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[simonstamenovic]

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[whispereons]

Oracle!Reader Part 17

Masterlist - Part 1, Part 16, Part 18

PSA: I'm going to go through my followers and report + block porn bots. Porn bots look like users who have nothing posted. So if you don't want to be blocked please put at least one post saying that you are human.

Warning! This has your good old violence! This is a SAGAU imposter au so this to be expected.

The ice in your calves throbbed as spikes of pain fried the nerves every time you shifted into a better position. That's not even counting how the arrow in your chest jostled and wedged deeper into your skin.

"Let's start with some easy questions, yeah? Like your name, date of birth, and occupation."

You wished Yelan would just ask the important questions only. It would make your life so much easier. Who knows what information you could give her here that unknowingly connects to what they know about the 'Creator'.

Yelan's expression turns neutral before she steps closer. Your body tenses in preparation before she grabs your hair to pull your head up. Hissing in pain, you glare at her with animosity.

"Don't overestimate your body, Y/N." She drawl's as if speaking to a child. "I could just remove this pretty little mask and bring you back to Liyue for those with... more experience to handle."

Was it a natural thing for Hydro users to threaten you with torture? The thought makes you wanna laugh but you gasp in pain instead as she releases your hair harshly.

You didn't have time to be a smartass. Your mask being removed was the worst thing that could happen. The only question was, should you admit to being an Oracle or not?

"My name, as you already know, is Y/N. I don't have a last name, or maybe I do and I don't remember it. Same situation with my birthday, I just celebrate it whenever I feel like it."

Genshin always sends you a gift in the mail when it's your birthday. It's a good guess that everyone knows your birthday, having the same birthday would be suspicious. What if it's like your face in which no one else can share the same birthday with you? Far-fetched but better safe than sorry.

"I'm an adventurer who signed up a few days ago. I have my handbook and commission list to prove it if you want to check."

There was a chance she knew about your Oracle job from when you had to stay at the Teahouse, but you won't offer that bit of information unless she specifically asks for it. Far too many of your own victims on Earth screwed themselves over when they revealed things only to learn you were shooting in the dark.

"Quite the convenient story. No last name or set date of birth means you must be from one of the villages. Name it."

Yelan gets comfortable resting against a tree as Shenhe stands close to you with a cold glare. The questions were still easy but you didn't want to be stuck here any longer. You needed an escape.

"I was born in Inazuma, one of the less-tamed islands called Kannzaku. But after the recent war, all the people that were still living either died or left. I chose to leave as well."

Yelan hums at that, you aren't sure if she truly believes it or if she's just making a mental note to look into it later.

"Then how did you manage to catch the Alcor of all ships to bring you here? They aren't one to take passengers along easily."

Has she been watching that early on or did she trace your path that far back? If so, she may even gain information about your time in Inazuma. Best to keep everything aligned with the most public knowledge.

"The Yashiro Commission helped me find a ship. I don't see how my upbringing in Inazuma has to do with whatever reason you have for attacking me."

Flexing your feet, you try to adapt to the pain. Yelan nor Shenhe were going to let you go even if you did answer everything correctly. That was a fact just based on how much trouble you gave them.

Yelan keeps a watchful eye on you as she stays silent. You know this tactic, you've used it before. Staying silent to make your hostage squirm and anger till they burst. That, or slowly die in place from any wounds.

This wasn't a problem for you. Every second you stood there in silence was just more and more time for you to get used to the pain. The arrow was too deep to remove, you would bleed out and become weaker so it'll have to stay stuck inside your skin.

Yelan and you could have gone all day, but Shenhe wasn't nearly as patient or stubborn.

"Ask your question and finish your job already, Yelan. If you take any longer then I'll just exterminate them." Shenhe moves to stand directly in front of you with her weapon raised.

She points it directly at Yelan. "And if you try to stop me, I'll kill you too."

Seems they aren't as in sync as you originally thought. 

Yelan sighs and moves from her spot. It seems even she knows better than to trifle with the bomb in the shape of a crane. The grass crunches beneath Yelan's heels as the trinkets on her jingle. 

Lifelines wrap around your wrists and waist and she pulls you forward. Nails dig into your skin through her gloves making you bite your tongue in slight pain. The pretty azure color is coated with crimson as emerald eyes stare into your soul.

"What's giving you the confidence to claim to be the Creator's oracle? If you don't repent and shed this flimsy mask, the Qixing will have you sacrificed in the city's center."

Your heart stops at those words as flashes of the sacrifices you witnessed in Inazuma come to mind. Taking off your mask would get you killed, but not taking it off would also get you killed. Torn between laughing and crying, you hated the fact that once again you were stuck in a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation.

Frowning at the strange expression on your face and the lack of confession, Yelan sighs with frustration and even a bit of hatred. “Not willing to speak even now, huh? Then my job is nearly done. Ningguang can deal with you instead, I’ll just reap my share of the rewards after you die.”

Patting your now bloody cheek condescendingly, she turns away from you. Her lips can be seen moving from her side profile but you could care less about what she's saying.

All you can focus on is the feeling of being talked down to. Being treated like a child, being treated like an idiot. The inner lining of your cheek begins to ache from how hard you're biting on it. 

Specific personas you've created and used in your work would include ditzy and dumb acts. The patronizing tone they would speak to you with was annoying but tolerable. But this? This?!

Lips curled into a snarl, you look up at the woman with a boiling glare matching your equally hot temper. Yelan's features seem to continuously morph and switch with a man who would speak to you in that exact same demeaning way.

"Where the hell do you get off speaking to me like this?" 

Yelan shuts her mouth but doesn't move her snobbish eyes off your form. Shenhe holds her polearm tighter as she keeps her eyes on you. Well aware of just how stupid, rash, and careless your next actions are, your brain tries to calm down.

But the moment you lift your bloody chin to look up, all you can see is condescending eyes taunting you.

"What the fuck is giving YOU the confidence to indirectly call yourself extraordinary by calling your deceased teammates 'ordinary folk'?! You only got to your position from the charity and sacrifices of other people!"

Breathing heavily from the anger and strain from yelling, you wipe the blood on your chin away. You were giving it your all to survive and weasel your way out of this situation. That's what you have done all throughout your time in Teyvat.

It wasn't fair, it wasn't right, it shouldn't be possible that all your efforts would be for naught from just one person. Everything you've worked at all this time, gone, just because Yelan and Ningguang couldn't mind their own fucking business.

"You can inflate your ego all you want with clever schemes and working solo but that doesn't take away from the fact that you would be dead without everyone around you. Your ancestry of heroes, Ningguang's patience and willingness to wait for you to train and move on from your friend. Even the lessons you learned on how you aren't invincible didn't seem to click until you lost your whole team!"

Grinning widely with malice and blood staining your teeth and lips crimson, you finished your jab. "You know? The same team you basically disowned and dissociated yourself from after they died. After all, you’d rather isolate yourself instead of properly acknowledging your team's talent and appreciate the life they lived no matter how short!"

Your mouth felt dry and all you could taste was copper. The shards in your calves were slowly melting making your legs. A vast contrast to the burning anger you harbored. But it seems you aren't the only one feeling this way.

Yelan hasn't moved from her spot but the look she has on her face is clear as day. Her neutral and taunting smile has dissolved into a murderous expression. Viridian eyes sharpen almost like an arrow and gritted teeth grind together. Your blood stains her blue gloves much like how you successfully stained her invincible reputation.

As good as it felt to get back at her, the slightest bit of guilt plagued you. That blow concerning her teammates was low, even if it was true. It's a bitter truth that she probably still struggles with. Living knowing that someone had to be sacrificed for your life pushed you to the brink more than once. Even still, you can't find it in yourself to take back those words, to apologize.

After all, you could never disregard the help and place your dad had in your life even with his early death.

The Hydro vision on Yelan's side glows as she takes long strides to your trapped form. No longer summoning her bow with flair, she points it at you. Bracing yourself with bent knees, you flex your fingers preparing to summon your sickle and escape the disadvantageous position.

"GRAH!"

A huge leaping rocky creature almost flattens Yelan who swiftly dodges by jumping backward.

"GRAW!" What you can now identify as a Geovishap roars loudly and slams his hulking fist onto the ground. The impact sends Yelan flying through the air and the ice trapping your feet shatters.

Not even allowed a second to enjoy your newfound freedom, Shenhe lunges either polearm poised at the ready. Grinning, your sickle clashes with her weapon as you shift to a more comfortable position.

Fighting both women would be impossible for you, they've trained for years. But it was still within your limits to defend and escape from one. Thanks to the Geovishap, you now have been granted that possibility.

The lingering shards of ice in your calves keep the blood somewhat clogged but the blood dribbling out down your ankle is uncomfortable. Ignoring it to the best of your abilities, you dig your shoes into the ground as your sickle repeatedly blocks her attacks.

The spear's minor side curve gets hooked onto your sickle leading to a stand-off. Planting your feet deeper into the ground, you focus on pushing against Shenhe as she does the same. Your arm strains with the force needed as Shenhe's full power begins to overpower you.

Not that you weren't expecting that.

Shenhe fought a god as a child and would have won if Cloud Retainer hadn't cut it short. She grew up in these mountains fighting, training, and eating whatever she was given. Cloud Retainer didn't raise a child, she groomed a soldier.

Your wounds ache as your body is pushed back. Inhuman strength wasn't something you ever encountered on Earth. This wasn't the city where you could pull a dirty trick and get away. Wasn't there anything else you could do?

Perhaps it was the determination you felt to stand your ground. Or maybe it was the desperation you felt to escape and live. You couldn't be completely sure as power mingled with your flesh, giving you a burst of energy.

The air grows cold and the ground shakes beneath your feet. The Electro wrapping around your sickle crackles louder, nearly masking the creaking of the ground. Geo petrifies the ground as it travels from your feet to hers.

A dark umber-colored stone traps her feet with cracks of topaz. Shenhe frowns and tries to rip her feet out but is stunned when it doesn't work. The petrify only moves to consume her body faster.

Knowing that you must be the only reason for the Geo, you take advantage of the newfound power. Breaking the grapple, you move out of her polearms range. Her braids loosen as she tries to lunge at you even with her torso completely petrified.

In some last-ditch effort to kill you, Shenhe holds her polearm in one hand and prepares to throw it at you. Not a moment sooner, the petrify entraps that hand locking it in place.

"Don't run away, demon!" Shenhe shouts in fury as her braid loosens. Her face is permanently etched as a harsh scowl and furrowed brows when the Geo overcomes her completely.

Not wanting to waste the precious and limited time you have, you turn on your heels and run away. In a split decision, you run to the left, the same direction where you first met Shenhe at that hilichurl camp.

Greenery and foliage are trampled on as you push past the burning pain. You pass the threshold of the stone and a large thud catches your attention from behind you.

Curious, you look back to see the Geovishap be pierced by Hydro projectiles. The blood and water splatter and mix on the ground as the Geovishap collapses. A weak gurgle of a roar is all that could be heard.

Glazed eyes holding no consciousness, no life, stare at your wide, sympathetic ones before crumbling into dust. A different pair of wrathful green eyes stare back at you instead.

There's no time to teleport. You couldn't fight in this state. Running was your sole option and your body moved on its own.

The river water dampens your shoes as you run, and the moonlight filters through the leaves of the trees above you. Slimes peer at you curiously as you avoid running into them. 

The only thing you could properly focus on was not tripping and not getting hit by the arrows raining down on you.

Between your honed instincts and Teyvat’s warnings, you manage to dodge the vast majority. Yelan wasn't in the position she is today without mastering her archery.

Pain and most likely a bruise bloom when her Hydro-infused arrow hits your shoulder. It's not deep so you quickly pull it out before it gets lodged like the one in your chest.

The chase is intense as your ragged breaths nearly mask the sound of her heels following you. More arrows cut your clothes and graze your skin. 

The sight of the red staining the cloth makes bitterness spread and fester deep within you.

Just why couldn't you bleed gold?

Now in Nantianmen, you pass by the hilichurl camp where you met Shenhe in. You must be getting closer to the ruins, maybe you could lose Yelan in the twists and turns of the rundown ruins.

But that plan quickly is thrown out the window when the only exit is a large drop-off, small broken ruins with broken ruin pieces serving as platforms on the large river. Treasure hoarders roam that area from what you remember.

To your right is a large mountain, climbable but no doubt time-consuming. On the left is where the ledge is. The only thing in front of you is a path leading to a boss, that you can’t be certain would recognize you or not. And above it would just be another cliff only serving to prolong the chase. 

Faced with the choice, the shallow water washes the crusting blood off your legs. Climb the mountain and be shot down by Yelan, or glide off the edge into Tianqiu Valley and be shot down by Yelan or the treasure hoarders.

Aren’t you spoiled for choice? 

That sarcastic thought is quickly swept away as you narrowly avoid an arrow that hits the water. Only sparing a glance behind you, you move to the side avoiding the follow-up arrow. The click of Yelan’s heels is replaced with the sloshing of water as she runs after you.

She dodges the Cryo that a large Cryo slime shoots at her as you back away with urgency. Before you can make a panicked split decision, a new Geovishap tackles her right into the Cryo slime.

The combo of being frozen and shattered seems to knock the wind out of Yelan as she falls onto the ground and slowly rises to her feet. The Cryo slimes, now with the addition of another that popped up out of nowhere and this new Geovishap, form a circle around Yelan.

The circle is tight and her soaked form only hinders her further. The wounds and bruises she sustained from the previous Geovishap are still visible. 

You recognize this as an opportunity to escape.

The sound of Yelan’s grunts and groans of pain as she’s thrown around out of sight are washed away as you pull the game screen up. It loads slowly but you aren’t too worried, Yelan is spent after chasing you and fighting so much today. 

Once the map is loaded, you quickly swipe to the statue of the seven. Selecting it you press the teleport button and wait. You wait with bated breath and expectant eyes to finally be free of this whole battle. Yet, as the screen stays the same and a whole minute passes by with no response, your heart pounds with fear.

Trying to deny the worst possibility you press the teleport button again. You press it again and again and again with no results. The sounds of the Cryo slimes being splattered onto the ground make you suck in a harsh breath.

In one last desperate attempt, you close the game screen and open it again. Repeating the same actions before with no difference in the result.

It’s refusing to work.

That revelation fills you with a mix of dread and a manic mess of anger combined with sadness. A disbelieving laugh escapes your mouth in a low tone before you sprint towards the closest escape option. There’s no more time to waste, the petrify is going or already has worn off and Yelan won’t be occupied with that Geovishap forever.

Your scratched-up and coarse fingers haphazardly grasp the grooves of the mountain to climb as fast as possible. It’s painful to put your body weight onto your legs but it must be done. That pain is almost completely blinded by the agonizing burn of when the arrow in your chest is pushed further in whenever you accidentally scrape the wall.

The air becomes thinner as you climb to the halfway point, your digits grasp onto the next protruding rock and it’s too late when you realize that it’s too loose. The rock slips out, hitting your face and temporarily blinding you as your other grip becomes weaker.

Dangerously swaying backward, you stop breathing and scramble to hold on to something. When your cut-up fingers finally grasp something more stable, your face hits the rock and it makes the blood from the wounds Yelan’s nails left leave a splotch.

Pain and sharp aches rack your body but you grit your teeth and continue climbing. The mountain seems to almost vibrate and you look down to see Yelan be smashed onto the wall. A thrilling chill of happiness runs down your spine at the sight of Yelan getting pummelled. You can only hope it scars her the way her injuries most likely will scar you.

The struggle is finally over as your fingers dig into the grass at the top and haul yourself over the ledge. Crawling with the last bit of your strength, you lay on your back and breathe in as much of the thin air as you can. Sharp and burning pain electrifies your nerves as you stare up at the night sky.

Just how shitty was your luck to end up like this?

Gingerly touching your head as the world briefly spins, you open the game screen. Maybe, just maybe it will work now that you are away from the battle. Perhaps it didn’t let you teleport in some stupid rule of ‘no teleporting when enemies are nearby’ or ‘you can’t teleport in battle’. You are well aware that Genshin never had that rule but you wanted to hold onto some hope.

Of course, it doesn’t work. Hope at the end of the day is just that. But being away from a life-or-death situation at least brings back some clarity of mind. You select a different teleport waypoint and try to teleport. It doesn’t work, and after trying nearly all of the waypoints you close the screen and groan in frustration.

You close your eyes and just try to breathe, to relax your heart that just won’t stop beating frantically. It becomes suspicious when your blood runs cold and your stomach churns in a familiar feeling of danger. With anxiety-fueled fear, you roll your aching body a few feet away as the wind caresses your skin trying to help you.

Dirt and grime cling onto your clothes and make your open wounds itch as it enters your body. But your attention is pulled away by a polearm piercing the spot you were lying at just a moment ago. Frantic yet oh so tired, you pull yourself onto your sore feet and stare warily as the cloud of dirt dispenses.

As much as you dared to dream that maybe it was Xiao, the long white hair and crane-patterned sleeves aren’t surprising. Disappointing nonetheless though.

Shenhe grips her weapon tightly as she stays in place, the rock she struck in pieces beneath her. You can already imagine what kind of damage she would have done if you didn’t move away in time. She doesn’t lift her head as she mumbles something.

Not willing to move closer but also too cautious to move away in fear of triggering her, you stand in place. Her head lifts up to let iridescent eyes glare at your beat-up and bleeding body. “I hate you.” She mutters as strands of hair droop to frame her face.

“I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate-” She mutters endlessly from her position as you begin to take slow steps backward. The red rope tying her hair is already gone and the ones on her clothing are close to slipping. Most of them are ripped and gone anyway.

Shenhe harshly rips the last of the red rope off and gracefully twirls her polearm into the correct position with a look cold enough to freeze your blood. Actually, that’s just the frost creeping from her feet…

“I hate you!”  Shenhe’s yell is swift and her weapon is merciless as her attack pattern changes from the elegant crane style to one more comparable to a raging bull. You hurriedly summon your sickle in the nick of time.

Your hands are shaky from the exhaustion weighing down on your body. Combining that with Shenhe’s erratic wrath attacks makes your movements clumsy.

Each narrowly raised block and shaking deflection eat away at the little energy you have left. 

It's not enough. 

That fact becomes more and more obvious as your grip on the sickle gets weaker. What other fate awaited you when being hunted down by Shenhe who has fought and trained nearly all her life?

The past battles you've been through are viewed in a new light. Your first fight with those treasure hoarders led you to rely more on your wit than skill. The first Fatui encounter with Heizou had you more as a support than an attacker. Beisht wasn’t even attacking you and you struggled against the elements more than anything else on Beidou’s ship. After taking the commission to save Yiran from the kidnappers, you teamed up with Xingqiu and Chongyun for every battle after that.

Even afterward when you were forcibly separated and Cloud Retainer strangled you, it was the other Adepti that pulled her off. The only battles after that were your hit-and-runs with Yelan and Shenhe. Have you ever actually fought and won on your own since that first scuffle with the treasure hoarders? They even ran away after you threatened them without touching them!

The realization of your less-than-stellar fighting capacity makes your movements sloppier, your body feels heavy with the weight of your journey. All the injuries you sustained, even the ones already healed, seem to chip away at your resolve.

You were tired. You’ve been tired for a long time. It would be accurate to say that you were tired of being tired.

Shenhe’s emotions bleed through her fighting style, the wrath she’s consumed by makes her attacks rough but misaligned. Slices that should have cut deep into your shoulder or slashes across your unguarded areas miss their mark. Each one only makes her more aggravated leading to even sloppier motions.

A terrible cycle that was helping you out enough that you use your new Geo power to petrify her feet. But Shenhe has already experienced this, her spear is waved erratically around her keeping you away. 

This rare chance of escape isn’t lost on you, turning on your heels you book it and narrowly avoid the polearm thrown your way. The graze makes the already scraped side bleed heavier, and the burning feeling of pain doesn’t subside.

Running across the greenery and leaving a trail of dotted red on the dark grass, you don’t bother trying to recall where you might be. There was never much of a reason to climb all the way up here as a player and you had no time to stop to observe the map.

The rocks, trees, and flowers blur in a shadowy hazy mess. You can’t be sure whether it's from all the blood you lost, the pain that plagues your body or the starless night sky. A single rock jutted out of the rock trips you and the pain blinds you as you lay on the ground.

Stumbling back onto your feet, you hold a nearby branch with a death grip as your body sways and your vision spins. This intense lightheadedness could only be from blood loss, one would think that it’s a shame how easily you can tell blood loss apart from any other injury it might be. 

The sound of water splashing catches your attention and you do your best to follow it quickly without any more falls. The toll of the adrenaline that was coursing through your veins is starting to settle and you know full well how nasty it can be. A small lake appears in your vision and you collapse onto your knees once close enough.

A group of Cryo slimes begin to make their way towards you from the middle of the lake, or maybe it was Hydro slimes? The wind is both sweet relief on your clammy skin and a rude reminder of your aching wounds. Crawling to the side where you can only hope that Shenhe won’t find you as easily, you let your bag fall off your shoulders.

The bag has holes but as it’s not a normal bag, nothing has fallen out. To your immense relief, of course, the medkit you pull out is your only hope of surviving just a little longer. The slimes gather around you curiously, even this close the only thing you can be sure of is their blue coloring.

Ignoring them, you apply the disinfectant, ointment, bandages, and anything else that might help you with your numerous injuries. Most of them were bandaged fine with you skipping the minor wounds to not waste your precious resources, but it was the major two damages that you couldn’t touch. 

The remainder of the ice spikes in your calves were slowly melting which, unfortunately, was only leading to more bleeding. The arrow in your chest already made breathing hurt like hell. There was no way you were gonna risk yanking either of the two out. With the bleeding slowed down, your body feels a bit better but the fatigue anchors you to your spot.  

Surrounded by the slimes and gently showered by the moonlight your head rests against the closest solid structure. Thoughts of what kind of disease, danger, and death you might experience are washed away. The rippling reflection of the moon on the lake lulls your mind into a haze. Eyelids fluttering shut, you can no longer resist the urge to just rest...

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Oh boy, finally done and over with. It actually had more but I decided to cut it here and post the rest with the other parts next chapter. It may be shorter than this one. Or not, who knows. Thanks to my patient editor @serpent-benediction who edited this today. I hope everyone enjoyed the differences yet similarities between Y/N and Yelan. I did write this on Google Docs rather than on Tumblr so maybe the format is weird. Tell me if this one is too dense looking or any other opinion on it. Edit* Guess which dumbass forgot to add the read more option? Taglist - Remember those that are in italics are those who I couldn't tag! I appreciate all the comments and reblogs! Ya'll can be so funny and sweet at the same time. @vvyeislazzy, @nikqi, @the-dumber-scaramouche, @etherisy, @yourlocalstranger123, @ra404, @iruiji, @goldenglow149, @haru-tofuu, @lsleepysimpl, @bebobeboben, @yuyuzi-ling, @amidst-the-tempest, @resident-cryptid, @mxd1zzy, @mochicurls21, @nervouseaglelover, @thedevioussmirk, @yumuramma, @kwqsla, @undecidingfate, @ehjane, @game-savvy, @akiramirae, @liansh3ng, @fluffy-koalala, @formacoon, @sxftiebee, @khxii-i, @ursinaw, @chuuya-brainrot, @sweetbills, @kazuchaos, @snowfoxnix, @bluebelony, @shellofthewell, @pencil-of-ashes, @ghostlyintervention, @taiformaifoe, @goaudduck, @carminerin, @maddysflowers, @zenith-of-all-zenith, @crazydreamcat, @leafanonsforest, @grimreapersscythe, @leylanx, @sapphireknown, @help-whatdoimakemyusername, @zhonglisfruityass, @mer0n37, @victoria1676, @mochinessss, @sinnful-darling, @emilymikado, @pix-stuff, @esthelily, @luxie963, @emmbny, @millienolife @kbar1013, @xxblackroses623xx, @chxrlxtteee, @aludicpoet, @yandematic, @atrcclovsxoxo, @0lshadyl0, @esthelily, @t-rex-red, @ck123, @steadybreadbluebird, @118gremlin, @stratonia, @time-shardz, @farelady-fate, @valeriele3, @francisnyx, @byakuren100

[throwaway-yandere]

Apotheosis Upon Your First Feast (Yandere!Wanderer & Pantalone/Reader)

Commissioned by: @leftdestiny-posts/@eternally-frozen (ilysm. Feel free to kill me later lmao)

unreliable synopsis: After being reassigned to Vanarana when your previous coworker became the Acting Grand Sage, with the help of Ararycan, you reunited met a wanderer on an abandoned machine. Unfortunately for someone, your childhood friend "Pantalone" has ears and eyes everywhere. (Avoid this fic if you’re not a fan of dark content. It’s not too dark but your mental health matters!) 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please use the InteractiveFics extension and change “(Y/n)” to whatever name you want, “[Wanderer]” to his chosen name, and lastly, also change “(wood/salt)” to… whichever option you feel like. It’s a surprise mechanic *wink*. If you're reading this on a phone, just pick between wood or salt right now, keep your choice in mind and commit to it : )

Afterwards, would you be so kind as to answer this fun poll after reading the fic? Danke ♡

“Why doesn't Nara (Y/n) eat what Arasaka prepares for them? Does Nara (Y/n) lack appetite lately?”

“O-Oh, well, that’s…” You paused, looking down at the broth, “in all honesty, your cooking tastes bland…”

“H-Huh?!”

Time had passed since Lesser Lord Kusanali's official ascent to power and now is the fifth month since you first made friends with the Aranaras. Many events took place before you found your pyro vision becoming Arasaka's torch as they cooked– and if any of your coworkers saw you now, they probably wouldn’t identify you as Alhaitham’s (only) friend and Ex-Sage Azar’s lazy employee.

Maybe they would've if you helped Alhaitham and his teammates secure Sumeru’s future.

Sure, your name isn’t listed in the coup d’etat, but that’s only because you wished for the Akademiyan scholars to make the epiphany for themselves. As Azar’s ex-assistant, you laid low from projects as a prerequisite so that the populace may acquire a personality of their own to make the nation truly deserving of the title “Land of Wisdom.” 

Alas, that did not happen.

Alhaitham’s tactics were not wrong, but you felt like his group spoonfed Sumeru citizens with the Fatui’s crimes rather than having their own realizations. It did not feel like growth to you. It felt like the people casually learned from a one-sitting textbook rather than a hands-on experiment when they should’ve personally learned how minacious blind ambitions could be. In turn, he argued that your ideas were barbaric and that scholars revolting was not in the realm of possibility– hence, you did not lend your aid. Perhaps your inaction had pissed him off, but it’s more likely that he finds that sending you to Varanara was ideal for his workload. 

And in some strange domino effect, refraining from helping a coup d’etat meant eating the tasteless food known to man.

Since you were personally assigned a senseless task to patrol and report weather patterns in the area (which is unnecessary and quite frankly boring), you had befriended the infamous aranaras children from Port Ormos hear stories about. 

But the mundanity doesn’t hurt your pride as a graduate scholar. It's been fun so far.

“I'm sorry, 'Saka, it's just that I think your food lacks a bit of salt–"

"ASSISTANT (Y/N), THERE YOU ARE!!!"

Both of you flinched, causing Arasaka to topple over. The sound hurts. You snapped your neck towards the sound. An adventurer– Baharak– stood with both hands wrapped on her bag's shoulder straps with a silly grin on her face.  

… You’re turning the setting of your hearing aids down.

“Baharak, it’s been a while,” you spoke. “Would you mind not yelling whenever you call for me?”

“Oops– Sorry (Y/n)! I mean– sorry, Assistant (Y/n).”

Changing her volume doesn’t undo the pain she inflicted on your ears. Gently, you pushed Arasaka behind an elevated jag of root to cover them. To escape suspicion, you continued to stare at Baharak while feigning sleepiness.

“What are you here for?”

“The Forest Watcher received a letter addressed to you. The sender doesn’t have a name again, it just has the coin-seal thing.”

“Please hand it over.”

“Aight!– I mean, alright.”

After dismissing the loud adventurer and giving her spare mora as thanks, you waited until she was out of sight. Arasaka suddenly rose and jumped onto your lap, equally curious about what was written on the salt-scented parchment. Arasaka's preppy manner soon turned sour as they discovered who the sender was.

It’s a letter from your best friend, "Pantalone".

“Aww…” Arasaka whined. “Arasaka was hoping it was the Verdant Nara instead.”

You tore it open.

 

"My dearest, (Y/n),

If it's not too much to ask, may I trouble you to visit my office in Northland Bank soon? I merely wish to see you. Spending Lantern Rite alone this year was not a pleasant experience. It's just for a mere chat- I'll reimburse your traveling and dining expenses. Care to make it up to me?

Your beloved,

As per tradition, you threw the letter in the fireplace. Pantalone doesn’t like leaving a trail of evidence, naturally, you assumed the same applies here.

It's never a chore to visit a friend. Maybe you'll head there tomorrow–

“Arasaka doesn’t like Nara Pantalone.”

The aranara lowered their head, continuing, “Nara Pantalone reminds Arasaka of the Taste of Sadness.”

Cute. 

Every time Pantalone comes to visit, the aranaras behave like envious little siblings. Ever since you started patrolling Vanarana, the place had become the harbinger’s premiere leisure destination. The woods critters frequently tried to undermine his gifts, but they were adorably ineffective. Even if Pantalone cannot see them, the situation is nonetheless amusing.

If you remember correctly, the Taste of Sadness means salt to aranaras, right?

“Ah, well,” you laughed. “I guess you must be incredibly sensitive to his smell. He took quite a liking to salt-infused perfumes last year.”

“Don’t like perfume.”

“But I am wearing one though… Has the scent been bothering you all this time, Arasaka?”

“No, Arasaka was wrong. Arasaka likes perfume, and Arasaka hates salt. Taste of sadness. The scent of sadness.” 

“Oh, no! If Pantalone’s smell makes my dear Arasaka sad, then maybe we should drown him in Varunastra,” you chuckled darkly, expecting the aranara to react loudly over your out-of-pocket remark.

“Of course. Salt Nara would make for decent spare rations!”

You laughed out loud at Arasaka’s even more out-of-pocket reply. Out-of-pocket is an understatement, that comment straight up sounded out-of-the-CASKET. 

Before standing up, you ruffled Arasaka’s nonexistent hair like you would with your deceased sisters.

“I’ll come back in a few days, okay? In the meantime, why don’t you read a cookbook?”

“Hmph! Nara (Y/n), you’re being mean! Just wait! My sisters will make a dish Nara (Y/n) can’t say “no” to!” 

“It’s a dumb risk.”

“It’s a new business venture, dearest.”

“The market for new eyeglasses isn’t going to rise any time soon.”

“Why are you so adamant on opposing this idea?”

“Stagnation breeds putrefaction, especially in business, does it not?” You raised an eyebrow, preparing for a harangue. 

“Je suis d’accord!” The man spoke softly, accentuating his Fontaine pronunciation somewhat boastfully. Knowing your disability, he never raises his voice to the point of it hurting. “And it is precisely why I want to invest in an eyewear conglomerate in Sumeru.”

“Then why are you dropping your prior investments?!”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

You sighed, annoyed.

Pantalone is an amazing businessman, but without your council, he wouldn’t amount to who he is now. Unlike most people, “sneakily ambitious” are not the words you would describe your visionless friend. Such a moniker sounds insulting given his lack of celestial blessings and you know Celestia itself never took kindly towards his well-versed dirty tricks against his opponents.

In your humble opinion, the term “industrious” is a better-suited and less backhanded compliment for him.

You’ve known Pantalone— no— “██████” since childhood. Your history stretched back so much that you no longer recall the circumstances of how you befriended him. He acted as your ears when it came to haggling and normal day-to-day chores. As far as you know, he has always been an older brother to you. In times of extreme poverty, you both prayed and starved together, scraping by using salt rocks as entrees. 

There was no one else that made your deafness bearable except for him. With no family left, he was your only beacon of hope and dear Morax– you’d rather not remind yourself of the time your dead sisters mistakenly ate mud for rice cakes when famine struck.  

You chose Amurta out of the Six Great Schools for a reason:

You can’t afford to watch anyone die of hunger ever again.

When you began living in Sumeru, you had pledged your alliance with the region but never forgot all the toil you had to go through. As a malnourished child, you quickly fell in love with the nation. In Sumeru, healthcare was free– in Liyue? You heard nothing, and you wished that “advantage” doesn’t make you blind from the evil you witnessed in the slums. Poverty ate away your hearing, your family, and your childhood dreams… 

In a way, the only reason you see aranaras in the first place may be that you didn’t have the chance to experience any childlike wonder until you escaped Liyue.

Pantalone scoffed, “whether you agree with my financial decision or not doesn't affect my resolve. Do not press more about this, dearest.”

… But you’re convinced that your closest confidant “██████” had already perished from starvation long ago.

The man before you calls himself “Pantalone” nowadays and you lose all sense of indolence whenever his presence looms. When he watched your last sister perish in your arms, an epiphany gave birth to his cold demeanor towards deities. He found it challenging to worship the Archons who had no need for mora but were eager to take it away from destitute mortals who needed it as you and your sisters did. The death of your younger sibling was his final straw, and in a sense, you also buried your old friend that night. 

Unlike ██████, Pantalone cannot forgive nor trust the Archons for their broken promises. If Lesser Lord Kusanali had abandoned withered forests, Rex Lapis had abandoned those whose blood and tears cannot amount to any mora. You were only allowed to study at the Akademiya after he decided the former was the lesser evil.

Although Pantalone never condemns you for calling him by his birth name, you cannot tell yourself that he and ██████ are fully the same person. There is an unspoken need to straighten your posture and greet him with a semi-scowl to demonstrate your maturity despite him acting cozy and warm. Worse, his lax demeanor never ceases to remind you that despite his uncomfortable reputation, Pantalone is the only companion you’d entrust your soul to even when the world warns you not to deal a contract with the devil.

“You just want to use new brackets every day—”

“I am a businessman, love.”

You speared Pantalone with a pointed look.

“—And why Sumeru? Have you landed a deal with a reputable Amurtan optician? And why didn’t you ask ME first? You weren’t cornered by Dottore or the Tianquan to kickstart an eyeglasses company, were you?”

He scowled, unamused before firing back without skipping a beat. 

“Summer, seven years ago. You accidentally bought six bunraku puppets from Inazuma—”

Your eyes widened. Not this embarrassing anecdote again.

“Woah, woah! Now, why are YOU extorting me?”

“So you’d be silenced quicker.”

“…”

This reticence was slowly exasperating the harbinger, but he never utters a complaint when you're whom he's conversing with. Pantalone cleared his throat with an elegant smile. In that moment of cessation, you figured that he had a seemingly innocent proposal in mind.

“(Y/n), my most dearest baobei…” The harbinger ventured.

“Pantalone…”

He pulled out his desk drawer and ferreted out a parcel that you suspect contains a pair of glasses.

“Would you care to be a test sub—”

“No.”

You have a gut feeling as to where this is going. He’s going to propose that it’s “just” glasses until you find out he’s been using you to track or spy on someone without your knowledge. Classic Pantalone. You won't be duped by that TWICE in a row. If you knew better, you wouldn’t have accidentally leaked intel to the Fatui that Katheryne was being controlled by the Lord of Verdure. All because Pantalone hid a recorder on one of his “gifted” hearing aids...

Listen— just because you refused to lend a hand to the Archon when she was in need and was subsequently confronted by the 2nd harbinger in Sumeru City doesn’t mean you were colluding with these fools. 

You just wanted to remain neutral in any given situation. Unlike your childhood friend, politics bore you to death. And just like the Acting Grand Sage, you’re too lazy to act as a beta tester no matter how minimal the effort the task requires.

“I only ask that you wear this pair of glasses and test its comfortability.”

“I refuse.”

“We can negotiate how much mora you’ll earn—”

“Just stop.”

“Hmm, if I phrase it as a “gift”, would you accept—”

“Hell no.”

Pantalone paused.

“Hmm…” He tapped his desk, gazing at the paperwork neatly piled up.

“Word of advice, (Y/n), it’s highly probable that the price of cocoa will rise next week,” he shrugged. “That fact is, of course, most definitely unrelated to our current discussion.”

Is he… 

Is he threatening to generate chocolate inflation over a pair of glasses?!

You scoffed, eyes wide.

“██████, you worthless SCALPER.“

“The majority prefer to call me a ‘regrator’, but that new nickname is acceptable as long as it is you who makes such mildly unpleasant utterances.”

“GAH! You— YOU—” Even though he may completely ruin your usual routine of buying chocolates after work, it's difficult to curse him out. You have no choice but to spout illogical syllables without a valid clause. “JUST— YOU!!! YOU.”

Smack.

Upon hearing your facepalm resoundingly, he laughed uncontrollably, removing his glasses to wipe his eye with an uneven grin on his face. He tried to keep his composure but he kept snorting. 

You took a peek between your fingers. What a precious noise. You haven’t heard him laugh like this for over three years now.

At that moment, you thought ██████ was alive.

“F-Fine— give me those damn eyeglasses.”

Pantalone drifted the parcel above your palm until he quickly retracted it as soon as you reached forward.

“But before I do that, can you promise me one thing?”

“What is it this time?” You groaned.

“Don’t lend it to anyone else, understand?” Pantalone slightly ruffled your hair. “I had it custom-made for you.”

You rolled your eyes, “that thing is definitely wiretapped. You’re not even bothering to hide it anymore.”

“Oh no, it’s not just that—” 

“Just that?”

He shrugged smugly, which was not a good sign. 

“The eyeglasses function similar to an Akasha Terminal, but of course, the information you’d find there is directly from my database.”

Pantalone opened the box and swiftly put the white-framed glasses on your face. He lightly tapped the frame—

and a control panel window flickered open.

Just like an Akasha.

“H-How on earth—”

“The Doctor and I had a deal. He’ll recreate at least 80% of a regular Akasha’s functions while I help him track down a few… crops. It’s a quid pro quo, I promise. It’s less of him exploiting me and more of me exploiting…— well, that doesn’t matter right now. C’mere, let me see your lovely face...”

Pantalone tilted your chin up with his thumb. His face was inches away from yours, and his piercing lilac eyes observed your glasses and what was behind them, calculating. His breathing was notably strained in a subconscious attempt to make you feel less uncomfortable from the position he trapped you in— ever the perfect gentleman— but you see his entire face flushed in a pinkish hue. A few seconds have passed, and you feel the glove pressed against you twitching. 

Pantalone pulled away, shoulders stiff.

His ears were red.

“I-It’s working as intended.”

If not for the nature of your relationship, you were close enough to kiss– an appealing notion for the harbinger, yet it is not a move he should bring himself to try.

“Y-Yeah, no kidding. That was awkward.”

He gripped his arm, looking at the window.

Pantalone is painfully aware you think of him as an older brother. Or at least, the shadow of one, given how you rarely call him by name anymore.

“My apologies, I simply wanted to take a good look at you.'

He muttered, “you’ve grown into a gorgeous person, (Y/n).”

You didn’t hear him.

“██████– I mean, Pantalone–”

“Go back to calling me ██████, dear.”

“Pantalone.” You put more emphasis on his harbinger name, watching in glee as he rolled his eyes, “I expect to be paid in chocolates and at least two months’ worth of food.”

Indeed, your proposed exchange pleased him. ██████ knows how much you value healthy eating and abhor it greatly when others waste grains of rice. Time and imagination had transformed his early memories as you as a human so close to a skeletal figurine with sunken cheeks and broomstick-like limbs. Those thoughts cause him much sorrow. Pantalone would have pampered you for free if you had only let him– seeing you eating healthy gives him life. Almost like how a father would tell his children that seeing them full is enough to make him full as well. 

Let him spoil you with food. Please.

Seeing you thin makes him feel sad.

“What do you want to eat for dinner later? My treat, as always.”

“Mint salad sounds lovely.”

“Just mint salad?” Pantalone smiled thinly.

His dearest baobei, no longer skin and bones. No longer barely fueled by rice and salt. No longer skipping meals. It warms his heart more than the exclusive springs offered to him because of his mora and title… But it’s not enough. It’s never enough.

“Hmm… Would it be okay to request a plate of Triple-Layered Consommé?” You muttered, gazing at the floor. “I kind of miss your cooking… Just. Just kind of.”

His heart skipped a few beats as he saw your shy expression. 

You straightened up, coughing, “not that your cooking is anything special, it’s just that I don’t want to eat anything too bland and–”

“Of course! Anything for you, my love.”

Pantalone grabbed your hand and placed a soft kiss on your knuckles.

“My baobei, you’d be too full to walk once I’m done spoiling you…”

“D-Did you have to word it so seductively?!”

You blushed once again, which only served to worsen his urge for making you undeniably satiated. 

Oh, how he wants to keep you in a cage, locked up, and fed until he’s satisfied that you’ll never starve again…

Maybe then, you’d let him spoon-feed you like years before...

There's no rest for the wicked. When you returned to Vanarana the next day, the aranaras pulled you in for another chore at Devantaka Mountain.

“Hey, little man, get down there, right now!” 

You screamed with your hands cupped around your mouth to amplify your voice. The aforementioned "small man" scoffed, not shifting an inch from his posture, as the blue aranara crept up behind you.

Ararycan worriedly relayed that a “Wood Nara” had been trespassing the large abandoned Khaenri’ahn machine. The little vegetable-like creature had grown to trust you when it came to scaring off unwanted guests, which usually entailed eremites or treasure hoarders scavenging for scrap metal. 

“Ararycan wants to stop Wood Nara.”

You gently pried the wire off their hand, keeping it in your pocket in a very definite fashion. 

“I know, ‘Rycan, but Naras are stubborn beings.”

“Just like Nara (Y/n)?”

You gasped, eyes widened.

These plant-like beings are surprisingly masterful at the art of roasting.

 “Just like Nara (Y/n), you say?! Rude, Ararycan, rude.”

You laughed humorlessly, masking your jadedness with forced laughter. 

In all honesty, you’re inclined to believe that this job reassignment was Alhaitham’s way of punishing you for remaining neutral. But surprisingly? An Amurta alumnus like you have been enjoying the task and in no small part thanks to these silly little creatures.

It's absurd to imagine that you would consent to be pulled by these vegetable creatures. You initially believed that they were paracosms produced by a lack of stimulation. You once tried to ignore them. Regrettably, that frail facade didn't survive due to a couple of slip-ups. The first to catch you drawing their likenesses next to your weather reports was Arapas. The second was Arabalika, who overheard you whispering about how powerful they were after they defeated a ruin grader, and then Arama who heard you humming their songs. They’ve built up quite the case against you, and you had to fess up before they start giving you a hard time.

By “hard time”, you were referring to how a crowd of tumultuous aranaras huddled up and tugged your hearing aids’ wire with their teeny hands incessantly.

Which was what Ararycan is doing right now.

“Get us up there, Nara (Y/n).” 

"Careful, Rycan– you might damage the wire."

Suddenly, the hatted man's eyes widened after seeing you. Call it intuition, but it seemed like this total stranger knew who you were.

You made an exaggeratedly loud inhaling sound, turning off your hearing aids momentarily.

And then, a scream.

“STOP, STAY WHERE YOU ARE!!! RIGHT!!! NOW!!!”

The difference between stupidity and bravery is measured by outcome, and neither are variables you wish for this “Wood Nara” to test out. Alhaitham would have you write two pages detailing an incident if the stranger broke something and eight more if the machine awakened. And sadly, you are only a small percent less lazy than that man.

Despite your words droning childishly, you made no move to approach him. His eyes sharpened, but you felt no scrutiny— 

This man you’ve never met wore a blatant look of disbelief.

You looked down.

Maybe he could see Ararycan…?

“Hey— can you see them?”

You swiftly swept Ararycan off the ground, who made a surprised yelp. 

The man winced.

"P-Please… Leave the forest alone…"

"And why should I care about your pathetic request?"

"Please, have mercy… T-There are creatures that live in this area… Creatures you cannot see because you lacked a human heart."

“–Ngh!”

Those memories were hard to swallow, like reading an inked sloppy handwriting submerged in water.

“G-Good riddance…”

The man coiled in pain, gripping his scalp with his lithe fingers. You cannot view the expression on his face, nor were you able to verify that he had yelped. The distance between you two was too great to conceive a communication that did not rely on shouting.

“Nara (Y/n), what are you doing?!”

Although your proximity with the aranara doesn’t cause any communication barriers, that didn’t stop Ararycan from yelling.

For some reason, the stranger flinched after seeing you carry what appeared to be air around “normal people”’s vision. Perhaps he found your actions cringe-inducing… or perhaps it made his migraine worse. Then again, both possibilities are not mutually exclusive. However, you have a feeling he didn’t flinch because he saw Ararycan.

The blue aranara leaped off of your hands.

“Ararycan is worried… Ararycan thinks Wood Nara is going to destroy the giant iron mountain…”

You stared up at the man again, wanting to go on for a long rant but refrained after realizing how immature that is. While you do have a hunch that the stranger possessed a vision, you’d bet mora that he is no match for Arabalika’s accumulated Ararakalari. 

“Say, why do you keep calling him Wood Nara? Is it because of his ginormous hat?” You whispered to Ararycan.

“Huh? Did Nara (Y/n) not notice?” They tilted their head.

“Ararycan calls him “Wood Nara” because he’s made of white wood. Ararycan is not sure if he is a real Nara.”

Their answer entered from one ear and exited in the other. You’re used to hearing the Aranara lexicon that you never take any sentence at face value since you’ve learned your lesson back when Arasaka made you scout the market for a “Taste of Happiness.” Thank the Lord of Verdure that it was only Pantalone who laughed at you for describing sugar as “white, cubic, crumbles when crushed, becomes sand, and can be eaten.”

“Hah, well, he better not be made out of wood 'cause I might burn him.”

“Ararycan doesn’t think that’s easy to do. Wood Nara smells like the taste of anger,” once again, you ignored their riddled words.

You clutched the pyro vision dangling in your cloak’s right shoulder, located opposite where Alhaitham places his. Your skill set does not differ from that dendro user’s repertoire, and you calculated what vertice you should drop upon teleporting. Grabbing Ararycan, you rushed forward...

Without making it past the one-minute mark, you leaped effortlessly to where the stranger stood.

“Excuse me, young man, but do you have an Investigation Charter from the Akademiya?”

With an unused voice when it comes to dishing out commands– much less an implied threat– your approach wasn’t even a fraction of what makes authorities like the General Mahamatra intimidating. Yet, you still tried. You crossed your arms and hovered your hand near your claymore.

This stranger gazed up, boasting his soft face and beautiful lilac eyes topped with a complexion quite like a sheltered princess. He had the finest eyes you had ever seen. Yet, even with a heaven-sent face, his eyebrows were knitted. He continued kneeling on the cold metal of the giant mossed and corroded machine. 

One closer look should’ve made you hyper-aware that his joints were not bound by mortal flesh, but your heart was more entranced by his glassy pupils. 

“We meet again. If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is.” 

He muttered inaudibly, hence, you did not hear him. Since you also just came back from visiting Liyue and their post-festival fireworks, you’ve turned your hearing aid settings lower than usual. You bent your knees slightly, offering a hand.

“Nana korobi ya oki,” you said. The stranger looked like he hailed from Inazuma, so you thought you’d put your knowledge to good use. “It means–”

Unbeknownst to you, you uttered the same thing in a past long forgotten.

“I know: fall down seven times, get up eight.”

His gloved hand grasped your own, and you tried not to think about how soft yet firm it was as you pulled him up. You grunted slightly from the shifted weight while he didn’t breathe at all.

“No, I don’t have any clearance permit,” he said. “And I still don't have a heart, if that still matters to you.”

You raised an eyebrow.

‘Still’? What the hell is he talking about? Aaru village is miles away from here, but is it possible that the man you’re talking to is a mad scholar? That’s concerning. 

Pushing your glasses farther up the bridge of your nose, you tried to search his face in Sumeru's records– which might be more unlawful than whatever this man's doing, but who's policing you anyways?

…

Nothing.

There's not a single official record on this man.

Not even in the Fatui's database.

Almost like the man in front of you doesn't exist.

"What the hell are you wearing?" The man sneered. "Since when did you have awful eyesight too?"

“No Investigation Charter, no clearance, just what do you think you’re doing here?” You digressed. “May I at least have your name?”

The man tilted his hat up, “and why should I stupidly give my information away?”

Your eye twitched. He kinda reminds you of Arabalika. Maybe if you gave him a cane he’ll calm down a bit.

“I do have a use for your name, awkward stranger.”

“And that is?”

Writing a report to the Acting Grand Sage regarding suspicious individuals.

“Something to call you,” you shrugged with a child-like candor, renewing your request with bold obstinacy. “I’d rather not recount this tale to various parties as That One Time An Awful Little Man Tried To Pry Open A Giant Machine And Failed.”

He exhaled curtly.

… Was that a laugh?

“How childish. Even if you don't know my name, your "friends"– assuming you have some– will remember me by that stupid description.”

“I mean, it's a memorable first impression,” you met his gaze smugly. “But why are you hiding your name, hmm? Suspicious.”

“It’s called respecting one’s privacy. Something you don't understand.”

How rude of him to make assumptions about you, “are you some covert government official?”

“No.”

“Then what? Are you some inhuman being?”

“...” He didn’t say a word.

Something tells you that the answer is close to your hunch.

“[Wanderer].”

He muttered, once again, you did not hear it so he spoke louder.

“That's my name. Don't you dare make me repeat it.”

“[Wanderer]…”

You missed the way he tipped his hat, hiding an uncontrollable smile from your view.

[Wanderer]... That does sound like a fitting name. It reminded you of a character from a franchise or mythological tale you thoroughly enjoyed as a teenager. It might be rude to share that information, though. You’re not certain how this bratty person would react upon hearing that his name might as well be the name of your lotus from a botany class.

Normally, [Wanderer] would snap a “speak up– is there something wrong with my name?” upon listening to hushed whispers or a resounding silence after his many introductions. But you’re different for a reason. 

There was no way in hell he would take the traveler's suggestion over a name you had given him.

Ararycan tugged your pants.

“Hey, don’t just stare at him, Nara (Y/n)! Tell him to leave!!!” Araycan trashed around. “Nara (Y/n) must be a brave Nara if you like the taste of anger.”

[Wanderer] is the taste of anger? Is that what Ararycan was trying to say?

You blushed, fake-coughing behind your hand.

You wouldn’t say he reminds you of the taste of anger– especially with that winsome face. If anything, his appearance looks a lot like the bunraku dolls you accidentally bought years ago.

“Well, [Wanderer], it’s nice to finally put a name to a face,” you said. “But this is a dangerous area. What are you doing here…?”

“I just wanted to look for traces of the Doctor,” [Wanderer] crossed his arms. “Unfortunately, I can’t pry this stupid machine open.”

“The Doctor? Who’s that?”

“The Harbinger who sits at the second–”

“Aah, The Outcast. I see–” you shook your head. “Wait, no, I don’t get it. What does he have anything to do with this machine here? This is a Khaenriah’n creation.” 

“I know, I’m not dumb like you. I'm here because The Doctor had plans for these automatons, that’s why I’m here.”

“But even so, it’s not advisable to wander these parts alone. You ought to have asked for a travel companion. Who knows if you run into a hoard of vanaagnis in marana?”

“Hmph. Do you think I can’t handle a few whooperflowers in a withering zone? The audacity.”

“Arrogance is the capital stock of misfortune– wait, how’d you know Vanaagnis is a term for whooperflowers?” You blinked expressively. “And the meaning of marana too– so you ARE a mad scholar.”

“I’m NOT,” [Wanderer] glared. You noticed how he seemed unimpressed when you mentioned that proverb about arrogance and “capital stock”, and his expression soured more when you accused him of being a lunatic. 

“I just… I just learned from the best.”

[Wanderer]'s stare not wavering away from you.

Your silence did not go unnoticed by the other two.

“...Why do I have a feeling you’re trying to say that you’ve learned from me?” Those words had escaped from your mouth before you could stop them.

[Wanderer]’s eyes widened.

“Can… Can you remember?”

“Remember…?”

He frowned, eyes reflecting his disappointment.

“No, no, it’s probably just a fluke,” [Wanderer] frowned with a finger tracing his lips. “Maybe my expression just gave it away…”

“Nara (Y/n)!!! Tell Wood Nara to leeaaaaveee!!!”

You tried not to flinch at Ararycan’s whining. They don’t seem to understand that having poor hearing doesn’t mean you can’t register their commands.

[Wanderer] walked past you. 

“Fine, I’ll leave this device alone, but on one condition.”

“What makes you think you’re the one in control–”

“Go out with me.”

“...”

“...”

“... What?”

Your eyeglasses flickered red.

But that red light was gone in a blink, you weren't even sure if it existed.

You laughed nervously, “sorry, I don’t think I heard you correctly–”

He refused to meet your eyes like a coward.

[Wanderer] replied brusquely, “look– you're partially deaf, but you’re NOT stupid. You heard what I said, so own it.”

"Hold on– where is all this coming from, [Wanderer]?" You pivoted your heel but were too late to yank his sleeve. 

He already hovered a few feet away from you.

"I'll come to visit this place more often," [Wanderer] smirked. "You’ll still be here at the upcoming Festival, right? Mark your calendar. That’s our date.”

“Hey, you can’t just!– Aaand he’s gone.”

Despite his abrupt parting, you couldn’t help but smile over such a cheeky encounter, completely forgetting how that man rummaged through the giant machine you’re standing on without a permit.

Something tells you that you’d see him more often.

And you did.

“[Wanderer]” never failed to visit you at 10 AM sharp every day, until there was only one day left till the next Sumeru Festival. At first, you thought his eccentric personality would make the following days unbearable, but he was rather civil– just sharp-tongued. 

He would show up whenever you wandered in the forest to disseminate knowledge about the local flora and Sumeru's history. Some of them you already knew, while others had you wondering if he knew the Lord of Verdure. While you were trying to interview him for a report, not as a trespasser but as an assistant, you once purposely lightened the atmosphere to get honest responses from him. When you jokingly asked who he was, his reply was unsatisfactory.

“Who I am is not carved in wood nor stone. ᏕᎧᎷᏋᎧᏁᏋ wise told me that it’s a flexible concept and it’s easier to understand through a story, but even then, you’d only see a fraction of who that person is,” [Wanderer] peered dotingly. “If you wish to know who I am, then work for it. I’m not giving you a damn summary.”

Tomorrow is your first "date" with the man and you barely knew him.

Your internalized frustration made him think you’re insatiably adorable. 

How the tables have turned. 

After all, [Wanderer] only responded with the same answer you had given him before.

In a forgotten history, ᎩᎧᏬ were the one that spouts spontaneous philosophical questions that led him into fits of unintelligible musings. [Wanderer] berated humanity for being sentimental creatures yet look at him now, proudly boasting the name ᎩᎧᏬ gave him wherever he went. It is by no means grander than a title like God of Everlasting Eternity or other such monikers, but when Godhood has stripped away from him, that name provided more solace than a seat in Celestia.

“The Puppet”, “Kunikuzushi”– such utterances are water under the bridge. Only [Wanderer] stays afloat, like a bubble on water. Maybe a bubble is only beautiful for a moment, yet that moment weighs more than a meaningless “eternity” and he knows this well…

[Wanderer] had been played by fate. Attaining freedom, independence, and a vision did not absolve what chokehold you had on his synthetic being. 

You're a colorful character, averaging about five meaningful papers per year– all the while considering yourself a "retired" genius. [Wanderer] would've been a kinder and forgiving person if you were his young and impressionable self's creator. He envied your patients, your strange collection of bunraku dolls, and the tenderness you reserve for them. 

He missed you, no matter how often you both fought. Your hums used to enchant him when you lull him asleep with aranara songs, but they now haunt him up at night. You were his puppet and he was your dictator until you had grown exhausted of foreign power enough that you abandoned your neutrality and revolted. 

But you did not revolt against him in this revision. Without a doubt, his revised “past” still mirrored the pain he caused, but through other means. He can’t say he had no regrets when he tampered with the Irminsul. Niwa’s death had less weight in this world, and for the wanderer, death without sanctification for a significant purpose is unnecessary homicide. And instead of helping Azar’s experiment, you became a “disobedient pet” who saw no need to collaborate with his superiority complex.

Yet, despite being such a disobedient pet– in his opinion, that’s a grave understatement–, he can’t help but cherish you.

The puppet missed the way his delusion marked your body. Fingerprint-like blotches collared your neck before, but when the slate was wiped clean, so too did his inflicted bruises. He missed the way you begged him to stop the pain. He missed the way you defended invisible creatures as “Queen Aranyani’s successor.” He missed the way you begged to keep the forest safe.

He missed the way you begged to be his.

But those marks are long gone– the symbol he carved on the nape of your neck had disappeared. You no longer had anything that resembled signs of his ownership.

Not only that, but seeing you wear eyeglasses– something you haven't before– fills him with anger.

The one saving grace from this situation was when this timeline confirmed that you wouldn’t help Azar if it wasn’t for [Wanderer]. You were interested in his personality and disposition as a puppet longing for a human heart, not just any of Dottore’s run-of-the-mill creations. That observation surely boosted his ego. 

Your opinions mattered to him most in that project. Admittedly, he craved everyone’s veneration, even when they lacked true understanding.

But you were the first mortal that made him appreciate his defects…

 

"Is it so bad to live this way?" You combed his hair with your fingers. "Must you try your hand with such heresy?"

"Know your place," Scaramouche gritted his teeth. "You're nothing more than my maintenance worker- you do not deserve an audience."

"Be that as it may, future faux-god, can't you entertain me for just a moment? If I wasn't worried about you, I wouldn't be helping you with this damn treacherous experiment.

You ignored how he snarled at such a nickname, "it pains me to watch you lust for more power when you already boast an acceptable form. What is it that makes you so desperate? Is it because you can't hide the ball joints that connect your fingers and limbs?"

You continued while adjusting the tightness of his skeletal wrists.

"Is it so bad to live on as a defective being? Does imperfection invalidate a life's purpose? I only ask out of curiosity. I have imperfect ears, so does that make my life devoid of meaning?"

Scaramouche frowned, "do not compare your ears to my heart or lack thereof."

He didn't understand why his voice cracked. Scaramouche did not feel his usual temperament sizzling over but something heavy resided in his chest.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize, I know you're not sorry," Scaramouche cupped your cheek, sporting an uncharacteristically loving smile.

"And your unapologetic behavior is what makes you my first sage."

His first sage…

[Wanderer] laughed to himself.

His first sage would know that if he gained a heart, he would've seen the aranara you were talking to earlier.

But this is fine. He can start over again. 

This time, he’ll make you love him normally.

Heaven, please help the white wood that fell in love for it will never be human…

…

Out of the blue, Scaramouche spun and hurled three consecutive wind blades toward the woods with precision.

Be that as it may, the walking salt is surely more pathetic.

The “trees” grunted, but [Wanderer] did not miss the smell of salt-infused perfumes.

What a shame. 

The next Sumeru Festival, your “date”, is tomorrow, yet there will always be those who lurk in the shadows to see the mighty fall. 

"Pantalone…" 

The ex-sixth harbinger snarled with unfathomable familiarity. Which was the complete opposite of the ninth harbinger, who coldly greeted him like a new enemy. 

"Good afternoon, [Wanderer]."

Pantalone pulled out a gun from his hidden holster.

"No hard feelings, sir," the businessman smiled thinly. "I am but a simple man eliminating a love rival. You see, it’s not nice threatening to steal someone’s possession."

Scaramouche cackled.

How annoying. He never liked this friend of yours– he much preferred the one that planned a coup. Pantalone was not a coworker Scaramouche liked, much less a rival. This ambitious man was always a parasite, pretending to be worried while threatening to withhold project funding behind your back. Scaramouche will never forget how he boasted insolently that he had known you longer as if eternity wouldn't be enough to make up for it.

"You never change, mortal," he laughed even harder. "I knew something was off about (Y/n)'s glasses!"

"Hmm? Is that so?" Pantalone pushed them up closer– reminding Scaramouche that he’s no terrible shot. "How strange. In any case, I quite frankly don't care what you know or do not know."

He pulled the trigger as Scaramouche stomped his feet.

Only a few knew what occurred in Vanarana that day, but there was one thing the forest remembered.

Before either of them parted, a loud bang echoed that even deaf trees can't miss.

You woke up from Araja’s house (which was the only comfortable place to sleep in Vanarana) after passing out from tumultuous loads of paperwork sent directly by the Baharak. She joked that at that point, maybe she had become a bad omen for you– and you confirmed her suspicions. The tasks the Acting Grand Sage laid out for you were taxing, if not, deleterious for your mental well-being, and worst of all–

He sent a notice that this would be your last week patrolling Vanarana.

When you spread the announcement, the aranaras were saddened by the news. Even Arabalika was unimpressed and asked if you can prolong your services. Alas, it can’t be refuted.

Noticing how tired you appeared, the village chief immediately commanded you to sleep while you pretended not to hear whispers of a surprise farewell party. Considering how the place looked positively empty this morning, you’d wager that they’re busy working on it.

But you do smell that someone’s cooking right now…

The enticing scent emanated from a large pot. As you sauntered closer, you noticed how Arasaka was tending to the food. The aranara gave you a friendly wave that you didn’t reciprocate. It’s rather chilly in Vanarana in the mornings– and the sleeves of your jacket were comfy. 

“Good morning, Nara (Y/n)!”

“Good morning, ‘Saka. That smells delicious,” you smiled bittersweetly.

“Hehe, really? Glad to hear it! One of Nara (Y/n)’s friends helped gather the ingredients. That Nara was good at hunting down prey!”

One of your friends…? You haven't introduced a lot of people to the aranaras. That can only mean it's either Baharak, Pantalone, or [Wanderer], and you can safely remove the first one since they're positively busy with guild matters. 

... Huh. But those two can't see aranaras. Does that mean they stole Pantalone or [Wanderer]'s game?

"Pfft..." You chortled. Yeah, imagining either of them getting confused as to why their hunted boar had gone missing feels like a sight to see.

You took the ladle from Arasaka’s hand and sipped the warm liquid.

…

“Oh, hey, this tastes pretty good!”

“Hehe, Arasaka is glad to hear you liked it! Nara taste buds are hard to please.”

You took another sip as Arasaka watched. The warm soup went down smoothly, but the aftertaste had a serpent-like bite to it. It tastes akin to red sorghums Pantalone would down whenever social drinking was inevitable. Your only critique was that it would’ve been a refreshing experience if there wasn’t a rocky object stuck between your teeth. You awkwardly picked it out.

… And saw a small hint of (wood/salt) between your fingers.

You stared at Arasaka.

Strange…

Something feels… off. 

This doesn't taste like happiness, it tastes like…

You shivered and yet the aranaras around you still had that same painted smile. 

 "Does Nara (Y/n) like the taste now? The taste of friendship?”

… Friendship?

No. That can’t be it.

The spoon splashed back into the bowl. You didn’t say a word, only stared at the boiling pot. You knelt, grabbing both handles to gaze upon the bubbling red liquid. With trembling hands, you picked the spoon back up and swirled the contents. Nothing was of note–

Until you scooped something from the very bottom and found thick strands of dark hair.

A very familiar strand of dark hair.

You adjusted your glasses in an attempt to find out where this human hair came from–

“Nara (Y/n) likes the scent of (wood/salt) Nara so my sisters added him in!” Arasaka innocently cheered.

Your heart dropped.

You turned pale– gagging.

No. It can't be.

Did you just eat…

“So, Nara (Y/n)– does our cooking taste bland now?”

… “him”?

“Oh, Nara (Y/n)’s friend is approaching! Don’t forget to thank him for the food!”

[marauderswithpalestineproject]

Marauders With Palestine Project FAQ

Can volunteers open themselves up to more prompts if availability changes/can people change the number of prompts they’ve marked themselves available for at a later time?

Absolutely! It will all depend on how many prompts we get, though.

Will there be a social way to contact other participants in the project?

Yes, they’ll all be added to a discord server shortly.

Where can people send proof of donation?

We’ll post the link to a form where the contributors will be able to send proof of donation as well as their prompt(s).

What is the deadline for art/fics/edits?

They may be posted all throughout June, so the hard deadline is June 30, 2024.

Do I have to post the art/fic/edits on my account when completed? (particularly for nsfw)

Preferably, yes. NSFW art can also be posted to ao3.

Will we be able to contact the person that submitted the prompt we're given, if we have any questions?

Yes, that will be possible. (Applies to art, fics, and edits)

Is it ok if participants don’t use discord/are only available for contact via email?

That’s perfectly fine, we can contact the participants via email, tumblr, or twitter, though discord is preferred.

How long will prompts be?

No longer than 100 words.

Are there any word count expectations for fics?

None at all, but we encourage writers to make their fics longer than 1.5k words.

Should the fics be tagged any specific way on ao3 to make it clear they’re for the project?

The fics need to be tagged with MWPProject 2024 Fandom Initiative, and they’ll also be added to a collection. 

Will prompts be filtered/checked for inappropriate/hateful content before they are given out?

Yes, any and all prompts will be checked and approved by the mods.

Can volunteers reject a prompt assigned to them if they are not comfortable with it?

Yes, the volunteers can contact the mods if they wish to change their prompts. 

How long do volunteers have to complete their contributions?

Prompts will be assigned between April 23-30th, and posting begins June 1. They can, however, post their works all throughout the month of June. 

If a volunteer doesn’t have any public socials, do they have to post their art/fic/edits?

They may create an ao3 account, there’s plenty of time for them to request one.

Do artists need to attach their names to the art?

If they want to remain anonymous, they may post their work to ao3 and we’ll keep it anonymous within the collection.

Are simple prompt requests ok?

The prompts can’t be longer than 100 words, so simple prompt requests are ok.

Would I need to donate the equivalent of 5USD or am I okay donating 5 dollars in my currency? (non US based donations)

It has to be the equivalent of 5USD in whichever currency you use.

Can someone donate on the behalf of another person who is unable to do so? 

Yes, they only need to let us know about it. 

May I post anonymously to the collection?

Yes.

Do volunteers have to be a part of the discord server?

It’s not required but it is highly recommended.

Can you keep my email private/make sure it’s not shared outside of the mods?

Only the mods have access to the emails, you don’t need to worry about that.

Are there any preferences in terms of characterizations/appearances of characters?

No, but it is recommended to not be too specific so that the volunteers can work with their prompt as best as they can.

If donors have specific requests for how characters are drawn/written, will they be in contact with the volunteers assigned to their prompts? 

Yes, but at the end of the day, this isn’t commissioned fanwork, so the end result will be entirely up to the volunteer in question. Micromanaging will not be allowed.

If a volunteer is filling multiple prompts, can they decide how long each one is?

Yes they may.

Will prompts include tropes?

That is up to the donor, but being too specific with the prompt may make it hard for the assigned volunteer to fulfill it satisfactorily.

What will the prompts look like?

We will provide a form where the donors will be able to specify the pairing and their prompt. Please note: when listing pairings, use the Character Name x Character Name format (i.e. Remus x Sirius), versus ship names (i.e. Wolfstar), as some ship names aren’t well known, or vary across the fandom.

Does sketch mean actual sketch, or should there be a more polished final product?

Up to the artist, as styles and practices vary person to person. 

Can volunteers post their contributions on any social platforms?

Yes, they can.

Should writers characterize based on their own headcanons, or based off the wishes of the prompter?

The priority is fulfilling the prompt as it’s been given, but the volunteers can find a middle ground if they’re not entirely comfortable with something.

Where/who can I contact if later questions arise?

You can send an ask to the MWPP blog, or you can send an email to marauderswithpalestineproject@gmail.com. All mods tumblr urls are listed on the MWPP blog, and all mods will be available to answer questions in the discord server as well. 

How will we navigate if a volunteer is assigned a prompt they are uncomfortable with?

You may contact the mods and we’ll change it, bit please only do so if the prompt is genuinely something you cannot work with, as reassigning prompts may be troublesome for the mods.

Will I have to explicitly state in the final product that it was created for the project?

Yes.

Do I have to post the fic/art/edit, or can I just send it to the prompter?

It needs to be posted, but it may be posted anonymously via ao3.

Can I participate as an artist with a collage rather than a drawing?

We won’t be accepting collages, as that is technically not original work and it wouldn’t be fair for the prompter.

[snowzapped]

So... The 10yr old Grandpa PC is now bootlooping. Probably turning senile and yelling at the cloud if it could.

Our guess is the graphics card finally giving up. I still have to take it to the shop tomorrow since it's a holiday today. That being said, I may need to build a new pc. I'll salvage what I can from the old one (ssd, hdd, probably the psu) but I need to get a new graphics card, motherboard and processor since mine is 10yrs old and the new stuff aren't that great paired with older tech and if I'm getting a better gpu, might as well get good processing power. Hopefully, it will last another 10yrs.

But I don't have enough money. So if anyone wants to commission me, now would be the time. As long as you're willing to wait a bit. If anyone wants to buy the SteveTony coloring book, send tips on kofi, I would be very grateful. And if you want to consider supporting me on patreon, I thank you so very much. Lowest tier is $1. You get everything the highest tier has.

I am stuck right now. I'm a freelancer and the pc is my only source of income. I will make pencil sketches for $5 dollars. Send me a kofi and your request. I will be very happy.

I can't copy paste all the stuff on mobile but here's the commission link. And the rest of the links are also at the bottom of that post. Coloring book is pinned on my tumblr.

Thanks so much and wish me luck! 😄

[kazemi-archive]

A Winter Ball

Pairing: Faerie Prince!Kita Shinsuke x Wingless Faerie!Reader WC: ~3.1k Genre: fluff CW: pure fluff, reader wears a dress and jewelry, kita is my dream

PART THIRTEEN OF JUMP AND YOU WILL FIND YOUR WINGS AS YOU FALL

As fall nears its close, Shinsuke longs more and more to bring you into his home. He longs to show you the glamorous palace and the fine pleasures that he hopes one day will be yours just as they are his. He wants to show you who he truly is and hopes desperately that you’ll accept him despite the omission he’s been spinning around for the months he’s known and fallen for you. Shinsuke’s plans start to fall in place when he’s presented with a perfect opportunity to bring you into the kingdom for a night.

It’s a shock to him when he’s confronted by his grandmother’s private seamstress. Wings fluttering behind her, scraps of fabrics falling from the book in her arms as she scurries towards him. “Your highness! Your highness, a moment please!” She bows quickly when she finds herself directly in front of her crown prince before quickly explaining herself. “I was sent on business from her majesty, she requested I speak to you in private about this matter.” Her eyes flicker towards the guard posted at the entrance to the hall, a formality of the palace that Shinsuke had never gotten used to.

Shinsuke scrunches his eyebrows in slight confusion before nodding and leading the seamstress into the adjacent office room, an empty space in which they could shut the door and have a bit of privacy. “What business did my grandmother send you for?”

“Right!” She shuffled quickly to the desk and laid open the book in her arms, flipping through the pages before she came to the correct one. “Her majesty has commissioned me to design a dress for your highness’ mysterious faerie. She’s under the assumption you would like to invite her to the ball you’re hosting for this year’s solstice.”

Shinsuke stood in shock for a moment, blinking blankly at the small girl next to him as her wings nearly buzzed in excitement.

“Her majesty sent me to you so you could help me with some of the design aspects. And the fabrics you’d wish for me to use for it.” He watched as her hand brushed over the page, small fingers pointing to the first image, the front of the dress. “I was thinking of a corseted front and I have these small jewels I can embroider into the swirls.” She rifled through the pocket of her dress and produced a small pack of cerulean gemstones to lay in front of him on the table. “The dress would end just above the floor so that it wouldn’t catch while she danced. Could you acquire her height for me please?”

“My grandmother asked you to do this?” The seamstress nodded without looking up, unaware of the softness that had come over Shinsuke’s features, the sudden realization he could bring you here. He had no time for his worries to begin about the lack of your wings before the seamstress turned her page.

“The back wouldn’t hold a train because though that would be elegant, it would make it awfully hard to dance.” She giggled slightly at her own comment and Shinsuke spoke before she could continue.

“What is that?” His eyes were glued to the center of the dress, the delicate sketches taking him off guard.

“Ah! Yes! Her majesty was very specific that the wings on the dress should be perceived as if they were simply laying down in a relaxed position. She asked me to speak to you of that as well, what the coloring and shape should be like so that I may properly attach them to the dress and make them look as natural as possible.”

“She-” Shinsuke cut himself off, his mind spinning over the woman next to him so casually speaking of adding false wings onto a dress for you. “Excuse me for a moment.” He turned back towards the door.

“Your highness, before you go!” She called quickly, forcing Shinsuke to turn to see her over his shoulder. “Thoughts, please? So that I may get started. I’ve been instructed to finish her dress before I work on her majesty’s.”

Shinsuke paused, his thoughts were racing but he breathed long enough to answer. “The jewels, could we do them in a lavender instead?” The seamstress nodded, quickly noting it on the paper. “The fabric should be made from the softest petals, but with iridescence.” He sighed to turn before one more thought. “It should be accessorized with gold.”

“The shoes as well?” Shinsuke nodded curtly at the seamstress before opening the door. “She’s in her study! Please come by my workshop when you’re done, for the shaping!”

Shinsuke’s steps were rushed as he navigated through the vast emptiness of the palace, towards his grandmother’s quarters. Quickly but firmly shutting himself inside her study with her, shooing off the guard to ensure the privacy of their upcoming conversation.

“Grandmother,” he turned to face her, worry written across his features as he stared at her from across the room, “you-”

“Please do not scrunch your face like that my darling boy.” She smiled lightly above the rim of her teacup before setting it down. “I assume my seamstress has finally caught up with you?”

“Yes, she just has. She informed me that you-”

“Wonderful, and has she begun to design something wonderful for your mystery faerie.”

“Well, yes. But grandmother she told me you-”

“Yes, yes, my boy. I know.” His grandmother smiled grandly at the speechlessness that Shinsuke now demonstrated. “She’s a wingless one isn’t she?” She hummed in thought as she stood and rounded her desk to be face to face with him. Her soft hands cupped his face and closed his mouth that he, until that point, was unaware was open. “Tried to think of why my grandson would neglect to introduce me to the faerie he’s found himself so enamored by. Pieced it together when I noticed you walking more and flying less. Practicing for her, no?”

“And you’re…” Shinsuke trailed off, eyes flickering around the glimmer in his grandmother’s eyes, “you’re not upset?”

“Oh my dear boy, no.” She smiled as she brushed back a piece of Shinsuke’s hair. “I’m thrilled that you’ve found someone you love so deeply. It’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. Where she comes from and what she doesn’t possess is of no concern to me. So long as she loves you back.” Shinsuke breathed deeply, like a weight had been lifted off of him as his grandmother removed her hands. “The royal advisors on the other hand,” she scoffed at her own mention of them, “oh they’d have a fit to know she was wingless. So we shall keep it from them for now, yes? Let the two of you enjoy yourselves a bit longer.” She gave a playful smile over her shoulder as Shinsuke still stood there speechless at the new revelation.

“Now,” she clapped her hands together as she made her way back to her original seat, “please go make your way back to my seamstress so she can make this dress perfect for my future granddaughter.” Shinsuke’s cheeks flared up at his grandmother’s casual permission for him to marry you but he couldn’t help the smile on his lips. “Oh! And see if you can’t get Aran to go along with you when you stop by now and then. I do think she’s sporting a bit of a crush on him and I think they’d be wonderful together.”

Shinsuke smiled at his grandmother’s typical meddling as he showed himself out of the study, a newfound goal in his mind.

In the following weeks, Shinsuke spends any free time he’s not with you, practicing his dancing and helping to design your new dress. He has a newfound excitement for the upcoming ball. He usually doesn’t find himself in excitement over the annual winter solstice ball, but with the prospect of you being there, he can’t seem to get time to move quickly enough.

He’s roped everyone into helping him practice his dancing. Swearing Aran, Suna, and the twins to secrecy as he drags them into his quarters at night and forces them to play the part of you in the dance. He wants to pull it off perfectly, for it to be seamless and unsuspecting when he spins you in the air. So people don’t notice that your wings are all for show.

She shoes are the first thing he gifts you as he asks you to come to the ball at the palace, assuring you he has a way that no one will suspect anything. He spends days practicing your walk in them. The small heel being more than you’d ever tried before leads to a couple stumbles and falls. He always catches you. By the time the ball has approached, he has you buzzing in excitement. He leaves you the day before with the newly finished dress and all the accessories he’s had created along with it.

You feel weird, you won’t lie to yourself. You’ve never donned such an elegant garment. The petals that make the dress are made of the softest lavender petals layered along the inside of an pellucid iridescent silk-like fabric. The lavender crystalline decorations that decorated the front of the corset top sparkled and refracted light across the walls of your small home.

Angel sleeves made of the same iridescent silk that lined the rest of your dress laid daintily along your arms, just translucent enough to be able to see the arm bracelets Shinsuke had provided you adorning your forearms. Gold metal that matched the other jewelry, decorated with dainty golden butterflies and flowers, glimmering and twisting around both your arms. The pieces on your ears resembled the same style. Small pins of gold swirling up and around your ears with small lavender gems encrusted into their surface. Even the shoes were gold and matching. Golden dragonflies laid across the toes of them.

By far, however, the part that had shocked you the most, was the heaviness from the back of the dress. Large wings stitched into the back seams of the dress. They looked perfect, real, as if they emerged from beneath the dress. As if they belonged to you.

The wings shimmered as you turned. Light filtering through them to produce purple and pink shadows across the walls. They were upright, as if you could take off with them, a change from the original plan that you were unaware that Shinsuke had made for you.

A knock at your door shook you from the enchantment your reflection was holding you in at the moment. Not fully recognizing yourself beneath the sparkles and ornate jewelry. You expected Shinsuke to greet you when your door opened but were taken aback by the two boys who graced your presence instead.

“Sorry, I was expecting-” You cut yourself off as you looked at the nearly identical boys, nervousness pulling on the seam where your corset reached the skirt of your dress.

“His high-ow.” The brunette rubbed his arm where the black haired boy had jabbed him but quickly cleared his throat and started over. “Shinsuke sent us to escort you.”

The other seemed to pick up on your apprehension, the way your eyes flitted between the two, and yanked who you assumed to be his brother back by a step to seem less imposing. “Shinsuke had to finish his part in setting up the ball.” He explained, his tongue twisting around the partial truth as he stared at you. “I’m Osamu, and this is Atsumu. We’re part of the palace’s court.” Osamu offered you his hand and you tentatively took it, letting him guide you outside of your home.

“No worries, our only job right now is to make sure you get there safely.” Atsumu held his hand out for you to place your other in and they effortlessly lifted you onto the back of one of the spirit foxes that loved you so much.

Your nerves were soothed slightly when you twisted your hands in the fox’s fur, a familiar place for you to be as the three of you set off towards the forest. You tried to prepare yourself to go deeper into the kingdom than you’d ever ventured before. No idea what to expect from the kingdom you’d only ever dreamed of being in. Worried that you would be found out tonight.

Nothing could have prepared you for the sight of the palace. It was larger than anything you’d dreamed up. Copper, gold, and platinum twisted into decorations that graced every wall and arch in elegant designs. Flowers grew off every surface, soft white petals falling now and then into the pathways made of stone.

“Come now, he must be waiting.” Osamu beckoned you down from your seat and you silently thanked him when he helped your dress not get caught on the way. You could hear the music from the courtyard playing as you entered the front gate, your breath catching at every new sight.

“Now,” Atsumu caught your attention as you neared the last archway, “make sure to curtsy when you get to him.”

“Wait, what?” You whipped your head around in confusion to look at him but there was just a mischievous smile on his lips as he bowed slightly and went through the archway, leaving you behind.

“Common courtesy.” Osamu wore the same little smile as he duplicated his brother’s actions and disappeared through the arch.

It took a few deep breaths and a very adamant internal pep talk for you to work up the courage to walk through the archway yourself. Pushing the vines that acted like a curtain out of the way you slowly saw the party coming into view.

Faeries were walking and flying from one spot to another. Laughter and cheering came from small groups and chatter filled the empty air. The smile that grew on your face was inevitable. You’d never seen so many faeries in the same place before.

Shinsuke caught sight of you before you’d seen him. His heart seemed to jump into his throat, the simple golden crown sat heavy on his head. He was sure he could pass it for normal, a few of the other faeries wearing headpieces to the ball as well. But you looked stunning. He was sure, if he wasn’t already in love with you, he would have fallen for you on the spot.

The light from the fireflies that lit up the courtyard seemed to bounce off you every time you turned, sending your sparkles across the crowd. He nervously toyed with the headpiece he held at his side as he stepped down from his spot on the steps. The crowd parted for him easily, giving him quicker access to you.

Your attention was drawn by your name being called. Shinsuke looked like he walked straight out of your dreams. In a lavender suit with golden patterns of swirls. A small crown of golden leaves laid on top of his silver hair. His eyes were glued to you. It felt like even the crowd parted for the two of you to meet.

You let out a soft ‘oh’ as you got to him, nearly forgetting what the twins had told you to do. The soft curtsy you gave made Shinsuke’s cheeks heat up slightly as he smiled at you.

“You look enchanting.” He breathed the words out as he looked at you eyes shining as he admired the way the dress looked on you. There weren’t enough words in his vocabulary to express how beautiful he thought you were. “I have one thing I forgot to give you.”

You saw the gold as he lifted it towards your head. A diadem made from dainty golden leaves. Encrusted with lavender colored jewels and decorated with golden dragonflies just like your shoes. He placed the headpiece delicately on the top of your head before stepping back to admire you in full.

“You look really nice, Shin.”

“You look like everything I’ve ever dreamed of.” The sentiment makes a blush settle on your cheeks, warmth blooming against the cold air as he bows towards you, offering his hand for you to take. “Will you do me the pleasure of dancing with me?” A smile plays on his lips as you place your hand in his and let him lead you towards the floor.

It’s like stepping into your home, when you feel Shinsuke pull you into his arms on the dance floor. It’s all a fairytale, being with him here, but the nervousness still settles across your skin like the whispers do among the crowd. You can feel the eyes on the two of you as you follow his lead, gliding across the floor daintily.

“Shinsuke,” your whisper is barely heard above the strings of the music as the two of you dance, “they’re all staring.” Your eyes flit nervously across the still crowd, connecting briefly with a few pairs of eyes, strangers who you’ve never seen before. “They know the wings are fake, don’t they?”

Shinsuke’s laugh is soft and it calms your nerves as his palm smoothes over your waist, fingers spreading to reach just under the base of the faux wings. “No, they’re staring because you’re the most beautiful thing they’ve ever laid eyes on.” He leans to dip you, spinning at the same time and your eyes flutter. It feels like an illusion, the crowd letting out a collective gasp as your dress flares out around you and Shinsuke. “Do you trust me?” He asks as he lifts you back to him, arm winding your waist, keeping you closer than before.

“With my life.” You don’t think before the words tumble from your lips, true feelings spilling straight from your soul into your voicebox. 

You barely notice it at first. You’re too lost in the feeling of warmth between the two of you, lost in the glimmer of his eyes. It isn’t until he dips you again that you notice your feet aren’t on the ground anymore, that the faeries surrounding you were lower, staring at the two of you in awe. A sudden wave of euphoria takes over your body as Shinsuke effortlessly twirls you, keeping the two of you suspended.

A crescendo in the music has other couples joining you in the air. It’s a flurry of spinning dresses and fireflies that dip between couples. Wings that flutter and sparkle under the lights, refracting diamond-like reflections along the gardens and the slopes of the vine-covered walls. You’re lost in the beauty of it all and Shinsuke is lost in the beauty of you. He’s in love with this, being able to show you off, to love you openly in front of his entire kingdom.

TAGLIST : OPEN (SEND AN ASK)

[maaarshieee]

HEYYYY HOW ARE UU??

scaramouche for COMING HOME AHAJAJSH imagine his annoyance

-weekly anon

✩‧₊˚ COMING HOME ✧.*

𓆩✧𓆪 Kunikuzushi/Scaramouche/Wanderer x Gn!Reader ࿐

𓆩✧𓆪 1.ok words ┊ Reverse hurt/comfort ࿐

𓆩✧𓆪 Event post | Event Masterlist ࿐

message from the stars ☆༉

WEEKLY ANON OMG HI!! TY FOR PARTICIPATING! missing you <333 ive been doing great!! im very excited for his event ^^ you're the first to send a request AHHAHSHSA,,not me thinking what to write when i have exams AGAIN next week <3 hope you like this!! have a good day/night! also this... went on a diff direction than i intended... manifesting for everyone who wants wanderer to get him!! good luck <33

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ cw: brief mentions of being stuck in a void so kuni panics a bit and gets rlly angry

To reach beyond the stars, past Celestia, was impossible for the Wanderer.

He may have received an Anemo Vision, but it is not enough to break the barrier that separates him from the world that resides behind it, a world where you existed. Every time he looks above the skies at times when you were idle, murmuring softly to his ears yet your will for him to do anything, such as fighting Hilichurls or completing commissions, doesn't take over, allowing him to do whatever he'd like, he would be thinking about you.

What do you look like? Are you perhaps taller? Or shorter than him? What is the complexion of your skin? The colors of your eyes? The length of your hair? He yearns for answers to questions that will never be heard, all because his voice could never reach above the stars. Just who is the person that owns the soothing voice that only speaks to him?

The voice that comes and goes like him, like the wind. A gentle breeze that makes his hair flutter, kissing his skin and slipping past his fingertips. A voice that one day appeared during his endeavors in Mondstadt, which was odd since it was during his first meeting with the Honorary Knight of the Knights of Favonious, the Traveler, and hasn't left him ever since.

Then, when he awoke from his slumber after being defeated by the Traveler and was finally free from the restraint of his past, your voice grew louder. And oh, how melodious it was to his ears. You sang nothing but praises and encouragement as he used Anemo to take down his enemies, spoiling him with luck and guidance to achieve greater strengths he could have never acquired before without you.

With a hand outstretched toward the stars he once admired, forever twinkling in the vast and infinite darkness of space, forming shapes to lead those who are lost back into the path they strayed from, he wishes upon a shooting star; to give him a chance.

A chance to get to know you, to see your face... or at least know the name of the person who spoke nothing but promises of loyalty and adoration. If only...

Closing his hand into a fist, Kunikuzushi continued on his path, figures of the little fae named Paimon, and the Traveler, not too far away from him. Both waved at him, yelling at him to hurry up.

He scoffed, but he can't bring himself to stop the growing smile on his lips.

As Scaramouche, he would've loathed you more. For being so damn unreachable, for making him crave a feeling he's only felt from you, for not hearing his words. But now, as the Wanderer? A free man?

Well, he could only hope. Hope that one day, in his travels around Teyvat as his new self, he could reach you.

The last thing the Wanderer could remember was a bright, empty flash of white.

His memories were blurry beforehand, but he was definitely sure that he, the Traveler, and Paimon visited Nahida before moving onwards to Fontaine.

Now, he was stuck in an empty void of white. No sound could be heard, nor feel a molecule of air. Gravity, time, space— it was as if everything that existed ceased to exist.

But what scared him the most? You disappeared. The sense of serenity that would follow him no matter where he went had vanished, as if the string that tied you both together has been severed.

So he shed tears like never before. Tears wet his clothing, streaming down his cheeks, all the way to his chin. He wailed though there was no one to hear his misery.

Yet another betrayal.

How foolish of him to trust you— a mere faceless, disembodied voice that appeared out of nowhere and clung to him like a bothersome insect that refused to drift away.

Lies. Your words were nothing but lies, pouring into his hollow body and waiting to topple over, just waiting for him to realize that it was nothing but filth that came from your invisible lips.

Yet try as he might, tears endlessly flowed. No matter how hard he wiped them away, or quiet himself from screaming once more, he continued to lament the loss of everything he knew of. Stuck in a void, he grits his teeth as he began to choke on his own cries, clutching his hat so hard it almost breaks.

He was too caught up in his grief that he hadn't realized that his surroundings gradually formed. What once an empty space of nothingness, turned into a... room? Filled with foreign objects, never to be seen in Teyvat.

Only when he heard a silent call of his name, accompanied by a breathless gasp and the loud shattering of a glass object, splashes of water reaching his porcelain skin, was he snapped out of his pain-stricken stupor.

"Scaramouche?"

Similar to the first time he's heard your voice, something in his chest thrummed, as if he had a heart. Though his vision was blurry from his tears, he couldn't help but let out another sob as he finally laid his eyes on you.

So, it wasn't betrayal, wasn't it?

Even in a confused state, you were quick to respond. Getting down on your knees whilst he crumpled to the ground, you brushed your fingers against his cheek, wiping away his tears, but then flinched back. Perhaps you've realized who he was, for he was sure that you knew him a lot, maybe even more than himself.

Scaramouche. Kunikuzushi. Wanderer. The person you've guided in countless adventures, cheered him on in numerous battles and favored him even if he was stained with unsightly vile. A puppet.

When Scaramouche grabbed your wrist, gentle and cautious not to hurt you, he let out a desperate whimper for your touch. He couldn't bring himself to speak, voice broken from hours and hours of cries that were swallowed in the void. But he pulled you close, to feel more of your serene presence, to finally experience the warmth you gave from your voice up close.

And it only felt natural when you wrapped your arms around him, stroking his hair and cooing in his ear. He wept for god knows how long on your shoulder, but you hadn't minded. You never did, you always cared for him so much.

Even if you're mere strangers, even if this was your first meeting... Being in each other's arms only felt natural.

Not when you've yearned for one another across the barrier that separated you.

If you want to be tagged for future updates on this event, please fill out this form! Remember that usernames are only lowercase and have no spaces!

Taglist: @louise-rosita-leroux

- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛❛ If you like this a lot, consider reblogging! I'll appreciate it very very much! Don't repost and/or translate my work anywhere. ❜❜ ┊˚ ̥۪͙۪◌

[dropthedemiurge]

🍀ART COMMISSIONS OPEN🍀

[OPEN UNTIL MAY 10]

I'll have to change countries soon once again and will have a lot of expenses chasing my dream breaking free from oppressive society so I'm opening another batch of art commissions!

I'll draw your favourite blorbos, ocs, make your pairing kiss or even (gasp) design a tattoo with you~ If you'll request me to draw an illustration for your fanfic, it'll make me even happier. Special welcome for K-pop, Thai BL and Dan&Phil fans :D

You can see the examples of my works above or by scrolling through this tag^^

The pricing is counted as: Head ($20) or Half-body ($40) or Full-body ($50) + Lineart (free) or Comic ($10) or Semi-realism($20) style Additional characters or detailed background can be discussed individually =)

Ah, and here's the special offer for those who love cute chibis! They will cost you $30: lineart, coloring and all :P

I intend to take 3-5 requests to make sure that I can finish them all until the end of April so grab your chance!

Send me a DM with your ideas and wishes on discord (droptheroar), twitter (ametistlex or droptheroar), here on tumblr or to my email (droptheroar@gmail.com) 🍀

I'd be really grateful if you guys reblog and spread this post as well *-*

[fly-sky-high-arts]

Animal + Theme for a character design!

I'm playing with adopt designs this month!

-Suggest me a real life animal (and a theme if you have one) so I may design a Pokemon/Rain World/Hollow Knight/Digimon/Sonic character of your choice based on it~

-I make simple styled designs any way I wish and will not do any adjustments to it once done~

-If you suggested the info, you will have a chance to buy off the designed adopt first. If not interested, I will be putting them up for anyone to adopt on my ko-fi. They will be priced the same in either case~

-I will wait for the reply from the askers about it for about two days and in case there is no reply I will just add them to my ko-fi and open for anyone to buy~

(not a style example for what I'm going for but an example no less~)

If interested, feel free to send me an ask! This will be open for most of the month!

EDIT: I'M KEEPING THESE OPEN UNTIL I DECIDE I STOP, I'm having a lot of fun with these, more so than commissions atm so feel free to send more! Added few more franchises on the list above!!

Extra info from the reblog post:

-if animal + theme doesn't have a specified franchise I listed above, I will pick one myself. If you still want one but forgot to add to the ask, you're okay to send another one, no pressure!

-I will also either wait for askers to respond if they are interested in purchasing the adopt themselves or DM them unless they specify they aren't interested in the ask itself.

-mythical creatures are a go as long as they're fine to use! I still prefer animals as an option but I can't say no to dragons, gryphons and alike lol they're cool

-i plan to keep this open for the whole month awhile if all things go well! If I feel overwhelmed at any point I'll close the asks but this is why I'm keeping them simple :)

Thank you so much for the interests so far!

The post with currently still available adopts is HERE

[i-did-not-mean-to]

New Year - Old me

This past year, I've written and posted some 600 k of fic.

I submitted 12 fics for TRSB and a staggering 82 for Scribbles and Drabbles.

I have not finished any of my longfics.

I have participated in as many events as I could.

I have taken the monthly challenges of my friends, servers, and communities to heart.

I have commissioned art (for myself and for others). (and I am doing so still...as I type this...)

I have sent gifts (as many as people allowed me to make)

🌟I am proud of this year.🌟

There have been terrible personal setbacks, there has been suffering, there has been fear.

I have also married the love of my life...

I guess it's ups and downs for everyone.

So 2023 in review:

Biggest achievement (imo): I finished both Kinktober and Dead Dove December even though I've never written anything remotely like that before.

Biggest failure (imo): Dropping out on one of my TRSB even though it was fully written.

Most exciting new friends: @cilil and @elentarial as well as @goschatewabn

Most gratifying experience: Not having lost old friends (like @lathalea, @legolasbadass, @lordoftherazzles who were there from the very start)

What I take away from 2023: A wall full of art, of letters, of cards, fics I cherish, people I adore, a phone that is always pinging, and a heart full of love.

My message for 2024: If you need something, HIT ME UP. I will help if I can. I will buy that game for you. I will invite you to dinner, even if I cannot attend. I will promote your fic. Hell, I'll write you a fic. I'll draw you bad art...Just...send the message. If you never ask, the answer is always "no".

I am not sure I believe in those things, but tonight, I manifest:

May we be safe! May we be happy! May we find peace! May we find joy!

The night is dark, but together we can shine so bright.

All my best, my friends, my beloved, my cherished faceless darlings!

I wish all the blessings in the world upon you, and-if I can-I vow to do my best to be one of them.

Neither friend nor foe...you know how it goes...I will be there until I cannot be anywhere anymore.

Lots of love.

Be kind. Be generous. Spread love!

[ask-tay-relic]

"She was young, but patient with my outburst. Hindsight is perfect as they say, and I wish I could thank her for the lessons she later taught me."

-----

[First] // [Prior] // [Next]

The full Archive is posted here; The Leyline Athenaeum

(Updates Fri/Sat, [hopefully] Bi-Weekly)

Commissions / Sale / Comic Coms available Here!

[Sent Asks may be held for use in Comic/Cameo! Please keep in mind when sending questions! :D]

---

As you can probably tell! This update isn't quite like the others;; I've given it quite a bit of thought (A few months really) and have opted to change my work to how I actually draw in my comfort. I'll go into this a bit more under the cut!

TLDR: Updates here forward will probably not be colored and the style may be 'rougher' and not as cute or pretty as it has been prior! I hope this is alright! Thank you for your time!

--

I've spoken on this lightly in the past, but I actually have a great difficulty with the style that I've used for past pages. It takes much more mental effort and is a far longer process for getting things done.

I am a horror artist first and formost, I draw monsters and skeletons, bones and organs, paint backgrounds and objects with ease. Doing a more 'simple' style with less detailed in the lines, that isn't something I can do easily and I find it fascinating! I adore others work like that! I just find it :( difficult.

This is why updates have been so very sparse, I have been trying to work in a 'kinder' or 'more appealing' style overall for the last handful of years due to many comments of my work while I ran other blogs through 2013ish-2017 - So, I tried to change my work to be more ''clean and anime'' or however it may be called, and as you can tell! I am not very good at it! Despite practicing for so long it just isn't in my wheelhouse! (It is not -bad- of course, but It is not my forte)

Same with color. I'm colorblind so trying to color each page was always difficult to figure out 'are these the same color?? do these conflict?? does this look nice??' -- I am used to doing lineart basically as it's own thing. I'll be doing less color pages unless it's something important, Or you may see me adjusting the next few updates trying to find a balance on how I will be using colors (Or Tones).

For now, these pages are still kind of similar to the other style, and I can tell that the more I let my anxiousness (Of my Actual Style being called 'ugly' or 'disgusting' like it was before) go, it will probably change.

My forte being 'horror' also brings to note that this comic as a whole will involve darker themes [violence / gore / NOT Sexual Content] So if that is something you are uncomfortable with please keep yourself safe first and foremost!

Thank you for your patience! And I hope to be able to work more and faster so that I can share this story with you!

I'll also be answering asks [ones that are not used in the comic] within this style as well.

[mitsurichan3s-art-corner]

Mitsurichan3 commissions information & Terms of Services

Contact:

Tumblr

Email: Mitsurichan3commissions@gmail.com

(please subject it as COMMISSION REQUEST - details).

Payment methods

Paypal - through invoices sent via email

Ko-fi commissions page

Payment is done in US dollars, through paypal or Ko-fi. I am flexible in terms of payment, with 100% of the commission amount paid upfront, 50% upfront-50% once completed, or discuss multiple payment plans on a case by case basis. I am unable to provide refunds at this current time, so please keep this in mind.

General information:

Thank you so much for taking time to read through my TOS and commission information. I am Diana, aged 25, and am currently unemployed. I am open to answer questions, discuss details and talk about pricing so feel free to reach out!

I am opening commissions in order to pay my monthly bills

Please do not ask for updates every few hours, I also have a personal life and things pop up last minute.

Later this fall I will be going back to university, so commissions will stay open to help pay the costs of graduate school as well.

Commission price will also have tax applied to the final cost.

By commissioning me in any kind of way, you are agreeing to the terms of service above and below:

Detailed information:

Can draw:

Humans

Ocs / canon Characters

Ship Art

Nekomimi / Usamimi

Suggestive outfits

Please send me references, they are super helpful! Even a simple stick figure and a lot of written descriptions will go a long way!

Cannot/wont draw:

Hate art

Gore

NSFW

Mecha

Feral/anthro

Furry

Animals

Terms of Service:

Once the commission is paid for, I cannot do any refunds

I’ll only accept upfront Paypal payments through Paypal invoices, or my Ko-fi commissions page. Do NOT send me money independently. After receiving payment I will start on your commission

I reserve the rights to use/display your commission on a portfolio, artist website, and social media. However, if you wish to keep your commission private, please let me know ahead of time.

Turn around times vary between 3 weeks to 2 months, depending on complexity of the artwork requested.

I will give periodical updates at each step of the process (sketch, line art, flat colors, full rendered and email finished piece).

Sketching usually takes a week once payment has been received. I will contact you to approve the initial sketch. Clients can make 1 major change at this stage, before being charged an additional $5 per change afterwards. This will be added to the total price.

I will send the finished product through an email address of your choice.

I reserve the right to decline any commission I am not comfortable working on, for any reason.

My Art cannot be used to train AI or make NFTs.

You may NOT claim my work as your own, trace, recolor/redraw, or redistribute my work for profit.

You may NOT use or repost someone else’s commission piece without my and the buyer’s permission. If you receive permission, you must use/post with credit

Your commission piece is NOT for commercial use. This is for personal use only.

If you are the buyer, you may post the finished commission whenever you want but please credit properly, or share it from my social media accounts.

If the commission is a gift for someone else, you are allowed to share the piece with the receiving party. (PST! Let me know what they think too!)

I can accept requests if you don’t have the adequate visual reference of your/the character that you want me to draw. Do your best to communicate effectively and I will meet you halfway. I will ask a lot of questions to better understand your request.

Picrew/ Character creator images (for ocs) are accepted, as long as you have another actual reference to pair it with: i.e. using the picrew to outline an outfit you want, or a change in hair/eye color. I will accept a Picrew/Character creator image if it's exactly what you want.

Thank you so much for reading! And thank you for considering me for a commission!

[jaimistoryteller]

Why Help is Needed 2.0

Hiya All

I hope you are all well. The vast majority of this will be under a read more simply cause it is long and covers the last few years for those who don’t know me and may wonder why I am in need of help so bloody often.

I want you all to know I appreciate all of it, whether it is share, donating, buying one of my books, commissions, or any other way it may be. Thank you all.

Jaimi

$0/902

as of 12/27/2022 10 pm

Post info on current situation

Share this post; my venmo, paypal, or cash app with a note about how it can help.

Paypal: cosmosbusinessventures@gmail .com or Paypal Me

Ko-Fi

venmo @JaimiST

Cash app $jaimist

GoFundMe: Help Jaimi Catch Up the Bills & Fix the Roof

Why 2.0? Cause half asleep me managed to delete it again. So gotta rebuild again.

Redo Timeline since I sort of deleted it, again, while half asleep. really shouldn't try cleaning my tumblr up while half asleep.

Still need to finish, but here’s a starting point!

Current Situation

Hiya All

Happy winter holidays or season, as you prefer.

It's been a long month between:

internet outages cause of snow storms

being trapped in the house cause a blizzard

sleeping more than I care to admit cause of a sinus infection, pain, and migraines [though I sometimes think it was just one long one with times it started to fade before something triggered it once more]

9 hour trip to hospital cause dad coughed so much it made his throat swell and caused breathing issues

vet appointments

doctors appointments

food stamps getting cut back for a few really stupid reasons

having to argue with the insurance multiple times

So, with all that being said, between mine and dad's account, we're $902 in the hole. While I am not as worried about his, he'll get his VA pension, I am worried about mine, as it came from getting meds, getting food, and paying a few bills. I need to get them out of the hole before the next round of bills, meds, and food is needs.

Any and all help would be appreciated! Thank you for taking the time to read this.

$0/902

Money Needed History

6/16/2022 - $721

6/1/2022 - $656 [got $144 of that]

6/25/2022 - $540 electric

7/14/2022 3 pm - $36/480

8/4/2022 - $472

8/31/2022 - $1147

9/6/2022 - $50 of 1147

9/22/2022 - $1796 

10/1/2022 - $1181

11/15/2022 - $981 of which $750 was thankfully covered

12/17/2022 - $232

12/27/2022 - $902 

House Stuff Needed

I may hate amazon, but right now I’ll deal with them if anyone wants to send stuff from the list:

Stressful Times Needs & Wish List

The list has two parts, or three, depending on how you look at it, as the first and second can technically be merged.

1. Necessities

Happybuy PEX Tubing Pipe 2 Rolls of 1/2 Inch X 100 Feet PEX Tubing

Gerber Plumbing Tub & Shower Set Three Handle Chrome

SharkBite 1/2 Inch Ball Valve, Push to Connect Brass Plumbing Fitting, Water Shut Off

Thomas & Betts B120AUPC 1G 20 CU in Zip Box W/N (Pack of 100) WIRE 12/3 NMWG 250' REEL

SOUTHWIRE COMPANY #28827455 250' 14/2 W/G NM Cable

14/2 UF-B Wire, Underground Feeder and Direct Earth Burial Cable (100ft)

I recently had to replace two of my three breaker boxes, which set me behind on bills. Why? Cause they had breakers melted and shorting, some that would be in the off position but still have power going through them, others that would say they were on and not have power. But the one melted to the breaker box? That was the really terrifying one. So I need to replace the wiring, as I discovered a lot of my wiring is 30+ years old. There are sections of my house without power. Hence the reason any help there is wonderful. 

Why not go to DHS and get an electrician to help? A couple of reasons - there is a lifetime limit on how much they will help with a house if you ain’t dying. I’d be expected to pay at least half, which cost more than me getting the stuff and doing it myself. Not a fan of strangers in my house and would be worrying my service dog [and probably them since Winston is a rottie] the entire time.

The other section of the necessities list is for plumbing stuff. My pipes are a disaster, I have exactly one working sink in the house, the kitchen sink. To turn my tub/shower on/off I have to go in Dad’s room and use the access panel on/off valves since the handles don’t actually turn off, and when I was going to take them apart to see if replacing the washer would do the trick, the wall started crumbling, so I was unable to actually do so.

2. Would be Nice

Highcraft ID234x50 Half Clamp J-Hook with Nail For Pex Tubing Pipe Support, 1/2 in, Black

Owens Corning "EcoTouch" PINK FIBERGLAS Insulation for Attic 15"x25', Unfaced

Pink Insulation Foam 1/2" Thick (6 sq ft)

(30) 1/2" Brass PEX Fittings 10 Each Elbow TEE Coupler Reducer Lead Free Crimp Cinch PEX GUY

Sterilite ClearView 3 Storage Drawer Organizer

Harris Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade, 5lb

Each would make my life easier in some way while I am working on things or to lower the bills long term.

3. Things to Help with Relaxing and Dealing with Stress

Derwent Colored Pencils, Drawing, Art, Metal Tin, Metallic, 12 Count (2305599)    

Black Widow Skin Tone Colored Pencils for Adult Coloring - Color Pencils for Portraits and Skintone Artists

Fuck This Shit: A Motivational Swear Word Coloring Book

You Fucking Got This : Motivational Swear Words Coloring Book

Butts, Bleps, and Beans Cat Coloring Book

Adult Coloring Book : 60 Stress Relieving Animals Designs

Mindfulness Coloring Book For Adults: Zen Coloring Book For Mindful People

Mandala Art

Mindfulness Coloring Book for Teens

Xyron Create-a-Sticker, 5", Sticker Maker, Machine, Permanent Adhesive

Markin Arts Stretched Canvas 8x10" 10 Pack Blank Canvas Board 

I try to spend a little bit of time every day coloring, partially cause my therapist suggested it after I mentioned it can be soothing, and partly because it gives me some time not looking at a computer screen and still relaxing.

Last but not least on the list is the Lowe's Gift Cards, they make it easy for me to go buy the supplies needed for the project I am most focused on or would be easiest. Considering my list doesn’t include any of the wood, screws,

History & Timeline

There is a lot of things that have happened to cause a large part of this current situation. This list has some but not all of the event that have happened in the last few years. If I covered all of it, we’d be here forever it feels like.

2009 July 7th - car accident that started my life downwards, I was passenger, had my ankle smashed requiring surgery. The reason I now have nerve damage.

2011 - had to have the metal that rebuilt my ankle removed as I developed an allergy to it after one of the screws shifted out of position, damaging a tendon and nerve as it did so. 

2012 December - stopped working full time, as I kept ending up in the hospital from simple injuries that could have been avoided if not always pushing through the pain. My right leg likes giving out cause the nerve damage.

2013 January to current - filed for disability, still fighting for it.

2018 February - my seventh concussion, screwed up my ability to use the computer or other digital devices for a long while.

2022 April 1 to June 14 - nine trips to the hospital, totaling 21 days in total, plus another 11 days dedicated to doctors visits. When not going back and forth to the doctors/hospitals was dealing with pain and sleeping a lot.

2022 June 18 to 21 - several days with migraine and migraine aura

2022 July - lots of storming, when not storming working on roof or sleeping off pain. 

2022 August & September - seven hospital trips, including one over night, and nine doctors appointments later, means I spent a lot of time exhausted when not working on finishing my damned roof up so it would not leak in the house. Two cats I hand nursed passed away as well, which was emotionally painful.

2022 October to November 14 - so much shit: doctor appointments, emergency vet appointment, dealing with migraines, power outage

2022 November 15 to December 10 - more migraines and pain, finally ended up at the clinic, had a major sinus infection, got put on antibiotics which knocked me out for the next week

2022 December 18 - spent my legal day at the hospital with dad after he coughed so much his throat started closing up. 

2022 December - that blizzard was fun

Proofs

[ID: screenshot of dad’s checking account -$571.83, my checking account -$211.90, and my savings -$119]

[ID: screenshot of my paypal $0]

[makeyoumine69]

WRITING COMMISSIONS

Hello my dear readers! Since I was getting a lot of requests for commissions, I finally decided to give it a try! 😁

WHO WILL YOU WRITE FOR?

Patrick Bateman, cause he's my only one! 🖤💗🖤

WHAT WILL YOU WRITE?

I write reader insert fics (can do fem!reader and gn!reader)

I mostly specialize in writing smut and I'm okay with most kinks. I can do dub/non-con things as well.

I'm always happy to write some soft stuff like fluff or hurt / comfort, so if you want a romantic heart-warming story with Patty, you are welcome.

I can do different AUs (A/B/O AU is my favorite one, hehe😈) and tropes (love/hate is so dope).

You can also ask me to write something really angsty, because I'm such a sucker for angst.

Well, I can be really flexible, so almost anything is negotiable! 😁

WHAT WILL YOU NOT WRITE?

Heavy gore

Underage smut

Incest

Pedophillia

There may be more things I don't feel comfortable writing about. But this list is a red flag.

PRICES?

Prices are totally negotiable as I don't really care about it! Any help is greatly appreciated! 💗

I am currently accepting 3 slots.

TERMS AND HOW DOES THIS ALL WORK?

First, we will discuss the whole idea of what you want me to write (genre, length, trope types, kinks, and anything else you want to present).

Then I'll work with you to create a draft that we can tweak until it fits the story flow you want.

Throughout the process, you'll get free updates on your piece before it's finished, so you can tweak it and measure its progress, and once it's finished, you'll receive it in a PDF file via email or a link to a Google Doc you can access, whichever makes it easier for you.

The payment process is simple, you just charge me directly, no extra stuff.

Commissioned writing is for you to keep and will not be posted by me (unless you wish for that). You may share or upload your commissions yourself, but with credit to me.

HOW TO CONTACT ME

You can DM me here and we'll talk about everything!🖤

EXAMPLES OF MY COMMISSIONS

Before you send your request, you can check some of my works: Commission#1 (NSFW) / Commission#2 / Commission#3

[alexseanchai]

@snowflakechallenge 3:

Create a wish list of fandom things (podfic, graphics, playlists, canon recs translations, research help, vids, sky's the limit!) that you'd like to receive. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this Snowflake Challenge Dreamwidth post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I'm mostly blanking on things I want that aren't on my fandomtrees wishlist (which has Emelan, Encanto, Miraculous Ladybug, and Yuri on Ice prompts) or holiday_wishes wishlist (though the only fannish bits there that aren't on the fandomtrees list are in the spending-money section).

But! The first chapter of starting right now I'll be strong and all chapters of Jeu des princesses avec les pommes d'or de la discorde, inscribed 'to the fairest', both canon-divergent Yuri on Ice fics, are told entirely through stuff the characters said on the internet. Notably on Instagram. Thing is I do not have either the art skills or the art commission money to illustrate most of those Instagram posts. So if I can't glue the Insta post together using canon screenshots, Wikimedia Commons, and Unsplash, then the Insta post has to stay text-only. (You can see in the second chapter of Jeu des princesses how well that's going. I do have two and a half of the images for the first chapter of starting right now—the first one, the Minami one, and the top half of the one where the bottom half is Yuuri stole Phichit's Pikachu hat—but comparing those two chapters may illustrate why I haven't added those images yet.)

So in addition to what's listed on fandomtrees—and I'm joining the chorus of Snowflake participants who want people to look over all those wishlists, or at least the ones with fewer than two gifts, and fill what you can—I am asking for fanart that's the image part of one or another of the Insta posts in one of those two fics.

And! fandomtrees doesn't do Creator's Choice of Fandom, which is valid, but does mean I had to leave this prompt off that list:

* exploration via historical documents, primary and secondary sources, etc., of canon characters/events and their effects on the local, regional, and global courses of history. this could be set a couple hundred years after canon and thus explore canon from a historian's perspective (social media posts could be both primary and secondary sources here, depending), or it could be set around, during, or before canon and explore characters who have been name-checked at most.

Also, the how to use CSS to make iOS messages look realistic guide by CodenameCarrot and La_Temperanza makes it seem like there should be a way to use background-image in the CSS from the how to use CSS to make vintage-2016 Instagram posts look realistic guide by gadaursan (with instIcon1 instIcon2 instIcon3 instead of instIcon, as well as instIconRight instHeart) so that those five little icons don't display when creator style is off. But so far all I seem to be achieving is making them not display when creator style is on, either. Send help?

[1lostsoul0fishbowl]

Hi! I’m Losty. 👋

A few things about me:

My username is a play on the line “we’re just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year” from Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here. Chronic illness has kept me isolated and lonely and that somehow seemed to express the feeling.

I started writing the kind of comfort and fluff I needed in my own life. I started sharing my writing in case anyone else needed some comfort too.

If you ever want to talk, feel free to send me a message or an ask.

My Writing

I’m currently fixated on Stranger Things, and all of my stories (except the very first one) take place in a post-s4 alternate universe where Vecna was defeated and everyone (from s4) survived… especially my beloved Chrissy and Eddie, who inspired me to start writing again in the first place.

Work(s) In Progress:

Completed Works:

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 GreatMage: The Series

🪽 Next Time I Fall (24 chapters; 83k wc) The story of how El “Weirdo Girl” Hopper and Gareth “Junior Freak” Emerson went from just friends to something more.

🎶 Next Time I Fall chapter title playlist

🕸️ Lost and Found and Turned Around (7 chapters; 31k wc) In the winter of 1988, El reunites at last with her long lost sister Kali.

🪻 With a Little Help From My Friends (84 chapters; 207k wc)

Covering two years after spring break ‘86, this collection of stories intertwines into a (long) tale of found family, love, support, overcoming challenges, forgiveness, and the power of friendship.

🪷 Father of Mine: The Series

Why Should I Cry For You (one-shot; 3k wc) Eddie’s father briefly reappears in his life. It doesn’t go well.

Bereaved (two-shot; 4k wc) Eddie, helped by his friends, deals with the death of his father.

Into the Shining Sun / Breathing (9 chapters; 21k wc) in Shining Sun, Eddie meets some estranged family he never knew he had. Breathing is a short postscript to chapter 5 of Shining Sun.

Gone Away (8 chapters; 14k wc) a love letter to uncle Wayne, as he takes little Eddie in and learns to care for him.

🌺 55 Fiction Collection

55 stories of 55 words each.

🌸 The Stone (one-shot; 1.5k wc)

Max Mayfield isn’t afraid of anything, except maybe being vulnerable.

🪴 Signed, Sealed, Delivered (one-shot; 2k wc)

A collection of letters written back and forth between Eddie and Chrissy while she’s away at school.

🍁 Darkness Before the Dawn (one-shot; 3k wc)

Hawkins may be right side up again, but Eddie is still upside down. His friends are there to help him through some of his darkest days.

🌴 Tattoos and Trash Talk (one-shot; 1k wc)

Eddie and El bond over being weirdos.

🌼 Not-so-iron Maiden (one-shot; 1k wc)

Max finally has the big brother she’s always wanted.

🌻 the shield and the shepherd (one-shot; 2k wc)

In this no-Vecna AU, Chrissy learns first to stand and then to fly.

Silly Corroded Coffin and Other Assorted Headcanons:

Use the tag below “losty headcanons” to read the collection! 😜

Commissioned Artworks:

Use the tags below “little help: artwork” - “eleverson artwork” - or “stali artwork” to see the collection!