#and when i saw that some rando was in my spot
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Love having the kind of brain sickness that makes me anxious when I arrive home to find SOME STRANGER parked in MY PARKING SPOT
#its not labeled but i park there literally every day#and when i saw that some rando was in my spot#i had to loke stop and calm myself down#because now i have to park in a different spot#and it feels badwrong#thanks ocd i guess#joey speaks
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OPLA characters reacting to a sweet, girly reader who turns out to be a a ruthless fighter
genre: headcanons, fem! reader, kinda suggestive??, idfk just read it bro
requested: nope, but reqs are open! pls, for the love of god, request for the opla♡
feat: zoro, sanji
a/n: reader's feminine but not female if that makes sense, only witting again because I'm obsessed with the one piece live action. also, this may be a little ooc, since I haven't watched the anime/read the manga, sorry about that! also, if you wanna be added to my perm taglist, pls feel free to ask!
☆ZORO☆
when you first joined the crew, zoro was immediately unsure of what exactly you brought to the table. I mean, they already had a swordsman, a sharp shooter, a navigator, a dumb cook and a captain/motivational speaker. so what were you doing here?
from luffy's explanation of you, he was aware that you were a good fighter, but he had never seen you in action.
the only things he had seen from you were stuffed animals laying around the ship, pastel outfits he could spot for miles, and bows that had been put in his hair while he slept.
he was tolerant of you at best, and straight up apathetic at worst, but finally, there came a time where someone tried picking a fight with you since you seemed like an easy target while you were walking with him and nami.
although he wasn't particularly fond of you (lies), he still felt the need to defend you as a crewmate, but the ass whooping you gave the stranger made him freeze in place.
there was blood splatter on your pretty face, deep red sploches of your cute clothes, and a look of pure hatred in your eyes. and you had never looked more beautiful in zoros eyes.
that was the first time zoro had ever smiled at you. sure, he had slightly smirked at your cuter tendencies, but in that moment he was truly smitten with you.
from that day, zoro wanted to train with you. what you lacked that he had in experience, you made up for in absolute cruelty when fighting. you were quick, agile and you weren't afraid to make zoro hurt, and he loved every second of it.
zoro would sometimes smile when he saw bruising on his body from his time training with you but catch himself and go stone faced immediately. no, he was not falling for you, absolutely not.
except he was, and the next time you showed up by his side with a slight limp, some tears in your cotton candy coloured clothes, blood all over you, and a sadistic smile on your face, he would tell you as much.
SANJI♡
sanji is unsurprisingly, enamoured by you the second you join the straw hats.
I'm talking, looking at you like you hung the stars in the sky, cheesy and constant compliments like "you're cuter than any of your stuffed animals, yn-swan~" and even brushing up on his baking skills to bake you aesthetically pleasing sweet treats that always put a smile on your face.
if I'm being completely honest, it doesn't bother him that he doesn't know exactly what your strengths are, you could be amazing at everything like barbie or you could literally not know night from day and he'd still admire you all the same.
one day, you're wearing bottoms that are on the shorter side not that sanji minds at all and you're out exploring the island you're at with him by your side, holding all your bags because in his words "angels don't do hard labour when he's around" when someone decides to hit on you.
you reject them politely, but when they make a less than appropriate comment about your outfit, you click your tongue and shake your head, readying yourself to hospitalise someone.
sanji's mood switches to one of being happy because he's around you to one of murderous intent the second this rando tries you, but you already have them wheezing on the floor with broken nose before sanji can even lift his leg off of the ground.
you're back to usual self, fixing the bow on your hair while complaining about how fucking hard it is to get blood stains off of your clothes, while sanji is thinking about how fucking hard he is
safe to say that this heartless, terrifying side of you makes sanji fall even harder and question whether or not he's a masochist.
he'll still insist on doing things like carrying you anywhere (most of your shoes you impractical as fuck, but style>functionality always) lifting things for you and treating you like a piece of fine china because that's exactly what you deserve, no matter how badass you are.
only difference is, now he'll never come to aid when it comes to kicking ass, because he enjoys seeing you take people to heaven and back more than anything.
he compliments now range from "omg you are the most adorable, lovable, doll-like angel I've ever seen" to "please punch me, step on me, make my nose bleed, choke me-" and he's now ten times more annoying about you than he was before, which no one thought was possible.
believe me when I say that images of you in frilly outfits with your eyes gleaming like diamonds eveytime you make someone bleed occupy 90% of his thoughts. (the other 10% is all things cooking, of course.)
#opla#one piece x reader#one piece live action#x reader#reader insert#roronoa zoro#zoro live action#zoro x reader#vinsmoke sanji#sanji#sanji live action#sanji x reader#one piece#one piece headcanons
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Hi girl!!!
I have this idea running around in my head for so long. Can you write the demon bros with little sister reader (around the teenage year)? Hear me out. She's the 8th of the family which means she's the youngest. The brothers must be overprotective of her and they would love her so much. Lucifer would have a soft spot for her. She and Mammon would be partners in crime. Then Satan will help her with her study and Asmo will love to help her do her hair. That's it 😁
Btw I love your writing...
hihi! yeah ofc i can! <3
as per usual I had no idea where this was going🧍♂️
but this was super fun to write as well
grma for the ask! <3
[Amazing Title]-Obey Me Brothers + Little Sister! Reader
Summary: The brothers except MC's their wee sister ig, chaos ensues.
Word Count: 3.8k+
Warnings: Mentions of Death, Female Reader (she/her pronouns used) MC changes her hair length and colour when she feels like it, also she has a crush on some rando idek,
dividers by @cafekitsune
Lucifer was sick to his stomach. Long broken wings attempted to flap, ivory feathers turning black. Wounds open and bleeding. Shooting through stormy skies like a dying star.
His eyes burnt, the speed of his fall making it almost impossible to take in a breath. His lungs burnt. His heart hurt. He hadn´t understood death until Cain took the Rock to Abel, until Father took the scepter to Lilith.
Was he going to die?
He was falling.
As he tore through the sky at a damned pace, he caught a glimpse of warm bronze skin, unusually cold, stained with blood as red as the long crimson hair of his sister.
Despite the pain, despite the strain in his broken, burnt wings, he used the last of his willpower, the last of his strength, to get to the young girl.
He wrapped his hands around her, pulling her close to his chest, attempting to shield her from the fall.
"Luci?-" Lilith chokes out weakly, skin greying, holding onto her brother like a lifeline, one that was getting further away, as her grip slowly loosened. "Luci...I-im scared..."
"D-...don't be..." Lucifer manages to choke out. He could see some sembelance of land now. Some sembelance of an end to the torture of just....falling. "I'll protect you, L-Lilith."
He held on tight to her as he braced for impact, not registering that his little sister had died in his arms, that six wings became two.
He lost conciousness for a moment, hardly lucid, coming to moments later. The ringing in his ears didn't stop.
He coughed up dirt. Dust cleared to reveal two demons, as he looked around he saw crimson everywhere. Filthy fuil dearg coated the crater he'd created. Lucifer scrambled up, staring at the mangled form of what used to be his sister. Not noticing a pair of his wings at his feet. They didn't matter.
He screamed. Gently cradling the corpse, looking up at the Demon Prince with eyes filled with firey fearg, "Save her! Bring her back! Help her..!" He shouts, anger fading to desperation.
The prince regards him with a sort of impassivity, after backs and forths and emotions unravelling, the Demons agree to revive his precious sister as a human, provided Lucifer swears his loyalty, makes a vow with a heavy heart.
"I Lucifer Morningstar....swear absolute loyalty to Lord Diavolo, Prince of Hell."
"Very good."
With a snap of the Demon Butler's finger, his sister disappeared, a screech erupted, but it wasn't from Lucifer. Turning behind him, the disgraced angel saw one of the wings he had barely registered splitting from him---too focused on the pain of losing his sister than the pain of losing his wings,-- the now black mass of feathers morphed and grew like bubbling tar, emitting screeches.
The creature that formed of it, pale of skin, blond of hair, its face contorted in a pain Lucifer felt was a part of him. The demon races, screeching with a fury unbridled. Destruction followed it.
The Demon Prince and Butler watch on with intrigue whilst Lucifer tries to keep from breaking down a second time. The sound of whistling through the air alerts him of his other brothers falling. He looks up, hoping to see where they landed.
Somewhere amongst the vast Devildom. He had to find them. He couldn't handle another death, another loss. Despite his disgrace, his deportation from the only home he'd ever known, he prays to Father one last time, that his brothers were alive.
"There's no need. I will attend to the fallen angels now." The butler says serenely, both him and the Demon Prince disappearing within a moment's notice. Although the latter was more hesitant.
The creature of his wing is still screeching, like a coyote on the prowl, but inherently more sinister. It bites and screams, eyes filled with a murderous rage, one it directs towards Lucifer, as it comes charging at him like a bull of the plaza de toros.
Lucifer takes a step back, His foot hitting something soft and quishy. He pauses, the thing cries. The wails of a newborn cutting through the thick air like a knife, the creature of his wing stops screeching, tilting its head and staring down at the ground.
Lucifer gently picks you up. Cradling you in his arms. He looks to both you and the Creature of Wrath, both so inherently different, both his.
He looks into your eyes for a moment, such a tiny demon, more suited to be an angel, so unlike the pure cantankerousness of the older of the two creatures of his wings.
Lucifer, in the throws of his grief, made two vows that day, the first an oath of absolute loyalty to the Demon Prince, the second, a móid to always protect you.
You tapped your pen against the desk, biting the inside of your cheek as you stared down at your textbook. Shoulder length black hair tied in a low ponytail so it wasn't pouring over your face as you worked. You sighed in defeat, set your pen down and looked up at your two older brothers who were sitting opposite you, and planning out what looks to be another failed prank.
Satan and Belphie had their heads together, murmuring rather animatedly amongst eachother. You snorted, leaning over the table, your sudden movement catches their attention as you stare up at them, your head tilted.
"What about a whoopie cushion?" You ask softly, Belphie makes a face.
"We are not using...human...pranks, we're demons." He snorts, "We have more class than that."
You pout, Satan pinches him from under the table. His green eyes looking dotingly at you, like he would a cat. Coincidentally, he pats your head, ruffling your hair. "I think a simple human world prank could be entertaining to try." He says, giving Belphie a look, the Seventh Born raises his hands lazily in defeat, before leisurely sliding over the table to sit beside you, you quickly flipped to a blank page in your notebook, lest your older brother see the doodles you'd absentmindedly scribbled of you and your crush, a demon from your Devildom History Class.
Satan writes 'Whoopie Cushion' in cursive on their blueprint plans, tongue sticking out ever so slightly, before going back to his own homework. Belphie leans his head on your shoulder, dozing off.
"How did Fear Gorta come to fruition as an entity in the Human Realm?" You read off of your paper, Satan looks up from his essay for seductive speechcraft--a class which you were too young to take--he blinks for a moment, before setting his fountain pen down, and taking up the seat on the other side of you.
Belphie looks over at you tiredly, stretching his arms.
"Need any help?"
"Need any help?"
They glare at each other playfully, you nod.
Satan takes the textbook from you for a moment, reading the question aloud again.
"Fear Gorta are said to rise from Féar Gortach....sometimes they're just people who died of starvation near Sídhe hills." Satan begins to explain, watching as you nod along.
"They were said to go around with a bowl for begging or almsgiving...travelling, knocking on doors, asking for food." Belphie interjects lazily, head still on your shoulder. "They could hardly keep the bowl from dropping, because they were so weak."
You nod, writing it down, you'd always had trouble simplifying long texts down to their key parts, something Lucifer had assured you would come with time. It was a good thing you had your brothers. They were always willing to help you with homework.
"But what about that has to do with the Fear Gorta coming to fruition in the Human Realm?" You ask, feeling a little dumb.
Satan clears his throat, "Well, some Devildom and Human Scholara believe that the Fear Gorta is what brought the Famine to Ireland. Supposedly, just before the Great Famine, he emerged after a battle of the Fae near Cnoc Meadha."
You scribble that down, your tongue sticking out slightly, an idiosyncrasy developed from your older brother.
Belphie hums, eyes closed, and breathing so even you thought he was asleep. "Mhm, but others believe he's a personification of An Gorta Mór, or the Great Famine himself. That the people of Ireland made him up during the 1840s as a way of coping with and explaining the potato blight."
Upon seeing your confused face, Satan chuckles, "Essentially, the Fear Gorta is an example of how Human suffering can cause mythological beings to be thought up, and how with enough Human Manifestation, they can truly become something that exists."
As if to emphasize, Satan takes a random pen and a scrap piece of paper, drawing little doodles with the summarising he and Belphie had just did.
"Thanks Satan! Thanks Belphie!" You grin, taking the scrap piece of paper, using it to help you jot down the rest of your notes, finally understanding, you begin to answer the question, making a mental note to not let Mammon see the drawings that Satan drew, ever.
It takes a total of ten minutes of pens scratching against paper, Belphie's soft snores, and the dull drill of your own thoughts before you set your pen down, and look up grinning at Satan.
"So...about the prank you're planning..."
The next morning, all decked out in your RAD uniform, you sit on a poof and stare at your reflection in the luxurious vanity. You had decided on long hair, a dark pink so deep it was almost red. That was one of the búntáistí of having the Avatars of Lust and Wrath as brothers, you knew all the best spells for hair, and boy did you exploit that fact.
Short hair? No problem. Long hair? Alright then. Curly? Straight? Wavy? Ask and you shall receive.
Not to mention, Asmo would style your hair, no matter the length, shade or texture, and he would always make it look gorgeous Which was exactly what he was doing now, a gentle comb being ran down your hair, before your brother begins to braid strands in an intercate half-up, half-down pattern.
It's always relaxing when your 5th oldest brother does your hair, always conscious of not hurting you, you let your mind wander.
And wander your mind does, twisting and turning while travelling through the crevices of your brain, eventually coming to a stop at its destination, which just so happened to be the demon in your Devildom History class. They made you feel giddy, with their shoulder length, layered turquoise hair and purposely messy black eye shadow in place of the usual clean cut liquid eyeliner.
"Something on your mind, hon?" Asmo asks concerned as he puts a soft, black bow in your hair, you had been unfocused for a while now.
"Its nothing!" You say a little too defensively, your older brother gives you a knowing look, perfectly threaded eyebrows raising ever so slightly before he gasps and grins excitedly, holding back a squeal.
"Oh!~ And just who is this nothing, honey?~" He asks, you cover your face in your hands and groan, mortification dripping over you as Asmo finishes up on your hair.
Once your hair is done, you rush out, so as not to give the Avatar of annoying you lust any more ammo to tease you with.
Unluckily for you, Asmo was very environmentally friendly, and could make his own ammo.
Your mortification however, is not as short-lived as you'd hoped it would be.
Upon entering the dining room, you make a beeline for Mammon, your partner in crime, and sit beside your 2nd oldest brother, who laughs at you.
"Ye look like yer goin' to a Feis!" He laughs, slapping his knees ad doubled over, you pout and Lucifer, who sat directly diagonal to Mammon at the head of the table slapped him up the back of the head, leaving the avatar of greed choking and spluttering on his own spit.
"S-sorry MC..." He says in between coughs, "Ya look lovely..." He gives you an awkward side hug before resuming his activity of choking to death. You turn to the rest of your brothers as they trickle in, Levi was having an anime marathon, and for the sake of the Devildom seas, and the House of Lamentation not flooding for the nth time, he was allowed to stay in his room, provided he ate something of nutritional value, which meant that some time in the next few hours Lucifer would come into the 3rd born's room with a bowl of freshly cut fruit and force the otaku to eat it.
He was such a mother hen.
Speaking of Lucifer....
"MC," Lucifer drawls, catching your attention. "I received your bi-weekly report last night, you did well in all subjects, though I've noticed your History scores have gone down..." Your eldest brother sets his fork down fully and leans in a little closer to you, only a little bit of concern and a whole lot of care in his eyes, no judgement whatsoever. "Are you not understanding the course material? Would you like me to help you with your work? Or we could get you a tutor."
Asmo leans in to your conversation, eye glittering mischievously, he had taken a little longer to come down to breakfast than he usually did. You were sure he eliminated all of the options and knew exactly what demon you were crushing on.
"Now now Luci!~" He interjects, earning a soft glare from Lucifer, "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, MC's just a little bit....distracted..." He puts his hands on your shoulders.
Lucifer's eyes widen ever so slightly, Belphie and Satan exchange knowing glances, Beel blinks slowly, were you having trouble focusing in class?
Mammon discreetly opens his DDD under the table, if you were having trouble focusing, he knew a few guys who sold some pretty good remedies for that.
You groan, quickly scarfing down the rest of your breakfast before grabbing Mammon and running out the door, your older brother yelling in confusion.
6 other brothers watch you leave, before turning to Asmo.
Belphie is the first to speak, "Alright, who is it?"
"Who's what?" Beel tilts his head, Belphie turns to him with a smile.
"MC has a crush on someone in her History class."
"Oh, okay." Beel turns to Asmo, "Who is it?"
You and Mammon arrive at RAD unusually early, on account of you essentially fleeing the breakfast table like an escaped convict and dragging your brother with you.
Mammon wasn't annoyed at all, despite his outward act, in actuality, he was delighted. You had picked him to drag out of a chair and run with you?! That meant he must be your favourite big brother! His chest puffs out with pride as you both chatter whilst he walks you to your form class. What type of favourite big brother would he be if he let his little sister walk down the scary hallways of school alone?!
"And then Satan said-" You stop uncerimonously when you catch sight of who's at the other end of the corridor, a blush coating your cheeks, barely noticeable on your skin, hardly even there, but Mammon still picked up on it.
"Hey, twerp, what's up wi' ye?" He asks, examining the hallway, taking notice of the only other demon there.
With a baggy dark denim jacket adorned in pins pulled over their RAD uniform, headphones snapped over their ears, messy turquoise hair cascading down their tanned face. The demon is young--Mammon notices--they look around the same age as you, maybe slightly older.
As they get closer and spot MC, they grin, silver braces shining in the light of the RAD hallway. "Hiya MC! You´re in early!" The demon calls out to you, Mammon notes how you swallow thickly before waving shyly at the demon in question as they approach the pair of you.
The demon goes to rub their eyes, but upon remembering the messy yet purposeful placement of black eyeshadow acting as eyeliner, they stop and pout for just a moment before looking at MC and grinning, eyes as grey as stone flickering to Mammon for just a moment, the demon looks to you and raises one of their thick, dark eyebrows.
"This one of your brothers, MC?" They ask, gaze flickering between you and your brother like a faulty lightbulb.
"O-oh uh...yes! Mammon this is C-Caelus....Caelus this is Mammon..." You introduce them.
"Oh, please, call me Cael, everyone does!" They smile politely at Mammon reaching out to shake his hand, Mammon, bites the inside of his cheek to stop his jaw from dropping. You had a....crush on Cael didn't you?"
"Oh aye." Is all he can manage to say.
Cael nods, before turning completely to face you, they eyelashes fluttering ever so slightly, "So, how come you're in early today?..Nice hair by the way!" They run a hand through their dark turquoise hair, messing it up with their long fingers.
"Oh uh thanks Cael!" You bite your lip, trying to figure out what to say next. "I was thinking of getting in early and studying for the test next week...." You lie, though it did sound like a good idea. No way were you explaining the fiasco that was Breakfast.
Mammon watches like a crow, stopping himself from cooing. You were so adorable! His favourite little dickhead's first crush! They grow up so fast!
He cringes internally, thinking, 'What the actual fuck, I sound like Asmo.'
After another moment, he interupts your conversation to tell you that he needs to go, you nod and say goodbye, before continuing to talk to Cael and trying to keep your blushing under control.
Mammon tredges to the courtyard before whistling.
"Hiya Éan!" He coos to the crow that lands perched on his shoulders, the bird looks unamusedly at him, its been a year and the avian was still judging him for the name choice! "Oh stop yer yappin'...." At the unimpressed look Éan gives him, his eyelid twitches. "Well, I know yer gurnin' internally...don't think I'm dim."
Éan caws.
"Look, I need ye ta do somethin' for me, so I do." Mammon groans at the crows shaking of its head. "I'm not askin' ye to assassinate anyone! I just need ye to keep an eye on this one wee demon in m'sister's class..."
Éan blinks, before leaning in closer to Mammon, he pets its head, it leans into the touch.
"Right so listen up, their name's Caelus...but people call 'em Cael...I need ye to keep an eye on them and give me a report back in a day or so, we clear?"
Éan lets out a quiet caw.
"Great!"
After a long day of RAD, you waled into the attic, where Satan and Belphie were unboxing whoopie cushions. Or rather Satan was unboxing whoopie cushions and Belphie was watching him lazily.
"Hi MC." Belphie smiles at you before gesturing to sit beside him, so you do.
"I thought you said my human world pranks were stupid." You look at Belphie.
"I've decided that since I'm such a good role model, I'll give it a go."
You deadpan, about to say something before a bellowing laugh erupts from Satan.
"You? A good role model?" The 4th born wipes a tear from his eye. "What's next? Lucifer breaking up with Lord Diavolo?"
"I don't think they're dating Satie…" You butt in.
Belphie smirks, "Then why are they so gay?"
"He is the Avatar of Pride, I guess." You shrug.
And with that, Satan picks up the whoopie cushion and the three of you begin your descent down the staircase to Lucifer's office. With you making small talk to distract them from Asmo's words in the morning.
You reach Lucifer's office, but now you need to draw him out. Satan walks in.
"Hello Lucifer."
"Your prank's not going to work." Lucifer puts his pen down.
Satan puts a hand over his heart in mock offence. "No, I saw a cat on the streets walking home and I want to adopt it." He says, not even lying.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you don't need one."
Satan feels wrath bubble up inside him, before he makes a risky move, knowing he needs Lucifer out of his office so you can place the whoopie cushion. "Well if I don't need a cat then you don't need your paperwork!"
He reaches forward and grabs the official documents on Lucifer's desk then bolts.
Lucifer jolts up out of his seat and races after him, out of the office.
That's your cue, quick as a thief on the hunt, you run into your eldest brother's office, and place the whoopie cushion down on his seat, you did it!
"Are you having fun, MC?" Lucifer asks, you jump. Turning around you see a slightly disheveled Lucifer staring at you, eyebrow raised and holding slightly crinkled papers. You back away.
"I wasn't doing anything!" You lie obviously.
"Hmm. Sure….now as for your punishment….I've already strung Satan up in the enterance hall, and I'm certain Belphie has gone somewhere to sleep, when he wakes up he will be appropriately disciplined of course…." He moves closer to you. "Now as for you….." Lucifer clicks his fingers and a desk and chair appear, the waves of magic pushing you into it.
You're going to sit there until I've finished my work. No DDD."
You groan, but don't complain, if it was anyone else out of your brothers, Lucifer would have strung them up like he did with Satan.
An hour goes by, though it seems like several to you, as you're bored out of your mind. Lucifer sets his pen down and stares at you.
"Now, tell me about this Caelus."
You stiffen, knowing better than to lie to your eldest, and strictest brother. "They uh-they're a demon in my class…"
Lucifer raises an eyebrow, prompting you to continue, "And what's this I'm hearing about you having a crush on them?"
"Asmo!" You gurn, covering your face in your hands.
"Asmo and Mammon, actually." Lucifer's lips twitch upwards. "Do you have anything to day for yourself?"
"I won't do drugs."
"MC."
"Okay fine! They're a good demon, I promise! I don't even know if I wanna ask them out yet!"
Lucifer's eyes soften, seeing you now, sitting at a desk, complaining about love…he can't help but be reminded of a different person in a different realm long ago, long passed.
"I trust you, but be careful, okay?"
You nod, something churns in Lucifer's stomach as he looks at you, gracefully moving over to you, and pulling you into a soft hug, arms wrapping around you protectively, as if shielding you from the elements.
"And if ever, you need any help whatsoever, come to me? You understand?"
You nod.
"Say it."
"I understand Luci."
Lucifer smiles, ruffling your hair. "I will always protect you MC."
AND WE'RE DONE!!! this was honetly fun to write, i had no idea where i was going with this and i'm sorry if it doesn't make any sense 🧍♂️
fuil (pronounced 'full') means blood, móid (maw-d-ge) means vow or promise, 'to make a vow' would translate to 'móid a thabhairt' (maw-d-ge ah how-ert-ch)
éan (pronounced 'ane') means bird. idk i thought it was funny
#obey me imagines#obey me shall we date#obey me x reader#obey me headcanons#omswd#obey me mc#obey me mammon#obey me lucifer#obey me satan#obey me beelzebub#obey me belphegor#obey me fluff#obey me platonic#obey me lilith#obey me brothers
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Headcannon perhaps of Noah taking a breather after his show and sees you (a fan total rando) waiting for a ride after the show and he sees you being hit on and you're trying to get the guy to leave you alone but he won't so he steps in and pretends to be your boyfriend so he'll leave you alone
@thescarlettvvitch @mitchhbitch @missduffsblog @hayleylatour @sleepyomens @loeytuan98 @artificialbreezy @marvelousmal @bngurngheart @lma1986 @dsireland86 @wild-child-7747 @calleyx13 @illmakeyousaywow @jaded-and-hollow-souls @exitwoundsx @shayzillaaaa @lookwhatitcost @badomensls @princesspeach-00 @burning-outx @shadowseve @collective-heartbreak @klutzy-kay24 @sorrowsofsilence @sweetlittlekitsune @shilohrosechicken @itsafullmoon @toospooktocute @niicoleleigh @thatchickwiththecamera @hoe-for-daddywise @whenthesummerdies @cookiesupplier @concreteemo @thisbicc @sammyjoeee @pathion
Noah was exhausted.
A long day of rehearsals and performing in the sun took every last bit of energy from him.
So with the sight of the tour bus ahead of him, he couldn't help but be giddy for a full night's sleep in the hotel room bed.
Bad Omens had another show tomorrow night.
But there was a commotion on the other side of the barrier fence that made him halt in his steps.
"Come on sugar, just one kiss." A guy was towering over you, as you desperately tried to get away.
"Not interested," you kept your answers short, hopefully, the guy got the hint.
He didn't.
"You're out here all alone. Let me walk you home, make sure you get there safe."
When the guy took advantage of you, wrapping a hand around your below, something took over Noah and he was quick on your side.
"Sorry, angel. It took a bit longer to pack up," He said while wrapping an arm around you, and pulling you into his chest.
You stared up in confusion then utter shock when you realized Noah Sebastian was next to you.
"Uh," you blinked. "It's fine."
Noah glanced over to the other guy. "Are you bothering my girlfriend?"
Girlfriend?
Suddenly it clicked.
He was pretending to be your boyfriend to ward this guy off.
You wrapped your arm around his midsection, not trying to lose it over how good he smelled.
"She didn't mention she had a boyfriend," the guy gruffed.
Noah squeezed your shoulder. "You didn't seem to give her much of a chance to say anything."
The guy took one look between you two before shaking his head. "Aint fucking worth it."
When it was just the two of you, Noah dropped his arm from your shoulder to rub the back of his neck. "I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable. I just saw that guy not taking no for an answer."
"It's alright," you assured him with a smile. "Thank you for that. You didn't have to."
Silence fell between the two of you and you were still in shock that the man you came to see tonight, who you watched on stage a few an hour ago, came to your rescue.
He was more breathtaking up close.
"Are you from in town?" He asked.
"No, I actually drove in from Los Angeles to see you guys," you said with a sheepish smile. "I'm staying at the Hilton in town."
Noah's brow raised. "Small world, so am I."
Your heart hammered in your chest, finding out that you were staying in the same hotel.
"Well, I should head back. I need some sleep before I see you guys again tomorrow," you pointed to your car.
"So I'll see you again tomorrow?" Noah asked with a hopeful tone in his voice.
He could explain it but seeing you took his breath away. You were gorgeous and he wanted to get to know you.
"Same place? Same time?" You teased while motioning to the parking lot of the venue.
Noah adjusted the strap of his backpack. "Definetly."
The next night, both of you stayed true to your word and met in the same spot after the show and spent the rest of the night talking on the grassy fields.
As he walked you to your car at three a.m, needing to make the three-hour drive back home you felt awake and charged from your thrilling conversations with Noah.
"So," he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his Hereditary sweater. "Would it be alright if I got your number? To catch up once I'm back in town."
"Yeah, sure," you couldn't stop the grin that crossed your lips.
As you handed him back his phone with your number, you took the chance and left a kiss on his cheek.
"I hope to see you soon, Noah," you breathed.
"Definetly, angel," he licked his lips.
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— dream a little (dream of me) ⟢
you're a modern-day succubus just trying to get by, and your superior, mister zhongli is next on your hit-list. but every time you invade his dreams, he becomes someone else entirely…
★ FEATURING; zhongli x succubus!reader
★ WORD COUNT; 23.3k words
★ TAGS; modern au, office au, superior-subordinate relationship, angst, like SO MUCH angst, zhongli dreams abt his past life as rex lapis, smut
★ WARNINGS; graphic sexual content (minors dni), some depictions of violence (it was the archon war so), reader gets drunk at some point in the story and a co-worker exhibits unwanted interest, near-death experiences, mentions of pregnancy
★ NOTES; this was the longest thing i've ever written in one sitting TT wrote it for 3 days straight, and i'm honestly still proud of it even a year later! take note that this was loosely based off a manhwa i read in passing called sweet dream, so if the plot is a liiittle familiar to you, that's probably why!
★ HEADER ART CR; donaldakron on twt
★ SMUT TAGS; sex dreams, vaginal fingering, unprotected sex, clothed sex, i-thought-i-was-gonna-lose-you-forever sex, riding, the perfect balance of sweet and dirty talk, creampie
“Miss? Are you alright?”
You blink out the spots in your eyes when you hear Ganyu call out to you in a worried tone. She’s standing awkwardly by the side of your cubicle when you finally snap out of it, and you receive the documents in her hands with a rushed apology.
“Sorry, I’ve been feeling under the weather lately,” you reason, signing whatever she needs to have signed before handing it back. “This is nothing, though. Anything else you need?”
She hesitates for a moment, as if gauging whether or not she should pry, before speaking her mind. “Um, if you’re having trouble falling asleep, I could recommend a shop that sells qingxin petal tea. It’s based in Feiyun Slope, and I always order my stress relieving herbs from there.”
Despite the weight settling across your eyelids, you manage to flash Ganyu a gentle smile, tearing a blank Post-It off the pad on your desk before giving it to her. “Could you write down the name of the store? I’ll make sure to check it out before I head home for the night.”
Ganyu visibly perks up. “O-Of course!”
When she slides the piece of paper back onto your desk, the secretary exchanges farewells with a curt nod – saying she has to pass over the files for Mister Zhongli’s perusal before anything else. If Ganyu notices the way your staged grin falters, she doesn’t say anything. But once you’re alone, you can only slink back into your chair with a contemplative look on your face.
You aren’t going to check out the store that Ganyu recommended like you initially promised. After all, your kind has never responded much to any sort of human medicine. Whatever’s bothering you is only going to be resolved if you stop being stubborn and fed on time – something you only care to do once a month at most.
Even after living your life as a succubus for almost twenty-four years, the idea of having to draw out your life force from… that still made you sick to your stomach. It’s bad enough that your strange constitution wouldn’t let you settle down and have normal relationships, but having to constantly find a source of nutrition is a pain in and of itself.
Your body has quite the standard for the men you’re supposed to suck some sexual energy out of, too. When you indiscriminately pick some rando you saw on the street, you might not effectively absorb the energy you harvested if you aren’t invested enough.
Case in point: unless you try to sleep with someone you remotely care about in their dreams, you’re going to keep craving for a proper fix.
Last month, you had to terrorize the poor barista who’s been serving you coffee at that new café across the street. You thought he wouldn’t think much of it, since you had the inkling the guy was hitting on you every time you ordered. But lo and behold, mister charming, suave barista is actually quite timid when it goes down to it. Your sessions usually took an hour at most to complete and you wouldn’t have to harvest energy again for at least another month. But that guy? You could barely ask him to strip without having to deal with him stumbling out of his dream-bed out of sheer embarrassment. Took you three hours in that dreamscape just to get the bare minimum out of him. And that just goes to show that the people you meet aren’t always what they seem to be – yourself included.
As entertaining as that session turned out though, you couldn’t really make substantial progress with mister barista, which eventually led to your premature hunger pangs. You started feeling a bit off-kilter last week, but you made the mistake of listing it off as nothing but a seasonal flu or something. Once your co-workers caught wind of how exhausted you are at work, you knew it was that time of the month again.
You can always just make up for the minimal energy gain of harvesting from a complete stranger by invading multiple strangers’ dreams, but you still have some shred of dignity. Well, you could just settle with the men in your department, but those slobs are the last ones you’d ever consider sleeping with. But then again, your team is working on a big, end-of-year project that you can’t afford to slack off on, so you need to find this month’s match before your body shuts down completely – even if that means seducing your awful desk neighbor in his sleep.
“Hard at work again, I see.”
You startle at the sound of a deep-seated voice coming from behind you, whisking your chair around to see your boss showing you a kind smile. It isn’t unusual for Zhongli to do some rounds in the office, but –
“Ganyu was looking for you, sir,” you blurt out, trying not to focus on how his neatly pressed tie compliments his eyes. “She had me sign some documents for the project you asked me to oversee, and it seems like she was on her way to your office.”
He hums. “I see. I just made a quick trip to the pantry, but I’ve yet to figure out how one operates the machine they installed in the break room. That’s why I just asked my assistant to purchase a drink from the coffee shop down the street… Are you alright? You’re looking quite pale.”
“Yeah, I’ve never been better,” you lie, trying to force out those memories of too-timid-for-his-own-good barista out of your head. “I’ll make sure to follow up on my assigned report at the end of the week, sir.”
Once again, your senses jolt to life when you feel a large, comforting palm settle on your aching shoulders, giving you a few pats. The sincerity in Zhongli’s eyes doesn’t fade, and you’re seriously wondering how he has it to be so encouraging all the time.
“Everyone deserves to rest when their bodies require it,” he says. “Don’t hesitate to file for sick leave if you’re unable to perform at your fullest because of health reasons. I didn’t overhaul the employee benefits clause in your contracts for nothing.”
Your face heats up at the thought of your boss being this considerate of your well-being. You’ve been working at Wangsheng Corporation for almost two years now, but employees have never been treated the way Zhongli treats them. It’s a miracle that he got transferred here last month – with his gentle voice and mindfulness of others. When he walked through the doors of your department that day, the last thing you expected was a compassionate superior, given that all those assholes in the corporate ladder only cared about money and none else. He was easily a breath of fresh air in the smog of Liyue Harbor, and you’re not about to complain.
“I best be on my way,” he tells you with a hint of remorse. “I’ll be attending a board meeting in thirty minutes. Once it’s been adjourned, you can come to me if you need anything.”
Come to him if you need anything…
For some reason, his words ring inside your head longer than they have to. But before you can even get your bearings straight, your mind is suddenly plagued with images of your boss in a more sensual setting.
You picture a Zhongli who’s free from the stifling confines of his suit – regardless of how dashing he looks in it, you always wondered what he would look like dressed down. You imagine him lying on his bed, golden eyes half-lidded as he beckons you closer; how his hot breath would make your skin tingle as he whispers all the lewd things he wishes to do with you –
“Of course, sir,” you tell him in real life, mustering up a smile that’s enough to hide your own embarrassment. “Thank you for taking the time to stop by.”
Zhongli raises a hand to wave at you before sauntering off to his office, leaving you alone with lecherous thoughts and a growling stomach. But the moment the door clicks shut behind him, you come to a guilty conclusion.
Guess I already found this month’s target.
The hardest part, you think, is falling asleep before feeding.
You’re still at odds with everything you had to do just to survive, so of course you’ll feel a bit queasy when you lay on your bed in preparation. Whether it’s that one cute barista or your attractive boss, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re nervous beyond belief. Navigating a person’s dreamscape is just as tricky as it sounds, and if you aren’t careful, the slightest mishap can lead to unwanted casualties. Worst case scenario: you might get trapped in the dream until the person you’re feeding off of wakes up.
But you can trust your worrisome nature to keep that from happening. The only instance you’d ever get trapped in someone else’s dream is if you lose touch with your own existence within it. That’s why you tend to limit the degree of pleasure you feel in the dreamscape during your feedings. Orgasms are one of the many things that make people, succubi included, lose their grip on reality, so you make sure not to experience such a thing, no matter how tempting it could be at times. And while there are no explicit rules stating that your kind isn’t allowed to indulge in the desires of the flesh – let’s face it, you’re basically a sex demon – you’ve always been too afraid to lose yourself in something that isn’t even real.
You heave a deep sigh as you pull the covers up to your chest. It feels a bit humid lately, so you opted to wear a loose nightgown – one flimsy enough to hopefully tempt Zhongli in his dreams. In spite of the impeccable decorum he exhibits at work, surely he’s still just a man under all those layers of courteousness, right? Humans tend to be more unhinged during your feeding sessions (sans mister timid barista). If the Zhongli that regularly checks up on you at work would exercise more self-restraint, maybe he won’t be as gentlemanly once you hijack his dreams.
The plan is set in stone. Fall asleep, make your way into Zhongli’s head, have sex with him, and make a run for it. You’ve outlined the same plan of action during your previous feedings, so this shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Still, a small part of you still feels the bite of guilt for intruding on your boss’ peaceful night like this. In what little time he’s spent at Wangsheng Corporation, you can already call him the best superior you’ve ever had, and choosing him as your sacrificial lamb makes it seem as if you have no sense of indebtedness to him. But at the end of the day, you’re just a baser creature with needs to tend to or else you can’t move forward as a fully functioning member of society.
Surprisingly, you doze off much quicker than usual. This must be from the fatigue you accumulated over the past week. Well, that’s what you get for not feeding the moment you started to feel something was off. Either way, you’re en-route to your boss’ subconscious and you’re going to feel much better right after the trip.
The in-between that connects your dream to Zhongli’s looks just like everyone else’s – a dark, narrow corridor that opens up to a light at the end. You traverse the familiar path with bare feet, not so much in a rush despite how hungry you are. Whether it’s your hesitation to use your boss like this holding you back or something else entirely, you’re not very sure. But once you finally step into the light, you close your eyes and hold your breath.
When you come to, you find yourself inside a wide cavern – making your face scrunch up in confusion once your mind processes your surroundings. You expected to appear in a bedroom in his apartment, maybe. But as you glance around the barely illuminated cave, you realize that your timing is incredibly off since Zhongli must have been having a weird dream. It’s happened once before when the person you were supposed to feed on dreamt of living inside the latest superhero movie he saw. Maybe Zhongli watched a strange documentary before heading to bed. That totally sounds like something he’d do.
You decide to have a closer look, noticing that the only sources of light inside are the stone torches perched on the sides of the cavern. Your curiosity gets the better of you when you attempt to approach the flames. But that plan is immediately thwarted once you accidentally step on something solid underfoot. It breaks underneath your weight – the sound echoing deeper into the cave.
You can’t feel any sort of breeze inside, which cements your assumption that the corridor leads to a dead end. Something tells you that you’ll cross paths with another soul if you press forward, but your instincts, however flimsy they might be inside a dream, insist that you go back. To just forget about trying to feed today and just try again tomorrow. Maybe Zhongli wouldn’t be dreaming about weird tunnels by then. None of this is real, but the dread that’s slowly festering in the pit of your stomach is too apparent to ignore.
But it’s as if your body isn’t your own at the moment. Instead of heeding your own sense of danger, your feet carry you further into the darkness – making your imaginary heart pound with both anticipation and fear in equal measure.
Your hunch is proven right when you spot a lone figure at the end of the cavern – observing you from afar where he’s seated rather comfortably. He has one elbow perched on the armrest of his seat, the side of his face resting atop a closed fist. You’re unable to recognize who he is at first, but once you’ve crossed the threshold of the man’s vicinity, you feel a pang of surprise surge through your veins.
“Mister Zhongli...?”
No matter how closely you looked, he's the spitting image of your boss. However, it dawns on you half a second later that he is not the kind-hearted man you've been working with for the past month. This one sits atop a throne of jagged rock, golden antlers sprouting beneath his hood as eyes of a deeper shade glower on with disdain.
“I do not remember giving you permission to speak,” he says, voice reminding you of untamed tremors deep within the earth – resonating with every word. “You best know your place before I'm forced to remind you of it.”
Back in your bedroom, you awake with a start.
Your heart threatens to bust out of your own rib cage with how hard it pounds against it – as if it’s barely catching up to what you just witnessed and heard. You’ve never once pulled yourself out of a dream so quickly, but there’s just something about that version of Zhongli that sets off every code-red alarm inside your head. That isn’t someone you’re going to easily seduce with a see-through nightgown and a bat of your eyelashes. In fact, that man (was he even human?!) looked like he could kill you if he wanted.
“What the fuck?” you mutter, throwing the covers off yourself as you watch your hands tremble in your lap. “Who the hell was that…?”
You don’t have the slightest clue why you’re so shaken up. You’ve seen weirder dreamscapes in the past, but for some reason, when you stepped inside Zhongli’s, everything looked so life-like. As if you were actually transported to a real location in this world. If you actively tried to recall the details, you could’ve sworn you felt the gravel on your feet and caught the archaic scent of stone in the air. But what could a strange-looking Zhongli be doing inside such a place? You knew better than to assume there was a rhyme and reason behind a person’s dreams, but –
The sound of your ringtone going off nearly scares the living daylights out of you before you cast a frantic stare at the nightstand. There, your phone vibrates in time with the obnoxious noise, and you force yourself to get a grip. It’s over. You managed to escape whatever harrowing fate you could have ended up with had you stayed in Zhongli’s dream for even a second longer. There’s no use mulling over it now, is there?
Without checking who was insane enough to call you at this hour, you speak. “H-Hello?”
“Hello. I do have the right number, yes?”
It takes you a moment for your mind to register the voice at the end of the line – that smooth baritone that you’ll never get tired of hearing. Of course Zhongli’s going to ring you up out of nowhere after that.
If it were any other day, you would have swooned at the notion of your superior calling you so late, but this seems a bit too coincidental for comfort. The recurring joke that Zhongli can be a little bit of an airhead has been going around your department for a few weeks now, but sometimes you forget that he can still be as sharp as a whip. Could he have sensed something amiss from the dream you gave him? How did he even get your number?
“Sir,” you greet him as evenly as you can. “Is there something wrong?”
Zhongli is silent for a moment, as if deliberating the words. “Hmm… Nothing in particular. My apologies for disturbing you beyond work hours, but I feel like I had something to tell you but regrettably forgot.”
You swallow the lump in your throat, shifting on top of your bed as you swing your legs over the edge. “Well, if it’s about the report you assigned, I won’t be able to give you the numbers until the end of the week, sir.”
“You’re mistaken. My inquiry isn’t about work,” he tells you, chuckling in a way that makes you blush for some reason. “It’s something a bit personal…yet I can’t seem to put my finger on it.”
“...Is it important enough that you couldn’t wait until tomorrow to discuss it?”
Alright, maybe you spoke a little out of line there. He’s your superior, yes, but your mind is still a bit frazzled from your earlier encounter in the dream. Zhongli certainly sounds like someone that just woke up, and while you like to entertain the idea that you’re the first person he thought about the moment his eyes opened, it’s not enough to dispel your unease.
“Forgive me. Calling you at this hour does seem out of turn –” It is out of turn. “– but I had quite the odd dream. I can’t remember what exactly took place anymore, but I do remember you being in it.”
Calm down. He doesn’t remember the details – not that he had a lot to remember anyways. You could have sworn you only lasted two minutes in his head before scampering back to your own body because that’s how terrified you were. What’s even there to recall about it?
“I see,” you play along. “Maybe you were dreaming about work like usual. You do seem a bit more dedicated to your job than most.”
Zhongli breathes out another laugh that makes your insides tingle. Why does he sound infinitely sexier fresh out of slumber? “You really think that?”
“Wouldn’t dream of anyone who does your job better than you do, sir.”
You wonder, at the last minute, if you said the right thing. But Zhongli lets out a satisfied hum from the other line, coupled with the sound of fabric rustling in the background. You try not to picture what he must look like right now – disheveled hair, unkempt sheets, drowsy eyes – but the image makes its way to your head regardless. The Zhongli you’re speaking to is already so different from the man you met in his dreams, and you can’t even see him right now.
“I suppose I’ve taken up enough of your precious time,” he murmurs, sounding more and more apologetic by the minute. “Thank you for answering my call, regardless of what little value our conversation tonight harbored. I’ll see you tomorrow at the office, hopefully when I’m in a better state of mind.”
Better state of mind, he says. So Zhongli was affected by that dream, too…
But that’s something you can definitely think about later.
“Anytime, sir,” you reply. “Good night.”
“You’re looking worse and worse each day, you know that?”
This time, the person who bothers you at your cubicle is none other than your superior, Director Hu Tao. Though, even if she holds the highest position in the Wangsheng chain-of-command, she’s a bit too free-spirited to call a proper boss.
She watches you slave away behind your laptop with folded arms, not looking the least bit amused. Though she wasn’t really meant to know, the director is one of the few people – more like, the only person – who’s aware of what you are and what you do to survive. It’s probably because Hu Tao comes from a family with deeper connections to all things supernatural, and thankfully, she’s more understanding of your predicament than you’d otherwise expect.
In fact, she was kind enough to let you keep your job so long as you don’t let your…special needs affect your work. But for all of Hu Tao’s usual antics in the office, you know there’s no escaping her when she gets serious about something.
Especially when she’s nagging you about feeding intervals.
“When’s the last time, hm?” she asks, poking your cheek. “Aiya, you’ve lost the flab on your face. Come on, how am I supposed to pinch them now?”
“About a month ago,” you grumble as you revise an important email for the fifth time today. “Director, shouldn’t you be in your office? I heard from Ganyu that you’ve been passing your work onto Mister Zhongli.”
“Pah, the consultant can deal with all the trifling matters in my stead.” Hu Tao shrugs. “Besides, he’s the one who started advocating for better employee conditions in this dump, right? I’m just making sure my subordinates are healthy and happy in the workplace~”
Speaking of Zhongli, it’s been a while since you saw him around. The last time you heard his voice was the night he called you out of nowhere – the same night you hijacked his dreams. Now, it’s already the end of the week and you’re yet to meet with Zhongli despite the deadline he gave you days prior.
“I can hook you up with a bunch of guys I know,” Hu Tao suggests, unceremoniously swinging herself on top of your desk. “All you have to do is get inside their heads and do the magic, right? Hmm… If that’s the case, why don’t you just pick a random celebrity or something?”
“It doesn’t work that way, director,” you sigh. “If it were that easy, I wouldn’t be having this problem every month.”
“Ehh, you’re so choosy.” She pouts. “If sharing a dream with strangers doesn’t work, why don’t you just come after them in real life? Nothing beats the real thing, right?”
You’re mildly aware of how loudly Hu Tao started to mouth off about your…predicament, but fortunately it was the middle of lunch break, and none of your desk neighbors were present to overhear. Pushing your chair from beneath the desk, you breathe in deep as you consider the director’s words.
In hindsight, she was right. You know a bunch of succubi and incubi who copulate with humans nearly everyday – more because they’re weird sex addicts than them trying to last themselves to the next day. But you were drawing blanks as to how you’re going to explain to Hu Tao that the creatures she might have heard about have sex to enjoy it; you have sex to survive. The act itself still makes you squirm, so even if you have attempted to harvest energy in real life, you’d rather steer clear of resorting to that if you could still do the same thing in an unsuspecting man’s dreams.
But now, you aren’t even able to squeeze the tiniest ounce of sexual energy from your usual method. Hence, the problem.
“I’ll think about it,” you half-promise, stretching your limbs with a quiet sigh. “Oh, and if you see Mister Zhongli anywhere, could you tell him I’m done with my report? I was going to ask when he’d like to see it, but I haven’t seen him around lately.”
“Hm? Oh, right. I asked that guy to secure a deal with a Snezhnayan diplomat who’s visiting Liyue over the season,” Hu Tao tells you before hopping back to the floor. “Well, hope you get some sustenance soon, little devil. Wouldn’t want to find you all shrivelled up from sex deprivation one day.”
“Director, please…”
“Hahaha! Just teasing~”
Hu Tao hums a lively tune once she scampers away, and you’re left staring at the blinking cursor on your screen. The email you were drafting is supposed to be sent to the PR officer of the company you’re trying to scout with your report-slash-proposal attached as an extra file. But you can’t send it in without Zhongli’s green light. What’s worse is that it’s starting to get busy in the office at this time. The end of the year is the most hectic, and you’re not sure if you’re ever going to get used to the hustle and bustle that comes with it. It would make sense why Zhongli is suddenly hard to catch.
And your feeding shortage just had to coincide with all of this.
You pull out a hand mirror from your bag, inspecting the way your face looks. Eyebags and chapped lips can easily be concealed with makeup but it’s more difficult to mask the way you’re abnormally losing weight. Even Hu Tao was able to notice it right away. If only eating human food actually contributed to your body mass…
“Tonight for sure,” you mutter – knowing damn well that your words are only worth half a promise.
In all honesty, you don’t put much thought into the exact time of your feedings. You just lay in bed, get into the minds of your targets, and hope both of you fell asleep at the same time. It’s no different on your second attempt at harvesting energy from Zhongli.
You don’t call him, don’t text him. You don’t even bother trying to get some inside information about his sleeping habits from Ganyu. So when you attempt to just wing it one more time, you’re a little surprised to find yourself transported into the dreamscape – a wave of relief washing over you when you realize you’re not inside a cave anymore.
You’re seated at the side of a river surrounded by ruins as far as the eye can see. The sound of flowing water fills your ears, a sound you almost find calming. Someone calls a name that doesn't belong to you, but your body responds to it either way when you turn your head around curiously.
Zhongli stands in front of you, carrying a basket of sunsettias. He doesn’t look as intimidating as the first time you saw him in his dreams, but he’s donned with the same hooded robe, and the same gold-tipped antlers. The cruelty imbued in his gaze in that cavern has long gone – replaced with quiet sincerity that’s reminiscent of the one he exudes in the office. You feel your shoulders relax at the sight of him, but…
Something doesn’t feel right.
He folds his legs at your side, and when he speaks, you hear nothing but a garbled, faraway noise. But despite not understanding a single word he says, you let out the occasional laugh, sometimes nodding along to Zhongli’s words before biting into one of the fruits he foraged. The wind whistles through the reeds in the overrun marsh, and all you can do is admire your companion’s autumn vesper eyes as you partake in a conversation only he understands.
But when you suddenly inch closer to him – caressing his face with a hand that isn’t your own – that’s when you finally realize what was amiss.
“Rex,” the woman whose body you hijacked murmurs fondly, the sleeves of her dress billowing in the breeze. “You should give yourself more credit. The faith of the people has always been well-founded.”
Zhongli gazes at you (at her) with wide eyes before the look melts into a fit of chuckles. His lips move in response to what the woman said and, still, you don’t catch any of it. But when your eyes drift to where his strong arms peeked from the holes of his robe, you’re surprised to see his hands shining like molten amber in the waning light. Golden veins can be seen jutting across his forearms, eventually connecting to the odd patterns depicted on his bicep. The longer you stare, the more you question why your boss made himself look so godly in his dreams. As humble as he is, he does look highly of himself after all.
Turns out, you’re not the only one who was ogling Zhongli in the most inopportune moment. It seems like the woman you’re possessing(?) also treated herself to some eye candy the same time you did, and now you can feel your face heat up with embarrassment when he catches you staring.
You expect him to laugh it off like usual. Your boss gets thrown compliments everyday since he started working at Wangsheng – compliments that never seem to do him enough justice. But he takes them all in stride before resuming the conversation like nothing happened. This Zhongli does none of that.
One of his strange, golden hands seizes your wrist tightly – your bashfulness suddenly morphing into confusion. Zhongli’s mouth twitches into something akin to a smile as he presses forward, forcing you to lean back to introduce as much space between you as possible. You can feel his breath fan against your face – cor lapis eyes glowing with desire – and you’re too stunned to retaliate. His other hand forces itself against the ground next to your hip, caging you in the heat of his embrace. Zhongli speaks again, and you’re starting to feel annoyed with the fact that you can’t make sense of what he’s even saying. But you can’t exactly relish in the feeling much because your body is reaching a fever pitch that’s making your head spin.
This is what you came here to do, isn’t it? Sure, you’re not really the person he’s seeing right now, but anything to get the deed done, right? All you had to do was suck out the sexual energy emanating from the god of a man that’s about to ravish you out in the open. Easy as pie.
His mouth latches onto yours in a way that’s almost familiar – which tells you that this isn’t the first time that Zhongli and this woman met each other so intimately. You respond in kind, letting your borrowed body take the reins as you feel him nudging apart the lapels of your dress, exposing supple breasts to the humid air. A full shudder runs across your skin when he growls against your lips, one arm curling around your waist before Zhongli possessively pulls you to his chest.
Mine.
You don’t hear his voice, but you feel the intent resonate all the way to your core as he practically tears off your clothes. Zhongli rests you atop the grass with little care for possible on-lookers, rolling his hips against yours as he decorates your neck with lovebites. Your fingers rake through his long, dark tresses – imprinting the image in your head for years to come. Your boss Zhongli always ties his hair with a jewel-encrusted band, so this version is definitely one for the books.
I should’ve done this sooner, you think to yourself – whimpering when you feel the ridge of his cock straining against your middle. Much sooner…
The rest of the details are lost in the muddled haze of your thoughts. You don’t remember if Zhongli even prepared you for what’s to come – all you know is the feel of his length prodding your slickened entrance. His grip on your body never falters even as the tip of his cock glides teasingly across your slit. You desperately move your hips closer, begging for the friction he’s holding over your head like a prize. But then, you meet his deep, amber gaze and for a moment, his eyes seem to soften in the midst of his lustful display.
When he kisses you again, your heart – this woman’s heart – comes alive. You can feel how much love she harbors, how she aches for him despite the fact that Zhongli’s hands roam around her body with the intent to leave no inch of skin untouched.
I love you. That’s the only thought that echoes in your mind when he finally takes you – here, by the riverbank where you were the only two people in the world. These emotions aren’t your own, but you feel a surge so intense that you gasp aloud when Zhongli presses himself into you deep enough to make your vision blur. It all feels so real that you don’t even notice it when you naturally absorb the energy you’re meant to take in the first place.
You’re not sure how it’s supposed to work in this situation, given that the body you’re using isn’t even yours. But you practically feel how Zhongli’s libido indirectly rejuvenates your spirits. Despite the fact that you’re being pounded in the middle of nowhere, you feel more refreshed – mind clearer as opposed to the jumbled mess it’s been over the past week. You never actually realize how your hunger can drive you into so much lethargy until you’re finally given the clarity of your sated instincts.
“I don’t care for the humans like you do.”
You startle when you finally hear Zhongli’s familiar voice – hoarse with need, but still the same one you’ve come to admire. His forehead rests against yours as he thrusts his hips relentlessly, with a desperation you can almost see on his face. The woman lets out a sigh before she caresses his face with a gentle hand, thumb gently sweeping across the cut of his cheekbone.
“You will,” she murmurs. “You’re their god, Rex. Their archon. You might not have any love for them now, but in time, you’ll understand.”
Her reply seems to irritate him. You watch as those golden eyes flash yellow with rage, but Zhongli is quick to manage the split-second shift in his emotions. Instead of lashing out, he buries his face into your neck, murmuring so softly, you almost didn’t catch the words.
“You’re the only one I’ll truly care for,” he says, fingers raking through your hair as he stills – filling you with the white hot rush of his release.
“I hope you know that will never change, Guizhong.”
There are two things that you end up mulling over when you finally get back to your own body. The first is the fact that Zhongli has way too hyperactive an imagination. About ninety-five percent of your feedings take place in your targets’ bedrooms, so having sex in the middle of a field is quite the new experience for you. The second is how your boss might actually have a girlfriend and you just…gleaned your monthly sustenance from him. Just like that.
Your latter realization took you the fuck out. The moment you woke up, you marched into your kitchen, popped open whatever cans of beer you had inside the refrigerator, and decided to contemplate your actions for a long time. You typically don’t think about whether or not the person you’re feeding on has a significant other because…you’re not exactly committing adultery if it only takes place in their dreams, right? It isn’t supposed to be a big deal unless they try to make a move on you in real life. But thinking about how you unknowingly trespassed on an ultra hidden fantasy that Zhongli must’ve been having about his girlfriend introduces a spectrum of emotions that you’re too tired to sort out. Embarrassment, regret, shame. Those are just some of the things you’re feeling right now, and hopefully a six-pack is going to be enough to drown your not-so sorrows.
…On the bright side, at least you don’t feel like shit anymore. As you finish your third can of beer tonight, you make the effort to take a look at yourself in the mirror. The color in your cheeks has returned, as well as the so-called flab that Hu Tao misses so much. Those dark circles beneath your eyes have gone too, and admittedly, you haven’t seen your skin glow so much since your last successful feeding two months prior.
But even if this is a cause for celebration – because finally, you won’t have to deal with those nasty hunger pangs again for at least another month – you can’t find it in you to be pleased with your results.
You’re still a bit…conflicted with what you saw in Zhongli’s dream. You assumed it was just some weird fictional fantasy of his, but you’ve been inside the dreams of other men often enough to know that your boss’ dreamscape is a lot different from the rest. You’re yet to put a finger on the rhyme and reason behind your logic, but the experience filled you with the kind of curiosity that’ll get you in trouble one of these days.
“No more prying into your boss’ private life,” you say, pointing at your reflection in the mirror with a frown. “You are not a homewrecker. Got that?”
Now that you’ve recovered from being “under the weather”, all that’s left is to get your work quota over with before the year ends. You’re practically brimming with ideas now that you’re finally in the right headspace to brainstorm about the project that Zhongli entrusted you with. As you pop open your fourth beer alongside your laptop, you’re quite horrified to see the mess of a proposal that you worked on during the onslaught of your physiological suffering. Dear gods, you’re never going to deprive yourself like that again. It’s a good thing you waited for Zhongli’s approval first or else, you might’ve made a fool out of yourself to your clients.
When you finally finish proofreading and making all the appropriate edits, you hop into the shower for a nice, hot bath. And when you crawl underneath the covers, the smooth glide of your sheets feels like heaven against your skin. But regardless of how comfortable you are in your own bed; how relaxed you feel for the first time in weeks, you can’t bring yourself to fall asleep as easily as you’d like.
Every time you close your eyes, all you can see is a man with molten gold irises and branches sprouting from his rich brown hair. You can even remember the smidge of red decorating the fine line of his lashes if you recalled the dream vividly enough. But the moment you start thinking about how he spread you apart and had his way with you –
I’m fucked, you realize as you wrench your eyes open – staring at the ceiling as if it’ll show you even an ounce of sympathy. I am so fucked.
Little did you know that ‘fucked’ is the understatement of the century.
“Ganyu, can I ask you something?”
The next day, you coincidentally find yourself sharing a table with Zhongli’s secretary during your lunch break. Ganyu looks up from the salad she’s been happily feasting on and flashes you a questioning look. “Of course. How can I help, miss?”
You pause for a while – deliberating whether it’s even worth looking into at the last minute – but you’ve already bothered Ganyu so…
“Do you know a woman named Guizhong?”
You’re purposely avoiding her gaze when you bring up the question, casually sticking your fork into the food you ordered at the office cafeteria. But when you notice how Ganyu fell silent for too long, you flick your gaze back to her in the most casual way you can manage. To your surprise, she’s staring at you like you just insulted your family.
“H-How did you hear of that name?”
Brows raised, you offer a nonchalant shrug. “Hmm… I was looking through some old company records and found that name listed in the contacts. I just thought you might know who she is.”
You’re not even sure Ganyu is even going to take the bait for that white lie. There is absolutely no one who knows Wangsheng’s documents better than she does. This woman used to work under the Liyue Qixing, so it’s only natural for her to be meticulous in every aspect of her duties. But instead of laying suspicion on you like you expected her to do, Ganyu seemingly heaves a relieved sigh.
“Well, yes. Miss Guizhong was one of the company’s contacts, but…” She bites her lip, fingers drumming nervously on her thigh. “Please refrain from mentioning that name to Mister Zhongli. As for the reason, it’s…quite complicated. I hope you understand why I can’t disclose any further, miss.”
…So Guizhong is a real person. A real person that Zhongli cares about deeply. But from the way Ganyu responded to your question, things might’ve gone awry between them at some point.
Why do you feel…relieved all of a sudden?
“Don’t worry, I won’t,” you promise – this time, you mean it. “I was just a bit curious.”
The secretary nods. “Mister Zhongli should be coming back today as scheduled. I’ve already gone over your proposal like you asked, and I don’t see any flaws in your plans, miss. I’m certain he’ll approve of it.”
Way to shift the topic of conversation. You might’ve applauded her for how smoothly she made that transition, but Ganyu just indirectly reminded you to keep your head in place. There’s still work to do, and you shouldn’t spend what little time you have fretting about your boss’ not-girlfriend.
“Copy that,” you tell her, finishing the rest of your food with a newfound resolve.
When Zhongli finally arrives back at the office, you make sure to act like you usually do – timid yet just a touch daring when needed. You presented your proposal to Zhongli and the board of directors, since your boss insisted that they’re entitled to study its contents last minute. The idea of having an on-the-spot address makes you queasier than the moments leading up to your monthly feeding. But the entire time, the expectant stares of your other superiors didn’t faze you as much. All you can really focus on, aside from the important points you’ve outlined, are the vibrant gold of Zhongli’s eyes – peering from the nearest seat in the front in silent observation.
He looks so composed, like a slab of unmovable stone. You find it quite difficult to believe that your boss and the man who shows up in his dreams – the one with unruly hair and golden ichor horns – are the same person.
Once you’re finished speaking, the board begins to ask questions one by one – clarifying some things they wanted you to expound on. Thankfully, you’ve gone over your report multiple times before coming into the office this morning. Whatever inquiry they could throw at you, you justified with answers based on the sufficient data you’ve gathered over the past two weeks. You have to admit that being on the receiving end of their impressed stares is doing things to your ego, but what’s important is that your proposal has been pretty much approved. Nothing beats a sense of accomplishment, after all.
Zhongli is kind enough to escort you back to your cubicle, but you insist on dropping by the pantry first for a much-needed coffee break. You tell him that it’s alright if he doesn’t stick around if he has other matters to attend to, but it seems that your boss is going to take his time giving you his brunt of the praise.
“You did well. Far exceeded my expectations, even.” He smiles so radiantly that you can almost feel your chest twist with an unfamiliar feeling. “My apologies for suddenly disappearing all of a sudden. I was planning to help you work out the necessary details for this, but something else came up at the last minute. Though I know this all sounds like me making up petty reasons for my absence.”
You shake your head, taking a sip on your cup of instant coffee. “Not at all! Director Hu told me about your dealings with a Snezhnayan diplomat, so I figured that I needed to step up one way or another.”
Zhongli’s expression morphs into something unreadable before he reaches for one of the paper cups stashed away – filling it with cold water from the dispenser. “Is that what she’s told you all?” he sighs, taking a long gulp of his drink before setting the cup down on the table. “That child… I’m aware she has her way of running things in this company, but she needn’t lie about my whereabouts.”
…Lie? Wait, what exactly did Hu Tao –
“Since I forced you to spearhead such an important project alone, I might as well let you in on the truth,” he laughs softly, lips pressed into a small smile. “Would that make for sufficient compensation?”
You swallow the lump in your throat, avoiding the intensity of his gaze. “Um, you don’t have to if it’s a touchy subject, sir. I respect that we all have lives outside of work.”
“I insist,” Zhongli says, leaning against the wall without breaking eye contact. “It’s also a…means for me to ‘let out some steam’, as the director might’ve put it. But I won’t divulge anything you don’t wish to hear, of course.”
You take a moment to mull over his words. Is he saying that he wants to open up to you or something? Well…
“I don’t mind,” you reply, feeling the skin of your fingertips buzz underneath the heat of your cup. Anticipation – that’s what you’re feeling. “You can tell me anything, sir. And I swear upon my end-of-year bonus that I won’t share it to a single soul.”
Your boss flashes you another smile, shaking his head in amusement. “I’m grateful for your promise of confidentiality. You truly are a worthwhile companion.”
“...As for the real reason behind my absence, no I did not meet with a non-existent envoy from Snezhnaya. I made a three-day trip to Guili Plains.” Zhongli speaks each word carefully, as if not wanting you to miss a beat. “You and the rest of the department aren’t familiar with such a tradition that I make sure to uphold every year, since I was just newly transferred. Ganyu, however, has known me long enough to know that I pay the cemetery there a visit during this season if time permits it.”
The break room is quiet, save for the ever-present hum of the water dispenser. You don’t know why, but there’s a sinking feeling in your gut that tells you you’re not going to like what he’s going to say next.
“When I was still pursuing my Bachelor’s, I had this…friend,” he continues, eyes trailing up to the ceiling as if reminiscing about a better time in his life. “A friend that I held closer to my heart than anyone else. We were supposed to build a company that could change the world together – a pipe dream that youths often pour their souls into when they think they can do anything and everything they desire.
“But one day, that friend fell ill all of a sudden. We both thought it was just a mild sickness, nothing so severe that we should fret about it.” He sighs, and you can see how his mild-mannered demeanor makes way for the sorrow that roots itself on his face. You’ve never seen Zhongli look so…downcast before. It makes you want to reach out and pull him into an embrace, but you know better than to overstep your boundaries. “I’m sure you know where this leads. Turns out, the disease wasn’t just an ordinary coughing fit. She was diagnosed with lung cancer and died of it faster than I could even complete my final semester in college.”
“I-I’m sorry,” you blurt out all of a sudden – the shock on your face surfacing too suddenly for you to hide. “Oh, gods. You didn’t have to tell me this if it pains you to remember sir –”
“None of that,” Zhongli interjects, waving a hand in dismissal. “I chose to tell you this tale, didn’t I? Insisted, even. So you don’t need to worry about my grief, as this is something that I’ve long come to terms with.”
Holy shit. Now you feel twice as terrible for feeling relieved that things between him and Guizhong have gone south. It’s all because she was dead. Great, now the fates are probably going to turn you into a lizard in your next life just to call it quits or something. But you don’t really have much room for those self-deprecating thoughts after everything Zhongli just told you.
“Guili Plains is quite far from here,” you comment, choosing your words carefully. “Did she live there?
Zhongli hums. “Yes and no. The two of us lived together here in Liyue Harbor while we completed our studies, but she grew up in Guili. They’re no longer growing there today, but she used to tell me about how much she loved the glaze lilies that bloomed outside of her childhood home.”
…A ‘friend’ he used to live with. A ‘friend’ he held closer to his heart than anyone else. If there are awards for being the worst at masking hidden details, Zhongli is definitely raking everything in. Though you suppose now’s not the time to be nitpicking about your boss’ lack of subtlety.
“How long has it been?” you ask. “If…you don’t mind me asking.”
“I think we’re both past the point of minding,” he chuckles, despite everything, and you can hardly believe it. “But…it’s been six years since she passed.”
Six years, and he still dreams of her.
You nod slowly before finishing the rest of your coffee – now cold with how long you took to drink it.
“Thank you for sharing all this to me, sir. I–I…don’t know what to say,” you admit.
“Nor do I expect you to say anything at all,” he tells you. “Just having an ear to listen to my…troubles is worth more than all the mora in this company combined. It’s quite rare for me to find anyone willing to hear me out.”
You wonder if it’s because of Zhongli’s picture perfect image that no one would stop to think that he experiences the same things everyone does. He grieves. He loves. He even lays himself vulnerable like this. Hell, you wouldn’t even dare to imagine Zhongli being anything but the unflawed superior everyone knows and adores if he never spoke about this at all.
But he did. He trusted you enough to share a part of himself that he doesn’t just let anyone else know about. Whether it was just to repay your so-called stellar performance or something else, you’re grateful for his faith in you either way.
All of a sudden, you stride closer to Zhongli – the sound of you bumping against the side of the table at your urgency surprising him a bit. Before you can slip-up any further, you hold out your hand as you cast him a determined stare.
“I’ll be looking forward to working on this project with you.”
Zhongli is at a loss for words for a while, those deep amber eyes alternating between your face and your outstretched hand. You wonder if he thinks you’re doing some sort of alien gesture. But in the end, your worries are dispelled the moment he shakes it gingerly.
“I feel the exact same way,” Zhongli says – in a much brighter tone now that the storm has passed.
You just hope it will be a while before the clouds roll overhead once more.
The days pass by before you know it.
Along with the end of the year comes the beginning of your newest project. Zhongli was kind enough to lay all the groundwork in your stead, and all you had to do was secure some due partnerships with other companies residing in Yujing Terrace. With just a bit more convincing, you might even get the Liyue Qixing to become one of the official sponsors for the event, especially with someone like Ganyu by your side. Rumor has it that she’s one of Lady Ningguang’s favorite secretaries, until Zhongli whisked her away. You just prayed that she won’t take your boss’ past history of secretary-nabbing personally.
Your reputation has slowly picked up in your department as well. For the past two years, you were always careful about the connections you made because even if Hu Tao is privy to your unique constitution, you’ll be forced to switch locations if someone catches wind that you’re a succubus. You’re certain that the director could pull a few strings if something like that ever happened, but you never really liked relying on others too much – more so making them share your burdens.
At least, that’s how things were before Zhongli entrusted you with such an important task.
“There’s a drinking party somewhere at Chihu Rock – one of the newbies is treating,” Zhang, the desk neighbor you used to hate so much, informs you as he stuffs his laptop into his backpack. “The girls from accounting asked me to invite you, if you’re wondering.”
You cast him a surprised stare while you tidy up your own workspace, sparing a quiet laugh once you get ahold of yourself. “You guys aren’t bullying the new employees into footing the bill, are you?”
“Hey, if this is how they want to get in their seniors’ good graces, who am I to say no?” He shrugs, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “So, you coming or not?”
Now that you think about it, you don’t particularly have anything else to get done for this week. All the necessary preparations for the first leg of the event are in place, and your team members assured that they’ll give you a ring once something comes up.
“Sure thing,” you tell Zhang with a smile. “There better be finger food.”
Company drinking parties aren’t as bad as you thought. They’re not mixers in disguise, like all the manga you’ve illegally downloaded off Inazuman websites suggested. You got to know your close colleagues, and some other people in departments that rarely come into contact with yours. The alcohol isn’t half bad either, especially when the lively newcomer Zhang told you about is going to make good on his promise. You’re not so stuck-up that you’ll deny free food and drinks once they’re offered.
To your dismay, you still aren’t used to drinking with a lot of people as company. Normally, you just grab a few packs of beer from the supermarket before consuming them in your lonesome at home. You realize a little too late that if you’re drinking out, you really shouldn’t be chugging glass after glass as if you’re the only person enjoying the liquor out here.
After a few more pints, some of your co-workers have started to tap out – making you pout at them, red-faced and more pissy than usual. “What? You guys are going? And here I thought these drinking parties lasted until morning.”
Zhang shakes his head at your side, clinking his glass with yours before downing his drink. “Right? These guys have been hanging out with us for months, but they act like they can’t handle drinking on a work night.”
“Hmph, we all know why you’re insistent on staying behind tonight, Zhang,” one of the girls from accounting – Chen? Was that her name? – says, rolling her eyes as she hoists her handbag over her shoulder. “Just…take care of her, alright? Zhongli’s going to kick your ass if something happens.”
You’re still feeling a bit woozy from the beer, so you can only crane your head in confusion. What did she mean by take care of you? You can take care of yourself, thank you very –
“I will, I will,” Zhang chuckles, and suddenly, you feel a heavy arm drape itself across your shoulders – making you wrinkle your nose. “I never expected her to drink so much, but it’s a good thing that I’m here.”
“I doubt that,” Chen scoffs. “Oh, well. See you guys tomorrow!”
Once the others make their leave, that’s when you start mumbling under your breath “Ugh. The first time I actually come along to these kinds of things and the people who invited me don’t even last until the end,” you complain, pressing your face against the wooden table in front of you. “Where’s the kid that said he was going to pay for everything? It’s just the two of us left…”
Zhang rubs your back in a way that isn’t really soothing the way your skin burns from the alcohol, but you’re a bit too intoxicated to tell him off. “Aww, don’t worry. Some of my pals helped the poor guy home, but he asked the bar to put everything on his tab before he passed out. So if you still want to have a go, I’m down.”
You can feel something buzzing in your bag, but it’s probably just a text notification from your phone carrier. You’ve been receiving a lot of those lately. Maybe you should pay your bill soon. But your thoughts about phone bills are rudely interrupted by the feel of Zhang snaking an arm around your waist – pulling you upright as he steadies your shoulder with his free hand.
“Hey, don’t fall asleep here,” he says. “You’re going to feel like shit once you wake up from a drunk nap, you know.”
“Don’t care…” you mumble, eyelids drooping as you lose your grip on the handle of your glass. “‘M so sleepy. Can you get me a cab back home, Zhang…? Don’t think I can commute anymore.”
Zhang doesn’t respond right away, and you nearly doze off in that short bout of silence. But eventually, your desk neighbor helps you back to your feet and walks you out of the bar – exchanging farewells with the bartender on your way out.
The late evening breeze feels chilly against your legs, even through your stockings – yet that isn’t quite enough to make you snap out of your drowsiness. You end up leaning against Zhang for support as you wait for him to call a cab, all the while you screw your eyes shut – trying to stop your head from spinning.
“You know… There’s a hotel nearby that we can just crash in for the night.”
You’re too far between consciousness and slumber to fully process what he just said. All you can do is press the side of your face against his shoulder as you attempt not to fall asleep on the spot. But, apparently, Zhang takes your lack of a response for confirmation – wrapping his arm around your shoulder as he leads you to the direction of the hotel. You don’t really think of it much, since the desire to sleep is the only thing weighing on your mind right now. You’re just glad someone’s patient enough to guide you as you stumble around the sidewalk.
Suddenly, though, Zhang’s strides come to a halt.
Your mind vaguely registers the sound of him speaking to someone else. Huh. You could’ve sworn the others have already left. But their conversation lasts a bit longer than you anticipated, and you force yourself to listen in.
“...Thank you for watching out for her all this time. I’ll take it from here.”
This voice…? Is that –
“U-Uh, sure, sir,” you can hear Zhang sputter beside you before you feel him shift your weight onto something – no, someone else. “I don’t really know where she lives so –”
You don’t really hear the rest of what Zhang has to say because you’re distracted by the person who just joined the fray. His clothes feel thick underneath your touch, like tailored fabric made from the most exquisite material, and they carry a familiar scent that reminds you of incense – one with a unique spice, just a touch archaic. You might’ve been too drunk to tell at the time, but if you had more strength than you did, you would’ve pushed Zhang away because his touch alone already didn’t feel right. With this person, though? You’d gladly lay in his arms for days.
The last memory you have that night is the sensation of being gently ushered into the passenger seat of an unfamiliar car. A soothing voice speaks to you constantly, as if trying to keep you awake. But the gentle lull of his words do little to aid that particular cause, and when he slides into the driver’s seat next to you, you’re already out like a light.
“Is anything the matter?”
You blink in non-plus, feeling like you’ve just woken up from a dream despite the fact that you’re sitting in a vast field of flowers. Wait a moment.
Glancing at your side, you see the Zhongli’s humanoid counterpart – those draconian eyes of his scanning your face to see if something was wrong. In his hands is a bundle of pale blue flowers, clutched tightly between his clawed fingers, and you feel your shoulders sag. The idea that you unknowingly stepped into his dreams again as Guizhong incites a rush of guilt that you have all the reason to feel right now.
You don’t even remember planning on feeding tonight. Sure, it’s been a while since the first time you collected energy from your boss, but you’re not particularly in need of a refill right now. How did you even end up here in the first place?
Thankfully, Guizhong does all the talking while you accustom yourself to your unplanned invasion. “I just never thought you’d humor my request. You were never that fond of the glaze lilies.”
“This is where I met you all those years ago,” he reminds you. “Why would I ever loathe the thing that brought us together, my love?”
Silence envelops the two of you for a sliver of a moment, and you catch the scent of the ephemeral flowers even in the filtered reality of Zhongli’s dream. Guizhong lets out a peal of gentle laughter as she picks one of the lilies that grew in abundance – examining the unassuming bloom rather fondly.
“These flowers take the memories of the land and transform them into an unforgettable fragrance,” she murmurs. “When the war is over, do you think they’ll still carry the scent of our union, Rex?”
…War? There’s a war?
But in the end, you never get to hear Zhongli’s answer nor the proper explanation behind what Guizhong just said. When you open your eyes, it’s to an unfamiliar room that makes you bolt upright – eyes frantically darting around the vicinity while you try to recall what happened before you fell asleep.
Drinking party. Zhang being all touchy feely. Being taken care of by someone else.
You try not to think about the awful taste that lingers in your mouth as you try to figure out whose house you’re currently crashing. This obviously isn’t yours because you can’t afford the imported rug that’s tucked underneath the queen-sized bed. However, when your gaze lands on the dark-wood nightstand, you see a couple of glaze lilies sitting in an expensive-looking vase.
The next thing your barely sober mind takes note of is the presence of another person on the bed right next to you. Anticipation coils in your gut as you turn around slowly, and when you see Zhongli sleeping soundly a respectable distance away, you can’t help the way your heart throbs at the sight. He looks a bit more like the man in his dreams like this – dark hair pooled messily across his pillows. And you also notice that he’s still in the dress shirt he often wears to work, further suggesting that he might’ve fallen asleep while watching over you. The idea is enough to make your face flush with shame.
You spot your bag placed on top of a table at the other side of the room, so you quietly slip out of his bed before retrieving your phone inside. How did Zhongli even know where you were? Was he aware that you were out drinking with your colleagues? A single glance at your lock screen is all the answer you need because there, you bear witness to several unanswered calls and text messages from your boss himself.
From where you stood, you cast the man in question a longing stare. He was kind enough to take care of you when you obviously couldn’t do that for yourself – even going as far as to let you sleep on the same bed as him. Zhongli is quite the busy man. Busy enough that he always turns down any and all invitations for drinks, yet he showed up outside the bar earlier tonight and just…took you back home with him? You don’t see any signs that he might’ve tried to take advantage of your inebriated state either – not that you believed that Zhongli is capable of such a thing. He was a proper gentleman through and through.
But…good intentions aside, you’re still at a loss for answers when you recall the dream you shared with him just now. This is the first time you found yourself inside a dreamscape without meaning to, and you’re unsure of whether or not this is a cause for alarm. What’s more is that his dreams always seem to take place in a world that’s wholly unfamiliar to you – a place where you take the form of his past lover without any real reason behind it.
Not wanting to overstay your welcome, you quickly type in a text message to Zhongli – thanking him for everything he’s done, along with an apology that you’ll probably repeat once you see him again in the office. Although you’re more conscious of his aberrant dreams than you imposing on his kindness.
You tell yourself to just leave whatever you saw, whatever you heard there in his mind. There’s no reason for you to keep nosing in. You already got your fill, right? And you never feed on the same person twice – never.
You just hope you can live by that personal rule of yours for as long as you can.
News flash: you cave to your pesky, curious tendencies not two days since the incident.
Zhongli makes it terribly easy for you, too. Every night, by eleven P.M., your boss is already sound asleep – providing you with ample time to travel in-between dreams before reaching the one that perpetually occurs inside his head.
The more you make these timely visits, the more you learn about the life that Zhongli – no, Rex Lapis – lives in this world. He’s someone that mortals call the God of Contracts. Someone who shows no mercy to anyone who dares break any sort of agreement that they willingly set in stone. He and Guizhong live in an era where the gods fight for the title of archon – a concept that you’re still having some trouble wrapping your head around. But in the most fundamental sense, Rex is someone equally respected and feared, and you can’t blame others for feeling that way.
When he speaks to people that aren’t Guizhong, he dons a stone-cold visage that still makes your blood run cold despite how many times you’ve seen it. It wasn’t a bluff when he said he didn’t care for the humans he and his lover watched over. All he wanted was to give Guizhong a place to live comfortably – and if that meant felling other gods just to attain that goal, he’ll gladly bloody his hands for it.
But Guizhong, the God of Dust, was never that fond of Rex’s violent ways of doing things.
She reminds him that humans are just as small and fragile as dust. They do not know when they’re bound to lose their lives to disaster or strife, and so they live in fear. Because they live in fear, they try so hard to be much more than the small, fragile creatures that the gods have reduced them to. Guizhong is a god who’s more human than divine, and you suppose that’s something that Rex is yet to fully understand.
These are only some of the things you learned during your visits, and you can’t help but tune into every scenario that unfolds. Like a television series you can’t quite get enough of. However, you’re careful not to let the curious tale of Zhongli’s dreams hinder you in your waking life.
Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to remember any of the things that take place in his dreams. Whenever you run into him at work, Zhongli simply greets you with that trademark smile of his before discussing business as usual. No telltale signs of any sort of disturbance rooted from his slumber.
At the office, you notice that you’ve become closer beyond measure as well – both as colleagues and, you daresay, friends. Along with the team you’re heading for the project, your boss is one of your constant support systems during such a hectic time in your career.
Not only does he serve as something similar to your advisor, but he also keeps you company whenever you need to unwind.
During one of your late dinners, you share a glass of wine in his company as he shares some embarrassing work stories over the years. Zhongli is about three years your senior, so it makes sense for him to have more tales to tell. Nonetheless, you enjoy every minute of it, and in the back of your mind, you wonder when he’ll take you out like this again.
But when Zhongli drives you back to your apartment that night, he abruptly grabs hold of your wrist as you open the door to the passenger seat. You shoot him a startled look, but your boss’ alluring gaze doesn’t waver. You want to ask him what’s the matter, but before you can even get a single word out, he’s already pulling you close enough for a kiss.
You can’t process what was happening fast enough – simply sitting there in shock as you feel your superior’s mouth move against yours. When Zhongli doesn’t get so much as a reaction from you though, he pulls away with a troubled look on his face.
“I apologize. Really, I do,” Zhongli says. “Perhaps I’ve had too much –”
This time, your senses finally kickstart into motion as you throw your arms around his neck before pulling him in again. You return his kiss in earnest, even going as far as licking the swell of his bottom lip to show you that you’re more eager for his affections than he initially assumed. And when you feel his strong arms circle around your waist in the same, possessive way he held you in the first dream, you all but moan into his mouth.
You’re not sure how things led up to this point, exactly. It’s true that you and him have grown more familiar with each other since the project’s launch, but you never would’ve imagined doing this with Zhongli in real life. You thought you were content with having sampled the more sensual side of him in your dreams, but as it turns out, Hu Tao was right.
Nothing beats the real thing.
“What does this mean?” you whisper in-between gasps, laughing a bit as Zhongli chases after your lips. He lets out a disgruntled noise when you pull away, and you feel the urgency in his touch when his hand rests against your cheek.
“It means I fancy you very much,” he tells you bluntly. “Though I admit, this might be too sudden. I understand if you don’t feel the same way, or if you don’t wish to do these kinds of things with me. I just hope my admission doesn’t change our dynamic at work.”
…Is he being for real? Did Zhongli just assume that you didn’t feel the same way?
“Everything happens all in due time,” you tell him with a smile, brushing away some of his bangs as you take the time to admire the man before you. “And who said I wasn’t at all interested, sir?”
Zhongli sighs, dipping his head closer to press a fleeting kiss on your forehead. The sensation sets your heart alight with glee, and you can’t help but lean closer to his touch.
“When it’s just the two of us, I’d prefer it if you called me by my first name,” he tells you as he presses another kiss to your cheek. “Would that be alright?”
“Of course,” you breathe – placing your hand over the one he’s using to cup your face. “I’d love that.”
At that moment, you don’t think about how it’s been tough for you to find yourself a boyfriend over the last few years. How starting a relationship like this with Zhongli is going to give you more problems than you bargained for. All that matters is the comforting warmth of his touch as the two of you bask in each other’s company in the privacy of his car.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Times where you attempt to contact people like yourself are few and far in between. You want little to do in the lifestyles of other succubi and incubi, but it’s a different case with Xingqiu.
You met him by chance in the most awkward way possible. One time, you decided that a college boy who once interned at Wangsheng was going to be your target of the month. But on the night you tried to harvest energy from him, someone else was already occupying the dream – doing the things you were supposed to do before you could even arrive.
Long story short, you ended up doing a little snooping around with your targets first before going in for the kill. You wouldn’t want to run into Xingqiu in the middle of a feeding again, after all.
“It’s been a while,” he comments as you slide into the seat across from him. Xingqiu closes the book he was reading and props an elbow on the table, resting his head against the curve of his palm. “I’m guessing this is really important if you came to me for help.”
“It is,” you sigh.
Your companion nods along and smiles. “Okay, I’ll hear you out. Make sure to order something first because I can tell this one’s going to take us a while.”
Wanmin Restaurant, the place he chose for your quick meeting, serves the best Black-Back Perch Stew you’ve ever tasted in your life. This makes it a whole lot easier to settle down and explain your situation to Xingqiu to the most minute details. He quietly eats his own food as you tell him about the dreams you experience inside Zhongli’s head. How it always takes place in the same setting. How the sequence of events seem to have a linear pattern to them – which is quite rare to encounter in a human’s dreams. You’ve never once felt any sense of order whenever you hopped into the minds of your targets, but it’s as if you’re witnessing something straight out of a film reel when it comes to your boss-turned-lover.
You suspect that Xingqiu has been an incubus long before you’ve even been born. In spite of his appearance, you can tell he holds more wisdom about your kind than one would expect. So it doesn’t come as a surprise when he quietly hums at the end of your story – an answer already prepared in advance.
“Memories,” he says simply. “You’re not just witnessing that man’s dreams – you’re watching his memories.”
You frown. “But…that place is something that’s straight out of a fantasy novel. Gods and monsters? A world plunged into a war? How could Zhongli have memories of that?”
Xingqiu spares you a soft laugh. “How do creatures like us still exist in a world catered for humans and humans alone? There are many things that can’t be explained by pure logic. But I have a hunch that the owner of the memories you see is both your boyfriend and isn’t at the same time.”
“...I’m sorry?”
“Do you believe in past lives?” he asks. “Reincarnation, exactly. Do you believe that all of us have already lived once before?”
“Are you saying that the stuff I’m seeing in his dreams are memories of a past life?” you clarify, face twisting with confusion. “Xingqiu, isn’t that a bit…”
“Crazy? It is,” he chuckles. “But like I said, this world leaves a lot of things unexplained. Some details are meant to sound crazy so you wouldn’t think they’re actually possible.”
You toy with what’s left of your dish, the appetite you’ve built up suddenly dissipating at the idea that Xingqiu just proposed to you. So even in a past life, Zhongli adored Guizhong to the point that he’d tear both heaven and earth asunder all in her name. You wonder if the Zhongli in this world, the one you’re currently dating, loved Guizhong to the same degree as well. He probably did, and you probably wouldn’t compare to someone like her.
“Is it possible for past lives to have some…parallels to the ones we live now?” Your voice is quiet, almost as if you fear for the answer.
The incubus considers the question for a moment. “Well, yes. The saying ‘history repeats itself’ isn’t exactly true because history doesn’t repeat itself – sometimes, it just rhymes. Things that occurred in the past can occur again in the present, but they won’t always entail the same meaning.”
You receive his words with a solemn nod, feeling your chest twist uncomfortably. Somehow, you don’t really like the sound of that.
“Thank you,” you tell Xingqiu when the two of you are done splitting the bill. “You seriously shed some light on a lot of things that were confusing me.”
“Don’t mention it,” he insists, tucking his book underneath his shoulder. For a moment, you think that this is where you part ways, but Xingqiu suddenly pauses – eyes narrowing as he leans closer to you. “When was the last time you fed?”
You’re taken aback by his sudden inquiry, but you manage an answer all the same. “Um, a while.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? You have a boyfriend that’s more than willing to help you, right?” He posits the question like he expected the answer to be yes, but when you shyly avert your gaze, Xingqiu’s smile falls almost immediately. “Oh, no. He doesn’t know what you are, does he?”
“It’s kind of hard to just go off on a tangent and say, ‘hey I’m actually a demon that receives my life force from dream sex’,” you point out, but know he’s right either way. “I…I do plan on telling him. Just not anytime soon. We’re kind of busy with a huge project at work, and I can’t really drop something like that out of nowhere.”
Xingqiu sighs, pinching his nose between his fingers. “But you’ve been spending a lot of time in his dreams anyways. Am I right? You seem to know an awful lot about his past life now that I think about it.”
…Of course Xingqiu’s going to be the one who catches you red-handed.
It’s really no secret that you still frequent Zhongli’s dreams, not to feed but to learn more about the life Rex lived alongside Guizhong. Since you started going out with your boss, the details became more descriptive with each visit. It’s as if you’re starting to assimilate yourself better in Guizhong’s body, and you could glean more insight about that strange, strange world with more certainty. Last night, she and Rex talked about how they plan on transferring the Guili Assembly to the harbor city, where they’ll be far from the evil gods that wish to kill them all.
“Well, whatever your circumstances are, you know what happens when you don’t feed,” Xingqiu reminds you almost grimly, not leaving any trace of his once cheerful façade. “Don’t downplay the effects of hunger. We’re already an endangered species as is.”
As you head home that day, you end up thinking about his warning more than you should. Everything Xingqiu said is in the right – you knew as much. You’ve had to suffer through the aftereffects only recently yourself, but...
You can take it. Just a bit more.
The next day, Zhongli comes over to your apartment to prepare dinner for you. He’s been excited all week to serve you his signature bamboo shoot soup, but Xingqiu’s words haunt you for the entirety of the day. You try your best not to make your distress obvious to your boyfriend, but you’re gravely mistaken if you thought Zhongli wasn’t going to catch on.
“Is anything on your mind?” he asks softly, pressing his lips to your neck. You’re seated comfortably in his lap as the two of you lounge on the sofa. But even if this has become one of your favorite places to relax with him, you just can’t bring yourself to do so now.
“Just…work,” you sigh as you rest your head across his chest.
The beat of his heart is steady like usual, reminding you that Zhongli is real and breathing right beside you. That he’s not just a product of your dreams, like your mind always leads you to believe.
“Somehow I don’t believe that.” You can almost hear him pout. “Was dinner not to your liking, perhaps?”
“No, it’s not that,” you insist. “I’m just…really tired is all.”
That’s not exactly a lie. You’re starting to feel the effects of your own self-deprivation with each passing day. And even if you already learned your lesson last time, your conscience can’t take the idea of feeding on another person when you have a boyfriend. To further add to your list of problems, even if you wanted to harness energy from Zhongli, the setting of his dreams is too convoluted for you to pick up the right momentum.
Rex Lapis was working hard to defend the land that he and Guizhong dedicated their lives to protect. Even if you appeared as the woman he loved more than anything else in his dreams, you doubt you’ll be able to seduce him during such a crucial period in the war.
So now, you’re stuck in a stalemate between your own stubbornness and physiological needs. You’re not even going to be surprised anymore if your body just suddenly gives out on you one of these days.
“Can I propose something that could take your mind off such trifling affairs?”
The room falls silent once he utters the words, and you feel the blood rush to your cheeks. Was he suggesting what you think he’s suggesting?
As far as intimacy goes, you haven’t really gone all the way with Zhongli. Apart from the occasional makeout sessions in the break room, in his office, and sometimes even his car, you never really sought for anything more than that. You’re well aware that Guizhong’s death is still fresh in his heart, and if he ever considered the possibility of sex, you’d want him to come to you in his own time.
This is quite the opportune moment for it, too. You’re barely keeping up appearances now that your stockpile of sexual energy started to dwindle. But now that Zhongli was coming onto you, you suppose it won’t hurt to kill two birds with one stone.
There’s something different in the air as he carries you to your bedroom – lips never straying too far from yours. Zhongli’s eyes are heavily lidded with want, a look you have a tough time imagining on him given the man’s saintlike patience. But as he carefully peels off your clothes, you can’t help but think how different he is from Rex. Where the God of Contracts is ferocious and impatient, Zhongli seems like he’s going to take all the time in the world to drown you in his love.
“That tickles,” you mewl as his fingers trail across your inner thigh and you feel him smirk against the skin of your throat.
“I know,” he says. “I quite enjoy seeing you squirm underneath my touch.”
“You’re mean…”
You can barely contain the gasp that resounds from your lips when you feel him tracing your slick entrance with the prod of his fingers. Zhongli murmurs the sweetest things against your lips, yet the things he’s doing between your thighs are anything but innocent. He keeps your knees apart, spreading you open for only him to see, and as he gazes at you from above, you clumsily tug off the tie that’s holding his beautiful hair in place.
Dark brown tresses cascade across the sides of his head. You stare up at the gorgeous man above you with a longing sigh.
When his long, thick digits sink into you, you silence your moans in the curve of his shoulder – teeth biting down at his flesh as Zhongli loosens you up. You feel his thumb occasionally catching on your clit, as if meaning to tease a momentary sensation of pleasure before denying you a few moments later. He’s cruel like that. Nonetheless, he watches you with quiet fascination as you practically grind yourself against his hand – feeling just how wet his fingers have gotten in the short time you were inside the room. The squelch of your cunt is a sound you would’ve been too embarrassed to hear, had you been with someone else. But with Zhongli, everything just seems so right.
“That’s it,” he goads you huskily, teeth grazing the side of your jaw. “Lose yourself for me, darling. Think of no one else but me.”
Darling? That’s new. But the new pet name only serves to push you over the edge – making your walls clench around his fingers as you ride out your orgasm. Zhongli claims your lips in another heated kiss, relentlessly plunging his digits into you despite the overstimulation. You beg him to stop, but the only sound that comes from your mouth is a broken moan of his name.
You’re nothing but a boneless pile on the bed when you finally come down from your high, breathing heavily as you attempt to reorient yourself to your surroundings. The sensation of Zhongli shifting above you registers a bit late in your mind, but your frayed nerves jolt back to life when you feel him rubbing the head of his cock across your glistening seam.
“Too much,” you whimper. “Zhongli, i-it’s too much…”
He leans down to press a loving kiss on your mouth, one of his hands rubbing your hip soothingly. “Shhh, I know you can take me. Just like you always have.”
…Wait, what?
You can’t even offer what he said another thought because Zhongli makes good on his words and slowly slips his length into you without much warning. A sob nearly tears its way out of your throat with how his thick cock stretches you to the brim, but your lover kisses away the tears before they even come.
“You mean so much to me,” he murmurs, twining his hands with yours. “More than you could ever know.”
That was a given. Having Zhongli as a boyfriend made you feel like you were important; you were loved. Though you haven’t been dating for all that long, he never once gave you a reason to doubt the sincerity of his feelings. So despite all the odd things you unknowingly witnessed in his dreams, you like to believe that he meant every word.
His hips slap against yours unabated, pumping his length hard and fast enough to make you croon his name over and over. And even if he managed to exhibit some degree of patience a while ago, it takes little time for Zhongli to move past his courtesy and bite down on the skin of your throat hard enough to bruise.
“Mine,” he growls. “I’ll never let you go, my love.”
You would’ve teased him for such a cheesy choice of words if you were under different circumstances. But the moment the new endearment falls from Zhongli’s lips, you go completely still underneath him.
“Stop. Zhongli, please stop.”
To his credit, he listens just as told – gazing at you with a puzzled look as he takes his length out. Zhongli is concerned for a moment, because you’re staring at him as if he’s killed a man right in front of you. When he reaches out a hand to touch your face, intent on asking what was wrong, you instinctively slap it away.
“I…” Your voice fails you. After all, how on earth can you just tell him that you wanted to stop because that was the very same thing that Rex calls Guizhong in his dreams. You can’t help but think that Zhongli used to call the Guizhong of this world the same thing, too.
Sometimes, real life could coincide with what happens in the dreamscape. Inside his mind, Rex Lapis sees Guizhong, not you. And you’re more than inclined to believe that it’s the same case here with Zhongli.
You’re not the one he sees – it’s the dead woman that he’s never stopped loving these past six years.
You know you’re being obtuse. Your boss isn’t the kind of person who lets his past grievances interfere with his present relationships. But the anxiety you’ve accumulated since your meeting with Xingqiu had boiled over with the worst timing possible.
Instead of talking it out, you roll over to your side of the bed – pulling the covers tight enough around your body so that he sees no inch of it. You know that what you’re doing is probably hurting Zhongli more than you think, but you shut out any hint of remorse that threatens to make you waver.
It doesn’t take long for him to settle on the spot right next to you. Zhongli doesn’t ask why you suddenly pushed him away, nor do you make an effort to explain.
“I’m sorry.”
His words ring sincerely enough, but it sounds like he doesn’t even know what he’s apologizing for. You don’t fault him for it. You’re still unsure why you even let yourself be consumed by your own doubts. Didn’t you just say you believed in Zhongli when he told you how much you mean to him?
You suppose this is where you fall short compared to Guizhong. The God of Dust put her faith in Rex Lapis despite his violent tendencies. She believes in him both as his follower and lover in equal measure. You, though? You’re already lucky enough to be dealing with a mellowed down version of the man in your dreams, but you still decide to take it for granted. Because…what? You’re insecure? You’re jealous of a woman who’s been dead for six years?
In the end, you decide that you’re too tired to think about it at the moment. Since you interrupted your own feeding session, your body wasn’t able to gain even an ounce of energy. You’re better off preserving what little you had left if you knew what was good for you.
(If Zhongli hears you choke on your own sobs later in the night, he says nothing of it in the morning.)
“Can you make a contract with me?”
Rex Lapis is cleaning the blood off his polearm when Guizhong’s voice cuts through the silence of the night. He stares at her hard, yet his gaze still carries a hint of fondness he’s reserved for her and her alone.
She purses her lips before continuing, “If I were to be infected by the miasma that’s tainting the guardian yakshas in the front lines, I want you to take my life.”
“No.” His answer is quick and precise, as if he’s already mulled it over several times before she even brought the matter to light. “If that happens, I’ll turn this world upside down just to find a cure that can save you.”
“Yet you can’t even do that for the children who devoted their lives to you?”
He stills, feeling the jab of his lover’s accusation hit harder than he expected. It’s not that he doesn’t care for the adepti – he simply knows that it’s in their nature to be more tenacious than the rest of their soldiers. Rex Lapis is certain that they can resist the effects of the miasma on their own merit. Guizhong, however, is just as delicate as the dust she holds dominion over. He’d rather watch the world burn first than let her die either by his hand or the corruption induced by that pesky miasma.
But still, he respects all his lover’s thoughts and wishes. She isn’t the brains of their operation for nothing. Without her, he wouldn’t have made it half as far in this war as he did now.
“Very well,” Rex Lapis agrees, albeit reluctantly. “I will honor this contract until the day I die.”
Guizhong’s eyes soften at his decision, and when she smiles, he feels his stone cold heart thawing at the radiance that only she can ever exude.
“I know you will.”
“You’re doing it again, huh?”
Hu Tao ambles by your cubicle with that knowing tone of hers, arms crossed in a way that suggests you’re about to receive another thorough scolding. But you’re really not in the mood to be told off by someone who hasn’t lived in your shoes before, so you opt to ignore her.
“Hey, I’m talking to you,” she huffs, fingers pinching your face like she often does but you keep your eyes straight on the screen of your laptop. “Aren’t you and the consultant seeing each other lately? Is he not good in bed or something?”
Thankfully, the director has the decency to lower her voice when she speaks, making you heave another sigh before glancing at her warily. “It’s nothing like that.”
“Hmm… Let me guess. You’re doing something you’re not supposed to, aren’t you?”
Hu Tao’s perceptiveness is absolutely beyond you. You’ve always known that she’s quicker on the uptake than most people you’ve met in life, but it’s almost scary how she’s seemingly aware of your actions. You’re the succubus and she’s the human, but sometimes you feel like Hu Tao has more power over you than you initially assumed.
You try not to think about the more recent additions to your vignettes of Zhongli’s past memories. You can tell that the stakes of the war were growing higher and higher each time you visited his dreams. Could that be the influence of the current events in his life?
Ever since the night you pushed him away, you and Zhongli haven’t been on speaking terms. Sure, the two of you still conversed about details that need fine-tuning for your project, but beyond that, it’s complete radio silence. His good morning and good night texts have stopped, and he’s never once dropped by your apartment in that time frame; nor has he invited you over to his own. His distant behavior tears you up more than you realize, but you tell yourself that he has all the right to avoid you if he’s upset about what you did.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you tell Hu Tao. “Director, forgive me for being blunt, but I’d like to focus on this report now.”
Your superior sighs. You assume she’s going to concede early for a change, but the moment you think Hu Tao is already on her way, you feel her lean closer to your ear, whispering something that sends a chill down your spine.
“Don’t dive too deep into matters that don’t concern you. Don’t try to change things that have already been set in stone,” she says calmly, her fingers digging slightly into your shoulders. “If you lose sight of what’s really important, you might lose yourself in the process, too.”
When she lets go of you, Hu Tao continues humming that same, lively song she always sings – leaving you to deal with the guilt that grips your heart like a vice.
About two weeks since Zhongli started giving you the silent treatment, you come to a sound conclusion.
He’s still thinking about Guizhong. Well, she was his first love – meaning, your boss isn’t exactly going to stop thinking of her anytime soon. But you thought about your conversation with Xingqiu several times over the last few days. You hypothesized that the reason why Zhongli was continuously dreaming about his memories of a past long gone is because his grief cuts even deeper than he let on.
Though you have no means of making sure, you’re almost too certain that the reason Zhongli still thinks of her even if you’re right in front of him is because her memory is too painful to let go. He clings to it subconsciously, and that desperation manifests itself in his dreams – back to a lifetime where Guizhong still lives.
The things that happened in the past are bound to happen in the present; that’s what Xingqiu told you the last time. So if the Guizhong in this world has already passed on, it’s safe to assume that the one in his dreams is bound to face the same fate as well.
But…you have the power to change that.
Even if it’s nothing but a memory now, what if you could alter the outcome? If Zhongli is left with memories of Guizhong that aren’t tained with sorrow, maybe he can finally move past it.
Maybe he can finally see you instead of her.
It’s a fool’s line of reasoning – you know that. This was going to be one of the most dangerous things you tried in anyone’s dreamscape. But you’re so catastrophically in love with Zhongli, that you’d give up anything just to ease his pain.
You’re well aware that your body is deteriorating at an exponential pace. Not only are you expending a lot of energy to tinker with Zhongli’s memories, but you don’t even bother with feeding anymore. You tell yourself that you can do that later, once you manage to save Guizhong from her timely demise.
Everything you can think of to keep her from dying, you made sure happened in the dream. You don’t let her walk out to the front lines to give orders like she usually does. You make sure to avoid all the guardian yakshas, who are already tainted with the corruption that craftier gods weaponized against Rex Lapis’ forces. And most of all, you don’t let her leave his sight longer than she needs to – because if there’s anyone you can rely on to keep Guizhong alive, it’s Zhongli himself.
Of course, you’re still doing splendidly in keeping your work life separate from everything else. Your project has officially come to a close, raking in more revenue for Wangsheng than anyone expected.
Today, you’re scheduled to give a speech addressing everyone’s efforts in the company’s conference room – something that you’re a bit reluctant to do because you know Zhongli is going to be there, too. The idea of him looking at you from the crowd with none of the adoration he used to give so freely is enough to make your stomach turn.
But still, you compose yourself. You’re no stranger to adversity, so seeing your boyfriend (can you even still call him that?) in a crowded room is the least of your problems.
At least, that’s what you thought.
When Director Hu Tao calls you up to the platform, you're raring to go – practicing with deep breaths as you repeat the gist of your speech inside your head. You made sure to cake your face with a heavier layer of makeup this time around because the last thing you need is for her to pull you to the side and scold you for still refusing to feed.
But the moment you get up from your seat, the world suddenly tilts to the side – your vision going black within seconds.
The last thing you remember is being whisked into a pair of strong arms. You want to curl your fingers in the fabric of his coat, to apologize a million times over, but the familiar scent of his clothes is enough to put you straight to sleep.
“Goodness, miss. You had us terrified back there.”
Ganyu is sitting by your bed in the infirmary when you regain consciousness, wiping the tears off her face with a dainty handkerchief. You mumble a half-hearted apology, but immediately seize up when you see Zhongli leaning against the wall in front of you.
“The nurse told us she suspected that you might have an eating disorder,” the secretary continues, rubbing your hand comfortingly. “It did seem like you were pushing yourself harder than usual during the last few weeks. You should really take care of yourself more.”
An eating disorder…? Well, if depriving yourself of your required sustenance can be translated into a human affliction, you suppose that was the most obvious counterpart. Still, you’re still feeling a bit too groggy for conversation, so instead of addressing Ganyu’s plight, you sink further into the mattress.
You can feel his gaze on your pitiful form – those eyes of endless gold. But you’re too much of a coward to face him when you’ve been reduced into such a state.
A little while later, you hear the door to the infirmary swing open. Is it odd that you can tell that the newcomer is Hu Tao based on the sound of her footsteps alone?
“Leave us,” she says sternly – addressing both Ganyu and Zhongli at the same time. “There’s something I need to discuss with her.”
You half-expect Zhongli to complain, or at least contest the director’s orders. But your heart sinks when he resigns himself to what he’s told, quietly ushering himself and his secretary out of the room.
Hu Tao waits for about two more minutes before speaking again.
“You better feed now or you’re going to die for real.”
“...But –”
“I can’t have you dying on my watch just because you’re being stubborn about it,” Hu Tao nearly snaps – eyes alight with rage. “Feed now. I don’t care who it is, just do it. I won’t let you out of this place until you’ve gotten better.”
To say that you’re terrified is putting it lightly. You’ve never seen Hu Tao get angry before, but the absolute urgency in her gaze – practically begging you to please just save yourself – makes you consider her request.
“Okay,” you say quietly, only surrendering because you can’t save Guizhong if you’re dead. “See you in a bit.”
‘A bit’ is a lie that you didn’t really mean to tell. When you entered the crossroads of the dreamscape, you didn’t bother picking targets anymore. You slipped into the dream of a man who’s probably in his thirties, intent on just getting him off, sucking out some energy for yourself before making your leave.
But no matter how many times you attempt to drive him to an orgasm, you don’t feel yourself getting any better. The energy that always emanates out of a man post-coitus is nowhere to be found.
You switch targets faster than you can even blink. This time, it’s a boy that’s probably fresh out of high school, and you feel a bit horrible for having to trespass like this. But instead of fretting about common decency in a goddamn dream , you make him come about two consecutive times before realizing that –
This isn’t working, you mutter to yourself. Why the hell isn’t it working?
You’ve always had a hard time harnessing energy from strangers, yes. However, those instances granted you at least a tiny ounce of energy that could stem the hunger for a while. Now, you’re getting absolutely nothing.
It seems that Hu Tao is already privy to your dilemma when you wake up in your own body.
“I’m going to put him to sleep,” she decides with a vexed sigh. “Make sure you get enough energy to last you for an entire year, got that? No meddling with anything else.”
“W-Wait,” you croak out, and damn, you feel even weaker than before. “What do you mean you’re going to put him to sleep? Are you talking about Zhongli?”
“Who else could I be talking about, little devil?” The director rolls her eyes. “Now, I’m going to ask you to pretend I’m not about to do something illegal and just rest. The moment you fall asleep, get into Zhongli’s head and feed. Okay?”
You don’t even get a chance to respond to Hu Tao’s words because you’re already nodding. Your bones feel like lead, limbs feel like they’ll fall off any minute. If you stay conscious any longer, your eyes might just dry out.
It doesn’t take five minutes for you to fall asleep again. And as you drift aimlessly in the depths of your subconscious, a part of you that’s still coherent anticipates that it might take a while before you find Zhongli’s dreamscape. You’re not sure how long ‘putting him to sleep’ is going to be, but surprisingly, your existence is abruptly transported to the familiar marshlands of Dihua.
You chalk it up to how often you’ve been hopping into Zhongli’s dreams, but you immediately notice that something isn’t right. The skies have turned into an ashen gray color – columns of smoke rising in several locations at once. When you gaze around, all you see are the fallen bodies of both soldiers and monsters alike.
Rex. You need to find Rex Lapis.
That’s your very first instinct once your consciousness fully pulls through, careful to step over the decaying corpses as you mutter a silent prayer for each one. But just when you thought you’re going to end up tripping on one of them, you watch in equal parts horror and confusion when you witness your leg pass through the carcass of a dead monster.
All it takes is a single glance down for you to know that you’re no longer inside Guizhong’s body. Instead, you drift around as an apparition of sorts – arms, legs, and torso appearing less saturated than usual. It’s like you’ve become a transparent cut-out, and you give yourself a minute to think about what the hell was going on. This has never happened in your previous feedings. You’ve always been able to maintain your form, despite the numerous instances you’ve hopped in between dreamscapes.
In the distance, however, you find the answer to all of your questions.
You spot them amidst the debris left behind by the battle. Rex Lapis kneels at the side of the most beautiful woman you’ve seen in your life – cradling her frail body in his arms as golden tears flowed forth from his eyes. It’s the first time he’s surrendered the unmovable visage you’ve gotten so used to seeing in this dream. Gone is the unfeeling, uncaring God of Contracts who felled his own enemies like it was as easy as breathing. In his place is a man who only wanted to live with the person he adored the most.
Guizhong’s pale skin is overrun by dark lacerations that look like black veins rooted into the surface. Her own eyes glisten with tears as she reaches up to cradle Zhongli’s face. She says something that you don’t hear over the wind howling in your ears, but you don’t let yourself remain stagnant for a second longer.
You run straight to them with what little strength you can muster – intent on shaking Guizhong by the shoulders to scream, “No! This isn’t how things were supposed to be! You were supposed to live. I was supposed to save you!”
But none of these messages get across to either of the two. To them, you’re nothing but the breeze on their skin – violently whipping all around as the war only worsened. There aren’t any clear winners here, this is becoming clear to you. But as the God of Dust heaves her final breath, you hear Guizhong speak for the last time.
“Thank you… For honoring our contract,” she sighs, blood dribbling down the sides of her mouth as she forces herself to smile. In her hand, she lifts up a stone dumbbell with a complicated structure – something you’ve never seen before despite all the time you spent in her body.
“This is the mark of our pledge, and it is also my challenge to you.” Guizhong hands it to him shakily, still careful despite being on death’s doorstep. “All my wisdom is contained inside. If you can unlock it –”
She never gets to finish the words. A loud clap of thunder booms across the marsh – deafening even when you don’t have the body in this dream to perceive the sensation. Zhongli makes a mistake of letting the noise distract him, because when he glances at Guizhong once more, the woman he loves has already crumbled in his arms.
Once the dust settles over the war-torn battlefield, Rex Lapis rises back to his feet. You can see the weight of his grief in the way his golden hands tremble at his sides. But just as quickly as his lover’s passing, he summons his polearm back in his hands – thrusting the hilt into the ground hard enough to break through the barren soil. The God of Contracts lets out a monstrous shout – terror rooting itself into your being. The sound is fearsome. Inescapable.
And with a single twist of his hand, the earth starts to shake beneath your feet.
Xingqiu arrives at Hu Tao’s quarters faster than she anticipated, blue eyes startled to see the two bodies resting on top of her bed. The director pays his reaction no mind, though. Instead, she fills him in on the situation.
“I had my guards carry these two up here,” she explains, pointing a finger interchangeably at you and Zhongli. “That guy, I drugged to put him to sleep so she can get inside his dreams for sustenance. But it’s been about three hours, and neither of them are waking up.”
“What? She still hasn’t fed?” The incubus asks incredulously. “It’s been almost a month since I last saw her. Back then, she was already starving. Don’t tell me she’s been holding out all this time.”
“You’d be surprised at the lengths that stubbornness can take a person,” Hu Tao chuckles, leaning back into her seat as she twists some of the rings on her fingers.
Xingqiu lets out a long, exasperated exhale as he sits by the bed – watching you and your so-called boyfriend doze soundly next to the other. But your deathly pale complexion doesn’t escape his notice. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve assumed you were dead.
“While I am very concerned about my friend’s destructive behavior,” he begins, casting a sidelong glance at the Wangsheng director. “I’m more curious about why you’re helping them in the first place. It’s not like you to meddle in things that are none of your business to begin with. And yet…”
Hu Tao sighs. She’s been hanging around this demon boy from the Guhua clan for too long. He can already discern what’s normal and unusual for her behavior, and she isn’t really a fan of being perceived like that.
But unwittingly, his words got her thinking.
“Remember how you pulled me out of the in-between when I tried to reach out to Grandfather in the afterlife? I nearly died because of it,” she sighs, remembering her past experiences with meddling none-too-fondly. “I can’t just stand here and watch my subordinate slowly kill herself the same way when I know someone who can help.”
Xingqiu sighs again. “Director, I’m an incubus, not a miracle worker. Us crossing paths at the in-between was nothing but a coincidence… But then again, that’s the same way I met her back then, too.” He casts your ghastly form a wistful glance. If he’d known that divulging information about your lover’s past memories would lead to this, he never would’ve said a word.
“I need you to fetch both of them before they get trapped in their own dreams. I’ll fork over whatever amount you like,” Hu Tao proposes, her usually playful demeanor now replaced by something more grim. “Just – please. Save them.”
“...That’s a really tall order, you know?” The incubus shakes his head in disbelief. “The in-between is the last place I’d want to hang around, but this woman is my friend, too. You don’t have to cough up any –”
To both their surprise (and relief), Zhongli seizes up on the bed, sitting upright as he gasps for breath. Hu Tao uncharacteristically scrambles to hand him a glass of water, which he empties in the span of five seconds. But even if the sight of your boyfriend rousing himself from the dream is a good thing, Xingqiu notices how you’re yet to follow suit.
It seems that Zhongli followed his line of sight as well, and both him and Hu Tao can practically hear the sound of his heart plummeting straight to his stomach at the sight of you.
“No,” he murmurs, a shaky hand reaching up to caress your face. “Not again…”
Again?
“Xingqiu, change of plans,” Hu Tao calls out softly as she meets his eyes. She doesn’t even need to elaborate further for him to understand.
“What plan are you talking about?” Zhongli interrupts with a hard frown. “What did you do to her?”
“Oi, consultant. Don’t go accusing the people that are trying to help,” Hu Tao snarks, shooting him a dirty look. “We’re running out of time, so I’m going to give you the abridged version. Your girlfriend? She’s trapped in some place called the in-between. It’s the space that separates dreams from reality; the afterlife from the human realm.”
“But if she’s really trapped in your dream, she should’ve woken up at the same time you did,” Xingqiu adds. “That’s why I’m assuming she wandered too far and got herself stranded in your memories instead.”
“...My memories?”
The director nods. “Yup. And unless she finds the key in her own subconscious and escapes on her own or someone else enters the same dreamscape and helps her…”
“She’ll be trapped in there forever.”
Both director and incubus stare at the poor man expectantly, wondering how he’ll take the information they just dumped on him. Xingqiu wouldn’t be surprised to see him call them a bunch of lunatics before contacting the authorities for the unsightly method Hu Tao employed just to get him to sleep. But Zhongli is strangely composed, nodding once, twice before turning to his half-dead lover.
“Tell me what I need to do,” he says quietly. In turn, Xingqiu breathes out another sigh in relief as Hu Tao claps her hands together gleefully.
“That’s the spirit, consultant!” The director beams. “Now let’s save your girlfriend, yeah?”
You didn’t want any of this.
The sounds of a never-ending battle rages on outside – the impact of gods fighting to the death causing your temporary shelter to quake where you hide yourself away. The cave you took refuge in resembles the one you woke up in the first time you attempted to feed on Zhongli, but you don’t bother making comparisons. Not that it matters. You’re nothing but a ghost anyways – unable to go back from whence you came, and unable to go to the next place you’re supposed to be.
Still, you didn’t want to bear witness to Zhongli slaughtering hundreds in mere seconds. You’ve seen him fight before – he’s always fought valiantly in this war especially when Guizhong was by his side. But now that she’s gone, the God of Contracts is nothing but a husk of a man.
All that’s left is a bloodthirsty killing machine that intends to paint the land in the angry red of his grief.
Despite how hopeless your situation is, you can’t help but pray to whoever’s listening. You want them to remind Rex Lapis of the dream he once shared with Guizhong – to build a nation by the harbor, where no gods nor monsters can hope to harm the Guili Assembly. But as long as he continues his onslaught of carnage, that dream will never be realized.
Then, you think about the Zhongli that’s waiting for you back home.
Regret is the first emotion that occurs in your ephemeral form. You wish you could have apologized for that night – for assuming that he still isn’t over his dead ex-lover. For attempting to alter memories that aren’t truly his own for the sake of your own ego.
For never saying how much you loved him before disappearing for good.
If only you communicated with him normally like a proper girlfriend should. If only you didn’t assume the worst about him just because he once loved someone more than he loved you sometime ago.
You’ve heard of incidents where succubi and incubi aren’t able to wake up from their feedings. It’s either they’re trapped in an unstable human’s dream or trapped in their own because of internal instability. You don’t know exactly how to classify your situation, but you suppose that the reason why you can’t wake yourself up is because of Guizhong.
She became your vessel in these memories during your first successful feeding. And since then, you’ve used her body to traverse the strange land that she and Rex Lapis supposedly hold dominion over. But regardless of how careful you were with Guizhong, she still died. There was nothing you could do to change something that was already set in stone, and instead you lost your way back to where you truly belonged.
For someone who claims to hate her own heritage as a succubus, this just goes to show how much you actually relied on your powers.
Gods. This fucking sucks.
You can only imagine how devastated Zhongli would feel to find your lifeless body in the real world – clutching you to his chest the same way Rex did with Guizhong. Two girlfriends dying on him in the span of six years. You wonder if he’ll ever love again.
…If Zhongli was in your place, he would have spoken to you the moment he felt uneasy about your past. He would’ve asked for some reassurance so he wouldn’t have to worry like this.
He never would’ve tried to change you.
He would’ve told you that he trusted you.
You miss him so much that it tears you from the inside out. If only you can see him again – see that beautiful smile again – you’d hold him tight and tell him a million times.
You’d tell him you were a coward. That you were too afraid of splitting his affections with a woman who doesn’t even exist anymore.
But…it’s too late for all that now, isn’t it?
Helplessly, you pull up your barely-there knees to your chest, burying your face in between as you make yourself smaller. You want to cry yourself hoarse, but the tears never come. All you can do is sit alone in the darkness, where you can only dream of someone finding you in the middle of the chaos.
You’re too caught up in your own sorrow to discern the beam of light that splinters through the darkness. You don’t notice the man that steps into the in-between with you; don’t notice as he approaches. It’s only when you feel the familiar sensation of a large, comforting hand on your shoulder that you snap out of your misery.
“There you are,” Zhongli – your Zhongli – breathes out.
When you finally wake up, you feel like someone brought you back from the dead.
You can barely breathe without it feeling like the oxygen is ripping your lungs to shreds. But before you can asphyxiate yourself, a familiar figure hands you a glass of water, along with a handful of dried leaves. You glance up at Hu Tao in confusion as she stares at you nonchalantly.
“You were in the in-between for gods-know how long,” the director reminds you. “Go chew on those to recover.”
“...I was what?”
“You were as good as dead.” The sound of Xingqiu’s familiar voice makes you jump, but the incubus simply turns the page on his novel from where he’s seated by the foot of the unfamiliar bed. “I’ve heard of succubi going a few weeks without food, but two months? Do you have a death wish?”
Your head is spinning from all the whiplash, and you actually take Hu Tao’s advice and drink some water before chewing on her magic leaves. But when you notice that there’s someone else occupying the mattress with you, your heart soars with relief.
“Hello,” Zhongli greets you.
“Hi,” you greet him back.
In your peripheral, you can see Hu Tao mouthing something you can’t decipher to Xingqiu – a message that your incubus friend is quick to pick up on before the two of them step out of the room to give you more privacy. Now that you noticed it, you were probably taken up to the director’s quarters at some point during your coma. Either way, once the door clicks shut, it’s just you and Zhongli – the first time you’ve been alone with him since that night in your apartment.
“I guess the cat’s out of the bag now, isn’t it?” you say nervously, unsure where you should even begin. But you suppose an apology is a good starting point. “I’m…sorry. For everything.”
Zhongli sighs, sitting up right to pull you in a tight hug. The abruptness of the gesture makes you drop the leaves on the bed, stunning you into complete silence.
“I thought I lost you,” he nearly chokes – a sound that you never would’ve imagined Zhongli making. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
The pure anguish in his voice makes your heart clench, and now that you have a body that actually lets you feel things, you’re finally given the familiar sensation of eyes stinging with tears. You return Zhongli’s embrace with equal fervor – letting yourself sob into the hollow of his neck.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” you babble, chest seizing with tremors as you curl your fingers into his hair. “I never should’ve hidden the truth about me. I never should’ve meddled with the past. And… I never should’ve questioned the way you feel about me.”
You can feel Zhongli’s erratic pulse against your chest, and you find the fact that it’s possible for his heart to race a relief to know. When he pulls away, his cheeks are wet with tears – not the golden liquid that poured from Rex Lapis’ eyes, but the very same tears that you’re crying right this second.
This is your Zhongli. This is the man you fell in love with.
You wonder why you even tried to change a past he experienced in a different life – knowing full well just how different he is from the God of Contracts.
“I love you,” you murmur, pressing your forehead against his. “Zhongli, I love you.”
“And as I do you,” he breathes. “The director and the Guhua boy have already informed me of your…special circumstances, but I’d like to hear the tale of your escapades in my dreams some other time.”
You pause. “So you don’t want me to explain why I did everything I did?”
“Of course I do.” Zhongli shakes his head. “But…I was also told that you’ve been depriving yourself of sustenance for nearly two months now. As your lover, I’m inclined to help you out of your predicaments, yes?”
Oh. Oh.
“B-But we’re in the director’s room…” you tell him bashfully, feeling a surge of heat creep up your neck. “And I owe you a proper explanation for –”
He promptly shuts you up with a kiss. The nerve of this guy!
“Darling, will you allow me to make love to you?” he murmurs the words against your lips, already pulling you to his lap. “Properly this time.”
You know you should snap him out of it and insist that you’re fine. That you’ll last another day without sex if that means you can sufficiently explain yourself because Zhongli deserves as much. But you remember, at that moment, that you’re particularly weak when he starts to trail featherlight kisses along your neck. Zhongli knows this as well as you do, and you can feel him smile triumphantly when you let out a sigh in defeat.
He doesn’t bother removing your clothes; practically tearing a hole into your pantyhose at his impatience. You balk at him for doing such a thing, but Zhongli promises to buy you another set once everything is settled.
“Do you find it strange that I’m terribly aroused despite everything that happened?” he asks you, hauling his cock out of his unzipped trousers as he gives it a few pumps.
“Not at all,” you respond in kind. “I’ve always thought you were hornier than you seemed. It’s always the prim and proper ones, you know?”
You bite your lip as you grind your clothed cunt against his hardening length, feeling your desire pool in between your thighs at the mere thought of him inside you. Zhongli bites down his laughter, nuzzling the crook of your neck as he spreads you open on his lap.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Nudging your underwear aside, you sink yourself onto his thick length with a blissful sigh – feeling his cockhead hitting all the right spots. Zhongli plants his palms firmly on your hips, barely able to contain the hunger in his eyes as he watches you bounce on top of his dick. Your skirt hikes further up your thighs with each downward plunge, and your lover cares to swallow your moans with an open-mouthed kiss.
You all but muffle a scream into his lips when you feel Zhongli thrusting his hips up to meet the cadence of your movements. Tears catch in the lines of your lashes from how good it feels, and you nearly come right then and there when he pulls away to whisper in your ear.
“I’m going to fill you to the brim,” he promises. “My seed will drip down your thighs from here on out so you’ll never forget where you belong.”
“By your side?” you whisper, purposely clenching your walls around his length to elicit a reaction.
Zhongli grunts in approval, much to your amusement. “By my side.”
He switches things up at the last minute, flipping you over so that you’re lying down on the bed. You open your mouth to protest, but Zhongli is already pressing your knees against your thighs – plunging his cock into the velvet heat of your cunt as he hits it deeper than before.
“I’d gladly fuck you everyday if that means you’ll never starve again,” your lover tells you with a growl, golden irises boring deep into your own. “Would you like that? Would you like me to sate your needs?”
“Yes,” you mewl as your fingers rake across his back. “Yes, yes yes! I only want you, Zhongli. Please –”
Your climax blindsides you out of nowhere, cunt squeezing around his cock impossibly tight. You screw your eyes shut, burying your face in his shoulder as your body shudders and trembles from the force of it. Zhongli, however, is intent on taking advantage of your vulnerable state. He doesn’t relent – just continues pounding you into the bed as he chases his own high.
“You’re the only one I love,” he tells you all of a sudden, momentarily pulling you out of your lustful haze. “You might not be the first, but you’ll certainly be the last.”
“Stop saying cheesy things while you’re fucking my brains out,” you moan. “You’re going to make me cry…”
“Heh, that’s the point.”
As promised, Zhongli finishes inside you with a shuddering sigh – and you feel the surge of his hot seed painting your insides. You’ve never felt so satisfied after having real sex with a real human, but when you’re actually in love with the person you’re sleeping with, you suppose there’s lots of room for exceptions.
“So why were you chasing ghosts that don’t even haunt me anymore?”
You finish the rest of the water that Hu Tao offered earlier when Zhongli asks you the million-dollar question. Your heart twists with both guilt and apprehension, but you know that this is the best time to lay the truth on the table.
“I was…bothered when you called me by the thing that Rex Lapis called Guizhong the goddess in your dreams,” you admit. “I thought you were thinking about Guizhong your ex while you were with me.”
Zhongli nods as he fixes his own clothes, an unreadable look settling on his face. “Rex Lapis…is the identity I had in a past life, isn’t it? And Guizhong was his lover.”
“Yes.”
“That doesn’t explain why you tried to alter my memories, though,” he points out.
“Well, I thought if I could lessen the pain of your memories of Guizhong, you’d stop thinking about her and start thinking about me.” Gods, you sound like such a fucking brat. “That – That was really childish of me. I’m sorry. I even got the director and Xingqiu involved because of my own impulsiveness…”
“If you look at it that way then, yes. It is very childish of you. But I think that just goes to show how deeply you feel about me,” Zhongli suggests with a handsome smile, reaching out to hold your hand in his. “You want me to look at you, and only you?”
“Of course I do,” you mumble. “You want me to do the same for you, right? I’m just trying to make things even…”
Your lover lets out another laugh, raising your hand to his lips as he places a soft kiss on your skin. You don’t think you’ll ever get used to Zhongli’s show of affection.
“Guizhong…is a person who’s near and dear to me even now,” he says, going off a tangent as he rubs comforting circles into your wrist. “But do you know the last thing she told me before she passed?”
You shake your head. “What?”
“That I shouldn’t chain myself to the past, no matter how painful it is to carry on,” Zhongli continues. “My life here is much simpler than the life Rex Lapis lived. I have no idea what you saw in my – rather, his memories to make you assume that the same applies for me. But I assure you that I’m not a man who’ll punish himself by constantly mulling over what-ifs and could-have-beens.
“All that matters is the present, and what I choose to do now, while you’re still by my side.”
…Damn it. You’re feeling the waterworks again.
“What did I do to deserve you?” you whisper, squeezing his hand just to make sure he was real.
“That, I’m afraid I can’t answer,” he chuckles. “But, on the topic of your immeasurable love, the Guhua boy imparted another interesting piece of information before lending me his powers to save you.”
“...Wait, I’ve been wondering how you got inside the in-between,” you tell him. “So it was Xingqiu? How the hell did he do that?”
“Darling, please refrain from asking questions I don’t have answers to.”
“Fine, fine. What did he say that was so interesting then?”
Zhongli laughs, and something about the shift in his tone makes you narrow your eyes in suspicion. “Director Hu said you tried to harvest energy from other men while you were on the brink of death but it didn’t work. Xingqiu informed us that when your kind starts to feel strongly about a certain human, you won’t be able to harness energy anywhere else apart from that person.”
“...Why do I feel like you’re just gloating now?”
“That’s because I am.”
The sound of the door sliding abruptly catches your attention. Hu Tao emerges from the entrance as she claps her hands loudly. “Alright, that’s enough lovey-dovey chit-chat. I’m going to have the maids launder my sheets first before I sleep in them tonight!”
Your face flushes with embarrassment. “Director Hu Tao, I –”
“Aiya! No apologies. It’s all good,” she insists. “But hey, consultaaant~ Now that I let you and your girlfriend have reunion sex in my quarters, you’re not going to press any charges for assault, will you?”
“Wait, what charges?” Your gaze darts between the two of them curiously.
Zhongli drags a palm over his face, as if having just realized something terrible. “In order to help you get into my dreams, the director laced my tea with a potent drug. I was unconscious for quite some time. But I won’t press any charges, since I have little patience for the tedium of the Liyue Police Station.”
“Aww, you’re the best!” Hu Tao gushes before turning to you. “By the way, Xingqiu already went ahead, but he asked me to give you this.”
You blink as Hu Tao hands you a sleek black business card with the words “Dr. Paimon” printed with embossed lettering. Zhongli peers over your shoulder, examining the card with the same degree of curiosity.
“He didn’t really elaborate, but rumor has it, that person can turn you into a normal human,” the director explains, smiling with intent. “I figured that since you’re probably gonna want to spend the rest of your life with the old man, you’d want to give up your immortality.”
Immortality… A staple that comes with being a succubus. It’s one of the most fundamental reasons why your kind fed on sexual energy in the first place, yet you never stopped to think of your future if you stayed immortal, while Zhongli continues to age with the passage of time.
You won’t be able to start a family with him; have his children; grow old with him. Because that’s the fate that your kind has long been cursed with since they first walked the earth. But now, you’re given a way out – even if it sounds too good to be true.
You’re afraid to look at Zhongli. You feel like you should accept the offer, but everything that transpired today is just so overwhelming that you’re not sure if you can make the right choice…
But as always, he’s here to support you.
“You don’t have to make a decision now,” he reminds. “We still have work tomorrow, so I suggest we head home and rest first. I’m sure that can wait.”
…Being thrust back into the nightmare that is the Liyuen corporate ladder after nearly dying in the in-between. Way to maintain a sense of normalcy, Zhongli.
Well, ‘normal’ is the best thing that the universe can give to you right now. Too bad you’re not selfless enough to deny the one thing you’ve been craving after all this time.
“Miss? Here’s the tea you asked for.”
Ganyu’s voice flits through your ears like a calming breeze. She places your drink on your desk – just behind a plaque that reads Wangsheng Corporation - Consultant. The scent of freshly brewed qingxin petals wafts to your nose and you feel every nerve ending in your body relax at the more aroma.
“Thank you,” you tell her kindly. “You’re right. This tea really does work miracles.”
Your secretary hides a giggle behind her hand. “Both Lady Ningguang and Mister Zhongli became fond of it when I started working for them. I figured it would be the same with you.”
The golden band on your finger seems to glint in the sunlight streaming into your office as you take a few sips. You used to think that tea was nothing but leaf water, but if you have someone like Zhongli for a husband, you’re bound to start appreciating the finer things in life – Ganyu’s herbal remedy included.
“Oh, that reminds me,” she perks up. “Is the director coming back soon? I heard that four months is already a good time to check for the gender.”
You’re a bit surprised by her words, but Ganyu has always exhibited her excitement for the budding life in your womb the moment you made the announcement a few months back.
“Zhongli’s secretary told me he should be home by the end of the week,” you tell her kindly, free hand instinctively going to the slight swell of your belly. “Once we figure out whether it’s a boy or a girl, I promise you’re the first person we’ll inform.”
She gasps. “You really mean that, miss?”
“Why not? You’re the godmother after all~”
Once Ganyu recovers from the initial shock from being assigned as your child’s godmother, you’re left to your lonesome once more.
It’s been six months since Hu Tao stepped down as the director for Wangsheng Corporation – passing the title onto Zhongli – and six months since you’ve held office as the company’s new consultant. At times, you still find it strange, how you’re the one giving advice with regards to your husband’s dealings with other businesses. But you remind yourself that everything happens all in due time.
Your old life as a succubus is way behind you now, but there are moments where you still think of what happened to Rex Lapis after Guizhong’s death. Did he get killed by the other gods? Did he lead the Guili Assembly to the harbor? What happened to the stone dumbbell Guizhong gave to him? You’ll never know now that you’ve lost the ability to travel through dreams.
But in the back of your head, you hoped he was able to find some sort of deliverance from the pain induced by his lover’s passing.
In the midst of your contemplation, your phone buzzes with a text – one that you’re quick to open.
Zhongli [10:54]: I’m boarding the plane at Fontaine National Airport right now. Should be back by tonight :)
Huh. That was earlier than expected.
Me [10:54] We’ll be waiting with a nice bottle of osmanthus ^__^
Zhongli [10:55]: Darling, please. Drinking is bad for the baby
Me [10:55]: One glass won’t cause genetic disorders, Zhongli.
Zhongli [10:56]: Very well… I’ll still make sure to watch your consumption though.
Me [10:56]: Fine by me <3 Take care on the way back. I love you.
Zhongli [11:15]: Sorry, just got past a checkpoint. I love you, too.
You put away your phone with a sigh, tracing the rim of your teacup absentmindedly. For good measure, you pinch your cheek the same way Hu Tao used to do when she was still in charge – just to make sure you’re not dreaming.
But the baby is intent on helping you out with that when you feel it kick a bit too hard against your navel.
“Okay, point taken,” you mumble.
A year ago, you wouldn’t have pictured yourself carrying a human child – much more picturing yourself as a human. But you learned that time is kind to those who wait. It’s just as Zhongli said: regardless of everything that happened in the past, what’s important is what you do now in the present.
And to you, that’s all that matters.
★ MASTERLIST . AO3 ★
© cryoculus | kaientai ✧ all rights reserved. do not repost or translate my work on other platforms without permission.
#genshin impact#genshin#zhongli smut#genshin smut#zhongli angst#zhongli x reader#genshin fanfiction#genshin fanfic#genshin headcanons#genshin scenarios#cryoculus
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RAAAA YOU JUST LOST THE GAME ANYWAYS HI WE HAVENT TALKED IN AGES HOW ARE YOU
ALSO I SAW YOUR OP HEADCANNONS SO IF I COULD COULD I REQUEST SOME ACE HCS?
(ALSO IM ONLY ON SKYPIA ARC BUT I MISS THE GREASY BOY ALREADY😭)
Portgas D. Ace Tickle Headcanons
A/N: Ahhhh! Hi Rando 👹 I’m doing okay! And of course! I enjoyed seeing Ace in the Alabasta arc and honestly he’s such a ball of joy. Gotta love him. He has such a cute little smile and I love him so much 😭 But honestly, I can’t wait to see more of him! Thank you for requesting this because MAN I love writing One Piece requests. Especially for my boy Ace. I hope you enjoy!
• Right out of the gate, he’s fifty-fifty. He tickles people and gets tickled the same amount. He may tickles people more but he doesn’t mind either way.
• Very mischievous. Always has a big grin on his face like he’s plotting (which is he) when he’s about to tickle someone or is tickling someone.
• Playful. Constantly joking around and teasing people. Lots of nicknames and childish jokes.
• “You’re so loud! I Can’t hear what you’re saying! Guess I’ll continue tickling you, ‘giggles.’”
• He’d laugh along with whomever he’s tickling, he finds laughter super contagious and he enjoys making others laugh, especially since it’s so easy.
• He’ll chase you around if you try to dodge his tickling. He’s strong willed. So he’d chase someone for however many miles he has to run, then tackle them like he’s a pro wrestler once he catches them.
• Fire Fist makes it a point to match the energy. If he tickles someone more shy and bashful, it’s gentle, silly, and fun. If it’s someone more head strong and prideful, he’s much more fast and all over with it since it becomes a battle of pride. Bunches of pokes every way. And if you’re somewhere in the middle, a little bit of both worlds.
• Luffy + raspberries. That’s happened a lot, and he’ll always do raspberries due to the silliness.
• Ace however is also someone to never stop tickling someone until they surrender. Then he’d cheer and stand right up, probably do a little shimmy dance, stick his tongue out and then go “HAH! I win!” And playfully brag about it.
• At least he did that with Luffy. He’ll sometimes have a more gentle side where he’d ruffle the persons hair and compliment their laugh after they surrender. Maybe even put his hat on them.
• On the flip side, he’s someone to either take the challenge head on(which is the majority) or get slightly bashful and nervously try and back off.
• “Eh? You want to..? I… d-don’t know about that. Come on. Anything else you could do?” He’d ask while nervously scratching his neck or fiddling with his hair.
• Or on the other hand, he’d laugh and basically take on the challenge, and probably make it into a tickle fight. He’s usually physically strong enough to turn the tables and fight it off.
• Nonetheless, Ace’s laugh is loud and hearty. You won’t miss it, you’ll hear it and you’ll hear the joy in it. It’s quite infectious.
• If he happens to be losing during a tickle fight, he’ll often curl up in a ball and start yelling to abort the mission as if he’s some captain.
• Ace is a squirmer when tickling is a thing, so that being said, hair goes everywhere, his hat is across the room, he lost his necklace whenever he lost his pride to embarrassment, and he can’t find it. So he’ll usually spend a moment or two after tickling to try and find where his necklace flew off to since he probably accidentally flung it off.
• Luffy used to tickle him to win fights. He loses a lot of strength and focus when someone tickles him.
• Ace’s weak/worst spot is his tummy, along with his back and underarms. Although he’s quite ticklish everywhere.
• His laugh will randomly get very bubbly and he’ll start practically hiccuping because of how much he’s laughing, and that’s usually when he starts to smack the ground to tab out like how you tab out in wrestling.
• He’ll usually just lay there for a second, he’ll be recovering for the next ten minutes to find his necklace and fix his hair and hat, then just relax while giggling from the ghostly feeling of tingles still all over him.
• Nonetheless, tickling happens to always put Ace in a good mood, he’ll always be smiling after. He’s happy to laugh and happy to smile, while making others smile and laugh along with him.
Hope you enjoyed!
#one piece#one piece tickles#one piece tickle headcanons#lee!Ace#Ler!Ace#ticklish!Ace#fluff#sfw tickling community#tickle headcanons#tickle fluff#tickle hcs#sfw#portgas d ace#idk anymore tags
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Strange Halloween Head Swap
I was so psyched for Halloween this year because it was the first time I could spend it with my boyfriend, Julian. I'd never been a big horror guy myself, but he goes nuts for spooky thrills. I'd always wanted to go to one of those Halloween events, like haunted houses or corn mazes, and I thought being with Julian was a good enough reason to go. We were looking up events happening nearby on my laptop, and I thought I found a cool one.
"Let's see." Julian read the website.
"What's it say?"
"Haunted house. Ooo! Haunted corn mazes. Nice! Magic show. Magic show?"
"I love Magic shows!"
"I guess it could be a Halloween thing. Wouldn't be surprised if they just replaced the rabbit in a hat with something scary instead. Or maybe the assistant wears a ghost costume or something."
"But wait." I pointed at the bottom of the page. "It says absolutely no costumes are allowed. Aren't you supposed to wear a costume?"
"Yeah, for costume parties and trick-or-treating and stuff. But for things like this where they have paid actors and stuff in the haunted events, they don't want randos in costume, in order to keep up with the vibes."
"That makes sense." I noticed another part of the website that said "18+ only for the whole event."
"Ooooo," we both said in unison.
"That better mean they have strippers and vodka."
"Hell yeah!"
"Now where is this again?"
"Lemme see. Some place called Caneville." He looked up the town info. "Aw shit."
"What? Too far?"
"No, just a 30 min drive. But it's got such a tiny population that it's probably one of those hick towns. You know those places always give me the creeps. Like everyone seems to stare at you because you're an outsider."
"But don't you like creepy things? We can ignore the background of the town and enjoy the festivities." I kissed him.
"Hey, I guess. Sure. As long as you promise me one thing..." He placed his hand on my bulge which had now grown.
The 31st arrived, and so we got dressed and left at 3pm. The drive there was pretty normal, up until we reached the town. There was an unexpected amount of traffic leading into the town itself. As we continued along, we found that all the cars were headed to the festival.
"Woah, I didn't think it would be this packed!" Julian said excitedly.
"Me neither…it's weird though. Why would such a large number of people be coming to some small-town festival? It doesn't make sense."
"Dunno. Maybe they paid extra to get their event on the top of everyone's search results? I think you can do that."
"Maybe. Well, it better be good then."
Luckily, we found a parking spot in time, before too many people showed up. The place was pretty big and was decorated nicely for Halloween; jack-o-lanterns lined the fences, ghost shaped lights hung above us, and the grass was covered in hay. We noticed the sign advertising the magic show started at 5pm, so we checked out the other attractions first. Making our way through the crowds, it was somewhat obvious who was from this little town, and who drove here. There were people in all shapes and sizes, but a lot of the older people were wearing formal clothes and usually had grumpy looks on their faces - probably upset that there was so much diversity this year.
We were walking along, when we saw two punk guys, one with a red mohawk, and one with brown, searching around looking confused. Red mohawk made eye contact with me and approached.
"Hey, do you guys know where the free booze is?" He didn't even look old enough to drink but I didn't really care.
"Free booze? How come I didn't know about this?" Julian asked.
"What do you mean? It was in huge letters on the ad. Couldn't have missed it."
"I don't remember seeing anything like that though," I said.
"Damn, nobody else seems to know either. Did I get some fake version of something? Everything else seems legit."
"That's weird yeah."
"Anyway, I'm Ian. Let me and my buddy know if you ever find the free booze. Fuck, I forgot I was gonna meet my boyfriend here too. Shit, well catch you later." He seemed like such a weird guy but hey, he's probably just 18 and desperate for a chance to drink.
5pm arrived and we headed to the magic show. As we expected, there was a pretty big crowd. I was so excited though, and it looked like everyone else was too. It started when a chubby guy in a tuxedo walked on stage.
"Friends and folks, welcome to The Great Guillermo magic show! I am the Great Guillermo!" He took a bow, and everyone applauded.
"Now for my first trick, I will make this sword float!" He took out a sword and set it on the floor. It began floating all the way up to his head when he did some hand motions. The crowd cheered once again. It was glowing blue as well, which was strange because he didn't announce anything like that.
"For my next trick, I will need one volunteer from the audience." The crowd seemed hesitant, most likely because the idea of a sword related trick would make some queasy. Luckily, after a bit, a guy around my age raised his hand and stepped onto the stage.
"All right! What is your name, young man?"
"Tyler."
"Ok Tyler! For your part, stand in that spot real good and don't move!"
"Oh ok." He did a bit of a nervous laugh. The Great Guillermo took the sword and aimed it at his own neck. What in the world was he doing? It started glowing blue once again and went through his neck! The audience gasped. I knew it was all a trick, but I expected blood or something. Instead, what happened was unbelievable. His head hopped right off his body! Completely still alive, it fell to the floor and the body took a bow. The crowd went wild.
"Holy shit man, that was so cool! How’d he do that?" Julian turned to look at me.
"I have no idea!"
Normally with tricks like this he would go back to normal to start the next trick, but he was still a head and began talking again.
"Now this is only the first part of my trick. Here comes the part where my volunteer must help." His body, still moving on its own, took the sword and aimed it at Tyler's neck. When that blue glow returned, The Great Guillermo's head hopped over to the left of Tyler. In an instant the sword sliced Tyler's head off, just like it did before. Though, instead of hopping off and hitting the floor, it seemed to fly off in the direction of The Great Guillermo's body, as if it was a magnet. When it got to the neck, it plopped itself on top, replacing The Great Guillermo's head.
Tyler's head on The Great Guillermo's body was a funny sight, seeing a skinny and young-looking guy with such a large body. He began moving and reacting, as if Tyler was actually controlling it. Tyler's head looked down and widened his eyes at the sight.
"Woooahh, this is trippy!" The Great Guillermo's head did the same and flew onto the empty body like a magnet. The audience began laughing when they saw the full image. They just swapped their heads!
"This is even crazier; how did they do that? Man, I gotta know now!" Julian was getting so excited now. It made me so happy to see him in a good mood. Tyler, on his new chubby body, realized he could move his legs and started walking around.
"Oh wow, I can move? This is weird." It looked so real. But it must be fake right? I know a lot of times magic shows pretend to pick out a random audience member, but really it was all planned from the start. The mood changed a bit when Tyler started becoming restless.
"Hey, uh could I have my body back now? This is actually feeling kinda uncomfortable."
"Of course, my boy! Right after you learn your lesson!"
"Lesson?" My gut told me that this was no longer part of the act.
"The lesson of hard work of course! I may have been a little overweight, but it's not impossible to work it all off! And when you do, it should be just like your former one! Well…maybe a bit older! In the meantime, I’ll be enjoying your nice slim body!" The Great Guillermo seemed like a completely different person at this point and began laughing maniacally.
"What? Hey this isn't funny anymore! What's your problem?!"
"Oh, don't worry, Tyler. You won't be alone. In fact," He looked at the audience with a gleam in his eye. "Everyone else will be starting their own unique journeys!" He quickly grabbed the sword and pointed it at the audience. They all screamed when not only did it start the blue glow, but it began multiplying as well! Sword after sword came out of the original; there must've been hundreds! It seemed like we all knew what was about to happen next, because the crowd turned around and ran. Julian was by my side…at least at first. Soon enough the stampede plowed through us, desperate to escape, and we were separated.
"Julian! Meet me at the car!" I screamed, not sure if he heard me or not. I ran away from the stage area, dodging unfortunate heads flying everywhere. The Great Guillermo began laughing again.
"Now everyone will learn the true value of hard work! Whether you want to change your new body or not, adapting to your new life is the fun part!"
When I got to the parking areas, I was shocked at the horrible sight. There were people with the same idea as me hiding in cars…only the blue swords were able to pass right through them to slice their heads. It didn't stop there because the decapitated heads seemed to be in an ethereal state, where they could also go through the walls. That bastard magician. He planned all this! I'm screwed! While I was in shock, I could feel something hit me in the neck. It didn't hurt at all, but I felt dizzy. I watched as the world went in a loop, and then back to normal. I could see myself flying through the air, but when I looked down, there was nothing. No body. I could still feel my hands and the rest of my body, but I was far enough away that I couldn't check to see if it was moving.
I couldn't change the direction I was heading in, but I could lean a little to the left or right. I'm guessing I was homing in on the nearest headless body, so I wondered if I could direct myself away from a bad one? I saw a headless body in front of me, so I jerked to the left and managed to dodge it…for a few seconds. It turned out there was a body on the other side of the fence I was on, so I flew right through it and attached myself to the neck.
I looked down and almost screamed. It was a fat body wearing a light blue dress shirt, with a tie and suspenders. I would imagine I was also wearing dress pants to go along with it, but I couldn't see past my huge belly! My waist size must’ve been double what it was before! Judging by the clothes, this probably belonged to a man that lived in the town.
I pushed my hand against the belly and felt it jiggle, sending vibrations throughout the rest of my flesh. I'm glad I wasn't a floating head anymore but I'm not too happy about being a fat guy either! I must’ve looked like Tyler did with his twink head on an obese frame. Luckily, there was a public restroom nearby, so I walked in and locked the door. I was scared to see myself in the mirror, but knew it had to do it, so I shuffled over to see my reflection.
Oh god, I was massive. It really did look strange, almost funny in a way. Normally when you gain this much weight, you also gain a double chin. But my chin and head were exactly how they always were. But yet, my body was huge. At least I wasn’t wearing some trashy looking clothes or something. Formal wear was nice, even though it felt tight on me. How do guys like this go shopping? I must’ve been wearing 5XL clothes! The curious thought of seeing what it looked like underneath crossed my mind. I guess it was going to have to be done eventually…and my chest felt like it was being crushed under the shirt I was wearing. I started by unclipping the suspenders. The front two were easy, but the back two I had to guide my hands around my oversized ass in order to make out where they were. Then I lifted my collar to take off the tie and unbuttoned the first two shirt buttons. I expected to be wearing an undershirt, since I felt so compressed, but no. The dress shirt was all it took to feel cramped. I reached for the bottom of my shirt that was tucked in and pulled up. When it was fully untucked, the belly promptly fell back down, slapped my thighs, and jiggled for a few seconds. Once it was all unbuttoned, I opened up the shirt and took it off.
Fuck. I wasn’t just big; I was morbidly obese. My man tits stuck out, love handles hung all around, and the loose skin left a crevice that covered my belly button. I really hated this. What’s Julian going to think? He might break up with me. No one would ever want to date a lardass like me. I put the shirt on, lifted up my belly in order to tuck it all back in, and walked out the door. I didn’t bother putting the tie and suspenders on again. I didn’t even need the suspenders anyway because my pants were tight enough over my big hips.
I started walking back to the festival area in order to find a clue to where Julian went. There were still blue swords flying around, but they ignored me completely. I guess they don’t go after those who had already been head swapped. Walking felt really weird because it was more like a waddle. Every step felt like I was causing an earthquake, which made it worse considering I couldn't even see my own feet! Not to mention I was sweating like a pig, even though I hadn't been walking long. I could feel the sweat stains forming in my armpits and since I had no undershirt on, it was probably obvious. I heard a familiar voice, so I turned around and noticed a familiar red mohawk. It was Ian! He was much chubbier than when I saw him before. He was talking with another guy, who lifted his t-shirt up to touch his belly.
"This is like a fuckin dream come true! Look at this gut!" Ian seemed excited to gain weight. Was that guy his boyfriend or something?
"We gotta hope that this body is good at staying big though! I want you to be my chubby bunny!" He said, flashing a grin. As I approached them, they stared for a second, but then smiled really wide.
"Hey! Wait. You're that guy I met before. Remember? But you're like, so fuckin obese now!"
"Yeah…"
"That's awesome man!"
"Not really, I was fine being a twink before."
"Yeah man, but now you're a fuckin beast! You could like murder someone just by squashing them."
"I'll keep that in mind in case I need to murder someone," I said sarcastically.
"So, wait, where's your boyfriend?"
"No clue. I'm looking for him."
"Well good luck man. And hey, being big isn't all that bad you know."
"Yeah, maybe."
I got to the festival area to find a couple people still frequenting, but it was obvious they were head swapped. I suppose I was lucky mine ended up matching my skin color. At least the weird young head and old body combination isn't impossible naturally.
I noticed a shed area with a hastily made sign that said, "pick up your phones here." That was a good idea actually. Afterall, most people would've had their phones in the pockets of their old bodies. Maybe if Julian already found his, I can text him. Luckily, I skipped a step because I found him searching through the pile of phones inside. His body didn't look too different, at least from the sides.
"Julian!"
"Petey! You're…wow."
"I know…this is going to take some getting used to."
"Hey no biggie. You're still you. You have your head at least. You're just a big guy now."
"Yeah, it's weird. Do you think there's any way to change back?"
"Don't think so. When I went back to the stage, the magician guy wasn't there. Fitting. Guess he just wanted chaos and well, he got it."
"Can't believe I'm stuck like this. But at least you don't look too different, maybe a bit bigger and older."
"Oh no, I've changed a lot actually. Here." He unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a flabby old man's chest.”
"Oh."
"I know right. Looks like I took the body of an old guy."
"Does it feel weird?"
"Yeah kinda. A little uncomfortable. I really just need to take off these clothes. I can feel my underwear being pulled up way too high!" I laughed. I'm glad Julian was still finding ways to make light out of a bad situation. "My back does kinda hurt though. But it's ok! We'll just work out and all like normal. Plenty of old guys are in shape!"
“Makes me so mad though. Those old guys that got our bodies are probably enjoying their nice abs right now.”
“Well, in your case, he’s in for a surprise when he sees how loose you are in the back…” I started laughing again.
“You got that right! He was probably straight, so it’ll be quite the shock. But I guess this means I’ll have to start loosening up all over again.” I touched my huge ass. “I guess I’ll have to work out too. I have a long way to go.”
"Oor…you could stay like you are. At least for now. Didn't wanna say it before but I'm totally finding you hot right now. Never fucked a fat guy before."
"Really? You like this?"
"Yep! Hey, it's still Halloween, so how about we go home, and I can feed you some candy or something." The thought of Julian feeding me was making me hard for some reason. Why do I feel like I want to stay this big? It's crazy! But I was so hungry, so I agreed.
"That sounds…pretty hot actually. Sure." Julian smirked.
"Happy Halloween my big boy." He slapped my gut.
"Happy Halloween…"
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The Swamp
Random thing I spotted in the opening credits: this Roku (?) silhouette is doing a spinning blade move with airbending, that Azula did with her blue fire while riding the mail system in Return to Omashu. I guess that despite the bending styles being based on different martial arts, borrowing is allowed.
A snippet of blue spirit music plays when that cart carrying the masks passes by. Maybe one second of showtime but the writers and track team put in the effort anyway.
I'm still mad at Zuko for stealing that lady's bird horse, but I'm happy to see that they're looking after it. It even has a blanky.
Those bangs would have done numbers in 2008.
So I'm wishing death on sword guy. Apart from the whole trying to cut off Iroh's feet thing, he can't even do up his shirt right. Zero redeeming features.
I wish I knew how to make gifs to show this, but the way that the diffused lightsource is reflecting off the water peaking through the vegetation of the swamp is incredibly realistic.
Is the sharpening stone the one that usually sits in the indent on the other side of the blade? It would be pretty cool to have a knife with a built in sharpener like that.
Sokka's got a point. How do you "land" on a swamp? Appa will need to break out his sea bison skills.
TIL swamps don't take no for an answer.
HOW are they still ALIVE?!?!
AcTuAlLy Aang it's "where ARE Appa and Momo?"
As someone who has literally had leeches on my elbow, this is not funny.
Also this episode's beat up Sokka quota has already been filled by a tornado, a swamp, and a vampire slug. And we're only 4 minutes in. I feel like this is going to be a rough episode for him.
Look I get that there is no solid land in this swamp, but they could at least move out of the fetid leech-infested water onto a tree root.
Shibari Appa. I ahd to google that.
Momo is a good friend.
Could you imagine what Apppa smells like after landing in the swamp water?
Poor Momo's like "dude. I JUST freed you."
Not everyone can airbend Aang. Some of us would have no option but to cut our way out of the swamp, niceness be damned.
You ever just go FWOMP?
I'm loving these little Appa & Momo scenes.
Did this episode air on Halloween originally? It's really leaning in to the spooky.
And now Appa gets to be a good friend. I love the ear twitch. Have I talked about how cute Appa's ears are?
King of the jungle Appa.
New fear unlocked. Never swimming in seaweed again.
Also kudos to them for sleeping sitting up. I can't do that.
It's neat how all three of their fighting styles are equally effective at freeing them from the vines. No bending superiority here!
How did Cletus and Brandine figure that Appa has six legs from this trail?
No comment. Just thought you'd all appreciate a picture of bowl cut Appa using an alligator as a toothbrush.
Pretty. Swamp wisteria.
This swamp is a dick.
This jumpscare got me. Also, swamp is now a double dick.
And Aang sees some rando. I was expecting Gyatso. Maybe being the avatar makes you immune to swamp dickishness?
If Cletus saw a lemoo at a travelling show once, does that mean that Momo is not the last of his species? Because I've been worrying about that.
This is a pretty cool use of waterbending. Although I don't think 'outboard motor with high manoeuvrability' is a recognised martial arts move.
All the background art in this episode is subtle but very detailed. Another episode I'll be watching on a better quality screen than my little laptop, which makes everything into a green-grey blur.
Sokka was looking for his friends.
Katara was looking for her friends.
Aang was chasing tail.
Tea party Sokka rocking a midi skirt and thigh high leather boots.
Have to give it to Sokka; they have all been huffing a lot of swamp gas recently. Hallucinating people you think of often after huffing god knows what is a more believable explanation than sentient, dickish swamp. Or it would be, if this wasn't a world where things like the avatar exist.
Looks like I was right about this being a beat up Sokka episode. The number of times swampy has thrown him to the ground, I'm surprised he's still getting up. Also, I think Sokka's voice actor was paid by the scream this episode.
Anyone remember the Absorbaloth?
Are these guys narrating NYOOM noises?
I have to commend the manoeuvrability of these boats.
Not to self: do not piss off a waterbender. They are human deli slicers.
"He's the Avatar. Stuff like that happens to us, a lot." Season 1 in a nutshell.
I applaud this guy's efficiency for styling his hair into a hat.
You guys are really going to go with this guy to a secondary location like 15 seconds after he stopped trying to kill you? Every so often I forget that the Gaang are teens or younger, then something comes along that really reminds me.
Nitpick! Are his socks made out of mud?
This guy has grey eyes like Aang does 50% of the time. I swear Aang has brown eyes in at least half the episodes so far.
More delicious reflections. I wish I could gif this too.
I love the lesson here. The swamp guy's speech about interconnectedness is good, made twice as good by the delivery. Excellent choice of voice actor. Also the bit about the people we've lost still being there hits hard.
A power this useful had better come up again.
Can someone who knows music better than I do tell me if Cletus is on beat? I think not.
New reaction shot!
Why does Sokka repeat "Hugh" so skeptically? What's the joke here?
"He don't eat no bugs. That's people food." This is the kind of stuff I love the most in this show. These seemingly inconsequential, throwaway worldbuilding comments that instantly double the depth of the universe of the show. Every time I get a glimpse of normal people living non-war-torn normal lives I love it.
Scenes like this. PEAK avatar.
That swamp just bitchslapped a bird.
I'd forgotten that Zuko and Iroh were in this episode.
Zuko is well on his way to being forgiven for stealing the horse bird.
Have to wonder why he had a spare set of black clothes lying around though.
Final Thoughts
This episode may well be my new favourite. I like if for the same reasons that I liked Bato of the Water Tribe: it shows us what comparatively normal life is like. Here's a random group of people that might not even know about the war. Looking at them gives us a glimpse of what Aang's pre-war world must have been like, and what the post-war world everyone is fighting to create could be like. It's both nostalgia and hope in one place.
I love that Sokka is still stubbornly anti-supernatural even after travelling for months with the human incarnation of a spirit, being kidnapped by a giant monster panda, and having his crush turn into the moon. Not to mention mega fishman Aang. Although, in a world where the existence of spirits is a scientifically observable fact, isn't believing in the supernatural actually the logical viewpoint?
Apart from that awesome deli slicer waterbending move, Katara did surprisingly little this episode. I think Momo and Appa had more to do.
Spekaing of, I loved having a little side adventure with Momo and Appa. There's enough personality in the animation and voicing of those two characters that they can easily carry dialogue-free scenes. Avatar should do a dialogue free episode with just Appa and Momo going on an adventure. I love their interspecies friendship.
The whole 'we're all connected' thing could have rung hollow if the writers hadn't taken the time to painfully personalise that message for two thirds of the Gaang. In today's arguably too-connected world (thanks internet) the lesson seems obvious, but in a pre-industrial world that's a century into a global war, I bet the connectedness of things is unknown, forgotten, or actively suppressed.
The incredibly short bookends with Zuko and Iroh were (I'm guessing) to establish that Zuko has taken a vigilante turn and that Iroh is inhumanly patient. Neither of those is a surprise. Honestly, if I found myself in that situation, I would react more like Zuko than Iroh. Guess that means I'm a work in progress.
The Storm last season showed that while Aang had a lot to learn, Zuko had a lot to unlearn. Instead of just unlearning incorrect things, it looks like the show is taking it a step farther and progressively stripping Zuko of everything. Zuko isn't one to sit idly by though, so he's fighting back by clinging to harmful things like his pride and learning things he arguably shouldn't, like how to commit theft of bird horses. Although I have no moral objection to stealing that jerk's swords.
This episode didn't have a beat up Sokka quota; it had a beat up everyone quota, physically and sometimes mentally too. Kind of surprised there weren't even bruises. And poor Sokka. The first cut is the deepest.
I'll definitely be rewatching this one.
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Terripin Soup
Part 2
NotoriouslyPrimary420 [NP] Started A Chat With AuspiciousHunter1989 [AH] At 11:07 PM
NP: Hey I have a random question
AH: Because you never have random questions any other time of course.
NP: Oh haha- But seriously. My brothers keep asking questions about where I'm going and I don't want to lie about it but I mean I can't tell em I'm sneaking out to go eat morally grey soup and not hang out with a friend like I've been saying..
AH: So you want advice on what else you can lie about?
NP: Well.. When you put it that way it sounds worse...
AH: I don't know what to tell you man, find some rando on the street to hang out with :P
NP: I feel like that'd make it worse? Oh! You live in NY too right?
AH: Kinda.
NP: Kinda? Okay well... You wanna hang out?
AH: Can't.
NP: Cant or wont?
AH: Fine. Won't.
NP: Why not? C'mon dude I'm panicking here! I can't even go to my favorite pizza spot with my brothers cause I can't handle them cornering me about this-
AH: Hm.. What was that one called again?
NP: Like Run Of The Mill Pizza or something, idk, why does that matter?
AH: I see what you meant now. Okay, I've changed my mind. I will meet you there tomorrow night, 8pm. And we'll talk about it alone, but don't push it.
NP: Oh thank god- Wait you.. Know that place?
AuspiciousHunter1989 [AH] is offline
Leo sighed to himself as he made his way home, he wasn't really sure what he was going to tell his family, or what was going to happen when he met his friend, or how he knew the pizza spot for yokai... How did he even know about it? Was he just a chill human or a yokai himself? It might explain a lot but.. There were still so many questions on his mind that he wasn't able to answer and that frustrated him more then having the questions to start with. He hadn't gone very far having been preoccupied with his phone, looks like he'd have to wait a bit longer for his monthly fix. He'd try and wait at least till his brothers suspicion was cleared.
Once he was home his brothers managed to corner him one last time before trying Donnie's plan, they hoped it wouldn't come to that. "Hey Leo!" Mikey called, alerting the others who sprung from their seats and covered the exits, they looked.. Friendly but also concerned. "H-Hey.. What is this an intervention? C'mon guys, I stopped defacing shells like five years ago-"
"Nope, its not about that, though I don't appreciate your phallic pictographs on my shell you know how hard it is to scrub off and-"
"Not the time Dee, we just wanna.. Talk."
"Raph please I'm just tired and wanna go to bed, I have this thing tomorrow so-"
"Thing?" Raph asked, "Well as your older brother what's stopping me from grounding you? You've been going out a lot and not doing the responsible thing of letting us know anything! What would happen if you left and got hurt, if you couldn't get home or if you were attacked and outmatched? If you couldn't call us for help how would we ever know where to look for you? ...I'm.. I'm not just being nosey Leo, it's my job to look after you guys, my job to make sure you always get home safe. My responsibility to watch out for you. And I know you might not need it or whatever you wanna argue but I do. I need it, to know what's up so I can be there and to at least put my mind at ease-"
Leo sighed a little, he always hated when Raph said things like that to him, making the weight over his chest double as he saw the honest compassion in his eyes. "Fine.. I... Look I can't tell you everything, not yet. But I'm gonna meet my friend tomorrow and we're gonna talk about all of us hanging out, he's- He's just really shy so it's not like I was trying to hide it, I just didn't want to scare him off. We can get pretty rowdy y'know? A-And I just.." Leo paused when Raph's hand gently set itself on his shoulder, "Okay okay, I'm not mad-" He pulled Leo into a hug, not staying for too long before pulling away, "I just wanna know what's going on sometimes okay? We're family, we care about you, and we're all really happy you met someone. We can't wait to meet him." Leo let out a little sigh, at least part of the anxiety dying down from his reassurance. "Thanks.. I'll... Try to talk more, and I'll let you know tomorrow night what the plan is. Promise." Raph smiled and gave him a pat on his shell, there was still a lingering anxiety that his brother wasn't being fully honest but he looked tired so he wasn't going to push it. Looks like it came to plan B after all.
Once Leo headed off to his room Raph turned to Donnie giving him a little nod, the 'okay' to put the tracker on. "I know we shouldn't but you all saw that right.."
"Leo doesn't lie to us.. He wouldn't... Right?"
"Well technically speaking Mikey, he lied to Raph, we didn't ask him about anything. But no you're right Leo isn't one to lie about small stuff, usually when he does something stupid he owns up to it pretty easily. Its only when he starts avoiding the question and actively avoiding us that we should consider it a problem. I like Raph's plan on listening in first before confronting him again. And not just because it gives me a chance to use my new audio data recording device-" They all nodded in agreement before splitting up for the night. This was for the best right..?
Donnie was able to install the recording app though his computers since he was the designer of the tech they all wore. And with his other concealing app Leo wouldn't be aware it was recording or shouldn't be if it worked properly. And that night when Leo was ready to head out Donnie stopped him for a moment, it didn't happen often so Leo decided to listen. "Nardo hold on a sec, I wanted to ask, and you don't have to tell me. But are you and this 'friend' of yours.. More then friends?"
"What?"
"Now hear me out- No one cares if you have a boyfriend, I mean dad might be a little furious no one told him about it and he didn't do that stupid blessing thing he always talks about like they do in movies- My point is. If you've really been seeing this guy for a year now it just seems a little.. Weird that a casual relationship would go unmentioned since you love to talk"
"Do.. Do all of you think I have a secret boyfriend?"
"Well-"
"Dee seriously.. We just talk when and hang out, and eat food. Nevermind, doesn't matter. I gotta go, I'll see you guys tonight."
"You didn't answer my question Leo."
"You're the smart one how bout you figure it out m'kay"
Leo opened a portal and vanished, leaving Donatello with a few more questions then he'd hoped he would have. He headed back to his lab where Mikey and Raph were already waiting, Raph having dragged in bean bag chairs for him and their little brother. Donnie sat in his chair and turned on his computer setting it all up with the improved tracker. In just a few minutes Leos icon was outside of their usual pizza spot. They all looked to each other, knowing he hadn't been there to see his friend before since they'd gone out some night's when he didn't come home.
"Hey bone man! I'm here to see someone, I uh, how do I put this..."
"Ah pepino, it's been a while. I was almost excited to have no repair bills this year. You're looking for the booth in the back. You're here for a date yes?"
"Oh- Uh- Right. Okay, thanks. I mean, did he say it was a date? Cause I mean I- Are you sure its the right table?"
"He said something about, meeting with a hyper mutant with three other brothers. I can think of no one else whos fits that description."
He nodded a little, "Ah.. Kay, good too see you too then" There was the sound of shuffling as Leo made his way towards the booth, peeking his head around he saw the table already had someone sitting one one end, a white rabbit yokai who was staring down at the menu, his expression was impossible to read. "NP?" He asked, eyes not moving from the paper, Leo tensed up and nodded, "Uh- Y-Yeah uhm."
"Just call me Usagi like you've known me for years, a long name wouldn't look good. Sit."
Leo did as directed and sat across from him, "Right, I'm Leo. So.." Usagi glanced up to him, taking a quick moment to look at him, his expression softening a little seeing how nervous he looked. "Didn't expect another yokai hm?" Leo rubbed the back of his neck, this guy was kinda... Cute.. "Heh.. Yeah I was a little curious how you knew this place, sorry for dragging you into this. So.. What kinda cover story do you wanna have? They seem to think I have a secret boyfriend but I don't wanna ask that much of you-"
Donnie saw the blue icon unmoving and turned to device on from his end, listening to whatever voices came though the speakers.
"No no, boyfriend is fine. I think in this situation that label would best suit us." Everyone looked to each other, jaws nearly hitting the floor. "G-Good! I.. I mean, they're all really excited to meet you. I know we can get a little crazy sometimes but they all mean well." There was a soft chuckle, "I don't think the kind of crazy you speak of could phase me, Leo. Since you know what I'm capable of."
Donnie handed Mikey the five dollars he was owed for their bet of if Leo was really seeing someone. Hesitantly, Raph handed the youngest the same amount as well.
"Right.. Wish I could be that calm about it."
"I think after a while it gets easier, or maybe you just need some help? I know I probably shouldn't be so forward but.. My teacher will not be at the house tonight. If you are able you may join me."
"Join you..?"
"For desert."
"You mean, you want to do that stuff? With me? I dunno. I mean half of me is like, screaming yes cause I want to but, this also feels kind of like the plot of some b list horror movie yknow? Hot guy invites you over late at night and says all the right stuff then boom you're in a basement for the rest of your life- N-Not that I think you would but.. Yknow."
"So you think I'm hot~?" Leo's face went red, enough to match his markings, there was another chuckle. "You don't have to answer. Perhaps you can decide after I meet your family hm? There will always be another night where we can do those things together."
"Mm.. Yeah, I guess you're right. Okay you've twisted my arm, you do this for me and I'll do that with you. Which brings me to another question."
"Ask away"
"Are you a good cook? Or like, you don't just eat it raw right? Cause I tried that before and got really sick-"
"Leo, I may have a unique taste but even I'm not dumb enough to just eat it raw c'mon. I mean when you do your own hunting you have no idea where that meats been, you have to be very careful and clean it and cook it properly. I can show you in fact, if you ever plan to cook for yourself one day."
"Why would I ever do that if I have a skilled cook like you as a boyfriend~"
"Touché. Does tomorrow work then? Why not go some where in the hidden city? There's a beautiful garden not far from where I live that would be nice. We could pack lunch or something, something your brothers would like of course."
"I haven't been in the city that much actually, they'd probably love it. I think we can arrange that. But enough about them, I have like a zillion more questions."
"I as well. Tell me more about when you were younger."
Donnie turned the device off there, mouths still hanging open. "I can't believe Mikey was right-" Dee said quietly, spinning around in his chair to face the other two. "And him and his boyfriend are doing stuff!!" Mikey yelled, "Do you think they've been... Kissing???"
Raph quickly collected himself, very glad Leo and his 'friend' hadn't said anything too risqué.. "Well he's what 15 now? He's allowed to have a boyfriend.."
The rest of the night they talked about their childhoods, not daring to mention their quirks out loud, but rather alluding to them. Trying to get as close as possible in the hour and a half they had before heading home to rest before meeting up tomorrow. It was interesting to hear both sides, how Leo had been suppressing his feelings for a long long time while Usagi on the other hand was encouraged to indulge in them by the one who raised him. He was taught to be merciless and survive by any means available. While had been turning all his frustrations inward hurting and isolating himself Usagi and been turning it outward letting those feelings guide his training. Both vastly different worlds they lived in. But it only made Leo more curious to see how the rabbit yokai handled his food. He ate their pizza normally, seeming more then content with its flavor, but for Leo there was something in the back of his mind saying it was missing something. Even his favorite food seemed to mock him for being different...
Part 3
Part 1
#rottmnt leo#rottmnt#rise of the tmnt#rise leo#tmnt#leosagi#lgbtq#dont try this at home#i dont fucking know#dead dove do not eat#dead dove fic#cannibalistic#fanfic#writing#ao3 fanfic#rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles#angst#rottmnt usagi#what the fuuuuck#rise tmnt#tmnt leonardo
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Lolbit! Reader(M) x Hazbin Hotel PT.2
What happened?
First pov
FFoxy and Y/n landed in the underworld they were powered down. Some random demons were drunk and kept walking until they stumbled upon some heavy metal. They started talking about them and how weird they looked.
Then Ffoxy turned on the light from his eyes and looked at the drunk demons. The demons were too drunk to notice. One of the random demons dumped the rest of his bear on the purple and orange demon while the others watched and laughed...(Skip to 1:50) then a glow from Foxy's eyes were lit up but the demons were too drunk to notice.
Then foxy got up quick on all fours and jumpscared them.
That's when they all started running in fear but one had slipped and hit his head, his vision was blurry. FFoxy walked up to the demon. (It played as the exact same scene in his song, go to 3:00).
After that happened he went back to y/n and tried waking him up. Itt took a couple of minutes but he was able to.
_______________________________________
The both of them have been walking around for a while until Ffoxy spotted something.
Foxy gasped" y/n look! A vending machine!" He said wagging his tail side to side. (Skip to 28 sec)
"Hmm.. guess y-you're right. But it's not your everyday VM." Y/n said as they walked over to it.
"Huh?..wdym??" He said confused.
"Well.. it d-does have the word 'Drugs' y/n said in a funny tone. "Ooh..I guess you're right about that" Foxy said beaming happily. Y/n chuckled at the cute sight of his friend... and stopped when he heard a voice from behind them.
They both looked back at where the voice was coming from. And then they saw a pink and white four armed demon, talking to a taxi driver, listening to their conversation. Funtime foxy and y/n could tell who he was, his name and All about him just by scanning him or if they're touched by that person.(skip to 1:40; the scanning part.)
Y/n pov
Angel Dust pushed his hands through his hair. "Yeah, yeah, listen." Then fixes it more. "Keep this discreet, you hear me? I can't let out I'm offerin' my services to randos on the street! It was a quick cash grab." The demon made a gesture with his fingers and snapped them at him, smiling. "Ya got it?"
"Pfft! Whatever you say, sl""! Muhehehehehehe!" Travis said sarcastically.
Angel pretended to be offended. "Ouch! Ooh!" He said and turned back to the demon. "Such an insult! Let me know when you've come up with something creative to call me..-" *He grinned and loomed over Travis and pointed at him with all his index fingers and said, "you sack of poorly packaged horse sh"! Tell the missus I said 'hi', Shnuckums!" But kissed him before he said 'shnuckums'.
I laughed historically as I heard the demons insult. But then tried to hold it in as I know that the demon angel dust was about to turn around.
Travis: "Pack a - puh..." He said defeatedly.
As Travis angrily drove off, Angel looked behind him to see a vending machine for drugs.
Angeles pov
As Travis angrily drove off, Angel looked behind him to see two weird looking demons standing by what looked like...a vending machine....FOR DRUGS!!!
.
.
#hazbin hotel#demons#x reader#alastor#x male reader#angel dust#fnaf#funtime foxy#funtime freddy#animatronic
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HELLOOO!!! soo i have some tickling head canons for Zhongli if you’re interested…
- He loves/hates being tickled. Like, if doing it is someone that knows him fully or since a long time, he would not mind it too much. But if it would be someone that he doesn’t really know deeply, he would be quite annoyed but still couldn’t help but laugh helplessly
- HIS LAUGH. BRO. the MAIN reason he always gets tickled. I like to think he has a high pitched laugh when he gets tickled, and when cackles, unlike his usual deep, and elegant chuckle which I also find cute because…I love Zhongli.
- Extremely ticklish waist and hips! I like to think he might be ticklish everywhere, but these two are hell for him. if you touch, scribble, squeeze, poke on that teeny little thing, he would be on the floor, in tears.
- Only a few people know he’s ticklish, and these people are: Venti, Childe, Hu tao and Xiao. Venti used to take advantage of it ALWAYS; also when they used to have a friendly spar in the past, as Venti knew the had no chance of winning, he always used this little tactic on Morax hehe. When Childe discovered Zhongli was ticklish, it was when he once saw Hu Tao annoying him with her damn tickles. And since then Childe kept teasing him and tickling him ALWAYS and at every occasion. (Also tartali bonus: Zhongli goes crazy whenever Childe kisses his neck, every single little part of it is ticklish. he’d snort once, and if Childe keeps going, he’d start squirming and giggling.
- He has particularly ticklish back and ribs; not as much as the waist and hips, but it’s definitely a very good spot if you want to send him into fits of giggles.
- He DESPISES being touched on his thighs, especially his inner thighs. It absolutely breaks him.
- Bro has the cutest smile I’m not sorry I said it rawrrr
- Another tartali bonus: He gets flustered when childe blows in his ear. Like, he can’t stand it. He makes a rather cute and funny noise whenever Childe does so and he giggles a little.
OMG THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD i will always crave zhongli content and tartali headcanons?? in 2024??? you've quenched my thirst anon
HELLOOO!!! soo i have some tickling head canons for Zhongli if you’re interested…
WHEN AM I NEVER INTERESTED???
He loves/hates being tickled. Like, if doing it is someone that knows him fully or since a long time, he would not mind it too much. But if it would be someone that he doesn’t really know deeply, he would be quite annoyed but still couldn’t help but laugh helplessly
omg imagining the difference between the two scenarios. like imagine that you're someone like childe and seeing how zhongli normally reacts when tickled by some rando and then being shocked when childe tickles zhongli and zhongli actually curls or leans into his hold alkdsjflksa I CANT
HIS LAUGH. BRO. the MAIN reason he always gets tickled. I like to think he has a high pitched laugh when he gets tickled, and when cackles, unlike his usual deep, and elegant chuckle which I also find cute because…I love Zhongli.
WAIT THIS IS SO CUTE like it's a little whistly and catches people off-guard due to the contrast of his lower deeper laugh and hearing his tickle laugh does fluster him a little bit bc that's also not what he's used to
Extremely ticklish waist and hips! I like to think he might be ticklish everywhere, but these two are hell for him. if you touch, scribble, squeeze, poke on that teeny little thing, he would be on the floor, in tears.
YES HIS WAIST AND HIPS ARE JUST SO GRABBABLE i would describe it as one-size-fits-all for anyone's hands and he's so easy to tickle here alkdsjfk and god the image of him giggling on the floor i love him so much
Only a few people know he’s ticklish, and these people are: Venti, Childe, Hu tao and Xiao. Venti used to take advantage of it ALWAYS; also when they used to have a friendly spar in the past, as Venti knew the had no chance of winning, he always used this little tactic on Morax hehe. When Childe discovered Zhongli was ticklish, it was when he once saw Hu Tao annoying him with her damn tickles. And since then Childe kept teasing him and tickling him ALWAYS and at every occasion. (Also tartali bonus: Zhongli goes crazy whenever Childe kisses his neck, every single little part of it is ticklish. he’d snort once, and if Childe keeps going, he’d start squirming and giggling.
VENTI AND HU TAO BEING LITTLE SHITS TO ZHONGLI omg and like at first hu tao's tickles would be a minor annoyance at the workplace but then when childe started tickling him because of hu tao he was like "oki maybe i should be thanking director hu" and plssss zhongli snorting is something i need to see. and when childe starts giving him neck kissies he just can't form coherent words and just loses the eloquence he normally holds and turns into this breathy mess salkdjflksak
He has particularly ticklish back and ribs; not as much as the waist and hips, but it’s definitely a very good spot if you want to send him into fits of giggles.
super susceptible to tickly back massages, all according to plan nyhehehe
Bro has the cutest smile I’m not sorry I said it rawrrr
no you are absolutely right and should unapologetically speak your truth lemme rawr with you RAWRRRRRR
Another tartali bonus: He gets flustered when childe blows in his ear. Like, he can’t stand it. He makes a rather cute and funny noise whenever Childe does so and he giggles a little.
omg i'm imagining the little whine that he does which just encourages childe to blow into his ear more when they're cuddling ahhhhhh
thank you anon, thank you for the food, i will cherish these
#god i have to sit through some lecture for training for work#and all i'm gonna be thinking about now is giggly zhongli#I LOVE HIM SO MUCH#THANK YOU FOR THE DONATION TO THE HUNGRY
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Atsumu spots Osamu easily among the crowd – twin things. There’s that and the fact that he and his brother are usually a full head taller than the average population of Japan. The volleyball player swerves through, dodging the flailing hands of a dancer and traversing some sticky footing. Pleasantly buzzed from a night of inebriation, he’s not even annoyed when a guy accidentally bumps into him; yet the sight he arrives to makes him immediately scowl.
Osamu likes to label what he does as “customer service” and for some reason, the dang guy can’t seem to turn it off. He smiles at randos he passes in the streets and if one of them decides to say hi to him, he can’t keep walking and pretend he didn’t hear them like Atsumu always does.
The convenience store near his ma’s house had always been a five minute walk, three if they’d just earned their pocket money and were racing each other down for first pick of an ice cream. Nowadays, his dear brother can extend the trip double with Atsumu’s arms crossed and his foot tapping like he’s five again and his ma just saw one of her friends in a grocery store and was “catching up”.
“What took ya so long?” Ma would ask with her head tilted, hair up and fan pointed at her while she stirred a pot of soba noodles.
“I blame ya!” Atsumu would then point with Osamu completely indifferent to the exchange. He’d dutifully wash the radish they’d been sent out to get and begin grating it. His ma, though, quirks an amused brow which would irritate him further and make him flop onto the couch like he’d always do after they lost a game. “I blame ya and ya chatty genes he inherited.”
“Saw Yamada on the way,” Osamu would offer without looking up.
“Oh? How is he? How are the kids?”
“He’s good. Kids are good, too. The oldest one’s got a cultural festival coming up. He invited us.”
“We should go!”
“Already told him we would.”
And Atsumu finds his brother in another absolutely irrelevant conversation, this time, about TVs for some reason. The blonde wraps an arm around his brother’s shoulder, the other recognizing his touch immediately without so much of a glance to him. Twin things.
“Ya getting tired?” Atsumu asks and pointedly ignores Osamu’s company, turning his cheek away from them to speak into the cook’s ears. It seems he wasn’t discrete enough because when Osamu nods, one of them pipes up with an unwarranted statement.
“My friend is single,” said friend looks sheepish, but the other one, the one who’s wingmanning, seems adamant with eyes wide and focused on Osamu, “like really single and she’s got a house really close by.”
Osamu’s reaction is much too slow for Atsumu. Or maybe Atsumu’s just fast because he grabs his brother’s left hand and displays it aggressively, shaking the limb for effect.
“And he’s got a ring right on ‘im!” The athlete doesn’t even wait for a reaction. He turns around and leads his brother out of the venue. When the din of the bar dulls and there’s enough fresh air to clear the stickiness from his pores, Atsumu finally smacks the back of Osamu’s head.
The cook parries with his own slap.
“What are ya on, Tsumu?” He asks while rubbing his nape.
The stupid question makes him want to hit his brother again but he settles for a shove this time. “Ya gotta stop doing that!”
Osamu doesn’t get a chance to defend himself as they walk past a group of friends which turns the blonde smug. He’ll take all the wins he can get.
“What are ya talking about?”
“Ya gotta stop talking to people and being nice and shit.”
“It’s called being friendly, Tsumu. Ya should try it.”
“Ya don’t need any more friends,” Atsumu huffs, turning his head away, embarrassed. “Ya got two best friends already.”
Osamu’s grin is conspiratorial, “are ya saying that you’re one of ‘em?”
The blonde flushes, small red spots peeking through the unbuttoned portion of his shirt, mad that he’s so easy to read, angry because his brother sees right through him. “I better be!” Then he tries to deflect by pushing his brother again. Osamu bodies him with his shoulder in response. “And ya got one waiting for ya at home so let’s go. I’m tired of hanging out with these scrubs.”
The streets are more quiet now. There’s the sound of their steps and the soft huff of their breath and the rustle of their clothes, and even the bar’s music is just muffled noise that makes Osamu’s gaze seem so loud. He stares for a moment until his eyes fall to his feet. He nods with a small muttering of thanks.
If Atsumu is easy to read, then so is he. Neither of them need their emotions to be shown so expressly. It’s simply intuitive so there’s no reason to dwell on it.
Atsumu knocks into his brother again, “don’t thank me yet. I’m snitching ya out!”
“Ya instigating!” Osamu grins as he pushes his brother’s cheek, “I didn’t do anything!”
#reina.writeshaikyuu!!#haikyuu#haikyuu!!#haikyuu fluff#miya atsumu#miya osamu#uhm this is not an x reader fic right?#like yeah you're at home. you've got a ring with osamu. but this is just two bros being bros right?
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Above Snakes
Part 6.2! Look, I am not a murder mystery writer so hopefully this doesn’t come off as cheesy or too predictable… I’m trying my best here 😅
Pairings: Sam Kiszka X Danny Wagner
Warnings and tags: 18+ only please, no minors!! Adult themes including: mentions of death and murder, questioning of loyalty, very brief fighting and a very small bit of blood, angst and crying, cowboy AU, please let me know if I missed anything
Word count: 3.8k
It took nearly twenty minutes of Sam pacing around the office talking aloud his racing thoughts to himself, his brothers, whatever god was listening, the bare faded paneled walls, until Josh finally had him calmed down- at least enough to take a seat in the chair.
Josh’s office had always been small, just four walls big enough to hold a desk, two chairs on either side of it, a small mini fridge with a microwave on top, and a water dispenser. The eldest brother sat in his usual spot- he was the only one still level headed enough to maintain his composure. Jake had remained silent the entire time it took to console the youngest, leaning against the wall behind Josh with his arms crossed tightly over his chest and his head hanging in deep thought.
“We have to help him” Sam begged as he sat forward in the chair, placing his shaking hands on the edge of the desk. “He couldn’t have done that… right?”
“We’re going to help him Sammy. I’m going to call the lawyer in just a minute. First I need you to take a few deep breaths” Josh sushed him. “And you,” he turned his chin over his shoulder next, barely gaining any acknowledgment from Jake that he was talking to him now, “you’re going to tell me everything that happened yesterday”.
Jake sighed and pushed off the wall, moving just a couple of feet to stand next to his other half, only ever taller when one was sitting down and one was standing. “Let’s get to the chase,” he began making Josh’s eyebrows shoot up and Sam nearly fall out of his chair with anticipation, “Danny and I went to a bar last night. I went back to the motel first. He was there probably an hour and a half after I left, and when I saw him make it back to his room he’d brought a girl with him”.
Sam’s color drained from his entire body at Jake’s reveal. More thoughts raced through his already aching head. A girl? Why would he bring a girl back to his room? Surely they didn’t hook up or anything? “What? No…” was all he managed to actually say, his words falling out of his mouth in a confused and hurt tone.
“Did you recognize this girl? Do you think Danny knew her?” Josh spoke up, trying to rationalize the situation for everyone.
“I don’t know” Jake replied, shaking his head slowly, “it was late and dark, all I know is she was fucking drunk. Danny had to carry her inside-”.
“Did you say anything to him?” Sam blurted out in a raised voice, cutting Jake off. “Did you even try to stop him?!”
“No, I didn't try to stop him. Danny’s a grown ass man he can make his own decisions”.
“So you just what? Saw him drag a drunk girl into his motel room on your watch and didn’t think ‘hmm maybe I should go check on them’, ‘maybe it’s not a good idea for Danny to be shacking up with randos from a shitty bar in fuck-if-I-know-where’?!” Sam was getting more and more heated, almost ready to jump back out of his chair and throw himself at his brother just so he could get some frustration out. Wouldn’t have been the first time a tassel broke out between the two.
“Just because you and Danny have something going on together doesn’t mean I’m his babysitter when you’re not around Sam. Maybe you should be less worried about whether or not he slept with her and try to help us figure out why they think he killed somebody”.
At that Sam’s eyes started to burn and tear up again. Besides his grandparents Danny didn’t have anyone here to look after him. He was an outsider and in the eyes of a small town that practically made you guilty. Sam was the only one who truly knew him- was supposed to be there for him, but now he was beginning to doubt whether he ever truly knew him to begin with.
He closed his eyes and tried to conjure up an image of Danny in his mind. Sweet, kind, beautiful, Daniel. The first picture that came was of just earlier when they were having lunch, sitting across from Danny at the table so elated to be seeing him again and Danny with his crooked content smile as he chewed his homemade meal. Then he was closer, looming over Sam in his head and pressing savory kisses to his mouth… if he really had slept with that girl and then- how could he have come home and acted like absolutely nothing had happened?
“I think I’m going to be sick” Sam groaned and threw his hands up to rub his eyes with the heels of his palms until he was seeing brightly colored blotches instead.
“Jake, come on” Josh pleaded with him to show Sam some mercy. “You were close with Danny too. You don’t honestly think he could have hurt that girl do you?”
Jake huffed and moved to sit on the edge of Josh’s desk, crossing his arms defensively back over his chest. “No, not on purpose anyways”.
“Well I think we can all agree on that. Let’s take the rest of the evening off to process all of this. I’m going to call the lawyer now and see what information we can get out of the sheriff's office as his employer. In the meantime I expect you too to look out for each other”.
Sam and Jake both shot each other a glare then turned back to Josh with an argument ready on their tongues, but Josh silenced him with one raise of his hand. He’d made his decision and as the eldest that meant it was final.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you” Sam finally spoke calmly after a few good minutes of standing outside slumped over the fence of the pin with Jake beside him nervously pinching at his lip, once again deep in thought. “It’s just Daniel… he and I…” though Jake had already insinuated that he knew what was going on, and Josh didn’t question it either so he must’ve known too, Sam still felt like now was an appropriate time to lay everything out in the open. “He’s become really important to me, and I just can’t stand the idea of him sitting in a holding cell while Josh is just making phone calls and we’re standin’ around doin’ nothing”.
The thing was Jake hadn’t been doing nothing. This whole time he’d been replaying the arrest in his head over and over again. When it happened he’d been so caught up with seeing Tommy McVain, the man who stole the love of his life from him, daring to step foot on his property even if he was in uniform. Now that he’d had the chance to process it though, some things just weren’t adding up. Like why was their country’s sheriff's department doing the arrest and not the county where the crime occurred? Why would Tom come out here personally knowing Jake would be here to stand up to him? He just couldn’t shake the feeling that they had this all wrong, and dread was starting to set in. He needed answers, now.
“I’m going to call the motel we stayed at last night and see if there’s something I’m missing” Jake explained as he dug his old cell phone out of his pocket. Sam stood up and moved closer to him while Jake put the speaker on and they waited with baited breath as it rang once, twice, then an elderly lady picked up.
“What can I do for you?” She immediately asked, not greeting them or giving her name.
“Hi, this is Jacob Kiszka and I stayed there last night with one of my employees. I think we might have checked out with you early this morning”. He began, hoping it was indeed the same woman and that she remembered them.
“Wasn’t me, was my sister. She’ll be back on at seven thirty. You can try callin’ back then”.
“That’s alright!”Jake butt back in quickly before she hung up, “I just have a few questions, maybe you can answer them for me”.
“Listen, nightly rates are nonrefundable, it’s printed on your receipt”.
Sam rolled his eyes and folded his arms back over the fence with a scoff. He was obviously fed up already with the crude old lady and thought this was going to go nowhere.
“Actually, I was just wondering if anyone else had access to those rooms after we checked out? Do you have a way of seeing when the key cards were used?”
The lady went silent over the other end, finally realizing this wasn’t a routine call of someone complaining about their business. “You’re wondering bout the girl they found this morning aren’t ya?”
Sam perked up again, maybe Jake was onto something by calling there.
“Poor shame what happened to that little thing. She was a beauty, jus glad she wasn’t from round here. It's already going to be hell enough keeping this quiet. Bad for business”.
Jake’s heart jumped into his throat. There was no way of telling if the girl Danny brought back was a local or not, but the more information he got from the old woman the more anxiety built in his stomach, threatening to fill it up and push everything else up and out of the way.
“So no one else went into the rooms after us? No housekeeping, maintenance, anyone else at all?” He pressed again, panic starting to form in his voice.
“Housekeeping doesn’t round till noon, sheriff's department was already here at ten am. Though before then there was a man asking which rooms had been stayed in last night”.
None of this was making any sense. They checked out just before eight, someone had to have known to come check their rooms before housekeeping came otherwise how would someone have been found so quickly? “A man? Did he say his name?”
“He showed me his badge. Mc-something. He asked if I’d seen one of ya with the girl. I tells him my sister says room 108 comes back with a girl late at night, and what do you know room 108 becomes a crime scene”. She slapped her hand down on her desk, the sound of the mug full of pens Jake vividly remembered seeing this morning rattling over the speaker. She was getting upset about answering all these questions, she’d probably already been hounded all morning by officers, but Jake had gotten all he needed from her now. He thanked her for her time before ending the call, stuffing his phone back into his pocket.
Tom had been there. He was the first person on the scene, and that was Jake’s worst nightmare.
“I’m going up to the sheriff's office” he declared as he started off towards his truck.
Sam immediately chased after him, “I’m coming too!” Jake gave him a warning look when he jumped into the passenger's seat, but Sam wasn’t about to back down. “I need to see him” he pleaded and Jake’s shoulders fell as he silently nodded and threw the vehicle in reverse.
When they arrived downtown the corner that the sheriffs office sat on was filled with cars- it was unusual normally there were just a handful but now they had to park across the street and walk over.
Despite the crowd that had gathered inside, it was relatively quiet when Jake and Sam entered. Nearly two dozen heads turned towards them, some of them sending scowls over when they noticed who it was, while others only sported a look of sorrow.
“What can I do for you boys?” The deputy manning the front desk asked out of obligation since everyone seemed to know why they were here. The whole town knew who they were and what business they ran, and it was never slow news when a new hand got hired out at the Kiszka ranch.
“I’d like to see Daniel Wagner” Sam spoke softly.
“Can’t, the boys in questioning” the deputy replied, running his tongue over his teeth and fiddling with a stack of papers on the desk as he avoided eye contact.
“He can’t be questioned without his lawyer, who is on the way I might add” Jake spoke up, unafraid of whoever could hear him. “Let my brother back there to see him”.
His eyes flicked up to Jake, a look of annoyance sitting heavy on his brow as called a colleague over to escort Sam back. “Only one of you at a time”.
“Go Sam, I’ll stay up here” Jake called out when Sam turned back to check with him, though his feet were already hurriedly carrying him away.
Sam wasn’t unfamiliar with the holding cells at the sheriff's office. It wasn’t out of the ordinary around here for the youth to get caught up partying until the cops busted them, the few who got caught in the scramble being hauled off for their parents to come pick them up. When there wasn’t much else to do in a small town the threat of sitting it out in a tiny sweaty cell never really much deterred you from going out again the next weekend. Or at least that was Sam’s case growing up.
It was one right turn down a short hallway and through a door with a keypad lock, then a quick left and they were already at the old jail house the sheriff's office had been built off of. In the very first cell was Danny, sitting on an old metal bench that was bolted to the concrete floor with his head in his hands.
“Wagner, visitor!” The officer who escorted Sam hollered, startling Danny who looked up, relief washing over him when he came into view.
“Sam, you came?”
Sam immediately ran over, gripping onto the rails that separated them until he was being yelled at to back away. “Yeah I came. What the fuck Daniel how did this happen? Have they said anything to you? Have you said anything to them?”
“I don’t know Sam. No, I haven't said anything. I kept asking for a phone call but they’ve had me sitting in here since they came to pick me up. Do you know what’s happening?” He looked desperate, confused, and scared, but still happy that Sam was here now- hopefully to rescue him.
“Jake is trying to get some answers, and Josh called our lawyer. He lives a bit out of town but I’m sure he’s almost here” Sam assured him. He wanted to console Danny, tell him everything was going to be alright and he’d be here for him no matter what. The problem was though every time he looked at him his stomach still churned.
“I have to ask you something” Sam began, unsure if this was really the right time to be interviewing Danny himself, but he needed his mind at ease. He needed to know if Danny had been with someone else, had been unfaithful to him even if they’d never specifically detailed the lines of their relationship. “Last night, Jake said he saw you with someone”.
Danny hesitantly looked over at the deputy who was still standing nearby, though he didn’t seem to be paying much attention to them now that Sam had behaved and backed away from the cell. “What did he tell you?”
“He said he saw you bring a girl back to your room from a bar and that she was wasted” Sam replied, trying not to sound too condemnatory. He didn’t want to believe this had happened, but he also didn’t believe his brother to be a liar either.
“Did he also tell you that he left me at that bar to begin with? Ditched me without a word to find my way back on my own”. He took Sam’s eyes widening as a no, so he continued on. “Yeah there was a girl, and she was wasted. Too drunk to be driving and too out of it to be at that bar alone. There were some sketchy guys buying her drinks. I had a bad feeling about it so I offered to drive her home. Or at least I tried to, but she wasn’t really coherent at that point. I went back to the motel because that’s the only place I could remember where it was. She slept in the bed and I slept on the floor and I swear to God in the morning she left and we went our separate ways”.
Sam took a moment to process all Danny had told him. Though he should have been relieved that Danny and the girl hadn’t done anything together, he was more confused with how this had all ended here- Danny sitting in jail with a supposed murder charge. “So if she left then who did they find in your room?”
“They found someone in my room?” Danny stood up and started pacing around, folding his hands behind his head and waving his elbows around as he tried to breathe through his panic.
Just as Sam opened his mouth to explain they heard a loud crashing sound and some yelling coming from down the hallway.
“Talk’s over, come with me”.
Before either could say much of a goodbye Sam was being drug back through the hallway until he was tossed to the other side of the door he’d come through. Back out into the open of the station he immediately saw what all the commotion was about.
On one end of the room Jake was being restrained by a group of officers as he lashed and kicked and yelled. “What did you do to her!”
On the other end was the sheriff's son Tommy McVain holding a napkin up to his nose, his tan uniform stained with blood.
Sam stared at the mess in front of him, frozen in place as his brother was being taken away now too.
“Lock that asshole up with the other one!” Tommy yelled as he checked his napkin to see if his nose was still bleeding before noticing Sam watching from across the room. He locked eyes with him and shot Sam a threatening look, just begging for him to act up too.
Any other time and Sam wouldn’t have cared- he would have jumped right into a fight and had his brother’s back with no doubts. Today had been a day full of surprise after surprise though, and it had somehow drained him both physically as it had mentally. Instead he moved to take a seat by himself.
Whatever the hell Jake got into this time was going to have to be his problem now.
Twenty minutes earlier
Jake watched Sam disappear before the officer at the desk asked if he needed anything else. “No, I’m just waiting for McVain” Jake informed him, stepping away from the counter and moving over to the already crowded seating area.
“Mrs. Johnson?” Jake asked the woman who was sitting down with a tissue in hand, her eyes glazed over and her husband's hand draped around her shoulder. “Do you remember me?”
She looked up when she realized he was talking to her, then tears started silently rolling down her face again as soon as she took him in. “Of course I remember you Jacob” she peeped, her voice barely capable of making a sound after all the sobbing she’d done earlier.
“Can I ask what’s the matter?” He had a suspicion- it had been nagging at the back of his head since Danny got arrested earlier. The large crowd of distraught community members at the station was just another piece of the puzzle setting the picture Jake had in mind.
He watched as her husband’s grip on her cardigan tightened and she reached up to wrap her fingers around it for support. “It’s Suzette, she’s…” her voice started to shake again and she couldn’t get the words out- wasn’t capable of bringing herself to actually say what she couldn’t even believe was true. “We umm, we’re waiting to see her. They haven’t let us see her yet”.
Jake’s throat began to tighten, threatening to cut off his own air supply at the sound of her name, but he held himself together by a thread. All the emotions he had right now were being mentally cut off so he could focus on what he came here for. “Have they told you anything? What happened to her?” He absolutely did not want to be asking this of her parents, but they were going to be his best bet for information at this point.
“Tom found her. He said she’d been missing all night. I just can’t believe anyone would do this to our poor daughter” she started to break down into tears again so Jake offered her another tissue from the box sitting on the table in front of them and decided he’d better leave them alone now. Besides, they had already confirmed what he feared most.
It was never some random girl from a bar Danny had in his room that wound up dead. Suzy McVain was the victim and Jake knew with certainty that Danny had nothing to do with it. In fact, he was sure he knew who did.
From across the station a door to an office opened and out of it was just the person he was waiting for. He stood up and walked through bodies, not even registering as his shoulder bumped into arms and even one person tried to stop him. His vision went red as it zeroed in on Tommy stepping out of the office, completely unaware of what was coming for him.
Jake’s fist met his jaw first, clipping him on the corner right where his ear connected no doubt making it ring violently. When Tom turned in shock to face him Jake’s second blow landed square on his nose knocking him backwards.
“What did you do to her?!” Jake yelled, ready to punch him again, but suddenly he felt his arms being pinned back as he was restrained.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Tom yelled back, grabbing the first napkin he could find and bringing it to his nose to stop the blood from getting everywhere.
“Suzy! What the fuck did you do to her!” Jake repeated and he tried to kick next, his entire body thrashing around just to get at him.
He hadn’t even noticed Sam had come back and seen the end of his fit of rage. It didn’t matter anyways, nothing mattered right now, only beating Tommy up to a pulp did.
“Lock that asshole up with the other one!” Was the last thing Jake heard as he was carried away by three men and thrown into his own cell.
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DOWNFALL (a.b.)
main hub of all important thangs
chapter 1
I believe in miracles
where are you from?
you sexy thing, sexy thing, you.
- you sexy thing, hot chocolate
——
RIANNE SOLACE
Never in my life could I ever imagine that I'd be standing in the middle of some randos house. Sipping some random ass colorful drink — that I can't recall ever being pushed in my hand — squashed against other party goers. Listening to — might I add — the worst music I've ever heard.
Might as well just pull off the bandage now, and let you know that I — commonly known by my friends as 'Miss. anti-social — was never a so-called 'party-goer', especially right now. But, Sydney, being oh-so herself, insisted that I lighten up a bit and spend a night out with her. So here I was, completely against my will.
To sum up my experience so far, I'd say it completely blows. I never understood why people in high school enjoyed this endless drinking and squashing out on the floor. Same thing went for college and still applies in my twenties. Sydney always got a kick out of telling people that it was just because I was an 'old soul.' I knew what she meant, but sometimes I was quite certain she was trying to imply that I acted like a grandmother. I mean, hey — it wasn't my fault that her grandmother always set up Rummikub every time we visited. That game equaled my weakness. Truly a competition whenever I'd be around. So, I enjoyed hanging out with Marilyn. Was that such a crime? In Sydney's book, it seemed to be so.
But, I seriously couldn't complain about Sydney. Especially when she'd been there for me in college — wedging her way into my life as someone I could call my best friend. Someone I could trust with the parts of me I hoped no one else could see. So in that respect, I could handle another hour watching Sydney get piss drunk just for the hell of it.
I'd been watching her for the past few minutes, dancing with some dude I never saw before — making sure he wouldn't take her away. I didn't mind it really. It gave me a good excuse to detach myself from the looming crowd and join the other anti-socials against a wall. Or so I thought. Instead I was met with a couple squashed up against the wall, practically hot glued together. I could vomit. So, I took a long swig of my fruity drink and hoped for the best.
The wall felt cool against my back and I readjusted myself to lean a bit more comfortably. The bass from the loud speakers surrounding what was supposed to be a house, but seemed more like a ritsy Better Homes and Gardens rent-a-mansion — truly lodged into my ear canals. So much, that I didn't even notice someone appeared next to me, clearly trying to speak to me but evidently failing.
"What?" I tried to annunciate over the blaring music, blinking my eyes numerous times, hoping I could catch a picture perfect glimpse of the person in front of me. The nauseating spot lights danced in colors against their skin, evading into darkness every beat. I already knew I was failing.
Their mouth moved again, and I paid close attention to their lips. God, it was like a television on mute. I couldn't help but tumble over in laughter. Jesus Christ. I was already hella drunk.
Served me right.
Was the liquid in my glass this bright pink the entire time? Like neon pink? Was I going insane?
Un-hunching myself — if you will — I stood back up, adjusting my hair as if nothing happened. As if I did not just have a laughing fit in front of a stranger. God, I sure hoped this wasn't one of Sydney's big corporate coworkers. I'd just about die on the spot. To sum it all up, Sydney got a pretty good fucking job after college — and when I say good fucking job I mean it. This bitch managed to score an internship that got her sent to the city for a real-adult job, and I ended up tagging along. I guess reading countless Cosmo magazines as a child really pays off because now she is Miss. Scratch-pad-pen-and-paper-journaling-connoisseur.
And then there was me.
"Woah, woah, are you alright?" The stranger's voice suddenly boomed in my ears. Ah, guess they did work. "Fuck, I didn't mean to freak you out."
"Quite alright," I managed through a hoarse voice. How the fuck were my vocal chords dead when I'd been drinking straight up liquid for the past hour? A mystery to me. "Sorry." I started laughing, like a horse— might I add. God, that was fucking embarassing. "I couldn't hear you."
"You're good." This time I was able to make out that the voice was attached to a man. A very handsome man with a silky accent. Jesus, what the fuck did I drink? "Sorry. I just -" He began, staring off into the crowd. With his figure leaned against the wall next to me, I could finally take him in. He wouldn't look at me as he spoke, but I could care less. Not when I had full range to absolutely gawk at his side profile. He was, in what I could define, as beautiful — feature wise. Button nose, plump curved lips, delicious blonde locks. I was certain any girl would destroy him, absolutely devour him. Why was this beautiful, clean cut, half buttoned up, chest exposed, simple gold pleated chained man, standing next to me? I didn't know. "I don't really know anybody here." He admitted my suspisions quite shyly, his eyes darting all around.
"I don't either," I admitted back, taking another long sip of my drink. Man was I truly drinking this whole scenario in. I truly hoped I wasn't dreaming it all. "I don't want to be here. If you couldn't tell."
"I figured. Classic move." He turned to me, gazing off into the distance, biting on his lip. "Stand off to the side to avoid all the chaos?"
"Precisely," I said, tilting my head to get a better look at him, but he still wouldn't look at me. "Can I suspect that you are doing just the same?"
He adjusted his position, leaning an arm against the wall as he scanned the party. The music turned up a noche at this very instant switching songs, leading him to have to lean forward and ever-so-effortlessly answer in my ear. "You're right on target."
And if I wasn't leaning against a wall right now, I sure as hell would have fallen straight to the floor — my drink going right down with me. I swore his voice demoted an octave, shifting gears to intensify the silkiness laced within his words.
"So," I began, swirling the straw in my drink, fucking up the cute little umbrella that was plopped in there. "Why come?" When I say that was bold — that was bold. Sober me could never, and I mean ever, continue a conversation for the life of me.
His chest constricted as if he was letting out some left over tension. "Didn't have much of a choice."
What that meant, I didn't know, but who was I to ask? "Right." I nodded, chalking it down to that he had to be here just like the rest of us. Well besides me. But, sure did Sydney.
Oh fuck, Sydney!
I was supposed to be watching her, and now I couldn't locate her. God, I hated being short. Even these heels were insufficiante over the shit load of heads swarming the place like a flock of a million birds or those big ass schools of fish. How did the party intensify in such a short period of time? Or was it longer? Christ, I didn't know. Of course this Greek-fucking-god-ken-doll distracted me from the task at hand. I could only hope it was her coworker Dwayne — nope wait that ain't his name. That was the made up name for him.
Fuck, what was his name? Think Rianne.
Brock.
Right, like Broccoli.
I'm sorry, but who the fuck names their son Brock.
Every time I think about him I just see Dwayne the Rock Johnson — hence Dwayne. Sydney with Dwyane the Rock Johnson would be really fucking cool though. Their kids would probably be mini Rocks.
For the love of Christ!
I must have said one of these things out loud, cause Ken suddenly looked at me with complete concern. "What's wrong?"
Detaching myself from the wall, I became acutely aware of the bass that transitioned into my head— a blaring headache imploding from tonight's activities. "I gotta go." Nothing else seemed to matter as I dove into the crowd, but then I felt really bad for leaving Ken all lonesome tonight, so I abruptly turned back around and waved my drink madly. "Have a good night, Ken or Apollo or whatever!"
He looked at me questioningly like I had ten heads, but then his brows relaxed and he unfolded his arms. His finger grazed his lips as he tried to stifle a laugh. Was that a ring on his pointer finger? Yes, I feared it was. He looked like he was giggling like a shy school girl. He was ridiculously cute. With his little feet crossed at the ankles and all. From here I could tell he had on black leather boots and a matching suit — his undershirt drawing a more casual and sexy look. God damn. Wait a second! Was that my little drink umbrella tucked behind his ear? That bastard must have taken it when I wasn't paying attention.
"At least the umbrella will beat the rain!" I called out.
And then he smiled like actually fucking smiled, a laugh drawing right out of him that I could only decipher from the rumbling of his chest.
Focus Rianne.
And then I was whisking into the crowd for my bestest friend who I sure hoped was not being abducted at this particular moment. How would I explain it to Marilyn the next time we played Rummikub?
Hi-ya Marilyn! It is so lovely to see you. By the way, your granddaughter drove off to Vegas or something and got hitched, or maybe she didn't. The world may never know. Let's play!
Skin that I did not want on my body was suddenly there. Boy, did I need a shower. The sticky sweat from others bodies attached on my own like flees as I merged my way into the crowd. It was hot as balls. I already missed my perfect wall next to that suction cup couple and that handsome lifeguard-model. But, I had to stay on assignment. I must stay on assignment.
Like an FBI agent on a mission, I scoped out the area. Channel my inner Dr. Spencer Reid, why don't we? "Has anyone seen a blonde about yay-high! Anyone?" No one responded of course. How could they when they were saturated by the euphoric atmosphere of the party.
And there went my drink.
Right on the floor.
In a puddle, by my feet.
Just Lovely.
Paper towels. A sister needed paper towels, immediately. To the kitchen I went. Diversion of mission, but rightfully so. Where would a kitchen be in this place? I wouldn't know. The future threw up all over it.
After a few minutes of mindless trekking and ripping my heels off after practically being impaled by these ridiculous shoes, I found what appeared to be the kitchen. But instead of finding paper towels, I found Sydney. Thanking my lord and savior. I could have kneeled to the floor and praised Eric Forman like Fez and Kelso did in that one episode of that 70s Show with Midge's whole underwear-sitch.
Eric you truly are a god.
"Syd!" I called, approaching her figure and sat atop a table sipping some neon green drink. Her feet swayed to the music as she giggled and leaned her head on some dude's shoulder. Was that my guy Dwayne?
"Riri!" She hopped off the table. Any other time, my pissed off button would turn on at the nickname. But, drunk me could care less. With a pep in her step, probably from the alcohol and getting completely drunk off of Mr. Broccoli-Rabe. She enclosed me in the tightest hug. "I missed you so much!" Once she broke away, she observed me with utmost concern. "Where've you been? Where'd you go? Oh my fucking God!" Her hands braced my shoulders. "Have you been drinking?"
I shrugged in her hold. "Guilty as charged." I raised a brow. "Now, how'd you figure that out?"
"You're all glowy and shit," she said without a beat of hesitation, wiggling her eyebrows amusingly.
"I could say the same for you." I nodded my head towards the Rock. "Is he treating you well? Cause if not I will rightfully beat his broccoli ass up."
Of course I said that as she was sipping on her drink, and she choked. Bad move. "Broccoli! I can't with you." She vocalized once she was done hacking up a lung. At least her drink didn't shoot out of her nose. Small victories. "Where the fuck do you come up with this shit in that mind of yours?"
"I don't know. It's just in the noggin, ya-know?" Raising my fist to my head I knocked on it in good measure. "All up in that watermelon brain."
"Yep, yeah." She moved back to Broccoli, placing her drink on the table. She whispered something in his ear before latching her lips on him in a heated kiss. Her face flushed when she pulled away. Instead of detaching from him, she dove right back in as his fingers trapped her chin for one last longing kiss.
Disgusting.
I missed you, my umbrella drink.
Finally, she escaped his hold, lacing her arm in mine. "Looks like it's time for us to go home. I have never seen you this drunk."
"I am not thattttt drunk," I defended myself immediately, but didn't break from her hold. She simply nodded her head back and forth and began dragging me along. I turned back around abruptly, suddenly remembering Broccoli. In what world would I ever talk to him? I supposed it was this one. "Good night, Dwayne-Rock-Broccoli!"
"Ri!" Sydney bellowed, her eyes popping out of her head as she stared at me in disbelief. Guess I wasn't allowed to be brutally honest with him yet. Were they not that deep into the relationship?
Whoops.
Guess you could call me a friendly drunk.
All I heard was a 'What the actual fuck?' as we dipped out of the party scene.
"Alright, I'll go call a cab. Can you chill out here by the door for a minute while I go do that and say goodbye to my boss?" She looked at me sternly.
"Yeah, yeah. Of course." I waved her off, staring at the weird glass that was attached to the door frame. This futuristic shit was really fucking weird, but I couldn't lie that it totally mesmerized me.
I noticed now, it was raining. Practically downpouring. Some droplets of rain stuck to that weird ass glass, different specs of color shining against the water. Rain right now wasn't as odd as one would suspect in California. Especially after a long crusty dry drought. But, who was I to comment anyways? This night was weird as it was already. I shivered at the thought of walking through the rain, soaked from the trenches. Syd and I, of course, did not bring a single jacket.
One could have sephiced for the both of us if need be. Just toss it over the heads. Perfect. But, no.
Nothing.
Na da.
Maybe Dwayne had an umbrella or something.
Umbrella dude.
Umbrella dude still has my fucking drink umbrella. That shit would have been perfect. If I ever see that bastard again I will be wringing him a new one for stealing my only form of safety for the night.
But, I won't.
That I knew for sure.
That was all I could remember before everything went black, and I drowned into the trenches, dreaming of a man I just met.
——
oh....
yeah, okay Ri. sure....
welcome welcome to the austin butler whore house!
welcome home friends.
i really hope you guys enjoy this. i wrote this in a complete spur of the moment, and i am honestly super excited about it. i hope you stick along for the ride.
I hope ya love it <3
eric forman being a whole god for your reference purposes:
see ya soon,
xanadu
#austin butler#austin butler fandom#austin butler fanfiction#austin butler fanfic#austin butler elvis presley#austin butler fans#wattpad#fanfic#that 70s show#elvis presley fanfiction
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Glad that you've liked it! I must say, I am always happy to provide some strange scenarios for you and your audience! And now, without further ado, I am presenting another strange scenario to you! Sit back, and enjoy, my lil' berries!
A Reader, who falls into Hisui… But they look almost exactly like someone. I'll take Cyllene, Ingo and our loveable Professor Laventon. Again, Reader looks exactly like them, just with some major/minor differences. I would say, that would be some "hoLY ARCEUS-" moment of their lives.
Cyllene is almost horrified by your resemblance, it's that scary! You have her frown, you have her hair cut, damn, you even often stand like her, with arms behind your back. However, your hair are not blue, they are slightly red, like your eyes. Your skin is a little darker, and last, but not least, you are slightly shorter than her. And the most major one difference she sees is when at one day she spots how you are spoiling your team. Your full of b u g s team. She sees how you apply potion on your Heracross's horn, how you feed your still Combee, how your A l p h a Kricketune rumbles happily at the pats, how both of your Yanmegas sit on your shoulders, and how your little Scorupi scuttles around your feet, begging for snacks with its beady eyes. Cyllene almost has a heart attack second time in her life. First, you look exactly like h e r, and then this! She definitely needs a break.
Laventon is straight up scared. At first, he wasn't able to see your face since, well..your head stuck in the sand. The first thing that he saw, besides your kicking body, was a bag full of various strange things that was now scattered around you. Various round stones were shining in the sun, as well as the crystals with strange drawings on them. While you struggle with the sand, he notices a White band in your hand, as well as your white coat, identical to his one. His Pokémon jump over to you, and then, you lift (finally) your head, meet his eyes, and…silence. Then, you both are screaming out of pure fear because you are basically staring at yourself! Yes, he sees some differences, like, your hair is poking out of your hat, you have green eyes instead of purple, and then you have three Pokémon at your feet: A little reptile-like one with a big jaw, green snakelike one with two stubby legs and, finally, cat-like Pokémon with big yellow eyes. He learns their names, however, only after a very long time. Hey, he needs to get used to your presence, cut him some slack!
Ingo is… Confused. When he meets you first time, he almost immediately forgets everything he wanted to say. He forgot that he needs to tell you that Kamado is waiting, he just…stares at you with some strange headache. You look familiar. Way familiar. Almost like him, if he will be honest, but he knows, you are not related to him. Instead of his frown, you have this gigantic, toothy grin taking almost half of your face. Your eyes have yellow colour, and your outfit shines like a sun with the same colour. It is almost mind-boggling to learn that you are extremely shy and quite socially awkward (You even talk in very short sentences), preferencing company of your Pokémon - specifically, a Goodra, strange one, he must say - without a shell; And your overly protective turtle with flippers that are capable of breaking someone bones, he is sure. And although he doesn't know who are you exactly… He will help you. And you said to him, that you will help him. Like a team. Why.. Why does it feel familiar?
He-he, there it is! Enjoy and have a good day/evening! If I'll have another strange scenario, I'll share it with you for sure ✨👀
-Dearly your reader, Victusordovitreus.
Omggggggg
That’s so fun!! Meeting either a descendant or some rando that happens to look like them!! Arceus has a sense of humor lmao!
Poor Cyllene. She’s curious but oh my god your team is nothing but bugs. She’s going to stand thirty feet away and shout any questions she has at you. No, don’t approach, she won’t either. She’s fine where she’s at.
And Laventon! He’s so scared lmao, but I imagine after that, it’s pure curiosity! Because obviously you’re also a professor! And you have your own starters!! What curious things!
Oooh, Hisuian variations of all the the startersssssssss hell yeahhh!!!
And and and Ingo!! Struggling the worse because he doesn’t know you yet he does?? He knows your smile, your manner of speaking, and being next to you makes his head hurt. So why?? You don’t know him, so who is it that you remind him of???
Ahhh you’ve done it again!! I like this very much!!! Please share all your scenarios I like them so much!!
~Renee
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Scary Marlowe - cosplay breakdown post
how did the original post get 200+ O_o' ... wow ok...
did say a long post would happen if it did, so here we go!
The ultimate joke: this Seeker of Darkness was supposed to be a "closet cosplay" Spoiler alert: no, it wasn't
rest of photos frm prev posts:
[ post 1 ] [ post 2 ] [ post 3 ] [ post 4 ] [ post 5 ]
PS: hopefully this outfit ramble will be useful for anyone's attempts? ✺◟(＾∇＾)◞✺ yeah, everyone else plz cosplay these dorks too!! This nerd is desperate for others to photos with
Original plan: buy the Scorpion Slut shirt from the DnDaddies site, pair with whatever own, ??, Profit!
oh right… Unisex sizes are a lie, not with my build. Not buying legit merch to have to disassemble & destroy (unless someone wants to buy it for me ... j/k)
No big deal, there's another still-easy-enuff second option. Lets look at the podcast official art*nods* right.. shirt with words on it, can manage this
Went and bought a rando t-shirt size too big, cut off the long sleeves, started figuring out the words placement.
Absolutely took too long getting the letters Exactly Right - in both duplicating the font AND spacing out the words (busty girls, ya know the pain of prints on tshirts)
Then had a minute when forgot how to letters, while trying to draw a nice "S" (resisted the urge to make the meme-S. My girl would not be that mainstream)
The "stencil" is on freezer paper, any white markings is just soap
fun sewing trick: if don't wanna go buy specialty pencils or chalk - sliver from an old bar of soap works just as good!! Been doin this all my life.
Leave t-shirt for 24hr for paint to set (then its safe to wash)
Here's where things happen:
personal headcanons for this chara start bleeding in
Fanart exists and is frellin AWESOME
Headcanons bit first: Scary absolutely had to have PURPLE somewhere on her (because Warlock, patron 'pact' is a Purple Robe ..etc etc etc…) The t-shirt wasn't to be too badly damaged yet because wasn't sure if would find a full fishnet shirt to wear under it OR only like.. those cheap elbow-ish length arm-warmers. If a skirt was to be involved it hadda be plaid and match other shit in the outfit*
She's also a former sports kid, which somehow overlapped in my head with her still owning like 'sport branded' clothes, and either cutting off or just like badly ripping out logos, this is why holes in a specific spot
*Shut up brain, we aren't literally tryin to recreate what wore back in ancient days of 2003 with the shortest-sleeves tops and long-sleeved fishnet shirts under, it paired with plaid mini-skirts
blah blah saw a bunch of cool fanart, and it sat in the back of my mind, fermenting for a few days, adding to the mental image
Oh hey, my tshirt is dry now! Don't own a good skirt to use with this, lets go to the mall real quick
This is where HT completely fails me by havin anythin plaid be themed with HarryPotter, and the only other skirts (that would fit me!) are tacky as fuck or in wrong print (am all about some cute Kuromi... but not today), also comeon… not spending 40bucks for something would literally wear once. Also apparently fishnet shirts aren't a thing right now???
Bought a skirt size 3X (aka too big) for $9.50 at some random place, purely because it happened to be the closest color/print was looking for.
this is where pause for a second to blast whatever factory made it
Their own site photo is already bad, but damn accurate. Didn't bother matching the print at the sides? You bet! Not even pretending to care with the waistband match seam! That model is also like 20feet tall, i promise on me skirt was knee-length
but why not just go buy some fabric and
the conglomerate monoculture has made sure no small local fabric stores exist! the only thing left is Amazon (aka buy online, fabric dot com is them) or go drive like an hour to closest Joanns for some quilting cotton and pray for the best....
So anyway! now i have "fabric", can arrange a skirt
At first was gonna slap some elastic inside the waistband
nope, it bulks up too much, plus the skirt is too damn long on me!
K, imma just rip off the waistband and keep the zipper in side-seam and refold.... why are the pleats 'drifting' off so badly???
OH RIGHT THEY CUT THE PRINT WRONG, and here I was tryin for the easy way of eyeballing it: folding fabric by orienting to the vertical stripes printed on it
Now this is gettin personal!
It is 2 in the freakin morning, and it's seam-ripper time.
Everyone plz visualize this gremlin sittin on the floor, balancing an iron on her lap, ironing out the fabric to start over
Took apart everything, cut off a portion at the top (didn't wanna deal with rehemming entire bottom later, so shortening skirt goin up instead), do some damn MATH and start folding pleats with a ruler
Not trusting fabric to drift yet again, baste every thing down, press everything
remember kids, hips to waist difference exist! if you're doing pleats Do fold at slight angle, pin both top and bottom of pleat "closed" and try on. If your math is right it will fit both at waist and hips w/out twisting outta shape
Also, if you're gonna do any sort of temporary stitching, use obnoxiously contrasting-color thread! You want it Very Visible for easier later removal
blah blah, trim the length off the waistband piece, sew everything together. Have a skirt now! Plain long-sleeved shirt goes under the black one. Now that shirt situation all sorted - took scissors to sleeves and whatnot. Fistful of safety pins to keep them together. Looks like my clothes are very red and black, so the PURPLE will need to be in hair
at this point we remember fanart exists... or more specifically @midnigtartist because I saw those space-buns and was like ... yes... fuck yes that's whats happening with my hair for the thing!
Also since she drew that check-pattern belt, and im here like hmmm, wasn't gonna have a belt but do have one in that exact colorway... Why not!
Was planning on wearing bike-shorts under the skirt - but this fanart does bring a good point - leggings!
Dug up some tights didn't really care for, stuck a safety-pin on one side (to mark where front is, and it just kinda lives there now), cut them shorter (again, just drawing lines on 'em with soap while wearing them) and then (as per that silly holes headcanon) carefully sliced in some tears
Now its just down to lil bits and ends ... and HT failing me yet again because apparently ridiculous bracelets with studs is no longer a thing, they all about cutesy mushrooms, charms and... wannabe bondage garterbelts and chokers? dunno ... is this what kids r into now?
Dug around my room yet again for things to use.
The braided-looking bracelets were a gift from a friend just weeks prior. He bought a bunch of those online & they didn't fit him. Plastic "tat" bracelet & choker set have owned for ...ahem... that 2003 mentioned earlier
The wide leather cuff came from a RenFaire visit over a decade+ ago. The strip with the studs is a broken headband (wrapped around my wrist, held by safety-pin pilfered from friend's wallet)
cheap purple hairspray from SpiritHalloween (is a damn biohazard! holds up tho), and instead of buying black lipstick just smudged eyeshadow on lips
too many steps for an image wanted to get outta my system because of ONE EPISODE but there ya go.
Cosplay just be like that! (getting Scary & Terry jr picture, worth it!)
if you've made it this far: THANX FOR READING! HAVE FEW SNAPS
#disclaimer: contains me#scare marlowe#SCARY (gasp)#cosplay#dungeons and daddies#dndads s2#dndads quest#goth punk seeker of darkness#totals not like other warlocks you gaiz#terry jr#cosplay rambles#hyperfixation my beloved#no braincells just podcasts
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