#shogun curse strikes once again...

[hauntingblue]

Now trish gets hurt???? Can diavolo leave bucciarati's children alone.... fuck off deadbeat...

[taichxu]

∗ 22﹕ sender  finds  receiver  [ injured / bloodied ] . BUT REVERSED !! (from rosalyne in an au where she survives raiden's fight)

nonverbal prompts

When he learned of the fate that Signora was consigned to after her bet with the Traveler against the Raiden Shogun, he didn't expect the Harbinger to survive her ultimate technique. None had, not even great cursed beasts like Orobashi, and not even the earth of Teyvat itself could endure its strike. A small part of him mourned, having known her in her prime and known that had her lover not died, she might have lived a happier life. They all might have, had the Cataclysm not been instigated. Yet to his surprise, he was summoned to Dottore's offices not long after the news broke out. And there, on one of his segment's operating tables was the Fair Lady herself. She could have been mistaken for dead, with her ashen skin and the myriad of scars and burns covering her body, if it weren't for the faint rise and fall of her chest. The segment prattled on about the Prime Build saying something about letting him see her, but Capitano was hardly listening.

Signora...Rosalyne survived. "...Leave." He commanded the segment, who grumbled, but ultimately left the room. Hesitantly, the Harbinger reaches out a hand to his comrade, pausing once, twice, and then moving it to lay atop her own. For a moment, he feels like he's that young man again, that gutsy knight who wanted justice for those who could never have had it. He remembers the day they said their farewells to Rosalyne as she left for Sumeru...that was the last time he saw her until he joined the Fatui. "...Live, Rosalyne. If not for him...for me...for yourself."

[vtoriacore]

✧ a deity without mercy

tw: religion (many references to christianity), mentions of death + torture

note: i’m late to the imposter sagau but i felt the need to write something angry and this came out lol, i hope it doesn’t completely flop 💀 i read too many fics where the reader ends up sad but i want them to fuck shit up and put a few people in their place so, here!

synopsis: as the creator, facing all injustice possible upon entering the realm of teyvat, you have had enough. the mercy they didn’t spare you was not going to be their saving grace; vengeance and retribution will be yours for their collective transgressions against the divine.

Three months. It had been three months since you entered the world of Teyvat. And not for a single day, not for a single hour, not for a single still moment had anyone offered you your well deserved salvation. No, your salvation would only come under one condition; no longer existing within this realm. But your thoughts strayed far from a peaceful exit; would this world fall apart in all its complexity with you? Would all those who wronged you feel the overwhelming guilt and despair pooling at their feet, ready to drown in the sea of false allegations and inhumane accusations they directed at you? 

Would they feel the crushing realisation their oh so merciful god, one they had so cruelly treated, tried to exile, execute, exterminate- was the one responsible for the destruction of this once beautiful land, bathing it in rivers of crimson from the very civilians who didn't do it justice? Didn't do you justice?

Countless times had you thought about your own demise and about how it would manifest. Perhaps Childe would finally hunt you down without further prolonging this repetitive game of cat and mouse. Or maybe the Vigilant Yaksha, conqueror of demons and evidently gods alike, would once and for all finish his brutal endeavours with one final blow, each previous leaving you with a horrendous scar and a memory to match. Maybe even the mighty Raiden Shogun of Inzauma herself would strike twice. And yet here you sit, unable to feel anything but a shallow need for comfort, one that would extinguish that miserably dancing flame within you.

Although the more you thought about everything that had led you up to this point, the more the gnawing feeling of distributing divine retribution clawed at your mind. They all deserve it, every single one of them. Your stay has been nothing short of misery. And what comes around, must come back around. Not once, but twice.

'The Devil himself would cower at this treatment,' you mused. Dante knew nothing of inferno, religious scriptures from your previous world nothing of eternal hell, humans nothing of the true meaning of suffering. 

Your blood boiled within you.

What right did they have to anoint you as the imposter threatening to harm their real god, much less with your own ethereal blood? Disgrace at the notion, sacrilege at the deed! Uncontrollable rage simmered within your body . All sinners and not a single saint in sight. There were no disciples walking this cursed land, none who could call themselves prophets, none who could claim themselves worshippers. 

You stood. One step is all it took. You knew they would feel the rumble- feel the sickening cracks of the earth as it split in its wake, negating all who stand in its way. Your bones rattled within you, ears adjusting to the new level of noise as you felt your ear drums shatter at the sheer volume. 

It was a type of pain that should have you falling to your knees and tearing your lungs apart from the bloodcurdling screams, scratching your throat until you can't even begin to think of breathing ever again. And yet, your body sustained it all. Every tremor threatening to splinter your bones. Every jolt of electricity crashing down onto the earth as the maroon hued sky roared with great tenacity. Every single expulsion of blistering heat coming from below the crust of the earth.

The screams of those who wronged you echoed in your head, and you couldn't deny the adrenaline inducing pleasure pulsing through your veins as months turned millennia of unbridled rage finally unleashed, gave way to events so irreversibly catastrophic you almost willed up some pity. But alas, you didn't have any to give. Not when they had none to spare.

You could only focus on those who tormented you the most, however. Nothing but satisfaction filled your being at every unnoticed - no, purposefully ignored plea for salvation. The very salvation they had the audacity to deny you.

"You have the nerve to beg for my forgiveness now?" your jarring voice roared over all else, and the silence following after only prodded you to carry on.

"The nerve to seek my help after all that you've subjected me to?" fists clenched, you marched through the chaos as the Inazuman landscape morphed from its once beautiful scenery filled with many hues of indigos and lilacs into a charred, barren terrain reeking of nothing but death. You should've felt regret over diminishing your own creation into nothing, and yet as the sky threatened to collapse under the pressure of your gaze, you only smiled. 

"You have defiled my holy temple, and for each time you did so I will reduce more of Teyvat to rubble," you remembered the way they drew their spears, high into the air and ready to strike.

"I will pour blood out like water all over Teyvat," you recounted the shackles of self-doubt they dared place on your hands, feet dragging along the cold stone to an untimely demise you thought would come.

"And there will be no one to bury the dead!" you recalled the way their glares settled on your frame, hunched over and staining the grass around you crimson red.

'Help us, O our Lord, our saviour

for the glory of your name;

deliver us and forgive our sins . . .'

You did not try and supress the cackle emitting past your lips at the prayer, eyes lit aflame like the very scenery all around you, 'The irony! Oh, the irony!' 

Have they ever forgiven the sins you haven't committed? Have they ever bathed your name in glory? Have they ever offered a respite from the struggles you faced because of them?

You will hold all their transgressions against them, and your mercy will not come in their desperate need of saving. Their words are meaningless, and you will make it known amongst their nations that you will avenge every drop of blood they had spilled on your body's behalf.  Your divine body they had so disgracefully tarnished with their dirty hands.

"Heed my warning! I will pour out my wrath on the nations, that did not acknowledge me! On the kingdoms, that have forsaken my name! For you have devoured me, and destroyed me within!" your voice quavered with vehemence, "You have lost the right to refer to me as your Lord!"

"My very people, the sheep of my pasture! You have all contributed to the demise of my land, and your collective essence will be the payment for the debt you accumulated," the surge of emotion you felt failed to quell your aching from pure hatred heart as you looked on at the hell you brought from ground up.

"What you owe me far transcends life itself, and I will be granted what I am due," by the strength of your being, your ambition and your will, you will not preserve them for they are all condemned to forfeit their entirety. 

[willowedwisteria]

⁂~I've dug two graves for us, my dear~⁂

Summary -> If you're gone, they can leave the world behind with you as well.

Note -> Haha, wake up y'all.

Featuring -> Scaramouche, Childe

Warnings -> Minor Cursing

Genre -> Angst

Childe

Childe's life has always been full of battles. Every strike exhilarated him, every blow on his target made him grin, and every trickle of blood pushed him to even further lengths.

Frankly, he enjoyed it. It wasn't anything new, but it would never get boring over time for him.

It was something he had to do, something for his family and the people who felt like family to him. He really just wanted the best for his siblings, parents, and you.

When was the last time he got to see your smile?

When was the last moment he got the luxury of hearing your laughter and voice soothe his nerves?

Where were you?

Maybe if he knew that you would be spending your last hour with him, he would have held you in his arms and did whatever you wanted him to do for that last moment.

He would try to get it for you, whatever trinkets, stupid items, food, drinks, palaces, mansions, a whole country. It's not as if he has much to offer with all the archons by your side.

Staying in this world without you wasn't living, it was merely surviving.

It was like a cycle that he was trapped in, the only time he would ever brighten up was with his family.

He really, really did love returning to your side with the items that he had got from bosses. It was one of his favorite things to do. It was like proving to you that he was capable, that he could protect you, yet you aren't even walking on this earth anymore.

"Childe, you know there's no need to pile up all the treasures you've gotten from battle here." Zhongli firmly states, a hand on his shoulder, staring at the mountain of boss drops Childe has left for you. "Their grace... isn't with us anymore."

Childe lightly shoves Zhongli's hand aside, "Yeah. I know."

He doesn't like battles as much anymore.

Scaramouche

Scara never felt human in his own body. It feels as if he was programmed to feel every emotion from anger to sadness, to blind hope.

Every burst of rage felt like someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes, every insult behind his back stung, yet he had no idea how to cope.

The Raiden Shogun who created him deemed him as a failure, a test subject, someone who could have been something special but never made it past the last obstacle.

Scara was like a capable but lost child.

He pushed others away and acted petty for the sake of not being left in the dust once more.

Yet, the only beam of light, the guide in his life, the sunlight that truly made him feel warm and fuzzy inside left. You were the key to understanding himself, you had the key to his heart.

That key that you held in your hands had drifted away with you.

If he had just 5 more minutes with you, it would be the best 5 minutes of his life. He'll be able to ask you why he has butterflies in his stomach when you're around sometimes, why he feels disappointed when you leave, and why he feels such admiration for you.

He still didn't finish spending time with you. Why did you leave?

Fuck moving on because he knows that he'll never find someone like you ever again.

Wasn't it just a moment ago when you were here? When you were teasing him? When you were off daydreaming and ranting? In the end, he doesn't feel like understanding himself is worth anything anymore, just spending time with you was enough for him.

"Don't fucking tell me that 'they're in a better place.' when they belong here with me." As possessive as it might sound, he really felt like this world was the better place that the both of you shared together.

No, the 'better place' in this world was when both you and Scara were together. You were like home.

Now, he has no place to call home.

Tag list -> @under-a-starry-night, @yourfaveisblack, @bardisipatos, @callmemeelah, @kithewanderingme, @my-white-canvas/@pale-value, @bamboowrites/@bamboowritess, @uchihaeirin, @karmawonders, @lunavixia, @anfre109, @ly-archives

Special tags -> @is-very-sad, @chocogi, @nicebonescomrade, @saigomo, @gunterdon, @mari-san-cant, @xiaophilia, @euthym1as

[themoon-saturn]

Maroon

Kazuha x gn reader

(angst/comfort spoilers for the Inazuma/ Kazuha’s story quests. TW: cursing, drinking, mentions of de@th but nothing descriptive)

Note: okay this is my first fic I have written since like 2014 so I apologize if its not super put together. I listened to Maroon by Taylor Swift while writing it and have had this idea since midnights dropped and finally wrote it down. Pretty long so I'm sorry if there are spelling/ grammar errors. Other than that please enjoy!

When the morning came we were cleaning incense off your vinyl shelf 'Cause we lost track of time again    The sound of laughter cut through the autumn night air though you couldn’t remember what was so funny by the time you both regained your composure. “Ugh, I lost track of time again. I have to get back.” You groaned as you stood to your feet. “We always do. Here, I’ll walk you home.” Kazuha said picking a fallen maple leaf out of your hair. The blood rushed to your cheeks as you bent down to collect the bottle of wine you had brought. “Thanks, but I can manage on my own. I know Tomo is probably waiting up for you.” He chuckled a bit, his ruby eyes meeting yours. “You know I can’t let you walk home alone. Come on before it gets even later.” Kazuha extended his hand and you gladly accepted. You didn’t exactly know how to pinpoint your relationship with Kazuha. He came and went like the wind, but he was never gone for long. When he did return you, both would sit under a maple tree looking over the ocean, drink some wine, and talk for hours. Your company felt like “home” to him. He knew that no matter how far he went, you were always waiting for him to return. Once you both arrived at your home, you turned and hugged him as tight as you could. “Thank you again, Kazu. Be safe and tell Tomo I said hello!” He gives you a smile that could compete with the stars in the sky, “of course I will. I will see you soon. Sweet dreams y/n” his soft voice sounds like the sweetest song you have ever heard. You watch as he walks away from your home, disappearing in the distance. You wondered if he knew the effect, he had on you or when you should bring that conversation up, “This is good for now...” you say smiling to yourself. All is good for now..   

I feel you no matter what... The rubies that I gave up and I lost you... 

 It was storming that day. The vision hunt decree had begun, and you were trying to live life as normally as possible with how things were going. Earlier that day Tomo had told you and Kazuha that someone needed to stand up to the Shogun for the people of Inazuma. You assumed it was all talk... but it was anything but. A lightning strike so powerful and bright could be seen all through the island that you knew what it was. Your heart sank. You didn’t even have time to think when you felt a hand grab your arm and tell you to run. You felt almost numb as Kazuha led you out of the city and into your home on the outskirts. “He went this way!” “Find him and bring him to the Tenryou commission!” You heard soldiers shouting. Kazuha quietly sobbed into his hands, falling to his knees, “Sh-she... I watched him fall. She killed Tomo- “he choked out. He showed you the dying vision in his hands. Tears spilled from your eyes, and you held him tightly. “You are a wanted man, Kazuha; we have to leave.” You knew there was no time to fully mourn the loss of your friend right now and he did as well. Kazuha looked at you with pure desperation, “I refuse to let his light that shone so brightly, be extinguished by the hands of a god...” he whispered. You turned to collect your things, but he stopped you. “Kazuha, we have to- “you start before he kisses your forehead, “thank you...” he says. You try to muster up a reassuring smile and turn back to go into your room. Kazuha knew what he had to do. He left a pressed maple leaf on your table, “I’m sorry y/n” he whispers. He slipped out your door and ran with tears in his eyes. He hopes you understand and can forgive him one day, but he can’t let you get hurt because of him. He knows this means he might not see you again… his home. His muse. “May the winds of fate bring us together again” he says looking back once more. It doesn’t take you long to return but once you see he’s gone you assume the worst, that he was captured, when you see the maple leaf set neatly on your table a whole different pain hit you. You throw your door open and run outside, hoping he’s still in the distance but you can’t see anything with the rain. “Excuse me, but have you seen a man by the name of Keadehara Kazuha come this way?” an officer asked. You couldn’t speak so just shook your head no. He nodded and the rest you didn’t hear. Everything sounded static and you felt numb. He was gone. You had lost the two most important people to you in a day. How dare he? How could he leave you behind? Does he think you couldn’t keep up with him? Were you a hindrance? So many questions ran through your mind and all you could do was try and pick up the pieces of what was left of you. Tomo was gone, Kazuha left, and there was nothing you could do about it.   

And I wake with your memory over me… That's a real fucking legacy to leave 

 It’s been a year. One whole year, without a word from Kazuha. You had no idea where he could be, if he was safe, or if he was still alive. You still have nightmares of that day. You feel like his memory had infected every inch of yourself. It still feels like you are missing part of yourself, and nothing could fill that void. Trying to carry on as normal with nights spent at a tavern, hoping the alcohol will numb you enough to get so real sleep for once. You tried to distract yourself by wondering the city even though the Tenryou commission has its eyes on you now with how close you, Kazuha, and Tomo were. You tried to shake the feeling of their stares as you shop around while also trying to push the memories out of your mind. “There will always be those who dare to brave the lightnings glow...” you whispered to yourself. “Huh? Y/n did you say something?” The shopkeeper asked. “Oh, it’s nothing. Sorry just have a lot on my mind.” You try to fake some kind of composer as you hand her your items. “Take care of yourself and get some rest y/n,” she says with a bright smile while you take your things. You thank her and make your way out of the city, ready for the nonjudgmental stares of home but stop and look at the sky. The maroon hues remind you of him. Almost everything reminds you of him and it felt like a cruel trick of the gods. “Archons...” you mutter. Once inside you pull out the preserved maple leaf that he left you and hold it to your lips. “Kazu... I hope you are safe” you say, gently kissing the leaf. You hope the wind carries your sentiment wherever he is. You wake up in a cold sweat, another nightmare. Unable to sleep, you walk to your spot under the trees overlooking the wide ocean. Looking out to the almost endless sea of stars above you think that maybe Kazuha is looking out to the same sky, longing to see you again. You clutch the leaf to your chest, praying for this to end. “What a mark you left on me Kaedehara Kazuha... a real fucking legacy”   

The lips I used to call home, so scarlet (it was maroon) 

 A few weeks more have passed, and things have been changing. The vision hunt degree has been abolished and the people of Inazuma were celebrating the victory of the Traveler and the resistance. You were sitting under your maple tree, overlooking the beach, holding the leaf in your hand, with a bottle of wine at your side. “For you Tomo..” you say taking a swig of wine. “I miss you. Your sacrifice was not in vain...” you can feel the tears coming but you still smile. He wouldn’t want you to be sad. Taking another drink you look to the sky, “For you Kazuha... wherever you are...” All you can do is hope he is safe and that he may return soon, though you can’t decide if you should curse his name or hold him so tight, he doesn’t leave again. A familiar voice had snapped you out of your thoughts, “Y/n...” It felt like everything froze. You assume you must be hearing things as you take another big swig of alcohol. “Y/n is that you?” It’s another cruel trick. You slowly turn your head to face the voice as your heart feels like it's going to burst out of your chest. “Kazuha...?” He gives you a worried smile. He can sense the state you are in and knows he’s got to be as delicate as he can be. He takes a deep breath, “Y/n I-”, "Stop” you interrupt. “Why? Why didn’t you wait for me? I lost Tomo.. I didn’t want to lose you too.” Angry tears rolled down your cheeks. Kazuha didn’t know what to say to you. You stand to your feet and charge at him, punching his chest, “Fuck you! Fuck you for leaving without saying goodbye! I thought I meant more to you than that! I thought you loved me as much as I love you!” the words spill out without you thinking. He has been hurting too and you can see it in his eyes. He looks like he hasn’t slept well like you. His eyes expose himself, of the legacy you left on him. “Y/n please...” His voice was still as sweet as you remembered. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness... but I just didn’t want to see you get hurt because of me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. Leaving you was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I had lost my friend and I couldn’t bare to lose you in that way too. I’m sorry y/n.” He said softly. Your eyes stayed glued to the ground when he noticed the preserved maple leaf next to the bottle of wine. “You kept it...?” He said picking it off the ground. “It was all I had left of you...” you whispered as the tears fell from your eyes once again. Your eyes met his and all the feelings of anger melted away. You pulled him towards you, catching him off guard as you hugged him so tightly. He tightens his grip on you for a moment before he separates from you only slightly, his hands cupping your face, whipping your tears away. The sudden touch of his hand causes your face to burn red, “May I?” he asks, the distance between you both starting to close. You nod slowly. His lips meeting yours felt like a strong gust of wind calling you home. It was strong yet soft all at once. Once he pulled away, he smiled at you, “You know... the sky’s beauty doesn’t even begin to compare to yours.” You roll your eyes turning to the maroon sky above. You both sit in silence for a moment before you take his hand. “Thank you for coming home Kazuha.” He tilts your face to look at his, “Thank you for being my home y/n. I love you more than the gods can comprehend.” he says kissing you once more. 

[dailytatsu]

Hello! I saw request were open so i was wondering if i could request some headcanons of the Archons and/or the Adepti meeting a God reader who is the God of Chaos and destruction. The reader is not a Archon tho and travels all over Teyvat cuz small bits of destruction were ever they go. They're pretty mischievous and somewhat smug but despite how they act they're actually a good person. They dont mean to cause problems(most of the time anyways) chaos follows them were ever they go. Idk if you have a character limit but if you do please tell me so i wont make a mistake again. And if there is you can just do Zhongli and Xiao. Optionally could you make them a dendro user, there not a lot of dendro content and if not thats fine. I understand. Could you make the reader Gn or Non-binary they/them pronouns please? If not male reader is totally fine. Im so sorry for the long post and I hope you have a good day/night!

Ohmy, it’s my first time just writing headcanons! I’m use to write a lot, so let’s hope I did it right (^ ^' )7

Thanks for the request! ✨

➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹ ➷

[HC] God of Chaos! Reader and the Archons + Xiao

Characters: Zhongli, Xiao, Venti, Shogun Raiden (Ei).

Gn! Reader

I tried doing it with everyone but I’m no still that confident to try writing with some characters ＿|￣|○

Sorry for any mistakes!

Request are open!

Genshin Masterlist

Second part ->

➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹ ➷

VENTI

To be honest, he didn't notice your presence at first. He had other concerns on his mind that day to perceive the chaotic (and slightly threatening) aura that Mondstadt was infected with that day.

Barbatos is a person of habit, so he couldn't help but be curious when the crowd in front of him began to look a little agitated instead of seeming to enjoy his lyre and his songs.

But then a series of domino events appeared in front of his very eyes.

The purity of the chaos was such that he felt overwhelmed, even without the white-haired boy around, if it wasn’t Bennett fault, then how was it possible for everything to be ruined in such a short time?

His patience ended when, out of nowhere, the strings of his lyre jumped close to his face as they snapped. Making that awful noise that couldn’t mean nothing good.

Okay, enough, who is messing around in here? No more joking in his nation!

He concentrated a little, a faint but unique presence kept his nerves on edge, as if he was being watched from afar. He moved away from the busy areas and then chased that ephemeral energy to the highest point of the church, where the bells were ringing in an irregular and stressful way.

Then he found you. Snoozing against one of the columns, somewhat tired because the trip you made to reach Mondstadt.

Surprisingly, Barbatos understood you since the first exchange of words. A god of chaos who was also a free spirit, you followed no rules ever written in Teyvat, and you had no plans to apologize for the mess you made.

Both of you were Zhongli’s worst nightmare, but that’s another story.

He managed to through your arrogance and your teasing nature that you, in fact, were a lonely spirit that liked to witness the life from above of everyone.

The difference between teasing someone accidentally and committing a crime was really visible, but he still couldn't help but feel like he should scold you after your mere presence messed up with the guild's baskets full of fish.

But hey! He also enjoy the company! Venti tried to teach you how to enjoy the calm and the whisper of wind, music can also contain chaos, feelings, old stories waiting to be told again, expressions and desire united, in a wonderful piece of-

As you yawned his lyre broke up again. Making clear the message.

Okay, not even God of Freedom and Wind can control chaos. Anyways, what a tragedy, but there’s nothing a simple bard can do, smh.

“Do you like kids, don’t you?” He said once, after a nice day of hearing him sing before your chaos reached his little concert. Again watching everyone from above on the hands of the statue, with your attention caught by some kids playing tag.

“… I don’t know what do you mean.” Once discovered you had no choice but to remain defensive, pretending to be disinterested.

“Heh, you aren’t a good liar.” It may not be the wisest thing to make fun of someone who could destroy the place where you were resting, but Venti was confident that he knew you well enough to know that you were not so explosive. “You know!, I just have some pieces, but I think it’s because they are little walking concentrations of pure and innocent chaos, am I wrong?”

He wasn’t, no at all. But you would never confess something that embarrassing.

This guy wrote a ballad about the days when Mondstadt got immerse with that strike of bad luck. Kind of an apology of not being able to handle the situation.

Now there’s the rumor that says that, every time somebody sings that song, something unlucky will happen in front of you.

The song is cursed.

One night when the moon was shining on the Cider Lake his well tuned ears distinguished a melody that was broken from time to time by the accidents of his performer, distracting him of his way to look for you.

It could be painful to listen to, but Venti could certainly feel the dedication of the one who was playing the imperfect song.

The ballad of the god of chaos, hummed like a lullaby that instead of making you sleep makes you question the events of the day. Wishing for the slightest thing to be different after an exhaustive week of peace and tranquility.

A lonely spirits cursing their existence, sitting in the highest point of a stranger’s palace, where you can reach the sky by only rising your hand.

The next day, Barbatos invited you to drink some wine, this time near Windrise to avoid accidents in the city.

As he almost dropped the bottle when a lot of slimes were attracted by your presence, he confirmed the theory about that the way to spend time with you would not be his personal definition of hanging out.

➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹ ➷

ZHONGLI

Okay, there’s only two scenarios that could happened when you set a foot in Liyue.

Old man has a soft spot for you for being a relative young deity.

Or he’s always lecturing you for not having control of your aura and powers.

How u dare bringing chaos to the nation of order? It’s that a death wish?

Jokes aside, you’re not really a threat. And he could sense that after he saw how you tried to avoid having direct contact with the city. Rex Lapis found your silhouette jumping and crossing through the mountains until reaching the fairest point that allowed you to enjoy the view of the streets that were filled with life and light as the sunsets.

He even noticed how you sighed in frustration when a storm started out of nowhere. A rain dedicated just for the arriving of the God of Chaos. Not even bothering of getting shield, you stayed in your place to look at all the people who were getting back to their places.

The rain seemed to stop over your head, for a second was enough to stop you from being cruelly swamped by the very weather you had created. An elegant umbrella covered you, the long awaited surprise you expected from someone as outdated as Morax.

You looked up, and found his expression calm and attentive, watching you. As if he had made a great discovery that he could not believe

“May I have a moment of your time to keep you company? Letting out your sorrows in the middle of a torrential storm is not what I would recommend as way to spend a good day.”

“… What are you talking about? Get in your own business, old man.”

“Well, you should know that a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved.”

Next time you knew was that he was helping you to dry your hair with a towel once you let him guide you to his place.

Zhongli picked you up like a abandoned cat that day. Even if having you near meant to deal with new the roof leaks.

Also kept you away from Hu Tao, if you two ever get along for being partners in crime he would seal himself underground-

For all the time you spend exploring Liyue, there he was. Like a little kid showing his treasures. But also like a worried father looking after his child for them not to stumble making their first steps.

Look at you! Almost crushing those Treasure Hoarders when a bunch of rocks fell down after you jumped at the edge of the cliff.

Wait, no- come back here! You should verify the surroundings and be aware of the weight of your power if you’re going to explore in that bold way. You, chaotic brat.

Another one who believed fervently that your mood was to blame for the constant chaos you caused. He also tried to show you the wonders of peace and calm, teaching you how to prepare tea while listening to the storyteller (also both being a little far away from the rest of them, just in case).

He couldn’t help but sigh when the teapot arm broke as soon as you tried to serve the tea. What a waste, he thought.

You apologized to him, kind of stressed with yourself after you took all the pieces with your bare hands to run away with them. Leaving a confused Zhongli behind.

Next day you were back, with the teapot repaired and just like new.

He let out a lot of thankful words, some flattering and a lot more cheesy things that you never had received before.

With that unexpected affection you couldn’t help but react flustered; then a cat that was chasing a bird jumped through a lot of decorations and merchandise, almost starting a fire as the chained events kept going.

Yeah,, uh, Zhongli got some useful mental notes about you and your chaos that day.

Hey, before you go, want to make a contract? You won’t regret it!

But as the wandering spirit you were you had no problems in reject his offer, but also promising that you would visit Liyue if he wanted you to.

Of course he wanted! But.. maybe next time you should stay in Huaguang Stone Forest instead of roaming near the city,,

➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹ ➷

XIAO

Tried to kill you.

I mean, your aura is threatening and full of a destructive energy, how is possible that you weren’t a demon to eradicate??

Sorry, but he had a point.

Your first met was on your way to reach Huaguang Stone Forest along with Zhongli for introduce you with the Adeptus.

Xiao, in the other side, thought that you were about to attack Morax from behind, so he just struck against you. With his polearm near to go through your chest, just stopped because you felt him before.

Lifting your hand at his direction, summoning chaos, this time, on purpose. The wind gained a wrathful nature and the biggest roots that were hiding under his feet rose to caught him.

And when you were about to hit each other Zhongli’s shield appeared just in time to separate both of you. Preventing a real catastrophic event.

Now stop fighting and introduce to each other.

Nice(n’t) to meet u.

What if you tried to awake Azhdaha to bring chaos and destruction to Liyue? What if you wanted to summoned Osial? What if… ?

Zhongli had to confirm and promise to him that those cruel possibilities won’t be a near future for respecting the real reason of your travel.

No matter if he wasn’t comfortable with your presence, it wasn’t his decision to allow you to roam freely, so he had to get use to it.

He immediately knew after hearing about your nature that was your fault that lately there were a lot more demons and monsters. Even his karma was getting more painful than usual.

(If you ever meet Hu Tao, please think twice before doing Xiao a prank)

You both didn’t interact a lot, and being honest, it was better that way.

He hadn’t a single intention of talking with you again until the day you were practicing the song that your Anemo friend taught you. By the other hand, Xiao noticed that the melody had the same nature as the one he once heard before being consumed by the karma.

It wasn’t a flute, but a worn lyre that was still in one piece after weeks of being repaired again and again.

“That song… ”

“Do you know it?” Xiao just nodded, staying in silence, being your very first audience even if you still have a lot to learn about playing a lyre.

It wasn’t as effective as the original, but was still… nice, kind of nostalgic.

Next morning, the Yaksha called for you. Made you stay still in the middle of a plain and then he disappeared of your sight.

He abandoned y- wait, what’s that? Why those monsters has that weird dark aura?

You were about to defend yourself until Xiao appeared back just in time to defeat them.

That day you became his personal bait for demons and monsters. Naturally you attracted chaos, so anyway you were, there will be also something to fight.

I guess this is your way to pay for all the troubles you made for him and his duty, so no complaining about it.

If you ask for a unexpected experience to Ganyu she would said that once she found both of you fighting along against the catastrophe, looking after each other’s back and almost having a perfect synchrony.

➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹ ➷

SHOGUN RAIDEN; EI

Also tried to kill you.

Well, the puppet tried to.

And then Ei tried when you had the opportunity of facing her.

But since killing a god just mean the releasing of a lot, pure, energy she couldn’t afford that risk, much less considering your “speciality”.

Who knows what would happen to Inazuma if your vital energy burst across the nation. Just like that old story about Sal Terrae and their goddess.

She just defeated you. Letting you rest and recovering in the midst of the plane of her reality within her mind. Your inert body in the middle of the battlefield as she kept meditating.

When you woke up she ignored your presence, but also denying your complaints about letting you go out back.

In her words, you were a burden, another enemy of eternity. Something as unpredictable as you and your “accidents” couldn’t get along with her utopia.

Ei could banish you from Inazuma, but she knows your type. Stubborn and not accepting the most simple orders to obey.

She knew that you would found a way to be back.

It’s better like this.

And in the hypothetical case of you being freed when she trapped the traveler (kicking you out) and then having a chance to see her again after the end of the war, then things would be somewhat different.

There’s not that much of civilization on some islands, so she allowed you to explore as much as your heart wanted. But if something serious happen, she promised that would end her work in the middle of the sea so your remains never be found.

Okay, message clear. Just do chaos near monsters and bandits, got it,,

Even if she wanted to spend some time with you and telling you some stories about Inazuma and other gods she couldn’t found the right time to call you at her presence.

As the current ruler of Inazuma she was busier than the rest of Archons you have meet. Maybe just some letters now and then like a way to keep a logbook, but not really a face to face talk.

Until she got the opportunity of a day off, just to found you messing around near some ruins. Trying to solve a puzzle before your speciality strikes in. The structure fell down after your fingertips reached the stone.

When the dust dissipated, you discovered her figure judging you from the other side of the remain ruins.

Give her a good reason for not errase you from the map, I dare u.

You felt the worst was about to come when Ei ordered you to follow her after a long sigh. Crossing her arms and starting to walk away from the bunch of old and worn rock.

Plot Twist, she actually invited you to rest under a tree, asking in her serene voice the reason for your journey and your origin. In such a direct way that it seemed more like a sentence than a talk to get to know each other better.

You answered what you could remember and then the silence stayed like the only way of interaction between you two.

Ohno, you know this pattern. Something’s about to happen-

“There is some strange beauty in the chaos, it may be the calm after the storm, but the catastrophe itself is seen as a necessary evil to appreciate the stillness. How much it would last until the lighting hit the valley?”

“So I arrived to keep order between the humans?”

Well yes, but actually no.

“… You see, if there is nothing but order and a lack of problems, mortals are likely to create them on their own. Their minds feels the need to be tested, to prove their worth, so I guess some of your chaos may be part of the history.”

“… then shall we take a walk in Inazuma?” You did not know if you were right, but you thought you saw a faint smile through his lips in the same way that lightning can be seen in the sky.

“I’ll allow it.” She said.

Her only condition was for you not to approach the huge boxes of fireworks down the street.

[jinkicake]

😒😒😒yeah scaramouche has breached the top 10 like I can’t keep seeing these edits and tan art of him in so much anguish and then looking hot saying shit like “ that’s okay, because I’ll make you dumber and dumber until the only thing you can scream is my name” HELLO??? This is a targeted attack on ME personally bc all the hot cosplayers are doing scaramouche thirst traps 😭and my poor heart can’t take being torn in two directions 😔 like on one hand he’s so emotionally stunted and mean that my absolute lack of being serious in any situation would catch him off guard. Like yeah your yelling and ranting about how the other harbingers are stupid but if I kiss you until you can’t breathe and say you look hot what then🤨🎤like he can try and be all yandere but once again I’m gon be into it idk what to tell him! Like I’m mean right back to and I’ll alphabetically list out his mommy issues while not even looking up from what I’m doing🙄he’s also feels like the type to silently but súper loudly beg for attention all day “I can’t believe how cold this bed feels right now👀👀👀👀” like the type to grab your hand and drag you places bc he wants to hold your hand but he can’t let anyone see that he needs human affection 💀 I am all here for spoiled brat scara era like you can’t convince me that he wouldn’t in ei’s room like right after snatching up the gnosis ( nothing but respect for MY electro archon🥰) and fuck you on whatever throne she has in there, in every surface possible bet if he had planned this before hand he would have found a way to do it on the ceiling too. Oh and he’s making sure everyone hears it, it’s usually raining and thundering? Yeah it’s dead quiet everyone is nervous they did something to piss the shogun off bc only the wind in the trees is what they can hear. Rip to whoever lives near that tho bc they hear nothing but the most desperate melodic screams coming from there and skin hitting skin like Rest In Peace fr bc for the next 12 hours that’s their life. Ruler of eternity bc that’s how long he’s gunna fuck you😔😔 there is definitely no mistake of what’s happening when they just hear screams of his name. Like he’s such a petty “ lmao if your a clown I’m the ringmaster” type bitch he wouldn’t care she can hear that shit from inside of her shogun puppet. If your lucky the gods might even bestow a vision in you for enduring that💕 who knows could be an electro one💀 as an “im so sorry you can’t walk anymore” but honestly I would let him, he and Venti are in the same spectrum but he’s the opposite he can “heh pathetic” his way into someone’s pants like childe but less straightforward post redemption arc he’s still the same but he’s traveling around teyvat for the perfect places to fuck you in☺️ like oh this little hidden cave in Liyue looks fine Lmao bc Xiao shows up ready to join in but he talks about it like he’s touring houses “ I think this cave would make your voice bounce off the walls nicely” SHUT UP!!!

not top ten.... come on,,,, we are better than this.... I KNOW WE ARE.

... i deeply enjoy the scara angsty fanart tho,,,, like i cried during that one specific cutscene of the archon quest and after that all of his angst just hit ten times better kekeke

OKAY BUT HEAR ME OUT. him being emotionally stunted and mean MAKES him more appealing?! im sorry that i enjoy a yandere psycho! but youre so right like his desperation for any affection really does dent my yandere!scara agenda bc at the end of the day he will do everything to please you and make you happy bc he never wants you to leave him HAHAHAH like you touch him without warning him and he'll literally turn red in the face and explode,,,, SEE HE IS SO DIFFICULT like i can never pick between cute scara or psycho scara T T

omg this headcannon of archon!scara i- every time you fuck him there would be dangerous thunderstorms LOLLLLLL it's like everyone in inazuma is rolling their eyes and cursing him whenever lightening strikes and thunder claps throughout the air hehehe

0h- i feel like if you got a vision after fucking scara he would pin it to you like a badge of honor.... that would be a physical reminder proving exactly what you are to him.... his toy... his heart... idk- i truly cant decide between making him sappy or mean-

if im fucking scara in a cave and xiao shows up.... that little puppet is getting tossed aside like im kicking his ass out and fucking xiao instead like- THAT is the ONLY option

[the-bejeesus]

      For as long as he can remember, Orochi was on the run from commoners for his cursed family name: Kurozumi. For the sins of relatives he did not know, he was outcast as evil. For this, he hated every last person in Wano. Kurozumi Higurashi vowed to help him plot to become the shogun, and gave him the Snake Snake Fruit Model: Eight-Headed Serpent Devil Fruit. Slowly they stole money from Oden and anyone they could, funded weapons, faked Kozuki Sukiyaki’s death, and teamed up with Kaido. With the Beast Pirates and their weapons factory, Orochi was able to become Shogun and rule with an iron fist. But that was not enough. Orochi greatly feared the Kozuki clan, and wanted nothing more than death to Oden. Even after boiling him to death and setting his Nine Red Scabbards to flames, he was not satisfied. For 20 years he feared the return of the Kozuki clan. And not without cause, he secretly had a traitor planted in the Nine Red Scabbards; a fellow Kurozumi who could act unsuspiciously among them. With this imposter, he was able to stay one step ahead of the curve and foil every plot there was for a raid. It was not enough, and Onigashima was invaded on the night of the Fire Festival nontheless. Beheaded by none other than his comrade Kaido, Orochi took advantage of his faked death and decided to wait out the raid. He would await an opportune moment to strike while they’re weakened and reclaim his seat at the Capital. But it was in vain, he was beheaded again, and again, six times by the retainers of the Kozuki Clan. With one more head keeping himself alive, he sat tight and waited once more for everything to pass. But before him stood Komurasaki. She was the Oiran and his betrothed. But even after sentencing her to death himself for mockery, he could not stop thinking about her. The horrors revealed to him in the revelation that his beloved Komurasaki was none other than the daughter of the Kozuki family he hated so much! This shock left him susceptible to one last blow from Kyoshiro, the Yakuza boss Komurasaki worked under. A most trusted ally of Orochi, he too was a retainer of the Kozuki Clan. In the end, perhaps Orochi’s paranoia was well-founded. Everyone from his lover to his friends to his ally Kaido betrayed him. Or perhaps his paranoia and outrageous cruelty propagated enemies. One thing is for sure, he’s a sad, sad man to look upon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KUROZUMI OROCHI!!!

[jae-duhb]

The Difference Between the Hero & the Martyr

.

.

Kazuha eats the divine punishment directly after shielding his partner with his body. It doesn't save Tomo from the shockwave and intense heat, but his injuries are minor compared to Kazuha's: severe burns in lightning patterns, branching from a clean gash running at an angle from his face down through his shoulder. You'd think he'd die on impact or not long after, but he doesn't even fall to his knees. Kaedehara stands firm to show he'll not be cowed by the display of power. Is it adrenaline that holds him up? Probably, but what does it matter? His mind focused solely on the survival of Tomo. When he turns to look at him, though, Kazuha's blood runs cold to see a face of betrayal glaring back at him.

"You idiot," Tomo says as he gets his own feet under him. "This is a duel, a duel with clear rules and honor riding on the opponents. Why- Why did you interfere?!"

"T-Tomo?"

"You dare dishonor me and everyone who stands against the Shogunate?!"

"No! I- I just- I wanted—"

I was being selfish, Kazuha thinks. I wanted to save your from becoming a martyr. He never finishes his sentence as the Raiden Shogun prepares to strike twice and take the life she's owed. Strong arms wrap themselves around him and haul him off to safety. Kazuha doesn't remember what happens after that.

He wakes up to find himself in a Resistance camp, being tended to by their medical team. Tomo is nowhere. General Gorou introduces himself and explains that his friend had dropped him off and left.

Gorou tells him, "He didn't explain very much—only that you survived the Almighty Shogun's wrath. Pretty impressive!" Kazuha, ofc, is only concerned about Tomo's whereabouts and wellbeing, but Gorou can't give him much information. "He never said where he was going next."

It's like the whole world shatters before him, and Kazuha tries desperately to get outta bed to hunt down his lover. "Don't- Don't leave me! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I hadn't meant—" He's silenced by pain and violent coughing. His body is weak, but Gorou still has to put strength into wrestling the hysteric patient back into bed, evidence as to what sorta person Kazuha was to survive the Musou no Hitotachi.

After winning their struggle, Gorou demands he rest, and then they will talk once he's better. "I'll see about sending ppl to find your friend." Kazuha can only slur out pleas for him to do so before succumbing to exhaustion. Whether it's from his condition or a sedative, no one needs to know.

Meanwhile, Tomo does not go back for his punishment at the Tenshukaku. He instead wanders Inazuma alone with the heaviest heart he's ever had and an even more burdened mind. He isn't just abandoning Kazuha; he's running from him. Forget about the duel, forget about the Shogun, the divine punishment, the Vision Hunt Decree! They angered him, boiled his blood, but nothing could compare to his beloved's willingness to forfeit his life for him. For him! You can't call it indignance or fury because the thought of Kazuha's grisly wounds doesn't ignite the urge to beat Shogunate soliders or curse Kazuha himself some more. It's to run.

Thanks to Tomo's reckless heroism, his partner's overwhelming love drove him to throw himself at death in his stead. Call him cruel, but he had to get away from Kazuha. He can't stomach the idea of ever having to see him in such a state again because of a thoughtless man named Tomo.

It's all his fault, and if he must separate himself from Kazuha to preserve him, then it's karma.

[kyogre-blue]

Insanely long, sorry to any fool caught up in it. 

List of Inazuma lore to look into later, since there’s so much new stuff and I can’t keep track. 

Viewpoints: 

Ritou: “Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, Lord Hiiragi Hiroshi of the Kanjou Commission miraculously built a prosperous trade center from a deserted island.” 

(This dude came up elsewhere too.) 

Tenryou, Inazuma City: “Under the eternal and silent gaze of Her Highness the Ogosho Shogun, the people living in the hustle and bustle of the city will finally be free from the worries of obsession, and move to a paradise where they no longer need to chase and compete for their aspirations.” 

(This Ogosho title is interesting. Also, note the “eternity”/euthymia goal that Yoimiya touched upon in her chapter 1.) 

Tatara Islands, Kannazuka: “The magnificent Blast Furnace here is used to produce a steady stream of high-quality Jade Steel for Inazuma. Recently, however, due to the war, the Mikage Furnace that drove the production has been damaged.”

Kujou Encampment: “Legend has it that during a disaster hundreds of years ago, Shigeyori Kujou, a mortal general whom Her Highness valued greatly, built a battlefront fortress in one night and fought valiantly against the forces of darkness.” 

(Another event from the Cataclysm.) 

Nazuchi Beach: “In the ancient language of the Inazuma ancestors, "Nazuchi" means "to be tenderly caressed by the hands of the gods." Ironically, Nazuchi Beach has been ravaged by war since a thousand years ago and has become a place for scavengers and pirates, with few inhabitants.” 

(“Ancient language of Inazuma” huh. This war from thousands of years ago... should bet the Archon Wars, I guess? Or it might be Abyss-related.) 

Yashiori Island, Musoujin Gorge: “According to the legend, the strike that brought and end to the serpent god was slashed right here. In this deep canyon that runs through Yashiori Island, the remnant reverberations of lightning bolts continue to this day, as if the thunder elves are still chattering about the legendary scene that tore through the sky and the earth thousands of years ago.”

(Hang on!! This serpent was killed thousands of years ago?! So then Ba’al wasn’t the one who did it? Or else, is she much older than her reign as Archon?) 

Serpent’s Head: “According to the legend, the giant serpent that once ventured into the deep sea was finally slain on Yashiori Island.”

(Interesting note about the deep sea. When hyping up a kaijuu’s credentials, you’d normally say they came from the deep sea, so this point about the serpent going there should be implying something about the... corruption and old gods lurking there?) 

Most notable part is the serpent killing, island splitting timeline. Is it really like that, or am I misunderstanding? 

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

Artifact sets: 

Shimenawa's Reminiscence

Belonged to a human shrine maiden named Kanade, who trained under the Kitsune Saiguu. 

Confirming that Lady Saiguu was a “mighty kitsune.” At the very least, she was not entirely human, perhaps not human at all. 

She had a tobacco pipe that she sometimes knocked people on the head with. 

“Everything in the world is entangled. Hence, illusory visions were born out of concrete reality. The so-called omamori cannot make one's wishes come true at all, but they can make them eternal through this entanglement." (vis a vis eternity and also her memories leaving such a deep impression on the land that Kazari was born.) 

Regarding people affected by Lady Saiguu’s passing: “The Great Tengu went into self-imposed exile, enraged at her own incompetence as the Lady Saiguu's protector, leaving Teruyo behind. Harunosuke left for another country amid the fury of his mourning, while Nagamasa joined the Shogunate to clear the Mikoshi name. As for the man who taught me archery in the sacred forest and patiently listened to my naÏve promise under the scarlet sakura boughs, he will eventually return to me, even if he were to be blinded by splattered blood, or turned into a fierce beast by that dark defilement...” 

Regarding the time while Kanade was at the shrine: During this time, even someone as inhuman as the mighty Yougou Tengu has gotten a daughter. Even that leatherhead Konbumaru has also become one of the Shogun's own Hatamoto, and shall soon marry the daughter of a high-ranking samurai. "Such a lovely kid. Even the great Yougou Tengu, who used to kill all day for fun, had the mother inside her brought out... just a little."

(Based on a later comment, Konbumaru had some kind romantic thing with Kanade?) 

About memories: "No... it means that the person you're missing will be lucky enough to become a part of your memories forever." That's why you have to be strong and must live on for a long, long time. Even if all the people you cherish are gone, as long as you are still alive, The time you spent with them will never perish...

About losing memories, per Lady Saiguu: "Life is full of uncertainty. Love is fleeting, and even lasting memories may be lost. Losing one's memory is no different from losing one's life. It is like death amidst darkness eternal."

Emblem of Severed Fate

About the last member of the Mikoshi oni clan, who became “Douin” Iwakura Doukei. 

"Mother had bared her fangs against the Shogun, who had been kind to her and who had given her a treasured sword. In the end, the only thing that was sent back to the Mikoshi Clan was the tsuba of that blade which she had loved so dearly.

“She would make such contributions as to make an eternal name for the ever-thinning blood of the war-oni. If she was engulfed by the pitch-black tiger-beast of sin itself, then she would tear it apart from the inside.“

“But it was stained black in the end, together with her fiercely beating heart...“

The eldest son (a mortal with oni-blood) met a Yougou Tengu girl, who gave him a new family name, Iwakura. 

Her name was Teruyo. His name was Doukei. 

"Thinking back, I changed your name in hopes that you might escape from the curse of the oni bloodline. With that war, non-human blood grows thinner and thinner. Ah well. We should not covet the happy endings that humans enjoy, after all. But you're different. You are now 'Iwakura.' You are no longer the 'Mikoshi' who shoulders the burden of oni blood."

“In the distant past, when Seirai Island had yet to be shrouded by storm clouds, memories would rise and fall like breaths. In the end, the elegant container that contained thunderstorms and tremors could not be handed over to the one to whom it was promised.”

(What’s this??) 

Doukei once repaired a “seal cage” (an inro, a kind of rigid pouch that hangs from the belt) for a Hatamoto. 

This Hatamoto was skilled with a sword but also learned archery from a Tengu. He was a gambler and also had a “sweet wife.” He was also a gambler. He had “terrifying nightmares, in which he cut off his own head...” 

“With his secret sword technique, Tengu Sweeper, Iwakura Doukei became the Kujou Clan's swordsmanship instructor. He also received the title of "Douin" and founded a successful sword school.” (He is then referred to as “Sir Douin.”)

He was contemporaries with the young Kanjou head, Hiiragi Hiroshi. 

"With your sword, even Ako Domeki of Seirai would be no match..."

(More people for the 500 years ago gang.) 

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

Weapon materials:

Coral Branch 

Watatsumi Island is the furthest from Narukami Island in the Inazuman island chain, and its name means "the god of the oceans" in the island's ancient tongue. Legend has it that when the great serpent first arose within the abyssal nation of ever-night, its fluorescent body was covered in myriad-colored coral.

This coral cannot be found anywhere in Teyvat, but was a gift that the great serpent obtained when it broke into the Dark Sea. 

Fleeing into the Dark Sea, the god that had lost everything met the abandoned people who had nothing within the ocean depths. Thus it elected to remain and become their "Orobashi no Mikoto," their "Watatsumi Omikami."

It is said that the great snake god once broke off all the coral branches on its body to give light to the children who were curled up in the darkness. They also say that it used these coral branches to create a huge ladder to allow those children to once again reach the surface and see the light of day.

And it was also because the serpent god now had people who worshiped it that it stayed in the world it should have long fled, breaking off the coral branches that adorned its body, treading upon land where it should not have, and facing a foe it could never hope to match — till at last, its divine form was sundered along with the mountains, its ichor turned into plasma, and its will and power became a curse that could never be extinguished: Tatarigami.

Lots of interesting points coming together here. The Tatarigami was previously the deity of Watatsumi “Orobashi no Mikoto.” Probably, the old tensions between Narukami and Sangonomiya that Ayaka mentioned are because the Electro Archon (based on Narukami) killed the Tatarigami. 

The Watatsumi gained power from the “Dark Sea” (probably the Abyss, or connected to it), but it willingly gave away that power for the sake of “abandoned people” in the ocean’s depths. This is probably Kokomi’s ancestors. 

Narukami tomoe 

Ba’al insights: 

In the past, the ancients would climb the peak now known as Mt. Yougou and bend wood that had been charred by lightning into a hook to offer as an effigy unto the thundering force that lit up the skies and shook the earth. This shape would eventually become the "Electro Mitsudomoe" symbol, symbolizing the favor, wisdom, and might of Electro, and also the people who represent these values.

In the monster-filled tales of the ancient past, those who were deeply trusted by the Shogun would bear talismans with this hooked design on their person, and just as the word "commission" means to "joyfully serve" in the old tongue, those who received her favor would return it with love and loyalty. Yet, after a certain point in time, nothing would be as it was before.

All demons who wander in the wilderness or live amongst mortals will be attracted by the sight of the Almighty Narukami Ogosho, represented by the Electro Mitsudomoe. Though their lives may be longer than any creature, they will at last come to their end. If those with limited lifespans hanker after eternity, then they can only pray that "Eternity" remembers them. And she did indeed answer their prayers, remembering them all, friend and foe alike, in her heart. No matter whether it was the demon owls who resided amidst the fog and ripped through the skies, the bake-danuki who dared to trespass her imperial gardens, or that female oni, lovely as the moon and mighty in battle, yet who would eventually come to blows with her... Whether it was the tengu who soared on dark wings or the Kitsune Saiguu who once walked by her side, but who eventually disappeared forever... These countless tales have come to rest within her heart, and someday, they will surely shine again in the eternal paradise of her dreams.

The treasure of the lord of thunder is her majesty, and that majesty is embodied in her valor and wrath. Her wrath comes from the love that persists in her heart, and her valor supports that anger. Thus, whomsoever should block the path towards eternity or lay a finger on Inazuma's people shall become her foe. They say that there were four great spirits, three divine foxes, and two great swords — but that the symbol of Her Excellency, the Almighty Narukami Ogosho, could only be a single strike, unsurpassed and brilliant as a meteor.

Oni mask

Holy shit, the rarest mask had like five paragraphs of lore alone. 

There was an oni named Torachiyo, who would eventually betray the Shogun and revolt, becoming shorn of an arm and a horn in the battle before fleeing and slaying itself in a fit of furious madness. He once shattered the Shogun’s naginata with a single bite.

The oni nursemaids tell is differently: "He was once a beloved lieutenant of the Shogun, and he followed her into the dark abyssal realms to repel the defiled ones, winning renown for the oni, whose blood thinned with each passing day.”

“Chiyo, a warrior of the oni tribe with the Electro Mitsudomoe emblem emblazoned on her back, was once swallowed whole by a beast from beyond this world that had a tiger's body and a serpent's tail while holding back the forces of darkness. At last, she tore the creature's innards apart from within, breaking free.”

OG Torachiyo was actually female: “This is the origin of the phrase "Chiyo the Tiger-Bite," and would be changed over many years to "Torachiyo."”

“But within the belly of the beast, she was stained by a deep sin and saw her comrades ripped to shreds by those blood-red teeth. Steeped in darkness as far as the eye could see, she would eventually draw her sword upon the Almighty Narukami Ogosho.” 

So this is Iwakura Doukei’s mother. She lost her sanity due to corruption from the Abyss. 

“Or perhaps she even met the oni-masked, sword-bearing doll near the corpse of the giant serpent, and there ended her life's journey.” (It’s Maguu Kenki! It’s older than 500 years.) 

“Few among those who fought against the abyss in those days were spared pitch-dark dreams. Those who slew monsters and then became them were hardly the minority. The border between worlds grows fragile, and corruption of this kind is perhaps not merely monodirectional.” 

---------

Weapons: 

Mistsplitter Reforged

"Arataki of the Front Gate, Iwakura the Successor, Kitain the Serpent, Takamine the Mistsplitter." 

Takamine was the user of this sword. 

He also learned archery from the Yougou Tengu, and passed that knowledge on to a person he loved. At the end of his life, he assumed the position of one of the Shogun's yoriki and fought against a dark army.

"Asase, our promise... No, say rather our great bet. I will not lose it, not for the world!"

The sword broke into a thousand pieces as he fought this battle. 

The yet unreleased bow Thundering Pulse also belonged to this guy. It confirms that Konbumaru is also his name. He was taken as a servant of the Tengu after a bet and learned archery from them then. 

This means he is the guy Iwakura Doukei mentions in the Emblem artifact set. This would also make him Kanade’s love interest. I suppose Asase would be her family name. 

(Also, Thundering Pulse’s last lines are brutal. Mistsplitter mentions how he clung to the wager to return, clutching at his broken sword’s hilt... “The lone returnee who came stumbling back from the abyss finally met the shrine maiden again, though by now she could no longer be called young. Dull eyes stained with dried blood and tears regained their radiance, but were pierced through by a barbed arrow glowing with power.” Bullshit!!! You can’t do this to me!) 

[otonymous]

And The Sun Will Rise Again (SLBP - Mitsuhide)

Description: Mitsuhide discovers the hard way that some things are worse than death. Warnings: Rated M (non-explicit description of intercourse).  Spoilers for Mitsuhide’s act 2 divine ending and epilogue.  Trigger warning for suicide. Word Count: 1377 (~ 7 minutes of angst)

AO3: Read here

Author’s Notes:  This is my reworking of Mitsuhide’s act 2 divine ending (I have yet to play his noble ending — please excuse me if there’s any overlap between the stories).  I took some creative license in trying to incorporate some historical tidbits/conspiracy theories regarding what happened to the actual man himself after the Honno-ji incident.  As such, there may be some canon-divergences for other SLBP characters mentioned in the story.  Hope you all enjoy it!

Tagging: @fromthedeskofelizabeththird: because your angsty stories never fail to hit me like a punch to the gut (in a good way)! Also tagging other lovely readers:  @all-my-cuffs-have-buttons, @artemira-sengoku, @dear-mrs-otome, @pseudofaux, @fieryanmitsu, @otomediary, @suzi-q-uinn, @kitty-kat-ty, @saizoswifey, @belxsar

All characters & SLBP owned by Voltage Inc.

The birds were twittering loudly when Mitsuhide awoke to see bright sunlight filtering into the bedchamber.  He swallowed painfully, trying to rid his mouth of its strange, sickly sweet taste and push away the dull ache in his head.  Feeling thoroughly disoriented, as if he had spent days in slumber and not his usual six hours, he finally thinks to take a look around.

The enormity of what had come to pass hits him like a sudden summer storm when he sees her, body stiff and face with the pallor of a broken doll, lying resignedly on the futon they shared every night since becoming man and wife during happier times.  

Poison.  The poisoned tea had taken her life and not his.  And Mitsuhide thought himself the most insidious poison of all, letting an innocent girl from Kyoto suffer through the trials and tribulations of a love that was doomed from the start.  No, happiness wasn’t his lot in life, but once he had found it in her arms, it was impossible to let go and slowly, his misfortune bled into hers.  What a wretched, selfish creature I am.

How he cursed the gods at that moment for taking her and making him suffer the cruel fate of being left behind.  But it wasn’t until he awoke days later, finding the blood-stained blade of his wakizashi strewn next to him and the flood of maroon on his white shini-shozuku, that he realized the extent of this cruelty: no matter what he did, the sweet release of death would never come to claim him.  For Akechi Jubei Mitsuhide was immortal.  And the perfectly healed line of pink running from left to right on his abdomen proved it.  

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

“Mr. Akechi, how is it that you manage to look so young year after year?  What’s your secret?”

“I swear, this man never ages.”

A polite smile spreads onto Mitsuhide’s face as he pushes the fork into his slice of birthday cake, his fellow teachers crowding around him with curious glances and congratulations.  He is careful to brush off their observations with the usual modest pleasantries, trying to make it through this tenth of March, one of the hardest days of the year, as best he could.  

Mitsuhide catches his reflection in the window, and for a moment he spies hers next to him.  The din of jovial conversation in the room dies away, and he can almost hear her whisper in his ear, “Happy birthday, my love,”  just as she had centuries ago.  

So much has happened since, Mitsuhide’s identity through the ages shifting like sand on a shore, changing according to the tides of the times.  A wanderer before he found the light of Lord Nobunaga’s vision, a wanderer now after the light of his life had been extinguished.  

Sakamoto Castle, where he used to gaze fondly at the serenity of Lake Biwa by her side, was disassembled stone by stone by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to furnish one of his own.  In much the same way, the clever general systematically blotted out Mitsuhide’s name and rewrote his reputation in the annals of history.  Even today, stories depicting him as a villain make for sold-out shows at kabuki theatres, but for Mitsuhide, their sting has long since passed.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, the only other keeper of his secret, had recognized his considerable talents and persuaded him to join the shogunate as his advisor, going so far as sending his shinobi to seek him out at Kita-in temple, where he had entered monkhood under the name of Tenkai.  But even Ieyasu — who used to admire his eternal youth and vigour — had to admit that he no longer envied the samurai who couldn’t die, giving Mitsuhide one final glance of pity through eyes dim with the encroachment of eternal sleep before succumbing to death’s summons.  After serving two more Tokugawa shoguns, Mitsuhide decided it was time to finally move on.

But regardless of what he did and who he was, he could never move on from her.  She was the constant fixture in his existence, an anchor mooring him amidst the choppy waves of fortune.  And so it was that he waited, lifetime after lifetime, to meet her again.

“That’s the bell.  Time to return to class.”  Mitsuhide nods his head at his co-workers, pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose as he reaches for the thick stack of graded history papers on his desk.  The staff room suddenly becomes a lot less imposing in his absence.    

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

Another cruel trick of fate, he thought to himself, trying hard to control the heart that threatened to beat its way out of the cage of his chest.  For there she was, his darling, the love of his cursed life, happily conversing with the other students in his classroom, absentmindedly curling a loose lock of hair about her index finger as she reached into her school bag to retrieve a textbook.  

He would have recognized her anywhere, regardless of how much the passage of time threatened to blur the fidelity of his memories: the bright eyes, youthful yet harbouring a wisdom far beyond her years, the easy smile that he had sworn to always protect.  Even her laughter, clearer than any temple bell ringing out in the mountains, threatened to bring him to his knees.  Of course, these same qualities served to draw attention to her, and Mitsuhide was ashamed to find that he could be jealous of boys half his presumed age.  

He would be patient.  For now, it was enough to know that their paths had crossed in this lifetime.  After all, he was no stranger to waiting, and time was the one thing he had in excess.

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

It had been so long since he was last with a woman that Mitsuhide was afraid he had forgotten what to do with one.  In all those years, she had been the last person he held in his arms, and longing conspired with guilt to ensure his bed remained hostile to anyone but its proper mistress.

When he finally feels the enveloping slide of her warmth welcome him home after eons of being adrift, the moment is bittersweet: kismet, a perfect sense of belonging, yet a painful remainder of all the things that slipped through their hands like grains of sand.  Words left unsaid and children they never had.  And at the back of his mind, Mitsuhide is already counting down the days when the clock will stop ticking on a happiness so great as to almost be surreal.

“Where did you get this one from?  A surgery of some kind?”  

Her head is on his chest, breath coming out in soft heaves as she descends from the peak of her third climax of the night.  Her fingers dance across his body, busily exploring all his old battle wounds, and now they trail gently over the strip across his stomach, so pale as to be almost unnoticeable if not for its sheer length.  Mitsuhide gathers her hair in his palm and presses his lips to it, reminiscing on how easily the smooth tresses transformed into beautiful braids in his dextrous hands.  

“An accident from when I was young and foolish.”

No, Mitsuhide had decided that she didn’t need to know, that she shouldn’t be burdened once again with the problems that were his alone to face.  In an eternity of solitude, it was more than enough that she had deigned to grace him with her company for however long she wished to stay.

She nods solemnly, a pregnant pause in the air before she looks up at him to respond, “You don’t strike me as someone who’s ever behaved foolishly in their life, Mr. Akechi.”

In her eyes, he sees the same woman of ages past, ethereal in a white wedding kimono of his choosing.  This woman had flushed vibrant pink under him when he encouraged her to address him as a wife addresses her husband, dropping all rank and formality.  

“Have you forgotten?  You’ve long since stopped being my student and I your teacher.  You can call me Mitsuhide.”

And in the sweetness of her smile, the sun rises again on the interminable days of Akechi Jubei Mitsuhide’s life.

Thanks for reading!  More stories available here! 💕

[eastraen]

Vengeance

Night falls upon Hinganshi, while the Kogane Dori and Senjo Hanamachi provided entertainment that almost never sleep...in the slums of Hinganshi there's only quietness. 

Tonight, there is heaviness hanging in the air as if the burden and suffering of the poor is palpable in the air. Sounds of baby cries sometimes can be heard, whether they are crying because of hunger or even if their dream already disturbs them with unknown future...nobody knows.

Thirty years ago, Old Yajiro was once a footsoldier in the Bakufu service, at the tender age of nine he was sold by his father to the military to serve as a servant. From that point on, he worked hard to escape his harsh life. 

Old Yachiro's dream was within reach, he was not an excellent martial artist nor gifted in strategy or tactics. He is, however, one of the bravest and the most reckless of the old Unit Six. His career, however, turns to an abrupt end when one day he returned home only to find it is burning. Rushing inside to save his wife and daughter, he was late.

His wife laid down in the pool of her own blood, naked. His daughter nowhere to be found. It is only later that he found out it was the deed of an upstart criminal, so-called Inagawa. Apparently, Inagawa had taken fancy to his wife, raped and killed her before he went out and dragged Yachiro's daughter with him. Yachiro reported the crime to Sekiseigumi and plead to the head of Kugane's policeman at that time, however his plea fall on deaf ear. The syndicate that Inagawa served have key lesser officials in their pocket. In fact, Yachiro was ambushed, captured, and beaten until he becomes a cripple.

Inagawa found out about Yachiro who were trying to hunt and kill him, instead, he told Yachiro that he has his daughter with him. If Yachiro refuses to server Inagawa, his only daughter and the legacy that his wife left, will be killed.

Time passes, the syndicate that Inagawa served was destroyed in a turf war. Inagawa however, survived and manage to run away to Doma. After a few years, he returned home and with the wealth he had hidden, he built his own criminal ring.

His five lieutenants, Megorobe, Magoichi, Sadami, Inagaki, and Tamura are all fearsome criminals. Often operate in Kugane docks and common markets. Nothing is below them, truly the worst of Hingan scums.

The night was quiet in the slums. Old Yachiro had been assigned a small bed next to the horse's stable. Even with the entire estate being lavish, his living quarter condition was barely adequate.

Tonight, he lies his aching body down the old straw mat. Years of grief, pain, and anger had made him look older than he is. He had lost all hope of taking revenge, his daughter was one of Inagawa's favorite Geisha until she fell from favor and now forced to be a servant to his lackeys. The woman had endured many things for her father. Truly a pitiful life.

As he was about to close his eyes, he feels the ground softly trembles. At first, he thought it's his old illness, but years of being in the military taught him some tricks. He poured a glass of water and watch the glass under the dimly lit hut. He is worried about earthquakes that frequented Hinganshi.

As the trembles getting stronger and stronger, he was about to run out and alert everyone to evacuate just as the gate burst open. Rows of cavalries gallop through followed by archers,Ashigaru holding spears, and then Samurai. 

Rows upon rows of armored Samurai marched into Inagawa's estate. The leader, a Raen in crimson Kabuto draws his Tessen (iron fan) and point forward as the army sweeps through the estate.

Sounds of fighting and scream of terrors from the Geisha and servants can be heard, while curses from Inagawa's own people can be heard. The criminals fought with all they have, however, faced with a trained army and armored Samurai, they were quickly cut down.

Yachiro hides in terror, he had thought to escape but he remembers his daughter is still in the servant quarter. He also saw the guards at the front gate were slain, Shuriken had hit their vital points. There was no alert sounded because all the sentries were already assassinated by Ninja.

While the fight ensues, in the five turfs of Inagawa's lieutenants, the same calamity occurs. Five pinpoint strikes wiped Inagawa's empire in a night. At the same time, royal inspectorate barge upon the house of some lesser officials. Arresting them for consorting with criminals and accepting bribes. They were carried back to the royal inspectorate prison, where corrupt officials and nobles are being held.

The women and the servants were collected and gathered into an area as the fight dies down. As the wind blows away the cloud covering the moon, Inagawa was carried over and thrown in front of the Samurai sitting atop an enormous stallion.

He reeks of pee and he was groveling for mercy.

"Good lord, tell me what have i or my men did to offend you that you decided to attack?" His face is bloated and bruised, one eye is puffy.

The man on the top of the horse stare at the kingpin for a while more "You are going to die tonight Inagawa" he only said that, his voice cut like steel scythe upon a field of wheat.

Inagawa starts to wet himself again, in his rage he starts to scream

"What did i do to wrong you ! at least don't let me die wondering!"

The armored man shakes his head

"First, You offended many people in your life, and you still asked? second, you offend someone that I care about...I am heaven's answer to your crimes. Remember in the afterlife, there are people you cannot afford to offend. Now Accept Tenchu (Divine Retribution)!"

He draws his Katana and with a swing, the head of the kingpin flies.

Yachiro trembles as he recognizes the armor...it is the wind and cloud Kabuto, a set of armor bestowed from the Shogun to his retainers and lords that rendered great merits.

This particular armor, he had seen it many years ago along with the Dragon Kabuto. As he sees one of the Ashigaru carrying the flag and the crest of the clan...his doubt vanishes away.

This man is the descendant of Fujiwara no Hideyoshi, western lord of Oushuu and Ryuukyu. The Daimyo who guarded the west and one of the nation's pillar.

The man looks at Yachiro and nods "Yachiro-San, will you accept a duty i entrust upon you ?"

Yachiro prostrate before the ground before nodding 

"Y-yes my lord. Anything"

The man on the horse nods as one of his herald comes through, bearing a chest of Koban. "Take care of all these people and return them to their home, distribute the Koban evenly and you also take some for yourself....rest easy, your nightmare is over"

All of the women and servants trembles as they fall down upon their knees, crying. Some even wail. Not everyone was forced to serve Inagawa but a large portion of them was forced to this life. To receive a second chance was a far fetched dream...but today it actually happens.

During the fight, someone had knocked down a lit lamp and the main estate is burning. The lavish walls start to groan as the buildings collapse on its own.

With a nod, the Samurai turns around and march out of the estate. It will be dawn soon, as people start to catch the wind on what was happening overnight.

[queenofmoons67]

strike the match (let it all burn)

Hi everyone! I'm so happy to be back with another (much longer) addition to my "we are the challengers (plus ultra!)" verse! And by much longer, I mean this baby comes in at 5,677 words with another 3,267 in the omakes. If you would prefer to read it on AO3, you can find it here.

Thank you so much to @bookdancerfics for your help editing, it wouldn’t be what it is now without you.

Summary: Eijun, Furuya, Haruichi, and Raichi find themselves in the middle of a hostage situation.

A few things to know for those who haven't read the verse:

(1) it started as a list of quirks (basically superpowers) for DNA characters. that grew into a second list for Act II characters, as well as two short fics and a drabble. they can all be found under my "we are the challengers (plus ultra!)" tag.

(2) you do not need to have read the rest of the verse to enjoy this fic.

A few things to know for "strike the match (let it all burn)":

(1) quirks: Eijun (lion and house cat), Haruichi and Ryou (rose), Furuya (bonfire), Raichi (smoke and sparks), Kataoka (doberman), Kuramochi (cheetah camo), Miyuki (quirkless), Zono (oak tree), Toujou (rock), Chris (weakness reading), Asada (quirkless)

(2) this is the only fic for this AU so far that remotely qualifies as a crossover with BNHA, though the only two characters (Endeavor and Todoroki Shouto) only do so for a short while, despite being the reason this fic exists. if you aren't familiar with them, don't worry. all you need to know is: Endeavor is the number two hero and Shouto is his son. this fic takes place during a time that Shouto (usually attending a hero school) is doing field work with Endeavor at his hero agency near Tokyo.

I hope you all enjoy!

Raichi hummed under his breath as he bounced along to the restroom. One of the Seido managers had been kind enough to point him the right way, Yakushi was on a long winning streak even before the fall season started, and his dad had promised katsudon if they continued that streak with today's practice game. Life was good and, as he opened the bathroom door to find two of his favorite pitchers, he realized it was about to get even better.

"Furuya!" he exclaimed, eyes lighting up with glee to match the smoke now emanating from his palms in excitement. "And Sawamura! And -" Raichi frowned at the third Seido player. He looked familiar, with his rose petal hair, but he couldn't quite place him.

Rose Petal gave him a short bow, introducing himself with a quiet, "Kominato Haruichi, Todoroki-kun. Seido's second baseman."

Now Raichi remembered him.

"Devil boy!"

Sawamura and Kominato both choked, though for different reasons - the former was definitely holding back a laugh, which made Raichi beam even brighter than before. His cheeks were starting to hurt, but they always did during games. Sanada-senpai said it was because he was using his muscles.

Rose Petal - Kominato - opened his mouth to say something, but the door slamming open behind Raichi cut him off.

"Oi, boss," someone growled. "There are three other runts in here."

Ahead of Raichi, Kominato's eyes went wide and thorns began growing from his arms. Sawamura's tail was stiff, almost hiding behind him, while his ears laid back and his eyes became slits. A half threatening, half frightened rumble sounded from the pitcher's chest. Next to them, Furuya went completely still.

Faced with all of this, Raichi's smile fell, and he didn't want to turn around. He didn't get a choice. Thick fingers - the kind that came from pressing two hundred pounds a day - wrapped around his arm and spun him around.

"Hello, Todoroki brat," a second voice sneered.

Eijun just wanted a bathroom break. That was it. He didn't want yet another run in with an opposing player in the bathroom - honestly, was this a shounen manga or something? And he definitely didn't want three giant men bursting through the door, grabbing said opposing player, and roughly tying him up, all while pointing guns at him and his friends.

He could feel Harruchi's thorns pricking into his skin on one side, and the heat that came before Furuya's flames on the other.

"Calm down," he muttered - to himself or his friends, he wasn't sure. "Calm down, calm down, calm -"

Furuya burst into flames. They roared off him like someone tossed a match onto dry kindle, uncontrollable and frightening. Eijun had seen Furuya out of control before, but never anything like this. With a yelp, he leapt away and dragged Harruchi with him.

The move brought them closer to Raichi, who stared at Furuya with something almost like envy in his eyes. Next to the Yakushi player, two of the men stared between the pitcher and batter in confusion.

"Hey, uh, boss?" the first one said.

Eijun grit his teeth at hearing his shogun's nickname addressed to someone else, but pricked his ears.

"What?"

"You're sure the one only creating smoke is Endeavor's nephew, and not the one currently on fire?"

Eijun gaped and turned to Harruchi to see if he'd caught the name drop.

"Yes," the middle man - 'boss' - grunted. His tiger tail swished restlessly. "The file said he was short, had a scar on his cheek, and went to Yakushi. That's him alright."

"But -" the second man started, skin rolling around his arm in weird waves.

"But nothing! We need to get out of here before anyone else -"

"Sa - wa - mu - ra!" Kanemaru's irate voice called. "Bakamura, does it honestly take this long to use the bathroom? Miyuki-senpai and Kuramochi-senpai are looking for you!"

The door handle started to jiggle, and then it vanished under a coat of - was that skin? Eijun looked to the second henchman. His arm was still pointed at the door, skin settling back in place. What was on the door seemed to have hardened, and Kanemaru cursed.

"Oi, Bakamura! Did you lock it?"

Did the man's skin work like glue?

"Tell him to go away," the first voice hissed.

Eijun felt something prick the tender spot under his chin even as Harruchi whimpered, "Eijun-kun."

He looked down with his eyes, not daring to move his head. The first man's hand rested under his chin, porcupine quills coaxing beads of blood to roll down his throat, hot and burning.

Furuya shook with anger. From the looks of it, he wouldn't be any help, as everything the other pitcher had went to controlling his fire.

On the floor, Raichi lay absolutely still. The only exceptions were the occasional sparks that flew from his fingertips.

Eijun closed his eyes for a moment. With both lion and house cat blood, he had always had exceptional hearing, even for a cat. He could hear Kanemaru's cursing and shouting outside. The crackle of Furuya's fire and the snick as Harruchi produced more thorns. Raichi's heavy breathing. The rumbling growl within the tiger's throat.

What was it he had said? They wanted Raichi because he was related to Endeavor. Endeavor was the number two hero. Hero. Kidnapping. Revenge? Blackmail? Eijun didn't know the motive. What he did know… what he did know was that if he let Raichi leave the bathroom with these thugs, he might never face him in baseball again. The same consequence applied if he didn't obey their captors, here and now.

Opening his eyes, Eijun looked at the porcupine with, he hoped, a bit of fear. The quills backed off enough that he could talk, and Eijun opened his mouth.

"KIDNAPPERS!" Eijun-kun roared at the top of his lungs.

The man with the porcupine quirk lunged forward in an attempt to silence him, but Haruichi pulled Eijun-kun back and put up an entire arm full of thorns. The thug - kidnapper - scrambled to come to a halt before he ran into them. Taking the opportunity, Haruichi snagged Todoroki's jacket in one hand and walked backwards, using his thorns to ward off the kidnappers. Eijun-kun stumbled along behind him.

The man with the tiger quirk stepped forward, apparently deciding to just deal with the thorns. Haruichi glanced at Furuya, and the burning boy stepped forward with a fierce glare. His fire would keep the kidnappers back for now. He may not have enough control to be offensive yet, but defense he could do.

Sure enough, the three kidnappers came to a halt just in time for them to hear Kanemaru running away, yelling for someone to call the police.

"Good job, Eijun-kun," Haruichi murmured. He used his thorns to tear a strip off his jersey and pressed it to his friend's throat. "Now, can you untie Todoroki-kun?"

Satoru felt numb. His body had been continuously producing flames for about fifteen minutes, first because he had no choice and then because they were the main defense. If his flames fell, Todoroki would be kidnapped. He and his friends would likely be killed. They had to stay up, and to further deter the kidnappers, he had to stare them down and pretend he could control them. It meant the only things he knew about his friends came from their words.

Harruchi muttered to himself for now. From the sound of it, he was trying to strategize an escape using his batting strategies.

At the same time, Sawamura and Todoroki plotted loudly, uselessly, and disruptively. Once untied, it hadn't taken long for the opposing player to bounce back when faced with Sawamura's optimism. It left Satoru and Harruchi at wit's end - but thankfully, it also seemed to befuddle the would be kidnappers.

"Then I go -" Todoroki made an explosion noise "- and then you go -" that one was probably supposed to be a lion roar "- and your friends run and we follow!"

Sawamura hollered in excitement. The porcupine guy shook his head as if to clear cobwebs. Harruchi made soothing sounds.

Satoru just grunted. If they made a feasible plan, he was all for it. The problem with feasibility, though, was that it probably required the kidnappers to not know the plan beforehand. And with each plan being more extravagant than the last that seemed less and less likely.

Sawamura suddenly grew silent behind him with a hissed "hush!" to Todoroki, and Satoru jolted. Had they finally come up with a good plan?

"Footsteps," his rival murmured. "Outside. One is… shogun."

Todoroki made a questioning noise, to which Harruchi muttered an answer too low for Satoru to understand. He focused instead on glaring at the kidnappers, who now looked suspicious at the silence.

Or at least, they did until the footsteps Sawamura had heard became loud enough for all of them to hear.

Raichi stared at Sawamura as the pitcher cocked his head, lion ears swivelling this way and that.

Making up plans had been fun. It had distracted him from his stint being tied up, which he thought might have been the goal. He didn't know Sawamura well enough to know if that was true or not, but it seemed likely. Especially seeing how serious he was now…

"Heavy combat boots?" the lion murmured. "Police, probably. Though I don't think they'll be able to open that door, what with the glue quirk and all."

"Our captors are probably counting on it," Kominato replied. "Otherwise they would have given up and left before the police got here. They still think they have a chance at their goal; they just switched from kidnapping to a hostage situation since they can't reach us."

"Why haven't they shot me?" someone asked, and Raichi realized with a start that the monster pitcher had spoken. "If they shot me, they could have reached you all and gotten out before the police arrived."

"But not easily," Kominato pointed out. Raichi figured he'd been thinking about the same question this entire time. "Shoot you, or any of us, and they'll be shown no mercy while also attracting more and better heroes. That's the last thing they need when they already want Endeavor's attention."

Raichi grumbled at the reminder. "We're not even related anymore… he and my dad mutually disowned each other before I was even born. Something about each thinking the other was a -" he spit out a word he didn't know the meaning of. It wasn't Japanese, and his dad only used it when he was really drunk and thinking of his brother. Still, he knew it was bad, and was proven that by Sawamura's confused look and Kominato's wide-eyes.

Kominato recovered first.

"I don't think their bad relationship is gonna stop the kidnappers, because it'll still be effective."

Raichi sighed, but nodded. He knew what the other was getting at.

"No one else will care about the bad relationship. Endeavor can't leave a bunch of kids to be hostages, because the public would tear him apart. He'd fall from being the number two hero in an instant. The fact that it's not just me would make it worse."

The instant Raichi fell silent, Eijun's ears picked up a new sound: the cocking of a gun. He had never heard it outside of television before, but the way it sent shivers down his spine to vibrate through his tail was undeniable.

He stood slowly. He didn't know what he was going to do, just that he had to do something.

Harruchi reached out to grab his jersey, probably to stop him, but Eijun just shook him off and kept moving. A hand grasped his pant leg, and he let it. Right now, it grounded him a bit so he wasn't just running on instinct.

Peering around Furuya's fire brought him face to face with the barrel of a gun. Eijun let out a startled hiss and stepped back, though all it caused was the glue guy - the one holding the gun - to smirk.

"You want the kids?" the leader called, leaning in close to the door. "Tell Endeavor we want one hundred and twenty million yen from his personal accounts for the return of his nephew and friends. Once it's here, leave it at the door. If I open the door to any police, one of the kids gets shot. To show that I'm serious -" he nodded at the glue guy.

There was the sound of scrambling from behind the door, a blurted "Wait!", and the gun went off.

Furuya yelped and rocked back on his heels, but otherwise stood his ground. The hand in Eijun's pant leg twisted tighter, someone else latched on, and Eijun almost fell. Maybe they were trying to pull him down. Maybe they just panicked. But whatever it was, Eijun's tail lashed in an attempt to balance himself again and, instead, intercepted the bullet in mid-air.

Eijun yowled in pain as he felt the two connect. The sound tore at his throat and, as he fell to the ground, he saw Furuya flinch and cover his ears. It was a sound that he hadn't made since he was a kid, falling out of trees and scraping his knees. It was a sound that was supposed to gather his pride. But in this situation, that was impossible. The only pack member there was Harruchi.

And yet, as he hit the ground, he felt hands gathering him into a lap and saw furious pink eyes above him. The only one able to respond had done so, and he would never leave him. That was the promise of a pride.

Haruichi's hands shook as he ran fingers through Eijun-kun's hair. The bangs were wet with sweat, though thankfully not blood, as he'd managed to cushion his friend's fall.

"Knock on the door twice if you understand."

There was a pause, but the two knocks came quickly. Haruichi guessed the police were as shaken by the events as they were. He hadn't thought the would be kidnappers would actually shoot one of them, let alone aim for the only one with a connection to Endeavor. Though, granted, he didn't know exactly where it would have hit since Eijun-kun's tail… For all he knew the bullet was supposed to miss. After all, both the police and the heroes would be even more pissed now.

Haruichi looked down at the tail. Todoroki's fingers shook even more than his own as he tied a torn piece of jersey over the deep groove the bullet had carved. The Yakushi player had reverted back to his shy self with the turn of events - not that Haruichi could blame him. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to curl up in his aniki's arms. But that wasn't possible. He had to stay strong for -

The light in the bathroom flickered. Startled, Haruichi tore his gaze off of Eijun-kun and Todoroki to look up.

It wasn't the lighting that faltered, it was the fire. Even as he watched, Furuya's legs buckled and he fell to his knees, flames only half as strong as they originally were.

"Furuya," Eijun-kun whimpered worriedly.

Haruichi pet him some more to try and calm him, but he felt the same way. It had to have been almost thirty minutes now. The adrenaline rush that had fueled the fire at first was probably long gone, and Furuya had never kept it going for so long after. He had to be nearing exhaustion at this point.

With Eijun-kun down for now - while not a serious injury, it was to one of the most sensitive parts of a cat - and with Todoroki being the main target, they might need Furuya's flames later. While the guns were a big problem, plus the glue on the door they didn't know how to get off, it would be best to have a greater arsenal… right?

Trusting Furuya's flames to hide them, he bent down over Eijun-kun and beckoned for Todoroki to join them as he whispered his plan.

Satoru knelt in a bathroom stall, hands tied behind his back. At Harruchi's word, he had finally allowed his flames to die. The result was that he was slowly gaining back energy, but also that - with the protection of fire gone - the four of them had been separated into their own stalls and tied up. They couldn't see one another, but their captors could clearly see them. On top of that, all the toilets were western style, so they couldn't just sit on the floor and communicate through touch.

They had gained a few things, but in their current situation, they seemed rather small: Once Satoru had enough energy, he'd be able to burn through his ropes with his flames; Harruchi actually wasn't tied up due to his thorns preventing any of their captors from getting close to him; Sawamura was now sitting up instead of lying on a dirty bathroom floor; and lastly, if the police or heroes decided to burst through the door, they all had at least a little bit of protection.

Still, the fact they had to do so made him… he didn't know how to feel. On the one hand, he wasn't powerful enough to protect his friends. On the other, he appreciated that they recognised that and helped him. They didn't hold him accountable, and -

"Hello?" someone called from behind the bathroom door.

Satoru stiffened and tested his flames. He was so on edge right now that they simmered there, easily reachable, just below the surface. Only the fact he was so low on power prevented them from flaming non-stop.

"Hello? Who's in charge?" The longer sentence, though still muffled by the door, made the speaker clear. Satoru relaxed on his seat. It was Kataoka-kantoku. He had completely forgotten that Sawamura had identified his footsteps before, and must have been worried this entire time after the gunshot and cry. He wondered which of the policemen had held their coach back from storming the bathroom. It certainly hadn't been Takashima-sensei, who Sawamura hadn't heard and, though he didn't know her well, probably would have joined Kataoka-kantoku.

"Me," the tiger spoke gruffly.

"My name is Kataoka Tesshin. I was wondering if you needed a first aid kit or a doctor, for the fifteen year old boy in there you shot."

Raichi had listened with wide eyes to the Seido coach, but at those last words, he couldn't stay still and silent. He had retreated into himself after Sawamura was shot, but sitting by himself had done him some good: It had let him stew in his anger, both at their captors and at himself for the gun being fired in the first place. Now, he could finally do something about it.

"Sawamura's fine, coach!" he yelled, and cackled when glue-guy whirled on him.

He didn't have those eyes on him for long, though, because Sawamura himself called from the stall beside him, "Worry more 'bout Furuya, shogun; he's used up all his energy for pitching already!"

There was a choking sound from Kominato's stall, and an outraged cry from Furuya's.

Silence came from outside, before - "We can worry about that the practice game later, Sawamura. For now, I'm just glad you're alright." The voice was soft, and it invoked softness in return. Raichi imagined that if he closed his eyes, he would feel like he was curled up with a dog, running his fingers through its fur. Safe. Protected.

Raichi let out a cackle and pretended he wasn't awkwardly wiping away tears with his shoulder.

Endeavor arrived with a bang. Apparently, even glue created by a quirk wasn't strong enough to resist his fire, and he melted it in no time. One second, even Eijun could only just make out the sound of movement and mumbling, the next, the door was kicked in.

Eijun watched as the leader pulled out some kind of special gun, but he never even had the chance to fire it. Endeavor punched them all unconscious first.

Striding in behind him came a teenager, probably around their age, with red and white hair and wearing a jumpsuit as a hero costume. He looked between the four of them and, ultimately, headed straight for Eijun. It was probably the bandaged tail.

"Are you comfortable on the toilet, or would you prefer to wait for the paramedics on the floor?"

Yeah. It was definitely the bandaged tail.

"No, uh, I can walk to them," Eijun insisted, and stood up to prove it. He swayed a bit on his feet, but ultimately stayed upright and stepped out of the stall, hands still tied and all. All that time on the field where his tail was, essentially, illegal, had paid off in better balance without it. "My teammate Furuya, though, probably needs -"

"Shut up, Eijun-kun," Harruchi said sweetly, appearing out of nowhere to stand at his elbow. "Furuya-kun is exhausted, yes, but you're the one who was shot."

"Let us take care of you," Raichi added hotly, jumping to stand on his other side.

"Mm," Furuya nodded as he stepped up right into Eijun's face. Like Raichi and Eijun, his hands were still tied, but that didn't stop him from being intimidating. The action forced Eijun to either sit back down on the floor or be in someone else's space.

Eijun sat back down.

Things moved pretty quickly after that. Todoroki Shouto, as he introduced himself, was only left to watch over them for as long as it took the police and Endeavor to escort their captors out of the bathroom. Once that was done, Haruichi found himself being wrapped in a shock blanket and a policeman trying to move him and the others away from Eijun-kun.

After everything they had been through, they seriously thought he was just going to leave?

Haruichi let his arms grow thorns even as his legs grew roots and he, quite literally, planted himself to the bathroom floor.

Putting his hands on his hips, he gave them the most menacing glare he'd ever seen from his aniki and said, "I'm part of Eijun-kun's pride, so for as long as he wants me here, I'm not leaving."

The policeman stared at him, then looked to another officer and asked, "Captain?"

Said captain stepped forward with a flick of his lion tail, and Haruichi practically collapsed in relief. Surely the older lion would completely understand, and -

"No."

Haruichi swore he felt a petal die. "No?"

"You're not a lion," the captain pointed out. "You're not even another cat. How could you be part of his pride?"

Haruichi had made it through almost an hour of being held hostage, but it was now that he truly felt the urge to kill someone.

"Excuse me?" he asked, ever so sweetly.

The captain opened his mouth, but then paused. Good. At least he wasn't an idiot.

"We still need to take your statement," he said slowly.

Nevermind, he was a complete idiot and Haruichi was going to -

"Can't you just take his with Sawamura's?" Takashima-sensei asked, appearing out of absolutely nowhere. Addressing Haruichi, she added, "Kataoka has gone with Furuya to stand in as guardian. The elder Todoroki will go with his son, and I'm here to act as guardian for you and Sawamura." Turning back to the captain, she smiled and said, "Does that sound alright with you?"

The captain looked from Takashima-sensei, to Haruichi - still planted to the floor - to Eijun-kun behind them, loudly complaining as the paramedics treated his bullet wound.

Apparently giving up, he sighed. "Fine. You can stay with Sawamura."

Haruichi beamed and promptly turned his back.

"Eijun-kun, here. You can squeeze my hand while they rewrap your tail."

The instant they left the bathroom, Satoru was separated from Todoroki. He watched as a police officer led the Yakushi player away, but turned easily to follow a different officer when Kataoka-kantoku touched his shoulder.

"We'll get you an IV to go along with that blanket once we're seated -" the officer said.

There was more, but Satoru wasn't really interested. If he was being honest with himself, the only thing he wanted was to sleep for a thousand years. He didn't even want to pitch, let alone care about the practice game or giving a statement. Though, if that was required for the sleep, he would do it. Especially if it meant reuniting with Harruchi and Sawamura soon. He'd seen the two of them stay in the bathroom, but when he and Todoroki had tried to do the same, the policewoman kept them moving.

"Furuya," Kataoka-kantoku said, voice low and rough. It sounded like he'd been shouting a lot.

Satoru looked up to find the police officer gesturing them into a classroom. Inside, a paramedic was setting up an IV stand.

'Sleep,' he reminded himself, and walked inside.

Raichi's reunion with his dad was a tearful affair. He followed a police officer into a classroom only to be jumped by his dad and wrapped up in a hug, which promptly set both of them to bawling.

The police officer tried to wrangle them - Raichi thought, but couldn't be sure over the sound of crying - and eventually gave up. By the time the Todoroki's released one another, it was to find the room empty except for the red and white haired hero intern.

"Shouto…" Raichi's dad said slowly. "I haven't seen you since… well. I've actually never seen you in person before, though I cheered for you in the UA sports festival. Second place wasn't bad."

Shouto - ? - nodded. "Thank you. I… you didn't have to cheer for me. My dad never told me he had a brother, so I can't imagine your relationship was that great -"

Raizou let out a laugh. "That's an understatement, kid. We've had fights where looking back, I think we might have been trying to kill the other. But that doesn't mean I won't support my nephew." Looking serious, and hugging Raichi close to his chest, he finished, "I just needed to see you compete in that cavalry game to know you're nothing like your father."

Now Shouto looked close to tears, and Raichi was ConfusedTM.

"Wait a second… so, you're my cousin?"

Shouto nodded.

"And we're the same age?"

Another nod.

"But I've never met you, and neither of us knew the other existed?"

A third nod, though slower than the others.

"And… where did the police officer go?"

His dad startled, looking around as if only just realising the only other adult in the room had completely vanished.

Shouto offered, "He left after the first five minutes of crying and got me. He thought I might have more luck getting you to calm down, seeing how I'm interning under Endeavor and all."

The last part of the sentence had more bitterness in it than his dad's rants, but Raichi elected to shelve it and move on for now. A hostage situation and a newfound cousin were emotionally taxing enough on their own. He'd open his ears to his cousin's rants tomorrow.

Raichi announced this to a startled cousin and a proud looking dad. If others knew of the promise, it would stick better. There would be a tomorrow. He refused to let his cousin disappear on him again.

Eijun's tail didn't even need stitches. By the time they had exited the classroom, statement made, a doctor with a skin growth quirk had arrived. They'd unwrapped the bandage and watched his tail mend - though the furrow in it carved by the bullet would, the doctor confirmed, be there forever. Eijun didn't care. He couldn't use his tail during games anyway, so it wasn't like it would affect his pitching, and it wouldn't affect his balance either.

Now, he just needed to face the rest of his pack.

Takashima-sensei had promised him that both Kuramochi and their aniki had been kept informed of proceedings, as his roommate and Harruchi's brother, but in Eijun's opinion that just meant there was no way of hiding the day's events from them.

"We're dead, Harruchi," he muttered, ears flat to his head as they headed towards his room. "Absolutely dead. Mochi-senpai will strangle me and onii-san will kill you, and if we somehow survive them, Miyuki will surely kill us for missing the game. Our only saving grace is that that means Furuya will die too, so at least we'll all be together in the afterlife. We escaped death only to face it once again… oh, Harruchi, what luckless lives we live…"

Eijun buried his face in his hands. When he looked up again, Takashima-sensei and Harruchi pointedly shared an eye roll.

"We'll be fine, Eijun-kun," Harruchi reassured. "Aniki won't kill us, and I'm sure Kuramochi-senpai will at least hold off on the wrestling moves till tomorrow. And the game has just been pushed till next week, so I'm sure we're safe from Miyuki-senpai as well. Ok?"

They had reached his room's door, so Eijun felt like he had nothing to lose by giving a hesitant nod. Harruchi smiled and opened the door.

Eijun had a moment to take in clearly more than just Mochi and onii-san waiting for them in the room before he was jumped by the former.

"Bakamura!" his roommate scolded into his hair. He could clearly feel the other rubbing his cheek against him, and a churring noise reverberated from Mochi's chest. In return, Eijun let out a purr and pushed his head up into the other's cheek, closing his eyes to slits.

Haruichi was allowed to watch Kuramochi and Eijun-kun's reunion for just a moment. After that, he was distracted by the arm slung around his shoulders and a familiar voice in his ear.

"Furuya told us you kept everyone safe. Good job."

Haruichi debated slipping out from under the arm, but then it squeezed tighter and… well. After almost an hour of crouching in a bathroom, wondering if he or his friends would be killed, this seemed like a good place to be. He relaxed into the hold and smiled.

"Furuya's underestimating his own importance, Aniki. Except for Eijun-kun's tail, we all got out safely thanks to him."

Aniki hummed in understanding as he guided Haruichi to a seat on someone's bed.

Kanemaru yelped, "Wait, what about Sawamura's tail?"

Isashiki demanded, "Furuya?! You didn't say anything about a tail!"

Tetsu said, "He's sleeping, Jun. Don't wake him."

Zono grumbled menacingly and cracked his knuckles.

Miyuki, for once the voice of reason, popped the rising tension balloon with a calm, "Said tail is right there, and I'm sure Kominato and Sawamura can tell us what happened."

All of a sudden, Haruichi found almost everyone's eyes on him. The only exception was Furuya, currently a sleeping blanket bundle in the top bunk.

"It got shot," Eijun-kun piped up, and all of a sudden, everyone's eyes were gone. Haruichi relaxed a bit more into his aniki's hold. He hadn't even realised he'd tensed up again, but trust the southpaw to notice that of all things.

"Are you ok?" Aniki asked, voice low so as to not interrupt Eijun-kun's now enthusiastic retelling of how he'd been shot. "Apparently Furuya left out a lot. Though, granted, he seemed like he only wanted to sleep and was thoroughly done with interrogations for the day."

Haruichi laughed, but nodded. "I'm fine, Aniki. Eijun-kun is the only one who got hurt, unless you count Furuya basically running a marathon with his quirk."

His only response was another hum, but the arm around his shoulders slipped down to rub circles into his back. Haruichi closed his eyes and relaxed into sleep.

Satoru opened his eyes to the dim light of dawn coming through the window. His body was, for once, warm in its blanket nest. Deciding he had enough time to sleep some more before breakfast, he closed his eyes.

"Mmmrgh," someone groaned. There was a soft thump as they rolled over.

Satoru lay still, eyes still closed, but now wide awake. Who…?

"Mmmmm," someone else answered.

Now that Satoru paid attention, he could also make out at least three different people snoring. What had happened after he went to bed last night?

Satoru opened his eyes and rolled over to the edge of the bunk. Peering over, he almost fell out in surprise. The room was packed. It looked like no one had left for their own rooms, but at the same time, there were definitely more people in it than he remembered.

On the bunks across from Satoru, Masuko had claimed the bottom for himself, while Tetsu, Chris, and Isashiki cuddled together on the top.

As for the bottom bunk underneath him, Kuramochi and Sawamura were curled up facing each other, but with the lion's head still tucked under the cheetah's chin. Kominato lay with his back pressed up against Kuramochi's. Harruchi had his own back to Sawamura's.

Impossibly, the floor was even more crowded. Zono and Miyuki rested their backs against the bunk, legs sprawled everywhere. The former was drooling and the latter never removed his glasses.

Across from them, Kanemaru, Toujou, and Sakai had all squeezed in to sleep with their backs to Masuko's bunk, legs either crossed or mixing in with Zono and Miyuki's.

Shirasu had claimed the area in front of the TV. He was curled up with his front to Kawakami, who had his back pressed up against Tanba's. Seki and Asou lay back to back next to them. Ono, Miyauchi, and Yamaguchi had all chosen to sleep in the desk chairs, while Nabe and Higasa had chosen two of the actual desks.

The front of the room had been left to the girls: Fujiwara, Yoshikawa, Umemeto, and Natsukawa actually blocked the doorway. No one was getting in or out any time soon.

Satisfied, Satoru rolled over and went back to sleep.

OMAKES (also known as this entire fic, but from the point of view of those stuck waiting outside) can be found here.

Edit 09/04/2018: Since I have no idea what the issue with the text breaks are (they show up on my laptop) I’ve split the omakes from the main fic (link above). If you continue to have issues, please let me know!

And as always, I would love to know what you think, and if you have any ideas for future additions, I'm open to hearing them!

[jackiedablade]

The Eclipse

Author's note: Thanks to everyone on the Jashi Discord server for their help and encouragement with this fic!

Emptiness. Nothingness. Silence.

The sun moved across the sky, same as it always did, but the shadow of the moon covered it briefly, sending shockwaves through the air, penetrating the ground. A black mass seeped to the surface, waking from its long slumber. Its mind slowly awakened as its face formed and it remembered who it used to be. He took no time to celebrate his newfound life. Revenge was the only thing on his mind as he sped toward the castle in the distance.

People screamed and ran from the intruder, but he paid no mind to anyone and shrugged off any weapon strikes. Maybe later they would pay for their insolence, but now only one person would feel his wrath.

"My Lord, Aku has returned!" A servant shouted as he threw open the door, and ran toward his prince, interrupting his daily meditation.

Jack's heart stopped a moment as he went deathly pale. Three words he thought he would never hear again. He automatically reached for his hip but the sword was not there. A prince was not a warrior. A prince did not carry a weapon on his person in his own castle in peace time. Stupid social traditions! The warrior in him cursed as he ran at breakneck speed to the throne room, but he was too late. "No..." He slid to a stop, unable to stop himself as he gawked at his mortal enemy, once again holding the sword in his evil grip. The vision of his frequent nightmares now standing before him in reality.

"You thought you could kill me, Samurai? You will pay dearly for your arrogance."

Jack tried to dodge as Aku reached out for him, but the hand merely expanded, almost filling the room, giving him no chance to escape. He relentlessly fought the demon's grip but it was to no avail.

"Now you will learn the true horrors of the Pit of Hate." Aku growled lowly as he carried his nemesis away.

Far away on the other side of the castle grounds, there was a flash of blinding white light, and a naked woman appeared in its wake. She coughed violently as she gasped, filling her lungs with the sweet air of the mortal world again. "I'm back?" She wondered aloud in a raspy voice, her throat unaccustomed to speech. No time to question this great gift, she had to find Jack. She stood up on wobbly legs, regaining her sense of balance, and was overwhelmed by a strange, powerful feeling coursing through her body. This wasn't natural, not something typical of a human body. "Don't tell me." She closed her eyes and imagined clothes, and sure enough, a black magic spread over her, covering her body, leaving only her head and neck exposed. "I'm a monster again, damnit."

"Aku has returned! He has captured the prince!" People shouted as they ran past, ignoring their returned princess.

She growled. No one was going to hurt her Jack. No one.

Using her demonic powers, she transported herself to the former location of Aku's castle, but now a new one had risen in its place, a rather haphazard one, giving her plenty of access inside. She silently descended to the bottom level, following the echoes of Aku's gloating.

The Shogun of Sorrow paused a moment in his torture to admire his handiwork with sick pleasure. Jack was tied to the wall, gi torn and bloodstained, and his hair down, unevenly cut. His body was a myriad of cuts and bruises, his left eye nearly swollen shut, and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. Still the samurai maintained a defiant glare, refusing to let his mortal enemy break him.

"But you're too accustomed to this, aren't you, Samurai? What's a beating after 50 years of fighting? No, something else must be done." Aku transformed into an almost perfect replica of Ashi, but with green colored skin. "How do you like me now?" He asked while he posed seductively, the chest thrust out while the arms were folded behind the head.

Jack stubbornly clenched his jaw. He didn't want to give Aku the satisfaction of a response, but his body betrayed him. The love of his life, gone from this world, being represented in such a perverse manner, he couldn't tolerate this. His lips curled back in a snarl, a low, menacing growl escaping his throat, and he struggled against his bonds. Without his sword, he couldn't do any actual damage against the monster, but it would be extremely satisfying to repeatedly punch the demon in his ugly face.

Keep it together, Ashi mentally instructed as she entered the room, creeping toward his back as he was distracted by his prisoner. Death is failure. She was Jack's only hope at a rescue. If she failed, he would die, the future would be the same as before, and this time, there would be no hero to save them all. She gripped the handle of the sword, having rescued it from a hidden alcove on the way. Aku had learned a few things from last time, but fortunately still retained his love of theatrics, which kept Jack alive.

"You're sick, you know that, for having relations with my own daughter. Did you settle for second best? Too bad I would never grant you the honor of being with me."

With a loud battle cry, Ashi made her presence known and sliced Aku with a long strike, taking a large chunk out of his torso. He let out a deafening roar as he transformed back to his usual form, but she didn't let up her attack, repeatedly attacking with quick slices, and hacking away at his body. She couldn't hear what Aku was saying because of the roar in her ears and the fire coursing through her body. She hadn't felt this kind of rage since her first fight against Jack alongside her sisters, this surging need for someone to simply die.

Aku tried to slink away, dragging his half-formed body on the ground, desperately clinging to what little life he had left, but Ashi was having none of it. Jack always spoke of honor, of showing respect to your opponent, if only as a fellow warrior, but Aku did not deserve such a grace. He had done nothing to earn respect of any kind. "There is no escape!" She cried, launching herself into the air, and planting the sword firmly between Aku's horns. With a deafening pain filled cry, he was absorbed into the blade once more, and Ashi's hands shook as she physically resisted the urge to bury the sword into the ground and expel the trapped being. Clearly that didn't work to forever stop him. With a roar, she threw the sword to the side, watching it slide to a stop against a wall, but did nothing to free Aku. She smiled for a moment before gasping out in pain and clutching her head. The fight was over, but the deep seated rage was not, demanding more violence from her.

Kill.

"No," she growled, digging her hands into the ground, leaving marks in the solid stone below her.

Kill him.

"Get out of my head, mother."

Kill the Samurai.

"Ashi?"

She leapt to her feet and turned, getting her first real look at her beloved ever since she came back, and cried at the sight of him. She had never seen him so bloody, so bruised, so cut up. Her great warrior, a punching bag for a coward who couldn't face him in a fair fight. "Oh Jack, I should have gotten here sooner. I'm sorry." She ran over to him, undoing his bonds. She stepped back as he slid down from the wall, wanting desperately to take him in her arms but she didn't want to hurt him further. Jack felt the opposite as he pulled her close, ignoring the pain as he kissed her with a passion, tears streaming down his cheeks, stinging the open cuts. She returned his eagerness, crying harder when she tasted his blood. Her body shuddered with fresh rage, wanting to continue to hurt Aku for what he did, but calm prevailed as he laid a gentle hand on her cheek, her skin rejoicing as his touch once more.

Kill the Samurai!

No. He's not the Samurai. He's my Samurai.

"Please," Jack begged as he broke the kiss, his voice full of emotion, resting his forehead against hers. "Please do not leave me. I cannot bare it if you disappear again."

Ashi's heart broke for him. Her pillar of strength, now weak and helpless. "I won't, trust me," she smiled, wiping away his tears. "As long as he still lives," she glared at the prisoner within the sword, "I exist."

"Powers and all?"

She frowned and lowered her eyes. "Yes," she sadly admitted, moving her arm out and transforming into a needle point before returning to her normal hand.

"Ashi," he placed his fingertips beneath her chin and raised her head.

"I've missed those square fingertips of yours," she smiled.

He smiled back, "That does not matter to me. All I see is a kind, loving, good woman, who can be so fierce when she protects what is hers."

"You are certainly mine, my Samurai. There is nothing I wouldn't do to keep you safe. Come on, let's get you home." She extended her arm, grabbing the sword, and returned it to its rightful owner.

Jack looked sadly at the dark blade, ignoring the two eyes that glared dangerously at him, missing the reflection of his own. "I am sorry for your sacrifice, old friend, but perhaps this was your original destiny all along."

"If only your father realized that years before. You wouldn't have suffered so much in a hell torn future," she lamented.

"I would not change a second of my life if it meant I was to meet you," he argued.

She was stunned to silence. Being separated from his parents during his childhood, living for fifty years in a nightmarish future, enduring psychological damage from his seemingly endless quest, was worth it all for her, the biological daughter of his mortal enemy? "Jack, I…"

"I love you, Ashi," he said firmly, as if it was the answer to everything. "I want to pick up where we left off, getting married, trying to have children, and spending the rest of my life with you."

"I love you too, Jack, and I want the very same." She briefly kissed him and then effortlessly lifted him into her arms, what was her own strength and what was her demon powers at work, she refused to say. She transported them both back to their castle and reluctantly surrendered him to the doctor's care, taking back the sword. She knew exactly where to stash it where no one could ever free Aku again. She teleported to the base of the gods' mountain, staring up at its immense height, the top of the mountain buried in the clouds. "I seek an audience with the gods," she called out, her powers making her voice echo across the land.

She didn't wait long before Sleipnir descended from on high to greet her, and carry her back to his master. Odin, Ra, and Vishnu waited for her at the top, but she pointedly ignored them for a moment to thank for Sleipnir his assistance.

"Who do you think you are for summoning us, girl?" Odin bellowed.

"Someone important if I get your attention," she coolly responded, holding out the sword. "This sword contains Aku's essence trapped within the blade. Keep it away from the reach of mortals, but do not destroy it. I intend to live a fully and happy life with my husband, and for that, I need this monster trapped but alive."

"And why should we listen to you?" Ra demanded.

"You brought Aku here in the first place! You couldn't be bothered to defeat him on your own! You depended on mankind to fix your mistakes! Now I am ending this madness once and for all by ordering you to keep this sword safe and keep this world free of this demon's ugly grasp. If you don't, I will come back here, and personally feed you your own beak, Ra!"

"We will keep the sword safe for all eternity. You have our word." Vishnu assured her, taking the sword from her and having it disappear. Ashi patiently waited but nothing changed within her. She still had her father's abilities, so he was still alive, and she could remain with Jack.

"Thank you," she said with a bow and once again mounted Sleipnir, allowing him to carry her home to the castle, giving him a quick hug and kiss before rushing to the infirmary, where Jack was now sufficiently bandaged and stank of antiseptic. "It's done, the sword is safe, and Aku is forever trapped inside the blade. We're free to be together for the rest of our days."

"Together," he agreed with a smile, taking her hand, their fingers intertwined, and kissing her knuckles.

Angry Ashi is Scary AF Ashi, but hell of a lot of fun to write. I hope you enjoyed this and please leave a review, fave, and follow if you'd like!

[dailytatsu]

Heya! Can I request an Aether/Lumine & reader?

So reader is basically an immortal half-elf who've lived for centuries and a well refined fighter. Well at the beginning even tho they volunteered to tag along on traveler's journey to find their sibling, reader is rather obnoxious and a lazy-dork who only help when actually needed. But as the journey continues, they began to act like traveler's bodyguard after witnessing (archon quest spoiler!) traveler almost getting killed by the Shogun? And maybe random shenanigans happen between them (ft.Paimon). I don't mind if you do either Aether or Lumine if you feel pressured 🙏

Hi! This kind are my favorites! Tysm for requesting! (๑>◡<๑)

I did this with Aether since he is my favorite is who I chose, and I feel more comfortable writing with guys than with girls.

I know they have some different personalities but I can help but see Lumine as the all mighty abyss princess.

Hope you enjoy!

➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹ ➷

Aether & Half-elf! Reader

GN! Reader

Inazuma Archon Quest Spoilers!

Request are open; sorry for any mistakes!

Genshin Impact Masterlist

➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹ ➷

Aether always thought that immortality brought with it wisdom, beings who live for much longer than an ordinary human tend to gain an understanding of life and changes in the world after years of appreciating the passing of the ages.

But when he met you he couldn't help but feel that all his beliefs were based on fiction and old rumors from other worlds. You were anything but wise, not even his first choice to be the voice of reason.

Even Paimon takes her role as his guide seriously.

But what was so wrong about you that get him on his nerves all the time? And most important, why does is he still dealing with you?

To be fair, maybe he was waiting a little too much from you. After all, he always forget that you still have half of a human’s nature.

“Mmh? What are you doing?” You asked Aether the first time he removed your hair from your ears to see if they were pointy. They were, and Paimon yelled kind of a objection when she realize she had to pay for losing their bet.

Not a human, not a elf, but a hybrid between them.

The first encounter was really something he would never forget. Rumors about treasures and requests from the guild made them follow some clues to find a cave that was marked as lost, impossible to enter and explore.

But “impossible” is a word that doesn’t exist their vocabulary. Yet is common that regretting comes along when you’re that bold and risky.

At the very end of that strange cave there wasn’t a treasure waiting, not even a new clue to keep going with the mystery. Instead, was a humanoid silhouette, they seemed to be meditating, not showing a single interest in their voices neither getting nervous because of Aether and Paimon taking some steps forward to have a better look.

But they were breathing, and both could see the pupils moving slightly under their eyelids. Eyebrows twitching now and then, like they were having a nightmare, one of which they couldn’t wake up.

Paimon encouraged him to get even closer to shake that person's shoulder, while she was hiding behind some rocks, obviously.

Aether summoned his sword and then he approached slowly until touching them with his fingertips, waiting for some kind of jumpscare.

The stranger raised their arm, carefully but also in a robotic way. Their fingers were tense, as much that it was painful just looking at them. Like a quiet call, like a order that couldn’t be heard, from the pile of rocks where Paimon was hiding something emerge, breaking through the stone and letting a rusty polearm to be seen.

Their fingers closed around the weapon, bringing them back to reality.

“Master and weapon, reunited again, rise so the world can meet their end!”

Or at least that's what he would have preferred to find. A servant guarding a lost relic, a soulless body moving by a curse, perhaps even a fate that death could not prevent.

But instead it was something really underwhelming, something that broke the mystical and strange atmosphere. That person opened their eyes, annoyed by the light of the torches and disoriented by the situation.

With their body in pain and numb at the same time, how long have they slept in that position?

The first thing they did after waking up was sneezing.

‘So much dust…’

Never accepting missions for exploring legendary caves ever again. Nope. Negative. He refuse to.

What if they find another (Y/N)? Thanks, but no. One is more than enough.

“So what you mean is that your parents' families exiled you and locked you up in the cave for being an ‘abomination’ to both species?” Paimon confirmed once the three of you were back in the surface again. Her hands moving side to side to explain -in a very expressive way- everything you told them.

“It seems that we found the remains of an ancient race that used to exist in Teyvat.” Aether said, still surprised by the way you roamed to feel the wood of the trees and the grass under your bare feet. Kind of heartbreaking.

“Like the boar we found with Xiangling!”

He wasn’t sure if it was okay to compare both encounters but he could see her point.

“… ‘Wait for us’, they told me, ‘think about your existence and find the answer to why your conception is not the atrocity that everyone says you are. May their words not reach you, because we have long ears to hear the words of the gods and not the ones of those who defile earth’… ” You pronounced after decades of not needing to use the language you were taught, with one hand on your chin and eyes closed to concentrate. All you had left was the few memories you preserved inside your mind and heart.

“With ‘they’ you mean your parents?”

You nodded.

“And what happened next?… ” Asked back the tiny companion of the blond guy that rescued you.

“I got bored and I fell asleep.” You admitted, carefree about it, shrugging your shoulders and sighing.

A total waste of your youth.

“Eh!? Then you didn’t thought about those things? That sounded important!” Paimon seemed disappointed for your answer, while Aether held his forehead, without having a clue of how he was supposed to react.

That was the day you joined their party! New team member, (Y/N) strikes in!

Or something like that,,

“H-Hey! We could use a hand over here!… woah!” The little white girl scold you but from your high sit on the top of a big rock only a exaggerated yawning can be heard. Paimon crossed her arms to almost immediately duck down to dodge a fire bullet from the Fatui. Aether didn’t say anything, he was concentrated fighting.

“Oh, yeah… You’re doing great. Go, Aether, go…”

“Was that supposed to be a cheering?!”

“Hey, calm down” You said “He doesn’t need my help. Just take a look, he’s an adventurer. If I meddle it will be really boring for him.”

“Hmp! Now Paimon believes that you were lying when you said that you were a well refined fighter!” She was floating around you, ignoring the battle of his blond friend. Like a pesky bee, the only thing you did was avoiding her furious gaze. “Don’t ignore Paimon! How can you not hear with those ears!? That’s it! Paimon will give you a ugly nickname!”

“What about ‘extinct deaf elf-der’?”

“Yeah, that’s a good one!” She agreed immediately, then she shook her head, pointing at you like a guilty criminal. “Wait, Paimon doesn’t need your suggestions!”

When the last Fatui was defeated Aether turned back to face both of you, sighing because of the new arguing between you two. His sword disappeared and some steps were took to get closer.

Your eyes met each other, a slight smile in your face after looking him safe and sound. So confident but so unaware of the remain danger hiding. Your expression became a surprised one, then your gaze sharped like a killer sight.

You left Paimon on top of the rock when you jumped down, summoning your own weapon you ran straight to where Aether was. The traveler panicked just a fraction of second before loosing sight of you.

Next thing they know was that a you were behind him, facing at the nothing with a defensive pose, just a second of silence before a impact could be heard. Some dirt and dust was lift as the pair of Fatui Pyro Agents became visible again. They stayed there, defeated in one hit.

“Like I said. It would be pretty boring if I meddle...” Aether and Paimon were shocked, none of them felt their presence, not even the heat of the pyro delusion. Your weapon disappeared in the air, and your hands rested on your waist. “Dear Seven, that was intense.” Looking at your friends you sighed, with the laziness on your body language. “It was my turn to cook dinner, right? What a pain having to eat again… ”

Acting that relaxed after that really made them went Ô_Ô and Ö

A silent speech, where devotion and gratitude are the best topics of conversation. The message that is heard even if there’s no words in between. Just a exchange of gazes. Little signs of affection that are shown when it’s necessary.

Your family was gone. No clues about their whereabouts could’ve found in that cave of where you came. Not even the skeletons of a couple holding their hands and petrified in a sobbing position. Not even ashes.

When you have been thinking about the most unimportant things in the universe for so long you can deal with the lost faster than anyone else. Getting the idea of no remain evidence of your parents and feeling that it wasn’t that heartbreaking.

Maybe because you gained a new family almost immediately.

Still you could empathize with Aether, he still had his precious memories with his sister, still remember her face and her voice. And most important was that he knew that she was still roaming Teyvat, waiting for him.

Even if they leave behind Paimon and you at the end of the trip.

Or even if they just leave you behind.

‘I’m okay with that.’

You thought, stroking Paimon’s hair when her head found a comfortable place to rest in your lap. You thought, moving your shoulder so Aether wouldn’t have neck pain. Both sleeping peacefully and you staying awake night by night.

You’ve slept enough, for so long besides.

Somehow the flames of the campfire are warmer now that you have someone to look how the fire dance in the night.

➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹ ➷

“I see, so you were serious when you told me that your companion was a mystical extinct creature, weren’t you?” Albedo’s hand went up to hold his chin, analyzing you from distance.

“They are half of it, actually.” Aether answered back, notice how Sucrose was asking you permission to check your features. The sparkle in her eyes made you accept her petition after feeling with the back against the wall.

“Your ears are like mine! Look, look!” Klee pulled your shirt, then she pointed at the side of her head.

“… Still the shape of both are quite different, the length too.”

Years of isolation really are hitting hard right now. You felt overwhelmed and somehow shy when Sucrose hold your face to have a better look.

You follow the traveler to everywhere, no matter the place, you were there. Like a shadow, sometimes just a spectator, other times like an actual active team member.

“Who would’ve tell that our Honorary Knight also has his own knight watching his back.” Kaeya’s voice has that joke but charming tone, as always.

Day after day, it’s the same, everyone talking you through Aether. Like some kind of translator.

“More like a human shield.” Your hand landed on top of Aether’s head, not agreeing with his explanation.

Bonk.

“I guess everything’s better than being Emergency Food.”

“Hey!”

“Haha! You three are quite a team, aren’t you?”

Of course you were. Mondstadt, Liyue, you name it. You could assure that every place in this two nations have at least one story about the team.

You knew that the most brave and magnificent outlander in Teyvat didn’t need a guardian, he can defend himself (somehow even if he’s still using that dull blade).

Bodyguarding also sounds like such a hassle…

You only provide a last resource help when was needed, sometimes also helping with some puzzles and mysteries.

The long eared people was known to be wise and smart people that searched for the full comprehension of the world. Also such a nerds and fans of knowledge. So, even if you considered yourself dumb, in your blood was the instinct of looking for the truth, and sometimes that impulse could be really annoying.

You were always near enough to reach him. Pulling his scarf from behind to move him away from danger. Countering after he gets hit.

Always in a place where you could reach him.

You just needed to extend your arm and you would catch Aether. It was always like this. Always with you jumping in the middle of the crossfire to shield them if it was necessary.

It’s always like this.

Until the day you three set a foot in Inazuma’s land. And a bad feeling of a imminent catastrophe made your shiver.

A new nation, a new problem to solve. But a war? Boldness and stupidity sometimes looks like the same thing, but no matter how many times you repeat this to Aether, he would still ran into problems.

And you would follow him, until your debt is paid, until his travel is done.

It used to be like this.

But then you failed him after being unable to move because of the fear that paralyzed your body. The day Aether faced Shogun Raiden in the ceremony. The day you heard the broken voice of a god inside the Shogun you also fell apart. It was painful, cruel, a void of anger and sadness.

Jumping into danger, without you behind.

You tried to ran between the goddess and your savior, you tried to get closer to at least be useful one last time as the shield you promised to be.

You tried.

But, for the first time, your hand didn’t reach him.

The void of despair and darkness that could be heard inside the Shogun devoured him.

The tears of panic and fear in Paimon’s eyes. The way the Shogun lifted her sword to end his life. The way you were paralyzed because of her presence, forced to be part of the crowd and presence his execution.

That day your facade of laziness faded away, the real feeling of being a knight burnt along your proud. It was so annoying, it was so unnecessary, but still you couldn’t ignore it.

“Are you… are you sure that you’re okay? We don’t have to find the Sangonomiya resistance today. If you need to rest then-” Your hands were shaking when you placed them in Aether’s shoulders, holding yourself for tearing up.

“We have to keep going. I’ll be fine.”

“Besides, if we stay near Inazuma this night they could find us! Paimon won’t be able to sleep like that!” Your mouth opened to counter their arguments, but not a single word dared to go against Aether’s plans.

They could see it in your face. The worry, the remains of shock and fear, the guilty.

“Don’t try to look strong then. If you get tired, tell us. I can carry you in my back.” Even if you were offering help your voice was serious, so cold but so hurt at the same time that nor Aether or Paimon knew what to said to bring the old you back.

➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹➷➹ ➷➹ ➷

“… Aren’t you coming?” You could hear how the door was slid to let him saw you. The lighted spots on Aether’s clothes were purple, just as the lighting that almost end him. Your lips made a concerned and stressed grimace.

The young traveler took a seat next to you, outside the structure, sitting on the wooden steps and looking at the starry sky. The wind was cold but still the soldiers of the resistance were talking normally and the slight feeling of discommodity because of the excessive presence of other people was climbing up your back.

“(Y/N), there’s no need of guard us every night. You also need to sleep.”

“I'm not tired, I think I've gotten enough sleep, at least not to need it until the next century.”

Aether’s expressions went into a sarcastic one, asking if you were serious with just his gaze.

“That’s not how it works.” He said, trying to change the mood. “And if it does, then why are you always snoozing during the day in every chance you get?”

You had the answer to that, but you weren’t sure about telling him.

“Because everything supposed to be boring. Nothing really changed a lot and… looking at the familiar places was depressing.” So easy, so simple, but still enjoying the company, still enjoying the sound of theirs laughs and their own shenanigans. “… Lately, I’ve been thinking that I should not had left the cave. Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate that you two helped me to be back at the surface, and I really want to help you on your journey, but if you still run into the chaos by own decision I think I could not follow you any longer before being a burden in your adventures.”

Overprotection, an unbreakable shield, frequently avoiding fights, always being pulled back to not be part of the battle. Enemies of the braveness of the traveler.

Worry, panic, an overreaction due to fear of loosing everything again.

‘let me do it’, ‘I got it’, ‘wait here’, ‘don’t get close’.

These day could be described like that.

“So, before I do something worse as an excuse of defend you, please let me find a cave to await. You do what’s is needed and… call me back, or leave me there, anything you think it’s better… ”

You could be pronouncing the words from the very bottom of your heart, but still your face was the same seriousness as the accident almost happened.

And even with that you felt his gloved hand removing the hair that was covering your right ear, revealing how it slightly leaned down, showing sadness unwittingly.

“Hey, cut it out… I’m serious about this… ”

“It doesn’t matter if you think that it’s the best option, you’re still sad about leaving.”

“… That’s cheating.” Removing his hand away from your hair you tried to act indifferent.

“You know the reason why we invited you to came along?”

‘You felt sorry for me.’

“I can’t totally tell the exact reason, but it wasn’t for you to pay us some kind of debt because of saving you.” He crossed his arms, looking at the stars, wondering if his sisters was doing the same. “We don’t need a guardian, we need our friend back. And I know you care about Paimon and me, but still you must enjoy the journey. It’s not fair that you are always aware of every potential danger while we mess around lately.”

An eternal silence, your response is late to appear but somehow Aether can tell that you already have something on your mind.

“Then apologize.”

“… Why?”

“For believing that playing as the hero and jumping to face the Shogun was something you had to do.”

“… but-”

Neither Aether nor you slept that night, the blonde had to listen for hours to all the things that you ever wanted to complain about since you arrived in Inazuma.

You made your position on joining the army of the rebellion very clear, you had no intention of fighting to seek "justice" or "peace". Because after all, that fight did not correspond to you, but if he asked you to, you would protect some soldiers or help to guard the barracks, if he asked you to, you wouldn’t complain about it (at least not that much).

Both had enough of each other’s attitude, but it was okay. Because that was what all of you chose in first place.