just the right point to stop. not that it made it any easier, however you felt it was only fair to give something back in return for everything he has done for you.

now, it’d been a week or two since he last fed off of you. he’d always give you time to recover before his next meal from you. it helped him learn self control, but if he couldn’t help himself, he would have to go hunting. only small animals, such as rabbits or sometimes foxes.

it would be some time in the afternoon, giving your blood time to reach its regular flow rate. he’d always ‘initiate’ the same way.

“honey,” diluc says softly, his calloused yet gentle fingers brushing against your shoulder. “how are you feeling?”

“i’m okay. are you hungry?” you stand up from your seat at the dining table, turning your body to face him.

“yes, if you’re ready.” his hand remains in the same area on your shoulder, then slowly dragging his fingertips to the place on your neck with several scars from previous feedings. “here, or your wrist? whichever you’re feeling today.”

you ponder over it for a few seconds before deciding. “my neck is fine. here,” you reach for the hem of your shirt, pulling it over your head and tilting your head to the side.

it was a simple routine now. diluc almost chuckled at how that had come about. the first few times he fed off of you it felt so awkward and unusual, and it was almost a beautiful thing how the strange became normal for you two.

“tell me when you need me to stop if i go too far, love.” he reminds you as he always does, as if you’d forgotten.

with that final warning, diluc places one hand on your bicep and the other on the side of your head before slowly sinking his teeth into your neck. you grunt at the initial pain, but having done this so many times, you learned how to deal with it. once diluc hears you take your usual few breaths to calm yourself, he begins to siphon the garnet coloured liquid from your veins and into his mouth.

as per usual, you felt the odd few droplets drip and leak down your shoulder, onto your back and chest, some even down your arm. diluc hated how messy he made you when he did this. not only did he have the guilt of literally draining the life from you, but also getting your beautiful body dirty. he would always take the time to clean you up after, though. but it wasn’t as if you would get angry with him for it anyway, you knew he needed sustenance, which was why you offered it in the first place when you first found out he was a vampire.

once you began to feel dizzy, you weakly tapped diluc’s arm with a gentle call of his name. he stops immediately, carefully pulling his fangs away from your neck as to not tear your skin any further. he cleans the remaining blood with his tongue, reaching into his chest pocket for a handkerchief that he’d use to apply pressure onto your still bleeding wound. he would always fix you up afterward, usually allowing you to eat something while he worked on your injury so you wouldn’t pass out on him.

“are you alright? i apologize, i think i dragged that one out a bit too long.” it was hard to take diluc seriously when his mouth and chin were covered in blood. it made him look like a child with a messy eating problem.

“it’s okay. i’ll be alright. just need to sit down.” your words are slightly slurred, nearly sounding as if you were drunk.

diluc helps you sit back down onto the chair you’d previously been in, still firmly holding his handkerchief to your bleeding neck.

“thank you, my love. i truly do appreciate that you do this for me so often.” there is pure love in his eyes as he says this to you. that look never changed whenever he would thank you for nourishing him. it was always the exact same look of pure adoration in his fiery eyes.

#genshin impact fanfics #genshin impact #diluc x gender neutral reader #diluc fanfic #diluc ragnvindr x reader #diluc fluff #diluc x you #genshin diluc #diluc x reader #diluc ragnvindr #diluc x y/n #apriluc #aprilluc #vampire diluc

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laurixs · 1 year

Note

hi can you pls write smth abt vamp! diluc

𝐕𝐀𝐌𝐏 𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌

❗️: warnings: vamp! diluc, non-consent blood drinking, reader in a nightgown. diluc was needy for blood. diluc lays with the reader on the bed without reader knowing?? reader passes out, mentions of hickeys

❕: masterlist

the rain poured heavily over your body as you ran down the path leading to dawn winery. when you first saw the house there was a thunder in the background that made you shiver in fear.

you were hungry, cold and really scared: there were some rumours about a vampire around mondstadt area and you were terrified. but, somehow you never thought about the vampire that night and decided to knock on the door.

diluc couldn’t believe it. he never felt so hungry in his entire life, his knee was bouncing up and down and his hands were intertwined with his red velvet hair. the imagine of fresh blood wondered in his head. but he mustn’t: not after the rumours were just started. and then he heard a little knock on the door

he got up with all his forces and opened the door, revealing you figure. “how can i help you miss?” he asked, trying to mantain his desires. “hello, i think i’m lost and i was thinking if maybe i could stay here for one night please.” diluc thoughts were fighting on his head, he just needed to mantain his composure and not be suspicious right? maybe if he let you in for one night, nobody would expect him to be the vampire?

but you looked so pretty, the words leaving your rosy lips and how could he say no to you? with your wet hair and pretty eyes reaching his eyes. “of course, enter please”

“thank you so much” was all your said before entering. “wow, it’s so cozy here” you let out. “follow me, i’ll show you your room for the night” he said “what’s your name?” “y/n” “i’m diluc” you followed him upstairs trying to individuate your room’s door and examinating the different pictures that were hanging on the wall.

“here is your room, you can take a bath, shower whatever you need. after you can join me to have dinner if you want”

“i probably will, thank you”

after getting a warm bath, you wore a white nightgown that was on the wardrobe. and then went downstairs, still examinating the house. there weren’t any mirrors.. how could you see your hair? you just hoped they weren’t THAT bad.

“d-diluc?”

.. silence

“uhm, hey??” you said awkwardly

a loud thump, you squeezed your eyes shut and before you knew it, diluc was pinning you on the surface behind you back. your breathing hitched from the impact and the fear and you were looking at his face: red, sweaty and needy?

then he showed you his teeth, his fangs: the vampire.

you screamed, just for you to be shut down by his hand. turning your head to the left so he could have major access to your neck.

“no, please!” you pleadings were not going to stop him, he hadn’t drink blood for months now. he pushed his fangs in your neck flesh and drank everything he could. your screams were muffled since your mouth was covered. and after some time you silenced since you passed out.

“shit” diluc said picking you up and going to ‘your room’ and placing you on the bed, and getting the emergency kit.

and like that he was admiring your beauty while covering the fang marks on your neck. it somewhat looked like a hickey and he couldn’t help but think how would you look like with a hickey, a hickey given from him.

after trying to clean up the mess he made he layed on the bed near you and slept deep.

#diluc ragnivindr x you #diluc ragnvindr #diluc x reader #diluc smut #vampire diluc #genshin diluc #genshin smut

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azaliyas · 1 year

Text

summary : being a vampire wasn't easy, and it was even harder to hide your true nature from your lover. but secrets aren't mean to be hidden forever.

word count : [ to be added later ]

genre : angsty, suggestive in some points, curses.

cw / tw : vampire!reader, depictions of blood and dead animals, mentions of presumed infidelity (there is none dw).

characters : cyno, diluc, heizou.

01:57 am, moonlight night.

it had been a while since your last meal. a true one, the only that could really satiate your stomach, because despite the delicious foods and tasty drinks your lover would usually feed you, they did nothing to fulfill your true needs. luckily you didn't need to go hunt that often, once a week could do just fine, but right now you were on your eighth day, practically starving.

you couldn't take it anymore and decided to finally slip out, away from the gentle embrace of your warm lover, leaving him alone in the large bed of your shared home. he never noticed you go out at night, and you were more than sure that he wouldn't that night too.

you never thought so wrong.

after changing in a much more proper attire than your pyjamas, opting for an all-black outfit to let the shadows of the night hide you, you jumped out of the window and went into the forest.

you have always disliked the thought of hurting animals, but you were absolutely against the possibility of feeding off of humans; unwilling ones at least. your clan had strict rules about this, but you didn't have the heart to lure and play with poor innocents just because you needed to drink. plus, animals were the base of almost all meals for a reason.

a bunch of wild animals were sitting around the roots of a large tree, some snoozing and others ruminating the green grass. you ignored the smaller ones, too little blood, but locked your gaze on the two biggest. they would have been more than enough, perhaps giving you the chance to go on even for two weeks before your next hunt.

you hid behind a tree not too far away from the little beasts, eyes targeting the biggest two. you felt your fangs poking your bottom lip, which you licked in anticipation. your breath hitched in your throat, fingers clawed, ready to jump on your preys.

a bolt was all it took to you to ground the targets, the others running away deeper in the forest as you snapped the two animals' necks, ending their suffering as quick as it started. there was no point in letting those poor beasts endure more pain than necessary.

you didn't waste any more time and sank your fangs in the first animal's body, sucking its blood quickly to satiate your thirst. the thick liquid felt ecstatic sliding down your throat, a satisfied hum leaving your lips as the limp body fell from your grip, all of its blood gone.

a trail of fresh blood dribbled from your lips down to your chin, red staining your fangs and painting your lips in a nice shade that made the best lipsticks in commerce pale. you were ready to sank your teeth in the second prey when, suddenly, footsteps reached your ears. panicked, your head snapped behind your back, only to see the last person you wanted to witness that state of yours: your lover.

cyno

cyno had suspected you were hiding something from him for a while. of course, being the general mahamatra meant nothing could go past his prying eyes. everything and nothing had his gaze on it, making it difficult for something to escape him knowing about it. however, you did manage to escape, and he was surprised. he thought that, being you his lover, meant he was the person that knew you better, except for your closed family that you held in high regard.

but cyno couldn't stand the thought of you hiding something from him. however, he decided to take his time with it, patiently collecting evidence after evidence after understanding that you wouldn't have told him anything had he asked you. you were incredibly stubborn and that was something that he both despised and admired about you. it was part of the charm that bewitched him and lured him into your arms.

he started noticing you regularly left your shared bed, at night, once a week or so, usually leaving one hour or two after midnight, always coming back in a couple of hours. you would dress in dark clothes but would bring nothing with you, not even a weapon. you would come back with the scents of the forest lingering on you, lightly, but his keen senses could smell it nonetheless. and then he would smell the blood, that would have him slightly widen his eyes. however, during your moments of intimacy, he couldn't see any wound on your body. so, where did the smell of blood come from?

he went to tighnari in search of answers to his questions, but not even the forest watcher could help him, except for a very simple advice: to follow you. only by following you wherever you would go into the forest he would have gotten the so much needed answers he wanted to know. but he needed to be careful, he knew you weren't a fool, a single mistake and you would have driven him away from whatever you were hiding from him.

before leaving tighnari back to his duties, cyno asked a question the forest watcher deemed to be the strangest his long-time friend ever asked him: how much blood could a human lose without dying?

✧

tonight was the ideal one to follow you and finally uncover your secret. cyno waited for ten minutes before getting up and quickly change, jumping out of the window like you did and easily tracking you down. it was his job, a piece of cake for the fearsome mahamatra.

you were fast, but he was faster, and so quiet you didn't notice him. or perhaps you were so focused on whatever task you had in mind that you didn't check twice your surroundings? who knew, but it worked for him, so that was fine.

cyno hid behind a tree not too far away from you, but close enough to keep a clear eye on you. he didn't understand why you were targeting boars when you had no weapons on you, how were you thinking of taking them down? yet he stayed still, curious about your next move... he didn't expect it to be jumping straight onto the poor animals, that's for sure.

his scarlet eyes widened in bewilderment seeing you sinking your face, your teeth, in the poor animal. he couldn't believe his theory about you being a vampire was correct. he only thought of it as a joke, but archons, he was right! however, his shock soon died down as the thought of letting you know about his presence came to his mind.

he stepped out of his hiding spot, calling your name in the soft tone that was reserved to you only. seeing you snap your head back and widen your eyes in pure shock had him realise how much right he was, with the blood dripping down your chin and onto the ground.

he noticed you going pale at his sight, figure frozen on the ground, mouth agape in panic. he took a few steps closer before you reacted, and just as he was about to kneel to meet your gaze, you kicked back, both exposing yourself in the state you were and putting some distance between you two.

«you're a predator, yet you're afraid of me?» he asked you, crossing his arms, scoffing at your reaction.

you, on the other hand, were in the middle of two emotions: shock and disbelief. shock because your boyfriend just uncovered your secret, disbelief because he seemed untouched by it. for abyss' sake, you were a vampire! he witnessed you hunting! drinking blood! and wasn't batting an eye!

«how- h-how... why the hell are you so calm?!» you managed to stutter out, sitting on the cold ground, still unable to believe your eyes. you knew cyno had a cool temper, but bloody hell, everyone else would be losing their nuts about such a discovery! but no, not him, the almighty general mahamatra didn't seem he could care less about his partner being a vampire.

«mhh, that's a question i'm not sure about how to answer, because i don't know it either. maybe because, despite witnessing your true nature, all i can see is my loving partner.» these words flew out of his mouth with such kindness they almost had you cry. almost. however, all you did was drop your jaw on the ground.

seriously, did this idiot had any sense of danger, or did his job dull it? you couldn't think about it much, because the smell of your dead meal reached your nostrils, and your appetite made itself clear to you again. you cleared your throat and looked away from your boyfriend, eyes again on your prey.

«we can talk about it later, i need to finish my meal first.» you told him coldly, already moving towards the boar, when his arm stopped you. your eyes locked onto his tanned limb, the smell of his sweet blood reaching your nostrils. you had human blood rare times, but they had been enough to let you know it was far more superior than animal's.

somehow, cyno noticed your gaze, and read it all too well for your tastes, because his arms soon found themselves around your waist, pulling him closer to his figure that was now towering over you. his gaze met yours, red in red as his lips parted to let him speak.

«feed off me. human blood surely is better than animal one, right?» he told you, and you could only nod. he was right, human blood was the best, and only archons knew how much you craved it.

«it hurts.» you whispered on his skin, face in the crook of his neck, lips brushing against his skin in light kisses, trying to find his pulse.

«doesn't matter.» he murmured, soft sighs leaving his lips at your kisses. he then felt two pointy things on his skin, and he knew it was coming. he didn't talk, just pushed your head closer as permission.

just as you said, it hurt. it hurt when your fangs sank in his skin, in his vein. it hurt feeling his blood leaving his body to course down your throat, yet he couldn't help but enjoy the moment so much a soft moan left his lips. you, on the other hand, moaned as soon as the first drop fell on your tongue. archons, did you miss such wonderful taste- but it was even better now, drinking from your lover. your hand reached for his head, pulling on his hair to bend his head backwards, so you could have more space. he let you do, his own hands busy in gripping on your hips.

since human blood could satiate better than animal one, you needed only a few sips before you pulled away, thrist finally quenched. cyno witnessed you licking your fangs and lips with satisfaction, cleaning them of any residual blood of his. he felt his head light and a bit dizzy, but overall he was fine.

«think you can stop hunting down wild boars?» he questioned, arms still secured around you.

let's say that, after that night, the wild boars population went increasing — and so did your relationship and your intimate life with the general mahamatra.

diluc ragnvindr

being in a relationship with diluc meant having the eyes of all the citizens of mondstadt on you. he was the uncrowned king of the nation: make it because of his lineage, because of his business, or just for his good looks. and for how much you loved him, you hated the attention because it made it hard to go hunting without risking to get caught, your secret getting exposed. and then who knew what those aristocratic bastards would have said about you, taking inspirations from all the bullshit myths about vampires and their hypnotic powers.

despite that, you always managed to get away with your late night hunting sessions, the entirety of mondstadt unaware. well, except for diluc, who had his fair share of questions about what you went doing every week after leaving the manor. even if his duties as the darknight hero had him away most of the nights, the few ones he would spend sleeping by your side had him noticing your weekly absences. but protecting the city had him busy, so he tasked adelinde to witness your leaving and returning, informing him the following day.

that night you thought that, with diluc busy in mondstadt for a night patrol, you could sneak away unnoticed, because you never knew adelinde had her eye on you. nor you knew diluc was awaiting for you lurking in the shadows, eager to follow you and witness whatever you were hiding from him.

the wine tycoon didn't have to wait much because, as punctual as usual, there you were, jumping out of the window of the first floor, totally unfazed. and to say you didn't look as trained as you clearly were. your lover underestimated you, it seemed. nonenthless, that didn't matter much. he waited for you to put some distance between you two before he started following you, always stepping behind trees while you ran through them, jumping with such agility. how much were you exactly hiding? he thought you were clumsy and stiff, but again, he was wrong.

you went all the way down to brightcrown canyon, one of your favourite hunting spots. many wild boars would gather there, giving you plenty of choice regarding the size of your prey. diluc noticed that as well, but he couldn't understand why you were targeting boars; adelinde told him you never brought a weapon with you, so what were you thinking?

he didn't have much time to search for an answer because you jumped on the boars, knocking them down and snapping their necks with your bare hands. the pyro vision holder froze on the spot, eyes locked on your face plastered with the blood of the animal. he couldn't believe it, that the legends were true- and that his lover was part of such a mythological race.

he gulped down, trying to think rationally about his next move. should he let you know about his presence? and if yes, now or once you were done? he loved you but he didn't want your — archons it was so weird to think it — teeth down his throat because your hunger (thirst?) was having the best of you. all kind of thoughts were running through his mind about what to do, and in the middle of it he didn't notice he stepped on a dry branch, snapping it, revealing his presence to you. only when your red widened eyes fell on his figure he did notice his mistake.

you stepped back, forgetting about the second boar you were ready to devour, panicked because your lover was there with you, witnessing the only thing you never wanted him to know about. you were done, so done now. what would he think now? that you were a monster? a threat to the safety of mondstadt? you were always ready for a fight, but could you stand it if you opponent was the man you loved? what-

«y/n.» he called, not an ounce of disgust nor anger in his voice. just the usual softness that was for you only.

«i-i... i can explain diluc... please, please le-» you tried to stutter, but he interrupted you.

«you're a vampire. it's self explanatory, i think.» he told you, still that sweet tone in his voice.

for how much you loved how sweet and thoughtful he has always been with you you couldn't stand it a second longer.

«why the hell are you so unfazed?! for abyss' sake diluc, you just discovered i'm a vampire! you should be running away afraid i might assault you!» you snapped in the middle of an emotional storm made of panic, disbelief and anger. yes, anger. you were so angry by his unfazed behaviour, and it only worsened when you heard him snicker, cold blood now boiling in your veins.

«i never run away from danger, you should know that.» he told you, arms crossed before his chest.

you jumped back up on your feet, your thirst long forgotten as you were about to give your boyfriend the earful of his life. but before you could even start scolding him diluc gently took your hands in his, lifting them up to kiss your knuckles. his eyes burned holes in yours as he spoke.

«i understand your concern, but you're my lover, y/n. haven't i promised you i'd always be by your side, no matter what?» he whispered, his lips still lingering on your hands. you nodded remembering the golden lock necklace he gifted you, hid under your shirt because you never wanted it to leave your skin. it always lingered warm, reminding you of diluc's pyro vision.

«even if i'm a predator and a potential threat to mondstadt and its citizens?» you asked, and he snorted. it irritated you all over again — you weren't a damn clown for his entertainment!

«considering that half the townsfolk are intoxicated with wine and the other half is made of people you despise, not much.» was his answer, and you couldn't help but giggle. he was right, the blood of drunkards was awful and surely you would have preferred to starve than drinking from someone you disliked.

diluc noticed the dead boar you didn't feed on, now feeling bad for interrupting your meal. however, as an apology, he thought about offering himself as a substitute, his neck ready for you. having already some scars there no one would have noticed the one you would have given him.

«it hurts.» you pointed out, something sounding like uncertainty in your voice, but your hands going up to move away his soft burning locks told him another story. he didn't mind though. his arms found themselves around your middle, pulling you closer as your face found solace in the crook of his battered neck. your lips caressed his skin in search of his pulse, his own quivering in anticipation.

a hand of his got entagled in your hair, keeping your head down as a sort of permission. he trusted you enough to put his life in your hands, and you knew that as well. you weren't going to make him endure it too long, human blood could satiate in smaller amounts and for longer than animal one.

diluc didn't felt much pain once you sank your fangs in his skin, in fact it was quite pleasant... so much a low moan left his lips, his face sinking in your hair. you pulled his locks, earning another moan from him as you kept drinking his warm, viscous blood. his hands squeezed your hips, your body now glued to his thanks to his tight grip on you.

before it could escalate any further you finished and stepped back, both of you with flushed cheeks and clouded minds. he cleared his throat and you looked down, ignoring the rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins.

«i think... we just found out a new way to satisfy your needs in terms of sustenance.» he murmured, but your keen senses had you hear him loud and clear.

«and i don't think it will be about meals only.» you retorted, unable to hide both the smirk on your lips and the knowing meaning of your words.

you laughed upon seeing your boyfriend's face painted in the same shade of his fiery fluffy hair.

heizou

your boyfriend was known as the best detective of inazuma for a reason, yet you still thought that escaping at night without making a single sound and returning just a couple of hours later would have been enough for him to not notice.

it was safe to say you were a bit of an idiot.

heizou had noticed your weekly night escapades quite soon, only a few weeks after you decided to move in together so you could increase the amount of time you two could spend with each other. so, of course he noticed the absence of your chilly body from the bed, your pyjamas thrown on the mattress signaling you had changed your clothes before going out. but his service weapons were still in the room, so it meant you went out without a meaning of defense. just what were you up to?

heizou started collecting evidences for every possible scenario, putting them off whenever that route came out inconsistent. you weren't (luckily for his heart) cheating nor were you involved in criminal business. no one would talk about strange things happening in the city the nights you disappeared, so it meant you weren't there in the beginning. he then would inspect your clothes, mud and blood on your boots. upon further inspection, he found out the mud was from chinju forest and the blood belonged to an animal, probably a kitsune. it wasn't a crime per se, but it was well known in inazuma that any bad move on a kitsune would irate the shogun and her faithful servant, the lady guuji of the grand narukami shrine. didn't you know that?

after a few weeks of investigation, in which he kept track of your escapades, the doushin finally decided to close this case. whatever you were up to, he told himself, he would have stopped you, even if it meant putting you in jail. it hurt him, but before of being your boyfriend he was a detective for the tenryou commission, and it was his job to keep inazuma safe.

as usual, you dressed up to go out that night, your dry throat yelling at you to move up and get down to business. you looked over your shoulder down to heizou, lying in bed, sleeping soundly — apparently, at least. he was wide awake, but archons was he a good actor. he could feel your gaze on him, and he felt your lips lingering on his forehead for a light kiss before you jumped out of the window. how cute of you, he thought, were you unintentionally trying to bribe him? that wouldn't have worked at all, he was loyal to his principles.

after a single minute heizou kicked the covers off his body, already dressed in his usual attire and ready to follow his beloved wherever they were going to. imitating your movements he jumped out of the window, noticing you sprinting in the distance toward chinju forest. since that was your destination, he could take his time to make sure you wouldn't notice his presence lurking behind your back.

and in fact, you didn't. you were unaware of heizou's presence hiding in the shadows, his emerald eyes on your figure as you were preparing yourself for whatever you were about to do. he noticed the bunch of kitsune, lazily sitting around. he knew you were about to move onto them, he did, but he couldn't help the shock that took over him when he saw you sinking your teeth in one of their throats, another one laying lifeless beside you as the others ran away.

dear almighty shogun, why? just... why?

a vampire. you were a vampire. a creature feeding off blood, but he thought that legends and myths talked about human blood, not animal. don't take him wrong, he was glad you weren't feeding (he couldn't believe he had to use such word) on the people of inazuma, but he was curious as to why. ethical choice? did you feed on humans only when they were willing? and how did that happen? but then, did you ever feed on human blood? and what about your family? were they like you or were they unaware of your true nature?

so many questions, yet no answer. well, you had them, so why not ask you? he already found you out, he just had to let his presence known and have you satisfy his curiosity.

normally, one would stop and think about it twice before interrupting a vampire in the middle of their meal (as if that had already happened to him, the genius), but it's shikanoin heizou we're talking about, the doushin as sly as a fox and twice mischievous. he was both a menace and a vision holder, he could go on without worrying about it too much.

«love, would you mind answering some questions?» he asked while stepping out to let you be aware of his presence. the way your head snapped back to look at him looked painful, he thought, but maybe your nature had you think it was nothing.

you didn't even have the time to step back or run away or whatever that your boyfriend was already by your side, your face in his hands as he was inspecting you. the bloodless kitsune fell from your hands as his thumbs brushed on your red-tainted lips, forcing them apart. you felt his fingertips brushing against your fangs, the smell of fresh blood invading his nostrils.

«truly fascinating.» he murmured to himself, his signature smirk curving his perfect lips.

you blinked once, then twice, then thrice before actually escaping heizou's grip, taking his wrists in your hands to stop him from pulling such a move on you again.

«i knew you weren't exactly in your right mind since i first met you, but that's too much even for you, heizou!» you snarled at him, fangs on display as you tried to scare him back. your attempt was cute, but not enough, earning a crystalline laugh from the maroon-haired detective.

«on the contrary, my dear darling, i think i'm quite a genius. after all, i solved your case in just a few weeks. truly one of my best works.» he chirped, your eyes widening in shock.

you didn't know if you wanted to punch him in the face or slap away that irritating smirk of his that, in other occasions, would have you drool waiting for a kiss. and damn him he knew that as well.

«you just found out your lover is a fucking vampire and yet you act like you found out i'm just taking casual night strolls!» you screeched at him, in total and utter disbelief. didn't this idiot you would normally call your boyfriend have any sense of self-preservation?! did he even understand who, no what was in front of him? a goddamn predator, that's what!

«well the evidences suggested that, but yes, it was quite the surprise to see that my theory was true. yet again, it's not like i've ever did a mistake.» he told you, his sly smirk shining like the moon above you two in the forest.

«why didn't i make you a meal yet, you would at least shut up.» you grumbled under your breath, unable to believe what your lover just told you. however, the detective heard you and started undoing his shirt just as much as to expose his neck for you.

«ha, i was hoping for this request of yours.» he murmured as you blushed, looking away from the exposed skin of his neck. however his hands found your face once again, turning your head in his direction and pulling it in the crook of his neck. «c'mon cutie, bite. surely you weren't done when i stepped out, were you?»

for how much you hated to admit it, he was right. your thirst was still there and having your nose pressed against his skin while in such state, something you always made sure wouldn't happen as to not trigger your instincts, wasn't helping at all. before you could even think about it your lips were already kissing his smooth skin, searching for his pulse.

«it will hurt.» you told him once you found it, your hands on his shoulders, his on your waist. he nodded and bent his head to the side more, a silent permission for you to go on.

a moan escaped your lover's lips as soon as your fangs sank, head getting dizzy and vision blurring as you sucked his blood out of his system. a few gulps and you were done, but stayed still on his neck, licking his wound clean to help it heal up, since your saliva had healing properties.

such move only earned you another moan from your boyfriend, that was on top of you as you laid on the ground, both your eyes clouded in a familiar haze of desire.

«willing humans make a better option than poor kitsune, don't you think? it also spares you the wrath of the shogun and of lady guuji.» he whispered, his hands in yours, fingers intertwined.

you knew what he meant and you nodded before your lips met in a kiss. it didn't matter it tasted of blood, he would have gotten used to it.

after all, you needed to feed, and what better way than in your boyfriend's arms, in your shared bedroom lit by the moonlight?

#✧༄ཾ┊ azaliyas #✧༄ཾ┊ azaliya's paperwork #genshin fic #genshin imagines #genshin x reader #vampire reader #cyno x reader #diluc x reader #heizou x reader

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yellow-eyed-sams-wife · 3 months

Text

Vamp!Diluc x Reader Story [ W.I.P ]

[ Glitter & Crimson - Vampire!Diluc Ragvindr x Reader Story W.I.P ]

...*.* ~☆~*.*...

🎶"It's a typical story, three in the morning

You're holding my head

Caught in the tension, silent confessions

At the foot of your bed

Glitter and crimson, fighting the friction

What a perfect mess"🎶

•~ Glitter & Crimson - All Time Low

...*.* ~☆~*.*...

Plot Summary: Your best friend at the moment, is an undead creature of the night as of not that long ago. While struggling to take to the transition and worried you'll leave him, you're persistent to stick by him while you know something is up. He can never hide things well from you and thus his guard inevitably falls as he's extremely soft for you. Finding out his current state only strengthens your feelings for him.... Also, maybe a little because you totally are down bad for blood covered men with sharp teeth that can just devour you... Unbeknownst to him obviously. All the while he harbors another secret. He's fallen just as hard for you too. His beloved mortal. Even if you stay friends for the rest of your mortal life, he can't handle loosing you well at all. He's needs to keep you safe to fullest of his abilities, whether he's human or not. He knows this. It's as a given fact as his newfound need to drink human blood to keep living. So quietly, he keeps his deep affections for you secret for the time being. As you're the only thing, no, the only person. That makes his immortal life worth living. Meanwhile without the both of you knowing, distracted in each other, Kaeya is back on his bullshit and playing matchmaker for you two.

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musings-ofthe-unamused · 1 year

Text

Blood Red Wine (Genshin Impact)

Pairing: Kaeya x Reader or Diluc x Reader

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: Blood, gore

A/N: I swear I'll make the sequels to these soon

Angel's Share was a safe space for a lot of people. Adventurers, merchants, and knights all frequented here for a nice drink after a long day. You were one of those people. You worked at the General Goods shop. It wasn't tough work. In fact, it was rather dull. Your whole life was dull, filled with no adventures or fun. You let out a groan, resting your head on the cool wood of the counter. You could feel the warmth of alcohol coursing through your body.

"It's so unfair!" You groaned once again. "Everyone's life is so exciting!"

A hand patted your back as a soothing voice filled your ears. "There, there."

"No!" You lifted your head, looking over at the man sitting next to you. "I want adventure! I'm tired of living in this stupid city!"

"And leave us behind? I'm hurt."

"Kaeya, stop teasing."

You pouted. "Yeah, listen to Diluc. Stop teasing."

Kaeya only sipped on his drink, stifling a laugh. Diluc sighed and started to clean the counter. It wasn't often you got drunk like this. But every once in a while, you wanted to complain about how boring your life seemed to be compared to everyone else in the world. Even the two brothers who always fought led interesting lives. Kaeya was a cavalry captain that got to travel whenever he wanted. Diluc owned Dawn Winery and met all sorts of interesting people. Though, you were sure both of them had something hidden that they wouldn't tell you about.

You knew they weren't bad people. You've known them for some time now. Kaeya was one of your best friends. Sure, he teased you a lot, but he actually kept you from spiraling into a fit of depression from how lackluster your life is. He made things fun . Diluc, on the other hand, was reliable. Reasonable. He was the logic and sometimes he doled out the harsh words that you needed to hear. They were like the perfect pair, really. What one lacked in the other excelled at. It didn’t seem like it to outsiders, but they got along pretty well. Their bantering words and insults usually held hidden meaning that you picked up on fairly early into meeting them.

You slid your empty glass forward. “More.”

“No,” Diluc grabbed the glass and started to clean it out. “I’m cutting you off. Unless you want water.”

“But I’m not even drunk!! Just a little tipsy, is all.”

“And I don’t want you drinking to the point of you getting drunk.”

“Come now, it was only one or two drinks. Would you like a sip of mine?” Kaeya leaned forward and slid his glass towards you.

“They don’t have a tolerance to alcohol like you do, you drunk.”

“It’s better than being a prude and not drinking at all.”

Diluc’s lip curled up in disdain. “If I wanted to make a fool of myself like you so often do, then I would drink it. But I don’t.”

“Ouch. Your words hurt, dear brother. You make it sound like I’m an alcoholic.”

“Are you not here every night?”

“Better than being alone.”

“I’m not alone.”

“You guys fight too much.” You stood up, swaying slightly as you did so. Your vision was wobbly and you blinked, shaking your head. “Oh, I think that drink was stronger than I thought.”

Kaeya stood immediately steadying you while Diluc leaned across the counter, reaching a hand out. It felt nice to have the two looking after you. “I wanna go home.”

“Kaeya?” Diluc said it more like a command, leaning back once he saw you were steady.

“Of course. Let’s go, sweetheart.”

“ Kaeya . Don’t try anything.”

Kaeya only scoffed in response, as if offended Diluc would even think he would do something like that. You waved goodbye to Diluc as Kaeya wrapped his arm around you and walked you out of the tavern. It was already nighttime, the streets slowly emptying as people made their ways home. Diluc and Kaeya would both switch walking you home, sometimes both at the same time. They were overprotective at best. You didn’t know why, not that it concerned you. You were glad to have people at your side. If it was nighttime, they grew especially anxious. Even now, Kaeya’s face was relaxed, but his eyes flitted around as the two of you walked. You could never find out what had them looking around like that and never got a straight answer either. Mondstadt was relatively safe. So what had them so worried?

You were too tipsy to even care. You had gotten used to it at this point. Instead, you leaned against Kaeya, sighing as wrapped his arm even tighter around your shoulders. His cool body temperature felt nice against your hot skin. He was always cold. He said it never bothered him. It was nice in the summer and especially nice when you were drunk and overheated. It was always nice being around him.

“You doing ok, sweetheart?” His voice was soothing and sweet. “We’re almost to your place.”

“‘m just sleepy. Wanna get in bed.” Your words slurred together from both the alcohol and exhaustion.

He laughed, patting your head. Alright, alright.”

Once you arrived at your home, Kaeya made sure you got in safe. He tucked you into bed, set a glass of water by your bedside, and stayed with you until you fell asleep. The last thing you remember as you drift off is Kaeya smiling down at you.

***

The cellar in the tavern was dark and damp. It was the perfect conditions for the wine barrels lined against the wall and the shelf of expensive looking bottles. Diluc was naming out dates as you wrote down the information on the clipboard. You helped him out with inventory every now and then, especially when it was your day off and you didn’t want to be left alone. He insisted that Charles or Elzer could handle it, but you did so anyway. It was your own way of telling him you wanted to spend more time with him.

“That drunk bard needs to be cut off…” Diluc muttered, crossing his arms as he looked over all the barrels. “We’re down two bottles of wine imported from Inazuma. All because he went overboard.”

“I mean, don’t you want people to drink the expensive ones? More money, right?”

He shook his head. “More trouble, especially when it comes to him. He rarely even pays.”

“He seems like a fun guy,” I reply, following Diluc up the stairs. “But I guess I’ve never been around when he gets drunk.”

“Good.”

You set the clipboard down on the counter as Diluc starts preparing for the open of the tavern. He’s been working here more than normally. From what he and Kaeya have both said, he prefers to work back at Dawn Winery. But recently, he had opted for working at the bar. You joined him in cutting fruit for the drinks.

“No need to do that much. I can handle it.”

You shook your head, carefully cutting the fruit into slices. “You know I don’t mind. I like hanging out with you like this. It’s better than you seeing me drunk.”

“You already work a full time job-“

“That I hate. I’d rather be working with people I actually like. Like you.”

A comfortable silence fell over the both of you. Diluc’s shoulder brushed yours as he shined cups, making sure everything was pristine. When you were with him, you didn’t feel the need to talk. Just his presence was enough to fill you with a sense of calm and security. Even if he was annoyingly stern at times, it was how he showed he cared for you. You'd probably be a drunkard if it weren't for him.

You wince, sighing as you accidentally cut your finger. "Oops."

"Did you cut yourself?" Diluc set down the glass and rag, immediately putting his attention on you. "Let me see."

"It's just a small cut."

Diluc leaned in, bringing your finger closer to his face to inspect it. His hands were warm, his eyes trained on the cut. You studied the way his red hair fell in front of his eyes, soft and slipping out of the hair tie. He clicked his tongue, looking up at you with a disapproving gaze. You were always clumsy and this was a common look you got whenever you accidentally hurt yourself. A bead of blood formed on the cut, slowly dripping down your finger. It slid onto Diluc's hand. He flinched, as if he just got burned.

"Oh, sorry! I'll go clean it off." You went to pull away, but he held onto your hand tightly.

"No. It's fine." He dragged you over to the sink. He was acting weird . You noticed his ears were tinged red and his breathing was slightly heavier than normal. He grabbed a small cloth, placing it over the cloth and holding it tightly.

You blinked. "Uhm…you can let go now."

"What? Oh. Right." He seemed to shake himself out of whatever state he was in. "Be more careful next time."

His words were curt and he left to go to the backroom. You just stared, completely confused. There it was again. It was so odd , the way that Diluc or Kaeya would sometimes act out of the ordinary. You never found Diluc to be queasy when it came to blood, but he acted like it almost disgusted him.

Just as quickly as it happened, he came back with a bandage and acted like nothing happened. You stayed silent as he placed it over your cut, sealing it tightly. Diluc patted your head and then went back to cleaning the glasses. It made you think that you were just being delusional. There was nothing wrong with them.

***

There was definitely something wrong. You were sure the tavern would be open. It normally was. It was a Friday night and the night had barely begun. After you had gone home earlier, you realized you left behind your bag. You expected to see everyone drinking and celebrating the upcoming weekend. Yet the place was eerily silent. You took a couple of tentative steps inside. A feeling of dread washed over you. You shouldn't be here. You knew you shouldn't…and yet, you still called out for Diluc or Charles, your voice quiet and meek as if you've done something wrong.

When there was no response, you finally decided to check the backroom. The closer you got, the more that dread turned into pure fear. You could hear hushed voices. You recognized them instantly and you wish you hadn't. A deep metallic smell drifted from behind the closed door and towards your nose. Don't open the door. Your mind was practically screaming at you to stop. Whatever you would see behind it would change everything.

Morbid curiosity got a hold of you. Nausea hit you like a gust of wind as you opened the door. You almost thought you were having a nightmare. The sight in front of you was grotesque. Diluc and Kaeya stared at you in shock as they paused in whatever they were doing. On the table in front of them was a pitcher filled with a dark red liquid. Next to the pitcher was a pile of dead- you couldn't even make out what they were. It was just dead carcasses, their blood, guts, and viscera spilling out. You went pale.

"What are you doing here?!" Diluc hissed. His hands and cheek were smeared with blood. "The pub is closed tonight!"

Kaeya stepped around the table, moving toward you. "Are you alright? You look pale."

You took a step backwards. Then another. Your head was swimming as you tried to keep your composure. "Wh-What are you- why are you…I think I'm gonna be sick."

You turned to the side to throw up but found yourself fainting instead. All you could see was the pile of flesh and blood. You felt cold and hot at the same time as your vision went blurry. You could feel arms wrap around you, voices sounding like they are muted and far away.

"Hey…hey, wake up." There was a pause. "Damn it, Diluc. Did you not say that you were closing for the day?"

"I wasn't exactly in the position to do so. It's your fault for forgetting to restock the blood supply."

"What do we do? We have to tell-"

"No, we can't."

"Then how else do you suggest we explain this situation?"

"Figure it out."

"You are so insufferable. This is why Father-"

" I'm insufferable? That's so rich coming from you, Kaeya."

A groan escapes your mouth as you finally come to. The rotten smell still made your stomach turn, but at least you were able to stay conscious. Kaeya had your head resting in his lap while Diluc kneeled next to him. You sat up, trying to scoot away. They were both still covered in blood.

Kaeya leaned forward. "Easy there-"

"What the fuck?!" Your eyes were focused on Kaeya's mouth. Two sharp canines jutted out in place of his normal teeth. "What the hell are you?!"

Diluc's eyes widen as he slaps his hand over Kaeya's mouth. "Calm down, alright? Let us explain."

You shake your head, your heart pounding in your chest as you try to move away from them. You could see Diluc's own teeth protruding from his lips. Suddenly, everything they ever did was flashing through your mind. Escorting you home at night, always being close enough to smell you, acting odd whenever you accidentally got a cut. You wanted to throw up. You wanted to run away. And yet, you just stared at them in disbelief.

"I'm waiting." You said, your voice hoarse and shaky. You tried not to let the fear show but you knew you were failing.

"To start-"

You held up your hand. "Wait! N-not…I can't do it in front of the carcasses. And clean off the blood please ."

The two looked at each other and then nodded. You stood and went out to the main section of the tavern. You decided to pour yourself a drink. You automatically reached for the red wine, but froze. Not the right choice. Instead, you made yourself some sort of fruity concoction that would go down easy. After you were finished, you sat at the bar and waited for them to come back out. When they did, they looked as they normally did. Kaeya tried to remain cool and calm, giving you a soft smile as he sat next to you. Diluc took his normal spot behind the counter, leaning against it with his hands clasped together.

Diluc cleared his throat. "Alright. Well, to begin…" He trailed off.

"We're vampires."

"Kaeya!!"

"How else do you want me to explain it?" Kaeya glared over at Diluc before turning his attention on you. He gave you that same lighthearted smile you were so used to seeing.

You felt like your head was going to explode. You took a long sip of your drink. "So…What am I? Prey?"

Kaeya laughed. "Only if you want to be."

"Honestly," Diluc sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Have some tact. No, you're not our prey. We'd never bite you without your permission. Or any human, for that matter. We tend to stick to animal blood. It's safer."

You slowly nod. "So…I'm assuming Crepus was a vampire. But what about you, Kaeya?"

"Father thought it was best to turn me at a young age. Though, I practically begged to be turned. I thought it was the coolest thing." Kaeya laughed, as if the memory was fond to him. "The transition turned out to be unpleasant but it was necessary. Been living like this ever since."

"It was also a noisy transition. You couldn't stop screaming."

"You would scream too, if-"

"Can you guys stop fighting for one second?" You rubbed the bridge of your nose. This was insane. "I'm going home."

Kaeya placed his on your shoulder to keep you from leaving. You flinched, as if you just had been burned by his touch. He moved his hand away. The hurt was evident in his eyes. But what could you do? Just act like this was normal? That it was fine your two best friends have been lying to you your whole life? No, that wasn't fair. It wasn't right .

You stand up without another word. You couldn't say anything else. You knew you shouldn't or you'd say something you might regret. Despite their secrets, you still didn't want to see them hurt. You needed time to process everything. If that meant cutting contact for a couple of days, so be it.

Kaeya's eyes widened. "W-wait! Don't go!"

"Stop." Diluc sighed, closing his eyes. "This is for the best. We all need a couple days to cool down. Just…trust them."

Trust. It almost made you want to laugh. If they wanted trust, they should've told you sooner. Or at least, eased you into it. It would've been better than seeing them covered in blood hunched over corpses like in a horror story.

You make your way to the door, not bothering to look back. You can’t help but jump at every single noise on your walk home. Vampires. They’re vampires . The men who you’ve known and trusted for years. But because of that you couldn’t be completely angry. The fear in Diluc’s eyes that he tried to hide and Kaeya’s hurt expression twisted at your heart.

You knew, deep down, that you will forgive them. It would take time to get used to this drastic change. You had a million questions that needed answering. And you also knew that they would never hurt you intentionally. They had always looked out for you and always protected you. They were just vampires and not humans. It’s fine.

"Just wait a bit." You told yourself, flopping down onto your bed. "Then you can go and figure things out."

You just had to figure out who to talk to first. Kaeya was most obviously hurt. He hated getting into any type of conflict and would rather work it out immediately. You wouldn't be surprised if he soon came knocking at your door with a gift and the intention to stay all day. Diluc, on the other hand, was the type to let things fester. He wasn't outward with his emotions. If you've known him long enough it was easy to tell when he's trying to patch things up. You can imagine him fixing things in his own way through acts of service and sidelong glances.

This is a mess. You definitely needed to sleep on it. And sleep came easier than you thought. As you slowly closed your eyes, all you could see were the brothers, staring over you with sharp pointy teeth. Ridiculous.

#x reader #fanfic #genshin imagines #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #vampire au #diluc ragnvindr #diluc x reader #genshin diluc #kaeya alberich #kaeya #genshin kaeya #kaeya x reader #genshin impact kaeya

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hiraya-rawr · 2 years

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since it's halloween//

vampire AU where Diluc finally admits in guilt and frustration that he's a monster, pulling the curtains from the windows, bringing sunshine that burns his ever-so pale skin

the first second you're shocked, the next second you're pulling him away from the curtains, frantically covering his burning skin, cursing and worrying and heading back to the windows to cover them while he looks at you in disbelief and the slow realization that it never mattered to you what he is

#hira brainrot #diluc #genshin #genshin vampire #genshin vampire au #diluc x reader #genshin diluc #genshin impact

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lowercaseangry · 11 months

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Vampire Diluc. Or is he??

//october thoughts intensify//

(cute thoughts I had about diluc and his vampire features. Mentions of blood and biting of course. it's just fluff and very slight angst.)

❤️🦇❤️

"I've heard it from the maids! He ate that poor animal. Last night!"

"Is he the one who killed all of the flock?"

"have you ever looked into his eyes? I got shivers. They're red as blood."

"that's what I'm telling you. I saw that with my own eyes. Two pointy marks. On his neck"

"He gets out to work before dawn, he stays in the tavern all day, and waits for the sun to set before coming back home... I don't think I need to say more."

"is that why he's so pale?"

"Are you sure the voices aren't a bother?" You asked him, feeling bad.

"No, my love. I've always had voices about me on people's mouths... I promise, I'm used to it". He was smiling, leaning forward to place a soft kiss behind your ear. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

You sighed. He was always so caring. Too caring... Considering what you've done. "But it's my fault and I don't want to see you suffer because of me. You already- you keep me alive... At what cost?"

"Are you trying to discuss business with me? Talking about prices?" He sounded so calm.

"you know what I mean..."

"i've already done the math, love"

Your eyes, red just like his, were following his lips as he talked. Then they focused on his hands, wrapped around your cold ones.

"look at me" he demanded. "Tell me if I'm under your hypnosis"

"no"

"that's right"

His eyes, were permanently red. Since the day you first tasted him.

"My math says that if I pay with a bunch of blood every week I buy more time with the person I love. And most importantly, I keep you alive."

You were defeated. Despite those romantic words, you still felt the guilt tightening your stomach.

"but the fault... My fault. You keep taking my faults"

He sighed loudly and rolled his eyes "shut uuuup"

"No! Why aren't you answering me?"

He lifted his head to look at you.

"cause you're dumb. And I don't talk with dumb people"

He was taking this so lightheartedly and it made you grunt in frustration.

"I'm ruining your life"

"no you're not"

"yes I am"

"ugh" Diluc took a deep breath. He was looking so annoyed by you, which made you even madder. He was getting angry even. You saw him clench his first and then stretch his finger. He pointed his index at your face.

"do you have an idea of what I'd do for your blood sucker ass?"

"ruin your life apparently" the words came out sharp in sarcasm. Which made him laugh in an even colder "ha-ha".

He was glaring at you. Then he sighed. His finger dropped with his shoulders, almost like he was melting. His forehead dropped on your shoulder.

"I'd ruin my whole life. Yes. I'd ruin it, just-" his voice got muffled as he pressed his nose into your neck "i don't wanna lose you"

Those words hit straight into your heart. It's wrong. What he's saying its wrong. But so true for him. Your fingers interlocked with his hair.

"you won't lose me. But it'd be better if you didn't hide your struggle from me. Especially the ones that are... My fault."

"okay"

"I want to help you"

"i know"

"if there's something I can do I want to do it. Whatever. Really"

He lifted his head. He looked into your eyes. A little smirk on his face.

"can you eat that damn cat that keeps stealing the grapes"

"what?!"

#diluc #diluc genshin impact #diluc headcanons #diluc ragnvindr #genshin impact #genshin #diluc x reader #october #halloween #vampire #vampire au #vampire diluc

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poisonf0rest · 3 months

Text

Waxing Gibbous

Tonight the nightmare is different.

It is dark and the forest path before you is doused in red, the full moon soaked in inky crimson that bleeds into a deep purple, the twisted branches clawing into the sky like fractures. Despite the blood moon looming closer and closer, you continue to run, feet hitting the cold earth as thorny brambles and grasping hands claw at your legs.

No, not running. You are chasing something. Someone.

But with each step you are left further and further behind, breathing in ragged huffs before you trip against the undergrowth, falling, your screams muffled against the dirt that fills your mouth and clogs your throat.

A blink, and you are standing.

The moon is no longer a bleeding red, and you think this was what the world looked like before the sun died— light filters in between the rustling leaves, coloring the sweeping grasses in a golden hue, flowers dotting the landscape with a kaleidoscope of colors now incomprehensible to you. It was beautiful, and you wanted to cry.

Standing in the midst of the sea of grass was a man. A beacon of fire as the sunlight kisses his crimson curls, and when he turns he makes a sort of face you don’t completely understand, expression foreign and suffocating. You think it looks a lot like peace.

You begin towards him on instinct, walking, then breaking into a run.

But you aren’t fast enough.

Halfway through the field the ground gives way beneath you, grass growing taller and taller— or perhaps you are falling further and further— as the earth swallows you whole once again.

And before you no longer stands a man. But a Beast.

A snowstorm howls against the castle walls, and the ancient stone does little to protect the grand hall from the sheer cold. The Beast curls in upon itself against the center of the room, dark fur and contorted muscles a blight against the vibrant red carpet that trails from the arched doorway to the stairs at your feet. You’re sitting on a throne, you realize.

“Closest of kin, last bearer of Our blood. Kneel afore Us, or get thee gone.”

The voice echoes down the throne room, and only when your mouth closes do you realize those words were yours.

But neither the Beast nor the hundreds of statues that litter the hall respond. They remain frozen, like long-forgotten gods of old that time had finally reclaimed. For a moment, you think you are the only living thing left in the castle. And then the Beast moves. Its jaws open, wretched howls leaving in what would seem to be words, although the language is not one you understand.

You feel your head nod regardless.

“Moon-scented Hunter, thou'rt dear to Us. Gods and men have cursed Us so, and yet thy remain at Our side till the bitter end. What is it that binds thy so?”

Finally, the Beast raises its head, and you feel something crack inside you as you gaze into those familiar crimson eyes, eyes that hold the flames of the sun and the chill of the winter storm. He speaks again, howling as he moves into a kneel, twisted bones and excess limbs nearly making the pose nearly indistinguishable.

“Ah,” you laugh, a cold, bitter sound. “We know this path well. For there is none other that leads to such deplorable ruin of men and gods alike. There is no curse more twisted than love.”

This time when the Beast speaks, it sounds a lot like pleas. And yet you know there is nothing you can do for him, for history moves in vicious cycles, and not even the stars can defy destiny.

And yet his insolence amuses you. Few dare to defy fate, and fewer still dare to fight it through all their lifetimes. Such a powerful love. Such a tragic story.

You stand from the throne, body weightless as you descend the stairs and stand before the Beast. With every breath he seems to turn more and more human, fur receding and bones snapping back into natural shapes.

Kneeling, you mirror his pose before placing your palms in his. Slowly, the claws retract into hands, each ridge and scar so hauntingly familiar that you would have recognized them even with your eyes closed. “We await thy return. For the honour of Cainhurst.”

Which is to say, give me every reason not to stay, and I will love your monsters regardless.

Which is to say, I still dream of kissing your claws and teeth.

Which is to say, I love you.

· · ─────── ·♰· ─────── · ·

You wake up.

You don’t remember a thing, but you swore you dreamt of ashes.

· · ─────── ·♰· ─────── · ·

There are thirteen days of hellish silence until you hear the rhythmic knock from the clinic window.

You resume the current experiment you were in the midst of running- analyzing a sample from Vicar Amelia’s corpse- in a vain attempt not to show just how relieved you were at Diluc’s return. If you saw his face again, filled with fire and renewed snark, you're not sure you could keep yourself from running straight into his arms. So you keep your back turned even as the window slams shut.

Turning the knob of a microscope, you clear your throat. “I’ll admit I was beginning to get worried when—”

A crash, something shatters.

Jumping, you turn in time to see Diluc stumble forward, knocking over another set of vials before his knees give out, blood trailing from the window, across the floor.

“Saints.”

You barely catch him in time to stop his head from slamming into the table.

He reeks of gore and death, just as he had when he died in your arms. He’s dying. He’s dying again.

Hauling Diluc on your back, you’re cursing in heaves as you drag him towards a rusted tub in the corner of the clinic. His larger frame crushes yours as you struggle to push him into the bath, water sloshing around the both of you as he slips under, massive arms and legs hardly contained in the metal keg. The lack of heating in the dregs of winter means the water is freezing, and your teeth chatter as you fight to keep his head raised. And yet, even after being dunked in the numbing temperature, the Hunter hardly gives more than a low groan of discomfort.

Are these all remaining wounds from the Vicar Amelia fight?

Straining, one arm keeps Diluc from submerging entirely as the other begins frantically stripping away layers of bloodied clothes, revealing more and more wounds. Once you’ve secured his head and arms on either side of the tub you stand, scrambling together stitches and blood vials.

No. These ones are new.

Forcing his mouth open, Diluc is barely conscious enough to swallow the blood, movements sloppy as red mixes with the crusting black trailing down his chin and neck. By the time you’ve gotten rid of all his clothes, the tub was filled with a brown, rusted slosh and numerous rounds of dressing.

Diluc’s head rolls to the side, hitting the metal rim of the tub with a thud as he attempts to speak, only for a hoarse groan to leave instead. You hush him, whispering into his temple as you pad his head onto a makeshift pillow, leaving for a moment to collect alcohol and more cloth for his wounds. His fangs were out. You pretend not to notice.

“This might sting.” You shake away the tremor in your hands, kneeling behind him as you begin scrubbing off crusted blood. “I don’t understand, how did you leave the Dream with these wounds?”

With complete honesty, you don’t understand much about the Hunter’s Dream. Even less about how it came to be, or how it was even possible to begin with. But with your previous involvement with church Hunters, you understood it was where Hunters returned to once they died, a sort of temporary limbo before they returned to their hunt in Yharnam, healed as though Death had never touched them in the first place.

But you suppose Death took a piece of them each time, for they never really returned whole. Not in the ways that mattered.

Whipping the cloth down Diluc’s back, your hands pause as they rub over two new scars, each one etched in a raised gnarled growth from shoulder to ribcage. Claw marks, you realize. From Vicar Amelia.

And right under them were several newer scratches and stabs, still bleeding as you pressed the cloth to them.

Pushing Diluc up gently, the Hunter goes easy, pliant against your touch. “How long?”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

You grit your teeth, accidentally scrubbing harsher against his fresh wounds. Diluc lets out a muffled hiss. “How long have you been back from the Dream?”

For a moment the only sound is the drip of the faucet as it leaks into the tub. He’s not answering. Your hands fall to your sides, fists clenched around the rag.

“Nine,” he whispers. ” Nine days.”

“Nine days.”

Nine whole fucking days that you thought you might never see him again. You hurl the cloth into the water and walk around to face him, palms ramming onto the edge of the tub. “Why?”

You stare down at him and Diluc stares right back, brows furrowing as he leans closer, water sloshing around him as his hand lifts to your face. Without thinking you’ve already leaned into his touch, biting back a sob as the warmth from his palm rests against your cheek. His touch burns, even with the freezing water now dripping down both your bodies.

Calluses decorate his palm, scorched skin rough against your jaw. Your eyes trace down in silence. His arms are laced with scars raw and deep enough to look as though they were still bleeding, his shoulders and chest are filled with old wounds cutting through curly patches of red hair in a history even his semi-immortal body couldn’t re-write, and in the corner of your eye you see his left thigh encircled with a gnarled line that takes you a moment to recognize— it’s where he tore his own leg off.

Living proof of every death he has died. Of every death denied to him.

You had thought the first time you would see Diluc naked you would have thrown a joke or two, made some sort of innuendo or inappropriate joke just to watch the tips of his ears turn redder than his hair. You had imaged it a hundred times, playing out in a hundred different ways.

But never like this. Not while you map every wound on his body like a coroner trying to figure out which finally sounded his death knell.

Lifting your hand to his, you brush his knuckles against your lips.

“Kiss me.”

He does.

Water splashes onto bloody tiles, Diluc’s body surging forward as his hand cups your jaw, pulling you into him as you nearly fall into the tub too, barely catching yourself against his broad chest. You try very hard not to think about the rest of him, wet and bare, underneath you. It’s not working.

Your free hand snakes around his neck, fingers knotting themselves into the unruly mane of his hair as it sticks to his back and shoulders in crimson curls. Unlike every other time you’ve enticed his affection, Diluc quickly demands more, his tongue already pressing against your lips as he coaxes your head further back to grant himself easier access.

“Wait don’t,” you begin, cut off by Diluc’s lips. “Your stitches might come un–” He kisses you again. And again. Your words turn to ash, burned away by the passion you’re suddenly overcome by.

He’s consuming you, igniting you in your entirety and you can only welcome the flames.

Somewhere against your dwindling sanity you know this display was little more than a calculated performance. Perhaps this was just to curve your anger. Perhaps it was simply meant to distract you. Perhaps it was to distract himself.

But with each insistent press of Diluc’s tongue against your own, each ghosting prick of his fangs against your bottom lip, you find it increasingly harder to care.

Another rough tug drags you closer to the Hunter, and your hand slips against the wet metal rim of the tub, a sharp hiss caught against your throat as you yank your arm back. A thin line of red drips from your palm, swirling into the bath.

The scent of blood stabs the air, the flood of rust and copper rushing through Diluc’s skull, into his lungs, and lower still.

Superhuman strength wrenches you backward as he reels away, one hand restraining your bleeding hand and the other wrenching over his face as he looks away, stifling both his nose and mouth. His chest heaves, each breath coming out in ragged huffs visible in the cold air.

You can still see the glint of his fangs through the gaps in his fingers.

You frown. “Tell me, Hunter, do you wish to drink?”

Diluc tenses beneath you, refusing to meet your gaze. You swear he’s leaning as far away from you as he can without quite literally shoving you onto the floor. His hand muffles his words, and you can hardly make them out against his palm. “It’s hardly about what I want.”

Always being the goddamn martyr.

“Why?” You tense against his grip, fighting to meet Diluc’s eyes. “Why must you keep doing this?”

“I do not know what you’re referring to.”

You thrust your chin towards his body, towards the new wounds that mutilate him, anger cracking your voice. “This! All of this! Why, when I’ve made it abundantly clear that I’m capable of helping?” His grip turns harsher. You pretend not to feel it. “Let me help you.”

Before you release it you’re standing, Diluc forcing you to your feet as he places more distance between the both of you. He released you at arm's length, but gods does he feel so much further away?

“Again, I fail to see what it is you’re referring to.”

“Do you?” A sharp laugh, and you catch his wrists, thumbing at his scars as your eyes trail the rest of them. “You think this fixes it? You think forcing yourself to suffer will alleviate you from your guilt?”

“And what do you know of guilt,” a growl, “Doctor?”

“Do you truly think there’s anyone who has failed more people than a doctor? As though I don’t have the blood of more innocents on my hands than you do.”

You swallow, daring to step closer and raise a hand, only for Diluc to flinch away from your still-bleeding palm. He refuses to look at you. Why won’t he ever look at you?

“Our suffering will not bring them back, Diluc.” He still keeps you at a distance, and you relent, leaning your head against his bloodied knuckles as you exhale slowly, deeply. He doesn’t let you come any closer. You don’t force it. You simply stay put, forever at arm’s length, bracing yourself against his palm as if just to remind him that you are here, you are with him, and hoping that, for now, that alone will be enough.

You know this type of self-destruction well. The violence- the pain- it silences the voices.

You can’t remember their screams if all you can hear is your own.

“It will not give them peace, it will not make them forgive you, and it will never give you freedom from the memories.” If it did, the nightmares would have ceased years ago.

But that’s the funny thing about grief. Sometimes, it’s the only thing left when all the anger has finally burned and died out. Diluc knows this, being alive for centuries has taught him well, as he is doomed to repeat that same spiral of anger and violence and suffering until it finally kills him.

What does he know, if not grief? What is he, if not this rotten husk of anger and rage? What is left?

Just a beast and a boy fighting for control over a broken body.

But then he feels the warmth of your breath, every exhale shaky and heartbreaking as your lips quiver against his palm, and he cannot help but want to hold you.

“Today was my birthday.”

The burning pressure against your wrists disappears, and Diluc sinks to the floor, falling back into the tub as his arms and leg hang out. Head knocking against the metal rim, you watch his throat bob in silence before you kneel down beside him. His hand finds yours, and, ever so slowly, his pinkie finger intertwines with yours.

When Diluc continues, his words come out in a rasp, each one lodged against his unbeating heart before they spill out. “I try not to remember. One year I attempted not counting the days, hoping I’d simply forget,” a laugh, humorless and hollow. “Come early spring frost and I still could tell it was the morning of my birthday. The world won’t let me forget.”

After all, he killed his mother the day he was born and killed his father the day he became a man.

He had lost all the family he’d ever known on this day.

He was so young back then.

“Every year I visit them, far west from Hemwick Charnel, on a cliffside overlooking the castle and the sea.” Diluc’s words come easy now, and you begin disinfecting his wounds again as he talks, the slow rumble of his chest comforting as his body begins stitching itself back together. “I was picking lamp grass when I was ambushed by a horde. I didn’t know where else to go but here.”

A hum, and you let go of the cloth. “For what it’s worth, I am glad.”

Diluc turns to look at you with a raised brow. “Glad?” He’s about to continue when you gently shove his head, correcting yourself with a snort.

“I’m glad you were born. I’m glad I got to meet you. After all, who else could I blackmail into my service with a rifle and a vile of blood?” He laughs, the sound rough and warm. You can’t help but laugh too.

Leaning forward, you brush aside the long, wet strands of hair from his shoulders and place a kiss to the nape of his neck, inhaling the familiar scent of smoke and ashes.

“Happy birthday, mon chéri.”

· · ─────── ·♰· ─────── · ·

Yharnam seems to be cursed with late winter storms, and this April is no different.

You once swore you’d take snow over the typical rain or hail, but the relentless blizzard outside has you second-guessing that now. For the entire day now it has been impossible to see even three feet beyond the windows, a foggy white blanketing the city.

The children had fallen asleep hours ago, all seven of them huddled close as you tucked them under layer upon layer of blankets, Diluc and you taking turns to make sure they were warm and secured.

Now you and the Hunter retreated back to your own quarters, a small room nestled above the orphanage and the clinic. It sufficed though, and between the library set up in the corner of the room and the fireplace crackling before the seating area, the two of you easily fell into a comfortable routine.

Despite having read and reread many of your books– the majority being medical, philosophical, or the guilty pleasure novels that you‘ve expertly hidden throughout the shelf– you choose a new romance book to take back to your armchair and instantly curl up in it.

You’re only fifty pages in when you’re disturbed by an amused huff from your Hunter.

“May I inquire as to what is so amusing?” You peek over the pages, glaring slightly. He just had to interrupt you as soon as it was getting good.

Diluc hums. “Nothing in particular. It’s just that whatever you’re reading is causing you to make a rather strange sort of face.” He mimics you, brows scrunched before a smirk cracks across his lips at your scowl. He tilts his head, smile never dropping. “Your heart rate spiked.”

There is no way you’re admitting to reading pure filth in front of him, so instead you clear your throat, shifting your fingers so they cover as much of the title as they could. “Yes, well, this requires a lot of concentration so excuse me.”

"Of course. Concentration."

Diluc chuckles, the sound low and smooth and utterly horrible for the purity of your thoughts.

Crimson eyes flicker to the small crook where your neck and shoulder meet, just barely covered by the silk of your nightgown, and his tongue drags over his fangs as he forces in a deep breath. All your shifting in your seat allowed the billowing neckline to slip past your shoulder, exposing the delicate skin, and you could practically feel the Hunter’s gaze burning into you.

You know he can hear your heart flutter in tandem with that treacherous twisting of your stomach— a sort of unholy anticipation when you spot the brief flash of hunger across Diluc’s face.

Logically, you knew this was akin to tempting the Devil with sin. And yet that damnation tasted so sweet.

Your poor Hunter was already so far on edge from being unable to go out to hunt due to the heavy snowstorm. Early spring, and yet the winter was relentless in its hold over the city. You only managed to keep Diluc inside by assuring him that the Beasts would despise the cold just as much as anyone else would, and if there were one night where he could rest easy, it would be tonight.

And yet it seemed as though both the words rest and easy were completely foreign to your Hunter.

All the more fun for you, really.

Uncrossing and recrossing your legs, you allow your nightgown to hike further up your thighs, letting out a sigh as the fire crackles and snaps. Diluc’s grip tightens against the armrest of his chair, the leather upholstery cracking under his knuckles. The Hunter can’t stop the slow glide of his eyes over your body, catching himself wondering if you had even bothered to wear anything beneath the flimsy slip of clothing, banishing the thought instantly with a flushed face.

But not before you catch it.

“Oh? What’s wrong, my dear Hunter?” You snap your book closed, setting it on the nightstand before stalking across the room. “Now you’re the one that seems rather… distracted.”

He swallows, hard. “And you seem rather intent on tempting me, even after I remember advising you against doing so. Specifically on a night such as this when I haven’t hunted nor fed.”

“I’m right here. You need not ask.”

A strained grunt. Diluc’s eyes burn into yours as you find your way to his chair, almost predatory in the way they catch your every movement. It excites you even more. Leaning down, you brace your hands against the armrest, caging him beneath you.

The fireplace is alight at your back, silhouetting your every curve, mimicking the desire burning both in your gaze and lower still. Saints, you can’t tell what you want more— to devour him or let him devour you.

Both.

Both would be acceptable.

You fall forward, thighs slipping atop Diluc’s own as you lower yourself onto him in one slow motion. His hands come up, and you guide them to your waist, each palm large enough to cup the entirety of your hips. It sends another trill of wicked excitement through you.

The glint of the fire catches against his fangs. Perhaps it’s the lingering effect of the dreamroot you smoked earlier, but you can’t help yourself, thumbing at his lip as you tilt Diluc’s jaw up. He goes easy, opening his mouth as you gently prod at the razor-sharp teeth. Behind those twin fangs his gums swell slightly at the top, a large cavity trailing down into the root of his teeth.

Thumbing it gently, you retract your fingers just long enough for Diluc to say, “Venom glands.”

A hum, both your hands now lifting to his jaw as Diluc’s arms meet you halfway, urging you to slow despite your excitement. Whether for your sake or his you did not know.

Diluc’s hands remain at your wrists as you gently push his lip up, sliding your thumb along his fangs, pressing against the gland until a steady stream of venom trickles down the long tooth.

It’s mostly clear, an unassuming amber in color, and yet the moment it drips onto your skin you feel the dizzying effect of the venom takes hold. Your eyes follow the trail, certain it must be a type of neurotoxin by the way it’s numbing your fingers and wrist as it trickles further and further, muscles relaxing involuntarily as they fall victim to the venom. If it was this powerful at mere contact, you shiver to think at what it might be capable of at injection.

“Does all Vileblood venom act the same?”

“Not,” Diluc grunts as your grip against his jaw shifts. “Not quite. Every individual’s toxin varies, and the effect depends on both participants.”

Gliding your fingers down his neck, the Hunter beneath you shivers. “How so?” Dropping your hands, you let them rest upon his shoulders.

“Different lineages hold different properties: paralysis, hemorrhage, coagulopathy, necrosis. But the chemical effect differs between partners, it’s impossible to tell how any one individual would react.”

You snort. “Partners? Seems a little too consensual of a term for what your kind does. Perhaps,” You lean forward, “Preying?” Rock your hips into his as your lips brush his neck, “Hunting?” A gasp, and you pounce, “Devouring?” You bite.

The sweet sound of Diluc’s moan rewards you, and you pull back in time to watch the bruise fade back into the pale column of his neck. His throat bobs, eyes flickering back to your own neck.

He’s so obvious sometimes.

“I’ve been wondering, do Vampires have favorite spots to bite? I’d assume major arteries, makes for easier…” You guide his hands further down, allowing them to roam until they thumb at the dimples against your lower back. “Access?”

Diluc’s mouth opens, dry, his mind failing him at every turn when it comes to you. You laugh under your breath, dragging your fingers up your body, allowing the thin silk of your robe to slip off both of your shoulders, exposing inches of soft, delicate skin. “Don’t tell me you’re a clichè and just go for the neck? Or perhaps this frustrating gentlemanly façade is to hide even more perverse tendencies? Well? Are you hiding something from me, mon petit monstre?”

“No.”

You lean in, teasing. His gaze drops lower. “No?”

“Avoid arteries. They—” Your hands fall from your chest, one grabbing Diluc’s jaw, forcing him to look at you, as the other begins toying with the lace of his blouse. A beautiful blush clings to his face, dusty red from the firelight as it burns at his cheeks and the tips of his ears. Saints, he’s so warm under your touch. “They’re too messy. It’s a balance between force and mercy.”

By the time he’s done talking you’ve finished opening his shirt, hands greedily exploring the newly unveiled skin as you hum in response. Hard planes of muscle are ridged with curls of thick red hair, cut only by singes and scars, and you bend to kiss each one, nestling yourself further onto Diluc’s lap as your lips continue to worship him.

“Force and mercy, hm?”

You once offered to heal them, to stitch up loose gashes and dress older wounds in ointments. But Diluc refused. Now, as your tongue traces a scar from his chest to his sternum, you begin to understand why he collects these reminders of failures long ago. He believes it to be an atonement, his physical proof to pay for every sin he’s convinced he’s committed. So be it. You’d love them regardless.

A kiss to the gnarled skin before you move further, lips brushing over another patch of burns before you sit up, taking in the view before you.

There is something horridly addicting in bringing the apex predator of the world to your mercy. Diluc was doused by firelight, bare chest tinted with blush and the slick aftermath of your ministrations, skin matching the crimson of his unruly mane of hair now cascading down the couch and sticking to his sweat-slicked muscles. His eyes meet yours for only a moment before they dart from your lips to your neck and back again.

Everything about him was blinding, so furiously red it burned.

You shiver.

That moment of weakness was enough, however, and Diluc lifts you easily. His powerful grip forces your hips flush against his, body towering over your own as your chests brush with every ragged inhale, head dipping to rest his forehead against your own.

He’s trembling. Elongated fangs have sunk deep into his bottom lip, blood trickling down his chin, dripping onto your breasts. Every muscle in the Hunter’s body is tensing and yielding again and again, fighting every instinct with the control he so piously boasts.

Ever the fucking gentleman.

You grumble, pushing yourself forward, deliberately shifting your hips against his own, smirking at the low gasp he makes against your ear. It is as your dear Hunter said: force and mercy.

One hand palms at the hard planes of muscle down his torso, nails digging into his abs, watching as the red lines disappear as soon as you make them. It only tempts you to try harder. Maybe use something sharper. The other hand works to lift Diluc’s face to your own, drinking in the heavy blush that coats his cheeks, eyes hooded with a bleary fog, unable to look away from your neck as his own black blood stains his lips and chin. And yet he still refuses to bite you.

You have half a thought to force the Vampyr’s fangs into your skin on your own when the man finally moves. You don’t register it at first. One moment his forehead is braced against yours as you perch atop him, and the next you’re pinned against the arm of the couch, Diluc looming over you as he kneels between your thighs. The fire snaps in the background.

Diluc lowers his face an inch, grazing the tip of his nose along your neck. Beneath your hand, his chest heaves upward as he inhales a slow, greedy breath of your scent. Breathe. You scream at yourself to remember to breathe.

“You’ve yet to answer my question. Where, Diluc,” another brush along your neck, this time with his lips. Your voice trembles. “Where would you bite me?”

Too far. You knew this question was pushing him too far, you knew the fool you played to even dare press his limits, to tempt him with forces you couldn’t begin to understand or control. But gods old and new be damned, you were tired of constantly trying to figure things out.

It was its own kind of discovery, the surrender to instinct.

And so you do nothing except tilt your neck further, allowing him to brush his lips over your neck again and again. With each movement you arch further into his lap, feeling that heat and hardness grind up into you, mere friction enough to override every rational thought.

Finally, Diluc stops. A heavy breath fans the lower crook of your neck, stopping just above the curve of your shoulder. “Here.”

It’s a command as much as it’s an answer. Diluc dares to kiss you there, finally, opening his mouth as you feel the warm nudge of his tongue, fixating on that spot until something seizes him, a deep growl reverberating through his chest.

Diluc shudders and parts his lips, lingering just above the damp spot, every exhale a cold gust against the hyper-sensitive skin of your neck. You don’t dare move, either in fear of scaring him away or luring him further you do not know. Instead, you shift your hand once resting upon his shoulder into his hair, coaxing him to press harder. His tongue traces a circle on your skin as he obeys.

You stifle a moan. The devoted mix of kisses and nips was going to leave more than a mark, and that thought alone rid you of any remaining control. Deliberately, you grind harder against his thigh, the firm pressure of his muscles sending your eyes rolling into the back of your skull. Yet you continue, meeting the painfully hard strain against his trousers with every soft roll of your hips.

Diluc groans. Fisting your nightgown in his hand, he forces the two of you together, bending you backward with the force of it as his mouth opens wide against your throat.

"Please," you whisper.

You feel the twin pricks of his fangs, hovering just above your skin, just enough to feel them. Ripples of fear and desire and terror and anticipation shutter down your spine. Suddenly, you’re hyper aware of every place Diluc touches you, his nearly bare chest heaving against your own, the heat of his breath on your neck, the weight of his hand on your waist. The roar of your blood in your ears. The pounding of your heart.

Right as you feel the pressure begin to sink into your throat, you lose your balance, the force of Diluc’s hold pushing you back as you slip off the couch and hit the table.

The cracking of wood breaks the both of you from the trance.

Diluc is breathing heavily, bangs shielding his face as he cages you against the table with his arms, one hand protecting the back of your head from the impact that would have otherwise rattled your skull as the other braces your back. He’s straining though, as if he himself is trapped between standing up and descending upon you once more.

“…Temptation.”

Your head snaps back, falling against the table with a thump as you try to meet his gaze. Raising a hand, Diluc laces his fingers between your own before bringing it against his jaw, nuzzling into your touch.

Finally looking at you, you stifle a gasp at the sight. His pupils are bleeding, turning the whites of his eyes into an inky red, so deep they are nearly black, pupils themselves dilating and constricting like a beast’s.

“You are temptation.”

You manage a wry smile despite the lust and fear burning throughout your body. “Your temptation.”

A smile. “My temptation.”

And with that you tug his face down to your own, ramming your lips together. Diluc protests against you, words muffled into the sloppy kiss, his resistance half-hearted as his tongue already works to meet you halfway, trying ever so desperately to steer you away from his fangs. That won’t do.

You prop yourself up with one elbow, feeling the weight of Diluc’s body drop onto your own, pinning you to the table as his lips claim yours this time. It’s more tongue and teeth than anything else on your part, nipping his bottom lip as your eyes catch on his fangs once again. The taste of his own blood lingers from where he bit himself, and you moan before pushing your tongue forward, allowing it to push up against his teeth, feeling two clean gashes trail down the muscle as it drags along the length of his fangs.

The taste of your blood fills Diluc’s mouth. He flinches, pupils blown wide.

You pull just far enough to say, “Drink.”

He does.

There’s a low growl, a sound more beast than man, and Diluc consumes you with the savagery of a wild animal. His lips chase yours, sucking your tongue into his mouth as he feeds. It’s twisted, the sounds you’re both making and the web of blood and saliva that drips between the both of you, the very act of him feeding off your tongue enough to be considered sacrilege.

But, Saints above and gods below, you never want him to stop.

Pressing the hot muscle into Diluc’s fangs again, you feel a numbing sensation seize your tongue, losing control as the warmth from Diluc’s mouth and his natural venom rupture every nerve and muscle, chasing down your spine, compelling you to grind even harder against him. Every kiss is tainted with the obscene sounds of him swallowing mouthful after mouthful of blood, the creaking of the table as your hips rut into each other no better than animals in heat, and the moans that echo along with the snap of the fire.

It is still not enough.

Breaking the kiss, Diluc’s lips chase after your own, his eyes half-lidded and unfocused, thoroughly drunk off your blood. Not that you’re faring any better, nightgown bunched at your waist and slick to your skin from sweat, blood smeared across your lips and chest.

A dark smile cracks along the Hunter’s mouth, glinting with blood-stained fangs as he snarls, “Addicting.”

Saints. The way he said that word echoes in your skull and you whimper, clenching your thighs around his waist and pulling him closer still. Diluc obeys, pressing your bodies together so tightly you could feel his heartbeat against your chest.

Without thinking your hand is already trailing down every straining muscle of Diluc’s body, scratching down his chest and abs until it grinds against the searing heat straining against his trousers. The Hunter keens, pushing into your body as he gasps, hardly giving himself a moment to breathe before claiming your lips once again.

You’re trying your best with the atrocious number of belts and laces that block you from your goal, and yet to no avail as your mind can hardly think straight between the insistent press of Diluc’s lips on yours and his venom running rampant in your veins.

Another whine and you give up on the trousers entirely, laying your palm flat against his clothed cock. He bucks into your heat, and you marvel even through your lust-dazed mind at his sheer size, having to rub both hands down his length to simply feel it all.

Diluc gasps, tearing his mouth from your own as he licks the remaining blood from your skin until he forces himself from your lips. “Don’t. Don’t do that, else I really might lose control of—”

You do it again, cruelly grinding your palm into his length before dragging your fingers up again, nearly coming up to his lower abdomen as you thumb the mass of red curls disappearing into his trousers. Oh, gods, you need him, now.

The Hunter hisses as your movements get rougher, jaw snapped shut as he thrusts into your hold, the force of it enough to drive you and the table you’re pinned upon backward. You can hardly stop yourself from imagining that power, that sheer size buried deep within you. All-consuming. Addictive.

You’re about to press up again when his hand catches your own, yanking both up and slamming them above your head. A whine, and you thrash beneath his grip, arching against him. But Diluc no longer responds, his body rigid as he witnesses the mess he’s made of you.

It’s instinct, the way you beg and whine for him. It’s merely a prey’s response to a predator coaxing them into a false sense of bliss before the kill.

“You deserve so much better.”

And then the warmth above you disappears, leaving you cold and empty and aching, alone with only the crack of the fire and the silence of the night.

Diluc was gone.

Something stuck between a laugh and a cry of pure frustration leaves you, and you fall limp onto the table as you stare up at the ceiling. “Fucking bastard.”

Even with the fireplace at your back, there is no mistaking the sudden chill of the room, and you force yourself to sit up despite the horrid mix of Vampyr venom and raw desire making your limbs tremble with every movement. Saints, everything ached, the room spinning as you stumbled onto your feet. Not trusting your legs enough to make it to your chambers, you opt to collapse against the couch, another delirious whimper seizing you as you lay sprawled against the leather.

You hate him.

Saints you hate him and you hate him for leaving you while the growing need between your thighs threatens to swallow you whole. The leather was deliciously cool against your flushed skin and you writhe against it, another breathy moan slipping past your lips as you turn to face the door.

Your quarters were on the third floor, two above the clinic and one above the orphanage. There were only so many rooms Diluc could have fled to, at least until the snowstorm subsided.

For now, though, he is stuck in the house. Curse or blessing it may be.

You bite onto your bottom lip hard enough to draw blood- you wonder if he can smell it- as your hands glide downwards, ghosting over the bruising remnants of Diluc’s touch. Oh, you hate him. You hate him so much. Even the brush of silk against your skin was becoming unbearable, and you slip past the nightgown, letting it bunch at your hips.

Even amidst the venom and lust, your logical side begins to panic— heavens forbid you’re loud enough to wake a patient or the children sleeping only a floor below.

But you know that with his senses Diluc can hear everything.

And that alone would make this punishment worth it.

Call it retribution.

A hand slips beneath your undergarments and Saints, fuck, you were dripping enough to ease your fingers in already. But you remember the bastard voyeur undoubtedly listening in and force yourself to slow down. Instead, you rub slow circles around your entrance, the mere friction enough to drive your head back into the armrest, waves of heat rippling through you.

With a broken whimper, you slide a finger into your weeping cunt, a breathless moan pushing from your lungs as you do. Not enough. Saints. It’s not enough.

You whine, and yet force yourself to draw each movement out, the twist of your wrist accompanied by your muffled cries and the lewd wet sounds of each movement. Withdrawing your finger nearly to the tip, this time two plunge back in, and your back arches off the couch with violent tremors as you imagine it was Diluc’s hand instead. Your Hunter’s hand, hot, rough, and big enough to send you reeling with a mere touch. Deeper and deeper, he’d push you to breaking, and your free hand claws into the leather at the thought of it.

It’s Diluc’s voice rings in your head, and you see that dark smile, glinting with blood-stained fangs as he snarls. “Addicting.”

Addicting.

A sob, and you force your fingers curling up in self-inflicted cruelty. It’s Diluc’s hips that grind into you with relentless fervor, it’s Diluc’s hand that brings you closer and closer to the edge until you draw blood from your lips, and it’s Diluc’s name that leaves your lips in silent screams as you finally come again and again until the room fades to black.

· · ─────── ·♰· ─────── · ·

You’ve ruined him.

Gods the fucking taste of your blood lingers in Diluc’s mouth, every dry swallow, every inhale, every damn breath tastes like you, and it makes him want to submit to every beastly urge and simply consume until—

Diluc sinks his fangs into his arm with a groan, forcing mouthful after mouthful of blood down his throat in hopes that the bitter taste of his blood covers your own.

It’s not enough. Not even close. The hunger had hardly subsided and his dick was still begging for release, heavy and controlling, demanding his very sanity as he stumbled into one of the abandoned patient cubicles. Your voice, broken and desperate, rings against the base of his skull, and the memory alone is enough to send new ripples of heat down his spine.

Throwing himself onto the cot, Diluc shields an arm over his face, attempting to block out the sounds of your moans, the rhythm of your heartbeat, the taste of you still raging through him. But even the slightest movement only succeeds in making the rough seams of his trousers rub against his cock, the friction enough to make him grit his teeth, fangs sinking into his bottom lip.

And then he hears your voice again.

He goes deathly still, afraid he’s begun to hallucinate in this lust-induced haze. But no, there is no mistaking it. From where you are, a floor or two above, he hears the rapid stutter of your heartbeat, your stifled cries, and the slick, wet sounds of your hand as it—

“Saints,” he’s gasping for air, ”kill me now.”

Diluc knows you’re torturing him.

His ears strain against his will, and Diluc catches another whimper from you when suddenly the scent of your blood hits him like a bullet. You’re bleeding. You’re bleeding and his cock is throbbing in time to your weakening heartbeat.

You really do turn him into a beast. It’s sinful.

One hand unbuckles his trousers, fumbling them down as the other stifles another moan, sound low and tortured. Diluc’s pace matches yours, and as he hears the slow rub of your fingers against your core, he in turn grips his cock, pulling it from its confinements as it springs against his abs. Saints, he’s leaking enough to coat his palm in slick already, excess dripping onto his thighs.

It’s easy, with the taste of you in his mouth and the breathy voice of you in his head, to imagine it’s your hand gripping him instead. He hates himself for how much harder he gets at the thought of it.

But Diluc hardly gets to dwell on it, any semblance of embarrassment is swallowed whole by greed as he hears your pace quicken. Listening to you intensely as you fuck yourself on your hand, his jaw clenches as he grounds himself in time to the beat of your heart, hips stuttering as he gives himself a painfully rough jerk.

With each pump his hips rut faster, erratic movements rocking the cot as the groan of the frame is covered only by the slick slap of skin and his muffled whimpers. Diluc’s mind wanders, and he can’t help but remember how you writhed beneath him, dark blush tainting your features and that cruel smile flickering across your face. What face are you making now?

He pictures you below him once more, but someone as unpredictable as you would never be satisfied with that for long. Would you push him down? His eyes flutter closed and he indulges in your noises that reverberate through the wall. Would you tie or chain him up, each movement slow and cruel as you used him to your heart’s content? Granted, he could break free from any sort of restraint, but would he want to?

Fuck. He’s not going to last.

Desperate, Diluc digs his nails into the soft underside of his cock and with a prolonged squeeze starves off his orgasm, thighs trembling from the pressure. Diluc thinks you’d do the same. You’d tease him, you’d send him to the brink only to stop, a cruel sort of devotion only you could give him. The thought alone is enough to send his head rolling back, mouth open as he growls out your name.

It must be poison. Your blood must have gotten him addicted.

From the room above your pulse stutters, and he feels each beat of your quickening heart on his tongue, he feels it against his cock, and as soon as you moan a broken mantra of his name, Diluc knows he is doomed.

You must be his damnation.

#genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin smut #genshin imagines #bloodborne #vampire #diluc ragnvindr #diluc x reader #diluc smut #genshin diluc

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youreallyshouldtalkmore · 11 months

Text

Dark Imagination_ Part 10

A.N: 👻Happy Halloween!!! I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable one! 🎃🕯️

Thank you for reading this story!! I hope you enjoyed it!! This final chapter has guest stars abound!!

Genshin Impact MasterList

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You entered the glittering ballroom. This was your first time traveling in this world. It had been three months since your arrival in this world. Your coven was invited to an affair, and they thought it was a good time to introduce you. You took in the sights with no small degree of interest.

You heard a deep chuckle from besides you and ducked your head. You hoped you hadn’t been that obvious. But these were things you’d only seen in movies.

“Do not worry, my dear. The night is young. We will show you all there is.” Zhongli spoke, raising the back of your hand to his lips.

Neuvillette’s hands draped over his cane in front of him, “Indeed.”

Alhaitham only sighed. He was bored already, and his elders refused to let him bring a book with him. They even double-checked before they left.

However, you barely got in the door before you heard, “ZHONGLI!!”

You blinked as at the whirlwind and looked up to see a young girl, dressed in brown with long twin pigtails and black nail polish, had thrown her arms around Zhongli. As tall he was, she was floating as she did so. Despite her gothic demeanor, she was all smiles as she squeezed him tighter, “You made it!! Welcome!!”

Zhongli sighed, “Hu Tao, must you do this? I haven’t even been here for two minutes, yet.”

“But how else am I to greet my sire? I haven’t seen you in a long time!”

“We saw each other last month. For us vampires, that is hardly a long time. Now, get off of me, please. I have a Blood Mistress. It’s time for you to stop being so childish and pay some respect to her.”

You blinked when Hu Tao popped in your face with a grin. You clearly saw her sharp canines as she took in your appearance, “I’m Hu Tao, one who was turned by the Lord Rex Lapis! You are his coven’s Blood Mistress, yeah? It’s nice to meet you, Y/N L/N. Yes, I know all about you! No need for introductions!”

You had to fight to catch up with everything she said before you smiled shyly, “Well, nice to meet you anyway.”

Hu Tao threw her arms around your shoulders chummily, “Aren’t you a cute one! You are human, right? Hey, have you thought about the great beyond? We are having a two for one deal….”

She was snatched away from you and your eyes widen as Rex Lapis glared down at her, “I suggest you watch your mouth, little one.”

Hu Tao waved his words away, “I wasn’t talking about for the two of you but perhaps she…oh right, she came from another world, didn’t she? Never mind. I’m sorry! Hey, let me introduce you to my Blood Master and coven sisters Xinyan and Xiangling! Listen, if Xiangling offers you anything ask what’s in it before you eat, okay? I will not have my sire’s Blood Mistress passed out, Zhongli can and will kill me. She’s a great cook, but she has some weird tastes, you know. Let’s go!!”

Your eyes were wide as you look over your shoulder at Zhongli who gave you a reassuring smile. You relaxed. If he was letting you go with her, it must have been okay.

“I never thought she would leave. How can a vampire be that sunny?” Alhaitham growled, raising his hand to massage his temple.

“Hey, you guys made it!!”

“Speaking of sunny….” Zhongli sighed. It hasn’t been 15 minutes, and he was already tired as he turned to the newest group with a ginger head in front.

“Zhongli! It’s been awhile!” Childe grinned.

“So your coven was invited as well.” Zhongli eyed the men behind Childe, “Is your Blood Mistress, here as well?”

The coven that Childe belonged to was….questionable in his eyes. Not one, of them, was sane in his opinion. Dottore was a mad doctor, Pantalone valued mora a bit too much and Capitano was, in fact, a werewolf, and a bloodthirsty one at that. Childe was the sanest, and that was saying something. He always felt bad for their Blood Mistress. What did she have to put up with, with them?

“Yep! It seems Hu Tao is winding up all the Blood Mistresses and Masters here to introduce yours!” Childe laughed at the growing group that was surrounding you. You hadn’t realized there would be so many.

“Are we sure, we shouldn’t intervene? It looks like she might be feeling overwhelmed.” Neuvillette observed.

“Ah, let’s leave them alone!” Childe spoke, “More to the point, Rex Lapis, we should have a fight sometime!” His eyes swept over the group, “Or, rather, I’ll fight any of you!”

Neuvillette gazed calmly at Childe, “Do you really think you wish to get into it with me?”

Alhaitham added, “Don’t involve me in your stupidity.”

Zhongli just sigh, “Why? So you can lose again?”

“Each lost brings me closer to victory. We shouldn’t ruin our friendship so something so petty as how many times I lose.”

“We are not friends, Childe….”

“You wound me.”

“So this is where the party is….”

“Heya, Kaeya!!” Childe greeted, then he gave a cool grin toward the red-haired behind him, “Diluc…it’s been a minute.”

Diluc bared his fangs, “Don’t try me.”

Childe laughed, “Bring it on! Let’s go! We can step outside now!”

Zhongli growled silently. Why did this young vampire insist on fighting everyone he came across? So help him, if he tried that with you.

“I will not!” Diluc retorted, folding his arms, “This is a formal occasion, and we should conduct ourselves accordingly!”

Venti laughed as he stepped between the two of them, “Now, now! Why should we get into fights when we have such a wonderful gathering. It’s been since five years since we had a coven gathering like this!”

Kaeya spoke, “Yes, we have much to celebrate. We’ve found more Blood Mistresses and Masters in the past five years than ever before. Let’s not forget the reason for this gathering.”

“Like you and Venti need a reason to celebrate.” Diluc grumbled, “I ask everyday I wake up, why, why was a chosen to be part of a coven with the both of you.”

Kaeya laughed and threw his arm around Diluc, “You do not wish to share a coven with me, my brother?”

“I will end you.”

Zhongli turned to Venti, “It’s been a long time, old friend.”

Venti grinned, “Likewise, old man.”

Zhongli just sighed in response. Barbatos, known as Venti, was considered one of the seven vampire lords on par with Rex Lapis. He never could figure out why a vampire lord could be so childish sometimes.

“Pardon me, am I interrupting?”

They looked up to see a girl, dressed in orange, lingering on the edge of the group.

Zhongli smiled, “Yanfei! Good to see you!”

“And you as well, my lord! I was just meeting your Blood Mistress! We had prepared in case she wanted to leave, but I’m happy to see that she had decided to stay.”

“I must thank you, Miss. Yanfei. You and your coven’s help was indispensable!” Neuvillette smiled.

“I’m glad that we could be of service!”

Yanfei was not a vampire. She was part of a witch coven. Zhongli, Neuvillette and Alhaitham had contacted her coven, consisting of her, Ganyu and Keqing, bringing you to their world. They were the highest and most powerful witch’s coven in the land.

Neuvillette and Yanfei had moved to the side, started talking quietly.

Childe turned to glare at Diluc, “Despite this being a formal affair, such an affair needs entertainment, don’t you think?

“You are like a dog with a bone.” the red-haired remarked, “First off, we have a set of magicians, who will be performing a magic show later and second, you should think of your Blood Mistress. If I kill you, how will she feel?”

Alhaitham sighed. This was precisely why he hated these gatherings. You get all the covens together, and you end up with this mess. He folded his arms, “Are we going to stand around trading barbs all night?”

“Why? You got something better to be doing? All you do is read! This is why your personality hasn’t developed! I see you still haven’t gotten any new hobbies since the old days.”

Alhaitham rolled his eyes at the group led by the blond, “I did not come here to get any form of opinions from you Kaveh! And I don’t need any new hobbies. I read, and I take care of my Blood Mistress, can you say the same?”

“You!” Kaveh groweld, “I will not have you insulting our Blood Mistress. Our coven takes care of her well enough!”

“Let’s leave our Blood Mistresses out of this fight?” Tighnari cautioned.

“I agree. It’s beneath us to involved them.” Alhaitham agreed, “My apologies.”

“You were the one to bring it up!” Kaveh snapped.

Cyno shook his head, “I cannot understand why you insist on picking a fight with Alhaitham every time you see him. Especially when you always lose.”

Kaveh growled, “Because every time I see him, I get angry all over again!”

“For what? Existing or paying my bills on time?!” Alhaitham snorted.

“We are vampires! Unlike mortals, we don’t have bills!”

“You still do! That debt is still lurking, the only hold over from when you were a human. Now that’s just sad. You are a vampire with indispensable power at your fingertips yet paying a simple bill is beyond you.”

“You act like you were never a human!”

“I never said I wasn’t, but I don’t have any outstanding debts either.”

“Did I really get dragged here for this?” a voice snapped.

Cyno glanced at the man behind them, “Do you want to disobey Lesser Lord Kusanali, one of the seven ancient vampire lords? Be my guest, but you will reap the consequences of such actions.”

Wanderer growled and looked off with a pout. They did not need to bring up Lesser Lord Kusanali to him! He knew what was owed to her. It was the Lesser Lord that saw value in his puppet-like status after being tossed aside Raiden Shogun, one of the seven ancient vampire lords. He still harbored hate, the one who was supposed to be his mother and would have eventually been driven mad because of it.

He was a failed puppet that was supposed to be a vampire like his mother creator, but was now currently a zombie. It was the vampire Lesser Lord that showed him that despite his status he still had worth and was even taken into the coven consisting of Kaveh, Tighnari and Cyno.

“Fine!” snapped Wanderer, “Kaveh, shut up!! I hear your loud voice every day, I do not suffer it over this den too.”

“Then go somewhere!” Kaveh snapped, “I’m trying to have a conversation here.”

Tighnari sighed, “That’s not what I hear happening.”

“This is enough. I’m done. Call me, when you idiots have something important to say.” Alhaitham growled before walking away from the group.

Wanderer unfolded his arms and turned to walk away, “He has the right idea. I’ll be over here. And don’t invoke Lesser Lord Kusanali either because I’m still here.”

Cyno rolled his eyes as Tighnari just sighed and held his head in his hands. Whose idea was it to gather all the covens together again? Childe and his coven just cackled at this. Neuvillette looked up from his conversation with a frown, as he watched Alhaitham migrate away. Well, he supposed it was better than him being in a book. While he didn’t mind, he wanted Alhaitham to be present today. But perhaps getting some distance from Kaveh was wise before it escalated.

Zhongli shook his head as he gazed coolly at Kaveh, “I see that the grudges of days pass has not been laid to rest.”

Kaveh smiled nervously, “You mistake me, my lord. I hold no grudge against your coven brother.”

“What would you call it then?”

“A difference of opinion.”

“Hmm…..”

Kaveh glanced nervously at Cyno and Tighnari who were more interested in suddenly watching the gathering of Blood Mistresses and Masters. You had laughed at something their own Blood Mistress had said. They smiled. If their own Blood Mistress could break through the barrier that was Wanderer, then becoming friends with you would be a piece of cake. Kaveh growled, finding no help among his coven brothers.

“So, if we are done with this foolishness, perhaps we should migrate over to our Blood Mistresses?” Diluc asked.

—-

You gave a sigh as you slipped out into the night for a breath respite. You weren’t the most social of beings, and after a few hours your battery wasn’t doing too hot. You had gone to the restroom, but the garden invited you to gather a few more moments to yourself after you came out. You breathed as you looked up at the moon.

Everyone was currently staying at this compound until the night after tomorrow when they will all disperse. All the Blood Mistresses and Masters had decided to spend the day together, getting to know each other tomorrow. Hence, all the humans were going to retire early tonight. This was going to be the first time you spent with other people since you came to this world.

Although you were nervous, you were kinda of looking forward to it. Hu Tao’s Blood Master, was quite lively like her, and had already promised to take care of you. In addition to Kaveh’s coven Blood Mistress and you had already become fast friends, sharing much in common it seems. She seemed eager to put you at ease as well. You were a bit nervous around Childe’s coven Blood Mistress. You were a bit taken aback that the first thing she asked you, was if you could fight. You met Venti who was one of the Seven Vampire Lords like Rex Lapis. His coven’s Blood Mistress, was quite a bit friendly as well.

“So here you are.”

You turned with a smile to see Alhaitham leaning on the wall behind you.

“Sorry, I guess I got caught up.”

Alhaitham shook his head before coming to stand quietly beside you. The two of you stood for quite some time in companionable silence before:

“We sent you to get her, not join her.” Neuvillette spoke, his cane tapping lightly on the ground, followed by Zhongli.

Alhaitham folded his arms, “Do I look like a social butterfly to you?”

“We….” you stressed, “Do we look like social butterflies to you?”

Neuvillette forked an eyebrow, “You two say this as, if I am one. I’m not that good at socializing, even with our own kind.”

Zhonglik spoke, “I admit, sometimes, even I get lost.”

“No, you just go on long-winded tirades that no one asked for.” remarked Alhaitham.

Zhongli stared at Alhaitham, “I’m surprised to hear that from you. How often do you engage in conversation with me, thinking I can spit trivia on demand?”

“You’ve read most of the books of the library ten times over, as I have. It helps to have someone else speak on that knowledge. You can discover a new angle that way.”

“But you are proving my point, young one, and thus I shall repeat, I'm surprised to hear that from you.”

“I don’t mind the diatribes, but others may not always appreciate your…peculiarities.”

“Enough.” Neuvillette spoke, “Both of you have your faults.”

Alhaitham gave him the side-eye, “Like you don’t? You both made sure I did not have a book on me to be present in the conversations. Aside from Yanfei, I did not see you talking much either.”

“Miss. Yanfei and I discuss topics of a specific nature, not relating to most people, and we enjoy it.”

“I have read several law books, but I do not find them that interesting. They are hard, cold facts to memorize and move on.”

You raised your eyebrows silently at this. Law books were not the type of material you’d find to memorize and move on, much less understand them.

Neuvillette replied, “This is why I’m a Judge and you are not. You memorize the facts of law in the books, but do you know how to apply it? I think not. Miss. Yanfei understands the particulars and this lends to an engaging conversation. A conversation I had, unlike you. You barely spoke to anyone.”

“Don’t call me out, when Wanderer was doing the same.”

“Wanderer is not my coven brother, you are, and as such….”

The three blinked when they heard your giggle. They looked to see you had taken a seat and was watching them in amusement. The three shuffled once, remembering where they were.

Zhongli turned towards the door, “Well, come along. I hear that you and the other Mistresses and Masters will be retiring shortly. And it would be impolite to keep them waiting any longer. Especially since all of us disappeared.”

“And whose fault is that?” Alhaitham mumbled under this breath.

He got the full glare from both Zhongli and Neuvillette. But Alhaitham didn’t seem nervous instead, he suddenly became engrossed with the surroundings.

You stood with a smile, “Yes, we should probably return. However….”

They raised an eyebrow when you crooked a finger at them. Then they glanced at each other.

Through silent mutual decision, Zhongli stepped up first, “Something wrong, my dear?”

You reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek. He gave a warm smile, “Ah, how quaint.”

Then you turned to Neuvillette and did the same thing, followed by Alhaitham.

Neuvillette was looking away from you, “Thank you, ma cherie.”

Alhaitham just stared at you, his green-red eyes riveted on you.

With a small laugh, you bounded back inside. Whatever dark imagination this was, you hoped you’d never wake up.

FIN.

-----

Coven Spinoffs:

Dark Sanity : Dottore, Childe, Pantalone and Capitano

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it-happened-one-fic · 1 year

Text

Dead of the Night - Diluc (Part 1)

Author's Notes: This is the first part of my Halloween/October fic series for Genshin Impact! This is going to be a Vampire! AU, so heads up for the folks who don't like vampires. I wrote and edited this series exclusively to "Is this Love" by Whitesnake which did kind of influence how this series came together. Also, this a fair bit more lengthy than my usual works. As per usual, Reader is gender-neutral. I hope you enjoy!

Type: Gender-Neutral Reader/ Vampire! AU/ pining/ romance/ some drama/ fluff with a touch of angst

Word Count: 2578

{Part 1: You're here!}, {Part 2}, {Part 3}, {Part 4}

Also available on AO3 (link deleted due to glitches)

Trigger Warning: Reader does get attacked by a vampire, but all is well.

I frowned up at the grey clouds overhead that were currently hiding the usually glorious sunset that no doubt painted the sky the same colors as the autumn leaves that clung to trees in a show of their final glory before they fell under the pressure of the strong October winds.

But I wasn’t frowning because I couldn’t see the sunset. No, I was frowning because the forecast called for it to be overcast for the entirety of October, which meant one thing.

And that one thing was the very subject that I could already hear being discussed loudly at Angel’s Share as I approached the tavern to meet up with my friends.

“It’s bad enough that it’s October, but it's supposed to be overcast for the entire month now! How are we going to survive the annual influx of vampires when the bold ones will even be out during the day?!”

I sighed at the overly loud shouts from the other people at the tavern, but it came as no surprise. The normally laid-back people of Mondstadt had gotten into the habit of becoming uncharacteristically tense in October, when I’d still been young.

It was back then that they’d come with the Fatui, the vampires. A plague from the cold lands of Snezhnaya, where they thrived in the terminally overcast conditions. They had followed the Fatui, probably laying hidden within their ranks, and come to Mondstadt in my youth. And ever since then, there had been vampires in the land of freedom.

They usually remained quiet, with few attacks ever being heard of. But for unknown reasons, they always seemed to become agitated around the time of Halloween, with October being noted as a month full of attacks.

Usually everyone got their work done during daylight hours and stayed indoors with every conceivable entrance locked as soon as dusk came. But this year it would be overcast throughout October, and, just as the man had loudly explained, some vampires would inevitably take advantage of the lack of sunlight.

“Loud crowd tonight, hm?” I lifted my shoulder in a half-shrug at Kaeya’s words. It was nice to see that even now Kaeya was managing to be as relaxed as ever, despite the gossip flying around about vampires.

“I can’t really blame them, but I’m sure it’s rowdy with the Knights of Favonius too,” I smiled sympathetically at the calvary captain as I sat down next to him. Watching as he swirled the liquid in his mug.

“When is it not? Jean is taking precautions, though,” Kaeya leaned back in his seat, giving me a look that told me everything I needed to know. Just like always, poor Jean was probably overworking herself and doing her very best to soothe a public who would not be soothed.

“I just hope this doesn’t get in the way of the festivals,” Venti frowned poutily at his wine bottle, earning a grin from both me and Kaeya as we both looked towards the sulky bard. But Venti did love festivals. It was a good time for him to perform for joyful festivalgoers and also get wine for cheap.

“What’ll it be, Y/n?” I blinked in surprise at the voice that sounded from behind me, causing me to twist in my seat to look wide-eyed up at the redhead that I definitely had not been expecting to see but who was currently looking down at me as calmly as ever.

Even though he owned the establishment, it was odd to see Diluc at Angel’s Share. He was usually busy dealing with his massive wine business. Either from abroad, dealing with local merchants, or at the Dawn Winery, one.

“I’ll…. Just some Sweet Cider Lake... Thanks,” I faltered under his expectant gaze, but if he noticed, he didn’t react. Instead, he just nodded and headed off towards the counter to prepare my drink.

But unlike his lack of noticing my faltering, I twisted to find my two friends wearing matching grins as they watched me.

I scowled slightly at the two men, only for Venti to let out a mischievous giggle as Kaeya chuckled and held up his hands as if he were surrendering, “Alright, sorry. I should’ve warned you he was here today.”

I crossed my arms, watching Kaeya closely as he smiled far too smugly down at the warmed wine that he continued to swirl in his mug even as I began to question him, “And is that why you wanted to meet up here today?”

The man’s single visible eye widened at my words, and he pressed one hand to his chest, “What? Of course not! I simply wanted my good friends to partake of these delicious seasonal drinks, that’s all.”

His honeyed tone was impressive, but I was hardly convinced.

I didn’t get to say anything, though, since Venti spoke up before I could. Leaning forward with a grin as he eyed Kaeya, “Oho, So you’re going to be buying our drinks then?”

I twisted to look towards Kaeya, so that me and Venti were both looking at the cavalry captain expectantly as he raised his hand in laughing surrender, “Just one round.”

“You’ll all need to be headed home at that point anyway… It’ll be getting late,” Diluc’s voice came from behind me, and it caused me to still once more as he sat down my mug.

His bright red eyes flickered my way from where he’d leaned over to set down my drink, meeting my gaze as he gave the slightest of head nods, “Enjoy.”

It was odd. Speaking to him this way. Ever since that day all those years ago, he’d become more withdrawn.

Just like everyone else in Mondstadt who’d been close to him as a child, I’d awaited his return from his journeys. Praying that, with time, he’d recover from the wounds of his past. But when he’d finally come back, he was still changed, and I suppose I shouldn’t have expected any less considering what he’d experienced.

By now, I was used to it, so in no way was his distantly polite behavior strange to me. But, nonetheless, it was still odd when I talked to him considering that, unlike our other friends, the two of us had never managed to reconnect since our youth.

It was a distant sensation, speaking to someone I’d once been so close to but now seldom saw. Almost like I was looking at him from a long way off, even though he was right next to me.

And I didn’t even know which one of us maintained the distance. Only that it remained between us.

I nodded though, my voice coming out unintentionally soft as I responded with a quiet, “Thank you.”

It was this strangeness, I was certain, that had caused so many to believe that I was smitten with Diluc. And though it was true that I did like Diluc, it was also true that, for the most part, the strange taint to our interactions was what made the atmosphere so awkward.

If anyone realized that, it was Kaeya. Because even though he teased me, he would sometimes go out of his way to have the two of us meet up. Almost like he was trying to ease that strange tension.

Even now, he watched the two of us closely. His brother as he walked away from the table with his usual calmness, and me as I looked away from my old friend and down at my drink.

The sweet mixture of fruit juice and milk I recalled getting when I was young and always begging Crepus for a decorative cinnamon stick just like the one that currently swirled in my mug lazily.

It seemed that even despite this distance, Diluc still remembered things from our shared childhood. Even the little things.

Conversation flowed freely between me, Venti, and Kaeya. With the cavalry captain keeping his promise and buying each of us another round of drinks before we began to trickle out the door with fond farewells on our lips.

I lingered the longest, my brain having been preoccupied ever since I’d begun pondering what it was that had changed all those years ago in my interactions with Diluc.

Was the reason our relationship had not progressed since then my fault? It was possible, but it wasn’t like I hadn’t made an effort. In fact, I’d been one of the first ones to go and welcome him back home when he’d first returned.

I couldn’t blame him either, though. He hadn’t been cold or tried to drive me off in any way. Rather, it was like we drifted apart in the most natural of ways. But it still left a sadness in my heart when I thought about what, exactly, had become of our friendship.

I stood, turning to head towards the door, only to be stopped by a cautious hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Diluc looking at me, his other hand resting on the table that he’d no doubt just come to clean before closing the tavern for the night.

“Be careful going home. Night has already fallen.” Unlike his usual words, these seemed to be tinged with unsteady awkwardness. Almost like he, too, was at long last feeling that same tension that I’d felt all this time.

But I was relieved nonetheless, and I smiled at him, “I will be. But you ought to be careful as well. After all, you’ll be leaving even later than I will.”

A smile flitted across Diluc’s face, so fast that if I’d blinked, I would have missed it before he shook his head, “No, I’ll be fine. Thank you, though. Take care Y/n.”

I left Angel’s Share with a smile still on my face and a brief wave towards the young man, who was once a close friend and now wasn’t quite a stranger. I knew him too well for that to ever be the case.

Even if the Diluc I’d gotten to know had been the young one, some of the same things still held true for the man that had been true for the boy. And, strangely, it was a comfort to know that.

I glanced up at the sky as I strolled down the street, noting how the clouds had cleared so that the starry sky was perfectly visible. I smiled to myself at the common sight.

Perhaps all of October wouldn’t be cloudy, and it would be just as normal as could be, with one only having to be careful of vampires at night.

No sooner than those thoughts had registered, than the sound of something on the rooftops just next to me had me freezing in the darkened street.

I frowned almost immediately as the sounds stopped at the very same moment my footsteps had halted. But those sounds had been too heavy to be one of the cats from the Cat’s Tail.

With a creeping feeling of dread as all of those comments about vampires came back to haunt me, I turned and looked up.

I swallowed thickly as I gazed up at the ominous silhouette that I was almost positive did not belong to the rumored Darknight Hero. And when the man leapt down, landing easily on the stone pathway in front of me, I didn't wait to find out. Instead, I turned and ran. Bolting down the pathway only to hear the sound of heavy footfalls that signaled that I was indeed being chased.

Internally, I cursed myself for having become so lost in my thoughts earlier that I let the hour get so late. If I hadn’t been so busy thinking about the past and how it had led to the present, I wouldn’t have been in this situation. I would be at home, safe and sound. Free to mope over Diluc in safety.

But thinking about it wouldn’t change anything now, and it certainly wouldn’t help me get away from the creature chasing me.

My hand grasped a light pole as I practically threw myself around a corner and used the pole to help myself keep up my momentum.

The only reason I hadn’t been caught yet was the adrenaline I could feel pumping through my veins, but it would only last so long, and the moment it ran out, I’d be caught.

After all, it was common knowledge that vampires could go at incredible speeds, and, judging from the lack of heavy breathing to accompany the racing footsteps behind me, my pursuer wasn’t entirely mortal. Or at the very least, if they were, they had incredible stamina.

I slipped on the cobblestones but kept going, my feet digging at the smooth pathway that usually made for nice strolling. But it wasn’t enough.

Arms snatched at me, forcing me to the ground as I fought back. Kicking out and rolling all at once. As if looking up at my assailant could help.

And, sure enough, the fanged face that greeted me confirmed my fears. Despite the warnings I’d heard for the better part of my life, I’d gotten myself caught by a vampire.

There were no questions as to what was going to happen next, even as I struggled in its inhumanly strong grasp. Doing everything I could to break free, even though every logical part of me knew my chances were slim at best.

For unknown reasons, I didn’t scream. But tears stung at my eyes as it bared its teeth at me, a hissing sound emitting from its mouth before it made a mad dive for my neck.

I jerked my chin down and over my neck in a feeble attempt to protect myself, even as I squeezed my eyes shut. But the painful sensation of its bite never came.

Instead, the vampire was ripped off of me with a howl of rage that had my eyes flying back open almost immediately, only to see the creature get flung across the street.

I scrambled backwards, looking up with wide eyes, to see the incredibly familiar but unexpected sight of flaming red hair that clearly gave away my savior’s identity.

A curse fell from the vampire’s lips, causing me to flinch slightly as my gaze darted back where it crawled out of the now-cracked fountain with a snarl, “You have no claim on them. Find your own food.”

Food…? What?

My eyes darted back towards where Diluc stood, calmly fixing his glove as he stayed between me and the vampire, “As if you have some sort of claim to them. It’s high time you crawled back into whatever hole you came from.”

His voice was beyond cold. Far icier than I’d ever heard him sound before, but then I’d never seen Diluc like this either.

The vampire gave a wheezy snort of laugh as it shook itself off, patting at its sleeves in an almost mocking way, “As if a child like you could make me. You aren’t even a clan leader, just a pathetic loner who's in denial.”

It stepped back with one foot, rolling its shoulders in a way that could only be described as predatory, and had me grimacing as I pressed myself back further still, even as I kept staring at the scene before me. Somehow unable to look away despite desperately wanting to escape this moment.

“I suppose some before-meal exercise is in order, though,” Its voice was haughty as it spoke, a glint to its eyes right before it dove forward. Arms outstretched and fangs bared as it launched at Diluc, who, at odds with the creature, stood firm.

In fact, he seemed utterly calm as he reached and grabbed the hilt of the claymore that appeared out of thin air the very moment he needed it.

“Very well,” His voice was calm but held an undertone of irritation as his hand curled firmly around his weapon's hilt. But then, as he swung his weapon, I could see that his face set with a special sort of rage as the weapon sliced through the creature and flames ignited along its blade right as he bellowed, “BURN!”

And in the light of those flames, I saw something so incredibly simple that made my blood run cold. Because as I looked at his enraged profile while he shouted that condemning word and the vampire caught fire and incinerated at unnatural speeds, I stared at a sight that horrified me far more.

The two sharp fangs, that perfectly explained what the vampire had meant when it had mentioned food earlier.

*Sweet Cider Lake is a drink from the Drink a-dreaming event. It was made with juice and milk.

@vera-deville

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