Tumgik
malleux · 12 days
Text
me, the motherfucker with over 50 abandoned works in progress: i have an idea
30K notes · View notes
malleux · 4 months
Text
freedom. | quest for tyr [IV]
Tumblr media
[main page] | [t.o.c] | [spellbook] | [ << | >> ]
young adult!atreus x reader
-> synopsis: The only times you had ever experienced adventure was through your books. It was hard to live an exciting life while trapped in Alfheim.
You know you're meant for something greater than wasting away underground.
[loosely based on the events of Gow: Ragnarok]
-> chapter warnings: all chapters contain spoilers, cursing, anxiety, fighting, fight scene not accurate to canon, blood
-> a/n: sorry for the much, much shorter update. this is literally half of what I normally write, but the "quest for tyr" section of the story is over and it's time for "old friends". please enjoy!
You were sick of it. 
Atreus and Kratos, very obviously, had a strained relationship at the moment. It was typical of every parent-child duo to butt heads at times, but couldn't they have done it in private? 
You nor Mimir wanted to hear constant bickering. Atreus wouldn't listen and Kratos wouldn't hear him out. In your opinion, who cares? 
The deeper into the mine you got, the more your eye twitched in annoyance as they argued. It was typical for a parent and their kid to disagree— Hel, you and your father argued often— but this extent was maddening. 
Did you hear that, brothers? I don't think we're alone." Even Mimir had butt in a few times to make them stop, deciding to comment on the weird noises he heard that Kratos and Atreus were definitely speaking over. 
"Ears open. Eyes up." Kratos responded. 
"It came from over here. There's a passage leading out." 
Atreus headed to the other side of the room where the entrance to a small crawl-space was embedded in the wall. You made a face, once more despising the confined space as you watched Atreus crouch down and shuffle inside. 
"Atreus. Do my words irritate you?" 
"It's fine. I get it." Atreus's tone was obviously annoyed. 
"Brothers— wait, is that light up ahead there?" Mimir cut his own sentence off. 
You came out of the crawl-space into another very open area. Laying a hand on your spear, you looked around. Stalactites hung dangerously low from the ceiling, building up from years and years of existence. Across the room was a door, a large lock across the front of it. 
"The door is barred." You commented. "There has to be a reason." 
"You don't lock a door like that to secure spare bedclothes." Mimir agreed. 
Atreus pulled out his bow and aimed it at a lower corner of the door frame, yelling out his spell and releasing the arrow into the weak spot. It cracked, the old wood beginning to crumble around it. He did the same with the next corner, and the next, until the door was loose enough to open. 
Kratos followed after him, walking up to the large latch and grabbing it, readying himself to heave the wood up and unlock the door. 
As he was doing so, however, a loud yell rang across the cavern. You didn't recognize its words, but the thought was quickly pushed away as two large beings jumped down from another entrance in the room. You wanted to kick yourself for not seeing it and securing it earlier. 
They raised their weapons and ran forward, one choosing to clash with Kratos as the other went straight for you. You didn't have time to summon a shield with the enemy's speed, instead choosing to use the pole of your spear to counter his swing instead. 
"Mimir!" You called, "What the Hel are these things?" 
"Einherjar, lass!" He yelled back, as if you were just expected to know what those were. "Be careful, they can use the Bifrost and could get a brutal hit on ya!" 
You heeded Mimir's words just in time as the Einherjar's staff began to glow a bright purple. He swung it towards you again and you dodged, rolling out of the way and standing up behind him. You stabbed the spearhead into his back. The Einherjar yelled out in pain, thrashing to get un-pierced, but the damage was done. 
"Skjálfa!" 
Turquoise light emitted from the tip of the spearhead and illuminated the inside of the Einherjar, its power sending shocks through his body. He slumped to the ground. 
Atreus and Kratos took on the second Einherjar, Atreus continuing his strategy of staying in the background for long-distance shots while Kratos used his little fire-blade-chain-things. The fight didn't last long-- obviously a god, a demigod, and a half-elf were no match for the Einherjar-- and you were able to take a moment to catch your breath. 
Between the constant magic use and the fact that you were just out of practice from not using your spear in so long, this journey was definitely starting to wear on you. You were beginning to think you had asthma-- did they make a healing spell for that? 
"Clearly they don't want us in there. This has to be it." Atreus, ever the energetic one, was ready to push forward. 
You held a hand up, chest still slightly heaving. "Let's-- can we talk about this? What are we going to do if it is? Just unleash a god of war into the Realms?"
"N-no!" Atreus glanced at his father. You knew Kratos wasn't a big fan of Atreus's plan anyways, so you figured your words might have made Atreus anxious about another argument. "I'm hoping we can talk to him. Explain what's going on with Fimbulwinter and everything. Maybe he can help."
"Help with... the end of the world?"
"Yes, exactly." Atreus reached forward and took your wrist into his grasp. His fingers were rough and calloused, no doubt from years of using his bow. They were warm as well, heating up your entire body. Or, maybe that was the exhaustion from all the exercise. "Let's go."
Kratos approached the large wooden door and inspected it. Obviously, it wasn't able to be opened through normal means. Instead, he dug his blades into the wood and turned around, pulling at the chains over his back. He yelled out in effort and eventually, the door flew off its hinges and splintered across the room. You covered your face to protect it from the wood debris and dust that flew up around you all. By the time you could open your eyes to look around, Atreus was already running towards the entryway.
"Tyr!" 
Inside the smaller room sat a man. A very dirty, very sad man. HIs head hung low, eyes trained on the dirt floor even as Atreus knelt before him. Kratos was not far behind. You chose to stay a bit further back, still holding your spear just in case. Not that you would want to fight a god, but you would if that's what it came down to. 
The man shook his head. "What trickery is this, Odin...?" When he looked up, you felt your heart lurch. His eyes were a glowing white, piercing through the dust and darkness of the room and burning through everything he looked at. Bifrost eyes-- similar to Mimir's. "What game do you play with me now?"
"We're not with Odin." Atreus began, "We're the good guys."
Kratos stalked behind Tyr, just as vigilant as you were, and snatched the thick noose that was tied around Tyr's neck. He sliced it easily, but Tyr made no motions to move. He still sat-- hunched over, face turned to the ground. 
"This is the god of war?" Kratos questioned.
"Those blades..." Tyr eyed the blades in Kratos's hands-- the metal still glowing with heat. "I know you. Godkiller... Have you come for me now?"
God-huh?
You had questions. 
The only time Tyr made any major movements came next, after Kratos sheathed his blades and stepped towards him. He held his hand out, offering help, but Tyr frantically scooted away from him. "Stay away!"
Just how scary was Kratos?
"Brother, let me try." Kratos lifted up Mimir's head to the now-hyperventilating god. "Tyr-- Tyr! Look, you know me, don't you?"
"You-- you killed Mimir!"
"No, no, no, no--"
"We brought him right back!" Atreus butted in.
"Stay away from me, you monsters!" 
Tyr jumped up, pushing his way away from Kratos, Mimir, and Atreus. He rushed past you, attempting to escape, but not before you stood in front of him. You had put your spear away, realizing that having your weapon drawn would only scare him more. 
"Tyr, we're not here to hurt you--" 
"And you kidnapped the half-elf! What more can you do?" Tyr cried out, going around you and running through a different tunnel. He smashed through the wooden planks blocking it, more debris flying everywhere. 
"Kidnapped--"
"We need him!" Atreus yelled, ignoring Kratos's calls to wait and chasing after Tyr. 
Before you both could follow, several more Einherjar jumped down. They must have sensed your presences-- or heard Tyr yelling. You drew your weapons and quickly defeated them, following after Atreus through the tunnel. 
Many Einherjar stopped you along the way and you were only guided by the echos of Atreus's voice as he pled for Tyr to listen. Eventually, you were able to back the god into a corner. Tyr was still begging to be let go-- to be shown mercy, as if he was expecting Odin himself to rain hellfire upon the mines. 
Atreus threw his hands up as you and Kratos approached, as if asking 'What now'?
"This is my father, and this is Y/N. We help people." Atreus tried once more. 
"I don't belong out here. Please. It's worse when he's angry."
Kratos suddenly grabbed Tyr off of the floor with superhuman strength, pinning him to the wall. "Are you not a soldier? Are you not a leader of men? Answer me! Master yourself. My son brought us here to this place for you. Look at him."
Tyr's gaze flickered to Atreus, who was trying to subtly use puppy-dog eyes. You bit back a laugh. 
"You...? Why? You don't know me."
"We know of your past endeavors." You shrugged, "You did good. You helped the Giants. We're just... returning the favor."
"We...?"
"We are leaving. Are you coming with us?" Kratos waited for Tyr to nod before releasing him back to the ground. 
Tyr took a breath and stood, finally reaching his full height. You craned your neck up to look at him, and then made eye contact with Atreus. You raised your eyebrows to convey "I'm surprised this worked".  He returned the sentiment. The look didn't last long as Atreus fumbled around for a second, unhooking a spear from his back and holding it out to Tyr. 
"Here. Your statue in the lake had a spear, so I figured you might want a--"
"Walking stick? Oh, a kind thought, but no thank you." 
Another look was shared-- this time, confusion. 
Tyr crouched down to Atreus's height, laying one hand on his shoulder. "I ran earlier because I don't always know what's real. Sometimes, there's a... uh..."
"There's no shame in that, brother. We live in strange times." Mimir tried to comfort. 
"Everyone hears him talk?"
Kratos ignored it. "We must return home."
He began leading your little group further, probably feeling a wind or something that could lead to an exit. It was a bit awkward-- having a new giant god join the group, but it was still comfortable. Tyr was still wary, but nobody could blame him. 
"Are there names by which I should call you?" He broke the silence. 
"I'm Atreus. You already know Mimir. That's my father, Kratos, and then there's Y/N." Atreus looked at you and smiled reassuringly. "You're not the newbie anymore, Y/N."
You huffed out a laugh. "Considering I've only been here a few days, I still think I'm new."
"A few days? Had I not known any better, I would assume you were apart of the family."
You knew Tyr didn't mean anything by it, but the wording still stung. It was a reminder that you really weren't apart of any family. "Uh, no. What-- um, what all do you know?" 
You were nervous to ask, considering you never even went into detail when explaining everything over dinner those days ago. 
"I know that there was a half-elf being housed in Alfheim for many years. There wasn't much word once the fighting began, but goodness did you cause a ruckus when you left. Dark elf soldiers being dispatched left and right to find you and bring you home."
"They--they're looking for me?" 
"Why wouldn't they? You're not supposed to exist."
76 notes · View notes
malleux · 4 months
Text
Chapter Ten — Goron City
Tumblr media
t.o.c ; << | >>
[chapter warnings: arguments, link is overthinking, link is mean]
"We only have a few more minutes until we reach Goron City. It should be much cooler inside the actual city..."
Link's words did little to comfort you. Sure, you were used to the heat. Gerudo Town was in the desert, after all. But the dry heat of your second home was little in comparison to the scorching heat of the volcano. You had to discard your wooden shield because as you ascended to Goron City it caught on fire. The tips of your fingers were burnt from where you had grabbed the edge, but it wasn't anything to mention and worry Link over.
"We should've made more potions. I feel like I'm about to combust."
"Someone back at the stable mentioned that there were fireproof suits we could find that help. Maybe we can ask someone in the City about them-- I'm sure they sell them for travelers."
The air between the two of you was quiet.
It wasn't unusual for there to be silence between you and Link-- you couldn't keep a conversation going 24/7-- but this one felt different. Tense. It had been a bit off since leaving Zora's Domain, but you didn't want to think too hard about it. The only issue-- the strange feeling in the air continued to get worse and worse the closer you got to the city. It was almost unbearable, but was it your place to question it? You had to try.
"Link?" Your voice was quiet. He hummed. "Is everything alright?"
Link didn't respond for a moment, and you worried that you had crossed a boundary. "I just... They weigh on my mind."
"Who?"
"The old Champions." Link stared ahead. His eyes held a glazed-over look-- refusing to look at you. "I feel bad. Guilty, if anything."
"Survivor's guilt is a thing." You shrugged, "It can happen to soldiers when their comrades die. Like you're guilty that you're alive when they could've been alive too. But Link, do you realize that their sacrifices gave you another chance? It sucks that they didn't survive, but they had so much faith in you that they gave their lives to give you a fighting chance at defeating Ganon."
"And I failed to defeat him, which made them die."
"No, you were given a chance to get stronger. Who's to say that you would've defeated him back then?" You were a firm believer that things worked out they way they're supposed to. The Goddess doesn't make mistakes. "Maybe the Champions would've died before you made it to Ganon and couldn't activate the beasts to help you. Then he would've been way stronger. Or-or you said Zelda was in the castle, fighting him off right? If she couldn't use her powers like you said, then she wouldn't have weakened him or anything. 100 years ago may not have been the right time to kill Ganon, but now can be."
Link didn't respond, the gears turning in his head. You really hoped that you didn't say the wrong thing. "The entrance to the city is right ahead. Let's go."
You lowered your gaze to your horse, patting his mane in an attempt to soothe yourself from the blatant rejection of your comfort. It hurt, but you understood where he came from. This was definitely something you had no experience speaking on, so of course he'd take your words lightly. You didn't have much time to think about that, though, as the ground began to rumble beneath you. A loud roar pierced the air and a crash came down beside you, making Taz rear up in fear.
A large boulder appeared on your right, cratering the ground beneath it as it fell from the sky. Vah Rudania thrashed on the side of the volcano and more smoldering hot rocks flew from its vicinity to different parts of the city.
You pushed forward, tying Taz up with Epona at the entrance and heading in with Link. He was already a few steps ahead of you, asking around to find the Elder of the village. It didn't take long for a Goron to point you in the right direction, nor did it take much longer to walk across the small village and find him.
Bludo was very obviously the oldest Goron you'd ever seen— though, you'd rarely seen Gorons in your life. They didn't travel far from rocks, and rocks did seem to be pretty rare in the desert.
"— and that darn Yunobo hasn't been back in hours!"
Bludo raised his voice a few decibels and you finally tuned into what he was saying. Hopefully you weren't missing too much context. You didn't want to ask Link and bother him.
"Where's he at? I can find him."
"He went up to the Abandoned North Mine to fetch my painkillers this morning. Hasn't been back at all. Goddess only knows what he's been up to."
"We'll go get him right now!" You chime in. Link side-eyes you, but doesn't say anything until you bid your goodbyes to Bludo and are back in the town.
You need to buy that armor the people at the stable talked about .
"You don't need to come on this." It's his first words to you since you arrived, and they stung. "We agreed that you'd stay behind when it came to the Divine Beasts."
"This isn't the beasts, though." You argued, "I don't want to just sit in the village and do nothing. Once you and Bludo go to the volcano then I'll stay back."
Link doesn't respond, walking past you to the general store. There's two sets of armor for travelers there, but he only picks up one and brings it to the counter.
"Are you serious right now?" You're starting to get upset. You understood that he was going through a lot— really. But taking it out on you? "This is so petty."
You grabbed the other suit of armor and paid for it with your own rupees, not the satchel of shared rupees that you both used for travel necessities. You had to practically race to put on the suit and catch up with Link.
"Y/N, you can't come with me." He still marched ahead, eyes glued on the direction Bludo pointed you in.
"Yes I can!"
"No, you can't!" Link whipped around, exasperated. "You don't need to be doing the stuff that I have to do! You're not the hero— I alone am destined to do this so I need to do it alone. You can't do the things I need to do. I don't need you."
If all of Link's other actions stung, then this one was like a punch to the gut. Your eyes pricked with tears, but you couldn't possibly let Link see them. Especially after he already practically called you too weak to help out.
You tried to keep your voice steady. "Really? That's low."
"You don't get it—"
"No, Link, I do." You were shaking— whether it was from rage or something akin to heartbreak, you didn't know. "You're letting this whole thing get to your head. It's a huge deal, yeah, but you're taking it too far. There's no reason you should have yelled at me like that."
Link's eyes softened for a fraction of a second, but you turned around too quickly to see it. You took off your helmet and threw it on the ground— 500 rupees be damned. It was hard to keep the tears in.
Your past taught you to stand up for yourself. To not let issues get to you, big or small. You knew you couldn't tolerate someone treating you the way Link has today, and you'd turned your back on someone before the same way you had today.
So why did this feel so much more painful?
Link was your first friend outside of Gerudo Town. Your traveling partner. Someone you cared about a lot more than you'd ever cared about someone before. A best friend, perhaps.
You didn't look back as you walked back into the city, straight through until you reached the other end. Even then, you kept going. You headed to the hot springs on your map— you just had to remember how to get there, since pulling out your paper map would destroy it in seconds.
"You can do better."
"Goddess—"
"Language." The voice was in your ear. You whipped around, coming face to— uh, mask— once again with a familiar person. "I heard your little spat."
"Why are you following me?" You absolutely were not in the mood to deal with this soldier. You took a step back— he was too close for your liking.
"Just interested in your journey." He chuckled. "Curious as to how you did a complete flip and went to aiding the enemy."
"He was never an enemy. You guys just tricked me into believing he was one."
"Ah, to-may-to, to-mah-to." The Yiga waved his hand dismissively. "Just because we have entirely different perspectives doesn't make either of us wrong. We see our truths through our own eyes. I cannot see your truth because I do not have your eyes, and you cannot see mine."
"Unless I take them out of your head." You grumble. It was very tempting.
"I'm not so sure you'd do that. You do remember that I'm in possession of some knowledge you'd like, right?"
"How could I forget when you're constantly dangling it over my head."
The Yiga barked out a laugh at this and you tried to ignore how your heart jumped. "I'll give you a hint if you do something for me."
Another tempting offer. Perhaps more tempting than gouging his eyes. "Depends on what it is."
"Find out where the Master Sword is."
"I haven't even heard anything about it—"
"Your brother is somewhere you would least expect. And now I expect some information the next time I see you. Toodle-loo!"
In a puff of light and talismen, the Yiga was gone.
Where you would least expect? What? You wanted to go to the hot springs to relax, but were left with more questions and your headache growing even worse.
The Master Sword...
Of course the soldier knew that you knew what it was. The Master Sword was in all of the stories and legends that the Yiga taught about the return of the Hero. With that sword, Link would be able to seal away the darkness and save Hyrule. You guessed that the Yiga's plan was to take the sword and hide it, so Link would never be able to seal the darkness.
You chose an empty hot spring pool, undressed and sunk down into the water until it reached just below your nose. You had a choice to make.
Find your brother, or help Link.
———
"Just because we have entirely different perspectives doesn't make either of us wrong. We see our truths through our own eyes. I cannot see your truth because I do not have your eyes, and you cannot see mine."
As much as you hated to admit it, the Yiga Footsoldier was quite the philosopher.
His little lecture played over and over in your head as you bathed, scrubbing all the dirt and grime from your adventure away. You felt a bit better afterwards— rejuvenated. Your mind was a bit more clear after being muddled with anger and frustration.
"Just because we have entirely different perspectives doesn't make either of us wrong."
Link has the future of Hyrule resting on his shoulders. The lives of thousands. Of course he'd get stressed— in the past, he was literally so stressed out that he wouldn't talk to anyone about it.
The Yiga Clan had their own truths, too. They were upset about the Sheikah Clan being exiled for their technology and disagreed with the clan members who decided to cast away the advances. In some morbid attempt at revenge, they formed the Yiga Clan and swore to eliminate all who stood against Ganon as he used their tech.
And you.
You were part of both sides. One a bit less willing than the other, but you were nonetheless. You never necessarily agreed with the Yiga, but fear does things to someone. They follow rules without much complaint. And now, being with Link, new truths have emerged.
You knew you weren't going to comply with the Yiga Clan, but you needed to find your brother.
With a heavy sigh, you waded to the edge of the hot spring. You dried your hands on your discarded shirt and pulled the paper map out of your bag and got to work.
57 notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Text
freedom.
Tumblr media
young adult!atreus x reader
-> synopsis: The only times you had ever experienced adventure was through your books. It was hard to live an exciting life while trapped in Alfheim.
You know you're meant for something greater than wasting away underground.
[loosely based on the events in GoW: Ragnarok]
-> warnings: violence, blood, death scenes, cursing. nothing nsfw though because despite atreus being aged up, i will not do it. contains spoilers.
[about you]
[spellbook]
[table of contents]
atreus is aged up to be 20 years old. reader is 19 years old.
39 notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Text
freedom. | quest for tyr [III]
Tumblr media
[main page] | [t.o.c] | [spellbook] | [ << | >> ]
young adult!atreus x reader
-> synopsis: The only times you had ever experienced adventure was through your books. It was hard to live an exciting life while trapped in Alfheim.
You know you're meant for something greater than wasting away underground.
[loosely based on the events of Gow: Ragnarok]
-> chapter warnings: all chapters contain spoilers, cursing, anxiety, vomit mention, fighting, fight scene not accurate to canon, blood, injuries, trauma mention
The day before was nothing compared to the pain you were in today. 
Just opening your eyes was a task that seemed to take all of your energy, and your body was so stiff that the smallest movements hurt. Breathing, speaking, literally anything seemed impossible as you slowly sat up the next morning. 
Atreus was by your side the second he heard you curse under your breath, gently helping you up and handing you a plate of whatever leftovers were scavengable from the night before. You ate slowly, listening to him, Kratos, and Mimir formulate a plan for the day. 
"Earlier, I saw a mine down below, and Mimir saw tracks to another train we could take down there. Hopefully it'll be just as safe as the last one," Atreus smiled at you reassuringly during his last sentence, remembering how much you hated them.
You pursed your lips and side-eyed him. You were appreciative of the gesture, really, but heights just really weren't your thing and an old contraption that had your death written all over it didn't help.
You didn't take long to get back to traveling. You didn't feel like holding the trio back from anything they wanted to get done just because you were a little hurt. You could grin and bear it. 
The pain was almost worth it as you saw more pretty views on the mountain top. 
"Father..." Atreus interrupted the peaceful silence. "What if a war with Odin isn't just Tyr's to fight? What if it's ours too?" 
"War is not the only way." Kratos responded. 
"But we're gods. Better gods. We're trying to stop Ragnarok, to help people, and what if the only way to do that is war?" 
"Atreus." 
"I'm just not sure we should immediately jump to that conclusion." You said a bit nervously, "My home was— and still is— torn apart by war. It's not something you really want, especially when you've experienced it."
"Wh— I thought you were on my side!" Atreus whined, turning to you as he continued to walk backwards. 
"I'm on your side with stopping Ragnarok." You shrugged, "I just really, really want to look for any way that doesn't involve war. It's not fun." 
Atreus continued to argue with you as you came upon the rest of the train tracks, but you knew it wasn't a serious thing. He had a playful glint in his eyes— one he had often when he decided to mess around with people. 
You watched in almost awe as Kratos lifted the train and realigned it on the tracks. It amazed you how he barely broke a sweat— he must have been an incredibly strong god. 
Atreus was the first in. Then Kratos and Mimir. 
They looked at you expectantly and you shuffled your feet, looking to find a solid way up into the creaky, wooden cart. You really, really didn't want to go in. 
A hand appeared in front of your face. 
"Here," Atreus helped hoist you up, keeping you steady as the train car squeaked once more under the added weight. He remembered your apprehension and patted your shoulder. "We'll be fine. We don't have much farther to go now." 
"The Kraken hatchling gave you a stone." Kratos pointed out as the train began moving. His voice was a good distraction from your incessant urge to look out the window and scare yourself even more. 
"The Kraken...? Oh, Dinner. Yeah, it's covered in algae. I was thinking we could show it to Brok and Sindri when we got back. Here." Atreus tossed it to his father, who pocketed the stone. "Okay, we came looking for Tyr because we don't trust Odin, right? If you think about it, war could— uh oh—"
The train became shakier and shakier, it's noisy wheels creaking even louder. You stand up in a panic, frantically looking over at your companions, but they look just as confused. 
A creature— a Grim, you recalled— grabbed onto the window ledge closest to Kratos, trying to scratch its way inside. Kratos quickly punched it and sent it flying, but there wasn't much time until another Grim appeared in its place. 
You swallowed your nerves and raised your spear, using the butt of it to knock out a Grim from the window on the other side. 
"Skjalfa!" You cried, sending them out just as quickly as they were coming in. You wanted nothing more than to use your favorite little fire spell, but with a wooden train like this you knew you'd probably set it on fire too. 
"Atreus, look for a brake to stop the train!" Mimir called out, "Should be a lever of some sort!"
"I found it— but it's stuck!" 
"Try harder!" You shook out your hand as you hit a Grim that had actually made it through the window. You grabbed it and threw it back out, hitting two others that threatened to enter and sending them all back. 
"I'm trying! But— it's—" 
The lever broke in two. The handle flew out of the window you were guarding. 
You all could only stare at each other for a moment before the train began to fall— the one thing you prayed to the Nords wouldn't happen. 
"Shit." Atreus grabbed your arm and pulled you between him and Kratos, presumably to shield your fall or protect you from the rest of the Grim. "Shitshitshitshitshit—"
"Ow!" You yelped as you hit the ground. 
Kratos was up before you could even fathom what was going on. He pried at the opening at the top of the train, climbing out and yelling out a rough "Get up!" before taking out his axe and disappearing from your sight. 
He reached back down once he returned, grabbing both you and Atreus and setting you down on top of the cart. You were definitely put down more gently than Atreus, but you wouldn't point that out. 
"I can't believe we surv— are you serious?" Atreus was frustrated now, more Grim coming from seemingly out of nowhere to attack you. 
You whipped around to survey your surroundings, choosing to stay further away from the heat of the fight. The headless troll that laid to your right told you what Kratos had done earlier, and you silently thanked him for making things easier. 
You pointed your spear at Grim that tried to tag-team Kratos or Atreus, choosing to save your magic energy and use some Dark Elf skills. An energy beam shot out from the tip of your spear, slicing the unsuspecting Grim in two. 
This continued for only a few moments longer, then you finally could drop your weapon. You still held onto it tightly, though, still on guard. You jumped down to rejoin everyone. 
"That was crazy." Atreus breathed out. 
"You said it, little brother." 
"That was awful." You shuddered. "I hate heights. I also now hate trains. I knew something was going to happen." 
"You jinxed us, then!" Atreus teased, "You can't sit there and think bad thoughts and then expect good things to come. You gotta look on the bright side." 
"I didn't jinx shit." You mumbled, watching as Kratos looked around for where to go next. "I was looking on the bright side. I felt like I was going to pass out, and if I was unconscious at least I wouldn't feel it when I died." 
"That's— that is not what I meant. Just, come on, I think Father found something." 
It was a small crawl space, which all things considered could be either better or worse than falling off of the side of a mountain on a train. 
Atreus went first, then you, followed by Kratos. You noticed he always took up the back— probably to protect you both from whatever may sneak up behind. Smart. 
"Quite the mouth you had back there, lad." Mimir broke the silence. 
"It's just a word." Atreus rolled his eyes. "I've heard way worse from Br-"
"The word does not matter. You lost control." Kratos reprimanded. His voice was always stern, but this held an even harsher tone. 
"We were falling. Through the air." Atreus defended, "I thought we were gonna die." He gestured to you, "She says it all the time!"
"She was not raised the same way you were. What is acceptable for her is different from you. Is that truly what you wish your last words to be?"
You were glad that was Kratos's view, because the second Atreus brought you into it your heart seized. You did not want to get scolded by Kratos. 
"No." Atreus gave up arguing. You thought that was a wise choice. 
"In moments of crisis, panic does nothing. Harness it. Let it serve you." 
You let his words sink in as you came across another area, this time finally in the open. You kind of wanted to laugh— Kratos wasn't even talking to you, and yet you held onto his words more than you'd ever held onto your own father's. Kratos had a lot of wisdom, but Atreus wouldn't heed it. 
You figured it just be a father-child thing for you and Atreus to never listen. 
"What is this?" You looked around the area in a bit of awe, taking in the wooden structures and water wheels around you. 
"The Jarnsmida Pitmines, lass." Mimir answered joyfully, as if he was reminiscing on something. Probably some memories that he has in that infinite brain of his. 
"Look on the ground. Tracks." Atreus pointed out, "They must lead into the mines." 
"And what exactly is in these mines?" You stood beside him, eyeing Kratos once more as he studied the area. It seemed like every place you went to had some gods-awful puzzle just to make it through and it made your brain hurt. 
"Hopefully Tyr." He smiled at you, and you pursed your lips into a half-smile in return. Your adrenaline was wearing off and the impact from the train crash made your injuries from the Dreki feel brand new again. 
You took a deep breath, only being able to inhale so deeply, and nodded. "Hopefully. I just want him to be here and us not just find another clue and be on a wild goose chase." 
"This is a super prominent mine, I'm pretty sure. If he's anywhere in Svartalfheim, he's gotta be here." 
Atreus's words did little to comfort you, but you couldn't say much as Kratos summoned him to help with a mechanism to open the mine. 
You reached into your pocket and toyed with a piece of paper— the one Sindri gave to you before you left. You didn't have time to read the rest of the spells he had written down for you, so you pulled it out to scan over it. 
You already knew the three first ones, even if you hadn't gotten to use most of them yet: 'Logi: fire. Sverð: sword. Verja: defend.'
Turning the paper over, you saw three more spells written down in neat handwriting— characteristic of Sindri. 
'Iss: ice. Kanna: search. Ausa: water.' 
You hummed. One of these spells was not like the other. Every one of them seemed self-explanatory, except for Kanna. What could it mean to search? Would it help you find something? 
Folding the paper back in your pocket, you took a deep breath and closed your eyes. You felt like you'd have to have an idea of what you were trying to search for, so you sent your intentions to something simple. 
You'd ask for it to find anything with magic in it. 
"Kanna."
You waited for a second. You waited for something— a feeling, a voice, a tug, anything. Assuming nothing had changed or you'd done the spell wrong, you opened your eyes only to gasp out loud. 
Everything around you was covered in a very, very translucent light blue. You looked around— the weapons on Kratos's back glowed a bright blue, much more opaque and noticeable than the blue that spanned the rest of the terrain. Your own spear emitted the same light, as did the palms of your hands where you felt the burn when you did your fire spell. 
Atreus's bow was blue, and so was Mimir's head. Small rocks that blocked entrances glowed as well— rocks that you or Atreus could easily use Skjálfa to destroy.
Ah. Kanna did work.
And from the way Kratos, Mimir, nor Atreus said anything about the sudden shift in color from the original terrain, you could assume you were the only one seeing it. 
You whispered the spell under your breath again and slowly, the blue hue faded from your vision. The mines were restored to their normal, dull brown color. 
'Kanna.' 
Your intention this time included living things— bugs, monsters, whatever. 
The blue crept back into your vision like a rapid flood, but this time the brights were different. You could see Kratos and Atreus shining brightly as they worked together. Mimir's blue flickered a bit, but it made sense. Was the decapitated cursed head really alive? 
You could see little glowing dots shining through rocks like x-rays, showing you where all the little bugs hid underneath. 
More brights caught your eye as they moved towards Kratos and Atreus. 
"Guys, watch out!" You called, "Logi!" 
Fire erupted from below the feet of the monsters. You were able to see them easily with how they shined against the rest of the area. 
You were aware of many more, but this was starting to hurt your eyes. You turned off the spell and rubbed your eyes. They felt sore— sunken in deep and dryer than usual. You'd definitely have to use this sparingly, or risk a massive headache.
Kratos and Atreus quickly took out the few Wretches that threatened them and as soon as it began, it was over. 
The three of you— plus Mimir, but you really couldn't figure out if he counted as a full person or not— stood in front of a crane, watching water flow through it. A large wooden box blocked your path to the next ledge of land. Your hands were on your hips and nobody spoke, trying to find something to help you get across. 
"Looks like the water powers the crane that's keeping the cargo up." Atreus pointed out. 
"Think freezing it could stop the water?" Mimir suggested. 
You quickly held out your hand, aiming it near the end of the crane where the water flowed out. "Iss!"
Ice crystallized in the middle of the flow, encompassing part of the crane in cold fractals. The water built up on the other side of the crane and began to pour out of one of the sides, effectively stopping the flow from hitting the water wheel that was beneath it. The cargo box lowered and you made your way across.
"When did you learn that trick?" Atreus asked as you continued to push forward, coming across the next stupid little platform of puzzles. 
You shrugged. "Just got a little help from some people." 
"Atreus, Y/n, come."
You headed towards Kratos, who assumed a squatting position near the next contraption you came across. Atreus automatically stepped into his hands and was hoisted up onto the wood, and then it was your turn. You assumed he wanted you to do the same, so you quickly followed and hoisted yourself the rest of the way up. 
You explored the area for a minute, Atreus straying away from you for a second before he spoke up. "Father, there's a gate up here heading towards the entrance to the mine. If you can get up here, we'll need your help lifting it." 
"If..." Kratos mumbled under his breath.
"Oh come on, you can jump that! Your knees aren't that bad."
"Atreus." Kratos warned. He used his axe to freeze a water flow that was causing a platform to move unstably and jumped across. 
"I hope you can make that jump!" Atreus joked again and you elbowed him in the side. "Hey!"
"Give the man a break." You laughed. 
Kratos soon joined you both and you headed towards the entrance of the mine. It was covered in debris and a gate that seemed quite heavy. Atreus was right about needing Kratos's help. 
"I sure hope Tyr is here..." He mumbled. 
"Atreus, we seek information." Kratos reminded him. Atreus rolled his eyes. 
"I know. Stop acting like I'm trying to start a war."
"Yet you do not say otherwise--"
"Brothers, maybe we can lay this to rest a bit, eh?"
You were thankful for Mimir's interjection. It was always awkward to be in a a group with two people arguing, but it felt a bit more powerful between Kratos and Atreus. They were both very prominent, strong presences and you knew enough about them already to know that neither of them were likely to back down should the conversation get more heated. 
Kratos was right-- you didn't want to start a war. Atreus had told you numerous times that war wasn't his intention, but once more Kratos seemed right to you. He wasn't denouncing it very hard. He may be against the idea of a war, but he wasn't taking many precautions to truly prevent it.
You continued on in silence, helping out if needed but mostly staying in the back. This wasn't your journey— you were just lucky enough to be allowed to tag along. You did what you were asked, including helping Atreus push back a cart that blocked the way to the mine, finally revealing the rest of the entrance and—
"Sindri?" 
The dwarf waved awkwardly, as if he hadn't just appeared out of nowhere for the second time in Svartalfheim. "Got something else for you." He waited until you all were near to continue. "Since you're currently lacking a light source--sorry-- and have no way of seeing exactly what untold horrors lurk in the dark, these will help."
"Thanks for making me feel better." You mumbled under your breath. Sindri gave you an apologetic look before pulling out three... things. 
"Okay, back to your exploring now. Off with you."
"Thanks Sindri," Atreus commented, "What, uh, do you mean by untold horrors?"
You were wondering the same thing, but Sindri gave no answer. You all put away the light sources that he had given you and turned back to where the dwarf stood, but he was nowhere to be found. 
"How does he do that?" You tilted your head. 
"No idea." Atreus sighed, but then turned to you and grinned. "Let's get going. It looks like the actual entrance to the mine is blocked, but there's gotta be another away."
"This way." Kratos began moving. 
"Nice. Not a dead end. Let's see where this goes."
You jumped down from a ledge into a deep pit-like area. A few Wretches came from the shadows, but you all were able to quickly cut them down. They were nothing more than a nuisance now-- this weird lizard things were so annoying. 
Atreus used his bow's sonic vibrations to break a few rocks to reveal a crawlspace. You internally cringed at the tight quarters. After being locked up your whole life, you didn't necessarily want to be trapped again in something even smaller. Nevertheless, you followed after Atreus with Kratos once again taking up the back. 
"It certainly smells like we're headed into a mine." Mimir piped up. 
"I think I can hear the water too."
"Slow down, Atreus. Take care. Be ready."
If Kratos had a bad feeling, then you did too. Especially once you heard the loud, gurgling roar of a monster when you crawled out of the space. The area you were in now was rather open and spacious, save for the pillar in the middle, the numerous Wretches that seemed to swarm around your feet, and the giant... creature across the room that grew angrier by the second. 
"What the Hel that?" You grabbed your spear and held it across your front. 
"It's called a Bergsra." Mimir answered, his voice echoing through the cavern as Kratos took out a few Wretches. 
"Its like the Grim if Thor decided to procreate with them." You huffed, kicking a Wretch that decided to bite your ankle. "Ugly and huge."
The Bergsra did not like your analogy and yelled out loud enough to shake the cavern walls. You watched as Kratos landed his first hit against it, and decided to join in on the fun. You ran towards it while Kratos distracted it, but you must have severely pissed it off when you called it an offspring of Thor. The Bergsra turned toward you and knocked its head back, lurching a giant green blob out of its mouth in your direction. 
"Verja!" You quickly yelled out. Defend. 
Light emitted from your non-dominant arm-- the one that wasn't holding your spear-- and you instinctually held it up as the blob came closer. It didn't hit you, instead exploding across the large bronze shield you had managed to conjure. 
You looked at your arm in surprise. In hindsight, Verja was a lot more self-explanatory than you'd expected. Especially considering the spell next to it-- Sverð-- was literally sword. 
Another green blob was coming your way. Kratos had been knocked back for a second and Atreus was attacking from long distance, so the Bergsra's attention was once more turned towards you. In a split decision, you rushed towards the creature and it's blob, using your shield to hit the poison back at it. It hit the Bergsra in the face and it roared out in pain, clawing at its face. 
Kratos was back up and threw his blades towards the Bergsra's back. They latched on and he propelled himself forward, kicking it down and landing on top of it. Using his bare hands, Kratos grabbed the head of the monster and twisted. It came off in a loud, gruesome snap and you had to look away from the scene just to keep your breakfast. 
The Wretches stopped attacking as the Bergsra was killed and crawled back into the little nooks and crannies that they came from. And it was over. 
"Ugh, the smell these things leave behind is so gross." Atreus groaned.
"A small consequence for disturbing their home." Kratos replied. You tilted your head at how he almost  humanized them. 
"...Let's keep moving."
49 notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Text
Chapter Ten — Goron City
Tumblr media
t.o.c ; << | >>
[chapter warnings: arguments, link is overthinking, link is mean]
"We only have a few more minutes until we reach Goron City. It should be much cooler inside the actual city..."
Link's words did little to comfort you. Sure, you were used to the heat. Gerudo Town was in the desert, after all. But the dry heat of your second home was little in comparison to the scorching heat of the volcano. You had to discard your wooden shield because as you ascended to Goron City it caught on fire. The tips of your fingers were burnt from where you had grabbed the edge, but it wasn't anything to mention and worry Link over.
"We should've made more potions. I feel like I'm about to combust."
"Someone back at the stable mentioned that there were fireproof suits we could find that help. Maybe we can ask someone in the City about them-- I'm sure they sell them for travelers."
The air between the two of you was quiet.
It wasn't unusual for there to be silence between you and Link-- you couldn't keep a conversation going 24/7-- but this one felt different. Tense. It had been a bit off since leaving Zora's Domain, but you didn't want to think too hard about it. The only issue-- the strange feeling in the air continued to get worse and worse the closer you got to the city. It was almost unbearable, but was it your place to question it? You had to try.
"Link?" Your voice was quiet. He hummed. "Is everything alright?"
Link didn't respond for a moment, and you worried that you had crossed a boundary. "I just... They weigh on my mind."
"Who?"
"The old Champions." Link stared ahead. His eyes held a glazed-over look-- refusing to look at you. "I feel bad. Guilty, if anything."
"Survivor's guilt is a thing." You shrugged, "It can happen to soldiers when their comrades die. Like you're guilty that you're alive when they could've been alive too. But Link, do you realize that their sacrifices gave you another chance? It sucks that they didn't survive, but they had so much faith in you that they gave their lives to give you a fighting chance at defeating Ganon."
"And I failed to defeat him, which made them die."
"No, you were given a chance to get stronger. Who's to say that you would've defeated him back then?" You were a firm believer that things worked out they way they're supposed to. The Goddess doesn't make mistakes. "Maybe the Champions would've died before you made it to Ganon and couldn't activate the beasts to help you. Then he would've been way stronger. Or-or you said Zelda was in the castle, fighting him off right? If she couldn't use her powers like you said, then she wouldn't have weakened him or anything. 100 years ago may not have been the right time to kill Ganon, but now can be."
Link didn't respond, the gears turning in his head. You really hoped that you didn't say the wrong thing. "The entrance to the city is right ahead. Let's go."
You lowered your gaze to your horse, patting his mane in an attempt to soothe yourself from the blatant rejection of your comfort. It hurt, but you understood where he came from. This was definitely something you had no experience speaking on, so of course he'd take your words lightly. You didn't have much time to think about that, though, as the ground began to rumble beneath you. A loud roar pierced the air and a crash came down beside you, making Taz rear up in fear.
A large boulder appeared on your right, cratering the ground beneath it as it fell from the sky. Vah Rudania thrashed on the side of the volcano and more smoldering hot rocks flew from its vicinity to different parts of the city.
You pushed forward, tying Taz up with Epona at the entrance and heading in with Link. He was already a few steps ahead of you, asking around to find the Elder of the village. It didn't take long for a Goron to point you in the right direction, nor did it take much longer to walk across the small village and find him.
Bludo was very obviously the oldest Goron you'd ever seen— though, you'd rarely seen Gorons in your life. They didn't travel far from rocks, and rocks did seem to be pretty rare in the desert.
"— and that darn Yunobo hasn't been back in hours!"
Bludo raised his voice a few decibels and you finally tuned into what he was saying. Hopefully you weren't missing too much context. You didn't want to ask Link and bother him.
"Where's he at? I can find him."
"He went up to the Abandoned North Mine to fetch my painkillers this morning. Hasn't been back at all. Goddess only knows what he's been up to."
"We'll go get him right now!" You chime in. Link side-eyes you, but doesn't say anything until you bid your goodbyes to Bludo and are back in the town.
You need to buy that armor the people at the stable talked about .
"You don't need to come on this." It's his first words to you since you arrived, and they stung. "We agreed that you'd stay behind when it came to the Divine Beasts."
"This isn't the beasts, though." You argued, "I don't want to just sit in the village and do nothing. Once you and Bludo go to the volcano then I'll stay back."
Link doesn't respond, walking past you to the general store. There's two sets of armor for travelers there, but he only picks up one and brings it to the counter.
"Are you serious right now?" You're starting to get upset. You understood that he was going through a lot— really. But taking it out on you? "This is so petty."
You grabbed the other suit of armor and paid for it with your own rupees, not the satchel of shared rupees that you both used for travel necessities. You had to practically race to put on the suit and catch up with Link.
"Y/N, you can't come with me." He still marched ahead, eyes glued on the direction Bludo pointed you in.
"Yes I can!"
"No, you can't!" Link whipped around, exasperated. "You don't need to be doing the stuff that I have to do! You're not the hero— I alone am destined to do this so I need to do it alone. You can't do the things I need to do. I don't need you."
If all of Link's other actions stung, then this one was like a punch to the gut. Your eyes pricked with tears, but you couldn't possibly let Link see them. Especially after he already practically called you too weak to help out.
You tried to keep your voice steady. "Really? That's low."
"You don't get it—"
"No, Link, I do." You were shaking— whether it was from range or something akin to heartbreak, you didn't know. "You're letting this whole thing get to your head. It's a huge deal, yeah, but you're taking it too far. There's no reason you should have yelled at me like that."
Link's eyes softened for a fraction of a second, but you turned around too quickly to see it. You took off your helmet and threw it on the ground— 500 rupees be damned. It was hard to keep the tears in.
Your past taught you to stand up for yourself. To not let issues get to you, big or small. You knew you couldn't tolerate someone treating you the way Link has today, and you'd turned your back on someone before the same way you had today.
So why did this feel so much more painful?
Link was your first friend outside of Gerudo Town. Your traveling partner. Someone you cared about a lot more than you'd ever cared about someone before. A best friend, perhaps.
You didn't look back as you walked back into the city, straight through until you reached the other end. Even then, you kept going. You headed to the hot springs on your map— you just had to remember how to get there, since pulling out your paper map would destroy it in seconds.
"You can do better."
"Goddess—"
"Language." The voice was in your ear. You whipped around, coming face to— uh, mask— once again with a familiar person. "I heard your little spat."
"Why are you following me?" You absolutely were not in the mood to deal with this soldier. You took a step back— he was too close for your liking.
"Just interested in your journey." He chuckled. "Curious as to how you did a complete flip and went to aiding the enemy."
"He was never an enemy. You guys just tricked me into believing he was one."
"Ah, to-may-to, to-mah-to." The Yiga waved his hand dismissively. "Just because we have entirely different perspectives doesn't make either of us wrong. We see our truths through our own eyes. I cannot see your truth because I do not have your eyes, and you cannot see mine."
"Unless I take them out of your head." You grumble. It was very tempting.
"I'm not so sure you'd do that. You do remember that I'm in possession of some knowledge you'd like, right?"
"How could I forget when you're constantly dangling it over my head."
The Yiga barked out a laugh at this and you tried to ignore how your heart jumped. "I'll give you a hint if you do something for me."
Another tempting offer. Perhaps more tempting than gouging his eyes. "Depends on what it is."
"Find out where the Master Sword is."
"I haven't even heard anything about it—"
"Your brother is somewhere you would least expect. And now I expect some information the next time I see you. Toodle-loo!"
In a puff of light and talismen, the Yiga was gone.
Where you would least expect? What? You wanted to go to the hot springs to relax, but were left with more questions and your headache growing even worse.
The Master Sword...
Of course the soldier knew that you knew what it was. The Master Sword was in all of the stories and legends that the Yiga taught about the return of the Hero. With that sword, Link would be able to seal away the darkness and save Hyrule. You guessed that the Yiga's plan was to take the sword and hide it, so Link would never be able to seal the darkness.
You chose an empty hot spring pool, undressed and sunk down into the water until it reached just below your nose. You had a choice to make.
Find your brother, or help Link.
57 notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Text
kazuha mains what’s ur builds i never ever will get rid of him but i want him even stronger
19 notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Text
i need more writer mutuals so bad
2 notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Text
MY MAN IS HOME
2 notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Text
stick season. — october event [1]
Tumblr media
-> xiao x gn!reader
-> warnings: angst/no comfort, physical combat
['we'll all be here forever']
You dreaded this time of year. 
The time when the green leaves turned brown and fell off of the trees. The weather gets colder and colder until even the bright sun can’t warm the air. It makes being a traveling merchant hard– there are only so many layers of clothes you can wear as you trek from Mondstadt to Liyue, and you certainly couldn’t just carry a bonfire with you. 
Citizens of Mondstadt call it a “stick season”-- the time between Halloween and the first snow when everything becomes cold, dreary, and gray. It’s a transition from fall to winter and it’s the first time in a while that you’ve had to spend it alone. 
What was once a warm presence beside you has dissipated into nothing. Your fingertips, once heated by another hand, are cold. You blow on them to prevent them from chilling. 
You walk past Wangshu Inn. You keep your head down. 
— 
Xiao had never heard of the “stick season” until he met you. 
After many, many years of living, the seasons and weather all seemed to blend together, much like the days. It was only when you mentioned despising the winter that he began to pay attention, making sure to keep you company a bit more every time you visited the Inn on your travels. You mentioned that his presence was warm enough, but he couldn’t stop himself from grabbing a bowl of soup on his way up to your room now and then. 
It’s been a while since you visited. The room you always stayed in lies vacant. Cold. 
People didn’t travel much during this time. It was rainy and dark and anyone with a family would rather spend it cooped up next to a fireplace with each other. 
Xiao only had you. 
It was hard– keeping you away. 
It started with simply withdrawing a bit. Visiting less and less every time you stayed. Then, he stopped altogether. It was hard to ignore you knocking at his door, so he stayed away. He scouted around Liyue longer and longer, even though there was nothing to kill. Anything to drown out your voice, calling his name. He didn’t want to– Archons, he didn’t– but it was for your safety. Someone as angelic as you shouldn’t be around a demon like him. Karma was a bitch and he couldn’t bear to let something happen to you because of him. 
“Hey, hey, what do we have here?” 
Your head snapped up at the voices. There shouldn’t be anyone on this path– Xiao usually makes sure of that. Your grip on your bag tightened. 
Treasure Hoarders– quite a few, at that– stood in front of you. Their leader was the one who spoke. His red outfit let you know that he was unfortunately given a Vision, and many of the other people in his crew had some as well. You could hold your own even without a Vision of your own but against this many of them? It was questionable. 
Nevertheless, your hand crept to the sword that sat on your waist. 
“Say, what you got in that little bag of yours?”
The leader stepped a bit closer to you. You stepped back. 
“Nothing you want.”
You weren’t lying– you didn’t have much. Your pack today was simply full of cooking ingredients from Mondstadt that the Wanmin Restaurant ordered. 
“You sure about that?” 
“Unless you want some Wolfhook berries, then yeah.” 
A small snag behind you made you whip your head around. Another Hoarder had hooked his dagger on the fabric of your bag, ripping it open slightly. He looked inside before you turned fully around to stop him. The Hoarders had touched you– you pulled your sword.
“They’re right, boss.” The henchman said, “Nothin’ good in there.” 
“Well,” The leader chuckled, raising his hand, “Guess we’ll just have to check their pockets, then.”
He lunged towards you before you could even get a word in, grabbing your shoulder and pulling you towards him. You ripped yourself from his grasp and raised your sword, deflecting a small ball of Pyro that was headed in your direction. A hand pulled at your bag from behind you and you quickly shed the extra weight– they could have the damn berries. 
The fight was getting overwhelming– even for the most skilled fighters, there were only so many people they could take on at once. 
Visions and weapons flew at you from every angle and it was incredibly difficult to keep up. A blade slashed at your bicep and you cried out in pain. You were tired– exhausting all your energy and efforts to try and keep the Hoarders from swarming you.
“Stop– I don’t have anything!” Your words were useless, the Hoarders attacking in a flurry of fists. Until… 
“Xiao!” 
They stopped. 
A dozen Treasure Hoarders lie motionless around you. Gone. Defeated. 
There was only silence as you picked up your bag. It wasn’t too damaged– you could still make the journey. You were the only one around for miles. Xiao was nowhere to be found. 
He’d tried numerous times to ignore you– to protect you from himself. He supposed an exception had to be made when he needed to protect you from others. It tore him apart to see your despondent face as you realized that you were alone– that he wasn’t going to show his face. 
This was the only way, he’d tell himself. 
This will have to do.
----------
[taglist]: @teyvattales
25 notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Text
stick season. — october event [1]
Tumblr media
-> xiao x gn!reader
-> warnings: angst/no comfort, physical combat
['we'll all be here forever']
You dreaded this time of year. 
The time when the green leaves turned brown and fell off of the trees. The weather gets colder and colder until even the bright sun can’t warm the air. It makes being a traveling merchant hard– there are only so many layers of clothes you can wear as you trek from Mondstadt to Liyue, and you certainly couldn’t just carry a bonfire with you. 
Citizens of Mondstadt call it a “stick season”-- the time between Halloween and the first snow when everything becomes cold, dreary, and gray. It’s a transition from fall to winter and it’s the first time in a while that you’ve had to spend it alone. 
What was once a warm presence beside you has dissipated into nothing. Your fingertips, once heated by another hand, are cold. You blow on them to prevent them from chilling. 
You walk past Wangshu Inn. You keep your head down. 
— 
Xiao had never heard of the “stick season” until he met you. 
After many, many years of living, the seasons and weather all seemed to blend together, much like the days. It was only when you mentioned despising the winter that he began to pay attention, making sure to keep you company a bit more every time you visited the Inn on your travels. You mentioned that his presence was warm enough, but he couldn’t stop himself from grabbing a bowl of soup on his way up to your room now and then. 
It’s been a while since you visited. The room you always stayed in lies vacant. Cold. 
People didn’t travel much during this time. It was rainy and dark and anyone with a family would rather spend it cooped up next to a fireplace with each other. 
Xiao only had you. 
It was hard– keeping you away. 
It started with simply withdrawing a bit. Visiting less and less every time you stayed. Then, he stopped altogether. It was hard to ignore you knocking at his door, so he stayed away. He scouted around Liyue longer and longer, even though there was nothing to kill. Anything to drown out your voice, calling his name. He didn’t want to– Archons, he didn’t– but it was for your safety. Someone as angelic as you shouldn’t be around a demon like him. Karma was a bitch and he couldn’t bear to let something happen to you because of him. 
“Hey, hey, what do we have here?” 
Your head snapped up at the voices. There shouldn’t be anyone on this path– Xiao usually makes sure of that. Your grip on your bag tightened. 
Treasure Hoarders– quite a few, at that– stood in front of you. Their leader was the one who spoke. His red outfit let you know that he was unfortunately given a Vision, and many of the other people in his crew had some as well. You could hold your own even without a Vision of your own but against this many of them? It was questionable. 
Nevertheless, your hand crept to the sword that sat on your waist. 
“Say, what you got in that little bag of yours?”
The leader stepped a bit closer to you. You stepped back. 
“Nothing you want.”
You weren’t lying– you didn’t have much. Your pack today was simply full of cooking ingredients from Mondstadt that the Wanmin Restaurant ordered. 
“You sure about that?” 
“Unless you want some Wolfhook berries, then yeah.” 
A small snag behind you made you whip your head around. Another Hoarder had hooked his dagger on the fabric of your bag, ripping it open slightly. He looked inside before you turned fully around to stop him. The Hoarders had touched you– you pulled your sword.
“They’re right, boss.” The henchman said, “Nothin’ good in there.” 
“Well,” The leader chuckled, raising his hand, “Guess we’ll just have to check their pockets, then.”
He lunged towards you before you could even get a word in, grabbing your shoulder and pulling you towards him. You ripped yourself from his grasp and raised your sword, deflecting a small ball of Pyro that was headed in your direction. A hand pulled at your bag from behind you and you quickly shed the extra weight– they could have the damn berries. 
The fight was getting overwhelming– even for the most skilled fighters, there were only so many people they could take on at once. 
Visions and weapons flew at you from every angle and it was incredibly difficult to keep up. A blade slashed at your bicep and you cried out in pain. You were tired– exhausting all your energy and efforts to try and keep the Hoarders from swarming you.
“Stop– I don’t have anything!” Your words were useless, the Hoarders attacking in a flurry of fists. Until… 
“Xiao!” 
They stopped. 
A dozen Treasure Hoarders lie motionless around you. Gone. Defeated. 
There was only silence as you picked up your bag. It wasn’t too damaged– you could still make the journey. You were the only one around for miles. Xiao was nowhere to be found. 
He’d tried numerous times to ignore you– to protect you from himself. He supposed an exception had to be made when he needed to protect you from others. It tore him apart to see your despondent face as you realized that you were alone– that he wasn’t going to show his face. 
This was the only way, he’d tell himself. 
This will have to do.
----------
[taglist]: @teyvattales
25 notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Text
do i write or do i do school work …
1 note · View note
malleux · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Character Demo ✩ Wriothesley: Art of Improvisation
959 notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Text
If you are a fan fic writer and you're alright with people making fan art of your fic, reblog this 💚
18K notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Text
we’ll all be here forever — october event.
Tumblr media
for the month of october, i will be releasing 8 stories based off of noah kahan’s stick season (wabhf) album. message to be on the taglist as they release.
Stick Season
-> xiao x reader
‘now you’re tire tracks and one pair of shoes.’
All My Love
-> childe x reader
‘retrograde, we’d shake the frame of your car.’
Come Over
-> freminet x reader
‘with the view in the morning, you won’t ever go back.’
Orange Juice
-> wriothesley x reader
‘it’s yours if you want it, we’re just glad you could visit.’
Your Needs, My Needs
-> alhaitham x reader
‘i’m naming the stars in the sky after you.’
Dial Drunk
-> kaeya x reader
‘even the cops thought you were wrong for hanging up.’
Call Your Mom
-> diluc x reader
‘throw a punch, fall in love, give yourself a reason.’
You’re Gonna Go Far
-> lyney x reader
‘you’re the greatest thing we’ve lost.’
message or send an ask to be on the taglist.
46 notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Text
we’ll all be here forever — october event.
Tumblr media
for the month of october, i will be releasing 8 stories based off of noah kahan’s stick season (wabhf) album. message to be on the taglist as they release.
Stick Season
-> xiao x reader
‘that’ll have to do.’
All My Love
-> childe x reader
‘retrograde, we’d shake the frame of your car.’
Come Over
-> freminet x reader
‘with the view in the morning, you won’t ever go back.’
Orange Juice
-> wriothesley x reader
‘it’s yours if you want it, we’re just glad you could visit.’
Your Needs, My Needs
-> alhaitham x reader
‘i’m naming the stars in the sky after you.’
Dial Drunk
-> kaeya x reader
‘even the cops thought you were wrong for hanging up.’
Call Your Mom
-> diluc x reader
‘throw a punch, fall in love, give yourself a reason.’
You’re Gonna Go Far
-> lyney x reader
‘you’re the greatest thing we’ve lost.’
message or send an ask to be on the taglist.
46 notes · View notes
malleux · 5 months
Note
Hello! I’m kinda new to requesting and your blog, but I have read some of your works. Loving the way you write Albedo! Could you do childhood friends to lovers headcannons with Albedo please? 😋 Thank you and I hope your having a nice day/night <3
childhood besties.
-> albedo x gn!reader
-> warnings: not canon compliant, no use of y/n
[a/n]: i thought about this request for a while to try and make it match up with albedo’s little connections with khaenri’ah, but that was incredibly difficult so he’s just a sweet normal boy here
You and Albedo became friends because of your parents. Your parents were coworkers and close friends with Albedo’s, so whenever they hung out you and Albedo did too.
You took for first steps together, your first words were “Bedo” and Albedo’s wasn’t far off from being a baby’s version of your own nickname.
As toddlers and children, you and Albedo remained inseparable. Even after it showed that Albedo had quite a higher aptitude for alchemy and science while you preferred to stay away from that confusing route, sticking to other hobbies.
If you ever argued, it wasn’t for long. Albedo had a lot of emotional intelligence for a child and was able to not only see past petty things but help you do the same. He’d apologize or explain his feelings and would urge you to do the same.
The entirety of Mondstadt knew of you both. Where one was, the other wasn’t far away. Your parents even worked with the schools to keep you both in the same classes through primary school.
You were both subject to the teasing of your peers through adolescence and your teenage years, your friends joking about Albedo being your boyfriend or how you’re going to marry him one day. The only thing you could do was flush and try to deny it, but even you knew that there was a high probability of that happening.
Even as best friends, Albedo was your everything and you were his.
As you became teenagers and eventually young adults, it became hard to see anyone else romantically. You’d been on your fair share of dates, but your reputation with Albedo was widely known and not a lot of men really enjoyed how close you two were. It was insecurity at its finest— you were not willing to give up your best friend for a man you weren’t as close with.
Many failed dates later, not that it really bothered you, you began to realize that the only person you could really see in your life like that was Albedo. Like, you definitely didn’t want to give in to the rumors going around Mondstadt about the two of you being destined to be together, but it just felt right whenever you let yourself indulge in the idea.
You were SO NERVOUS about it though. You’d been friends for so long that the next step was scary. Would Albedo even want that?
Little do you know, he for sure did.
Albedo wasn’t one to go on dates or mess around with anyone. Firstly, he just wasn’t too interested in the dating scene. Second, he was too interested in you. Flirting with someone else— hell, even talking to someone else— felt like he was betraying you and he just had no desire for that.
His world revolved around you and you alone, even if he believed that you didn’t return that sentiment.
So imagine his surprise when you stood before him in Dragonspine, nose red from the cold and cheeks red from embarrassment, stuttering out this poorly put together confession. You were lucky that he just knew you well enough to put together the pieces.
The gentle smile that took over his face once he realized gave you the confidence to say the rest of your little spiel with more confidence and Albedo let you finish before agreeing to go with you back to Mondstadt for a dinner. Your first date.
The people of Mondstadt just knew the minute you two walked into the town hand-in-hand. They were right, after all.
61 notes · View notes