#about rex being a hallucination

[verycorrectlegomovie]

So apparently the "bad vibes" I've been feeling are actually severe psychological distress.

-Emmet

[izzystizzys]

Echo’s world has gone decidedly… wobbly. Blurry. Fuzzy at the edges, and what-will-you-else. He can’t feel his fingertips, is his first thought. Kriffing overdid it on the glowing green shots, is his second.

“Holy kriff, Echo, that manhole-cover underneath you is moving!”, Fives exclaims, third. Or more like slurs into Lt. Jesse’s shoulder, who is himself moaning indistinctly into the Captain’s pauldron, who is in turn swaying back and forth gesturing at Commander Cody.

And it really is - the manhole cover, that is, once Echo stumbles off it with a shriek. Jumping up into the now open air with sudden force, steadying and then scraping across paveme-

“Are those kriffing hands?!”

In an instant, seven highly drunk pairs of fists and one blaster, courtesy of Commander Cody (the only one present who’s sober enough to be legally handling it) are aimed in a circle around the cover slowly being shuffled to the side, then the hands reaching up to palm at the edges of the hole -

- and are slowly being lowered again when two white-red painted helmets are heaved into view, along with chest-deep groaning and grunting. Two armored Corries collapse in a heap at Commander Cody’s feet, who stares down at them in open-mouthed shock.

Slowly, Echo blinks. Slowly, he raises a hand to snap his fingers in front of his face. No, still there. Slowly, Fives grabs for a piece of flank underneath his blacks and twists. Echo yelps, and slaps his hand away hard enough to hurt himself. “OI!”

“B’have, boys”, Captain Rex makes a brave attempt to slur out as he sways on his feet, still staring down at the trembling heap of armor at their feet. Whoa, Echo didn’t know they had those kinds of funky armor designs in the Guard. Very avant-garde.

“That’s blood, Ey’ika”, says Appo.

Oh.

Slowly, Hardcase raises his right foot, inching towards-

“Don’t even think about it”, Commander Cody snaps, and Hardcase’s foot whips back to the ground next to its companion. Fives chortles. “Yeah, genius, those are Commander kamas - they’d put you down in a second flat!”

“Why would two Corrie Commanders go crawling out of holes in front of 79’s, huh, genius?!”, Hardcase retorts, somewhat justly, Echo feels. Next to him, Commander Cody frowns, and kneels carefully. “Good question, trooper. Fox, can you hear me? Fox’i-“

Which is when one of the bodies - Commander Fox, Echo realizes with a shudder, The Marshall Commander Fox - convulses on the ground, and an arm rears up to nail Cody face-first with the back of a hand, sending him sprawling back into the pavement with an undignified squawk.

“Thorn”, the sad figure that is the highest decorated clone in existence groans, still faceplanted into pavement, “Thorn, I’m hallucinating Cody. Thorn, tell him to shut up.”

“Shuddup”, Commander Thorn heaves, loyally. Cody makes an affronted noise, braced back on his shebs. “Sdubid Codeh.”

Commander Fox’s visor scrapes against the ground with his nod, a sound that sends the surrounding vod’e cringing. “Yeah, you go, Thorn. You’re my favorite.” A considering pause. “Oh, kark. I need to call in medevac - Fox to Stabby, Fox to Stabby - the kriffing Narglatches are back on the lower levels.”

The Commander’s comm crackles to life, as he heaves himself over with a punched-out moan - oh, yup, that dark patch’s definitely not paint, and are those teeth marks?! On plastoid??

“I’m going to wring Senator Hliii’s neck, and then I’m going to twist him into a human kriffing meat-lasso to catch every last one of his little pets with”, sounds through Fox’s comm, who just hacks out a laughcough in response. “Pinging your location now. Where’s Thorn?”

“Pr’snt”, slurs Thorn.

“Concussed”, adds Fox, “We crawled out forty levels to behind 79’s, so no one would see us.”

Awkward silence follows.

“Uh, about that”, begins Rex, only to be interrupted by a deep groan from Fox.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kriffing kidding me! As if Cody’s ugly mug wasn’t - WHAT THE KRIFF ARE YOUR KRIFFING ARC KARKHEADS DOING IN MY HALLUCINATION, REX?!”

“Shuddup, Rex”, Thorn moans bravely.

[425599167]

Since Fallout: New Vegas is notorious for being buggy as hell, I think a compelling Watsonian explanation for it is that the player character was shot in the head, and brain damage is causing hallucinations. A lot of things start making more sense. Old World Blues is explicit about the bullets causing permanent changes.

This goes double for characters with Wild Wasteland enabled. Was there a gang of old women beating people up? Were those cyberdogs really playing poker? Maybe the miniature Deathclaw living in that doghouse isn’t real, and that’s why it isn’t dying no matter how much you shoot it.

Courier: Veronica, did we just fight a bunch of aliens?

Veronica: What are you talking about? They’re just some raiders.

Courier: Then where did this alien blaster come from?

Veronica: That’s a gauss rifle- a pretty high-end one, too- please stop pointing it at me.

That one Nightkin with the tumbleweeds: You want to buy wind-brahmin?!

Courier: Is he real?

Veronica: He’s real. He’s real and he’s robbing us.

This more I think about it, the more depth it adds to many of the Courier’s interactions with friends and enemies. Patching up ED-E after the robot got too damaged to know where it should go. Saving Rex from his failing organic brain. Helping Nightkin, especially Lily and Dog/God, suffering from their schizophrenia. Hearing Cass mention her heart condition, or getting Boone to open up. Christine struggling to read after her head was cut up in the Big Empty.

Stealth Suit Mk II: Starting combat... Just kidding!

Courier: Please don’t. *pulls out the Mysterious Magnum just in case*

Mysterious Magnum: *guitar chords nobody else can hear*

Courier: Shush.

A random coyote: *appears to be swimming through the ground*

Courier: Eeeeuuuuggghhh no no no NO. Arcade! Help!

It adds another layer of contempt for Caesar’s Legion and their anti-medicine stance. Caesar’s brain tumor appears similarly debilitating, but instead of recognizing that people need to aid each other to survive, he clings to his infallible image. He can only save himself using medical technology he outlawed, and he wouldn’t let anyone else be helped by it. The Courier has plenty of mixed feelings about gunning down Fiends who’ve taken too many drugs to know what they’re doing, and debates how much sympathy to show the Think Tank after witnessing their psychological decay.

The Courier is a brilliant, unstoppable force who needs friends to help navigate the strangeness of the wasteland.

[starlightlacrimosazpsff]

◇ 𝓐 𝓑𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓘𝓶𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 ◇ [2]

SYNOPSIS:

Many consider your disability as a burden, but he finds a way to make it a blessing in disguise. What makes us flawed is what makes us unique, and that is what he considers the most beautiful thing about you—an imperfection he dearly adores. Nevertheless, he knows of your lingering sorrows and seeks a way to support you in the best way he could.

ENTRY TYPE: Submission, F!Reader

WARNING(S): slightly suggestive scenes, symptoms of chronic/terminal illness, implications of mental instability, mentions of past trauma resulting to severe injury, scenes of past abuse/violence, possible triggers, panic attacks, sleep paralysis, visual/auditory hallucinations, etc...

CHARACTER(S):

Baizhu, Xiao/Alatus, Zhongli / Rex Lapis / Morax, Kaedehara Kazuha, Kamisato Ayato, Thoma

•

•

•

•☆••☆••☆•

BAIZHU is a doctor that advocates for the healing of all those in need even at his own expense. In the city of Liyue where everything is bound by contracts, he is the successor to the ancient arts imparted by Changsheng. To nurture the light of souls in danger of being extinguished, the green-haired healer must sacrifice the years bestowed upon him. However, his predecessors—particularly his late master—left him a conundrum: were their lives not just as precious, and thus deserving of preservation? On the other hand, Changsheng would perish if left without a host. Under such facts, how can one continue the contract without paying the price of either the host's or Changsheng's life?

The concepts of life and death have come hand in hand since the olden days. Whether in literature or science, life and death are two sides of the same coin. True immortality is gifted to non-humans for the nature of humans is to remain mortal and ever so fleeting—as there is beauty in its evanescence.

To pursue otherwise is considered an atrocity, perhaps even, a forbidden knowledge.

Baizhu has long been disillusioned by all sides to such lectures. A medicine can easily be used as a poison via overdose, just as a poison can be used as a remedy to eliminate a harmful virus. Power is neither good nor evil, for it is the wielder's intention that shall define its purpose. The supposedly heretic pursuit of immortality is only ever catastrophic when a soul becomes seduced by dark temptations. He is not so arrogant as to proclaim being above it since he is only human as much as any ordinary person. He just knows what to expect of himself.

The green-haired doctor has always been selfish in a way that he just wants to save lives—simple.

"Is it because you loathe death?"

That was a question Changsheng once asked him when he was but a young apprentice.

Death is a natural part of a cycle. It is the mortality that defines the end of every season so it can begin anew; as when one falls, another grows. As a doctor, he merely considers it his job—maybe even a calling—to deter death so his patients could appreciate life.

If Changsheng's contract is the answer, then why should he hesitate? Of course, if said contract shall be considered a plight, then he is determined to let it end with him.

On the gravesite of his predecessors, a chartreuse lantern innocently rested on the tombstone of the first doctor. It sways precariously yet does not tip even against the breeze. Its lit flame was slowly dimming, and it is then that they—he, Changsheng, and Qiqi—finally noticed a peculiar symbol on it.

An ouroboros with silver eyes is drawn in sparkling viridian ink, as if covered in real scales.

"Show yourself, wàishengnǚ."

Upon Changsheng's demand, the lantern shimmered a vibrant green. In its place, a woman was resting on the grave like a grieving widow. Contrastingly, your serene countenance displayed a sweeter image and amplified the otherworldly beauty that can only belong to an adeptus. A silk hanfu in various shades of green covered your figure, and a lone jade comb pinned your hair back in a waterfall braid. There was also a ghostly silver yǔyī draped over you.

"That," her tail points at you, "is the petulant daughter of my late sister. You may call her [Name]."

Thus, his new life with you began.

Baizhu found you to be pleasant company if not a bit eccentric due to your outdated manners. Most of the time, you were always hibernating. Changsheng had clarified that it is not always by choice. They are the side-effects of your abilities—resembling symptoms of narcolepsy, given how he sometimes finds you paralyzed. A part of him felt protective over you because of that. His responsibility now is to provide you treatment in regaining the movement of your muscles, whether through acupuncture or massage.

You trusted no other hands to handle you too.

Speaking of which, you and his adorable assistant have been inseparable. Whenever you are in snake form, you are found either wrapped around Qiqi's neck or nesting on/under her big hat. Whenever you are in human form, she is cuddled in your cold yet welcoming embrace. It came as a bit of a shock when Qiqi claimed her body never suffers rigor mortis in your presence.

"Qiqi loves [Name]." She proclaims.

From what Baizhu observed, you love her just as much...even if you refuse to admit it.

According to Changsheng, you have been asleep since the death of her first contractor—which left you at odds with each other. He did not pry despite his curiosity. He could deduce the facts based on your behavior. On the rare times Qiqi left you behind in Bubu Pharmacy, you sneak into the sleeves of his coat as if to find solace in it.

While Changsheng was asleep, Baizhu took the rare chance to converse with you.

"Why did you choose to wake up now?" He asked.

You deadpanned at him, staring into his eyes as if the answer should have been obvious.

"You were being too loud." You replied.

Baizhu raised a brow confusedly, making you sigh in a mix of boredom and agitation.

"You kept calling me and it woke me up. Really annoying, to be honest..."

He frowned, "I...don't understand. I never knew about you until Changsheng introduced us."

You laughed, and Baizhu swore it sounded like the whispering soft waves by the seashore.

"Your soul sure did~!" You chimed, "It kept nagging about immortality and all that stuff."

His eyes widened in realization.

"Wait, does that mean you—"

"—know about the secret you so desperately seek?"

You gave a sultry smile, walking towards him with a very subtle swing to your hips.

"You must wonder why yímā said nothing about it."

Baizhu looks up yet the gleam remains on his lenses as he stared at you. The golden hour bathed you in flaxen glaze, and his breath hitches when it seems to make your eyes glower. It left him frozen as your lips grazed his ear and the warmth of your breath made him shiver.

"It's quite simple." You whispered, "The method I practice can only be done by me."

You pull back just enough for your eyes to meet.

"It would have been worthless for her to tell you when she was under the assumption I plan to sleep for the rest of eternity."

You glared as your smile sharpened. For a second, the man in your arms felt the familiar constriction of a snake around his body—less friendly, and more threatening. He looked down to see your silver yǔyī tightly wound around his waist like a vise made of plumage. It pulls him closer to you.

"I would have done exactly that if not for your soul's incessant whining." You snarked.

A soft sound resembling a melodic hiss echoes in the room as you turn away. The cloak tickles his skin as it slides away from his exposed stomach. It can almost be seen as a taunt to "come hither" while the eldritch cloth fluttered around you.

You behave more serpentine than Changsheng, yet he still finds it difficult to fear you.

"I suppose," you mumble, "you did present me the perfect opportunity with your ambition."

Rustic golden eyes narrowed at you, flickering into red for a split second. You thought it was a much lovelier shade on him, and you desired to see it more often.

"An opportunity for you to what...?"

You look back over your shoulder. At that precise timing, your grin was childlike and delicate. It was an extreme juxtaposition to your next words.

"An opportunity to die, of course~!"

Baizhu stares in dumbfounded shock, yet he could not inquire more as you slumped. The bout of high emotions seem to have put your muscles at its limit as you slurred. He rushes forward, catching you in his arms and was surprised. Usually, you turn back into your snake form in defense if anyone other than Qiqi touched you in human form; but not this time.

Watching your elegant features, your foreboding words haunt him.

In a moment of weakness, his hand caressed your cheek. His knuckles traced your lips as his eyes are left mesmerized—besotted by you alone.

Flustered, he then pulls away.

Since that day, Baizhu subconsciously begins to treat you more gently and warmly. It did not perturb you but there was trepidation in your gaze, as well as a hint of hope. A mutual understanding grew between you and this persistent fool.

He is a greedy man advocating for life.

You are a pitiful woman yearning for death.

That parallelism is what enabled his soul to awaken yours back to reality. As days pass and nights wane, you grew infatuated by this premise. In the fleeting bliss of domesticity, an ardent affection for living has returned to your nihilistic heart. A part of you still wishes it remained forgotten with the broken pieces that the first doctor left abandoned.

Changsheng sees right through you.

Someday, your feelings for Baizhu will far surpass whatever fascinations you held for Xu Xian.

"I always found it odd." You said.

Baizhu hums as he stargazes beside you. Qiqi had taken Changsheng inside to give you both some needed privacy.

"You and your predecessors," you scoffed, "are always so determined to defy the clutches that death has over your patients; yet in your attempts, you become the most eager to greet it on your doorstep."

You glared into his bespectacled honey gaze, sweet as much as it is infuriating. Your heart swells when he dropped his fallacious smile, proving he is taking your words seriously.

"It is hypocrisy at its finest." You spat.

Your limbs flailed in irritation but you swiftly calmed yourself. The last thing you needed is for your words to slur in anger and then faint.

"What about you?" Baizhu confronts, "Why are you so fixated to die?"

You smile resentfully, "I want to spite him."

It took no guesses whom you meant.

"The audacity of that man," you grumble, "pleading for me to live and find happiness again—in another, as if my heart was so fickle—while he laid dying due to his own foolishness. Since he was so unrepentant for his choice, I want to know why."

Your hand reaches out to the moon. For those brief seconds, beguiled golden eyes watched the scales on your skin shine.

"What does being human feel like? What does it mean to die?" You ask rhetorically.

Baizhu looks at you and is awed to finally see you in whole view. Your regrets, your woes, your pride, your vulnerabilities...

...and your love—he witnesses.

He wants them all.

"Your powers," he said, "what would they entail if I take your contract as well?"

A delicate tenderness softens your smile, pushing a surge of pride in him.

"Simple," you respond idly, "all the energy I have accumulated will be transferred to you."

Baizhu blinked, "So...a reverse of Changsheng's own healing arts?"

You shrug, "My mother had said that the green and white snakes were always meant to be united. One is responsible for refining chi to immortalize the host, while the other will heal by absorbing illnesses."

"That is why you always end up hibernating," he alas concludes, "to gather chi around you."

You smirk, "My endearment for Qiqi is not entirely innocent in that notion. As an undead, the adeptal energy which surrounds her is my ideal reservoir. Similar to dual cultivation, I keep her bodily functions in circulation even when at rest."

In a blink, you levitated before Baizhu with feet just barely touching the ground to be on equal eye level with him. Your hands cradled his face and a solemn glint made your eyes shimmer, as if in tears.

"The green snake is an ouroboros," you murmur, "a serpent that eats itself to gain power."

Your arms slide around his shoulders as your body slumped against him.

"The white snake is a shapeshifter," you continue, "a serpent that endlessly sheds its skin to live."

Your lips kissed his neck and he felt your fangs graze the skin all too tantalizingly.

"Ironically," you chuckle darkly, "the powers are set in reverse. With both contracts, you get to fulfill that ambition of yours: an immortal doctor that can cure any ailment."

"To accomplish it," Baizhu intercepts, "I must take the identity of the green snake."

He understands it now.

The two snakes are bound because they are the only ones capable of undertaking each other's contract without paying a steep price. Your mother perished to save you, leaving Changsheng vulnerable. The first doctor took her contract and then met you. His death could have been prevented if he took yours too, but he chose otherwise.

You did not spite the doctor for choosing death.

You hated how he chose death for your sake. He failed to understand your heart by heeding the calls of his own...and you blamed yourself for it, not Changsheng.

"I accept."

His declaration was not unexpected but you did not anticipate the weight behind it. While Xu Xian acted callous with his life, Baizhu was just as flippant by the burdens of immortality.

However, the way he looks at you says otherwise.

The way he smiles at you while his arms embraced your figure in turn proved it.

"Acceptance is a point of no return." You warn one last time, "Nothing of you will remain—only the green ouroboros. I will go to sleep more and more for every time you wake with vitality. Someday, I will not wake up beside you anymore at all."

Baizhu tightens his hold as if spooked by the idea yet he smiles angelically at you. His hand rose to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear while yours tilted his glasses down teasingly in jest.

"I will relieve you of your burden." He proclaims, "I only ask that you live the remainders of this life with joy and no regrets..."

Audaciously, he leans forward until your lips were centimeters away from each other.

"...by my side."

Tears escape yet your laughter is most sincere.

"Then, the contract is sealed."

With your words, a kiss is exchanged.

Baizhu will have to live the rest of eternity knowing that he chose to let his beloved go to death. He will spend that same eternity persuading others to keep choosing life in exchange. His sole comfort is that it shall be a mutual choice—a mortal yet bountiful life together—between you and him.

You are destined to become his first grievance when he turns immortal.

That is the proof of love he can give you in return for your blessings, your heart, and—

"My dearest, for whom I embrace eternal damnation so you may rest."

•☆••☆••☆•

XIAO is a yaksha whose purpose lies within his many names under one mask. As General Alatus, he fought alongside his fellow yaksha brothers and sisters in the perilous era of the Archon War. As the Golden Winged King, he is respected amongst the adepti that serve Rex Lapis. As the Winged Nemesis, the stars acknowledged him enough to bestow the power of anemo. As the Conqueror of Demons, he works tirelessly against the undying darkness. As the Vigilant Yaksha, he became the last of his kind and a phantom that lingers within the Wangshu Inn.

All of these identities are united under one mask and one name: Adeptus Xiao.

It is both his shield and his bond.

Xiao can vividly hear the ringing of his real name being called in reverence by his comrades. He will sometimes linger from the hilltops at night to reply morosely. The sound is similar to a bird call from a distance, a mimicry of his true form. If he felt more sentimental in his solitude, he would even play a whole piece with the dizi flute.

In one such night, the last yaksha smelled the potent odor of hysterical panic and fear. It clashed against the putrid taste of hateful rage and sadism.

One soul is hunting for the blood of another.

By raw instinct, his mask took form upon his face as he dashed towards the origin of the scent. He was led towards Qingyun Peak. For a moment, he paused at the sight of burning qingxin flowers by his feet—a peculiar hint to what awaits him. The wind whipped against his hair and exposed arms, chilling his skin in a familiar brush. It pushed him to go even faster to save the victim of such malice.

A swirl of anemo green and inky black blur together as he finally arrived with spear in hand.

That was when Xiao first saw you.

A man twice your size had been choking you. Now, he was dead by your feet with a piece of broken glass stabbed into his jugular. However, you were clearly bleeding out as the rag you call a dress had been painted red. On the other hand, your flesh was in shades of black and blue. In some twisted sense, your face was left in pristine condition—churning Xiao's stomach, for he could guess the intention of your abuser. Your hair was matted due to sweat and grime, a splatter of dirt on your cheeks.

The imagery struck too much familiarity.

The Conqueror of Demons then gasped as he is forced out of reverie. You are losing consciousness while standing dangerously close to the edge of a steep cliff. Your chapped lips move as the wind carried your message to his ears.

Three words.

A plea for help. A desperation to live.

"Help...me...please."

Then, you fell back.

For Xiao, it felt like a surreal dream as he threw his body forward. His hand released his weapon and reached out towards you. A raw cry reverberated in his ears, distantly recognizing it to be his own. The yaksha willed his Vision to let him fall faster as his fingers grazed yours, until he managed to take hold of your hand.

With a strong pull, Xiao engulfs you in a tight yet gentle embrace—mindful of your fragility. In another swirl of green and black, he swiftly teleports to the Wangshu Inn.

That was the start of his life's chapter with you.

It actually took you three days to awaken, and an entire month to fully recover. Verr Goldet concluded that irreparable damage was done to your throat, rendering you indefinitely voiceless. Talking causes you pain, and straining yourself causes you to cough out blood. The yaksha has never met someone who can scream so loud in silence.

Alatus understood the feeling.

Although you never officially met your savior, Verr had told you everything you needed to know. While working through your physical rehabilitation, you made a habit of leaving almond tofu in a certain room. It is accompanied by a single honeyed qingxin flower, a pain-killing remedy that you learned as a child. Whenever you collect the plate in the morning, it is always empty. After three days, you grew bold and thus began to also leave a small note under the plate—just messages of goodwill or brief greetings to the Vigilant Yaksha.

"What a foolish mortal." Xiao murmured.

You never received a reply but you were far from disheartened by it.

After a month of this routine, the first sign of your savior's reciprocation was a freshly picked qingxin flower beside the empty plate.

That was the first time Xiao saw a genuine smile from you as he watched at a distance.

"Truly foolish indeed." He mumbled.

Everyone was pleasantly surprised by your hidden Pyro Vision. You can conjure different colors of wisp flames. Each served a purpose which the inn found very useful when you learned to control it.

Red is the most natural color, and enables the wisps to interact without burning anything. They can be touched in this state unless infused with anemo to cause Swirl.

Orange is the defensive color that produces barriers of all kinds. They serve as warning to anyone that provokes any harm or malice. Yellow/Gold is its secondary phase which makes the shield or wisps combust. It is also the color that engulfs your sword with your elemental skill and burst.

Xiao could not explain it but he is aware whenever you call out his name in your mind. There is always something tugging at his core ever since he began to reciprocate your small acts of affectionate goodwill. Whenever he follows it, he finds you—whether it is because you were praying to him, or because you were in danger.

He then consulted his fellow adepti but received no concrete answers. He would be lying if he claims to not be curious about this odd phenomenon, even if he just accepted in stride.

As time passed, the yaksha viewed you as a sort of companion for every silent call. It is an unspoken camaraderie, one he could not deny.

On the first anniversary of your meeting, Xiao gifted you the Primordial Jade Cutter.

On the second anniversary, you saw him vulnerable for the first time. Reduced to his knees, he gasped in pain as tendrils of black surrounded him—his karmic debt, as he called it. This was the price he had to pay for eons of slaughter. He warned you to back off in a raised voice, yet you persisted as your immaculate pyro swirled with his tainted anemo.

White is the color of healing, shining above the rest and burning hottest. It was your natural affinity, and he found it fitting on you—a soul most endearing and most loving. Alas, as the two elements danced and your flames purged the karmic debt within him, he had an epiphany. The bond you both nurtured over mutual exchanges of qingxin, the reason why he can hear a voice you can never use—they all point back towards her.

You stared at him in concern as you kneeled, joining him on the floor. Slowly to not spook him, your hand touches his cheek ever so tenderly. For all his strong abstinence, Xiao indulged your touch as he leaned into your palm. Your white flames dissolve the black miasma and the pain receded, if only for now.

However, as soon as he regained clarity, there was a spark of anxiety and disbelief in his catlike eyes.

Then, he vanished.

Xiao avoided you for weeks. A part of you felt a bit saddened by that but you ignored it. As long as he was taking care of himself, you had no reason to complain.

The next time you heard anything about him was from a gentleman named Zhongli.

You met the funeral consultant at the balcony of Wangshu Inn, which Xiao frequented whenever he is on standby. The older man smiled knowingly at you, inviting you for some tea. Then, he relays the news of the yaksha undertaking a perilous mission in The Chasm.

"Worry not," he told at the face of your concern, "I promise that he shall return to you."

For some reason, his tone made you blush like a girl exposed by the father of the boy she adores.

However, true to his word, Xiao returned safely.

Then, the yaksha told you to meet him at Qingyun Peak—the place of your first meeting.

You walked the familiar path in a strangely relaxed pace despite the bad memories. In fact, you felt overjoyed to see qingxin growing on formerly ashen grasslands. Rays of sunshine gold peek through the gaps of trees and their branches. You look up to see Xiao sitting alone by the cliff, staring ahead to oversee all of Liyue.

Xiao heard you coming and closed his eyes just as you sat beside him. He can feel your gaze analyzing him from head to toe. The warmth of your flames caressed his skin, likely seeking injuries in need of healing. His sore muscles are thus soothed but, to his curiosity, the flames linger on his arm.

Golden eyes open to see you dazedly observing his tattoo. Amidst the trance, your hand traced its shape and lingered when it pulsed aglow. He shivered at the sensation, making you pull back.

A silent apology was made by your lovely eyes.

Xiao said nothing to that, gazing at the setting sun once again.

"Indarias." He said.

You tilted your head in confusion.

The adeptus sighs somberly, eyes growing misty in recollections of old memories.

"The predecessor of your Vision," he clarified gently, "her name was Indarias."

That was the day Xiao bore his heart and soul open to you. He told you about his brothers and sisters, encouraged by his trials in The Chasm. He explains how they once swore blood oaths to each other. It carried to their Visions, and that is how he can hear you say his name even without a voice. After being confronted by remnants of Bosacius, he recalls what made him cower from you—the revelation that you inherited the power of Indarias. When he had been falling to his death, he recalls how his mind was only filled with thoughts of you.

Then, when that golden light saved him once again, all he could think was—

"I wanted to come home to you."

Xiao confessed as his eyes softened upon meeting yours. He raises a hand to your cheek, smiling as a blush coated your skin. Leaning forward, your lips met his for the first of many times. Your arms held him close, and it will be your shared secret how he shed tears upon this sacred act.

To embrace his future, Xiao had made peace with the fact he must let go of the past. He will carry the memories of the fallen and honor them; but he will now live for himself, and for you.

However, all things—good or bad—eventually must come to an end.

The karmic debt bore down more harshly than it has ever done. By instinct, Xiao sought your existence yet also wished to stay far from it. The result was teleporting to Qingyun Peak. He remained unaware to the flow of time, leaving you and those who knew of his plight to search for him. All he could think is how unfair everything felt. Just as he found the will to genuinely live his life, he was being taken away to the arms of death. In the past, all he wanted was to take flight with the birds in the sky—yet chose to remain grounded by contract with his lord.

Now, he has you.

He laments how he still wants to spend more time, to make more memories, with you...

...yet there is no time left for memories anymore.

"Xiao!"

Your echoing voice pierced through the excruciating haze of black. His mask was cracking. All he can do is lean on his spear. The Primordial Jade grew dull with each passing second.

"Stay back!" He yelled hoarsely.

You took a step, white flames lashing out.

"I mean it!" He shouted more frantically.

In an effort to get away and protect you, the yaksha backed himself to the edge. With wide eyes, he finds himself falling back in stumbling steps as his mask fully crumbled. The pupils of his eyes thinned into alarming slits before dilating into clarity as he saw you reaching for him. In practiced ease, his own hand moved to welcome yours yet he was getting pulled farther back. The image of the past overlaps with the present, the roles reversing—

—yet the wind still carried three words.

A promise by heart. A resignation to die.

Xiao smiled as his golden eyes softened, gleaming with tears of farewell.

"I love you."

His world is then consumed by black smoke, and you watched in horror. A glance at his fading Anemo Vision made you jump after him, reaching out like he did long ago.

You refuse to let it end like this.

Red embers swirled to chase after Xiao like dancing silk ribbons. They surround you in a vermillion shield, carmine transitioning into rustic amber. Your white flames burn brighter than ever. It fought against the dark karma which threaten to devour you.

Unabashed, you cried out even as you bled.

"Alatus!"

His real name. Not his adeptus name.

Time seems to slow into a stop for Alatus, whose eyes fluttered open. He felt the nostalgic comfort of heat amidst the coldest breeze. Mustering the last of his strength, he returns your embrace—a picture of bittersweet bliss. His left hand cradles your head and his free arm wraps around your waist.

"[Name], my foolish mortal..."

Alatus remembers the words of Indarias from long ago. She told him that only the wind can save a fire from dying and empower it. He had failed to do that when she burned herself to ashes in madness. The memory made him hold you tighter, beseeching.

He refuses to let that happen to you.

A tinkling sound of two Visions meeting echoes for all adepti to hear. By the breath of his anemo, your final flame awakens.

Blue is the color of rebirth. It allows the union of souls, merging ambitions to begin anew. This azure light symbolizes radiance of a newborn star, perhaps even the miracle of resurrection.

A majestic golden bird shrouded in cerulean flames rose above Liyue. It shrieked an ancient hymn while flying across the sky, free at last. Darkness is purged as if night turned into day, and the Fourth Descender bore witness. A pair of amber eyes watched from afar as their owner gave a meaningful smile.

This undying bond is a new contract signed by the Vigilant Yaksha and his mortal lover—

"As thou hath been promised to me, I offer mine whole self to thee."

•☆••☆••☆•

ZHONGLI is a god who has lived for eons, and has yet to begin his life at the same time. After his six millennia of existence, he has been known by many names and bestowed countless titles. Some are hearsay and some are legitimate—all are bonded through his contracts. As the Prime Adeptus, he is the warrior god named Morax whom subdued the rage of oceans and monsters by rain of spears. To the people of Liyue, he is the almighty Rex Lapis whom stood as the overseer of contracts, history, and commerce. By the word of Celestia, he is the Geo Archon whom holds dominion over the Rook Gnosis; and in the eyes of Teyvat, that made him god amongst gods even if he felt otherwise under the divine gaze.

When he finally stepped down from the throne and pedestal of glory, his words to the Traveler omitted a particular truth from them—

—that is, his reason of retirement.

Zhongli spoke of erosion, and even the merchant whom made him realize that his job was done.

However, he did not speak of you.

Of course, with two Harbingers present, his secrecy is understandably sound judgment. Nevertheless, even when he attained privacy to speak personally, he finds it hard to disclose about you. Perhaps, it is a draconic instinct to hoard and protect what he has claimed to be his.

The only other individual just as protective over any knowledge of your existence is Ningguang.

After all, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing is also known as your dear older sister.

Ningguang raised you since the beginning, even if she had been a mere child herself. Your parents are never spoken, and you never asked. Even when you find yourself in comparison to other children with mothers and fathers, your older sister was always all you needed and wanted. Tirelessly, she carried you on her back while her arms were occupied by a basket of wares to be sold. Barefoot, she journeyed from the sands of Yaoguang Shoal to the main capital of Liyue Harbor to make ends meet. Every weekend, you will both scavenge anything that can be sold.

The first gift she ever bought you was an intricate erhu of the best craftsmanship.

It had been your smiles that told her everything will be worth the effort. It had been your songs that soothed the ache of muscles and the weariness of mind. It had been your words that invigorated her ambition to become something more.

"I love you, jiejie!"

"...I love you too, meimei."

Nothing would stop Ningguang from rising to the top and giving you the life you deserve.

Time is cruel to mortals and always issues a test of faith to see them thrive. In one such incident, it has been proven that you and Ningguang are true sisters in every sense of the word. Her determination can only be rivalled by yours, and the resolve which shine like stars in your eyes is unconquerable.

Your older sister had once fallen to sickness. She refused to tell you where she kept the money, not wanting to waste it to buy medicine. You furiously argued with her about it but nothing could change her mind. Thus, at the dark of night, you treaded the path towards Jueyun Karst. The entire map of Liyue has been engraved in your mind since you could walk. Even when nothing but black greets your blank eyes, it would have been child's play to travel into the abode of adepti.

That is, of course, if not for the adepti's indignant anger at your trespassing.

Fortunately, you stole a Sigil of Permission.

"My sister is ill," you told them, "and I require your aid to concoct a medicine."

You will never know that what eventually convinced them is how gold illuminated your form. It channels your soul, and then solidifies into a circlet. At its center, a Geo Vision proudly sparkled.

Mountain Shaper thus led you to collect herbs that you would need. Moon Carver carried you on his back while Cloud Retainer flew towards Yaoguang Shoal with Ganyu on hers to check on your sister. In the distance, the Conqueror of Demons obliterated all other threats that may come your way.

By morning, Ningguang was on a road to recovery and you thanked the adepti by playing your erhu for them every day.

Amongst these private performances, you ended up in Guili Plains alone.

A melody has been haunting your dreams. It is very melancholic yet profoundly moving, like a promise between lovers. The composition began to write itself in the abyssal void of your sight. Then, it played smoothly by your delicate hands on the strings. Your voice echoed across the plains, bequeathing a sense of serenity that mortals rarely have talent to supply.

The Lord of Geo has been enchanted as he listened to your lullaby.

"Milord, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Your inquiry was met with silence, but you can still feel his piercing eyes on you. Thankfully, you are patient as you are resilient.

The sound of footsteps made your ears perk up. You could not stop yourself from tilting your head to the direction of its origin. The omnipotence of adeptal energy dominated the air, making you dazed for a few seconds. However, there was a charming scent that you recognize. It belongs to a wild glaze lily, one especially helped to bloom by music.

Morax paused before where you sat, staring into your curious gaze looking up at him. The blindness clouded them yet your earnest intrigue made them shimmer glamorously. Autumn ginkgo leaves rain upon you whom sat beneath the shade of its tree, and he whom loomed over your mortal form. He lifts the glaze lily in his hand to bless its petals with a chaste kiss. Then, he slowly presents it to you.

A steady hand tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, planting the flower as an ornament. Your sensitive skin felt the callouses that must be from a lifetime of conquests. Alas, your cheeks only flush brightly at their tender caress. His fingertips glide through your tresses very subtly, giving you agency to pull away from his touch.

Morax pulls a lock of hair towards his lips, giving it the same attention as he did the glaze lily.

Then, with a promising smile, he lets go—

—and then vanishes in a blink.

That encounter was the first of many secrets you kept from your older sister.

A week later, a gentleman named Zhongli introduces himself to you. You narrow your eyes in suspicion and confusion. His presence, the aura of Rex Lapis, is unmistakable to you. Nevertheless, you respond with quiet acceptance while listening to his pulse settle down in relief.

It was not your place to question an archon anyway, nor is it your responsibility.

Aside from music, you always held fascination for botany. After refusing your sister's offer to live with her in the Jade Chamber, she built you an estate with a large garden and a quaint greenhouse. From here, you have invented a unique art known as Geo Crystalline Preservation. You use the flowers in your garden to crystallize them with your Vision, but retain their scent like a real flower. By this method, you manage to pluck wild glaze lilies and preserve their natural fragrance after cultivation.

Your first specimen was the glaze lily gifted by your archon, now a part of your circlet.

Suddenly, wild glaze lilies were being revived to its former vast numbers in your garden.

Your artform can be applied to anything too. It can become a stained glass decor, a clothing design, an unwilting bouquet, and even a way to preserve food ingredients. For this reason, your fresh business had immediately made connections with all sorts of exchange across Liyue Harbor. In turn, you have developed a very reliable information network that answers to nobody but yourself. Twice, a visit from Yelan made your heart swell with pride to know you have information that eludes her.

Zhongli was more of a consultant or an advisor who directs you to the most beneficial proposals. It can be most helpful whenever you felt lost in making critical decisions that require more tact. He even made it possible for you to create a strong alliance with the Feiyun Commerce Guild. A part of you is still uncertain if it was worth the hassle that the esteemed Young Master Xingqiu tends to bring to your doorstep.

By the words of Rex Lapis, the core foundation of contracts is fairness. Thus, you asked Zhongli what he wants in exchange for his hard work.

"I only wish for your company," Zhongli replied, "and—if you would allow it—a chance to court you."

A gentle kiss lands upon your forehead. It brought back flashes of your first meeting under the ginkgo tree, when he was a god rather than a mortal. You used names to keep them separate, yet this moment has proven that Zhongli is Rex Lapis and Morax.

A cor lapis by any other name would nonetheless be as resplendent.

Then, two years later, he proposed and you said yes.

That resulted to an interesting private discussion between Zhongli and Ningguang. Neither of them disclosed any details other than the fact your sister gave her sincere blessings for the marriage. The wedding was reserved yet was also nothing short of extravagant. The collaboration of your sister and fiancé had you expecting nothing less if you were being honest.

Another year later, the final Rite of Descension turns into a Rite of Parting.

You knew of Zhongli's plan. He had to confide the details to you, excluding the Tsaritsa's contract. It was the only way to persuade you into staying in Wangshu Inn for a few weeks, to make sure you do not get caught in the crossfire. He promises his intervention if all goes awry, if it endangers your sister as well as the rest of Liyue Harbor.

Then, it was all over.

Zhongli came home to kiss you with fervor you have never felt from him since your wedding night.

Later, the geo lines on his arms pulse with luminous glow in your marital bedroom. It reflected upon his amber eyes, pupils alternating between slits and dilation as his instincts purred. He closed his eyes with an inaudible sigh before projecting himself into your dreamscape.

As a blind person, you have an odd way of dreaming.

You only hear amidst the abyss and a composition always reverberates. When visited by him, everything gets reconstructed to a meadow of glaze lilies. At its heart is his Statue of the Seven. He had learnt that the imagery of stars twinkling above your heads is a sign that his own dreamscape had begun to merge with yours. A golden aurora borealis emanated pure geo energy, representing elemental resonance.

Always, the Geo Archon finds himself replacing his own self on the statue when he visits. He opens his eyes to the perspective of the statue. The illusionary Memory of Dust remains afloat beside him with a few geo crystalflies. He shall always find you fast asleep, wearing a hanfu composed of his colors. At times, your head is only resting on the armrest or his lap; and other times you are already in his arms. Then, he cradles you closely while he listens to the tunes you dream. He has grown familiar with most of them through your erhu. A few would baffle him, and he would then realize they are your unfinished compositions.

There was also one other reason he strictly kept you far from the events in the harbor.

You are with child.

Zhongli recalls the time you discussed the concept of illumination with him. It is the method of possibly enlightening a mortal to become an adeptus. The topic of you becoming immortal was only broached once and never again. Your own perspective in the matter was irrelevant, mostly because you were incompatible for the procedure. Although far from being an invalid, your constitution is not necessarily ideal for such arduous illumination.

The Lord of Geo was overjoyed when you relayed the news of your pregnancy the first time. Alas, when the celebratory mood had gone, the slap of reality finally registered.

This will be a difficult ordeal for you, carrying a child that is half-adeptus.

Yanfei was conceived and born by a human mother, delivered through a complicated pregnancy. The health concerns never seemed to end, and her mother's miraculous survival was only thanks to her tenacity according to her father. Even then, she is a mortal woman in perfectly good health.

If you were not capable of undergoing illumination, can you even survive this pregnancy?

No matter the answer though, Zhongli knows you are determined to persevere. For the sake of the life within your womb, you will endure all the hardships that will be thrown your way.

That fact is why he fell in love with you.

Perhaps, there was one thing he could do to help you even if it was not a full illumination.

As he once did for Azhdaha, the Lord of Geo can bless you the gift of sight.

You can see your child when they are born.

Zhongli lifts his head from where it rested on your crown. He tilts your chin up to gaze upon your visage and feel your breath against his skin. His fingertips grazed your eyelids, and the golden light of his geo energy engulfs the dreamscape. As everything fades into white, he leans down so his lips meet yours...

...and then, you both awaken.

However, for the first time, the haunting darkness that usually welcomed you has been replaced with color.

You saw a man hovering over you, lips millimeters apart from yours. Dark brown hair is embellished with honey gold, long strands gliding over his toned shoulders. Sharp amber eyes glared into yours, an unreadable sheen making them glow. Your hand reaches up to touch his fair cheek, thumb tracing the red outlining his gaze.

You realize. This is your husband.

"Zhongli...!" You gasped, tears in your eyes.

He smiles like a breathtaking work of art, a godly beauty that blessed you to be his wife.

"Hello, tian xin."

Your arms wrapped around his neck to pull him into an ecstatic embrace and blissful kiss. He obliges, taking all you have and giving you all that is his.

Someday, you will no longer stay by his side.

Nevertheless, the proof of your existence will live through your child—and so will the love, the miracle that conceived them, which you shared with him. As such, you will continue to shine like gold in his memories forevermore.

This is not a mere contract, but a solemn promise that even Celestia can never break—

"My memories of you are treasures not even erosion can steal away."

•☆••☆••☆•

KAEDEHARA KAZUHA is a free spirit undeterred by the might of the eternal lightning's glow. At the face of loss and grief, he continued to pursue the calling that has been delivered by nature's winds. Days are spent searching for truth with an old friend's legacy, a masterless Vision to accompany him across the unconquered seas. Nights are spent in mourning a home that disowned him, a moment to digress from the disgrace he was bestowed. His family name has always been a burden that weighed heavily on his heart, but his sword cuts down all obstacles by will of wind and cloud. The Archon who represented the element he wields preached the ideal of freedom, yet nobody ever spoke of its steep price. In contrast, the Archon of his homeland follows an eternity that rejects change and henceforth decrees to prohibit ambitions that yearn for it.

When a bird who wishes to fly is born in a nation that wants it caged, which path is seen as right to abide?

When a dream is not enough to conquer divine sovereignty, what sort of reality is left to live?

They say when the gods give you a blessing, you do not ask why it was sent. Alas, if that same gift has condemned you to a tormenting fate, what else can be done but question the reason behind it all?

Wings clipped yet uncaged,

The price of freedom is steep

Yet the bird still sings.

That was the answer Kazuha realized.

If nothing in hindsight can tell him what he wishes to know, then he must listen to the unseen. If neither god nor mortal can be persuaded with words, then perhaps he must find a better use for his voice.

Thus, the lost ronin let the wind lead...

...and he was saved by the lonely desert flower that thrived amidst the City of Contracts.

You were a fresh graduate from Sumeru, a brilliant scholar disillusioned by the leaking discrepancies of the Akademiya. They would have forced you to stay with threats thinly veiled as pleasant requests to promote the growth of wisdom. However, you knew the potential they see in you is naught but another way to cultivate the poison spreading deeper than the withering of the rainforests. It was only by aid of the former General Mahamatra that you managed to destroy all research the sages desperately wanted, and then narrowly escaped. Your freedom cost his position, but he reassures you that it gained him a friend—one he hopes can still find heart to return.

You promised him as much, the sincerest gratitude pulsing in your soul.

It was a little difficult to start from scratch, yet Liyue certainly helped as a city of commerce.

The only possessions you have left are the clothes you wear, the bow strapped to the quiver of arrows on your back, and whatever is stored as luggage on your shoulder bag. However, you hold an unyielding confidence in two things: your intelligence, and your Dendro Vision.

That is what eventually led you to apply for the recent job opening in Bubu Pharmacy.

Baizhu is a fair employer and an overall good person as company. He does feel a little suspicious with his odd remarks, especially in regards to his fragile state due to some unknown illness. He gives the vibe of someone who smiles politely yet always schemes something nefarious. Perhaps, it was your time with the corrupted sages that made you wary.

Nonetheless, he treats you well.

Moreover, he never once criticized your disability as a nuisance nor made you seem inferior for it.

Qiqi, on the other hand, is a very lovely and adorable girl with the occasional eccentricities. A knitted finch plush for her birthday was the deciding factor for her to proclaim you as her older sister. She keeps a particular notebook for every detail she discovers about you. Her free time is now spent cuddling with you for a nap, if not to help make your remedies.

Your cheeky boss commented that you both share the same eyes. He laughs when you glared at him for the implication that you look like an airheaded zombie. As an intellectual, it is not appreciated.

After a year of relishing your new life in Liyue, the heavens decided to throw another curveball.

As a renowned healer in Bubu Pharmacy, there have been many patrons that come to you for any sort of emergency. It is the real term of employment that makes Baizhu pay you heftily, at least compared to his other employees. It is also why your colleagues and some citizens in the harbor consider you the pharmacy's second doctor. Your affinity for dendro has greatly progressed any medicinal research. Your accompaniment of Qiqi allowed the forgetful zombie to discover new herbs—not much use alone, but vital ingredients in brewing affordable remedies.

Thus, one stormy night, a woman named Beidou came barging on your door.

"Lady Doc," she called out boisterously, "I need a little help here!"

A young man, bloodied and bruised, was on her back and worryingly limp. The famous captain of the Crux Fleet had a strained smirk on her face, and the rest of her was roughed up. Whatever ordeal they had to endure, it must have been truly dangerous.

Without further questioning, you provided treatment to these unexpected patients. Being informed that the man is a foreign fugitive made no difference to you. From his clothes, you have easily deduced that he is from Inazuma—which allowed your mind to fill in all the blanks on why he was condemned. After all, news had traveled fast across nations about the Sakoku Decree and the closing of Inazuma's borders. You take pride in your oath as a healer to treat anyone in need of care indiscriminately. If they end up doing harm to others afterwards, then you deal with it just as accordingly.

However, the lady captain is a woman of integrity and so you chose to trust her judgment.

What did annoy you was how Beidou decided to just leave a wanted ronin in your care. All she left was a note to take care of him—Kazuha, she says—and a winky face signed at the bottom. She also snatched a bottle of rum from your liquor stash.

Pirates can really sniff out any hidden treasure in a matter of seconds.

Qiqi visits you that afternoon. This is the routine if you are ever tardy or absent during working hours. It was part of your contract since Baizhu is well aware that being an accomplished doctor can attract the wrong sort of crowd. Not to mention, he has been informed of your situation with the Akademiya. The zombie's visits are to ensure your well-being. She will report to the Millelith directly, per Baizhu's instruction, if she thinks anything feels off.

You gave Qiqi a notice to deliver to Baizhu, a request for a short leave. It was the usual for whenever you become busy in treating personal patients. A small bottle of coconut milk was also given as reward for the little zombie's troubles. Her lips twitch up to a small smile as her eyes gain an affectionate haze.

"Thank you, jiejie." She says.

After receiving a headpat from you, she skips away adorably and giddily.

You closed the door with a sigh, turning to go back and tend to your patient. However, you were met with a glistening blade to your face and a pair of dazed yet still menacing red eyes. They glare at you defensively behind silver white fringes.

"Where am I? Who are you?" Kazuha demands.

To your chagrin, you fainted from shock.

Kazuha finds the note from Beidou which clarified the situation to him. He apologized profusely as his pale cheeks blushed from embarrassment.

A year later, that not-so-pleasant first impression has paved the way to an unlikely romance.

You stand by the docks of Liyue Harbor, anxiously waiting for the return of the Alcor. The last time you heard from your lover, he has informed you via letter that the Vision Hunt Decree was no more—thanks to the Traveler. However, he did not immediately return to your side for personal reasons. You did not pry, a touching act of understanding that deepened his affections for you. Kazuha promised that once he has tied the last loose ends of his past, he will never allow himself to part from you.

A part of you wondered if you are willing to do the same. There is a significant difference between the both of you that had caused conflict in the past.

Kaedehara Kazuha is a free spirit, always following wherever the wind leads him.

You are a person who thrives by staying in one place, like a blossom in fertile soil.

If given the choice, will he allow himself to stay tied down to you? Similarly, are you capable of uprooting yourself just to be with him?

The scent of maple leaves carried by the salty ocean breeze snaps you out of reverie. A delighted smile brightens your lovely features, knowing this aroma can only belong to one person.

Kazuha stands meters away with a heartfelt smile and a smitten look in his crimson eyes. He holds his arms open, and that was your cue to run towards his direction. The momentum caused you both to spin as he caught you, yet your lover only laughed at your enthusiasm. A mild tremble in his arms allowed you to know that he has missed you just as much.

"I'm back." He murmurs.

You tighten the embrace while he plants a lingering kiss upon your crown. His bandaged hand combs through your hair, smiling as petals were swept by his fingertips. A couple of yellow roses and pink carnations blossom from your intricate braids.

"Welcome back." You mumbled raspily.

Kazuha effortlessly hears your words that tend to go unspoken. You kept seeds in your hair ornaments as easy access for herbs by making them bloom with your Vision. At times, he plucks a leaf or two from them to play a tune for you. Even if you cannot hear it, you always present him a jubilant smile and an appreciative applause.

"Come with me." He signed to you.

Taking you by the hand, the humble samurai leads you to a secret meadow in a cove. It is a rendezvous spot known only to you and him, a fortress of respite and solitude from the world. A single oak tree stood at the center, where it is rooted firmly upon the patch of land surrounded by water. The lake and running streams glimmer, a hint of salt permeating the air to connote their origins. The rocky ceilings are sturdy yet possess fissures that allowed light to shine upon the clear waters. The many luminous corals provide illumination deep in the darkness, as sea creatures have made themselves at home. Various beds of flowers engulf the soil with vines crawling along the wooden trunk, showing age lines on its bark.

Kazuha gently sweeps you into his arms and uses his Vision to float over the bodies of water. He puts you on the flowerbeds, promptly lying down with his head on your lap.

You blink at him confusedly for a moment while he only smiled innocently. A giggle escapes your lips, indulging him as your fingers languidly ran through his hair. Your eyes are entirely on him, either reading his lips or paying attention to his signs as he led the conversation. He told you of his visit to his friend's grave, and how he wishes to take you there someday to introduce you.

The idea made you pause only for a split second, but your ever attentive lover notices anyway.

His crimson eyes open, catching your own forlorn gaze. His hand reaches up to your face, caressing to comfort.

"I also went to a special place afterwards with the Traveler, a unique archipelago that reflects one's heart." He said slowly, "The experience made me realize a few things about myself..."

His words trail off as his free hand takes yours to pull it towards his lips. Your knuckles are grazed by his tokens of affection, and heat covers your cheeks in response to his adoration. Kazuha kept his eyes on you, fondness swirling within their depths.

"...and it also gave me an epiphany about you."

At his words, he gradually sits up yet your hands are still entwined. Fair strands of silver-white glide along his movements, framing his youthful features.

Kazuha is always most enchanting to you whenever he lets his hair loose.

"I want to marry you, [Name]."

To emphasize his words, Kazuha procures a ring of sterling silver. Small rubies decorate its exterior to form the design of red maple leaves. A single name is engraved along the interior side using traditional Inazuman letters. You have seen it so many times that you knew how to read it even if you were not as fluent in the language.

楓原. Kaedehara.

A flicker of fear seeped into your wide eyes, but the steady hold of your lover's hand kept you anchored to reality. You know what he is asking of you and what he is offering in return. This ronin is willing to bind himself to you, boldly and fearlessly.

"On my next voyage," Kazuha says, "come with me to Inazuma. I wish to marry you in my homeland. There is little left to my noble name, but it would be my greatest joy to share it with you—"

He smiles wistfully, "—if you would have me."

Once again, the question confronts you.

Are you willing to do the same for him?

Kazuha receives your answer in the form of a vine wrapping around your entwined hands. It gravitates to his wrist like a corsage, and then blossoms.

His own eyes widen in glee as red and white freesias decorated the vine. The flower of ultimate trust coated in the color of passion and purity.

You are saying—

"Yes."

Kazuha almost sobs in relief as his hands shook but manages to slide the ring onto your finger. Suddenly, you tackle him in happiness to plant your lips upon his own vigorously. He returns your fervor, cupping your face to deepen the passionate kiss.

A soft zephyr blew within the cove, rippling the water and fluttering the leaves alongside the petals. It is a dance that unites two hearts as one, consummating a bond as everlasting as lightning.

Nobody could ever know your heart the way Kazuha does, and so it shall be his right to claim it. Similarly, no soul other than yours can encourage his spirit yet still enrapture it with the ties that bind.

Henceforth, this pair of soulmates will prosper with or without a divine blessing—

Soulbound, windsong bloom Amidst strife of unheard voice Love called me to you.

•☆••☆••☆•

KAMISATO AYATO is a man whose heart seeks an equally capable partner. The idea of one day having to choose another half is something to consider as part of his duty. After all, the head of a noble clan is responsible for ensuring that its bloodline continues to prosper. To sire an heir, he must someday select a bride. His choice will lead to the rise of a matriarch within the Kamisato Clan. It must be a woman with the caliber to lead as the gentle hand of the Yashiro Commission to his iron fist. A fierce yet kind soul is necessary to command the Shuumatsuban in his place should the need ever arise. Furthermore, if he must eventually settle for a loveless marriage, his desire is to at least gain a lifelong friend. They must have the same depth of loyalty to his family, and the same headstrong resolve to uphold their principles.

Otherwise, he is very certain any other whom wishes to stand by his side will only break. With how he acts and carries himself, the people of Inazuma are more inclined to agree. Indeed, a wife less than up to par would be nothing short of disappointing.

Be that as it may, the Yashiro Commissioner can be a complicated man to love.

Ayato is a man who lives his life wearing a thousand masks, with little to no distinction between his true self and facades. At the early deaths of his parents, he was a young boy that had been forced into the lethal grind of political battles. To protect his little sister, he took up the blade to eliminate those who threaten them amidst the power struggle.

Just like that, his heart became a closely guarded vault privy to a trusted few.

Loving Ayato is likened to water, the same element he wields as weapon and shield. In calm days, he is transparent and clear to see. In chaotic nights, his own motives are harder to understand. There are times he can be as volatile as rapids, and others be as nurturing as a cool spring.

The most dangerous thing about loving Ayato is if you allow yourself to drown in him.

Alas, all of Inazuma is left dumbfounded when he abruptly announces his marriage to you.

The Yashiro Commissioner had gone missing for a week. A note with his penmanship claims he has a personal errand to run. Then, he returns to the estate—holding your hand while another clenches a scroll, sealed by the wax insignia of the Narukami Shrine and the Raiden Shogun. A glance at your respective hands reveal the glint of silver wedding bands, with camellia flower engravements filled by white jade.

Kamisato Ayato eloped with you.

"From here onwards," Ayato declared, "[Name] shall be living in the Kamisato Estate as my wife. Please treat her with the same respect you do for me."

The idea seems to intimidate you, a frown tugging your lips. Your husband, however, squeezed your hand in reassurance. Pacified, you end up snuggling your cheek onto his arm. The action is successful in grounding your senses, focusing on Ayato's scent and body heat. He obliges this by gently pulling you closer, practically trapping your own arm to his side.

Ayaka hid a smile of amusement behind her fan, as her eyes softened in endearment.

"Of course, brother." She replied.

Thoma nodded, beaming in welcome as you peeked at him and the young miss. Despite their slightest reservation upon this rushed turn of events, they trust Ayato.

Although, the Shirasagi Himegimi cannot help but feel you looked somewhat familiar.

You are a very peculiar woman, especially in a nation as conservative and traditional as Inazuma. In fact, some believe you seem more like an antithesis to your husband. Whereas he is always poised and very composed, there is always an untamed ferocity in you that refuses to comply to social norms. You can nonetheless dress as elegantly as any other noble aristocrat, speak as eloquently as any well-educated lady. If not for your infamous eccentricities, nobody would have doubted why Ayato chose you. It is quite renowned by gossipers that you shamelessly stroll Inazuma City in a commoner's yukata—a messy bun for a hairstyle, and sometimes going barefoot. You despise social events and acted more elusive than your husband.

The servants were initially wary yet none of them can deny your positive influence. The household has never been so efficient and organized until you took on managing its affairs. Thoma was astonished to realize that he ended up with more free time under your authority. The meticulous way you stick to a form of schedule and your quick wit to adapt have enabled the Kamisato Estate to operate smoothly, with or without the siblings present. In fact, some unique tasks you assign to Thoma aided him into securing businesses in Ritou. As equal exchange for your patronage, you have flawlessly expanded the Shuumatsuban's spy network.

Ayaka also found respite in her endeavors as face of the clan. She initially had a difficult time with being your mentor of sorts in the life of nobility. However, your creativity in problem solving and innovative thinking has been great in helping balance her own matters.

Thoma began to understand your ways when he has become in charge of all your meals. There is a set routine for every day of the week, and then a specific assortment of snacks with tea expected at certain hours. Each ingredient is meticulously picked and every dish is carefully prepared. If even one thing is out of place, you will notice with a single bite/sip and you would refuse to eat—which results to a very moody mistress for the rest of the estate.

It was only thanks to how well Ayato knew you that everyone else was able to keep up. He is aware of all factors to your behavior and how to aptly respond to them. His stern yet precise instructions left no room for mistakes if it meant taking care of you properly in his absence. It was as if he grew up with you due to the sheer amount of experience he has in how to deal with your odd patterns.

As months passed, Ayaka finally realized.

That is because her brother did grow up with you.

Ayato met you long ago when he was a mere lonely boy, burdened with the title of clan heir. He found you digging around the beach near his estate, an Electro Vision on your waist. A line of seashells were set on a flat rock beside you, all arranged by type as rows and by size as columns.

You glanced up at him. Your Vision flickers, making him tense—

—and then lightning struck the sands.

As a boy, Ayato watched in awe as the grains turned into glass. You manipulated the temperature of the element, heating the sand in quick seconds to create multiple pieces. He ended up getting closer, and it was enough to spook you. After you were finished, you hastily stood up and collected your things before sprinting away.

"Wait...!" Ayato exclaimed.

You did not listen.

The young master pouted, thinking he would never see you again. It was a shame since he found you so fascinating. He looked down and saw some strange hollow tubes in the shores, resembling coral.

That day, he went home a little despondent.

Ayato was pleasantly surprised to see you again the next day—same place, same hour. You are polishing the shells this time, and occasionally refining them to the shape you want. Small pots of paint surround you, and the Electro Vision is pulsing to be used at any given notice.

This time, you did not run when he got close.

"Fulgurite."

He flinches as you suddenly spoke. Your eyes were focused on the glass tubes he picked up. They hung from the string of his obi now, which got odd looks from his parents a while ago.

"These...?"

You nodded, "They are fulgurites. You can use them to make jewelry. Want to see?"

That was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Ayato figures out your schedule and how you like sticking to it, so he never misses out on visiting you. It was actually something you never minded as long as he remained consistent. The times when he did not get the memo, you got annoyed and told him harshly to stop showing up. At first, he felt hurt since he misunderstood. Thankfully, he was mature enough to clarify it with you. Since then, he promised his arrival only on particular days wherein he can assure his free time. At his words, you acted less bothered by his presence and worked on your craft.

The two of you grew up together in those constant stolen moments. He finds out you have a younger brother, and he tells you he has a younger sister. On weekends, you are not on the beach. That is the only time your brother is able to spend time with you instead of honing his swordsmanship.

In stormy days, he had to struggle pulling you into the estate. Every time, he braced himself for your ire but patiently coaxes you over it. The most effective method is to occupy your mind with something else, and let your hands be busy crafting. Once you are fixated, Ayato can be allowed into your safe space again and he is able to take care of you. Henceforth, rainy days are spent in his estate and that became the new norm for your daily routine. Ayato adapts by creating amendments to your unhealthy habits.

You still persistently argue that storms are perfect for making petrified lightning glass.

Nevertheless, you express gratitude for his sincere care and affection. No one has ever been so doting on you aside from your brother. In turn, Ayato felt touched that you treat him as one of the only two people you explicitly trust. You even adjust yourself to be considerate of his own needs, despite the clear discomfort it sometimes caused you.

When his parents died, you were his greatest pillar of support.

Ayato has always known to never underestimate you in any way. What made you different did not make you dumb. In fact, it is revealed in that dark period that you were more brilliant than your peers. It was only thanks to your guidance that he found direction how to proceed. It was due to your judgment that he knew who to trust, which ties needed to be severed for safety. Every critical decision was consulted by you, and he was awed when the results you predict come to fruition. When his demons made him lose sleep, you provided relief by playing with his hair.

When he finally triumphed in the succession, you gave him a precious gift.

You smiled. Of utmost sincerity, you smiled ever so sweetly and so warmly.

That is the day Ayato knew you were the one.

Unfortunately, he had taken too long to confess that to you. Too many years slipped past his fingers due to his obligations.

Then, the Vision Hunt Decree happened—

—and you went missing.

A young man named Kaedehara Kazuha barged into his estate, panicked and distressed. He called for Ayato, kneeling as he pleaded for help in finding his older sister—you. The wind has gone silent regarding your whereabouts, and he feared the worst due to the recent decree.

Of course, the Yashiro Commissioner wasted no time in utilizing his power to be of aid.

It was for naught.

Soon, he could not even protect your brother when the young man was branded as a wanted criminal.

Kazuha witnessed the love Ayato holds for you—a passion he deems worthy of his kin. He knew of the bond you shared with him, which is why he came to the man for help. Meeting the man personally, the winds crooned in approval—to which the ronin only smiled, a little resigned yet mostly relieved.

Someone else can take care of you now.

"Aneue spoke of you fondly." He said, "If anyone can find her, it's you."

The younger male presents him a box.

"She called it a tassel chime," Kazuha explained, "and referred to that piece as Rainmaker."

It contains a small windchime in the size and design of a tassel, thus the name. A pair of clamshells tie the knot for the noose. Camellias on rippling waters is carved onto the blue glass, painted with glittering golden lacquer. Instead of a striker, a ball of glowing white jade is inside the spherical glass with a cowrie shell at its base. The tail is a familiar indigo satin ribbon, his gift to you on the last Irodori Festival. His name is embroidered in your favorite fulgurite threads, and yours on the other side:

Kaedehara [Name].

Ayato knew this is the equivalent of a blessing. He ties it to his sword, aware by use of elemental sight that the energy within it will prevent the glass from breaking even in a skirmish. He makes a promise to your brother that he will stop at nothing to find you, and ask for your hand in marriage.

Eventually, he did.

You stood in an abandoned temple amidst the call of summer. The crystalflies illuminated your form, and the water shimmered like liquid diamonds. Tinkling sounds echoed in Chinju Forest, as the sails of windchimes blew with the nightly breeze.

"[Name]..."

At the call of your name, you turned to face him and Ayato embraces you immediately.

"I want to go home." You murmur.

The broken tone of your voice devastated him, and he nods while tightening his arms. You hugged him back, hiding your face on his chest while his nuzzled your shoulder.

"Yes, let's go home now." He whispered.

The Yashiro Commissioner spared nothing at your expense. He used the name of Kamisato to protect you. As his wife, you are now an integral part of the Tri-Commission and one with the Raiden Shogun's faction. You cannot be touched by the decree like your brother feared. Although you desire no riches, Ayato sought to provide something that will soothe your unease at the drastic changes in your life.

Thus, in an isolated wing of the estate, there was your personal workshop.

A safe haven. All for you.

Ayato leaned back with you in his arms, cuddling by the veranda. You were sorting through your brother's letters, worried, and missing him dearly. Looking up at your husband, he smiles and kisses you fervently.

"I'm here." He reassures.

You wrap your arms around his neck in response, snuggling his chest to nap. He adjusts you on his lap and rewraps the blanket around you. His long fingers comb through your hair, humming contently.

Heartbound lullabies in hiraeth, ever so mellifluous—

"You are my clarity amidst sullied waters, a wish to forever keep."

•☆••☆••☆•

THOMA is an ordinary ember within a hearth filled by unfathamoble wonders. He was born from a marital union between a woman of Mondstadt and a man of Inazuma. Amidst these contrasting cultures, he grew up fitting into the crevices resembling lacquer filling the cracks of porcelain. As a young man, he became quite a jack-of-all-trades that can help practically anyone in need—no matter the odd job presented to his capable hands. On his free time, he shares small treats with homeless animals. He fights off the urge to adopt every single one, and remains content to supply them a sanctuary. Perhaps, a part of him feels a kinship as he sometimes fancies seeing his own image to be that of a stray. Having two origins can often lead to confusion of where a person truly belongs.

Alas, this blond fixer-upper carries a beaming smile every time he greets the sun. For him, bridging gaps presents a hidden beauty that can only be found in imperfections, fixing the broken yet appreciating its flaws. While he does not always have a solution for everything, it never stopped him from trying.

Nevertheless, there have been times wherein Thoma also seeks some respite.

The Sakoku Decree added to it.

What terrifies him the most is having something to lose, more than just his Vision—

"Thoma, darling, where are you?"

"Ah!" He yelps as he stumbles towards the direction of your voice, "Over here, [Name]!"

—and that is someone to protect.

Bright green eyes see you turn up at the entrance of Komore Teahouse. You sat daintily and elegantly on your wheelchair, a carefully wrapped bento resting upon your lap. Despite being a mere commoner, you carried yourself with a dignity that can rival even the most affluent nobles of Inazuma. Being dependent on a metal seat never deterred people from feeling the promise of recompense should you be slighted.

Thoma smiles tenderly as he meets your gaze, to which you respond heartily.

The bout of excitement caused you to unwittingly freeze the ground beneath you. Swiftly, your lover discreetly melts it away by going near you before any guards notice your small demonstration. His eyes glanced around the perimeter to double-check, sighing in relief when he deems it safe.

"Ah," you gasped, "I'm sorry."

He chuckles nervously, "It's fine."

You and Thoma are childhood sweethearts. You were a very lonely orphan raised by the nuns. That played a part to your distinguished mannerisms. The Church of Favonius had instilled the etiquettes of a proper lady upon you at a young age. It probably made them all the more protective due to how you were paralyzed from the waist down. This made you bond with a girl named Glory, whom also lives with a disability that left her world dark since her birth. Of course, that did not halt you from sneaking out to play in the streets and getting your dresses dirty. A short adventure is what led you to meet the young blond boy whom quickly became your world. He, who offered a hand, took you to many other such adventures rather than persuading you to stay at home like an invalid.

"Life is short," he said, "you ought to relish it the best way you can rather than obsessing over what you can't do. I'll be your friend to help!"

Thoma showed you how to seize the day and claim the world as your own. He spent each Windblume proving it by giving you mismatched flower crowns, trying his best with clumsy fingers. You were invited into his home countless times as if it was yours too, with warm family dinners and cozy sleepovers. All that he could share with you, he did so with utter delight as if it was a privilege to be your friend—even if you felt it should be the other way.

Can anyone really blame you for being so smitten even as a young girl?

When he decided to set off for Inazuma, you did not hesitate to go with him.

The nuns were sad to see you leave, but the will of Barbatos clearly blessed you for it. The thousand winds have spoken, and they wish to lead you to the boy that has won your heart.

Life in Inazuma did not start as smoothly as you both had wanted. Your boat got wrecked in the storm but, for that one time, it became your turn to protect Thoma—to be the knight. Fear came first like a coiling serpent around your heart, and then you felt the warmth of his arms covering you. They stayed determined even as they shook, and your soul was inspired to take action. Heat turned into blistering coldness that froze every drop of rain, turning them into icicles in the shape of sakura petals. Together, they converged as fractals that carried you and your beau to safety within a dome of ice.

At the face of the eternal lightning, a blizzard defied the gods and earned their favor in turn.

The eye of storm was you.

From then onwards, the Kamisato Clan provided you both a home and way of sustenance. In gratitude, Thoma did everything he could as proper repayment; and whomever wins his favor shall have yours. At some point, you found a stable job for yourself in the Yae Publishing House as a minor editor. However, the keen amethyst gaze that focused upon you saw something else—a hidden gem brimming with the potential to move hearts via the quill.

Apparently, your calling is to be a writer.

Guuji Yae herself had mentored you after growing fond of your little snippets she caught in drafts. It got lost amongst the transcripts you were editing and ended up in her hands. A part of you suspected she blatantly stole it like the cunning vixen she truly is, no matter how nicely she treats you. Nonetheless, you were grateful for her direction since the kitsune remained sincere in her platonic affections for you—especially when you dedicated your second novella to her. The first was obviously for Thoma, featuring Mondstadt and then the Kamisato Clan.

Both were shocking bestsellers immediately, and Yae Miko sought to reward you.

"Would you like me to personally officiate your wedding someday?" She teased.

You blushed heavily at the sheer thought of marrying Thoma, excited yet flustered. Your words stuttered and the pink vixen only laughed at how adorable you looked. She was so tempted to pinch those soft and rosy cheeks but practiced her restraint.

You fiddled with your fingers as you turned away to watch the cherry blossom rain.

"Maybe someday..."

A pair of pink fox ears twitched upon hearing your gentle whisper. It sounded every bit like a woman in love, passionate and unconditional. A genuine smile shows itself on the Guuji's lovely face, feeling her own heart swell at the face of true romance. It may not be her favorite genre, but it was still dazzling to see in real life—especially amidst treacherous times.

"Then," Yae chuckled, "just set a date and I shall ensure to keep my schedule free...like tomorrow~!"

You blush again and whined for her to stop teasing just once. This time, she did not resist pinching you while she fawned over your pathetically whimpering self.

Perhaps, marriage can be in your future with Thoma if fate shall someday allow it. He was really the only one you can really see beside you until death do you part. In that perspective, you can comprehend a bit of the eternity that the Raiden Shogun so earnestly preaches and imposes.

For now, you were content to just let things naturally take its course—and that means indulging a lunch date with your boyfriend.

Thoma noticed that you have grown busier since that lunch date. He shrugged it off since you did mention your new tedious tasks in the publishing house. A part of him worried for your health but he also trusted the fact you would tell him anything amiss. In the meantime, he focused on the odd jobs he had to do in Ritou as well as housekeeping for the Kamisatos as per usual. It was a little challenging sometimes to even manage to share a meal or a bed together nowadays.

You have missed each other dearly.

Therefore, he felt his world crumble when he finally unveiled your secret.

Yae Miko sent a missive to the Kamisato Clan, in which she asked for a private audience. She insisted for Thoma and Ayaka to visit the Narukami Shrine, to which they obliged curiously. They surely did not expect Shikanoin Heizou to also be seated in the Guuji's secluded waiting room.

"A propaganda...?" Thoma said in disbelief.

A series of light novels have been distributed to the masses. It featured a story that referenced the tales of allogenes whose Visions have been confiscated, and the gruesome confrontations with Watatsumi Island as a result of the ongoing civil war. The plot is a very clever camouflage. On hindsight, the premise was written in such an ingenious way that none of the novels can really be used as legitimate proof of treason. They were inconspicuously clean enough to be dismissed as fiction. Alas, rumors have spread about the rebels gaining more manpower by the day since the publication of the novels. Thus, Kujou Sara suspected that the supposedly innocent pieces of literature were being used as tools of espionage and communication.

It was enough to warrant an investigation.

The detective nodded gravely, "Their identity has not been revealed since they use a pen name. We did deduce a pattern of sorts but nothing conclusive."

"By that," Yae interjects smoothly, "nothing that the Tenryou Commission can use to gain an official arrest warrant."

Ayaka opens her fan to shield the lower half of her face, retaining composure.

"You have a suspect?" She inquired.

"It's quite elementary." Heizou smirked wryly, "The culprit simply needs three things to accomplish this impressively troublesome feat."

He held up an index finger, "They hold power in the media—specifically journalism—which means they are associated with a prestigious publishing house that enables them to release works anonymously."

His light olive green eyes glanced at the kitsune, whom was sipping her tea calmly.

"Next, they work with an organization that functions as a stealth protection service. This is what has kept them safe in the shadows, while eluding the pursuit of the Tenryou Commission."

He then glances at Ayaka, particularly alluding to the Shuumatsuban of the Yashiro Commission.

"Finally," he then meets Thoma's eyes, "they have an extensively developed information network. This can be achieved if they make social connections daily, or simply just by being a figure trusted by the civilians."

Heizou smiled blithely, "There is also the fact I have noticed a pretty dove looking into the Visions that have been confiscated by the recent decree..."

An almost remorseful sigh escapes his lips.

"...and I may have shared a thing or two about the names of these Visions' owners."

"So this is your fault~?" Yae sang mockingly.

It was perfectly clear to everyone in the room.

You are the prime suspect that Heizou is targeting.

Thoma should have seen this coming. He was not blind to how you so deeply empathize with those affected by the recent decrees. There have been nights wherein he saw you staring balefully at your Vision—not for having it, but for being unable to proudly wield it.

"What is to be done?" He asked.

Heizou frowned sympathetically, "I am partly at fault which is why I sought to lead the investigation. I will not arrest her since, as mentioned, there is truly no sufficient evidence for a warrant."

A wave of relief for everyone, yet Thoma froze at the cold glare from the detective.

"However," he said, "we do need to close the case if only to get Sara off our backs. Investigations have found traces of elemental energy—cryo, to be precise—in the books to keep it preserved from aging or being destroyed. I can use that to push for the closing of the case."

Ayaka grimaced behind her fan, "You mean to say that she—"

"—needs to surrender her Vision." Heizou nods, "It will be my proof to Kujou Sara that the suspect has been apprehended and no longer a threat."

"Of course," he looked at Yae, "this also means you will have to suspend Miss [Name] from making any more of those controversial novels."

The priestess sighs morosely, "How dull."

In the end, Thoma's shield could not protect your own ambitions.

You made no fuss in handing over your Vision to the young detective. In fact, you seem almost at peace if not for the flicker of resentment in your eyes as they look upon Tenshukaku. When Heizou left, Yae and the Kamisato siblings have asked why you put up no fight despite your avid rebellion so far.

"I have done my part in this battle," you said, "and the rest is up to those who will face Baal."

The fact you so boldly used the Shogun's god name showed your obstinate courage.

Yae, in particular, grinned slyly as she has proven herself once again to have an eye for talent.

Ayato and Ayaka remarked how Thoma is truly lucky to have someone like you.

Regardless, some things cannot be defeated by will alone. The loss of your Vision gradually took a toll on you like the rest. You grew physically weaker, at times unable to leave bedrest. You became mentally absent, missing portions of your day often. Soon, Yae did not even need to suspend you whom already struggled to write anything of worth now.

Thoma has lost count how many sleepless nights he had woken up to your shaking form, and then having to comfort you in his embrace. The entire Kamisato Estate can hear your raw and mournful wails as they also felt your loss from afar. Your personal study has been ransacked due to frustrated anger—with inkwells spilled, parchments either left crumpled or torn, and splinters of broken brushes scattered on the floor. All your lover could do was put back the pieces of your broken heart in a frail effort to keep it from being bled dry. Pain and sorrow meant that you have not gone empty, meaning you still fight even while hopeless.

The Traveler steps into the docks of Inazuma from aboard the Alcor.

"Ahoy there!" Thoma greeted.

He could not salvage your dreams yet he does not falter in carrying your heart. Unfortunately, the storm was still ruthlessly devouring you. There may not be anything left of you in the end if this continues.

Nevertheless, he refuses to bow down and just give up on you now.

Regimes can be toppled, kings overthrown, and he would conquer all because—

"I am the shield of fire to her lance of ice, steadfast as we are defiant."

•☆••☆••☆•

[write-kin]

Augusnippets - Delirium

Written Aug 09. Word Count: 500

Prompt: Delirium/Hallucination/Vertigo, from @augusnippets

Thank you to Cyber and Worm for letting me borrow Rex and Vic in the pirate au! Something something Stowawaypilled Scurvymaxxing. CWs: Mentioned past SA, illness, loss of touch with reality, PTSD symptoms.

--

This couldn’t be happening. They’d escaped. They were out of there. 

But the voices around Sunshine were unmistakable. Familiar chatter of sailors, even as Sunshine curled up tighter in the cargo box. 

Maybe it’d been a dream. The sneaking onto this new ship, the box of hardtack and booze, the freedom, the risk of their escape. 

Maybe the accident had just happened, and they were waking up from it. 

They weren’t sure. Time had stopped making sense.

Two louder, clearer voices cut through the chatter. Words slurred, which was a bad sign. They kept talking as they got closer. 

“Not all of it is for transport. He’s not boring, there’s got to be more booze around somewhere.” “If we get caught for this, it’s your fault. And I tried to stop you.” “Mhm.”

Sunshine held their breath, not wanting to be noticed. They might not know where they were, but they knew that being found spelled disaster no matter what. 

There was a loud cracking noise, and then it was incredibly cold, and they were in the torchlight.

“That’s not gin.” “I know.” “That’s a person.” “Looks like.” 

Maybe if Sunshine stayed incredibly still, they would leave. 

That idea went belly-up when a hand grabbed the back of their shirt, pulling them up to a dizzying verticality. 

They found themselves staring an absolutely massive man in the eyes, and the world under them spun, feeling further and further away.

The sailor’s voices didn’t stop, but they could only see the man in front of them, and his slightly shorter companion. The one holding them spoke. 

“Who are you?” 

Even if their mouth wasn’t currently full of blood, Sunshine wouldn’t have responded. They hadn’t spoken since the first time this had happened. 

And they weren’t about to lie there and take it again. So instead of replying, Sunshine kicked out at the stranger, as hard as they could. The heel of their boot collided with his lower stomach, and it did jack shit. 

That wasn’t good. They kicked again, but a hand caught their leg, which was worse. 

Sunshine was panicking now, angry and afraid and trying to get away. They’d dive overboard if they needed to.

Impulsively, they opened their mouth to scream. 

Instead of any noise, though, blood came out. 

The shorter man said something in a language they didn’t know. It sounded like cursing. The larger one looked at them with something resembling concern as he held them further off of the ground, letting go of their leg.

There were hands on them. They didn’t see anyone touching them. Sunshine let their head roll forwards, swallowing back more blood. 

“We should probably tell him. You know. Stowaway. In that state.” “You wanna?” “Not particularly.” “Go get him.” With a shrug, the shorter one turned around, walking out of the storage room. Leaving Sunshine and the larger man alone. The man looked them over, sympathy in his eyes.

“You’re in a bad way.” Sunshine tried to kick him again.

[rageofthemuffin]

Werewolf AU Extended Preview

This is the first 1300 or so words of chapter 4 in lieu of posting the actual chapter today. Full chapter will be up on Halloween. Enjoy!

----

Obi-Wan woke to the muffled sound of raised voices in another room and overwhelming nausea.  He kept his eyes closed and tried to breathe through it.  When that didn’t work, he tried to focus on the voices, thinking maybe whatever argument his next door neighbors were having would be enough of a distraction.

“You were the one who told me I was being irresponsible!”

“And I was right, but I don’t think you need me to point that out right now!  What’s done is done, Cody, and now you have to figure out how to deal with it.”

“I’m trying, but how the fuck am I supposed to explain something like this?  He’s going to think I’m crazy!”

“Right, if only there was some way to prove it.”

“Fuck off, Rex, you know I don’t like letting him out outside of the full moon.”

“Cody, it doesn’t matter what you don’t like!  If you want him to believe you and not immediately call the police, which none of us want, you’re going to have to prove you’re not lying!”

The voices got quieter, too quiet for Obi-Wan to make out any words, but he did come to the realization that those were not the voices of his neighbors.  He opened his eyes, blinking against the morning light.

Memories of the previous night came rushing back as he took in the log walls of the cabin.  Memories and…dreams?  Hallucinations?  Whatever they were, there had been a huge wolf.  Several of them, actually, but the other one’s hadn’t stuck around.  

That’s right, he had gone hiking and gotten lost.  He could only assume the owners of the cabin were the ones who found him, but he had no memory of them.  Unless, of course, one of them was a giant black wolf, but that seemed unlikely.

And what was that argument they were having?  Something about calling the police?  It didn’t sound good, but any further analysis was cut off by a rising tide of nausea that had Obi-Wan sprinting into the attached bathroom.  

One good thing about these increasingly alarming bouts of sickness was that Obi-Wan often felt much better after getting sick, and today was no exception.  In fact, he realized quickly how hungry he still was after not eating since lunch the previous day.  He rinsed his mouth out the best he could under the faucet and hoped that his rescuers might have a granola bar or something to tide him over until he could get home.

And on the subject of his rescuers, he figured it was time to introduce himself.  Obi-Wan went back through the bedroom, pausing by the door when he heard the voices again.

“I’m just like him.”

“No, you’re not.  Or, at least, this is your chance to prove you’re not.”

“I don’t want to hurt him, Rex.  Either of them.”

“For fuck’s sake, Cody!  You didn’t hurt them last night, so why the hell would you hurt them today?”

“Don’t act like you weren’t worried about me hurting them last night, or even two months ago when-”

“Maybe I was wrong!  I don’t know, Cody, he’s your wolf!  You’re the one who has to figure this shit out, and I’m happy to help you, but-”

At the risk of making things infinitely more awkward, Obi-Wan chose that moment to open the bedroom door.  Who knows how long the argument would continue if he didn’t?

Two nearly identical faces turned to look at him, both appearing a bit too surprised for Obi-Wan’s comfort.  Did they not know he was there?  

Despite his rapidly growing discomfort, Obi-Wan cleared his throat.  “Um, hello.  Sorry to intrude.”

“I made you breakfast,” one of the men blurted.  This one had dark hair and a scar near one eye, where the other had blond, shaved hair, and Obi-Wan squinted at the odd feeling of recognition in his gut.

“Wait, you’re-!” he cut himself off, not sure how to finish that statement.  The best fuck of his life?  The man he’d been dreaming about every single night for two months?  

The blond man snorted, standing from where he’d been sitting at the kitchen table.  

“Christ, good luck, mate.”  He slapped the scarred man on the back and headed toward the door.  “Thanks for breakfast!”

Obi-Wan just stared at the man standing in the kitchen, unsure of how to navigate this situation.

“Uh, hi,” the man finally said after an incredibly awkward stretch of silence.  “Nice to see you again.  I’m Cody.”

“Obi-Wan.”

“Obi-Wan,” Cody repeated softly.  “Okay, um, I made breakfast, like I mentioned.  I didn’t know if you were a savory or sweet breakfast kind of person, so there are cinnamon rolls, but I also made eggs and bacon.”

“Oh my, that’s very generous,” Obi-Wan said, eyeing the spread on the table.  “Wait, you made cinnamon rolls for me?”

Cody brought a hand to the back of his neck.  “I actually made them a couple weeks ago and put them in the freezer, and I was already planning on having them this morning, so it’s just the eggs and the bacon that’s extra, really.”

“Right, okay.”  Obi-Wan slowly sat down at the table, trying to ignore how intently Cody was staring at him as he served himself some eggs.

“And I didn’t kidnap you,” Cody added hurriedly.

“Oh, I,” Obi-Wan froze.  “I hadn’t actually considered that until just now, to be honest.”

Cody winced.  “Fuck, okay, that sounded really suspicious then, didn’t it?  Maybe it’s easier if you just tell me what you remember from last night.”

Obi-Wan took a bite of the scrambled eggs and paused briefly to marvel at the taste of them.  

“Well, I decided to go hiking.  I’m not quite sure why, as I’ve never been one for outdoorsy things like that, but it felt like the thing to do.  I got a bit of a late start, and I could have sworn I stayed on the trails, but I suddenly found myself much deeper into the woods than I thought.  It was dark, I was miserable, and now I’m here.”

Cody gave him a long, assessing look as he leaned back against the counter.  “That’s all you remember?”

Obi-Wan took another bite of the eggs.  They were fantastic.  “I suppose it’s not quite everything.  I think I had some sort of hallucination while I was wandering out there.  Quite silly, really.  There was this massive black wolf with the most striking yellow eyes, and I thought he was going to kill me, but actually he just pestered me until I followed him here, and then he practically tucked me into bed.”

Obi-Wan chuckled lightly at the thought of it but quickly sobered at the look on Cody’s face.  He wasn’t laughing.

“So, what actually happened?  How did you find me?” Obi-Wan asked after Cody didn’t say anything.

The man winced.  “It’s occurred to me I should probably have just let you finish breakfast first.”

Obi-Wan set his fork down, growing more concerned by the second.  “Did something happen?  I don’t feel injured or deathly ill.  In fact, aside from some nausea when I woke up, I actually feel quite well.”

“It’s not that,” Cody assured him, seeming to go a bit pale.  “I’m actually fuzzy on a lot of the details myself, but I think my explanation will be surprising to say the least.”

“I think I can handle a bit of a surprise,” Obi-Wan said, aiming for levity.

Again, Cody didn’t seem at all amused.  “You should finish your breakfast, and then we can talk.”

“I would rather just know now, I think,” Obi-Wan said, starting to get a bit irritated.  

“Are you sure?” Cody asked, his stance softening.  “When was the last time you had something to eat?”

“I’m not really sure it’s any of your business,” Obi-Wan snapped.  

Cody looked chastened, and also a bit hurt, and Obi-Wan felt a baffling urge to take his words back.

“Right, okay.  Would you prefer to do it here, or maybe the living room?  Or-”

“Cody,” Obi-Wan interrupted.  “How did you find me?”

[zahri-melitor]

Dark Nights: Metal

Well that was certainly an event.

I think the reasons to read this come under a handful of categories:-

Do you care about Barbat(h)os lore?

Do the words ‘Dark Multiverse’ sound like something you care about finding out more about?

Are you an event tragic and want to be set up to read storylines and events spiraling out of this?

Are you the sort of Batman fan who wants to see him curbstomp with everyone else’s powers?

If your answers are no, congratulations, skip this event, it’s a fever dream.

If your interest is piqued: look the best way to describe this uh thing is that a multiverse evil Justice League of Bruce Waynes comes to harass Earth-0.

Yeah. You’ve got:

Red Death (Bruce Wayne who absorbed the Speed Force from Barry)

Murder Machine (Bruce Wayne bonded with an AI of Alfred that’s infected Cyborg)

Dawnbreaker (Bruce Wayne who got a Green Lantern ring immediately after his parents were murdered and had so much willpower he could override the ring into letting him do murder)

Drowned (our gender-swapped Bryce Wayne who performed surgery on himself to turn amphibious to defeat Atlantis after they tried conquering the land)

Merciless (Bruce Wayne who was in love with Diana but ended up possessed by Ares’s helmet after her death)

Devastator (Bruce Wayne infects himself with the Doomsday virus)

The Batman Who Laughs (yeah you all know this one, is the Bruce & Joker combo)

It’s also a ‘collect the tv & movie references’ event, with specific visual references to things like: Star Trek Wrath of Khan; Mad Max Fury Road; Game of Thrones; etc.

It is also, I guess, stuffed full of in-joke references back to earlier events and storylines, both pre and post Flashpoint. Bart Allen gets name-checked. There's an Arthur's hook hand joke that lands quite well. There’s a comment on the street about turning Gotham into a No Man’s Land. Batman: Lost is just ‘how well do you recognise a bunch of classic Batman tales’. And so on.

Interestingly, the two titles that I enjoyed the most (in terms of both references and how their story was constructed) were Batman: Lost #1 (a Snyder-Williamson-Tynion combo book) and Dark Nights: The Batman Who Laughs #1 (Tynion, with Rossmo on art).

I know. I KNOW. But the Dark Nights: The Batman Who Laughs title, despite having literally everything working against it, had the most coherent storyline for how Bruce got corrupted, it was the only title that focused on the fact people would care, and as tends to be the case, it had Rossmo assigned for the art to do some really interesting things. Tynion can tell a good story and actually cared about the stakes of it.

While Batman: Lost #1 is far more understandable as a great event one-shot. It has Bruce hallucinating his future, being in his 70s at home in the Manor with a crowd of grandchildren running around (one has Gordon red hair! Another is called Janet!) and he's telling stories of his past battles to Janet. There's a library wall where the books are all his 'adventures' and of course they're all labelled with the names of various famous Batman stories (and it's fun to look through them and pick out the priorities) and as Bruce tells Janet the story she requested, how it went keeps shifting and other storylines are interposed (and also have oddities in them). It's a title that rewards knowing the original stories Bruce tries to tell. Dominique talks directly to the camera explaining how things will proceed in the Dark Night, Dark City scenes.

Finally there's actually a really lovely intro sequence to Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1 if you're a Bobo fan, which includes Rex, the Wonder Dog. I really loved that bit.

Either way, this was one of those events with characters stuffed into every possible panel for Meaningful Reasons and a load of nonsense (I'm not even going to bother understanding some of this, but I got the impression there was a whole pack of 'where has this character been' retcons put in place).

It's a very, very, very, very Bruce Wayne obsessed event. And while there was certainly good material to enjoy in it if you like playing spotto with previous events, the entire metal lore was just ultimately painful to read.

[alicepao13]

Hudson and Rex S06E08

Another good episode. As a disclaimer, I’ve had a pretty specific idea of how this episode should be like, so I went in a little bit negatively predisposed. Also, these aren't in order. Sorry.

I remember the dead guy. He was in the episode with Meghan Ory’s character, the first one of the two.

“He’s dead. Are you happy?” Calm down, ma’am, you’re giving him reasons to be stupidly self-sacrificing.

Joe: Charlie no. Charlie: Charlie yes.

“We’re going to transfer all the inmates I’ve arrested out of the prison.” You’ll… what… now?

“I’ll find your killer and get rid of your drug problem”. And also fix your plumbing (oh, wait), clean your laundry, and create a gourmet menu for your prison.

Okay they did find a good reason for Rex to be in there. I'd still have preferred Charlie alone in prison and Rex investigating on the outside.

I hate this hairstyle. There, I said it. However, it’s more fitting to prison inmate Chuck than what Charlie has had all season so far as a cop. Which has actually been tolerable as an image despite not fitting the character, and I refuse to spend more time on that because I keep seeing it being commented on and when this keeps happening, I feel bad.

I think I know the actor who plays Charlie’s prison bunkmate but I can’t place him.

Charlie displayed a lot of badassery in this episode. Also, I think John Reardon did some good work acting wise in this one.

Charlie said “I love you”, “babe”, “you’re the hottest woman I’ve ever seen”, “sweetheart” to Sarah, and all of that while he was undercover in prison and through the phone??? Who do I talk to about this? How was there not a better moment for this? It’s like they wanted to throw these words out in the open in the least romantic way possible.

The way I hate “babe” and yet every single couple I ship is using it… They’re lucky I’ve been desensitized since Castle.

And Sarah’s facepalm on the other end lmao. It’s obviously not the first “I love you” at least. I wonder what she calls him.

I liked the instrumental music for the prison scenes. It was very much on point.

Damn, they put him in solitary for 24 hours. This couldn’t have awakened any claustrophobic feelings from a) the freezer b) the cave collapse, c) the coffin he was buried in d) the containers that almost turned him into a pancake? Come on, guys. Also, do they or do they not have solitary in Canada? It can’t keep changing according to the season.

Sarah worried because her idiot almost died in prison. Charlie finally (I might pass out) having a moment of weakness? Saying that he misses Sarah and Rex? I did not think I'd live to see it.

Jesse saying that they'd pull out Charlie if it gets too dangerous… This is way too optimistic. Realistically, he would have gotten shivved before anyone could do anything about it.

Rex totally wanted to maul that guy for injuring Charlie. Once again, why can’t we see him baring his teeth? German shepherds have scary canine teeth, they’re not just cute and cuddly.

I liked Joe as a guard. And interrogating the suspect, getting a bit handsy with him.

Detective Jesse Mills. Doing interrogations. Detecting lol

Bringing back a bad guy from S1? Interesting choice. I barely remember the guy. And wasn’t that episode like a collective fandom hallucination or something? When Charlie mentioned the guy had killed a kid I was like, oh so we haven’t seen that case. That’s how much I don’t remember that episode.

“Lots can change in that time” Charlie, you’re squeaky clean, bud. You tried to be “bad” in S4 and lasted for like four minutes.

Also, in every show I’ve seen, once a cop enters prison, no one cares whether he’s a disgraced cop. They’d want to kill him either way.

Either they shot the scenes of the prison yard in one day or it was raining all the days they had those scenes. Very gloomy weather, it added a bit of extra grime to the episode.

“Do you want to read the letters with me?” Absolutely not. He wants to go back home, hug his girlfriend and have a hot shower to wash the prison off of him. Maybe this all happened off screen already. I don’t care. I didn’t see it so it didn’t happen.

I liked the episode. It didn’t go my way at all but it’s understandable. I wanted some more danger towards the end, as people were catching on to the fact that Charlie was a cop. Also, Charlie had way too much communication with the team, I know it doesn’t make sense for me to not want that, but it also doesn’t make sense for an undercover cop in prison to be able to be in touch with almost every member of his team throughout the episode. Did I want a Charlie and Sarah scene in the end? Absolutely.

Promo: That is a pretty lame promo for what should be a character centric episode. It looks like a complete filler, devoid of character moements. I hope it will be a character centric episode and not a filler NCIS episode (because Navy). Hopefully it’s just lousy promo editing and not a lousy episode. Interesting choice for Charlie’s dad. And I know people might hate me for this, but I’ll say it anyway. I did prompt a few storylines to an AI model about Charlie facing off his dad, and the AI would always, always have his dad call him Charles. Fucking hell.

There’s no way Sarah is not meeting Charlie’s dad, right? I need to be reassured.

Dude seems so dismissive of Rex that I hope Rex bites him. He should be allowed to bite family members who are being assholes.

[speedywithadhd]

For some reason I am now broken out of the nonverbal spell idk why, anyways OOC:

When I was a kid I was OBSESSED with dinosaurs and I read everything I could about them. Jurassic park was my favorite movie and I thought the parts where the dinos ate people were awesome. During a summer break when I was like six or seven I started vividly hallucinating dinosaurs all over the place and no one believed me because they thought I was just playing pretend. I was a small child and had to just deal with dinosaurs being all over the place but luckily they were pretty passive and they went away by the time I started school.

Anyways, my favorite dinosaur is the Allosaurus. It was like a T-rex but smaller and ate carrion

OOC:OH MY GOD WHEN I WAS YOUNGERR I WAS OBSESSED WITH DINOSAURS TOO BUT I COULDNT EVER LEARN ABOUT THEM I ALWAYS FORGOT THEN INDORMATION

YOU HALUCINATED THEM?? THATS KINDA AWSOME AND TERRAFYING

[littlesoka7567]

It's Not Your Fault Ch. 2

Summary:

“If it was Omega, would you say it’s not a big deal?” Echo asks softly, shifting his weight. “If it was Crosshair, or me, or anyone else?” Hunter works his jaw, looking to the sleeping pair in annoyance. “I’m not Omega.” “No, you aren’t. You’re Hunter, our sergeant and our brother. We care about you, and we worry about you, the same way we all worry about each other.”

Notes: Progress is being made by all batchers!!

Warnings: Whump, trauma, major injuries, issues with eating, probably inaccurate medical discussions.

Rating/WC: T/4450 words

~~~

Tech is curled up again, tapping slowly at his datapad. Wrecker is still asleep, unmoving. He walks past both of them, striding over to Crosshair’s bed. 

Cross looks up from Omega, watching Hunter. His mouth is set in a displeased frown; he isn’t buying the act either. “Sorry about that, Omega. I’m back now. Are you hungry?”

Omega pries her face away from Crosshair’s chest, looking up at him. She nods, wiggling her way out of Crosshair’s arms and taking his hand again. 

“Hunter,” Cross drawls, right as Hunter is about to lead them out. 

Hunter looks up, forcing a smile. “Did you need anything?”

Crosshair doesn’t respond for several seconds, before he sighs and stands. “I want to go too.”

Hunter blinks in surprise, but nods quickly. “Yeah-yeah, okay. Let’s go.”

Echo comes back in and sits at the chair beside Tech, watching the trio leave. Hunter pointedly ignores them both.

The mess hall on this ship is always half deserted, but never fully. Most of the people who use this rebel ship don’t use it as a home base, only as an HQ. It houses mostly rogue clones like Rex, refugees from the Empire that don’t have their own ships, and the occasional leaders of the rebellion who never want to stray too far from home base. Everyone else simply visits, or comes in for missions only. 

Today, it is thankfully almost completely empty. There is a set of high ranking rebels discussing plans in low voices in the corner, and a few clones littered around which Hunter doesn’t recognize, all sitting by themselves. Perfect.

Hunter leads them to the mess line, using one hand to lead Omega and the other to scoop food onto his own and Omega’s trays. Crosshair follows silently, looking over his shoulder an almost worrying number of times. Hunter wonders if it’s simple paranoia, or if Crosshair is hearing something that isn’t real. 

“Can you hold your own tray?” Hunter asks Omega softly, making sure his voice doesn’t carry. He can already feel curious eyes of the fellow clones watching over them, and he wants to minimize Omega and Crosshair’s discomfort as much as he can. 

Omega nods, grabbing it. He balances his own tray and leads them to an empty table by a wall. He sits down with his back to the rest of the mess hall, allowing Cross to have the peace of mind that comes with a covered back. If anyone were to approach them, Hunter would hear it long before they got there. 

They eat in silence for a long while, Omega’s left hand on his right elbow, moving with him every time he has to move his arm to get another bite. Which isn’t often; he’s more concerned with making sure she eats her own tray, and watching Crosshair out of the corner of his eye. 

“Hunter,” Crosshair murmurs, voice low but on edge. “Is that person staring at us?”

Hunter looks up from Omega’s tray, looking around the room to find the person Cross is talking about. “Where do you see them? There’s no one looking at us.”

“Oh,” Crosshair says, and Hunter turns just in time to see him looking away from the entrance down at his plate. 

“Do they look different?” Hunter asks, turning to encourage Omega to take another bite before looking back at Crosshair. “The people in your hallucinations?”

“No,” Cross answers shortly, stabbing another bite and chewing slowly as Hunter waits for elaboration. “If I could tell the difference, I wouldn’t have to ask, would I?”

Hunter chews on the inside of his cheek for a minute, doing his best to not show his annoyance. “They’ll go away eventually,” Hunter clips, turning his attention back to Omega. “Once all the drugs are out of your system completely and the detox stage is over.”

Omega puts her fork down, looking up at Hunter and then to his tray. 

“How much longer will they last, medic Hunter?” Crosshair drawls, sarcasm dripping from every word. “It’s already been a week.”

“I don’t know,” Hunter says, scooping some food onto his own fork and letting it hover just above his tray. “The actual medic said it can take a few weeks or even a month to completely detox, due to the levels of the drug in your system. It was a lot.”

Omega taps his wrist, and Hunter sighs and forces the bite into his mouth. He puts his fork down, trying to chew through the nausea and not let it get to him. It’s just food, his body is made to consume it; why can’t he just eat it like he used to?

“So I could still have another two or three weeks of this?” Crosshair hisses, gripping his own fork hard enough it turns white. 

“Yes,” Hunter says, because Echo is the optimistic one and if Crosshair wanted optimism he would have eaten in the medbay like he usually does. “But they’ll get easier to handle and further apart in appearance every day.”

Cross slams his fork on the table with a bang, and Omega whimpers and throws herself into Hunter’s side. Hunter just wraps an arm around her, pulling her closer and trying to make her feel as safe as possible. “Sorry, Omega, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Cross murmurs, looking down in shame and wrapping his arms around himself. 

“I think it might be time to head back anyway,” Hunter says softly, petting Omega's hair to coax her out of his side. “It’s okay Omega, it was just Crosshair. Nothing scary. Nothing is going to hurt you.”

“You haven’t eaten much,” Crosshair says, looking between Omega and Hunter’s tray.

“Not hungry,” Hunter replies without thought, smiling when Omega pulls her face away to look up at Hunter. “There you are. Ready to go back to the room?”

Omega nods, looking around to reassure herself where she is before grabbing onto Hunter’s hand.

“Do you ever eat?” Crosshair asks, narrowing his eyes. “Because you don’t eat with us in the medbay. When you take Omega here do you just watch her eat and then take her back?”

Hunter shoots him a look, before helping Omega stand. He stacks their trays so he can carry it on one hand, and stands up himself. “I’m not hungry right now, Crosshair, just drop it.”

Crosshair takes the trays from him, glaring at him as he pushes past to walk in front. Instead of taking it to the trash like Hunter was going to, he simply walks out of the room and starts heading towards the medbay. 

Hunter sighs, looking down at Omega with a tired smile. “Do you want to go see Tech and Echo, or go to our quarters to take a nap?”

He had hoped the question would encourage her to speak, but she simply shrugs and holds his hand in a death grip. 

“Okay. Let’s go check on the boys first, at least.” Hunter leads the way, and the walk there is uneventful. There aren’t many people milling about, and there are no loud and sudden noises. 

He opens the door to the medbay and frowns when he sees Echo and Crossair whispering in the far corner, Crosshair gesturing with the tray of food every once and a while. “Everything alright?” he calls, just loud enough to be heard but not so loud it scares Omega.

Echo looks over, a deep and disapproving frown in place. He walks over and smiles down at Omega, patting her head softly. “You look tired, Omega. Why don’t you curl up with Crosshair and help the both of you get a couple hours of sleep?”

Omega’s heart starts to quicken, and she looks to Hunter with wide eyes. 

“I’ll be here,” he promises, squeezing her hand. “All of us will be right here.”

Omega clings to his arm, biting her lip as she looks between Crosshair and Echo. 

“It’s okay, Omega. Hunter will stay here the whole time and none of us will let anything happen to you. I promise.” Echo brushes some hair behind her ear, and Omega leans into the touch. 

Crosshair has put the tray down and crawled into the medical cot, settling down for a nap he probably won’t take if Omega isn’t there with him.

Omega takes a deep breath, and slowly lets go of Hunter’s hand. She looks up at him, and Hunter smiles reassuringly at her. “I won’t leave the room, I promise.”

Omega nods slowly, and then quickly makes her way across the room. Crosshair lifts the blanket and she dives in, cuddling into his side and turning to face Hunter and Echo. Crosshair puts a protective arm over her, and closes his eyes to either pretend or actually try to fall asleep. 

Echo waits for Omega’s eyes to shut and her yawning to stop, before turning to Hunter. “Have you not been eating?”                                  

Hunter sighs in annoyance. “I have been eating, just not a lot all at once. Look, I’m sorry I blew up at you guys earlier; you don’t have to start keeping tabs on me and worrying. You all have enough to worry about as it is.”

Echo frowns deeply, crossing his arms over his chest. “Hunter, we all take care of each other. It’s not your job alone to take care of us, and it isn’t your job to neglect yourself.”

“I’m fine!” Hunter hisses, careful to keep his voice low enough the others won’t hear. “I’m not hurt; I didn’t get blown up, I didn’t get shot, I didn’t break my back or hit my head, I wasn’t tortured. Nothing happened to me, I’m fine.”

“You have survivor's guilt,” Echo argues, and holds his hand up when Hunter starts to argue. “No, don’t. You know what I mean. You’re punishing yourself and blaming yourself because you didn’t get injured when the rest of us did. And that makes you feel guilty, so you’re torturing yourself and hurting yourself to ‘make up for it’.” He uses air quotes on the last part, and Hunter scowls at him. “It isn’t your fault you didn’t get hurt, and it isn’t your fault we did. It’s not your fault. You have to stop blaming yourself, to stop hurting yourself, if you really want to help us.”

Hunter shakes his head. “I’m not hurting myself, Echo. I just wasn’t hungry. It happens from time to time. You’re both blowing this way out of proportion.”

“Crosshair said that the only time you took a bite was when Omega encouraged you to,” Echo argues. 

“Because I’m not hungry,” Hunter says, feeling so very tired suddenly. “It’s not deep, there’s no hidden cry for help in it. I’m just not hungry. I eat when I’m hungry, I promise.”

“Why aren’t you hungry?” Echo challenges. “Are you getting sick?”

“No, I’m just-” Hunter sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “I don’t know why. Sometimes when I eat I’m fine, I finish a whole plate. Sometimes I’m only hungry enough for half, sometimes less. Sometimes I get nauseous when I’m eating so I don’t eat more than a couple bites. It’s not a big deal, it only happens every once and a while.”

“If it was Omega, would you say it’s not a big deal?” Echo asks softly, shifting his weight. “If it was Crosshair, or me, or anyone else. Would you still say it’s not a big deal if Omega was skipping meals or only eating half?”

Hunter works his jaw, looking to the sleeping pair in annoyance. “I’m not Omega.”

“No, you aren’t. You’re Hunter, our sergeant and our brother. We care about you, and we worry about you, the same way we all worry about each other.”

Hunter rubs at his temple, wishing he had some caf right now. A nap doesn’t sound all that bad, if he’s being honest. If he could close his eyes without seeing everything he’s trying to escape. “You don’t need to worry about me, Echo. I’m fine, I just-”

Echo suddenly moves to stand in front of Hunter’s line of sight, and he looks angrier than Hunter has seen from him in a very long time. “Hunter, how are you supposed to protect us if you’re half dead?”

Hunter’s eyes widen, and he staggers a step backwards. “Echo-”

“No, tell me. If Omega is in danger, how are you going to save her if you’re weak from exhaustion and hunger? How are you going to tell Crosshair his hallucinations aren’t real if you can’t keep your eyes open long enough to tell? How are you going to help with Tech’s physical therapy if you aren’t strong enough to hold his weight?” Echo steps closer, and Hunter feels like an animal being hunted. “Tell me, Hunter. How is you killing yourself going to help you do your job? How will that benefit us?”

Hunter turns away from Echo, from his accusatory stare, breathing heavily as he glares at the floor. “I’m fine.” 

“For now,” Echo says, letting Hunter have that. “What about in a week from now? Two? What about a month from now, when you haven’t eaten or slept or worked out or done anything except look after us? You wanna know what you’ll look like? Just look at Crosshair.”

Hunter balls his hands into fists, feeling the nausea return. “Kark off.”

Echo scoffs, placing his hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “You’re only saying that because you know I’m right. You’ll be too weak to protect us soon, you’re working yourself down to the bone. You have to take care of yourself if you want to keep protecting us long term.”

Hunter finally turns back to Echo, his whole body shaking. He’s almost at another breakdown, he can feel it. And he doesn’t want to do that to any of them again. “What if something happens when I’m asleep? What if I go take a shower, and she needs me?”

Echo finally gives him a sad smile, his anger seeming to drain away. “Then we can take care of it. You’ll be down the hall, not across the galaxy. If we need you, you’ll be a few seconds away. Isn’t a few hours where you’re asleep better than you being awake but too exhausted to do anything?”

Hunter looks to Omega and Crosshair over Echo’s shoulder, sighing deeply. “I don’t…”

“You’re worrying her,” Echo says softly, making Hunter look at him. “She knows you aren’t okay, and it’s giving her unnecessary anxiety. Us, too, you know. You’re stressing me out.” Hunter flinches away from the accusation, looking down in guilt. “All you have to do is take care of yourself too, and that’ll stop. It’ll help all of us get better.”

Hunter runs a hand over his face, and finally nods. “Okay. Okay, yeah. I get it now.”

Echo smiles, clapping Hunter’s shoulder gently. He politely doesn’t say about time or point out how many ways he had to say it before Hunter accepted it. “Good. So you’ll take care of yourself?”

Hunter nods, wrapping his arms over his chest and sniffing once. “When she wakes up, I’ll let you and Cross distract her for a while so I can shower. I’ll grab something to eat and then I’ll-I’ll figure out how to sleep. Maybe we can all stay in here together and…I dunno. I’ll figure it out.”

“I’ll get some sleep after your shower, and when it’s your turn, I’ll keep Omega in here and you can sleep in the room. Away from the beeping and potential of being woken up by nightmares. I’ll watch her the whole time.”

“I don’t know if she’ll be able to sleep without me beside her,” Hunter mumbles. “She can barely exist without holding onto me.”

“She’s going to have to learn how eventually, Hunter. If she’s going to recover from what she’s been through, she’s going to have to do some difficult and scary things sometimes. But we’ll be here to help her through them, and she will get better.” Echo squeezes Hunter’s shoulder, before dropping his hand. “Your tray is still over there, if you want to try and finish it now. Then you can shower when she wakes up and I can get my own sleep in.”

Hunter sighs, looking at the tray. “I wasn’t putting on a brave face when it comes to that, I really don’t feel hungry.”

“Eat anyway,” Echo shrugs. 

Hunter sighs and goes over to the tray, forcing himself to swallow every last bite. It tastes like shit, and he has to fight the urge to throw it all back up, but he gets through it. 

It’s only a few minutes after he finishes eating that Omega’s eyes blink open. She finds Hunter quickly, and seems to relax immediately. 

“Hey, kid,” he murmurs softly, not wanting to wake up Crosshair if he’s actually asleep. “How ya feeling?”

She nods and sleepily gives him a thumbs up. 

“I finished my breakfast while you were asleep,” he tells her, pointing to his empty tray. She smiles at him, seemingly genuinely happy that he’s eaten. “When Cross wakes up, I…”

Echo comes over, having seen that she woke up too. “Me and Cross are gonna stay with you in here, with Tech and Wrecker, and Hunter is gonna take a quick shower, okay?” Omega’s eyes widen, and her breath starts to come quicker. “‘Cause he stinks really bad, doesn’t he?”

It startles a laugh out of her, and she looks to Crosshair to make sure she didn’t wake him up. But she laughed. She laughed, and Hunter was starting to wonder if she ever would again, but she did. She laughed. At his expense, sure, but he doesn’t even care. 

Echo grins at her, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. “And if that goes well, and you’re not scared, we might even let Hunter take his own little nap later in our room, while you sleep in here with us. You can even pick who you bunk up with, yeah? You could try to sleep in Crosshair’s cot again, or you could try in my cot over there. Just to try it out, ‘cause I wasn’t there either, right? So if you wake up, you’ll see me, and you can still know that you’re safe.”

Omega worries her lip between her teeth, looking between Hunter and Echo. “‘Cause Hunter can’t sleep when I’m there?” she asks softly. 

“No,” Hunter denies immediately, but Echo holds up his hand to stop Hunter.

“He struggles to sleep, because he wants to make sure you’re okay and you don’t need him. I think that if he knew you were taken care of, and that me and Cross were here to help if you needed anything, he could sleep a bit easier. He’s just overprotective, is all. It’s not because you’re there.”

Omega swallows thickly, but nods slowly. “Will you take me back to him if I…”

Echo nods quickly. “We’ll go peek in on him as many times as you want. But hopefully you won’t need to, ‘cause you’ll be asleep.”

Omega nods again, looking to Crosshair’s face again before looking back at Hunter. “You can go shower now, if you want,” she says, and then her heart speeds up and she grips the blanket over them tightly. “But-but a fast one, please.”

Hunter smiles at her, putting his hand over hers. “You won’t even miss me, that’s how fast I’ll be,” he promises. 

Echo nods to Hunter, and grabs a stool to sit next to their bed. “Thank you, Hunter,” he whispers, and pats Hunter’s arm as he stands.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promises, patting Echo’s shoulder and heading towards the ‘fresher.

~

Hunter had trouble after the shower, feeling his exhaustion hit him in full force. He ate half of lunch and all of his dinner, keeping Omega awake and mostly entertained with the help of Crosshair. That part wasn’t hard; the hard part was taking care of Tech without the help of Echo. 

Tech doesn’t blame Echo, he doesn’t get annoyed with everything Echo does. He doesn’t fight being fed by Echo like he does with Hunter. He lets Echo sit next to him and even hold his hand, he doesn’t push Echo away and ignore him in favor of his datapad. 

Crosshair took pity on him at some point, telling Hunter that he was having trouble with hearing things and wanted help. When Hunter had gotten over there, he whispered to Hunter that he would watch Tech and if he needed something he'd just let Hunter know. 

But finally, Echo wakes up and comes back, checking on Tech for a few minutes before walking over to where Hunter and Omega and Cross are. “Hey, guys,” he says softly. 

Hunter smiles at him and nods. “Echo. Did you get enough sleep?”

“Yeah,” he says, smiling back. “Everything okay in here?”

“Tech’s eaten, Wrecker hasn’t changed, me and Cross and Omega ate in the mess. Everything is going fine, all things considered.” Hunter stands up and stretches, looking back at Omega sleepily. “Are you sure you’re willing to try this, Omega?”

Omega bites her lip and looks between him and Echo, who’s nodding at her encouragingly. She looks very nervous, but she finally nods and looks back to Hunter. “I can try. And-and I can come get you if I-”

“Of course,” Hunter is quick to reassure, putting a hand on her shoulder. “You can get me as soon as you need me, okay? I’ll be a minute away the whole time.”

“But we won’t need you,” Echo promises, squeezing Hunter’s shoulder. “Because Omega is going to do great, and she’ll fall asleep quick and she won’t even notice you aren’t here.”

Hunter smiles at them both, and then sighs softly. “Okay. Can you go check on Tech, and I’ll say goodnight?” Echo nods, shooting Omega one more reassuring smile. Hunter turns back to Omega. “He’s right, you know. Crosshair will be here the whole time, and so will Echo and Tech.” And Wrecker, but he doesn’t feel like pointing that out will help. “I promise, you’ll be just fine.”

Omega sniffles but nods, crawling into Crosshair’s arms who had been watching silently. “Sleep well, Hunter,” she whispers softly. 

“You too, Omega. Night, Cross,” he says, nodding to him. 

“Goodnight, Hunter,” Crosshair mumbles. 

Hunter turns and checks on Wrecker once more, making sure he’s still out and stable. He sighs and starts to head to the door. 

“Hunter?” Echo asks, and Hunter turns to him where he’s looking after Tech. “Can you come here a second?”

Hunter hesitates, but nods and detours to Tech’s bed. “What’s up?”

Echo looks to Tech, nodding at him encouragingly. Tech sighs and holds out his datapad, looking at Hunter expectantly. “He’s been working on this all day. He wants you to read it before you go to bed, but not in here.”

“Hm,” Hunter says, looking down at it. It’s still hovering over the instructions he gave Echo. “Okay,” he says, rubbing his thumb along the side of the device. He looks back up, smiling sadly at Tech. “I’ll read it.” 

Tech nods once, before looking to Echo and signing get down to indicate he’s ready to lay down and sleep. 

Hunter nods to them both and starts off towards their private quarters. He sits on his bed after locking the door, staring at the datapad without scrolling through it. He doesn’t know if he wants to read it, doesn’t know if he can handle it tonight. He’s so tired. 

But he said he would, so he sighs and rubs a hand over his face before scrolling past the instructions. 

I am very angry with you, Hunter. 

Hunter lets out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes. He wants to say that’s enough for tonight, but he said he would. He said he would. Okay. 

I am very angry with you, Hunter. I could not figure out why I was so angry at first. It has taken a lot of thinking and self reflection. Luckily, this past week has given me nothing but time to think and self reflect. (That was mostly a joke). At first, I thought I was angry at you because I blamed you for what happened to me. But I do not, and have never, blamed you for what happened. I made a calculated decision based on the information I had at the time, and given the chance to go back to that exact moment and try again, I would choose to do the same thing. Therefore, you cannot be blamed. 

Then I began to wonder if I was mad at you despite this realization. I came to my conclusion earlier today when you looked at me the way you had been while doing my tests. Yes, I was still angry with you, and the feeling was very intense. 

When Crosshair brought up that you have not been taking care of yourself, and you yelled at him about how everything was your fault, I finally figured it out. I am angry with you because I am angry that you blame yourself so thoroughly. We are a team, and we are all equals. You have said so, many times before. So why are you keeping all the blame for yourself when we all made our own decisions? I chose to shoot the car. Crosshair chose to warn us instead of fleeing and saving himself. You and Echo and Wrecker all chose to come back and save us, no matter the potential consequences, such as getting hurt. We made our own decisions, you did not make them for us. 

Echo has told me what happened with Omega, as well. And even her capture was a result of her own decisions; her decision to leave the room you hid her inside and try and rescue you. That was her choice, and her consequences. If she had done what you told her to do, she would not have been captured. 

You blaming yourself is what makes me so angry. If you put half as much effort into helping us recover as you did in feeling guilty, we would all be cured by now. 

Take a nap and reread this if you need to. But stop spending so much time blaming yourself for the past and spend more time on helping us all get to the future. 

Hunter has to reread it three times before he’s sure he’s read it right. Then he puts it down and lays down, staring up at the ceiling. He decides to take Tech’s advice-he’ll take a nap, and then think about it again when he wakes up.

[kradogsrats]

okay deeply weird question but: did I hallucinate the entire official twitter conversation pre-s4 about Rex Igneous being gay, or did that actually happen and we just all silently agreed to never speak of it again?

[sixtysixproblems]

i gotta know more about Force Ghost Fives AU/Sithbusters, the title alone is calling my name

(future rory edit: this ramble answer was longer than intended but oh well!)

ok ok ok ok so basically (shoves chemistry homework off table) fives is a ghost (wow, shocker), but the only one who can see/talk to him is Fox. this poses several problems right out of the gate as you've likely guessed lmao.

aside from the obvious ones, Fox is uh. somewhat resistant bc at first he's like "what sort of obnoxious guilt-induced hallucination is this" and fives, not having the whole picture and also you know, recently got killed by this guy, is not super inclined to work with him. so a lot of the first couple chapters is fives a) trying to come to terms with "what the fuck im a ghost", b) trying to find some sort of work around to this where he gets to commit treason from beyond the veil just without working with That Guy.

also, ponds is also a ghost! because i'm incapable of being normal about him! however i have actual plot reasons because:

a) i needed someone for fives to talk to who wasn't fox for like, basic writing purposes

b) common sense and someone with a vested interest in fives actually talking to fox that goes beyond just trying to save the world

c) someone to explain some of the force ghost basics so i dont have to devote a ton of chapters JUST to Fives fucking around an finding out, though there will be plenty of that.

fives still has to fuck around and find out at points because, unlike ponds, he's force sensitive in this AU and as a result has more powers/abilities (for lack of a better word) than ponds does. so fairly quickly ponds goes from "yeah that's how so and so works" to "what the fuck how are you doing that" lmao. ponds may have a similar situation with boba that fives has with fox, in that boba is the only living person he can talk to/interact with. something something boba & fox are both brothers to ponds/fives and both technically responsible for ponds/fives's deaths, but weren't ultimately the people pulling the strings in the situation :/

this seems like a work around to Fives for a while, but they'll eventually hit a dead end bc a feral teenager with little to no contact with the clones (outside of two dead ones) has significantly less knowledge and resources than, you know, the marshall commander of the coruscant guard. also boba refuses to interact with jedi or anyone ponds knew (particularly his batch & rex), i cant imagine why, which complicates things.

characters that'll also probably show up/have some important roles: ahsoka, rex for obvious reasons, anakin for obvious reasons, mayyybe Qui Gon?, and possibly yoda because yoda is yoda and canonically has more knowledge about ghost fuckery than the other jedi at this point.

i think fives will eventually sort out how to talk to some other people, though likely not as easily/well as with fox, but probably only after him and fox have already started working together. a very likely candidate for this is ahsoka and/or cody, since i'm strongly considering having Cody be force sensitive to an extent as well in this. Bly's also a possibility, tho much less likely, because i think i also hint at him being at least a little forced touched as well (there's a scene in my head where he gets told about everything and fives & ponds being ghosts and goes "yeah that checks out" lmao). Anakin also probably gets haunted because he's the chosen one and etc.

I know Fox lives, though uhhh that was debated for a while. to my knowledge it's gonna be a fairly clean fix-it-fic without any other casualties, since i do want it to have plenty of chaos/humor sprinkled throughout, though that could change and a side character or smth could be sacrificed. i really want to end this with an unrealistic happy ending in regard to at least Fives (ponds would probably be too much of a stretch narrative and plot/world wise, RIP), but trying to come up with some way to bring him back to life might be too conveluted/break stws canon too much... :/ we'll see. plus i know the bittersweet option is probably better writing but...man, i like my happy endings and i like fives living, damnit! lmfao. soooo we'll see what ends up happening.

[writing-positivelyexisting]

Fervid

The Bad Batch. Drabble. | writing-positivelyexisting🫧

⚠️ content warning: solemn heavy/slight comfort

Omega is fervid.

Of course she is and agreeably so. Echo chose to leave, just like Crosshair, and she misses them. The others do too, but they can hide their emotions better. Echo and Crosshair’s absence doesn’t go unbothered and everyone’s patience is wearing thinner and thinner.

Tech has more of an attitude and would rather bury himself in data and logic before he would decide to open up and talk to any one of his brothers about his emotions. Even after the small heart-to-heart he shared with Omega in the aquifer, expressing despondent emotions just wasn’t natural to him.

Wrecker has become more irritable. Being highly taciturn and dealing with the stress internally, feeling uncomfortable to bring up solemn topics with his brothers who show no sign of hindrance to their jobs. He is the strong one, physically, among them. He can be strong emotionally, too.

Hunter has more trouble gaining back focus. There's a high pitched ringing in his ears that wasn’t there before. He can hardly smell the caf just under his nose as he sips it from his mug most mornings. There are nauseating migraines that cause him to eat less and less, too. But he can’t let his team know their Sergeant is slowly getting worse, not at this time.

Omega? Omega can’t fix her brave mask to fit her face anymore. She’s frightened more easily. There are auditory hallucinations that keep her from studying. Her mouth is constantly dry and no amount of water seems to remedy it. She wants to talk. So desperately, Omega wants to talk about it. But she also wants to be a soldier for her brothers.

So night after night, the three brothers watch their little sister take Lula into the tail gun space and fluff her pillow before laying to sleep. They sigh deeply every time. Lips curl into deep frowns. Their chests tighten a little tighter. The offer is always just behind their teeth, burning their throats to be spoken.

But they know. They’ve asked her the question.

“It used to belong to Crosshair, then Echo. It’s their bunk.”

How drastically they’ve changed their perspective because of her heart. Without Omega, they would’ve seen the bunk just as it is. A bunk.

Yet, now it’s the previous resting space of two brothers. A simple glance at the empty space is now a yearning stare, a look of curiosity, a glimpse of a memory. It’s a strange space, now.

To even take a seat there feels, somehow, wrong. Almost like that feeling of being in your sibling’s room without their permission and the anxiety that they will pop out of nowhere before you can leave. Except… that anxiety is unwarranted. Neither will be returning to this bunk any time soon.

But tonight is different.

Omega is curled on the bunk. Back facing the slim walkway. Fresh tears staining her cheeks. Shoulders trembling with each shaky breath. The mission, trying to recover lost cargo, sent her over the edge.

Hunter’s observant. He leaves Tech to send Rex the information and comes over to her without a word. He sits, one leg on the bunk and one leg off. He places his hand on her back, offering a soothing rub, like how a mother comforts her child. Omega’s eyes squeeze tighter, sniveling into her hands and hiccuping.

When the other two walk by, Hunter raises his index finger to his lips. They understand.

Wrecker is the first to sit with Hunter, reaching his hand to touch Omega on her shoulder and his large thumb gently massages into her bicep.

And despite his lack of knowledge on this subject matter of comforting a child, Tech sits at the top of the bunk and extends his hand, albeit tentative and quite frankly scared, to gently comb through her hair.

This moment, raw and dark, is a shared experience and this is the best way all of them can talk about it without even muttering a word. Their family is not whole. There are members missing and that is something one person simply cannot handle by themselves.

Tonight, the Marauder is fervid.

word count: 689.

beta read: @beating-a-dead-plot 💛

tag list: @dangraccoon @i-am-the-geek-overlord

[ufonaut]

out of curiosity, what's your recommended reading for Rex Tyler?

REXY MY FRIEND REXY!!!! they're not too many but more than half of these are coincidentally some of my all time favourite comics:

secret origins (1986) #16 -- a rare gem from roy thomas and definitely some of his best work, this is precisely what it says on the tin but rex's realization that the rats he'd tested miraclo on had died a little after he'd already taken a first dose himself is as viscerally horrifying as ever and the beginnings of rex's addiction are explored in no uncertain terms

sandman mystery theatre (1993) #29-32 -- this is nearly a direct adaptation of rex's first appearance in adventure comics (1938) #48 and while the art has none of bernard baily's charm, there's few things i love like rex's manic episode after taking miraclo and the way he hysterically declares "nothing can hurt me anymore!" minutes after being hit by a car. turns out things do hurt him, he just can't feel it! this arc is like a best friend to me

hourman (1999) #5, #24 -- it's no secret i'm not a fan of rick or the android hourman but both these issues explore the superior hourman and we get my absolute favourite characterisation of rex ever published as well as a more in-depth look at his addiction to miraclo. #5 is more or less an origin issue that circles through rex's entire life ("he grew up poor! he grew up poor! rough edges... no social validation whatsoever! his whole life, he had to accomplish miracles just to feel adequate!" is maybe the one comic book moment i think about the most on a weekly basis) and #24 is a middle-aged rex grappling with what miraclo has done to his life, his inability to be a good father to rick or husband to wendi due to the little matter of blacking out every weekend, and we even get poor kent nelson dragged along into a marital argument between the tylers. most of all time

smash comics (1999) #1 -- this is part of the 1999 one shots collected under the 'jsa returns' title and while the overarching story can be understood via all-star comics (1999) #1-2, i think it stands well on its own. this particular one shot sees known odd couple rex & charles mcnider sent on a mission together and it's genuinely one of the funniest comics ever published as far as i'm concerned. you won't believe the sheer number of people i've seen take as literal fact the story rex tells when fucking with mcnider by saying he became hourman because someone threw a clock through his window ("yes, father, i shall become a bat" year one style!)

dc 2000 (2000) #1-2 -- not a rex-focused story per-se but a great look at his dynamic with the rest of the jsa and great fun in general. highlights include wes & al bullying rex into taking his miraclo cause he's "pretty dull company" otherwise

solo (2004) #7 -- he's wired, baby! he's gonna get the shakes! what's a guy supposed to do when he's taken his super coke and there's no crime to stop? this little story will tell you!

all-star squadron (1981) #34, #44, #49, #50 -- there's some great rex action in squadron as a whole, by far his best ongoing, but the issues i've linked are basically a highlights reel of rex's various miraclo-induced heart attacks. as far as i'm aware, this is the earliest comic to have explicitly acknowledged rex as an addict and to have dealt with the consequences of it in a realistic manner, something i'm always on the lookout for and greatly enjoy here

the golden age (1993) -- the quintessential rex comic. the rex manifesto, even. robinson's clearly very inspired both by adventure comics and by roy thomas' work on squadron but on both counts he manages to elevate the very concept of hourman to another level entirely, and evidently the mature tone (and themes) of the book work in rex's advantage like few things do. his vivid hallucinations in #2 make for one of the most memorable sequences in the entire medium and that end note of "one day, maybe, rex will tame his inner demons. maybe" is a gut punch to me every time. a magnificent book as always

starman (1994) #11, #37, 77-79 -- see: the golden age above. rex's starman appearances are in effect just more of what robinson had already previously established but they're an endless delight to me and i enjoy the varying time periods as even with rex's addiction and his untimely end (we were still on zero hour territory here after all), there's still glimpses of rexy at his very best

justice society of america (1992) #1, #5-6, #8-10 -- the series is a must-read for any jsa fan, of course, but it's especially important on the rex front. #5 marks the first time we see rex go to a NA meeting and as this deals with the then-present day jsa, we also get the pleasure of seeing rex slowly and awkwardly try his hand at repairing his relationship with rick

these are roughly in chronological order (in-universe chronological order, that is) and i'd also like to give a special shoutout to elseworlds jsa: the liberty file 2000 and jsa: the unholy three 2003 -- which have some of the most fun rex appearances in history, as well as confirmed socialist leanings -- and dc: the new frontier 2004 #1 -- which doesn't actually include the jsa in a real sense but does feature a wonderful article about rex's death and the public's attempt to reconcile hourman the hero with rex tyler the addict, really great stuff in there.

rex's golden age stories are great -- bernard baily's art is just entirely something else -- but they're often hard to find and even more so in readable quality, hence their absence from this list. i wholly recommend them though, even if rex's evolution as a more mature character had obviously been a wholly necessary one. enjoy! :)

[thenineofus]

Ok, I'll do it then, I need to talk about Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke.

I have been rotating this in my head for months now, and the reason it frustrates me so much is because there are many interesting concepts the book introduces but Eric LaRocca can't write to save their life!

Take for instance the Oedipus Rex thing. So the book is heavily inspired by Oedipus Rex, with the mommy issues and the eye thing at the end. But it feels so shallow, the mommy play happens exactly once and it's not enough to drive home the theme, and if this was their goal, why not imply that the Zoe IS Agnes' mother catfishing her, and that's why she never sends pictures and rejects the offers to meet up irl? Or idk, be more heavy handed with the mommy play, but even that wouldn't be so effective, Oedipus is only shocking because it really was his mother all along, mommy play is very vanilla in my opinion.

One interpretation I saw someone have is that maybe Zoe killed Agnes and forged the emails they exchanged, since she had Agnes' passwords. But if that was ever truly a possibility that the readers should pick up at, then there should be SOME indication that there could have been some action Zoe took that could threaten Agnes' life before idk a sudden change in the emails subject or something. And most importantly: the characters should have unique voices! Well, they should no matter what, that is just decent writing anyway. But if at some point we need to suspect that one of them is impersonating the other, then it's vital that we can recognize their writing, which we don't at all, they talk exactly the same from the very beginning.

The way Eric LaRocca writes characters is one of my biggest issue with their stories. Eric is very well read and knows many complicated words, and they want us to know that, so EVERY SINGLE ONE of their characters talk in this unnatural way, using very specific words, for very mundane conversations. I have read 3 stories they wrote and across all three, the 6 main characters ALL talk like that.

Another issue I have with their writing is that they want so bad to describe the fucked up things and disgust/disturb the reader, but they don't really know how to weave all these things together, so characters just randomly tell each other about that one thing they read on the paper, that one thing their father told them he did, that one thing they saw when they were a child. And none of the things comes back thematically, it's so gratuitous that it even fails to disturb.

Which brings us to the most disappointing part, the tapeworm thing. It all happens so fast and so inconsequentially. The author really thought they were being sooo clever by making this girl contract a parasite on purpose to feel like there is a baby growing inside her. But then we barely get any description of negative reactions a person gets when they contract a parasite, she has some cramps and that's it? Then it passes and she gets sad, it's all so pointless.

It is a wasted opportunity, what if Agnes started getting thinner and thinner, lost hair and teeth because tapeworms absorb the vitamins their host consume. What if she had instead gotten a brain worm instead of her desired intestine one. What if in that part of the story she thinks she didn't contract anything she starts getting seizures, hallucinations and behaving erratically, only to find out she DID get her tapeworm, but in her brain instead!

That would actually have been clever, because she specifically eats raw pork, and taenia are more likely to spread via pork. And also one of the most common symptoms of these parasites is that it affects the EYES, which would make the ending even more thematically coherent.

Anyway, I guess I'm saying all of this because I can't stop thinking of all the potential this book has to be genuinely interesting, but that are never realized because Eric LaRocca is a bad writer, they should hire a co-writer or a better editor, someone that pushed them to do more and do better, all their stories feel like a first draft.

[floundrickthewayfarer]

Thanks for tagging me, @saturn-sends-hugs and @the-bi-space-ace!!!

Rules: Post the first sentence in your last 10 works; if you don’t have 10, do as many as you have.

1. Shadows skittered at the edges of Crosshair’s vision, vanishing every time he whipped his head around to look at them head-on.

An angsty little one-shot where Crosshair hallucinates Echo talking to him in his cell. 

2. “If I get food poisoning—”

About two months after Skako Minor, the Batch takes Echo to one of their favorite diners. There, they find out first hand that Rex wasn’t joking about Echo being a picky eater.

3. I was twelve years old, and I had three years’ worth of memories when the Foreman called for me.

The current first line of one of my original fiction stories. :)

4. “Yeah! Space waffles!” Wrecker cheered.

Exactly what it sounds like. Nothing but fluff, and I kinda forgot about it before digging through my wip folder just now, honestly.

5. Echo’s life was never quiet.

Angsty angst angst about Echo being alone on Skako Minor. A bit of an exploration of his line to Omega about hating solitude.

6. A low, muffled cry echoed through the dim barracks.

A very shaky draft that I keep putting off working on--- Echo has some muddled nightmares and talks them out with either Tech or Crosshair (I haven’t decided yet.)

7. Good soldiers follow orders. The repeating chorus slithered through Tech’s skull, encircling his mind in serpentine coils.

Tech’s chip activates instead of Crosshair’s. 

8. Echo and Wrecker sat side-by-side on a cot. 

A very abandoned one-shot that just... didn’t go anywhere.

9. The man in the blue suit moved with the smooth, dangerous confidence of a big cat. 

Look! A semi-abandoned Team Fortress 2 fic! It centers around Spy and Scout and Spy and Scout’s mom, and I don’t have the motivation/bravery to continue writing, since I know it will quickly spiral into at least 10 chapters.

10. It was night when the Purge troopers came.

My poor, semi-abandoned fic about Echo, his Jedi padawan, and Cal Kestis meeting Darth Vader. I want to write this, I do, but I also know it will take me at least 5-10 chapters to do it justice, and I’m trying to focus on writing another project right now.

Anyway, those are ten of my first lines of works-in-progress! This was fun! And, who knows, maybe it inspired me to keep writing/finish some of these! The Tech/Order 66 one is, like, 90% finished, now that I’m skimming through it. 

Not sure who to tag/who would be interested, but, if any of y’all see this and want to spill the contents of your work-in-progress folder, go for it! (No pressure tags: @renton6echo  @gentle-hero-blog )