#goes to show how little i used tumblr this year

[viktor-howl]

Onceler's office analysis 1/2

Okay so there's probably a LOT of posts about this already but I wanted to give my take —although this is mostly to draw his office correctly. Gotta make that office Viktorler look canon— And also show my screenshot collection because I just love his office.

(tiny little reminder that I am NOT making a deep analysis. I'm not gonna talk about things like the year in which this takes place, or the specifics about use of camera angles to signify things and so on)

Now! Before getting to the actual office, let's take a look at...

the hallway!

The first thing that I wanted to point out is how closed off it is, not even a single window, no natural light entering, as the only light source here are the red lamps. The next big thing about the hallway is the paintings, paintings of healthy truffula trees, a blue sky... Of course he has these as a way to distract himself from reality, since the actual forest is gone by this point, and the fact that the whole hallway is so closed off makes it even more obvious. And yes, we all saw the too big to fail painting of himself, but I think that's pretty self-explanatory...

I'd also like to point out the way the carpet makes space for the desk —of course Onceler's mother would have her own desk. God forbid the carpet gets on her way!—

And just look at how prominent the green is here, we'll keep seeing a lot of greens, reds and goldens, but I don't wanna rant too much here.

Next, the doors to the office!

Ah yes, the constant use of reds and goldens, specifically how expensive everything looks, fancy pants rich McGee over here. Still, I do love the use of (what looks like?) luxury red velvet for the door, which looks almost if not the same as his seat in the office. If it wasn't already obvious how rich this guy is, you must have a pretty good idea by now.

You can also see where the red carpet ends, inside the office, and— okay I can't pretend I don't see it. Can we talk about the door handles???

Dear god what is that ATROCITY?? Why is it pointing INWARDS... Every time I see it I just ask myself why? Why is it like that?? Why is it so ugly—

And finally, a look into the actual office itself!

You can clearly tell why everything is placed the way it is: Onceler's desk is in the middle of the room, and his desk is facing away from the windows. (windows? Door things? There's two pair of doors and the middle one is definetly a window.) He's purposefully facing away from the mess he's made, and there's also the fact that his seat is big enough to block his view from the outside from the main window.

We also have another painting of the truffula valley! This time, adding a river / lake. Reminds you of anything? We can also see his desk, and if you look closely, on the far left of the picture... Yep, it's a framed picture of the truffula forest! (this one is a detail that you can also see on the desk in HBCIB! If you know me from Twitter you probably saw me talking about it a long while ago) He really is in denial, or just clueless... Well, I wouldn't say he's actually clueless, but you get the idea. The rest of it is just the phone, his tiny thneedville, the computer and so on.

Here we can get a better view of the painting, as well as how the walls look outside, sharing the same toned down green as the inside—although I have even more screenshots to show that later!—

I also wanted to add this one since it's the only one so far in which the angle of the camera lets you see the other side of the doors. You can also see just how tall they are! And, may I add, I find rather... Interesting the choice of putting those velvet curtains there, when there's... Nothing. Not even a window. But, you know, the aesthetic is nice!

Here's another look at the curtain on the background, you can almost see just how far up it goes! As well as how tall the painting is!

... I just realized. There is a TEN IMAGE LIMIT. You can tell that I'm still new to tumblr, huh? I still wanted to add just how the concept art from the office correlates to the final piece in the movie, the stairs around his desk in HBCIB, the way the toned down colors make the desk, curtains and Onceler pop out more than the scene when he walked through the hallway, are you kidding?? I'm gonna have to split this into two or more posts 😭😭😭 okay everyone... Stay tuned, I might post the second part in a bit.

[inkedmyths]

Kind of fascinating watching Twitter react to losing the ability to see each other's likes and comparing it to Tumblr's culture around it.

One, apparently a lot of people used likes to find new art? Following some kind of trail? Fascinating. Already leading Twitter to have to recreate "please reblog art bc likes do nothing" which is. Lmao. What's that one saying abt how Twitter does everything 5 to 6 years after Tumblr does.

On the other, it goes to show how much more... idk, invasive? People can be on there. "If I can't see their likes how will I know if they're a freak or not" idk mind your own business? It can be a little different on there, with people using their real faces and identities far more than Tumblr but still like idk just unfollow and block if they say something weird

Like I think the fact that you can no longer clock on a post's likes and see who liked it is way more irritating than the privating an accounts likes

[willexxmercer]

I posted 282 times in 2022

24 posts created (9%)

258 posts reblogged (91%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@willexxmercer

@julieandthephantomsbb

@fiddlepickdouglas

@teamhook

@troped-fanfic-challenge

I tagged 234 of my posts in 2022

Only 17% of my posts had no tags

#willow - 56 posts

#throwback - 18 posts

#kit tanthalos - 14 posts

#jatp - 13 posts

#signal boost! - 12 posts

#princess knight - 12 posts

#ouat - 11 posts

#house of the dragon - 10 posts

#no thoughts only willex sw au - 10 posts

#self reblog - 9 posts

Longest Tag: 123 characters

#i was at work getting kiddos ready to get on the bus to go home for lunch and i checked the time only to get a notification

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

See the full post

41 notes - Posted July 26, 2022

#4

See the full post

54 notes - Posted October 24, 2022

#3

I just realized Kit’s a princess on a Disney show which makes them a Disney princess. Disney has a queer princess. Disney has a queer princess who I hc as enby.

Also her name is Kit like—

68 notes - Posted November 30, 2022

#2

IT’S THE FACT THAT CARLOS CALLED HIM TYLER IN A CONVERSATION THAT STARTED ABOUT A WILL AND EDDIE CALLED HIM EVAN WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE WILL

76 notes - Posted May 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

i don’t want to be anyone’s secret

A Willex Young Royals AU

 “I will be enrolling at Hillerska Boarding School.  Nobody is more disappointed in me than my family, and especially myself,” he continues, feeling his mother’s gaze on him.  The mic pinned to his collar catches every word, every breath, every hesitation.  He gulps, lifting his chin ever-so-slightly, trying to keep his mask from breaking.  “This past year has been difficult for me,” Alex continues, fighting to keep his voice steady even though this is the last thing he ever wanted.  “There has been added pressure as I assume my official duties as prince.   Because of this, I have acted irresponsibly.  I apologise for this, and assure you that it will not happen again.”

Or: a Willex Young Royals AU

Note: There will be a major character death in this fic as I am following the Young Royals plot.  I will include a warning at the top of the chapter in which the death occurs.

Check for the link in the notes!

Taglist in the notes

79 notes - Posted January 13, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[pomefioredove]

boop

summary: booping them + their reactions type of post: headcanons characters: third years additional info: is short, platonic or romantic, reader is gender neutral author's note: this would've been good to post for the tumblr april fool's event but I missed out so you're getting it now instead!

𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 ˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

hmm... okay!

trey often navigates his interactions with other students based on his interactions with his siblings

there's an order to human behavior, after all

especially with the underclassmen shenanigans (he's really seen it all at this point; don't ask)

none of his siblings, however, have walked up to him unannounced and booped his nose

not yet, at least?

it seems to make you happy though, so he just smiles

half of his job as vice housewarden is "going along with it"

he's pretty used to nonsense

𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝 ˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

he's editing something on his phone the first time you try and doesn't even notice it

...and the second time, and the third

it becomes a sort of routine for you

tentatively trying to see how many times you can get away with it before he finally notices and says something

and it only spirals from there, of course

you'll up to him while he's talking to someone else, boop him, and walk away

(much to the other person's confusion)

does he notice? yeah, of course

do you need to know that he notices? ...maybe not

he likes the attention, just let him have this one

𝐋𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 ⋆˚⸙˖°༄✩⊹

he gnaws your hand off

okay, not really. too messy for him

(and the consequences would be such a headache to deal with...)

but he is all grumpy because you woke him up for that

"What was that supposed to be? -_- Don't do that again,"

rolls over and goes back to sleep

you're lucky he reacted as nonchalantly as he did tbh, lions don't like being pet, and he could've kicked you out of his room in a heartbeat for that

(maybe you get a special pass to be annoying)

note to you: don't do that again

𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭 ˚⊹˚₊🕊 ˚✧ ₊

boops you back right away

does he necessarily know what that means? no, but he'll find out soon enough anyway

and based off your body language and expression it seems like a gesture of affection

...which he's all too happy to return

(he's so excited to be touching you affectionately he could explode)

now every time you see each other you end up going back and forth for hours

"boop!" "boop!" "boop!"

that's one sure way to give Vil a headache

(you may or may not end up temporarily banned from Pomefiore for disturbing the peace)

𝐕𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐭 ˚⊹˚₊🕊 ˚✧ ₊

you'd assume he gets annoyed, right?

well, he's a little surprised at first (people just don't go around touching him, after all)

then he just smiles

"Remember what we said about asking before touching, hm?"

you're lucky he thinks you're cute

(if not a little strange)

like, so lucky

congratulations on being the only human on earth who gets away with casually touching his face like that

𝐈𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 ₊✩‧₊˚⊹༄˚₊모‧₊

well. what do you expect

his eyes widen and his face (and hair) go pink and he internally freaks out (but externally just stands there)

"Um... What was that for?"

Idia might be a little more familiar with the conventions of a boop than anyone else

it's what you do to adorable little animals, right? like kitties and puppies?

so... why are you doing it to him?

if you say you "just felt like it" he might believe you

if you say it's because you think he's cute he will be avoiding you for the rest of the month

good luck!

𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐮𝐬 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚 ✩⁺₊°⊹ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ☽｡°⊹

blinks.

has zero clue what you meant by that

but you seem happy with yourself so it couldn't have been a bad thing, right?

"I'm unfamiliar with that gesture. Is that a greeting from your home?"

you explain that it's a sort of affection you show towards cute things

"Oh, well... you're quite brave. I'm honored,"

he's definitely all sunshine and rainbows for the rest of the week

he's all but giggling and kicking his feet back and forth

no one really questions him

and he doesn't really explain

(if Sebek finds out you booped the heir to the throne of Briar Valley as if he were a kitty cat he will gnaw your hand off)

𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐞 ✩⁺₊°⊹ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ☽｡°⊹

pleasantly surprised, doesn't even question it

he is adorable, after all, he can't blame you for wanting to be affectionate with him

boops you back, of course

after all, aren't you just the cutest thing too?

if you try to walk away after booping him he will find you to return the favor

will somehow make it a competitive sport

waiting for you around corners, hiding in every nook and cranny so that he might catch you by surprise and boop you

(he is totally keeping count of who's ahead)

it makes the school a warzone for like a solid week before Silver's pleas to "please be normal about the prefect" finally work

(AKA Lilia gets bored of it and finds another way to be close to you)

[kpop]

K-Pop Spotlight: DAY6

Come one, come all to a K-Pop Spotlight that is sure to dazzle and delight ’til the final curtain. This week, all eyes are on DAY6 following the release of their eighth mini-album, Fourever, and brand new title track, "Welcome to the Show." We caught up with the band to discuss their goals as they approach their 10th anniversary and their ever-growing connection to their fans through their music. Check out our full interview below!

Tracks like “Welcome to the Show,” “The Power of Love,” and “Get The Hell Out” seem to have very different themes. Can you tell us a little about how these songs relate to each other and what aspects make this album cohesive?

SUNGJIN: As we pursue the idea of being a 'band that sings every moment,' it seems like our albums, including the recent one, prioritize diversity in songs and situations rather than unity. Consequently, our albums contain various genres and narratives. However, there seems to be a commonality in most songs, depicting situations that everyone has either gone through or might experience.

Young K: First and foremost, I would say this album is a compilation of the best songs we could create. There's definitely a theme of love running through it. "Welcome to the Show," "The Power of Love," and "Get The Hell Out" all talk about the concept of love.

What goes into creating titles for DAY6 songs and albums, especially those that don’t come directly from your lyrics? Do you find it hard to condense the intentions and themes of a song into a title?

Young K: While there have been cases like that, all the songs on this album came from the lyrics. Sometimes, when choosing a title, we select the one that best describes the song—other times, we choose to give it a twist or make it more intriguing.

WONPIL: Naming songs involves a lot of deliberation. We often contemplate which title will catch the eye and capture the song's essence. Usually, we try to take it from a verse in the chorus. This can be a challenging part of the songwriting process.

Is there a creative project you’ve always wanted to work on but haven’t gotten the chance/found the time?

SUNGJIN: I'm very curious, and have a principle of "trying to experience as much as possible." There are so many things I want to try musically and personally, especially among the things I know but haven't tried yet.

DOWOON: I hope we can have a song that we can collaborate on with My Day, like a choir.

What does your work/studio setup look like? Where do you feel the most creatively inspired?

DOWOON: We try to keep the studio as tidy as possible and make it comfortable for practice sessions.

WONPIL: When working on songs, we talk a lot. We get inspiration from little conversations, joking around, sharing stories, and listening to music from various eras regardless of genre while giving opinions. We also try to build emotional connections with the songs. There’s a lot of communication going on. The songwriting process takes place in the studio of our long-time collaborator, composer Hong Jisang, with whom we've been working together since our debut.

How do you want to evolve as a musician/producer?

Young K: I want to be eagerly anticipated and awaited as an artist. Without those who wait for us, we wouldn't release or even step onto the stage. So I’m always thankful for My Day.

WONPIL: My biggest goal is to make good music for My Day and the public, so I think I'll continue to ponder. When working on songs, I pour my sincerity into them. I constantly strive to express this sincerity musically, fully capturing the emotions I want to convey. I hope to create songs that can still be listened to even after 10 or 20 years.

Design your own Tumblr blog: choose an aesthetic, a blog name, and would you be a frequent poster or lurker?

SUNGJIN: I think I’ll use it to catch up on friends' updates. For the blog name, THUMB BLUR sounds good to me. I might end up being a lurker who never posts.

DOWOON: Maybe a blog for plants? I think I'll post it like a diary.

Want more DAY6? Check out their new mini album Fourever and the music video for the title track “Welcome to the Show,” both out now!

[joonie-beanie]

Side-Gig | [Peter B. Parker x Reader]

Pairing: Peter B. Parker x Reader

Summary: Peter gets worried about your apparent “side-gig” and goes snooping, only to discover your side-gig is writing Spiderman smut on commission.

Contents: Fluff, Smut, Consensual Sex, Pussy Eating, Banter, Friends to Lovers???

Author’s Note: I swore off posting fics on tumblr, but since this is just a one-shot, I figured why not. I think Peter B is charming, had to write a lil smth smth for him. And by that, I mean a 7.1k wordcount fic.

You and Peter Parker are friends. Not best friends, but pretty good friends. 

You like to say you’ve looked out for each other over the years. You don’t talk all the time, but it’s kind of an unspoken promise that when one of you needs someone to lean on, the other person will be there.

Which is why, when Peter and MJ separate, you make a point of inviting Peter over for meals. 

At first, he turns you down every time you ask, and you know it’s because he’s wallowing—depressed about his situation. And that’s understandable. You can’t exactly say you know what he’s feeling, but if you put yourself in his shoes, you’re sure you’d be a little bit fucked up about everything too.

Therefore, you give him a little space—wait for things to settle and for Peter to come around. 

Except, Peter takes it all way worse than you expect—going radio silent after your third invite in two months. Then, you really start to get worried (and also a little mad that he’s ghosting you).

So, you manage to scrounge up his new address using some internet-sleuthing skills, and show up at his door. When he opens it, he’s dressed in a greasy wife-beater, worn-out gray sweats, and white socks with a hole in the toe.

“Jesus Christ, Peter.”

You spend that evening scolding Peter and letting him cry it all out—handing him tissue after tissue as he blubbers about everything on his mind. When he’s finally done, he apologizes for ignoring your last call, and thanks you for looking out for him.

With a smile, you assure him you’ll always have his back, and that now he really has to come over for dinner, because he owes you.

Laughing, Peter agrees. And luckily, he sticks to his word.

Since then, you and Peter make a point of doing dinner twice a month—typically at your place, sometimes out at a restaurant, but never at Peter’s. Not until he deep cleans his messy apartment, and you know that won’t be happening anytime soon.

Tonight, you’re at a restaurant of your choice—a local Italian joint. Peter arrives late, per normal, and you wave him over when you see him walk in the front door. He immediately spots you and hurries over, his eyes darting to the plate of bruschetta you’d ordered for the table, that now only has two pieces left.

“Aw, that’s not fair,” he says, sliding into the booth across from you. He immediately reaches for one, shoving it into his mouth. You shrug, not sorry.

“That’s what you get for always being late. And if I waited for you, I’d be hangry by now. So really, you should be thanking me.”

“Uh-huh,” Peter says with a roll of his eyes, picking up the menu to see what it is he wants. 

“So, how have you been? I know we just saw each other two weeks ago, but—how’s work?”

You sigh at Peter’s question, resting your chin against your palm.

“Fine, I guess. Work is cutting hours since things are slow right now, so I’m gonna be pretty strapped for cash the next month or two.”

Peter blinks at your response, staring at you over the edge of the menu.

“Should we be here then? We could just get the check now and go down the street to the bodega—”

“No—no, it’s fine,” you reassure him, taking a sip from your glass. From the look of it, Peter can tell the glass is filled with rum and coke—your simple, yet timeless go-to. 

“This is kind of my last hurrah, y’know? Gotta get one last plate of carbonara in before I’m eating ramen and eggs for the next few months.”

“I dunno about that,” Peter responds. “Eggs are pretty expensive now—you might have to settle for canned tuna.”

You roll your eyes at him, yet can’t help the little giggle that escapes you.

“You’re the worst.”

“I know,” he says with a smile.

The waitress wanders back over, and you and Peter put in your orders. Peter also opts to get a drink (after all, if you’re drinking, why shouldn’t he), and a few minutes later, a cosmopolitan is placed onto the table in front of him.

You watch him with a wide smile as he picks up the girly drink and takes a long sip—his pinky sticking out and everything.

“You and your love of sweet drinks,” you say, swirling around the ice in your half-empty glass. Peter hums happily.

“Listen, this is way better than beer.”

Honestly, you can’t disagree.

“So,” he continues, picking up the previous topic. “Are you gonna be okay? Money-wise?”

It’s not like he has much help to offer. Being a masked vigilante doesn’t pay very well, after all, but still.

“Yeah,” you assure him. “I have a side-gig that brings in a little cash-flow, so that’ll help cushion the blow. But I think I should still be able to afford rent and some groceries. I’ll just have to budget better, y’know?”

Peter nods. “Oh, okay. Good—,” but then his brain repeats the phrase “side-gig”, and his words cut off.

“Wait, what kind of side-gig are we talking about here?”

Despite how long the two of you have known each other, Peter has never heard anything about any kind of “side-gig”. It’s a little concerning, honestly, since the two of you don’t really keep secrets from each other.

Although it’s not like you know he’s Spiderman.

“Yeah. It’s nothing illegal, I promise,” you tell him, your attitude remaining pleasant. Peter stares at you, waiting for you to say more, but your smile only grows wider.

“Not telling,” you say, laughing quietly to yourself when Peter huffs in annoyance and grabs his drink. “You’ll just have to trust me. I’d never do anything illegal—you know me.”

“I dunno,” he responds, a playful lilt in his tone. “In college I seem to remember you stealing soft drinks from the mess hall without paying—”

“Oh c’mon,” you shoot back, and Peter grins, knowing you hate when he brings that up. “We were already paying to go to classes! Why should I pay 3 dollars for a cup of watered down coke?!”

Peter laughs as you go on a mini tangent about how college is a ripoff—ordering both you and him two more drinks when your waitress stops in to check on your table.

After a short while, your food comes out, and the two of you catch up over the hot meal. Conversation flows like normal—touching on any other life updates, and also local news topics, and things of the like. 

At your insistence, Peter splits a tiramisu with you to close out the evening, and by the time the dessert is gone, Peter thinks he may explode.

“Ugh, why did I let you talk me into that?” Peter groans, curling over and holding his stomach as you fetch enough cash from his wallet to cover half the bill.

“Well, if you were smart like me, you would have kept half of your entree to take home with you for later, and then you would have had enough room left for dessert. Which, by the way, is too good to waste—so don’t puke it up.”

Your waitress swings by to grab the bill, and you assure her it’s all set—passing her the small stack of money taken from both your and Peter’s wallets. She thanks you with a smile, and then scurries away, leaving the two of you alone.

You reach over the table, patting Peter’s shoulder.

“You’ll be fine. Your stomachs gotten bigger, after all.”

“Hey—,” Peter frowns, lifting his head. You’re already grabbing your purse and takeout box—sliding out of the booth. He quickly follows after you.

“Are you calling me fat?”

“No,” you respond, holding the door open for him as the two of you step out into the cool New York air. “You’re actually still surprisingly in-shape for someone whose diet consists of pizza and frozen meals. But, that being said, you can’t deny you’ve put on a few pounds.”

Peter places a hand on his stomach.

“Remind me again why you’re so mean to me?”

You can’t help but laugh, the sound getting lost in the crowd around you.

“You just make it too easy,” you admit, grinning up at him. Despite himself, Peter smiles back.

Being the gentleman that he is, Peter fully intends to escort you back to the doorstep of your apartment building, but—

His spidey senses tingle, and he can tell something is off. 

“Hey, um,” Peter grabs your wrist, stopping you in your tracks. Before your brain can even catch up, he’s yanking you into a quick hug, and then backpedaling towards the alleyway the two of you had just passed.

“Sorry, I just remembered there’s something I have to do. It was nice seeing you! Let’s touch base soon!”

He’s gone before you can even get a word out, disappearing around the corner. You stare after him for a moment, befuddled, and then continue on your way with a sigh. 

Same ‘ol Peter.

Exactly one hour later, Peter collapses in a pile of trash—his lungs heaving, and body aching. The fight itself hadn’t been that hard—just a few wannabe criminals with deadlier than normal weapons. 

No, the real challenge had been not barfing up his dinner while doing acrobatics across the city.

And maybe laying in a pile of trash to take a breather isn’t exactly helping his current predicament, but fuck—he doesn’t have the energy to move right now

Spreading out his limbs, Peter stares up at the smog-coated night sky, his mind wandering. He thinks about a lot of things—all the villains he’s fought in his time as Spiderman, the people who have come in and out of his life during it all, including you. You…who apparently has a “side-gig”.

…but like, what kind of side-gig?

Peter groans, knowing he won’t be able to let this go. 

You can’t just drop the knowledge that you have a secret side-gig on him and then not tell him what it is! 

And if you’re insistent on keeping it a secret, it must be something bad, right? RIGHT??

“Goddammit,” he grumbles, picking himself up. He swings off into the night, his mind reeling.

Peter lasts all of 3-days before he decides he can’t be left alone with his thoughts anymore—that he just needs to confirm what exactly your side-gig is, before his theories can get any wilder.

Because so far, his top guesses are that you’re either 1. Unknowingly acting as a middle man for some illegal trafficking operation, or 2. Providing “services” to New York sleazebags to get in their wallets.

And Peter knows it’s likely neither option—you’re too smart to get roped into something stupid. Plus, you had assured him it was nothing illegal.

But if he doesn’t figure it out, he thinks he may explode. 

So…he goes snooping. 

It’s not his brightest moment—using the spare key you had given him “in case of emergency” to sneak into your apartment one evening. (But to be fair, to him…this might just be an emergency).

He’d used his spidey senses to scope out your apartment before coming in, so he knows you're not home. Which is good, but…he doesn’t know when you’re gonna be back either, so he has to move fast.

Softly closing the front door behind him, Peter tip-toes across your apartment, deciding to start in your bedroom. He stands in the doorway for a moment, guilt bubbling up inside of him, but he decides to push forward anyway.

He’s just making sure you’re okay, he tells himself. You’re one of his closest friends, and you won’t tell him your secret—so it’s understandable he’d be worried.

Like the true Sherlock that he is, Peter starts with you dressers. He quickly checks each drawer—gently lifting up the stacks of clothes to make sure nothing is hidden beneath them. (The only time doesn’t is when he encounters the drawer with your bras and panties. He simply stares at them with flushed cheeks, rocking awkwardly on his heels, before he quietly closes the drawer. Surely nothing would be in there anyway, right?)

The small stack of papers on your nightstand ends up being recent receipts, and a manual on how to use the white noise machine you've apparently just purchased, considering it's sitting on the floor beside your nightstand, still in the box.

Getting on his hands and knees, Peter does a quick check under your bed, and freezes when he spots a covered box. He pulls it out without thinking, tugging off the fabric lined lid—

—and immediately slams it back down.

…veiny, pink, silicon—

Peter haphazardly pushes the box back under the bed, hurrying to his feet. He bustles into the kitchen with cherry-colored ears.

All-in-all, it takes Peter about half an hour to search your apartment, and unfortunately…he comes up empty handed. It seems like you have nothing to hide (except a box of sex toys under your bed, but Peter thinks that’s pretty understandable. You don't want dumb assholes like him accidentally finding it, even though Peter had—)

Sighing, Peter takes one last glance around your apartment.

“Ugh, I shouldn’t have done this,” he sighs to himself, taking a step towards the door. But—not watching where he’s going, he stubs his toe into the leg of your coffee table.

A curse leaves his lips, and your opened laptop—which had previously been dark—jolts to life. Kicking the table must have moved your wireless mouse, Peter realizes.

Having already decided to leave, Peter fully intends to continue on his way. That is…before he takes a glance at your computer screen and sees that you have it open to a Google doc titled: “Spiderman x Reader Commission #6”.

…then, he’s scrambling onto your couch and yanking your laptop towards him.

“Number six??” he hisses dramatically, his eyes scanning over the document so fast that he doesn’t actually end up reading anything. 

He has to pause and go back to try again, but the second Peter reads the sentence “Spiderman’s cock strains painfully against the tight confines of his suit, his fingers twitching against your waist as he drags you in closer”, his brain effectively blue screens.

In a panic, he clicks into a different tab that’s open—landing on your email inbox, where a thread sits open. A transaction between you and an apparent “customer”. Someone who had contacted you in regards to your open “commissions”. 

Hi there! 

I saw you’re accepting commissions, and I really enjoyed reading the other Spiderman fics you wrote! Would you be open to writing one for me? Preferably a Reader x Spiderman, and a smut/fluff genre. Based on the rate sheet, I think I can afford it, but I’d appreciate it if we could talk more and discuss the final price based on the idea I have.

Thanks!

Holy shit, Peter realizes. Your side-gig is writing Spiderman porn on commission.

He sinks back into the couch, his mind whirling. 

How long has this been going on?? Do you…are you attracted to Spiderman?? As long as Peter has known you, you’ve never really fangirled over Spiderman. If Spiderman had popped up in the news, the two of you would talk about him, but…that was it.

And now you’re writing Spiderman smut for cash? Holy hell.

Peter supposes he should be relieved that what you’re doing truly isn’t illegal. That you’re just making money in a mostly innocent way, from the safety of your home. Meaning, Peter can call it quits, and leave.

…but instead, he leans forward, clicks back onto the Google doc tab, and starts reading more.

The document is still a work-in-progress, but Peter scrolls back up to the top, wanting to see how you’ve managed to set up this scenario.

As it turns out, a villain had injected Spiderman with some sort of aphrodisiac, and the reader is a bystander, bravely offering Spiderman her services to get him out of this pickle.

While embarrassing to admit, Peter gets sucked into the story—impressed by your ability to write, and your portrayal of him—err, Spiderman. In fact, he gets so distracted by the story and the multitude of thoughts running through his head that his spidey senses don’t kick in until danger is right on his doorstep.

Or, in reality, you are on your doorstep—your key shoving into the lock on the door. 

Peter’s heart nearly rockets out of his chest, his eyes darting to the window across the room. It’s closed, and even if he used his web shooter to rocket over to it, he wouldn’t be able to safely open the window and escape outside in the two seconds it’s going to take you to finish unlocking your do—

Before he can even finish the thought, your front door shoves open, and you flick on the lights—your gaze immediately finding Peter, who is still firmly planted on your couch, looking like a deer in headlights. 

You stare at him in shock.

“Peter? What…? Why are you here?”

“I was…worried about you,” Peter responds, forcing himself to smile. And it’s not like it’s a lie.

“You said you were strapped for cash, and I…I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

You kick the door shut behind you, your purse and keys discarded on the small table beside your entryway. 

“I thought I told you to just trust me?”

You face him with a hand posed sternly on your hip. You appreciate his concern for you, but it’s a little upsetting that he hadn’t just been able to trust your word. 

“I know,” Peter responds with a sigh. He runs a hand through his graying hair, and your gaze flits to his ears, noticing how red they are. Why is he so flushed?

“And I’m sorry. I’m dumb, I should have. Trusted you, I mean. I’ll just—,” he pushes himself up, planning to excuse himself and run, but freezes half way to his feet. 

He’s half hard. Fuck.

If he gets up now, it’ll be a lot harder to hide that—especially since he’s wearing sweatpants.

Making a lil noise, Peter eases himself back down onto your couch. You cock an eyebrow.

“...you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry…back spasm.”

“Well, you don’t have to rush out. You’re welcome to stay for a while if you don’t have anywhere to be.”

You flash him a smile and turn towards the kitchen. Peter watches you as you open your fridge and bend down—fetching two bottles of water from the bottom shelf. His eyes glue to your ass the second you lean over, and Peter punches himself in the knee—forcing his gaze up towards the ceiling.

He’s going fucking insane. He’s not used to being this…feral feeling. Arousal is usually one of the emotions that evades him nowadays, but here he is—done in by fucking Spiderman fanfiction. 

Who knew he’d get turned on reading about himself fucking some nameless woman? And who knew that arousal would make him thirst after you?

(Honestly, if he thinks about it, it’s not that surprising. The two of you have been friends for years, and he feels comfortable around you. Not to mention, you’ve always been attractive, even if you do like to push his buttons—)

“Here,” you say, snapping him out of his internal panic. You plop down onto the couch next to him, handing him one of the two bottles of water. 

Peter reaches out to take it, and you notice the sweat beading on his brow. Why the hell is he—?

At that moment, you spot your laptop on the coffee table—open, and still showing the commission document you’d left open earlier on. Your first instinct is to reach over and slam your laptop shut before Peter can see—

…wait.

Peter reaches forward to take the water bottle from your grasp, but when he grips it, you don’t budge.

Confused, he looks up—only to find you intensely staring at him.

“Did you read it…?”

Peter’s face heats up, his eyes darting to the side to avoid looking at you.

Busted…

You pulse races, embarrassment blooming in your chest.

HE DID, you realize. HE READ IT. Your fucking Spiderman smut!

“Ah, shit…,” you mumble, letting go of his water bottle and crumpling in on yourself. You curl onto your side, hiding your face in the couch cushion. 

Feeling horrible that he has embarrassed you—having discovered something you’d tried to keep private—Peter hurries to try and smooth over the situation.

“Okay, yes, I did read it,” he starts by saying. “But…it was…really good! You’re a good writer, and I can see why people are commissioning you! You’ll surely make some cash with the skill you have.”

If he was smart, he’d have stopped there, but no—Peter keeps going.

“A-And hey! I’d be willing to help too. Y’know, help give you some inspiration for your stories—”

His voice dies in his throat, realizing what it is he has just offered. And obviously, you realize it too—your head immediately lifting, staring at him with curious surprise.

“Did you just…offer…to fuck? To help me with my stories?”

The insinuation is so insane that you can’t help laughing. Peter coughs, straightening his shoulders out.

“I think I’d be very good inspiration for Spiderman.”

“Really?”

There’s disbelief in your voice. Peter narrows his eyes.

“You don’t think so?”

You hum, uncapping your water bottle and taking a swig. Peter mirrors you, his throat feeling dry.

“Spiderman is…suave and heroic, and you’re…dorky. Smart, but dorky.”

Peter frowns. “I can be…suave.”

You cock an eyebrow, a playful grin breaking out on your face. Your heart is racing a million miles an hour, because never did you think you’d be sitting here with Peter, the possibility of sex between the two of you suddenly laid out on the table. You’d never deny he’s an attractive male, and maybe because it’s him, and because you’ve missed the feel of another human being, you end up saying—

“Yeah? Show me then.”

You lean back, waiting to see if Peter will make a move. 

Unfortunately, the realization that you’re open to whatever is happening right now causes Peter’s brain to stall, and he takes a second too long to act—just long enough to allow doubt to worm its way into your head.

You’re putting him on the spot. And he’s still probably dealing with some complicated feelings from the split—you shouldn’t have poked him.

Without saying anything, you decide to try and create some space. You push off of the couch, padding towards your bedroom. You’ll make an excuse about needing to fold your clothes, or something stupid—and hopefully Peter will take what you’ve said as a joke, and will move on. Yeah, that sounds like a solid plan—

Pausing in the doorway of your room, you force yourself to smile, and turn to face Peter—only to find that he’d snuck up on you—your gaze meeting his chest the second you turn around.

“Pe—,” you’re only able to get the first syllable of his name out, your chin tilting back as you look up at him. The feeling of his palm cupping your cheek is what makes your voice die out, his chestnut eyes boring into you. 

You can see the hesitation on his face. A certain lack of confidence that you’re sure stems from his past relationship issues. But beneath that, you can see desire. A craving for intimacy he hasn’t shared in a long time.

You decide to be the one to close the gap—pressing onto your toes, your palm resting flat on his pec as you lean upward—connecting your lips with his. You can feel his heart racing beneath your fingertips, and you silently convince yourself that if Peter backs out, you’ll be fine with it. 

Luckily, he doesn’t. His brain finally kicks into gear, his arm wrapping tightly around your waist as he kisses you back. 

You make a pleasantly surprised little sound, your arms lifting to wrap around his neck—effectively deepening the kiss. A wrinkle appears between Peter’s eyebrows, his grip on your waist tightening. Your chest presses flat against his torso, and he rubs his thumb against your cheek, obsessed with the plushness of your lips and the feel of you against him.

It’s been way too long since he’s been intimate like this…that’s apparent by the blood absolutely rockets into his dick.

Although, to be fair, he’d already been half-hard before this.

“You think our local hero gets hard this quick?” you mumble against his lips with a grin, giggling when Peter makes a noise of annoyance and nips at you.

“You’d be surprised,” he responds. He slots his thigh between your knees, backing you into the doorframe. His clothed cock grinds against your stomach, trapped between your bodies, and his muscles tense.

“Adrenaline can go straight to the dick sometimes…”

(Peter has lost track of how many times, after an intense fight—especially earlier in his career—he’d swung home and immediately jerked off).

“That’s fair, I suppose.”

Your fingertips coast up the nape of his neck, tangling in the messy hair at the base of his skull. You yank him downward ever so slightly, your lips connecting with the skin of his neck. He immediately shivers, the first of many embarrassing sounds ripping from his chest as you lick and suck at his flesh.

“Think Spiderman whimpers?”

You’re teasing him. As to be expected, given the dynamic of your relationship. But Peter doesn’t intend on taking it quietly.

“Maybe,” he admits, “If you make him feel good enough. But if you wanna know what I think—”

Peter surprises you by ducking down—his arms looping around your thighs as he lifts you off the floor. Your squeal, arms and legs instinctively wrapping around him since you don’t want to fall, but Peter carries you easily enough—striding into your room and depositing you onto your bed.

He doesn’t waste any time—quickly caging you down. His knee reclaims its spot between your thighs, rubbing incessantly at the dampening fabric covering your privates, and his lips find your neck—a shiver raking up your spine as his stubble scratches against your skin.  

“Peter,” you gasp when his fingers slip beneath the hem of your shirt. His fingertips ghost over your heated skin, brushing past your waist, and finding the clasp of your bra. You have to arch to give him room to work, and Peter sucks a hickey of approval into your neck. He debates telling you “good girl”, but the thought leaves him the second your bra pops open.

He needs your tits in his mouth.

“—I think Spiderman has a thing for boobs,” Peter says, finally finishing his earlier statement. This exclamation is followed with the immediate removal of your shirt and bra—Peter forcibly tugging them over your head and discarding them on the floor beside your bed. 

The sight of Peter groping you and lowering his mouth to your chest is enough to have your heart skipping a beat, and you can’t help the mewl that leaves you when Peter sucks one of your nipples into his mouth.

Peter groans when your fingers fist in his hair, practically keeping his mouth trapped where it is, which he hardly minds considering he intends to lick and suck at your tits until you’re panting. 

And, that’s exactly what he does.

He lavishes your chest with his mouth—relishing in the way your hips jump at each little nip of his teeth or roll of your nipple between his fingers. It’s embarrassing, honestly, how wet it gets you—your panties feeling quite wet as you continue grinding your pussy against Peter’s thigh.

You try and think of some smart response in regard to Peter’s opinion that Spiderman is a tit man, not an ass man, but words seem to be avoiding you. You can’t think of anything coherently when Peter is touching you like this. Especially when his face finally leaves your chest, his lips peppering kisses down the length of your torso.

You lift your head to look at him, propping up on one of your arms. Peter reaches your navel, but doesn’t stop, heading towards—

“Peter,” you pant, your face flushing hotly as you realize the path he’s carving. 

Peter hums, his eyes flitting up and meeting your gaze just as he hooks his thumbs beneath the band of your pants. 

“Another thing about Spiderman…,” he begins, kissing the skin of your tummy as he inches your waistband down your hips. You watch him with blown-wide eyes, chest rising and falling rapidly—excitement and nervousness mingling inside of you.

You lift your ass off the mattress to help him shuck you of your bottoms, and Peter smiles, tossing your pants on the floor beside your other clothes.

Never in your life did you imagine the sight of Peter sinking to his knees, his hands gripping your hips and dragging you closer to him—his gaze falling between your legs. Your panties are soaked, and the sight causes more blood to rush into his dick. He’s so hard that it honestly hurts—just a little bit—but Peter still doesn’t touch himself, because—

“...Spiderman loves eating pussy.”

“He’s a people-pleaser,” you quip breathlessly, your thighs quivering in Peter’s hold when he presses a kiss to your skin, right beside your panty line. He quietly chuckles.

“Maybe.”

Peter thumbs at your clit through your panties, relishing in the whine he rips from your throat. You hips buck in his hold, craving more, and when Peter sees the desperate look on your face, he decides to not tease you.

Peeling your panties to the side, Peter finally connects his mouth with your pussy—his tongue licking a wet, broad strip between your folds.

Oh, shit, you think to yourself, the muscles in your abdomen convulsing as you watch one of your closest friends eat you out. The whole situation is making you feel light headed, so you can’t help it when you collapse back onto the mattress, your fingers fisting in the sheets as Peter groans into your cunt.

He eats you like a man starved, his face quickly becoming covered with your arousal. His nose bumps against your clit as his tongue sinks between your walls, and you full out whimper—your hips needily grinding against his mouth.

Peter’s palm presses down on your pelvis, forcing your hips to the mattress. He doesn’t want you squirming—just wants you desperate and pliant. To see you cumming on his tongue.

His name falls from your lips again, more debauched than he’s ever heard, and Peter curses.

“Shit.”

His tone is guttural, and sexy, and—

He presses a finger inside of you.

“Oh, fuck, Pete—,” his name deterorates into a moan, your brain function declining as Peter begins fucking his finger inside of you. At the same time, he focuses his mouth on your clit, his tongue urgently flicking against the bundle of nerves. 

You unconsciously wriggle at the assault of stimulation, but Peter’s hand on your stomach keeps you in place.

Why is he so strong? You think to yourself, moan ripping from your chest as Peter slips in a second finger. It doesn’t take him long to locate that spongy little sweet spot inside of you. The one that causes your thighs to shake as he practically abuses it—rubbing the pads of his fingers against it repeatedly until you’re nearly sobbing.

The coil in your belly winds tight, heat searing your veins. You can feel your clit throbbing against Peter’s tongue, and the walls of your pussy tightening up around him.

“Peter,” you cry, your entire body trembling. You’re so fucking close.

“Cum,” he rasps. He needs to see you orgasm—needs to feel you unraveling on his mouth and fingers. 

Hearing the gravel of his voice is the final nail in your coffin—the tension in your muscles releasing as your orgasm washes over you. Just as he wanted, you cum all over him, your cunt gushing arousal around his fingers as his tongue continues lapping at your clit, dragging out the waves of your pleasure until you’re panting and pawing at his head, trying to push him away.

After a moment, he relents—sitting back to look at you.

You’re covered in a sheen of sweat, your chest heaving, and an arm draped over your eyes. Your tits are peppered with an array of hickies, and Peter feels his chest (and cock) swell with pride. He’s clearly done a number on you. And yet…

You feel the mattress dip, and then the room is spinning around you. When things finally settle, you find yourself laying on top of Peter.

He has one arm wrapped around your waist, his palm resting on your ass. The other brushes a few stray strands of hair out of your face when you lean back to look at him.

“Spiderman also loves being ridden,” he says with a grin. You place your hands on his chest, feeling it rumble with laughter as he watches you struggle to sit up.

“You think I have the energy to ride you after you just did that? And why do you keep saying Spiderman enjoys these things like they’re facts—you don’t know.”

“Just a feeling,” he responds, licking his lips. His hands find your hips, and he grinds you downwards. Your sensitive pussy rubs against his aching length, still trapped behind his sweatpants, and it’s hard to miss the way Peter harshly swallows at the feeling.

You sigh, scooting backwards.

“Fine.”

You shove his sweats and boxers down his thighs, careful to not snag them on his dick. And damn, he really must be aching—a sticky string of precum dripping from the head of his cock, and pooling on his abdomen. 

He opens his mouth, but you don’t give him the chance to say anything. Your fingers wrap around his cock, smearing his arousal across his length, and whatever Peter had been planning to say crumbles into a needy garble of non-words.

You can’t help but smile at the sound.

“Surprised you didn’t cream your pants already,” you tell him, but your tone is hardly teasing. No, seeing him beneath you like this—the muscles in his torso clenching with every stroke of your hand—it’s actually quite endearing.

“I’ll cum in your hand if you keep doing that,” he pants, glancing into your eyes. You spot nothing but lust there, any previous reservations gone.

“Is that so bad?” you ask, thumbing at the head of his cock. Peter’s grip on your waist tightens, and you hear him take a shaky breath.

“Yes.”

He wants to be inside you, that much is clear. And while it’d be so easy to draw it out and make him beg…you don’t feel like being mean to him. Not tonight, after he’d just given you the best oral of your life.

“Fine,” you relinquish. You scoot forward, planting one hand on his chest, and gripping the base of his cock with the other. Peter’s breath catches when you rub the head of his cock between your folds, a heady groan following a beat later as you begin sinking down onto him.

By the time his cock is fully inside of you, your thighs are shaking. Whether from the lack of energy due to your previous orgasm, the remarkable size of Peter inside of you, or both—you’re not totally sure.

“There’s no rush,” Peter reassures you, but the needy warble of his voice betrays his words.

“My legs might give out at some point,” you respond with a breathless laugh, and Peter echos you, giving your waist a squeeze.

“That’s fine. I’ll help.”

With your palms planted firmly on his chest, you begin to ride him. 

And god, you feel so fucking good.

“Fuck,” Peter bites out, watching the space between your bodies, where his cock disappears inside of you with every roll of your hips. It’s been ages since a cunt has squeezed his dick like this, and honestly, he can see himself very easily getting addicted to the feel of you.

The bounce of your tits as you ride him, the cute little sounds you make when his cock rubs against the sensitive spots inside you—he feels like he’s going crazy.

“Peter,” you whine, your pace flattering. Having his cock inside of you is incomparable to the feeling of his fingers, and very quickly, you can feel another orgasm building, but…the closer you get, the more your strength falters.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he responds, praises falling from his lips. “You’re doing so good. You feel so good.”

His words cause your walls to clench around him, and he groans—his hands sliding down to your hips as he helps rock you down onto his cock. The sloppy sound of sex fills your bedroom, and you watch Peter with half-lidded eyes, soaking up the desperation showing on his face. 

His hair is slicked back with sweat, brows pinched together in concentration as he forces you to continue riding him. At least, until he starts craving more.

With his orgasm quickly approaching—despite the immense pleasure he gains seeing you bouncing on top of him—Peter’s hunger gets the best of him.

He grabs your wrists, moves your arms so they’re wrapped around his shoulders, and then secures his arms around your back. Before you can even digest the slight change in position, Peter is fucking you.

An incoherent string of noise slips past your lips, your fingernails digging into his shoulders as his cock pistons inside of you. With his arms trapping you against his chest, you’re helpless but to take it—your orgasm rushing to the surface at the desperate yet brutal pace that Peter sets.

“Peter,” you sob into his neck.

“It’s okay,” he responds without missing a beat, his voice breathless. “I’m right there. Cum for me again, sweetheart.”

As if you could stop.

Holding onto him for dear life, you cum for the second time that night—your walls clamping down on his cock so tightly that Peter’s rhythm falters. A curse rips from his throat, and his hands find the plush of your ass—stuffing your body down onto his dick as he cums along with you—pumping you full of his seed.

The needy tension of the room melts away, and you and Peter can only lay there—a pile of sweaty yet sated flesh. It takes you both a minute to catch your breaths, and you make a quiet noise of disappointment when Peter’s cock slips out of you. 

You can feel his cum running out of your pussy.

“Your balls aren’t dried up yet?”

Peter’s chest rumbles beneath you.

“I’m in my 30’s, not my 60’s.”

You glance up at him when you feel Peter’s fingers clearing the hair away from your face, and he smiles at you. Your heart jumps.

He must know how handsome he is, right? Even with that crooked nose of his.

“Don’t you ever get tired of taking cracks at me?” he wonders, using his grip on your ass to slide you farther up his chest. You giggle, cupping his cheeks as you find yourself suddenly face to face with him. 

“Mmmm, no?”

He rolls his eyes, yet his smile widens. You lean down to kiss him, and he reciprocates easily enough.

“Feeling good?” you ask him, carding your fingers through his hair. He nods.

“Very. I…really missed that.”

“Same,” you agree, sitting back. You need to get to the bathroom before any cum gets on your nice sheets. You crawl off of Peter, swinging your legs over the side of your mattress. He rolls onto his side, watching you with furrowed brows as he tucks his dick back into his pants.

“Same? You haven’t—?”

“Not in a while,” you admit, pulling a fresh shirt and a pair of panties from your dresser drawers. You’re about to make a joke that the only action you’ve gotten recently is from the toys stashed under your bed, but when you turn to look at the spot where they’re hidden, you find that…the box has moved. It’s not where you had left it.

“Did you…find my sex toys? Before I came home?”

Peter’s face goes carefully blank, but the red flush of his ears betrays him. 

You shoot him a glare, leaving your room with a huff.

“Dude doesn’t trust me…how fucking rude…”

“Hey now—!” 

Peter’s feet pound against the floor as he chases after you, and he catches you around the waist just before you make it into your bathroom. His lips press against the crown of your head.

“Again, I’m sorry for snooping. I’m dumb.”

You sigh, wriggling around to face him.

“You are,” you agree, lightly patting his chest. “Dumb, and insistent that Spider man loves tits, eating pussy, and getting ridden. Still holding those beliefs?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Peter grins. “And I have other beliefs about his preferences as well.”

“Of course you do,” you laugh. You kiss his cheek, and then step out of his hold—heading into the bathroom. 

“I’m going to shower,” you tell him. “There’s some leftovers in the fridge if you want any.”

Peter nods, and the last thing you see is him heading for your fridge when you close the bathroom door.

30 minutes later, you exit your steaming bathroom in your fresh oversized t-shirt and panties, fully expecting to find Peter lounging around your apartment, eating all your food. But…to your utter disappointment, you don’t spot him anywhere.

You sigh, shoulders sagging. Had it been too much to assume he would have wanted to stay the night?

Shuffling into your kitchen, you spot an empty plate on your table. One that you know had previously been piled high with leftover chicken and potatoes.

“He eats my food and runs off…of course,” you mumble, picking up the plate to put it in the sink. However, before your annoyance can truly get the better of you, a piece of paper that had been stuck to the bottom of the plate floats to the ground.

You bend over to pick it up.

Hey!

Sorry, I wasn’t expecting to stay so long, so I left my apartment earlier without locking the door. I’m running back home to lock it, but I should be back at your place by 9!

Don’t get mad at me. I’d never run off without a word :p

-PB

PS. I have a working theory that Spiderman also has more stamina than you’d expect, even for a guy who’s been doing hero work for 20+ years, so…round two when I get back?

You can’t help but laugh.

What an idiot. 

But…you like him.

[valeriehalla]

I don’t know what to do about the internet. It’s getting worse, and getting worse faster than I think any of us ever could have imagined even just six years ago. Tumblr shot itself in the heart at the behest of Apple, at the behest of whichever nameless evangelical finance perverts are in charge of credit card policy, whereupon people like me (artists and people who like art) fled in droves to Twitter, the present state of which I don’t have it in me to be funny about.

Even after that one-two punch, Twitter and Tumblr are still the only (major) social media platforms I can stand to use. I mean, they’re the last ones left where you can, for example, see posts that your friends have made. I might have said that that seemed like the whole point of social media; every digital elsewhere has now collectively agreed that it is, in fact, social media’s greatest flaw. Your friends like to hang out and post weird jokes and titty drawings — they don’t know the first thing about your favorite marketing trends, let alone your unslakable thirst for 30-second phone videos. We have to move on: I’ll die if I think about it.

Uh — I wanna let you in a little. Here’s where I’m at, okay? I’m working on this project. I like it a lot: it’s a writing thing and an art thing and a music thing all at the same time. I’m still struggling with art burnout, but every day I get to sit down and write or compose for this thing is an unending delight, so on the balance it’s been great to work on. It’s taken me a while to get here, though — I’ve blown past all my estimates about when it’d be done. Still, it won’t be much longer.

In the mean time, I keep having these compulsive worries. I feel that I should be posting, but the nature of a long-form project like this is that I don’t have anything to post. I tweet complete nothings now and then, as if to announce my presence, like a lighthouse pulsing in the distance. And every week the websites get worse. They’re bleeding out, and it feels like some of my blood’s in there, maybe. Like, maybe you’d call me naïve, but it wasn’t that long ago that I really, really liked all this online stuff. I never had the hustle culture mindset about it: by good luck alone I managed to make a living posting the stuff I wanted to post on the places I wanted to post it.

The places I liked to post don’t exist anymore. My experience of using the internet feels hostile, alien. The ground beneath all our feet feels eggshell-thin.

But I have to use the internet: it’s where my stuff goes. It’s where all of you are. Here is where art and artists and art-likers live.

The things I love live here, in precarity, as the saw blades and lava traps of our digital dungeon grow every day more numerous.

Anyway, what I’m saying is that the web sucks now, but as long as we’re here — and we will be here — I want to try loving it again anyway. I want to untangle myself from all this disappointment and expectation and try simply “vibing” again. I wanna use cohost more: I’ll even crosspost stuff to Tumblr like I keep saying I should. I’m making a cool thing and I should show it off! I should relearn how to draw a little doodle and post it without feeling like it’s a suboptimal use of my time or whatever!! I want to believe in what joy may find us, though our world be a dumpster.

[manicpixiefelix]

This is going to sound so pretentious to say, but I think that one of the most incredible things Emerald Fennell did with Saltburn was give it's audience both everything and nothing all at once. But which I mean that every moment we see on screen is so carefully chosen and wonderfully detailed. Every second of the story that Oliver chooses to tell us is perfectly crafted to give us the exact story he wants to create, nothing more and nothing less. Saltburn's narrative lives and dies in Oliver's obsessive recollection, his confessional. Its why these characters who are so clearly and wonderfully rich below the surface can, at a glance, come off as shallow. Oliver didn't care!! And the one he did care about, he gatekept so jealously (I saw someone else's meta discussing this and I absolutely agree) to the point where we as an audience barely know who Felix was. We don't even know who Oliver was, at the end of the day; he was manipulative and ambitious and obsessive and - I could not tell you a single thing he genuinely liked that wasn't Felix. Because that's it, isn't it. That's the story of Saltburn. Everything revolved around Felix, and Felix was everything, and so Oliver's story only focuses on the absolute tragedy of having everything and then losing everything in that one Summer.

And nothing else.

Emerald gave us the gift of Oliver's everything, and the vague, nebulous nothing that he cares about just behind it. The hints of more, jumping off points of intrigue and imagination, things we can extrapolate from and speculate about. There is so much room in this world around it's implications and offhand remarks for us to all build upon. We don't even know if Venetia is Felix's older or younger sister???? There is limitless space to play in this world, both before the events of the film, but also between the few moments Oliver chooses to show us. We see twenty minutes of Oliver's Full First Year at Oxford before he goes to Saltburn, so much of how he falls for Felix and becomes his friend goes so unsaid and unseen, little more than a montage, and Barry and Jacobs's phenomenal chemistry selling their closeness, so we don't have to know each detail.

But that's the thing, that's just bliss; the falling in love is a given in this story, he opens with that. These moments would simply be nothing on the road to everything.

Its like Emerald Fennell is kissing me directly on the forehead and giving her blessing to fill in the blanks. She knew we would; she literally said she knew Saltburn would be a hit on Tumblr, she knew what she was doing. This film was made for those of us who like to over analyse media and also create vivid and intricate headcanons and sometimes both at the same time.

Tumblr, and creatives especially, love Saltburn because it deliberately lets us play in its world, in that sweet spot between everything and nothing, all at once.

[adambja]

✨Law of Assumption | Reality Creation✨

The ULTIMATE Post on Tumblr - CREDITS GOES TO @X3N97 ON TWITTER

I offer tapes and coaching btw ;) the self-concept tape is guaranteed 100% 🫶🏻

The only post you would ever need.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳

DISCLAIMER:

I am a Neville Goddard follower, it took me 2 YEARS to understand the law fully well. Through trial and tribulations it FINALLY clicked for me. I do NOT just follow any YT coach, only who understand the law, so my knowledge might contradict what you know but I hope you get something out of this thread, I want you to use your common sense, have an open mind, you never know, it might be of benefit for you.

Had to lay that out there, let's continue with the post.....

PART 1

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜

Wake up! It is time for you to realize you were the operant power all along, life never "happened" to you! It is happening through you! You can realize this by seeing how life is going around for you, any area in your life if you do a little reverse engineering you would realize you created ALL your circumstances, good or bad! There were never coincidences, you created it. With this realization comes more questioning, how does it actually work? It is through your mind, your consciousness, your awareness I want you to realize that EVERYTHING you see in your reality is perceived by your mind, ALL IS MIND, studies show that if consciousness doesn't exist, reality that you know now does NOT exist

Source 👇🏻

When we say "the 3D is an illusion" it really is. You're the one assigning meaning/creating whatever the circumstances, the problem is that you were on auto-pilot, the human's non-understanding of reality made you that way, but that will be over now as you realize you hold the power.

Science calls it "the simulation theory" You're the one simulating it with your mind, your awareness, your consciousness, as consciousness is the only thing that we can call as real, spiritually speaking, you're a soul living through body, you are NOT your body.

There are people who went to experience the 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘬, where you get into a tank and restrict environmental sensory, people report that they don't feel their bodies at all and that they are only "aware" goes to show how consciousness is ONLY real (video from the movie: 𝘈 𝘎𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘹, I highly recommend)

I CANNOT stress it enough when I say that you're 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘴 as Neville says it, to think this reality is real and that you can't change it and can't be malleable, you do that EVERY single day but UNCONCIOULSY until you awaken to this truth

The truth that you've always been a conscious creator you were just deluded by society from birth that you can't be "supernatural" and alter reality...that this 3D world is real... but this is over! It's time for you to WAKE UP!

PART 2

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙨

How do we consciously create, you ask..

Let's read what science talks about reality creation..

In Quantum Mechanics there's a theory called "the observer effect" which states: the phenomenon in which the act of observation alters the behavior of the particles being observed" Which means whatever we focus on, be aware of; is changeable, more on that in this video:

If we explain this in more layman words, we will come to an understanding that reality CAN be shifted, with OUR MINDS through focus! There's also the theory in Quantum Physics where there are multiple version of you out there in the Quantum Field and the minute you observe that you become it!

Here's where the fun begins!

PART 3

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

Neville Goddard says "creation is finished" What does he mean by that? It means ALL things exists in the NOW, there was never past or present, there is always NOW It all exists. "All possibilities, all the things you desire, your healing, your job, your house, the wisdom you desire, the spiritual attainment you seek, the answers you seek, the partner, whatever it is, because we all desire different things, it's all finished and available."

So when you desire something, you're not trying to get it! It already exists, "Nothing needs to be summoned (manifested), but EVERYTHING already exists!" - Neville, all possibilities exist in the quantum field, all possibilities exist in the 4D. All you have to do is just SELECT that reality, with your MIND, your imagination.

• What's the difference between the 4D and the 3D?

One is where your mind generates images and thoughts so they can be reflected, it is your Godly power of accessing past, present, and future, the real reality, the 3D is just a reflection. 4D is where you CREATE

• How does the 4D pertain to the parallel realities where everything exists?

You access the 4D to choose what you want to experience in the 3D! If you desire it, know that the possibility of it EXITS! Your imagination is the TRUE reality, as Neville says: “When man finally identifies himself with his imagination rather than his senses, he has at long last discovered the core of reality” Remember when I said your senses (operating on the 3D realm) make you think your reality is fixed? It is not, it is always changeable.

Sooo....

• How do we choose/select/shift to the desired reality?

It was never about techniques and I will explain how you can CORRECTLY do this.

So we already know that imagination is the true reality (the 4D) and the 3D (physical reality) is just a reflection, a mirror, a shadow! And we already know there’s infinite versions of you out there and one of them that ALREADY has your desire

But...

• How do we access it?

By shifting your focus, your conciousness, your thoughts! Neville calls it “states of consciousness”

When you change how you’re aware of your desire, how you “assume” it, that is what it’s gonna reflect! Remember the observer effect? What we are conscious of it will manifest

What do I mean by “Techniques don’t manifest, you do!” Most of you go through the mistake of putting importance on them thinking that “if I don’t do it right, I won’t get what i want” here’s why they don’t matter! We already know creation is finished so every possibility exists!

And we already know we create everything effortlessly with our minds! And we also know there’s infinite version of us in the quantum field right?

• Let’s take an SP example (since it’s the most popular topic on loatwt)

Let’s say I am in a version of reality where I don’t have my SP, knowing about parallel realities, I know there’s a version out there of me where I have them! So how do I shift to that version? I just simply ask myself a simple question (this where imagination comes in play the real reality) I ask myself “How would I feel if I was ALREADY in a relationship with them?) I would feel all the feelings of having them ALREADY, I shift to that state, I embody it! I shift my awareness to KNOWING I already have them! Its not about “attracting” things to you, it’s about SELECTING the state, the awareness of my desire! How would I think if I had it already? I jump to that timeline (that I know it EXISTS) and experience what I want so it will be reflected in the 3D, because I experienced in my imagination (4D) so I KNOW It’s REAL, IT HAPPENED! The minute you don’t GIVE AN EFF ABOUT THE 3D IT’S WHEN YOU KNOW YOU CAN CONSCIOUSLY CREATE!!!! Remember 3D is a MIRROR of what you selected in YOUR MIND! When you feel it is ALREADY done! 0 to 100 REAL QUICK!

“So like what about techniques, I don’t affirm anymore?”

Most of you use techniques to produce results. You are still operating on the 3D realm, thinking affirming or whatever will make your desires come true, when in fact you have TO ASSUME the STATE FIRST!

Think about it..if you ALREADY have it would you still be affirming non-stop? How did you manifest when you didn’t know about the law before?

After you assumed the state (conjuring the feelings of ALREADY having what you desire and playing with your imagination) that’s when techniques come in handy! You start affirming NATURALLY and EFFORTLESSLY! You don’t strain yourself by doing it! You are living in the END!

Always LIVE IN THE END! It is done.

Just how this post is. 💋

i reposted it here because I know it will help a lot of people!!!!

• Credits goes to @x3n97 on twitter

The link to @x3n97 post on X (previously Twitter)

Have a good day/night 🥹🫶🏻

I have coaching for the void state and self-concept also tapes and it's guaranteed from my side but it depends on you

[papercorgiworld]

Toxicity

The dark lord’s favourite always gets what she wants

You use your influence with the dark lord to get a certain someone to behave.

Theo Nott and Mattheo Riddle imagine

Warning: toxic reader, crucio, bit angsty? and suggestiveness

Quick post forecast: today, we’ve got toxic Thursday with Theo and Matt, tomorrow it’s flirty Friday with Enzo and if all goes well we’ll have a smutty Saturday.

Tumblr wouldn’t let me insert the pictures in text, which makes me so sad. 🥺 Sorry, you’ll have to scroll down, I hope I can fix it later… Fixed it!!!! anyways happy readings!

Requested part 2

Theodore Nott

The dark lord smiled with genuine admiration for your work as you handed him Merlin’s spell book. “I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me, you never do. Like your parents you know what loyalty means.” You nod and he continues. “If there’s anything I can do to show my gratitude, please let me know.” You shake no, pretending like you didn’t already have something in mind when you entered his office.

After a few seconds you speak up. “Actually, there might be something, a little annoying matter that I can’t seem to manage myself.” His silence is his way of telling you to state your wish. “There’s a guy in my year, he never shows me any respect. Belittles me all the time. Yesterday, he even stole from me. I can’t do anything about it, Dumbledore doesn’t allow students to curse one another.”

The dark lord circles around you, listening attentively. He already has his suspicions, but nevertheless asks: “His name?” You meet Tom Riddle's eyes. “Theodore Nott.”

Without warning he points his wand to the door and it slams open. “Theodore, join us.” Every hair on Theo’s body raises as soon as he hears his name, but calmly follows orders. Theo’s eyes immediately land on you and a scowl forms on his face, this can’t be good. “I’ve been told your behavior isn’t what it should be.” Theodore’s eyes darken. “Whatever she said is a lie.” The dark lord snaps his head at Theo, not pleased with how he talks about his favorite. “Crucio!” Your eyes widen as Theodore falls to his knees, reaching for a nearby table to keep himself from fully collapsing. “I think his behavior will now drastically improve.” You nod and the dark lord turns towards Theodore. “Return what you stole and don’t leave this room until you’re forgiven.”

As soon as you and Theo are alone he looks up at you with hatred. “You are vile.” You simply grin. “If I were you I would change your tone and maybe throw in a few compliments.” Theodore pulls his eyes away from you. You were probably right. His orders were clear, you had to leave this room happy or whatever was waiting for him would be worse than the curse he had already suffered.

Now that he’s standing again you slowly walk towards him and he quietly stares at you bottling up his anger. “I want my essay back.” You demand. He huffs, but you quirk an eyebrow reminding him to behave. Theo takes a deep breath as he surrenders and reaches for the inside pocket of his jacket. “Here’s the essay you wrote based on my idea.” He offers you the paper and a content smirk tugs on your lips. Theo turns around, pleased to be done with you, but you grab his arm pulling him back.

“You aren’t forgiven yet.” You remind him. “How about you start with a little ‘I’m sorry’.” You suggest, making him close the distance between you two and tower over you. You try to hide the fact that you’re a little intimidated and bravely look him in the eyes. “I won’t apologize.” You lick your lips patiently. “I’m not responsible for what happens to you if you leave this room unforgiven. The dark lord might see you as an unloyal freeloader who only follows orders when it fits him.” Theodore balls his fists as his frustration with you peaks. You want to say something more, but Theo won’t let you. He forcefully grabs your chin and pushes you against the desk behind you. “I won’t apologize to you.” The boiling hate in his voice is undeniable and honestly you don’t blame him. He started playing games with you without knowing how dirty you play and now his ego’s was taking some serious damage. You speak through gritted teeth as Theo’s hold on your chin stays. “If you aren’t going to use that mouth of yours for apologizing, you better put it to good use elsewhere.”

Theodore jaw clenches and he stares at you debating his options, but you know him better than he knows himselfs. Your core is aching for what is to come. “Fine.” Theo spits as he surrenders to your will, but not without being an arrogant ass about it. With one harsh move he spreads your legs and you grip the desk behind you for support. Your smug grin is irresistible to Theodore, but he’ll never let you know how turned on he gets so he keeps his eyes dark as he slides down on you.

Mattheo Riddle

You are part of the Slytherin friend group but you know that Mattheo isn’t too fond of you. He’s always ridiculing you for something stupid. It was like his hobby was getting on your nerves. However, you’ve had enough of it and tonight his attitude was going to change. You had managed to get your hands on Merlin’s spell book before Mattheo and were currently handing it over to a very pleased Tom Riddle.

“Your extraordinary effort for our cause is admirable and doesn’t go unnoticed by me.” Mattheo rolled his eyes, but kept quiet as he sat at a table with the Malfoys. The dark lord wrapped his arm around you pulling you into a cold but appreciative hug, while whispering. “Anything you wish, my dear?” You look over at Mattheo, but as soon as your eyes meet he looks away and you can’t help but smirk. Softly you whisper something to Tom, making Mattheo look back up with anxious eyes. “Unappreciative, you say?” You nod. “And disrespectful.” You add and the dark lord seems to get more agitated. With a dramatic calmness he points his wand at the table, making everyone’s face flash with terror.

Suddenly, the quiet room is interrupted by a loud smack as Mattheo’s face is forced against the table by a spell. The emotional pain is just as visible as the blood dripping from his nose. With fuming rage and yet a stern calmness his father makes his way to the table, while every other person looks down in an attempt to hide their fear. The dark lord grabs Mattheo’s face forcing him to make eye contact. “You do not mistreat my dear (y/n). She’s loyal. A woman like her should be appreciated and pampered. From now on you’ll be good to her. Understood?”

The grip on his face is too strong for Mattheo to properly nod, but his eyes tell his father everything he needs to know. Mattheo will comply with everything the dark lord demands. When Tom releases Mattheo he looks up at you and you sincerely bow to show your gratitude and respect, thereby affirming your spot as favorite.

After the world’s most uncomfortable meeting you’re pleased to wander the hallways in solitude. You spot Mattheo cleaning his face through the half opened bathroom door and you stop to watch him. When your eyes lock in the reflection of the mirror his whole body tenses, but this doesn’t stop him from giving you a scowl. This makes your pity for him ebb away. You take a few confident strides and join him, taking the cloth from him to clean his face. “He could’ve done worse.” Your words just make him scoff. “Is my pain and humiliation not enough amusement for you?” He grabs your hand telling you to stop, you try but fail to get out of his grip and his attitude starts to frustrate you. “Stop whining, Riddle, and let go of me or I’ll go crying to your dad again.” Mattheo’s jaw clenches, but he reluctantly releases your hand allowing you to clean and heal him.

After you’ve fixed him up you both make your way back to the other guests. When you enter the room Mattheo is quick to leave you a few steps behind, searching for his friends, but one disappointed and contemptible look from his father makes Mattheo instantly turn back towards you. To your surprise he’s quick to snake an arm around you. You glare at Mattheo for being so obvious about only being nice to you to save himself. “I’m not feeling really appreciated.” Mattheo rolls his eyes at your words, while leaning in to whisper through gritted teeth. “You expect a lot of love and appreciation from a man who never gets any himself.” You look at his dark eyes, while they dart around you. “Just tell me what you want and you’ll have it.” You lay your hand on his cheek forcing him to make eye contact. “Take me to your room and fuck me.” You demand, surprising Mattheo. His harsh and frustrated eyes turn softer as he realises you might not be as unreasonable as he thought.

A/N: Typo’s, grammatical errors, forgotten warnings, worries, disturbances, disastrous thoughts? Let me know, feedback is always welcome!

Picture source: https://pin.it/33fAo21Oe

[kataang-week]

Special thanks to our mod @penguinsledder for making this year's banner!

What is Kataang Week?

Kataang Week is when we, as a corner of the fandom, celebrate the ship Kataang on Tumblr! The prompts for Kataang Week 2024 were selected through five rounds of voting over the last few weeks and all prompts were submitted by Kataangers.

Cool, when is it?

Summer Kataang Week 2024 starts on Monday, July 29th - a little over seven weeks from today - and ends on Monday, August 5th.  

Who is the founder of Tumblr's Kataang Week?

@secretsecrettunnel revived Kataang Week in the summer of 2013 a few years after Avatar: The Last Airbender ended and when the fandom was itching for more Kataang during The Legend of Korra’s run.

Who are the mods?

@airbender-dacyon AKA Mod Dan: A Kataang fanfic writer who prefers fluff, but also loves some drama and angst. Mod Dan started writing Kataang stories in 2013 and has helped organize Kataang Week since 2016.

@penguinsledder AKA Mod Atarah: A writer, gif maker, and musician–she enjoys fluffy young adult Kataang and all the ways they complement and parallel each other. She first joined Tumblr for Kataang Week 10 years ago, and started helping out with writing posts and making banners as a mod since 2016!

@itsmoonpeaches AKA Mod Belle: An avid Kataanger with a penchant for angst and mild violence who likes writing. Mod Belle has been a mod since 2021 and helps write posts and social media.

@chocomd AKA Mod Celes: Fanfic writer who adores Kataang for their fun and flirty side but also their bond forged through grief and loss. Mod Celes joined in 2023 and helps with a little bit of everything - whatever needs to be done!

How do I participate?

The most common ways to participate are by creating art or writing a fic and posting it online. Some people try and create something for every day while others only fill one or two prompts.  

As always, we want to reassure you that it’s perfectly okay not to do every prompt! We just hope to have lovely pieces to share on each day.

But I can’t draw or write!

That’s totally fine - there are more ways to participate! You can sing a song, create a graphic, write a poem - just about anything really. You can also show your support by reblogging and liking other people’s contributions.

What are the prompts?

The following will be the running order for Kataang Week 2024:

Cultural Exchange/Culture Sharing/Revival of Traditions - Monday, July 29th

Protectiveness/Bodyguard - Tuesday, July 30th

Parenting/First-Time Parents - Wednesday, July 31st

Post-Battle Reunion - Thursday, August 1st

Disguise - Friday, August 2nd

Jealousy - Saturday, August 3rd

Proposal - Sunday, August 4th

Free Day - Monday, August 5th

* As a reminder, Cultural Exchange/Culture Sharing/Revival of Traditions, Protectiveness/Bodyguard, and Parenting/First-Time Parents were combined during voting as they were very similar prompts. You can interpret them as singular or separate prompts and incorporate one or both for each day.

** And as always, there is a Free Day at the end of the week. You can use this day to post anything you’d like! It can be a prompt that didn’t receive enough votes or something you’ve been wanting to work on, anything goes!

How should I tag my work?

The easiest way for us to find your work so we can reblog it to this blog is by using the tag “kataang week”. Using “kataang” and “kataangtag” also help. You must tag one of the three in your first five tags otherwise it doesn’t appear in the search. It is also helpful to tag us directly with @kataang-week.

Sometimes even properly tagged posts may not appear when we search the tags, so if you do not see your content reblogged, please let us know.

Once we’ve reblogged it to this blog we add our own tags (a prompt tag and a user tag) for easy organization. This means we can find all the work for one prompt or all the work from one user in one easy click (this also means that if you have changed your username since participating last year you need to let us know so we can update your tag!).

Can I post my stuff other places online too?

Of course you can!

Why seven weeks? Is that enough time?

Traditionally, we like to provide our content creators seven to eight weeks to create quality content. Kataang Week is also traditionally held in the last week of July.  

If you are unable to complete a prompt in time, please do not fret. You can alert this blog by mentioning it in your post (ex. @kataang-week​) or messaging one of the mods and your content will still be shared even if it is a week (or a month - or sometimes more!) late.

We also like to post WIP for Kataang Week and encourage everyone else to do so as well - we reblog it here for motivation!

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, don’t hesitate to send an ask. Don’t forget to reblog this as well to help spread the word!

Good luck, Kataangers, and happy content creating! 😊

- The Mods

[chrollohearttags]

long winded ass post I contemplated not writing but did it anyways. read if you’d like or ignore lmao.

so I feel as though this kind of goes without saying but a lot has changed on tumblr and the vibe has shifted a lot, sadly, not for the better either :/ I thought about this for a while and although last week, I was not posting any new content due to the strike, I’ve decided to step away from writing in general after this month. I could sit here and go on a tangent about how it’s the ‘algorithm’ and ‘dying fandoms’ but to me, this boils down to the fact that I refuse to exhaust myself to be unappreciated + disrespected. That’s not to say I’m ungrateful to everyone who reblogs and comments on my works all the time because I am incredibly grateful! I love each of you and I look forward to reading your tags/thoughts. However, it’s not lost on me that the anime fandom in general is becoming shrouded in toxicity and many of us are being pushed away. We’re in an age where people are seen as content machines and not humans so others feel entitled to their art and feel no need to be kind, understanding or empathetic to that person’s feelings. I’m not wasting my time trying to teach people manners that they should’ve learned a long time ago. I refuse to share my craft with people like that. And to say the quietest part out loud: y’all don’t want black writers around, PERIOD. One scroll through the dash shows that much. As someone who’s written primarily for AOT (not changing btw) and specifically the black side of the fandom, it’s almost laughable at the extreme lengths that ppl have gone through to see it be erased. And I don’t mean getting fics hit with labels or reporting (that failed so they switched to plan B.) since I began back writing in 2020-21, it was obvious that it was the most popular among black girls and I remember ppl telling me to write for them. Hell, it’s the sole reason I even watched. Needless to say, I fell in love with the show and it holds a special place in my heart. However, I realized I didn’t need any of the original material. Not only that, in all the years I’ve been writing, it’s the first time I’ve seen so many black girls resonating and happy with a group of characters. It was the first and only time I’ve seen stories where I didn’t feel as though them being a black character was a hidden secret or toned down to appeal to others (no shade). It was in my face and proud, even if I didn’t personally resonate with the reader or concept of the story. It still felt good coming from a fandom where I was literally the ONLY black writer in it. Fast forward and I clearly see that now, it’s not welcomed. We could sit here and blame it on non-blk (yt) having the problems but that’s a load of bullshit and the only enemies we have are one another. It’s been other black writers who have littered the tags with discourse abt the same stupid topic to avoid new fics being seen. It’s been other black writers who have switched fandoms when they were no longer the ONLY ones bc coexisting is just too damn hard apparently. It’s been other black authors who have made it blatantly clear that they are only interested in seeing and creating stories that are palatable to other races so they won’t be perceived in a negative light or to be seen as one of the ‘good ones’. Even down to not using black reader tags or avoiding coded language. So much so, they are comfortable laughing at anti-black rhetoric being pushed on other apps so as long as their new favs are not the brunt of the joke.

I’m not here to tell anybody how or what to write. I’m not here to say you ONLY have to like one show but what I am saying is that i will NOT be spending hours and days agonizing over a fic for it to be minimized to a joke for a bitch on TikTok. I will not spend the little free time I have trying to crunch and finish a fic for it not do well but watch y’all pile in my mentions to argue over nonsense. And I won’t sit here and watch y’all purposely try to run other black writers away bc they don’t fit ur aesthetic. Fiction is fiction and whether you resonate with it or not, it’s expression. I’m a boring ass country bumpkin from the middle of nowhere, Florida who’s got social anxiety, chronically ill, neurodivergent and is in bed by 10:00. I don’t smoke, never had sex and I literally never leave the house unless I’m grocery shopping. I never have and never will live the life of any of my characters, even the most tame ones. But I write for EVERY black girl and want everyone of them to be seen. The one space where that seems to be allowed is obviously not welcomed anymore. Arguing and trying to defend ourselves against people who are committed to misunderstanding us is pointless. Minimizing us down to ‘baby mama’, ‘hoodrat’ fics, simply bc you no longer like certain characters (many of which you all were writing for not too long ago) is quite frankly clown and coon ass behavior. Watching y’all become enraged by tropes that are used by ever race, every fandom, etc but turning the blind eye bc it suits ur narrative is fucking hypocritical and laughable at best.

I’m not insecure in my writing. Never have been and never will be. I know I pour everything I have into creating the best work I can and it’s for that reason that I won’t allow it to be treated like trash. I have over 250 drafts in my Google docs and best believe, that’s where they’ll stay until I see fit. Although I know it’ll probably mean leaving the last place I have any sense of community and social interaction in general, it’s not worth coming on here angry everyday in defense mode. Its not worth getting out of my character over and I rather just not be around if it means I have to play mean girl. My mind may change and all of this will just have been me getting shit off my chest but as of right now, this account will be archived come February 28th. Thank you to everybody who’s supported me this far and gave me a safe space. I love all of you so very much and hope that we can enjoy the rest of this month together 🫶🏾 🤍

[odxrilove]

☆ SEVENTEEN AS PEOPLE AT SCHOOL

genre: highschool!au/uni!au

warnings: none

a/n: is this my official tumblr comeback ?? 😮

back to masterlist!

☆ SEUNGCHEOL

the leader of the “jocks”. he's the guy you see walking around school with his varsity jacket on– even if it’s in the middle of the summer. he’s the literal definition of the hallway crush, whispers and giggles being a regular thing he hears when he walks through the school hallways, hand swiping through his pretty hair. he often sits on the wooden tables outside instead of the benches whenever he and his friends have their little weekly hangout-meeting. always has a lollipop in his mouth and says it’s for the girls but really, he just likes sweets.

☆ JEONGHAN

the king of debates. if you sign up for debate class, don’t think you’re ever going to win if you’re up against jeonghan. he’s the reason why so many people left debate class mid year but the teacher is so impressed by him that she can’t force herself to kick him out. he’s also widely known for being the mastermind behind his high school’s senior prank. besides his maniac pranks and his broad knowledge of law, he’s actually pretty fun to be around and some girls who have had the pleasure to go on dates with him describe him as an angel– even after getting ghosted.

☆ JOSHUA

the class president. he’s a close friend of jeonghan and thus, winning the class pres’ election was easy peasy. he only presented himself as a joke but started taking it seriously 7 months in when the school planned to cancel the annual pajama day. he acts normal but he’s truly just as insane as his large group of friends. the grumpy math teacher is his next door neighbor and he once gave her leftover cookies and since then, he’s been her favorite student– and the only student she smiles at.

☆ JUN

the cat defender. falls easily asleep in class and is often woken up by his classmates after the bell rang. someone once drew a cat on a wall in the gym hall with a marker a few years back and when jun transferred to the school, his name mysteriously appeared under the cat drawing. in his second year, he got detention for a whole month after bringing a kitten to school and hiding it in his bag every day for two weeks straight– he was only caught because the cat meowed during a test and none of his classmates wanted to fake meow to help the poor guy out.

☆ HOSHI

the school’s dance machine. when the school speakers play music, you’ll always find him bobbing his head to the beat. he gets his notebook confiscated weekly because he prefers to write down possible dance movements and new choreography ideas than math equations and english vocabulary. he has a pretty big following on social media after a video of him freestyling at the school’s talent show blew up. he now uses his popularity to freely make dance covers at school, students avoiding him in the hallways when he’s swinging his legs and arms around.

☆ WONWOO

the school library’s only visitor. ok, maybe that’s a bit exaggerated but he’s definitely the only one going there willingly! the library stinks and there’s no wifi, plus some rumors are going around saying that the room at the back the of the library is the go-to place to fuck, and lastly, the librarian is a bitch– except towards wonwoo, of course. besides him being the librarian’s favorite, he once got asked to prom by a senior when he was a junior and every two months or so, someone brings it up and everyone goes crazy over it again. to be honest, if he wasn't so focused on his video games and books he would see how many people stare at him with heart eyes.

☆ WOOZI

the normal kid. what else can i say, he's just a regular guy. he goes to school wearing his silly baggy outfits and doesn't leave the house without his headphones on. he meets up with his friends and has lunch with them. he isn’t quiet but he isn’t talkative either, only partaking in his friends’ silly little conversations when he deems necessary. he gets normal grades and enjoys his silly music class the most. he’s on the school’s swimming team and won a few silly prizes during competitions. he’s been the subject of affection from a few girls since the start of school and he’s been on a date once. really, he’s just a silly little guy living his silly little life– what’s there to hate?

☆ SEOKMIN

the theatre kid. you either hate him or love him, there’s no in between– fortunately, no one really hates seokmin. he’s a loud student, his laugh often resonating through the entire cafeteria. he’s always been part of the cast for the school musicals, landing the lead role in his first year, something that had never ever happened before. the only kisses he’s had were during rehearsals or actual performances but he knows he has a large group of fans so nobody can really tease him for it. one of the school’s old students still has one-sided beef with him because seokmin ‘stole’ his role.

☆ MINGYU

the popular kid. he’s part of every club on campus, and has a hard time juggling football practice with the weekly sessions of the photography club. in his second year he decided he wanted to be an architect and since then he always complains about the school’s awful floor plan. people in the art club always go to him when they need a model because he has the Looks and actually knows how to pose. he’s actually very fun and the epitome of your rich friendly student who deserves to be crowned prom king. he’s known around school for mowing the lawns of his neighbors for free, shirtless.

☆ MINGHAO

the fashion police. there’s no better way to define minghao, as his judgmental faces have become an obsession for people on campus. he loves clothes and the fact he’s hoarding a drawer in his roommate’s closet further proves it. there's’ not one day that goes by where minghao doesn’t eat with his outfit, nails painted and sunglasses on his head– even in the winter. if you have to dress up for something, going to minghao’s dorm for help is the best solution. he’s rather honest, not hiding his disgust or love for people’s outfits. he was actually voted prom king (mingyu ending second) and was happy the crown fit the aesthetic of his suit. besides being an absolute bitch when it comes to clothing, his soft laugh does ease people’s nerves more often than not.

☆ SEUNGKWAN

the gossiper. or in better words, the head of the journalism club who’s in charge of the weekly school newspaper and news forum on the school’s official website. seungkwan is, with no doubt, respected by all. truthfully, he’s a good student, so teachers often let him write in his journal for new articles during class. there’s one unofficial rule though– you have secrets? do not share them with him. you can, however, ask him about other people’s business, and as long as you give him something in return, he’s glad to talk your ears off. you’re safe if you’re his friend though, because there isn’t someone as loyal as seungkwan walking down the school hallways.

☆ VERNON

the skater enthusiast. he always walks around wearing big weird hoodies, holding onto his skate and if it's one of those days, a beanie and some funky shoes complete the outfit. his skate is like an extension of his hand but does he know how to skate though? absolutely not. his friends now have multiple bandaid and first aid kits in their lockers because vernon never bothers to buy any but spends most of his lunch breaks trying to learn new tricks– and subsequently failing. he’s a sweet kid but a bit of an airhead, often bumping into people and staring at the people talking at him until he realizes the reason he couldn’t hear them was because he still had his headphones on.

☆ DINO

the school’s unofficial cheerleader’s cheerleader. it was truly a tragic day when the cheerleading squad’s manager got fired for fraud– not because of the money (duh) but because of the now lost cheerleaders. dino used to do gymnastics when he was young so in his eyes, he was their last hope. he was a god at planning cheerleading practices and events and in less than a year, the squad managed to win back their spot as number one during the cheerleading season. the school’s reputation was restored and suddenly all the teachers loved him. dying his hair blonde during a celebration party was the last straw for many– his locker would be full of confession letters the weeks following.

taglist: @0x1lovebot @fairybinie @blaqpinksthetic @odetoyeonjun @pockyandme @soobin-chois @soobisms @junityy @kaimal @laylasbunbunny @jaeyunverse @enhacolor @honglynights @starry-mins @bibinnieposts @yoonzin0 @raevyng @hoeforcheol @pearlygraysky @4xiaojun @viscade @amxlia-stars

please do not copy, repost or steal any of my work. all content belongs to @odxrilove

[onadarklingplain]

okay, here's how this is going to go: i'm going to present a bunch of primary sources, and then i'm going to tell you what i think about them. obvs you're under no obligation to agree with me, and i hope you'll find the clips, etc useful regardless.

FIRST, SOME BACKGROUND: for those who need a George refresher, he grew up in Norfolk; his dad owned some kind of seed business and his mother was a hairdresser. he's the youngest of three siblings, and his brother Benjy and his sister Cara are both significantly older than him; George was born when they were 12 and 13 respectively, which is quite an age gap. obviously idk what happened there, but it's interesting! George's dad was 43 when he was born (his mother's age is unclear to me, good for her, etc) both his siblings were very successful in sports. Cara did horse shows and won the Horse of the Year show at Wembley, and Benjy was a karting world champion. Benjy wasn't able to go on and race single-seaters as he started racing too late (he started when he was 11 after trying it at a birthday party). George's dad did a bit of karting when he was younger as well, but never took it as far as his sons would. George started karting at 6 or 7 (following in Benjy's footsteps) and he would practice with his mother after school and on weekends until he was old enough to start competing. when he did start racing, he would go with his father, and he used Benjy's karting number (63, obvs). as a kid significantly younger than his siblings, you'd think that he would have been coddled more, but i think (and the evidence will show) that because of the success of his siblings, more was expected of him by his father and he had to grow up very quickly. NEXT, SOME CLIPS: because tumblr is a hellsite, and i can only upload one video per post, the clips have been combined into one and lightly compressed out of necessity. soz, i'm mad about it too.

FIGURE ONE: George on the high performance podcast talking about his family (0:00 - 4:01; posted 28 November 2022; source) i find this podcast is sooo annoying, but unfortunately George says a lot of interesting things in this interview. frankly, i don't think i need to add anything to what he says, but i will anyways. it's just like, the way that the parental relationship morphs into a professional relationship and the pressure that puts on the child. like, George only seeing his father in a racing context and not at home! and the way that shift has an ongoing effect on the relationship into adulthood. FIGURE TWO: George on the fast and the curious podcast talking about his winter break driving trip with his family (4:01-4:53; posted 27 February 2023; source) George goes out of his way here to mention that he had a bad relationship with his dad. like, it's not what the interview was about and he didn't have to say it. but he did anyways! it's not very PR63 of him, and i think you can tell that how hard his dad was on him when he was a child really stuck with him. i love that he brings up his sister being faster than his dad. good for Cara!! FIGURE THREE: George talking to the F1 juniors about seeing his father in the stands in F3 (4:53-5:23; posted 24 July 2023; source) George specifically being like, yeah, my father would PACE during races and i could see it from the car... of course many ways to read this, but to me, it comes across as his father being worried about the results and worried that George wouldn't 'achieve.' and George being aware of that pressure from him while he's driving.

FIGURE FOUR: an interview with George, aged 14, talking about his racing and his brother's karting success & an interview with George's mum discussing the family's involvement in his and his siblings' careers (5:23 - 8:20; interview from 2012, posted 8 November 2018; source) little George looks so so serious in this interview, and so determined... i could cry. crazy to think that this child had already left school and was starting to do sim days with F1 teams. when George was 14, his father also sold his business, presumably to devote the time and money to George's career. like, the pressure!! and the way he talks about the mistake that he made! like it didn't affect his overall result, but he's still not going to let the interviewer make him feel better about it. that is definitely not a child who's playing football with his mates during break. and sooo interesting hearing his mum talk about the financial pressures increasing as George aged, and about how it was for George growing up with two very successful siblings. really recommend watching the whole thing, as it also features Benjy and it's interesting to hear from him as well. i think it's such a key detail that his mum was his mechanic until he got 'serious', when his dad's attention switched to him from Benjy, who couldn't go any farther in karting. and the way that George would have seen the pressure Benjy was under, and how it would have been two-fold for him, because he was the only one left who could make a proper go of it and who could make all of the family's efforts worthwhile.

TEXT INTERVIEWS: FIGURE FIVE: THE TIMES INTERVIEW (source) in April 2023, the very bad UK publication, The Times, published a joint interview with George and his dad. it's a very rich text. It's behind a paywall at the link above, but you can find the full thing on tumblr. i've pulled out some of the bits that interest me below. THE QUOTES FROM GEORGE:

this really just recaps what George talks about on the High Performance Podcast (see fig.1). how he and his dad didn't really have a parental relationship, and how he felt the pressure of needing to succeed as a child, in order to make his father happy and therefore have a happy home life. i need to type these parts out because it bears re-emphasising: "Dad has always been hard on the ones he loves.... that was difficult to deal with." "Dad is a strong character but he's..... friendlier now." that's honestly just so sad. and then the quote about the flights.... literally why? i feel like it's kind of infantilising in a way, not letting your adult child support you when they can? like, it's not letting him have an equal relationship with his parent as an adult and is making him stay in the child role in the family. even though he didn't really get to be a child in the first place!! i'm going to stop myself there, for my sanity. THE QUOTES FROM GEORGE'S DAD:

so the George's dad section literally starts with a neg. it's the most annoying thing i've ever read. and then he goes on to say that he won't let George get an ego in a national newspaper? for what? and the driving instructor story.... why would you say this about your child in a newspaper. it does not come across well to me!! it's like his father is trying to embarrass him, frankly. ADDITIONAL ANECDOTE:

okay i know there are multiple ways to read this. it could just be supportive or whatever. but given the evidence already considered and the fact that his dad is known to critique him.... i'm going to choose to take this in bad faith and say that, to me, this screams that his dad is rewatching highlights to find places where George made mistakes. FIGURE SIX: BONUS HEARSAY - MARTIN KODRIC (source) as per some rando reddit user

Martin Kodrić is a Croatian driver who karted with George in 2012. he's said some things about the drivers in years past which are, i'm told, of dubious veracity. however his comment about George's dad confirms my priors, so i'm including it here. also, what reason would he have to go after George's dad out of the blue like this if it wasn't true?? years later?? absolutely none whatsoever. he's not getting clout from saying this. therefore i think it's true, good night. THE CONCLUSION: i think a lot of the things George talks about are quite common for people who are put into professional roles as children (child actors, athletes, etc). it wouldn't surprise me to learn that most of the guys on the grid have had similar experiences. but i also think the way George has started speaking about it is really interesting, as i think he's someone who is very aware of perception and how things come across. the way he talks about his difficult relationship with his dad also feels very thought out to me, and i feel like it's really come about after he started talking more about mental health issues. which honestly, great for him! tumblr will crash if i try to put anything else into this post right now, and i need to stop thinking about this for my sanity, but if you have extra info that i missed, i'd love it if you let me know ETA 27/07/2023: additional information from a helpful anon! FIGURE SEVEN: EXTRA BONUS HEARSAY (source)

as per lovely anon, this is a comment on a post from George's facebook in 2020 with his dad. from my surface level googling, the man who commented to have involved in British karting during the time George would have been karting. obviously take this with a grain of salt! who knows what this guy's motive was in commenting on Facebook. commenting on Facebook is always to be viewed with skepticism! still, it does seem consistent with what George has said about his karting days, so i think it's verifiable enough to include here.

[thecynthh]

how about we try that one more time? M.S

synopsis - matt wouldn't stop biting his nails and y/n gotta do something about it

notes - fully matts pov, childhood best friends, just kissiing nothing too mild,

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Matt's pov

i recently became more active on tiktok like nick requested me to be, despite not really knowing how to use the app i started to post next to daily as well as chris and nick. tiktoks of us just jamming out to songs always goes well so i started a little series showing the fans a new song from my playlist every two days while in between those i post whatever im feeling. 

today was the song locked out of heaven by bruno mars

“can i just stay here?”

“spend the rest of my days here”

“cus’ you make me feel like i’ve been locked out of heaven”

i look into my bathroom mirror singing along with the song, doing a little dance when the drums kick in again hearing the crash of the symbols. i’d admit, i thought i looked pretty good, my fit was on point that day and i was really feeling myself. 

sturnl00v3 : matty poo lookin a little too good today 

heartzplusstarz : struggling as a chris girl over here 😔

bernardluvver : living for the slutty waist !!

the whole tiktok replays again for the third time, after hearing it again y/n props herself up on her elbows and says, “god how many times are you gonna watch yourself in that tiktok??” y/n was usually this mean to me but growing up together as neighbors and knowing her all these years made me forgive her for all of it, she was there with me and my brothers throughout everything and we were all used to her “can do” attitude.

her legs were draped over my thighs and her eyes watched my phone intensively. “do you still wanna get kane’s later or do you wanna complain?” I retorted, making her drop back down onto the couch and hold her hands up. “i surrender.” 

i go back to scrolling through the comments seeing a few more. 

sturnz : damnnnn mans looking fine asf 

bluesturniolo : ANYTHING FOR U MATT !!!!

sturnontop : yalls see the outline…..

      ╰┈➤ bluesturniolo : i just know what’s behind his cargos 🤤

lessasturniolo : F ME LIKE U MAD AT ME BABYYYYY 

oh. oh. 

is that really all that they think about me? a shiver rolls through my body and my hand comes up to my mouth as i chew on my nails. a foot hits my hand out of my mouth, i give y/n the nastiest side eye while she looks at me like she didn’t do anything. 

“what the fuck was that for?” i raise my voice slightly. 

“don’t bite your nails you stupid fuck,” she says as a come back, i was unphased when she matched my tone. i ultimately just let it go and continued looking through comments. 

sturnnw0rld : girlies on tumblr gna go insane for this one matt

user92380 : id hit that. 

likelystrniolo : fuck me! please! 

despite what y/n said to me i continue to bite my nails, i didnt enjoy biting them but i couldnt help it. especially with these comments, they make me nervous and uncomfortable. with seconds of actually contemplating, my finger hovers over the delete button. 

suddenly i feel y/n’s body move and she begins to straddle me, uh oh. i stare up at her not knowing what her next move is, she rips my nails out of my mouth and connects our lips. 

i go along with her antics and reciprocate the kiss, she bites down on my bottom lip requesting access to the inside of my mouth. her hands find my arms and wraps them around her body with her arms snaking around my neck, pulling us impossibly close together. 

i put my hands on her cheeks slightly pushing her off of my mouth, our needy mouths disconnected. she gives an exasperated sigh and starts to open her mouth, “nick told me to make sure you weren’t biting your nails cus u guys had a nail appointment, that was the only way i could think about stopping you.” an innocent smile paints her face. 

“if i knew biting my nails could make you wanna kiss me i would be doing it more.” i saw when the same stupid smile bloomed on my lips as well. “so, how about we try that one more time before i start biting my nails again yeah?” 

a/n - christmas/new years present for yalls 😘

[genshinluvr]

Actions Have Consequences

Pairings: Various Genshin Men x Isekai'd!Reader (slight Lumine x Isekai'd!Reader)

Summary: Lately, you have been pranking the men around the estate, and the men are getting tired of it. Yes, your pranks are harmless, but they're starting to get old. Instead of speaking to you about the pranks, like how Gorou suggested, Itto and Childe decide to prank you back with the cruelest joke that causes more harm than good. Who knew that actions have consequences?

Note: So, I couldn't come up with a prank that would make the reader cry and the men comforting the reader after the said prank. The only prank I came up with ends up hurting the reader, but it doesn't end up with the reader being given kisses by the men to comfort the reader 💀 This fic is NOT full angst. This is a hurt/comfort fic. There is a happy-ish ending in the end (I say that because idk how to feel about the ending). This is my first fanfic of 2023! Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all have a fantastic 2023! Thank you for the support I've been receiving for almost a year now! I truly appreciate each and every single one of you ❤️ Please keep in mind that I don't post anywhere else but on Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and on AO3 (Aaliah_exo).

Warnings: Childe and Itto's prank goes way too far when your prank is harmless, blood, jealousy, heartbreak, allusions to attempt of suicide

Word Count: 15.7k

Lately, you have started pranking the men around the abode. The little pranks you pull are harmless, but the stunt can make the person feel a tad bit humiliated. A few days ago, while Diluc was in the shower, you snuck into his bathroom and took his clothes and towel before running out of the bathroom with an evil smile on your face. Diluc turns the shower off and reaches for the towel from behind the curtains, only to grab a handful of nothing. Diluc furrows his eyebrows and peeks his head from the shower curtains, only to find out that his clothes are missing and so are his towel. 

“Dammit, not again,” Diluc grumbles, running his fingers through his wet red hair and letting out a frustrated exhale.

Diluc stumbles out of his bathroom with an extra towel around his waist. He stomps down the stairs, leaving a trail of water behind. Diluc steps into the living room and glares at the inhabitants; everyone quiets down and stares at Diluc, eyes wide. 

“Diluc, my man! I know you’re fit and muscular, but did you really need to show off the muscles and package?” Itto jokes, earning chuckles from the men around him.

Diluc glares at each person, trying to spot the perpetrator that has stolen his clothes and towel while he is in the middle of his shower. He makes eye contact with you, who’s staring at him with an odd expression on your face. Diluc narrows his eyes and approaches you. Your eyes widen, and you look around, trying to find an escape plan to get away from Diluc as fast as possible.

Diluc stops in front of you and crosses his arms over his chest, gazing down at you with a blank stare. You swallow your saliva nervously and look around you. The men are all looking at you and Diluc quizzically, wondering what is happening.

You give him a fake smile. “Hi, Diluc! You’re looking good! Are you using the new body wash I got you?” You ask, leaning forward and sniffing his bare chest. 

Diluc doesn’t say a single word. Instead, he continues to stare down at you while poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue. He looks irritated and is not in the mood for your childish prank. You watch the water drip from his bangs and down his face, watching it slide down to his jaws and drop to the ground. 

Childe leans to you and whispers loudly, “The redhead looks pissed off. What did you do?”

You scoff and smack his chest lightly. “I didn’t do anything! I was down here the entire time while he was in the shower!” You lie.

Diluc tilts his head to the side, props both of his hands on his hips, and gives you a skeptical look after hearing your response. You puff your cheeks and hunch over, sighing in defeat. You can’t stand seeing Diluc this upset with you over a harmless little prank that you pulled moments ago. You hesitantly hand Diluc his clothes and towel without making eye contact with the redhead. 

Diluc takes the clothes and towel from your hands without saying a word before turning around and walking back upstairs to his bathroom. After that day, you decided not to prank Diluc. Well, you chose not to pull that kind of prank on Diluc again because the look he gave you and the silence from Diluc were unbearable. You felt bad that at the beginning of your pranks, you mainly targeted Diluc. 

So, you start to prank the others around the estate. Everyone is sitting around the dining table, getting ready to eat their lunch. You sit across from Thoma, sitting between Dainsleif and Al Haitham. You’re cutting into your steak when you notice Thoma reaching for the salt and pepper shakers. You bring the piece of steak up to your mouth and begin chewing on it, subtly watching Thoma sprinkle pepper on his food from the corner of your eyes. After sprinkling a decent amount of pepper on his food, Thoma puts the pepper shaker back in the center of the dining table. Thoma grabs the salt shaker, tilts it above his food, and the entire lid pops off, spilling salt all over his food. Thoma gasps, startled by what has happened.

“How did that happen?” Thoma mutters, looking at the empty salt shaker and his now oversalted food. 

Aether nudges Thoma and gestures in your direction. “I think I found the culprit,” Aether says, taking a bite of his crab roe tofu. 

Thoma looks over at you, only to see you hunch over in your seat, looking down at your steak while stifling your laughter. Thoma laughs and shakes his head. Everyone is surprised that Thoma didn’t get upset when you ruined his food by pulling that stunt on him. Since Thoma is an easygoing person, he doesn’t seem to care about his food being wasted and having to cook another food for himself.

“It’s a simple prank, but it’s a good one,” Heizou says, shrugging his shoulders, eating his onigiri while giving Thoma a look as Thoma gets up from his seat to go back into the kitchen to cook something else to eat.

Venti leans over and looks at the other men with wide eyes. “If [Y/N]’s moving onto other people, then who’s their next target!?” Venti asks, looking over at you from the corner of his eyes.

“[Y/N]’s pranks are harmless, Venti. There’s nothing to worry about,” Al Haitham says, scooping up his rice with his spoon.

Tighnari nods his head. “I agree with Al Haitham. Their pranks are harmless! What can go wrong?” Tighnari asks, taking a sip of his ice-cold water.

The next few days, your pranks consist of putting laundry detergent in Itto’s shampoo and conditioner bottle. Itto screamed about his hair feeling weird after putting laundry detergent in his hair, trying to wash it off with Diluc’s shampoo and conditioner frantically. Itto ends up giving you the silent treatment after that, and you have to beg him for forgiveness by going out into Inazuma to collect onikabutos for his next beetle battle.

As for the prank that you pulled on Zhongli, it was also another harmless prank. Even though it’s harmless, just like every other prank you have pulled in the past, this one was testing Zhongli’s patience. While Zhongli is steeping his tea early in the morning, the teabag breaks apart, and the tea leaves spill out from the bag. Zhongli sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.

Zhongli does not have the time to deal with your childish prank. Zhongli promised Hu Tao that he would go into Wangsheng Funeral Parlor early in the morning to fill out the paperwork for a recent customer, but because of your childish prank, it has caused him to be a few minutes late for work. Zhongli ends up showing up at the funeral parlor without his morning tea and gets an earful from the funeral director herself.

Zhongli steps through the doors of the estate, sighing tiredly and rubbing his eyes. Ayato looks up from his book, spotting the tired Geo archon. Ayato gives Zhongli a sympathetic look and stands up, approaching the man with a cup of tea in his hands.

“Rough day?” Ayato asks, handing the warm ceramic cup to Zhongli.

Zhongli lets out a sigh and nods. Zhongli takes the cup from Ayato’s hands and gives the light blue-haired man a strained smile. “You have no idea,” Zhongli answers, blowing lightly on the teacup before taking a sip.

Kaeya leans against the door and smirks at the Geo archon and the head of the Kamisato Clan. “I’m assuming that this has everything to do with [Y/N] and their pranks?” Kaeya asks, pushing himself away from the door and approaching Zhongli and Ayato.

Zhongli nods, continuing to take small sips of the tea that Ayato has given him. “Unfortunately, it is. As much as I love them, their pranks are getting out of hand,” Zhongli mutters, staring down at the cup in his hands.

“How are they getting out of hand? Their pranks are harmless,” Dainsleif says from the corner of the room. Dainsleif continues to flip through the newspaper, not looking up from the paper in his hands.

“Judging by the look on the former Geo archon’s face and his posture, I’m assuming that [Y/N]’s prank caused him to be late for work,” Kaveh says, sprawling out on the couch and flinching when Al Haitham throws a cushion at him.

Baizhu raises his eyebrows at Kaveh’s speculation. “And how do you know that?” Baizhu asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

Cyno snorts. “Because he has made Al Haitham late to work before by locking him out of their shared apartment in Sumeru,” Cyno replies.

While your pranks are harmless, it was starting to annoy a few men around the estate. Yes, they love you to pieces, but the never-ending pranks are starting to become bothersome. They need to find a way to stop you from pranking them, but they don’t know how. You seem to be enjoying the pranks that you pulled on almost every person residing in the abode, and they didn’t want to put a damper on your mood.

Kazuha raises his hand to speak. “We can always talk to [Y/N] about the pranks. They can save it for a day that is made for pranks; I believe it’s called April Fool's day, according to [Y/N],” Kazuha says.

Xiao nods his head. “I agree. We should talk to [Y/N] about the pranks they’re pulling on us and how often they’ve been pulling these pranks on each of us,” Xiao says. 

“Have they pulled a prank on you?” Albedo asks, looking at Xiao curiously. Xiao presses his lips into a thin line and breathes through his nose, not saying a word. He looks over at Scaramouche, who nods his head.

Scaramouche takes his hat off and runs his fingers through his hair. “Xiao and I were in the middle of training, and [Y/N] thinks it's funny to appear out of nowhere to scare Xiao and me. Of course, it almost ended badly, but Xiao was able to stop himself before he could…. Stab [Y/N] in the face with his polearm,” Scaramouche explains.

Gorou sighs and hunches over on the couch, his ears flattening on his head. “Okay, so how are we going to approach this? We are going to talk to [Y/N] about this, right?” Gorou asks, looking up at everyone through his lashes.

The main goal is to get you to prank them less or to have you stop pranking them completely. You didn’t prank the other four Harbingers because you know not to mess with them and because the men have warned you not to do it for your safety. So, the other four Harbingers weren’t getting pranked. The men that are getting pranked are the ones that live under the same estate as you. At first, your pranks were tolerable, but then you started to prank each of them almost every day (you pull pranks on them every other day to throw them off) to the point where everyone is tired of the harmless little tricks you’ve been pulling on them.

“Talking?! That’s funny! I think we should play a prank on them back!” Itto says. Itto props his feet on the ottoman, resting his back up against the cushions of the couch and cushioning the back of his head with his hands.

Dainsleif shakes his head. “No way. If we do that, it’ll encourage them to continue to pull these pranks on everyone,” Dainsleif says. 

“That and it’ll cause a prank war, which is something we don’t want to happen,” Heizou interjects, giving Itto a look of disapproval. 

Childe’s eyes light up, and he steps forward, smirking. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Pranking them back, I mean. If we pull a prank that is really good, it can get them to stop pranking us,” Childe explains.

Diluc shakes his head. “No. I have a bad feeling about your little plan,” Diluc says, narrowing his eyes at Childe. 

“Oh, come on, brother. Let’s hear him out now, shall we?” Kaeya chuckles. 

Diluc frowns and glares at Kaeya, shaking his head. Whatever Childe’s plan was, Diluc knows that it won’t end pretty. The next few days, you didn’t pull a prank on any of the men. At first, they were suspicious and weren’t sure whether something was going to happen or not. Since you decided to take a break from the pranks, this gave the men some time to plan out the tricks they were going to pull on you.

At the dinner table, you’re eating your spaghetti while the men are watching you closely while conversing with each other. You have yet to say anything to the men, and it gives them an unsettling feeling. What if you’re planning a prank while eating your spaghetti? You’re very deep in your thoughts, staring blankly at the table in front of you, slurping up the noodles. The men wish they knew what’s going on in that head of yours, but for now, they might as well play it safe before the revenge prank happens. 

Al Haitham clears his throat, grabbing your attention. “What have you been up to these last few days, sweetheart?” Al Haitham asks, propping his elbow on the dining table.

“Nothing much, really. The last few days have been boring for me. I have been trying to work on this project for the Akademiya, but I’m not sure how it’s going to turn out,” you reply. You reach for the cloth napkin beside the metal spoon and wipe your lips.

Tighnari’s ears perk up. “Oh? And what is this little project? This is the first time you have mentioned something about a project,” Tighnari says, his tail swishing in his seat with anticipation.

Aether leans toward Thoma, trying to be inconspicuous. “This could be a trap; I’m not sure if I can trust what they’re telling us,” Aether whispers.

You then go on to tell the men what you have been up to for the last few days (the days when the men didn’t have to deal with your endless pranks). You have been visiting the Akademiya to talk to publishers. Apparently, you and the research team you’re assigned to are currently in the process of publishing a scholarly journal about flora and fauna of Sumeru. 

Being a part of a research project is one of the requirements to graduate from the Akademiya. You and your research team, which consists of researchers and other Akademiya students, have decided to publish this scholarly journal, and it has been approved by the Sage. Al Haitham strokes his chin and nods his head. 

“So that’s what Al Haitham has been talking about. He mentioned something about the Sage approving of publishing some scholarly journal, but he was never informed about who was part of the research and the academic journal,” Kaveh murmurs.

Cyno smiles at you from across the table. “That’s a big achievement, [Y/N]. Congratulations, I’m really proud of you,” Cyno says softly.

You smile at Cyno shyly and rub the back of your neck, feeling heat rush to your cheeks and the tip of your ears. It truly is a big achievement for you; you’ve never been part of a significant research project before, and having the research project get published in an academic journal? You can put that on your job resume, and your and your research team members’ name will be published forever!

“That is a huge achievement! Congratulations, [Y/N]!” Thoma says, smiling at you. 

You smile at Thoma and continue to slurp up your noodles shyly. All of the attention you’re getting from the men, along with the praises, is making you feel bashful. At first, you didn’t know how the men were going to react when they heard about the secret project you’d been doing for the last few days, worried that they might not see it as a big deal as you did. But seeing their positive reaction made you feel relaxed and less worried. 

Venti lightly taps his glass cup with a fork to grab everyone’s attention. “I think we should all go out and celebrate [Y/N] and their research team’s accomplishment!” 

“Why not celebrate it at the estate? I’m sure we can find a way to celebrate [Y/N]’s accomplishment without having to leave the estate,” Baizhu suggests.

Albedo shrugs his shoulders. “I think celebrating [Y/N]’s accomplishments outside of the abode would be fun. After all, it has been a while since we all sat at a restaurant together,” Albedo says.

Kazuha turns to look at you. “What do you think [Y/N]?” Kazuha asks, leaning on the table while gazing at you curiously.

“Oh, uh….” You trailed off, unsure whether you wanted to celebrate your accomplishment outside of the abode or not. 

As much as you would love to sit in a restaurant and dine in with the loves of your life, you’re unsure about how it’ll turn out. Plus, you’re more of a homebody, and you like home-cooked meals. Maybe going out with them to celebrate your achievement isn’t going to be bad after all.

Scaramouche holds an index finger up. “Remember, it is your choice. If you want to celebrate at the abode, we can do that. If not, we can celebrate your achievement at a restaurant somewhere in Teyvat,” said Scaramouche.

“If we are celebrating in Inazuma, I know a place where we can celebrate,” Ayato says, shoving a piece of sushi into his mouth.

Gorou looks at you with anticipation. “So? What do you think? Dine in or dine out in Teyvat?” Gorou asks, waiting for your response.

“We can celebrate it at a restaurant! It has been a while since all of us have dined out in Teyvat,” you reply, smiling at everyone at the table.

Xiao clears his throat, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Speaking of everyone. Are we going to be inviting the other four?” Xiao asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

Everyone turns to look at you. You shrink in your seat and shrug your shoulders from the sudden attention from everyone in the room. It would be wrong for you not to invite the other four Harbingers to celebrate your big achievement. You don’t want anyone to be left out or feel left out. You will feel like a horrible person if you go out and celebrate your accomplishment with the men and leave the other four out of the celebration. You place your fork down and clear your throat.

“I will be inviting them, but I don’t really know if they’re going to show up or not,” you said, fiddling with the hem of your shirt.

“Well, they have to. We’re celebrating your achievement, and it would be a jerk move if they don’t show up to a celebration like this!” Aether huffs, leaning back in his seat.

You purse your lips before asking, “When is the celebration? I need time to get dressed and ready for it.” You’re hoping that it’s not tonight because there’s no way you’ll be prepared for the celebration in a short amount of time. 

You need to plan out how you’re going to dress for the celebration; just the thought of having to dress up for a celebration with your boyfriends makes you nervous. Everything has to be perfect, or else it’ll ruin your mood for the night. The men look over at each other and mentally communicate with each other; that’s what you’re assuming since they’re making faces at each other and moving their heads and eyebrows in strange ways you don’t understand.

Ayato turns to you with a smile on his face. “The celebration will be tomorrow night. It will be in Inazuma at a fancy restaurant. Please dress appropriately,” Ayato says. 

Ayato gets up from his seat, walks over to you, grabs your hand, and presses a kiss on your knuckles. You blush and nod in response. Perfect! It’s tomorrow night, and you have some time to plan out what you’ll wear according to what Ayato has informed you about. After you had finished your plate of spaghetti, Childe, Gorou, and Heizou were sent to go to the Harbingers’ estate to tell them about the celebration.

“You four don’t have to show up if you don’t want. But you four will look like jerks if you don’t show up to the celebration of [Y/N]’s accomplishment,” Heizou says nonchalantly, tapping his bicep with his index finger.

Dottore lets out an amused huff of breath through his nostrils. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about us not showing up. We will make an appearance,” Dottore says, smiling at Heizou and Childe.

“Did any of you think of a gift for [Y/N] for their achievement?” Pantalone asks, leaning against the doorway with a smile on his face.

Goro’s eyes widened for a brief moment when Pantalone brought up the topic of gifts. “Oh! A g-gift?” Gorou asks, looking over at Childe and Heizou anxiously.

Pantalone nods his head. “That’s correct, a gift. One does not celebrate an achievement without a gift of some sort,” Pantalone lets out a huff of laughter, crossing his arms over his chest and puffing it out.

“We will let you and the others decide on what gift to get [Y/N] for their achievement. The other Harbingers and I will be keeping our gift ideas to ourselves. We don’t want anyone to copy us,” Dottore says, flicking his icy-blue bangs over his shoulders.

Childe rolls his eyes and mumbles incoherent words under his breath before telling Heizou and Gorou to follow after him. After Gorou, Heizou, and Childe return to the abode, Dottore turns to look at Pantalone once they close the front door of the Harbingers' estate.

The two men turn to look at Pierro and Capitano; the two men have their arms propped up on the dining table, the sleeves of their button-up shirts rolled up to their elbows. Capitano and Pierro look at Dottore and Pantalone; Pierro raises his eyebrows at the two men at the entrance.

“What gift do you have in mind, Pantalone?” Pierro asks, clutching onto the mug in his hands and bringing it up to his lips to take a sip of his drink.

Capitano shakes his head. “I bet it's mora, as usual,” Capitano says. The three men can almost hear Capitano roll his eyes beneath his helmet. 

Pantalone, Dottore, and Pierro look at one another while chuckling and shaking their heads. After all, Capitano is always right. Don’t know what to get your significant other for their birthday? Give them mora! Did your significant other achieve something amazing, but you’re unsure of what to give them? Give them mora and take them out shopping with said mora! Overall, Mora is an excellent gift for many occasions! 

The next day, you didn’t see the men as much. You’re assuming they’re getting ready for the celebration and making sure things are going as planned. You spent the entire day planning your outfit for the evening and how you’re going to style your hair. During the day, Zhongli stops by your bedroom and gifts you a customized perfume that was made by Ying’er at Scent of Spring in Liyue. 

“I hope you like it,” Zhongli says shyly, presenting a small pink box to you. 

You grab the small box from Zhongli’s hands and untie the pretty pink bow that wraps around the box. You open the box and see a small glass fragrance bottle labeled ‘Under the Moonlight’ in cursive. You look at Zhongli and give him a smile, walking into his arms and giving him a hug.

“Thank you, Zhongli! I love it,” you said. 

You lean up and press a kiss on his jawline, squeezing his hand with your unoccupied hand. Zhongli brushes your hair from your face and presses a kiss on your forehead, muttering how proud he is of you. After that, Zhongli leaves you to prepare for the celebration. You wear the fanciest clothing you have in your closet, style your hair that fits the occasion, and spray on the perfume that Zhongli has gifted to you. You leave the abode on your own after remembering what Kaveh had told you while you’re getting ready for the celebration.

“We will be waiting at the restaurant. Ayato has given me the name of the restaurant, and I have slipped the paper under the door. We will meet you there,” Kaveh says from behind your closed bedroom door.

You look at the floor and notice the small slip of paper. “Alright, sounds good! I will meet you all there!” You said, walking over to the paper and grabbing it off the ground. You flip the paper over to read the name of the restaurant; you hear Kaveh’s footsteps fade away. 

You walk in the streets of Inazuma City, feeling self-conscious from the number of stares you’re getting from bystanders as you’re walking past them. Yes, you’re wearing fancy clothes and are dressed for a fancy occasion (to them), but that does not mean you’re comfortable with them staring at you as you’re walking by them. 

At the restaurant, the men are fixing their clothes and hair, making sure they look good. The only people missing are you, the four Harbingers, Childe, and Itto. Ayato has booked the entire restaurant, reserving the whole place for the twenty-six of you. The area is decorated with balloons and party streamers; on the ground of the restaurant, the flood is covered in confetti, and on the wall is a huge “Congratulations [Y/N]” sign. 

“Has anyone seen Childe and Itto?” Dainsleif asks, fixing the navy blue tie around his neck.

Kazuha shakes his head. “I haven’t seen them since this morning. Perhaps the two of them are getting a present for [Y/N]; after all, I did recall hearing Childe rant about Pantalone having to mention gifts,” Kazuha says, fixing the sleeve of his button-up shirt.

“Well, whatever those two are up to, they need to hurry up,” Xiao grumbles, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows.

The door to the restaurant opens, and Childe and Itto walk through the door with a person between them, their arms linked around Childe and Itto’s arms. The men look at Childe and Itto in disbelief; Itto and Childe give the men toothy grins and wave at them before looking down at the person.

“Who is that?” Kaeya asks, pointing at the person in the middle.

“How should we know? We’ve never met that person in our entire lives,” Scaramouche says, looking at Itto and Childe in horror.

Childe and Itto approach the men with the person linked around their arms. “Gentlemen, meet Li. Itto and I are paying them to play as our,” Childe quickly gestures to everyone in the room, “fake side piece,” Childe says, smiling at the men proudly.

“Wait, what?” Albedo raises his eyebrows at Childe.

Itto laughs and rubs his hands together. “Oh man, this prank is going to be the best prank ever! We paid Li to be all of our pretend ‘mistress’ to get back at [Y/N] for the pranks they’ve pulled on us!” Itto says.

Diluc shakes his head angrily. “No. Absolutely not. We are not going to pull this kind of ‘prank’ on [Y/N] on their special day and as a way to ‘get back at them’ for the tricks they’ve pulled,” Diluc states firmly, glaring at Childe and Itto.

“I agree. Childe, Itto, you need to call off this ‘prank’ of yours and tell Li to leave the premises before [Y/N] arrives and sees another person,” Al Haitham demands, pointing at the door.

“Yeah, Li! You need to Li-ve (leave)!” Cyno says, crossing his arms over his chest.

Tighnari feels his eyes twitch and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Did you really need to crack a pun joke at a time like this?” Tighnari asks through clenched teeth.

While the men are arguing with one another, you approach the restaurant and hand the paper to the host of the restaurant. The host gives you a smile and guides you inside the restaurant. He ends up having you follow the trail of confetti and rose petals on the ground that leads to the grand hall where you and your boyfriends will be dining in for the evening, celebrating your accomplishment. 

You grab the gold door handle and pull the door open. You walk into the grand hall and stop in your tracks when you see the decorations. You’re about to approach your boyfriends, but your feet freeze to the ground when you see an unfamiliar face. Baizhu is the first to notice you; he nudges everyone and gestures in your direction.

“[Y/N]’s here. Don’t do anything stupid,” Baizhu mutters, giving Itto and Childe a small glare.

You slowly approach the group and the strange person. You point at them with shaky hands, hoping that you’re wrong about your assumption. 

“Who’s this?” You ask in a small voice. Your hands are trembling by your side; your heart is racing against your chest. The more you look at this person, the more you realize that this person is beautiful, making you feel mediocre compared to them.

“Windblume! This person is no—” the strange person cuts Venti off.

The person turns to look at you and struts up to you confidently, crossing their arms over their chest, looking at you from head to toe as if they’re sizing you up. They hold their hand out in front of them. “My name’s Li. I am these handsome men’s mistress. And who are you? I don’t recall hearing about you,” they said, the corners of their lips quirking up.

You look at Li with disbelief and at the men behind them. You look back at Li and press your lips into a thin line, tears slowly flooding your vision. You look away and clear your throat. The room around you is suddenly spinning, and you hear ringing in your ears.

You let out a bitter laugh, tears cascading down your cheeks. “I’m no one. I apologize for interrupting your date with your…. Lovers. It seems like I got the wrong room,” you look up at Li and at the men. “Please, continue your date. I shall leave now,” you choke. You bow at Li and the men stiffly before turning around and running out of the room.

“I’m going to beat your ass, Tartaglia,” Thoma growls.

Gorou whimpers softly, his shoulders shaking as he cries silently. “This was supposed to be the day where we celebrate [Y/N]’s achievement. It’s all ruined because of you three idiots,” Gorou growls, glaring at Childe, Itto, and Li, bearing his fangs at the three. 

“You idiots!” Diluc roars, grabbing Childe by the collar and slamming him down on the table.

Zhongli glares at Itto, his amber eyes glowing ominously, his hands clenched at his side. “You dare to break [Y/N]’s heart?” Zhongli growls. The ground below starts to rumble.

“When we find [Y/N] and return to the abode, you two idiots will apologize to [Y/N]. As for you,” Ayato turns to look at Li, who looks at Ayato with an amused look on their face, “you will not be getting a single mora from the stunt you have pulled. You’re disgraceful, and you disgust us,” Ayato spats.

After you had stormed out and left the restaurant, the men tried to search for you, hoping you would still be in the city. Unfortunately for them, you were nowhere to be found. They return to the abode with heavy hearts and regret chewing them inside and out. When they approach the front door of the main estate, the door swings open, revealing the four Harbingers carrying your suitcases in their hands. The men freeze, and the four Harbingers stare at the men blankly while Pierro shoots them a glare. If looks can kill, they would all be dead right now. 

Capitano turns around. “Are you ready?” Capitano asks, holding his hand out for you to take.

You walk up to Capitano, grab his hands and nod your head. You cling to his side, refusing to look the others in the eyes. After what had happened at the restaurant, you don’t think you can look at them the same ever again. 

“What’s with the suitcases?” Aether asks, pointing at the black and white suitcase in the Harbingers’ hands.

“I’m moving out. For now,” you reply. You let out a shaky breath and swallowed the lump in your throat.

“What?!” Xiao’s eyes widen. 

“Why are you moving out?” Heizou asks sadly.

You shrug your shoulders, wiping away the stray tear that made its way down your cheeks. “After what happened today, I don’t think I can stay in the same house as any of you. You all cheated on me and have completely broken my trust. I need space,” you whisper, balling your hands into tight fists until your nails break into your skin.

Childe quickly approaches you and grabs you by your shoulders. “It was a prank, [Y/N]. We never cheated on you. Itto and I paid Li to pretend to be our mistress to get back at you for all of the pranks you’ve pulled on us,” Childe says.

Your bottom lip quivers, and you look away from Childe. “Instead of asking me to stop, you decide to play a cheating prank on me?” You stare up at Childe; tears pools in your eyes and cascade down your cheeks. “Do you think that loyalty is a joke?” You whisper.

“What?! No! I-I don’t!” Childe exclaims, shaking his head.

You shake your head and push him away from you. “All of my pranks are harmless. I didn’t hurt anyone or cause emotional distress to any of you. This is what I get? On the day that was supposed to celebrate my accomplishment? Am I a joke to all of you?” You demand, looking at each man in the eyes while tears continue to pour out of your eyes. 

“Technically, it was Childe and Itto’s idea. None of us knew this was going to happen,” Scaramouche interjects, zapping Itto in the back with electricity, making the oni grunt in pain. 

Pierro places a hand on your shoulder. “Let’s go home and get you settled in. It’s getting late out,” Pierro says gently. You nod your head and begin walking away with the four Harbingers.

“[Y/N], wait,” Itto says, grabbing hold of your wrist.

You quickly turn around and slap Itto across the face; the sound of your hand meeting his cheek echos the silent air in the abode. Itto lets go of your wrist, placing his hand on his stinging cheek, looking at you in disbelief and heartbreak. Everyone lets out a collective gasp and stares at you and Itto in shock.

You wipe your tear-stained cheeks with the sleeves of your sweater. “Don’t touch me. None of you have the right to touch me after the stunt you all pulled,” you spat.

Dottore lets out an amused chuckle. “Congratulations on fucking up your relationship and the trust between all of you and [Y/N]. Now they don’t trust any of you, especially you two,” Dottore says, looking over at Childe and Itto.

“Let’s go home, sweetheart,” Pantalone murmurs, pulling you by your arm. 

You nod and continue walking to the Harbingers’ estate with Pierro, Capitano, Pantalone, and Dottore, leaving the men behind. After you and the four Harbingers have entered the Harbingers’ estate, the men turn to look at Itto and Childe, their jaws clenching and hands balled up into fists.

“Look at what you two have done. You two idiots broke [Y/N]’s heart and trust to the point where they cannot live under the same roof as us because of the stunt you two have pulled to get back at them for their harmless pranks,” Al Haitham scowls.

Venti’s bottom lip quivers. “Do you two ever think about how actions have consequences? Look at the outcome of your actions; [Y/N] is living with the Harbingers now because you two broke [Y/N]’s heart,” Venti glowers.

Thoma throws his hands up in frustration. “They’re not going to trust us ever again because of that stupid prank you two pulled. We didn’t want the prank to happen, but you two insisted on continuing the prank anyway, and look where it landed us all,” Thoma lectures Childe and Itto. 

Thoma shakes his head and rubs his temples with his index finger. 

“I’m going to put a restraining order on that Li person, so they never approach any of us ever again,” Tighnari states.

Without another word, Tighnari turns around and walks into the estate. The others soon follow after Tighnari in silence, glaring at Itto and Childe while walking past the two men. The estate feels empty, despite twenty-one people—well, twenty people now because you moved out temporarily— living under the same roof. The estate is quiet; no one dares to speak to one another, fearing they would blow up in each other’s faces and scream at one another. 

Gorou peeks his head into your dark bedroom. He flips the switch on, and the light illuminates your room. All of your things are still in your room; the plushies each man has given you, the small pictures that you hung up on the wall of you and the men, the love letters you have received from each man, stacked on your desk with a cute pink bow tying them all together in one big stack. The ones that have written you the most love letters are Diluc, Zhongli, and Ayato, but the other men have written you almost as many as the two did. Gorou presses his lips together, his lips trembling as he walks over to your bed.

Gorou lays on your bed and hugs your pillow to his chest, breathing in your shampoo and conditioner. Tears begin to roll down Gorou’s cheeks as he buries his face into your pillow, silently crying into the now tear-soaked pillow. 

Over at the Harbingers’ estate, you lay in your new bedroom, staring at the ceiling blankly. Your hair is still damp from your shower, you’re wearing the comfiest pajamas you own, and you are emotionally exhausted. You have cried out all of your tears, and there’s no way to squeeze out a single tear even if you tried. Your eyes are swollen, your heart is hurting, and you’re exhausted and hungry. When you stormed out of the restaurant, you bumped into the four Harbingers outside of Inazuma City. When you told them what happened, they were all furious and gladly took you back to the abode and helped you pack your things while consoling you. Unfortunately for them, you’re inconsolable and can’t stop crying. 

A quiet knock interrupts you from your thoughts. You turn your head to look at the door before turning on your side. The door cracks open, and the four Harbingers peek their heads into your new bedroom. You slowly sit up on your bed and hug your blanket to your chest, looking at them sadly.

“May we enter? It’s okay if you want to be alone,” Pierro says softly.

You nod your head and gesture for them to enter. Capitano opens the door wider and enters the room with the other men following behind him. Capitano has a tray of food in his hands, while the other three men have small gift boxes.

Capitano places the tray of food on your bed beside you. “I assume you didn’t get to eat anything at the restaurant the Kamisato heir have rented out. So, I have decided to make something for you to eat,” Capitano says, standing at the edge of your bed. 

You give Capitano a weak smile. “Thank you, Capitano. I really appreciate it,” you whisper.

“Do you want us to keep you company while you eat, or do you want to eat by yourself?” Dottore asks.

“I want company,” you murmur, reaching for the sandwich Capitano has made you. Your eyes trail over to the small gift boxes placed on your bed. You tilt your head and point at the boxes. “What are those?” You ask.

Pantalone sits in front of you and hands you the gift box in his hand. You grab the box and untie the ribbon sitting pretty on the box. You open the box and pull out a necklace and bracelet set that looks like it costs more than the two estates in the abode. You look at Pantalone with disbelief, then look back down at the jewelry in the small box.

“I know you don’t expect gifts from either of us, but we want to get you something for your achievement. We’re really proud of you, and we look forward to seeing you achieve many amazing things,” Pantalone says, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear with a smile on his face.

You feel your eyes water at Pantalone’s comment. You blink your tears away and let your gaze fall to your lap. Pantalone caresses your face in his hand and wipes the stray tear from your cheek with his thumb.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Capitano asks.

You shake your head, bow your head and let the tears fall. “I don’t even know what else to say other than my heart hurts a lot. I understand that my tricks are bothersome, but they never physically or emotionally hurt someone. What bothers me the most is how Childe and Itto decide to come up with a prank where everyone cheats on me with someone that is better than me. I don’t like how Itto and Childe see loyalty as a joke because what sick person thinks cheating pranks are funny?” You rant, reaching for the second sandwich and taking a bite.

“They’re fools for pulling a stunt like that. Please do not compare yourself to that Li person. They’re just a pathetic mora-hungry idiot like Childe and that oni,” Pierro says gruffly.

You nod your head and continue to finish up your sandwich. While eating your sandwich, Dottore and Pierro place the gifts on the porcelain white bedside table. The four men refused to leave your side until you finished your food and drank every last drop of your water. You’re grateful they did that because if they were to leave you alone, you would’ve stopped eating and just gone straight to bed instead of finishing your dinner. 

Before leaving your room with the food tray, each man presses a goodnight kiss on your forehead. Once you’re alone in your new bedroom, you’re alone with your thoughts. You don’t like being left alone with your thoughts— especially when you’re going through a tough time. You swallow your pride, take your blanket off and walk out of your bedroom to the closest bedroom near yours.

You stop in front of the bedroom door and knock on it lightly. You hear a faint “come in” coming from the inside of the bedroom. You grab the door handle and open the door, peeking your head into the room. Capitano walks out of the bathroom, his shirt unbuttoned and his belt unbuckled. You gulp and look away shyly. “Now’s not the time to be horny, dammit,” you curse yourself internally.

“Is there something I can do for you?” Capitano asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

You clear your throat and scratch the back of your neck shyly. “Is it okay if I sleep in your room tonight? I don’t like being left alone with my thoughts,” you said softly.

Capitano nods his head. “Of course. You’re always welcome to sleep in my bedroom whenever you want,” Capitano says.

You give Capitano a grateful smile and close the door behind you. You walk over to Capitano’s king-size bed and get under the covers, snuggling up against the large, fluffy pillows. Capitano disappears into his bathroom for a brief moment before coming out of the bathroom wearing his pajamas, a plain white t-shirt, and silk navy blue pajama pants. Capitano gets under the covers beside you; there’s a slightly large distance between the two of you.

You’re not entirely sure whether Capitano is the type to show affection or any physical touch because he doesn’t really show his emotions as much. Not that it’s bad, but also because if any of the four Harbingers got near you, despite also dating you, the men would hiss at the four Harbingers like a cat and swat at their hands.

You turn to your side and stare at Capitano, and he stares back at you (at least, you assume that’s what he’s doing). You open your mouth to say something but close your mouth and go back to lying on your back. You yawn and snuggle in Capitano’s blankets, closing your eyes. Capitano turns the lights off and settles down in his bed, closing his eyes. Somehow, overnight, you and Capitano gravitated towards each other and woke up the next day with you in his arms and your head on his chest while his arms were wrapped around your waist.

A few days have gone by, and you’re still not over the heartbreak you have experienced. Instead of going out to interact with the four Harbingers, you’re holed up in your temporary bedroom, lying on your bed and staring into space. When you’re not staring into space and wishing that the prank had never happened, you will take naps. Lots and lots of naps. It has gotten to the point where Pierro would send Dottore up to your room to check on your health and ensure that you didn’t fall ill.

Dottore presses the back of his hand against your forehead while you have a thermometer sticking out from your mouth. You’re always tired now, and you didn’t have the energy to get up from your bed and leave to get some sun outside the Harbingers’ estate. You didn’t even have the energy or motivation to continue your studies like you usually would back at the estate you used to reside in. Heck, you didn’t even visit the Akademiya to check on the progress of the academic journal being published. 

“How are you feeling?” Dottore asks, taking the thermometer out from your mouth to look at the numbers that are flashing on the small screen.

You shrug your shoulders. “I’m feeling fine, but I’m tired,” you reply, rubbing your eyes with your fist.

“Your temperature is normal, and you’re not feeling sick,” Dottore trails off, propping his hands on his hips while analyzing you closely. “You need to go outside and get some fresh air. We do have a botanical garden out in the back if you would like to spend a few minutes there,” Dottore says.

“I don’t know if I want to go outside and look at the flowers in the backyard. As much as I would love to, I don’t have the energy to get up and leave my bed,” you said softly. You lay back down on your bed and snuggle into your comforter.

“Then why not take a trip down to Inazuma City with me while I buy some ingredients for dinner tonight?” A voice pipes up. 

You and Dottore turn to look at the entrance to your bedroom. Pantalone leans against the doorway with his arms over his chest, smiling at you. Dottore snorts and shakes his head, making Pantalone narrow his eyes in response. Pantalone walks into your room and stops beside Dottore.

Dottore shakes his head. “I believe that [Y/N] can go out to Inazuma City and shop for the ingredients for dinner alone,” Dottore says.

“Go out into Inazuma City alone? I don’t know if I want to do that,” you said.

“Do what? Go out to Inazuma City alone or go out?” Pantalone asks, sitting on the edge of your bed.

“Both,” You deadpan. 

Dottore and Pantalone snort, trading looks with each other before turning to look at you. You deflate and begrudgingly get up from your bed and walk over to your closet to find a change of clothes to go out to Inazuma City to shop for ingredients. After grabbing your change of clothes, you realize that you haven’t taken a shower today. Even though you holed yourself up in your bedroom and lay in bed all day, that didn’t stop you from taking a shower because you can’t stand skipping showers, and it’s also how you relieve your stress; by taking a shower and crying in the shower.

“I’m going to take a quick shower, change into clothes, then I’ll go out,” you said.

You go to your dresser with your change of clothes in your hands and pull out your undergarments from the dresser before walking to the bathroom. Your shower ended up being almost fifteen minutes long because you were busy shedding a few tears while the water rained down on you. Since you’re out and about in Inazuma with a large bag of mora (courtesy of Pantalone himself), you’re in Inazuma City, weaving through a crowd of people while trying to find specific ingredients needed for dinner tonight. 

“Where in the world do I buy unagi meat?” You mutter to yourself, looking down at the list of ingredients Pierro handed to you before you left the abode. You let out a huff of breath and shake your head. “They made a big mistake by letting me be the one to buy groceries,” you said.

While looking at your surroundings, searching for a nearby market that sells unagi meat, you hear someone calling you from a distance. You furrow your eyebrows with confusion and try to search for the voice that is calling out to you.

Lumine emerges from the crowd and approaches you with a big smile on her face. “There you are! I’ve been trying to get your attention the minute you step foot into Inazuma City!” Lumine breathes, placing her hand on your shoulders.

Your eyes widen. “Oh, you were?!” 

Lumine nods her head. 

You laugh sheepishly and rub the back of your neck. “Sorry, I was focused on getting ingredients for Pierro that I didn’t hear you call my name. I’ve been trying to search for unagi meat, but so far, I’ve been unsuccessful,” you said, shoulders slumping.

Lumine blinks at you, surprised. “Pierro? I thought you were getting unagi meat for Thoma,” Lumine says, propping her right hand on her hip and tilting her head to the side.

Your smile slips off your face at the mention of Thoma. You clear your throat and look away from Lumine awkwardly while trying your best not to cry in front of Lumine and the passerby in Inazuma City. 

“I… haven’t been in contact with Thoma or the others for about a few days now,” you said. “I’m currently living with Dottore, Pantalone, Capitano, and Pierro.”

Lumine’s eyes widened after hearing your response. “What?! What happened? What did those idiots do!?” Lumine demands. She grabs ahold of your biceps and shakes you lightly. 

You shake your head and pinch the bridge of your nose. “I’ve been pranking the men for a few days. Instead of telling me to stop, Childe and Itto decided to prank me back by hiring someone to play the mistress. Their way to getting back at me is by pretending that everyone has cheated on me with the person Childe and Itto hired,” you reply, chewing on the inside of your lip.

Lumine stares at you for a moment, poking the inside of her cheek with her tongue. “I’m going to beat their asses,” Lumine states.

You shake your head. “No, don’t do it. It’s not worth it,” You said. “And the worst part is that they pulled this prank on the day we were supposed to celebrate my achievement in the Akademiya.”

“I’m going to beat their ass,” Lumine deadpans, tightening her grip on your biceps. “All of them. I don’t care if they’re a Harbinger, oni, archon, my brother, dumb ass number one and two. I’m beating all of their asses, and that goes the same for the person Itto and Childe have paid,” Lumine states.

You can see steam coming from Lumine’s ears as she releases you and clenches her hands into tight fists. You give Lumine a small smile and give her arm a comforting squeeze.

“Thank you, Lumine. I appreciate it,” you said softly.

Lumine sighs and wraps her arms around your shoulders, rubbing her cheek against yours. “Anything for you,” Lumine pouts, reaching for your cheek and giving your cheek a squeeze. 

You look over at Lumine. “What are you doing in Inazuma City, by the way?” You ask.

Lumine releases you from the hug and sighs. “I just met up with Ayaka at Komore Teahouse! I did see Thoma there, and he looked really dejected and looked like he hadn’t slept in days,” Lumine says.

“Good,” you huff like a petulant child. “I hope they’re all that way too.” You glare at the ground.

“Hey,” Lumine coos, cupping your face in her hands and tilting your face up to look at her. “Cheer up, lovebug. I want them to suffer just as much as you do, but cheer up and don’t let the thought of them get to you.” Lumine gives your cheek an endearing squeeze.

You sigh and melt into her hands, resting your forehead against hers. “I can’t help but feel really sad. I understand it was all a prank, but it was about cheating. Who jokes about cheating?!” You rant, pulling away from her grasp.

Lumine rolls her eyes. “Only idiots make jokes about cheating, lovebug.”

You look down at the list of ingredients in your hands. “Do you want to help me search for unagi meat and keep me company while I shop for ingredients?” You ask.

“I would love—” Lumine gets cut off by someone calling her name in the distance.

You and Lumine turn to look in the direction where the voice is coming from and see Sango approaching the both of you. Lumine sighs and looks over at you with a sympathetic smile as the brunette detective gets closer and closer. Sango stops in front of you and Lumine, breathing heavily.

“Lumine, can you help Ryuuji and me with this case? Heizou has yet to show up on the job and called in sick the other day, and we need your help,” Sango says, clasping her hands together while giving Lumine a pleading look.

Heizou called in sick? It’s not like him to call in sick or miss a day of work. How strange. 

Lumine gives Sango a fake smile and nods her head. “Yeah, sure! I don’t mind helping you and Ryuuji out with a case. I’ll be there in a moment; I just need to talk to my brother’s lover really quick,” Lumine says.

Sango perks up and nod before running off to where Ryuuji is waiting. Lumine sighs and rests her head on your shoulders, closing her eyes. You pat Lumine’s head and stroke her back.

“Don’t feel guilty for having to leave me to help out Ryuuji and Sango with a case. I didn’t really expect any company, but it would be nice to have one,” you said.

Lumine slowly pulls from you and sighs sadly. “I know, but you’re currently hurting, and I want to be there to help you with something, you know?” Lumine frowns.

“Lumine, seeing your face today makes my day a little bit brighter. I’m happy to see you again, and I hope we can hang out again soon!” You said, squeezing her hands.

“Right after I beat your boyfriends’ asses because it's what they deserve,” Lumine scowls, stomping her feet on the ground. Lumine’s eyes suddenly light up. “I have an idea!” Lumine gasps, tapping on your arms with a big smile on her face.

“And what is your idea?” You ask.

Lumine smirks and crosses her arms over her chest. “You prank them back!” Lumine answers. 

You shake your head. “No, absolutely not,” You reply.

Lumine looks at you in disbelief. “And why not?! This is the perfect time for revenge!” Lumine exclaims.

“Me pranking them is what landed us in this situation, Lumine. I don’t want to make it worse than it already is.” You run your fingers through your hair.

“I know, but think about it,” Lumine pleads.

You chuckle and shake your head. “We’ll talk about it later, Lumine. I don’t think I can continue to make Pierro, Dottore, Capitano, and Pantalone wait any longer for the dinner ingredients,” you said.

Lumine visibly deflates and nods. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave you to it,” Lumine says, patting the top of your head. 

You and Lumine give each other a hug before parting ways. You continue to search for different ingredients on the list, skipping over unagi meat. While you’re waiting in line to enter a market, something catches your eyes in your peripheral vision. You turn your head and don’t see anything, but for some reason, you feel compelled to enter Chinju Forest. 

You walk towards the forest, away from the civilians and the market. The paper in your hand slips from your grasp, landing in the water of Chinju Forest. You can hear whispers around you, coming from every direction, drowning out the sound of rushing waters and birds and crickets chirping. You continue to walk further into the forest until you’re walking over to the edge of the cliff and look down at the cliff blankly as if you’re in a trance. 

“Jump,” a voice whispers.

You shake your head, staring down at the rocks below. “I don’t want to jump,” you whisper back.

“This is the perfect way to get back at the ones that hurt you. Don’t you want to hurt them back as revenge?” The voice asks.

The voice sounds so close. It was like they were standing behind you, leaning close to your ears, trying to coax you to jump off the edge of the cliff. The voice giggles almost mockingly. You continue to stare at the rocks below you. The cliff's height is high, but not high enough to kill you.

“What are you afraid of? It’s not like they’ll be worried. After all, they did pull that prank on you and knew that it would hurt you,” the voice snickers.

You blink slowly, trying to come to your senses. “Yeah, you’re right. They did hurt me,” you gulp, feeling tears pool in your eyes. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to hurt myself over it to get back at them for the prank they pulled on me,” you stated.

You’re about to turn around, but your feet remain still. Your feet felt like it was glued to the ground, and you were unable to move from the spot. Everything happened so fast. The last things you remembered were hearing bloodcurdling screams in your ears, the wind whipping in your face, and the ground meeting your body. The last thing you felt was a sharp pain in your head, and you heard a sickening crack. When you wander off to Chinju Forest, you fail to notice Lumine following you to see where you’re going.

“[Y/N]!!!!!!!” You hear Lumine’s screech.

Lumine’s eyes are blurred with tears; she runs to the teapot with you in her arms. She runs past the people of Inazuma as they stare in horror. Her body is wracking with sobs as she holds you close to her chest, her white dress turning reddish-brown from the blood that oozes from the crack in your skull. You hit your head hard. No. You didn’t hit your head at all; you cracked your skull open from the great height.

Lumine doesn’t know what made you wander off to Chinju Forest and what led you to jump off the cliff. All Lumine know is that she needs to get you to the abode soon and get you treated, or else you will die. Lumine doesn’t want you to die, especially in her arms. If you do die, she won’t be able to handle your death, nor will she be able to cope with it. 

When Lumine successfully teleports the two of you to the abode, she collapses on the ground, and her cries echo the abode, alerting the inhabitants. Everyone rushes out from their respective homes and over to where Lumine is kneeling. Lumine’s right hand is clutching onto your head, covered in your blood as fresh blood continues to ooze out from your head.

“Please, please, please save them,” Lumine begs, her body wracking with sobs.

Dottore pushes through the crowd of men and takes you out of Lumine’s grasp. Dottore rushes you to the Harbingers’ Estate with Albedo, Baizhu, and Tighnari following behind. Everyone looked like they saw a ghost; the colors drained from their faces as they watched Dottore carry you away. They catch a glimpse of your face; your eyes are barely open, your body is limp, your blood covering your face, and you’re almost as white as a ghost.

“I couldn’t stop them. I couldn’t get them to snap out of it, and they just jumped,” Lumine cries, curling up into a ball, her hands covering her face.

Dainsleif takes a step forward. “What do you mean you couldn’t stop them?” Dainsleif demands. 

Lumine ignores Dainsleif and continues to let out anguish cries, pulling at her blonde hair, tainting them with your blood.

Aether walks to Lumine, pulls her up from the ground, and shakes Lumine by her shoulders. “Lumine! Get a hold of yourself!” Aether screams over Lumine’s cry. 

Angrily, Lumine shoves Aether away from her and wipes her tears with her sleeves. “[Y/N] wouldn’t be in this situation if none of you played that cruel prank on them!” Lumine screams, glaring at each person with fury in her eyes. Her bottom lips quiver and she shakes her head as fresh tears make their way down her cheeks. “How can you guys be so cruel to [Y/N]? What did they do to deserve this?” Lumine whispers.

“Let’s all take a deep breath and relax,” Gorou says nervously, his hands trembling as he tries to remain calm after seeing the current state you’re in.

Lumine shakes her head and points at the group of men in front of her, glaring at them through her tears. “I had to witness [Y/N] jumping off the cliff in Chinju Forest and hearing their skull crack open. How can I remain calm after I have witnessed [Y/N] trying to take their own life?!” Lumine screeches. 

“Why were they in Chinju Forest?” Kaeya demands.

Lumine wipes her tears and shrugs her shoulders. “[Y/N] was in Inazuma City shopping for ingredients for dinner. I don’t know what lured them into Chinju Forest, but I tried to get their attention, but I-I guess they didn’t hear me,” Lumine sniffles.

“What do we do now?” Kaveh asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

Cyno shrugs his shoulders. “All we can do is wait,” Cyno replies.

Everyone ends up waiting in the living room of the Harbingers’ estate. Lumine did not want to leave the abode to change into clean clothes; she was afraid to leave your side. If Lumine were to leave the abode, what would happen if something happened to you while she was gone? Just like how she left you to help out Sango, only for you to plummet to your death.

Tighnari stares down at Lumine with disapproval, his nose scrunching up with disgust when he gets a whiff of your dried blood on Lumine. “Please go take a shower. I’m sure [Y/N] wouldn’t mind lending you some clothes while you’re here,” Tighnari says, propping his hands on his hips.

Lumine shakes her head. “I don’t want to leave their side like how you all left their side,” Lumine spats, catching the others off guard. “I can’t lose them; I can’t.” Lumine whispers.

“[Y/N] is going to be okay. I’m sure that whenever [Y/N] is awake, they don’t want to see their blood on your clothes,” Kazuha says.

Lumine sighs in defeat and gets up from her spot. Tighnari hands Lumine a pair of your clothes for her to wear temporarily, and she goes to the guest bathroom to take a quick shower. While Lumine is in the shower, Pierro walks up to Albedo.

“How are they doing?” Pierro asks.

Albedo sighs and shrugs his shoulders. “They’re in critical condition. It will be a miracle if they’re able to survive this injury. The crack in their skull is bigger than we have anticipated. Dottore and Doctor Baizhu are working to make sure everything is fine and for [Y/N] to have a smooth recovery,” Albedo says.

When Lumine finished her shower and emerged from the bathroom in your clothes, Lumine was disappointed to see that you’re still getting operated on. Lumine tried to take a long shower, hoping that it would pass some time and that your surgery would be finished soon. Unfortunately, her fear of something happening to you while she’s away got to her, causing her to rush. 

“This is taking way too long for my liking,” Lumine mutters, shaking her head.

“They’re operating on [Y/N]’s skull, Lumine. Operations like this take time; we can’t rush things like this,” Al Haitham deadpans.

Lumine rolls her eyes. “I don’t understand how [Y/N] could be with any of you. You all lack emotions, and it’s like dating a brick wall,” Lumine huffs. She crosses her arms over her chest and mumbles, “They should’ve chosen me instead. I wouldn’t do this to them or put them in this situation.” 

Gorou looked up and nudged Aether, gesturing to Lumine, who ignored everyone’s gaze. “Can you repeat that for us?” Gorou asks, straightening up.

Lumine rolls her eyes. “No. None of you deserve to hear what I have to say. You all should’ve seen [Y/N] when I saw them in Inazuma City. They’re frustrated and heartbroken because of all of you,” Lumine says, glaring at the men. “When [Y/N] recovers from the injury, I’m taking [Y/N] away from all of you,” Lumine states.

Ayato exhales through his nose. “Do you think [Y/N] is willing to go with you?” Ayato asks.

“Yes. As long as they’re far away from the people that hurt them, I’m sure they’ll be fine with me,” Lumine smirks.

Itto makes a “hmph!” sound and crosses his arms over his chest. “If [Y/N] would choose you, they would’ve done it in the first place. But guess what? They chose us instead,” Itto says.

Lumine laughs sarcastically and shakes her head. “Oh, Itto. Do you really think that [Y/N] would want to see your and Childe’s face after the stunt you two have pulled? Do you not recall their heart being broken by your ‘harmless’ prank?” Lumine questions.

“Alright, that’s enough. Let’s stop bickering,” Cyno speaks up, giving Lumine a look.

Lumine rolls her eyes and leans against the wall, her arms over her chest, tapping on her biceps with her index finger. When Lumine first arrives at the abode with your lifeless body in her arms, she looks distraught and heartbroken, but now, she looks visibly pissed and is ready to attack the first thing her eyes land on. Everyone knew how close you and Lumine are with each other; you two are practically soul mates, but platonically. The men didn’t seem to care about your and Lumine’s close friendship, but after what has happened today, it’s starting to make the men have second thoughts. 

Kaveh raises his hand, grabbing Lumine’s attention. “We intend on speaking to [Y/N] about their excessive pranks, but the two idiots over there,” Kaveh points at Itto and Childe, “insisted on pranking [Y/N] back. We were completely unaware of what prank they had in mind. If you want to place the blame on someone, put it on those two idiots because none of us had agreed to a cheating prank on [Y/N]. Especially on the day when we celebrate their achievement,” Kaveh explains.

“Right, because who makes a joke about cheating? Only someone messed up would do that,” Scaramouche scowls, his head snapping in Itto and Childe’s direction. 

“We’ll apologize to [Y/N] when we see them, alright? Just cut us some slack,” Childe sighs, running his hands through his messy hair.

“That’s if [Y/N] even wants to see us. After all, the prank hurt them so much that they moved out of the estate and didn’t contact us for a few days,” Diluc sighs, shaking his head.

Xiao closes his head and rests his head against the wall behind him. “Once we have been informed that [Y/N] is in stable conditions, I’m going to beat Itto and Childe’s ass for the stunt they pulled,” Xiao mutters.

“Count me in,” said Kaeya, cracking his knuckles.

Dainsleif nods. “I’ll help,” Dainsleif interjects.

Another few hours went by, and it was excruciating. The only time each person would leave the hallway would be for bathroom breaks or to get something to eat. The silence is deafening, and the tensions are high. The sun is setting, and everyone is on the verge of falling asleep. Their heads lean up against the wall, and some are slumping down on the ground, trying not to fall asleep. Lumine closes her eyes and rests her head near the doorframe of the room you, Dottore, Albedo, Tighnari, and Baizhu are in.

The door flies open, grabbing everyone’s attention. Baizhu walks through the door and runs his fingers through his hair, sighing. Baizhu looks exhausted and tense. Baizhu looks up, and his eyes almost widen after seeing over twenty people crowding in the hallway.

“I see you’re all waiting for the news of [Y/N]’s condition,” Baizhu says.

Venti pushes himself off the wall and approaches Baizhu slowly. “How’s [Y/N] doing? Any updates?” Venti asks. 

“[Y/N] fractured their skull; it was severe. I’m not entirely sure how far they fell, but if Lumine didn’t bring them to the abode on time, we would’ve lost [Y/N],” Baizhu explains. 

Dottore walks out with a clipboard and looks at everyone blankly. “While [Y/N] is in stable conditions, they have a traumatic brain injury. We do not know how else this will affect [Y/N] because they’re currently unconscious. We will have to wait for them to wake up and see how detrimental this injury is,” Dottore says, flipping through the paper on the clipboard. 

“Can we go inside and visit them?” Thoma speaks up from the end of the hallway.

Albedo opens the door wide. “Please sanitize your hands at the door upon entering the room,” Albedo instructs.

One by one, each person sanitizes their hands before entering the room. The sound of a heart monitor beeping, tons of machines are taking up space. The room is dark yet illuminated with a lamp in the corner of the room. There you lay on the bed in the infirmary of the Harbingers’ estate. Your head is wrapped with bandages, lots and lots of bandages. Dottore, Albedo, Baizhu, and Tighnari cleaned the blood off your face, letting the others see the scrapes and cuts littering your skin. You’re attached to a bunch of wires, many of which are helping you stay alive until your body is able to function on its own without any assistance. 

Lumine steps forward and stands beside your bed, slowly reaching for your hand and placing her hand on top of yours. Your hands feel cold; she can barely see your chest rise and fall. Lumine bites down on her lips to hold back her tears. She swallows the lump in her throat and sits on the chair next to your bed. Lumine holds onto your hand as if they’re her lifeline.

“Do we know how long it’ll take for [Y/N] to regain their consciousness?” Heizou speaks up quietly.

Tighnari shakes his head. “We don’t know. [Y/N] will regain consciousness when their body says so. They’re not in a coma; their body is responding to their surroundings just fine. They need rest in order for their body to heal. The most important thing that needs to heal is their skull, more importantly, their brain,” Tighnari answers. 

“Great, more waiting games,” Kazuha mutters, standing at the foot of the bed.

“I’m sure we can all wait for [Y/N] to regain their consciousness. After all, it’s up to their body to decide when it’s a good time to wake up. They have no control over it, and we can’t nor should we force them to wake up,” Zhongli says.

Gorou sniffles and nods. “Right, we can wait a little longer,” Gorou says weakly, his bottom lip trembling.

And so, the waiting game begins again. From day one to the day you finally regained consciousness (which is a few days after your surgery), people would take turns visiting you. However, the visiting time is limited because of how small the room is and because there are a lot of people wanting to be able to see you before the day ends. While the men refuse to leave your side, they know they have priorities to tend to, and if they were to skip out on it like the past few days, you would be disappointed with them.

Each morning before the men leave for work or a meeting, the men will stop by to visit you and kiss the top of your head gently before leaving. The one that tries to stay by your side the most is Lumine, but Aether would drag her out of your room to help him with his commissions and the people of Teyvat. 

Gifts are dropped off in your room, almost taking up the majority of the remaining space in the room you’re residing in. So, Capitano and Pantalone move the gifts and “get well soon” cards to your temporary bedroom at the Harbingers’ estate. 

The sound of beeping brings you out of your unconscious state. Your eyelids felt like it was glued shut, making it complicated for you to open your eyes. You furrow your eyebrows and force your eyelids open. Your vision is blurry as you try to take in your surroundings. You lift your hand to rub the drowsiness from your eyes, but your arms feel heavy. 

“They’re awake; they’re awake!” You hear someone scream from a distance.

You groan and wince at the scream. Loud footsteps approach the room you’re in, and you look up to see a large group of people crowding into the room. You rub your eyes with your weak hands, and your visions clear up.

“How are you feeling?” The light blonde-haired man with teal eyes asks, standing next to your bed as he starts to analyze you.

You swallow your dry throat and gesture toward the glass cup behind him. He turns around and grabs the cup, handing it to you. You lift the cup to your face with shaky hands and take huge gulps of water, quenching your thirst. You hand the cup back to the man next to your bed and rub your throat subconsciously. 

“My head hurts, and my limbs feel really heavy,” You reply.

“We will be giving you medication and monitoring your skull as we keep you in the infirmary. We do not know how your body is going to react to the head injury after you have regained your consciousness, so it’s best we keep you here for the next two days,” the masked man says.

You look at everyone around the room quizzically. “How long have I been unconscious?” You ask.

“Almost a week, but it feels like a month to the rest of us,” The tall blond man says. 

You blink and realize that there’s more than one tall blond man. Your mind has yet to register the number of people in one room, and they’re all here to see you. The blonde girl pushes forward and looks at you in relief, her eyes brimming with tears as she stands next to you, grabbing your hand and squeezing them.

“[Y/N], you have no idea how worried I am about you! I’m so glad you’re okay,” she cries, pulling you into a hug.

You awkwardly pat the blonde girl’s back and look at everyone quizzically. The girl pulls away from your arms and wipes her tears away, giving you a tearful smile. You gingerly reach up and wipe the fresh tears from her face.

“How are you really feeling?” She whispers.

“I’m okay, but I do have a question,” You reply, lightly scratching your arm.

The redhead looks at you curiously. “And what’s your question? I’m sure we all have answers for you,” said the redhead.

You nod and open your mouth hesitantly. “Who are you guys?” You ask.

Scaramouche looks at everyone with wide eyes, his eyebrows shooting to his hairline. Suddenly it got worse than everyone had anticipated, but you losing your memory isn’t something Baizhu, Dottore, Tighnari, and Albedo aren’t shocked about. You did crack your skull open and had a traumatic brain injury. Something was bound to go wrong and you losing your memory is one of them.

“This is temporary, right?” Ayato asks, looking at Baizhu worriedly.

Baizhu sighs and shrugs his shoulders. “That, I do not know,” Baizhu answers.

“Amnesia can be permanent, but in [Y/N]’s case, we do not know. It can last a short amount of time, or it can be permanent,” Tighnari interjects, walking over to you and sitting in front of you. “We will be doing a simple check up on you to ensure you’re okay. While you did lose your memories, we are going to see how much you still remember,” Tighnari informs you.

You nod and hold up your index finger. “Before we do the check-up, can everyone please re-introduce yourselves? I don’t want to call any of you by your hair colors or by the facial expression you’re making,” you said.

Each person in the room starts to re-introduce themselves to you. It felt weird because when you first arrived at Teyvat, you already knew who they were and didn’t need to make introductions other than introducing yourself to them. Of course, with the people being newly added to the harem because you’re a magnet, they were the ones that needed to introduce themselves to you and the others of the harem.

“Now that we have gotten that out of the way, shall we start on the check-up now?” Albedo asks.

You nod and let Dottore, Baizhu, Albedo, and Tighnari perform basic checkups on you. They checked your pupil dilation, made sure you’re still able to walk without complications, etc. You passed the test with flying colors.

When it came to the test regarding your memory, you lost every memory you had made on Teyvat. You still have your memories, but only the memories of the events before you’re transported into Genshin Impact. Even though you played Genshin Impact in your world prior to you being sucked into the game you’re obsessed with, it was weird how you don’t know their names, and everyone started to question how it was even possible. 

“Do I really have to stay in here for the next two days? I feel fine,” you said.

Thoma places the tray of food on your lap and nods his head. “Doctors orders, [Y/N]. As much as I want you to return to the estate, it’s best for you to remain here until you’re discharged from the infirmary,” Thoma says. 

You take a bite out of the Inazuman dish and stare at the blanket on your lap. “How long have I been in Teyvat for?” You ask, looking up at the men in your room.

Lumine sits next to you as you’re eating the dish while waiting for someone to reply to you. “You had an amazing life in Teyvat. You’re an Akademiya student, and a few weeks ago, you had a big achievement! We all care about you, and you mean the world to us,” Lumine says, placing her hand over yours and interlocking her fingers with yours.

You blink at Lumine, look down at your interlocked hands, and at the men behind Thoma. The men’s eyes are zeroed in on your and Lumine’s hands as if they’re trying to burn holes into both of your hands. “Do I have a lover?” You ask.

“Lovers,” Kaveh says, giving you a fake smile.

You look at them with wide eyes. “LoverS? Like, more than one?!” You squeaked.

While your attention is away from Lumine, Lumine looks at the men and shoots them a glare, leaning onto you. The men are caught off guard by the look Lumine is giving them. Lumine gently cups your face in her hands and turns your head toward her direction. 

You notice the sad look on Lumine’s face. “What’s wrong, Lumine?” You ask, reaching for your napkin, but she takes it from your hands and lightly wipes your mouth with the napkin.

“I don’t like your lovers. They hurt you and seeing you heartbroken breaks my heart,” Lumine whispers, resting her head on your shoulder while snuggling up to you.

“Hey! Keep your hands off our significant other!” Itto hisses, glaring at Lumine.

Lumine glares at Itto and continues to press herself up against you, sticking her tongue out at the men in front of you and Lumine. You look at Lumine confused and decide not to question it and continue to eat your food. 

After that day, Lumine has made it her goal to spend more time with you and snatch you away from the men. Yes, it’s childish, but can you really blame Lumine for that? Because of them (specifically Childe and Itto), your heart was broken, and you were inconsolable, according to the four Harbingers. The four Harbingers watch the tug of war happen between the men and Lumine with amusement. 

This went on for the next two days. Lumine did not leave your side. Every time you eat or need something, Lumine will do it for you. If any man tries to offer to do something for you, Lumine is already out the door doing it for you. Of course, she allows the men to speak to you and look at you. What she doesn’t allow is them getting near you. Lumine isn’t too worried about the four Harbingers because she knows they’re getting entertainment out of the situation. They didn’t interfere with the little tug-of-war between Lumine and the men with you in the middle of it all. The only time when they have to intervene is if it inflicts harm on you. Like a headache because of the constant bickering between Lumine and the twenty-one men while you’re in the middle of the entire ordeal.

A few days after you have been discharged from the infirmary at the Harbingers’ estate, you and Lumine are outside enjoying the sunlight while conversing with each other. Then there are the men, who are spying on you and Lumine behind the thick flower bushes.

“Do you guys see how Lumine is trying to take [Y/N] away from us?! Lumine needs to stay in her lane and not be a homewrecker,” Aether huffs, crossing his arms over his chest and watching you and Lumine from behind the bush while you and Lumine are sitting in the botanical gardens.

“Well, yeah! It’s obvious that Lumine is trying to take [Y/N] from us,” Venti whispers loudly.

“Since when was Lumine interested in [Y/N]?” Dainsleif mutters.

“I have no idea, but we should move a little closer to them so we can hear what they’re saying,” Heizou whispers.

Each man gets up from their hiding spots and starts to tiptoe closer to where you and Lumine are sitting. You look at the flowers in the garden, taking a whiff of the floral scent that wafts around you and Lumine. While you’re admiring the flowers around you, Lumine props her arms on her thighs and admires you.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Lumine speaks up, grabbing your attention. 

You turn to look at Lumine curiously.

“In your world, did you have any relationships?” Lumine asks.

You hum and nod your head. “I only dated one person in my entire life. The other people that I talked to in the past are all failed talking phases,” you reply.

“What are they like?”

You nibble on your bottom lip and scoff. “Awful. I wasted four years with them; they lied to me about everything and used me for their wants and needs. I poured my heart into the relationship, only to end up being hurt in the end,” You press your lips into a thin line and sigh. 

“Sounds like your present relationship if you ask me,” Lumine mutters under her breath.

Tighnari and Gorou are the ones that catch onto what Lumine said and shoot a glare in her direction behind the bushes. How dare she compare your past relationship with your current relationship! They treat you way better than your past significant other.

“How could Lumine say that? Our relationship with [Y/N] is completely different from their past relationship,” Gorou mumbles, his ears flattened on his head.

Scaramouche nudges Gorou with his elbows and gestures for Gorou to keep his voice down. “If you talk any louder, Lumine and [Y/N] will know that we’re here,” Scaramouche whispers. 

You sigh wistfully and hunch forward. “I thought I finally found the one. I was so happy when I first dated them, but as time went by, I slowly realized that they never cared about me,” you said softly.

“Why did you stay with them for that long?” Lumine whispers.

You laugh bitterly and roll your eyes. “Because I’m stupid and desperate for someone to love and care about me as much as I do for them,” you answer. “After all, it was my first relationship, so I don’t even know what I was getting myself into.”

Lumine loops her arms around yours and rests her head on your shoulders. “People don’t deserve you. You know that, right?” Lumine asks softly, her blonde hair tickling your cheeks. “You’re an amazing person; you light up the dark, gloomy world. When you step into a room, people are in awe of your presence,” Lumine murmurs, slotting her fingers in between yours.

You snort. “If I’m so amazing, then how come I end up wasting the four years of my life on this one person that didn’t care about me at all?” You ask.

Lumine chews on the inside of her cheek and sighs. “It’s not you that’s the issue, lovebug. It’s them,” Lumine states.

Xiao’s eyes widen, and he looks over at the other men. “Lovebug?!” Xiao whispers loudly. The men give Xiao a look, and they gesture for Xiao to be quiet.

“Huh. Interesting. Since when did Lumine give [Y/N] a nickname?” Diluc raises his eyebrows. He crosses his arms over his chest.

“You told me about what happened before I lost my memories. The pranks, my heartbreak, me plummeting to my death….” you trailed off. 

Lumine lets out a shaky breath and nods. “Seeing you jump to your death and you dying in my arms is hard on me. I thought I was going to lose you if I didn’t get help immediately,” Lumine whispers, her eyes blurring with tears.

“How many times have I almost died?” You ask.

Lumine snorts and shrugs her shoulders, rolling her eyes. “Too many times, that’s for sure. I think we might have to put you under house arrest to prevent you from experiencing multiple deaths and near-death experiences,” Lumine says, wiping her tears away.

“Yeah, good luck with that, princess,” you snort.

Lumine glares at you playfully and nudges you with her shoulders. You laugh and nudge her back. You lay your cheek on Lumine’s head, closing your eyes. Lumine clears her throat, the apples of her cheeks turning crimson red.

“I like it when you call me princess,” Lumine whispers.

Your eyes widen, and you look down at Lumine, who is staring up at you with stars in her eyes. You feel your cheeks heat up, and you scratch your neck shyly. You clear your throat and look away.

“You do?” You ask.

Lumine nods her head. “Yeah, I do.”

“I can’t watch this any longer,” Kazuha says, tossing the leaf away and getting up from his spot.

Kaeya jumps out from his hiding spot and walks over to you and Lumine. Kaeya pushes between you and Lumine, sitting between the two of you, and drapes his arms over your shoulders.

“How’s your head feeling, bunny?” Kaeya asks, twirling a piece of your hair around his index finger.

You touch the area of the stitch and give him a small smile. “My head’s feeling okay. There is a small throb here and there, but Dottore is making sure that I take pain medications if I feel any aches and pains,” you said. 

“Phew! That’s good to hear! I was worried that your head is still hurting from the fall and injury,” Venti says, sitting next to you, sandwiching you between him and Kaeya.

You shrug your shoulders. “It’s kind of hurting still, but not as often.” You let out a yawn and covered your mouth with your hand.

“Time for bed, I’m assuming?” Al Haitham says, walking up to you from the bushes.

You blink at Al Haitham and point at his head. “Is that a leaf in your hair?” You ask. You get up from your seat between Kaeya and Venti and pluck a leaf from Al Haitham’s hair, showing it to him before letting it fly away in the wind.

“It is getting late. I believe we should all head back inside and get some rest,” Cyno speaks up.

Kaveh walks up to you and stares down at you while you stare up at him owlishly. “Are you going to be sleeping at the Harbingers’ estate this time, or are you going to be sleeping at home with the rest of us?” Kaveh asks.

You shrug your shoulders. “I’m not sure. Where was I staying before I lost my memory?” You ask.

“You lived with us but decided to move out and reside at the Harbingers’ estate temporarily,” Zhongli speaks up, walking up to you with his arms over his chest. “Please, come home. We miss you, and we miss seeing you at the estate. I miss you,” Zhongli pleads softly. He grabs both of your hands and squeezes them gently.

You sigh and shrug your shoulders. “I miss living with you guys too, but after the prank that Childe and Itto pulled on me, I don’t know,” you whisper.

“You don’t know?” Dainsleif looks at you quizzically.

You take a deep breath and exhale through your nose. “Did Childe and Itto ever apologize for pulling that stunt on me? Especially on the day of my celebration? The day when we’re all supposed to celebrate my achievements in the Akademiya?” You ask. “I didn’t show up to the restaurant in Inazuma looking cute for all of you to get my heart ripped out of my chest,” you said.

“Wait a minute,” Diluc does a double take. “We never told you any of this. I don’t think Lumine mentioned anything about your achievement in the Akademiya,” Diluc says.

“Did you just get your memory back just now?!” Gorou squeaks, his eyes widening and ears perking up.

You blink at the men and over at Lumine, who shrugs her shoulders. “I guess? I never lost my memory before, so I think I did?” You ask, scratching your head. Your fingernail accidentally grazes the stitch, making you groan and wince in pain. “I shouldn’t have done that,” you mutter.

Childe and Itto walk up to you and get on both knees and bow, pressing their forehead on the grass. 

“I’m sorry for pulling that prank on you, [Y/N]. The others have tried to convince us not to do it, but I insisted on doing it anyway, not thinking about how my actions have consequences,” Childe says.

Itto nods his head. “We’re very sorry, [Y/N]. We broke your heart on your special day; we played a cruel prank on you, made you cry, and didn’t think about your feelings when Childe and I planned it out. All we wanted to do was to get back at you for the pranks you have pulled on us, and it led us to where we are now,” Itto says.

“My pranks were harmless,” you whisper, thinking back to a few weeks ago when it all had begun. “Please, just speak to me next time instead of doing something that’s even crueler,” you plead.

Itto and Childe get off the ground and nod their heads, giving you puppy dog eyes. You sigh and give both Itto and Childe a hug, squeezing them lightly while rubbing their backs. Itto and Childe rest their chin on your shoulders, look up at Lumine and stick their tongues out at the blonde girl. Lumine glares at Childe and Itto and crosses her arms over her chest. So much for trying to have you for herself, but at least Childe and Itto know that actions have consequences. Later that evening, after moving your things back to the main estate, you’re showered with love and affection from your beloved boyfriends. Even though you’re still a tiny bit upset with what happened prior, it’s best for you to forgive and forget. I mean, that pretty much did happen, didn’t it?

Note: Not the kind of ending I was hoping for, tbh 🤔 I honestly don't have a specific ending in mind. I had never lost my memory before, so I winged it and decided to make the reader gain their memory back randomly. This went on a different route than what the requester wanted, but I think it turned out pretty decent! For those who want to be on my new taglist, here is the link to the taglist [Genshinluvr Updated Taglist Form]! Please make sure that you allow people to mention you/tag you in posts, or else I won't be able to tag you in any future fanfics! Anyway, for those who are new here or are returning readers, I ONLY post on my Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and my AO3 (Aaliah_exo)! Nowhere else except Tumblr and AO3!

Taglist for my Isekai'd!Reader one-shot series and my overall taglist: @alhaitham-scribe, @kazuhasmuse, @chirikoheina, @yoru-trash, @kaoyamamegami, @kwelibeeery, @yumakj, @deartoru, @luminarymoonlight, @toobytub, @ins4nebish, @bokuto-kinnie, @honeybedo, @exhaustedcommunist, @jadedist, @mompt2, @living-my-best-life5 (If your name has been crossed out, it means that your account did not show up when I try to tag your account. Please make sure to allow people to mention you and tag you in posts)

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