#they are still protectors that cannot protect anything

[jankillbride]

[ID: greyscale digital painting of a child version of Killy sitting on a ledge before an open door/portal way. He is wearing a schoolboy’s uniform with a hat. Behind him in the opening is a set of stairs leading away to a far distance, with statues positioned on the sides of the staircase. The opening is heavily shadowed. The ledge that Killy is sitting on is brick and in the lower right hand corner, there is a dark opening. Killy’s shadow on the bricks is also inconsistent. The background of the painting is grey with slight variations in color, done in vertical strokes. On the right, there is some exposed brick and there are some horizontal and vertical strips of grey gradients. There is an irregular shape that has the same gradient shading on the right, near the opening. End ID]

when the academy is noise >>>. click/open in new tab to see all the textures.

here’s a close up of killy’s face because you can’t super see it well in the full image.

oh and here’s a bonus image from a while ago:

[ID: digital sketch of a young Killy. He is standing, hands clenched at his sides, and looking off to the side with a disgruntled expression on. He is wearing a schoolboy’s uniform and a hat. End ID]

[vandnana]

Your Protector (i)

pairing: neteyam x female omaticaya reader (best friends to lovers)

summary: You and Neteyam grew up together, always knowing the feelings you had for each other, but too shy to vocalize it. But, when you leave with the Sullys to seek refuge with the metkayina people, Neteyam can’t help but finally tell you...after seeing you with Aonung

genre: fluff, *smut [at the end]

warnings: kissing, sensual scenes, jealousy

*characters are aged up*

word count: 6000+

— kinda slow burn, but definitely a lot of tension, follows the general story line with many moments between you and him 

[part 2 is here!] [part 3 (finale)]

Neteyam. He always liked to call himself your protector and you hated it. You always told him you could protect yourself. It was one of those things that he admired about you. You could do just about anything. You were practically perfect to him. Nothing could ever change his mind about that. You were his best friend, but the pressure he felt everywhere else always stopped him from ever telling you how much he really loved you, how he sees you and no one else.

You and Neteyam were inseparable since the day you met and you thought that it would always be that way. He was the only person that made you feel courageous and shy at the same time, but you did a pretty good job hiding how you felt about him.

Until he told you that he would have to leave the forest.

“How can I stay here knowing that you are out there?” You yelled, tears falling from your eyes.

He stepped forward, yelling back at you, “Y/n, this is for the people, to protect you all. I-“ Neteyam stopped himself when you averted your eyes from him, not wanting to listen.

He took hold of your arms, but you pushed him away. “Do not touch me.”

Still, he inched closer to you, but you backed away, your tears pouring over your face, angry cries escaping from your mouth.

Seeing you cry hurt him, but Neteyam did his best to sound strong, even though the thought of leaving you broke his heart too.

“I cannot let you come with us, y/n! We are being hunted. You must stay here. It is the only way I will know you are protected. It is the only way I will know you are safe.”

You shook your head, your heart breaking as he took his steps toward you. You let yourself stand still as he approached, your hands hitting at his chest as he wrapped his arms around you.

You looked up at him, unblinking, your tone revealing your pained frustration, “Why am I the only one who should be protected? Did you ever think that perhaps I would want to protect you? I want to protect you too Neteyam. You are stupid for thinking I could ever be without you. Stupid.”

You felt out of breath after all that lay in your mind spilt out into the thick air between you. There it was. That courage you always had when you were with him, but as he stood, speechless, only looking at you, you became shy. Just like you always did.

His firm expression softened as he processed your words, his cheeks reddening, his heart racing in response to being so close to you, your foreheads almost touching, and butterflies finding a home in his stomach, whirling around as he looked at you. Butterflies had also found you, flying around as his eyes were on you, and you could not look away for that moment. Your heart matched his, rapidly pacing in your chest, the only thing separating the two of you were your hands still at his chest. You could pretend the butterflies weren’t there and you could pretend that your heart raced because you were angry. Yet, you could not hide the newfound blush that was forming on your cheeks, and once you felt the heat settling on your face, you pushed away from him, your eyes downcast.

“I am going. You cannot convince me otherwise.” You said before quickly leaving the tent, walking off to find Jake and Neytiri.

“Are you sure you want to? You can never come back here.” Jake’s expression was serious, his voice stern.

“What have you always said? Sullys stick together. The sky people killed my family. You are all I have left.” The memory was painful, but it was the truth, and Jake knew it.

Looking at Neytiri, she gave a doleful look, giving him a small nod, then turning to you, “You will come with us.”

—

When you and the Sullys touched down onto the Awa’atlu Village, the metkayina people surrounded you, tilting their heads at your odd appearance. They had clearly already made up their minds about you all. You were different. Foreign.

Two boys about your age approached you, Lo’ak, and Neteyam, the taller one taking hold of Lo’ak’s tail for a moment and laughing, “Is this supposed to be a tail?”

You eyed them darkly, as they looked at you, Neteyam inching closer to you as they walked by.

“Aonung, Rotxo stop it!” A gentle voice scolded. Looking over, it was a girl, their sister, you assumed.

When the chief, Tonowari, and his mate, Ronal came, the tension in the air was thick as Jake maintained his calm, pleading with the couple to give sanctuary to his family. Ronal’s hesitation worried you for a moment, but hearing Jake’s plea, they agreed to grant you refuge in their home and teach you the their ways.

“My children will teach your children how to live like us.” Tonowari proclaimed, much to Aonung’s dismay.

But, Tsireya, the chief’s daughter, smiled, motioning for all of you to follow, “Come, I will show you where you will live.”

Everyone followed, Jake taking the lead. You observed around you, in awe at how different everything was. People were casting nets out into the sea to fish, children were playing in the water beneath the walkways, and the weapons you could see were spears, not the bow and arrows you were used to, and all around, there were animals swimming peacefully.

After settling down in your hut, Tsireya guided you all toward the edge of one of the docks, starting your first lesson in the water. Her and her brothers dove into the water, Lo’ak and Neteyam following after them, then you, Kiri, and Tuk last.

While the others seemed to struggle more, you and Kiri were able to hold your own in the water almost instantly. The others swam after Tsireya and her siblings, but you stayed with Kiri, mesmerized by the creatures in the ocean. While Kiri did her usual thing, admiring the animals and plants, you simply loved how it felt to be submerged in the water, staring up at the surface, the sun creating glimmers in your surroundings.

It didn’t take long for everyone to realize the two of you had strayed off, but Tsireya was able to find the two of you quickly, and when you noticed her and the others coming, you nudged Kiri, swimming up to the surface with her.

Breaking the water, Neteyam swam to you, taking hold of your arms, his face etched with worry. “Do not scare me like that. You could have been hurt.”

“I am fine. I am not a baby.” You pushed him away lightly, your eyes bilious for a moment before softening as he continued to survey your face, making sure your weren’t hurt anywhere, “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

You and him still had not discussed what happened at the tent, so you both pretended like everything was fine, but the tension between the both of you was painfully obvious to everyone else. Lo’ak and Kiri glanced at one another, giving each other a knowing look.

Tsireya continued to teach you all, from breathwork to their sign language. Once the sun began to set, you went your separate ways. Heading back to the tent, Jake and Neytiri were on the floor, urging you all to sit and eat.

The day felt long, but you were determined to adapt, ready for whatever the next day had in store for you.

—

Everything was slowly becoming second nature to you as days passed. You fell into a comfortable rhythm with the others in the village, finding your way in the water, and connecting with the animals around you. Even breathing the metkayina way had become easier, but Neteyam still struggled slightly, and it was you who would help him practice.

You and Neteyam were in what you guys decided would be your spot on the island. You found it while the two of you were exploring the reef, you diving just a little too far down and Neteyam, worried beyond belief, catching up to you. There was a cave, hidden behind the giant anemones and coral, and somehow, entering it, you found that the cave itself was not submerged in water, preserving the air for you to breathe in. You and him were sitting across from each other, the pool of water that would lead you back out into the reef beside you, rippling slightly at the echoing in your voices.

“No, no you’re doing it wrong. You keep breathing from your chest. You have to slow your heart rate down and breathe from below.” You instructed, demonstrating it yourself.

“I know! I know. I’m trying. Why are you so bossy?” Neteyam replied, knowing the comment would irritate you.

“Maybe I would not be so bossy if you could do it right!” You let out in annoyance. Neteyam only laughed, amused at how easily he could get under your skin.

“You laugh now, but when you are drowning I won’t save you.” You punched him in the chest lightly, trying to keep a straight face. He had one of those laughs that made you want to laugh too.

Rolling his eyes, he scoffed, “Really? You would let your protector drown? I don’t think so.”

Annoyed, you pushed him again, “Or maybe I should just kill you now.”

He raised his eyebrows cockily, and again, you brought your hands up to hit him, but he dodged, grabbing your arms instead. Using all your body weight, you drove him back, sending him downward on the ground with you on top of him. The action caught him off guard and he let go of your arms and taking the chance, you pinned him down.

“It is just too easy.” You let out, a satisfied grin on your face. “Fine, fine you win.” Neteyam muttered. He was about to sit up, but you moved ever so slightly on top of him, making his breath hitch. He looked away from you, feeling his whole body heat up.

You mistook his actions, laughing maniacally, “Don’t tell me you are out of breath from just that?” You teased, putting your head on his chest, the sound of his heart beat rapidly beating against your ear.

“And your heart is beating so fast too.” You continued, bringing your head back up to look at him, but as you did, you realized your closeness, bringing a scarlet hue to your cheeks. You hadn’t been this close since the day at the tent.

Your gaze only made things worse for Neteyam, his tail raising underneath him at the movement, making him sit up quickly, taming it down before it brushed against you.

His face was red now, and with a frustrated sigh, he finally looked at you, “Of course my heart is beating fast. I’m with you.”

When the words spilled out of his mouth, he instantly regretted it. This was not how he wanted to tell you how he felt. His words came out too messily and he was ashamed.

You blinked at him, that shyness revealing itself again, his words stirring butterflies in your stomach.

“What do you mean?” You whispered softly, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at you.

You spoke again, leaning forward and placing your hand on his chest, “Neteyam, tell me.”

Clearing his throat, he spoke, trying to sound confident, “We should get going. I should go check on the others, make sure they are not causing trouble.”

You knew that was a lie.

You got up and he followed suit, still avoiding your eyes, “Neteyam—“But, he didn’t speak another word, only managing a weak smile at you, pretending he wasn’t bothered.

When you got back to the village, Neteyam said goodbye to you, hastily walking away. You followed him though, practically running through village. You were so focused on catching him you didn’t notice Kiri calling your name.

Grabbing your arm, she finally caught your attention, sensing the panic in your body language. “Y/n what’s wrong?” She asked, concern painted in her eyes.

“It’s Neteyam. He’s acting weird and I don’t know why. He just… ran away from me.” You explained, putting your hand on your head as you tried to piece together what happened.

Kiri rubbed your back, “I’m sure everything’s fine. You know Neteyam. Sooner or later he’ll tell you what’s on his mind. Especially if it’s you. I wouldn’t worry too much.”

You nodded at her words, taking a deep breath. “Why don’t we go into the water before dinner. It will be a good distraction.You smiled, nodding as she took your hand and led you to shore.

You planned on diving into the water but Kiri noticed something in the sand and as if she was entranced, she laid down, “Come, (y/n) look!”

Submerging her head in the water, she fixed her eyes on one spot and taking a breath, you did too, lying on your stomach across from her.You weren’t exactly sure what you were looking at, but you stayed with Kiri, observing what was in front of you intently. The two of you stayed like that for a while until the sound of voices made you lift your head out of the water.

It was Aonung and three other boys. You rolled your eyes, “What do you want?”

Kiri finally lifted her head, confused as to what was going on.

Aonung kept a vile smirk on his face, his eyes going back and forth between the two of you. “Nothing, we just wanted to see what the two freaks were doing.”

You grabbed Kiri’s hand and began walking to the shore, turning your head toward the boys, “Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you.” You spat back, Kiri laughing at your response.

The comment clearly angered them all as they stomped behind you, Aonung gabbing Kiri’s arm as a retaliation.

“Hey, get your hands off her!” You yelled, but he only laughed, his eyebrows raised slyly.

From the way you were balling up your fists, Kiri could tell you were beyond pissed now, taking hold of your arm to pull you away, “Come on y/n let’s go.”

You could have listened, but instead you threw a punch that caught Aonung off guard. Aonung and the rest of his boys stepped forward, but Lo’ak and Neteyam appeared to finish the fight, Lo’ak throwing another punch and Neteyam jumping in to help. Eventually, one of the men of the village noticed, breaking up the fight and sending you back to Jake.

As the three of you approached the hut, Jake turned to you, his face disappointed.

Neteyam watched his father, stepping forward, “This is my fault sir.”

“No it’s not. You gotta stop taking the blame for this knucklehead,” pointing at Lo’ak who looked away. “Go apologize. I don’t care how you do it.”

“But dad!—“ Lo’ak protested, but you stepped forward.

“Do not blame your sons. This is my fault, Jake. Aonung called Kiri a freak so I punched him first. It is me who should apologize.” You admitted, looking down at your feet.

“I expect this from these two, but not you y/n. You should know better. You both go apologize.” Jake scolded, his tone clearly frustrated.

You and Lo’ak nodded your heads before walking out of the hut.Lo’ak groaned, “Ugh. I can’t believe we have to say sorry to him.”

You slung your arm over his shoulder, “Let’s just get it over with, okay?” You gave him a reassuring look, which seemed to make him relax.

Appearing next to you, Neteyam slung his arm around your other shoulder, “Hey, you okay?”

You leaned the boys’ heads toward yours, hugging them both before grabbing their ears and pinching.

“Ow! Ow! Y/n that hurts!” Neteyam whined, his brother echoing the same cry.

“You guys are such a pain in my ass.” You lamented, before finally letting go.

“You’re the one who punched him first!” Lo’ak complained.

“Yes, but who came in and kept punching?” You retorted, the two of them avoiding your gaze.

You chuckled, “Thank you for doing that. It was stupid, but… you guys looked cool.”

Neteyam scoffed cockily, “Of course we did.” You glanced over at Neteyam, his mouth formed in a satisfied grin.

“Well, come on,” You motioned over to Lo’ak, “let’s go apologize.” You huffed.

“Y/n, wait” Neteyam called, grabbing your hand, you turned, your eyebrows raised expectantly.

Clearing his throat, he spoke, “When you come back, I have to tell you something.”

You nodded, “Wait for me at our spot, okay?”

Letting go of your hand reluctantly, he agreed, waving to you as you both walked away.

“I’m sorry I hit you. So many times.” Lo’ak apologized, and you reluctantly said sorry too, trying not to look indifferent. The boys looked at one another before accepting his apology.

You motioned for Lo’ak to follow you, but Aonung did something you did not expect.

“So what do you say? We are going hunting. Outside the reef. It is where the men hunt. Are you coming?” Aonung coaxed, glancing over at the other boys mischievously.

“No way. I’m not allowed.” Lo’ak said, starting to guide his ilu toward you.

Calling out, Aonung struck a nerve in Lo’ak, “I must be talking to the wrong brother then.”

Without any hestiation, Lo’ak turned around, “Let’s do it.”

You grabbed him, sensing something wrong, you gave Lo’ak a warning look, “Lo’ak, let’s go.”

He pushed you away, swimming after Aonung and the boys. Groaning, you looked back at the village before diving to follow them.

When you had reached Three Brothers Rocks, you dove after the boys, watching as Aonung began to swim up to the surface.

“What are you doing?” You hissed, your expression dark. Saying nothing, they only laughed, taking off on their ilus, leaving you and Lo’ak to the boundless ocean.

Not long after, Lo’ak surfaced, confused to find only you in the water, “Where are they?”

“Gone.” You flared, trying to calm yourself down as anger set its threshold in you.

Hopping on your ilus, you began to swim back, but a force from underneath the water sent you and Lo’ak flying, off of your ilu and back into the depths. As the water settled around you, you could finally see what had sent you back, a creature, intent on killing you both. You and Lo’ak glanced at one another quickly before swimming toward the coral, taking refuge in its labyrinth. The creature charged, biting the coral to get to you, but you continued to move inward. When it reached a point that it could not break, the creature retreated briefly, giving you a moment to calm yourself to control your breath.

You looked at Lo’ak, but you could tell he was panicking and you grabbed hold of him gently to reassure him. It seemed to work, but you knew he had reached his threshold of breath. You urged him upward quickly, hoping that the creature would not come back. Freeing yourself from the coral, you reached the open water, continuing to push him up. But, the creature had waited for you, turning its body to face the two of you. Grabbing your knife, you held it up, bringing Lo’ak behind you, but your chance to use it never came as another animal came, charging and killing the creature.

A tulkun.

Suddenly, you felt Lo’ak’s body go limp behind you, and you caught him, holding him as you approached the surface. The tulkun swam underneath you, taking you to the surface on its fin.

Once you broke the water, you breathed in deeply, turning Lo’ak over and pushing on his stomach, expelling the water trapped in his lungs.He coughed violently, before sitting up. Taking in his surroundings, unsure if he was alive or not.

“We survived.” You breathed, “Thanks to this tulkun.”

Its clicks sounded through the air in response and you smiled, looking into its eye, you signed, “Thank you for saving us.”

Lo’ak signed too, stroking above its eye.“Hey, look.”

You slid off its fin, observing the harpoon stuck in its flesh. Lo’ak gave an apologetic expression, his eyes sad from the sight. The two of you took it out, and the tulkun clicked radiantly as a thank you.

You were intrigued by the tulkun, watching as Lo’ak signed to the creature. You smiled as you watched him make a connection with it, but as you waded longer in the water, a stinging pain began to burn on your back.

“Agh—“ You hissed, pushing your hair away to reveal a large cut across your back. Seeing the cut, Lo’ak’s eyes widened, “We need to get you back to the village,” Turning, Lo’ak faced the tulkun, “Please take us to the village.”

As you swam, the salt water burned into your wounds, but you were able to bear it, gritting your teeth when the pain would intensify. The tulkun stopped at the edge of the village, and you both said goodbye to your new friend.

It was Neteyam who figured out you were both missing. When you didn’t show up at your guys’ spot, he knew there was something wrong. One of the warriors surveying the water caught sight of the two of you, taking you on the back of their boat to the edge of the docks where everyone was waiting.

When you saw Aonung, your expression was vicious, hissing at him as Lo’ak was readying himself to fight again, but Jake pushed the both of you back and Neytiri approached the two of you angrily. Your disdain was fixed on your face until you saw Neteyam, who could only apologize for not being there, his eyebrows furrowed in deep shame.

Jake and Neytiri scolded their son, apologizing for Lo’ak in front of Tonowari, but he refused. Tonowari knew Aonung knew better than to take Lo’ak outside the reef, and urged that it was his son to blame.

You felt relieved hearing this, but that feeling vanished once Lo’ak spoke.

“No sir. This is my fault. Aonung tried to talk me out of it, but I didn’t listen.” Lo’ak lied.

“Lo’ak!” You piped in disbelief.

Jake sighed, taking Lo’ak by the arm and Neteyam turned his attention to you, helping you up onto the dock. You and him walked forward, but a sudden shot of agonizing pain surged through you, your vision fading to black as your mind began to shut off, “Neteyam.” Your voice breathy and weak as he looked over at you, catching your body as you fell, your mind finally sending you into darkness.

When you finally awoke, you were lying down in a hut you had never been in before, the sun shining on your face as you opened your eyes. The pain in your back was gone and you took a deep breath in.

“You’re awake! She’s awake! She’s awake!” You heard, looking over to find Tuk beside you.

Then suddenly, the Sully children gathered around you, relief washing over their faces as you sat up.

Neteyam who had been standing in front of the hut rushed to you, kneeling and taking your hand in his, “I am so happy you are alright,” He beamed, smiling at you.

You beamed back, quickly repositioning yourself to hug him, sending him backward onto the ground.

“Okay. Barf. I’m leaving.” Lo’ak said, rolling his eyes at the two of you before walking out of the hut, Kiri and Tuk following after him.

You paid no mind to Lo’ak, your attention focused on Neteyam. You were not sure how long you had been unconscious, but it must have been agonizing for him, and the thought of him being in such pain caused you heartache. You leaned into his ear, your voice quiet as you spoke, “I am sorry for worrying you again.”

Your breath on his ear sent an instant flush to his body, concentrating at his cheeks, painting them a shade of pink. He gulped, trying to calm himself down. With you still on top of him, he sat himself up, never taking his eyes off you.

Sheepishly, he shook his head, “No, do not apologize. I am just…” he paused, taking a second to study your face admiringly, “I am just happy that you are alright.”

You laughed, standing up and holding your hand for him to take, “You already said that.”

He took your hand lifting himself up, sighing as he now stood, “Even at a time like this, you love to tease me.”

“Of course. I was knocked out for a while. I must make up for the lost time.” You joked, earning a laugh from him.

You guys stayed in a comfortable silence before you remembered the conversation you had before you left.

“Neteyam, before…you said you wanted to tell me something.”

“Right…” He began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, “Y/n, I wanted to tell you…”

You stepped forward, looking at him expectantly, “Yes?” He took your hand, gulping as he tried to piece the words together in his mind, “I wanted to tell you I—“

“Y/n.”

At the sound of your name, you pulled away from Neteyam, looking over at where the voice had come from.

Seeing who the voice belonged to you rolled your eyes. “What do you want Aonung?”

“I-I— can I talk to you for a second?” Neteyam looked your way, tilting his head as he wondered what you were going to do.

You let a breath in, “Fine, fine. Let’s talk.”

You walked toward the entrance of the hut, but Neteyam put a hand on your shoulder, “If you do not want to talk to him, you do not have to.”

“Who said I was going to talk to him? Maybe I’ll just hit him.” You grunted, giving him a reassuring look.

Neteyam knew what you meant, giving Aonung a warning look before exiting the hut.

When Aonung stepped inside, you could feel your anger returning to you as you looked at him, but you did you best to hold it in, “What do you want to say?”

“I am sorry. For treating you the way I did and for what happened to you.” His head was downcast, and seeing that annoyed you.

“If you want to apologize to someone properly, look them in the eye.” You hissed, placing your hand on his chin, you forced his gaze.

You expected him to be smirking like he usually did, but he wasn’t. His expression was, for the first time, apologetic.

“I’m sorry. I mean it. I-I really am.” It was all he could find himself to say, keeping his eyes locked on yours.

You studied him for a moment, still in disbelief. “It is hard for me to accept your apology, but for the sake of peace, I will.”

Outside, Neteyam watched you and him from a distance, wondering what conversation the two of you could be having for you to hold his chin the way that you were. He could feel a sense of unease rise within him as he watched.

“What are you doing?”

Jumping, Neteyam turned around to find it was only his younger brother, his face curious.

Looking back at the hut, Neteyam grunted coolly, “Nothing.”

Following his gaze, Lo’ak smirked seeing you and Aonung in the hut, “Are you jealous big bro?”

“I am not. Me? Jealous? Of him? No way.” He replied defensively.

“Really?” Lo’ak glanced again behind his brother, turning him around, “So that doesn’t bother you at all?”

Aonung stepped closer to you, putting his hand out, “Friends?” Aonung said.

You grabbed hold of his arm, “Friends.”

Neteyam gulped, but did not want to give Lo’ak the satisfaction of being right, “They are probably just making up. That does not means anything.”

Lo’ak, amused, continued to joke, “You better hurry up bro. He’s already making moves on her.”

“Shut up.” Hitting his brother on the shoulder, scowling.

“What’s happening?”

It was Kiri with Tuk by her side. Lo’ak couldn’t resist making fun of his brother again.“

Neteyam’s jealous because Aonung is talking to y/n.”

“I am not!” Neteyam protested.

“Come on, just admit it.” Lo’ak nudged, sparking another flow of arguments between the boys.

“This is so stupid.” Kiri said, rolling her eyes.

Tuk, who only caught ins and outs of the conversation, only really cared when she heard your name and had also caught sight of you at the same time.

“Oh look it’s y/n! She’s about to get in the water. Come on, Kiri, let’s go to her!” Tuk begged, latching onto her sister’s arms, running to where you and Aonung were.

The boys had finally stopped arguing, Neteyam running with his sisters in an attempt to catch you, but you and Aonung were already in the water with your ilus, swimming fast and far from them. Aonung had challenged you to a race and you couldn’t help but accept.

Neteyam was about to jump in the water too, but Kiri stopped him, “My god, you really are jealous. You’re really going to follow her?”

Neteyam scoffed, “That doesn’t mean I’m jealous.”

But even he knew that what he was saying was a lie, his siblings groaning at his response.

They elected to wait for you on the shore, Tuk running quickly, urging her siblings to hurry up, Neteyam trudging behind everyone.

—

Aonung was fast, catching up to you as you distanced yourselves from the village, but you were determined to win and as Aonung approached, tailing your ilu, you had built up enough momentum to shoot forward toward victory.

Disconnecting from your ilu, you got out of the water, a satisfied grin plastered on your face. The minute the Sullys saw you emerge from the water, they made their way over, Tuk running to you excitedly.

“Guess who just beat Aonung in an ilu race?” You said to her playfully, picking her up and spinning her. She giggled, sticking her tongue out.

Aonung stepped forward, scowling, “That was just beginner’s luck.”

“Maybe, but you still lost. You should not have triggered my competitiveness.” You sneered, putting Tuk down.

Lo’ak and Kiri gathered around you, proudly whooping as you approached, but Neteyam stood behind you all, his arms crossed, eyeing Aonung as he stood beside you, too close for his liking.

“I want a rematch.” He challenged.

But you shook your head at him, “I must refuse. I would not want to embarrass you a second time.”

At closer glance, you suddenly looked different to Aonung. The sun was reflecting off of you, your wet skin glistening, your smile radiating as you continued to tease him in front of everyone. You looked pretty to him.

He wanted to keep being around you, staring as the newfound thought stained his cheeks with a faint blush, a sudden confidence taking over him, “If you won’t race with me again, then go for a dive with me instead.” Holding out his hand to you, he nudged for you to take it.

Seeing this, Neteyam uncrossed his arms, his eyes shot at you as he waited for your response, hoping you would refuse.

You looked at his hand, then at him, tilting your head.

“Right now?” You asked, and he nodded eagerly.

Not waiting for your answer, he took your hand anyway, leading you toward the ocean, “Come on.”

“Wait, Aonung—“ You began, but you were interrupted as Neteyam came up beside you, pulling you closer to him, breaking you away from Aonung’s grasp.

Calling his ilu, he sat you in front of him, telling you to hold your breath before taking off, leaving everyone on the shore stunned.

Aonung watched as the two of you disappeared and once everyone processed everything, Lo’ak patted Aonung’s shoulder. “Sorry man, you never stood a chance.”

—

You were facing Neteyam as he rode, watching him as he concentrated on where he was going, his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth slightly pursed. You looked at your surroundings, recognizing familiar structures of coral, and you smiled. You knew where he was taking you.

When you arrived at the entrance of your spot, Neteyam disconnected from his ilu, taking your hand and leading you into your cave. Breaking water, you both took a breath, his hand still in yours, you tightened your grip around it, causing him to look at you. You swam toward the edge of the pool, pulling him with you, the two of you pulling yourselves out of the water.

You took his hands into yours, feeling the heat in you rising and the butterflies in your stomach coming back to you, fluttering quietly as you waited for him to say something.

But Neteyam stood, speechless, looking at you, admiring you. He owed you so much, but did not know what to say, too abashed by the feelings that arose every time the two of you were this close.

“Why did you do that?” You asked softly, caressing his hand. But you felt you knew the answer. You just hoped that what you felt was true.

“I didn’t like it.” He let out nervously, your confused expression begging for him to say more.

“I didn’t like the way he was looking at you, how we was holding your hand. I-I hated it.” His head was downcast, ashamed at such childish feelings.

You took one of his hands up, placing it on your chest where your heart was. The movement made him look at you, his mouth open in surprise and the familiar heat in his face intensifying.

“Do you feel how my heart beats?” It was beating fast and was only growing in pace as Neteyam kept his soft gaze on you.

He nodded, looking at you with a dreamy smile, which you happily returned.

You placed your hand on his chest, feeling as his heart beat matched yours, “My heart beats like this because of you.”

You let go of him, turning away. It was only when you did this that Neteyam realized just how your warmth affected him, how cold it would suddenly feel when you weren’t beside him.

”But, you must choose me, Neteyam. There are many women, all beautiful women for you to choose.”

Neteyam shook his head, approaching your turned back, his voice confident, “I do not want another woman. I only want you, y/n.”

Instantly, you faced him, smiling brightly, taking his hands into yours again, returning the warmth around him, around the both of you. It wasn’t a feeling that Neteyam wanted to let go of.

He leaned in, pressing his lips against yours, letting go of your hands and instead taking hold of your waist, his grip tightening as he pulled you closer. As you wrapped your arm around his neck, you felt his tail brush against your leg, the movement slow, loving. You let out a slight moan, making Neteyam only deepen the kiss. The heat between the two of you burned with every movement, Neteyam lowering your bodies to the ground, taking hold of one of your legs as you wrapped it around him.

You weren’t sure how long the two of you laid together, but once you pulled away, the two you let silence fill the cave, your foreheads touching as you embraced. Neteyam grabbed his queue from behind him, and you leaned back, watching as he brought it in front of you.

“I see you.”

You brought your queue in front of you, looking at him before making the bond.

“I see you.”

When you felt the bond, your entire being connected with his, every sensation between the two of you charging as the amorous look in his eyes sent your heart into a frenzy. Neteyam, still with his forehead to yours, kissed your cheek before letting his lips explore every part of you. You closed your eyes with every touch, the core of you reaching a new state of bliss. Returning, Neteyam brought his lips to yours again and you savored the feeling, another wave of heat ready to burst in you. You reached down, and Neteyam pulled away, his look unsure, but you nodded reassuringly, bringing his head back down to connect your lips once more. There was nothing between you now, the little space that you once had now gone as Neteyam pushed into you, his movements passionate and loving. Your hand was at his back, the other clutching his hair as he kept going. The closeness between you and the love you could feel conjured up tears in your eyes, a moan escaping your mouth at every motion, your toes curling as the momentum continued, building and building until finally you both reached your bliss.

Pulling away breathlessly, Neteyam looked at you again, and not being able to contain how happy he was, smiled warmly at you before peppering your cheeks with kisses.

You giggled, lifting yourself up, him holding onto you. still, your tails curling around each other.

“So, this was how you felt… all this time?” You asked innocently, only wanting him to hear him say it one more time.

Taking your cheek in his hand, a mischievous smile took over his lips, “If it wasn’t clear…I can show you again.” His eyes suggestive as he raised his eyebrows.

You rolled your eyes at him, lifting your arm to punch him lightly, but he grabbed it, pulling you in for another kiss. You relaxed under his grasp, but gently pulled away.

“You can’t just kiss me now every time you say something stupid.” You tried to sound firm, but your heart was turning to mush by the second.

He leaned in, kissing your cheek gently before resting his head on the crook of your neck.

“I am yours now, y/n. All my kisses belong to you now, so I have to deliver.”

“Hmm… I don’t know, I think I’m still gonna go for a dive with Aonung after this.” You teased, he lifted his head, looking at you in disbelief.

“Don’t even joke about that.” His voice serious, as you put a hand to your mouth, trying not to laugh.

“I’m kidding. I’m kidding. I’m yours, okay? I’m yours.”

[part 2!]

[chaos-and-ink]

Yes, Marc is a protector but he is also a trauma holder. He protects the system from things they cannot handle but he also carries traumatic experiences and memories the system can't handle. He may be strong and protective but he's also vulnerable and deeply traumatized. He has no self worth or self respect, going to great lengths to protect others but never himself. He's self destructive and impulsive and often lacks stability. He dwells on negative thoughts and spirals in them. He may be a protector but he still needs protection.

And the system does protect him. Steven protects Marc by giving him an escape from the constant pain and trauma of his life. Jake protects Marc from his own self destruction when he feels his life isn't worth anything or he can't go on.

[yanderes-galore]

I don't if you are this far in One Piece but. Platonic Yandere! Zoro from One Piece with weak darling that cannot fight at all?

I feel for this one how far I'm in doesn't matter. So here you go :)

Yandere! Platonic! Zoro with Weak! Darling

Pairing: Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Violence, Blood, Murder, Stalking, Forced companionship.

Zoro is a very stern, serious, and distant swordsman.

He isn't very emotive and tries not to let emotions control his judgment.

Despite this, he is still quite temperamental, reckless, and ruthless in battle.

He may try to hide it, but Zoro is protective of his crewmates.

Honestly, when thinking about it, Zoro would be terrifying due to what he's willing to go through for his fellow crew.

Now, the Straw Hat Pirates usually have strong members who can hold their own in physical strength.

However, while you weren't brought on the crew for physical strength... you have a strong mind.

You don't participate in fights, yet were brought on to help the ones who can.

You have medical knowledge and often offer input on plans.

So while you can't fight...

You're still quite the asset.

Unfortunately, being unable to fend for yourself often means relying on crewmates.

In this case, Zoro often ends up taking the role of your protector.

I like to think of Zoro as a subtle yandere.

He's often quiet and hard to read, not showing his true emotions often... unless it's anger.

Your interactions with Zoro are positive, the swordsman finds your company nice.

Considering what you do for the group... he protects you like any other member.

If not more.

A platonic Zoro would normally be quite protective.

Yet due to you being weaker than the others? He finds himself... more attached.

He worries about enemies... yet he also worries for Luffy's tendency to pull others into problems and Sanji's tendency to cling.

Unlike other crew members, he gives you your distance.

But distance doesn't mean he's not obsessed.

He is, He just values your personal space.

You're always in his sight, though...

Even if you don't know it.

He's definitely someone in the background most of the time

He's subtle... yet so dangerous.

He takes your safety very seriously.

How could he not? Most pirates would crush you.

Admittedly he's also quite attached to the smile you give him when he talks to you.

That and even your scolding when you patch him up is endearing.

Zoro is so used to being around the strong that he's unsettled by your weakness at times.

He's worried one day other pirates or the marines will hurt you to hurt him.

But... that won't happen.

No, Zoro vows to prevent that.

He's cut many down before.

Any threat that comes to hurt you will also fall by his hands.

Zoro's used to blood being on his skin when fighting.

It just feel more... relieving if he knows he did it for you?

Cutting a foe down... being covered in their blood... he does it for you.

The faster they die, the longer you stay safe.

You scold him about the blood, but you don't know the real reason behind it.

He doesn't show much emotion on his face... leaving you clueless to what he's thinking.

He tries to remind himself to be wary of his emotions.

His thoughts on you are affecting him.

Yet he continues on, still sent into a rage at the thought of you being hurt.

While he usually stays quiet on the boat and out of the way, he ends up stepping in occasionally.

He shuts down Sanji's flirting with a glare and rough shove.

He hovers around you when Luffy or Usopp try to drag you into shenanigans....

Zoro just assigns himself as your bodyguard and friend, no one has much of a say in that.

It's a role he took himself due to your mutual care.

Others can not convince him otherwise.

The most unnerving thing about him is the distant stares he gives.

He will silently watch you, yet his gaze quickly becomes seething if he feels you're threatened in some way.

Which, to him, that could mean anything.

It's intimidating for those speaking with you.

You could be in deep conversation, only for said conversation partner to look away...

Only to be met with a glaring swordsman in the distance.

One wrong move and he could gut them.

Despite Zoro being one of the more dangerous yanderes... he's controlled if not pushed.

Would he be affectionate with you? In private, yes.

You are a dear friend to him....

He feels comfortable when you're close to him.

He gives quick casual hugs, yet loves feeling you be there against him.

It reassures him you're safe, he's protecting you, he's doing his job well.

Zoro would take on the strongest foes if it meant he could be a barrier to prevent you from harm.

Some other downsides could be him being too stern or condescending.

Sometimes he gets so caught up in protecting you he makes you feel like a child because you can't fight.

Zoro would open old scars if it meant the blood he spilled would keep you out of harm's way.

Of course... there will always be hardship and danger as a pirate.

Which means... Zoro won't be leaving your side anytime soon... if ever.

He's not clingy like most of the crew, but he lurks.

Zoro would sacrifice anything to protect you.

After all, who will fight for you if you can't?

[vrisrezis]

Atsv characters as yanderes :p

Yaaaa here we go . Had to make these hcs eventually

Warnings?: usual yanderish stuff but there’s implied grooming and abuse of power on Jessica’s part (also grooming with Miguel low key)

Gwen is rather protective, thinking you cannot possibly care for yourself. She is constantly at your side as a means to keep you safe. Taking on the role as your personal body guard, rather than as your girlfriend. Of course, she tries to find time to be your girlfriend as well but most of the time it just feels as though she’s more caught up in keeping you safe rather than tending to the other needs you have. As a result, your relationship will fail and you will have to eventually break things off with her. Surprisingly this is something she accepts, but no matter how much you want her out of your life she doesn’t leave. Appointing herself as your protector. As your girlfriend, she found it quite easy to protect you as she was always around you. She was so protective to the point she didn’t trust any of your friends and tried to isolate you from them, even your family and even her own friends and family too. Even small things like cutting bread she doesn’t trust you with, afraid you may cut yourself. She may lie to you about your family and friends, to keep you away from them. In her mind she will do anything to protect you even if that means deceiving you. When you separate, things don’t change. It’s like she never left and no matter what you do, she doesn’t leave. Even if you think she’s left you alone, her alter ego is stalking you, keeping you from harm.

Miles is rather guilt trippy. Or at least that’s how it starts. He would kinda make you feel bad for not possibly retiring his feelings, resulting in you giving him a chance. You give him an inch and he goes a mile. He takes this opportunity, and officially declared you his partner after you give him one date. This relationship being sprung upon you even if it’s something you do not desire. Even if you voice this concern, or how you aren’t ready for a relationship or how you barely know him or … how you’re not sure you like him. Whatever excuse you try to muster does not matter to him, because now you’re as good as his. It’s not like he’s even aware of how manipulative this is, because in his mind he wasn’t even guilt tripping you, simply being honest. In his mind he’s not taking things entirely too fast or breaking boundaries, you’re being embarrassed and playing hard to get. He is in a state of delusion, and nothing you say can ever change his mind. You love him, as much as he loves you. And he knows it too. Miles acts like you’re a happy and super in love couple constantly, and because of how in love and happy miles seems, there’s no reason for anyone to suspect a thing. Especially when miles guilt tripped you again right before your meeting with some of the most important people in Miles’s life. It’s how he’s managed to make things seem normal between you two for so long.

Pavitr is delusional, truly. I believe his delusion would only begin upon you two dating though. While confident in himself, in the past was unsure if you liked him. However now that you’re a couple he feels incredibly secure in your relationship, maybe a little too secure. Because even if you break things off with him, tell him you don’t love him like that, or anymore, he assumes you’re playing hard to get or having a bad day. He doesn’t think you’re being serious, or mean what you say. However, Pavitr is an outstanding boyfriend. A little clingy, sure. Maybe more than a little, maybe it’s even overwhelming but he’s so sweet. So many gifts, even when you tell him it’s okay, he doesn’t have to, he insists. A concerning amount but… nothing to break up with him over!! He’s being kind, this is just what boyfriends do. Even if he’s constantly hovering over you and clinging to your side and never leaving you be, except for when you have to use the bathroom, even still. He’s just a loving boyfriend. It’s unlikely you’ll want to break up with him because despite how overwhelming it is he’s so sweet and seems to genuinely just love you, but if you did it just never happens. He never takes you seriously. Suppose that’s the most difficult about your relationship. He never takes any seriously in your relationship. Your concerns are his, he says. But you don’t think he means it, when he shows absolutely no worry or concern for you. He’s Spider-Man, he can always save you. Perhaps he puts too much faith in himself, perhaps he does this because he’s convinced there’s no love quite like the love you two share. Perhaps he’s simply delusional to think there’s no way you’d get hurt upon being with him.

Hobie is rather blunt about things, it’s who he is in nature. It’s how most spider people are, anyway. He’s not a liar, at least in his eyes. And truly before he met you, he wasn’t. And in a strange way, he still isn’t. He speaks truth, he’s just overly dramatic about it. Your situation might be bad, but he might just make it out to be much worse than it actually is. Perhaps your in danger, perhaps there’s certain people you cannot trust. Hobie makes it seem as though you can’t trust anyone, aside from him of course. And man extra points for him if you already have trust issues, this makes his job even easier. He knows he’s kinda tricking you, deceiving you in a roundabout way. But he also kinda believes it. He believes wholeheartedly there’s nobody to trust, that he’s the only one that can keep you safe. That he’s the only one that truly cares for you and truly loves you and would truly do anything for you. He just needs you to believe it too, he just has to tie a few webs together in order for that to happen. There’s a possessiveness that comes with being with him normally, but as a yandere this is increased tenfold. Combine that with the extreme distrust he has with everyone, and it’s over. It’s in his nature to look out for others, like Gwen, like miles, like pav, but that doesn’t mean they’re gonna look out for you too. He keeps that in mind, always.

Peter B is a little out of his realm here. He hasn’t experienced proper romance since MJ but there’s truly something about you, something that reminds him of his childhood, something that reminds him of home. He clings onto this feeling like a lifeline. But it’s because he’s so obsessed with keeping the feeling you give him, he keeps you around him constantly. Even in spider society, which others may not like as you are not… a spider. (That is, if you aren’t idk who you are brother). He’s obsessed with keeping you around at all times, and his daughter too. This obsession with keeping you around at all times can cause a rift in your relationship. You’d lose your mind being around the same person 24/7, without friends, family? But Peter never indulged in your one sided arguments, he lets you let out your anger and even leaves you alone (which is so hard for him, but even he knows you need a moment to yourself) until you’ve cooled down and you’re ready for him to smother you again with his cuddles and sweet lovin. Because he’s most definitely going to isolate you from your family and friends. Try to make you feel like nobody else makes you as happy as him, so just forget about them for right now. You’ll see them later. But then you never do, you never see them. Why would you? When Peter is right here. All you’ve ever done was get mad at Peter, and for what? Saving the world? Protecting everyone? Protecting you? For loving you? For giving you a daughter? Sure, there’s some questions you have. Like where he even got this kid from, she looks like mj in fact. You know he’d never cheat, but you don’t know if he wouldn’t steal a baby from another dimension.

Jessica is a planner, she sees you and immediately is smitten. She knows, you two are meant for one another. For once, she does not care about the consequences of having you. But she will plan in advance, and make sure there are none. Her attraction towards you is obvious, not that she bothers to hide it. Fleeting touches and constant flirting, but she claims she’s simply being honest with you. Even if you’re uninterested or even uncomfortable she seems insistent. And because of her position, she’s able to get away with it. Who are you to not be interested? She’s far above you, far out of your league. Take a chance, don’t be afraid to love her! She can not only provide love for you but she can provide so much more. Money, food, safety. She provides all the things needed ten fold and she’s not even overly clingy or anything! She asks for nothing in return, you should be more grateful. It should be a blessing, to be with her. She absolutely does not get overly jealous and possessive and no she does not twist your words. She won’t listen to you, she constantly starts arguments due to her jealousy. It’s your fault for making her think you’re cheating on her, you spend so much time away from her. Did you even want this relationship? Why, of course you did! Why wouldn’t you, hun?

Miguel suffered so much, lost so much. You have to understand why he’s so protective. It is genuinely a miracle to him you are still around, that he is able to find happiness with you and it not be taken away from him in an instant. He can’t remember the last time he felt so happy, even with his family. He’s never white felt this, this love, this passion, this absolute devotion and trust. He’s not willing to let it out of his sights. He’s too caught up in how happy you make him for him to even consider how you may feel. How you might feel useless because he’s so hell bent on doing every little task for you and protecting you with every ounce of him. How you feel about him planning this all along, since the day he saw you. That he was going to make you his and only his, no matter what. You are his prized possession, you’re truly special and have finally brought him light in this darkness. He thinks he can excuse his behavior towards you, because he loves you whole heartedly and he truly has your best interest at heart. But the thing is, he kinda doesn’t. Does he truly have your best interest at heart if he won’t even try to listen to you? He won’t let you see your friends or family back home? He reasons that your safe here, in this spider society. You’ll always be safe here. He doesn’t hear you out any further, and you can never get through to him. He doesn’t let you fight anymore, he simply expects you to sit around and wait for him to come back to you.

[igotanidea]

I am Robin : Damian Wayne x reader (pt 2)

part 1

***

Four months earlier.

She was mindlessly scrolling through her phone, head on Damian’s lap, his fingers threading through her hair. It was one of the very rare gestures of affection coming from him. Rare therefore highly appreciated, especially given the fact that it was mostly happening when they were alone.

It was not her intention to break the moment of peace, but sometimes shit just happens without much input of a human, let alone one’s opinion.

Her sudden gasp, followed by rising from the lying position, eyes widening and mouth falling open in undeniable sign of fear made Damian go into protective mode in an instant.

“Y/N? What happened?” he grabbed her hand and then her cheek, forcing her eyes on him “talk to me. What did you see on that phone?”

“Ba-Ba-“

“Now that’s not very helpful, beloved.”

“Batman…” she finally stuttered

“Fath-“ Damian started but bit his tongue in the middle, having almost spilled the secret of Batman’s true identity “I mean – Batman? What about him?”

“It says here that he captured another criminal…”

“And that’s so bad?”

“No- no, I mean-“

“Love.” Damian sighed and shook his head “I really cannot help you unless you tell me what made you turn into a jelly.”

“I’m scared of him.” She whispered.

“The Bat?” Now, that could turn into a problem, given the fact that she was unknowingly dating the son of Gotham’s self-appointed protector.

“No… Robin…”

“Robin?!” he repeated, with a little more force and surprise than intended and definitely too expressively to make her believe that it wasn’t personal on some level. “What? Why?” his tone immediately softened, turning casual and almost aloof to cover up the initial shock of the news.

“Cause he’s scary.”

“Scary?” Damian echoed, already starting to regret asking in the first place. It was one thing to strike fear into villains, and completely other to make his girlfriend terrified like this. “But- but he protects Gotham with Batman, doesn’t he? Serving justice.”

“Yes, yes I mean – it’s good, but-“

“I’m sure you have nothing to worry about on his part. After all, there’s nothing weighing on your conscience is there?” his piercing eyes landed on her face, arguably a little too focused for comfort. “Apologies.” The intense stare got more calm, as he pulled her into his side, running fingers up and down her back soothingly – be it for her or for him. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from Robin. He has nothing on me.”

If only she knew.

“Dami…”

“Yes, love?”

“You don’t know everything…”

“What do you mean?”  he frowned, trying to read her facial expression.

“I did something bad…”

Now, that could be a problem too, putting his morals into test. If she did something that required punishment, Damian would have to choose between being her boyfriend and the hero he claimed to be. Either becoming a hypocrite or losing her for good.

Not that she actually did anything wrong in the first place.

But for now, he just waited for her to continue, watching the situation unfold.

“About two years ago –“ she started, diving back into the times when they didn’t know each other. “It was very early in the morning, some would say still night… I was at the bakery, cause you know I love freshly baked bread-“ Damian had to bite his lip to not lash on her for giving him so many redundant details instead of just making the point – “when suddenly a group of masked people burst inside.”

“Into the bakery?” he scoffed, mentally calling the robbers fools. “How much did they believe to gain from the bakery attack?”

“Not the point! It was not about the cash in the first place!”

“What is the point then, cause—” the sentence got caught in the middle as Damian remembered the day. He had been patrolling nearby, when gunshots caught his attention. Obviously, not waiting for Batman, he had rushed there, seeing three guys, a terrified girl and the owner of the shop, caught in a very unpleasant situation, involving firearms and an open cash register. The memories of her frightened face swirled in his mind, though he had to play along, pretending like he wasn’t there and had no idea what she was talking about.

“Robin showed up.” She specified, shivering a little.

“But that’s good, right?”

“He was …  ruthless. Dealing with those robbers in a few moves, knocking them to the ground. Making them bleed. A little, though my memory might be distorted by time.” She shook her head as if trying to get rid of the picture from the past. “But it was scary. During the fight I almost got shot myself—”

He remembered that too.

Lunging at her and pressing her to the ground, saving her from the ricochet bullet.

In his own belief, he saved her then, but clearly, In her scared state she saw this differently, getting trauma instead.

“You never told me about that—”

“It’s not something I’m bragging about.”

“Understandable. But why are you scared of Robin? He saved you, didn’t he?”

“But ever since then, he only brings the bad memories. The violence, the fear, the shots. He was almost cruel, fighting with them. Like he lost humanity just swinging his katana in the air. Like an assassin, who would have no problem just cutting people in pieces if they stood in his way.”

His heart broke at that moment.

She saw him – well – his alter ego – as vicious and aggressive.

So it was obvious now – he could never tell her the truth. Not if he wanted her to stay with him and not run away scared and screaming.

Therefore, instead of answering or pushing her to explain further, he just pulled closer without a word, capturing her in his embrace, offering safety and comfort.

If only she knew—

She could never know-

Now.

“I can explain—”

“Get away from me!”

“Please stop yelling.”

“You’re Robin!”

“I am Robin.” He sighed trying his best to keep his cool and not just scream at her for being irrational. 

She had every right to freak out about so many things. He hadn’t.

In the final analysis, it was him who gave her traumatic memories, kept a secret from her, left her in the dark and used his own twisted logic to justify all that.

So it was on him, and now the task on the horizon – convincing her that he was still the same person she knew and loved – was bordering impossible.

Especially given the fact she moved to the most distant corner of the apartment, as far away from him as possible.

And he thought that the worst thing that could ever happen to him was physical pain.

“Y/N, just hear me out.” He took one step forward and she shuddered.

“You’re Robin.” Her sobbing tore through the otherwise quiet space.

“Yes.”

“Was it your plan all along? Trap me like a wild game only to punish later on? Maybe this relationship was fake from the beginning.” She started spiralling out of control and he knew he had to stop it now, before she got into a panic fit or heart attack.

“It was never fake!” he cried out, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to his chest, wrapping arms around her. Mindful to not make her feel trapped or overwhelmed. “It was never fake, beloved…”

“Let go of me!” she struggled against his grip and as much as he wanted to force her to stay in his arms, he couldn’t. Not if making her believe he was not aggressive and forceful was at stake.

“Just kill me already—”

“Kill you?” this time it was him who took a step back, her words like a bolt of electricity sending him into a cardiac attack. “is that what—Y/n! Is that what you think I do?! Kill people?!”

“I don’t know what I believe!” he yelled through the tears “How could you keep this from me!?”

“I’m sorry-“

“I don’t care!”

“Just listen to me!”

“You’re a liar!!”

“Well, technically-“ he became a little defensive, because her logic was holey. Not telling the truth was not the same as lying. Regardless, she never gave him a chance to finish that sentence, throwing a pillow at him. “Really?” his eyes rolled involuntarily in a well -practised almost innate gesture, that was definitely inappropriate in the moment.

“Well I’m sorry, I don’t own a katana like you! Would you rather I start throwing kitchen knives at you!?”

“Not really. Your aim is terrible.” He smirked and she couldn’t help but let out a muffled chuckle at his face.

“Asshole.”

“Now that’s a little offensive.” Seeing her calming down a little he dared to take one step forward, careful as if approaching a wild, untamed animal. “Is there really the need to call me such insulting words?”

“Blockhead.”

“Mhm.” Another step forward. “I’ll take it.”

“Dolt…” she added.

“Anything else on your mind?” he smirked, finally being close enough to grab and squeeze her hands, showing with the gesture that this time he was not going to let go, but also that he was not going to hurt her. Not now, not ever.

“A lot, actually.”

“Well, while you gather those thoughts, how about you let me speak?”

She nodded, and he looked deep into her eyes. Explaining himself or justifying his actions was something new to Damian, who learned that he can pretty much do whatever and whenever without the need to care for anyone.

But there he was, caring for her – loving her – and becoming unable to see her hurt and confused.

“I thought-“ 

“You thought you were protecting me? Please, come up with something original and not the slogan.”

“I was protecting you! And for the record – I forgot what we talked about those months ago! If I remembered that ironically all this time you were scared of me--”

“You forgot my trauma?” she mocked “not good, boyfriend.”

“Shit, Y/N!”

“Damian Wayne, are you swearing?”

“All the dirty things we did and you’re grabbing at my words?”

“Damian!” she blushed, as the situation became a little heated.

“See? This is what you should be linking with me.”

“Seriously, you want me to only think about---?”

“Not only that!” he cried out, becoming awfully aware how smart she was with twisting the words. “I thought you were terrified of me and now you’re just mocking?”

“I was terrified, but seeing you all flustered, unsure how to proceed is becoming funny.” She laughed softly.

“Well I’m glad I could be of entertainment.” He muttered under the nose. “What was so terrible that you think you did after all?”

“You swear you are not here to punish me?”

“I am here because I am in love with you.” There, he admitted it.

“You—“

“I love you.” He said again, not breaking eye contact. “And I hate to see you in so much pain and guilt. Help me help you. Tell me what this is about.”

“That morning at the bakery – I had no idea, I swear—”

“Y/N, take a deep breath. In and out. In and out.” He grabbed her hands, squeezing reassuringly, making her sit against the wall.  “Talk to me.”

“One of the breads …” she stuttered “there was drug powder in it…. That was why those guys attacked the bakery. Cause those were the dealers and the owner got into their black books! But I didn’t know, I only learned about it after the accident…”

“You did nothing wrong.” He cut her off, his tone stern. “You hear me, Y/N? You did nothing wrong.”

“My friend got addicted to it. And It’s my fault, cause I was the one who recommended the place to him!” she whimpered and leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Hey, no.” he pulled her closer into a comforting hug.

“Mhm. Yes.” She sobbed, raising head and looking into his eyes with teary gaze. “It got so serious they admitted him to the rehab facility.”

“It was not your fault.”

“You don’t know that…”

“I do.” Damian sighed, brushing hair from her forehead “that friend you’re talking about? He was quite a piece of shit, if you want my opinion. He wasn’t a victim in the situation, Y/N. He was the mastermind behind all that drug business.”

“And how do you--?”

“Cause I was the one putting him into that facility and seeing his conviction later on.”

“What…?”

“He didn’t just get addicted at his own will, love. He was guilty of much worse things than you accused Robin of. I mean – me.”

“Dami…”

“Hush.. It’s okay. I’m not mad.”

„I’m sorry—”

“No. You have nothing to apologise for. You are right. I never should have kept it from you. But you see, sometimes, the worst monsters are the ones around us, not really wearing masks.”

“When did you get so smart, huh?” her lips twitched a little as she fought the forming smile.

“When I realised that I don’t want to lose you. I am so sorry you had to live in fear and guilt all that time. If I could erase it—” Damian caressed her cheek ever so gently, conveying all the emotions bubbling inside his heart.

“Well at least you gave me closure.” She leaned into his touch.

“Now that you see the man under the Robin mask, tell me -am I really so scary to you?”

“You’ll take offence if I say you’re not, won’t you?”

“Sure.”

“You’re not as scary under the mask.” She laughed softly, and even if those were not the words he would normally accept, she was the exception to his every rule.  

“Hey! Watch yourself!” His tone was less of a warning and more of an expression of relief.

“What?” she grinned playfully. Despite the initial concerns and fear, seeing the side of Damian that not many people get – the goofy and normal one – was helping her realise that Robin was not all he was.

And putting on a vigilante suit was not making him cruel or brutal, bloodthirsty and ready for a killing spree.

Under all that, he was a guy. Her guy. The one who vowed to protect not only her, but the entire city.

Maybe all it took was a reminder of what was hidden behind that attitude and pride.

And she smiled at him.

“Oh no. I know that smile. It means you are forgiving me for being Robin.” He muttered, knowing what was coming.

“Yeah. That I do.” She kissed his cheek. “But-“

“But you’re not forgiving me for keeping the secret.” He sighed, wrapping arms around her. “Which can only mean, I’ll be having a hard time for god knows how long.”

“I love how you get me so well.” She laughed, knowing that whatever punishment she was going to impose on him in the nearest future, he would take it without a word. “But--. Wait, does it mean that your siblings are--?”

“Of course. Took you long enough to figure it out.”

“But—”

“One step at the time, beloved. One step at the time…” 

@obsessedwithromance @sandlexx @123-just-ignore-me @fatimashariq @jinviktor @cupids-diner @booksrcool @angelkat1013

[theyanderespecialist]

Abel's Baby Mama (Headcanons) Yandere Baby Daddy SCP-076/Abel X Pregnant Reader

[Hello, My Sexy Muffins! I am running late on writing this, so sorry if I am a bit rushed. Anyways let's do this! hope you enjoy this!]

(Disclaimer: Abel is most likely AROACE in canon and does not need or have the urge for or have a desire for Romantic or Sexual Relationships. But in this let's pretend the fighting machine can feel it kk? Anyway, he is not yandere in canon! This is just for fun and not to be taken seriously at all! Simping for fictional characters and yanderes is fine! Just do not be illegal or gross about it! Yanderes are not ideal partners to have in real life. Remember to separate fiction from reality and headcanon from canon! thank you!]

-Headcanons With Abel Aka SCP 076-2 X Pregnant Reader From the SCP Foundation Online Community-

.Abel had never wanted anyone in his life. That was until he met you. 

.he wanted you and wanted you to be pregnant with his children. 

.so he had been quick to impregnate you. 

.You are the woman of his desires and he would easily want to have offspring with you. 

.Which he will train them to be strong warriors.  

He would be the type of yandere to be very protective over you while you are pregnant. 

.He was raised being one of the first children of Adam and Eve. So he has some old-fashioned ways. 

.Such as being the provider and the protector and that as the woman in his life, you needed to have the children and be his support. 

.So he would want some of those traditional values. 

.His WAY protective side is extreme! In which he does not like to have anyone near you. 

.He also does not like you away from him so he would want to have you by his side at all times. 

.He would end up doing his best to work with the foundation so he can get his containment cell upgraded and that he can have a nice little home for you, him, and both of your children. 

.If anyone tries to get too close to you he gets very possessive and pulls you close to him glaring at the person. 

.If the foundation tried to take you away from him he would go on a murdering spree until he can get to you and keep you safe and sound. 

.He also only wants you and becomes very jealous and very serious. 

.Who does not want to share you with anyone and he demands to be with you in all doctor appointments. 

.If those doctors did anything wrong they would at least have a broken hand or worse case be dead. 

.He would also do a shit ton of research on a healthy pregnancy as he knows that times have changed and he wants the best for his children. 

.He does not mind if the babies are girls or boys, he will treat them the same and raise them to be warriors. 

.Of course, he is going to be protective of them as well and not expect them to go into battle until they are adults. 

.He is realistic with this. 

.When you have morning sickness he is not grossed out about it, instead, he is helping you feel good and holding your hair back. 

.He also would take care of you in any way shape or form. 

.May it be cooking healthy meals for you, and massaging any aches you have. 

.He unlocks a very caregiving side as he is obsessed and in love with you, and you have the amazing job of carrying future warriors. 

.So he needs to be the man and to support you when you have the job to carry his kids. 

.He paces a lot when you do have to leave without him. 

.He cannot stand being away from you and would sometimes break out of containment to find you. 

.He is still very murderous but being with you does mellow him out a bit. 

.Which the foundation takes advantage of. If they can control Abel with his girlfriend aka baby mama aka you and his future kids then they will throw you to him and he will be able to keep you. 

.Your fate is sealed once Abel knows you are pregnant, so maybe do not tell him that you are. 

[YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS another chapter done! I hope that you all enjoyed this! 

I will maybe do a scenario on my youtube ASMR reading of this! So check it out and stay sexy, all of my sexy muffins!] 

[moodymisty]

Oh boy I have been waiting to be able to put in a request! Wanna start of by saying, love your writing and especially your Cato fic ^^ A joy to read.

Im curious about if you would write in more details how Cato is sweet for his lady? Or maybe is 'sweet' not the correct word, but I will love to read you thoughts about the relationship that is not all about sweaty action. Are the couple able to be subtle or sneaky enough to flirt out in the open? How are they acting behind closhed doors, is it then you will seen the Cato acting more bombastic on his feelings toward the diplomat?

I hope you will like this request ^^ keep it up with the great writing.

Author’s note: Sure, lets have some of that sweet Cato action <3

Relationships: Cato Sicarius/Fem!Reader

Warnings: None really

Cato, once he gets over his constipated emotional crush stage, is a white knight. Maybe less so in the way Titus is, but he is still a bit dramatic. It's all in private though, or only around a few people he knows his reputation is safe with.

Offering his hand to help you down, shielding you from rain or sun with his cape are some examples.

But he does a decent job of making it just seem like he's being polite, abit perhaps having a bit of favoritism. So he isn't going to blow the secret by acting a fool.

In private, he's a bit more overtly romantic as you'd epxect. But he's also super confused and out of his depth; Being an astartes. The most he's heard about romance is from jokes from other astartes (not the best information source to begin with) of from the other serfs, whom he's found himself listening in on quite a bit more as of late.

That one male serf said that baseline women like...What? That doesn't sound right but maybe she will...

Though as sneaky as he is, he isn't totally perfect. Even his men, as emotionally stunted as they are have noticed the soft stares he'll give you while you talk, or while you're working on your dateslate and he simply watches. Similarly now you always sit right beside him, when before you would do anything to be away from him.

Loves to kiss your forehead. There's something about it that feels while romantic, also a bit protective. He is a captain yes, at times of your retinue, but he also is your protector at all times now.

He cannot flirt. It's not possible. You've tried to subtlety teach him but he is just not able to. The best you are able to get out of him is a 'your attire looks good today.', or that you look shorter than usual. You've just chocked it up to 'astartes speak' flirting and take what you can get. It's cute in it's own way, apart from the time Ventris told you that your small fingers would be good for poking eyes out, and Cato promptly smacked him? You assumed it must've been another weird astartes flirt.

You once joked with him while alone together that since he has two hearts, he must be able to love someone double the amount you could. It was a stupid joke and you promptly rolled your eyes at yourself and moved on, but Cato really liked it and always remembers it.

bonus: You begged him for like a solid 3 weeks straight to let you try a taste of his astartes gruel, before he finally caved and let you have a taste. You promptly threw up, making Sicarius laugh so hard the other marines though something was wrong with him, as they'd never heard the man let out more than an amused chuckle. To this day he still hasn't let you get over it.

"That tastes vile Cato! Why can't you just eat my food!" "Because you don't have 400 kilos of muscle and fat to maintain, my love."

[yeetmeoffjueyunkarst]

In another universe.

Mistakes were made, forces drove you two apart. But every night, where their greatest desires come alive, they would wish desperately you were still with them.

ft angst w various characters

part 2 here

In that universe, they weren't afraid to love loudly.

They were hurt by those who they loved, being behind nothing but the ashes of their past selves.

Once hot and passionate with love, their flame was now burned to a crisp, no trace of affection left.

But you came with that spark, the one chance for their heart to reignite with love and affection.

They cursed themselves fools for not realising the warmth and brightness. you brought into their lives.

And by the time they realised it. You were already gone, your flame burning in the distance, where they could never feel your warmth again.

Xiao, Diluc, Sara, Rosaria,

In that universe, they would have done anything to protect you.

You don't understand what you meant to them. You never did. Your laugh, your smile, your eyes. Everything about you, they worshipped, even more than their own beliefs, their own values, their own Archons and Gods.

You weren't just a friend to them. You were a lover, a safe space, a protector, a healer, a fighter, and more to them.

You were everything.

How were they supposed to move on when everything was robbed, snatched away from them like a thief who stole? Robbers who plundered everything good from you, and left you an empty shell?

How could they forget everything that they went through with you? You were always with them, they couldn't bear the grief.

If the power of Hydro was to take any shape, then please, take the shape of you, so that they could pretend.

Or perhaps, take them. Take them with you. They can't feel anything if you weren't there.

Lyney, Lynette, Freminet, Yae Miko, Kokomi.

In that universe, they were free to love you.

No judgement from society, parents, peers. None of that. In that world, everyone would be supportive of your ties with them. Everyone would have loved the both of you together.

There's no restrictions from loving you. No responsibilities, no barriers, no obstacles to your love.

You two couldn't be separated. Never.

So why? Why is someone else beside them in the bed where you should be? Why is someone else taking up all the space that was rightfully yours?

Why weren't you beside them?

Where were you?

When did you go?

Who drove you away?

What happened?

Those questions would haunt them for the rest of their nights.

Jean, Lisa, Venti, Kaeya

In that universe, your beliefs would have aligned.

Don't get them wrong. They do love you dearly. So much, oh so much.

But one of the few things you can't change of them is their own personality. It's what makes them who they are.

There are simply some things they cannot give up, even with you on the line.

And they have let you go for it.

Somewhere along the line, when they see you happy with someone, someone who's not them. They regret.

They spend nights trying to remember the taste of your lips. The warmth of your embrace. The peasant feeling in their chest when you whisper 'I love you'.

Such is the price to pay for keeping their own beliefs.

Even though they wish you were the right one.

This is the price of going against the flow.

Ei, Keqing, Itto, Heizou,

In that universe, their dreams and desire for knowledge you accepted.

when they were young, they had simple hopes and desires

You laughed and thought of it foolish.

They despaired as you mocked their ambitions and dreams.

Now, you regret.

Regret putting down the innocent dreams and hopes of the ones you loved.

Now, it is your turn to dream. Dream, an endless dream where you could redo everything, correct your mistakes, set your path to the right path that still had them in your lives.

You will not be rewarded. They have made their dreams into reality.

Yours remains a dream, never fulfilled.

Tighnari, Amber, Xiangling, Nilou

In that universe, that answer was always you.

No second guessing, no other obligations, no need to choose between two. You were the only option, the only one that mattered.

Do I stay with you in temporary bliss, or should I choose to never be near you, lest I hurt you?

Do I kill you, or do I let you live?

Do I wish you all the best, or do I wish it never works out?

Do I approach you, or do I not?

Their minds consumed with the thought of making the right choice, they never thought of what made them happy.

You.

Life was too short to second guess too long.

Ganyu, Sucrose, Shenhe,

In that universe, they had no responsibilities.

No chains to tie them down. No contracts to hold them down. Nothing weighing down on them.

The both of you could love each other, without worrying about responsibilities, And even if there were any, so what? They won't clash, they won't affect your relationship with each other.

The both of you won't be on opposite sides, duty-bound to the faction that you were in.

The both of you didn't had to sneak about to keep the love alive, to keep the affections hidden.

One party didn't had to choose their duty over you, because you were their greatest duty.

In that universe, there was no responsibilities, other than loving each other.

Zhongli, Childe, Ningguang, Neuvillette,

In that sweet universe, the both of you existed at the same time. The stars aligned. The both of you drawn to each other like 2 magnets, perfectly fitted each other like a lock and a key, and always sticked together like bacons and eggs.

In another universe.

thought of it randomly. I did my best to fit the characters into each category.

Cheers, J

[onelonelyghost0]

Ok, something I thought of while waiting for my college stuff and doodling, how would Dipper and Mabel react to eyes/paranoia/geometry? Like I’ve read so many good Mystery Twin aus that do so much justice to them but like… there’s varying reactions to that.

Hear me out; I recognize that most people do very much turn into hermits or try their best to avoid cameras and eyes and stuff but, being someone who constantly thinks something is watching them, what if they went the complete opposite? For me, if I know what’s watching me is mine/watching out for my good, it’s better. I routinely draw eyes on myself to act as “watchers” and tbh it helps with the anxiety for some reason. What would the twins do for this?

I completely see them hating the Eye of Providence, crossing out triangles on their homework, finding every possible way to protect themselves, but again, what if they employed their own “watchers”?

We have no idea if this could work in universe (at least I don’t) and again, it could just be for comfort. I love it when I know people are watching me, but if there’s none of that, I’m convinced something is watching me to bring about destruction. Yes it’s awful and I’m working on it but the eyes help. I’ve sewn eyes onto clothes, drawn them on my notebooks, hell I usually have them somewhere on my actual skin because I feel that they watch out for me.

Give me Dipper who tattoos his own runes and eyes on himself, taking them back and warding himself for his paranormal research. Who slowly becomes more and more eldrich the more time he spends with the creatures, who is constantly aware of everything because the eyes he has can see for him, at least slightly. Give me Dipper who knows everything about everyone, who has panic attacks because of what he Knows, who has to be careful of what he says to people, who begins to question if he is now like Bill, if he will use this the wrong way, who begins to seclude himself, because he would never cheat the world with this, but he would help it.

Give me Mabel who does the same, but more quietly. She always puts an eye on her sweaters and jewelry, for herself and for others. Who doesn’t delve into the world that Dipper loves, but still sees it. She doesn’t need anything to see the Fae now, nor the creatures who take measures to never be seen by humans. Give me Mabel who becomes like a protector, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear for the kids who don’t know what to do. She can see their emotions, and can push them towards the right decision, but always remembers that if she goes too far with her new skills she could still create the next weirdmaggedon. The knowledge crushes her as she draws another eye, this time across her collarbone, she cannot afford to hurt others again. She squares her shoulders and goes out to help again, to stabilize her brother, and to Watch. She knows Bill, knows his tricks, knows how he used everyone around her, and she will never let it happen again.

Give me Mystery Twins who become not so human anymore. Not on purpose, no, they never wanted this. But they will not put the responsibility they picked up on anyone else’s shoulders. Give me the twins who cannot back down, who negotiate with the creatures of this world to not wage war against the humans, who work behind the scenes to better the lives of human and nonhuman alike. Give me the forbidden knowledge they lay claim to. They stop aging after a while. No one notices. They are too focused on keeping the bad away. Too focused on keeping Bill out, trapped, and keeping themselves safe.

Give me Mystery Twins that become cryptids. They protect their homes, and they do so with tooth and nail. They will fight dirty, and they will play every hand they have, but they will not cross certain lines. Mabel can manipulate someone into doing whatever she wants, but she will never push them too far. Dipper could lay out your darkest fears, push them into your brain, forcing you to live them over and over, but he will never stoop as low as Bill.

Anyway, this went way further than I thought it would and if people like it I’ll write a fic ig, the ideas are all swirling around in my brain, but I just had this idea and had to share. Being someone who deals with wondering what is good and bad and how people feel and what is convincing vs manipulating, I saw myself a lot in the twins, and also in Bill, and I’ve worked to make it better. But I love the idea of the eyes I draw looking out for me, and I wonder if the twins would like it too.

And how everyone else would react when the eyes end up actually watching them.

Maybe I could call it the Watcher AU?

[m1d-45]

⚠️THIS IS AN OUTDATED MASTERLIST !⚠️

please direct yourself here, to the new system!

as of may 31st, 2024, this list is officially outdated. i have hit the link limit, which means i can’t fit everything i’ve made on one post anymore! please note that this post will remain up for archival purposes, but will no longer be updated.

here’s my original take on the logistics of sagau, as well as an update after some more information, and here’s my thoughts on how nations worship.

1k event m. list!

warnings [⏵] : yandere / heavy cultish || obsessive

genre [title] : angst || fluff || hurt/comfort

traveller from afar — aether

‘I'm saying that I'm having a lot of fun traveling with you… It'd be nice if we could just go on like this forever.’

⏵ a new tomorrow

—⏵ my love, my god

the dark side of dawn — diluc

‘Diluc, of Mondstadt. Not interested in idle chit-chat. If you have things you want to get done, let me know.’

⏵ fallen through

⏵ a fault in the heart [red!]

⏵ tongue tied

windborne bard — venti

‘Perfect timing, Traveler! I was about to ask you — what is your greatest wish?’

⏵ unnamed poem, unnamed bard

⏵ in sickness and in health

⏵ (what about me?)

⏵ stella fortuna

beyond mortality — baizhu

‘Even though I'm the doctor, I've still had to trouble you with my health. How shameful... But don't worry. From this day on, I will take care of you.’

⏵ second chances

leonine vanguard — ga ming

‘If I can guard shipments, I can guard people. Since you seem to trust me, how 'bout I be your bodyguard from now on?‘

⏵ vanguard’s fortune

childe — tartaglia

‘Today was great. See you tomorrow, comrade!’

⏵ under duress

⏵ brainrot

⏵ duality of man

—⏵ inversion of fate

vigilant yaksha — xiao

‘I deal in death. If you cannot bring yourself to kill — speak my name.’

⏵ repentance

⏵ burden to bear

⏵ bird xiao things! (split links)

—⏵ and again, and fanart, and again, and again, and fanart, and fanart, and again

⏵ he who is without sin

—⏵ once more, and again, and again, and again, and again, and fanart, and again, and fanart, and fanart

⏵pari!reader tag (ft albedo)

vago mundo — zhongli

‘The market is closed and the port has settled. Go get some rest.’

⏵ sagau!zhongli

⏵ a dragon’s gems

⏵ to dream of the divine

⏵ adorned

pillar of fortitude — ayato

‘Good morning. A little sword practice while the day is young is good for the body and mind. I tend to avoid having anything scheduled during these hours... What do you say? Fancy crossing blades with me?’

⏵ words left unsaid

analytical harmony — heizou

‘Ooh, my goodness, life's really put you through the wringer recently, hasn't it? I can tell. Here, why don't you take a seat, tell me the whole story.’

⏵ the scars, the wound

—⏵ (old) first encounters

⏵ upon a hair-thin wire

scarlet leaves pursue wild waves — kazuha

‘Ah, you'd like to learn the art of the sword? Let me see... Alright — here, take this. It's a bamboo blade I just made. With these, we can practice sparring without having to worry about getting injured.’

⏵ remorse

⏵ in a flash

⏵ the wind knows

⏵ judas

protector from afar — thoma

‘I've figured out what I want to do now. My strength is your shield, and I will always be here to protect you.’

⏵ rain or shine

admonishing instruction — alhaitham

’Don't be offended if you try to greet me on the street and I don't respond. It's simply because I'm wearing my soundproof earpieces, that's all.’

⏵ divine permanence

verdant strider — tighnari

‘What, so this sort of thing needs official documentation now? Okay then... Well, hand over your "friendship certificate." I assume it'll need my signature.’

⏵ opportunities arisen

—⏵ prime fortune

eons adrift — wanderer

’Ask me anything if you want. If a question is interesting enough, I may give you an answer.’

⏵ wandering

⏵ rest

ordainer of inexorable judgement — neuvillette

‘Good evening. I hope you have not encountered any unpleasantness today.’

⏵ for all to see

emissary if solitary antiquity — wriothesley

'Want a tip on how to escape from the Gardes? Just give yourself a name that's really long and difficult to pronounce. They'll be stumbling over your name as soon as they try to announce that you are under arrest.'

pankration

pantalone — regrator

‘Her Royal Highness the Tsaritsa is actually a gentle soul. Too gentle, in fact…’

⏵ ink, ink, ink

miscellaneous / multiple

⏵ in excess (ft. zhongli + xiao)

⏵ new hopes (ft. the arataki gang)

⏵ emotions (ft. mondstat)

⏵ the young (ft. your main!)

—⏵ still too young (ft… a lot of ppl)

⏵ plagued (ft. diluc + kaeya)

⏵ reverse isekai drabble (ft. your main!)

⏵ slapfight (ft. a lot of people-)

⏵ mea maxima culpa (ft. zhongli + barbara)

⏵ in the stars (ft mona + your main!)

⏵ replacement (ft. kaeya + venti + albedo + xiao)

⏵ discretion advised (ft. mondstat)

⏵ warmth (ft. every pyro character as of 3.4)

⏵ a soft place to land (ft. zhongli + kaeya + diluc + alhaitham + tighnari)

⏵ constellations (ft. barbara + thoma + heizou + collei + kujou sara + sucrose + candace +ganyu)

⏵ connection (ft. diluc + kaeya + kazuha + albedo + kaveh)

⏵ your shield, a sword (ft. thoma + tighnari + zhongli + alhaitham + cyno + albedo)

⏵ divine favor (ft. yae miko + itto + kazuha + kaeya + chongyun + noelle)

⏵ dead leaves (ft. ..people)

—⏵ new sprouts (ft. chongyun)

⏵ the rule of threes (ft. albedo + his brother)

⏵ darling, my dear (ft. diluc + tighnari + childe + xiao + kazuha)

⏵ sandy refuge (ft. nahida + wanderer)

⏵ dancing soldiers (ft. aether)

series!

⏵ dearly beloved — complete trilogy

—⏵ on broken bones

—⏵ death, rebirth, new life

—⏵ the scottish play

⏵ abiogenesis — complete duology

—⏵ from soil…

—⏵ …was birthed chalk

⏵ secret contributions — complete trilogy

—⏵ small miracles

—⏵ hidden blessings

—⏵ silent conclusions

⏵ spoken across stars — episodic

—⏵ kaeya, diluc, thoma ft. noelle + candace

—⏵ kazuha, wanderer ft. tighnari + baizhu

—⏵ zhongli, ayato, heizou ft. xinqiu + chongyun

that’s all for now! i hope you’ve enjoyed your stay, and wish you the best. if there’s something here you particularly liked, consider letting me know with a reblog or comment; i read every single one and they mean the world. whatever the case: i bid you farewell!

(p.s.: if you spot an error like a link leading somewhere it shouldn’t, a missing post entirely, etc., please leave a reply/ send in an ask to let me know as chances are i will not notice it. thank you!)

— midas

[edoro]

Dunmeshi spoilers, talking about Thistle and Delgal

the more i think about it, the less i feel like the text of Dunmeshi really does support the interpretation that Delgal didn't love Thistle

like, yes, he absolutely did use Thistle, and displayed a clear sense of entitlement towards him - the baseline expectation that if he had a problem, Thistle could and would solve it, and then the idea that once he'd set Thistle to solve a problem he could just... turn that solution off when he felt like it ("we've been here a while now, isn't it time we left the dungeon?" <-words of a man who has not truly grasped what he asked for, what Thistle did to fulfill it, or what any of the repercussions of this are)

there's also an interesting thread of carelessness when it comes to his physical interactions with Thistle during high-emotion moments, like when he grabs onto Thistle by Eodio's sickbed or when he thumps Thistle on the back after Thistle summons monsters to kill their enemies and then brings that kid's dead dad back to life

it feels like he's a large dog who doesn't realize how big he is, or perhaps doesn't realize how small and delicate Thistle is, and perhaps at times is very aware of it and uses his size to intimidate/express his frustration

all of that aside, though, i think it's very clear that prior to Thistle becoming dungeon lord and tbh for a decent chunk of time at the beginning of his tenure as dungeon lord, Delgal had a very emotionally intimate relationship with him

i don't think you can sort them neatly into the categories of older vs younger sibling. they've both been both at different times, depending on how you measure it. Thistle is certainly older chronologically, and there was a chunk of Delgal's life - a very formative chunk, too - where Thistle was older, smarter, and stronger, where Thistle looked out for him and protected him and taught him things.

and then there were a few years where they were at the same developmental level... and then Delgal outgrew Thistle. he got bigger and older physically and he matured mentally past the point where Thistle was. not only that, but he became king, and while Thistle may have been raised alongside him like a brother, that doesn't make Thistle a prince - he was first and foremost a servant (and property) of the crown, even if his position meant he enjoyed a close relationship with the king, queen, and prince.

but that doesn't make Thistle necessarily the little brother - he is now, but it seems to me that there's still a part of him and Delgal that sees him as someone with the power to comfort and protect and teach, rather than someone who needs to be comforted and protected and taught

take the scene where Delgal says he's afraid of dying after his father was killed: that's an extremely tender, intimate, emotional scene. Delgal is crying while Thistle strokes his hair and promises to protect him. Delgal, the king, is being vulnerable in a way he absolutely cannot with most people, and Thistle sees his vulnerability and offers not only comfort but the promise of safety - don't worry, i'll make it better, i'll chase away the monsters under your bed, i won't let anything bad happen to you, i won't let anyone hurt you.

Delgal sees him as someone to seek that comfort from and Thistle sees himself as being in a position to give that comfort. he yearns for Delgal's attention and approval but also sees himself as Delgal's protector.

and then we have scenes like the one where Thistle resurrected that kid's dad, where he sees everyone staring at him in the aftermath of this bloody route and a bit of casual necromancy and realizes they're unsure, even scared of him, and it's Delgal who steps in and changes the mood by thumping Thistle on the back and praising him; Delgal who manages the crowd and keeps Thistle safe, setting the expectation for how everyone should react, lending his social cachet to Thistle in this moment to protect him from backlash

they go back and forth like this with each other, and i think it's one of the most interesting things about their relationship. no one else in Delgal's family has the same kind of relationship with Thistle. no one else knows him as well or loves him like Delgal does. no one else is close with him like that.

ultimately, i don't think you can look at the way he sought comfort from Thistle after his father's death and think that there isn't love and emotional intimacy there. the real tragedy is that Delgal always loved Thistle, but he never understood Thistle, and his inability to do so combined with his general passivity and avoidance played a big part in things getting as fucked up as they did.

[cateyesinlove]

MY Narnia hyper fixation coming back in 2024 the year of our lord and Savior Aslan- Jesus Christ? Yes, very likely.

This is just a small what if mixed with AU prince Caspain movie

Narnia; What if Peter had a Spouse

Gn significant other for Peter

I am an enthusiast of angst so I cannot help to think about how many lovers Lucy and Edmund probably left behind in Narnia( I usually imagine Lucy being pan and poly and Edmund being bi since I mean we all saw the movies 😏 bombastic side eye!) what if Susan had been engaged to a good man who cared for her and it was a good alliance, someone she saw herself loving some day and of course if Peter had been married.

It was a normal day in Cair Paravel when the Siblings never came back from their hunt. Peters's spouse was hosting the weekly tea with their sibling's partners when a frantic fawn ran into the room to inform them that the kings and queens had disappeared

how Peter's spouse was the person everyone else went to when the Pevensies didn't show up after a week, and how they were now in charge of Narnia since they were now King/ Queen Regent.

How they have to deal with the distraught significant others of the Pevensies and have to watch Lucy's girlfriend/s searching high and low, sky and sea's for her but never finding anything until they give up in the one year anniversary of their disappearance.

Edmunds significant other shutting themselves, starting to miss the weekly tea and lunch peters has been holding for years now and then just stop coming over to the palace at all and avoiding everyone until they aren’t heard of again.

And the worst of it all dealing with the fallout of Susan’s engagement.

A man whom everyone learned to care for and came to see as a friend turned cruel and unreasonable, demanding Peter’s spouse marry him in retribution so his kingdom would continue its alliance with Narnia.

Peters's spouse is so overwhelmed not able to decide if they should accept or not, On one hand, they still hold hope their spouse and siblings would come back but on the other, they were the only protector left of Narnia which meant they had to do everything in their power to protect their subject and do what was best for the kingdom. Finally, Oreius is the one to hold a meeting with everyone close to the Royal family to talk to Peter's spouse and make them see Peter nor Susan would expect them to marry, and neither did any of the Narnians who loved their ruler, the one who stayed and has been taking care of them.

They finally reach a decision to reject the marriage proposal and offer instead a trading alliance between the kingdoms. It's accepted but no one ever sees Susan's ex-betroth in Cair Paravel again.

Later that same year Peter's spouse receives a visit from none other than Aslan himself. They are sitting on the beach having what they remember Edmund calling an existential crisis, their guards are away at a respectable distance when they feel someone sitting next to them and when they look there he is, in all his glory- Aslan.

The lion sits and listens to the current ruler of Narnia cry their heart out offering a small nudge hoping to give some comfort. Once they have calmed down Aslan lays down next to them and observes the sunset, and as the sun hits the water on the horizon he finally speaks.

" They are destined to come back," he says and turns to look at them.

Peter's spouse looks up at Aslan, " What?"

" As you heard my child," he replies eyes never leaving the horizon, " The kings and Queens are destined to be back but," he stops turning his head, and looks them in the eyes. " not for years and years to come"

"I'll be gone by then," they say knowing what Aslan hinted at.

" And they will be lost," he says, " confused and scared."

" Is there a way I can..." they speak, not really understanding what they are asking but knowing in their heart, that they are asking for a second chance.

" There is," Aslan said, hesitation in their tone," but it will cost you greatly. "

They waited for more still looking at Aslan.

The lion sighed, " If you wish to wait for them, I can help with that but you would leave Narnia without a ruler. I could freeze your body and send you into a deep sleep only to be awakened when the rightful rulers of Narnia are back."

It dawns on them for a moment before accepting.

They make preparations and a council is placed in line for when the spell is to take place. They say their goodbyes to everyone, their family and friends, and their most loyal guards, a small order is formed that will take care of them in their slumber; The order of the Firebird.

They lay down in a bed full of their favorite flowers and all their friends are their surround them, Aslan walks in and whispers something to them and then gently blows in their face and they are swept into a dreamland.

Years pass and wars happen, by the time of Prince Caspian thousands of years have passed, and many orders of the Firebird have come and gone but always to come back loyal to their ruler and cause.

It's a calm morning in spring when a gasp is heard from the bed where the enchanting Ruler of old Narnia resides. They sit up in the bed and gasp for air as they hold their throat.

It's time, they look around their room confused since this looked nothing like their chambers in Cair Paraval,

 as they tried to stand up their knees give in and they crashed to the floor thats when some guards came running in, guards that looked nothing like their friends who they last saw. 

“ Your Majesty!” they all exclaimed rushing to their side and helping them up. 

“Thank you” They thanked the guards softly as they hold on to them, feeling their body so when suddenly their was a paused in the air, the unspoken fact, they were back- Peter was back. The guards looked expectenly at them waiting for an other or something. They shoved their hands into the pocket in their outfit taking out a golden firefly that immediately glowed and shot into the sky waiting for the party to follow it. 

“Lets find our Kings and Queens” they spoke with a huge smile.

In a hurry the guards prepared horses and cavalry to escort them and find the Kings and Queens, ridding in a centaur who claimed to be a descendant of  Oreius,  they learn that it had been years- thousands actually, they were currently at war and that most of the hope had been lost, the order of the Firebirds and the rebellion were the last of what remained of old Narnia. 

The firefly finally arrived at the destination from the back of Andreas- the centaur who kindly offer to let them ride in their back- they could see a bunch of Narnian’s and… humans, humans who looked exactly like their husband and siblings, a human who was holding Peters sword, a human with the same golden hair that they had run their fingers through every night. 

It was him, their husband, their king, it was..

“PETER!” They shouted jumping out of the centaurs back and landing in the ground not caring about falling or tripping, their only goal to reach their husband. Peter turns around not caring about the man infront of him and runs in their direction. 

Their small guard follows them swiftly, banners and swords drawn surrounding the stranger who has their sword drawn on their King, protecting them. 

Peter reaches them first and hugs them arms around their shoulders, heart beating threatening to burst out of his chest and gripping into the material of their cloths. 

“ You are here,” They whisper and sobs. 

Peter is in tears and tightens the grip on them. “ So are you.” 

They separate from the hug and they caresse Peters's face, tears running down their faces matching Peters. “ You look just like the day we met,” They say softly and chuckle a bit. 

Peter sobs and nuzzles into their palm, “ And you look just like the day I lost you.”

-

here it is everyone! hope you enjoyed it! it's a small thing that has been in my mind since I was literally a child. I might develop the idea more but it would be with an actual character but I wanted to put it out to the world first as something anyone can see themselves or their character in!

[jazzmckay]

'I am your Paragon': a Branka analysis

companion piece to my other meta, 'Killing's what swords are for': an Oghren analysis.

upon playing dao for the first time, branka instantly fascinated me with how complex of a character she is. you hear many others speak of her long before you ever get to speak with her yourself. she is the only living paragon in four centuries. you walk into orzammar and immediately can overhear a conversation between a mother and daughter about how the daughter should strive to be more like branka. everyone has an opinion about branka, if you ask--many assume she's long dead, because no one can survive the deep roads for two years, while other consider that she had an entire house with her to protect her and there are still many ruins to take shelter in the abandoned thaigs. regardless of what they assume, both the men who are vying for the crown are searching for her, because her support would win them the election in a near instant. they can't afford to pass up the support of a living paragon. they especially can't afford to let their rival find her first, if she is still alive.

branka is more important than the prospective kings. she's more important even than king endrin's dying wishes--his naming of harrowmont as his heir is hotly debated and cannot be proven. some take it to heart, while others assume it's a lie, or that harrowmont manipulated a dying man into saying something he wouldn't have otherwise. but a king can be pronounced with a crown forged by a paragon, and said paragon does not need to be present for it to be taken as a decree. all that's needed is the warden to claim which king the paragon supported. a paragon is a living ancestor, a figure that the dwarven people look up to like gods.

branka is a paragon, and that is a weighty title to uphold.

in orzammar, castes and titles are everything. they define who a person must be, right from birth. the caste divide and the effect it has on the people is present everywhere you turn in orzammar. dust town shows you how little the casteless are regarded, including the story of a mother shunned by her family for having a baby with a casteless man. dagna's father insists she is a smith, and if she must pursue the field of magic, he can get her into enchanting, but there is nothing for her anywhere else. oghren is of the warrior caste, and his entire life is a fight. when warriors aren't busy defending their home, they're fighting in the provings. a person's caste comes with expectations, and not meeting those expectations comes with great risk.

as a paragon of the smith caste, it is branka's purpose to create something magnificent and long-lasting for the dwarven people. the invention that earned her paragon status is important, but not enough--once she had that title, the expectations were pilled on even more. caridin, a paragon of the smith caste before her, created the anvil of the void and provided the dwarves with the unstoppable golems to protect their empire. who is she to do anything less than he did?

an excerpt from your first conversation with branka:

Branka: [...] I don't care if the Assembly puts a drunken monkey on the throne. Because our protector, our great invention, the thing that once made our armies the envy of the world, is lost to the very darkspawn it should be fighting. The Anvil of the Void. The means by which the ancients forged their army of golems and held off the first archdemon ever to rise. It's here. So close I can taste it. [...] The Anvil lies on the other side of a gauntlet of traps designed by Caridin himself. My people and I have given body and soul to unlocking its secrets. This is what's important. This has lasting meaning. If I succeed, the dwarven people benefit. Kings, politics… all that is transitory. I've given up everything and would sacrifice anything to get the Anvil of the Void.

to branka, the election is nothing compared to her expedition for the anvil. the election is just one king who will probably die in a few decades, and very little will change in the grand scheme of things. orzammar is crumbling under the weight of the darkspawn, and what they need isn't one king over the other, it's the anvil.

Branka: Look around. Is this what our empire should look like? A crumbling tunnel filled with darkspawn spume? The Anvil will let us take back our glory!

and she feels like she must be the one to do it. she's a master of her craft, a paragon, and so she's the one who can give her people what they need, no matter the sacrifice.

the sacrifices she has made are many. 'body and soul', she says. her entire house ventured into the deep roads in search of the anvil, counting on her to make the risk worth it. they traversed abandoned thaigs that few have ever seen themselves--they're crawling with darkspawn, and considered lost. still, they make it through. the anvil isn't where they expected it. they have to push further. further into darkspawn territory. branka leaves a journal behind so that if she fails, someone who follows in her footsteps might be able to pick up where she left off, because this isn't about an individual, this is about the good of orzammar, and she believes the anvil is necessary to their survival. they end up in the dead trenches, a condemned place where only darkspawn and the legion of the dead dwell. and this is still only the beginning. ruck and hespith show us what happens to those who have nothing to sustain themselves with in these abandoned places except darkspawn flesh. hespith's haunting poem whispered within the tunnels tells of what branka did to counter caridin's traps--the members of branka's house became fodder at best, and at worst, one became a broodmother, capable of spawning yet more fodder for the task of defeating caridin's defenses. branka did this to her own people. to her own lover. it is not out of lack of caring--she still calls them 'my people'. it's simply that they had no other choice, in her mind.

during the first stretch of the fight towards the anvil, in a cavern littered with bodies, branka stands above, muttering to herself about what it took to get this far. she has anger for those to tried to oppose her. she tries to justify her actions. a common refrain is that this is their purpose, and they should have faced it bravely, no matter how horrific it was.

to the average player, this is horrific and unforgivable. hespith, branka's lover herself, calls it unforgivable too, and feels guilt for not being able to stop branka. the whole scene is dark, tragic, and unsettling. yet branka's actions are in line with her beliefs and motivations. she is the only living paragon in generations. her people are wasting away. the anvil could stop this. if she can use the anvil, even if it requires the sacrifice of her own soul, it would be worth it to save the rest of the dwarven empire. she speaks of the darkspawn with disgust and hatred, but turned one of her own into a broodmother because in her mind, that's what it would take. that's what had to be done.

branka isn't the only one to feel this way. it's an ideology that many dwarves hold. from a banter between oghren and shale:

Shale: My question is this: had the Anvil of the Void not been destroyed, does it believe the dwarves would have used it? Oghren: Hmm. You mean to create more golems? Oh yes, faster than you could squish a nug. Shale: Even knowing the agony that it caused? They would still inflict it on others? Oghren: No need to inflict it. There'd be plenty ready and willing to sign up, just as you did. There's fewer and fewer of us each year, and the darkspawn never run out. If it meant saving Orzammar? There'd be plenty who'd become a golem, sure.

the dwarves are always dealing with the darkspawn threat, not just during a blight. for them, protecting their city and people is paramount, and sometimes that requires ultimate sacrifices they are willing to pay. for branka specifically, there are extra expectations. there are heights to rise to. it may not seem like she has sacrificed herself, since she still lives while most of her house is dead, but she as an individual has been sacrificed to a cause that has taken everything from her. she is also likely not in entirely sound mind--like the others, there is little for her to eat in the dead trenches other than darkspawn flesh, and, if you side with her, you find out she's been hearing voices. you also find out that she didn't understand the full horror of the anvil. with high coercion, the warden can convince branka that she has gone too far, and she will destroy the anvil herself, even after everything she has poured into this expedition.

Branka: I can hear it! It wants to be used again. It speaks in a hundred different voices. Surely you can hear them. Warden: You mean the voices of all the dead souls trapped inside? Branka: The dead? You think that's who I hear? But… no! It's the Anvil, calling to be used! Oghren: Did you hear what Caridin said? Hundreds of people were bound into golems, trapped inside the Anvil when their bodies were destroyed. That's who you hear! Branka: No! It's not true! You lie! Warden: (Persuade) Think clearly and ask yourself where its power comes from. Branka: But… I will not believe that was Caridin. Caridin would never turn on his own invention. He was a genius. The best of us all! He… must have been wrong. The Anvil was Orzammar's salvation! Warden: Caridin was ready to die to see the Anvil destroyed. Branka: The voices… they've been calling to me for so long, and I didn't even… oh, Hespith tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen. Oghren: You have to make this right. The Branka I knew would do what is right. Branka: The Anvil must be destroyed. It's an abomination. Go. Return to Orzammar. It's better they never know what became of me.

regardless of what happens at the anvil of the void, branka does not survive. branka, who became a figurehead of cunning and innovation, who became like a god. branka, who was not an individual anymore, but a purpose and a cause. branka, who gave up everything, including her entire house and her lover, for the protection of orzammar. her title told her what she had to be, and failure was not an option, even when her actions became atrocities. when you first meet her, the conversation ends with oghren questioning what has become of the woman he married years ago.

Oghren: What has this place done to you?! I remember marrying a girl you could talk to for one minute and see her brilliance.

and she replies, before turning to walk away,

Branka: I am your Paragon.

[zeevoidlight]

Vegeta and Nappa, why did Vegeta killed him.

One of my favorite characters of all time since i was a child is without a doubt Vegeta.

I've seen this question being asked constantly so i'll give my take one it now. I know many people don't like the "because Saiyans" type of explanation but one cannot ignore that their nature is much different from humans and is a great part of who they are and why they do the things they do. So my approach is usually try to see what of all that is actually because of their nature and what is just being used as a cultural shield, specially when it comes to both Vegeta and Goku. More Vegeta because he lies a lot as well, and despite being Saiyan his status as royalty changes the usual dynamic a bit compared to others of his own species. (note that i watched the latin version so my interpretation of the character might be different from that of the english one)

So regarding the topic:

Realistically and sadly, as much as I like this alternate reality people usually like to portray of Nappa being Vegeta's assigned babysitter, taking care of Raditz as well, the three of them being like a small family unit given that they only had each other as survivors of their people's extinction... I think the reality is a lot more complicated.

Being a Saiyan, and more than that the strongest Saiyan by far in their recent history, even stronger than the King himself, Vegeta was capable of taking care of himself better than Nappa. He never saw Nappa as a protector because Vegeta was leagues ahead of Nappa in terms of strength and rank. We see that on the first Bardock movie where he treats Nappa as a servant, and even asks Frieza to let him go alone to a more challenging planet to conquer where he ends up killing everyone, sitting on a rock in the middle of a pile of corpses of his own making and eating twinkies or something as he was getting news of his Planet's destruction, thinking already what was going to be his next move and hiding his concern from Frieza's informant. All of that at the age of 5.

He never saw Nappa as akin to family because for as young as he was Vegeta was still his superior. Plus Vegeta considered himself smarter than him too, and he actually was even as a child. Vegeta was, on the contrary, protecting Nappa and Raditz, and consequently himself, against Frieza and his men by playing the long game while those two probably constantly screwed up and tried to engage in an unwinnable battle. This kid didn't had the opportunity to be a kid since he was born. Always on a minefield.

As how I see it, the reason why Vegeta killed Nappa then wasn't only because Goku broke Nappa's spine and paralyzed him leaving him quadriplegic and unable to fight rendering him as dead weight, but because he was years long fed up with Nappa as well. Maybe even with what he represented as the last remains of the Saiyan kingdom and the past since he was perfectly comfortable being the last Saiyan alive as representation of what a true Saiyan was in his own understanding and values of it, considering himself the peak of that and the example for everyone else to see, which being a prince he was kinda always pressured into being that and thinking of himself as such anyways. And Nappa's embarrassing fight was the last drop and the perfect excuse to get rid of him. Dude couldn't fathom something so disgraceful that he preferred to kill him than keep enduring his presence any longer while pretending he cared (and the emotions were kinda running high).

Even after in GT when he sees Nappa again there's nothing but contempt against him. And you could say anything about GT but what I appreciate greatly of it is the character consistency.

Note: I've been watching DB and Z and it's very clear from the moment they arrive to Earth that Vegeta can't with Nappa's recklessness. When Nappa destroys East city Vegeta is like 'dude, has it ever occur to you that the dragon balls could have been here? You idiot! Don't destroy the planet, we could sell it, don't be a stupid, think, fight better, concentrate, his not fighting intelligent... Lol, by the time of Nappa asking Vegeta for help I can totally imagine Vegeta was thinking 'you know what Nappa... FUCK YOU' *yeet!

[rainswept]

hihi @kaeyas-beloved !! this was for the secret santa — i’m so sorry it was so late, i had some complications with my health that made it so i was unable to write. i hope you had a great christmas and new years!

blood. childe.

1k words. cw. mentions of drowning/death/violence (in the past)

“One day, I’ll take you to my homeland for winter.”

Nestled in the stomach of the gray patterned bowl Childe holds is a steaming soup, tentacles and crab legs still simmering in a blood red sea.

Beneath the chilling blanket of the abyss he lies, frail and wounded and young. He scrambles to find himself — he hides his throat and bares his teeth — he gains a scar and is sure he’s killed hundreds. With desperation, he lashes out at anything that moves, whether he can see it or not. Sometimes he lands a hit. Sometimes he gets hurt. Sometimes he stumbles in the dark and awaits a blow that never comes.

Garnish and pools of oil bubble up beside it like a delectable hot spring, savory delights wrapped up in little pockets of half-translucent dew.

He squeezes his eyes shut tight. While he can still breathe, blood fills the gaps in remaining senses he has — a metallic taste on his tongue and a sticky thing under his fingernails.

“It snows a lot more than this.”

He cannot feel nor hear a way up, so he goes down.

The darkness settles around him until he no longer has any use for his eyes, and it seeps into mouth and drips down his throat until he can no longer draw breath. Drowning. The sting of his cuts gnaws at his skin and he wraps his fingers tight around the bleeding. Drowning. Drowning. Still drowning.

He sits down on the couch beside you, wood in the fireplace crackling and snapping as he settles. His fingers are bare, free of the gloves that separate him and the blood he spills, and they slip out from beneath the bowl so carefully it barely makes a noise as it settles down onto the wooden coffee table.

He brandishes his sword, spear, claymore, bow. He swings and shoots with a feral vengeance, and he blocks with desperation to protect. One day, he is afraid it will not be enough.

Teucer, Tonia, Anthon — his siblings flash before his eyes. Then you. You, your sweet words and your comforting embrace and your gentle touch as you wash the blood away from his skin. It is washed down the pristine porcelain sink without a second thought, and if a wound is revealed in the process, you bandage it wordlessly. What did he do to deserve that? This he often wonders, though he has never dared to voice it.

Your fingers wrap around his torso, and you place your head against the crook of his neck. His eyelids grow heavy.

People may look at Childe and think, above all else, he is a fighter.

He wouldn’t say they are wrong.

Like melting chocolate wedged between a graham cracker and molten-hot marshmallow — he did always like to make those — he sinks down into your embrace as if it’s the last time he will ever get the chance to.

To be an older sibling, a Harbinger, a lover, is to be a protector. And to protect, most often, you must fight.

He is a fighter — he always has been — that doesn’t change when he dons the codename Childe, or the title Tartaglia, and especially not when he thinks of his family calling out the name “Ajax”. Especially not.

He casts a nostalgic look out of the window. It glitters like forlorn stars scattered about the night sky, hazy memories and long-forgotten childhood dreams that are now realized to never have had a chance to come true.

Drowning.

You pick at your bowl, and he thinks you are humoring him. “Does it, now?”

He laughs. It’s a warm sound, not like the one he makes before a fight, no. It’s genuine, scattered stars in every crack in his voice like that of the ever-burning fireplace in the living room.

“Of course.”

Drowning.

Childe’s grip on his spoon tightens, and his eyes flick to the blooming bouquet, a proud centerpiece on the wooden dining table. He reaches out to adjust one of them that had risen out of the water.

...

Beneath the quelled sky when it’s cold is a myriad of memories, old and new, past, present, and future tangled into a flowering embrace despite the unchanging blanket of snow.

Seeds of hope of all kinds will bud or die, sprout up through the ice as it melts, prove that they are strong. They are steadfast, loyal, and resilient. Like him. Like the Tsaritsa, he hopes. Like his siblings. Like you.

Over and over again, the Eleventh Fatui Harbinger had coaxed blood to spill by his hand. He had stolen it from warm bodies and watched as they grew cold.

He holds you closer as he takes a sip of the soup. Here, he is reminded everything he stands for — why he is still here in the first place. The warmth of your hand, the forgiveness of your touch, the light in his siblings eyes that he is making sure does not get stolen from them like it did his.

Blood, pouring from a wound until eyes grow dim and hazy; blood, the family he had and would spill his to protect; blood, carefully encapsulated in safe veins, blushing cheeks, flushed skin. Love. The warmth in his home, the hull of the ship, the blade of the knife, the seed of the flower. The reason why he survived the abyss, and the reason why he survives now. You cleaning his wounds and him making sure you don’t suffer any.

Love is a tender night like this, sipping on specialty soups, curled up in front of a fireplace as a storm rages outside; limbs tangled beneath soft blankets, fleeting kisses filled with affection. He sinks into your embrace and wraps his arms around you, head resting on your shoulder as you run your fingers through his hair.

Childe was always devoted to his life, his family, you. Everything he did was to protect something he held dear.

He didn’t regret a thing, for that meant you were safe, and he was too. Here, right now, taking breaths of fresh air one by one. Breathing. For once in his life, his head was above the water, and he wasn’t fighting with every ounce of energy to stay there.

i’m sorry this is quite short, but i hope you liked it regardless! i’m not entirely sure how to write for childe, but i’ve wanted to for a while so i figured this was a good time to seize the opportunity.