#hien x kirishimi

[windup-dragoon]

"You don't need to hide your pain behind a smile for me."

[ancientechos]

Hallow’s Eve

Emet-Selch/Arianna ♡ 3281 words ♡ eldritch au [modern au]

Did I...write even more...for eldritch AU...? Yes, yes I did. Proper fic coming...who knows when. My superpower is to write a lot about nothing.

Random little Halloween-themed fic! And another example of how I cannot do titles.

Has an appearance from @windup-dragoon Kiri and Hien.

Despite herself she --

Admittedly, very often, wonders if she’s too boring for her...very strange and impromptu roommate. Lover...? She supposes they are technically thus, at this point...

Though that is besides the, well, point.

It’s not as if they’re always home, though she admits they are...more often than not. Thus Arianna has taken to worrying she’s exceptionally dull to the eldritch creature...he’s simply too polite to say it.

(There is, of course, inherently something wrong with this assumption, but alas.)

“H-have you ever been to a party...?” The second the question finishes making its way past her lips, she regrets it -- it’s banal, not specific enough, absurd. Her suspicions are confirmed as Hades fixes her with a quiet, unimpressed stare. He plucks a grape from the fruit bowl before answering.

“Depends what sort of party, I suppose.”

Absentmindedly, she wonders what sort of “parties” he might have been privy to in the past...the only thing her mind can conjure is strangely fantastical images of odd creatures, one less humanoid than the next, eerie music --

She has to stop her mind from running off into the imaginary. Perhaps she’ll ask him later.

“Um -- w-what I mean is -- a -- ” The woman finds herself growing ever more anxious when she realises she doesn’t -- really -- have any point of comparison for what she wants to ask. For a moment, she fidgets her fingers together, then brushes a hand through a few strands of her hair. Her green gaze glances from her companion, still leaning casually against her kitchen counter, to the calendar on the wall in the hopes it might give her answers.

Unfortunately, it does not.

Somewhat blessedly, he does not interrupt her nervous fumblings as she struggles for words.This does not, however, stop her mind from being dangerously on the edge of wondering just how exasperated he must be --

“A-a p-party...?” Almost desperate to say anything at all, she blurts out the first thing that comes to mind.

“Yes?” She can practically see one of his eyebrows quirk without actually looking at him. “You mentioned a party already. I asked what kind.”

Never mind that the question had been decidedly implicit.

He sounds far more patient than she ever deserves, and she presses her palms to her face, hard enough that colours dance behind her eyelids. “Ah...” Why is she getting so worked up about this, in any case...?

“There’s nothing to be upset about.” Hades’ voice cuts through the fog and white noise threatening to overcome her. “We have all the time in the world. no?”

-- He’s completely right. She truly has not an inkling of an idea as to why this has made her so on edge. Is it the subject matter itself?

“Unless there was a party happening within the hour...”

“N-no, that’s not -- ” She’s responded before she can fully realise, with the wryness of his tone, that he’s being sarcastic. Of course she wouldn’t have asked him about something like this on such short notice. Slowly, she lets out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding, her shoulders lowering from where they’d nearly surpassed the tips of her ears. What she wants to ask...

“What I mean is...a c-costume party...” She trails off as she pulls her thoughts together. “Some people...like to d-dress up as...strange creatures, o-or book characters...for parties. A-at this time of year.”

Not that she’s ever really gone to one. Twining a strand of curled hair about her right index finger, she finally turns to look at him curiously. Already, she can feel the strange, harsh energy from earlier dissipating simply from being able to speak properly.

“Mm. I suppose I’ve been to one of those before. Though not really any in the mortal realm, of course...” There’s a pause as he regards her. “I suppose that means there would be a great deal of people there...and you wanted to go regardless?”

She has to bite her lip before she can mumble a reflexive no. “I-I just thought...perhaps...you would be interested...”

“Hmm.” The sigh he exhales almost has her thinking he wants to reject her offer. But -- “You said people like to dress up? Maybe I could go as my true form...or something close to it.” There’s an almost malicious smirk that curls his lip, his head tilting slightly to the side. Arianna tries to ignore the way her heart thunders treacherously in her chest and absently prays the lighting is too dark to notice her nonsensical blush.

“I-I don’t think it would be a good idea to go in your...ah...o-other form...” She pauses, teeth sinking into her lower lip. “Wouldn’t you simply scare everyone away...?” She doesn’t need to be told twice to remember that...incident from before.

“That’s the point, is it not? You could enjoy yourself.”

She is not quite sure whether she’s meant to be touched or concerned, and thus settles for wavering uncertainly between the two.

“W-well, regardless...” She exhales nervously. “I think...if you wanted to go, it might be...best to go in...ah, c-costumes...?”

“Oh?” The smirk hasn’t faded for even a moment. “And what do you propose we’d go as?”

The we has her heart fluttering stupidly again, for no reason, as she brushes her fingers through her hair once more. “Um...that...” Blinking and shaking her head to try to clear it, she regards him with what is meant to be a critical eye, but simply gets caught up in his gaze again. “Ah...”

-- Now that she isn’t an anxiously flustered mess, he seems perfectly content with simply flustering her further. Pushing himself away from the counter, he approaches her to smirk fondly down at her. When she simply proves all the more wordless, he brushes a finger gently along her cheek.

“How about an angel and a demon?”

To say she would have expected a suggestion from him would be a lie...not to mention...the suggestion itself...? It’s enough to have her blinking up at him blankly, her nervousness for the moment forgotten.

“I-I suppose...but...h-how do you know what an angel looks like, anyway...?” Curiously, she eyes him. She can’t imagine he’s ever done much...mortal reading. Or maybe he has? Well, she isn’t home -- or even awake -- the entire time. She supposes it’s perfectly possible and within his abilities for him to have picked up any of the numerous books she has, or to even have perused the titles elsewhere. But something so specific as an angel and a demon? It’s an odd thing to think about...

“Hmm? Oh, that’s easy.” There’s a smirk on his lips as he casually slings an arm about her shoulders, leaning in close. Somehow, she manages not to turn away despite the blush threatening to overtake her yet again. “There’s one right in front of me, isn’t there?”

It takes a moment for the words to process, and even longer for the precise meaning to dawn upon her. But when they do --

She wouldn’t be surprised if the heat that radiates from her face could run a generator.

“Y-you -- !” she stammers uselessly, turning away from him and smacking a hand to her face. Her fingers feel cold. Though she attempts to pull from him entirely, he holds her fast against him, amused.

“Yes? What about me?”

She ducks underneath his arm to avoid answering him, rubbing her palms against her cheeks as if she could simply push the sensation out of them.

“Am I to take it that you agree with my idea, then?”

“N-no -- ! Definitely not!”

________

Well -- that was what she had said...

But clearly her conviction had not been strong enough, given her current...predicament.

It had taken a concerning amount of time to find an angel costume that simply...wasn’t too short, but finally she’d managed to find one with a skirt that went at the very least past her knees, while Hades had loitered about the rest of the costumes shop, occasionally remarking this or that or giving extraordinarily unhelpful advice.

“What about this one?”

He, of course, goes ignored.

The house they’re standing in front of now seems tall and imposing, though doubtless only to her. Various decorations and a myriad of lights are strung up about it. The owners had had no qualms to spare coin for making the place fit for Halloween. There’s even a fog machine, judging by the mist blowing across the front yard and obscuring the door.

She’s already not very enthused about entering. Alas, the same cannot be said for her companion.

Whilst Arianna is dressed mainly in white -- with gold accents and, of all things, gold glitter littering the skirt portion of her dress -- and a black headband to allow her halo to blend with her hair, her date (?) wears a mainly black suit with dark red horns. She can’t see his headband from this angle, which leads her to believe he must have simply...willed the outfit into existence, or something. She can’t remember him throwing any such thing into her cart, either.

-- She supposes he looks nice.

Apparently sensing whatever discomfort she exudes, Hades’ grip upon her hand tightens slightly, and he draws her closer to him.

“You are aware we don’t have to go, yes?”

“I am, but -- I thought...you might want to go, so...”

Certainly, as he’s fond of reminding her over their telepathic link, there’s no especial reason they need to be going. They could just as easily turn and go home...and yet she can’t shake off the feeling that she isn’t giving him enough of what he deserves. Surely he would like for more than to simply lounge about her apartment, or...whatever it is he does when she’s away.

And perhaps a part of her is curious if she truly can do this.

Arianna allows him to lead her past the gate, up into the odourless pale fog that masks the door, and then through it. The closer they get to the doorway, the more loudly the music reverberates against her ears. Ah -- her least favourite sort of “party”, then...

Not that she’s really been to many --

Inside are all sorts of people, most dressed in costumes with a few occasional individuals apparently left out, or simply not wishing to invest the time in their get up. There’s clearly food and drink available further within, and the decorations from without continue on in inside the house. Fake cobwebs with tiny plastic spiders, glowing pumpkins and skulls...and a bit of the fog from outside.

And of course there’s hardly any shortage of dramatic and multi-coloured lighting.

Most of the guests are milling about, some far too close for Arianna’s comfort Unfortunately, her already clear awkwardness isn’t especially evident to the more inebriated partygoers.

“Hey pretty lady.” A young man in a some sort of zombie mask apparently isn’t discouraged by the presence of the even taller man next to her. “Wanna go grab a drink?”

As soon as she focuses on him, her gaze snaps to his shoes, then away; he’s about to try to say something else, though with one derisive stare from Hades and he instantaneously shuts his mouth and slinks away like a defeated pup.

“Hmph. They’re like animals.”

Arianna doesn’t really want to ask him precisely what he means, focused on trying to regain her toppled equilibrium. The sudden approach and the already crowded atmosphere is doing little to quell her flickering anxiety. Perhaps it had been a mistake to come here after all.

Her other free hand lifts to grasp at his wrist, her gaze firmly upon the ground as she hunches in on herself, entire body tense.

“Are you sure you don’t want to leave? Perhaps -- ”

“Oh, Arianna! You came!”

The other masculine voice cuts through the white noise and Hades’ words; she recognises it immediately. She glances nervously at Hien’s boots as he comes to a halt a little ways away; there’s cloth beside his, like a robe, or -- 

“I didn’t expect -- I see Hades is here, as well...” Hien trails off a little, perhaps noticing the dire state of the dark-haired woman. “Shall we go somewhere a little quieter? I know a spot -- the hallway’s not as crowded.”

She doesn’t need any other amount of convincing; Hades leads her as Hien and Kirishimi direct the two of them into a darkly lit hallway. Whilst the music here is somewhat muted, the decorations continue along the ceiling, winding over the doors.

It feels far less claustrophobic, however. Perhaps most of it is to do with being surrounded by friends instead. Or Hades standing in the entranceway to the larger room, blocking out most of the rabble.

Leaning against the wall, her death grip upon him slowly lessens as she exhales. Her shoulders slump as some of the sickly tension evaporates. Whilst she’s not entirely in her element yet, things feel -- slightly better. At least better enough that she can try to look up.

She’s somewhat tempted to ask Hien if something is wrong with his eye, until she recalls that they’re all wearing costumes. His appears to be something of a pirate, complete with an eyepatch; though the lighting is dim if not entirely coloured, his outfit seems to be composed of yellows, or perhaps orange. As for Kirishimi --

The woman looks so natural in the -- kimono? -- that for a second it hadn’t even registered that she’s wearing a “costume” at all. She still isn’t really certain it looks like a costume --

And the tails are certainly not a fabrication. Though she supposes she can get away with it at a party.

Hades chooses that moment to gesture with a sigh.

“And you wouldn’t even let me come like that.”

“Your case is a little bit...different...”

Hien’s expression is friendly once he notices Arianna looking up at him.

“Feeling any better? I could get you a drink, if you like...?”

After a moment’s hesitation, the woman gives a small nod. Whilst she feels bad for monopolising the man’s time, her throat undeniably feels a little parched. Once he slips past Hades, the kitsune takes the opportunity to speak.

“Yer lookin’ cute, Ari!”

Feeling her face heat up, Arianna directs her gaze away, glancing toward the ground; after a few seconds, she takes a peek to the wider room, then the other side. With no one else -- really in earshot, perhaps she can manage --

“Ah...tha-thank you...you...too...”

Pressing her fingers to her cheek, she closes her eyes as she tries to calm herself, feeling stupidly childish for no real reason. Though she supposes, perhaps, this is childish; what sort of person can’t even converse...?

“But yer looking as slimy as ever.”

“And I can tell you hardly put any effort into your ‘costume’. You’ve just gone as yourself.”

“Ya tellin’ me yer not some kinda demon? As if I’d believe that. And that suit’s just what ya always wear.”

“Not at all, the cut and style are entirely different. But I wouldn’t expect anything more of a mutt.”

Paradoxically, their hissing argument somehow manages to put her at further ease. Perhaps because it’s a norm of what those two always do when they’re forced together in a single room; no matter the occasion or the reason, they’ve never seemed to be able to get along for longer than a few minutes at a time, and even that is being generous...

See? Everything is normal. That is what she tries to tell herself.

Except for, well, everything else about the situation, but if she just focuses on Hades’ shoulders, perhaps she can pretend nothing is too out of the ordinary about this.

Hien returns a few minutes later with a clear glass of water in his hand; he gives it to Arianna with an encouraging smile, and she takes it gratefully. The glass is cool in her hand, and for a moment she wishes she had something warmer, but it’ll do. Lifting it to her lips, she begins to sip as her companions break out into quiet conversation and half-hearted jabs --

A loud sound, like a foghorn, sheers through even the music; a few people scream. Arianna full-on nearly jumps in place, her vaguely settled nerves fraying like unravelling threads. The blood in her veins turns to ice along with the coldness of the water spilling down her front, and she lets go entirely of Hades’ hand to press her palm to her ear. It’s a wonder she doesn’t let go of the glass entirely -- or that her grip doesn’t simply break it. Instead, she presses it to her other ear as she curls away from the entranceway, her mind struggling at a mile a minute.

There’s few things she’s consciously afraid of. Loud, sudden noises are one such thing.

The tiny noise that had managed to spill from her lips earlier dies, her throat constricting painfully. The dimly lit hallway seems to flicker and swim before her eyes; she squeezes them shut as she tries to calm herself.

“Ari? You okay?”

Their voices sound far away, as if they speak to her from under water or glass. She can’t respond, not even with a movement; her head spins like a kaleidoscope and, dimly, she thinks to herself yet again how stupidly childlike she must look to them all. Especially...

“I am afraid everyone here has overstayed their welcome...”

If there’s one voice that cuts through the noise, it’s his, always his.

But what is he...?

“ -- Ha -- ” Her voice falters in her throat the moment she tries to speak out and grasp at his arm; he easily slips from her and into the crowd of giggling and chatting partygoers, their volume spiraling into a crescendo. She still feels ill, and his sudden disappearance does a poor job of calming her. Was he talking about her...?

There’s a sudden scream; the entire crowd stops stock still. Then pandemonium erupts as chaos consumes the whole house, a thundering of voices and footsteps as the guests throw themselves out whatever doors and windows they can reach.

It’s not difficult to see why. In the centre of the room -- and taking up more space with every second -- is...Hades, in his eldritch form of course, the same one she’d seen when she’d first met him.

The house is deserted in less than a minute; only Arianna, Kirishimi, and Hien remain. The kitsune’s ears are instinctively flattened to her head, tails stiff, her arms unconsciously thrown out in front of her companion. Arianna thinks she can hear something like a growl from within her throat. The devourer of souls seems to have no issue with his current appearance, arms spanning the whole living area.

“Will ya put that away already? Ya stink like the damn void.”

“And you smell like wet dog. Nothing new about that, however.”

With a sigh, the eldritch’s limbs and size retreats; shadows envelop him, and finally he stands in the middle of the abandoned glasses and shattered plates in his humanoid flesh.

“Much better now, eh? I said you’d finally be able to enjoy yourself.”

[starswornoaths]

Starspun Kaleidoscope

This is a commission for the lovely @windup-dragoon of her cutie patootie goobers, Kirishimi and Hien! Under the cut bc it is NSFW in the second half. Thank you so much for your patronage! \o/

Commission info!

To plan a surprise for one such as the Warrior of Light was, to many people and for many, many reasons, folly. Even if one could plan around Kirishimi’s duties as a Scion and Dragoon both, the unforeseeable, looming cataclysms that seemed to dog her at every turn were sure to thwart any attempt to steal her away for a moment not already allocated to her duty.

Brimming with obstinate optimism as he was, Hien did it anyway.

The Kami themselves must have intervened to keep the realm stable long enough to plan around an upcoming festival in Kugane— the Enclave was running smoothly, on the Lord’s end of the planning, and the world seemed to pause for the last moon or so, meaning that apart from the clockwork schedule he could more easily plan around, Kirishimi was actually available to be surprised.

And what a festival to surprise her with! An annual solstice celebration, meant to ring in the fishing and farming season, where the boats bring in their fresh catch and those in the fields harvest the season’s crop. A celebration of the bounties that the Kami have blessed them with, with food, fireworks, and offerings of prayer that the newly planted seeds that will be planted on the morrow will bring just as bountiful a crop.

Planning around both their hectic schedules and when the festival was coming up was, at least to Hien’s mind, akin to discovering a new circle of hell, and had he not had the foresight to distract her with wearing his hair down and well groomed out of its usual ponytail, the whole thing might have been spoilt for her before they had even arrived, but when he gallantly helped her down from their boat onto the docks and watched her eyes grow wide in amazement and joy at the sights, sounds, and smells of the festival, it was all worth it a thousand fold to see her so happy.

“What— how in th’ hells did you—?” Kirishimi gawked at him, then out to the bustling streets with energetic vendors and crowded stalls, then back to him.

“How did I plan a day out for us?” He guessed, smiling wide. She nodded. “An excellent question! I’m still half wondering, myself!”

They shared a laugh as he offered her his arm.

“Now then, let us have some fun while I think of a better answer to your question!” He suggested, the arm not being offered sweeping out toward the stalls.

“How gallant of ya,” she beamed up at him as she looped her arm through his. She sniffed the air with a deep breath and sighed blissfully. “I’d love to know what smells so bloody good…”

Following her keen nose, they wound up at a stall selling grilled skewers of various meats and vegetables. The moment the kebabs came into view, they shared a look, wordlessly agreeing on what their lunch was to be.

It was silly, Hien thought, to be so delighted that they had a moment of playful fighting over who would pay for them— and Krishimi cheered victoriously when her gil was used for the meal. Delighted, for how mundane it was. How normal they could be in this moment. Delighted, for it was just her, and just him, and just them eating festival food and pressing close in crowded streets, arms unwound in favor of twined hands as they wove their way through the crowds. 

And it still amazed him, how profound his joy was at just watching her, marveling at how happy and carefree she looked. Merriment sparkled in her eyes of sapphire and ruby, of sea and fire, her whole face alight with a smile so wide her eyes crinkled at the corners. Her happiness bubbled over, too much for her body to contain, and her shoulders shook with laughter as they watched how faire attendants dazzled the crowds with tricks, music, and dancing.

When he tugged her hand to wordlessly ask her to stop, she peered at him curiously as he held up a finger to ask her to wait. He disappeared in a gaggle of people grouped around a stall he spied off to the side selling mochi, and Kirishimi watched from her place off the side of the street. He could feel her ponderous stare on the back of his head as he ordered a batch of freshly prepared mochi. Upon his return with a beautifully piled mound of little mochi bites, delicately wrapped in a large banana leaf, it was his turn to grin triumphantly.

“Repayment for our lunch!” Hien said with a belly deep chuckle at her fondly exasperated smile, handing her one of the small wooden skewers with which she might pick up dumplings of mochi for herself.

“Oh, you would, ya sweet man, you!” Kirishimi flushed, though she took the offered skewer and speared a fresh, soft mound of mochi. When she popped it in her mouth he watched, hopelessly enraptured, as her eyes closed in bliss while she chewed around her bright grin.

“I gather it’s to your liking?” He asked, grinning like the cat that got the cream.

Still chewing, she gave an enthusiastic hum when she nodded her head. 

“Delicious!” With a flourish, she artfully speared another little mount of mochi on her skewer and held it up to his lips in offering. 

Though her smile was warm as the sun, there was a mischievous twinkle in her eye. He recognized that look of hers— she wanted to get a rise out of him. Well! He thought with a grin. Two can play at that game.

Wordlessly accepting the mochi and challenge both, Hien’s fingertips were a whisper on her skin when he guided her hand closer by the wrist, and peered sidelong at her through his lashes as he pulled the mochi off her skewer. At the sight of Kirishimi bringing her bottom lip between her teeth to bite down on it, his grin only grew more lascivious. Just before he let her hand go, he bent low enough to press a kiss to the inside of her wrists before standing upright faster than she could properly react.

“Delicious.” Hien echoed in agreement once he’d chewed the mochi, even as he made no effort to hide the fact that he was not talking about the sweetmeat at all.

Kirishimi flushed prettily— though when someone in the crowd accidentally bumped into her from behind, it startled them both out of their little world. 

“Crowds are gettin’ worse.” Kirishimi lamented.

“Unfortunate, but I am confident we can manage!” Hien insisted. He handed her the leaf filled with mochi and wound his arm around her waist. “Hang on to our treat— I’ve got you.” 

So they maneuvered with care through the crowds, steadily growing denser than when they had first arrived. Kirishimi readily huddled closer to him, and he was all too happy to curl closer to her. It was so easy for them to make such cramped streets something more intimate, feeding one another bits of mochi and sneaking affection in between.

Hien steered them as gently as he could for how packed the intimately crowded the market streets had become— he hoped that the bridge would be more open, that they might get a good spot in time for the fireworks. His hopes lifted momentarily when the street opened and the crowds thinned again, only for them to be dashed at a turn of his head: the bridge he’d hoped to have her watch the fireworks from was even more crowded than the street. Enough that he faintly wondered if the weight capacity was a danger to the crowd atop it.

“Hmm...this won’t do.” He muttered.

“What, the bridge?” Kirishimi asked once she’d followed his gaze and saw the veritable barricade of people. “Why’re you aimin’ for the bridge?”

“I had hoped to get a good vantage point.” Hien lamented. “I had wanted to surprise you with the view, but it would seem I was not the only one with the idea.” His shoulders slumped. “I hadn’t expected this. I’m sorry, I’d hoped we might see the fireworks from the bridge.”

It stung his pride to admit to his secret plans to her, though he wanted her to at least know he’d intended for this to go better. Rather than the disappointment he expected, he watched her blinked owlishly up at him.

“Oh hells, was that all?” She laughed brightly and seized his hand. “C’mon, I know a spot with a great view!”

For some reason, the thought that she was so familiar with the city had not even occurred to him to draw reference from as inspiration for a back-up plan. Where he had been disappointed at the thought that his best laid plans were coming apart, he could only laugh alongside her as she guided him down the steps to the pier. Somehow, she always made it better.

When they descended the steps into the alleyway beneath the bridge, he was at first skeptical that such a closed off space would have a noteworthy view, but as she led him down the alley and around the corner, he marveled at how the pier opened up to a wide, sparsely populated shipping dock. The water and sky both were so blue in the rapidly approaching twilight that he almost couldn’t tell where they met on the horizon. 

She ushered him to a bench not far from the alley they walked down to get here, and happily pressed herself flush against his side. He readily moved his arm around her to tug her that scant ilm closer and snuck a kiss to her hair as she resumed skewering one of the last mochi.

They had scarcely finished cuddling close before the first firework went off. Even as far away from the crowds as they were, that low din of their shared voices hushed in an instant, everyone peering up at the sky.

Well. Everyone save for Hien.

How could he look anywhere but his beloved, her moonlight silver hair aglow in the ephemeral, colored burst of each firework, eyes brighter than any star he had ever seen. How could he stare at anything with the same awe that her breathtaking smile inspired in him? Impossible. No firework could compare to her radiance.

“See? What’d I tell ya?” Kirishimi asked brightly after a dozen or so fireworks had gone off, looking up at him.

“Quite the sight,” Hien replied quietly, beaming at her through his lashes.

He made no effort to pretend he was looking anywhere but at her, and he delighted in the flush that bloomed on her face.

“Not as nice as the one I’m seein’.” She said quietly. 

“No?” Hien asked as if in genuine interest, hand coming up to smooth his thumb across her bottom lip. 

“Nope. Can’t be. Yer too handsome.” She insisted, though the way she was looking at him was far less innocent than her words.

He opened his mouth to retort, but then she tucked her head an extra ilm down to press a kiss to his thumb— and then nibbled it, very, very gently. His mouth ran dry at the contact, and he shuddered bodily; it had been some time since they had been able to indulge in one another— too long. He felt every second he’d gone without her touch keenly, watching her fan her lashes at him so.

“I am...suddenly reminded that I reserved a room at the Inn.” He rasped against the way his tongue swelled, at the way his heart thudded against his ribs. “And given the fireworks are planned for the whole night, I am fairly certain that the view from there would be spectacular.”

“Oh?” She mused, half leaning into his lap, her fingers delicately tracing his exposed collarbone. “Y’didn’t tell me. Sounds lovely.”

The summer heat couldn’t account for the way he felt set ablaze by her touch— and he couldn’t pretend it was anything but arousal and carnal need that made his pulse race and his breathing grow shuddered.

“Shall we?” He offered with the last of his coherence, and held out his hand.

She readily took it, and he pulled her gently from the bench to head back down the alley they had come from. With every step, he had to remind himself to have restraint— the Inn was just across the bridge, it was scarcely more than a jaunt to the aetheryte shard to avoid the crowd—

“This means a lot, Hien.” Kirishimi spoke up suddenly. “All of this, not just. Well. Y’know.”

He stopped walking and turned to look at her in that moment. Though they stood in the shadow of the bridge, she was bright as a star, looking up at him with such earnest ardor that for a moment, he forgot how to breathe. 

“You must know I’m only sorry I can’t do it more.” Hien managed to rasp.

“I know. We both have so little time— but I need you ta know how much it means to me that you did all this. I...I like being able to see what life will be like with you—”

Before he knew what he was doing, he’d hoisted her up on a stack of crates behind her, his hands gripping her thighs around his waist tightly. He slanted his mouth against hers in eagerness, before he had even thought to do so. Loving her was such a deeply rooted instinct, he could do little but act on it. 

She reciprocated instantly and eagerly, hands grabbing at his clothes, clutching him closer to her, close enough that he could feel her heartbeat pounding against her sternum. Letting go of her thighs to pull her impossibly closer earned him the sweetest moan against his lips he’d ever heard from her. Fire ignited in the pit of his belly, and the flames came alive when he felt her heat throbbing against his rapidly hardening erection, even through their clothes.

“I’m afraid the Inn might be too far away.” He panted between those deep kisses that sent him reeling. “Should you be of like mind...I fear I can’t hold back.”

“Th-this is, ah—” His Kirishimi gasped so deliciously against him as she pulled him in for more kisses between words, as if she couldn’t refrain from it either. As if she couldn’t refrain from him either. The thought drove him wild with want, and his hips stuttered against hers before he could even think to restrain them. “This is a bit public, yeah? We, a-ahh, might get caught.”

“As Yugiri is wont to remind me, I am no shinobi,” Hien mused as though he couldn’t feel the way her thigh nudged at his clothed erection. When he began to mouth at her ear, his beard scratching against her cheek, he found his voice again, rougher for his dwindling restraint. “But I can be discreet.”

“Well, then.” Kirishimi hummed, tapering off in a moan at the way he growled against her throat at her hands tangling in his hair. He could feel her smirk against his ear when she bent her head and answered, “Prove it.”

Ah, a challenge! He did so love to rise to the occasion— all the more where she was concerned. His hands cupped at her backside and slid her forward in time with him pressing flush against the crates she was perched on. It was only a scant few ilms difference, if that, but such distance needed to be unmade entirely: he could go no longer without her.

Hien’s agony was one further exacerbated by his blind palming to undo his hakama, and he smothered his hissing against Kirishimi’s lips to make good on his word to be quiet. Fortunate for him that he had; he muffled a groan into her mouth when she batted his hands away and shifted to untie the keeping his pants held up. Leaving her to take matters into her own hands, as it were, he occupied himself with slipping his hands beneath the soft layers of her yukata. He’d been glad to gift it to her before they arrived today, though he hadn’t necessarily thought of this particular benefit.

When his hand found her under the yukata, Hien couldn’t help but groan into her starspun locks when he realized she wore no undergarments and was already all pulsing, scorching heat. Even before he made a move to slip his fingers inside her, she was rocking her hips to try and coax him into filling her. The hand not waiting in anticipation to make her sigh let go of her to brace more fully against the crate she was sat on— his need for her was dizzying, he was so hard it vaguely hurt, and it was all he could do to blindly rut against her thighs to attempt to curb his own enthusiasm.

A poor attempt, admittedly, but it certainly didn’t stop him from trying.

Kirishimi managed to free him from his hakama fairly quickly, for a blessing, and he practically felt his cock swing down, free of its confines, heavy and aching, and he sucked in a breath through his teeth at the breeze brushing it. 

Hien sank his teeth into Kirishimi’s neck to muffle the guttural groan that escaped him when he hilted himself in one smooth push of his hips. The wet gasp he tore from her throat stuttered out in staccato bursts, her hands flying to grasp at his shoulder, to bury her fingers in his hair. Her chest heaved in time with the flutter of her around him, and he couldn’t stop his hips from stuttering in shallow thrusts in search of more despite their hips already pressed flush. 

“We will have to be quick,” he managed through laving his tongue over the marks he had bitten into her skin. 

“Yesss,” Kirishimi hissed into the fabric of his haori.

When he slid almost entirely out of her and snapped his hips back against hers with enough force to nudge her backwards on the crate, he nearly couldn’t swallow her cry of rapture, and only just managed to crush their mouths together in an inelegant kiss.

“Discretion, koishī,” Hien reminded her in a dark snarl against her ear, and repeated to motion.

He had to bite the inside of his cheek to follow his own advice: she felt so good, clenching around him as he moved, felt so good to touch her silken hair and her smooth skin and pull her closer, closer, it was never close enough—

“Please,” Kirishimi panted in his ear, and what control he had snapped at such beautiful, breathy begging.

Wrapping his arms those few ilms tighter around her, pressing that nonexistent extra ilm closer, he acquiesced to her pleas. There would be time for the slower, more intimate lovemaking they so adored to indulge in later; now, there was only the carnal need to quench the fires that wrought destruction to their senses and sensibilities.

Hien set a brutal pace, bruising their hips with every collision but he couldn’t bring himself to mind too much— in particular, for how tightly Kirishimi’s hands clenched in his hair, at his haori, how she clenched around him, all tight heat and agonizing bliss. It was almost too much, even when he began, but he refused to be the first to fall apart— it would not do to leave his beloved unsatisfied, or even to risk it. 

Kirishimi rose to the occasion, as she always did, her heels digging into the small of his back, slotted perfectly into his Venusian dimples, and she rocked into him at every thrust, rolled her hips to the tide of his tempo, and it was all he could do to bury his hand in her hair, to press his palm against her back and pull her in closer, to sink into her until he couldn’t tell where he ended and she began.

“Discretion,” she teased in a wheezing pant when he growled at that telltale pull in his gut that told him he was beginning to teeter off the edge. 

He gnashed his teeth in a feral smirk before quieting them both in a crushing kiss. It would not do to let himself fall apart now, certainly not when she was coherent enough to tease him for his enthusiasm. With a dark chuckle that rumbled in the deepest part of his chest, he carefully disentangled her hair from his fingers, and let his hand wander down, down, down— 

He chased her mouth when she broke their kiss in a startled gasp at the touch of his thumb against her swollen clit. The hand in his hair flexed at the swirl of his thumb around the oversensitive bud, and she whimpered against his lips in time with her shallow thrusting into his hand. 

Her enthusiasm, her mounting pleasure, was as a double edged sword: while she spiraled faster, closer to release, she was bringing him along with her, and it was, as always, a battle of wills between the two of them. Gods, but her little wanton gasps, the soft whining, her hands all over him, all orchestrated such sweet rapture for him that he could do little but cling to what fraying edges of sanity he had, even as he wanted to hurl himself into the abyss beside her.

“Close,” Kirishimi panted into his lips, and he groaned, low and guttural and primal, when her legs squeezed to bring him in deeper. “Close, close, Hien—”

Kami preserve, but so was he. His thrusts had lost all technique, all control, and he was pounding so hard into her he could hear the crate beneath her creak faintly every time their hips met but he couldn’t even bring himself to care. He broke their kiss to lean back enough to watch her fall apart, to watch the moment that his attentions pushed her over the edge.

Hien was not waiting for long. With a particularly dextrous stroke of his thumb and a well angled thrust of his hips, her mouth fell open in a choked cry of rapture. She managed to quiet herself even before the noise had fully left her throat, though she flung herself against him to muffle the rest of those beautiful noises she couldn’t quell fast enough. She squeezed so tightly around his cock, pulsed as rapid as a hare’s heartbeat, that he couldn’t quite silence himself in time before he groaned, long and loud, into her hair as the coil in his gut snapped. Instinct drove them both to cling together as they rode out the waves of their orgasm, his thrusts inarticulate, sloppy, desperate things as she shook around him. He emptied all of himself into her, and even as he finally felt the last of it fill her he remained sheathed, pressed close, basking in the afterglow.

Not for too long, sadly; they were still out in public, and poor Kirishimi was on a kami forsaken pile of crates, for heaven’s sakes. When she trembled a little less, he slid himself out of her with an agonized groan, over sensitive as he was from the stimulation. She whimpered at the veritable deluge of cum that followed after him, though he tried to be courteous and offer her a kerchief to at least attempt to clean up. 

Once they were disentangled entirely, he righted his clothes and hair as best as he could, and helped her down from the crates to do the same. Still giddy, still riding the hights of their high, they couldn’t help but stand on wobbly legs, leaning into one another, noses nuzzling affectionately and breathy laughter filling the space between them. 

“So much fer discretion, ay?” Kirishimi teased between giggles. 

“I said I can be discreet— it’s hardly a guarantee.” He admitted with a sheepish chuckle, and tucked the soiled kerchief in his pocket with a grimace. Once he made sure there was no mess left on the crate, he offered, “The fireworks are still going, for a blessing. Shall we retire to the Inn and keep watching?”

At her nod, they set off again. The kami themselves must have intervened to thin the crowds on the bridge enough for them to squeeze through to the other side, and managed to slip away, sequestered in their room with hot sake and dinner in bed, with the window wide open.

“You were right— view’s amazin’ from here,” Kirishimi mused as they watched the fireworks once dinner was cleared away.

After a long moment, he set his sake cup down on the bedside table, and shifted to crawl over her. She watched him with those mismatched eyes of ruby and sapphire, glimmering with every kaleidoscope burst of light from the window. With a bright, enticing, inviting smile, she slid backwards until she could spread out languidly upon the plush bed.

Hien preferred to watch the bursts of color reflect on those silver locks of hers, splayed out on the pillow as they were. After a few moments of appreciative silence, he hummed, pleased. 

“Quite the view.” He agreed, and joined her in soft splendor again.

[inviouswriting]

How about some wholesome Hien and Aymeric headcanons as they hang out and talk about their s/it's? 👀👀👀👀👀👀 Aymeric can't stop talking about Kiya he's so in love

I love this one~ Gladly~ Got an idea too. Placing this after the liberation of Ala Mhigo~

Hien HCs -

Can’t stop praising Kiri endlessly for all her ambition on the battlefield. Spends more time talking about his life with her so far and the mild blooming of their relationship to where they are now.

Talks about the lighter side of things, even goes over his fears and concerns here and there. Only to be reassured in his path by Aymeric, that it takes a lot of trust and time to build their bond.

Hien listens to some of the woes from Aymeric, sharing the mutual frustration of the girls constantly on the run for quests. Not knowing when they’ll return to them on dangerous missions to seeing them coming back bloodied or battered on some occasions.

Hien would drift off into thought while Aymeric talks. They both reach mutual agreements of their lovers. Not to make either angry.

Aymeric HCs - 

He knows Kiya’s ferocity seeing it first hand on many battles. The most vivid is the second time they were in The Vault against Simeonard. Then following that with Nidhogg. Their relationship only budding at that point.

He shares the story of when Kiya first approached him for comfort, how it all began. Hien shares his own story of Kiri. 

He shares his own concerns of the future in the next step of his relationship being actual marriage. Knowing they still face a lot of discrimination because of their difference races. Hien reminds him that it is their love that is more important. The same words he said to Hien, that it takes time and trust.

Aymeric gladly goes over Kiya’s strengths and some flaws. Both women struggle with insecurities. Ones they both hope to quell in time.

Aymeric wears more of his emotions in his eyes, while Hien tends to wear his in his demeanor.  

Drabble~

“Did you see the way the girls worked so well together? Hien was walking with Aymeric through the encampment in Porta Praetoria. It had been hours since they had won over the location, and there was still a lot of cheers and merriment around the area. Far from settling down.

Hien was replaying the fights in his head of Kirishimi doing what she does best in her sword techniques. He also knew she was still spending time with her friends and would seek him later. He notes the same look in Aymeric’s eyes, a look of pride for his own love.

“They are by far forces to be respected. Kiya’s skills have gotten more intense since I had last seen her. I know you and Kirishimi have fought along side her most with Doma. When did she get so strong? More important when did she find the time.” Between running between Doma, back to him on occasion.

“She had some help from her lalafell friend Illya. They were studying about the same time. I know Kiri learned more from me and Gosetsu.” Hien’s expression lightens more thinking about it, his expression showed it too, how much he was proud of her.

“Aye, I almost cannot believe these are the same women we love. They look so different on the battlefield.” The images of Kiya fierce and casting strong flame spell after spell in barrages of both flares, ice, and heat. The same power he stood next to when she delivered a powerful flare back in The Vault he knows her power. Seeing her go toe to toe with Zenos and Shinryu with her companions. How poised the women were, how their victory decided everything for their path of progression. 

“I cannot stop seeing her dancing around her foes.. she was something... someone so sure of herself. That they’ll win their fight. It was like watching her stride towards Nidhogg all over again.” Aymeric recalls that night vividly.

“You wear your love for her in your eyes.”

“You as well wear your love for Kiri in your eyes.” The men exchange looks with matching grins. They were both lovesick for these girls. Would gladly give their lives for them. Almost have.

“You know Aymeric, Kiri once convinced Kiya to attempt to climb the Kugane tower.” Hien earns a look from Aymeric telling the man his fiancée tried climbing it.

“And did she make it up to the top?” 

“She made it halfway, then fell. How she has not broken bones, either of them.” He doesn’t miss the slightly worried look in Aymeric’s eyes. He knows Kiya has a penchant for jumping onto things and climbing any structure she can. Hearing she fell off, it makes sense why she returned with a limp for a few days.

“Reminds me of the time she jumped off the top ledge of the aetheryte crystal at Camp Dragonhead. Me and Lucia saw her climb on then misstep and fall off. She just dusts the snow off and runs towards us. Resilient that one. Or the time she managed to climb on top of the map in the Congregation. Took me hours to get her down. Like a cat on top of a bookcase. Just stares at you smug because you can’t reach.” This earns a few laughs out of Hien at Aymeric’s dismay. 

“Kiri has her moments too, climbing onto things, she walked across one of the ropes with a parasol. Needless to say she is graceful. I think I have only seen her fall off of things a few times. Your beloved. I’ve seen her faceplant similar to Alphinaud’s swimming abilities.”

They spoke about Kiri and Kiya together. Aymeric going over small details of Kiya, while Hien shared his thoughts and praises on Kiri. Talking of mutual grounds, they were about to part ways to go find their beloveds when Hien tosses an idea random.

“You know, Aymeric. This wouldn’t be a bad time to get married to her.” Hien sees the way Aymeric’s eyes light up at the idea, he’d have to find a way to talk it over with Kiya. In a few days letting the Ala Mhigans have their celebration was more important than taking their victory to make it a wedding.

“It would be a good time. Take care of Kiri.” He agrees.

“Aye, and you take care of Kiya. The girl has suffered a lot both of them.” As soon as he finishes his words, the girls in question find them. Kiya practically jumps into Aymeric’s arms proceeding to climb the elezen like a tree till she sits on his shoulders, while Kiri is subtle and approaches Hien giving him a quick hug.

“So what were you two doing all by yourselves?” Kiri is first to ask, the men had been gone for a while from the celebrations in the camp. They all had wandered down to the Saltery overlooking the saltflats as they reflect the skies stars.

“Just talking. Mostly about you two.” Hien answers truthfully, Aymeric feels arms on top of his head as Kiya rests her head on his. He keeps her balanced on his shoulders minding a little wiggling from the collar points he wears. Her tail swaying at his back.

“Talking about what? Anything good?” Kiya is curious.

“About the time you my dear climbed Kugane’s tower and fell off.” Kiya snaps her attention to Hien, who slinks behind Kiri from her stare.

“You told him!” She places her palms over Aymeric’s ears.

“You have not told him about my fall off the Dawn Throne right?” Hien shakes his head no. Kiya uncovers his ears. Kiri laughs from the banter and leans placing her arm on top of Hien’s shoulder and he winds an arm around her waist.

“Kiya you have much to tell me of your adventures in The Far East it sounds. But my love, you need to stop jumping from high spots.” Kiya turns her head to the side, eying Aymeric out of the corners of hers when he looks up enough to see her face.

The four of them spend some time to watch the stars dance over the waters reflection. Talking idle till Aymeric whisks Kiya away to give Kiri and Hien time to themselves, feeling like their presence is imposing on personal time.

Hien sits down, with Kiri next to him on the ledge of the Saltery, a hand seeking hers to hold for now. They sit more in silence in each others company, Kiri leaning against Hien a subtle smile.

They spend their time well together talking of their future and relationship. Sharing a few kisses and closer embraces as the night air dips colder.

[whitherliliesbloom]

Illya x fray, kirixhienkek, Chai-Nuzz x Dulia-Chai!!

Send me a ship and I'll tell you if i ship it!

Oh boy here we go..

Fray and Illya.. NOT IN CANON. My take on what happens during the drk quest is very different depending on verse. In canon verse where she's strictly with Alphinaud, Fray's manifestation is purely an entity made out of Illya's negative emotions. So he's not technically sentient.

BUT.. *sweats profusely* i have entertained the idea of Fray actually coming back to life after absorbing Illya's aether. He considers slowly possessing her and convincing her to give up her body to him..because she's so pure and naive, surely she'd relent and give into the darkness within her. But he ends up falling for how earnest, gentle and pure she is and just ???? Okay i'll stop before i spazz out.

Also his words "i love you more than you'll ever know" within the level 80 drk journal entry takes on a completely different meaning depending on verse ;;;

Hien X Kiri is mmmm *chef kiss*, to be honest i find Hien far more compatible for Kirishimi than Aymeric. Fully on board with the himbo couple who spends their free time wrestling and then arguing over who gets to have the last gummy worm. Little kids who wouldn't hesitate to chop your head off y'know my feel?

Chai-Nuzz and Dulia-Chai is ???? WHO DOESN'T SHIP THEM?? They're so adorable together they're honestly married couple goals. Don't say you're in love until you find yourself someone who looks at you the way they look at each other.

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some extra shots because I want to be annoying about how much I love Kiri and Hien

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Beach bums !!!

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Quiet spice shhh

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'You're more than a sunshine in my eyes'

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Kiri sparring with Estinien and Hien. It went well

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I will keep the tides in tune if you will make the flowers bloom

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Celebrity Status 

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Fluffvember - Vacation 

A little fun in the sun 

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Fluffvember - Bad End 

|| Of Sacrifice 

"The burning ceruleum left her scarred, blind in her left eye, and incapable of combat. Yet she remains beside me, disgraced as I am. Someday we will reclaim Doma, but for now I pray the kami grant me the strength to protect her."

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Hien enjoying Kiri’s company 

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Enjoying a nice soak and kisses