#but also i like the idea of heizou being a genuine friend and the two of you grow closer while trying to find ways to get scara caught

[merakiui]

Absolutely love the possessive ex Scaramouche ramble in tags, please feed us more of that.

Gladly!! :D

(cw: yandere, extremely toxic ex scara, modern au, unhealthy behaviors/relationship, stalking, coercion, obsession, forced marriage, violent/suicidal threats, manipulation, mentions of intoxication/alcohol, implied self-harm)

The two of you were what everyone calls ‘high school sweethearts.’ You met him in the cafeteria when the both of you were first years. Despite the scowl etched on his face, he looked lonely sitting all by himself while everyone was finding tables, old and new friends gathering in groups. He’d ignored you, even scooting further away when you’d attempt to move closer. Even though he seemed so averse to you, you remained, silently eating your lunch. Neither of you said anything, but you did introduce yourself. He scoffed under his breath.

You started to sit next to him for every lunch, and he continued to give you the silent treatment. You never pressed him for conversation, instead choosing to enjoy silence while you ate and admired him from the sidelines. He never looked at you, always facing forwards and toying with his chopsticks, bending them so far until they were ready to snap. Eventually, he seemed to grow accustomed to this routine because many weeks into the semester he turned to address you.

“Why do you always sit by me? Don’t you have anyone else to bother?”

“Maybe. But I don’t think anyone’s as mysterious as you are.”

“‘Mysterious…’ Yeah, whatever.”

That seemed to be the catalyst because, as sardonic as he was, he’d begun talking to you. And it wasn’t long until he started to warm up to you every lunch until the both of you were exchanging lighthearted banter. Your friendship would only grow from this point onwards until, at the end of your first year during a study session to prepare for finals, where you were both pulling an all-nighter at your house, he’d asked you out. And you said yes, and the both of you had gone from best friends to lovers within the span of a year. The both of you were each other’s first partner, so it made doing things as a couple even more exciting because neither of you had any experience with dates or holding hands or kissing.

Kuni wasn’t a bad boyfriend. In fact, he was very loyal and sweet. He’d stand up for you if anyone was being rude to you or scrutinizing your relationship with hateful eyes. The two of you were nearly inseparable. When you weren’t spending time together in school, you were out doing things together. And when you couldn’t meet up in person, you’d text or call, sometimes talking late into the evening about all sorts of things. You were so immersed in him that you failed to notice the red flags slowly raising over time. But looking back there were a few notable ones.

He never invited you to his house. In fact, you’d never even met his parents, whereas he’d been to your home so often that your family practically became his own. He hadn’t mentioned anything about his family, and if you tried to suggest going to his house for dinner so that he could introduce you to them he was quick to change the subject. For a while you’d push this, more curious than concerned, but eventually you’d drop it when it became clear that he wasn’t going to divulge anything on the matter. That had stung, but you snuffed those feelings in favor of focusing on other aspects of your relationship.

The second red flag was just how clingy he became when the both of you were in your third year, having been together for two solid years. You never noticed it before because you loved him, but when friends had pointed out how attached he seemed—and it was to rather unhealthy levels, according to their observations—to the point where you were the only person he’d ever formed a bond with while at school you started to see the cracks in what felt like the perfect relationship. He’d text you every single day, at every single hour, all the time. He’d call you nonstop, even more so when you didn’t immediately pick up.

The third red flag coincided with the second. When you couldn’t make it to your phone, he was quick to blame himself and those around him for being responsible for your deteriorating relationship. Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me? Did those guys bother you again? They probably told you some stupid shit about me, right? Don’t listen to them. Hey, you’re not mad, right? Call me back. I need to talk to you. Just text me when you can, okay? (Name), please don’t leave me. I’ll fix whatever’s wrong. Just promise you’ll stay. Messages of these kinds were what you could expect to receive from him. He’d fluctuate between self-loathing to loathing those around him within seconds, shoving blame onto classmates who’d bully him for being that “weird emo kid with too many piercings” and anyone else who tried to, in his words, “come between you and me.”

By the end of your third year, you started to fall out of love. He was so very dedicated to this relationship, evidenced by how much effort and care he’d put into it, but his clingy behavior was stifling. You’d lost some of your own friends because he chased them away, and it felt like you couldn’t do anything without him breathing down your neck. If you wanted to go anywhere with a friend or two, Kuni had to be there to accompany you. If you looked at another for too long, he’d think you were cheating. If you didn’t text or call him at certain times, if you failed to pick up, or—Archons forbid—you left him on seen, he’d spiral.

Kuni had this habit of sounding dangerously self-destructive when he feared you were being unfaithful or he thought you were going to break up with him, which meant you’d have to sit on the phone for hours convincing him that you loved him, that you’d never leave him, that you’d always be here for him, that you were sorry for not responding, that he needs to calm down and please, please, please don’t do anything rash. Those phone calls were always so stressful. You cried a lot; you’d beg him to put the knife away when he’d threaten to use it on himself, on you, on anyone who might try to take you from him. And, after a few hours of this, he’d be back to his usual self, as if a switch had been flipped. You could hear his adoring smile in his voice when he spoke, when he’d lovingly whisper into the phone, “I’m happy you’re mine. I love you so much.” And you’d shakily parrot the affirmation, too frazzled to say or do anything else.

One of your best friends Rosalyne, who you’d befriended in the midst of all of this, had been so supportive the minute you spilled the truth to her. Kuni hated her the most because she wasn’t afraid of him. Because she’d shut him down when he tried to pull you away from her. Because she wouldn’t approve of any of his toxicity. Rosalyne would take you on shopping sprees, brunch dates, and jogs at the local park. She was plenty of good to outshine Kuni’s bad, and the more time you spent with her the clearer your head would become. The both of you had plenty of sleepovers together, and she let you rant your heart out while she listened. She’d tell you to break up with him, but you’d agonized over how terrifying that would be. You couldn’t bear to tell Kuni the truth—that you wanted to separate because things had turned so rotten—because you were so scared. Scared of him and what he might do.

Scared that if he really did take a blade to himself it would be your fault. He told you that a lot. That it would be your fault if he did anything. That his blood would be on your hands. You believed him every time.

By your final year, you’d already had a plan for university outlined and you’d started applying to a few in advance. You never told Kuni about any of them because you worried he might apply to each one in hopes of going to the same school as you. And when there was the dance for the graduating class and Kuni had asked you to it, you’d told him you were going with Rosalyne and a few other friends as a group. He didn’t like this, as expected, but you’d been so sick of him and his behaviors that you snapped and spilled everything to him. You’ll never forget the look on his face when you told him that you were done with the relationship and that you never wanted to see him again.

He looked as if he could lunge at you and tear you to bloody ribbons at any moment.

You graduated single and so very refreshed, and your summer had been filled with friends. Kuni didn’t message you at all, which was surprising considering you were certain he’d spam you relentlessly after the break-up. But he never did. In fact, you never saw him again. Graduation had come and gone, and now that you could recover from such a terrible relationship he was becoming less of a burden for you. For a while you were anxious. You kept expecting to receive a phone call or to see some news about Kuni, but neither ever came. Rosalyne told you to stop thinking about him. It would only make you even more paranoid and that wouldn’t do your mental health any good. You were so grateful to have her in your life, but most importantly you were glad Kuni failed to scare her away.

Now you’re a second year in college and things have only gotten so much better for you. You and Rosalyne still keep in touch despite going to different schools. She’d gone to a university in Snezhnaya, while you enrolled in one in Sumeru, and you’ve blotted Kuni from your mind. You’ve made a fresh group of friends while attending classes: criminal justice major Shikanoin Heizou, creative writing major Kaedehara Kazuha, musical therapy major Venti, botany major Tighnari, and so many more wonderful people who have all welcomed you into their circles.

So when Venti drags a familiar face to your usual weekend outing, which is really just a retreat to the forest for drinking and smoking, creeping cold settles into your bones. He looks awkward with Venti’s arm slung around him as the more bubbly of the two drags him towards the bonfire, where you sit with the others roasting marshmallows for s’mores, and it’s a look that is so uncharacteristic on him. What’s even weirder is how friendly everyone greets him—as if they all know him—and you’re completely lost when they turn to you and ask if you’ve met Kunikuzushi.

“No,” you lie through your teeth, forcing a pleasant smile and extending your hand for a stiff handshake, which Venti snickers at. “No, I’ve never met him before.”

Apparently, he’s in one of Venti’s classes—it’s a course he’s taking solely because he needs the credits. Tighnari knows him because they usually work the same shifts at the campus café. Kazuha knows him from his linguistics and philosophy classes. Heizou’s ate with him in the dining hall plenty of times now and they’re also taking the same psychology class. It feels so genuine and yet so fake at the same time. Too perfectly manufactured to be a mere coincidence. But you do your best to push past these suspicions, and when he sits across from you, smiling at you and saying how nice it is to meet you, the warping flames paint his face in devilish shadows. That’s what you think he is when he acts like a completely different person from how he was when you dated: a devil who’s good at being kind and outgoing, noisy and abrupt, and always so foul-mouthed, but in a way that makes him charming. Your friends are so enthralled. They love him and his sense of humor. They love his quick wit. They love how fun he is. And suddenly weekends spent in the forest aren’t so enjoyable.

You do your best to overcome your doubts. For a few months you’re on edge. How he even found you is a mystery. Surely he wouldn’t stalk you and enroll in the same college just to get revenge or…whatever vengeance he wants from you. But when he treats you to coffee, when he brings you and the others pastries every other morning, when he invites the lot of you to study at the library, when he tells the funniest stories while crossed and everyone’s giggling like schoolgirls it really feels like he’s…healthier. Like he’s turned a fresh page in his life and is starting anew. Like he’s changed for the better.

Perhaps he just doesn’t remember you. You’ve changed your style over the years, so it’s possible he’s simply forgotten your image and can’t place memories to your name. Eventually, after soothing yourself with these theories, you begin to accept his presence in the group. He fits in so flawlessly, as if he’s a missing piece to the puzzle, and you can’t believe you’re admitting this, but you like this version of Kuni. He’s confident, not cocky. He’s kind, not rude. He gives everyone space. In fact, he rarely texts frequently in the group chat. And he’s funny! He’s so funny. You don’t think the Kuni from your past was ever as funny as the Kuni who regales everyone with lighthearted stories of how he once took in a stray cat that turned out to belong to his neighbor or how his old job had the strangest customers.

Maybe he truly did change. Maybe all of these coincidences really are coincidences. Maybe it’s for the best that you leave the past in the past.

Finals season looms, and the group hasn’t had time to meet up outside of class. Venti has tried to persuade everyone to come study at his apartment. His roommate won’t care (yes, he will. Xiao hates it when everyone gets blackout drunk and he has to wake everyone come morning), but if you’ve known Venti long enough you’ll know there is no studying that happens at these study sessions. This is probably the reason why he’s had to repeat a year.

With everyone’s schedules packed with academics, it’s difficult to find a time where everyone can get together to study. You think you might just be better off studying on your own, but Kuni’s message of you wanna pull an all-nighter for these lame af finals together?? accompanied with a photo of snacks and coffee, any thoughts of studying alone instantly vanish.

This is how you find yourself in his dorm, sprawled on his bed while he sits on the floor, whacking your dangling feet when they get too close to him. His roommate Albedo is currently out tutoring a few students at the library and won’t be back until much later, so it’s just you, Kuni, and a pile of textbooks and notes. You’ve hung out with Kuni a few times and he was great company during each. You’ve also fallen asleep in his dorm before, when you’d come over to binge a show the both of you enjoy, and you’d lost track of time and had slipped into a dream halfway through the marathon. You’d woken the next morning with Kuni looming over you, grinning deviously and holding an uncapped marker. He’d leaned down and whispered, “You drool in your sleep,” and you’d swatted at him and groused about how you were sleeping so peacefully when he just had to ruin your sleep (and your face) with his antics. And then there was that time when you were so drunk at that one party and you could hardly stand, he’d been there to help. He even stayed with you for the rest of that night, offering his assistance when you became nauseous or needed water or a snack until you passed out.

Despite your initial apprehensions, you consider him a friend. He’s no one nearly as close as Rosalyne or your other friends. He’s just a mutual friend, someone you’ll spend time with when you feel like it, but you don’t truly need him in your life. That, and part of you still struggles to trust him after all of the stress and unhealthy obsession he subjected you to.

“Kuni,” you whine, lifting your head from the textbook. “Can you get me some water? I’m thirsty.”

“Do I look like your maid?” he snaps, immersed in organizing his notes. “Get it yourself.”

“I’m picturing it now and you’re in a frilly dress and—”

“Forget I asked.” Setting his notebook down with an exaggerated sigh, he crosses the distance to the mini fridge and withdraws a bottle of water.

Grinning, you slide off of his bed and reach for it with a grateful hum. He smirks and takes a step back, holding it away from you.

“Seriously…”

Rolling your eyes, you lunge for it and he side-steps you with the practiced grace of a cat. You brace yourself against the wall and swipe at him. Again, he dodges, unscrewing the cap and shaking the bottle teasingly.

“I think I’ll take a sip for myself. All of this studying has left me so parched.”

“No fair! That’s mine!”

“Is it?” He pulls it away from his lips to observe the bottle and feigns surprise. “That’s weird. I don’t see your name on it.”

“Look closer!” you exclaim, but just as he’s about to humor you you pounce, tackling him to the ground—there’s a beanbag cushion that breaks your fall—and the water spills all over the both of you in the midst of the tumble. A slew of colorful words stick in Kuni’s throat and your laughter rings out melodiously. You seize his wrist and hold it down while reaching for the bottle in his other hand, where there’s still some water left. He struggles halfheartedly, relinquishing the bottle with a disinterested scoff, and you pull away from him to down what’s left.

While crushing the plastic bottle into a ball, you notice something on your palm—the palm that had grabbed Kuni’s wrist—and it takes a minute before the skin tone-colored substance registers in your mind.

Concealer.

You peer at him and notice that he’s cradling his arm, and confusion sprouts.

“So funny,” he spits with a hollow laugh. “You owe me a new beanbag if this one’s ruined.”

“Hey, hold on. What’s with the—”

“Forget it. You got your water, so let’s get back to studying. Or do you no longer want to be a perfect student?”

Without thinking, you grab his arm as he’s standing and when you look at his forearm you can see where the water’s started to wash the concealer away. Curiously, you scrub at it while he tries to yank his arm away, but when you unearth a dozen scars littering his wrist and climbing the length of his arm that creeping cold from before returns.

And suddenly you’re brought back to those phone calls—the ones where he’d threaten suicide and murder—and you stumble back as if you’ve been burned, half-expecting to hear those threats once more. Kuni’s staring at his wrist, his features twisted in grim disapproval, and for a moment you think he looks…hurt. Or maybe that’s sadness you see. Whatever emotion it was, it doesn’t linger because a quiet chuckle slips past his lips, and the sound is so very frigid it has your blood crystallizing.

“It really hurt when you said you never wanted to see me again.” Kuni peers down at you, and his eyes that had once been so bright and filled with light are dull and dark. “But nothing hurts more than loving you.”

You open your mouth to say something—anything—but the words won’t come. You’re rooted to the ground, horror slinking through your body and rendering you immovable. Your heart is in your throat, pounding so loudly it’s practically a drum, and a cold sweat washes over you.

“Each time I found myself hating you, I thought it was odd because I love you so much. I can’t possibly hate the one I’ve loved all this time.” He scowls. “But loving you hurts. Loving you feels like chewing glass and drinking poison. Loving you isn’t fair because while you moved forward with your ‘friends,’ I was forced to stay behind and pick up the pieces of what was left of you. So for every moment I couldn’t stand you, I tallied it on myself so that I’ll never forget the times I loved you so much I hated you.”

This can’t be happening, you’re thinking, curling your hands into trembling fists. He changed. He changed, right? This isn’t the same Kuni from before. This isn’t…

“And when I saw how well you seemed to be doing without me, I hated you even more.” Without warning, he’s grabbed your arm and hoisted you up. You open your mouth to scream, but no sound comes—not that anything could when he’s pulled a switchblade from his pocket and poised the pointed tip at your jugular. “You have poor taste in friends. Those guys suck.”

Tutting, he shakes his head at you like a parent might when scolding a child, and says, “Do you know how fucking tiring it was pretending? You think I care about pastries and stupid campfire stories? You really think I’d ever want to associate myself with that sorry lot?”

“K-Kuni, please let go of me. I… I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were—I’m sorry. So please just…”

“And then the first time you see me after all these years apart and you had the gall to lie to my face! ‘I’ve never met him before.’ Bullshit. You just didn’t want any of your loser friends to know our history, right? Because you’re ashamed to have known me, right?”

“That’s not it! I… I was just—I didn’t… I was… I just…”

“I… I… I…” he mocks, shoving you down onto the beanbag. It dips under the sudden weight, and you sink further into it when he points the blade at you. “Stop tripping over your tongue. I should be the one near tears! You cast me aside and then forgot all about me. You abandoned me when I needed you most.” His voice cracks at that last sentence, and your heart skips erratically.

“That’s not what happened! We needed space. I needed space. You were being too—” You stop yourself, unsure of how to phrase it. Too controlling? Too dangerous? Too scary?

“Lucky for you, I’m willing to overlook these past...slights.” The blade twirls effortlessly in his grasp, and you heave a relieved breath when he’s no longer pointing it in your direction. “Marry me and we’ll forget all about the past. We’ll start over.”

His demand almost stops your heart altogether. You stare up at him, mouth agape, and mumble a disbelieving, “What?”

“You heard me.” He seems to soften with his next words, and for a moment he looks and sounds like the Kuni who hangs out with you and your friends. The harmlessly fun Kuni who always takes such good care of you. “You’re the only one I’ll ever love, so let’s get married.”

“K-Kuni, I can’t... I really can’t...”

Within seconds the blade has found itself on his wrist, pressing into delicate flesh. Not enough to cut, but if he applies more force you’ll definitely see blood. You choke on a horrified gasp.

“What was that?” He raises his brow at you, challenging you with a calm smile.

Your mind reels in an effort to conjure a plan. What can you even do? If you take the blade from him, will he turn his anger on you? Will you have to wrestle him into submission? And if you do manage to get out of his dorm, will anyone believe you? He’s painted himself in such a pleasant light. Your friends love and trust him! So what can you say? And if there isn’t any solid proof, no one will even entertain bringing the authorities into this mess.

“I’m waiting, (Name). Are you really going to make me add another tally? Do you really want me to hate you again? Oh, but maybe I should start marking you! We can add a slice for each time you failed to love me. That way we’ll both look like used cutting boards.”

You need help, you want to say, but the words escape you.

Instead, you nod hastily and say breathlessly, “Okay, yes! I’ll marry you!” Swallowing your horror, you glance at the blade as it’s lifted from his skin. Thankfully, there isn’t a cut. “I... I’ll marry you, Kuni. So... So please don’t hurt yourself. Please.”

It feels like you’ve been strangled for an eternity, so when he finally pockets the blade the air in your lungs returns and you collapse against the beanbag, chest rising and falling in short, panicked breaths. 

“Good.” He bends down to your height, grips your chin with cold fingers, and forces you to meet his adoring stare. “We’ll look at rings tomorrow. Or maybe you’d prefer bracelets instead? I can be flexible but only for you, so you’d better be grateful.”

You swallow rising bile and nod. “T-Thank you.” You’re not sure why you’re thanking him when he hardly deserves it, but it feels like the right thing to say to ease the tension.

Kuni’s eyes sparkle, no longer a void of endless darkness, and when he leans in to capture your lips in his your heart sinks. You really can’t run from your past, can you?

[unravelmuffin]

Because I’m free but cringe, I wanted to do drawings joining my two favorite things right now, Persona 5 and Genshin. Maybe the amount of people that like both is really small but it’s okay, I do it for the real ones ☝️

The idea was pairing a P5 characters (and even P5S ones) with a Genshin character that I felt has a somewhat similar energy, for example: Ayaka and Haru, both “heiresses”/daughters of people with high statuses who feel the pressure of having to perform up to the standards of everyone around them but still manage to be kind 🫶

There are some characters though that I can’t quite put together so I wanted to ask for help!! Here’s what I have:

Joker / Traveler twins - protagonists, obvious, but I also feel like they’re protective of their friends/family and very capable but also so silly sometimes hehe

Futaba / Hu Tao - the gremlin energy is unmatched in these two but also they’re both sometimes misunderstood because of their demeanor (plus lil sis energy)

Akechi / Childe - boys who are treated as weapons by their superiors, a complicated relationship with their parents and love fighting, so I need to say more

Ryuji / Itto - without even thinking that they have the same VA lol, sweet guys who are seen as punks by everyone else but are so loyal to their friends and family

Sophia / Wanderer - robots betrayed by their creators who learn what it’s like to have a heart, emotions, and be human

Makoto / Jean - strong stubborn girls with so much responsibility on their shoulders but are still such good leaders

Haru / Ayaka - I already gave my reason for this one

Sumire / Nilou - starts getting a little less good here haha, they’re both performers but Nilou’s problems of being an art person in a very non-art world doesn’t rly match Sumire’s journey of self discovery and dealing with survivors guilt

Yusuke / Kaveh - artists? A tiny bit excentric, and have a difficult relationship with their parental figure but love their moms so much but mmmm I don’t know, Albedo is also an option here I think

Zenkichi / Heizou - detectives???? I need to read Heizou’s story better but idk

Ann / Help Me - I GENUINELY DONT KNOW I wanted someone who has a similar vibe of taking back their femininity and being so proud of it, learning that she’s so strong but I don’t know anyone UGH

Tell me what you think I can put in the ones I’m not so sure of or even any other recommendations for the other ones!

[dutifullyshamelessearthquake]

*deep inhale*

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH😭😭😭😭

I’ll say it. I think this is one of my favorite if not THE favorite sick fic I’ve read thus far, ever…and I read a lot of sickfics lol 😂.

seriously and genuinly, everything about this last chapter was just so ridiculously good. Tighnaris affection, just him..like him *genuinely* not being bothered by Cyno being sick and all gross and icky, the way he just holds him and comforts him…when he was ROCKING HIM??? HELLO???? BABY BOY?????? I can’t. It radiates comfort and safty cuz nari would probably take care of Cyno forever if he needed to, and vice versa and that’s just so- there aren’t words for this!!!!- Also when Cyno began to cry…my heart literally sank. Which is just a testament to your writing for one, but also just, he was finally at his breaking point 🥺 between getting sick and making a mess and hurting Tighnari, plus that wildly high fever…poor poor thing. I love torturing him as much as the next freak but he truly was *going through it* (making me so excited to see more and explore that anxious puker and all the other silly head cannons we’ve made for this boy)

I loooooveee the fic ends too 😭😭😭 Tighnaris birthday, cyno finally *finally* getting some relief. And just the pure coziness of it all. I feel like this whole vacation will be a story that is shared with their friends upon returning and for many years to come and I love that so much 🥺

I believe that nari managed to get by with maybe just a bad cold since he was smart and wore layers, but I also believe Cyno would wait on him hand and foot, doing everything he could to make sure he returned the favor. Although he probably would end up needing to slow down cuz you don’t just casually jump from being that sick to 100% in a day. But like whatever, it’s a happy ending and they are all okay in the end 🥰

SAP TIME

I’m continually so happy to have found this blog and the others who follow and enjoy your work. Being able to find solace amongst like minded folk Sharing a niche interest with so much passion is not something I’d think possible not to long ago. Being able to share and freak out and fixate on stuff is one thing but seeing others around you who feel the same- priceless. I am thankful ☺️

100/10 work as always Earthquake, enjoy that break…. Enjoy All the things, you’ve earned it 😭

I can’t wait to see what you do next, and to see Cyno throw up on naris shoes or heizou give him self a concussion or..whatever you write

it’ll be fantastic

I don't have words, this whole comment just absolutely made my day 😭 I am almost emotional reading this, you have no idea how much this means to me

I am so immensely happy you enjoyed the fic as much as you did!! I already had a lot of fun writing it and would never have regretted the time spent on it, but knowing it brought somebody else this much joy just makes it so much more worth it!

I love writing these two boys so, so much, their whole relationship is just so soft and gentle and perfect. I loved writing Tighnari in this fic, pulling out all the stops for his boyfriend. Really showing the through thick and thin part of a relationship 😭 These two will ALWAYS be there for each other, come what may.

When I first started this fic I didn't plan on pushing Cyno this far, but I really ended up completely breaking him here. I am really sorry, my poor baby boy 😭

I am so happy you like how the whole thing wrapped up! I thought about the ending a lot before I got to that point. Cyno really deserves to start feeling better. He's definitely got several days of recovery ahead of him, I doubt he's going to feel a 100% for a while. But the worst is over and he can (hopefully) enjoy what is left of their holiday. I wanted to leave it very open ended, but if I think about what will happen next, I definitely imagine Tighnari won't get nearly as sick as Cyno did; like you said he's been bundling up and looking after himself better than Cyno, but I also imagine he'd treat it differently from the start. If he knew Cyno was going to get as sick as he did, he probably would've handled it differently, so I think he'll treat himself differently from the get go. And yes, still sick, but Cyno would 100% want to do everything for him 😭 Baby don't go overworking yourself too quickly, please.

You have absolutely no idea how much this last segment means to be, I've probably reread it three or four times now and I simply cannot stop smiling. Starting this blog was one of the best decisions I made, even if I was terrified to do it initially. I've had a lot of second thoughts about whether or not it's worth it to put this much time into being a sickfic writer, especially with how niche the topics I enjoy writing are. But trust me when I say every single moment of it has been worth it.

Not only is this the most fun I've had with writing in actual years, but getting to gush about these characters with you guys and being a part of this tiny community, it's immensely special. I want to continue being a part of this for many years to come.

Thank you so, so much again for this lovely message, you absolutely made my day with this. I want to gush more, but I'm also just going to repeat myself, so I will hush now. But seriously, thank you so much.

And thank you to each and every person who read and support my works! You are all awesome!

[finalyaksha]

Modern Verse Drabble #4 – Fangirls (Part 1)

Xiao sighed as he replaced his pencil. He really needed to start carrying around a sharpener with how much he sketched. He was seated in the back seat of Keqing’s otherwise empty car, parked in one of the lots on campus, with only a couple other cars and bikes nearby to serve as company.

Others might think it strange that Xiao chose to wait for his girlfriend in her car rather than accompanying her to her sorority events. After all, the council was made up of his closest friends’ girlfriends, along with Keqing herself as the vice president. It would have seemed natural for him to show his face there. Two of his friends, Kazuha and Heizou, were currently accompanying Ayaka and Shinobu, with Heizou being the newest addition to his friend group and Shinobu to the sorority. Also present were several other mutual friends (Keqing’s friends, mainly) that Xiao honestly didn’t talk to that often and was sure weren’t missing him. That said, it was probably odd to most that Xiao was the only one who never attended their events.

That is, if it wasn’t for that fact that Xiao could go almost nowhere on campus without legions of female students on his tail, desperately trying to get his attention.

It was no secret to most students that he was taken, but far be it from any of his “fangirls” to care enough to not approach him. As far as most were concerned, Keqing was, at best, only deluding herself into thinking Xiao was truly dating her. And at worst, a fling. One of many, they were certain.

The general perception at Teyvat University was that Xiao was little more than a playboy who likely slept with a new girl every day. As such, while there were obviously some who were genuinely interested in pursuing a relationship with him, the majority stalked him only to see if he’d be willing to have a one-night stand with them.

Little did almost any of them know that this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Not only did Xiao have no sexual or romantic experience outside of Keqing, the last thing on earth he’d consider himself to be was a playboy. He’d always believed he was ugly and didn’t even consider the fact that these girls were interested in him sexually. Because of how often they followed him around, usually giggling because of how attractive they found him, he assumed they disliked him and did his best to avoid encountering or speaking with them whenever possible. With how little anyone really engaged with him, his mysterious aura only made him that much more popular.

Needless to say, Xiao wasn’t interested in all of the attention he’d likely bring, whether he knew the true reason for it or not. He hated crowded places in general, and even though Keqing’s presence usually comforted him, she was usually too busy as the vice president to stay by his side the whole time.

So, he sat quietly in Keqing’s car, only opening the door at fifteen-minute intervals to get some fresh air. It had perhaps been almost an hour into the event when he suddenly received a text message.

Odd. Who could be texting him when all his friends (all two of them) were currently either a part of or a participant at Keqing’s sorority gathering? His sister should have been at work and his dad was likely giving a tutoring session at this hour.

“It’s…from Mona?” he said, raising an eyebrow at his phone.

It wasn’t often that Mona texted him. She wasn’t much more than an acquaintance who, occasionally, offered him relationship advice, given that she seemed capable of seeing into the future somehow. Xiao was certainly not one to turn down any sort of advice in that respect. But the two otherwise didn’t maintain much casual conversation.

Meaning that something was wrong.

Mona: Xiao! I sense much jealousy and anger! A horrible incident is about to occur!

Xiao paused, reading the message a few times to make sure he wasn’t mistaken. It wouldn’t be the first time he had no idea what Mona was trying to say to him.

Xiao: What do you mean? Something’s going to happen?

Mona: Keqing! Shinobu! I see an altercation befalling them if something isn’t done!

“To Keqing? And…her new friend?” Xiao muttered to himself.

Unbeknownst to Xiao, he was far from the only one in his friend group with an obsessive following. While Kazuha’s following was more stagnant, Heizou had more than his own fair share of fans, and that number was only growing now that he was known as a new friend of Xiao’s. It didn’t help that many students on campus thought the latter two were related.

Xiao: An altercation? You mean they’re going to get into a fight?

Mona: Yes! Negative energies are in large amounts in the same location as them. They’re growing…and will soon combust!

Xiao was growing frustrated. Keqing may be strong and capable of defending herself, but if what Mona was saying is true, she’d be up against an entire group of people. Xiao didn’t know how well that would go over and he wasn’t particularly interested in finding out while he was hiding out in the back seat of a car.

Xiao: Why is this happening? What should I do?

While Xiao appreciated Mona’s warnings, all they did at times like this was make him feel helpless. It didn’t help that she was always so vague in detailing what would specifically happen.

Xiao looked out the window of the car. Even from where he sat, he could see several groups of girls going in and out of the building. Usually, he wouldn’t think much of something like that. But after Mona’s warnings, he couldn’t help but think this had something to do with her messages.

Mona: It’s because of you, Xiao! Can’t you see that they’re there for you?!

Xiao’s stomach sank as he read the text. Of course, it was his fault, Xiao thought. There was nothing he hated more than the fact that his unfavorable reputation was constantly causing trouble for Keqing. She was possibly going to get hurt, her event was going to be ruined, and it was going to be all because of him.

He felt his stomach get tighter by the second. He had to do something, and quickly. He hated the thought that was currently floating around in his head, but it was seeming more and more as though it was going to be his only option. He couldn’t stand being laughed at or mocked, but the thought of it happening to Keqing or her friends was ten times worse. Especially if it was because of him. He couldn’t allow them to suffer because of him.

“If…they’re after me…maybe…”

Xiao’s body was acting on autopilot now, not even consulting his brain as to a plan of sorts.

“Maybe…they’ll leave her alone if…”

Xiao gripped the handle and opened the car door.