#kindly ignore the foot situation

[3rachasdomesticbanana]

Side Effects II | Bang Chan

• Synopsis: Y/N is dealing with unspoken feelings for Jisung, who suddenly becomes distant while dealing with his own feelings and guilt. Chan, who's stuck in the middle, tries to comfort Y/N while secretly struggling with the side effects of their invisibility elixir. Every night things get harder for both Y/N and Chan.

Can Chan fight through the side effects like he thinks he can?

• Pairing: science nerd Chan x Female Reader

• Content Includes: smut, oral (f receiving), unprotected sex, masturbation (m)

an: as always I'm sure there's something I forgot to add in the "Contents Includes" so if you feel like something should be mentioned please kindly let me know♡

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Part I

It's been a few months since you thought that your and Jisung's apartment was haunted. The random items moving and the dreams just suddenly stopped, and life slowly returned to something resembling normal. You wouldn't quite call it normal though because Jisung has been acting stranger than usual. He avoids you in the mornings and even more so at night. The behavior eats at you, leaving a heavy, sad feeling in your chest. You had hoped the situation would resolve itself and he'd come around but when Jisung practically runs away as you enter the kitchen, it's the last straw.

"Han Jisung! Don't you move another inch without telling me what's going on. Why are you avoiding me?" you demand, staring at his broad, lean back. Even through his lab coat or hoodies, his muscular build is apparent.

"I- I'm not avoiding you, Y/N. Just... uh... busy." he stammers, his voice trembling slightly.

"Yeah? Then why won't you turn around and look at me?" you challenge, frustration seeping into your tone.

You half-expect him to ignore you but when he turns around, it feels like all the air leaves your lungs. His eyes are half-lidded, his cheeks red and he nervously chews on his bottom lip. The water bottle in his hand shakes as he squeezes the clear plastic. What is going on with him?

"Sungie... tell me what's wrong," you whisper, stepping closer.

He visibly gulps and shakes his head. When you're right in front of him, you reach out and brush some hair out of his eyes. His hair has grown so long lately and you wonder if he'll keep it that way. Secretly, you love the length on him. Lost in your thoughts about his hair, you fail to notice the hungry, crazed look in Jisung's eyes or how erratic his breathing has become as his gaze burns into you. You're only pulled out of your daydream when the bottle slips from his hands.

You look away from his hair, "Ji, you-"

Your words are cut short when he grabs your shoulders tightly, backing you up further into the kitchen until your back hits the counter beside the fridge. It's not painful but you whimper in surprise and confusion. Jisung closes his eyes, squeezing them shut with all his might like he's in pain.

"Are you hurt, Ji? What is it? Talk to me." you plead, trying to lift your hands to reach out to him.

He tightens his grip on your arms, keeping you from moving. He looks like he's struggling and with him holding you still, there's nothing you can do, especially since he won't talk. You open your mouth and take a deep breath, ready to call for help, hoping Chan is in the next room. Jisung's left hand quickly covers your mouth.

"Don't scream until I say you can." he orders, his voice dark and sending chills all over your body. "Trust me, you'll be screaming plenty, sweetie. I know that when you've got your fingers inside that sweet cunt of yours, you call out my name."

Your eyes widen, and you mumble behind Jisung's hot hand. He smirks, tilting his head to the side while his eyes search your face. He's not wrong but you've never seen this side of him. Hearing him talk about you fingering yourself to the thought of him makes you wet and you shift your footing. Jisung laughs and leans closer to your ear.

"See, you're wet right now and I haven't even done anything yet. When I'm done with you, you'll be rendered to a liquid. Maybe I'll keep you on my desk in one of my beakers and fuck you every night." he murmurs, biting down hard on your neck and sucking, making you cry out and moan. The sound escapes his palm and he rubs the bulge in his sweats against you. "This is what you wanted, wasn't it? I tried to keep away from you..."

He spins you around suddenly and you gasp, your palms and breasts are pushed onto the cold surface of the counter. You feel Jisung push your shorts down, the cold air hitting your hot skin makes you shiver just as Jisung thrusts up, impaling you with his cock. He's rough, brutal, and quick. Each time he rams into you, your stomach pushes into the edge of the counter, making each of your gasps sound like a breathy, short grunt.

"Does my cock feel as good as you imagined, y/n?" Jisung asks through gritted teeth, grabbing your hair at the nape and snapping his hips up and into you.

You groan loudly in response, eyes rolling back as your orgasm quickly builds. Your moans and breathing grow louder when he starts to fuck you faster. The kitchen fades away from your view and all your senses are consumed by Jisung.

"That's it, baby, scream for me. Scream for Jisung." he growls.

Your body tenses, and your panting sounds like that of a rabid, wounded animal that turns into full blown screaming as you quickly descend into bliss, crying out his name. Your body shakes, knees threatening to buckle and collapse until you wake up with a jolt, gasping and sitting up, dripping with sweat in the darkness of your bedroom.

You hear faint music coming from Jisung's room and sigh. Dreams of Jisung have been so constant lately. Not like the realistic dreams you had before, but those simple fantasies where he's fucking you until you can't stand. With another sigh, you get up and disappear into your bathroom for a cold shower.

Chan takes the opportunity to slip out of your room and carefully shut your door. His heart pounds in his chest, and he closes his eyes, focusing on calming his breathing. He lost track of how long he was under the elixir's effects and that was the whole point of this test. It's not the fact that he failed to keep a mental record that has him stressing right now though.

“Fuck, fuck…” he whispers, removing his glasses and scrubbing a hand down his face.

He can't understand why watching you sleep just now suddenly had him feeling so aroused. After weeks of watching you and studying what you could hear or notice while he was invisible, he never once felt turned on. He was always so fully focused on his study. He sat down in your chair, placed in the corner of your room by the window, and watched you toss and turn in your sleep. The way your facial expressions changed lightly and the soft, almost inaudible sounds you made fascinated him.

“Yeah, it's fascinating, that's all.” Chan mutters in the hall, hearing the water from the shower inside your room.

The happy twitch of his cock begs to differ from what he is trying to convince himself of. He shakes his head as if he can shake out the thoughts of you that try to formalize in his mind's eye. He needs to think about anything other than watching you cum in your sleep. But the more Chan tries to think of something else, the harder he feels his cock get. He pushes up from your door, about to plunge his face into some cold water in the kitchen when he hears a soft orgasmic moan past the sound of splattering water from the door behind him.

Before he can think, his hands are twisting the doorknob and cracking open your bedroom door. He gulps, knowing that if you walk into your bedroom, you'll see him since the elixir has already worn off, making him visible again. That fact is at the back of his mind, though and the only thing on his mind now is hearing the sounds of pleasure from the open door of your bathroom.

His hand slips inside of his black shorts, gripping the thick heaviness of his cock faster than he's ever been. There, half in your room and half out, Chan pumps his cock from inside his shorts. It feels incredible, different even, compared to the many times he's jerked off in the past. The sensation of pleasure feels like it's been heightened.

“Is this a… a side effect?” he whispers to himself and groans when he hears you let out a high-pitched gasp.

His hand slides up and down along his cock fast, the squelching noises coming from him covered up by the music in Jisung's room and the shower running. Precum seeps from the head of his cock, ruining his shorts with every stroke of his hand. He leans his forehead against the doorframe, closing his eyes and giving in completely to the feeling.

“Oh fuck y/n. Make yourself cum for Channie.” he thinks. He doesn't dare make a sound; he doesn't trust himself enough to be quiet if he were to open his mouth.

Still, even with his lips tightly shut, his breathing becomes louder, and he's lost all his control. Faster and faster, his hand moves, and the flapping sound of fabric joins in with the sounds of wet skin. He's trying to hold on, to see if he can cum at the same time as you, but he's too on edge, too needy, and far too desperate for release.

“Oh my gosh, oh fuck! I'm cumming. Fuck, shit.” His voice is just a tad louder than he meant, but he doesn't care. His orgasm is mind-altering, and it only intensifies when he hears your climax shortly after. The long, loud, shuddering exhale is enough confirmation for Chan. He wants to stay there, cock softening in his hand, for a few more minutes but getting caught with a large wet spot on the front of his shorts with his cock in hand wouldn't go over well with you, he thinks.

Your door clicks softly when Chan shuts it again. Before heading back to Jisung, he quickly gets some paper towels from the kitchen and cleans himself up as best as possible to not make Jisung suspicious. He's never confessed it to him, but Chan can see the way Jisung looks at you, like you're the lost city of Atlantis, and he's just discovered the beauty. He knows his buddy has a massive crush on you, so if Jisung knew that he just came to the sound of you, he'd be pissed. Chan couldn't help it, though; he knows that science can explain that he really couldn't control his body's reaction, but it couldn't excuse the way he felt compelled to jerk off to you.

“A side effect maybe? Can't be too sure, and we can't put it down as one without being one hundred percent positive.” he muses, tossing the crumpled-up paper towel into the trash and getting a bottle of water from the fridge.

You walk into the kitchen, hair wet and cheeks slightly rosy. Your face lights up, and you smile when you see Chan in the kitchen taking large gulps of water like he was dying of thirst.

“Oh! Hey, Channie. Needed a break, huh?” you ask brightly.

Chan sputters and stumbles over his words as he tells you that he and Jisung are indeed taking a break and how it's a really good break, just relaxing and doing regular break things. His words, not yours. You giggle and squeeze past him to get a bottle of water. Chan's eyes are glued to you, and thoughts of you moaning find their way back to him. His cock springs to life again with speed. He quickly bends over the counter, looking nonchalant when you stand up and turn around.

“Well, I hope the experiment isn't causing you two too much stress. You're looking a little pale, Channie,” you say, placing your palm on his brow. “No fever but you're a little clammy. Don't overdo it, boys.” You say and leave a very horny and nervous Chan alone in the kitchen.

The way you look after them is something Chan has always admired about you. Sure, you had a tendency to baby them a little bit but it was all out of the goodness of your heart. Your random acts of kindness always put a smile on his face. It never gave him a reaction like this, though. Not even fifteen minutes after cumming, he was hard again. At this rate, he's sure Jisung is getting suspicious of what's taking him so long. And just as he expected, when Chan walks into the room twenty minutes later after another orgasm in the kitchen, he's bombarded with questions.

“What the hell took so long? Did she catch you? Is our secret blown?” Jisung looks up at Chan from his computer chair, wide brown eyes full of curiosity and worry.

Chan shakes his head and flops down onto the air mattress that is his bed while he stays with Jisung. He's supposed to be making sure Jisung doesn't do anything and here he is, no better than his friend.

“I wasn't caught; she just caught me in the kitchen getting a drink. That stuff leaves the weirdest aftertaste, ugh.” He replies with a laugh, hoping that Jisung won't ask too many questions about you.

He doesn't need to get hard in front of his friend while he questions him about the girl he likes. To Chan's surprise, Jisung doesn't bring you up anymore other than that initial question. He does offer to mix some flavoring into the next batch before it comes down to doing more tests. The two work on things a little longer before calling it a night. That night, however, Chan's once peaceful, normal dreams are filled with you. Your face is clear as day, and the feeling of your tongue licking and gliding over his cock feels so real that he wakes up on the verge of cumming again. He shuffles into Jisung's bathroom and takes care of himself to the dream version of you that was on her knees in front of him.

Chan's dreams, desires, and arousal become more and more intense but you and Jisung remain unaware. You've got too much on your mind with how your roommate has been avoiding you like you've got the plague. You're so lost in every scenario and reasoning you come up with that you don't notice the way Chan watches you. You never catch him as he palms his stiff cock, desperate to ease the ache, all while you move around the apartment. He tries his hardest to not do the things that Jisung was doing when it comes to you while being invisible, but it's hard when he's in your room as you grind your hips and circle your clit with two fingers, moaning his best friend's name. It takes all his strength to not cum just from your sounds; it takes even more strength not to bury his face between your thighs and lap up your arousal after you cum.

All in all, Chan likes to think he's been good. He can fight the temptations that Ji gave in to, he's positive. Or so he thought. All day today, you unknowingly enticed him. Even the disappointment on your face when Jisung gave you a curt greeting had him twitching in his jeans. The loud sigh you let out when Jisung shut the door to his bedroom reminds Chan of the exact sound you make when you orgasm. He forces the thought away.

Not now, Chan, damn it. Can't you see she's upset?

“Don't worry about Ji, y/n, he's just stressed,” you hear Chan say.

Your eyes move from where they were fixated on the closed door and over to the curly-haired man with glasses. “Was it that obvious I was worried?” you ask, smiling weakly at him.

He shakes his head, ”Not at all, cutie, I just know you. You're always worrying about us.”

He pulls you in for a hug, and you feel his warmth melt away all your worries. You wrap your arms around his middle, relaxing in his embrace. The sweet vanilla and subtle cedar scent that is uniquely him surrounds you.

"Thanks, Channie," you say softly, sighing with contentment.

Just as quickly as the hug began, it’s over. He steps back, smiling shyly. The tops of his ears are a bright red, and he tugs on the lobe of his right ear, looking away from you.

“No worries. You know what they say—hugs make everything better, yeah?”

You nod and smile at him. He’s adorable when he gets flustered. He’s got to be the shyest extrovert you know. And he’s right—his hug did improve your mood a lot. Standing on your toes, you place a quick, chaste kiss on his cheek and thank him again before leaving the kitchen to change your clothes before you start cooking dinner.

Chan is frozen on the spot. Your lips felt so soft against his skin, and now his cock won't stop pulsating. He can still feel the ghost of your kiss pressing into the side of his face. “Fuck,” he grunts, gripping the counter, staring at the door to your room. His cock bounces wildly in the confines of his jeans and briefs. He hangs his head low, eyes closed, and tries to think of something else.

Ice cream. Yeah. Sweet, delicious, creamy… just like her pussy. Oh fuck, fuck. No!

The knuckles on both his hands turn white as he grips the edge of the counter harder. He tries to think of something else, but it fails too. His hips start moving, thrusting as if you drank the elixir and now you’re invisible, and he’s fucking you. That thought pushes him further into a place of desire he can't escape. Could I see my cock inside her if she drank it? he wonders. Could I watch my cum fill her up?

“Oh gosh, what I would do to see that. Shit,” he whispers, thrusting into the air faster. He knows that at any moment, you or Jisung could come into the kitchen, but he’s so close. “I'm so fucking close, y/n.”

The sound of a door opening makes Chan stop his crazed humping of the air. He sees you walking, eyes looking down as you put your hair into a high ponytail. Fuck, fuck, fuck. He imagines you getting ready to suck him off right there in the kitchen. His cock still bounces in his dark black jeans, the head pushing up into the cotton of his briefs, the friction feeling phenomenal. He can still feel his orgasm building, even as he stands completely still.

“Oh hey, Channie. Didn’t expect to see you still in the kitchen,” you say, walking past him.

The smell of strawberries and cream wafts past Chan, and his eyes close. He feels precum flowing out of his cock steadily now and he can't move. He tries to respond to you, but it comes out raspy and gravelly. He clears his throat and speaks again, trying to sound casual.

“Y-yeah, just giving Ji some time to himself,” he says behind you as you pull out all the ingredients you need to make dinner.

“That’s sweet of you,” you say, and Chan mumbles something that sounds like “Mhm” to you.

Honestly, he tried to say something else to keep the conversation going, but he couldn't stop the moan that made its way out. He mentally curses himself and looks over his shoulder. You’re focused on washing some veggies, the sound of the water hiding his soft, stifled breathing.

“I’m gonna cum. Fuck, her voice. Need to hear her. Need to feel her touching me.” He thinks.

He jumps when he feels a hand on his back. He doesn’t dare look at you. “Whoa, you okay? You’re shaking, Channie, and you’re really red,” worry fills your voice as you rub wide circles on his back.

“Mhm, headache,” he huffs.

Keep going, y/n. Don’t stop. Please don’t fucking stop.

“Do you need anything?” you ask, and he shakes his head slowly.

His cock is bouncing out of control now, and he hunches over, burying his face in his arm.

“Fuck,” he gasps, feeling you move closer to him. Your warmth and sweet scent send him spiraling, and he digs his nails into his arm.

“Chan?” you whisper, and he immediately spills his seed inside his jeans, like you calling his name flipped a switch. For a moment, he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even move or open his eyes; he just stays still, waiting for the aftershocks to subside.

“I’m fine, y/n.” He says finally. “Shit, thank you. I feel a lot better,” he sighs, standing up straight. He’s panting softly and smiling down at you. “I’m sorry if I worried you. Guess I’ve inhaled too many fumes in Ji’s room.” He chuckles, and you give him a relieved smile.

“I’ve got to remember to get you two some face masks or something. You had me worried, sir.” you roll your eyes, smiling, and turn around to start chopping up the vegetables on the cutting board. “You take it easy okay? I’ll let you two know when I’m done… Even if Sungie is ignoring me,” you mutter the last part under your breath bitterly.

You feel Chan’s hand on your shoulder. It’s warm, strong, and comforting, blocking out any negative thoughts. His chest is close to your back, and you stop the meticulous chopping. Very slowly, you feel him bend down and place a soft, gentle kiss on the top of your head.

“He’ll come around. Thanks again, y/n.” Chan says and leaves you to your chopping.

He wanted to stay, to watch you move around the kitchen, but he needed to clean up and get to work. Back in Jisung's room, with fresh clothes and a clearer head, he works on the test beakers full of the elixir. Each container contains a diluted version of the elixir, and they’ve been testing its reaction with different chemicals to prolong the effects. So far, all six beakers show no changes, and they still haven’t noticed any significant side effects caused by the elixir, only the ones they refuse to acknowledge.

An hour passes, and both men are drowning in notes and textbooks when they hear a soft tap on the door and your calm, melodic voice letting them know that the food is done. Typically, they’ll grab some food and scurry back into the bedroom to eat and brainstorm, but as you sit on the barstool on the other side of the kitchen island, you hear them in some hushed conversation. When you look up from your phone, you catch Jisung’s eyes on you, and he quickly looks away. Ignoring them both, you continue to eat and text your friend.

You: Can’t wait for you to finally move closer. These guys are cool but with Ji avoiding me, the place feels heavy.

Bestie: Don’t worry. I’ll be there before you know it. Just try not to get into any weird situations.

You: This is me we’re talking about…

Bestie: Girl, exactly! Lol, stay out of trouble!

You: Lmao aye aye, captain 🫰

You’re laughing softly and smiling at your phone when you feel someone slide into the stool next to you. When you look to your left, you’re surprised to see Jisung sitting beside you. His eyes are glued to his plate of food, and he doesn’t look up in your direction. You catch sight of Chan smiling on Jisung’s other side, and you make a mental note to thank him later. Ji still hasn’t said anything to you for whatever strange reason but you’re thankful to Chan that he’s trying to help. You clear your throat and look at Jisung again. His hair is messy and long; you’re usually the one to give him the occasional trim, so now it’s all over the place.

“Um, Ji, do you want me to cut your hair later? It’s a bit longer than you wear it,” you say, trying to sound upbeat. You reach out and touch his hair just below his ear, and he shoots up out of his chair like he’s been electrocuted.

“No!” he shouts, going to stand on the other side of Chan. “I mean… no.” he softens his tone. “I-it’s okay, y/n. Just please don’t touch me.” and he leaves the room.

“Channie… what did I do?” you sniffle and swallow hard, fighting back tears.

This feeling is exactly what you wanted to avoid by having feelings for him. If things are like this now and you have no idea what you’ve done wrong, then how would it be if you two dated? Maybe he can tell I like him, and he doesn’t like me back? You think to yourself as you stare at Jisung’s closed door. Loud music blares from inside, mimicking the chaos in your mind. Chan gets up from his seat to sit beside you.

“You haven’t done anything, y/n. Ji… is dealing with a lot right now,” he tells you, his eyes soft.

He wants to reach out and touch you, to pull you into his arms again, but he fights the urge. It’s a lot easier now than it was a few hours ago. Still, the sight of you on the verge of tears makes him want to hold you and never let you go. Just being a good friend, yeah? Yeah, yeah, of course. He argues with himself internally, but he doesn’t move. He doesn't fully trust himself after what happened in the kitchen earlier.

“Maybe I could help him, ya know? I mean, if he just talked to me like he used to, I'm sure I could be of some help.” Your voice pulls Chan out of his own thoughts and back to the present.

“Maybe just give him some time and space. It'll all blow over soon, Y/N.” He assures you, picking up his and Jisung's plates before retreating into the loud room.

Tension hangs thick in the apartment, and if it weren't for Chan, you'd feel incredibly alone. He spends more time with you lately than he does with Jisung, and you assume it's because he's giving him space, exactly like he told you to do. But that's not entirely Chan's true motive. After his reaction at dinner, Jisung swears that you're the cause of whatever he felt when he drank the liquid, and Chan is determined to prove or disprove that theory.

“I haven't done anything to her while she's slept the entire two weeks, bro. Maybe you took some over-the-counter stuff that you forgot about and it reacted to that.” Chan whispers in the kitchen.

Jisung looks at you while you sit on the couch with your headphones on, gaming. You know the two of them are there; you even know that Jisung is watching you, but you focus on the game. Well, focus might be a loose term; you keep dying each time you try to see Jisung out of your peripheral vision.

“You mean you don't feel anything when you're near her after drinking that stuff?” Jisung asks, his whisper rising in pitch. Chan shakes his head no, but he knows that's not true. He just feels too guilty to tell his friend. “Okay, then it'll be safe to up your dose tonight. Y/N has to work tomorrow, so she'll be asleep early.”

“Uh, yeah. No problem.”

That night, you say goodnight to Chan and retreat into your bedroom as he does the same, disappearing inside Jisung's room. He swallows double the amount of the pastel teal liquid and makes his way into your room while you’re in the shower. He makes himself comfortable in the same chair as always, his heart pounding with anticipation.

Why the fuck do we have to do these specific tests? Damn it, can't we just go back to scaring her? He thinks, chewing on his thumbnail.

While Chan struggles with his nerves, you step out of the bathroom humming softly. If this were an anime, he'd have a bloody nose right about now. Sure, he's heard you orgasm, but this is the first time he's seen you completely naked. He gulps silently and looks away as you sit on the edge of your bed in front of him. His eyes fixate on the thin slit of the black curtain as he hears you rummaging through your desk. He doesn't look at you until your foot comes between his legs, just missing his cock.

Chan's wide, shocked eyes travel from your foot, slowly making their way up your leg and to the exposed apex of your thighs. You start to rub lotion over your skin. The sweet coffee smell fills the room, making Chan feel lightheaded—or is it because he's been holding his breath the whole time, watching your hands glide over your body? Cock hard, he feels like a snake in a trance, and you, the skilled charmer, continue to hypnotize him. He feels something inside him shift, crack, and crumble. Is it his common sense? His composure? His self-control? There's nothing on his mind other than pure lust and desire.

Before you can put on your blue silk short pajama set, Chan is moving. You hear a thud and gasp, jumping back onto the center of your bed. The bed dips and before you can make another sound, strong, warm hands spread your legs wide as you feel the heat and wet sensation of a tongue pushing inside you.

You fall back into the mattress as pleasure washes over you. “Oh my god,” you whisper. The first touch of his tongue sends a jolt of pleasure through you, making you cry out softly.

He licks and sucks, his tongue working you over with a skill that leaves you breathless. You’re writhing, your hands clutching at your pillows and bedsheets, your hips arching off the bed as you chase the pleasure that's quickly building inside of you. You can feel his breath against your inner thigh, and it makes you shiver. The sensation is almost too much, too unexpected.

Were your hallucinations back because you were so stressed about Jisung? The thought comes and goes. Every touch, every lick, every suck is precise, calculated to drive you wild and your legs begin to shake. You can hear the soft sounds of his mouth working against you, the quiet male hum of pleasure that escapes his throat. His tongue slides over your clit just as you feel two fingers push inside you and your hips buck against him. He holds you down, his strong hands gripping your thighs as he devours you. The pleasure builds and builds until you feel like you're going to explode.

You cover your mouth with your hands to muffle the string of cries and moans as you cum, your body convulsing with the force of your orgasm. He continues to lick you, drawing out every last bit of pleasure making your body shake from the aftershocks. When you finally come down from the high, you're left panting and trembling, your body spent and your room… empty.

“It's back,” you whisper breathlessly, looking up at the ceiling.

Chan is on the floor at the foot of your bed with cum-soaked shorts and guilt and fear forming in his chest. His chest heaves as he stares at you too stunned by his actions to move. He knows he has to tell Jisung, knows that he had no control and that it was like he was possessed.

Fuck. Jisung is gonna fucking kill me.

But when he gets back to the room, he can't bring himself to tell his friend anything. Not about the feelings he had, the physical and mental changes, and definitely not about eating you out until you came on his tongue. He can still taste you, and it makes him both guilt-ridden and horny as hell.

The taste of you that one time has him feeling like a madman. He's been practically salivating to taste you again ever since. Chan starts to understand Jisung's addiction to the elixir because being in close proximity to you has him wanting to say, “Fuck everything,” and drive his cock deep inside your juicy sweetness every time he's invisible.

His palms are sweaty as he watches you from the barstool in the kitchen, two days later. Your hair is damp after your shower after work, and the long black tee you have on paired with short black shorts makes it look like you're bare from the waist down. How dare you look that enticing in one of his favorite colors? Though the shirt hides your curves, he’s memorized them already. He slips his tongue between his lips and wets them, thinking about his tongue traveling all over your body. There's not an inch of your body that he doesn't want his tongue to explore.

“Did you hear me, Chan?” you say, leaning over the island, getting closer to his face. His eyes look distant and glassy, like he’s had way too many bong hits.

“Um, no? Sorry, beautiful. I spaced out there for a minute. What were you saying?” He blinks a few times and smiles, flashing his dimples.

You stand up and mirror his blinking. “Did he just call me beautiful?” you ask yourself. Chan's never given you a nickname like that. You're usually Minion or, more heartfelt, Cutie. You brush it off, deciding not to read into it and repeat your question.

“I want to know if you wanted some ramen, spaceman,” you say with a laugh, and Chan's cock springs to life at the sound.

“Oh, my bad. No thanks, y/n, I gotta get back to the experiment. You know if I leave Ji alone for too long, he'll blow his room up.” He replies, making you laugh again, which only makes his cock harder.

Fuck, not again. Really don't wanna cum in my pants again. I don't remember Jisung mentioning anything about that. Did that not happen to him? Chan wonders if it's just him. And if so, does that mean that the side effects are different for each person that takes it?

He gets up and tries to hide the obvious large bulge in his pants but with the way your eyes widen, he knows that you noticed. It turns him on even more, especially seeing the soft pink form on your cheeks. He suddenly turns towards you, standing there so you can get a better look.

“Thank you for looking out for us, y/n. Jisung's lucky to have you as his roommate.” He winks, watching the blush deepen, which is exactly what he wanted. You look so soft, so innocent and beautiful, at the moment he could care less about the experiment. More than anything he'd like to watch you come undone by his hands. When he's satisfied in watching you blush, he turns and makes his way to Jisung's room.

You're flustered and stunned, with your bowl of ramen on the counter getting cold. Between the sudden nickname and that sight, you're feeling confused and a bit too hot for ramen. How could he not know? Guess that's a good thing, I don't want him feeling embarrassed for something he can't control. You tell yourself. If you only knew that embarrassment was the last thing Chan was feeling.

Gosh, I'd love to see her blush with my cock in her mouth. “What? No, no… No.” Chan mutters to himself before turning the knob to his friend's bedroom.

That night, Chan would have to drink the liquid, become invisible, and watch you. He really needed to have his head on straight. When he opens the door, he wishes he had stayed in the kitchen with you just a little longer. Jisung is lying back flat on his bed, pants around his ankles and shirt pushed up, exposing his chest as he thrusts up into the air, fucking his fist.

“What the hell, man?!” Chan shouts, looking away as Jisung scrambles to cover up.

The sudden noise snaps you out of your thoughts. When you look around the corner, you see Chan standing half in and half out of Jisung's doorway.

“Shit, fuck, fuck. I thought you'd be longer,” Jisung blurts out, his voice frantic.

“Why couldn't you do that in the bathroom like a normal person, bro?” Chan hisses in a loud whisper, trying to keep his voice down but failing.

“You saw what she's got on—I couldn't help myself. I don't know how you can.” Jisung murmurs, but his voice is so soft that you can barely catch the words.

“Everything okay, Chan?” you ask, stepping closer, your voice startling him. He looks at you, wide-eyed, and you hear Jisung mutter another curse from behind the door.

“Huh?! Y-yeah, y/n. No worries. All's good here. Just, um, um, Ji killed a spider.” Chan glances back at Jisung. “I would've taken it outside, bro. Should've known.” He adds, and you hear Jisung's muffled apology.

“Oh. Ew, okay. Glad you two are good.” You nod, turning away.

As you walk off, the two men let out a collective sigh of relief. Jisung was right, Chan silently agrees. The outfit you had on was far too tantalizing to ignore. Both he and Jisung knew they wouldn't get any work done while being so worked up over you. In fact the little scare you gave them, almost catching a glimpse of the room did them some good. It was a good thing you didn't know what they were up to, for both his and Ji’s sake. You would've put two and two together and figured out everything.

“Especially not before I can feel you,” he thinks, frustration simmering beneath his skin. “No. Absolutely not. Why… Why am I even thinking like that? It's got to be a side effect, right?” Chan questions himself internally, all while Jisung briefs him on what needs to be done. He knows he should bring up how he's been feeling lately, especially how he feels each time he swallows that mysterious liquid on Jisung's desk, but guilt stops him each time.

“All right, let's wait a bit before you take it. We'll up the dose times… four?” Jisung suggests, and Chan just nods. “Cool. I made sure to add some flavoring to it. Should taste like strawberries. I'm curious if it'll change anything, so keep an eye out.”

Jisung's rambling continues, but Chan's thoughts aren't in the room. They're on you. He can still smell your perfume, still taste your lingering sweetness even after so many hours. It should be impossible, but the memory of your scent and taste clings to him. Visions of you cumming in various positions blur Chan’s focus, the images so vivid it's as if they're real. It's only when Jisung throws a rubber glove at the back of his head that he snaps out of his trance.

Okay. I can do this. I can fight it. It's nothing. This is... Nothing. Hmpf, so easy.

He chants the words over and over in his mind as he swallows the elixir. The familiar warm sensation begins, spreading through his body like wildfire. It feels as if all his limbs have fallen asleep, a tingling starting at his toes and working its way up to the top of his head. When the sensation peaks, it’s like being submerged in warm water, and he knows that he's now completely unseen.

As quietly as possible, he leaves Jisung's room and tiptoes into the living room where you're currently sitting. Behind the door, he can hear Jisung begin a recording of the two of them talking, giving the illusion that they're still hard at work. The TV illuminates your features in the dim light. The color of your eyes and hair seem to glow, making you look like some ethereal goddess.

"So beautiful," Chan thinks as he walks closer to you. Closer and closer until he's beside the dark gray couch. He shouldn't be so close, but it feels like his feet won't stop. For a while, he just stands there watching you, the stress and worry etched on your face deepening.

You sit on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. The noise from Jisung’s room filters through the thin walls of the apartment. The tension between you two gnaws at your insides, leaving you restless and on edge even more than before. What did I do wrong? You can’t help but replay the last few weeks in your head again, especially those strange moments when you felt like someone was there, touching you, making you question your sanity. Maybe he really is fed up with all your crazy ideas about the apartment being haunted. It's why you didn't mention what you felt in your room the other night. You didn't want Chan to start avoiding you too.

“I got on his nerves so much, now he wants nothing to do with me,” you whisper to yourself, glancing over your shoulder before looking back at the forgotten anime.

You stretch out, trying to shake off the unease and sigh. Your fingers absently trace the fabric of the couch, the worn material soft and familiar under your touch. You can hear the faint sounds of Jisung and Chan discussing some scientific and complex theories, but you’re too lost in your thoughts to pay much attention. Suddenly, the room feels different—like someone just invaded your space. Like they're right in front of your face. You look around, but nothing seems out of place.

Then, you feel it. A gentle touch on your shoulder, fingers grazing your skin. You freeze, your breath catching. The sensation is familiar yet different. It’s like the past few weeks all over again but this time, it feels... more. You don't know how to explain it but it's like it consumes you. The couch dips between your legs. The air grows warmer, and you feel a presence, an invisible weight pressing against you. Your heart pounds, but you don't move. It doesn't stop, instead, it intensifies, a whisper of a touch ghosting along your arm, sending shivers down your spine.

"Is it really happening again?" you whisper, your voice barely audible over the sound of your racing heart. You close your eyes, leaning into the touch as a warm hand cups your cheek briefly, letting your imagination take over. It feels so different this time. New yet oddly familiar.

Chan watches you intensely as his hands move, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The elixir courses through his veins, its side effects overpowering all his rational thoughts. He’s driven by an insatiable urge, a need he can't control. He watches as you react to his touch, his heart aching with guilt and confusion. No matter how strong his willpower is, the elixir's effects are stronger and he just can't fight it.

His fingers trace the curve of your neck, and you shiver with pleasure. You can almost imagine it’s Jisung, finally giving in to the tension between you two, putting a stop to his avoidance. You lean back, your head resting against the arm of the couch, giving in to the fantasy in your mind.

Chan’s breath catches in his throat. He’s never seen you like this, so vulnerable, so open. His touch grows bolder, his hands moving to explore the contours of your body. You gasp as his fingers brush against the sensitive skin of your stomach.

“Jisung…” you whisper softly, lost in the sensation.

Chan’s heart twists painfully at the sound of his friend's name on your lips. But he can’t stop. The elixir won’t let him. He leans in closer, his breath warm against your ear. “It’s not Jisung,” he wants to say, but the words die in his throat. Instead, he lets his actions speak for him, letting his hands trail lower, fingers lightly brushing over your cunt through your shorts. The scent of something familiar wafts past you—sweet, with a hint of something woodsy. It’s Chan’s scent, you realize; that's how he always smells, but that doesn’t make any sense. You dismiss the thought as your imagination running wild from stress again.

You moan softly, arching into his touch. The room feels like it’s spinning, the air thick with lust. Your hands reach out, trying to grasp something, anything, to anchor yourself. You expect nothing there, only the invisible force that is Chan’s chest collides with your fingers and you gasp in surprise. Your touch is like electricity to Chan and he's entirely driven by a desire he can’t control.

Chan’s mind is a mess of jumbled up thoughts and feelings. He wants to stop, to pull away but his body won’t listen. He’s lost in the sensation, the feel of your skin under his fingers, the sound of your moans filling the air. It's addicting and he needs it. He leans down, nipping and licking your neck, tasting the salt of your skin. You're soaking, your juices dampening your shorts.

“More,” You beg. Your voice sounds so distant like you're having an out of body experience but you need to be filled, stretched. The light touches are driving you insane.

Your shirt is lifted, and you feel warm breath against your bare skin. The touch is everywhere now, kneading your breasts, tweaking your nipples, making you writhe on the couch. You can’t help but moan, louder this time, the sound louder than what's playing on the TV. If Jisung didn't have music playing in his room he'd have heard you.

What's left of Chan’s resolve crumbles. He moves with a newfound urgency, your shirt is ripped over your head and his hands and lips explore every inch of your body. Sucking and biting your flesh, your chest will be covered in hickies though you'll hardly notice or care. You’re lost in the feeling of his touch, the sounds of his ragged breathing, the feeling of his lips on your skin. It’s overwhelming, heady, consuming, intoxicating and you give in completely, letting yourself be carried away in the moment. Your reactions and the elixir's effects are driving Chan crazy, making him want to claim you, to make you his. He feels a primal need to possess you, to mark you as his own. He's vaguely aware of how insane that is. You're just his friend. Just sweet, sweet, caring, adorable y/n.

“Fuck, why do I want to ruin your pussy so bad?” He thinks looking down at your breast that is now littered with bite marks and red spots. He grits his teeth so hard that the muscle in his jaw flexes.

Fingers slip under the waistband of your shorts, finding you pantyless, teasing you expertly. Your hips buck involuntarily and your hands cling onto arms you can't see. The room is filled with the sound of your ragged breathing, the wet noises of invisible fingers sliding against your arousal. It’s maddening, being touched like this by someone you can’t see, but you don’t want it to stop.

The sensation of lips on yours is sudden, and you kiss back hungrily, feeling the heat and urgency in the invisible kiss. Your pants are pulled down, and you kick them off, desperate for more.

You feel the weight of an invisible body pressing you into the couch, the sensation of a hard, warm presence against your core making you moan again in anticipation. You’re slick, ready, and when you feel the pressure of him entering you, it’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced. You've never been stretched this much, never felt this full even just from a couple of inches

“Ji...” you whisper one last time, but deep down, you know it’s not him.

Chan’s mind is a whirlwind of guilt and lust. “I’m sorry, y/n. Oh fuck.” He thinks, wishing he could say the words out loud.

He remains silent though, his actions driven by the liquid's effect. The pleasure, though, is beyond anything he's ever experienced. It's too strong, too addicting.

Did Jisung feel this insane? I feel like I'm not here in my own body. Yet I can feel every single thing.

“So wet.” he thinks. “But not for you.” his conscience adds. “But maybe if she knew it was me… maybe she'd be wetter?” He counters his own thoughts, feeling your cunt take every inch of him perfectly.

Each thrust is rough and quick, accompanied by a chorus of your moans and his low grunts. The room is filled with the sounds of your shared pleasure. The couch creaks beneath you and your moans grow louder and louder, but you don’t care. All that matters is the feeling of being completely devoured. It's like every touch and every thrust lights you on fire.

Chan’s body moves with a mind of its own, fucking fast and hard with no regards to whether he's hurting you or not. He’s mesmerized by the way you respond to him, the way your body feels under his. It's not too late to stop but he can’t. The elixir has taken over and he’s powerless against it. He’s lost in the moment, his own body responding to your every move.

“I’m so sorry.” He thinks again, but the words are swallowed by his overwhelming need. He watches as you move with him, your body arching and writhing in pleasure. He’s never seen you like this, never imagined you’d feel so good, so perfect.

You feel your climax building, the pressure too much. When you finally shatter, you feel it all throughout your body. You cry out, your body trembling from the intensity of your orgasm. Chan feels your muscles contract around him, pushing him over the edge. He releases inside you with a muffled grunt, his legs shaking as your cunt milks him. For a moment, everything is still. The room is thick with the scent of sweat and sex, the air heavy with the sound of your intertwined breathing.

Lying there breathless, your body humming with the remnants of pleasure you feel the presence slip out of you leaving you feeling empty. The only sounds you hear is from the TV and whatever is going on behind Jisung's closed door. The presence is gone, leaving you alone and bewildered. You touch your lips, still feeling the phantom press of his kiss.

“That was real.” you say outloud to yourself, looking down at the red marks all over you.

Chan watches you from the kitchen, his heart heavy with guilt. He knows he can’t let this happen again but the need is still there, simmering beneath the surface waiting to bubble over again. He slips away, retreating to Jisung’s room, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

You lie back on the couch once fully dressed with your mind racing. What just happened? Who was it? And why does it feel so different this time? You close your eyes, trying to make sense of it all, but the answers elude you. All you know is that something changed, and you’re not sure what it means, but you're determined to find out.

You don’t know what’s going on, but you’re certain now that whatever it is, Jisung and Chan are behind it. It only makes sense, but at the same time, it doesn’t. You smelt Chan's cologne, the same one you bought him last year for Christmas. You felt his muscles when your fingers gripped his arms. You’d know one of Chan’s hugs when you felt it. Why couldn’t you see him though? That sort of thing is only possible in movies like "Harry Potter" or that Kevin Bacon movie "Hollow Man." Right? There's got to be a way to find out if you're actually crazy or part of some weird experiment.

Over the next two days, it's more of the same but you expect it each time and for some reason, you find that you wait for him. When the smell of vanilla surrounds you, you know that you'll feel his hands next and you always do. It doesn’t seem to matter where you are around the house; he always finds you. Always fucks you with unfiltered need. On the balcony, where the cool night air contrasts with the heat of Chan’s body as he lifts you onto the table, his hands gripping your thighs to keep you steady. You feel the rough texture of the metal beneath you, the slight chill against your bare skin. You feel his heart pounding against your chest, a mirror of your own racing pulse. He leaves you spent, your body still trembling with the aftershocks. It was the same way last night when he took you in the kitchen on the floor.

Your tea was cold by the time you got to it. Still, you have no way to prove your suspicions. With a smirk, an idea forms in your mind. Those two aren’t the only smart ones in the apartment. Whatever is going on, it's clear that it’s not permanent. You chew on your bottom lip in thought, watching Chan and Jisung raid the kitchen for pizza and drinks. Jisung's gaze flicks to you and back to Chan.

Does he know? Is it all just some sort of joke? That’s got to be why he’s been acting so weird towards you, right? Your smirk widens and turns into a full-blown grin that seems to make Jisung nervous and he looks away quickly. When Chan looks at you, you see a flicker of something that gives you a bit more confidence in your theory.

“If you won’t tell me, I’ll make you show me.” you whisper under your breath, never breaking eye contact in a silent challenge.

You shift on the sofa and lay back exactly the way he had you that first night he entered you. When Chan swallows hard and licks his lips, you shiver. He knows that you know something and he's glad. He wants you to find out, he wants to be caught. What will you do once you find out everything though? He has no clue but he's sure it'll change everything between you three.

Part III in the works.

★𝔗𝔞𝔤 𝔏𝔦𝔰𝔱★

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[grimm-writings]

HI ITS BARD ANON I MISSED YOU!!! insane request but what about a situation where the party + kabru + chil’s family orchestrate a date between chil and reader? like setting them up… i think that’d be so cuteeee

for the dancing and the dreaming

…ft! chilchuck x gn! reader

…tags! fluff, post-canon spoilers, chilchuck’s wife remains nameless, i love chilchuck's family can you tell

…wc! 1887

…notes! BARD ANON I’M BACK FROM WAR (burnout) !!!! these two requests are similar so i decided to make ‘em a wombo combo!!! enjoy my loves!

The woman gives you a kindly smile as she waves you off, you and her ex leaving the tavern.  She sighs and leans back, crossing her arms.

God, Chilchuck is more stupid than she remembered.

How could he possibly miss the affection in your eyes when he called out to you both before you left?  Or how you clearly wanted to ask if you can stay with him longer?  He’s just going to ignore that and consider it all platonic?

What an idiot.  Do I really have to step in for him again?  Just like old times, huh…?

The half-foot taps a finger against her cheek in thought.  Maybe she can push you to confess?  No, you’d probably wave your hands around and insist against having feelings for Chilchuck in the first place.  A heavy sigh escapes her.

Looks like she has to do things the old-fashioned way.

Step 1 – Family

The quickest way to alert someone is to see who the people closest to you know.  Flertom is rather in-the-know about any gossip.  Usually, as a mother, the half-foot really doesn’t want to encourage such things, but for now…

“What’s trendy in dating circles nowadays?”  She asks offhandedly, eyeing a bouquet Flertom bought to gift a possible suitor.  “Is the man still expected to be the one to initiate everything?”

She could nearly scoff at her own words.  Only reason she and Chil got together was pure happenstance.  Practically a blur by now.  He’d be hopeless at actually trying to start anything with you.

The younger woman hums in curiosity, before stopping to think.  “Not really nowadays, no…  If you have enough charisma, you can charm any man into taking you out for a drink.  Why do you ask, Ma?”

Flertom squints as she watches her mother laugh and shake her head in response.  “Oh, I just think your old man might need some… encouragement with a new flame is all.”

Just as she expected, Flertom was immediately on the ball with planning, rushing out to the town in order to visit her sisters and inform them of the operation.  She practically commanded her old mother to see if she could look for any clues about Chilchuck’s possible beau.  With a knowing smile, she remarks that she’s very happy to pay a visit to Melini.

Step 2 – Friends

“You really think something that elaborate could work?!”  Marcille Donato leans forward in her chair.  Her eyes shine with a certain kind of joy at the idea of playing Cupid that amuses the matured half-foot significantly.

She nods.  “I don’t see anything else coming close to pushing them.  Force might be the only way.”

A female tall-man, Falin if recalled correctly, squints and hums, tapping her finger on her chin as she tilts her head.  Her brow furrows.  “From what I know, Chilchuck seems to be more open, but… I don’t know if he has the courage to be truly vulnerable in front of someone like that.”

“No need to tell me twice,” his ex scoffs.

“Oh!”  The king, of all people, seems to have an epiphany.  “We could hold some sort of ball, encourage him to invite a plus one.  That can work, right Kabru?”

All eyes turn to look at the advisor standing to the side, clearly enjoying the conversation but not wishing to intrude.  He startles at the sudden attention, before clearing his throat behind his fist.

“It will take some time to plan, but it could work…  You mentioned having three daughters, ma’am, you can take one as a plus-one, and the two will take each other.”  He’s calm with his conclusion, which the half-foot woman can definitely respect.

“A banquet of all their favourite foods,” the dwarf Senshi, as food-brained as ever, sighs in daydream.

Kabru takes a step forward.  “Though I have to ask,” he enquires, “is it really necessary to call upon all of the king’s advisors and himself for a Cupid scheme?”

Silly boy.  He doesn’t yet realise the stakes.

If Chilchuck and you don’t say something soon, then you may stay silent forever.  This idea might be the best shot they have.

Step 3 – The Preparation

“What’s even the occasion…?”  Chilchuck sighs as he adjusts the sleeves of the formal outfit he’s wearing.  He’s definitely unused to something so high-class.  Being invited as a guest of honour certainly isn’t doing any favours either.

Not to mention, Laios was stupid enough to not even bestow upon you a guest of honour title!  Chilchuck has to go through the means of inviting you as a plus one due to some ‘organisational issues’, as Kabru put it.

What a load of crap.

“I ‘unno!”  Puckpatti peeks her head around the corner to look at her father.  “Royals just seem to like their balls!”

“This isn’t one of your period romances…” Meijack’s voice rings from the other room too.

You sit with them, talking amongst one another.  Flertom’s plus one remains a mystery to you, though she assures you that you’ll meet with her when you get there.  You can only assume it’s the girls’ mother but you have no clue why she’s so giggly and secretive about it.

“On the contrary!” Flertom announces.  “I think it’s exactly like a period romance.  Maybe one of us will be swept into a dance so beguiling, you forget there’s a whole ballroom of people!”

You squeal in surprise when Flertom takes your hands and pulls you out of your chair.  You dance together in a fit of giggles.  You only barely miss Chilchuck walking out to meet with you all, a fond smile on his face.

Little do you know, he’s thinking about what it would be like if joy like this could be shared in a household with the two of you.

“Come on now, settle.  Apparently there’s gonna be a carriage taking us to Melini.  I couldn’t fight against the theatrics, according to Marcille…”

“Oh Papa!”  Puckpatti sighs blissfully.  “We truly are living like nobles now!  Maybe you can… ah…”

Both you and Chilchuck spy her eyes darting towards her sisters with unsureness.  How strange.

“You can find… someone nice there!”

“No, Patti.”  Chilchuck shakes his head with a sigh.  “I’m not gonna marry some rich dwarf.”

“You are too cruel, Papa,” Flertom points out with a pout.  “No one will want you if you just keep saying no.”

As the three bicker, Meijack spares you a sympathetic glance, and she rolls her eyes.  Her sisters hardly know subtlety.  Finally she stands up and walks to your side.

“I’m glad you’re here with us,” she says with uncharacteristic softness; she’s similar to her father like that.  “Papa has good taste.”

You go red just as much as Chilchuck.  For a moment, Flertom and Puckpatti wonder if their less romance-focused sister has some secret charisma she’s been hiding up her sleeve this whole time.  It seems to work though, as they chorus their agreements loudly.

“Very good taste!”

“Their formal wear matches yours fashionably well!”

“Just as pretty as Ma too!”

“If not prettier!”

The entire carriage ride to Melini was full of this type of chatter, asking questions about you and Chilchuck’s time together the whole way.  A few times you had to clarify that you are only as close as the rest of your old party were close, but were only met with a few smug “mhms” and “sures”.

Chilchuck can only roll his eyes when he gets the chance to comment on it privately with you.  “I have no idea what’s up with them.”

“Oh, cheer up!”  You laugh softly.  “I’m flattered that they like me.”

Chilchuck can’t help but hear your laugh and chuckle along – music to his ears.  “...Yeah, I’m glad they like you too.”

“Come on!  Ma is here to greet you two!”  Flertom’s voice calls out.

The mastermind has been watching you and Chilchuck the whole time you approach.  Her expression remains neutral, with the smallest sliver of a smile.  Seems like the proximity has been lending itself quite well.

“Well, aren’t you two a pair,” she greets you both.  “Ready to take the ball by storm.”

“Your jokes haven’t gotten any better,” Chilchuck replies.

“And you’re still wearing the same shabby suit from sixteen years ago.”

Chilchuck flushes red once again and you can’t help but laugh, patting his shoulder sympathetically as he hooks his arm through yours.

The watching half-foot knowingly grins.  Yes, you two are definitely going to take it up a level after tonight.

Step 4 – Profit!

The ball came and went.  It goes as typical as the dark-haired half-foot expects.  What really is supposed to be a high-class noble event is a mask for foodies, romantics, and those looking for a fun time.

Senshi’s food was as wonderful as promised, and even if this was all done in the name of romance, Flertom and Puckpatti had to be held down from trying to approach the dwarf with lowered eyelids and twirled hair.  Chilchuck doesn’t need more heart palpitations than he already did.

She did her best to encourage Chilchuck to drink.  She knows better than anyone that his tongue only loosened when he got enough alcohol in him.  It hurts just a little, knowing that this is one of the only ways Chilchuck can be open with someone romantically.

The temptation did cross her to ask how Chilchuck views her now, but she stood against it.  It’s not the night for that.

By the time the party drew to a close, people were exhausted, drunk, in a food coma, or all of the above.  The King had to be dragged over to his quarters, and Marcille had since passed out on Falin’s shoulder, who’s bidding farewell to guests.

The dark-haired half-foot swirls the last of her wine in a glass as she stands outside, making small-talk with the tall-man.  It’s not until you stumble out with Chilchuck clinging to the fabric on your hip that she looks up.

“Do you—”

“No need for help!”  You reassure her with a grin.  “He always seems to get clingy with me when drunk, so I’m kinda used to it at this point!”

Your laughter meets a knowing smile, not knowing exactly what she’s so smug about.  “Yes, he seems to really like you.”

“I sure hope he does, considering he’s accepted my request to go on a date with him.”

Falin perks up enough to wake up the elf on her shoulder.  “A date?”

The half-foot across from you is stunned into silence.  It actually worked.  The atmosphere and passion of it all actually egged you both on!

“Congratulations.”  You’ve seen more emotion from the dark-haired woman than ever before.  Her smile relaxed but her eyes shining, the lines underneath crinkling with happiness.  “Treat him well, okay?”

“Of course,” you reply, and you lean forward a little.  “Thank you for your help.  Kabru couldn’t help but gossip to me.”

You wink and lean up again.  Chilchuck at your side whines for your attention and you laugh, walking towards a carriage.

Safe travels were promised, and the dark-haired half-foot turns to the two blonde women.

The elf blinks slowly, red-faced from drink.

“Did we win…?”

The two other women laugh.  Stories must be exchanged the next time you all meet – especially on your end of things.

[arscorpii]

little observations of episode 16 of revolutionary girl utena: cowbell of happiness

(these are just some thoughts i had. i tried to organise and articulate the ideas the best i could.)

(all dialogues are from the empty movement website)

this is a nanami-centric episode. it begins with the regular fairy-tale-like scene of utena meeting prince dios when she was younger.

this is an interesting screenshot from episode 16:

the dialogue for this scene (as in, for this specific shot):

as anyone can see, utena wasn't wearing her red socks here (she wore the red socks even when she decided to wear the girl's uniform in episode 12 [screenshots from episode 12 below, for clarity]). thus, this shot caught my eye.

another shot where utena wasn't wearing her red socks in episode 16:

the dialogue for this scene (as in, for this specific shot):

at first, i surmised that these were just animation errors because these shots lasted for only several seconds. however, upon watching and rewatching several times, the only times utena didn't wear her red socks were when she's directly confronting nanami about the cowbell. utena was the only person openly calling out nanami about it, as opposed to others who either ridiculed, ignored, or tiptoed around the matter. tsuwabuki tried saying something about the cowbell to nanami, too, but was quickly shot down by her:

generally, not wearing socks while wearing shoes can be somewhat uncomfortable, especially for long periods. it's much worse when one walks or runs while wearing shoes without socks, as this could cause skin irritations, foot blisters, etc.

when people buy certain types of shoes (or any, i think), it's common to buy shoes with a little room for toes and heels, rather than a tight, perfect fit, for comfort. when worn with a pair of socks, these shoes would usually fit perfectly. without socks, these shoes can feel loose and thus, affect gait/movements (i believe this depends on the type of shoes).

based on some readings i've done, some of the common interpretations/themes of nanami's situation in this episode (oversimplified):

exploitation and abuse of girls and women via indoctrination of patriarchal norms that simply equate them to mere livestock; raised as subservient as a calf to then be slaughtered and reduced to a piece of meat to be consumed by men.

nanami was so blinded by the love she held for her big brother that she was willing to do anything to keep that love, to maintain her bond with him. she was willing to make a fool of herself, and ignore the ridicule and concerns from others. however, deep down, she was aware of how this could all go wrong and hurt her terribly later, and all of this could very much be orchestrated by her own beloved big brother. (i hope i worded these properly)

to relate the themes of the episode to the visuals of utena not wearing socks and her dialogues: in my opinion, i think utena calling out nanami on the cowbell puts utena in a somewhat uncomfortable position (hence, wearing shoes with no socks); it's akin to challenging detrimental societal norms of a patriarchal system. notable examples that come to mind regarding detrimental societal norms are fashion and beauty standards (as in this episode). people usually don't take too kindly to the safety of their realities and status quo being challenged/questioned critically, because these are what they have been raised with, what were taught to them, and what they have been made to believe to be right and true. therefore, the person who challenges/questions these is often ignored or triggers aggressive reactions, even from the individuals who have been detrimentally affected by the status quo, in this case, nanami. "the deeper the attachment to the status quo, the greater the willful blindness." this quote by clark (2023) from his writing about challenging one's organisation's status quo felt fitting for nanami's situation (although the case with nanami definitely requires more nuances than what the quote can present).

nanami said that utena's boy uniform was very weird (dialogues above) in response to utena calling nanami's cowbell weird (2nd picture). they perceived the other's pursuit as weird because it didn't align with their ideals (an adult's fashion sense versus a noble prince). these things weren't quite the same, in a literal sense: nanami essentially wore the cowbell to appeal to the students of the academy, to be an idol of the school, to stand out, be special. meanwhile, utena wore a boy's uniform to become a prince/emulate princely ideals. however, fundamentally, both did not truly understand (at this point, at least) what these truly entailed (to be the most special girl at school versus to be a prince).

when nanami said that utena's uniform was very weird, the focus was on chu chu drinking milk from a bottle. then, at the end of the argument, chu chu was shown to have been stuck in the milk bottle, after drinking the milk. these visuals may be indicating how nanami and utena's attempts at striving towards respective impossible ideals they envisioned for themselves may be self-fulfilling at first, but will eventually have them equally trapped and hurt, you know, something like "in the end, all girls are like rose brides." (i may be wrong here)

a look at other episodes: one may say that the shots where utena didn't wear her red socks were indeed animation errors based on this shot from episode 24:

however, this shot was from the scene of episode 16 as narrated by anthy based on what was written in tsuwabuki's diary. we can see this as tsuwabuki's perspective while the previous shots as the audience's perspective (this is how i chose to see it, at least).

watching through other episodes, utena also wasn't wearing her socks when her foot was injured in episode 30, throughout episode 33, and in episode 37 when utena went on a date with akio. i pondered the correlation between utena's sans red socks moments from episode 16 and those specific events. based on episode 12, i think one can conclude that the pair of red socks was a part in which utena expressed her sense of self (because it made up her whole outfit of emulating a prince). hence, i think that nanami's situation in this episode was also a foreshadowing of utena's future, in a way (this was also illustrated with the chu chu stuck in a milk bottle imagery after drinking the milk during their argument, as above). as described earlier, utena called out nanami twice on her cowbell; on the second time, utena thoroughly explained to nanami in japanese that a cowbell is a bell that cows wear, as in the dialogues below (the following scene after these dialogues was the 5th picture; 6th picture contained the corresponding dialogues):

i think it's safe to conclude that nanami may not know what the english word "cowbell" means. this was further emphasised by utena admonishing nanami for not knowing what a cowbell is all about (see the 6th picture). everyone around her called it "cowbell" and knew what it was (what the word meant). upon explanation by utena, nanami finally came to her senses (as in, turning into a cow). relating to utena's case in later episodes, i think this could be synonymous with the fact that utena was unaware that akio was actively grooming her. several people noticed the changes in utena due to akio's grooming: juri and miki in episode 36, where juri said that utena looked more like a girl; touga asking whether utena was in love with akio in the same episode. and of course, anthy was the most aware of what akio's doing to utena throughout.

the point detailed above regarding nanami's situation in episode 16 foreshadowing utena's future can be further supported by the fact that the cowbell and the earrings akio gifted to utena were closely identical in design (interesting to note that the cowbell was purchased by anthy for her cow named nanami while the earrings were picked by touga on behalf of akio).

from my understanding, nanami turning into a cow may be equivalent to utena accepting akio's proposal to be his bride, to take kanae's place. much like a calf raised to be slaughtered for consumption (nanami's dream), akio groomed utena to be his bride. and similar to how wearing shoes without socks can be uncomfortable, utena was evidently uncomfortable in these scenes as well (the worst being episode 33). in episode 30, utena's left foot was injured. akio offered to help her, then proceeded to kiss her. akio was grooming utena to be fully dependent on him. also, since the red socks were synonymous with her self-expression, these moments (episodes 30, 33, and 37) were when her true sense of self was gradually repressed through akio's grooming. utena not wearing the red socks during the most gut-wrenchingly blatant depictions of grooming and sexual assault ⟶ how grooming and abuse can ultimately strip you of your personhood and cultivate this cycle of dependence of victims on their groomers/abusers, not being able to stand on their own feet.

after nanami turned into a cow, utena tried, and succeeded, in taking off the cowbell from nanami. i think this would be analogous to utena rejecting akio's proposal.

nanami then turned back to her human self ⟶ utena wearing back her prince outfit.

to reiterate:

critiquing the status quo may induce harsh feedback even if it's done in good faith.

nanami's situation in this episode can be seen as a foreshadowing of utena's fate in later episodes.

[poisonheiress]

To start this lovely commentary, I will place my cards out in the open:

Blitzo is not the villain in his and Stolas' relationship nor is Stolas the victim in this realtionship either.

To some, this statement is a recognizable fact, one the canon caste system even supports. However, many of the current fanbase seems to disagree with this idea, comparing Blitzo to abusive characters like Stella, Crimson, and even Mammon. Others even put him on the same level as those previous characters. Besides this being one of the greater leaps of logic I've seen come out of this fandom, it is simply not true.

Yes, Blitzo does not treat Stolas kindly outside of their sexual agreement with Blitzo appearing to outright ignore him most of the time if not purposefully avoiding him. However, notice the wording I used there: sexual agreement.

Stolas and Blitzo have never been in an official romantic relationship and their current agreement is not one Blitzo entered in on equal footing with Stolas nor out of affection for him. Blitzo agreed to be with Stolas as a means of survival for his business, somethings that is extremely rare for imps to have due to their caste position.

Time and time again we are poorly shown that a rather strict caste system does exist in hell. This means that relationships with people in different castes carry different problems and consequences for those involved.

For those in higher ranking castes in a high-lower rank relationship, the worst outcome of being with a lower ranking demon appears as a diminished social standing and lack of respect, but the lower ranking partner doesn't get that. For the lower ranking demon of the relationship, they risk dehumanization by their partner with them loosing all autonomy and independence. They are no longer themselves; they become an extension of their higher ranking partner, an object that can be tossed away if the partner

Blitzo, who was raised in this system and still suffers under it, is right to fear stepping into a relationship with Stolas, and he has more than a right to refuse to be kind and gentle to a being that is literally hanging his livelihood over his head for sexual favors.

It does not matter if Stolas truly cares about him or not. Their relationship from Day 1 was not something Blitzo could walk away freely from nor even wanted to be in. In physical, social, and economical might, Stolas holds all the cards in their relationship, and nothing Blitzo can do can change that. Stolas could kill Blitzo and no one would turn an eye because he is an imp and Stolas is a Prince.

As a result, Blitzo has no obligation to be kind to someone who is a high ranking member in the system that views him as equal to dirt nor can Stolas be upset about Blitzo doing such when their relationship was born from Stolas taking advantage of Blitzo in a vulnerable situation.

Stolas is no victim here, and if Viv had researched caste systems, the true victim of the relationship would be clearer: Blitzo.

Because at the end of the day, Blitzo remains under Stolas' thumb, an unwilling subject to whatever tasks or desires Stolas forces on him. That is all the caste system of hell allows him to be.

[footprintsinthesxnd]

Thank God for Eugene Roe

This request was from a lovely anon. It’s been sat in my inbox for a little while so I’m sorry it’s taken so long but it’s finally here now. Hope you enjoy. Warnings: mentions of injury, swearing, death, themes of war.

Eugene wasn’t sure what order the events of the day went in. Everything became a blur after a while and all he could see was the crimson blood covering his pale hands. It all began when Skinny Sisk had been hit earlier that morning and Eugene accompanied him to the aid station in Bastogne. The aid station had been crowded and he spent a good portion of the morning there, not returning until later that day, and leaving Spinna in charge. Easy Company. They were in good hands, no patrols were scheduled, and the bombardment from the morning had died down. It was a relatively quiet day, maybe too quiet.

No one looked up at Eugene as he hopped off the jeep, trudging his way through the snow to where Spinna was standing, arms crossed, his chin buried deep into his scarf, moving from foot to foot to stay warm. The priest had just finished his blessing and began gathering up the white sheet he’d laid across the bonnet of the jeep.

“What’s the word?” Eugene balanced the boots he’d collected for Joe Toye on top of the box of supplies Renée had kindly found for him.

Spinna glanced at him, “Battalion wants a reconnaissance patrol. Kraut hunting”

“Alright, I'll go. Take these,” Eugene passed the box over to Spinna, who accepted them thankfully, glad he didn’t have to go on the patrol after all. “Give the boots to Joe Toye, tell him they’re a nine.” Spinna nodded at Eugene as he began to jog over toward the other paratroopers who had gathered, waiting for orders.

Eugene hurried towards Sergeant Martin who was talking quietly to Lieutenant Peacock. Johnny’s hand shot out, stopping Eugene in his tracks, “Doc Doc, it’s a combat patrol. Why don’t you stay back and keep your ass out of trouble? Huh?”

Eugene looked a little forlorn, and nodded slowly “Yes Sergeant.” He was surprised they didn’t want a medic on the patrol. Ever since they arrived in Bastogne and the Krauts started their artillery barrages, everyone was crying out for a goddamn medic, day or night.

Stepping back Eugene caught Y/n's eye, she smiled at him softly, giving him a small wave before continuing her conversation with George and Babe. Eugene felt the familiar ache in his chest beginning to grow as it did every time she smiled at him.

His heart always ached when he wasn’t on patrols with her, fearing that the worst would happen before he’d even told her how he truly felt. She was his friend but that’s all he was ever going to be to her, and it hurt, but at least he could help keep her alive.

He crouched down by a tree, ignoring the snow that brushed against his trousers, leaving damp patches where he sat. The cold seemed to keep him awake, alert, and ready for anything that could go wrong. He’d been that way since they came into the Bulge. On edge, waiting for the next move to go wrong. That was the part he hated about being a medic, everyone always needed him in the most dire situations. The rest of the time he merely existed, never getting close to them because, in the next moment, he’d be covered in their blood.

He lit a cigarette, embracing the warm air that filled his lungs, exhaling in a long puff of smoke that drifted upwards towards the light that peaked through the dense tree cover. The snow blew through it extinguishing any heat before it had the chance to warm the air. Bastogne was a place of cold and despair, any hope was soon extinguished, if not by the Krauts then by the weather.

The gunfire signalled the action that Eugene was waiting for.

“Doc, it’s Y/n!”

Eugene found himself frozen in time, his eyes watching his fellow paratroopers rush past him in a blur. George’s mouth was moving as he continued to shout but all Eugene could hear was her name, a silent prayer on his lips. It couldn’t be her, not Y/n.

“Doc! Help her! She’s been shot!” That was all it took for him to be at George’s side, pushing the radioman out of the way and falling beside Y/n, who gave him the same soft smile she had sent him earlier.

“Y/n, ya stay with me now. Dontcha’ even think about dying.” He pressed the bandage firmly against the wound on her side, cursing as the blood flowed straight through his fingers.

“E-Eugene… Gene I…” Y/n gasped, blood spilling out the corner of her mouth as she spluttered helplessly on the ground. Eugene ripped open the syrrette of Morphine, pressing it firmly into the fresh over her collar bone.

“Y/n, don’t say nothin’, ‘kay. Save ya strength. I need ya to stay with me,” Eugene pleaded, his hand shaking as he placed the cannula, securing it with tape quickly and allowing the plasma to flow down the line and into her veins. The morphine was taking effect now too and her speech became slurred as she tried to reach out for Eugene’s hand.

“Eu-gene?” He gripped her hand tightly, placing his lips on her skin. He could feel her shaking beneath his touch, and he couldn’t help the tears that spilt down his frozen cheeks.

“You’re gonna be just fine, Y/n.” Eugene knew deep down he was trying to reassure himself but he was glad when Y/n smiled up at him.

“I’m gonna getcha’ outta here.” With George’s help, they began to drag Y/n along the snow-covered ground, trying to ignore her complaints of pain as the German bullets whipped past their heads. Captain Nixon appeared, shouting over the commotion for them to retreat, but Eugene and George kept on moving, pulling Y/n to safety before they stopped.

Eugene was back at her side in an instant, applying a fresh dressing over the already soiled one, praying that this one would hold.

“Eugene, I need to tell you s…mthing imp-portant. I-I love you, Gene. I-I’ve always l-loved you but I was too s-scared to tell you.”

Eugene’s heart skipped in his chest, feeling lightheaded as he fell over his words. He wanted to tell her he loved her too, to kiss her, to hold her close to his chest and promise her that everything was going to be okay. How could he promise her that? He could only watch as she grew ever paler and the blood seeped through the bandages, turning the snow around them bright red.

“I know,” he replied, brushing his hand over her sweaty forehead, watching as her glazed eyes followed his movements. “It’s gonna be okay, Y/n.” The roar of the jeep pulling up accompanied his words and he made quick work of flagging it down, carrying Y/n over and laying her limp body over the stretcher as she passed out.

The first thing Y/n remembered was the pain, it spread through her body like a searing fire, causing her to cry out. She sat upright in bed with a start, hissing as the sutures pulled at the wound on her abdomen. A pair of hands came to rest on her shoulders, easing her back down in the bed.

Her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, noticing the stone walls and high blue-painted ceiling. She wasn’t in a hospital but beds with wounded men lay all across the room. Women in nurses' uniforms hurried back and forth while medics helped work on the injured men.

There was still a hand resting on her shoulder and she glanced over to see the very worried, Cajun medic starting back at her.

“You gave me quite a scare back there you know. Damn Y/n, do n'tcha do that again,” he leant across, pulling her carefully into a hug which she quickly reciprocated.

“I’m sorry, Gene. I’ll try and be more careful next time,” she assured him, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

Eugene gave her a weak smile and opened his mouth to speak before snapping it closed. She cocked an eyebrow at him, waiting to hear what he wanted to say.

“I don’t know if I should tell you this. I don’t even know if you meant all that you said back there but I just… I just gotta tell you that I feel the same,” he took a deep breath, “I love you too.”

Y/n swallowed hard, had she confessed her feelings to him? She’d managed to hide her feelings for him ever since Toccoa and yet in a moment of weakness she spilled the beans. How many people heard her? Her mind raced with unanswered questions but Eugene’s face only grew more grave.

“I did wonder if you only said it cause you was dying,” he stood up from his chair, collecting his musette bag from the floor. “I’m glad you’re okay, Y/n. I’ll see you when you’re better, yeah?”

“Gene, wait! Do you really mean it? Do you really love me?” Her little outburst had caught the eye of a few of the wounded men around her, all watching with bated breath for the outcome.

“Course I do. I wouldn’t have told to if it won’t true,” he moved closer to her bed once more, moving to cup her cheek but only touching her when she nodded in response to his unasked question. “I love you, Y/n, ever since Toccoa.”

Y/n chuckled, “We’re such fools. We’ve both loved each other since Toccoa but we were too damn scared to say anything. I should have told you sooner.”

“And I shoudda told you sooner too. Guess at least we know now,” Gene reassured her, sitting down again beside her bed.

“That’s true,” she mused, shuffling so she could lean closer to him. “Gene?”

“Yes, Doll?”

“Kiss me.”

“Yes Ma’am,” Eugene sealed his lips to Y/n’s as if they had been kissing each other their whole lives. At least one good thing came from that Kraut bullet and that was Eugene Roe.

Tags: @georgieluz @iceman-kazansky @yeahcurrahhe-e @msmercury84 @blvestxr @dustyjumpwjngs @theflyingfin @jump-wings @kafka-ohdear @kmc1989 @mads-weasley @docroesmorphine @liptonsbabe @hesbuckcompton-baby @ronsparky @allthingsimagines @bucky32557038ww2 @hanniewinnix @inglourious-imagines @l13bg0tt @1waveshortofashipwreck

[morelikeravenbore]

✨Don't Tell Ominis

I wrote this fun oneshot for my dear friend @sleepywitchlory, whose MC Lory is as sweet, kind and loyal as she is, and whose friendship in this fandom I will always treasure and keep close to my heart.

Content warnings: none, unless you're triggered by offensive footwear. SFW.

Word count: 1.9k

Lory and Alistair belong to @sleepywitchlory.

[my hogwarts legacy masterlist]

Accidentally conjuring a dragon with Ancient Magic wasn't exactly what most would consider a stroke of luck, but as the secret entrance to the Undercroft slammed shut behind her, Aurélie thought herself very lucky on several accounts: first, that the dragon had been small, as far as dragons go; second, that Sebastian hadn't been there to witness her embarrassing blunder (because, as enthusiastic as he was about her practising her magic, she felt certain even he would draw the line at conjuring fire-breathing demon-lizards in a school; and third, that she'd managed to escape said demon-lizard without so much as a singed hair (hers, not the dragons.)

Luck — if one ignored the extremely unlucky circumstances that directly proceeded it — was on her side.

Read on 👇

Or so she thought, until the sound of approaching footsteps broke the still silence of the empty Defence tower, announcing the swift arrival of unidentified others.

Merde.

Fearing her luck had already run out, Aurélie raised her wand, intending to conceal herself under a hasty disillusionment, when a familiar voice gave her pause.

'Ouch!' hissed the voice from somewhere close by. 'Sebastian, that's my foot!'

'Bloody hell, Lory,' replied a second, much louder voice, 'if you'd stop clutching my arm so hard -'

'Will you both shut up before somebody hears us?'

Moments later, Aurélie breathed a sigh of relief as three slightly disheveled and out-of-breath figures appeared from beneath the guise of magical concealment. Luck had come to her aid again, but this time in the form of three of her four best friends, who each stared back at her with wildly varying expressions on their faces: surprise (Lory, pleasant), skepticism (Sebastian, shrewd), and indifferent (Alistair, cold.)

'Aura!' said Lory cheerfully, her strawberry-blonde hair gilded under the warm the torchlight.

'Aura?' echoed Sebastian, less cheerfully, his wild brown curls standing up in disarray.

Alistair, standing slightly away from the others, said nothing.

'What are you doing here?' Lorraine Jones, ever the sweet-natured Hufflepuff, saw nothing nefarious in her best friend being out past curfew and was simply happy to be united again. 'Were you in the Undercroft?' she asked, linking their arms together. 'You smell different. Like... charcoal?'

'She's right,' agreed Sebastian, leaning in to take an exaggerated a whiff of Aurélie's vivid red hair, 'you stink.'

'Hey!'

'Why were you in the Undercroft?' he went on, his brown eyes narrowed on her suspiciously. Where Lory's natural kindness saw only the best in every situation, Sebastian's Slytherin nature meant he was predisposed to believe the exact opposite. 'Were you alone? How long have you been down there? Why didn't you ask me to come?'

'Who cares why she was in the Undercroft,' muttered Alistair, who, generally speaking, didn't care much what anyone did so long as it didn't encroach on him. 'Why aren't we going into the Undercroft?'

Aurélie threw her arms out wide.

'No!' she cried as the dark-haired Slytherin made for the concealed entrance. 'You can't go in there!'

Alistair Cushing, distant descendant of Salazar Slytherin, inarguably the most intimidating student in the entire school, and - thanks to Lory's innate ability to befriend quite literally anyone or any thing - the newest addition to their friend group, fixed her with a piercing blue-eyed stare, clearly affronted

'And why not?' he asked, his calm tone thick with a disdain only those borne of Slytherin blood could afford; Alistair, like his cousin Ominis, did not take kindly to being told what to do.

'Yeah!' agreed Sebastian, elbowing him out of the way. 'Why not?'

'Because I said so!' snapped back Aurélie, who was not descended from ancient, all-powerful Parselmouths, but from a very long line of equally-formidable French women.

Alistair raised his eyes to the ceiling, silently praying for patience, while beside her, still clinging to Aurélie's arm, Lory bounced on the balls of her feet.

'Oooh,' she giggled, pinching her best friends elbow, 'did you sneak a boy down there, Aura?'

'What?' Aurélie's spluttered cry of indignation was rivalled only by that of Sebastian's.

'What boy?' they said in unison.

'What boy?' repeated Sebastian. 'Did you show someone the Undercroft? The Undercroft is supposed to be a secret! You're not allowed to do that!'

'Why not? You showed it to me!' Aurélie retorted.

'And me!' added Lory.

'Me, too,' came from Alistair.

Sebastian pulled a face. 'Yeah, well...' he muttered, scratching the back of his neck. 'You lot are different. That doesn't count. Only I'm allowed to share the knowledge of the Undercroft.'

'Excuse me?' Alistair rounded on him, standing taller in his indignation. 'The Undercroft has been known by my descendants for a thousand years, I do not need your permission to -'

'Oh, please,' Sebastian interrupted, rolling his eyes as Alistair bared down on him. 'You're like Ominis' third cousin, it's hardly a connection to boast about.'

'Right, and you're the third cousin of nobody, so why do you get to set the rules -'

'Because I've been using the Undercroft since first year!'

'So what? My family's been using it since the school was founded!'

Aura and Lory exchanged a silent, long-suffering look.

'Now, now, you two,' Lory intervened, stepping between the arguing boys with her palms raised. 'Play nice, or Aura won't tell us about her romantic rendezvous in the Undercroft.'

'Lory, I did not sneak a boy into the Undercroft! The only boys I know are...' she gestured vaguely at the two Slytherins before them, the taller of which groaned aloud and rolled his eyes.

'For the love of Salazar,' muttered Alistair, 'has there ever in the entire thousand-year history of Hogwarts been a Ravenclaw who gave a straight answer? Because I've certainly never met one.' He turned to fix Aurélie with his signature ice-prince glare. 'Why,' he said very deliberately, 'are we not allowed in the Undercroft?'

Aurélie gulped.

'Because I -' She shot a panicked look between each of her friends, wondering how much longer her luck was going to hold out. So far, beyond her narrow escape from her little magical mishap, luck had kept away any meddling prefects, professors or ghosts, and ensured that the roaring of the accidental dragon couldn't be heard several floors above it. At any rate, it was no good trying to hide a bloody dragon; someone was bound to notice eventually, so she might as well just admit to her mistake and hope that somehow luck would, well... fix it.

'Because, I - well, because I accidentally conjured a dragon down there.'

The silence that followed was so dense Aurélie had to wiggle her finger in her ear. Three stunned faces gaped back at her, and then, all at once -

'You conjured a what?'

'You conjured a dragon where?'

'Ooh, can we name it Nugget?'

'Lory, please,' Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. 'We've been over this, you cannot keep a dragon as a pet.'

Lory pouted. 'But why?'

'I don't understand,' Alistair cut in, one brow arched so high Aurélie was sure it would never come down again. 'If you conjured it, why can't you just... un-conjure it?'

'No!' cried the two girls in unison, their combined outrage echoing through the tower with enough force to wake the entire school.

'Are you mad? You can't just un-conjure an animal!'

'It's a living creature, Alistair!'

'How would you like it if I un-conjured you?'

'How could you be so unfeeling?'

'Bad move, Cushing,' Sebastian chuckled, clapping the tall bewildered Slytherin on the shoulder. 'I know you're only new to the group, but there are two rules you need to observe if you want to stay on the girls' good sides: never threaten Lory's Beasts, and never question Aura's fashion advice.'

'Yes, speaking of!' said Aurélie sharply, eyeing Sebastian's feet with disdain. 'I thought we agreed against those shoes!'

'Uh... t-these shoes? Are you sure? I don't recall, I think you're confused with my other shoes...'

'They are pretty ugly, Sebby,' Lory agreed, wrinkling her nose at the offending monstrosities that Sebastian considered appropriate footwear.

Aurélie threw her hands up, exasperated. 'They're hideous! We talked about this, you promised you were going to get rid of them!'

'Aw, bad move, Sallow,' smirked Alistair. 'Perhaps you need a refresher on those rules, hm?'

'Never mind my shoes!' Sebastian scowled, dodging away from a very condescending shoulder pat. 'Id say the more pressing matter is the literal dragon -'

'Nugget,' Lory interjected.

' - a literal unnamed dragon,' he continued, raising his voice, 'that someone decided to conjure in our Undercroft.'

Aurélie bristled. 'I didn't decide to -'

' — just seems a very unlikely thing to do by accident —'

'— on earth would I want to purposely conjure a —'

'— what goes on in your head half the time —'

'Enough!'

It wasn't often that Lorraine Jones lost her temper. She was, after all, the temperate voice of reason among the chaos; the gentle Hufflepuff influence who took all sides into consideration and mediated the best outcome for everyone. She was the temperate warmth to Alistair's coldness; the voice of reason to Sebastian's impulsivity; and a true friend to Aurélie, who'd shown up at Hogwarts two years prior, alone, overwhelmed, and grieving the untimely death of her parents. Without Lory, their unlikely friend group would be nothing but a fractured band of orphans, misfits and outcasts; Aurelie in her Ravenclaw tower, the three snakes in the dungeons, each of them separated by grief, isolated by trauma.

Lory was undoubtedly the glue that kept them all together - but, Merlin, when she was angry...

'Sebastian!' she snapped, jabbing a small but mighty finger at his face. 'For once in your life, shut up! And Aurélie!' she went on, interrupting the face she was pulling at Sebastian. 'Stop arguing with him!' Finally, she turned her wrath to the dark-haired boy, but when he only raised an unconcerned brow, she opened her mouth, closed it, then turned away, shrugging.

'Now,' she said, planting her hands firmly on her hips. 'Aura made a mistake, but bickering about it isn't going to get banish a dragon now, is it? Really, we should consider ourselves lucky that the situation isn't much worse!'

'Lucky?' Alistair echoed, laughing for quite possibly the first time in his entire life. 'Oh, my dear friends, facing a dragon is the least of your worries now.'

Sebastian frowned, clearly as confused as the rest of them. But then a slow-dawning horror broke across his face. 'Oh,' he said.

Aurélie paled, envisioning a dragon loose in the school, Hogwarts destroyed by fire, or worse - expulsion.

'What?' she demanded, palms sweaty. 'Sebastian Sallow, don't "oh" me! What is Alistair talking about?'

'Oh ho ho,' he said again, but this time with laughter in his voice. He turned to Alistair. 'You know, it isn't really my Undercroft, is it, Cushing?'

'For once in your life, Sallow, you are correct. Nor is it mine, really, being, as you mentioned, only a very distant relative to the Gaunt's. Hardly a connection at all, when you think about it.'

Aurélie turned, panic-stricken, to face her best friend.

'Oh, no,' she said.

'Oh, no,' Lory agreed.

Alistair cracked a rare smile. 'There's only one true owner of the Undercroft, after all...'

'And you, my favourite little Ancient Magic weilder,' Sebastian said, throwing an arm around Aurélie's shoulders, 'just stuck a great dirty dragon in the middle of the Heir of Slytherin's most treasured room.'

Luck fleed before her, leaving cold dread in its wake as a new set of echoing footsteps moved slowly toward them, accompanied by the unmistakeable red glow of a semi-sentient wand.

Ominis' sharp voice reached them first, slicing through the heavy silence like severing charm.

'You did what in my Undercroft?'

[skzinka]

“ BREACH OF CONTRACT ”

timeline : january, 2022

summary : this kind of decision isn't easy, but maybe it was necessary. ft. lua of ateez

word count : 2.4k>

looking at her reflection in the mirror, inka found her face simply repulsive. her eyes seemed dull, lifeless, her pale face was like that of the vampires in the movies — she could easily have entered enhypen's blood suckers concept alongside calista. a nervous laugh escaped her lips before she rubbed her eyes with the back of her sleeve, today was a special day. it had been a month since the day she'd last set foot in the dormitory, a month that she hadn't replied to the countless messages from her members, a month she hadn't set foot in the agency, prompting her manager to put her on temporary hiatus. of course, many questions had been asked, to which she kindly replied that if they wanted her back, they'd have to leave her alone for a while — what they did, surprising as it was. but now, she had to take matters into her own hands and decide what to do with her future.

so, she slipped on her shoes, despite the incessant sighs escaping from her cold lips. « are you sure you don't want me to come with you? » — the voice behind her back asked softly, drawing a small smile from her as she shook her head negatively, « it's okay. i have to do it myself. »

rising to her feet and pivoting towards lua, the latter moved towards her, slipping her arms around her best friend's figure. « whatever decision you make, i'll always be by your side, okay? » inka felt her heart warming in her chest as she shook her head positively this time, « thank you yuehua, for everything you did to me. i couldn't have stood it without you. » — slightly apart, observing the sincerity in each other's eyes, lua placed her hands against her best friend's cheeks, pressing them lightly, « no matter what kalaya, you're an amazing woman. » a smile appeared on the brunette's face and she nodded, slipping one last time into the arms of the only person who had been able to reassure her properly.

after a brief farewell, she finally set foot outside, hurrying to her manager's car that would lead her straight to the hell she had previously refused to return to. buckling her belt, she sighed again, biting her lower lip nervously, her leg bouncing with stress — glancing in the rear-view mirror, her manager suddenly spoke up, in a voice filled with concern, « how do you feel? »

glancing at the driver before hiding in the hood of the sweatshirt she was wearing, inka shrugged her shoulders, staring at the void through the car window, « horrible. i already feel sick just being in the car. »

the situation was much more delicate than he had thought. and worst of all, he had no idea what to do to cheer her up — so he decided simply to leave her alone until he reached the agency, concentrating on the road ahead. inka thought it would be a good idea to turn her phone back on, all this to deal with numerous long-ignored notifications. glancing quickly at a few of them, she began to feel so bad that an urge to vomit gripped her stomach. how could she ignore her caring friends like that? heartbreaking messages from jeongin and jisung stabbed her in the heart, « no wonder why he's so good at writing sad love songs.. » — she said to herself, trying to ignore the fact that she felt guilty, ashamed and didn't know how to face them after all this time. rubbing the tip of her nose to prevent the tears stinging her eyes from rolling down her cheeks, she locked her phone before tucking it away in her pocket, continuing to ignore the mountain of problems piling up on her back.

after long minutes of driving, which seemed like unbearable seconds to her, the car finally stopped in the underground parking lot of jyp. she stared out the window for a long time, dreading every step she took into the agency — she was completely tetanized, an unknown fear seeping into her every muscle. « you don't have to go, you know.. » announced her manager, who was far too preoccupied with the girl's mental health to leave her in such condition. but despite inka's uncertainty, she had to be brave and keep going. she had to take a step forward in her future for her own good. with a trembling hand, she slowly opened the car door, without glancing at the older man in front of her, « it's okay. i have to do it. » she announced as she stepped outside the car, followed closely by the manager who had promised not to leave her alone for a second.

staring at his shoes as she walked, doing her best not to make eye contact with anyone in the agency, inka hurried to the main lift, climbed up the stairs and stopped in front of her superior's office. but suddenly, she seemed frozen in place, unable to make the slightest movement. she had thought long and hard before coming to that decision, ruminating in lua's bed for nights without sleeping a wink, so why was she hesitating now? the decision was the best one for her, for her health, for her well-being, for her future — so why was it so hard to open the door in front of her?

her breathing quickened as she took a step backwards, her hand trembling as if the temperature were in the negative degrees. her heart seemed to panic, she lost all her means, her manager seemed to be talking to her, but she couldn't hear anything, her voice was completely muffled. tears began to roll down her cheeks uncontrollably, she wanted to scream and vent all the frustration that was consuming her inside. and just as she was about to collapse on the ground, a voice managed to infiltrate beyond the sound barrier she had unconsciously created for herself. instantly pivoting towards the latter, she found herself face to face with her youngest member.

« jeon..gin..? » she barely managed to say, before the young man literally pounced on her. his arms clutched around her, one of his hands positioned at the back of her head as he camouflaged inka's face in his sweatshirt, helping to calm her panic attack. the girl's hands clung to his top, gripping it as if it were her only means of survival — the tears on her cheeks redoubled in intensity, as if she'd kept all the pain in the world inside her, and could finally let it all out. it was horrible to see, a scene capable of distressing anyone, inka's pain was so palpable. « i'm so sorry, » she sobbed, shaking her head against jeongin's sweatshirt, « i'm unforgivable. »

« what are you saying? » he replied softly, pulling away slightly to observe her face attentively, brushing her cheeks with his fingers to wipe away the tears. « you're talking nonsense. i know you needed some time after all that's happened. »

nodding gently, she tried as best she could to control the tears that were rolling down her cheeks — without success. jeongin didn't know what to do to console her, so he simply decided to hold her close to him, laying her ear against his chest so that she could hear the beating of his heart. and after a few minutes, the gesture seemed to work, because kalaya stopped crying, but didn't move away from the young boy. « thank you innie, you're always what i need when my heart aches. » — as if it were the first time she'd ever said something like that to him, jeongin felt the tips of his ears grow hot, his cheekbones too.

as she lifted her face to his, tossing back the few frivolous strands of his hair, a small smile finally appeared on his lips, a smile jeongin hadn't seen in a long time. this simple fact warmed his heart, and he couldn't control his desire to hold her again — so he pulled her against him again, squeezing her as if his life depended on it, as if it were the last time he'd ever see her. inka slipped her arms firmly around him, holding him close to her heart and enjoying the reassuring warmth she had missed so much. thanks to him, she thought of nothing, none of the little problems of her life.

but she was soon brought back to reality.

« you're coming back with us, right? » he asked suddenly, his fox-like eyes shooting straight to the girl's heart. just as she was about to answer, the door to her right suddenly opened, revealing the director, who was relieved to see inka there at last, « ahh, kalaya. come, we need to talk. »

reluctantly letting go of jeongin's hand, inka offered him a gentle smile before stepping inside the office, the door closing behind her. just as she was about to take a seat on one of the chairs in front of her, her eyes fell on an all-too-familiar silhouette : in the second empty seat was none other than bang chan. not wanting to make a scandal of herself in front of her superior, inka sat silently, staring at the floor. what's he doing here?, she asked herself, when she was supposed to have a private meeting without any of her members.

« i've asked bang chan to come, since he's stray kids' leader, he needs to know your final decision. » a certain bitterness crept into your muscles — you wanted to face this situation alone. « so.. fans and stray kids' members have been waiting for you for a month now. we've given you a break, as you requested. but we'd like to know what's going on now. »

inka did not look up and seemed to reflect for a moment. her head was a mess : with so many questions and decisions to be made, like the incessant lyrics of a broken record. before she walked through that door, she had a very clear idea of what she wanted her future to be : a decision that suited her perfectly and that she had thought long and hard about. but now everything seemed to blend together, as if she could no longer say what she really wanted, like an invisible barrier in front of her mouth. cracking her knuckles nervously, she finally looked up at her director, ready to speak — but a voice suddenly overtook hers, « no matter what you're about to say, just know that i'm sincerely sorry and that i'm ready to pay the consequences of my actions. »

it was definitely not what she needed to hear right now — she didn't want to hear him talk at all. the ceo's confused eyes juggled between her face and bang chan's, incomprehension visible on his facial features. but she didn't want to talk about it, she didn't want to explain it, she just wanted to forget it. then, completely ignoring the leader's words, she rose from her seat and approached the desk, placing a piece of paper on its surface, « i want to cancel my contract. »

she could feel two pairs of eyes bubbling towards her, as if lasers were piercing her skull. inka cleared her throat, trying to ignore the boy fidgeting in panic behind her, while concentrating on the tetanized face of her superior. « what? » he asked almost too faintly, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. he probably thought she had some nerves, demanding such a thing after a month's absence — but kalaya intended to remain firm in her decision, and crossed her arms against her chest.

« you heard me right. but.. » — but now she wanted to talk with him alone. « can i talk with you all alone? » she asked, leaning over the desk. the older man nodded and dismissed chan, who reluctantly left the room, casting one last apologetic glance at his younger member.

once the door was locked, inka swiveled back to her superior, who seemed perfectly attentive to her next words. « i want to cancel my actual contract to make a new one. » suddenly, the panic on his face lifted, giving way to an expression of relief, as if she'd just removed a thorn from his side. a wry smile appeared on her lips, feeling much better that he seemed receptive to her request.

« you scared me, for a second i thought you wanted to leave the agency. » inka shrugged, settling into one of the chairs facing the desk, « oh, believe me, i thought about it. » the director raised an eyebrow, observing her with a questioning gaze.

« until a few days ago, i wanted to leave stray kids and the agency. but i thought long and hard about it, and after mature reflection, i've decided to stay, but with a few extra conditions. » a light laugh left the lips of her superior, who leaned over his desk and crossed his arms, « you've got a lot of nerve, you know that? »

kalaya nodded, a wry smile painting her lips. of course, she knew that discussing her contract with the director was a delicate matter, especially when you know that you could be out of a job at the snap of a finger — but she'd rather get fired for having tried than to have given up of her own free will the dream she'd fought so hard to achieve. which was why she had decided to lay her cards on the table and set her conditions, despite the risks involved.

she was a flower in full bloom, ready to weather any storm.

« i know. but i want to continue to be a member of stray kids, but only if people listen to me and treat me with respect. » — and she was absolutely right. the older man nodded, evidently ready to listen to her requests. so with a winning smile, kalaya explained in detail the conditions she hoped would be validated, not imagining for two seconds what was happening on the other side of the door.

« is she really leaving? »

« ..yes. »

✧⠁taglist : @invuwrld @writerblock-sucks @mynameisnotlaura @alyszaen @felixsbrat @alixnsuperstxr

[beth-purcell]

Beth Rambles about Bendy

because holy crap I may have been hit with a horrifying aha moment. And full disclosure, I am aware that it sounds very Tin Hat and making a lot of assumptions, but at this moment I need to get it spewed out of my head. So be aware that I'm going to be emulating the Pepe Silvia meme

And just as a heads up, I'm mentioning the designs that were leaked in the Dreams Come to Life graphic novel so click Keep Reading at your own risk! And please don't be rude or try and go after anybody, this is my own opinions and frazzled freight train thoughts.

So I just got hit with a realization regarding the graphic novel and the whole decanonization with the books.

Mike and Meatly did it so they could avoid the backlash of the designs in the graphic novel and whatever they've got planned with the games moving forward, especially as it pertains to the character's designs. Or alternatively, they did it (the blunt "the books aren't canon anymore") to distract and/or pull one over on the fans so that way they can put their designs into the games and not deal with as much as scrutiny.

Cause we've seen with BATDR that they've improved the designs of the human characters compared to Joey in BATIM, and given we have both The Cage, a game that's focusing on the horrors of GENT (which involve human experimentation as far as BATDR hinted at) and B3NDY probably focusing on the aftermath of BATDR from Audrey's perspective, which you would think would involve her trying to deal with her new living toon roommate while factoring the consequences of being pulled into the Inky Hellscape on a Monday/Tuesday depending on the time Wilson dragged her in and how long she was actually trapped there (which ya know, wasn't answered in game). Either way, there's a lot of potential of more human characters to interact with, and if they really wanted to push the idea of a more "mature" and "experimental" [And boy do I have thoughts about that], what better way than having in-universe film of experiments or photos of the victims, or even flashback sequences we could play through?

It's not a secret that Mike and Meatly are very controlling in regard to their IPs (Adrienne confirming that they had a hand in every book; what happened to Showdown Bandit; Mike's own comments in the Bendy AMA; etc) and they have a tendency to ignore the room and stick their foot in their mouths (The fact it was only Mike that made acknowledgement of the Kindly Beast Firings and the accused workplace abuse; Mike deciding to "be clearer" on Meatly's comment regarding the books being fun extras; the situation less than two weeks ago that led to Mike to delete his Twitter again; etc). And let's be real, the quality control on the graphic novel is abyssmal, even for a extremely rushed project. Like I'd argue this is past "get it done good enough" or "we're making games for stupid kids" and I'm in absolute shock that this is what happened.

Obviously the idea of them on purposely setting things in place to either distract the fan base or try and claim control over the "canon" would imply that they are competent enough to think ahead and be able to convince Scholastic to risk customer goodwill, but I find it so strange that they started this takedown of the books's role in the canon less than two months away from Fade to Black's release and then the continuing snowballing. It's probably more likely that Mike got tired of people praising the books for their work and wanted control, and basically convinced Meatly that they had to change the books' canon status because it wouldn't fit with their plans, and they didn't think of the consequences, especially after people found leaks and preview images and the fact that people still know what Mike had said in regard to diversity back during the Bendy AMA:

And while I've been putting blame on Mike, as he's been the one to be more vocal and obvious, Meatly is just as bad for letting this to get to this point, for letting Mike stick his foot in his mouth and constantly put the Bendy brand in a negative light and undermine him with every opportunity. Like I don't know what the business relationship is like, but at some point you gotta put your foot down.

As much as it's unlikely, I do like the theory @mickeys-malarkey posted where there could be more to the whole graphic novel of Buddy's take on events that just being an adaptation. I mean the idea of the graphic novels being an extension of Joey's attempts to cover his ass would be an amazing spin on the Mascot Horror media outside of the video games.

Hopefully those two manage to keep quiet for a while and not pull a "OwO here be the Cage's trailer~! And Lone Wolf Release!" and try to drown out the graphic novel's release but I'm not holding my breath xp

[danceworshipper]

In the Shadow of Sebastian

Alexis and Ominis come to terms with the knowledge that Sebastian has gone too far off the deep end after killing his uncle, and make one of the easiest, yet most difficult decisions they've ever had to make. Alexis/Ominis, pre-ship. Hints of one sided Alexis/Sebastian and Ominis/Sebastian. Set immediately before The Choice at the end of Sebastian's quest line. Useful context: Alexis is a werewolf and an unwilling soldier for the Minister

It was cold in the Undercroft where they sat defeated, resting their backs against the stone wall and letting the chill soak through their robes. Cold, and still, and silent.

Alexis was grateful that Sebastian had left them alone. To hear anyone's heartbeat but Ominis' right now would have been too much. His, even, was testing her nerves, but at least Ominis' heart was slow and strong. Sebastian's hadn't stopped beating irregularly ever since he'd cast that blasted spell.

That heartbeat proved what Alexis already suspected: Sebastian was gone. Not physically, not really, but he was gone. He was a shadow of himself.

Broken.

Your first real kill hit you hard, as she had learned all too soon upon becoming a witch. Killing someone you knew was so much worse than killing a nameless enemy, or a dastardly foe who had earned it through wicked deeds. The adrenaline alone was enough to have you coming down for hours, but the guilt... Solomon Sallow had deserved a lot of things, but not this, and somewhere Sebastian knew it. He made a mistake that he couldn't take back. Now Anne, his one tether to sanity, was unwilling to be found, and he was lost.

Alexis never should have helped him.

"Ominis."

"Yes?" His voice was made rough from the tears she was kindly ignoring.

"I'm sorry."

"You should be."

Alexis let her head hang. Ominis had warned her that this was going too far, and she hadn't listened. She hadn't even listened to Anne. Weren't Anne's wishes the only ones that should matter in a situation like this? Just because Alexis would never stop trying to cure herself didn't mean that that was what everyone would want.

"I understand, though," Ominis continued. "I'm to be blamed as well. I never put my foot down the way I should have. Salazar, we share a dorm room and I never even thought to check his belongings. I knew what he was doing; I simply couldn't deny him."

"He has that effect on you too?"

Ominis huffed, amused but deflated. "Has it not been obvious?"

It hadn't been, though Alexis couldn't truthfully say she'd ever thought about it - ever considered that maybe Ominis gave in too easily for someone as against the Dark Arts as he was. Now it was easy to see. Hindsight was always clear.

No, Alexis had never paid much attention to Ominis' actions, because she'd been far too concerned with her own.

I could teach you, Sebastian had said, three different times, and Alexis had said yes each time despite seeing what havoc the curses could wreak. Something about how he'd offered, so eager to have someone who understood the pull toward Dark Magic, had had her tracing the wand movements he showed her, greedy for his approval.

Eventually she would have learned them anyway, she supposed. Minister Spavin had plans for her. The dark creature, wielding the Dark Arts like no other could. She would never be locked in Azkaban for murder - so long as it was no one the Minister cared for.

Knowing that didn't make it better. In fact, she was certain it made everything worse.

Ominis inhaled shakily. "Aren't you supposed to be convincing me that we mustn't tell anyone what he's done?"

"I told him I would," Alexis said.

She turned her eyes toward him. His head was gently inclined toward her, but his eyes were downcast as he wiped at them. They didn't even work, yet they showed despair as well as anyone else's. Oddly, Alexis found it pretty.

"Well?"

She swallowed and remained silent. Sebastian had begged her, saying that Ominis listens to you. I don't know why, but he does. Yes, Ominis did listen to her, and that was a large part of the problem. Alexis knew without a doubt that if she said that Sebastian should walk free, he would. But did he deserve to?

It wasn't fair for him to be punished when she never would be. But...

"He won't stop," she said noncommittally. "He'll never stop until Anne is either cured or dead."

Ominis laughed, bitter. "Even when she's dead, he'll never stop."

He was probably right. Death be damned: Anne would know no peace.

"If only you could have seen the madness in his eyes, Ominis. I don't think I've ever been more frightened of him."

"Of him? Not for him?"

Alexis winced - of course Ominis had caught her slip. She sighed, and shook her head out of habit, though she knew he couldn't see. "No," she said, like a confession. "Of him."

Silence fell again. Alexis squeezed her eyes shut. Her clothes felt restrictive all of a sudden. She felt trapped, like she was back at the Ministry being held down. The blasted gloves were buzzing, stronger and stronger, responding to her distress and forcing her magic to freeze in her veins, and she reminded herself to breathe in, hold it, and breathe out, until the buzzing stopped.

That was the difference between her and Sebastian, she supposed. Self control had been beaten into her. Never would she cast a curse like that on impulse. Sebastian had proved he had no control whatsoever.

"You know," Ominis said slowly, "I'm not feeling very convinced."

In spite of the situation, Alexis choked on a shocked laugh. "I'm not making a good case, am I?" she asked.

The smile on his face was painful to look at with how close it was to breaking. If only she could fix it.

"You aren't," Ominis agreed. His voice cracked.

"I'm not sure there's any helping him," Alexis said, sobering. "If he never stops, who's to say he doesn't get worse? What if he hurts someone else? What if one day, he decides that if he kills her and reanimates her, she'll be cured?"

Ominis shook his head. "He'll get worse. I'm sure of it."

"Then we have to turn him in," she said, wishing she could convince herself otherwise.

"They'll throw him in Azkaban, Alexis," Ominis protested weakly. "He's close enough to adulthood that they'll do it. You've been to Azkaban, haven't you? Even if they give him a lighter sentence because of his youth, Sebastian will never be himself again, you know that."

Her visit to Azkaban with Helen Thistlewood had been a maximum of thirty minutes, but Alexis had felt that she'd never be the same - and she hadn't been the one behind bars. It had made her ironically grateful for her own imprisonment deep in the Ministry, with horrible people rather than Dementors. But that old woman in Azkaban had been innocent. Sebastian was not.

"We have to," she said again, and hated herself for it.

Ominis' head thunked against the stone. "I know," he whispered. His eyes squeezed shut - Alexis wondered if the pressure felt grounding or if blocking things out was simply a human instinct.

Whichever it was, she followed suit, pressing her knuckles against her eyelids until she saw stars and then having to yank them away, because the stars were a beautiful green that had crackled at the tip of Sebastian's wand for one long, long moment after he'd dropped it. It was a green that might be woven deep into her own soul by now, never to be cleansed.

"I should be in Azkaban too," Alexis said softly.

Ominis made a noise of distress. "Absolutely not."

"I've killed too."

"You've killed horrible people, Alexis, and you didn't do it of your own free will."

"The noble thing to do would be to refuse," she argued. "That's what Natty says."

"And be put to death?" Ominis exclaimed. "No. You should never be at fault for protecting yourself."

Alexis felt the corner of her mouth twitch, and she couldn't stop herself from pushing her luck. "The same logic doesn't apply to you, I see."

She turned her head to look at him. He knew, of course, what she was referring to. His mouth opened as though he wished to argue, but shut again. How could he? If there was no blame on her, there could be no blame on him.

Could they use the same logic with Sebastian?

Alexis desperately wished they could. If there had been a single sliver of worry that Solomon would have killed one of them first... but no. He had attacked them, hurt them badly, but she knew deep in her heart that he would have stopped when they fell. Getting them expelled and ruining their lives wasn't enough to deserve death. Even if it was, now Anne, cursed and miserable, had no one. That alone made the curse truly unforgivable.

The only instance that could be justified was the Cruciatus, since if Sebastian hadn't cast it in the Scriptorium, they all would have starved to death. Self preservation: simple, easy. The Imperius could have been justified under better circumstances, but Sebastian's logic had been flawed. He'd had ample time to react. He could have used any other spell to save Anne, but he hadn't.

I had to, he'd said.

You wanted to, she'd thought, but agreed with him anyway, because that was what friends did, wasn't it? Supported them in public to criticize them in private? She'd just never had the time until it was too late.

Ominis sobbed beside her, burying his face into his legs and shaking.

Alexis' heart ached. Before she could wonder whether he'd want to be touched, her hand was on his shoulder. He cried harder, leaning closer, and though Alexis was about to break too, she pulled him close to her and held him.

"He was my best friend," Ominis said miserably. The use of past tense sounded like the slamming of a cell door.

"I know," Alexis said.

By the end of the day, Sebastian would be taken away. It was over.

[blissfullyapillow]

Oh my, oh my God, 예상했어 나

Oh my, oh my God, 예상했어 나

I was really hoping that he will come through

Wanderer x female reader

wc: ~14,138

Notes: Another fic I wrote with my oc in mind but you can read it as an x reader as well <3, this was inspired by the song OMG by NewJeans but not heavily, tons of characters make an appearance (Diluc, Kaeya, Kaveh, Alhaitham, Pantalone, Capitano, Tighnari, Ayato, etc.) the notes will be too long if I list everyone, this is super long but I hope you enjoy lol ଘ(੭´꒳`)°* ੈ‧₊˚

Back to Masterlist A

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*   ♡　*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

I stare at him across the comically large table (desk? Whatever, it doesn’t really matter) as Capitano updates us on his recent endeavors.

As the others jokingly sing his praises, I study the prickly man in front of me. Scara obviously feels my gaze, if his light foot taping is anything to go by, but he refuses to make eye contact with me as he studies the other harbingers with lifeless eyes.

Out of everyone here, I’m the most curious about him. Pantalone is gorgeous but he’s amiable with the doctor (whom I hate) and the females here scare me.

Seriously. They’re ruthless.

Childe is the only Harbinger I feel comfortable enough to talk to, although I hesitate to approach him at times because it almost always ends in a sparring match.

The outcome is always the same, but despite his many losses against me he continuously asks me to spar. Recently I get the feeling it’s his way of saying he wants to get to know me, so I don’t mind, but my muscles are sore and I need a moment of respite. I eye Capitano as I wonder what he looks like underneath the mask. What kind of man is Capitano truly? There must be more to him that lies beneath the surface.

I have a feeling his story is an interesting one. Even so, my eyes find their usual target ahead of me as I watch Scaramouche. He’s called upon by one of the other harbingers, and I dutifully listen to his report despite tuning Capitano’s out mere moments ago.

Once he’s done we have our usual wrap up before we disperse. I sigh, grateful I wasn’t needed this time around. As I get up to leave I curse under my breath when the Tsaritsa calls for me.

Spoke too soon.

I briskly walk over to her and respectfully heed her orders. My jaw ticks as I conceal my anger that seethes beneath the surface of my cheerful façade. How does she have the audacity to treat me like her daughter?

Deplorable.

“Y/n, it’s time for you to complete your first mission. The beggars we discussed this meeting still haven’t taken kindly to our …requests. We must show them what it means to take our warnings lightly. Since this is your first mission, you may take a harbinger with you.” I feel a cold sweat come over me.

Am I really going to have to kill these people? I shiver at the mere thought, but I have no other option but to oblige. I fear what the Tsaritsa will do to me if I don’t comply, and I rather not experience anymore of her “love.”

My decision is immediately made, but I attempt to make eye contact with him to see what his thoughts are on the situation. His hat was previously obscuring his face, but now an eye peaks out under it to glare at me with murderous intent.

Do not pick me, his expression screams.

I catch Tartaglia’s eye, but I ignore him as Scaramouche’s name leaves my lips.

“Great. Scaramouche, go on. I expect great things from you two.” With that I make my way towards the exit, and I hear Scaramouche’s low grumble behind me as he follows me.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

“Why did you pick me?” Hours into our trip he finally talks to me. Throughout the duration of our journey he rotated between making noises of disapproval, insulting me, or just silently glaring at me with the intent to kill.

“Honestly, I’m not so sure myself. Something about you just… draws me to you. I don’t know.” My response leaves him nonplussed as he opts to ignore me as we continue our journey.

We finally reach our destination, and I watch in horror as Scaramouche literally chokes the life out of the man before me. His eyes turn to one of the last people alive, but before he can move towards them I stomp my feet, creating an icy barrier between him and the other person.

“What do you think you’re doing?” His low voice irks me. “What is wrong with you!? This man clearly told you they were holding him hostage and-“ I move away as the man nearly misses cutting off my neck with his knife. Scaramouche is the one who pushes me out of the way.

“You dimwit! He was clearly lying.” He shouts above me. One of his arms cracks as the man pierces it, but it isn’t long before he joins the rest of the corpses that litter the red stained snow.

Scaramouche says nothing as he gets off of me. “Let’s return.” Is all he says. I follow him, hoping he won’t turn his anger onto me.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

“How did you know he was lying?” I ask as we near our destination.  “His eyes. They gave him away. Filthy scum.” I recall the man's face, and his eyes pop in my mind. I remember the way they kept darting down as he kept looking behind him.

“Huh. I guess my shock clouded my judgment-“ “No shit it did.” It’s my turn to glare at the puppet beside me as he scoffs. “That’s a good look on you. Next time, make sure you’re useful without dragging me down. I know the Tsaritsa wouldn’t take kindly to me injuring her precious child, so you’re in luck.” He laughs at my annoyed expression.

I don’t know how, but he knows. He knows I hate this and the Tsaritsa for what she’s done. Even so, he pokes fun at me some more before we finally return and he goes back to glaring at me in silence.

The Tsaritsa is pleased with us, and we are dismissed. “Next time, don’t pick me.” Are his final words before he walks away with the doctor.

Jerk.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

“Scaramouche.” I pick him again, and again he glares at me. The Tsaritsa is easing me into the whole Harbinger ordeal, and I know it’s only because she favors me for some twisted reason.

“Let’s go.” He says gruffly. This time he roughly grabs my hand as he drags me outside. “What did I tell you last time?” He states more than asks.

“Do not pick you. Too bad I don’t follow your orders, nor do I have to.” I relish the annoyed tick that shows on his face. I roughly remove my hand from his as I keep walking beside him.

“Well, at least this time we don’t have to kill.” I cheer. “Tch. You’re more naïve than I thought.” When I curiously question his words, he replies, “You may think the Tsaritsa is being kind, and in a way she is, but these missions are more than just rookie missions. They’re meant to harden you. Those last people we fought? They originally were ordinary civilians turned criminals due to hardships that had fallen upon them. Hmmm, I wonder who backed them into that corner?” Scaramouche wonders aloud.

I stop walking dead in my tracks. “W-Wait, so what she said was-“ “A lie? Yeah. Get used to that. Keep walking.” He says. I do, but I feel sick to my stomach as I pray the tears on my lashes don’t fall.

Now that I think about it, there was a familiar food cart not too far from them. The food cart is well known in Snezhnaya, but it was torn  to shreds and ripped apart.

I assumed it had nothing to do with our mission and it belong to someone else, but ….

My thoughts are voiced by none other than Scaramouche as he laughs before saying, “The Tsaritsa’s love truly is cruel.”

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

I continue to pick Scaramouche as my companion for my missions, and he begrudgingly complies. It’s to the point the other harbingers tease us about it.

“Ah, talking to the puppet again?” The knave snickers as I walk past her with said puppet by my side. “His name’s Scaramouche, and he’s more than just a puppet.” I say. She chuckled before ruffling my hair. “Yeah, whatever kid.” She’s off soon after, leaving Scaramouche to gawk at me.

“Why lie to her? What do you gain out of that?” He grunts. I notice the way his frown doesn’t fully reach his eyes, and his arms are crossed in front of him. As if to protect his heart.

It only takes a moment before I say, “I only told her the truth. Let’s hurry today so we can make it back in time for dinner.” As I swiftly walk past Scaramouche, I take notice of the way he tugs his hat down to hide his expression.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

“You’re insufferable. Haven’t you had enough yet, or do you get off on this? …stupid bug.” I try to hold in my laughter at his lame insult but I fail miserably when his serious eyes latch onto mine.

“If you really want me to, I’ll pick someone else. I am interested in getting to know some of the others.” I tell him. His eyes widen a bit but nonetheless he walks off and dismisses me. “Do what you want.”

I knew that would be his response, as he doesn’t truly care about anyone, but I still can’t help but feel a twinge of hurt.

That day, I choose Pantalone.

All heads swivel to face Pantalone, and even he has a rare expression of surprise. “Ah, what a pleasant surprise.” I ignore Scara as we pass him, and the harbingers jabs and jokes fade away as I leave with Pantalone.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

My mission with Pantalone went smoothly. He’s…. interesting. He pry's too much though. We constantly tried to outsmart each other in an attempt to get the other to reveal more information about themselves.

It was tiring, albeit exhilarating.

My next choice is Arlecchino, and I chuckle at Scaramouche’s annoyed expression.

If I’m not careful, I would fall for the Knave’s charm. I’m a little weary of her since I know of her dark nature, but nonetheless she doesn’t seem to dislike me and that’s more than enough for me.

Next I choose Tartaglia, and we have a fun time together. We end up racing on the way back, and we both try not to laugh as the Tsaritsa sternly scolds us for our childish and improper behavior as her representatives.

At this point, I am more than capable of completing missions on my own. Despite this, the Tsaritsa still allows me to pick a companion if I so wish. So, I choose the next person of interest.

Capitano stiffens in his seat, but he gets up to accompany nonetheless. Surprisingly, someone speaks up.

“Take me instead.” I hear Colombia snicker beside me as Scaramouche stands where he is. I eye him suspiciously since he was so adamant on me picking others.

When I see something swirl within his usually lifeless eyes, I pick him instead of Capitano.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

“I thought you wanted me to pick others?” I ask him. He hums in contemplation, but he doesn’t answer me.

I end up completing the mission on my own as he watches on, and I thank him when he covers me from behind at an unexpected ambush.

“You’ve grown stronger.” He breaks the comfortable silence. I mull over his question as flurries begin falling from the sky.

“Yup. I learned a lot from the others, unlike you.” I giggle at his angry expression. “But… I don’t enjoy myself with them as much as I do with you. Well, maybe Tartaglia. Although I know how you feel about him.” My teasing response results in an eye-roll. “He’s a fool.” “And so are you.” My quick response catches him by surprise, but he’s quick to mask it.

“What do you mean?” He tentatively asks. He sounds so stiff, and I can’t help but chuckle at how unintentionally cute he’s being. “You allow the doctor to use you for his experiments. It honestly infuriates me. No one else sees you as more than a puppet. I would’ve thought the same if I wasn’t so “soft-hearted” as you like to say. I’m actually trying to get to know you, and well…. I’ve drawn my own conclusions about you. I believe my conclusions are in your favor. Oh, we’re here.” I say. I turn to him and he clearly wants me to continue, but I opt for opening the door for him.

“You may enter, your highness.” I gracefully hold the door open for him as I bow. “You’re intolerable. Moron.” He huffs. As he walks in, I stare at his back. His shoulders slightly rise, and a small smile takes over my features.

I’ve never seen him laugh without malice before.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

I do what I must to survive, and before I know it I’m a full fledged unofficial member of the harbingers. The Tsaritsa prefers to keep my presence a secret since I may be recognized by those who previously knew my mom.

I can’t help but bitterly laugh at the irony of my situation. Thankfully, I’ve finally devised a way to escape the shackles of the Tsaritsa’s “benevolence.”

There is an approaching snowstorm. The Tsaritsa has an essential task she needs completed before the snowstorm covers the land of Snezhnaya with heavy snowfall. I unfortunately had to beg a little for her to allow me to go, she thankfully relented. I’m much stronger than I was years prior, and anyone here can acknowledge that. I’m allowed to undergo the mission alone on the premise I return before the snow begins to fall in heavy flurries.

The mission is easy. A group of bandits using the fatui’s name to do as they please. I handle them with ease well before the snow begins to fall.

Perfect. I begin making my way towards my destination in haste. The snow shall be my curtain as I make my way towards the one ship leaving Snezhnaya tonight. This is my one and only chance to believably escape the Tsaritsa. Me falling in combat isn’t believable, but getting lost in the snowstorm is much more likely, albeit only a little.

The snowstorms in Snezhnaya are intense and harsh. If you’re unlucky enough to get caught in the storm, you’re as good as dead. Just leaving your home without multiple layers of clothing, on a normal day, is asking for an illness to befall you.

I shiver as I trudge through the cold winter of Snezhnaya. The snow is beginning to fall in earnest now, and it’s getting hard to see my feet in front of me. It doesn’t matter, I need to make it to the ship before it’s too late.

It takes me a while but I make it just in time to board the ship unannounced. Just as I’m about to board, a voice calls for me in the distance.

I freeze.

No, she wouldn’t have.

But she did, and Scaramouche’s short figure is outlined by the thick snow falling from the sky. “The Tsaritsa wanted me to ensure you made it back safely. Honestly, this is a real hassle you know.” He scoffs as he makes his way over to me. My feet are rooted to the spot. Scaramouche isn’t someone easily fooled, but I must leave. My getaway blows its horn once in preparation to depart.

“Well, let’s go. I can’t feel the cold but I’m sure you must be freezing, mortal. You…” his voice trails off once he stops directly in front of me, and his eyes bore into mine. “What are you planning?” He asks himself more than me. He peers into the blanket of white, and he obviously makes out the ship behind me because he starts laughing.

“You seriously think you can escape the Tsaritsa? You’re her favorite you know. She’ll search for you even if I gave her an accurate fake body. You’re not safe in this world as long as she’s around.” He chuckles, but I see a glint of something in his eyes. “Scaramouche, please. Let me go.” I know asking him is pointless. He doesn’t feel emotions like I do, at least in his perspective, and he couldn’t care less about me or my wellbeing.

I look down as tears threaten to fall and my heart lurches in my throat. So close yet so far.

I can’t let it end here.

“Scara-“  “Let’s make a deal. We got separated by the thick snow after we encountered one of Snezhnaya’s infamous avalanches. We pass by a mountain on our way here, so it’s believable. I search for you for hours but I’m unable to find you. I return demanding a search party. When she can’t find you she’ll initially be grief stricken, but I’m sure she’ll only become more determined to find you. I do this on the condition you heed my beck and call in the future, when I put that plan into action.” I gasp at his words, equally grateful and confused.

I purposefully overheard a conversation between the doctor and Scaramouche about their plans for him to become a “false god.” I escaped the doctor’s watchful eyes somehow, and even though I bumped into one of his clones they were too occupied to put two and two together.

I wasn’t so lucky with Scaramouche, but he ultimately didn’t care that I knew so long as I kept that information to myself.

I sigh and pull Scaramouche in for a hug. He groans and complains as I hug him tight. “Thank you thank you thank you!” I breathlessly thank him for his uncharacteristic display of kindness. “Whatever. Now go before I change my mind. You’ll no longer be a thorn in my side, so this is a beneficial situation for both you and I…. and…“ His breath hitches towards the end of his sentence, like he wants to say more but he chooses not to.

I know. I understand the unspoken words and feelings he has yet to realize he has. Hopefully that’ll change with time. Time thatI yearn to spend with him, but under more desirable circumstances. Nonetheless, I squeeze his arm as I pull away. “We’ll meet again. You can’t get rid of me that easily. Take care of yourself in the meantime, okay? I lo- I’ll miss you.” I quickly correct myself.

The balladeer stands before me with the most expressive facial expression I’ve ever seen on him before.

“… I like you. People say I have no taste, but I like you. So stay alive so we can meet again. Farewell, y/n.” With that he turns on his heel, unmoving.

I let out raucous laughter before I race towards the now departing ship. I make it just in time to board by making ict pedestals against the side of the ship. As the ship departs the obscure dock, I watch the short figure in the distance. He still doesn’t move even when he’s a mere speck in the distance.

I can’t help but clutch the glowing masterless vision against my chest. My mother’s.

I refuse to weep, but a stubborn tear slips past. If he truly doesn’t have a heart, why did he look after me in his own way? Why did he let me go?

I can only sigh.

Along with the sorrow of leaving Scaramouche behind, I feel a newfound sense of excitement and.. freedom.

Even though I’ll have to live my life in fear of the Tsaritsa finding me again, I’m finally free.

Free from Snezhnaya. Free from the Tsaritsa.

Free from my mother’s lingering regret that she couldn’t escape the Tsaritsa’s watchful eye, which ultimately led to her demise.

As the motherland fades in the distance and I sneeze from the low temperature, a glowing light shines against the darkness of the surrounding sea.

I gingerly hold the Anemo vision in my hands, and I finally allow myself to smile.

I’m finally free, yet there’s a sharp pain in my chest. It doesn’t stem from a physical cause, but from a psychological one.

This feeling…

This must be what it means to have an aching, broken heart.

⁎⁺˳  ✧༚ ˎˊ˗    ♡     ˗ˏˋയ ✩

“Is that the honorary knight?” I think out loud as I peek my head out from behind a building. I swiftly resume my previous hiding place when they glance in my direction moments later.

I breathe a sigh of relief when no one comes to investigate. I continue walking to my destination, and I close my eyes in bliss as the wind carries away all of my worries.

I’m curious about this traveler. Maybe I’ll follow them for a bit and see what they’re up to. Knowing the truth of this world, an outsider is certain to shake things up. And the Tsaritsa…

I scold myself for thinking about her after I’ve already left Snezhnaya. What she did to mom-

A flurry of images of my mom before her death rush back to me, and the Tsaritsa’s face accompanies the painful memories. I clutch the hem of my clothing and take a few, slow deep breaths. My skin feels clammy and I’m suddenly feeling lightheaded.

“Oh? What’s a pretty lady like you doing leaning against the wall like that? We haven’t even been properly introduced yet, but here you are falling for me already.” I ignore the teasing cavalry captain, who was previously talking to the traveler, as I focus on calming my panicked mind.

It takes me a few moments, but I eventually manage to calm myself down. Once my mind is clear I finally feel the soothing hand from the cavalry captain rubbing up and down my back.

Oh, maybe I didn’t do it completely on my own.

“.. Thanks.” I shyly thank him, and when I look up to see his face I’m greeted with his handsome smile. “No problem. How about we sit down and chat, hm? I noticed you staring at the traveler and I earlier, and I’m curious as to what your reasons are.” The man hums and before I know it he’s leading me to sit at one of the table’s outside of Angel’s Share.

Ah, this man is clever. I have to be careful not to slip up in front of him, but I’ve never struggled before.

“So, where are you from? I’ve never seen you in Mondstadt before.” He curiously asks me. His eyes languidly drift over my features before they peer into my eyes. He’s openly reading me, so I take the opportunity to do the same. I sense a familiar pain hidden in his uncovered eye. Before I can search any deeper he closes his eye to smile before leaning back.

“Oh, you’re going to be a lot of fun to have around. I can feel it.”

⁎⁺˳  ✧༚ ˎˊ˗    ♡     ˗ˏˋയ ✩

“I’ll always return to Mondstadt. It’s another home for me now. I’ll see you when I return, okay?” I bid a semi-tearful farewell to the man before me, and he embraced me with concealed enthusiasm.

“Ah, my dear Y/n. Who will scold me now when I’m supposedly ‘slacking off?’” Kaeya pretends to sob as he runs a hand along my back, just like he did when we first met.

“Your brother will, for sure. ‘Oh, the Knights of Favonius, always so inefficient.” I mimic Diluc’s voice. Kaeya bursts into heartfelt laughter as he releases me. I giggle along with him and turn around, only to face the red head we were just talking about.

I feel my cheeks warm as Diluc sports an unamused look. “You too, Y/n?” He huffs. I open my mouth to respond, but no words come out. I stare into his eyes for a moment before I avert mine in embarrassment. He’s so handsome, he makes me feel so nervous around him!

“Uh- It’s just jokes Diluc.” I nervously chuckle. Diluc’s lips quirk into a smirk before he ruffles my hair. As I complain and fix my hair he says “I know. Have a safe trip. Visit the Angel’s Share again if you need anything. I’m sure I’ll be of more use than the ‘inefficient Knight of Favonious.’” This time it’s Diluc’s turn to mimic me, and Kaeya’s non stop laughter only cranks up in Volume.

Kaeya helped me settle into Mondstadt and assisted me in finding my own place to stay. I managed to avoid revealing anything too specific about my situation. Due to something unspoken between the two of us that Kaeya & I mentally acknowledged about the other, he helped me fit right in to Mondstadt. Since we were outside of Angel’s Share Diluc happened to see us during our  first conversation, and that’s how I got to know the infamous Diluc Ragnvindr.

I remember the story the other Harbingers told me about the red haired man who decimated many Fatui camps, all on his own and without a vision. They relayed their distaste that he managed to escape, but personally meeting Diluc made me glad they failed to finish him off. He’s awfully cute and sweet in his own way. I recall the nights he let me stay with him at the Dawn Winery when Kaeya was still helping me find a home, and I’m forever grateful to the both of them.

“Well, I’ll be seeing you. Bring back something from your travels, okay?” With that Diluc is ready to see me off, a solemn smile on his face. “Of course! Anything for you Diluc.” My overeager response surprises both of us as I blush in embarrassment. Diluc looks taken aback as he awkwardly coughs into his sleeve. A blush lights up his face like a beacon; I can’t help but giggle at the sight of his flustered expression.

“Alright, alright. Off you go!” Kaeya ushers me forward and I make my way to my next destination: Liyue.

I begin my journey with a running start. I make a brief stop at the big tree at Windrise. I close my eyes and allow myself a moment to be vulnerable as I pray for my mother. “Anemo archon Barbatos, please watch over my journey as I explore the depths and secrets of this world.” I stand, and my prayers are immediately answered.

I swivel around at the sound of a joyful voice. Ah, Venti. The Archon himself stands before me with a goofy smile on his face. “Well hello there! What brings you here? I happened to be passing by and…” he trails off. I’m sure my expression is one of shock, but also glee. I’ve always liked the Anemo Archon most from the stories the Tsaritsa would tell me. “Bar- Ahem. Venti, I’m honored to be able to meet you!” I try to contain my childlike glee at meeting the Anemo Archon.

Venti’s expression is one of surprise and curiosity. “Well well, it looks like the most curious individual has arrived here in Mondstadt. Say, why don’t you tell me your tale? I have a feeling it’s grand, and a story the world shall refuse to find bland.” I can’t help the smile that reaches my ears as the bard before me poetically asks for my story.

“Hm. I’ll save it for another day. I bet it’s not as amazing as yours, little wind spirit.” Venti’s mouth falls agape, and before he can say another word I’m gone from his line of sight in a flurry of snowflakes and a strong gust of wind.

⁎⁺˳  ✧༚ ˎˊ˗    ♡     ˗ˏˋയ ✩

“So, who is he?” The Geo Archon prompts. “Hmm?” I inquire. I watch as Zhongli blows his cup of tea before taking a sip. I follow his lead, and I swoon at the exquisite taste of tea and fine delicacies he’s prepared for our meal.

I got the Geo Archon to sit down with me after confiding in him. I may or may not have been sorrowfully staring at the dark Liyue clouds above as the rain masked my tears.

Zhongli happened to pass by, and despite my insistence that I was fine he ushered me inside and offered to lend me an ear.

Instead of talking about the thoughts that were actually plaguing my thoughts, I end up becoming side tracked as I gush to Zhongli about Scaramouche.

Of course he doesn’t know who it is I’m talking about, but that doesn’t stop me from spilling my heartfelt feelings to him. “Hmm… honestly, I’m not sure. What if I’m the only one who feels this way? It’s likely. You know how he is.” Zhongli nods thoughtfully at my words. “Even so, it’d be hard for him to not feel gratitude, at the very least. If he really is as bloodthirsty and cruel as you say he is, then he wouldn’t have saved you. Although I don’t have all the details, I’m sure this man harbors feelings that you may be unaware of. Whether these are the feelings you hope they are is another issue entirely, but something tells me you aren’t the only one who is harboring feelings for the other.” Zhongli’s words cause the unmistakable feeling of hope to swell up inside of me.

I hate the way I blush and avert my eyes. I start smiling like a lovestruck fool, so I attempt to hide my smile behind my tea cup after taking another sip.

“Ah, there it is. I see the love you have for this man in your eyes.” My mouth falls open as words fail me, and Zhongli lets out a hearty chuckle. “To be young and in love… What a beautiful thing.” I remain silent as I finish the tea, and as the rain pelts a euphonious sound outside I relish in the calm atmosphere that surrounds the Geo Archon and I.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

“What should I do?” I whine to Xingqiu. He hums as he contemplates his response whereas Chongyun responds almost immediately.

“Why don’t you continue exploring? This world is vast, but I’m sure you’ll run into him again at some point.” Chongyun bites into his Popsicle, and I eat the one I begged him to give me.

It’s comforting eating something with no taste. I see why this calms Chongyun down.

Xingqiu bites into his own Popsicle (we may or may not have teased Chongyun to the point he caved and gave us both a Popsicle) as his eyes light up. It seems he’s found his answer.

“I agree. If it’s meant to be, you will see each other again. Don’t hold yourself back, and pursue what it is that you truly want.” I ponder Xingqiu’s words as Chongyun asks him where he learned to tell such great advice.

What is it that I want though?

I feel their eyes on me but I hang my head so my hair will obscure my eyes.

“If you do not know what it is that you want, I hope you’ll be able to find it during your travels.” Xingqiu reads my mind, and his comforting hand running along my back gives me a sense of comfort.

Chongyun joins in on the back rubbing, and I laugh at their complaints towards each other when their hands keep bumping into each other.

I have an idea of where my path lies, and it all starts with the father I have not had the opportunity to know.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

The scenery is beautiful…

I gasp in awe when the sakura petals fall from the beautiful trees surrounding the city.  I need to stay on task, but the beautiful sites are distracting.

It took a lot of time and effort to make it to Inazuma while the decree is going on. I also made sure to hide my visions on my person. I can fend off anyone who tries to take my visions from me, but it’s honestly too much hassle. I’d rather just hide them for the time being.

“Now, I have almost nothing to go off of and a father to find. Hooray!” I falsely cheer under my breath. I continue to navigate the somewhat lively streets of Inazuma. I’m sure things will perk up once this stupid decree is over.

I convinced Captain Beidou to take me to Inazuma, with the help of my lovely friends from Liyue, and I had the pleasure of meeting a wandering samurai.

Once Beidou docked at Inazuma I immediately scurried off with a brief farewell to her and the samurai, whose name is apparently Kazuha.

I wind up aimlessly walking around Inazuma for hours before I eventually wander out of the city. I end up in front of a fancy looking building as I walk through the gate. “Oh! Who are you? Are you lost?” A cheerful voice pipes up from beside me.

I jump and place a frightened hand on my chest as I swivel around to face the voice.

Green eyes widen in surprise. “Woah, slow down! I didn’t mean to scare you. …Is everything okay?” I don’t answer as I frantically survey my surroundings. Did I walk into enemy territory?? Will this person try to take my visions? What if-

Oh, wait. My visions are hidden.

I sigh in relief once I remember I hid my visions.

I look down and see a gleaming pyro vision, and the person awkwardly coughs as they maneuver themselves so that it’s out of my line of sight.

“Um… sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you or whoever lives here. I’m just wandering around and looking for my father..” “Oh, no worries at all! Do you have any information about your father? Maybe I can help!” I finally look at the person’s face. He fixes me with a smile, and his friendly demeanor is so warm and comforting I allow myself to relax a bit around him.

“Oh, well-“ “Thoma, would you mind… oh, who’s this?” An audible gasp slips out of me as the most pretty man I’ve ever laid eyes on walks over to Thoma and I. “Oh, Lord Ayato! I was just trying to help this young lady. She seems lost and-“ “Young lady? While I appreciate the compliment, I am of age you know.” I huff. Thoma awkwardly chuckles at that.

“I see. Well, nice to meet you…” Ayato trails off. “Yume.” I supply my name. Ayato’s eyes sharpen slightly in interest, but the coy man before me is quick to mask his expression and continue the conversation. “Ah, an Inazuman name. If your name’s origins lie here, why are you lost? Is it really true you’ve never been here before?” Ayato carefully judges my expression, watching me for any abnormal movements.

Oh?! This man thinks I’m lying!?

I feel my face flush with contained rage as I resist the urge to stomp my foot like a petulant child. “Excuse me, Lord Ayato, I have no reason to insinuate something that isn’t true. I have nothing to gain out of that. I’m simply looking for my father and I was hoping to find any information I could about him. I don’t know him per se because of my.. situation, but I’d love to meet him again. I met him a few times as a child so I remember what he looks like but that is all.” With a huff I finish my tense monologue. Thoma looks on with wide eyes as Ayato chuckles to himself.

“Ah, I see. You really are the little firecracker you’ve been told to be.” Ayato’s words cause me to falter, and I’m quick to eagerly look into his eyes. “You know something about me!? Do you potentially… know my father? His surname is-“ “Haruka. Yes, I know. Say, join me for tea later. I unfortunately have urgent business to tend to at the moment. Another meeting…” Ayato says that last part under his breath more to himself than the rest of us.

Thoma attempts to comfort the pretty lord, and I smile as I witness their cute dynamic. “Alright, I’ll see you later Y/n.” With a swift kiss against my hand Ayato is gone.

I giggle like a silly schoolgirl and swoon. Thoma sighs. “That’s the Yashiro Commissioner for you…” Thoma mumbles. “Alright Y/n, let me show you around the estate until my lord returns. This is also a good chance for me to get to know you better.” I agree, and I follow Thoma around what is apparently known as the Kamisato Estate.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Ayaka and I laugh at Thoma’s flustered expression.“You guys are being unfair y’know…” Thoma groans. “Oh? But surely our assumptions had some truth to it. You haven’t denied our claims.” Ayaka hums. Thoma remains silent which causes me to burst into another fit of giggles. “Ah, whatever. Hopefully lord Ayato will return soon so I can- hey, look who just walked in!” Thoma comically shoots up from his seat to greet an amused Ayato.

Aw man, no more teasing Thoma.

“I have returned. Ah, Ayaka. How was your day?” Ayato takes time to address Ayaka and ask her about her day and what she’s been up to, and by the gleam in her eyes I can tell she appreciates it. I smile fondly as I watch the three of them converse. It must feel to be surrounded by the ones you love.

Ayato catches my eye, and I quickly lower my gaze to the ground and fiddle with the hem of my clothes. Ayato finishes his conversation with Thoma and Ayaka, and I bid them farewell as they leave. Ayato takes a moment to watch them go before he turns around. His eyes are curious, and I hold his gaze for a moment.

He chuckles to himself before he makes his way over to me and sits across from me. He asks me how I feel about the Kamisato Estate, and he leans his head against his propped hand as his eyes bore into mine.

“You’re- I mean!- It’s beautiful, and It’s filled with equally beautiful souls.” I mentally pat myself on the back for my somewhat smooth save, and he looks a bit taken aback.

“Oh? I wouldn’t have taken you for a smooth talker.” Ayato chuckles.

I bashfully laugh off his remark before the room returns to silence.

Come on Y/n, stop being so awkward!

I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm my nerves. Okay, now my head is in the game.

"So, what do you know about my father? Is he the one you heard that little tidbit about me from?" I ask with an audible quiver in my voice.

Great.

Well at least I got the question out. I squirm and hope he doesn't mention my obvious nerves. “Well, your father... I've met your father a total of three times, and each time is an experience I will never forget. Your father is an interesting man, and I happened upon him numerous times while out on … business endeavors. Thanks to your fathers' actions the most elusive individuals that have avoided the law for years have been caught." I take a moment to absorb Ayato's words. "So... My dad's like Shikanoin Heizou?" My question catches him by surprise, before he laughs with evident mirth. "How do you know about detective Shikanoin Heizou?"

I blush as I recount the sight of Heizou walking around the streets of Inazuma. I have yet to personally meet him, but I got a good vibe from him when I observed him from afar. The only reason I even learned of his name is because citizens nearby started gossiping about him, and I asked them to clue me in.

“People told me that Shikanoin Heizou is the man to ask if I'm searching for someone. Apparently, he's the best of the best." Ayato sips his boba as he listens to me, and I do my best to keep my face neutral when he keeps sipping even though the cup is clearly empty.

I can relate. I do the same thing whenever I'm drinking my favorite beverage.

Ayato hums before he abruptly sits up. I follow his lead, albeit a bit confused, and he leads me out of the Kamisato Estate. As we continue walking, he finally speaks up. "You're one step ahead of me. ..How unusual. I was going to suggest you seek out Shikanoin Heizou since I have no information on the whereabouts of your father. To answer your earlier inquiry, yes. In a way, your father is like Shikanoin Heizou except… the means he uses to seek and destroy his enemies is... well... not entirely legal. Still, in my eyes he's a good man. He mentioned his daughter in a distant land the last time I happened across him. I believe it was a slip of the tongue said in a moment of vulnerability. Nonetheless, I shall introduce you to the Tenryou Commission's best detective. He can guide you in the right direction, better than I ever could." With that, I remain silent as Ayato leads me to my destination.

I can’t help but wonder what you’ve been up to all these years, father. Actually, I guess the real question is…

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

“How have you been?” I nervously ask Heizou in an attempt to break the ice.

“Better now that I’ve finally secured the final piece to this unsolved mystery. Archons! I’ve been so close to catching this man yet so far since I was missing this vital piece of information for months. This is unusual for me, you know. I usually catch my culprits quickly. Hey, how about I treat you to something after this? Only if you’re up to it of course. A pretty lady like yourself deserves such a reward.” I swear all these handsome, beautiful, and downright gorgeous men are going to be the death of me!

Why is Inazuma filled with pretty men??

“I- um, yes! I’ll take you up on that offer. Thank you very much.” I furiously blush when Heizou turns around to send a wink in my direction as we continue our quick pace towards our destination. “If I’m correct, he should be just about ready to leave based on his usual pattern. So right here would be-“ Heizou is surprisingly swift and agile, so he’s a bit ahead of me. He’s even further ahead now, so I quicken my steps and attempt to catch up. I stop when I accidentally bump into a large figure.

“Oh my gosh I’m sorry! I apologize but I can’t stop, I’m in a..” I would’ve kept going if I didn’t catch a glimpse of their eyes under their hood.

Eyes that resemble mine.

We both freeze for a moment.

“Um.. I may be mistaken, and I am I apologize, but could you happen to be-“

I don’t even get a chance to finish my sentence. He’s quick to maneuver himself out of my way and run off.

Oh no he doesn’t.

I give chase, leaving Shikanoin behind.

..well, ahead. I guess.

Only behind for a few moments though, since I see him giving chase when I glance behind me.

“Father, wait!” I grunt as I follow my father’s annoying escape route. Over buildings, over pesky fences, through narrow spaces, he goes above and beyond to shake me off his trail.

He’ll have to try harder than this, but if I don’t do something soon he’ll definitely slip through my fingers.

I pray Heizou is close enough, and I use an object I spot nearby and drop it to the ground, blocking Heizou’s path. I have faith he’ll take the hint, as it’s very obvious, and I continue chasing the person I’m convinced is my father.

It isn’t long before we circle around the small space we’re in, since we’re in a busier area now and it’s hard for them to move around all the architecture while simultaneously avoiding me.

I glance in the direction I hope Heizou is in, and I use my Cryo vision yet again to encapsulate us and anyone in the vicinity in an icy cage.

The person stops and begins to scale the ice.

Why am I not surprised?

I worry that Heizou really wasn’t behind me when the person is at the top of the ice cage. I watch in despair as they carefully avoid the sharp outer edges of my temporary prison.

Before they are able to finish scaling the ice, I hear a familiar voice.

“Can’t fool me!” A  whirlwind knocks the person midair.

Game over!

With the wind as my wings I soar into the sky and tightly grasp the person in my arms. They struggle, and because of their build it’ll only be a moment before they’re released from my strong grip.

A moment was all I needed.

I hate to do this, but I use this moment to freeze the individual with my vision.

They cry out for a moment, for me to stop, but it’s only a matter of seconds before they’re a frozen statue in my arms.

I feel myself fall back to the hard ground below as they now weigh way more than they did before. In a panic I create a slide of sorts to bring us back down and away from the gathered crowd of spectators.

I’ll have to thank Heizou later, but for now I have a few words I wish to exchange with my father in private.

…This’ll be really embarrassing if this isn’t my father.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

“What do you want, kid? I swear you got your stubbornness from your mom.” My dad sighs from across the fire I built for him to cool off.

Pun intended.

He was not pleased as the ice around him slowly melted, but I’m more than grateful that he didn’t attempt to run again and agreed to talk with me over the fire and some delicious food.

He eats the food I made while keeping steady eye contact with me. I can’t help but feel a bit nostalgic, even though I have no recollection of doing things like this with him before.

“Hey, father? Why… why didn’t you come with mom to Snezhnaya?” My question catches him off guard. He’s silent only for a moment before he groans as he takes another bite of the food we prepared.

“Listen-“ The look I give him causes him to close his mouth for a moment before he opens it again to properly explain himself.

“Your mother.. I didn’t follow her to Snezhnaya because she planned to move back here with you when you grew a bit older. She lived with you in Snezhnaya for reasons I will not delve into, but I.. I loved your mother. After I found out what happened to her..” He sighs, and that sigh alone holds a lot of weight. I can see the heartache in his eyes as he downs some water. “Let’s just say I took matters into my own hands, and it evolved from there. Unfortunately, I can’t do my work in Snezhnaya since your mother has passed and I’d probably be hunted and killed by Fatui so… I do it here. The place your mother wanted to live and grow old with a family.” My breath hitches, and I wince when he mentions the Fatui.

Does he know what happened to me? I glance at his face, and it’s back to being as impassive as ever. My eyes catch sight of his hands as he drinks more water, and the ring on his finger shines due to the light of the fire.

That ring.. wait, my mother also wore a ring on her finger…

I study the ring on his finger, and suddenly memorizes that I’ve buried from years ago.

No wonder this fire feels nostalgic. Mom brought me to visit Inazuma a few times, and the times I did visit she always had rendezvous with dad. One of the times we had a temporary reunion, we sat by a fire together like this. The circumstances were different and the atmosphere was filled with laughter and cheer, it wasn’t so… solemn.

If only things didn’t turn out the way they did, then…

Mom would still be here, and I’d never have had to commit such atrocities under the Tsaritsa’s gaze.

I don’t notice I’m crying until my father huffs and reaches over to wipe my tears. “Kid, I won’t ask for forgiveness or stop doing things the way I’ve been doing them for years. All I ask is that if you’re ever in trouble, come to me. I will not let what happened to your mother happen to you. I will gladly die if it means protecting you, alright? Now finish eating. It’s getting late and I’m sure that short kid is worried about you.” I sniffle at my dad’s harsh yet kind words, and I do as instructed.

Although the atmosphere is solemn, we reminisce about mom and I tell him about the things she did and the people she helped before she died. We laugh together and bond over memories of mom. We begin to forge a bond that never had the opportunity to develop to its full potential.

Before we part ways, my dad gives me one last piece of advice as I give him a tearful hug. “I know it may be hard, but think about the person you want to become. Do what your heart tells you, but don’t ignore your head either. Although.. maybe it’ll be a good thing if you do, knowing how hot headed you can be.” I smack my dad’s back in a show of exasperation, and he laughs.

He releases me from our hug, ruffles my hair, and is out of sight before I can finish lifting my arm to wave farewell.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Heizou is visibly upset I let my dad escape, since his actions aren’t… entirely legal, but he lets it slide for my sake.

Although now I have to help him solve another case sometime in the future.

I agree to his terms, and it isn’t long before I’m moving on to the next nation with a bit more guidance and feelings of turmoil in my heart.

That is, until I see him.

A glimpse. The soft jingles as his hat sways with the breeze.

He’s going into a.. factory? My throat constricts and my heart pounds loudly in my ears, yet a broad smile makes its way on to my lips.

It’s him! Scaramouche!! In Inazuma!

I’m determined to call out to him, but I stop myself when I see Signora following him close behind.

My cheeks burn and I immediately close my mouth. Damn, I’d sneak around, but that isn’t in my best interest.

So, with a sorrowful sigh, I leave my heart behind and follow my head to my next destination.

…

Which is where my heart is, and my heart is currently in an abandoned factory in Inazuma.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Stealth isn’t my virtue, but I can make it work when the situation is truly dire.

I sneak into the factory and overhear an interesting conversation between Scaramouche and Signora.

As he talks to her, dismissive as usual, I study his body language and facial expressions. Huh, he’s the same old Scaramouche.

Except he seems a bit more…

I pout as I watch from afar. Signora finally leaves, and my heart aches for the person standing alone in an abandoned building.

I restrain myself from revealing myself to greet him since I can’t take the risk of another Fatui member spotting us. I sneak back out of the facility.

Lost in thought, I’m not paying enough attention and I accidentally hit my foot against something. Not only does it create a sound that reverberates throughout the factory, but oh my archons it hurts my foot!

“Who’s there?” Scaramouche is quick to change his stance as he readies for a potential fight against an intruder.

Quick, Run!

I’m out of the factory like lightning and manage to hide outside the factory before he can spot me. He looks annoyed from afar as a lower ranked Fatui member approaches him and asks for something. I hope he thinks it was them.

I can finally breathe easy, and I silently watch on as the man who shouldn’t have a heart unknowingly holds one in his blood stained hands.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

I lurk around Inazuma a bit more and lo and behold, the traveler makes an appearance. I can only imagine what will become of Inazuma with the traveler here, so I choose this opportunity to take my leave before things can escalate.

I bid farewell to my newfound Inazuman friends, and I convinced captain Beidou to give me a ride back to Liyue.

As the ship leaves the dock, my father’s lone figure makes a brief appearance. I smile and wave, and this time, he waves back.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

“Oh my goossshhhh.” I whine. It’s taking me forever to find a totally not illegal way into Sumeru. Judging by the traveler’s pattern, this is sure to be their next destination, albeit not for a while.

May as well explore this place again before the traveler’s influence reaches it.

I have made a singular trip here before with the doctor and Scaramouche before I left the harbingers, and I felt beyond uncomfortable around the doctor. I felt bad, but I did not protest when the doctor said he has business to tend to with the balladeer. So, I let them be and briefly explored the vast rainforests of Sumeru. I didn’t get to do too much exploring, but this time is different.

“Yes!! Finally!” I grin and shout with joy when I’m finally in Sumeru. Which unfortunately catches someone’s attention, and I scramble to hide.

A… fox person? Bunny? No, probably a fox due to their tail.

A fox person enters my line of sight as they scour the area. “People shouldn’t be here. How did this dolt manage to make it through?” They say aloud to themself. They sniff the air and start heading in my direction, so I book it.

“Hey! Wait up!” The voice calls for me. I don’t look back until I’m sweaty and panting as I catch my breath near a statue of the seven above my head. I look up at the statue and groan in dismay.

This is going to be a long journey.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

“Hmm. I see. Thank you for your information.” I thank the scholar. They wave me off, and I leave the area. The more I learn about this nation’s archon, the more heartbroken I feel. How can a nation treat their Archon so cruelly? Just calling her “Lesser Lord” is honestly disrespectful in and of itself.

What I’ve heard from the Tsaritsa about the Greater & Lesser Lord seems to add up from what the residents of Sumeru have told me. For once, I actually anticipate the traveler’s arrival. Hopefully they can fix this mess.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

I make my own acquaintances as I explore all Sumeru has to offer. I’ve grown quite fond of this nation, almost as much as Mondstadt.

Although, nothing will ever surpass Mondstadt.

I often find myself perusing the books in the Akademiya, and that’s how I’ve wormed my way into a particular scholar’s life.

“Alllhaaiiithhhaammmm!” I call. His sigh conveys such unconfined dismay that I burst into a fit of giggles. “Here to annoy me again?” “Yes, and this time I want a bigger book!” “…You got it.” Alhaitham immediately hands me a book, and I’m surprised he already had one picked out.

He eyes my surprised expression and he shakes his head at me like a parent scolding their child. “You should know you always stick to the same routine, it’s hard not to anticipate your actions. I’ve picked out a book for you to save myself time. You can read it here with me, or not. Just don’t disturb me while I read.” With a satisfied hum, I take a seat across from Alhaitham and crack open the book.

My eyes alight at the sound of the hardcover book being opened, and I resist the urge to nerd out about the antique book smell that wafts up to my nostrils.

The first time I came to the Akademiya, I asked multiple scholar’s for book recommendations, but none of them knew any books that described what I was looking for. Eventually one of them referred me to Alhaitham. Alhaitham was quick to help me locate the book I was actually searching for. Of course after that experience I made it a habit to visit the Akademiya everyday.

This is Alhaitham and books we’re talking about. I love books, and the books I’m reading contain knowledge that is not easily accessible. Surprisingly, Alhaitham still lends them to me. Maybe he’s inferred more about me than he lets on? Otherwise it wouldn’t make sense why he would risk his integrity as a scribe to lend me these books.

Speaking of books.

I happily hum as I flip the first page of the book, and the first few sentences have me hooked. This book is about the origins of Sumeru, Irminsul, and the Akasha. Except this book contains more information than what’s available to the public.  I already have “forbidden” knowledge because of the Tsaritsa, but it’s always good to read up on topics yourself to make your own judgements and interpretations.

As I flip through the book I feel Alhaitham’s gaze on me, but I don’t say anything about it as I continue to flip through the book.

Eventually he awkwardly coughs to get my attention, and that’s when I finally look at him. We’re not super close since we’re across the table from one another but my cheeks still flush when our eyes meet. He’s very handsome.

“Y/n, what knowledge are you hoping to obtain from reading all these books?” Alhaitham’s question catches me a bit off guard, and I take a few moments to contemplate my answer.

“More knowledge about this world.” Is my simple response. Alhaitham puts his book down, and I’m so shocked by the action his next words don’t immediately register with me. “Well to me it seems that the knowledge you seek will not be found within these books.”

After I get over the fact he genuinely put his book down to have this conversation with me, I stare at his intense irises. His eyebrows are drawn together and he looks oddly serious. “What do you mean by that? I just told you the knowledge I seek is about this world.” Alhaitham acknowledges my words with a nod of his head, yet that expression remains.

“Yes, that is what you told me. However, your eyes tell me there’s more to it than that.” Said eyes widen as Alhaitham reads me like the book he just set down. He continues to speak when I remain silent. “It seems the true knowledge you seek lies within yourself, and you already have all the answers you need. Take some time to yourself to think about what it is you truly want. Scouring these books on knowledge you’ve already attained will not help you achieve your goals.” He intensely watches my facial expression, and although I’m still shocked I’m honestly a bit touched that he cares so much to tell me this.

Alhaitham not only took the time to listen to my request when I approached the Akademiya’s Scribe in search of rare books, but he also trusted me enough to lend me these books, albeit very reluctantly at first.

I wonder how he can read me so well, and since he obviously knows more than he lets on, why did he lend me these books to begin with?

“Hey, Alhaitham?” He hums in acknowledgment and his hand prompts me to continue speaking. “Why did you lend me these books?” This time Alhaitham’s the one who looks taken aback.

His lips subtly form a small smirk before his expression quickly shifts back to one of neutrality, but I caught his shift in expression nonetheless. “Well, it’s not often you see a person with two visions. It’s not hard to infer one is a masterless vision while the other is your own. The real question lies in how did you acquire your visions, and which one is yours? My hypothesis is that you acquired the Anemo vision of your own accord, and the cryo vision is the one you obtained from someone else. I won’t pry for the details but surely there’s more to your story than meets the eye.” Once Alhaitham finishes his explanation he proceeds to pick up his book again and continue reading like his inferences weren’t spot on and scarily accurate.

I close my book shut and sit back in my seat. I close my eyes as I reflect on Alhaitham’s words. “It seems the true knowledge you seek lies within yourself, and you already have all the answers you need. Take some time to yourself to think about what it is you truly want. Scouring these books on knowledge you’ve already attained will not help you achieve your goals.”

I know he’s right, so instead of indulging in the knowledge that rests in the book before me I’ll take this time to really figure out what it is I want.

I have an inkling of a feeling I’ve had my answer from the very beginning.

So, why is it that I’m just realizing this now?

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

I wait for the Traveler to arrive in Sumeru. It seems trouble follows wherever the traveler roams, and something’s telling me it won’t be long before they arrive.

I sigh as I stand up and stretch, taking in the beautiful rays of sunshine. I’ve taken time for myself, and I finally found the answer to Alhaitham’s question.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to pursue what it is I want when an important person who’s a part of that plan is.. well, …I have no clue where they are. I’m hoping I’ll encounter him somewhere in Sumeru, but the odds are low. Maybe I should return to Snezhnaya and sneak my way around Fatui camps?

No, that’s a recipe for disaster. I groan and mess up my hair as I run my fingers through it.

Why are you always on my mind? Why am I driving myself crazy over you? I haven’t seen you in ages, and honestly I don’t know if you even feel the same.. or if..

My thoughts drift away as I catch sight of a tall figure in the distance. I gap at the sight of Dottore walking through the streets of Sumeru, near the Akademiya.

No, that can’t be right. Why would he be here right now?

I quickly hide myself and slowly sneak closer to the man; I want to make sure I’m not hallucinating and it’s really who I think it is. I’d rather hallucinate about any other man over Dottore, but a hallucination is preferable to the real… well.. things.

Once I’m closer and his blue lock of hair is only a few feet in front of me, I know with the pounding of my heart that the man before me is for sure Dottore, if not, one of his clones.

Then that could mean…

I survey the area with a newfound seed of hope. It’s a bit of a longshot, but thinking back to what he told me before..

I cover my mouth before an elated giggle can slip out, and I slowly move away from Dottore.

I remember the promise we made. Does he really expect to find me here, and for me to help him achieve godhood? I wonder if he even remembers the promise we made with each other that day…

With a solemn sigh I continue my trek to the Akademiya, being extra cautious to stay out of Dottore’s line of vision.

Well, until we meet again, I shall find solace in books and the hot men of Teyvat.

…Ignore that last bit.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

When I spot the traveler this time around I decide to tail them and watch over their journey in Sumeru from afar.

I’m not stalking them, but I need to follow them since I’m bound to learn valuable information on new developments in Sumeru if I remain nearby.

It’s not like I haven’t followed them briefly in various nations to obtain crucial information on recent developments. I was able to witness some of the events the traveler underwent, while others I’ve heard of through gossip among the locals.

As I follow the traveler I learn more about them, and I’m a bit impressed. Not enough to want to befriend them, but they’re definitely someone the Tsaritsa would want me to keep an eye on-

Ugh.

I shake my head to rid myself of the deplorable thought.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

I wish I brought snacks, since this is getting good.

I eagerly follow the Traveler as they discover what the Sumeru scholars have done to the poor dendro Archon. I only follow them a few miles into the desert before I return to Sumeru since it’s too hot for me to handle.

I’ll bring myself up to speed when they return.

Once gossip of the Traveler’s return reaches my ears I’m quick to track down the Traveler, just in time to follow them into a domain.

Okay, this was not the plan.

I didn’t mean to follow them into an enclosed space since it raises my likelihood of getting caught, but I’m here now so..

I maintain an adequate distance from the traveler and stifle my laughter as they struggle to solve some of the puzzles within the domain.

My heart sinks as we continue to explore the domain, and Paimon’s booming voice from afar does nothing to soothe the rapid pace of my heart when I come to a realization.

I know where we are and what lies in this domain.

I glance around me at the scenery. Yup, I’ve been here before with Dottore and Scaramouche. I recall the time I insisted on tagging along with Scaramouche, before I left this domain to explore Sumeru on my own. What I witnessed here made me uncomfortable, so I welcomed the escape I was offered when Dottore told me he had plans needed to pursue in private with Scaramouche.

I fidget as a feeling of dread overwhelms my senses. This place never gave me good vibes. What if I have to witness that again and- wait.

Is this the place I’ll be able to see him again?

My questions are soon answered, and I’m glad I remain hidden through it all.

My heart breaks and a tear slides down my cheek at what Scaramouche has chosen to become.

I sigh and watch from far away as Traveler fights the “god” before me. I hope I can still help him once this is all over, although.. not in the way he probably meant.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

I have a hard time finding Scaramouche after his “fall from godhood.” I wanted to run and catch him as he fell, but then I would give myself away.

So instead I grit my teeth and watch as the traveler didn’t even attempt to help him, which is understandable (he was being a bit of an ass), but still…

So it’s quite a shock when I stumble upon a short male clad in blue while I’m restocking my food supply. I almost don’t interact with the man since the man before me could easily be a manifestation of my yearning for Scaramouche, but when our eyes lock I know for certain that Scaramouche is the man standing before me.

My palms sweat and I pray my voice doesn’t crack.

“Hello there traveler! Would you like to-“ I don’t let him finish and ignore his oddly polite tone. I jump on him and embrace him tightly.

“Scaramouche!! I’ve missed you so much. You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to see you again. So, what’s with the new look?” I almost reveal how I saw him back in Inazuma at the factory, but I keep my mouth shut since we’re in a moderately busy and public area. I know he’ll probably shove me off of him, annoyed that I’m hugging him, but I can’t help but give in to my desire to hug him after being apart for so long.

The man standing near the beautiful array of fruit for purchase chuckles. “Is this someone you know little guy?” The man turns towards Scaramouche and I, and I wait for Scaramouche to answer.

Except, his eyes meet mine and there’s no hint of recognition in them. I feel my blood run cold when he gives me a polite smile before he slowly peels me off of him. “I’m not sure who you’re referring to when you call me Scaramouche, but I’m sure it was an honest mistake on your end. I can help you find him. What does he look like? Where did you last see him?” I feel sweat gather upon my brow when he stands before me and denies having any sort of recollection of me.

Wait, the traveler. And everything that happened. Could it be that he has amnesia? Or does this have something to do with…

To test my tentative theory, I ask him a question he has to know the answer to if he truly is Scaramouche. “Do you remember what the weather was like the day we last saw each other?” The only response I get is an awkward cough from the man beside Scara as Scara awkwardly laughs away my inquiry. “Again, I’m not entirely sure what  you’re referring to. If it’ll help-“

I break off into a sprint as I run away from the man who can no longer recall my face. My eyes water and I angrily rub the droplets off my eyelashes before they can fall. I refuse to cry before I figure out what exactly is going on, and if this is a result of what I think it is then I may not be the only one whose memory was altered.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Sure enough, any memory of the man named Scaramouche has seemingly vanished. The only way I could really confirm this was by questioning the Fatui who were left behind. I disguised myself as best I could, making sure to hide my hair and face, before questioning them about the harbingers.

They were overly suspicious of me and immediately attacked me, as expected, so after a good beating they spilled the beans.

Thankfully Itto isn’t around.

To the lower ranked Fatui members, the Harbinger Scaramouche didn’t exist. I was tempted to bring up his name, but I didn’t want to cause any complications for myself or him in the future. So I released the Fatui members and immediately returned to the Akademiya to scour books.

Books on Irminsul, which I recall is the tree that holds all the information and memories of Teyvat. 

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Judging by the information from books, it is hypothetically possible to erase past events and memories from all people of Teyvat if Irminsul is tampered with.

If that’s the case, then I can still recall Scaramouche and Greater Lord Rukkdehvata…

I close my eyes and recall the many tidbits of knowledge the Tsaritsa has bestowed upon me, coupled with the knowledge of other harbingers and the books I’ve been scouring for the past couple of days.

Could it be that I’m…

I shake the thought away and return to the objective at hand. If the memories of Scaramouche were removed from Tevyat then it could potentially be restored under specific circumstances which are highly unlikely..

But this is Teyvat we’re talking about, and the traveler is involved. I recall the words a mysterious man once told me. “There are no coincidences in this world.” 

Alright, that settles it then.

With a start I spring from my seat, hearing a startled yelp from the blonde man sitting across from me. “Oh, I’m sorry!” I sheepishly apologize to the man. He shoots me an inquisitive look, but accepts my apology nonetheless. I try not to laugh at his annoyed expression when he spots someone walking in behind me. I don’t waste time in leaving, and I exchange brief hellos with Alhaitham on my way out.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*   ♡　*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Locating the traveler is a bit of a difficult task, but my previous experiences from my days with the Fatui come in handy. Unfortunately, I’m pretty good at recon and tracking people down. It’s even easier since the traveler is a well known individual.

When I finally spot the traveler from afar, they’re walking into a building, so I quickly follow them.

It’s a pain getting into the building without being spotted, so unfortunately I miss some information. When I notice the dendro Archon talking to the traveler, hope blossoms in my chest when Scara- … the man in blue is seen with them.

I sneak closer and have to close my eyes and strain to hear, and when I tune in I’m surprised by what I hear.

Scaramouche now refers to himself as Wanderer, and his “former” self, Scaramouche, attempted to erase his existence in hopes of changing past events in Inazuma.

Oh, Scaramouche..

I tune the others out for a moment as I mull over the information I gleamed. It’s hard to continue moving forward with your sins weighing upon your soul, and he must’ve truly felt that erasing his existence was the best outcome not only for others but for himself as well.

How heartbreaking.

I tune back into the conversation. The dendro Archon, Nahida, discusses how it’s possible for Wanderer to regain his memories. Once the Wanderer finally agrees to the plan they create, I silently leave the building. I could follow them and see his memories for myself, which is tempting, but I’d prefer to hear about his past from his own mouth. I’d rather not invade his privacy by seeing his past without his consent.

It’s funny, since in the past I probably wouldn’t hesitate to do so.

…

Aw well, it’s better this way.

I leave the premises and choose to aimlessly wander Sumeru as I wait for Scara to regain his memories.

I know I’ll eventually run into him again.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*   ♡　*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

I hug my knees to my chest as the breeze lifts my hair in the wind.

Scaramouche- no, Wanderer…

It’s been a few days since I saw that confused look in his eyes when I hugged him. I clutch the hem of my clothes as I curl in on myself further.

What if he still doesn’t remember me? What if he forgets his time as a harbinger?

I know the weight on his shoulders would be lessened if he did forget, but a selfish part of me hopes he remembers, solely so he won’t forget the time we spent together.

Wanderer, I hope you remember me.

My thoughts begin to spiral, and a familiar tightness constricts my throat.

I hate to feel like this in a place where anyone can see me, but my body freezes and I’m afraid I’ll trip over myself like a fool if I try to get up and leave.

My breaths come out faster and I squeeze my eyes shut in hopes of blocking out the dizzying lights.

Deep breaths.

The moment I take a deep breath, I feel someone’s presence nearby. I hope they keep walking and don’t ask questions since I need to focus on calming myself down.

I sense the person lower themselves to sit beside me, and they place a comforting hand on my back. The sensation of their hand running up and down my back helps calm me down, and soon my breaths even and my heart rate slows its rapid march.

“You imbecile.”

My body freezes yet again, but for a different reason this time.

My head shoots up from my knees and I swivel my head so fast I’m surprised I don’t get whiplash.

Next to me sits none other than Scaramouche, or well, Wanderer, and a frown is on his lips.

“How long has this been happening?” He asks. He stares me down, and I feel my heart beat a steady rhythm. His presence alone calms my racing heart. “Sca- Wanderer… I… Do you remember me?” I hate the way my voice cracks, and his face shows mild surprise.

“Of course I do. You still owe me you know. Come with me, I don’t have time to waste.” He stands, but he leans down to offer me his hand.

“Get up. The ground is no place for you to stay, you need to stand up.” His words offer me a strange sense of comfort, and I hesitantly take his hand.

“So, it seems you know more than I thought. You called me Wanderer instead of Scaramouche… tell me what you know.” With that, he begins walking. He slows when he sees I’m not following, and he turns around. “Are you coming?” “Do you want me to?” “Why wouldn’t I-“ “You forgot about me.” My emotional statement causes him to wince.

He lowers his hat to obscure his face as he looks down to the ground for a moment. When he looks up again, it’s into my eyes. “I’m sorry. I was being foolish at that time. I’m not one for promises, but I’ll promise you this; I’d never forget a human like you.” His words steal my breath away, and when I run into his arms this time his eyes shine with recognition.

“I missed you.” I whisper against his clothes. I hear the sharp intake of breath he takes at my words. He doesn’t return my hug, but I enjoy the comfort of his body against mine regardless.

I jump slightly when I feel a pair of arms wrap around me moments later. “You’re so…” His whisper is carried away in the wind, and I chuckle at his obvious loss for words.

I’m glad he can’t see my silly, lopsided smile.

I start giggling, full of glee. “What’s so funny?” He asks. I shiver when one of his hands brush across my lower back.

I rest my head against his shoulder, and I’m surprised by the unusual temperature of his body.

“Your body… is warm.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*   ♡　*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Oh, wow… I correctly deduced some parts of your story but others.. not so much. I still can’t believe the doctor did such a horrible thing. Well I do believe it but for a person to commit such a heinous act is so… wow, Dottore.” I clench my teeth as I utter that disgusting name. I hate that man with a burning passion, and hearing Wanderer’s story reminds me of a sweet girl I encountered in a village when I first entered Sumeru.

She helped me find my way to the Akademiya, but before I could leave she collapsed where she stood. She said it was normal for her and she was just exhausted, but I had a feeling there was more to the story so I stuck around and cared for her in the best way I could.

Turns out the fox person I originally ran from is named Tighnari, and he returned to the village to care for the collapsed girl named Collei. That’s how I learned of the cause of her exhaustion.

Since I have more information than the forest ranger, I quickly pieced everything together. I knew what really occurred with this sweet girl, and it pained me to know the doctor could inflict so much suffering on a child like her.

I’ve never despised a man so much. I’d go so far as to say hate, but no one, let alone him, deserves me putting that much energy into their irrelevant existence.

I sigh as my mind returns to the present. Dottore. This man has done so many horrible things to people and puppets alike. “I can’t stand that man. I’m sorry you’ve experienced so many traumatic events, but thankfully now you can take your life and your future into your own hands and grow as a person because of it. This doesn’t erase the wrongs you have committed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t grow and become someone better. I’m proud of you for how far you’ve come.” I flash him a smile, and his eyes widen as his mouth forms the cute shape of an ‘o.’

“Speaking of past events, I went on a journey of my own and I figured out what it is I’m truly searching for. Ever since I left you that day I didn’t know what direction I wanted to take for myself. I did some wandering- haha, pun intended, and a scribe of all people helped me come to a conclusion. Although, my father also played a major role in my journey. Anyway, I discovered that I…” My words trail off and I watch in awe when Wanderer averts his gaze.

He turned too late though.

“Wanderer, did I just see..?” “Shut up, moron. Continue. What did you discover?” Wanderer indiscreetly runs his hand across his eyes.

I decide to let him have his privacy and not pester him on the unshed tears I saw on his lashes.

I move a bit closer to him and offer a silent hand of comfort over his. I’m thankful he doesn’t move my hand away.

“Well, I discovered that what I really want is to find the truth of this world. But I also..” I tentatively glance in his direction, and I’m surprised by his focused gaze on me. He’s never been one to care for other’s affairs, yet he seems so invested in what I’m saying. The thought brings a silly smile to my face that I hope he dismisses.

“I also want to create genuine bonds with others and grow to be the best version of me that I can be.. and there’s a certain someone I’d like to have by my side..”  I fully turn towards Wanderer and squeeze his hand as I tell him, “I want to do this with you. I want to experience many days to come with you by my side, or well, me by your side as you probably prefer I phrase it. I.. I..” I nervously chuckle when his expression remains unreadable, but I won’t back down now!

“When I’m with you, my heart races and my palms get sweaty-“ “Trust me, I noticed.” He interrupts me dryly. I glare at him and he only smirks in silent reply. He nods to prompt me to continue, so I do.

“I.. You.. You may not feel the same way I do about you but-“ “Just get on with it and stop beating around the bush-“ “I love you, okay!? Gosh let me finish speaking before you interrupt me. Anyway-“ I freeze when I realize he provoked the answer out of me, and my face burns in embarrassment. I attempt to remove my hand from on top of his and make a break for it, but he predicts my movements.

His hand laces itself together with mine and he pulls me in so I fall against him. “Wanderer!” I shout in embarrassment. I close my eyes and hope his rejection isn’t too harsh.

Oh, who am I kidding. This is the former Sixth Fatui Harbinger we’re talking about.

I brace myself for rejection, and the silence is awfully loud. The thing that breaks the silence catches me off guard, and I can’t help but smile when his laughter cuts through the tense atmosphere.

His laughter is much cuter and lighthearted than I thought it would sound, and it soon ropes me in. We’re a bunch of giggling idiots sitting side by side on a bench, and passersby give us a mixture of sweet and curious glances.

Once our laughter slows to a stop, I wait with baited breath for his next words. “Oh, you fool. You’ve always been very perceptive, but never with the things that are most obvious.” Hey! He chooses to reject me with a roundabout insult!?

I quickly turn my head to scold him, but the words get caught in my throat as he chooses that moment to close the distance between us.

I’m surprised by how soft his lips feel gently pressed against mine.

It takes me a moment to process what’s happening, and once I do my already vibrant world bursts in an explosive array of bright colors as I realize the implications behind his actions. Before I can return the kiss he pulls away, and he smirks at my expression. “You dolt. Didn’t you just tell me you love me? Why didn’t you return my kiss?” Wanderer ‘tsks’ and begins to move away from me with that annoying smirk still on his lips. So, I do the only plausible thing that comes to mind.

I kiss that stupid smirk off his face.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*   ♡　*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

P.S

When he kisses me back, it feels as if my heart is glowing.

I really am a lucky girl.

[sliptohk]

Prompt# 17: Sally

The broken path was defensible. Were one inclined to destroy the already daunting approach weaving down the leeward side it would be impregnable. A pity that there was no sign of the courier atop the peak, otherwise the job would have been firmly in hand with naught for the lone remaining competitor to do about it. Or completely irrecoverable if the cadre turning that lonesome summit into their private research outpost were so inclined to claim the prize themselves.

It was almost unfair how simple the task had been for them. A swift jaunt to Ishgard, before traipsing overland and following the lengthy ascent to their current location. Their chosen leader, Clotaire, waxed nostalgic about the lost approach as Ellory nodded along without paying much mind. It was not like she disagreed, having experienced just how miserable it was circumventing the longer, less perilous, path herself winding through the mountains. It simply did not matter in the moment. Merciless were getting further ahead by the moment. Or at least had the potential to. So after too little rest, and far too much failed efforts to recruit the cadre to their side, there was little more to be done save to venture forth once more.

"While I understand the strategic element of your request, I must regrettably decline. I had more than my fill of bloodshed in my youth. I cannot countenance more."

"Well…" With a defeated sigh, the hyurgadyn adjusted the sword at her hip once more, "At least offer them no safe haven."

That garnered a small smile, and an agreeable nod, "Of course. Should they possess the means to cause mischief we will bar their approach."

While it seemed unlikely they would opt to travel that path, it was some relief to think there may yet be a place to retreat to should the situation turn dire.

So with one last hot drink, the crew decamped and shuffled further on in search of the pass opening toward the old paths to Northreach. Little to the voyage beyond panting breaths and muffled curses whenever a foot turned on loose stone or narrow footpaths forced them to press back against the stone and shuffle through ilms at a time. At least they were turning more leeward, offering some respite from the wind. And a lovely panoramic view of Ablathia's Spine, from the frozen ribbons of old rivers to the evergreens capped turns-long by heavy snowfall. Picturesque, even to those with little time to pay mind to it.

It was only when they came nearer a broad clearing, warily edging around the side, did they come across an odd snuffling sound. A massive beast rooted about, several times larger than the Hellsguard accompanying them. Shaggy fur tinkling from clinging icicles with each movement it made. Massive fists yanking up some sort of tubers from a patch of earth well churned by its search. And to one side, a small auri woman. Their slender body leaning up against the side of a rugged spruce, bruises mottling the exposed sight of their face and one horn snapped clean off. If not for the slow rise and fall of their chest, they would have thought her a corpse.

Oliver whispered under his breath, "That may well be the woman we've been looking for."

"Remarkably hale for a carcass." Closing her eyes, Arlette took several beats before adding, "Bad shape. Should we attack?"

A crunch of careless feet rounded the further side of that small pass. Ozbeg at the lead as Merciless brazenly intruded upon the scene, either due to ignorance or arrogance. They seemed a bit short on allies. Even the more forgiving pass was not a kindly one. Whirling about, the beast rose to its full height. More impressive considering just how much of it had been masked by its previous hunch.

"Snow ape?" Oliver suggested, with a faint frown. Tasting the words to see if he really appreciated them.

With one snatch of a meaty hand, it plucked up the drowsing Raen and thrust her up toward its massive, tusked jaws. There was a collective wince as it bite down hard. Thankfully, just to clasp the back of the woman's jacket, before leaving its bounty behind to leap high up toward the jagged stone of a nearby outcrop. Sure hands and feet finding purchase on rock that looked sharp enough to slice clean through all but the sturdiest of mountaineering boots as it ascended swiftly. A single baleful glance thrown back at the lot of them, before it leapt off further into the distance.

Ellory did not pay it much mind. Neither did Ozbeg, as he turned slowly to take in the sight of them peering out from their rocky cover.

"Shall we combine our efforts to recover-" Bless his heart, but Oliver did attempt some matter of diplomacy."

"No." The xaela interjected. A familiar weapon in his hand.

"Good." Ellory drew her sword, body already beginning to shiver in anticipation. Crater loomed near behind with lips peeled back in a snarl and halberd at the ready. River clutched heavy hatchets in each hand with an look cold enough to challenge the snowfall.

The two hyur drew their own weapons, "Of course not."

[tineeericeee]

What Waits Off the Coast Of Santa Barbara

Chapter 4: One Foot In Front Of the Other- Not Like That

Notes: hey. Hey guys. You’ll never guess what. You’re never gonna fucking guess what I just did. 

If you said ‘added another part’ then you would be correct! It is. Five parts now. I cannot free myself from this, someone help. 

Even so, this chapter is over 2k words. Which is twice the length as last chapter. 

On a brighter note: this chapter was honestly so fun to write (not that the others weren’t) as well as the next chapter (I worked ahead a little, sue me). 

———

Polished work shoes sunk into sandy dunes as Lassiter walked on, kicking up the little particles into tiny puffs of dust clouds, sand granules scratching away at the perfect shine. Each footstep was slowly going from staggered and uneven to a more steady gait. His temples ached more and more, the effects of his poor decisions becoming all the more apparent with every step.

Somehow, in Lassiter’s head, the trek back to the tarp seemed longer than before. Knowing his luck, it had most likely either flitted its way into the ocean on a wayward breeze or had already been picked up by some other kindly soul. There were strong periodic gusts of wind, which further fueled his first theory.

He kept going, lights getting closer and closer, illuminating the road and boardwalk beside the beach and slightly shining on the shore. If he squinted, he could vaguely make out his footprints from when he had originally gone down to investigate the tarp and eventually the figure in the distance that became the merman. 

Of course, now that merman was… not a merman anymore. Or maybe he still was, genetically. He certainly looked to be human, after his skin and fish scales basically peeled off to reveal the man underneath. A fairly attractive one at that. 

It was all very complicated to Lassiter. And he hated not being able to understand the things in front of him. Especially since, as a detective, it was part of the job to be able to draw conclusions from small bits of evidence. 

But this? This was new to him. It was breaking his outlook on reality. The only reason he hadn’t completely shut down was the fact that he was still a bit tipsy. But even that was wearing off, and it was getting harder to ignore the strange illogicalness of the situation. 

He shook his head in an attempt to clear it of more intrusive thoughts. And of any lingering alcohol. He seemed to be doing that a lot, even though it wasn’t doing him much good. So far it had only succeeded in rattling his brain around and making his head hurt. ‘Focus. Find the tarp, grab it, cover the… man, then-’

Then what? What would he, Carlton Jebediah Lassiter, do with a naked man — who was previously a mermaid roughly twenty feet in length — covered with nothing but a tarp? Drop him off somewhere? Take him home?

He didn’t know what he was going to do. No plan of action, no step by step process, nothing. Every decision he’d made as of the past… thirty-ish minutes was something he’d pulled from his ass. He hated not knowing what to do just as much as he hated not understanding what was happening.  

A familiar streetlight entered his vision, along with dunes and grasses. He was back to where he’d first seen the tarp. 

Speaking of the tarp, it was thankfully still there, albeit a little further from its original position. Now that he was getting a closer look at it, he could see the individual tears and rips in the fabric. Lassiter picked it up to get a better look. The tarp crinkled under his touch. There was a thin layer of dusty sand clinging to it. He’d accidentally grabbed a corner that was covered in something sticky, and when he drew his hand back in disgust he caught a whiff of something sweet. Soda, probably. 

Lassiter shook the tarp with a snap to loosen any remaining sand — even going so far as to risk getting himself wet by dunking the sticky part into the ocean to clean it off — and began his walk back. As he hiked through the little sand dunes, he looked up to the sky, noting the pitch black in the east gently fading to a more navy blue colour. It must have been at least 5 in the morning. A quick stop to look at his watch — it was still a bit dark, so he had to squint to see where the minute and hour hands were pointing — confirmed it was in fact 5:07 am. 

Despite the slowly lightening sky, his eyes still strained against the darkness as he walked further from the boardwalk and the lights accompanying it. 

Although he could see there was a small light up ahead, just barely. It was too far away for him to make out what it was. But he didn’t need to, knowing full well the source of the faint light and what it was illuminating. It was his penlight he’d dropped earlier. Next to the merman. 

Lassiter huffed as he continued his way back. He lamented in leaving his only source of light with the creature man-thing. His space behind his eyes ached as he squinted in an attempt to see better. 

In the distance, slowly getting clearer and clearer, was the merman’s figure. He was standing upright, but not all too well. He was very slowly raising his feet and putting them one after the other. 

‘Was he… walking?’ If he was, it had to be some of the funkiest walking he’d ever seen. His footsteps ranged from being lifted dramatically high to a simple shuffle. 

As Lassiter got closer, he turned his attention away from the merman’s strange behavior to the ground, where his pen light sat nestled in a small divot in the sand. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands. ‘Well, at least I have this now.’ He looked back up to the merman, who hadn’t noticed the disturbance and kept focusing on his feet. 

Eventually his steps got quicker and had more rhythm to them. Until he misstepped on an oddly shaped lump of sand and went crashing down, letting out an oomf as he hit the ground.  

The words slipped out of Lassiter’s mouth before he could stop them. “Christ, is it your first day with your feet?” 

The merman startled, quickly looking over to the man who had, to him, materialized from nowhere. He sat there for a moment, squinting at the bright light Lassiter was unintentionally shining into his eyes — he lowered it once he noticed — before giving the detective a very pointed look and raising one eyebrow as if asking ‘Really?’

The stupidity of what he just said hit him like a truck. Of course the man wouldn’t have good motor control. He probably hadn’t even used legs in forever, only having had a fish tail to swim around the ocean. “Sorry.” He apologized lamely. 

He said nothing — but oh how he looked like he wanted to — only focusing on shakily standing back up. As he did, Lassiter turned off his pen light and shoved it in his suit pocket once more. 

“I, uhm. I grabbed the tarp.” He reached out and handed it over to the man, who awkwardly took it. 

Lassiter watched as the man attempted to wrap himself up in the ratty tarp. He tried not to intervene, but he couldn’t help himself when he slung it over his shoulders like a blanket. “No no no, not like that. It won’t hold up if it’s wrapped that way. Just- just give it here.”

The man raised an eyebrow. “Uhhh…” After about a minute of standing there, he shrugged his shoulders, as if to say ‘ah, what the heck.’ He took it off and handed it back to the detective. 

Once again, Lassiter very pointedly kept his eyes northward. Which meant he also had to bring the tarp up to eye level. “Alright, normally the fabric isn’t this big. But we’ll have to make do.” He bunched up one end of the tarp to make it into a very thick rope. “Okay, come here.” 

He took a few shuffling steps forward and Lassiter threw the un-bunched end over the other’s shoulder. “Hold this right there.” He handed him the end that was still grasped in a tight fist. 

The man took it, holding onto it as tightly as Lassiter was just doing. Currently he had it pinned to his chest as it hung down to the front of his lower torso. 

Lassiter went behind him and straightened out the tarp, widening it a bit as he took the other end and began the process of wrapping it around the man’s body. 

The sky was getting lighter as he did, although the sun still had yet to show itself. However, it was bright enough that Lassiter could vaguely make out smaller details on the man. In his current position, which was facing his back, he could see large scars riddled over the surface of his skin. A few of them were new, only just barely beginning to scab over. 

Lassiter decided he would be taking him home and cleaning those wounds. There. That was a plan. He now had a plan. But for now, he still needed to get this guy covered up. “Lift up your arm.” He instructed. 

Once the man had done so, Lassiter began walking around him in a full circle and a half, telling him to let go of the piece of tarp he was still clutching to his chest once he’d gotten over to that side and letting the fabric Lassiter was wrapping around him to pin the now-apparent sash to his body. The tarp was still very big, and dragged through the sand as he kept going until he stopped in front of him.  

Without saying a word, Lassiter bunched up the remaining end and tossed it again over the man’s shoulder, the same one as the first time. He walked over to the back where it hung and began crudely tying it to the other strap in a huge messy knot. 

Lassiter a couple steps back to view his handy work. As he did, the man tried adjusting the makeshift clothing, pulling and tugging at it. Plastic crinkled under his touch, and Lassiter was reminded of those godawful tracksuits people wore in the 90s. The only difference between those and what the man in front of him was wearing was that his was made of tarp, which was much thicker than whatever fabric was used on the fashion fad that hadn’t died fast enough. 

It looked… terrible, if Lassiter was being honest. The tarp was spilling past his feet and pooling around him on the sand like a trashy toga with a long train. Thankfully, some of the holes weren’t placed anywhere unflattering. 

Once again, the man attempted to take a step forward and immediately tripped over the lengthy hem. Lassiter lunged forward and caught him before he could fall too far. 

The man — Lassiter was getting tired of referring to him by this — frantically reached out to grab at Lassiter and clung to him when hands found sloping shoulders. His face partially buried itself into Lassiter’s chest as he did his best to hold himself upright. 

Lassiter, on the other hand, found his arms now wrapped awkwardly around the man’s back, hands just underneath his shoulder blades and forearms tucked under his armpits. He grunted under the weight. Normally he’d have no trouble in righting the man to a standing position. But there were currently two factors at play that usually weren’t. 

One: His muscles were still bit weak from drinking so much alcohol earlier. Currently they were shaking as he held him in place.

Two: He couldn’t place why, but for some reason simply feeling the man’s weight against him felt… right. Almost as if he belonged there. And it didn’t help that he was just so warm. 

Lassiter was broken from his mild stupor at the sound of the man desperately kicking back at the sand in order to stand up straight. So he very awkwardly began aiding him in doing so. It was a bit of a struggle, seeing as neither men were currently very adept at using their appendages. 

But after what felt like an eternity, the man had managed to put himself upright and let go of Lassiter’s suit — something that he was definitely not disappointed about. 

As the man steadied himself once more, Lassiter caught a glance at a cut peaking out from underneath the makeshift toga.  So he decided to speak up. “You should probably get those cuts clean. I have a first aid kit at my house, if you- if you’re-” he trailed off, not knowing exactly how to end the sentence. “I mean- it’s only… I’m just-”

The man just watched Lassiter fail to string together a coherent ending to his statement, a grin on his face getting bigger with each word. His teeth shone pearly white, canines only just sharper than the rest. All were perfectly arranged. Just like the rest of him. 

Lassiter himself felt his own face getting red, embarrassed with himself. He didn’t stutter. He never struggled to say anything. Not even when drunk had he ever had trouble speaking his mind. And yet here he was, tripping over his own tongue like some kind of lovesick schoolgirl talking to her highschool crush. 

“O-okay, okay. Stop.” The man forced out. 

Lassiter shut his mouth, mentally thanking whoever was out there for this small reprieve. 

He watched him concentrate on getting out the words he wanted to say. “I’ll le-t you he-lp mmme… ifyou prom-ise to ta-ke me to mmmy fr-iend’s place a-fter.” He swallowed, still very apparently not used to speaking. But it was much better than before, that was for sure. 

It took a moment for the meaning behind the man’s words clicked. When they did, Lassiter nodded. “Yeah, yeah. My- my car’s this way.” God, he needed to pull himself together. The whole stuttering thing was not a good look on him. And it was just plain embarrassing. 

The man just silently nodded along as well, and hiked up the excess tarp to free up his legs a bit more. 

And so they began their walk to the pub in silence. 

Lassiter knew that driving would be a bad idea. A terrible idea, in fact. He was in no right state to drive a car. But the only other options were walking to his house or calling a cab, neither of which sounded appealing to him. 

Thankfully, it had been a Tuesday night that turned into a Wednesday morning, and it was getting brighter by the second. So not many people would still be there, if any. 

There weren’t many cars on the road, in fact. Lassiter counted maybe one on their walk. He was grateful for this fact, as it meant no one would see the state he was in. Or the guy he had walking alongside him, who’d regained his motor control rather quickly. 

It wasn’t long before he found himself in the empty parking lot of the Tom Blaire pub, the place he’d gotten wasted at not but six hours ago. Speaking of which, he’d for the most part sobered up. The world no longer spun if he leaned in the wrong direction, everything was directly in front of him instead of slightly to the left, and he had one killer of a migraine coming on. Hopefully he still had some ibuprofen stashed in his glove compartment. 

The tarp rustled annoyingly as the man strode over to the passenger side of the Crown Vic, tugging at the door and clambering in. 

Lassiter followed suit, reaching over to where he had his medicine hidden away. He fumbled the latch a couple times before finally managing to actually get it opened and quickly grabbed at the bottle of sweet relief, struggling a bit with the lid. He was getting a little frustrated at this point, nearly breaking it open from squeezing too hard. But he eventually got through it, snagging a couple pills and dry-swallowing them whole. 

Meanwhile, the man beside him was busy grabbing at the seatbelt, jerking on it just hard enough it had locked itself. Lassiter was worried he might rip it out of the car on accident. He was getting really close to intervening. It was his car, after all. But the man managed to slowly and carefully unwind the seatbelt before causing any further damage. 

Lassiter let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and went to start up the car. As the ignition turned, he realized he never got the man’s name. If he even had one, that is. He’d just been referring to him as ‘the merman’ or ‘the man’. So he awkwardly turned in his seat to face him. “What’s your name?” 

He stopped fiddling with the seat belt and looked at the detective. After some concentration, he said “Shawn.” 

Shawn. What a perfectly normal, very human name. It surprised Lassiter. He’d been expecting something strange and foreign. Maybe a word no human would be able to pronounce. Or even a series of clicks and chirps, like some sound a dolphin would make. But it was just… Shawn. “I’m Carlton. Lassiter.”

—————

Notes: kind of unrelated but also related: I just realized that this chapter executes the philosophy of Chekhov’s Gun? With the tarp? And I did it on accident? I didn’t realize it until I read a post on tumblr about Chekhov’s Gun. 

ao3 link

[localgirlbecomesobsessed]

Be more creative

Part 1

When the girl you try to kill is more disappointed in your failure than you are 🙂‍↕️

Leo:unalive yourself

Xena:kill me yourself you coward

Warning:mention of violence,blood and swearing~

———————————————————

Takeru latched onto her ankle pulling her on to the floor, she huffed out in annoyance as she used her free foot to anchor herself against his broken arm, she launched herself upwards using his hold on her as leverage as she swiftly latched onto Takeru’s neck.

Xena wrapped her arm around Takeru’s neck, securing it as she took a deep breath ignoring the throbbing pain around her as she used all her strength and snapped Takeru’s neck.

Or what was remaining of it, the already twisted neck made a sickening crack as the bone burst through his skin snapped into two piece as she slammed her fist into his face.

She had hoped it would’ve slowed him down, but alas like always her luck was running dry, she knew physical attacks didn’t work but that was all she had working for her at the moment.

He paused at first giving her some false hope that she made a difference, the slight panic at her power apparently not working setting her into fight mode as she tried to slow him down.

Yet, as she felt the wind rush past her as the view of the night sky came closer, she felt her failure rush through her as the concrete of the balcony kindly greeted her back as the wind flew out her lungs from the impact, she gasped to regain her breath but didn’t have time to recover as Takeru harshly dragged her across the floor.

Pain coursed through her as takeru dragged her, the sound of Sho shouting was muffled in her ears as the throbbing spread to her head, her shoulders, there were times in her life where she felt a familiar sort of pain-a fire burning throughout her body-a child screaming for her parents as she’s pulled from the wreckage, she tried to fight back the images flashing through, blinking back the bile as dizziness overtook her.

She didn’t know if it was the horrific memories flooding her brain and pulling her into an icy pit of despair or the violating sickening pain turning her very being ice cold as she did the worst thing she could possibly do in this situation.

She froze.

She froze as she was dragged across the balcony and she felt the suffocation of dread taking her breath away as she heard the tail end of takeru shouting;

“-Jumping off my apartment balcony, with my guest!”

Her eyes widened as she realised how close to the edge they really were, she’s been trying to prepare herself to death accepting her fate and yet she had to choke back the lump in her throat as tears threatened to break out fear strangling her as she anxiously tried to look around to find a weapon, she wasn’t prepared to go so soon-

She watched as the metal pole smashed in Takeru, her heart lightening as her eyes hazily landed on Alan as a rush of adrenaline passed through her.

She grabbed a flower pot sitting outside someone’s apartment as Takeru slammed her into the wall near it, she heaved it at Takeru distracting him from attacking Alan as the pot shattered all over him, she could hear Leo yelling from the phone behind her screaming at Alan to get his shit together and to basically sacrifice xena, she would’ve rolled her eyes if it wasn’t an actual life or death situation, of course he’d try to use this opportunity to get rid of her…again.

Sho was a terrible actor and it was outstanding to her he could lazily lie like that, claiming her stigma wasn’t working and then almost immediately changing his mind when he realised they were in some serious shit.

Fucking idiots.

She couldn’t help a flare of anger rise up in her as she kicked at Takeru, using her only free leg to put all her strength in to.

She heard a clatter behind her and only had seconds to duck out of the way as Alan ignited his stigma slamming his fist into Takeru. Blood splattered everywhere as Takeru’s head combusted everywhere from Alan’s attack. The familiar scent of iron and bloodlust strangely filling her with calm as she tried to treat this as any other fight, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath slowly opening them as Alan crouched down to meet her holding out his hand to help her out.

“You okay?”

She numbly nodded as she went to take his hand but froze as Takeru silently rose up behind him, she tried to grab onto his hand to pull him away but the image of her Mum’s blood stained hand hanging out the car wreck flashed in her head as she looked at Alan’s own bloodied hand.

“No one leaves till someone dies!”

Luckily, Alan pulled her out the way instead, she silently cursed at herself for being so weak, she gripped onto Alan nodding at him as he punched Takeru in the chest.

“I got you!”•_•

A wave of determination came over her, she ignored the pain from Takeru’s previous attacks on her and ignored the pain from Alan’s grip as she reached out for the metal pole with her other hand.

Alan seemed like a man possessed as he hunted down Takeru’s corpse, continuously beating him once he located it. Xena swung with all her might-well as much as she could with only one arm free and shattered Takeru’s skull repeatedly in an effort to stop him from regenerating and -revenge for the injuries he caused to her as she let the frustration and anger leave her body with every hit.

An eye for an eye after all.

She kept hitting and hitting, her face contorted in anger as blood splattered everywhere.

It wasn’t until Sho came over that she realised she may have lost herself a bit, overwhelmed by past memories and current frustrations, both her and Alan stopped their assault at Sho’s demand.

She didn’t realise just how tight Alan’s grip was on her as he finally let go, she could see the beginnings of a dark bruise as her arm was overwhelming her with pain and she lightly traced over it with her fingertips.

“What is wrong with you two? He can’t get taken down by brute force remember?!”

Sho yelled at them as he angrily eyed Xena’s bruise.

Alan followed Sho’s eyeline frowning with a sorrowful look as he met Xena’s eyes.

Xena nonchalantly shrugged •_• not particularly bothered by the bruising.

“Guess we got carried away sorry.”

Sho looked uncomfortable as he glanced between the two blood covered beings, xena sighed as she handed the metal pipe back to Alan who nodded sheepishly in thanks to her.

They all stood awkwardly as they listened to Leo’s livestream, watching Takeru as he slowly flickered away, the three stayed there waiting to ensure he truly was gone, they were still on guard as they waited for Leo to finish his stream.

Xena frowned, the explanation was good enough to solve the mission but there was still some things that were missing a few answers.

Alan seemed to agree as he too wore a grim face.

She was relieved though, even if there were a few hang ups Takeru was still dealt with.

It was good enough to sign the mission off.

So it was good enough for her.

Though she may discreetly try to look into it…curiosity did kill the cat after all and this could just be a quick fix for now but it’s still a threat.

She should be prepared if Takeru comes back.

Leo glared at her as he slammed Takeru’s door shut, storming past her despite the success of his mission. Alan followed after him, leaving both Sho and xena to awkwardly stand in silence.

“‘…are you okay?”

Sho quietly asked glancing nervously at the blood covered girl.

•_•

“I’m perfectly fine.”

She didn’t look at him, didn’t even want to as a seething anger settled over her, she couldn’t even hide it in her voice as it came out hard and cold.

their plan was obvious and ridiculous and she couldn’t help but be furious at how he was trying to cause more work for her.

If the mission went badly and they didn’t stop Takeru this mission would have to drag on, although it’s been fun investigating this case, the inspector business was pissing her off.

She didn’t ask to be used as a buffer for the ghouls nor did she ask to be the investigator so why the fuck are they pissing about like this?

At least do it in a better way?

She didn’t know if it was the definite concussion, the exhaustion, the memories that won’t stop haunting her or the pure annoyance at the situation that was breaking her usual cool exterior.

“Are you sure?”

Sho looked genuinely concerned as he looked at her with worry, she rolled her eyes as she limped back to the others, she looked behind her as Sho stood in shock as he stared at her like an abandoned puppy.

She groaned in annoyance as she turned to face him.

“My ankles fucked and I think we can all agree that a shower is desperately needed-“

She dramatically gestured to her blood splattered form as Sho nodded in agreement brows furrowed in deep thought as he hurriedly walked up beside her, he held his arm out to her as she stared blankly at him.

“I’ll help you to the station honour roll.”

She sighed as she took his arm as they started to awkwardly hobble to the station.

“So you fight?”

Sho asked trying to fill the silence as Alan and Leo walked slightly in front of them.

“I…do judo.”•_•

She answered hesitantly as Sho let out a low whistle, seemingly impressed by the small woman’s ability.

“What belt are you?”•_•

Alan turned to ask, eyes sparkling in curiosity.

“Black.” •_•

Leo was further ahead with headphones on as he seemed to be scrolling through his Instagram analytics. Not hearing any of the conversation as he stormed off to where they’ll be getting on the catso express.

The three fell into a quiet discussion about different fight techniques as they tiredly made their way back to Darkwick.

———————————————————

‘The pit at 12, be there-big announcement.’

Xena sighed as she grappled with the phone in bed, it was currently 11am and she’s just woken up to professor Dante’s text, blunt as always and to the point, something she greatly appreciated.

She was planning to just ignore it, not wanting to deal with any mission stuff today but that tiny voice echoed in her head telling her to not be an idiot.

She sent a thumbs up emoji to Dante confirming her attendance.

She groaned as she quickly ran to get ready, chucking on a black jumper with her normal uniform in order to better hide the healing bruises-thank god for professor Nicolas’ miracle cream.

she wore a yellow scrunchie to stay in theme with the house colours, she put it in a loose half up half down pony, her head still fragile from the smack down it had the night before.

•_• At the pit •_•

She leaned against the wall as she glanced at the students around her, she had a headache that was making it hard to see and she cringed inwardly as she tried to avoid the loud chatter around her.

“I’m betting on Sho for vice captain?! Ain’t no way that guy is gonna get it.”

An overly enthusiastic student cheered to his friends pointing at Leo as he placed his bet with another shady looking student.

She wandered over, curious and needing a distraction from the headache and they were in a more quiet section of the pit. The student looked at her in surprise as she approached, he looked slightly frightened as he started to back away.

“I’d like to make a bet.” •_•

He halted for a sec looking at her questioningly seeming to survey how dangerous she actually was, she stared blankly at him as she waited for him to respond.

“I don’t deal with board operatives.”

Her mask cracked as a look of disgust took over her, is this what she’s been pegged down too?

A narc?

“I have never been more offended in my life man.”

It was a guttural response, she couldn’t stop the words as they slipped out.

The genuine displeasure dripped off every word, noticing it the guy slightly lessened his guard, he sighed as he held out a little notebook, glancing cautiously back up at her.

“How much and who?”

She grinned at him which seemed to unsettle him further as she looked more like a shark finding its prey rather than a happy customer.

“4000 yen on…”

She glanced over to the two, her hammering headache getting worse as she made short eye contact with Leo.

If she were to base it on her luck…

“4000 yen on Leo please.” •_•

She was back to her mask as she paid the man.

She was quickly distracted as the man practically ran back to his friends as surprisingly professor hyde sauntered onto the stage.

She spotted Dante off to the side giving him a small wave as he nodded back at her.

She tuned out most of what hyde was saying his voice scratching against her brain in the worst way.

she looked between the duo debating with herself who would be better.

Sho was strong, kind and considerate of others, but he follows Leo’s whim to point of detriment, ie literally nearly killing her.

Leo has the guts and a strategic mind, hes also good at leading but he’s also selfish, harsh and although he completed the mission he’s still missed key things( like the footprints that she literally can’t stop thinking about)

She’s annoyed at herself but Leo would be the one she would chose out of the two.

Despite thinking that her eyes nearly cracked out of her head in surprise as Hyde proudly announced;

“…Leo Kurosagi”

[mimisempai]

How long have you been standing there?

Summary

Greg waits in the cold impatiently for Mycroft's delayed train, but no matter how long it takes, no matter what the conditions are, for Mycroft, he is willing to wait forever

Notes

Mystrade Monday 1.0  #02 -"How long have you been standing there?"

@mystradepromptsandscenarios

On Ao3

Rating G - 648 words

Greg blew on his fingers, regretting for the tenth time that he had not brought his gloves. He pulled up the collar of his jacket and shoved his hands back into his pockets, dancing from one foot to the other, trying to forget the biting cold of the wind that blew across the platform.

Mycroft's train was half an hour late, but Greg didn't care, he would face the cold ten times over, knowing that his wait would be rewarded the moment Mycroft stepped off the train.

There were not many people on the platform at this late hour and in this cold when suddenly the announcement Greg had been waiting for was heard.

"Finally..." Greg muttered to himself.

Then he waited patiently for the train to come into the station, to stop, and he began to look for the long-awaited figure in the crowd getting off the train.

Suddenly, his eyes fell on an old lady, bent over, trying to get off the train, her heavy suitcase in her hand, the other passengers completely indifferent to her situation.

But Greg had seen her, and he couldn't ignore her.

He stepped forward and said quietly, "Let me help you, madam." Seeing her hesitant look, he added, "If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you my name. I'm Gregory Lestrade, Detective Inspector à Scotland Yard. I just came to fetch my..." he paused for a second, the words still new in his mouth, "my boyfriend." He raised his hands, palms up, and the old lady looked at him for a few more seconds until she was bumped by an impatient passenger. 

Greg grabbed the poor old lady's suitcase and helped her down the stairs before leading her and her suitcase away from the crowd. He handed her her luggage and said gently, "Here you go."

The old lady smiled kindly at him and said, "Thank you, young man. It is comforting to know that there are still generous souls like you. Enjoy your evening with your..." she winked at him and continued in a conspiratorial tone, "...boyfriend."

This drew a small laugh from Greg, who watched her leave and waved back as she turned to greet him one last time.

Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder and a voice with such familiar intonations calling softly, "Greg?

He turned sharply. There he was. His hair tousled by the wind, his cheeks slightly flushed by the wind and that smile. That smile that was his alone.

After more than ten days apart, Greg didn't want to hold back and wrapped his arms around Mycroft's neck, pulling him closer so he could finally hold him. He buried his face in Mycroft's neck, savoring this first embrace in what seemed like an eternity.

Mycroft put his hands on his shoulders to pull him back and touched Greg's reddened nose with his fingertip. He asked him with concern, "How long have you been standing there?"

Greg chuckled softly, "I could be dramatic and tell you that it felt like I had been waiting for you forever, but in reality I was only there as long as it took for your train to arrive."

Mycroft shook his head, "Oh Greg, my dear, in this cold you should have waited inside."

"I couldn't wait to see you again," Greg said, shrugging his shoulders. And since they were no longer in the stage of hiding their feelings, he added, "I missed you, you know."

"I've missed you too," Mycroft said softly, leaning over and blowing on Greg's nose. Then he added, "Come on..." he put his arm around Greg's shoulder and pressed him closer, "let's go home so we can warm up in a much better way."

Greg nodded and put his arm around Mycroft's waist.

The wind was still blowing hard, but nestled against Mycroft's warm body, Greg didn't notice it.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Mystrade masterlist here

[seraphvm]

୨୧. ルールと規則

༊ rules & regulations !

01. although i do take requests, kindly refrain from negative comments if ever i take too long to post certain content and be patient about it. as a college student it is very hard to balance my work with writing as my hobby.

02. rewriting, reposting my content on whatever platform, modifying, translating or using my work is strictly prohibited.

03. this page will include various types of fanfictions ranging from fluff angst and smut, but as for now i will only write for aib ( alice in borderland ) characters.

04. my fics aren’t meant to please everybody, if you aren’t satisfied with whatever i am posting, kindly send through a request or simply ignore my page.

05. if ever you’d like to be added to my taglist, please drop a message !

YES ! ( things i will write )

01. female character(s) x reader

02. male character(s) x reader

03. fem/male/gn y/n at request

04. ships

ABSOLUTELY NOT. ( things i won’t write )

01. kinks that i won’t include in my smut writing include: vomit, pedophilia, age play, foot fetish, latex, furries, race fetishization & play, drugging ( will be updated in the future if ever )

02. any content with characters that are minors.

03. i will not write about anything that in which the reader or any character i’m pairing y/n with self harms, has ed ( eating disorder ), has anything to do with domestic violence, & etc. since i’m not comfortable of romanticizing any of this in my fics nor feel comfortable to put any of the characters i write for in these type of situations.

— this list will be updated in the future !

© seraphvm || SERA?! all rights reserved.

[campmurderparty]

heidi & dorian.

He seemed to be ignoring her. Heidi bit back, with great effort, the urge to keep spitting insults at him. She had to reason to herself that if he was trying to leave, continuing to argue would just have him sticking around longer. He was backing away from her as if she was the dangerous one that broke into her house. Leaning against the hall doorway, heidi crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently and surprisingly silently. The man reached behind him once he backed away far enough, to reach for the door she assumed, but he seemed to keep missing it. She had been pretty proud of herself for her sense of self-control since they left the kitchen, but she couldn’t stop her exaggerated roll of her eyes.

Her face scrunched up as she watched him keep trying the doorknob. Did this guy have some sort of problem with his muscles? Well, that was sad and all, but she just wanted him out of her house. Once he finally left, she’d lock all the doors and the windows, then call the cops and her realtor in that order. Maybe she’d even try to sue the real estate company, but she’d have to get her dad’s opinion on that first. She didn’t make any sort of business decision without consulting her father. Contract renewals with the station always happened with him on the phone, listening in. she wondered if she’d be able to get a refund of some kind, maybe her mortgage payments lowered, something to make up for her trouble. Despite the fact that the man hadn’t (so far) hurt her, that didn’t mean this wasn’t a dangerous situation. Maybe he was some weirdo that didn’t know how to use doorknobs and wandered into the wrong house, but the next time, the weirdo in question could be weirder–and deadlier.

Jesus, what’s taking this guy so long? Just on the tip of her tongue, she was just about to ask when there was a sudden knock on the door. Heidi wasn’t sure if she was startled by the knock or by his reaction. The look on his face when he turned back to her seemed much more rattled than a sudden surprise like that should’ve produced. The voice on the other side of the door wasn’t familiar to her, but she quickly identified herself as her new neighbor, mrs. carpenter. Heidi stared at the man and gestured towards the door with one hand, the other resting on her hip. “Um, hello? Answer the door.” she commanded brattily, pausing a beat before she decided to take matters into her own hands.

Pushing past the man, heidi grasped the doorknob easily and threw the door open to reveal a kindly old woman. “Hi, mrs. carpenter! I’m heidi, i just moved in a week ago.” she explained, unsure if any of her neighbors even knew she moved in. meeting the people that lived near her wasn’t exactly high on her to-do list, but she was starting to regret that now. “I don’t know if you knew that or not, but this guy over here–” heidi gestured to the man with a backwards nod of her head, “seems to think he lives here when the ink on my deed hasn’t even dried yet.” she turned to look at him over her shoulder, brows raised haughtily. “Would you be able to confirm if he ever even lived here in the first place? I keep trying to convince him he has the wrong house or moved out long ago but he won’t believe me.”