#this fic is one i keep finding issues with after posting RIP

[genshinluvr]

They Don't Deserve You

Pairings: Various Genshin Men x Isekai'd!Reader

Summary: Before going to bed, you suffer a painful headache. Baizhu, Dottore, Albedo, and Tighnari couldn't pinpoint the issue. Right before falling asleep, the headache comes back and knocks you unconscious. You end up waking up back in your world, only you didn't wake up alone in your bedroom. The men have teleported into your world with you.

Note: Omg, finally, a fic where the reader and the men are in the reader's world! This is a request, so keep that in mind! I didn't make the men meet the reader's parents because, well, how does one explain to your parents about having almost thirty men in your bedroom? So, instead of the men meeting the reader's parents, they will be overhearing the things that are said to the reader. I think this counts as a hurt/comfort fic. To the new and returning readers, please remember that I don't post anywhere else but on Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and on AO3 (Aaliah_exo).

Warnings: The reader gets compared to their cousin, and there's tension between the reader's mom and the reader, the ex-boyfriend.

Word Count: 9.5k

Before you and the twenty-five men went to bed, you had been experiencing a headache that felt like your skull was being ripped into two. The headache hurts so much that you nearly faint. It sent you straight to the infirmary room where Tighnari, Dottore, Baizhu, and Albedo are trying to figure out the cause of your headache.

“No fever, no chills, no coughs, no runny nose,” Baizhu murmurs, feeling your forehead.

Tighnari pinches the bridge of his nose. “They’re not sick, but they have a head-splitting headache that nearly made them faint,” Tighnari says, looking over to where you lie.

Dottore drapes the blanket over your body and places the prescription drug back on the shelves. The headache you’re experiencing would thunder through your skull; it would happen out of nowhere, sending sharp pains and hindering your activities. It’s not a migraine, though it can be mistaken for one. The headache came out of nowhere.

“Are you sure it’s not a migraine?” Dottore asks, turning to look at you.

You nod hesitantly. “I’m sure it’s not a migraine. I never get migraines,” you whisper, wincing when the headache reappears. 

“Well, anyone can get a migraine. Headaches and migraines can be caused by stress. Still, people can also get diagnosed with chronic migraines,” says Albedo, sitting beside you on the examination bed. 

“I don’t have chronic migraines. I would know if I was diagnosed with it,” you murmur.

Footsteps coming from the hallway echo, getting louder as the person approaches the room you’re in. Diluc steps into the room and knocks on the door to grab Tighnari, Dottore, Albedo, and Baizhu’s attention. You bring the blanket up to your chin and close your eyes, your eyebrows pinching up from the aftermath of the headache. Diluc’s eyes are locked on you, his heart squeezing in his chest when he sees the state you’re in. 

Diluc crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the doorway. “If you’re all done checking up on [Y/N]’s condition, I believe we should take them to their room so they can rest,” Diluc says.

You slowly throw the blanket off your body and get off the examination bed. You’re relieved that you didn’t set off a thundering headache by getting off the bed. You walk to Diluc, who holds his arm out for you to take. You loop your left arm around his right arm and give the four men a weak smile.

“Thank you for taking care of me. I appreciate it. I hope the medication will help me with my headache,” you say.

“We’ll find the answers. We promise,” Tighnari says, smiling at you weakly.

Baizhu nods. “And as long as the headache isn’t recurring, then you should be okay after taking the medication. But for now, please get plenty of rest and drink some water,” Baizhu pleads.

Baizhu walks up to you and presses his lips against your forehead. You reach for Baizhu’s hands and squeeze his hands before letting Diluc escort you to your bedroom. The way Diluc held you while walking you to your room is like him holding fragile glass. He’s afraid that he will hurt you or trigger your headache. Diluc guides you to your bedroom, pushing the door open. 

The two of you walk into your room, and Diluc helps you sit on your bed. You slowly lay down and pull your blanket over your body. Diluc fluffs your pillow and tucks you into your bed, pressing a gentle kiss on your forehead.

You close your eyes and watch Diluc walk to the window, pulling the black-out curtains closed. The nightlight in the corner of your room turns on when your bedroom turns pitch black. Diluc closes the door behind him, not before taking one last peek into your dark bedroom before shutting the door. You curl up into a fetal position, hugging your knees to your chest and burying your face into your body pillow. You peek from your pillow and crack one eye open, bleary eyes focusing on the small light in the corner. The nightlight gives you slight solace. 

Just when you’re able to drift off to sleep, the familiar pain creeps up on you. You whimper in pain, clenching the blanket in your fist and squeezing your eyes shut. You begin hearing ringing in your ears. At first, the ringing in your ears was quiet, but it gradually got louder, almost deafening. White hot searing pain suddenly shot through your skull, knocking you out cold.

When you come to your consciousness, the light shining through your bedroom window shines in your face. You groan and cover your eyes with your hand, grumbling about wanting to sleep in more. The sound of your phone chiming made you freeze. You slowly open your eyes and sit up, only to see that you’re back in your world. You scramble out of your bed, accidentally stepping on something and tripping over something.

“Ouch! You stepped on my face!” Itto groans, rubbing his face with his hand.

Your eyes nearly pop out of your skull when you see the men sprawled out on the ground, coming to their consciousness at the sound of you falling and Itto groaning in pain. Once everyone has regained consciousness, they all look around and see they’re in an unfamiliar room.

“Where are we?” Gorou asks, his ears twitching at the sound of cats yowling, hissing outside the window, and dogs barking at the sound of cats yowling.

They all get off the floor of your bedroom and dust their clothes. You purse your lips, debating whether you should tell them that they’re in your world and your bedroom specifically. But you think it’s evident that the room is yours because of the plushies in your room and your shrine of a particular Genshin man.

You push past the men and walk to your phone, checking to see what time and day it is. It felt like a few months had passed for you while you were in Teyvat, but according to your phone, only two days have gone by. While you’re scrolling through your phone to see if anything has changed, the men start to survey their surroundings.

Posters and framed signed prints hang on the wall, and books are stacked haphazardly on a small bookshelf tucked in the corner of your room, a stack of hats on an electric fan. Your bed is filled with many plushies, five pillows, and seven blankets. In front of your bed is a desk with a flat monitor, a large glowing machine box underneath the desk, and seven water bottles sitting beside the monitor.

“I just noticed that [Y/N] has a lot of pictures, small statues, and stationary that looks like him,” You hear one person grumble.

“Yeah! Me too! Why him and why not me?!” Someone else exclaims, pointing at the prints on your bedroom wall with a pout.

Someone snatches your phone from your grasp, forcing you to look at the disgruntled men around you. You stare at the men like a fish out of water, unsure of how you’re going to answer their question. Quite frankly, you didn’t think this day was going to come. And now look at you, having to explain to all of the men why you have so much merchandise of a particular Genshin man that is standing in the same room as you and the others. The man in question was blushing and flattered that he was your favorite out of the rest of the men in the room (and the relationship).

“To be fair, I did not think I was going to be thrown into your world so suddenly. What I also didn’t expect was to return to my world with all of you accompanying me,” you said. 

You made sure to look around your room to not make eye contact with anyone. One of the men walks up to your body pillow, yanks it from your bed, and holds it in front of your face. You feel your face become warm, and you shut your eyes, turning your head away.

“Then explain the body pillow with them on it,” you hear a disgruntled anemo user mutter, glaring at you through his lashes. 

You snatch the body pillow and throw it back on your bed, face hot with embarrassment. “My cousin got it for me as a gag gift! I’m not going to throw it away!” You huff.

Before someone can interject, everyone hears a knock coming from the door. Your eyes widen, and you press your index finger against your lips, gesturing for the men to be quiet. The men around you freeze, and you slowly tiptoe toward your bedroom door. 

You stand in front of the door, keeping your eyes on the floor. “Who is it?” You ask.

“[Y/N]? Are you still upset about the conversation we had a few days ago?” You hear your mother ask through the door.

You sigh, suddenly remembering the conversation you had with her a few months ago. It was a few days ago to her, but for you, it has been months. The men look at you curiously, and you shake your head, not wanting to explain to them what it is.

“Mom, I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to be left alone, please,” you plead.

You hear your mom scoff from behind the door. “I do everything for you, and this is how you treat your mother? You’re such an ungrateful child,” Your mom hisses through the door.

Your mom stomps down the stairs while muttering curse words under her breath about you. You walk over to your bed and sit at the edge, pinching the bridge of your nose. You returned a few minutes ago, and now you’re dealing with the conflict between you and your mother already? 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Dainsleif asks, unsure how to process the interaction between you and the woman who gave birth to you.

You shake your head. “No. I don’t want to talk about it,” you scratch your head, “I don’t know how long we’ll be here, but you will see a lot of things about my family,” you roll your eyes.

“Oh? Will we be meeting your family?” Kazuha asks, not taking his eyes off the pictures of you and your friends hanging on the wall. 

You press your lips into a thin line before answering, “That, I don’t know. My parents never let me date anyone or go out and hang out with my friends,” you sigh. “I’m not sure how they’ll react to seeing twenty-five men in my bedroom,” you chuckle.

“Putting that aside, does anyone know how we all get thrown into [Y/N]’s universe?” Thoma asks, looking around nervously.

Everyone shakes their heads. It was strange how you were back in your world with the men accompanying you. The last thing you remember was getting a head-splitting headache, knocking you out cold. You’re not sure how long you and the men are going to be in your world, but you hope it won’t be too long.

“What’s this?” Aether asks, holding up your phone.

Your phone’s screen turns on, showing the background of your phone. The background of your phone is a particular Genshin male character. Your eyes widen, and you snatch your phone from Aether, feeling the heat return to your face. 

You clear your throat. “You didn’t see that,” you said.

You walk to your phone charger and plug in your phone. After plugging in your phone, you collapse onto your bed and close your eyes. It has only been a few minutes, and you already want to return to the abode to escape your life in your world. You prefer your life in Teyvat; no one is complaining about you, no one is starting drama with you, you’re not being compared to your cousins and siblings in Teyvat, and you live with your twenty-five boyfriends!

“You know what you should do?” Kaeya asks, sitting beside you.

You peek up at Kaeya. “What?” You ask.

Xiao points at every electronic in your bedroom. “Explain what these things are and why you have a glowing box under your desk,” Xiao crosses his arms over his chest.

You sit and blink owlishly. “Shit, I did not think this through,” you mutter, running your hands through your disheveled hair. 

“Start with something that is easy to explain,” Zhongli suggests, his eyes not-so-subtly shifting to your bedroom wall that consists of prints of a certain Genshin man.

You got off your bed and went to the closest thing to you, your computer. You turn your computer on and switch the button at the bottom of your mouse. The mouse lights up, and the monitor lights up. When the monitor loads, you almost want to slam your head on your desk because of the background.

“You are quite obsessed with that man,” you hear someone mumble.

You cover the monitor with your body, clearing your throat awkwardly while entering your password to unlock your computer. You’re pretty shameless when it comes to simping over your favorite Genshin character. Still, now that it’s in front of everyone, it’s almost humiliating. But you’re not ashamed of loving this particular Genshin man.

“Forget about the strange technologies in your bedroom. I want to know why you’re obsessed with him and not me,” the blond grumbles, looking over in the sheepish man’s direction.

You let out a sigh. “I’m not going to explain my unhealthy obsession with him, alright? Plus, if my parents hear everyone speak, they’ll be suspicious of what’s happening and would try to walk into my room,” you said.

Heizou raises his hand. “What if we end up getting hungry?” Heizou asks, cocking an eyebrow at you.

You stare at Heizou and the other men around him, who nod at Heizou’s question. If you were to go downstairs to fetch something for all of the men to eat, your parents would be suspicious of what’s going on. Not only that, but you’re not entirely sure if the men will be able to stomach the food in your world. They should be okay, right? 

“I’ll order something for us to eat. The issue is the small space in my room, and all of you need to get some fresh air and stretch your legs,” you murmur. “I’ll be right back. I’m going downstairs to see if my parents and siblings are home.”

You squeeze through the crowd of men in your room, slowly open your bedroom door and peek your head into the hallway. Your parents are talking to one another, and the sound of car keys jingles. You walk out of your room, close the door behind you, and step down the stairs. When you reach the living room of your house, you see your parents putting their shoes on, and your dad has his car keys in his hand.

“Oh, look who finally decided to leave their room,” your mom says, crossing her arms over her chest.

You ignore your mom’s snide comment. “Where are you two going?” You ask.

“Your aunt invited your mother and me over to talk,” your dad replies.

You notice the house was a little bit too quiet. It was too quiet for your liking. You didn’t hear your sister talking on the phone with her friends, nor did you hear your brothers screaming at the top of their lungs while playing video games in their bedrooms. 

“The house is too quiet. Where are Andrew, Alex, and Alice?” You inquired, looking around for any signs of your siblings in the house. 

You look at the shoe rack, noticing their shoes aren’t on the shoe rack. The area where they put their shoes is empty. 

“Alice went to the movies with her boyfriend a few minutes ago; her boyfriend picked her up. As for Andrew and Alex, they left to go to the gym not too long ago,” your father replies. 

“We’ll be back in a few hours. If you’re hungry, there’s food on the stove for you to heat up,” your mom says, putting her coat on. 

You shivered at the thought of being the topic of gossip. You have been the main topic a few times before, and you certainly hope your parents won’t bring you up in the conversation. Knowing your family, they will be gossiping for hours while eating seafood. Your mom unlocks the front door and the gate, stepping out into the cold. Goosebumps immediately take over your body, sending sharp chills down your body. You wave them goodbye, closed and lock the front gate, then the front door. 

You peek through the window blinds, watching your parents walk to the large white SUV your dad drives. The car roars to life, the headlights turning on, shining the things in its path. Your parents pull out of the driveway and drive off. A sense of relief falls over you after your parents leave. You turn to go back upstairs to inform the men but nearly go into a cardiac arrest when you see that they have been standing behind you the entire time.

“How long have you guys been standing there?!” You hissed, clutching your chest.

Your heart punches your ribs while you try to calm your breathing. The men examine your house, looking at the furniture and technologies curiously.

Al Haitham is the first one to reply. “We went to check and see what took you so long to return to your room. Someone,” Al Haitham looks at Kaveh with a blank stare, “was too impatient to wait for your return.”

“Hey! Am I not allowed to be worried about [Y/N] and their safety!?” Kaveh demands, glaring at the acting Grand Sage with his hands propped on his hips.

Pierro closes his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re allowed to worry about [Y/N], but did you forget that we’re in their house? They’re safe,” Pierro says, opening his eyes and scanning the living room of your house. 

“In case you’re all wondering, unless you all eavesdropped on my and my parents' conversation, they’ll be gone for a few hours. My sister is out with her boyfriend, and my brothers went to work out at the gym,” you said, walking to the kitchen. “There’s food on the stove for us to eat, but I’m afraid there won’t be enough for us all.”

“You mention something about ordering food for us to eat. Would that solve the problem?” Cyno asks.

Your eyes light up. “Oh, right! Thank you for reminding me, Cyno!” You throw your arms around Cyno’s shoulders, hugging him tightly. “I’ll be right back,” you pull away from the hug, “I’m going to get my phone and DoorDash something for us to eat.”

You weave through the men and jog up the stairs for your phone. You unplug your phone from the charger and dash back downstairs. You panted and unlocked your phone, swiping to the DoorDash app on your phone. The men crowd around you to see what you’re doing on the small device that has a touch screen.

“What kind of food are we all in the mood for? Just a side note: there are a lot of us, so the price of the food and delivery will be on the expensive side,” you said.

“I’m open to trying anything. Therefore, I think you should pick out the food because this is your world, and you’re more familiar with the food than we are,” Pantalone says.

You stare at Pantalone, then look around. You’re not opposed to ordering food for the men, but you don’t want to order the things they won’t eat or can stomach. You purse your lips and tap your foot on the ground, trying to think of something to order. There are all types of food on DoorDash! The issue is deciding where you’re going to order and how much it’ll cost to feed almost thirty people.

You ended up ordering from different fast food places, unsure what the men would like to eat. Since they’re in your world, you might as well introduce them to the food from your universe. Plus, the foods from Genshin Impact aren’t too different from the food in your world. The only thing that’s different is the ingredients.

Seeing the price you’re paying for the food and delivery, you can hear your bank account crying in the distance. Let’s just say that it’s almost seven hundred dollars, and you ordered a lot of food for the men; they have big appetites. You tuck your phone into your pocket and collapse on the couch face down.

“What do we do now?” Capitano asks.

You lift your head and stare at the men. “We wait for the food to be delivered. I ordered a lot of food, so it might take a while,” you said, resting your cheek on the leather cushions. “When the food arrives, we can watch the TV for some entertainment if you guys want. Or we can just talk! Up to you guys,” you shrug your shoulders.

You and the men end up sitting and talking around the kitchen area while waiting for the food to be delivered. While standing around in the kitchen, the men look at the air fryer curiously. Dread falls on you when you realize that you need to explain to them what specific items are if they point at them like a curious child.

“Anything you have a question on, I will try my best to answer them,” you said.

After announcing that, questions came almost immediately. The first item to be questioned on was, of course, your phone. You explained to the men what a phone is and how it functions, and what you have on your phone. From the pictures to the apps to the people on your contacts list that you would text or call from time to time. 

“What’s social media? It sounds a little bit intimidating,” Aether mutters, pressing on the Instagram app.

“It’s a website or an app that allows people to create and share content or network with those worldwide. It keeps us all connected to each other. Still, at the same time, it also disconnects us from one another because people are only focusing on their phones rather than the person they’re with,” you said.

While Aether scrolls through your Instagram, the men look over Aether’s shoulders to see what he’s doing. The people you follow look and dress interestingly. Some are at parties, concerts, or a casual day out, pictures of dogs and cats, and people dressing up like them or the people they know back in their universe. Out of sheer curiosity, Aether presses on your phone and starts to scroll through it. You only have twenty-two posts on Instagram. There are pictures of you with your family and your friends. There are also many selfies, a few photos of you at some event, and a— wait a minute.

“Who is that?” Heizou asks, clicking on the post.

You push yourself off the counter and check to see what they’re looking at. You nearly smack yourself for not deleting that post. It was a picture of you and your ex-boyfriend that you posted a few months ago. You grab your phone from Aether’s hands and quickly delete the old post, your face feeling hot.

“It’s no one important,” you mutter.

Ayato crosses his arms over his chest and raises his eyebrows at you. “You and that man were hugging in the picture, and he was kissing your cheek. He doesn’t seem like a nobody,” Ayato says, looking at you skeptically.

You put your phone on the counter. “He’s not in my life anymore, so he’s technically a nobody.”

Childe wraps his arms around your waist and rests his chin on your head. “Even if he’s no longer in your life, I’m sure we’re all curious about who he was to you,” Childe murmurs. Childe buries his face into your neck, tightening his grip on your waist. After seeing that picture of you and the mysterious man, the men couldn’t help but feel jealous that you used to date someone that wasn’t them.

You let out a sigh and rested your head on his shoulder, puckering your lips. “He’s my boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend, to be more specific. I broke up with him a few months ago in my world, and the breakup was messy,” you shivered.

“How was the breakup messy?” Gorou asks, blinking at you owlishly.

You’re about to answer Gorou’s question when your doorbell chimes, startling you and the men. You walk to the front door with Childe still attached to your body. The first batch of food has arrived, and you’re beginning to salivate at the aroma of food from the delivery bag. Childe and Kaveh help you bring the bags into the dining area.

“There’s still more food coming. I ordered different types of food that I think you all will like. The food in my world isn’t so different from the food in your world, other than the ingredients,” you said, tearing open the bag.

“You still haven’t answered Gorou’s question,” Dottore interjects, sitting in the closest chair beside you. 

You continue to pull the contents out from the bag, setting them on the table and taking the cap off of some take-out boxes. You walked to the kitchen and pulled out the paper plates your parents were keeping in the pantry, thinking about how you were going to explain your failed relationship.

You sigh. “He’s not emotionally intelligent. We’ve gotten into arguments a few times before, and whenever I try to talk it out, he would avoid the topic,” you said.

“Oh, so, he lacks communication skills,” Diluc comments.

You nod.

“He also sounds like he doesn’t want to talk things out if he avoids the topic,” Dainsleif says, grabbing the paper plates from your hands.

You press your lips into a thin line and shake your head. “He always avoids certain things when we talk. Arguments are rare, but he ignores my text messages and phone calls when he gets mad at me.”

Scaramouche lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Well, your ex-boyfriend sounds like a piece of shit if you ask me,” Scaramouche rolls his eyes.

“And you’re correct because he is! I would beg to spend time with him, but he’ll tell me he was busy with work. According to him, work is keeping him occupied,” you roll your eyes, passing out napkins to the men.

“That’s an excuse, for sure,” Cyno mutters, peeking at the food on the table. 

You nod your head. “It was! I later found out that he had a wife the entire time, even though he claimed he was single,” you roll your eyes. 

Thoma looks at you in horror, almost dropping his plate of food on the ground. Thoma quickly composes himself and puts his plate on the table, steadying himself on the dining table while trying to process the information you have thrown out there.

“Your ex-boyfriend is a married man?” Thoma chokes.

“Unfortunately, yes, he’s a married man. I didn’t find out until four years later, by the way.”  You run your fingers through your hair.

Everyone’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. How well did this man hide this information from you? There’s no way someone like him can get away with cheating, especially since your world has social media that can connect strangers with one another. Surely his wife must’ve known about him having an affair, right? 

“Did you tell his wife about the affair?” Kaveh asks.

You shake your head. “There’s no way for me to find his wife’s name or her information. He lied about many things to me, yet I was stupid enough to believe his lies,” you chuckle bitterly.

“Don’t blame yourself for something you were unaware of. It is he who’s at fault, not you,” Kazuha reassures you, rubbing your back gently. 

When the rest of the food arrived, all of you ate in comfortable silence. You will talk to each other from time to time while eating, but the men are busy stuffing their faces with food. You don’t blame them for that because you weren’t sure how long you and the men have been in your world after falling asleep back at the abode. Speaking of the abode, you miss it very much. You miss being able to cook with Thoma and listening to Childe sing loudly in the shower because he doesn’t close the bathroom door. You miss living in Teyvat with your boyfriends.

You’re not entirely sure how long you and the men will be in your world, but you hope all of you can return back to Teyvat soon. Months have gone by in Teyvat, but only one or two days have passed in your world. After everyone finished eating, you made them shower in your bathroom while you cleaned things up. Before you let them shower in your bathroom, you show them how to operate some things.

“I like the scent of it,” Venti says, sniffing your body wash after opening the cap of the bottle. 

You clap your hand. “Now that I have shown you all where the things are and how to use some things in the bathroom, you can take turns showering. I can wash your clothes if you want,” you said.

“That would mean we will all be naked while we wait for our clothes to be washed and dried,” Itto clears his throat, looking at you with wide eyes.

You pucker your lips and nod. “That is correct, but it’s better to have your clothes washed and dried than sleeping in clothes that you have worn the day before,” you said. 

Plus, you don’t mind seeing the men parade around the house butt-naked… if your family didn’t have security cameras installed around the house. Then again, they will have towels on to preserve their modesty. It’s a good thing your family owns a lot of towels, so one of them would have to share towels with each other or use your towel.

Your entire day consists of you washing the men’s clothes and cleaning up your bedroom to ensure plenty of space for the men to roam around and relax. Your room isn’t huge, and it certainly cannot fit almost thirty people. The sleeping arrangement is going to be an absolute nightmare. 

Once all the clothes have been washed and dried, you hand the men back their clothes so they can change into them. You’re glad there are a couple of pillows and oversized blankets lying around the house. You might have to shop for more pillows and blankets when you have the time and money. But for now, it looks like you’ll have to sleep on someone while they sleep on your bed beside the other men. 

Your family tends to always be prepared for something. And when you said they’re always prepared, you’re implying they buy large packs of shampoo, soaps, towels, toothpaste, toilet paper, water bottles, and deodorants. The men didn’t need to worry about those things other than possible new clothes and places to sleep and being hidden from your parents. This should be fine for now. Your dad travels for work, your mom is always at work, and your siblings are always going out with their friends. It shouldn’t be hard to hide the men. Still, you hope your parents or siblings don’t walk into your room unannounced one day because you don’t have any excuses for why twenty-five men are in your bedroom. 

You and the men will be in your world for only a short time, right? Wrong. Because the next few days go by, and everyone is still in your world. Hiding the men is complicated because they would get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom to the point where your siblings ask you if you chug water before bed. You lie and say yes because you’re trying your best to stay hydrated. You’re glad your siblings didn’t question it and continue to ignore your constant need to pee.

Sleeping in one bedroom with almost thirty people is an experience. The number of people snoring, farting, twitching, and sleep talk is hilarious. You once woke up in the middle of the night because Itto flinched violently in his sleep. Itto will give you a sleepy smile, pet your head, sleepily apologize for waking you up and kiss your forehead before falling back asleep. 

You completely forgot that Zhongli, Venti, Xiao, and Scaramouche didn’t need sleep. Sometimes you would wake up in the middle of the night, catching them sitting in front of your computer while binge-watching some show with the brightness level at maximum. The light from your monitor illuminates your bedroom. 

“Why are you guys awake at two in the morning?” You whisper, lifting your head from Al Haitham’s chest.

“We’re watching a show. The shows from your universe are…. Interesting and quite educational,” Zhongli says, his eyes glued to the screen.

You blink at Zhongli and look at the monitor. They were watching a nature documentary on Netflix. It was cute, not going to lie. Seeing the four men sitting in front of your computer, watching nature documentaries, reminds you of your baby cousins watching Paw Patrol at eight in the morning. You’re too tired to scold them, so you lay your head back on Al Haitham’s chest and doze off. 

Do you want to know who farts the most in their sleep? It’s Childe, but most of them fart in their sleep. You would think it’s Itto who farts a lot in his sleep, but that man just snores and twitches. It has gotten to the point where you almost decide to steal a Febreze spray from your parents’ bathroom and keep it in your room. You opted to keep the windows cracked open to let the fresh air into your room. 

“That one,” Xiao points over to Childe, “passes gas the most out of all of us.” Xiao scrunches his face up with disgust.

Kaeya pats Itto’s shoulders. “This one twitches a lot. I may sleep on the ground, but I can hear him twitch in his sleep when it’s his turn to sleep on [Y/N]’s bed,” Kaeya says, looking over at Itto with an amused look on his face. 

“I wish you have a lab in your house. It would’ve sped the process of bringing us all back to Teyvat,” Albedo murmurs, resting his head on your shoulder.

Pierro chuckles. “I don’t think normal civilians like [Y/N] and their family would have a lab in their house,” Pierro says.

You pucker your lips. There are ordinary people that have labs in their homes. Only they’re not for science experiments…. They’re for…. Illegal activities. But that’s something you won’t be telling the men just yet, or at least until all of you have returned back to Teyvat. Actually, should you be telling them about that at all? You watch the men quietly bicker with each other, too tired to even stop them from arguing. You plop back down on your bed, feeling your eyelids grow heavy.

Realization hits Baizhu, and he weaves over to where you’re lying. Baizhu presses his hand on your forehead to check your temperature. You open your eyes and look at Baizhu with bleary eyes. You rub your eyes, attempting to rub the sleep away.

“I didn’t get to check up on your condition, but how are you feeling right now since the last check-up?” Baizhu asks.

You sit up and give him a sleepy smile. “I’ve been okay. There are no headaches or migraines. I feel fine,” you said.

You hear your mom calling your name from downstairs. You scramble out of your bed and quickly walk out of your room and down the stairs. After you leave your room in a hurry, the men look at each other quizzically and fall silent. They stand by the door and listen. When you get downstairs, you see your mom standing in the kitchen, her hands propped on her hips, holding something in her hand. You cautiously approach your mom, and she gives you a dissatisfied look.

“[Y/N]. Your university sent us an email regarding your grades this week and….” Your mom trails off.

You make a face, confused that your university would send home a mail regarding your grades in the university. You know you’re passing, or at least the last time you checked, you were doing okay. You weren’t behind on any assignments because you checked to make sure you didn’t have any work that was missing. Plus, the men made sure you checked on your grades periodically. 

“And?” You ask, waiting for her to finish her sentence.

Your mom hands you the paper, propping her hands on her hips. “You’re doing decent in school, but it’s not the best like your uncle’s daughter,” she says, “you’re doing fine in school, but she’s doing way better at her university.”

Ah. There it is. The comparison starts now.

You pinch the bridge of your nose and sigh. “Mom, what’s important is that I’m passing, right? I’m not flunking out of university. My highest GPA in the previous quarter was 3.9 GPA, and my GPA alone earns me a spot on the Dean’s List, mom. Isn’t that enough?” You ask.

She shakes her head, gnawing on the inside of her cheek. “3.9 GPA is good, but did you know your cousin has been getting a 4.0 GPA every quarter at her university? She’s also in the honors program, [Y/N]. You’re not in the honors program.”

“So what? My GPA is slightly below hers! Is she being in the honors program more important?” You ask.

Your face is starting to feel hot. It wasn’t from embarrassment. It was from anger and frustration. You returned to your world not long ago, and you’re already being compared to your perfect cousin who’s good at everything. You study hard in school for yourself, not for some imaginary competition where your parents pit you against your cousin. Your cousin doesn’t care about the dumb little competition; she does well in school, and you’re proud of her! She’s also proud of you for doing well in school. She would often reassure you that she doesn’t see you as an academic competition. 

Your mom snatches the letter out of your hands and slams it on the countertop. “Yes, it’s a big deal that your cousin is in the honors program! Because she’s in the honors program and has a 4.0 GPA, do you know how many scholarships she has earned from her achievements?!” Your mom exclaims.

You laugh bitterly. “Mom, you know she and I don’t see each other as competition, right? The only people that see it as a competition are you, dad, and her parents. It’s weird to pit your children against each other,” you said. “This is how you cause rifts in families. You’re pitting me against her, and her parents are pitting her against me. She’s happy that I’m doing well in school, and I’m glad that she’s doing well in school.”

Your mom rolls her eyes and gestures for you to leave her sight. Before you leave the kitchen, you grab a water bottle from the fridge and walk back upstairs to your room. Upon hearing you coming up the stairs, the men quickly scramble around the room, trying to act like they weren’t eavesdropping on your and your mom’s conversation the entire time. 

You grab the doorknob to your room and open the door, squeezing the water bottle before shutting the door behind you. Without saying a word, you open the water bottle and chug the water, trying to distract yourself from the previous conversation you had with your mother. 

Al Haitham approaches you cautiously while you continue to chug the water. “Are you alright, [Y/N]?” Al Haitham asks, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder.

You finish your water, crush the plastic bottle in your hand and toss it into the nearby trash can. “Yeah, I’m fine! It’s just another typical conversation with my mom,” you said humorlessly.

Pantalone bites his lips before asking, “How often do your parents pester you about your grades?” 

You snort. “When do my parents never pester me about anything?” You ask, plopping down on the edge of your bed. “Sorry if any of you hear my and my mom’s conversation. I guess the longer we’re here, the more you will see what I deal with almost every day.”

“Do you want us to get rid of the problem?” Capitano asks.

You blink at the masked (?) man, shaking your head slowly. You know what Capitano was implying, and as tempting as that sounds, you don’t want them to get in trouble because of you. Plus, getting rid of your parents, aunt, and uncle isn’t going to do anything. All it will do is cause issues that are bigger than it already is.

Dainsleif glares at Capitano. “You shouldn’t imply murdering your significant other’s parents, Harbinger,” Dainsleif hisses. 

“Oh, please. I wasn’t implying murder; I was simply implying that we should talk with [Y/N]’s parents about comparing them to their cousin. They’re creating a rift between them and [Y/N],” Capitano says, brushing Dainsleif’s response off.

Scaramouche raises his eyebrows at the Harbinger and crosses his arms over his chest. “You? Having a reasonable conversation with [Y/N]’s parents? That’s something out of the ordinary for someone like you,” Scaramouche says, smirking with amusement.

Childe laughs nervously, nudging Scaramouche in the ribs with his elbow. “What Scaramouche mean is that we shouldn’t get rid of the people in [Y/N]’s life. Especially when that person is [Y/N]’s family member,” Childe says, pressing his lips into a thin line afterward.

You lie on your bed and throw your blanket over your body. You don’t want the men to see what you have to deal with every day before being thrown into their universe. It’s humiliating. You don’t care if your siblings see your parents tell you you’re not good enough; they’ve witnessed it many times throughout your lives. You don’t want your boyfriends to see how your parents treat you because it’s embarrassing. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Aether asks, sitting beside you while caressing your face.

You give Aether a weak smile and shake your head. “I don’t want to talk about it right now, Aether. It’s embarrassing,” you murmur.

“Hey, just to let you know, we’re incredibly proud of you and your achievements. Please don’t compare yourself to anyone, ever,” Tighnari says, giving your bicep a comforting squeeze.

You give Tighnari a strained smile. “Thank you, Tighnari. I’ll try not to compare myself to other people. It’ll be hard because my parents do it to me almost every day,” you mutter.

“You’re more than enough. Don’t forget that, alright?” Thoma asks, giving you a sympathetic smile.

You cover your face with your hand. “Stop, you guys are going to make me cry,” you grumble, rolling over on your stomach and burying your face into your bed. 

Crying is the last thing you want to do. You appreciate the men comforting you and reassuring you that you’re more than enough. But seeing the amount of support you receive from the men you love is overwhelming in a good way. You love and appreciate them so much. They have always been there for you through your brightest and darkest days, providing you safety and solace. 

Diluc pushes through the men and lies beside you, pulling you into his arms and caressing your hair. You bury your face into Diluc’s neck, trying your best to hold back your tears. You want to go home. You don’t want to be in your world anymore. What’s the point of returning to a place where you’re constantly unhappy? 

Diluc presses his lips against your forehead. “You’ll be okay. We won’t let anyone hurt you,” Diluc whispers, wiping a stray tear that made its way down your cheek.

“I want to go home,” you whisper, gripping Diluc’s shirt tightly. “I don’t want to be here anymore. Why should I stay in a place where I’m always unhappy?” You murmur, clenching your teeth.

Albedo sighs and clenches his hands into fists. “We’ll figure something out. Trust me, we don’t want to stay in a place where we see you suffer either,” Albedo says.

“You’re doing well in your world. You’re on the Dean’s List with a 3.9 GPA, and we’re proud of you and your achievements here and back in Teyvat,” Al Haitham says, reaching down and stroking your hair.

You snort and roll over on your back, staring at the ceiling. You bite your lips, and tears continue to pool in your eyes, cascading down your face. “I may be doing well in school, but according to my parents, I’m not doing well if we compare it to my cousin’s GPA,” you whisper.

You wipe your tears away and sit on your bed. Before Al Haitham can sit beside you to comfort you, Kaveh shoves him to the side and takes the empty spot next to you. Kaveh pulls you onto his lap and hugs you tightly, ignoring the scowl Al Haitham shoots in his direction. Kaveh rests his chin on your head, swaying to the side.

“Your parents don’t deserve you. None of them do,” Kaveh whispers.

You bury your face into Kaveh’s neck. All you want to do is return to the abode and get away from the people that put you down. You never expect to return back to your world so suddenly. You assume a portal would open up, and you would get the option of whether you want to stay in Teyvat or return to your world. If you did have the opportunity, you would’ve chosen to remain in Teyvat forever. But alas, things are always unexpected and never go your way. 

The silence is broken when your phone chimes. You jump and twist your body to look at the now-illuminated screen of your phone. A package was delivered to your house just a few seconds ago, and the delivery man rang the doorbell to notify you and your family. You wipe the tears and get off Kaveh’s lap, rushing downstairs to grab the package before any of your neighbors decide to steal them like last time.

You stop in your tracks when you reach the last step of the stairs. Your dad closes the front door with packages in his hands. He looks at you and holds up the cardboard box. You press your lips into a thin line, watching him lock the front door.

Your dad sighs. “[Y/N], this is the eighth time you ordered something online. You need to learn how to save your money. Don’t buy stupid and useless things online,” your dad says sternly.

“Dad, I ordered these months ago. They finally arrived after a few months,” you explain.

Your dad shakes his head, pointing an accusing finger at you. “I don’t care if you ordered these things a few months ago. You need to stop wasting your money on stupid shit, or else you won’t have any money left,” he scolds you.

You didn’t respond. Your dad hands you your packages before dismissing you. You exhale through your nose and walk up the stairs. After arriving at your room, you slammed the doors behind you, tossed your package near the window nook, and plopped down on your bed. The men didn’t say anything, knowing that you didn’t want to talk about what happened downstairs. They all heard it. What’s there to explain?

You point at the packages near the window nook. “Those packages were actually late gifts for my parents and siblings. There was a production delay, and they pushed the shipping and delivery dates back by a few months. It finally arrived, only for my dad to tell me not to buy useless things and waste my money on stupid shit,” you whisper. 

You rest your head on Kaveh’s shoulders, letting him wrap his arms around you and press a gentle kiss on your head. You’re hoping this will be the last time you return to your world. If you return for the second time, you’ll make sure that it’s the last time you visit. You don’t want to stay in your world anymore. Your world isn’t home anymore. It doesn’t feel like home. Instead, it feels like an endless prison, an endless torture to your psyche. 

You no longer consider your world as your home. I mean, how can you call it home when you don’t feel welcome in it? Home is where you feel safe, accepted, and loved. Home is where you can live in peace without having to worry about being compared to someone you once grew up with. Home is with the twenty-five men in your bedroom, the same men who nursed you back to health and saved you from many near-death experiences, the ones that encourage you to do the things you love. 

“I’m never doing nice things for them ever again,” you whisper.

Cyno shakes his head. “Don’t. They don’t deserve you,” Cyno states.

Another few days go by, and you all fall into the routine of you hiding them and them sneaking in and out of your room when they need to stretch their legs. Because you and the men never left the house, there was no need for them to shower daily, and you had to wash and dry their clothes every day. You end up stealing some clothes from your brothers’ closet for the men to wear temporarily while their clothes and undergarments are being washed and dried.

Now, here you are, watching Netflix with the men lounging around you. Some are asleep on the floor, and at the window nook, while some are reading the books and mangas they took from your bookshelf. Your head was on Pantalone’s chest, and your legs tossed over Dottore’s lap when you heard a knock on your bedroom door. Everyone around you freezes while you grab your remote and pause the show on your TV.

“Who is it?” You call out, getting off your bed and looking at the men anxiously.

“[Y/N], Jacob is here to visit you. He said he wanted to talk to you,” your sister, Alice, says from behind the door.

Hearing the familiar name made your heart want to fall out of your ass. 

“Who’s Jacob?” Venti mouths to the men in the room.

Heizou looks at you closely and then at Venti. “I think Jacob is the name of [Y/N]’s ex-boyfriend. You know, the one that was married the entire time,” Heizou whispers to Venti.

“What’s he doing here?” Ayato mutters, shutting the book and putting it back on the shelf.

You clear your throat loudly. “Tell Jacob to fuck off. I don’t want to see him or hear whatever excuses he’s trying to come up with,” you said sternly.

Alice groans and smacks the door. “[Y/N], just do it! Brandon is waiting outside for me in his car! You and Jacob can have a screaming match once I leave, alright? Mom, dad, Andrew, and Alex aren’t home,” Alice says.

You poke the inside of your cheek, your hands prop on your hips as you listen to your sister walk down the stairs. You turn to the men, gesturing for them to give you a moment before walking out of your bedroom and closing the door behind you. There stood Jacob, standing near the entrance of your room. 

“What do you want?” You roll your eyes. “And make it quick because the quicker we get through this, the quicker you leave,” you said.

Jacob approaches you and stands before you, gazing at you sadly. “Babe, do you not miss me?” He asks.

You raise an eyebrow at him and laugh sarcastically. “Oh? You’re still calling me babe? Did you forget that I’m not your babe, Jacob? I never was your babe,” you spat, taking a step back.

Jacob ignores your comment and caresses your face. “I missed you during training, you know? Not being able to see you and visit you because of how far I was,” he murmurs.

You smack Jacob’s hands away from your face. “Don’t touch me. The only person you should be touching is your wife, not some random person you decided to cheat on your wife with,” you hiss.

“Babe,” Jacob pleads.

You shake your head stubbornly. “Leave, now! I don’t want to see your face ever again!” You demand, pointing toward the stairs.

Jacob grabs your wrist and pulls you toward him. You shove him away, accidentally shoving yourself against the door to your room. Before Jacob can say anything, the door to your room flies open, and you feel someone pressing their chest against your back.

“Who the fuck are you people?” Jacob demands, glaring at the group of men crowding at the door. 

“Who we are is none of your business,” Zhongli states, glaring at the man standing before you.

”You either leave [Y/N]’s house unscathed, or you leave [Y/N]’s house with a broken nose. Your choice,” Xiao says.

Jacob scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest. “Oh? Are you going to harm [Y/N]’s boyfriend now?” Jacob demands.

“Eh!? Boyfriend!? Last time we checked, [Y/N] dumped your pathetic ass a few months ago! Now, leave and never come back,” Itto says, glaring at the tan man in front of him. 

Capitano and Pierro step forward, blocking you from Jacob’s eyes. Jacob clenches his hands into fists before storming out of the house, with Capitano and Pierro following after him to make sure he actually leaves. You rub your temples and let Kaeya wrap his arms around you, rubbing your back. After what happened, the painful headache soon returned. You wrap your arms around Kaeya’s slim waist and bury your face into his chest, trying your best not to let it show.

“Let’s take your mind off that, shall we?” Kaeya murmurs, pulling you toward your bed and laying down with you on his chest.

“We might as well get some rest. That ex-boyfriend of yours is very draining,” Pierro says gruffly upon entering the room with Capitano beside him. 

Pantalone nods. “The one that is in need of sleep is [Y/N],” Pantalone says, gesturing over to where you and Kaeya lie.

Everyone is situated in their spots, getting ready to go to sleep. Even though it was only six in the afternoon, everyone continued to lie in their temporary beds in your room to get some rest. Your vision soon blurs, and you fall asleep in Kaeya’s arms. 

You’re rudely awoken from your sleep to the sound of an alarm blaring in your ears, making you jump out of your skin and scramble to shut the alarm while it’s still dark in your room. After turning the alarm off, you squint and rub your swollen eyes.

“I never knew you set the alarm to be that loud, [Y/N],” you hear Kazuha says groggily. 

You stretch your arms in the air and yawn. “How else was I supposed to get up for school?” You ask, getting up to open the curtains to your room.

When you pull the curtains open, you’re greeted by a familiar sight. Your eyes widen, and your head snaps in the men’s direction, who are scattered around your room, slowly coming to their consciousness. 

“Oh, finally! We’re back in Teyvat,” Gorou cries out happily, sprawled out on the ground before yawning into the palm of his hands.

Dottore stands up and looks over at Albedo, who looks discombobulated. “Yes, we’re back in Teyvat, but unfortunately, we don’t know how it happened,” Dottore sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

You collapse on your bed, letting Kaeya wrap his arms around you and pull you to his chest. “I’m glad we’re back home,” you murmur sleepily.

Home.

You and your twenty-five boyfriends are all finally home. Finally, in the comfort of your home in Teyvat, where no one can bother you, downgrade your achievements by comparing yourself to someone else’s accomplishments. You feel safe in the presence of the men around you. The men who will never compare you to other people, the men who cherish you, celebrate your achievement, and build you up. You’re finally home with the men who loves you, the men who deserve you. Your family did not deserve you, nor did your ex-boyfriend.

Home.

You’re finally home.

Note: Next week is going to be another request! I'm trying to get through requests while dealing with university stuff 💀 I notice that some of the things in my inbox are disappearing as well 🧍🏻‍♀️ I might open the inbox again, but I'm not entirely sure when I'll be able to do that. Maybe around March or late March? Who knows. My fics on AO3 are also only visible to those who are registered users on AO3, but I'm hoping to make them visible to everyone else very soon. Maybe once my winter quarter ends, or something. Or when it's close to ending. I'm closing my taglist very soon! I'm about to reach tagging limits on Tumblr, so, if you want to be on the taglist, the Google form is right [here]. Please make sure that you allow people to mention you/tag you in posts, or else I won't be able to tag you in any future fanfics! As usual, I ONLY post on my Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and my AO3 (Aaliah_exo)! Nowhere else except Tumblr and AO3!

Taglist for my Isekai'd!Reader one-shot series and my overall taglist: @chirikoheina, @yoru-trash, @kaoyamamegami, @kwelibeeery, @deartoru, @luminarymoonlight, @toobytub, @ins4nebish, @bokuto-kinnie, @honeybedo, @exhaustedcommunist, @jadedist, @mompt2, @chalksdreams, @thelost-in-time, @ventisweetheart, @hispasian-otaku, @juuuuuj101010, @alteeeeyang, @samarill, @irisxiel, @kazuhaprnt, @lunarapple, @urlocalhothuman, @emilymikado, @vinnie-w, @n8mareee, @bajifairyy, @heyimkay, @milkpeanuts476, @eliciana, @blesstosuisen, @goldeneclipsedragon, @jjvr4yxc, @sovermike-21-blog, @vox34, @wynncrites, @skyyyyackerman, @undecidingfate, @nightlysunn, @faeryminnyx (Accounts that I was unable to tag have been removed. Those who don't want to be tagged in certain stories are not tagged in this particular post. Remember to check your settings if you're allowing people to mention you/tag you in posts or not)

Read more of my works on my Masterlist | Maybe support me by tipping me on Ko-Fi or by reblogging my fanfics! ^^ I will also be posting exclusive fanfics on Ko-Fi as well very soon! I might post all of my stories on there too, but who knows. You can also tip me on Tumblr if you'd like as a way to show support! ^^

[lynzine]

NaNoWriMo Alternatives

If you know what's happening (and has happened last year with NaNo) I want to offer some alternatives that people are working on to keep the event while ditching the organization.

@novella-november

I may reblog this post as I learn more but there are two right off the bat!

If you don't know why I feel the need to advocate for alternatives I will be getting into the second issue (not the triggering scandal last year) below the break.

(Long story short: On top of last year's scandal... they now have an AI sponsor. Which is a big red flag for me and feels like they are looking for content to train their AIs on as well as new consumers. What better place than thousands of unpublished novelists working on completing a novel in a month?)

(PS If you reblog... I don't need details of last year's scandal... please.)

-

Hi everyone, if you've been with me for a while you might know I'm a fan fo NaNoWriMo... The event, no longer the organization. I was wary... but willing to see how new policies and restructuring shook out after the major scandal last year (if you aren't aware, I won't be going into the details here, but you may find them triggering).

It's this second issue that I feel that I can actually speak on... Because NaNoWriMo has a new sponsor... and that sponsor is AI.

When I first heard that NaNo was okay with AI, I was wary but... not too upset. After all, NaNo's big thing for a long time was just "Just write" basically however you had too, whatever tools you need. I know that there are AIs designed to aid with grammar and clarity. And that seemed... if not fine, than understandable. NaNo (for me) is a major source of motivation and I could completely understand why NaNo wouldn't want wins invalidated because they used some kind of AI to help them along. Then I found out that NaNo picked up an AI sponsor and that completely changed the story for me. It went from the people NaNo served... to supporting one of the organizations that might be ripping off writers.

As I've said in the notes of my fics when I reluctantly took steps to protect my work from AIs like ChatGPT, putting my work in an AI is essentially monetizing my work without reimbursing me and other writers and undercutting jobs in writing that people like me truly want. I don't know what this sponsor's actual AI is like. But it is a massive red flag that they are sponsoring an organization that's focused on an event that generates thousands of potential books to train their AI on.

NaNo's official stance is "We also want to be clear in our belief that the categorical condemnation of Artificial Intelligence has classist and ableist undertones, and that questions around the use of AI tie to questions around privilege." NaNo is experiencing a lot of backlash.

I will be hoping that one of the alternatives are up and running come November.

[aziraphales-library]

Hi!! Do you have any good streamer AU recs? I'm a sucker for a good streamer AU. Preferably one where Crowley and Beelzebub are friends. Thank you!!

We have youtuber fics here on our #social media tag, so check those out. Here are a few more...

Of Love and Loss (RIP Ms Beakman) by lucky_spike (T)

Crowley is a little bored now that he is no longer on Hell's payroll. He finds something else to do. Aziraphale is supportive.

My Love to Keep Me Warm by slateblueflowers (T)

The January after the apocalypse doesn't happen, Aziraphale and Crowley get a little restless and decide to challenge each other to a contest: who can take the other on the best human (winter-time) date? To the victor go the bragging rights! Watch the dates on Aziraphale's YouTube channel. Who do you think wins? ------ Date #1: An Old Favourite. Channel: Aziraphale Fell’s YouTube Channel. Views: 8 • January 3 Likes: 7 Dislikes: 1 Share | Save | Report [A man withdraws hands from the camera lens and crouches over, revealing a shock of unruly blond hair, a gleeful smile, and rosy cheeks. He steps back and turns to face a man leaning insouciantly against a kitchen countertop.]

i am just the (new invention) by littlesnowpea (T)

A list of hobbies Crowley has picked up over the past 6000 years: -gardening -cooking -fashion -pining for Aziraphale -making YouTube videos A list of hobbies Aziraphale has picked up over the past 6000 years: -reading -book restoration -music -pining for Crowley -commenting on Crowley’s YouTube videos When Aziraphale starts giving Crowley flowers, Crowley takes to his YouTube channel to discuss the meaning behind it, where Aziraphale comments encouragement to confess his feelings – under an alias, of course. There is absolutely no way any of this could ever go wrong.

The Tenant by MarisFerasi (E)

They Were Roommates Human AU Trope set during Lockdown 2020: Crowley got kicked out by an ex a few months ago and has couch surfed his last wave of his few friends' benevolence. He finds a listing for a bedsit in Soho and goes to check out the place, and finds the fussy little angel of a landlord quite charming indeed. He moves in and they quickly become friends, but both desire more and pining ensues. The real issues begin when Crowley loses his main job during major cutbacks because of the pandemic, and has to rely on his side hustle of online sex work to pay the rent, and Zira finds out. What will happen? Will the two part ways? Will Zira ask Crowley to leave when he finds out his "dirty little secret"?

Changing of the Seasons by AppleSeeds (T)

Confined to his bookshop, Aziraphale joins a virtual training session about urban foraging led by botanist and natural wellbeing practitioner Anthony Crowley, and feels some relief from his anxiety for the first time since lockdown began. After that, he watches every video Crowley has posted online, but will he ever get up the courage to actually interact with him? After all, Crowley keeps giving him opportunities to do so... Perhaps once the lockdown is over, some one-to-one nature-based relaxation therapy might be just what Aziraphale needs?

Talk about the weather by nightbloomingcereus (M)

Television meteorologist Aziraphale Fell and Youtube storm chaser A. J. Crowley have nothing in common aside from a purely professional interest in the weather and a mutually beneficial arrangement to lend a hand when needed. So what if they bicker and flirt more than your typical professional acquaintances, or if their arrangement inevitably veers into more personal territory? It's not as if they're in love or anything. Absolutely not.

- Mod D

[sitp-recs]

Also I went through your entire fake dating reclist cuz it’s one of my favorite tropes of all time I’m an absolute sucker for it and now idk what to do with myself 😭

Love that for you anon! And since you love it so much, here’s a part 2 with more recs. To anyone who’s interested, the original fake dating reclist is here. Its from early 2021 so this one has more recent fics and two old ones. Enjoy anon! 🥰

Snow On Snow by @tackytigerfic (2021, T, 1k)

Harry and Draco were deep undercover in Europe, and had to pretend to be a couple. When everything went wrong, they got out by the skin of their teeth. Little did they know they'd be stuck spending Christmas together in a Ministry safe house in Muggle Edinburgh. And that's where our story picks up.

Game On by @pennygalleon (2021, T, 5k)

Draco blows Harry a kiss and the press goes nuts. Harry suggests they use this to their advantage.

Yours Truly by @skeptiquewrites (2022, M, 15k)

Every single one of Harry’s exes has gone on to marry the next person they date, and with the upcoming nuptials of numbers six and seven to each other, Harry’s feeling exhausted by it all. It doesn’t really matter if he lets people assume Draco Malfoy is his boyfriend for a moment of peace. In any case, Draco’s been away for five years and there’s no way he would find out, right?

Drawing Down The Moon by scoradh (2006, E, 20k) - Cw: major character death

After breaking up with Blaise, a drunken Draco begs Harry Potter for help in winning him back. In a fit of misguided philanthropy (plus one or two ulterior motives) Harry agrees. In the midst of the ensuing chaos, at least one person falls in love.

Historians by Anonymous (2022, E, 30k)

It’s the Dumbledore’s Army Reunion Holiday, and Harry’s found himself in hot water with his friends once again, after telling them he has a boyfriend he definitely does not have. In an attempt to fix things, he’s made it his colleague on Level Nine, Draco Malfoy’s problem too. Featuring a ski chalet in Switzerland, a pair of bunk beds, and an agreement that should’ve been simple, were it not for all the bloody feelings getting in the way.

What You Do With Your Life, A.H.K.B.C.B. (After the Hero Kills the Batshit Crazy Bastard) by oldenuf2nb (2008, E, 39k)

Draco Malfoy had waited years in hope of seeing Harry Potter utterly humiliated....

Thine Enemy is Sweet by @xx-thedarklord-xx (2019, E, 53k)

A story featuring a ragtag team of morons, bickering enemies that can't agree on anything, a heist that surely won't end well and a connection that neither Harry or Draco can deny.

Fire Meet Gasoline by Anonymous (2022, E, 62k)

When Draco’s anger management issues land him in St Mungo’s, he thinks his Quidditch career is over. But Harry, A&E Healer and notorious workaholic, is faced with a similar predicament. To save their jobs, the two of them decide to fake a relationship. All they have to do is convince their friends and employers… and not fall in love in the process. Simple, right?

Loverboys by @corvuscrowned (2021, E, 84k)

As post-war violence and tensions rise, it seems as if there’s no hope to unify the wizarding world. Except, maybe, a manufactured relationship between resident Saviour Harry Potter and known purveyor of the Dark Arts Draco Malfoy. (The fact that they detest each other is beside the point.)

Chasing Dragons by @the-sinking-ship (2021, E, 98k)

Draco can think of only one way to outclass his pleat-front-khaki-wearing politician ex, and that’s by making headlines with an obvious upgrade. And who better to upstage the cheating bastard than the Saviour of the World, Harry Potter himself? Sure, Potter is a little rough around the edges in ripped jeans, a rumpled tartan shirt, and a permanent scowl. Draco reckons a haircut and a shave wouldn’t hurt, either. But Potter is also in need of a Healer willing to keep his secrets, and Draco is just the man for the job.

[naivesilver]

AU masterpost to keep myself (and everyone else) from getting lost

So since apparently I can't stop creating New Things, I thought I could compile a comprehensive list of all tags and links to keep within reach for a change ✨I'll make sure to update it as I post more/already existing stuff grows content-wise

(Actual list under the cut obviously)

Once Upon A Time AUs

Thousand Problems Verse: The AU where Geppetto never sent his son through the wardrobe and Pinocchio was therefore hit by the curse like everyone else, destined to deal with his fairytale-esque issues alongside the more mundane ones you'd expect from a Storybrooke teenager.

Series on Ao3 - Tumblr main tag - Pinocchio's friends tag - Grace's clique tag - Parents tag

Ever After Storybrooke: OUAT/Ever After High fusion where the EAH protagonists are the children of the OUAT fairytale characters instead. Cedar Wood focused.

Tumblr tag

Stray Saplings: Originally an offshoot of the Pinocchio Swap, where every version of Pinocchio inexplicably switched universe overnight, now a self-indulgent take on August having to navigate being the (gasp) responsible adult for a few of his most traumatized counterparts

Tumblr tag

Appalachian Wine: Eliana is the Blue Fairy's biological daughter, but more importantly, she's August's older sister, and that doesn't bode well for anyone - especially her mother.

Tumblr main tag (with storyline fics) - Eliana tag

TMNT AUs

Shaking The Latch: 2003/Rise crossover where freshly mutated Lou Jitsu falls into the 2003 TMNT universe with his very young sons and gets to meet four more of them (older, brasher and way too enthusiastic about babysitting), plus himself 2.0 (and isn't that the scariest prospect).

Ao3 link - Tumblr tag

Sonic AUs

Salvector AU: Italian classic Inspector Montalbano, but with Sonic characters. Chief of Vigata City police Vector has to investigate the bizarre murder of Dr Starline, even after all suspects seem to fall on the scientist's uncommon ward.

Ao3 link - Tumblr tag

Belle & The Gang: Instead of taking Belle back to the Restoration HQ after rescuing her, the Chaotix take her in. Disaster ensues, but maybe there's space for some healing, too.

Series on Ao3

Miscellanea AUs

Frater Meus (Lies of P videogame): Post Real Boy ending. Carlo, recently resurrected, uses his influence to bring Romeo and P back to his side, one angry but uncertain about the best course of action, the other in a shape that suits the nature of his original creation - a scared child who got his heart ripped out. In a city still in shambles, with a son that aches for his younger brother, Geppetto really should sleep with an eye open.

Series on Ao3

Sunset/Spring (Pokemon Legends Arceus): Akari, the girl from the future, is not half-grown and capable of pulling her own weight, but a small child with no memory whose presence cannot be explained. Just what is Arceus' plan, exactly?

Series on Ao3

Signs (Disney Descendants): Lampwick finds his way back to Pinocchio before the Isle of the Lost is sealed, and they build their own family from then on, old grudges be damned.

Series on Ao3

Baby Cedar & Uncle Wick (Ever After High): Cedar Wood's childhood and growth, surrounded by a doting grandfather, a protective father and a "friend" of her father's who is not always the best of influences.

Series on Ao3 - Tumblr ficlet #1 - Tumblr ficlet #2

[darksidesuguru]

hi >:)

3, 17, and 18 plz and thank uuu 🫵😈

thank u for the inaugural ask <3333

3. What would be your cursed technique/domain expansion in JJK?

"I'll go easy on you" *asks me this question* Okay so I actually have a self-insert JJK character, her name is Ren and she's Grade 1. The problem is, I am having so much trouble coming up with a cursed technique that isn't cringy as hell. I'm a very musical person so I was thinking something to do with music or sound - like a siren song that can manipulate others to bend to her will or a high-frequency pitch that immobilizes opponents. But hey, I'm here for the trauma, not the fight scenes, and I can barely follow the cursed technique jargon, so. I'll keep working on it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

17. Match your favorite JJK character with a song.

Now this, I can answer. Gojo is my favorite JJK character (if you couldn't tell) because I'm basic like that. But we also have so much in common it continues to astound me. We both push ourselves to be the best because we know it's our responsibility to do so, and if we aren't the best, then we're aren't worth anything. People think we're assholes but it's all part of our defense mechanisms, and if you look past the flippant exterior, we are hopeless optimists. We both care deeply for our friends/family and want the best for them--even those of them that have forsaken us. Which leads me to my last point: the abandonment issues. Anyway. I am Gojo, Gojo is me, etc etc. There are so many songs that could work here but my song for Gojo since I joined the fandom has been Eyes Closed by Imagine Dragons. At first it reminded my of him just because the main lyric is "I could do this with my eyes closed," which. He literally can, but. I kept listening and the lyrics just keep on going--"I was born I was made for this" (he was literally raised to be the strongest and nothing else) -- ""lock me up inside a cage, just throw away the key don't worry about me" (the whole sealing thing and the fact the Gojo sacrificed himself so those he loved could survive) -- "killed and resurrected cause I'll never be dead" (okay maybe I just wish he was still alive, rip). But sometimes I let myself have a little "Gojo is the strongest and everyone lives happily ever after," as a treat.

18. Share a headcanon about your favorite character.

Okay so it's Gojo yap hours ig @supportingwomenswrongs i scrolled all the way through our texts to try to find a good one because suddenly my head is empty So one that's more canon than headcanon is that Gojo collects strays. And I will also reference punk baby: revival here because that one does the strays thing so well. But yeah, canonically Gojo takes in Megumi and Tsumiki but I love the headcanon that he takes in Inumaki as well, and anyone else who needs guidance. He has such a caring soul and is trying to fill a void by helping these kids and I'm obsessed with that idea. But something that I totally made up on my own? Well @supportingwomenswrongs you know this one already, it's that Gojo is weirdly good at massages. He's probably touched starved yeah but he's also dextrous and fidgety and has huge hands and long fingers and knows a lot about physicality so I headcanon that he's good with his hands and... Where was I going with this? Oh yeah, he gives a mean massage after a hard mission. I know there's a fic out there with Geto giving Gojo a massage but I think it could work really well the other way around too.

(from this post)

[good-beanswrites]

Director's commentary for "I prefer to not be disturbed"?

Starting here, perhaps, since the fic is over 500 words.

Kotoko grits her teeth. She doesn’t plan on harming Amane as she did the others

Aw yeah! This is definitely one that doesn't quite stand up to canon anymore, but my justifications for little details still hold up!! Thanks pal :3

Kotoko grits her teeth. She doesn’t plan on harming Amane as she did the others -- she would never raise a hand to a child (despite what she told her about avoiding special treatment.) Still, the girl needs to be taught a lesson. Kotoko is a vessel for justice. She has been chosen. She will not be turned away so easily.

*siiiigh* So I did think Kotoko had it in her to attack Amane when I wrote this -- the problem was, the original ask had a lighthearted/comedic tone, and I wanted to go for a lighthearted/comedic tone. And. There's no way to casually drop child abuse in a comedy piece. I had to find a compromise for this piece, and this was my solution 😅 I thought it would work to have Kotoko threaten Amane that she wouldn't hold back because she's a child, but deep down Kotoko knows she couldn't really do it.

(And as much as I enjoy reading Kotoko as she will justify any means to the ends, to be fair, this could still be true to canon -- she could have just told Es those things to keep up her reputation, but we don't know what she'd actually do under pressure...)

“Momose Aman--”

The door opens a crack from the other side.

I rarely write in present tense but sometimes it just really works. I tried it out for the urgency and action of this one, and thought it fit well. And then proceeded to mess up the tense every other sentence. I think I caught them all by the time I posted it...

"I prefer not to be disturbed."

Amane looks up, her expression making it clear she has already been disturbed. Kotoko’s fierce red eyes are startled by the gaze looking up at her.

There's nothing scarier than a righteous twelve year old that you've upset -_-

“Well,” Kotoko shifts so she can see the blood that flecks her clothes. She can get a good look at her boots, and her raw knuckles. Amane sizes her up, her purpose becoming clear. “I --”

“You will need to come back later.”

Kotoko's brow furrows. She doesn’t have time to come back later. She can already hear Kazui collecting himself from where she’d left him with Fuuta. She wasn't prepared for any of this.

Can you 'hear' someone collecting themself? Probably not, but I kept bumping into the problem where Kotoko needed to know time was running out without Kazui directly charging at her 😅 I liked the idea of an incredibly efficient Kotoko, that she'd be a bit frazzled when things don't go according to her meticulous plan. As adaptable as she seems, I bet she thinks far enough ahead to plan for any derailment..... and this was not one she expected. I liked the humor in Amane instantly throwing Kotoko off of literally everything she'd prepared.

“Er... You have been named guilty. Your...” She clears her throat. “Milgram has named you guilty of an unforgivable murder.”

“Milgram is wrong.”

Amane’s voice is unwavering. Her eyes went from mild frustration to a pinpointed rage.

(RIP I didn't catch all the tense issues.... I actually think this was meant to be "had gone" and I thought I could swap it with the less wordy "went" since her expression changed while Kotoko was talking, not after Amane's line. Anyway.)

Kotoko had just listened to Mahiru’s cries that this was all a mistake, though the woman accepted her judgment quickly. She’d heard Fuuta’s excuses and denials, showing nothing but an immature rejection of what he’d done. But the way that Amane rejected her verdict, Kotoko was actually inclined to believe her.

No, she would not be mislead. She was not mistaken. She was here to bring only righteousness. She was here to administer punishments.

I enjoyed the idea of all the guilties having similar excuses that "Milgram got it wrong, I did nothing wrong", but Amane is the only one who truly believes it. (I think out of everyone, she's really the only one with absolutely no doubt in her mind that she's in the wrong.) Because she believes it's the truth as she says it, it makes it convincing to others as well.

“I am here to--”

“-- you are here to disturb me. I refuse to be taken from my studies.”

Amane squares her shoulders. She starts rolling up her sleeves.

Kotoko knows better than to mess with a young woman with that kind of fire in her eyes.

Now we have Lucky, but at the time I was just thinking about Kotoko herself. She remembers a time when she was that age, likely with similar drive and anger. She knows the kind of damage she could have caused at that age, and doesn't want to test that out with Amane.

Also, I think it's pretty 50/50 of Amane actually mad about being interrupted and defending herself from a clear threat. She's letting Kotoko know she'll fight back, but she genuinely is very annoyed that her activity/focus was interrupted.

She gets the feeling that even if she doesn’t take things too far, Amane will. That was not part of her grand plan of delivering justice.

I tried to use loose wording here -- "even if," "wasn't part of her plan" -- to show that Kotoko is still very capable of attacking Amane, it's just not her plan at the moment.

She straightens. “...I understand.”

She hears Kazui is nearly recovered. She thinks she hears Shidou’s voice as well. Too much time has been spent here, with no easy resolution. There’s one more prisoner she must deliver punishment to -- one whose verdict was the absolute clearest to the warden. He should be her true priority.

I liked hearing theories about whether guilty ratio or just prisoner number affected Kotoko's order of attack (reference not intended), so I usually go with the idea that the voting ratio was reflected in Es' personality when they made the decision. The rest of the prison can tell that Es was most sure about Mikoto's guilty verdict, and least sure about Amane's, hence Kotoko's view that he was far more of a threat than her.

Kotoko steps back. “You will see the error in your ways in due time. But for now, I’ll leave you to it.”

Amane’s hard set expression doesn’t change. She gives a curt bow. “Or, perhaps you will. Thank you.”

Even when threatened, she remembers her manners ;-; I wanted this to be a funny line, of them pleasantly saying "thank you :) goodnight :)" after such an intense moment, but on a serious note, I think Amane is conditioned to use her manners in the face of even the meanest adults...

Kotoko doesn’t lose another moment hurrying to the neighboring cell. She spares a single glance over her shoulder. She just has to be sure those intense green eyes are off of her. Amane shoots her one more look before shutting the door.

After exhaling a little sigh -- not out of relief, if anyone were to ask -- she pounds three times on the next cell.

Although this line was mostly for a nice comedy ending, I do think out of everyone, Kotoko wouldn't underestimate her. She wouldn't necessarily be afraid like this, but she would 100% know to take the girl's anger and capability very seriously 👍

And I mentioned it in the tags of the original but I can definitely see Kazui and Shidou figuring out Kotoko's plan, finding the victims she left in the previous guilty cells, and bursting into Amane's cell to meet her Even Worse anger at being disturbed again, by Shidou of all people...

[1moreoffkeyanthem]

Uh oh it’s Unsolicited OJV Time again! (The wife is to blame) And you know what I wanna get into?! Why is it orange juice specifically?

So if you’re a regular in PCE Hell, you know the KMBS, the Kyle Mathew Broflovski Special of oj with seven ice cubes and a pinch of salt in a huge terrance and phillip cup, is the reason for which the series is named. But why did I pick that iconic (to me) beverage? Lemme tell ya!

(Under the cut bc of eating issue mention)

I’ve said before that the OrangeJuiceVerse wasn’t written in chronological order, and it will not be, bc I’m like “oh I have an idea for 30 yr old Stan!” and then “college main5 oneshot idea!” “Mid 20s style fic!” SMH I have put the fics in chronological order despite writing them all over the place, for the sake of a crumb of organization, but lord ok what I’m getting at here

So the first idea that wound up being the cornerstone of that au, the one that sat in my notes for so long, was Broken Bottles From Apartment 2. It’s a later ojverse timeline story (11th chronologically I think) but I posted it third. The first fic in that universe, A Fall In The Springtime (I hate that name btw I was trying to make a pun and it sucked rip), wasn’t even the first OJV story to curse ao3. I had written like the first half of the basketball game in ch 1 and I switched gears.

(Unsolicited PCE Lore time)

So during the era I was thinkin abt AFITS and BBFA2, I was also working as the prop master on a film. And I was really, really fucking stressed. I couldn’t eat or sleep and the only thing of any slight nutritional value that I could keep down was orange juice.

And ofc I was like you know who would absolutely have the same problem? Getting so stressed out that they can’t eat? Or won’t? Wendy Testaburger and Kyle Broflovski. So before the stories that were already in the notes for a hot minute got completed? Borrowed Hoodies And Orange Juice hit the shelves. And that detail of Stan keeping oj on standby in his backpack in case Kyle needs it, that felt right. And I carried that into the rest of AFITS.

That got posted a while before OJV was even solidified as the same universe in my mind, and imma be honest, I didn’t initially plan to have an aspect of it being Kyle as a former ed sufferer, but the more I developed him in bbfa2, the more it made sense for his character. So that stayed, even if it wasn’t even mentioned in that fic.

And the biggest kicker? The KMBS has been a staple for Kyle his whole life. His immune system is garbage. He gets sick a lot. Sheila always gave him orange juice with a little salt (for electrolytes) and at some point as he gets older and starts finding comfort in consistency (not this man and his borderline obsessive compulsive tendencies out here 8 years old delirious with the flu and paranoid as hell that if the juice isn’t in that t&p cup with EXACTLY seven ice cubes something bad will happen) BUT this breaks my heart bc when he’s in the trenches of his yeeting disorder he will not touch any liquid that isn’t water or black coffee. And on the rare occasion that he does have a lil juice bc he’s low and his whole life that’s his first instinct to get his blood sugar up? It has to be out of a prepackaged bottle. Not poured from a big carton into The Cup; he needs to see. And people in his life notice, and he’s like “yeah guess I grew out of it haha” oh my god that poor boy so the moment when Stan finds out about the ed, Stan Marsh, who has kept a bottle of minutemaid oj in his backpack since he knew what his best friend being diabetic meant, is with him in the locker room like okay Kyle gets low sometimes but he keeps an eye on his shit pretty well something’s wrong here and then Kyle’s looking at the goddamn nutrition info, still shaking, on the back of the bottle and it hits Stan like a brick to the face and THATS how he figured it out. For like fifteen years, long after Kyle recovered, that backpack bottle has the calorie count (Food Lore as Stan calls it) scribbled out. Just in case.

And it actually does take a while for Kyle to get to be okay with his favorite drink again. He associates it strongly with a chaotic carefree childhood and the ed developed with control as the root cause and anything associated with a time before that gives him a momentary panic. But only a few months out of restriction hell, you start to think “wait why did I think like that that’s fucking stupid” and he starts to have the default of laughing at the irrationality of it all pretty quickly. Stan doesn’t find it funny, Ike doesn’t find it funny, Sheila is on his ass about his eating habits until he’s 50, but Cartman roasts him for being a “stupid little rexie asshole” and Kyle takes comfort in at least one person not being overbearing about it. Stan doesn’t find that funny either.

So in the second ojv, Kyle proves to be really really awesome at comforting Wendy when she breaks down, because he’s been there. Kyle’s just good at comforting people in general, and that carries into his adult life and his career too. OJV Kyle is a middle school counselor. He’s helped a lot of students with a lot of different problems, but in particular, if a teacher notices a kid repeatedly avoiding lunch period and sends them his way, he has the experience tools to help them talk it out. And the minifridge under his desk? Guess what’s in there. ;)

*PastorCraigEnjoyer crawls back into her Cell to be the Comfort Dealer*

[selkies-world]

Can someone with child experience DM me??? There's a scene I'm writing which features an 8 - 12 year old girl (her age is still being decided, but rn she's 11 & that works for every other aspect of the story) and she goes into a flashback of severe trauma, and I'm just not sure how to make it seem less forced / staged. I have 0 experience with children of any age group, especially not traumatised ones. All I know is theoretical.

There's a very edited version of the first attempt at the scene with a lot of details redacted below the cut. Following that, there's a very edited, bare-bones version of the second attempt at the scene with the same details redacted.

If you DM me, I can tell you about the details - I just don't want to post them here because they contain 2 major plot-reveals.

[Please keep in mind this is for a piece of original writing which will be getting published as a book, so please don't steal / copy these scenes for fics. I have no issue with you taking inspiration from them, but remember there is a distinct difference between taking inspiration & copying directly. Please don't make me regret posting this by making it into a copyright nightmare. Just be respectful.]

Characters:

K (11, f)

L (26, m)

F (28, m)

P (21 - genderfluid)

J (25, m)

S (23, f)

The set-up:

F is K's guardian, though doesn't have full custody. F, S, J & P have lived together for years & K is used to seeing them all as her family unit, though F is her primary care person, guardian & main parental figure. L is new, and the other adults trust him, he is close to F. K does not feel close to L, but she tolerates his presence because she knows the rest of her family like him. Up until this point, L has been left unsupervised with K twice, and nothing bad has happened, though it was for much shorter time periods and there was always someone else within shouting distance. In the days leading up to this scene, he has noticed her behaving slightly differently than what he's grown used to seeing from her, but he isn't close enough to her to know or guess why.

L has 0 child experience.

The first attempt at the scene:

P & J have already gone out for the day. F and S say they're going out so L prepares to leave, but K refuses to go. F asks L to babysit - F & S won't be out long, anyway. The most L will have to do is make sure K doesn't burn the house down if she makes pancakes. L agrees, figuring an 11 year old who low-key loathes him will generally stay up in her room anyway & he won't actually have to act as an authority or as supervision. F & S leave.

Later, L hears a crash & goes to investigate, then finds out it came from K's room. He knocks & pushes the door open, & sees her bedroom is completely trashed- her jigsaws are thrown around & the pieces are lying all over the floor and surfaces, soft toys are lying on the floor, books are ripped, dolls are decapitated and scribbled on, baby dolls have been thrown at the walls & some have cracked, the mirror is broken, clothes are strewn from the closet all over the floor, there's blood on the wall from where cut hands were after coming into contact with the broken glass. K is curled up between her bed & a cabinet & is crying silently / possibly sobbing.

L approaches slowly, and notices the dolls have been mutilated - arms have been snapped off, heads have been turned, faces have been suffocated, legs have been broken off with their elastics hanging out of the joints, clothes have been ruined, ink and paint and blood are splattered across them all.

L sits down near the cabinet & observes the room from K's perspective & realises she destroyed the room & her toys in an outburst. Eventually after trying to wait her out, L asks what K remembered - he is aware she has PTSD, but all the adults had said she didn't remember her trauma.

K makes a statement about the pinnacle of the traumatic event she went through.

Hearing it out loud triggers her into saying it again & again, until she's shouting it. She also begins to scratch and claw at her skin and her hair.

L reaches out & pulls her out of the space she'd fit herself between the bed & cabinet because he thinks he's helping by preventing her using the bed or cabinet as tools to hit herself against if her behaviour were to escalate. K proceeds to scream at full volume & starts hitting & kicking him. L lets go, K doesn't expect it & begins to fall because of the momentum. The angle would have her hitting her head on the cabinet. L reaches out again to steady her, and proceeds to get kicked in the stomach & bitten. He backs off entirely, and can only watch as K proceeds to scream & cry & hit / punch / claw herself.

[CUT]

K is entering the numb / nonresponsive part of her episode. She looks at all the destruction in her room & her broken toys & starts to sob as she shuts down.

L approaches her slowly, and says her name until she reacts. When she does, she says she didn't mean to break the toys, and says they'll never be fixed. L says they can fix them, and it'll be OK. K repeats his words and he confirms the statement. Then she registers that her hands are cut, and holds them up to him - her palms are cut from broken glass, there's shallow cuts of her faces from her own scratching / hitting, and there's blood smeared all over her. L says he can fix that too, and takes the barely-responsive K through to the bathroom to try and DIY some first aid (he knows animal / vetenary first aid but not human first aid). K shuts down entirely & is mute & limp as L patches her back together, & stares through him when he speaks to her to try to engage her.

[CUT]

By the time F & S return, K is passed out on her favourite armchair in the den & L is on the couch. K is hugging the 1 doll L was able to mend entirely for her, though it's still very clear it was broken. K is very visibly bandaged together. F asks wtf happened, L recounts the event. S gets a blanket for K, and F & L go out the back to discuss it all so that F doesn't have to try to control his reaction. After his initial reaction, F goes on to tell L about K's trauma.

To me, this felt very forced, and relied too heavily on K trusting L to put her back together, which seemed unlikely after her outburst, and the amount she has been openly hostile / cold towards him up until this point. It also seemed like a helluva lot for F to come home to & a lot for L to explain, especially without K backing his story up.

Cue version 2:

P & J already left & are expected to be out all day. F, S, L & K are in the living room, K is playing on the floor & partially watching cartoons, L is getting low-key absorbed into the kids cartoon on screen. F & S go out, and it's only supposed to be for an hour, so L agrees to stay with K, who says she doesn't want to go out. F & S leave.

A while later, the cartoon ends & a news show comes on. K complains & L looks for a different cartoon or kids channel. He puts on another cartoon show, and K doesn't protest. As the theme tune starts, L sees K starting to mime / hum along to the lyrics & assumes she's enjoying it. He then notices her beginning to act bizarrely towards the doll she's playing with. When he asks what she's doing, she ignores him & continues humming along to the tune. She keeps humming the tune on a loop even after the theme tune stops & the cartoon starts. L gets worried & notices that K seems to be in a trance. He asks her to stop what she's doing to the doll, which she doesn't hear. He tries to redirect her attention, which she doesn't hear.

Finally, he crouches down on the floor and shakes her shoulder to try and get her attention, since he's getting very disturbed by what she's doing to the doll. K freezes & goes silent, and pauses the behaviour. L praises her & returns to his place on the couch & lightly says for her to watch the TV, but he is still uncomfortable when he looks at the doll.

K stays frozen for a few moments as she watches the screen, before L notices her starting to tremble. He asks what's wrong, and realises she's crying. She keeps shaking & drops the doll. K is staring through space, and then begins to scratch & claw at her neck, gasping & sobbing about how she can't breathe. She's kicking at the space in front of her & struggling as if she's being restrained. L tries to get her to speak, but as he watches how she's moving & behaving, he realises it was the same thing she had the doll do repeatedly a few moments before.

L turns the TV off & tries to help K, but she keeps kicking & clawing & fighting herself / the air, so L relents & sits back, but keeps talking to K. L has now realised K is going through a reenactment of her trauma - which she had previously done to her doll. He was aware of her PTSD but not of the trauma itself, but as he witnesses her relive it, he can make a pretty good guess at it.

When K finishes the reenactment, she shuts down & looks at the doll. She's out of breath & has cut herself with her nails, but doesn't seem to register any of it. Instead, she looks at the doll & cries because she thinks she ruined it. L redirects her to the kitchen, and puts food in front of her, but K doesn't respond or eat or drink.

[CUT]

When F & S get back, F sees the doll (which has been left behind as accidental evidence) & realises what happened, since he has seen K go through this before, though she hasn't had an episode in ages. He finds L & K out the back, with L trying to get K to make daisy chains because he couldn't think what else to do, though it's more L failing at making the chain & K staring through it. F goes into Dad Mode & deals with K appropriately according to what's worked in the past for her PTSD episodes.

[CUT]

Later that night, K is passed out on the couch with her doll & a Teddy & a blanket, since she didn't want to leave F's side all evening & fell asleep after dinner & F didn't want to risk waking her up by trying to carry her up to her room. L & F are in the kitchen, & L asks about the episode. F goes on to tell L about K's trauma.

Again, this one seemed to rely too much on K agreeing to stay home with L, though it seemed like a better option as it included L witnessing her initial trigger (the theme tune of the cartoon, which had been playing in the background when she had experienced the trauma initially), her unconcious response (reenact it on the doll), L's redirection attempt (touch her shoulder), & K's conscious response (reenact the trauma on herself / re-experience the trauma as if it was the initial event).

But it still feels quite forced, even though I think it's closer to a realistic trauma response (if it was a car crash, for example, and there was 1 song playing on the radio when the impact happened, K screamed as the car rolled & was awake but trapped in the backseat while her parents died in front of her - then her trauma response would be triggered by hearing the song again, which would result in her randomly screaming for her parents & trying to struggle against a non-existent seatbelt.) That was my logic for trying to figure out how she would need the triggering stimuli (theme tune) to make the trauma response start. I feel like this part was missing in the first version of the scene.

Additional information:

K is trusted to go out by herself, is often left unsupervised & is trusted to go over to her friends' by herself & return by herself

Her friends are rarely (if ever) supervised when they play outside & she is trusted to be with them & not get harmed or in danger or in trouble

My questions are:

She was hostile towards L upon first meeting him, & continued to be so for their next few interactions, especially when he accidentally offended her by being (unknowingly) insensitive towards F in front of her. F admonished her for it & they struck a deal, where K tolerates L without being openly hostile towards him, but doesn't have to pretend to like him

None of the characters have access to a phone for the duration of this scene, so L can't just phone F & ask wtf to do

Her trauma is NOT CSA

Do 11 year old girls even play with toys / dolls? This part of the scene came in when I had her written as 8 - I increased her age to 11 for the sake of how much freedom she is granted outside of the house, but I'm not sure what the new, age appropriate things would be for her to be doing when she begins to reenact / re-experience the trauma.

How do trauma responses in children work? Or how do PTSD episodes manifest / appear in children?

What should L be doing here? He has 0 experience with children of any age, and has only coaxed his own peers through anxiety / panic attacks in the past

How would K be behaving during a flashback? Would she be attacking herself, or L, or both? How should L be responding to each of these behaviours?

In contrast, what should F do when he returns? He is experienced in her episodes & is aware of her trauma & has gotten her through this before & she trusts him. How would his response differ from L's?

How would F feel when he comes back & sees he missed K's first episode in ages? And how would he feel about the fact he had left L responsible for K during that episode?

Please either comment on this post / in the tags, or DM me.

[dirtyoldmanhole]

time for analyzing the absolute most freak-ass set of supports i have ever seen nintendo handle (affectionately)

A-support first since this got overly long, and i also touch on the JP versions as well.

half meta analysis, half lengthy shitpost because.

well ~

Last time in the Gunter/Corrin support train, we learned that Gunter used a little toy ball to coax Corrin out from her shell post the mind wipes when she was as skittish as a kitten, and then in the B support, Gunter/Corrin played catch again for the first time.

A little odd, but fairly tame. Here though ..... :')

(pardon me for the different "Corrin" look -- i ripped these screenshots off of a youtube version b/c i was lazy about not getting into the game proper) god do you know how many random ass files i have as reference for gunter JP/EN voicelines, JP/EN my room bits, transcripts, sprites, etc ... after this fic is done i'm totally making that fanshrine if only to stick all this shit in one place lol

anyway, corrin starts this bright and peppy and eager for more.

eyebrow waggle-/shot

cute. :D

(the stretching's cute, too. like, more seriously, this isn't just wind-down/playtime, you can tell he's always incorporated this subtly as part of her training, likely modifying some soldier's training in a manner a little bit more befitting of her.)

they keep going...

Corrin: Ready as I'll ever be! There's no way I'm missing one of your throws! Gunter: All right, then. Here we go. Corrin: And easily caught. I have to say, Gunter, you have excellent form and follow-through. You know, I just remembered… Wasn't this ball made from a whip? Gunter: It was indeed. A pretty odd choice for material, I know… Corrin: Gunter… Would you be willing to tell me a few stories from when I was growing up? I still have a lot of holes in my memory from when I was little. Gunter: Of course. But you'll have to pay attention to the ball at the same time!

i do find it interesting garon was keeping tabs enough on corrin to have opinions on how she was being raised, but not close enough that she has any recollection of him.

now for an absolutely wtf level of fridge horror: there's a part of the same JP lines above that made me sit way the fuck up.

Gunther: Of course. Then, as we’re playing… On that day, King Garon was in an incredibly terrible mood… He handed me this whip. He told me that until you were obedient, I was to continue whipping you.

"continue whipping" [record scratch] wait what the fuck

... i think that implies that garon was whipping corrin before she was she was sent to the tower?? man what the hell kind of life did corrin have between being kidnapped out of hoshido and before ending up in the northern fortress under gunter's aegis.

gunter's no saint, not in the least bit (i have sooooooo many issues with the side of fandom who thinks he's just a sweet wholesome old grandpa lmao lol looooooooooooool no), but damn did he sure protect her from the worst of krakenburg.

okay this is interesting

a) she doesn't trust her memory like, at all. it's wild to think that gunter's literally likely the one dude that remembers her early lived life the best considering her other retainers (jakob/flora/felicia) were kids even slightly younger than she was, the hoshidan siblings were really young as well, and no other playable nohrian character was around much other than the occasional visit, post her kidnapping.

it's a little terrifying to think about how (i guess, if you interpret the game that way?) anankos was possessing him way back when and had free reign around corrin. that's kind of why i'm not totally in love with that interpretation (that'd be the perfect time for anankos to take out/corrupt corrin. why didn't he?).

anyway

b) that 'closed off' line says a lot from him, considering Gunter's hardly a socialite, either. in fact their whole support chain was framed around corrin seeking him out because he starkly seeks out alone time so much that it's a little ... isolating.

so like, if mister 'nah i don't need to be around people' is saying that, sheesh. i dabble in it with this slowburn fic, but i could almost see corrin being selectively mute at times, and hiding from people days at a time.

their dynamic ain't normal by any means but you can see how that kind of early-stage trauma bonding on both of their sides would influence [gestures at] everything, you know?

gunter's not just a father("figure"). or just a combat instructor. or just a mentor, or later, just a lover -- he's something that's more, even all combined. there's a hardwired sense of trust and codependency that's seared into them from the get-go.

(it's fucked up! god it's fun to write though.)

so i ambled away from my computer at this line while screenshotting these and only afterwards realized that this out of context sounds like a goddamn porno LMAO

[whispers] what in the fuckity fuck nintendo

corrin, sweetie.....

...................how in the fuck are we supposed to read that with a straight face sjkhshajhjhjjh

lol. lmao.

okay [drags hands down face and cackles]

so this is right about where i really have to say i genuinely cannot see their (romantic) relationship being anything but a kink relationship. (and i say this in the fic notes but it's not the 'bdsm acronym pasta garbage' sense, and it's not in the 50 shades of grey cliche 24/7 M/s sense either, god i cannot fucking stand the cliche version of that shit. shoot me if i ever write that.)

and i say that for several reasons.

one - if you're shipping them, their mutual power dynamics are so hopelessly tangled between them and it's the one language -- in a way -- that they both "speak" later on that is uniquely equipped to handle a lot of that and the trauma junk from both of them in a private, loving, dignifying way. i genuinely mean that, too. rev's possession arc with him, corrin recovering from the mind wipes, etc. they're gonna have to face a lot of unpleasant shit together, and actively grappling at and mutually playing with those realities is, in a complex way, hell of a lot healthier than simply pretending it doesn't exist in the first place.

(two - metatextually i think nintendo intentionally encouraged a kink flavor to gunter/corrin because this ship does squick the fuck out of most other people and i'm not totally unsympathetic to that, so i think it's a way of quickly weeding out everyone except the folks who are genuinely here for this in an unironic sense. )

three - i already wrote up kink analysis re: gunter here lol (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ

four - and sorta on this note, what's interesting is... with a lot of kinksters i know, they knew they vibed differently in that way really early on, even as kids. like even in stupid silly make believe play games they'll tie up barbies in random ass ways or discover in a genuinely innocent way that they like specific sensations of pain they can control. later on as adults, a lot of times the brain wires go [bzzt] and suddenly the world of power or sensation play makes a hell of a lot more sense, and frankly, is a lot more fun in certian sexy arenas of life. sometimes it comes along with trauma junk, sometimes it doesn't, it's not a binary thing (as basically everything isn't).

THAT IS A LOT OF WORDS TO SAY corrin also inadvertently being wired that way and having these little semi-accidental lines doesn't actually surprise me that much. (i can also see this specific line being a little bit of a 'hrmm' flag for gunter in that she's not going to run away instantly screaming at the idea of playing these specific kinds of games, later on once when/if they're romantic)

am i projecting a little? fuck yes, that's what we're here for

Gunter: Indeed. I knew that striking you wouldn't ever get you to open up to anyone. So I came up with a different method - one that used this ball. I returned to your room sometime later, and I rolled the ball over to you. Corrin: Which I immediately picked up, examined, and threw back to you. Gunter: Oh, you remember this part? Good.

that actually is incredibly wholesome she remembers this part. ;a; you know gunter was always probably lowkey sad at her not remembering key parts of her childhood, regardless or not if it was moments between them or not.

wheeze

so did you know, treehouse actually neutered this down from the JP version which was straight up, i shit you not:

Gunther: …It’s nostalgic… It really is. Kamui: …How long has it been since? I’ve always considered you like my real father, Gunther-san.

l u l "real father"""""

i'm dying man

every single goddamn time i think this ship can't possibly get more fucked up IT DOES

YOU STRAIGHT UP MARRY YOUR DAD IN THE JP VERSION LMAO

it would be hilarious enough just knowing the whole existence of a (married) S-support coming up but coming right after the heels of that THE BALL WAS A WHAT realization.... hee

anyway here's the last chunk:

Gunter: You… You are much too kind. Ah, now look at what you've made me do. Corrin: Gunter! It's rare that you miss a catch. Gunter: My sincerest apologies. There was… something in my eye. Corrin: Getting sentimental in your old age? Hang on, I'll get you a handkerchief.

damn girl, 'sentimental in your old age'. you vicious! :D

it is horrible of me but every time i think about the end of this support i bust out HYSTERICALLY LAUGHING for a completely different reason since if you headcanon Gunter as always holding a flame for/romantically harboring feelings for Corrin-

CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT HIS THOUGHTS WERE TO THAT ""FATHER" LINE LMAO

on one hand: 'i'm special to her :'))))'

on the other: [ O H K O ]

anyway half of what makes the A-support peak fridge-[everything] is the S-support right after ~ coming soon!

[fluffypotatey]

Silly/Dumb Things that Make Me Irrationally Angry

disclaimer: the key words here are “silly” & “dumb”

The “Narnia Kids are the Founders of Hogwarts” theory

The “it was all a dream” theory

Thinking protagonist = hero

When fandom villainizes a character simply because they’re “in the way of a ship”

Character in relationship starts pursuing a different character (typically the MC) but doesn’t break up with the character they’re currently dating?????

Speed running enemies to lovers trope (that’s a trope for slow burns wtf are you doing put it down!)

Calling Disney’s Beauty & The Beast a story about Stockholm Syndrome 

Calling any diverse media “woke” to undermine it

Misunderstanding how tags work on ao3 (particularly the / and & for pairings)

Misunderstanding the purpose of tags on ao3

Calling Lucy Heartfilia weak 

Forgetting that Dick Grayson was a mathlete

Basing all of Jason Todd’s personality on his anger and ruthlessness 

Misunderstanding Jason Todd’s anger

The DCEU butchering my boy Batsy

The “I was accidentally eavesdropping and left believing they were talking shit about me but turns out I missed the most important bits” trope

Being a military historian who loves the Civil War (I don’t trust you)

Using the word “females” to sound smarter (you just sound dumb also “women” is right there)

Spring Break being colder than usual (IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF MARCH IN TEXAS WHY WAS I SHIVERING)

Calling me by a nickname that I already refused to (you gotta earn that shit)

Ep 2.08 is never really touched on again after it’s “resolved”

vld’s lost potential (while i have made my peace, i will still bare my scars)

text blocks in fics

dialogue with no quotation marks 

“Oh lookie, we got this wonderful fantastical world (that takes some inspiration from history) with it’s own politics and world building BUT we keep the sexism and racial prejudice bc the inspiration we pulled was medieval times :)” <- i will fight you for sport

mistaking rivals to lovers for enemies to lovers (similar flavor just R to L is slightly tamer. can they blend? yes, but they are not the same thing)

the blatant disregard for internet safety on tiktok (why tf would you announce your age, show your face, and air out your dirty laundry to everyone??? where is your caution? this is not vine, lil beans, y’all are stressing me out. did you miss the pbs episode about the dino agents and stranger danger??? or the fever dream computer game our 1st grade class had to play at school???)

if you have the sniffles, for the love of all things holy, please stand up and get a tissue. no one cares if you get up. i honestly prefer hearing you blow out your nose than hearing you suck up snot every 5 minutes.

taking the backstories told by Macaque and Azure about the Monkey King in lmk at face value (biased narratives are a thing! unreliable narrators are a thing! i will give the biggest sigh if Sun Wukong is placed as the sole character at fault in another fic i read with this)

“redemption” arcs

“sympathetic” villains

missing the fucking point about why Batman chooses mercy and rehabilitation over baseless violence (this also coincides with my issue with how some people view Jason as the Punisher 2.0 bc it suffers through the same fucking glorification of justifying apathy of human life and rejection of 2nd chances)

missing the fucking point about what makes Superman super (here’s a hint: it’s not his fucking power)

the fact that i missed most of Vine’s peak bc i wasn’t allowed a phone until middle school

i lost my post canon script of Cinderella in the prince’s POV that i wrote in 6th grade (rip, i should have created a personal gmail so much sooner, i could have saved you T^T)

understanding a motive does not equal justifying or excusing said motive. you just now understand why a person did what they did. maybe you find justification in it, maybe not, but it’s not absolute!

[unlimitedhorsepower]

Can someone explain to me how do I analyse my writing to tell whether its cringe or funny (professional dx). I have a fic I was gonna post but then I was overtaken by "whoa, Gabriel. What are you fucking thinking" and I have no answers.

Ry/anyu/rike/ith fic locked behind the classic issue I have, the cringefail disease. This is the exact same thing that happened to a ry/anyu/ri fic I wrote over the holidays and I was like I'll post it after NYE and I still havent posted it.

History is repeating itself, only with Valentine's day fic.

One issue I have is that I keep writing similar things, because unfortunately when writing about the same characters they kind of react to similar things in a similar way and they keep having the same issues because they can't be fixed overnight. And I'm self-conscious about it since there's no coherent narrative (only in my head) so it may seem as if I'm repeating the same part of their hypothetical narrative arc over and over again like a broken record.

Do you see what I mean... Is my issue partially that I don't read a lot of fanfic myself. Is it welcomed to write about the same things again and again.

I just find that part fun and interesting. My other issue is that I love bad humour. I will include extremely convoluted sex jokes that need to be set up, AND the characters thinking about how they're not good enough to be loved in the same fic and I get so embarrassed about the tonal dissonance that I get nauseous in real life.

But your honour...my blorbo Yu/ri can't simply be comedic, he's experiencing mental anguish prior unknown to man. I can't include jokes without it being OOC (to me). Jokes can't come at the expense of the brain fungus... humour is only funny if it's IC.

I can't believe high art connoisseurs are gonna write thinkpieces comparing my fanfics while swirling wine in a glass and judging me repeating certain phrases I enjoy in different fics instead of writing in an innovative fashion where every descriptive part is unique and fresh

That's how I feel every time I finish writing anything. I have a lower standard for visual "art" because they're quicker to make but only god knows how many fics and pics I have that I've never posted anywhere

Rip to hundreds of thousands of words and tens of images sitting in my files. Help. Anyway here's a poll for you

I'm not making any negative options. Just scroll by faster!!!!

[neon-pink-leitner]

Q, for the ask

This one is "Have you ever left a fandom"

Yes. I use to be on Twitter and ran a very successful account based around the Marvel symbiote. Scream. At its peek I had around 1k followers and did three episodes of a podcast and an interview with another very popular Venom youtuber. After Scream: Curse Of Carnage got cancelled myself and a few friends decided to make a day in August for "International Scream Symbiote Day" that did extremely well in the Twitter comic community, to this day I wonder if the work we did on that even is what really helped Marvel decided to order a short run for a summer Carnage event. I also got one of my letters to editor published in an issue of Absolute Carnage. Cosplayed as Scream at a convention and got to meet both Donny Cates and Ryan Stegmen.

I ran what was called a "Let's Talk" blog. It kind of had the same vibe as those "fuck yeah" blogs that you'd find on tumblr in the early 2010's. The Let's Talk community started out really good. We had a discord server and it was a nice place.

Until it wasn't.

It started with a few people getting called out for legit bad things. Homophobia, transphobia and I swear one person turned out to be a fucking Nazi. All good reasons to blast someone but it didn't stop with that, pretty soon any tiny misstep could get you blasted.

Soon after I started watching people get ripped apart for honest mistake. I remember at one where someone accidentally misgendered another person. They apologized right away and used the correct pronouns and issued a public apology on their page. They got death threats and left the community. To make it worse I'm pretty sure they were a teenager as not everyone in the community was a legal adult. It got worse. Soon if one person said something another person didn't like, boom. They'd get ripped apart by that person's friends. It turned into this high school click that was a shell of what it was.

I stopped having fun with my page and started feeling like I had to be very careful with what I said or I'd be next. I even changed my name on ao3 because of this because I was worried my Symbrock fics would get found and I'd get attacked by anti-shippers. I started feeling like I was being watched all the time because I knew if I said one thing wrong or made any mistakes at all that I'd be "ruined"

I'm not really sure when I left really. I just slowly stopped posting. It helped that I didn't like what Marvel did with Scream and her host Andi Benton. The Venom comics got to be too much price wise to keep up on(without privating them and jesus if the community found out you were using free comic reading sites). I sat down with myself and decided I didn't want to be around people like that. I didn't want to have to walk on eggshells and worry about getting bullied if I said the wrong thing. So I walked away.

I was already on tumblr and ended up in the homemaking community and good gods jesus christ that's a fucking cult and I don't recommend that either. But that's a totally different tale. After I woke up from that I found myself again through Cyberpunk and help from my family and well, here we are!

[maiaisbia]

for the drama of it all

Raphael dresses as a shadowhunter for Halloween. Magnus is amused, Alec is not so sure.

My first fill for @shadowhunterbingo! The prompt was: Shadowhunter!Raphael

Gen | Words: 1018 | ao3

Magnus was very excited to host a (little) Halloween party in the loft, the first since he married Alec four years ago. There was a lot to celebrate this year, and what better way than to bring his friends and family together for some spooky fun? Ragnor was back from his (apparently) faked death, Catarina had decided to get a new doctorate so that she had the most current medical knowledge, Dot has taken on the role of High Warlock of Brooklyn, and Alec had cleared and pardoned a whole slew of old downworlder crimes.

Oh, and Magnus had successfully petitioned for downworlder representation in all Clave political matters in Alicante. He had to admit he was rather proud of that one.

Madzie was still young enough that Halloween was one of her favorite holidays. Because of this, Raphael had agreed to come by early and help with the cooking so Magnus could decorate the loft. Ever since Raphael had become a daylighter after receiving an incomplete dose of Heavenly Fire, he’d thrown himself into family life. With all his living family going to be at Magnus’ party, he was very insistent on helping make food. After, Magnus would help him remember those who had passed.

Raphael knocked on the door at noon on the dot, and Magnus welcomed him in and enveloped him in a hug. Raphael didn’t reciprocate, because he was holding a lot of bags. “Thank you for coming!” Pulling back, Magnus looked him over. “Any trouble getting into Alicante?”

“None, no need to send Inquisitor Lightwood-Bane after anyone,” Raphael assured and rolled his eyes at Magnus’ smile and preening at the mention of Alec.

So sue him, he loved his husband. He stepped further back, taking some of the bags from Raphael and leading them into the house. “No costume I see...”

“Don’t worry, it’s in one of the bags,” Raphael put his on the kitchen table and started to unload fresh ingredients. Magnus wasn’t sure what he was making, but knowing Raphael it was going to be amazing. “I couldn’t forget one and have you whip something up last minute. I’ve learned my lesson.”

“But isn’t that much more fun,” Magnus smiled, and set about helping. He’d cleaned the kitchen, made it spotless so that Raphael could do whatever he needed.

Magnus found the bag with the costume in it. Pulling out the contents, Magnus found dark clothes, a leather jacket, and some toy swords. Laying them over a chair, Magnus tried to put together what Raphael was going to be. Once it was all out Magnus had a very good idea what Raphael was going for.

Turned to Raphael, trying to control his laughter, Magnus managed, “You’re not.”

“I am, I’ll need some help with the makeup,” Raphael’s face was carefully neutral, though his lip tipped up to one side.

Magnus gave up and doubled over laughing. When he got control of himself, carefully wiping his eyes to try and not smudge his eyeliner, he looked at Raphael’s small smile. “I can’t wait to see this.”

“I can’t wait until Alec does,” Raphael said, looking down as he lined up the spices he’d need.

Magnus couldn’t disagree with that.

-.-.-.-

Alec came home earlier than he usually did, and Magnus hurried to greet him. Giving him a quick peck on the lips, Magnus led him into the living room, gesturing to the decorations he’d done. “What do you think?”

“Very spooky, I think Madzie will have fun,” Alec had followed after hanging up his coat, wrapping his arms around Magnus’ waist.

“Do you think trick or treating will ever take off in Alicante?” Magnus mused, leaning back against Alec’s strong chest. He was feeling ridiculously warm and happy, though part of him, even now, couldn’t believe that this was real. That he got to be here and do this, to have this family.

“I’d give it a decade or two, we’ll find out,” Alec said with a chuckle.

Magnus turned in Alec’s arms, staying close, resting a hand on the back of his neck. But before Magnus took the opportunity to kiss his husband again, he heard Raphael call, “Magnus, if the guests are starting to arrive I’ll need your help in here.” This was accompanied by footsteps.

Because Magnus was facing Alec, he got to see just what Alec’s reaction was. Feeling Alec tense, his brows drawn down and his eyes turning to a glare, it was almost too comical. Especially when Alec had for the last several years been trying his absolute hardest to befriend Raphael. Right now, he had changed so quickly from happy to viscerally grumpy Magnus started laughing again, resting his head on Alec’s shoulder. One of Alec’s big hands slid up his back, resting between his shoulder blades, keeping Magnus steady as he laughed.

“You like my costume, Lightwood?” Raphael said, his voice teasing.

“Lightwood-Bane,” Alec corrected automatically, and Magnus peaked up at him, before deciding he liked staying cuddled against Alec. He knew what Raphael looked like anyway, they had finished his costume only fifteen minutes before Alec had arrived.

“I helped with the runes,” Magnus said, muffled against Alec’s shoulder. “After all-”

“Don’t say it,” Raphael tried to interrupt.

“-I’ve made a detailed study of them.”

There was a brief moment of silence before Alec’s rumbling laughter followed. He pressed a kiss to Magnus forehead and then released him. Stepping towards Raphael, he pointed to a rune. “Why is the silencing rune on your forehead?”

“For the drama,” Raphael said, the tone of his voice completely flat as he stared back up at Alec.

Alec shook his head and chuckled. Patting Raphael’s shoulder, he headed towards the kitchen. “It smells amazing in here...”

“Don’t you dare try and sample, that’s Madzie’s job,” Raphael followed Alec. Magnus wondered if he’d pick up a wooden spoon to use as a weapon or if he’d make use of one of the plastic swords.

Deciding they could sort themselves out, Magnus went to put on his costume. Maybe, just maybe, he’d get Alec to wear something this year too.

[fettuccin-e]

A Friend in Need

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Reader

Description: You’ve been trying to get over Matt Murdock after years of pining after him by sleeping with what seems like every eligible man in Hell’s Kitchen. Your complete infatuation, however, just seems to be getting worse when you feel completely unsatisfied after every one-night stand. Unbeknownst to you, Matt hears you tell Karen about your predicament. (Warnings: strong language, implied smut, mentions of masturbation and one-night stands)

Word Count: 3.6K

A/N: My first (published) fic!! I’m definitely new at this, and there’s plenty of stuff to improve upon, but I’m just happy to be writing. I am also a slut for tortured, pretty men, so obviously I had to write for Matty.

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

“I don’t know Karen,” you say, sipping your drink, trying not to laugh at the enthusiasm of the gorgeous blonde across from you. “I was just thinking that I’d go home alone tonight.”

Karen giggles, already tipsy from the two glasses of wine she’s had since getting to Josie’s. “Come on, where’s your sense of adventure?”

You have to try not to grimace. “I think my ‘sense of adventure’ flew the coop four guys ago, Kare.”

You see her smile falter. “What do you mean? I mean, aren’t you still trying to chase away that, uh, issue, with Matt? If you can even call it that,” she scoffs, before continuing, her smile returning to her face. “Wait, wait. Are you going to confess? Cause you should, I mean, it’s fairly obvious that he’s just as gone on you as you are on him, I mean—“

“No!” You’re quick to cut her off. “No Kare, you know I can’t, okay? Because as much as you say that he feels the same way, I can’t, I can’t take that chance. We’ve been friends for so long, you know? And to lose that… I think it would kill me.”

You glance up at her, hating her pitiful expression. “But it’s fine, Karen, really. I’m happy being his friend.”

But you weren’t happy. Not really. Not when Matt was flashing his beautiful smile at a gorgeous woman every other night, brushing his hand up her arm, keeping her under his spell. Not when he meets you after work the next day, radiating that smug, satisfied post-sex energy he always seems to radiate after a one-night stand. Not when he smiles at you after making a terrible joke, and you just want to kiss it off of him, but knowing you can’t.

Being in love with Matthew Murdock is fucking exhausting.

It’s been years since you figured out that your infatuation with him was much more than a crush. That you wanted more, so much more, than the friendship you, he and Foggy had all cultivated at Columbia. But you knew that he couldn’t feel the same. Not when he had beautiful women falling at his feet at every turn. Not when he was fighting crime night after night. You knew that he only wanted a friend out of your relationship, and no matter how exhausting it may be, you knew you had to find some way to be content with that.

Karen rips you out of your thoughts once again, “so what happened to that sense of adventure? To, quote unquote, ‘fuck your infatuation out of your system’?”

Right, that. Months ago, you had decided to try to find something different. You were tired of the sexual frustration everyday coming home from work, and by association, Matt. So, you told Karen that you were going to try to get it out of your system. Drown yourself in so much sex that you couldn’t bear to think of Matty like that anymore. Karen tried to talk you out of it, saying that it wouldn’t make things better, but you had made up your mind.

Only, it didn’t work. Made things worse, actually. You don’t know how, but it was like every man that you thought was vaguely hot had absolutely no idea what to do in bed. No clue. And the fact that you got home every night, just to finish the job with your own hand, made the issue infinitely worse. Your thoughts of Matt were only getting more vivid, not disappearing underneath memories of different men like you’d hoped. You tell Karen as such.

“At this point, it has to be me, right? Like, why is it so hard to make a girl cum? It’s like, some of them get there eventually, but it’s always… I don’t know… unsatisfactory? Like a half-orgasm or something.” You slump back into your chair. “I don’t know, maybe I’m just too hard to please.”

“No! No you’re not,” Karen says, reaching over to grip your hand. “If you aren’t satisfied, that’s their fault, not yours. Sex is a fifty-fifty exchange, not just one person putting in the effort to get the other person off. And if they’re all getting off, you should be too.” Her cheeks are flushed, brows furrowed in her drunken insistence.

You giggle softly at her enthusiasm. “I guess you’re right, Kare. Maybe I’m not looking at the right guys.”

“I know one guy you could look at,” Karen says, pointedly glancing behind you at the pool table, where Matt and Foggy were playing.

“No, Kare, okay? It’s fine, I’m fine. But, look,” you smile at her reassuringly. “It might just be me and my vibrator for a little while, okay?” You say with a laugh, only to jump when you hear a pool stick drop to the ground behind you with a clatter. You look behind you to see Matt standing over it, cheeks red.

Glancing back to Karen, who has been giggling from your last comment, you pick up your glass, noticing that you drained it between venting to Karen.

“Hey, I’m going to go get another. You want anything?”

Karen shakes her head, and you take one last glance at Matty, who is leaning against the wall while Foggy takes his shot, before heading to the bar.

Ordering your second drink of the night, you take a look around Josie’s, scoping out any men or women who you could maybe consider taking home tonight. Nothing. Nothing except the red-glasses, tight shirt wearing man of your dreams, who, when you look, isn’t at the pool table anymore. Foggy has struck up a conversation with Karen, while Matt is nowhere to be seen.

A tap on your shoulder brings you out of your reverie, causing you to whip around and immediately see a reflection of yourself in red glasses that seem to haunt your very existence.

“Hey Matty,” you manage to choke out, trying to find some semblance of natural speech.

“Hey sweetheart. You already order your drink?” He asks with that low timbre of his, and you can feel your skin practically buzzing.

You nod, then realize your mistake, and murmur out a soft “yes,” just as your bartender slides you your drink. Your hand immediately wraps around the glass, taking a long sip, trying to focus on the burn of the alcohol instead of the burn between your thighs.

“So,” he starts, seeming nonchalant. “You looking to take anyone home with you tonight?”

You nearly choke on your drink.

“No, uh,” you clear your throat, “just wanted to hang out tonight.”

“Kind of a change from the past few months, huh?” 

“Yeah, I guess,” you mutter, trying not to let bitterness creep into your voice. I wouldn’t be wasting my time with all of these people if you weren’t so fucking perfect, you want to say to him, but you force yourself to bite your lip to hold the words back. 

Matt grins that gorgeous, heart-stopping smile that you can’t ever seem to look away from, even when it’s not directed toward you. His hand reaches out, brushing your fingers ever so gently, and it feels like lightning is striking up your body, lighting you up from the inside. 

“And what brought this change on, huh, sweetheart?” He murmurs.

The butterflies are swarming in your stomach, and Matt is leaning in. In.

And against your better judgment, you don’t back away. Maybe this is it. The moment. Maybe you can tell him how you feel, and maybe, just maybe he feels the same.

You’re so close to him, so, so very close. His lips, beautiful and smiling, are mere centimeters from yours, and all it would take is a tiny, itty-bitty movement forward—

Wait.

You’ve seen this before. You know this. This grin, the touch, the glare of his red glasses against the bar lights. You’ve seen this countless times, in countless bars. With countless beautiful women. Always watching from afar, jealousy swimming in your stomach. This is Matt’s playbook. The routine. The order of events that can get any woman into his bed. And he’s doing it to you.

The butterflies in your stomach have flown up into your throat. You feel sick as you feel his warm breath on your face, smelling of the beer he’s been nursing.

“Matt, what are you doing?” You ask, not daring to lean away.

“And whatever could you mean, pretty girl?” How many other women has he used that line on?

Finally, you bring yourself to pull away, hand trembling as you grab your drink again. “Matt, you’re drunk. I don’t know how much you’ve had, but you’re drunk.”

You watch his brows furrow beneath his glasses. “Sweetheart, this is the second beer I’ve had tonight.”

“Then why does it feel like you’re trying to seduce me?” You laugh nervously, brushing a loose strand of hair behind your ear, but Matt catches your wrist in a gentle grip.

“And what if I am?” And there’s that smile again. That gorgeous, wide, panty-dropping smile.

It takes everything in you to pull away again, to not give into his whims.

“Matty…” you start, but you’re quickly interrupted by Matt, who leans in again, like he’s telling you a secret.

“Look, I know I wasn’t supposed to hear you and Karen earlier, I know that.”

You stop him quickly, panic filling your chest. “How much did you hear?” Please tell me you didn’t hear Karen talking about the ‘Matt issue’, you think.

“Not much, just the end, but it was definitely enough,” Oh thank God. However, your relief doesn’t last long as Matt continues. “Sweetheart, if those guys taking you home weren’t treating you right, you should have just asked me,” he whispers conspiratorially, and you swear you nearly pass out. “I’m always willing to help out a friend in need.”

Friend.

The word repeats itself in your head, over and over again. Friend. Friend. Friend. The knot in your throat grows bigger, threatening to choke you out as you feel familiar pinpricks behind your eyes. You stand quickly from your barstool, trying not to let yourself start to cry, knowing that Matt would smell it.

“I’m not some conquest Matthew,” you say, not bothering to keep the venom from your voice.

You see Matt’s eyebrows raise in surprise as he stands as well. “What? No, I—“

You cut him off. “I’m not going to be some other notch on your bedpost Matt. God, I can’t even believe this. You say we’re friends,” you snarl the word, “but friends don’t act like this. If I needed to get my fucking rocks off or whatever, I am perfectly able to do so, but even then, how dare you? You were really just going to fuck me? Like it’s no big deal? Like we haven’t been friends for years?” Like I haven’t loved you for years, you want to say, but you bite your tongue. “You know who I am Matt, but right now, you’re acting like I’m no better than a stranger.”

You quickly grab your coat, feeling the breaths come out of your throat choked and garbled. Suddenly, you feel a hand wrap around your arm, and it’s like someone has lit a fire on your skin. You look back at Matt, seeing his brow furrowed, but unable to see the pain in his eyes.

“Sweetheart, I—“

Suddenly, the words are pouring out of your throat, unbidden. “And you know what the worst part is?” You hate how your voice cracks. “Is that you have no idea how fucking in love with you I am, Matt.” You try to ignore Matt’s soft gasp, audible even to you. “I have been in love with you since College Algebra and you, with all of your amazing powers and everything, have no idea. And it’s fine, okay? I can take you as a friend. But I can’t, I can’t have you in my bed, touching me like I’ve wanted you to for years, and never get anything more. I think it would kill me Matty, to have you walk away. And you… I thought maybe, just maybe that you would…” you have to cut yourself off, straightening your back to try to gain some semblance of dignity again.

You try to take a deep breath, to stave off anger or tears, you’re not really sure. His hand is still grasping your arm. “Let go of me Matthew. It’s… it’s fine. I know you said that you’re not drunk or whatever, but let’s just say you are, yeah? You’re drunk, I’m drunk, and we’ll forget about all of this in the morning.” You take his hand off your arm. “I’m going to catch a cab home. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

You can’t look at him. You can’t. You turn quickly and whip out your phone, not looking up from it as you leave Josie’s.

As soon as the cold winter air bites your skin, you let the tears fall, clutching the fingers that Matt had brushed so lightly, pretending to feel the heat still lingering there.

Meanwhile, Matt tries not to flinch as he hears the bar to Josie’s close. He can still feel her warmth on his palm, aching like the weight in his stomach.

He slumps back onto the barstool, grabbing his beer and chugging it roughly, coughing out a hoarse “fuck” when the bottle is empty. He can hear Foggy and Karen over the roaring of blood in his ears, hears both of them stand up and cross over to him.

“Matt, where’s she going?”

“Home.” Matt answers tensely, wishing the Earth could swallow him whole. Where were Foggy and Karen when he was making an ass of himself?

Foggy reads him like a book. “Matt, what did you do?”

Matt wants to lie, he really does, but your scent continues to linger in the air, your voice ringing in his ears, and suddenly he’s deflating even more, putting his face in his hands.

“I fucked up Fog. I really, really fucked up.”

--

The next day, you wake up with your head pounding. You wish you could blame it on some kind of hangover, but with the one drink you barely managed to get through the night before, you know alcohol wasn’t the culprit. A short glance at your tear stained pillow reminds you of the hours spent crying over the man you loved until the wee hours of the morning, when you finally passed out, dehydrated and upset.

The day passes by slowly and painfully as you refuse to look at the many text messages left by the man that broke your heart just hours earlier. Maybe a good fuck is all you’re supposed to get from him, you think, sex might be all that will ever come from your years spent pining for him. Wanting him. Loving him so much it hurt.

By the time you arrive home again, you’re ready to break out the whiskey you have stashed in your cabinet. Just to forget. Forget the way he looked at you, the way he touched you so gently.

He didn’t want anything more than a night with you, you try to remind yourself. You’re a body, maybe a friend to him, nothing more.

Your home is dark as you stumble in, ripping your uniform heels off. Your feet ache, your back aches, but no pain in your body could ever compare to the pain in your heart. All day, even after crying for what felt like a lifetime, your heart has felt constantly tight, feeling like a rock you just want to rip out of your body.

As you walk into the kitchen, you immediately feel like something is off. Just a slight wrongness. A presence.

Trusting your gut has gotten you pretty far in your life, so you don’t hesitate to follow it again, grabbing a knife from the block in your kitchen.

You listen carefully, suddenly wishing that you had Matt with you, with his powers. You run your hand up the wall, looking for the light switch.

A voice breaks out of the darkness. “Before you turn on the light, just know it’s me. I’m trying not to scare you.”

Speak of the devil. Literally.

Still, even though Matt is a friend, only a friend, the unhelpful voice in your mind supplies, your breath still rushes out of you in an unrestrained scream of “HOLY SHIT MATT!”

Your hand blindly flicks on the light on instinct, your eyes not daring to look away from the source of Matt’s voice.

As the light illuminates the room, you finally look at the man who broke your heart barely 24 hours earlier. And the man who broke into your house while you were at work, what the fuck?

Matt looks like shit, your brain immediately supplies upon seeing him. Not like the pained and hurt Matt you’ve patched up after a rough patrol. Not like the exhausted Matt you’ve taken to Josie’s after a tough day at Nelson and Murdock. This Matt, he’s gorgeous as usual, he always is, but this Matt looks ripped apart.

He’s wearing an old, worn, Fogwell’s tee with jeans that are just a little big on him, like he was rushing to get dressed and didn’t bother to make sure they fit him properly. His glasses aren’t anywhere to be seen, just his beautiful eyes, staring at you with so much anguish that your poor, overworked heart can’t help to clench in sympathy.

“Matt, what are you—“ you start, but Matt doesn’t let you finish.

“I’m sorry,” he quickly blurts out. His gaze is just off your face, but you can see his eyes filling with tears. “I am so, so,” his voice breaks, “sorry.”

Against your better judgment, you rush forward. You hate seeing Matty cry, even though you’ve only seen it happen a few times before. Your hands reach up, brushing tears away.

“No, no, Matty. You didn’t mean it. I know you didn’t mean it,” you try to console him softly, ignoring the pain in your chest.

“But I did mean it,” Matt says, taking you by surprise. You begin to back away, but Matt grips your wrist gently, keeping you rooted to the spot. Just like the night before. “I meant it, but not like you were thinking.” He takes a deep, rattling breath. “God, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I made you think that I only wanted you for sex. I’m sorry that I let you walk out of Josie’s last night. I’m sorry that I,” he lets out a broken chuckle, “that I broke into your house just to apologize.” You let out a laugh at that comment, until your heart stops as Matt lifts your hand to his mouth, brushing a soft kiss over your knuckles.

“But most of all,” he whispers, “I’m sorry that I made you think that I didn’t love you.”

Your soft gasp is almost inaudible, but you know Matt hears it.

“I have loved you for so long, I don’t even remember what it was like to not love you. I have no idea how you could possibly think that I could ever live without you. God, watching you with those men? It killed me, every fucking time you walked out of Josie’s with one of them I died a little inside. Because it should be me. It should have always been me. And I’m sorry, I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell you that I loved you sooner.” The hand that Matt doesn’t have wrapped around your wrist goes up to your cheek, wiping away the tears that you hadn’t even realized were falling down your cheeks.

“I love you,” he whispers, his lips so close to yours, you can feel his breath ghosting across your face. “I love you so much, sweetheart. So much that it hurts.”

You can’t take it anymore. His words, his touch, his fucking smell. You lurch forward, crossing that tiny little barrier between the both of you, and press your lips to his.

You hear him suck a breath in through his nose in surprise before he’s kissing you back gingerly, his hands are dropping to your hips, touching them gently, almost afraid.

You wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer into you, and break the kiss just barely, trying to speak against his lips. “I love you so much Matty,” you whisper into him, and that move, it seems, is what breaks Matt’s resolve. His hands, no longer afraid, grip into your hips, pressing your bodies closer, closer, as he captures your lips again. You feel his tongue brush your lower lip, and you moan as you open your mouth into the kiss, granting him entrance.

Matt tastes like coffee and sleep and love, and you already know that you’re addicted, that you can’t ever go back. You nearly whine when he pulls away to rest his forehead against yours.

“Say it again,” he whispers, and you know immediately what he means.

“I love you,” you smile, your heart nearly bursting with sheer adoration.

“Again,” he says.

“I love you, Matt Murdock.” His wide smile at your words is nearly blinding.

“I love you so much, sweetheart.”

His hands are gentler now, wrapping around your back reverently, like he’s trying to keep you plastered to him, like you’ll disappear.

“Take me to bed, Matty?” You say, coy, even though you know he won’t be able to resist. You know because you can’t resist him either.

“God, yes.” He breathes, making you laugh. “For forever and ever, sweetheart. Never a one time thing, never,” he says adamantly, trying to drill it into your brain that he’ll never leave.

“Come on, darling,” you say to him, breaking away to lead him to your bedroom. “You have to show me what I’ve been missing. These other guys haven’t been treating me right, you know,” you giggle, parroting his words back at him from just the night before.

He smiles that million-watt smile, and your heart jumps at the fact that it’s just for you. 

“Trust me baby,” he murmurs against your ear. “I’ll treat you right for the rest of our fucking lives.”

[waywardstation]

Behind (Sleep) Schedule

Ingo has been having trouble sleeping at night, ever since he had to adjust to the (too) quiet night atmosphere of Hisui. But he couldn’t let this get in the way of a fun day with Akari at the Ginkgo Guild’s modern appliance exhibition, held at Jubilife Village!

This was a mess of a fic haha. I started it like a month ago after seeing a post talking about how Ingo might have issues sleeping in quiet Hisui, after being used to the nighttime ambience of busy Nimbasa city for so long. But I can’t find the post now to credit it. If anyone knows the post, I’d love to have it so I could properly credit it! Thanks!

This was supposed to be a short fic, but it grew really big and was rewritten several times. I hope you enjoy the scenario I ended up going with! What didn’t work in this fic will probably end up showing up in a later fic!

OR, read it here on AO3!

Enjoy!

————

Ingo found it hard to fall asleep at night.

One would think sleeping in the rocky, uneven wilderness of the Coronet Highlands could be a little difficult. That was understandable. But there was not much of an excuse for it to be hard to sleep in a soft, warm bed, tucked away in a comfy living space within the Pearl Clan’s village.

Ingo had slept in both places many times, and actually found it harder to sleep in his own bed at the quiet Icelands settlement than in the Highlands.

It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable in his own bed, and it’s not like the Highlands were too disruptive, what with the mountainous range being alive with various ambience.

On the contrary, Ingo quite appreciated the multiple soft layers and thick, insulating blankets of his bed within the Pearl Clan settlement. And the highland’s usually-disruptive ambience didn’t disturb him in the least.

In fact, the Highlands were too quiet.

Even quieter than the settlement, where the silent snowfall muted every smaller sound along with it.

It was why Ingo opted to sleep out in the rocky highlands, as opposed to his comfortable bed at the settlement. He dreaded the absolute silence.

Ingo felt like he was missing something.

He could not recall what it was that he was missing, however. The rips, tears, and holes that littered his mind had shot right though these recollections.

( ) ( ) ( ) (Holes) (everywhere) ( ) ( ) ( )

But what Ingo’s mind could not remember, his body was expecting, like he needed it to get to sleep.

How could he possibly fall asleep without the atmosphere that he had grown so used to, so dependent on?

It had been part of an expected routine, before Hisui.

The sounds of (busses) and (cars) in the (bustling) streets, their (horns honking) and (beeping).

The muffled (billboards) and (advertisements), dulled through closed windows of (his) and (Emmet’s)(apartment), but mixing together with the sounds of the (city).

The drone of (commuters) and (challengers) blending together amongst the various cries of Pokémon, all together on the (sidewalks), just like in the (Battle Subway).

The (electronic) jumble.

( ) ( ) ( ) (But) (the) (holes) ( ) ( ) ( )

The sounds of streets, muffled and dulled behind windows and mixed with the droning, blending amongst the various cries of Pokémon all together. Just like...

…a jumble.

It was difficult for Ingo to piece together what he was missing at nights that made it so hard to relax, but he knew it was hard for his body to get to sleep without it.

The warden turned onto his other side within a thick bundle of blankets, as if shifting would help him sleep easier.

Currently in the highlands, Ingo lay stationary as he stared up at the night sky, just outside Lady Sneasler’s cave. Having just had her kits, the noble expressed it would like to keep Ingo close when he could manage it, in case anything went wrong. But the kits were at the age where they would climb, scratch, and bite at anything they could reach, and that usually ended up being Ingo.

So for now, he opted to sleep outside - the night sky was nice anyways, and Ingo didn’t need to add a pile of bitey baby sneaslets to the list of reasons why he couldn’t sleep.

Though he was sure with enough sleep deprivation and time to get used to them, he could sleep through even that.

Ingo turned back onto his other side again. From within the bundle, his ears automatically picked up on any sound he heard, whether he liked it or not.

The sturdy trees peppered around the terrain rustled in the night breeze, as gentle winds weaves through them.

In the distance, a zubat’s wings flapped. It was too high in the air for echolocation to be of any use, and bounce off of anything.

A sudden flutter and a stifled screech followed by silence told Ingo a gligar had just snatched it up as a meal.

Loose rocks moved somewhere down the hill below him. Something was climbing quietly at its own pace.

The thrum of yanmas’ wings buzzed every once in a while, more to straighten out the appendages and communicate to other yanma, than to fly.

It was too much for Ingo, and at the same time not enough.

In an effort for his body to hear the steady, constant volume of sounds that it was used to, it was hyper-aware in the silence, waiting - and as soon as anything sounded off, his attention snapped right to it.

While it wasn’t nearly as bad as several months ago, night after night it was like this.

It still made it very hard to sleep, and often he found himself dozing off during the day.

————

Ingo must have finally fallen asleep at some point (though it felt more like passing out, rather than actually sleeping), as the next time he opened his eyes, the purple sky could be seen with the beginnings of an orange edge, signaling the sun would be rising soon.

Ingo rose from his warm resting place amongst his layers of fabric, shivering slightly in the sudden cold atmosphere as he stretched his back.

Slipping his tattered coat on, which had been neatly folded beside him, and straightening his hat upon his head, some of the warmth returned to him.

“Goodbye, Lady Sneasler…” Ingo yawned into the cave, not too loud in case she was still asleep with her kits, as he rolled up his bundle of blankets and set it just inside the entrance to the cave, before turning to leave.

Ingo had the day off today, but he would not be spending it with Lady Sneasler or her kits, like he usually would.

He had a busy schedule today, and needed to be up and awake for it.

Starting his trek down the mountain, Ingo thought about the long day ahead of him. The Ginkgo guild were traveling to Jubilife today for an exposition of sorts, to show off several “amazing and wondrous mechanisms you certainly couldn’t miss!”

…the guild’s words, not his.

They had all been scavenged from the remains of space time distortions, left behind in the aftermath, and Akari was very much interested in seeing what the guild had to present, and auction off - as one of the two people in Hisui who would probably even recognize these items, the intrigue was understandable. And the guild had been advertising the upcoming event for the last couple weeks…she had to go!

And of course, she asked Ingo to come along with her to the event.

In fact, the exposition was the whole reason why Ingo had the day off, and why Akari knew he’d be available. The Ginkgo guild had asked to use the battlegrounds as a place to set up all of their strange appliances for a showing; in fact, Ingo and Zisu had spent the day before cleaning out the dojo so that the guild could store these appliances there for the auction.

No battles today if there was no open battlefield. So both Zisu and himself had been relieved of work for the day.

Ingo made his way down to one of the Highland’s rivers, kneeling down to quickly splash his face; both to freshen up, and wake himself up. A rush of cold water to the face usually helped with that.

A tired sigh left his mouth as the water dripped down his neck. Ingo held his hands against his face for a moment, before rubbing at his heavy eyes.

Of course, when Akari asked him to go with her, he accepted her request! He was more than happy to go with her. But the catalyst to accept that had come when she let it slip that Volo would be there, and was the one who had even informed her about the event in the first place, as if hoping he would persuade her to come.

Ingo tipped his cap back, running his fingers through his scruffy hair, before shaking his hands free of any lingering river water. All freshened up and awake, the warden stood back up and straightened out his coat, readying himself for departure. The sun had just started to rise above the mountains, and Ingo headed for Jubilife Village to meet up with Akari.

After what had happened in the Ancient Quarry, Ingo wasn’t quite sure how he felt about Volo.

The man had approached Ingo and Akari from behind as they travelled through the quarry, with Ingo leading Akari to Lady Sneasler. Somehow, he had known where Akari was, all alone out in the wilderness.

He seemed surprised, however, to see Ingo there, almost as if he expected Akari to be alone for him to talk with.

Like Ingo wouldn’t have been so hands-on with guiding Akari through such a dangerous place, to his noble. Like he would just point in the general direction of Lady Sneasler, and be on his way.

Volo had made small talk with the warden in a friendly gesture, asking about his amnesia and if they seemed to connect to the rift, but when Ingo couldn’t provide any answers the man seemed to be looking for, he dropped interest, wished the best with his amnesia, and turned his attention to Akari instead.

Ingo approached Wayward Cave, and stepped inside with no hesitation. Having gone back and forth so many times, he held no fear for what was inside.

As long as the torches were lit, that is.

Ingo yawned as the darkness enveloped him briefly, before he reached the torches’ lights, illuminating the cavern.

Ingo felt Volo was far too interested in Akari’s origins, and seemed keen to connect her to the rift. And those gifts he was always giving her, apparently free from the guild…

It had won Akari over, but as an outsider evaluating the situation, Ingo was wary.

Volo had done nothing wrong, explicitly. He seemed very animated, and certainly friendly. But this friendliness had so much energy behind it. It was not like the friendliness Zisu extended to him, or even Akari’s.

He just seemed very…interested and eager to connect Akari to the mystery of the rift, and in turn, connect himself to her as a companion.

Ingo didn’t know if he should chalk it up to being someone who just wanted to have something more interesting going on in their life at the moment, or if it was something of actual concern, hinting towards more concerning tendencies.

But Akari held no such reservations, and always brightened up when Volo was around. She knew Volo much better than he did.

But she was just a kid.

…but Ingo was always cautious, sometimes to a fault. He knew that. Perhaps he was performing too many safety checks.

So for now, for Akari’s sake, Ingo simply observed Volo with the benefit of the doubt.

Like he would be doing today, at the exhibition with Akari.

The cavern filled with bright light, harsher than the torches’ own as Ingo turned a corner and reached the exit. He stepped out of Wayward Cave, and continued on towards the Fieldlands.

————

“Ingo! I’m over here!”

As Ingo neared Jubilife Village, he was so surprised to see all of the bright decorations and festive sounds through the gates, that he didn’t notice Akari waving to him off to the side of the entrance at first.

Jubilife seemed to be a bit more excited for this exhibition than he initially thought.

Ingo managed to get out one last yawn before Akari reached him, running over to meet him halfway, so they could enter the Jubilife together.

“Good morning, Miss Akari,” Ingo pulled a smile for her as she fell into step beside him. The contrast between their energy levels was immediately apparent; Ingo dragged his feet slightly, while Akari was practically skipping. “I hope I am not running too far behind schedule.”

“Good morning, Ingo; Not at all!” Akari said, pointing into the gates of Jubilife. “They’re still setting up right now!”

When Ingo came to man his station at the training grounds in the mornings, he often saw one Ginkgo Guild wagon set up across the village, right outside the Galaxy Team Headquarters. Two kind people, who Ingo had come to learn were named Ginter and Tuli, were always stationed by the wagon, selling goods their guild had collected from around the region.

But as Ingo looked to where Akari was pointing, he could see an entire string of wagons had been set up, lining the crowded street through Jubilife’s shops. Colorful white, blue, and yellow decorations, such as ribbons and flags, hung from anywhere they could be put up. Storefronts had special decorations out as well for support, and it seemed various stands selling crafts, materials, and foods had been set up. All of it was advertising something about the Gingko guild, whether that be special sales, or simply showing off the guild’s emblem.

And, more Ginkgo members than just Ginter and Tuli were here this time! In the busy street, Various guild members were out and about, conversing with the people of Jubilife and exchanging various items, their Pokémon by their sides.

Ingo had never seen this many guild members in Jubilife before, only Ginter and Tuli….and Volo too. He had begun to wonder if they were the three sole members of the guild.

“This is…certainly a crowded station.” Ingo observed as Akari and himself stepped back for a group of children running by, playing with a bidoof. Thankfully, his naturally loud speaking voice carried well enough over the sounds of the festive street.

“This showing was all the Ginkgo guild would tell their customers about for the last few weeks,” Akari told Ingo, her speaking voice not quite as loud as him; she had to raise it considerably to compensate. “I thought there would be more people here!”

More? It seemed like most of Hisui was packed into this village!

Ingo felt a hand grasp at his frayed coat sleeve and lightly tug on it, pulling him towards a few stands that had been set up.

“Oh wait! Beni told me to come by the Wallflower before the guild starts the event!” Akari moved through the loud crowd of ginkgo members, villagers, and decorations, Ingo following behind. “He’s been trying something new out!”

Akari approached a festive stand that had been set up right next to The Wallflower. A small crowd had already gathered around it, and Ingo noted the skewers of colorful food in the hands of every person who turned to leave.

“Akari! I was wondering if you’d come by,” Beni, who was running the stand, called to the girl as she made her way to the front. “I gave this new recipe a go just for the event. It’s similar to mochi, except-“

From behind Akari, Ingo stayed silent and eyed the stands’ products as she made a quick transaction. Lots of skewers, the same he had seen other people holding. They included what seemed to be three doughy dumplings - of course, colored with white, yellow, and blue syrup for the occasion.

“Ingo!”

The warden’s attention turned back to Akari. She grasped two of the skewers in her hands, and was holding one out to him.

“Here! I got one for you; Beni says it’s called dango! He said it’s sort of like his mochi!”

“Oh, Miss Akari, you didn’t have to…” Ingo objected, but still took the skewer from her outstretched arm, observing the dumplings on the stick. “…but thank you.”

“Same time!” Akari held her own skewer up. “Let’s try it together!”

The girl held the skewer up to her mouth, waiting for Ingo to do the same. Ingo followed, taking a bite of his dango after a moment, and Akari quickly copied him (though she was a lot less composed about it, getting bits of it on her face) so they would both be trying it at the same time.

It was sweet! Quite a contrast to Beni’s mochi.

“It’s so good!” Akari vocalized Ingo’s thoughts, looking at the dango in awe. “Good job Beni!”

She quickly shot a thumbs up to the man through the crowd at the stand, who returned her approval with his own brief thumbs up and smile. He was very busy trying to keep up with the demands of a growing crowd.

With their dango, Ingo and Akari pulled away from the stand to let others replace their space in the crowd, going around the corner of the Wallflower and stopping on the bridge that led back to the village housing and farms.

From behind the stores, the sounds of the event were not so loud, and there were less villagers and guild members, giving them more space, and quiet to talk at a reasonable volume.

“So…what do you think the big reveal will be at the show?” Akari asked Ingo, already stuffing one of the dumplings into her mouth as she leaned against the bridge’s railing. “For the special appliance?”

“Special appliance?” Ingo questioned as he swallowed another bite of the dango, giving her a quizzical look. He had been aware of no such thing, which surprised him slightly. He knew the guild had urged everyone to stay until the end of the show, but had heard nothing about a special appliance.

“Yeah!” Akari went on. “Volo said that at the end of the auction, they’re going to show a really cool appliance! He said a lot of people are going to want it.”

“Is that so…” Ingo mused, his voice flat. It sounded like Volo was giving Akari details about something the guild was otherwise wanting to keep a surprise.

He really wanted her at this event.

“Yeah!” Akari took another bite of her dango, before wiping the rice dough away from her mouth. “I think it’s going to be an air conditioner, or a microwave…or a washing machine!”

The mention of such modern objects shot a very dull, but sudden pressure through Ingo’s head, and he absentmindedly raised a hand up to rub at a spot under his hat.

He recognized the names of those appliances, more or less, and could vaguely infer what their purpose was based on their names, but didn’t quite understand what they were, not at the level he felt he should.

Maybe it was just the sleep deprivation, but he surely couldn’t picture them in his mind.

“Apologies, Miss Akari, but…I am a bit slow to recall such things.” Ingo expressed, a hint of regret in his voice.

Akari’s expression lost some of its vigor as she remembered Ingo didn’t recognize everything from modern times as clearly as she did…and that extended to modern appliances. However, it didn’t dampen the mood.

“I’m sure you’ll remember once you see them!” She told Ingo, lightly elbowing him in the arm as she finished off the last dango dumpling on her skewer.

“These are so good!” Akari acknowledged the treat again as she finished it off, holding the empty skewer up. “We should pester Beni to keep making these!”

“That would mean the guild would have to keep bringing Beni the ingredients he doesn’t have!”

Ingo and Akari turned to acknowledge the voice that had spoken up behind them.

“I helped import them for him, just for the event today, you know!”

There was Volo in his Ginkgo Guild uniform, a big, genuinely friendly grin on his face, looking proud enough for one to think he hand-made the dango all by himself.

“Volo!” Akari exclaimed, a certain happiness present in her voice that Ingo did not exactly share. She moved around Ingo to better talk with the merchant. “I didn’t know if I was going to see you before the show today!”

“How could I not come say hello to my best customer?” Volo told her, keeping up that smile, before his eyes focused on Ingo, who had not moved from his position.

“And I see you brought along the highlands warden! How goes it, warden Ingo? Fancy the dango?”

Ingo was caught a little off guard by such a sudden, direct confrontation. However, he merely readjusted his cap.

“It is good, as am I,” Ingo returned, simply and politely. He refrained from eating during the conversation, and held the skewer awkwardly in his hand - if it wasn’t for his words of affirmation, his manners would make it appear as if he disliked the dango entirely.

“Two in-person reviews already, and both are glowing!” Volo’s grin still held on his expression. “I’ll have to make negotiations with Beni about regular shipments for those ingredients later, then. It’d be good for business; both for The Wallflower, and for me!”

There he went again with that overly-animated friendliness. Was he always like that? Putting out that amount of energy seemed exhausting to Ingo.

“Speaking of business,” Volo paused a moment to reach back into his backpack. “I have something for you! I’ve been looking for you so I could give it to you before the show; I didn’t know you would be hiding all the way back here!”

Volo pulled out a handful of hyper potions, the glass bottles of rose-colored viscous liquid clinking together.

“On the house, just for my favorite customer!”

“Wow!” Akari’s eyes lit up at the sight, she had needed more potions! And hyper potions? Those were some of the best wares…and Volo was giving away three of them to her for free?

While Akari saw it as a very genuine friendly gesture, Ingo was concerned about how much money Volo probably took out of his own income, in order to give such expensive items from Ginter’s stock away for free…that is, if Ginter knew about it.

Why?

“Thanks Volo!” Akari pocketed the potions carefully in her satchel. “I’ll put these to good use!”

“Anything for my most loyal customer!” Volo’s smile, ever present and still genuine, seemed a bit strained now, as if he was getting tired of holding the expression.

“Now, the show’s starting soon! I should go help set up…might I suggest getting there a bit early? There are a lot of people here, and we could only set up so much seating at the training grounds. Some people will have to be standing, and your friend seems like he’d fair better sitting down.”

Akari turned back to see Ingo, mid-yawn as he leaned against the bridge’s railing. At having the attention turn back to him, he abruptly finished the yawn and straightened up. He held a now-empty dango skewer in his hand, having at some point felt the conversation didn’t include him anymore, and found it appropriate to continue eating again.

Ingo couldn’t tell if the merchant was trying to take a stab at his age (he wasn’t as old as everyone took him for!), or if he simply noticed how tired he was.

Either way, the comment wasn’t much appreciated, as it felt like a thinly-veiled dig.

Volo should really mind his business.

“See you two over there!” Volo abruptly turned to leave and blend back into Jubilife’s crowded street leading to the dojo - He always seemed to leave as quickly as he’d appear - leaving Akari to wonder about the implications of Volo’s suggestion.

“Are you tired, Ingo?” The girl questioned as she approached the warden. Now that Volo had pointed it out, she could see a hazy tiredness in his eyes. “I’m sorry, I know you had to get up early, and technically this is supposed to be your day off, and you don’t sleep in often-“

“It is ok, miss Akari,” Ingo stopped her from slipping into a paragraph of empathy and pity. “I did not want to miss today with you! I am quite excited to attend. My engine is just a little overworked and under-managed, is all.”

“Did you get a lot of sleep last night?” Akari asked as the two left the bridge, heading back into the crowded street. If Volo was right, and they wanted to sit down, they should probably start heading over now. “I know you were up late with Zisu, helping prepare the dojo for the show.”

“My sleep schedule has been…a little off track,” Ingo admitted, pushing back into the crowd of people and loud sounds of the street. Akari’s hand grasped at his coat as he passed between the villagers and guild members, so as not to get separated. “But with time, it should regulate. I just need to adjust to the quiet atmosphere of my station at the highlands.”

Ingo normally would not be so upfront about such things. But he had played this game with Akari enough times to know that she would pester the information out of him otherwise. It came from a good place, though, as she was always one who wanted to help.

While Ingo gave it no more thought, moving past people to entering the training grounds, Akari got hung up on his words regarding his sleeping problems.

How long had this been going on? A few days? A few weeks? A few months?

The tiredness on Ingo’s face certainly didn’t seem like it was the result of one bad night of sleep, now that she considered it.

And quiet?

The highlands weren’t quiet!

————

“Welcome everyone, thank you for coming out today!” Tuli announced to the large crowd, standing beside Ginter on the training grounds’ battlefield platform. Volo stood to the side a ways back, his arms crossed. He still wore a smile, but it wasn’t as genuine as it had been earlier with Akari and Ingo, resembling more of a courteous customer service smile.

Volo had been right, a lot of people had shown up, and seating had filled up quickly!

Benches had been set up over the battlefield, facing the platform the guild now stood on as they addressed the crowd. Ingo and Akari had managed to snag two spots on the end of one of the benches a few rows back. From their seats, Ingo could see inside the dojo through its open door, taking a glance at all of the appliances the guild would be showing.

Looking at them brought sensations of familiarity back, like he knew at some point or another, he had used some of these himself. But so far, no explicit memories…yet.

“We are glad to have such a big turnout!” Ginter spoke up, taking over for Tuli as she motioned to Volo, before the two of them walked off of the platform, towards the dojo. “As you all know, these space-time distortions that Hisui has been experiencing as of late tend to leave behind some interesting things sometimes! We have quite an array of strange items from the distortions to show you today…we hope you find them and their uses all as serviceable and beneficial as we do! Stick around after the show, as every appliance shown today will be for sale!”

A quiet murmur started in the audience as Tuli, Volo, and Volo’s Gabite (it had evolved since Akari saw it last…good for them!) reappeared from the dojo, bringing out the first appliance together - it was quite bulky!

The smooth metal finish, the two doors, the cord trailing behind… Akari immediately recognized it to be a fridge. A fridge! How did they find an entire, intact fridge in the aftermath of a distortion?

“Ingo!” Akari whispered to the warden as he stared at the appliance intently, like he was trying to remind himself of what it was. “Do you recognize that?”

“The memory has not quite pulled into the station just yet,” Ingo replied back after a moment more of thinking. “But it regulates…something. Am I correct?”

“Uh,” Akari took a moment to decipher Ingo’s words. “-Yeah! It’s a fridge! It keeps food and drinks cold!”

At the explicit reminder, a gentle look of realization and remembrance lit up Ingo’s eyes.

“Of course! A fridge…” Ingo mouthed the last word slower, as if processing it twice, to keep himself from possibly forgetting it again. “Thank you, Miss Akari.”

“Now this here,” Ginter gestured to the fridge as Volo, his gabite, and Tuli lugged it onto the platform. “Is a mechanical cabinet!”

The words ‘mechanical’ and ‘cabinet’ seemed like a very foreign -and therefore very exciting - combination of words for the audience, because immediately the soft whispers between the crowd picked up a little.

“Let’s see what they say about it,” Akari snickered to Ingo. She wanted to see if they could correctly guess what it’s purpose was.

“On our travels, we’ve learned that electric type pokemon can interact with and activate this appliance…same as most other appliances we’ve brought today.” Ginter gestured to the large fridge. “Now, Rotom, if you might…”

He clapped his hands once, and a sharp static trail whizzed out from his pack, to reveal itself as a rotom to the audience.

The Pokémon buzzed and sparked happily, before it rushed into the cord of the fridge, coiled on the ground. A blue glow shot up the cord before disappearing into the fridge, and after a moment, a soft, mechanical whirring could be heard emanating from it.

It had turned on!

“Now, as for what it does,” Ginter grasped one of the door handles. He pulled it open to show everyone the inside, revealing a smooth white interior, and many shelves and drawers. “It generates cold air!”

The volume of the audience’s whispers spiked for a few moments, obviously enthralled. A strange device that generates cold air? Unheard of!

“It can be used to keep things cold of course!” Tuli took over. “You can store food and beverages in here…no more spoiled berries or lukewarm preserves! You can keep ice from melting in here too, in this top, colder compartment-“

Akari had to admit, their guesses for what the box was meant for were pretty good.

“And on hot days, you could consider sitting yourself or your little ones in it to cool down!”

-alright, she spoke too soon. Don’t put your kids in a fridge.

The presentation went on for a bit longer than Akari or Ingo would have liked, Ginter and Tuli explaining every bit of the fridge’s functions that they were aware of, with Volo and his Gabite standing off to the side.

Of course, the audience weren’t as familiar with a fridge as Akari and Ingo, and were absolutely hooked the entire time.

“Alight, that’s a mechanical cabinet!” Ginter finally wrapped up the presentation. “We have two available for sale after the show, this being one of them…stock is low, so be sure to attend the auction as soon as the event ends, if you’re interested! Now, onto the next appliance!”

Ginter’s rotom buzzed out of the fridge’s cord as Tuli, Volo, and his gabite picked it up, hauling it offstage to retrieve the next appliance.

The audience was talking amongst themselves at quite a loud volume, all of their conversations blending together. This was a good sign for the guild!

And so, the too-long, too-in-depth process of over-explaining an appliance and all of its possibilities started over when Volo brought a ‘mechanical lantern’ onto the platform, something Akari immediately recognized as a desk lamp.

For a while, Ingo sat beside Akari on the bench, arms crossed and focused gaze fixed on Volo and Tuli as they stood on the platform with Ginter, presenting appliance after appliance.

But as time went on, Ingo began to realize how pleasantly warm it was outside. The temperature was actually very comfortable. Having sat down for so long, not having to get up and move had begun to relax him as well.

And the words of Ginter and Volo started to blend in with the drone of the whispers and conversations amongst the crowd, discussing the appliances. The sounds from the Ginkgo wagon line, and the storefronts outside of the training grounds mixed together.

It was a lot like the crowds of (people) (standing)(around) and talking as they waited for the (crosswalk) to (switch) to walking. Or for the (subway)(doors) to open. Or for the (barista) to (hand) them their (orders) over the (counter).

The (city) ambience.

…Comforting.

It dulled Ingo’s sleep-deprived consciousness, relaxing it. This was the steady, constant atmosphere his body was used to, but his mind couldn’t recall.

Combined with the comfortable weather keeping Ingo warm, and his stationary position on the bench, the words of the guild members and the people crowded around him melted together. Ingo felt his consciousness slip into a state of relaxation and familiarity that he had been looking for for many nights. And he didn’t really fight it.

The warden’s eyes grew heavy as the auction continued, the crowd’s clapping dying down as Tuli entered again with Volo onto the platform, handing something new to Ginter, and taking away what he previously had.

Ginter held up and discussed said item, a handheld appliance that looked like an electric tabletop grill.

“A Mechanical campfire!” The guild leader presented the item to the audience, holding it up for them to see. “You simply press this button, turn this dial, and…”

The appliance must have dropped into Hisui with charged batteries, because a light on the handheld grill turned on, and it made a dinging sound. The crowd was, once again, impressed with the tiniest display of function.

“With this, you no longer need a flame to heat stuff up; you can keep food warm, boil water, perhaps even dry wet clothes…”

As Volo took the grill and continued showing it to the crowd while Ginter kept going on about (mostly incorrect) uses for it, Ingo’s initially-stiff posture softened, and his head dipped downwards in his crossed arms.

Ingo fell asleep sitting next to Akari, the crowded atmosphere and many sounds of the event easing him into it.

————

Akari didn’t even notice Ingo had fallen asleep next to her at first, she was so enthralled with each appliance the Ginkgo guild was presenting.

She knew what that appliance was! A flashlight!

And she knew that one too! It was a steaming ironer!

And wow, she recognized that item immediately, it was a television! …though that would be useless here, with no stations to even connect to.

“How do you think they’re gonna be able to explain the use of this one?” Akari leaned against Ingo to side whisper to him.

No response.

“Ingo?”

A light snore.

Akari glanced over at Ingo, taking her eyes off the guild members presenting the television on the platform. The warden was slouched forward, arms crossed and chin resting on his chest with a look of relaxation on his face.

At the sight, Akari’s heart ached a little, but she also felt a little relief that he was resting. She wasn’t upset at all that Ingo had fallen asleep during his time with her. He had said he was tired, and struggling with sleep problems.

And he mentioned that these issues stemmed from the highlands being too quiet. What did he mean by that?

Akari realized it was rather loud where they were, in the training grounds. There was a steady volume of conversation going on around her, and even more sounds were coming from the line of shops, still carrying on with other parts of the event.

It reminded Akari a lot of the ambience of the modern towns and cities she was used to before Hisui, where this was expected and constant. It was never quiet.

Had Ingo come from a city?

“And now, folks,” Volo’s voice cut through the sea of voices in the audience. “Here’s where sticking around pays off! We’re down to our last appliance, and it’s a special one!”

Akari was hoping they would lug out a toilet. It would be so entertaining to see them try to explain the use of that one without the knowledge of modern day plumbing.

————

Ingo woke with a start, blinking several times as the grip of sleep loosened around him.

Had he fallen asleep?

The warden looked up as he rubbed the drowsiness from his eyes, painfully aware of his stiff neck; he never should have fallen asleep sitting up.

The sky was now a gradient of purple and orange with the lowering sun, quite a contrast to the bright blue sky he had last seen.

How long had he slept?

He was still sitting amongst the benches set up on the battlefield, but the area was now mostly empty, the benches and platform vacant except for a few lingering villagers, absorbed in their own small conversations. The drone of people talking was still heard, but now it was quieter and distant, as opposed to loud, constant, and all around him.

“Miss Akari..?” Ingo yawned as he looked around, rubbing his neck to get the stiffness out of his muscles.

No answer.

“Miss Akari?” Ingo called out again, louder this time, straightening his crooked cap as he attempted to stand up. His back was incredibly stiff as well.

Ingo’s attention turned to the dojo as a muffled “sold! To the girl in the survey corps outfit!” rang out, followed by a cheering.

So that was where the distant talking was coming from…

Ingo made his way over to the dojo to see if that was Akari the voice was talking about.

She wouldn’t leave him here, surely?

Reaching the dojo’s doors, Ingo made his way through it to the edge of the crowd of people gathered inside, realizing it was a bit of a tight squeeze.

It was hot and stuffy inside, but people seemed too caught up in excitement for it to bother them. Still, the dojo was not meant for this many people…

“…I’d say take good care of it, Akari, but I know you will!”

That was Volo’s voice, amongst the countless other conversations; did she purchase something?

Ingo looked over the crowd of people in the direction of Volo’s voice, to see Akari on the other side of the room, grabbing something small from Volo’s hands. Rei was next to Akari, his pikachu on his shoulder; he must have come to the event and found Akari at some point, while Ingo was out.

Ingo didn’t see what Akari had bought, but he saw her handing Volo a few star pieces in return.

Star pieces! Akari always held onto those for something important…what had she bought that was so expensive?

“Miss Akari!” Ingo called over the crowd. Both Volo, Rei, and Akari turned at the call, and Ingo could see Akari’s eyes light up at the sight of seeing him finally awake.

It was a reaction that tugged at Ingo’s heart, reminding him that no, she wouldn’t have left him.

“Ingo!” Akari called over the crowd, now trying to make her way over to him. Rei trailed after, keeping close behind her as best he could. Meanwhile, Volo cleared his throat and stepped back, while Ginter took over, clearly about to say something big.

Ingo saw what was going on, and motioned for the kids to follow him outside quickly, before Ginter made the announcement, and everyone else started leaving.

“Alright everyone, that was the last item! The Ginkgo Guild wants to thank you all for coming out to this event today! It was quite a successful day…please do join us again for any future events like this! Your support of the guild is much appreciated!”

With the signal that the event was now entirely over, people started trying to filter out of the over-crowded dojo all at once, back outside into the cooler air. The small door bottlenecked the process however, and made it harder for everyone to leave.

Finally, Ingo squeezed out of the door as the rest of the crowd spilled out. Akari trailed behind with one hand grasping onto his coat, the other holding the item she had bought. Likewise, Rei was also holding onto Akari’s scarf with one hand, an assortment of items in his own possession.

“You woke up!” Were the first words that left Akari’s mouth as soon as they pulled to the side of the dojo, away from the steady stream of people leaving. “I didn’t know how long you’d be asleep on that bench, and I didn’t want to wake you up! You looked very relaxed!”

“You were knocked out like an Ursaluna in winter, Mr. Ingo!” Rei added, which made Akari laugh, and Ingo’s face flush slightly.

“I apologize, I must have been more tired than I thought…” Ingo admitted, mostly just wanting to move onto a different subject after a comparison like that. He hoped too many people hadn’t seen him like that. “What was that that just ended? Was that the after-show auction?”

“Oh yeah!” Both kids piped up, before holding out what they bought to show Ingo. “They had a lot of stuff there!”

The Ginkgo guild must have been selling their usual wares alongside the presented appliances, because he recognized some of their more common items amongst a few, more modern-looking things.

Rei had stocked up on various potions and revives, but he noticed a metallic tube of sorts amongst the items.

“I got one of the… uh, ‘flashlights’ they were selling,” Rei picked the object out of his pile. “That’s what they’re called, right Akari?”

Rei’s Pikachu reached from over his shoulder to hold the flashlight and flicker it on and off.

“She told me all about them, and how they work! I figured with Pikachu here, I could recharge it whenever I need!”

Pikachu let out a sound of agreement, still fiddling with the flashlight.

“I see! Good choice, young man.” Ingo responded, noting Rei’s good thinking. The idea of what a flashlight was came back to him quickly, at Pikachu’s informal demonstration. “And Miss Akari?”

Ingo observed one thing in her hands, and it was a small black box of sorts, with a mesh covering on one side.

“Oh! I wasn’t actually going to get anything…Volo gave me pretty much everything I needed earlier with the hyper potions, but when they brought this out, I changed my mind!”

Akari handed the small box to Ingo, for him to inspect himself. Peculiar…

“It was the special item they saved until the end of the show!” Rei added after a moment of letting him turn it over in his hands.

“This was the special appliance?” The surprise was clear as day in Ingo’s voice. But it was so small! He was a little disappointed in himself for falling asleep, he would have liked to have heard an explanation for what this actually was! He didn’t recognize it.

And Akari was the one to get it! Now he understood why it cost a handful of star pieces to buy, any less amount for the “special appliance”, and it probably would have gone to someone else!

But why did she want it so bad?

Before he could say anything else, Professor Laventon stumbled out of the dojo, among the group of people last to leave.

“Ah! There you are, my boy!” Laventon came over, putting a hand on the shoulder Rei’s Pikachu was not situated on. “I saw you managed to get ahold of one of those handheld versions of the mechanical lanterns….excellent! If you’re not too busy here, would you and Pikachu mind demonstrating to me how it works? I’d love to document how exactly an electric type can influence it!”

Rei laughed at the Professor’s enthusiasm; he was always looking for more to discover.

“Of course, Professor, I was just catching up with Akari and Mr. Ingo,” the boy told the professor. “Pikachu and I would be happy to show you how it works! Right Pikachu?”

Rei’s Pikachu, still fiddling with the flashlight, gave a cry of agreement as it switched the device on yet again, this time shining it right in Rei’s eyes.

“Ah!! Pikachu! That’s bright-!” The boy scrambled to cover his eyes with one hand, grabbing the flashlight away with the other.

The yellow Pokémon made a noise akin to laughing as Rei switched the flashlight off, rubbing at his eyes.

“Oww…anyways, we might need to do a safety demonstration too,” Rei groaned, turning to leave with the professor, and go back to the Galaxy Team Headquarters to test the device. “Goodbye Akari, goodbye Mr. Ingo!”

“Goodbye!” Akari waved back to the two as they existed the training grounds. Ingo simply waved them off with one hand, the other still holding onto the box.

“Let’s hope his eyesight returns quickly,” Ingo half-joked, before he turned his attention back to the small box in his hands.

“However, I am afraid I still do not entirely recognize this appliance.”

“Oh! Well…” Akari started, as if trying to figure out how she should explain everything she wanted to. “…It’s a soundscape player!”

Akari reached out and turned the box over, revealing a small board of buttons. She pressed one of them, and a sound started to emit from the mesh covering side of the device.

To Ingo’s surprise, it started playing sounds resembling ocean waves.

Amazing!

Ingo didn’t think he knew what these were even before Hisui, as this felt entirely foreign to him, unlike all of the other appliances he had seen.

Ingo was caught slightly off guard by the sudden sounds. Akari pressed another button, and the noises changed to something like a forest.

“It plays sounds of different places!” Akari explained to him. “Your Magnezone might need to recharge it after the batteries run out, but-“

“-Miss Akari,” Ingo stopped her in her tracks. “It’s ok. You have plenty of Pokémon who can attend to this for you, Magnezone always appreciates feeling helpful, but you don’t need them to recharge it.”

“Well,” Akari looked away for a moment, as if hesitant to admit it. “I actually got it for you!”

If Ingo hadn’t looked surprised before, he certainly looked like it now.

“For me? …But-“

“-Ingo, I just…you were sleeping through a really loud event. You said that you’ve had problems sleeping…and you told me the highlands were too quiet!”

Akari fiddled with her scarf as she continued with her explanation. “When they brought that up onto the stage, and started talking about how it could play sounds from all different places without you having to go there yourself, well… I just figured it could help you sleep. It could make things more like where you came from before.”

Ingo had trouble finding the right words to express himself, but he knew what he felt.

Mostly immense appreciation that she was thinking of him and trying to help him. But also, a little bit of embarrassment over the fact that it had gotten to the point where someone had to extend help to him in the first place.

“Miss Akari, I-“ Ingo was about to start a speech about appreciation, and how he couldn’t accept such an expensive gift, things Ingo always said any time someone got him something (which, outside of Akari, was not very often at all), but when he went to press a button to turn the sounds off, instead it switched to a different soundscape.

Distant beeping, and (vehicles), and a general bustle.

A (city) soundscape.

Ingo listened to it for a moment, having stopped his speech in its tracks. This was what he had been missing.

Ingo still didn’t know what exactly all of these different sounds belonged to. Unlike the appliances he could have looked at for himself, Ingo couldn’t see the cars, or the crosswalks, or the tall, electric buildings. He couldn’t recall what these noises belonged to, but by the way the sounds tugged on his brain, and jerked at his heart, he knew this was what he was missing.

This was exactly what his mind had been waiting for, every single night since he woke up here in Hisui.

“…Thank you, Miss Akari,” Ingo rubbed at his tired eyes, sniffing as he turned the soundscape player off.

Akari hugged him, sinking slightly into his soft tunic and thick coat as warm arms wrapped back around her.

Ingo had always been there for her, the way a child lost in a strange world had needed. But Akari was always there for Ingo too, somehow knowing just what he needed as well.

The sounds of the event, still coming from down the hill around the storefronts and Ginkgo wagon line wound down as the sun began to set.

That night, Ingo was able to sleep in his big comfortable bed back at the Pearl Clan settlement.

With the help of the soundscape player next to his bed, playing sounds of a familiar life he had yet to remember, Ingo drifted off into the most peaceful sleep he’d had in months.