#if you haven't noticed I'm a tag talker

[transingthoseformers]

So basically this is my approach to the prev post

[gojoidyll]

Imagine taking Katheryne's place for the day in Liyue, and when the traveler comes by for a new commission they are surprised to see you. You, on the other hand, aren't surprised to see them as you expected for them to come by. However, what you didn't expect was to see someone who doesn't belong.

He was clad in expensive looking attire, the contrast of blues and whites matching perfectly with his pale complexion and long silver hair. His eyes were mesmerizing too. They reminded you much of your dear friend Zhongli's eyes despite the major difference in color.

"Oh, y/n, we didn't expect to see you here today! Where's Katheryne?"

"Hello Paimon, Traveler, Katheryne is out for the day and a new commission popped up asking for anyone who was free to take her place. The mora is good, so I decided to take up the job since I don't have anything else to do."

"Oohhh, that makes sense," Paimon answered.

You smiled before directing your attention to their tall friend, "may I ask who this is?"

"This Neuvillette," Paimon introduced with an air of arrogance in her voice, "he's the chief justice of Fontaine! Pretty cool, huh?"

You bowed to Neuvillette, "it's nice to meet you sir."

"No, the pleasure is mine... your name is y/n, correct? The traveler and Paimon talk a lot about you. They were actually saying how they wanted me to meet you at some point."

Before you could say anything, you felt a tug on your sleeve, "miss y/n, your shift is over."

Nodding you turn back to the three before you, "well, as you can tell, since I'm done working for the day, why don't I tag along? That is, if it's alright."

Meeting Neuvillette was definitely interesting. He was both kind and courteous. A true gentleman. Not to mention that you quite like how he spoke to you. His voice was nice, smooth, and definitely easy on the ears. And just as he liked talking about Fontaine, he also liked listening to you.

Most of the time when you hung out with the traveler and Paimon, Paimon was usually the one who dominated the conversation (not that you minded, you weren't much of a talker to begin with), so being the center of attention in a conversation for once definitely made you nervous. Especially when such a handsome and refined man was giving such a attention.

And later you would fail to notice how Paimon and the traveler would give each other a high-five before leaving both you and Neuvillette to talk amongst yourselves. Neuvillette noticed, however, but decided to not say anything.

"You know Miss y/n," Neuvillette started but you gently cut him off, "y/n is fine."

"Y/n," he amended with a smile, "I've actually been quite the fan of yours for some time. And truthfully, it was I who asked the traveler to meet you."

As it turns out, you were actually a performer of sorts. Your voice was something that everyone could admire for hours on end. But at some point you decided to take a break. The life of an adventurer too good to pass up. (You did promise yourself to sing again someday, but for now, you were on a ... vacation of sorts.)

"You- you're a fan of mine?"

"Yes, I always enjoyed your performances when you would grace Fontaine with your voice. And when I heard you had went on break, I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to hear you again."

Your face felt hot all of sudden, it wasn't everyday that such a gorgeous man showered you in such praises. You felt him grab your hand as he stopped walking to look at you.

"Y/n, I-"

"Am i interrupting something?"

You looked to see who it was and immediately broke out into a bright smile, "Mr. Zhongli!"

You gently let go of Neuvillette's hand before walking up to your friend to give him a hug, "I haven't seen you in awhile! Where on Teyvat have you been?"

"Just traveling my dear, nothing to worry about."

As you pulled away to introduce Zhongli to Neuvillette, you didn't notice how the air got thicker and the area more tense than what it was.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that you didn't know that Zhongli is actually the geo Archon? Yeah...

Having two dragons fight over you is quite nice, though.

[iicarused]

Hey Queen 🤭 thanks for the absolute fuckin' heart attack this morning of tagging me alongside some of my favorite hazbin writers-

Anyways have my Striker brain rot;

- mans got that western charm, calling his s/o poppet, dame, doll, darling.

- enjoys the intimacy of a night in at a campsite or a lodge as opposed to 'going out on the town'

- Striker only drinks the good shit. Top shelf whiskey like Dalmore or Glenmorangie.

- he likes sarsaparilla, as well as apple cider (but won't drink it up public usually, considers it a 'weak' drink)

- I've got the headcanon that because he's an imp mutt (mixed with a shark demon) he got the sharks eyesight which is absolutely shit, but the imp side gave him snake like vision? Sees heat and cold better then anything.

- it does mean however that Striker knows when you're cold as shit and like the gentleman he is, plops his jacket on your shoulders without a word.

- love languages of acts of service and physical touch(?!?)

- his tail would wrap subconsciously around your waist in crowded areas so he has the assurance you haven't been lost in the sea of imps.

- hey hey you know the cowboy hat rule. That.

- basically if you wear a guys akubra (my aussie is showing) or cowboy hat, the saying is 'if you wear the cowboy hat you have to ride the cowboy'

- its the law trust me,don't look it up. No but really its like a known thing in that community I find it so funny

- anyways I'm stealing his hat, have a good day bestie <3

- Kotte

save a horse, am i right

all of these are so true, it’s exactly how i see him eso as a striker muse😭 i love him

i feel like he wouldn’t ask you to be his s/o upfront, especially if he genuinely cares about you and doesn’t want you wrapped up in the lifestyle he lives. ON THE OTHER HAAAND, if you both work in a similar field — he may let that slide

placing his hat on the top of your head whenever at a downtown bar. his tail hooking around your waist and pulling you against his chest, offering a hand towards the poor imp that tried flirting you up by the pool table.

“‘m striker — couldn’t help but notice you sweet talkin’ with my sugar from ‘cross the room — i didn’t appreciate that all that much.”

smooth talker, it’s just embedded into him!! the most poetic man you will ever meet, more so than a specific radio demon you’re acquaintance’s with. beautiful cursive writing because he doesn’t want a certain voxtek to know who the assassin is speaking to, so he writes to you instead.

all of his letters start with “my dear.” “my sweetheart.” “my pumpkin.” a tad territorial and needing to emphasize that whenever he can!!

brings you all types of flowers, gifts, or does anything for you.

i love striker so much

[wellgoslowly]

Hello! I was wondering if I can get a request please. The reader works for Lockwood and Co but she has the complete opposite personality of what Lockwood has (ex: reader is more of listener rather than a talker and when she is around new people she is more on the quiet side until she gets comfortable around them) and Lockwood falls for the reader. Thank you!

Ain't a Life a Many Splendored Thing?

a/n: a bit of a shorter post but I think I might make it into a series!! I loved this prompt and I loved writing it sm!!! it's not much but I didn't want to write more before knowing if yall would want a part 2 :) also yes the title is from hello hello by elton john from the hit movie gnomeo and juliet.

pairing: lockwood x fem!reader

word count: 1.4k

warnings: none :)

tags: @hufflepuff1619 (thank you for the request!) @oblivious-idiot @tangledinlove @ikeasupremacy @givemea-dam-break @neewtmas [if u guys want to be put on a tag list just lmk in the comments!!! also if i missed anyone im sorry!!!!]

The moment that you stepped into 35 Portland Row for your interview, it was obvious to everyone that Lockwood was a goner.

You two were clearly exact opposites- where he was confident and cocky, you seemed more reserved and humble. Where he was reckless, you seemed calculated and exact. And it was now evident that while he found it natural to talk in order to prevent awkward silences around new people (especially those whom he found to be very attractive), you were perfectly comfortable with listening to him ramble.

“And right up here is the attic.” He was saying now as the two of you climbed up the creaking stairs. “You've met Lucy, obviously- this is her room. And yours as well, if you choose to live here.” He watched you take in the room, filled with Lucy's drawings and scarce decorations on the walls, your eyes lingering on the small bed hastily shoved in the corner. He looked at you with apprehension, admittedly a little worried that you would turn to him and say that you'd changed your mind and reject the employment offer.

Instead, you turned to him with a slight smile on your face and said, “Is it ok with Lucy? If I stay here?” Instantly, Lockwood was filled with relief. “It was her idea, actually.” He said softly, watching you nod in understanding. “Alright then.” You said, a sense of finality in your voice. Lockwood smiled and watched as you walked to set the small bag of belongings you had taken to your interview on top of your new bed. “I'll leave you to it, then. Dinner should be ready soon.” He said to you. You didn't respond, but Lockwood wasn't worried- he knew exactly what your soft smile was meant to convey.

------

“Lockwood, I just- I don't know if she fits here.” It had been only 3 days after you had officially joined Lockwood & Co., but Lockwood wasn't necessarily surprised by the remark George threw him from across the table that morning. You and Lucy were asleep, still tired after facing an infuriating ambush from a large cluster of Type Ones while on a Type Two case.

“What do you mean, George?” Lockwood asked as he took a sip of his tea. “I mean, she's just so quiet. She never speaks, and when she does it's either in one word responses or a couple phrases- even then, she mostly only ever talks to you. I'm just worried about how well she'll be able to communicate in the future.” George explained, his hands moving wildly about.

“You haven't seen her in the field, George- she's brilliant. Her sight is comparable to mine, and her touch… it's like Lucy with her Listening. Yes, she's a bit… reserved, but I'm sure she just needs to warm up to us, is all.” Lockwood smiled at his friend as he took another sip of tea, peeling open the front page of a new issue of True Hauntings.

“Don't think I didn't notice how you avoided the comment about how she only seems to talk to you.” George grumbled, taking a bite out of a piece of toast. Lockwood didn't look up from the text on the page in front of him as he mumbled a soft “I don't know what you're talking about.” George scoffed in response, starting to say something that sounded a lot like “you're clearly gone for her, why do I even try”, when you walked in, hair amess and blinking sleep out of your eyes.

The kitchen fell into immediate silence, George's face flushing in embarrassment as you looked at him, your expression unreadable. “If you're going to talk about me, you could at least do it while I'm around.” Lockwood looked up at that as he didn't notice you silently entering the kitchen. He took in your sleep-addled state and the look of fear in George's eyes. And then you were softly smiling. “I was joking, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you.” You said before sitting down next to Lockwood.

George snorted. “I think that's the most you've said to me the entire time you've been here.” George said, apparently taking your joke to heart. Lockwood softly kicked George under the table, but you just laughed a little.

Deciding to change the subject, Lockwood turned to you with a smile. “I'm sorry for him. What he meant to say was good morning. Would you like some tea?” You smiled at Lockwood, and he was hit with the thought that it mightve been the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. “Yes, please.” You responded. Lockwood nodded, getting up to turn the kettle on once more.

The morning passed like that- you and George softly trading barbs with one another, Lockwood making you your tea and toast, and Lucy stumbling in once you were almost done with breakfast and mumbling a “gmornin” to you and the boys. Soon, the discussion turned from an easygoing conversation over breakfast and lapsed into a more serious discussion as Lockwood started explaining the cases that you all had scheduled for that night.

You and Lockwood would be going out to a house that was reported to contain a Type Two and a couple Type Ones, George would be staying home to do some research for a bigger case the four of you had coming up the next week (he had also gotten injured a couple of days ago and his wound hadn't fully healed), and Lucy would be going to an office afflicted by a couple Type Ones.

Lockwood had been too busy dishing out the information for the night's events to realize that you hadn't been talking. It was only after Lucy and George had nodded in understanding and set out to set their own respective tasks- Lucy heading down to the basement and George getting ready to go to the Archives- when Lockwood looked to you and realized that you had been drawing on the Thinking Cloth the entire time.

He leaned over slightly, watching as you drew a small landscape on a tiny piece of empty space with a green pen that Lockwood wasn't sure he had ever seen before. He smiled as you drew, watching the concentration on your face. “Did you hear the cases for tonight?” He asked softly, watching the quirk at the corner of your lips.

“George is doing research, Lucy's got a couple of Type Ones, and you and me have got the Type Two.” You clicked your pen, signaling that you were finished with your drawing, and then you turned to look at Lockwood. “How'd I do?” You asked softly. “With the cases, or the drawing?” You shrugged, a look in your eyes that told him “both.” He smiled. “Excellent.” He whispered, making you smile.

Eventually, the two of you migrated from the kitchen to the library. Lockwood sat in his favorite armchair, surveying a stack of recent magazines as he decided which one to read first. You left the room quickly, and Lockwood frowned at your departure as he settled into the chair with a week old gossip rag.

But as quickly as you left, you had returned, a book in your hand as you sat down in the chair next to Lockwood. You two sat there for a while, Lockwood taking breaks to explain to you different London Society news while you happily listened and Lockwood smiling to himself every time you reached a point in your book that made you laugh or make some sort of exclamation of disbelief.

He was content, he realized, to just sit there and exist by your side. While he normally felt the need to make his presence known, to charm and impress anyone he might’ve just met, he found that he was very happy to just sit and read with you.

An hour or so later, Lockwood decided that he wanted to go down to the basement and get some training in before the case that night. He was about to ask you if you'd care to join before he noticed that you had fallen asleep, arms curled around your legs and head laying peacefully against the cushioning of the chair. He smiled as he closed his magazine, getting up slowly and draping a blanket over you without a sound.

As Lockwood walked out of the library, he realized that George had been right. Not about you not fitting in- no, you had definitely proven George wrong. Instead, he was forced to admit that George might've been right about Lockwood being gone for you.

hehehe thanks for reading!!! I just put in my 2 weeks at my soul sucking part time job so I'll hopefully have more motivation to work on these hehe!!! I'll also be making a masterlist very soon- I've been meaning to do that for a while

also if yall want a part 2, pls lmk! I loved writing this and I think I could do a lot more w it hehehehe. anywhom if you've read this far, thank you for reading!!! love u!

mwah, linnie

[drawing-way-outside-the-lines]

➖ Mature content, 18+ ➖ check the trigger tags each time ➖        

Chapter 43 - Surprise concert.

Episode 1.

*A moment later*

Dalton: About last night he turned and smirked at Adrian just as he was about to leave the room to go to the toilet I just wanted to say… I enjoyed it very much, it was…. amazing he smiled a bit more shy now thank you for coming over and uh… you know… thank you for everything else

Adrian: He nodded softly and felt himself blush, feeling both speechless and surprised… and more than happy, his heart pounding a little harder and faster

Dalton: It uh… was probably my best first time…

Adrian: …….. first?

Dalton: Yeah you know…. with….

Adrian: He nodded eagerly yeah got it now he chuckled a bit embarrassed sorry, I'm not the best talker in the morning… specially not until I have had at least one cup of coffee he smiled soft and sat up in bed, rubbing his arm a bit nervously I had a wonderful time too, Dalton… I want you to know that…

Dalton: he nodded lightly thank you he chuckled shyly and lowered his head a bit as a clear blush crept over his nose I better go he pointed at the toilet door just across the hallway in there he chuckled again, then quickly left the room

Adrian: He couldn't contain a wide, extremely happy smile, the butterflies quickly returning, and he ended up sitting there for at least a couple minutes, smiling all goofy, so deeply in love that he in this moment, couldn't remember ever having been THIS much in love before? He finally managed to light a cig and grab his phone, noticing 5 unanswered calls… from Raven of all people??? He quickly called him back

Raven: He picked up on the second ring About time

Adrian: ….. he couldn't determine what mood he was in, he mostly sounded… dry?…. was he in a bad mood??? You called?

Raven: Yeah… uh…. didn't mean to interrupt, but I have a fairly stressed Malou here, she had a call from Dalton's parents, Dalton forgot he was supposed to take them out for lunch today…. so they called her, when they couldn't get through to his phone, I suppose they are worried…

Adrian: Shit! Thank you! I'll tell him as soon as he's done in the bathroom!

Raven: Yeah… another thing… I think Malou was supposed to join them…. but…. we kinda started coloring her hair, and uh he chuckled lightly Let's just say, it ended up in a whole project with a haircut now as well.. so she can't really

Adrian: …. so you're a hairdresser now?

Raven: …. I hope? he chuckled soft

Malou: It looks better than he wants to admit

Adrian: …….

Raven: Can you cancel for her?

Adrian: Yeah, su- he got interrupted as Dalton suddenly walked back into the room hold on, he's here now… uh he smiled apologizing at Dalton Raven is on the phone, he says your parents called Malou, they are worried, you were supposed to meet them for lunch, oh and Malou cancels, she's caught up in a hairdresser situation with Raven he shook his head lightly

Dalton: ……. shit! he hurried around the bed, and grabbed his phone, quickly calling his mom Mum! I'm so sorry! I completely forgot!

Adrian: Alright he's on his phone now, calling them… he sighed soft Are we okay? I mean, you and I?

Raven: Of course his voice was warm now there's absolutely nothing to worry about, I promise.

Adrian: And Malou?

Raven: Well, it's a bit stressful, and of course she worries, but I do my best to distract her… she's okay… I think she just mostly needs to hear from Dalton that there's still space for her…

Adrian: Of course there is!

Raven: I know Adrian…. he lowered his voice a bit how was it?

Adrian: He chuckled softly it was…. everything I had dreamed of, and more…

Raven: …. getting a little bit jealous now he chuckled

Adrian: He shook his head lightly I haven't even had coffee yet man…

Dalton: Yes of course we're coming! We'll be there in 15!

Adrian: Hold on… no he shook his head at Dalton Malou's not coming

Dalton: Yeah mum, we will see you in a short while, I promise, I'm sorry, be there soon! he grinned wide as he hung up You're coming with me, they already ordered for 4!

Adrian: …………………. slight meltdown

Raven: Snort

Dalton: Still grinning

Adrian: ………….. no no no! It's too much! he quickly jumped out of bed we just and… it's your parents! No no! he shook his head in disbelief

Dalton: relax! he chuckled cheekily and started roaming around for some clothes in a drawer I don't exactly plan on coming out, it's just lunch… they are super chill, beside I thought you were hungry?! he grinned and quickly got some clean boxers on

Adrian: Still shaking his head I haven't even had coffee yet! Soft whimpering noises

Raven: He snorted soft and did a little magic to help the two of them Look on the bedside table

Adrian: HUH?! he looked at the phone confused, having completely forgot Raven was still on the line, then quickly looked at the bedside table, two cups of takeaway coffee standing ready

Raven: Italian… naturally….

Adrian: He shook his head and hissed as he suddenly got smoke in his eye, taking a quick drag of the cig, then placed it in the ashtray You're supposed to be on my side! he grunted dissatisfied

Raven: He chuckled lightly Do you really want last night to end yet, while there's still magic in the air?

Adrian: ….. he sighed deep no

Raven: Then drink some coffee and tag along… they are probably really nice people… judging by the really nice son they have

Adrian: he sighed heavier and sat down with a bump on the bed, feeling a large weight on his back

Raven: Casual chit chat, you can do it… you will be mostly eating anyway, no one will expect you to speak like a waterfall, it's the perfect opportunity…

Adrian: ………

Raven: You can do this, Adrian…. now hang up and grab a coffee

Adrian: ……. I hate you.

Raven: he chuckled lightly Well… I'm used to it. I'll talk to you later kissing sounds on the phone then the line went silent

Adrian: He shook his head lightly and threw the phone on the bed, reaching for the coffee's sipping one, then reaching the other towards Dalton as he turned around, by now fully dressed

Dalton: he looked surprised at the coffee's Uh?

Adrian: The demon sent them…

Dalton Ah! he chuckled lightly and grabbed the coffee, sipping it lightly MMhh he nodded at Adrian's clothes on the floor You better get dressed… I mean… my parents are fairly open-minded people… but… I'm not sure I want them to look at my boyfriends dick

Adrian: his face lit up like a Christmas candle Boyfriend?

Dalton: He smiled warmly and stepped closer, stopping between Adrian's legs Aren't you?

Adrian: He nodded eagerly and leaned forwards, resting his forehead against Dalton's lower belly I'm not good with parents…

Dalton: No one says you have to be he gently stroke his fingers through Adrian's hair I know it's a mouthful, but they already ordered, I didn't have the heart to tell them Malou was cancelling…. they are super nice people… they wont judge… and they wont expect you to talk a bunch… they just wanna torture me a bit, cause it's Christmas… that's all…

Adrian: He sighed soft and nodded I don't even have any clean clothes….

Dalton: …. well… maaaybe I have something you can fit… or Malou since she's bailing…. I mean she does have some rather large hoodies and flannel shirts he snorted soft as suddenly a pile of folded clothes laid on the bed next to Adrian I suppose he was still listening?… thank you

Adrian: Thank you? he looked up at Dalton with confused eyes

Dalton: He nodded at the clothes on the bed Raven

Adrian: he turned his head and noticed the clothes, a tiny smile tucking at his lips thank you he spoke softly and looked back up at Dalton with a deep sigh I'm freaking out

Dalton: There's no need to he spoke in a warm voice and leaned down, planting a soft kiss on Adrian's lips They're gonna love you, cause I do…

Adrian: I thought you said you wouldn't-

Dalton: Mh, I wont, I promise… but they always like people I like… so you have nothing to worry about… please please come, I don't want this to end just yet… please? he smiled hopeful

Adrian: He sighed soft but nodded Okay truth was, the fact that Dalton felt just the same, not wanting the fresh magic to end just yet, was all he needed to hear to be on board… nothing else mattered then, only Dalton

[pearatwar]

it took me 250 posts to realize i haven't made an introductory post (light tw!)

I'm (War)Pear! (he/they, pansexual, cis)

Lore: I was born during a lonely lonely 2006 night in shitfuck-nowhere in Italy, and I live there to this day. I pretended to like poetry to impress a girl and now we're friends and I got into poetry for real! (came for copper and found gold type shi). I talked about my feelings with my english teacher and I got sent to the psych ward and put on antidepressants.

Since I can't be bothered to make a second blog, I use this one for everything, from vents about sh and other TW worthy arguments to shitposts and reblogs about the last thing I saw on my dashboard

I have autism, diagnosed, but I stand with and for undiagnosed people. You're valid!

Stuff I like!

Technology and computers! (special interest! i even go to a school that specializes in that)

Videogames! Guilty Gear, roguelikes, and. uhm. league. of legends. *cough*

Talking. I need a listener

Listening. I need a talker

Music! My music taste is music except the music I don't like

Loathing my past!

Linguistics! I almost got a C2 english certification but I scored 199/200 for the score required for it on my C1 test so I only have C1

Bigots and other bad people DNI or I will bite you! /neg

Moots and everyone else interact! I will bite you! /pos

More stuff down below because I hate it when long posts take up all my dashboard

F.A.Q.

Q. What's your favorite color?

A. I bet you can't tell. Yellow is a close second.

Q. What about your least favorite color?

A. Light blue. The kind of light blue you'd see in the color selection for Mii shirts on the Wii or 3DS.

Q. Why the obsession with pears?

A. I just wanted to find a quirky alias. I'll tell you the story sooner or later!

Q. What do you play games on?

A. An office laptop I put on steroids (a 16 GB RAM stick) and a Steam Deck (not OLED). I wish I was joking

Q. How often do you post? Do you have a schedule?

A. I post whenever I remember I exist or I have nothing better to do. You'll notice because if you have notifications on you'll get swarmed.

Q. Summer or winter?

A. I live in a seaside city but I HATE the beach. I HATE the sun. I HATE summer. Winter is cozy :]

Q. Relationship with your parents?

A. Love-hate. Next.

Q. Rank on League?

A. I don't play ranked! Ew!

Q. Other accounts?

A. uhm. uhh. erm. become my friend first! then i'll tell ya

Q. Relevant tags?

A. #pearblogging , #pearventing and #pear's bus tales are all personal tags that I will probably start tp use more, not counting one-off quirky tags. I generally don't even bother with tags, because I'm too lazy

[lumine-blight]

cold ― an albedo imagine.

i'm pissed because i'm offline and my downloaded pdf version of an ao3 fanfic is unfinished so here's an albedo fic inspired by it. here's the link to the fic: <3

genre: fluff (?)

word count: 3.6k

tags: albedo is kind of a jerk at first, you're new working under his wing, not much romance in this tbh, but it's albedo so its okay, AND THERES AN ALBEDO RERUN CONFRIMED IM GONNA CRYSRKJSDF

Ever since the Grandmaster Varka set out on an expedition with a whole army of soldiers and all the available horses of the cavalry, the Knights of Favonius' number and performance has plummeted. Well, that could be an exaggeration but it's somewhat that way, anyway. There were less of the better trained knights and more duties to fulfill. And talk about the former cavalry captain's stepping down. Diluc was one of the best knights, but now he sees the knights as nothing but, well, inefficient. Though you barely got to work with him before, you still kept in touch somehow, but it would mostly annoy him. But the tavern was a pretty nice and cozy place to hang out when you're off duty. Diluc murmuring the inefficiency of the Knights of Favonius just makes it better.

After the mass recruitment drive last month, and the tryouts last week, Kaeya now had the list of the better suited and well versed knights to be put in consideration for joining the Knights of Favonius. Though, this too, made you question the real nature of the man's work. Wouldn't matters like this be more fitting for the Intelligence team? Recon? Better yet, the Recruitment Department. What's a cavalry captain doing gathering intel and using them against the treasure hoarders anyway? And most importantly, what is he doing being the one to look at everyone's backgrounds?

Despite all these questions that have been in your head for the longest while now—every time you heard of Kaeya—you dare not ask. It would be fair to say that you aren't exactly so fond of him. Or just that you aren't one to strike a conversation with him and hit it off even though he himself is already the smooth talker. You weren't much of that, but being a part of the Reconnaissance Company you knew how to handle people. You usually did that instead of Eula. You know just how much she holds on to having vengeance, it never really works well with others—most, if you may.

“Oh, and by the way, we had to do a little bit of...let's call it revamping. Or reshuffling, if you may. Those who seem capable enough of other areas other than those that they are a part of now, will be transferred to a different team,” said Kaeya, and his gaze fixing upon you didn't give any good indications. You broke the brief eye contact, and looked around the room, at the other knights called to go to the meeting. You looked over at Jean, then at Eula. Now that you've thought of it, where are the others? Sure, you knew familiar faces here, such as Huffman, Aramis, and more of the other knights. But that wasn't exactly the point. Amber wasn't here, and so was Sucrose. Her superior, the chief alchemist, was always gone anyway so it wasn't a bother.

“This doesn't feel right...” you thought out loud—or muttered to yourself, better put. Lisa wasn't here either—at this point you were only beginning to notice everyone who wasn't with you in the meeting. You thought you were assigned to go because you were second to Eula in the Recon Company, but now you're having your doubts.

“There were very few who were capable of joining the Investigation Team. Either they simply had no experience or not enough knowledge to immediately kickstart work. So, we are transferring Ms. Y/N to the Investigation Team under the Chief Alchemist's supervision,” Kaeya announced, and you gripped on your vision at that, feeling it's heat rise as it glowed, only a few tiny rays of red escaping through your hands.

“You've tinkered around alchemy before, haven't you Ms. Y/N? I'm sure there wouldn't be much of a problem between you and our dearest Chief Alchemist,” Kaeya said, the joking (or mocking) tone underneath almost seeping out with only a thin layer of formality. You continued to feel dread thinking of having to stay in that cold and steep mountain, and Kaeya continued to announce who is being transferred to

which. Great, you're alone as an Investigation Team newbie.

...

At that point, the only hope you had was Sucrose. She was the only one you could actually hold a proper conversation with, or so you believe. You'd hang out with her a few times, usually by the crafting station in the city where she would talk to you about her latest discoveries ever so passionately. The way Sucrose loved her area of work was the same way you felt about negotiating and delegating, but now you had to drown yourself in research papers and study certain properties of certain materials and whatnot. Sure, you did tinker around alchemy for some time, but there was a reason why it had only lasted a certain amount of time.

You often find yourself delving into a new field, a whole new area of study, and a whole new passion to immerse yourself in. But you could never really stick with it. Once you were interested in history and hung out in the library for pretty much all your free time, then you grew the same interest for cooking, and so on, so forth. Of course it went the same for alchemy. While at some point you did think Alchemy was THE thing, it didn't last long enough for you to stay too invested in. And so you ended up in the Reconnaissance Company with Eula, mostly because she was the only one there at that time, and the field covered by the work seemed diverse enough.

You sighed, cold smoke slipping past your lips and forming cloud-like shapes dissipating in a fleeting moment. Taking out your catalyst which you had freshly forged from Wagner's, you lit a nearby torch, your Pyro vision burning bright red once more, as you thought about how difficult climbing this mountain was. Thankfully, the path was already cleared so as not to have hilichurls slowing you down.

After that rest you took halfway into the mountain, you continued your venture through the cold icy mountain to the camp where the rest of the researchers currently are. You were pretty nervous despite already knowing who you were working with. You weren't so familiar with Albedo, despite your relations to Alchemy, because at the time when you dabbled in the arts of life, he was just in the mountains, developing the warmers replicated from the nature of seelies. You never actually got to see one of those in person, since you barely went to Dragonspine—you almost never did, unless some unfortunate situations occur and you would have to do the patrolling around that area yourself, being the most qualified for wielding Pyro for warmth.

You weren't sure what or who exactly to expect, but caught in surprise when you were only met with one person. Not even one to acknowledge your existence and welcome you after trekking through extreme temperatures. You stood there awkwardly for a good minute or two with hands holding onto the straps of your leather backpack. You let out a fake cough, then another one, and a third one.

No response.

This lack of acknowledgement prompted you to be the one to approach the man so fully immersed in his papers he couldn't even notice that the fire on his torch has now gone out.

“Mr. Albedo...?” you carefully called out. Most of the time, you would be more confident rather than having your volume decrease through a word. Though, you couldn't be blamed. While Albedo himself seems like a decent person overall, he just had this cold aura around him. It's almost surprising how he didn't get a Cryo vision instead. But well, Geo does fit his grounded attitude towards his work.

He sighed, and placed the papers he was reading on the table beside the flasks. Albedo finally faced you, and you wondered whether he was just simply uninterested or his brain dried out reading those reports. He said nothing.

“...”

“...”

“Ah—right! I'm Y/N, and I've been transferred to work under your wing from now on. I hope we can work well together along with the rest of the team.” Before you could go on asking where the rest of the team was, you held out a hand for a handshake, which, by the way, hung there in the cold and open air for a good five seconds before Albedo

shook it. His hands seemed to linger for a while longer though, and you figured it was because of your naturally warmer temperature, and the fact that his fire has been put out since you got there.

“Great to meet you. Will you please light this torch up so I can continue with my research,” he asked, not even sounding like a question at all. Though, you did what you were asked anyway. After doing so, you were eager to get to know the guy, so that you could also help with something other than lighting torches. You didn't train and learn Alchemy only to be a human matchbox.

“Oh, did you mean OUR research? So, what do we have here, Mr. Albedo?” you walked up to him and peeked on his papers, then proceeded to observe the graphs and tables posted on the board before you.

“No, this is my research. I'm not doing this for the Knights, as you should've noticed already. If I were, then Sucrose and Timaeus would've accompanied me,” he answered flatly.

You were currently left with no words, and pondered whether you should just leave him with his own personal research and go look for the other researchers to have them orient you instead. Even if you traversed that difficult path up here to the camp, you felt as though you were unwelcomed, which might as well be.

“O-oh, is that so? My apologies, I thought today was the day when I was supposed to be oriented around the team. I'll get going, then—”

“No, you're not. I ran out of matches in the middle of an experiment. If the fire goes out once more, I'd freeze to death. I already asked Timaeus to bring me some matches on his way. You can leave once he's back.”

“Hold up. So basically, I'll be here as a tool while you wait for your other researchers to do your errands?” you were getting irritated, and it was showing with your manner of speaking.

“As someone who claimed to have the skills with people, you seem short-tempered. More to the reasons why you're transferred, it seems.”

“Oh, Barbatos, I cannot believe I'll be working with a bitch as my superior,” you muttered under your breath, though you were pretty sure it was audible to Albedo. Unless he wasn't paying attention again. Turns out, he wasn't. With that, you saw no point in arguing further, and decided to head back down no matter how much your body is aching already.

Though, special thank you for your Pyro vision that melted all the surrounding snow, the ground was now slippery and you became its victim. This time Albedo paid attention to you without you having to solicit it from him. Despite being unsolicited, you hated it because he only ever looked when he needed your assistance that's not even work-related, or when he insulted you.

“What're you looking at now, Mr. Albedo? Please, if you shall, go back to your research. I don't want to be taking too much of your time,” you spat, with sarcasm seeping on each word.

“Ms. Y/N, I strongly don't recommend going down all alone. By now, snow has probably started accumulating again, getting thicker and thicker. And given the circumstances, you may slip again once your steps melt the snow. Though this time it would be worse because the slopes are steep and there's no one who can help you out.”

Albedo confused the living daylights out of you. So did he want you to leave or stay? Well, surely he wanted you to stay so he could have infinite warmth while his apprentice ran his errand. But you didn't feel quite welcome either. You didn't reply, and just shot him a look for a while, trying to fathom his words. He stared back, but was the one to break it, clearing his throat as he continued on with his research. You felt rather victorious, as childish as it sounds, because he was the one to break eye contact. It's as if you had the bragging rights to say he looked away first and therefore was the first one to feel self-conscious.

“Alright, I'll stay in one condition,” you finally spoke up.

“Why should I have to agree to your condition? I'm good here as I am.”

“Just minutes ago you were asking me to light a torch so that you wouldn't freeze to death,��� you scoffed. “But

anyway, tell me more about your research and I'll give you my insights and more helpful resources. I guarantee you they're credible.”

“You know nothing of what I'm researching. Just leave it and stay here to warm me up,” he said, almost as if purposely pissing you off again. You thought of one way to both warm him up and shut him up, but it was a little too inappropriate given your working status, and no way in hell did you want to associate yourself with him in such intimate terms—you immediately cut off that train of thought.

“That's precisely why I asked for more details, is it not?” Somehow, his attempts of pissing you off is actually working, but you stood your ground, skimmed through the board and gathered some thoughts together. You took a deep breath to stop yourself from throwing hands right on his pretty face at the moment. You regained composure.

“So, what is the truth of this world? You mean like natural sciences with philosophy on the side? Seems like it.”

“Not necessarily, but in a way, yes. I'm trying to understand how things work in this world, how life is formed and destroyed. For example, the slimes which could be a manifestation of the elemental energy in the surroundings.”

“Could be, yes. But not every human being can stand elemental energy. Sure, it's not that high in concentration around the more populated parts but continuous exposure to it could start to cause harm. So I'd say that the slimes are more of uh...a residue.”

“Continuous exposure to a certain amount of elemental energy you say? One could think you're talking about radioactive energy...but it does make sense, in a way. But I don't believe the energy surrounding us could be that intense. In fact, I do think it's harmless. Only the manifestations—residue—are the ones that could cause harm.

Say for example, the flora that accumulated energy and turned into a monster. But even though the element is Pyro or Cryo, fire and ice don't have the same effect.”

Your conversation went on, and it was your most civilized one so far. Perhaps when geeking out on natural sciences, you two could experience peace even within a foot or two radius with each other. You continued to talk about how slimes and other elemental beings could be the harmful manifestations of the energies harnessed over time, and how they evolve and such. You discussed how their properties are distinct and how they can deteriorate over time. It got philosophical at some point, when you started quoting certain lines from books and such materials. Even your thoughts when practicing alchemy back then were re-remembered and only now made sense.

It was starting to get late and you were still in the middle of your discussion, drawing maps and connecting dots and taking notes. Of course you had to hydrate yourself, but your water bottle has turned into ice. You took it to your hands and waited until it was warm enough to drink. It wouldn't be a day if Albedo didn't ask you to warm his beverage as well. Not long after the sun started setting halfway, a snowstorm came through, and you were immediately brought to a cave.

“This is where I take shelter when storms come. We should stay here for a while,” he said.

Despite bearing a Pyro Vision, you still felt cold. It's sheer cold you're against, after all. Though, not as much as Albedo, probably.

“Are you cold?” you asked your superior as you looked around the cave for a torch of some sort. Or just something you could light up to amplify the warmth inside.

“I don't think there are any torches here. The only one is in the camp outside, and it'd be too dangerous to go back. But don't worry, I'm accustomed to the extreme temperatures,” Albedo replied, and crouched down to the ground, sitting down.

You followed and sat next to him. This, at least, you hoped warmed him up a bit more.

“By the way, where's Timaeus? I thought he was supposed to arrive earlier—could he have gotten caught in the middle of the storm?” you started to worry, but it seemed that Albedo wasn't bothered at all. You wondered if he simply just has no emotions because of his different origin and nature, or that he just sees everything as a tool for his studies. Sure, that's a good thing to utilize but this would be too far from that.

“Don't worry about him, I'm sure Timaeus is fine,” Albedo replied still in a calm manner. You raised eyebrows at this, and your civilized moments with him are put to an end.

“What do you mean fine? He could be out there freezing to death because you made him run your errands, Albedo!”

This was the first time you called him by his name; not Chief Alchemist, not Mr. Albedo, but just Albedo. And you were pissed. Earlier you saw light that you could actually work pretty well, but now you're taking it back again. Maybe it's a little too early to conclude that, but even Eula Lawrence had more compassion than your new superior.

You stood from the ground and looked outside to see how bad it was getting, how heavy the snow was accumulating, which only worried you even more. You would voluntarily go out and find Timaeus yourself but that wouldn't be such a smart move now, would it? If anything, it's just gonna cause twice the harm. Well, at least Albedo would be the one to blame but that was far too childish and petty.

“For someone who used to lead the Recon Company you're pretty slow, it's fascinating.”

Now, what?

“Excuse me?” you retorted, not taking any of his shenanigans anymore.

“Timaeus is perfectly fine because I didn't send him out to do my "errands" in the first place,” Albedo replied, looking up at you. He put emphasis on the word errands, which only you were using against him earlier.

You didn't know whether to be relieved or be even more pissed. Though, right now, you really felt heated up, with embarrassment, disbelief, and because you felt defeated—and pissed off again. You know, maybe your Pyro Vision just symbolized your hot-headedness, too. Not that it mattered, because you believed that anyone in your situation would most likely feel the same.

But before you could say anything back, Albedo stood up and dusted his robe, before then pulling you back down to sit with him. It left you speechless, the gesture, but you just sat there anyway. There was nothing else you could do, and nowhere else you could go. Outside, the snow rages and piles up until it could melt once more, and you're here in the cave waiting for that.

“Stay closer. I'm cold,” said Albedo, which you wanted to protest against but once again was beat to it. He had already scooted closer to you, and you could feel yourself getting warmer than usual. You dismissed this as simply warmth transfer through body contact, but you were sure Albedo's clothes were thick enough to preserve warmth only to himself.

“What are you doing...” you mumbled, moving farther away from him only to be followed, making your efforts of staying away useless.

“Sorry for earlier, by the way. I didn't mean to be rude, especially to someone who I'll be working with from now on,” said Albedo.

“No, it's fine. I can just request another transfer and find you a new assistant, if that would be better,” you replied.

“Actually, when we were having our discussion earlier, I've come to realize that you're far more interesting. So, to answer that, there is no need. I'll be happy to work with you,” he said. “If, that's still alright with you.”

You stayed silent for a few seconds, processing what he had just said. It almost felt as if you were talking to a whole new Albedo and you weren't sure whether it's a good or bad thing. But given your bad blood with him since your first meeting, you decided simply acknowledging him and being polite wouldn't be your response.

“Interesting? What am I now, a test subject?” you answered, which caused Albedo to panic only until he realized that you were actually just joking.

You proceeded to hold out a hand to him: “Greetings, Mr. Albedo. I'm Y/N, hope we work well together,” you said, as if a restart to your introductions.

“Well, it's nice to meet you. Today will be just a briefing, and I do also hope that we work well. I'm sure you have knowledge of alchemy prior to this?” Albedo played along, and shook your hand. You answered a yes to his question but he said nothing further than that.

Instead, he just kept his hold on your hand, only adjusting your fingers better to be more comfortable. This, means that your fingers were now intertwined, and as you were about to escape from his hold he only held your hands tighter.

“Uh...Mr. Albedo...?” you questioned.

“I'm cold,” was all that he replied.

[obsessivestar]

Steamy Love (Tom Hiddleston x Reader) Part 16: ~Ashamed~

Summary: Another busy week of filming goes by, and you can't help but notice Tom growing distant, with his mind focused on something, or perhaps someone else

Warnings: Lotta angst. Verbal aggression. Yelling.

Read it on my Wattpad: @/HiddlesStar

Word count: 1'667

Tags: @theoneanna @midnightdragonzero @drakesfiance @kcd15 @ihthr @deviantsendbyreallife

For the next couple days, you and Tom were able to be close whenever you were back at the house. Lots of cuddling, kissing, and time in the bedroom. The spark you two had was brighter than lightning itself. You could feel constant warmth around him, and you both knew some sort of bond was growing, and it wasn't the same as your committed 'friends with benefits' sort of thing that's been going on. You were secretly hoping this would grow into something more...romantic. You had even come up with a little household nickname for him after watching I Saw The Light, which turned into one of your favourite movies. You even downloaded the songs he covered from that movie on to your phone. You were amazed at and admired how talented he really is.

Near the end of the week, however, he started to become a little distant. In between takes, he would take a phone call in his dressing room, occasionally laughing with whoever he was talking to. When he'd leave his room, he had a big smile on his face; and on the weekend he would go out almost all evening. By the time he'd get home, you'd be asleep. He never even told you where he was going, not that he really needed to, but the distance that you could feel growing started to worry you. Was he avoiding you? Did you say or do something on set that possibly upset him? You planned to talk to him tonight after filming, hoping you'd catch him before he'd head out the door for the evening.

After shooting some scenes Monday morning, you and Tom were able to go home early, so you'd get the afternoon with him, at least. You could tell he had planned to go out again, as he didn't hang up his coat in the closet when you two got home. You moved to the kitchen to make dinner for the evening, feeling warm hands wrap around your waist from behind as you reached up to grab a cutting board. Tom's hands found their way on to your hips, getting under your shirt somewhat. As you lowered your hands down with a heavy blush, he leaned down to start kissing the back of your neck, leaning down more to kiss your shoulder. You knew what he was trying to do. You guys have nearly been doing this everyday, but you can never get over how warm his kisses feel, how his touch makes you shudder.

"T-Tom.." You spoke softly to hold back a moan, feeling his hands slowly move up into your shirt, nipping at your ear with a quiet snarl.

"H-Hey, wait-.." You managed to grab his wrists somewhat and bring his hands down. You didn't dislike his touching, but you knew if it continued, you'd be too tired later on to talk to him.

He reluctantly pulled his hands back. "Everything alright?.." He asked, putting his hands in his jean pockets. You let out a little sigh, closing the cupboards and turning to face him.

"I, uh...wanted to talk to you about last weekend.." You admitted, seeing the slight confusion on his face.

"...Alright.." Tom winced slightly, crossing his arms "but what is there to talk about?"

"W-Well.." You didn't like the way he asked that, but you remained relaxed. "I've...You've been going out all night these past couple days, I'm...just wondering where you're going." You spoke, closing your eyes for a moment with a huff after realizing how that sounded, but Tom spoke again before you could rephrase yourself.

"What do you mean? I've just been going out for dinner. It's nice to change things up a bit.." He wore a slight smile, hoping to keep the conversation normal.

"Well, how come you haven't offered for me to come along?" You asked with a slight frown. "Y-You've been...on the phone with someone for most of the day, and then you head out for like the whole night without me."

"I figured since we both agreed to keep our...companionship a secret, it's best not to go out to dinner together. We may be found out that way." Tom admitted.

"So you just go out to dinner all by yourself?" You asked.

Tom didn't give an exact answer to that right away. It was as if he was thinking on how to explain this, wanting to choose his words wisely.

"I don't go out to dinner alone." He finally said.

"Yeah, I figured as much." You huffed. "I assume you're going out to see whoever you've been talking to on the phone all week.."

At this point, you were getting notably upset and annoyed. You were both aggravated with one another. He didn't appreciate the interrogation, and you didn't like the secrecy. This argument is not going to end well. You can feel it. You're just too upset to really try and calm the situation down. We all have moments where our emotions get the best of us. Unfortunately, this is one of those moments.

"What, do you believe I'm off having secret dates without your knowledge?" Tom gave a slight glare, furrowing his eyebrows. "Do you really think I would do that?"

"I-I don't know what you'd do!" You shrugged. "I don't know what goes inside your brain. I don't know you that well."

"You know me well enough to be in my bed every night." Tom shot back. That was a low blow, enough to make you give him an angered expression before turning away.

He immedietly realized how hurtful that sounded.

"Darling, wait--.." Tom frowned, catching you as you tried to leave the kitchen by grabbing your hand somewhat. He didn't tug at your arm or aggressively hold you in the room, but he kept a firm hold to stop you, hoping to turn the argument away somehow. "Y-You're right, alright? I have been having dinner with the person on the phone, but--"

You turned to him, moving your hand away with a glare. "Who? Who is it?" You asked in a serious tone. Normally you speak to him with kindness. With softness. Now, your tone is strong and stern.

"I-It's...the woman I was seeing back at home. The one I told you about on the phone, before we flew here." Tom admitted. "Her name is Amanda.."

You remember him talking about her. She was the one that dumped him because he'd be filming in America.

"Her?" You smiled somewhat sadly. "She dumps you because you're moving, then conveniently ends up in America anyways? Fucking..." You look away for a moment, an uncomfortable chuckle slipping out due to your nerves rising. "Why the hell are you having dinner with her?"

"She was only here for business. She came down for this week." Tom replied. "I only wanted to have one dinner with her, but she's...persistent. She's a very fast talker. I haven't figured out how to let her down easy.."

"Persistent? What does that mean?" You asked. "Has she tried anything?" You were hoping for a quick no, but he hesitated. He fucking hesitated. You saw he was gazing into your eyes, his blue hues looking almost lost. Was he looking for an answer that wouldn't upset you? Was he stalling to come up with a lie?

"She's...leaned in, once, but I denied her immedietly--" Tom spoke.

You didn't even let him finish, feeling your anxiety rise up and your heartbeat quicken in your chest, to the point where you can feel it without thinking about it.

"I can't fucking believe you.." You spoke, trying to leave the kitchen again.

"Darling--" Tom tried to follow you, but you turned around to step up to him somewhat.

"Don't fucking 'Darling' me! Are you kidding me?" You raised your voice. Even though you were shorter than him, he backed away as if you were 10 feet tall.

"You want to avoid being seen with me in public, but you're willing to risk the paparazzi seeing that random woman lean in for a kiss!?" You were nearly yelling. You couldn't comprehend how angry you felt. Even if he was making good points, you were just too angry to listen. "It's almost like you want to hide me!"

"(Y/N)--"

"Don't." You interrupted him as he spoke your name. You weren't sure what either of you would do if this continued as it is, so you stormed out of the kitchen. "Come talk to me when you're not ashamed of me!" You yelled as you entered your old room, slamming the door.

If you weren't so angry, he probably would've been able to explain himself in a way you'd understand, but for now, you just wanted the day to end, to let this rage fade away naturally. You got out of your clothes and straight into your pajamas. You didn't care if it was just the evening. For you, the day was over.

Tom was shocked to see you so upset with him, to ser you so angry in general. No matter how angry you had become, you had a point. He said he doesn't share, even with a clear lust driven relationship, but here he is having dinner and late night walks with another woman. Even if nothing happens, the romantic bit of being alone with Amanda could be considered cheating all on it's own.

Tom figured neither of you would be cooking dinner, so he turned in to his room for the night. Most of your things were in there since you two had basically begun sharing a room. Seeing your clothes in the hamper made him sad. He was sad for what he had done, and what had been said.

Maybe after you've calmed down tomorrow, he'll do something nice to show where his priorities lie. He's willing to prove that he isn't ashamed to be with you.

He's got a plan.